Fourth quarters haven’t been kind to the Phoenix Suns this season. Despite having three of the best late-game shot-makers in the NBA, the Suns entered Tuesday’s battle with the Sacramento Kings with a pitiful -16.7 fourth-quarter net rating, the worst mark in basketball by far. So when they fell behind 109-87 with eight minutes and 22 seconds left on the clock, you would have been justified in shutting off your television and assuming the game was over.

If you’ve read this story’s headline, you know that it wasn’t. The Suns scratched the deficit down to 16 in the ensuing three minutes. And then, with 5:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, Frank Vogel made the decision that swung the game. He inserted Eric Gordon into the game for Josh Okogie, removing his best perimeter defender so that he could put his five best shooters on the floor at the same time. The lineup of Gordon, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen outscored the Kings 23-5 in the final 311 seconds to steal the game.

The comeback was historic. Phoenix is just the second team in the past 25 years to overcome a deficit of at least 20 points in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter, ironically joining the 2019-20 Sacramento Kings. According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, teams facing deficits of 22 points or more in the fourth quarter were 0-1,244 since Aug. 23, 2020. Now we can swap that zero out for a one. And it largely happened because of a weapon Vogel hadn’t really deployed yet this season.

The group of Durant, Booker, Beal, Allen and Gordon had played just five total minutes and 14 total possessions this season entering Tuesday’s game. Injuries are to blame for some of that, but Beal has now been back on the court for several weeks. The group doesn’t exactly fit Vogel’s typical defense-first coaching style. Durant is extremely slim for a center and has played the position only sparingly in his career. Booker is the second-tallest player in that lineup at 6-6. The other three players are listed at 6-4.

Nobody would mistake that unit for the 2004 Pistons, but its defensive upside is deceptive. Durant has always been an excellent help defender and supplementary rim-protector. Gordon’s strength and low center of gravity has allowed him to defend bigger players throughout his career. Having so many like-size defenders opens up switching possibilities. If everyone is a mismatch, nobody is. A group like that is rarely going to allow two field goals in five minutes, but defense isn’t the group’s primary focus.

“I knew we still had a lineup we could throw out there that they would probably keep Sabonis on the floor and make him guard 5 elite shooters,” Vogel said in explaining the decision. That was the idea. With five elite shooters on the floor, there was nowhere for Sacramento’s poor defenders, especially their slow big man, to hide. Phoenix made seven of its eight field goal attempts with that group on the floor to close the game. Sacramento had no defensive answer for Phoenix’s obscene amount of shooting.

With time, opposing teams might find one, or more likely figure out how best to exploit that group’s limited size and defensive deficiencies. No coach is going to turn to a lineup like this for 20 minutes per game, especially not Vogel. But Phoenix’s roster isn’t exactly built to play bully-ball either. Jusuf Nurkic’s slow feet make him a defensive liability against the sort of offenses Phoenix will see in the playoffs, and while he does have offensive virtues, they mean less on a team that wants Durant, Booker and Beal to control most of their possessions. Shooting is this team’s biggest strength. Nurkic doesn’t provide much of it.

Gordon and Allen offer plenty. Putting them alongside Phoenix’s three stars creates a degree of spacing few NBA teams have ever had, and just as critically, most opponents the Suns are going to see in the playoffs will have at least one defender like Sabonis that such a group could punish. The Suns may not be able to stop them, but they’re not going to be able to stop the Suns either. Do you really want to bet against Durant, Booker and Beal in a shootout?

Over 48 minutes, potentially, but in smaller samples, we saw just how lethal such an approach could be for the Suns. Small-ball may not be a feasible full-game approach for the Suns, but it’s the style that turns them into their best selves. It only took five minutes and 11 seconds for the Gordon-Allen-Durant-Booker-Beal lineup to overcome all of Phoenix’s fourth-quarter demons on Tuesday. Imagine what it can do with another few months of seasoning.Fourth quarters haven’t been kind to the Phoenix Suns this season. Despite having three of the best late-game shot-makers in the NBA, the Suns entered Tuesday’s battle with the Sacramento Kings with a pitiful -16.7 fourth-quarter net rating, the worst mark in basketball by far. So when they fell behind 109-87 with eight minutes and 22 seconds left on the clock, you would have been justified in shutting off your television and assuming the game was over.

If you’ve read this story’s headline, you know that it wasn’t. The Suns scratched the deficit down to 16 in the ensuing three minutes. And then, with 5:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, Frank Vogel made the decision that swung the game. He inserted Eric Gordon into the game for Josh Okogie, removing his best perimeter defender so that he could put his five best shooters on the floor at the same time. The lineup of Gordon, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen outscored the Kings 23-5 in the final 311 seconds to steal the game.

The comeback was historic. Phoenix is just the second team in the past 25 years to overcome a deficit of at least 20 points in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter, ironically joining the 2019-20 Sacramento Kings. According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, teams facing deficits of 22 points or more in the fourth quarter were 0-1,244 since Aug. 23, 2020. Now we can swap that zero out for a one. And it largely happened because of a weapon Vogel hadn’t really deployed yet this season.

