Feb 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) reacts after a dunk during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Pistons basketball is back – and Cade Cunningham is here to make an MVP run.
With Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart serving their suspensions from last week’s Charlotte game, Paul Reed and Tolu Smith were responsible for the 48 minutes at center.
Detroit started this one off looking they hadn’t played in more than a week while New York got out to a quick 9-2 run before the first JB Bickerstaff timeout. However, it didn’t take long until the owner of Madison Square Garden, James Dolan Cade Cunningham, decided it was time to put on a show. He had 14 of Detroit’s first 23 points and his only mishap was throwing a lob to Tolu Smith that only Jalen Duren could catch. The Pistons would take a 28-26 lead at the end of the first.
The second quarter featured two pretty assists early (and a dunk wedgie!) – one from Cade Cunningham through traffic to find Paul Reed for a dunk and the other from Ausar Thompson who put a two-handed rope into Tobias Harris’ chest for a knockdown corner three. Cade continued to get to his spots, finishing with eight more points in the final three minutes of the half. Detroit took a 58-48 lead at halftime behind 24 points from Cunningham.
New York clawed back and made it a 62-60 game until back-to-back Duncan Robinson threes made it 68-60. That’s when Cade turned his MVP mode on.
He had a sequence of eight straight points – bodied OG Anunoby for a layup, a midrange over OG, a poster on the entire Knicks team, and ended it with a heat check midrange. The only reason it didn’t continue was because he found Ron Holland for a wide open three. By the time it was the end of the quarter, Cade had 35 points and Detroit held a 90-79 lead.
Cunningham returned in the fourth and instantly found Javonte Green on the fastbreak with a two-handed bounce pass to give Woo an and-one dunk – it would give Cade his 10th assist of the night. Nobody on New York could guard Cunningham. At one point, they even tried recently acquired Jeremy Sochan and Cade absolutely cooked him with a stepback three for his 40th point.
To add to his MVP performance, he had three more assists before the final buzzer, including a lob to Daniss Jenkins and a needle-threader to Paul Reed on the roll. Detroit would finish with a 126-111 dominant victory over the New York Knicks.
I’m not exaggerating – this might’ve been the best basketball I’ve ever seen Cade Cunningham play. He finished with 42 points, eight rebounds, and 13 assists. He shot 17-for-34 from the field and 5-for-11 from deep. He always shows up when Detroit plays the Knicks, and with missing both key big men, Cade knew he had to put the team on his back and he delivered. It was a complete two-way performance as he scored at all three levels while also adding three stocks.
As good as Cade was, Paul Reed also deserves to be recognized tonight. He started in place of Jalen Duren and played 30 minutes. He finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three blocks while shooting 7-for-9 from the field. Thank goodness for Bball Paul and his ability to be steadily consistent with inconsistent minutes.
I cannot recommend enough that you watch this beautiful performance on YouTube.
The Knicks dropped the opener of their second half of the season against the Pistons on Thursday night by a score of 126-111, losing all three games against Detroit this season.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Things started off well for New York with Jalen Brunson welcoming his team back from the All-Star break by nailing a three-pointer to put the Knicks up early. Brunson was doing it all in the beginning, hitting his shots, getting to the line and dishing out assists like the one he had by finding Mikal Bridges for a deep two from the corner that caused the Pistons to call a timeout.
-- Meanwhile, Detroit struggled to get things going and started 1-for-10 from the field before Cade Cunningham hit a three, which seemed to be the catalyst the Pistons needed. From there, Cunningham took over and with the help of Tobias Harris and Paul Reed, Detroit had a 21-8 spurt that gave the Pistons a lead they held on to for the duration of the quarter.
-- New York kept things close after Jose Alvarado checked into the game, which drew a nice applause from the MSG crowd, and immediately made his presence felt both defensively and offensively. Still, Alvarado probably wishes he had one back with 26.4 seconds left in the opening quarter when he had an open lane on a fast break but decided to give the ball up to the trailing Brunson before running into a defender and getting called for an offensive charge.
The quarter ended with Detroit up 28-26.
-- After trading baskets early in the second quarter to still be down by two, the offense for the Knicks just disappeared for nearly four minutes aside from some foul shots. But with the Pistons also struggling to find nylon during this time, New York's deficit remained steady.
-- Shots on both sides finally started going in and after Brunson hit two free throws with just over a minute to play in the quarter to cut it to 51-48, it looked like the game would go into halftime in a similar spot. However, Detroit ended the quarter on a 7-0 run in 62 seconds and held its largest lead of the night going into the locker rooms at 58-48. Cunningham was the biggest star and led all scorers with 24 first-half points.
-- As for the Knicks, following the Pistons' poor shooting start in the early going, it was New York who couldn't buy a three-pointer all throughout the first half, going 0-for-15 from downtown after Brunson's make to start the game. Other than Brunson (13 points), no other Knick scored in double-digits.
-- That at least changed after the break, with Karl-Anthony Towns getting way more involved in the offense and helping New York get back to within two early in the quarter and scoring 12 points in the frame, although he was subbed out for four minutes and didn't score again in the quarter once coming back in.
-- Without Towns, Brunson took control of the offense but had to contend with Cunningham, who continued his incredible offensive performance and matched Brunson at every turn to help Detroit outscore the Knicks, 32-31, in the quarter and head into the fourth with an 11-point lead.
-- Desperate for help offensively, New York couldn't find it anywhere with OG Anunoby and Bridges combining for 16 points, although Anunoby did have four blocks on the defensive side. The biggest aid to Brunson's 33 points, other than Towns, who finished with 21 points, came from Landry Shamet, who had 15 points in 28 minutes off the bench. The Knicks shot 23 percent from three-point range.
