Nets score 80 points in the first half and beat the short-handed Wizards 127-113

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. scored 23 points and the Brooklyn Nets used an 80-point first half to beat the short-handed Washington Wizards 127-113 on Saturday.

With the Wizards having only eight players available, the Nets led by 34 points in the second quarter and went on to snap a three-game losing streak.

Day'Ron Sharpe added 19 points and Noah Clowney had 18 for the Nets, who won for just the second time in 12 games. Rookie Danny Wolf had 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Will Riley scored a career-high 27 points for the Wizards. Justin Champagnie added 21 points and nine rebounds.

The teams are tied for 13th in the Eastern Conference at 14-37, playing plenty of young players as they angle for lottery position. But Brooklyn had its full roster on the court Saturday while Washington sat a few players on the first back-to-back games.

Alex Sarr (right ankle soreness), Kyshawn George (right knee contusion) and Bilal Coulibaly (lower back soreness) were all ruled out Saturday, while the players acquired along with Anthony Davis from Dallas on Wednesday weren’t available yet.

The Wizards had won four of their previous six games, including a victory over East-leading Detroit on Thursday in their last outing.

Brooklyn outscored Washington 23-3 over the final 4 1/2 minutes of the first quarter, pushing a six-point lead to 46-20. Porter scored 13 points in the second quarter, with his free throws giving the Nets their largest lead at 60-26.

It was 80-47 at halftime. It was the Nets' most points in a half since scoring 91 in the first half against Golden State on Dec. 21, 2022.

Wizards: Host Miami on Sunday.

Nets: Host Chicago on Monday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore (88) drives past Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf (77) is blocked by Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) fights for control of the ball with Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

MILAN (AP) — The 2026 Winter Games are off to a promising start for host nation Italy with gold, silver and bronze on the first day of medal events.

But it was Switzerland’s Franjo Von Allmen who captured the first gold medal of the Milan Cortina Olympics on Saturday.

There were no Americans on the podium, though Lindsey Vonn impressed in her second training run ahead of the women’s downhill on Sunday.

Italian speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida celebrated her 35th birthday by winning the host nation's first gold medal of these Olympics — in the 3,000 meters. It's also Italy’s first gold in women’s speedskating at any Winter Games.

Competing in her fourth Olympics, Lollobrigida outskated Ragne Wiklund of Norway for her first Olympic gold after winning silver and bronze in Beijing four years ago.

Her great aunt was the late Gina Lollobrigida, a star actress of the 1950s and ’60s.

Italy had a strong day on the slopes, as well, with Alpine skiers Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris taking silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s downhill — the first medal event of the Games.

However, neither could beat Von Allmen’s time of 1 minute, 51.61 seconds in Bormio.

The 24-year-old Swiss skier was the leader after his downhill run, but the wait for his rivals to finish was nerve-racking.

“I tried to enjoy the moment, but I didn’t quite realize what was going on today,” von Allmen said after his first Olympic race.

Paris, 36, was delighted with his bronze after coming away empty-handed in his four previous Olympics.

“It’s my fifth Olympics, and getting the first medal in front of the home crowd, that’s really special,” Paris said.

In Cortina, Lindsey Vonn completed another downhill training run and was set for Sunday's medal race despite tearing her left ACL a little more than a week ago.

The 41-year-old American crossed the line in third position and told The Associated Press “all good.”

She has been wearing a large brace on her injured knee.

Yuma Kagiyama landed near-perfect quads and scored 108.67 points in his short program to help Japan put pressure on the defending champion U.S. in the figure skating team event.

Malinin, the two-time reigning world champion, was second with 98.00.

But a brilliant free skate by Madison Chock and Evan Bates pushed the U.S. score to 44 points — five more than Japan ahead of the men’s, women’s and pairs free skates to decide the medals Sunday.

Jessie Diggins, the most decorated American cross-country skier ever, finished eighth in the 20-kilometer women’s skiathlon in Tesero. She finished more than 2 minutes behind winner Frida Karlsson of Sweden.

“I had a crash on the first lap, where my tip just disappeared in the slush, and unfortunately it was a tough spot where you lose all your momentum," the 34-year-old Minnesota native said.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance sat with influencer and boxer Jake Paul as they watched the U.S. women’s hockey team beat Finland 5-0 on Saturday. Paul’s fiancee, Jutta Leerdam, is a speedskater for the Netherlands.

Finland played two days after the team’s game against Canada had to be postponed because of a stomach virus affecting players. Switzerland played Canada a day after announcing that one of its players tested positive for the norovirus. Canada won 4-0.

Norway — the nation with the most medals in Winter Olympics history — got its first gold of the Games in the women's ski jumping. It was unexpected.

Anna Odine Stroem of Norway won the normal hill competition ahead of Slovenian favorite Nika Prevc, who has dominated the sport this season. Nozomi Maruyama of Japan won bronze.

Kira Kimura won Japan's first gold medal at these Games — in men’s snowboarding big air in Livigno. His teammate, Ryoma Kimata, picked up the silver medal.

Defending champion Su Yiming of China took bronze, keeping 17-year-old American Oliver Martin off the podium.

Big air consists of one single jump off a huge ramp, where the rider varies spins, flips and holds of the board.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States compete during the figure skating ice dance team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with her gold medal on the podium of the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Jake Paul, left, and Vice President JD Vance attend a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between the United States and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Jessie Diggins of the United States catches her breath after crossing the finish line in the cross country skiing women's 10km + 10km skiathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

United States' Lindsey Vonn in action during alpine ski women's downhill training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski men's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Gold medallist Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with the Italian flag after the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)