The group of Durant, Booker, Beal, Allen and Gordon had played just five total minutes and 14 total possessions this season entering Tuesday’s game. Injuries are to blame for some of that, but Beal has now been back on the court for several weeks. The group doesn’t exactly fit Vogel’s typical defense-first coaching style. Durant is extremely slim for a center and has played the position only sparingly in his career. Booker is the second-tallest player in that lineup at 6-6. The other three players are listed at 6-4.

Nobody would mistake that unit for the 2004 Pistons, but its defensive upside is deceptive. Durant has always been an excellent help defender and supplementary rim-protector. Gordon’s strength and low center of gravity has allowed him to defend bigger players throughout his career. Having so many like-size defenders opens up switching possibilities. If everyone is a mismatch, nobody is. A group like that is rarely going to allow two field goals in five minutes, but defense isn’t the group’s primary focus.

“I knew we still had a lineup we could throw out there that they would probably keep Sabonis on the floor and make him guard 5 elite shooters,” Vogel said in explaining the decision. That was the idea. With five elite shooters on the floor, there was nowhere for Sacramento’s poor defenders, especially their slow big man, to hide. Phoenix made seven of its eight field goal attempts with that group on the floor to close the game. Sacramento had no defensive answer for Phoenix’s obscene amount of shooting.

With time, opposing teams might find one, or more likely figure out how best to exploit that group’s limited size and defensive deficiencies. No coach is going to turn to a lineup like this for 20 minutes per game, especially not Vogel. But Phoenix’s roster isn’t exactly built to play bully-ball either. Jusuf Nurkic’s slow feet make him a defensive liability against the sort of offenses Phoenix will see in the playoffs, and while he does have offensive virtues, they mean less on a team that wants Durant, Booker and Beal to control most of their possessions. Shooting is this team’s biggest strength. Nurkic doesn’t provide much of it.

Gordon and Allen offer plenty. Putting them alongside Phoenix’s three stars creates a degree of spacing few NBA teams have ever had, and just as critically, most opponents the Suns are going to see in the playoffs will have at least one defender like Sabonis that such a group could punish. The Suns may not be able to stop them, but they’re not going to be able to stop the Suns either. Do you really want to bet against Durant, Booker and Beal in a shootout?

Over 48 minutes, potentially, but in smaller samples, we saw just how lethal such an approach could be for the Suns. Small-ball may not be a feasible full-game approach for the Suns, but it’s the style that turns them into their best selves. It only took five minutes and 11 seconds for the Gordon-Allen-Durant-Booker-Beal lineup to overcome all of Phoenix’s fourth-quarter demons on Tuesday. Imagine what it can do with another few months of seasoning.

Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic faced off in Philadelphia on Tuesday in what is becoming the MVP race’s annual midseason check-in. A little less than a year ago, on Jan. 28, 2023, Embiid engineered a 15-point, second-half comeback against Jokic’s Nuggets in a win that ultimately saw his MVP odds nearly cut in half from +700 to +360. He wound up winning the award, but just as was the case last season, Jokic is the slight favorite at most books as of this writing. If Embiid wanted to reclaim his place atop the leaderboard, he made quite a statement against Denver in a 126-121 win Tuesday.

Jokic was spectacular, posting 25 points and 19 rebounds in defeat, but Embiid stole the show with a 41-point, 10-assist, seven-rebound masterclass. He saved his best work for the fourth quarter. When he re-entered the game with 7:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 111 apiece. Jokic and Tyrese Maxey traded buckets to push the score to 113 each, but Embiid took over from there. Between the 6:57 and 3:32 mark of the fourth quarter, 10 total points were scored. All of them came from Embiid. His personal 10-0 run gave the 76ers a 123-113 lead that they would never relinquish.

It would be one of the best performances of the season in a normal year, but it was downright pedestrian by the standard Embiid has set this season. It was Embiid’s eighth 40-point game of the season, and it was the first time since Nov. 17 that he failed to reach the 30-point, 10-rebound mark. Of course, he made up for that with his 10 assists, because even when he is slightly deficient in a single area this season, Embiid has found ways to compensate elsewhere. He is having the best season of his career, and yet, after the game, he deferred to the player he just defeated. Jokic and Embiid shared a hug after the game, and Embiid whispered something in Jokic’s ears that the camera didn’t quite catch. In his postgame interview, Embiid explained that he told Jokic he was the best player in the league.

“I just told him he’s the best player in the league.” 👀

Joel Embiid tells @ALaForce what he told Nikola Jokić after their hard-fought battle tonight! pic.twitter.com/mcDsfyUzCA

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 17, 2024
“I just told him he’s the best player in the league,” Embiid said. “Like I told you earlier, he won a championship, that’s the best team in the league. He’s the Finals MVP. So I was just telling him, ‘Keep going, I’ll see you in two weeks, keep doing your thing, that’s why you’re the best in the league.'”

