CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 26 points, Collin Sexton made all five 3-point attempts off the bench and finished with 21 points and the Charlotte Hornets held on to beat the San Antonio Spurs 111-106 on Saturday to extend their winning streak to six games.
LaMelo Ball 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help give the Hornets their longest win streak in nearly a decade. Charlotte won seven straight games in March 2016.
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Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee questions a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell, right, drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives against San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, left, shoots against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, right, moves the ball against Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Dylan Harper scored 20 points to lead the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama was held in check for most of the game, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting and eight rebounds.
Charlotte's 17-point lead in the third quarter disintegrated after Harrison Barnes hit back-to-back 3s and the Spurs turned a Sexton turnover into a De'Aaron Fox layup to cut the lead to two with less than five minutes to play.
But the Spurs could never regain the lead.
With 36 seconds left and Charlotte leading by three, officials initially whistled Fox for a foul on a Miller 3-point attempt. But after reviewing the call, it was overturned and resulted in a jump ball, which the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama easily won.
Wembanyama launched a hurried a 3-point shot moments later and the Hornets snagged the rebound. Down 3, the Spurs inexplicably allowed 15 seconds to elapse before fouling Miller, who made both free throws with 10.6 seconds left to seal the game.
Kon Knueppel, who had a career-high 34 points in a 123-121 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, was held to 13 points and six rebounds.
The Hornets outscored the Spurs 35-17 in the second quarter behind 16 points and three 3s from Miller to take a 61-47 lead into the locker room. Charlotte held Wembanyama to four points, one rebound and one assists before the break.
The game was moved up three hours to account for a storm that dumped six inches of snow on Charlotte earlier in the day.
Spurs: Host Magic on Sunday night.
Hornets: Host Pelicans on Monday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee questions a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell, right, drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives against San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, left, shoots against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, right, moves the ball against Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s royal family is facing a fresh round of embarrassment after the latest release of documents from the U.S. investigation into Jeffrey Epstein revealed unsavory details about the relationship between the convicted sex offender and a correspondent who appears to be the man formerly known as Prince Andrew.
Emails released by the U.S. Justice Department include an invitation for Epstein to dine at Buckingham Palace, Epstein’s offer to introduce his correspondent to a 26-year-old Russian woman, and photos that appear to show Andrew kneeling over an unidentified person who is lying on the floor.
The revelations come three months after King Charles III stripped Andrew of his royal titles, including the right to be called a prince, as he tried to insulate the monarchy from a steady stream of stories about his younger brother’s relationship with Epstein that has tarnished the royal family for more than a decade. The former prince is now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
As a result of that move, the damage from the latest emails is likely to be limited to Mountbatten-Windsor, said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London.
The documents show that “they had to do something to separate Andrew from the rest of the family, and the nuclear option was the clearest way of doing it,” Prescott said. “And as more comes out, then you do feel that they have been justified.”
The documents raise serious questions about Andrew’s judgment, while offering a rare look at how some of the world’s super elite behave behind closed doors, Prescott said.
“It’s sort of the things they do behind some of the most gilded doors in New York or London or wherever,” he said. “It’s the sort of things that on some occasions seem to be going on. And I think most people just think, wow, that’s all very extraordinary.’’
Mountbatten-Windsor has been dogged by his relationship with Epstein ever since 2008, when the wealthy financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. In 2011, the late Virginia Giuffre alleged that she had been trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17.
He tried to stifle the controversy in a 2019 interview with the BBC, but the appearance only fueled the scandal when he was criticized for offering unbelievable explanations of his behavior and failing to show empathy for Epstein’s victims.
The former prince has repeatedly denied committing any crimes and has rejected Giuffre’s allegations. An email seeking comment on the latest document release was not answered. The presence of anyone’s name or images in the investigative files isn’t proof of wrongdoing.
The emails released on Friday include an August 2010 exchange between Epstein and an account labeled “The Duke” that occurred soon after the financier was released from home detention following his earlier conviction. Before he was barred from using the title, Mountbatten-Windsor was the Duke of York.
“I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with,” Epstein writes.
“The Duke” replies: “Of course. I am in Geneva until the morning of 22nd but would be delighted to see her. Will she be bringing a message from you? Please give her my contact details to get in touch.”
The email is signed “A.”
In response to a redacted email, “The Duke” then writes, “Great. Any other information you might know about her that might be useful to know? Like what have you told her about me and have you given her my email as well?”
Epstein, whose emails often contain typographical errors, responds: “She 26, russian, clevere beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email.”
“That was quick!” The Duke replies. “How are you? Good to be free?”
“Great to be free of many things,” Epstein says.
The exchange elicited shock from former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, who pointed out that it would be highly unusual for a royal to meet with someone they knew so little about.
“I mean, what was he thinking?” Bond told the BBC. “What was he thinking when Epstein offered him a 26-year-old Russian very beautiful lady to have dinner with? I mean, was there no red light saying, ’Oh my goodness, you know, is this a security risk? Could she be a spy? Should I do this?’ Nah. He says, 'That would be absolutely lovely.’’’
In another exchange in September 2010, Epstein said he was in London.
“I am just departing Scotland should be down by 1800,” “The Duke” replied in an email signed with the initial A. “I’ll ring you when I get down if you can give me a number to ring.
“Alternatively we could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy.”
“bp please,” Epstein responds.
Also included in the release are three photographs that show someone who looks like Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over an unidentified person whose face is redacted.
In one photo the man, wearing blue jeans and a polo shirt, looks into the camera. In the others he appears to be talking to the unidentified person with his hand on their abdomen. There is no caption and no indication of when or where the photos were taken.
As unseemly as the revelations are, there isn’t much else the palace can do to sanction him, Prescott said.
“In terms of Andrew’s reputation, that has totally gone,” he said.
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Images from an undated and redacted document released by the U.S. Department of Justice, photographed Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaning over an unidentified person. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
FILE - Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