The 76ers are scheduled to play the Nuggets again in Denver on Saturday, Jan. 27, so Jokic could potentially have a chance to prove Embiid’s words, but the Philadelphia star’s recent history suggests he might not be a lock to play in that game. Jokic and Embiid have finished first and second in the MVP race three years in a row, but Embiid hasn’t played a single road game in Denver during that stretch. There was some fear that he would miss Tuesday night’s game, the second half of a back-to-back for the 76ers, but he wound up playing. He has missed seven of Philadelphia’s last 11 games, and the 76ers will be cautious in managing his health in the hopes that he gets to the playoffs at full strength.

Jokic was ranked No. 1 in the NBA in most preseason player rankings. He was the pick from CBS Sports, The Ringer and Bleacher Report, for example, and before Embiid’s 2023 MVP win, Jokic had taken home the two previous trophies. This year’s race will be a bit deeper. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo all have odds in the triple digits to this point and will be heard from. But ultimately, Embiid is correct. The title of “best player in the league” is determined in the playoffs, not the regular season. Embiid may have taken a step toward winning his second MVP award on Tuesday, but if he wants to take Jokic’s far more meaningful “best in the world” title, he’s going to have to do it in June, not January.

Welcome back to NBA Star Power Index: A weekly gauge of the players getting the most buzz around the league. Inclusion on this list isn’t necessarily a good thing — it simply means you’re capturing the NBA world’s attention. This is also not a ranking. The players listed here are in no particular order. This column will run every week throughout the regular season.

The Mavericks have won two of their last three with Luka Doncic sidelined. They beat the Knicks last Thursday, when Kyrie Irving had 44 points. They beat the Pelicans on Monday, when Irving had 42. In between, he posted 33 in a loss to New Orleans. A week ago Irving, who is averaging 37.5 points over his last five games, put up 35 in a win over top-seeded Minnesota. He’s averaging 31.8 for the month of January.

Dude remains absolutely nasty with the ball in his hands and as a catch-and-shoot sniper. He’s shooting better than 47% from 3 in January with 48/42/89 splits for the season.

Tim Hardaway Jr. has also been superb over the last two weeks and especially over the last three games in Doncic’s absence. Irving and Hardaway combined for 83 points on MLK day.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kyrie Irving combined for 83 PTS to lead the Mavericks to the win over the Pelicans 🤯

Irving: 42 PTS, 7 REB, 3 3PM
Hardaway Jr: 41 PTS, 9 3PM, 1 STL

📊 42 PTS by Kyrie sets a new mark for most points by a Dallas Maverick on #MLKDay! pic.twitter.com/LOtk8i0UCj
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Damian Lillard hit the 2,500th 3-pointer of his career in epic fashion on Sunday — with a 35-foot buzzer-beater to stun the Kings in overtime.

DAMIAN LILLARD FOR THE WIN AT THE BUZZER! pic.twitter.com/VKTFal8Dxo

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 15, 2024
Lillard didn’t have a great night. He missed two 3s in the final minute of OT, and he finished the game just 9 for 23 from the field. Didn’t matter. When the clock strikes Dame Time, everyone, including Bucks leading man Giannis Antetokounmpo, knows the deal. Antetokounmpo called it the best buzzer beater he’s seen during his 11 years in Milwaukee.

Giannis: “I’ve been with the team 11 years, probably the best buzzer beater shot ever made and he’s been on the team 40 games.. guys he caught it from the other side of the court, dribbled down full speed, in and out dribble, side step from the logo and knock it down off… pic.twitter.com/hkCotNYKBs

— ³⁴ (@GiannisWorld) January 15, 2024
For more about the unlikely sequence of events that led to Lillard’s game-winner, read our Jack Maloney’s piece from Milwaukee.

Joel Embiid went head-to-head with Nikola Jokic on Tuesday and put on a 41-point, 10-assist, seven-rebound clinic as the Sixers knocked off Denver. Still, after the game, Embiid openly declared Jokic to be the best player in the world.

“I just told him he’s the best player in the league.” 👀

Joel Embiid tells @ALaForce what he told Nikola Jokić after their hard-fought battle tonight! pic.twitter.com/mcDsfyUzCA

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 17, 2024
Here’s what our Sam Quinn wrote about Embiid’s performance:

It would be one of the best performances of the season in a normal year, but it was downright pedestrian by the standard Embiid has set this season. It was Embiid’s eighth 40-point game of the season, and it was the first time since Nov. 17 that he failed to reach the 30-point, 10-rebound mark. Of course, he made up for that with his 10 assists, because even when he is slightly deficient in a single area this season, Embiid has found ways to compensate elsewhere. He is having the best season of his career

I agree with Sam. Embiid is having the best season of his career, which is obviously saying something for a guy with an MVP and two runner-ups on his belt over the past three years. His assists are at an all-time high in Nick Nurse’s system, which uses him as the hub for an unending weave of dribble-handoffs and pick-and-rolls, and his scoring is off the charts at better than 35 points per game.

Embiid has to be the MVP at this point, but his grip is tenuous. Remember, players are ineligible for most regular-season awards, including MVP, once they dip below 65 games played. That means you can’t miss more than 17 total games. Embiid has already missed 10 with almost three months left on the schedule.

Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic with another great battle tonight 👏

Embiid: 41 PTS, 7 REB, 10 AST
Jokic: 25 PTS, 19 REB pic.twitter.com/R8vmhw2zJr

You’re going to be hearing Pascal Siakam’s name a lot in the coming days as he’s likely to be traded before the Feb. 8 deadline. On Tuesday, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the Raptors and Pacers are in active trade talks around Siakam.

The proposed deal would involve Bruce Brown, Indiana’s most expensive player (until Tyrese Haliburton’s max rookie extension that will net him in the neighborhood of $260M over five years kicks in) at $22 million this season, and three first-round picks.

After serving what turned out to be a 12-game suspension (16-game absence), Draymond Green returned to the court for the reeling Warriors on Monday. It didn’t matter. Golden State, an eight-point favorite on the road, lost to a Grizzlies team missing four of its five starters and two of its three best players.

Green posted seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in 24 minutes off the bench. If you’re reaching for false hope, the Warriors did win Green’s minutes. By one point.

The Warriors died from the familiar sword of turnovers, fouls and defense, or lack there. Green, as noted in Colin Ward-Henninger’s breakdown, addressed the latter issue in typically blunt form.

“You just gotta have pride in yourself as a man that I’m not gonna let my guy score,” Green said after the game. “Our closeouts [were] too soft. Our rotations were too slow. So there’s just no pride. Until every guy takes pride in themselves, and wants to stop the guy in front of him, we’ll suck.”

Kevin Durant, though always his efficient self, hasn’t been scoring huge of late. He was averaging just 23 points in his four January games entering play on Tuesday, when he had just 15 points through the first 43 minutes against the Kings.

Then Durant scored 12 points over the final five minutes as the Suns, who have been a surprisingly dismal fourth-quarter team this season, rallied from a 22-point deficit over the game’s final 8:33 to stun Sacramento.

Noted by Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, teams facing deficits of 22 points or more in the fourth quarter were 0-1,244 since Aug. 23, 2020, and Phoenix is just the second team over the past 25 years to overcome a deficit of at least 20 points in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter.

For more on the wild comeback and the lineup change that sparked it, read our Sam Quinn’s piece.

New York Knicks team owner James Dolan was named in a lawsuit filed in California alleging that he sexually assaulted and trafficked a masseuse. The lawsuit was filed on Jan. 16 and claims that in November 2013 Dolan sexually assaulted the plaintiff, Kellye Croft, while his band was on tour with The Eagles. In that instance, the lawsuit alleges that while Croft was massaging Dolan the Knicks team owner was “extremely assertive, and pressured Ms. Croft into unwanted sexual intercourse with him,” despite her being adamant that she did not want to engage in any sexual activity with him. Following that incident, according to the lawsuit, Dolan repeatedly made sexual advances toward Croft.

In another incident at end of 2013, the lawsuit states that Croft was flown out to California in what she thought was to work as a massage therapist. However, the lawsuit states those were “fradulent pretenses” and instead Croft was “trafficked” by Dolan to “engage in unlawful and unwelcome sex acts with her.”

The lawsuit also alleges that Dolan “fraudulently coordinated” a meeting between Croft and convicted sex offender and former movie producer Harvey Weinstein in January 2014, which led to Croft being sexually assaulted by Weinstein. The lawsuit alleges that Dolan knew about Weinstein’s history of sexually assaulting and abusing women, and when Croft alerted Dolan of the sexual assault by Weinstein he did nothing about it.

“I have suffered so profoundly because of what James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein did to me years ago, and it was not an easy decision to come forward and seek justice,” Croft said in a statement. “But for me, to truly address my trauma, I need to seek accountability. James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein. My hope is that my lawsuit will force Dolan to acknowledge what he did to me and to take responsibility for the harm he has caused.”

In a statement by Dolan’s lawyer, E. Danya Perry, he is denying the allegations against him while also denying that he knew about Weinstein’s history.

“There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan. Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship. The references to Harvey Weinstein are simply meant to inflame and appear to be plagiarized from prior cases against Mr. Weinstein. These claims reflect an act of retaliation by an attorney who has brought multiple cases against Mr. Dolan and has not, and cannot, win a judgement against him. Mr. Dolan always believed Ms. Croft to be a good person and is surprised she would agree to these claims. Bottom line, this is not a he said/she said matter and there is compelling evidence to back up our position. We look forward to proving that in court.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that he was aware of the lawsuit, and that the league would “stand by and wait to find out more information.”

Dolan, 68, is the chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports, the group that manages the Knicks and Rangers. He is also the chairman of MSG Networks.

Croft is seeking monetary damages and is demanding a trial by jury on the lawsuit.

After 10 weeks of regular season action, just four teams remain in the USFL as the playoffs are set to kick off this weekend. Unlike the previous collection of games this season, these four clubs will not be playing at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. For the postseason, these next two games (including the championship on July 3) will be held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, adding a different wrinkle for these teams as they look to be the last ones standing.

As for the teams, we’ve had a good idea of who’d be playing in the playoffs for quite some time now. The South Division will see the Stallions (9-1) face off against the New Orleans Breakers (6-4) in the late game, and it’ll be the New Jersey Generals (9-1) going toe-to-toe with their North Division rival Philadelphia Stars (6-4) in the opener.

Below, you’ll find a full breakdown of these teams along with a guide on how you’ll be able to watch these playoffs unfold.

Philadelphia Stars vs. New Jersey Generals
The Generals were able to pull away in the North Division pretty early on and had their playoff ticket punched for a few weeks. After losing to the Stallions in the regular season opener, New Jersey won nine straight to end the year and is arguably one of the hottest teams in the USFL entering these playoffs.

Not only do they boast a defense that allowed the fewest points in the division, but they also have an offense that led the league in total yards (349.4). A large part of their success offensively has come on the ground where they have rushed for a league-leading 160.6 yards per game this season. The combo of Trey Williams (second-most rushing yards in the USFL) and Darius Victor (most rushing touchdowns in the USFL) in the backfield has anchored that attack on offense along with quarterback Luis Perez.

While the New Jersey defense has allowed just 18.2 points per game this season, it will have its hands full when it faces the Stars. Philadelphia comes into the postseason with the highest-scoring offense in the league (26.2 points per game) and arguably the best quarterback of the bunch in Case Cookus, who took over as the Stars’ QB in the middle of the season. In six starts, he finished the year with 1,334 yards through the air, 12 touchdowns and just five interceptions while completing 62.5% of his passes.

These two teams are extremely familiar with one another as they just went head-to-head in the regular season finale where the Generals were able to escape with a 26-23 win. Back in Week 3, New Jersey beat Philly, 24-16.

How To Watch
Date: Saturday, June. 25 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio)
TV: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Generals -4.5 (-115), O/U 47.5

New Orleans Breakers vs. Birmingham Stallions
The Stallions have been the class of the USFL from the jump and were even flirting with a perfect season all the way up to Week 9. They finished the season with the top-scoring offense in the South Division and held opponents to just 16.9 points per game (second lowest in the USFL). They also were able to get after the quarterback better than any other club in the league, notching 27 sacks on the year. A large part of that production came from edge rusher DeMarquis Gates, who led the team in tackles (62) and sacks (6.5)

That strong start to the year helped Birmingham clinch a playoff spot early on, but they have limped to the finish line of the regular season after losing to the Houston Gamblers in Week 9 and then rolled out a sloppy performance in the regular-season finale against Tampa Bay, despite coming out with a win. Could that make them ripe for the picking against New Orleans? It will be fascinating to see how they perform now that they won’t have the home-field advantage of playing in Birmingham as these playoffs swing to Canton.

Speaking of the Breakers, they are coming off a 20-3 loss to the Gamblers in the regular season finale, but that was mostly due to head coach Larry Fedora opting to rest several key starters including quarterback Kyle Sloter. The Breakers signal-caller finished second in the USFL in passing yards, but only had nine passing touchdowns on the year with 11 interceptions (second-most in the league).

Defensively, New Orleans has boasted the best overall defense in the USFL in terms of points allowed (16.4 per game). While they have largely been able to keep opponents out of the end zone in a similar fashion to the Stallions, New Orleans’ offense hasn’t been as potent. The Breakers are the lowest-scoring offense in these playoffs, totaling just 19.6 points per game in the regular season.

That could pose a problem against Birmingham, who beat them twice in the regular season and allowed them to average just 11 points in those contests.

We’ve made it to the final four of the USFL, and it’s odd to be talking about postseason football that doesn’t relate to the NFL. There are two clear-cut favorites to advance and compete for the USFL Championship in the Birmingham Stallions and New Jersey Generals. Both teams finished the regular season 9-1, and will battle two 6-4 teams this Saturday.

Those 6-4 clubs are the New Orleans Breakers and Philadelphia Stars. Both will be underdogs this weekend, but both certainly have the ability to pull off upsets. The Generals and Stars are up for a rematch, as they played just last week with New Jersey coming out on top, 26-23, while the Stallions and Breakers have been tabbed as the nightcap. These two teams played just over two weeks ago, with Birmingham escaping by a single point.

The USFL favorites in the Stallions haven’t been playing their best ball as of late, and they won’t have their “home-field advantage” for the first time all season up in Canton, Ohio. Could this change of scenery play a factor Saturday? Let’s jump into some USFL playoff picks.

USFL ATS record: 23-17
USFL straight up record: 28-12

All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook

Philadelphia Stars at New Jersey Generals (-4.5)
Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (Fox)
ATS records: Stars (5-5), Generals (6-4)

The Stars and Generals faced off last week, and most of the starters did indeed play. In the Stars’ loss, Bug Howard shined, catching five passes for 101 yards, while Case Cookus threw for 244 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. While the Stars don’t have the No. 1 passing offense in the league in terms of yardage, they have recorded more passing touchdowns than any other team with 17. Cookus has been a very solid quarterback, as he finished second in the USFL in passing touchdowns with 12, and threw just five interceptions. Philly had won four straight before last week’s loss.

For the Generals, I wonder how much playing time De’Andre Johnson is going to get as opposed to Luis Perez. The two-quarterback system worked for the majority of the year, but will Mike Riley keep it going in the postseason? The bottom line is that the Generals have the better team. They have the No. 1 rushing offense in the league, the No. 1 overall offense in the league and the No. 2 defense as well. They had a total of six players named All-USFL offense and defense, too. I have the Generals winning this game and I’m going to lay the points — but a moneyline play parlayed with another bet is a good idea.

The pick: Generals -4.5
Projected score: Generals 28-23

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New Orleans Breakers at Birmingham Stallions (-5)
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
ATS records: Breakers (6-4), Stallions (6-4)

The Stallions began the season 6-0 ATS, but have lost their last four games from an ATS perspective. That’s not exactly what you want to see from the No. 1 seed entering the postseason. It’s kind of like the Arizona Cardinals last year, who were the last undefeated team in the NFL, but faltered down the stretch and were completely destroyed in front of their home fans in the postseason by the rival Los Angeles Rams.

This Stallions team is still solid, and I think it’s possible it could find some new life in a new “season.” DeMarquis Gates and Scooby Wright are a legitimate dynamic duo at the linebacker spot, and captain the No. 1 defense in the league in yards allowed per game with 268.8. The Breakers have lost two out of their last three games. They had three offensive players named All-USFL including quarterback Kyle Sloter, but he threw nine touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions in the regular season. Larry Fedora even started bringing in Zach Smith for a change of pace, but after his poor performance against Houston, I’m not sure he’s going to be utilized much on Saturday. In this instance, I think five points is a pretty big spread. I think I’ll take the points with the Breakers and this solid defense, but I’m not calling an upset.

The pick: Breakers +5
Projected score: Stallions 27-24

ML Parlay: Generals ML, Stallions ML (+118)

If the USFL’s regular-season honors are any indication of what’s in store for the league’s inaugural postseason, New Jersey Generals fans are in for a treat. The Generals, who enter the postseason with a nine-game winning streak, won three of the league’s four regular-season awards.

KaVontae Turpin, the Generals’ playmaking receiver and returner extraordinaire, won the USFL’s first league MVP award. Turpin’s teammate, running back Darius Victor, was tabbed as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Houston Gamblers defensive end Chris Odom was named Defensive Player of the Year, while Generals coach Mike Riley was named Coach of the Year. Each award was voted on by the league’s eight head coaches.

“I didn’t think anybody really ran away with anything,” said Daryl Johnston, the league’s executive vice president of football operations. “I’d love to see the voting on all the awards because I thought they would be tight.”

The 25-year-old Turpin lead the USFL in receiving yardage (540) while helping the Generals boast the league’s top-ranked offense. Turpin also recorded the first punt return for a score in USFL history.

“I’ve always felt that a returner was a key element to have for your team,” Johnston said. “None of our quarterbacks really took the lead on the potential to be an MVP candidate. I was actually very impressed by the voting there. It went to KaVontae, and I thought he did a heck of a job.”

PFF’s highest-graded USFL player on offense: KaVontae Turpin (87.1)

Dude has gone 29-341-2 receiving, 16-107-1 rushing. Most missed tackles forced (13) of any non-RB. SHIFTY
pic.twitter.com/DNmZpL44b6

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 26, 2022
New Jersey also benefitted by having Victor in the backfield. A former NFL and XFL player, Victor led the USFL in rushing touchdowns with nine during the regular season. His presence helped New Jersey average a league-high 160.6 rushing yards per game.

“I thought he was great for for New Jersey,” Johnston said of Victor, whose quote, “Thick thighs save lives” quickly went viral. “Mike Riley kind of brought him in as a red zone goal line runner, and obviously he was much more than that. I think the big thing with what New Jersey did, especially early in the season, they evolved their quarterback position with the De’Andre (Johnson) and Luis (Perez), and the running game carried it and that was mainly Darius. I thought it was very deserving.”

DYK Former @CAAFootball star Darius Victor, who rushed for more than 3K yards in a @Towson_FB uniform, has scored a TD in four straight #USFL games – all wins for @USFLGenerals 🤩

Read More 🔗 https://t.co/9MhYJJdyDQ
pic.twitter.com/EFsZHXwbNE

— Talking Pigskin (@TalkinPigskin) May 18, 2022
The league’s leader with 12.5 sacks, Odom also blocked three kicks that included a field goal attempt that led to the game-clinching score in last weekend’s win over the Breakers. His play helped the Gamblers end the year with a two-game winning streak.

“He just got better and better, and I think the Gamblers’ defense really kind of fed off of him,” Johnston said of Odom, who had a pair of sacks for Washington during the 2019 NFL season. “As the season went on, I thought he became more than just an edge rusher. I thought he played the run really well. The defense kind of went the way that Chris’ season went. They were playing their best at the end of the year. I thought Chris was playing his best at the end of the year.”

Chris Odom leads the league with ELEVEN sacks! Watch them all here 😤@Chrisodom98 | #ALLIN 🎲 pic.twitter.com/cFRuwjIzIs

— Houston Gamblers (@USFLGamblers) June 8, 2022
Riley, an innovative offensive mind and a longtime coach in both the college and pro ranks, guided New Jersey to a 9-1 record and North Division title. Riley’s Generals paced the league in total yards gained as well as in third-down efficiency.

“As the season started, there was a lot of uncertainty at the quarterback position,” Johnston said of the Generals. “The way that he navigated that; they played a certain style and never really deviated from it. He never panics. We had Birmingham go undefeated through the season’s first eight weeks, but Mike and the Generals have won nine in a row now, and the (Coach of the Year) vote was almost unanimous. I think that that says a lot.”

Riley’s team will put its winning streak on the line against the Philadelphia Stars, a team New Jersey defeated twice during the regular season. The Stallions, who like the Generals finished the season with a 9-1 record, will face the New Orleans Breakers in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Both games will take place inside Tom Benson’s Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

“I don’t think you could have scripted something better for Year 1,” Johnston said. “Very, very competitive games all season long, then to finish the regular season and go to Canton for the playoffs. That’s like a fairy tale. I’m thrilled, and I know there’s a lot of guys that are going to be there this weekend that have never been. It’s one of the things that we wanted to do as a league is to make sure they got to experience the Hall of Fame. See the guys who’ve come before them who built this game, sacrificed a lot so they can have what they have today.”

As far as the games are concerned, Johnston is anticipating two exciting, tightly contested contests. In the game pitting the Generals against the Stars, Johnston believes that the outcome could come down to how much success Victor and New York’s running game can have against Philadelphia’s stout defensive front. For Saturday’s nightcap, Johnston feels that the Breakers are capable of upsetting the Stallions after coming up just short in both of their regular-season meetings.

While he doesn’t have a rooting interest, Johnston wouldn’t mind seeing a USFL championship between the Stallions and Generals, the two teams that kicked things off during the league’s inaugural game on April 16.

“I would love that,” Johnston said of Stallions-Generals title game. “It’s kind of a storybook thing. We’ve had some really unique situations this year. It’s been a lot of fun, and I think that that would be pretty cool. The way you started the season as the same way you finished it.”

We’re now halfway through the 2020 XFL regular season, which means the playoff picture will be taking shape before you know it. And Week 6’s matchups could go a long way toward giving us some clarity in both divisions.

In the East, the DC Defenders, New York Guardians and St. Louis BattleHawks are in a three-way tie for first place at 3-2, and New York will arguably face the tallest task of them all by opening the weekend slate with a game against the Houston Roughnecks, the XFL’s lone undefeated contender at 5-0. Over in the West, meanwhile, the Los Angeles Wildcats will partake in a Sunday night showdown for the second straight week as they attempt to string together victories by traveling to Seattle.

The undefeated Houston Roughnecks are the league’s highest-scoring team and boast the best touchdown differential at plus-seven. Houston (5-0) will attempt to keep rolling up the points when it begins Week 6 of the 2020 XFL schedule by visiting the New York Guardians (3-2) on Saturday. The Roughnecks are 6.5-point favorites in the latest XFL odds.

The Seattle Dragons (1-4) hope to end their three-game losing streak as 2.5-point underdogs in the current XFL spreads when they take on the visiting Los Angeles Wildcats (2-3) in Sunday’s nightcap. Is there value on the Wildcats as they come off a 41-point performance in last week’s victory over Tampa Bay? All of the Week 6 XFL lines are listed below, and SportsLine’s pro football expert R.J. White, who is an amazing 16-4 in against-the-spread picks this season, has all the XFL betting advice and predictions you need to make the best Week 6 XFL picks now.

Winning XFL picks from a proven expert
Not only is White on fire, he’s often cashing with ease. He has nailed nine against the spread picks by double-digits, including last week when he backed the Guardians (+8) over the Renegades. The result: New York held Dallas’ Air Raid offense to a pair of field goals and won outright, 30-12.

Twice recently, White cashed big in the world’s most prestigious handicapping tournament, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest. He tied for 18th out of 2,748 contestants in 2017 with a 52-29-4 mark against the spread. It wasn’t a fluke, either, as he also cashed big-time in the 2015 SuperContest.

White consistently crushes the NFL for SportsLine members. He has returned over $2,300 to $100 players on against-the-spread picks over the last three years. He also has his finger on the pulse of the XFL, going 16-4, and anyone who has followed him is way up. Now, White has examined the latest Week 6 XFL odds and lines and his predictions are in.

Top Week 6 XFL predictions
One of White’s strongest XFL picks for Week 6 is New York (+6.5) covering at MetLife Stadium against Houston.

The Guardians appeared to be spiraling out of control after their season-opening victory, as they scored a total of nine points in back-to-back defeats and lost starting quarterback Matt McGloin to a thorax injury. But third-stringer Luis Perez, who admittedly learned how to play the position by watching instructional videos on YouTube, has started in McGloin’s absence and led New York to consecutive wins. Perez has thrown for 379 yards with two touchdowns since taking the reins.

“The Guardians’ offense really started to come alive last week, posting its best yards-per-completion and yards-per-attempt numbers of the season while also recording a season high in rushing yards,” White told SportsLine. “Their defense also has played well the last two weeks, particularly on third down, where it has allowed just six conversions on 27 attempts.”

How to make Week 6 XFL picks
White also has made the call against the spread and on the over-under for every other game on the Week 6 XFL schedule. He’s also identified a key x-factor that has him going big on one team, so you need to see his XFL picks before locking in any of your own. Get every pick for every game here.

Who should you back against the spread and on the total in every Week 6 XFL game? And which team is a must-back? Check out the latest XFL odds below, then visit SportsLine to see their Week 6 XFL cheat sheet, all from the pro football expert who is 16-4 against the spread in the 2020 XFL season.

Week 6 XFL odds
Houston Roughnecks at New York Guardians (+6.5, 47.5)
St. Louis BattleHawks at Tampa Bay Vipers (+2.5, 42)
Dallas Renegades at DC Defenders (-4, 35.5)
Los Angeles Wildcats at Seattle Dragons (+2.5, 44.5)

We’re halfway through the 2020 XFL regular season, and that means it’s officially crunch time for the entire league. The Houston Roughnecks are the clearest contender thus far, having exploded out to a 5-0 start, but the rest of the playoff picture will also be taking shape before you know it, so each and every matchup carries plenty of weight.

That being said, it’s pretty hard to predict what any team will do on any given week — unless that team is the Roughnecks.

But you know what? We’re going to make some predictions anyway. We’re back with yet another weekly rundown, complete with odds and picks against the William Hill Sportsbook spreads for all four of this weekend’s contests:

BENJAMIN’S RECORD

Season (straight up): 12-8
Season (against the spread): 10-10

Houston Roughnecks at New York Guardians
Saturday, 2 p.m. ET (ABC)
Point spread: Roughnecks -6.5

This might be closer than people think, a.) because the Roughnecks have quietly been on a streak of one-score wins and b.) the Guardians have an underrated pass rush as well as an inspired, if imperfect, passing attack now that Luis Perez is entrenched at quarterback. But New York isn’t immune to giving up chunks of yardage; in fact, they’re ranked second to last in passing yards allowed per game. That spells trouble for the home team considering P.J. Walker and June Jones are on the opposing sideline.

Prediction: Roughnecks 29, Guardians 20

St. Louis BattleHawks at Tampa Bay Vipers
Saturday, 5 p.m. ET (FS2, fuboTV)
Point spread: BattleHawks -3

The BattleHawks ran into their first real sign of trouble while visiting the Defenders in Week 5, and while this might seem like a prime spot for them to rebound, I wouldn’t be so sure. St. Louis’ three worst performances of the year have come on the road, this’ll obviously be their second straight away game, and at least statistically, the Vipers actually present a bad matchup for them. Tampa is surprisingly stout against the run, allowing an XFL-best 75 yards per game, and has the most tackles for loss in the XFL, whereas the BattleHawks live and die on the ground, where their trenches fell apart in D.C. Jordan Ta’amu is the much better QB here, but let’s not pretend the Vipers haven’t been lighting up the scoreboard for the last three weeks, either. Give me the home underdogs.

Prediction: Vipers 25, BattleHawks 23

Dallas Renegades at DC Defenders
Sunday, 4 p.m. ET (FS1, fuboTV)
Point spread: Defenders -4

This is the easiest matchup to pick, by far. DC might’ve hid some serious flaws by watching its defensive line dominate in Week 5 (and, yes, Cardale Jones still forcing throws halfway into the season is a serious flaw). But the truth is the Defenders are night-and-day a different team at home, and they couldn’t have asked for a better opponent to help fuel their return to defensive dominance. The Renegades are listless right now, both at the most important position of QB and throughout their lineup.

Prediction: Defenders 33, Renegades 17

Los Angeles Wildcats at Seattle Dragons
Sunday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Point spread: Wildcats -2.5

The way the Vipers moved up and down the field in Los Angeles for parts of Week 5, it’ll be a wonder if B.J. Daniels doesn’t set a season high in rushing yards while scrambling past the Wildcats in Seattle. L.A. has also been one of the most fickle teams in the league, not only from week to week but quarter to quarter. Still, Josh Johnson is having himself an MVP-caliber stretch, and those wideouts of his shouldn’t have too much trouble breaking a big touchdown or two at CenturyLink.

Prediction: Wildcats 32, Dragons 22