-- Regardless, Cunningham stole the show with his 42-point, 13-assist and eight-rebound night, which was his best game against New York this season, in which the Pistons swept the season series, 3-0.
-- Jeremy Sochan made his Knicks debut and had two points, one assist, one steal and one block in nine minutes.
Game MVP: Cade Cunningham
Cunningham dominated New York from the jump and imposed his will whenever he wanted.
What's next
The Knicks host the Houston Rockets on Saturday night with tip scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
Ellyse Perry has entered that rare territory occupied by the superstars of sport where a new record seems to tumble for every season they excel in their extraordinary careers.
Mar 18, 2023; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; A detailed view of the TV camera operator filming from the outfield during a spring training game between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
Well, it took a while – the first game is tomorrow – but the D-backs finally released their broadcast schedule for spring training. It does look like you will be able to follow the majority of games one way or another: we will actually be doing a thread every game, so you will have no excuse! Here’s what the team’s press release had to say.
The D-backs’ Spring Training schedule includes 26 total broadcasts, including eight free telecasts on DBACKS.TV and local television providers, 11 radio broadcasts across Arizona Sports 98.7 FM and ESPN 620 AM, three Spanish-language broadcasts on La Campesina 101.9 FM & 860 AM and Sí Se Puede app, and four dbacks.com livestreams, giving fans multiple ways to follow the action all spring long.
Fans can stream Spring Training telecasts for free on DBACKS.TV by registering with an email address. Annual subscriptions are available for $99.99 to watch the team all season. Telecasts are also available through participating local TV providers.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points, James Harden added 16 and the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Brooklyn Nets 112-84 on Thursday night to extend their winning streak to a season-high six games.
The Cavaliers have also won five straight at home and 11 of their last 12 overall. It was the second straight game and sixth time this season they haven’t trailed in a game.
It was the start of five games in seven days for Cleveland. With a 102-67 lead at the end of the third quarter, head coach Kenny Atkinson rested his starters for the final 12 minutes.
Michael Porter Jr. had 14 points and Ochai Agbaji had13 for Brooklyn, which is 5-20 since Dec. 29.
Harden and Mitchell were in sync early. Harden got a steal off a bad pass by Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney and started a fast break. He lobbed a pass to Mitchell for an alley-oop that gave the Cavaliers a 14-3 lead.
Harden made his first six from the field, including three three-pointers. He also had nine assists and five rebounds. Mitchell was 7 of 12 from the field.
Cleveland was up by 18 points at the end of the first quarter. Jarrett Allen scored 10 of his 15 points in the first 12 minutes.
The Cavaliers shot a season-best 64.2 percent from the field in the first half (27 of 42) and had a 70-48 advantage at halftime.
Cleveland’s largest lead of the game and the season was 43 points (102-59) late in the third quarter.
Evan Mobley and Dean Wade returned to the Cleveland lineup. Mobley, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, missed seven games due to a left calf strain and scored 10 points with nine rebounds. Wade had 10 points, including three three-pointers, after being sidelined for three games due to a sprained left ankle.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 10 rebounds and CJ McCollum added 23 points as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-107 on Thursday night in the teams' first game after the All-Star break.
Dyson Daniels finished with 15 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14, and Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each had 10 as the Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with their third win over Philadelphia this season.
Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and Rising Stars MVP VJ Edgecombe added 20 for the Sixers, who were without center Joel Embiid, who missed the game due to soreness in his right shin.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 points and Quentin Grimes scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half for Philly. Andre Drummond contributed 10 points and 14 rebounds as the Sixers lost their third in a row and for the fourth time in five games.
The Hawks built an 11 point lead with approximately six minutes remaining before the Sixers charged back and closed within 108-104 with less than three minutes left. Atlanta closed the game with a 9-3 run that included five points by Johnson, who shot 14 for 16 from the line.
The 76ers said Embiid experienced soreness in his shin while participating in a right knee injury management program over the break. After consulting with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.
Coach Nick Nurse said before the game against the Hawks that the plan is to get Embiid on the court on Friday and “see how he looks from there.” Nurse said he “don’t anticipate it being a long time.”
Embiid is averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 31 games this season.
Feb 19, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) advances the ball as Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) defends during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
The Washington Wizards emerged victorious 112-105 over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday in the battle of the East’s bottom feeders at Capital One Arena.
In a game with massive draft lottery implications, the Wizards took control for most of the contest. After a back-and-forth first quarter, Washington closed out the first half with a 17-6 run, taking a 59-47 advantage into the break. Tristan Vukcevic paced the Wiz with all 12 of his points coming before halftime.
Bilal Coulibaly came out motivated to start the second half, scoring or assisting on Washington’s first 11 points to help his team take a 17-point lead — the largest of the game. He also completed a pretty sweet pick-six for a slam.
The Pacers battled back with a 24-9 run to get within two points. A strong close to the quarter from the Wizards’ bench mob brought the lead back to 88-80 heading into the final period. Jaden Hardy, Alondis Williams, and Kadary Richmond all gave fans a glimpse of what they can do.
Washington nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, as Indiana retook the lead midway through the fourth quarter with a 17-6 wave. But the Wizards countered with a 14-0 stretch to seal the victory, buoyed by some big shots from Bub Carrington and Anthony Gill.
Seven different players scored in double figures in this one. Carrington, Gill, Kadary Richmond, and Jaden Hardy all tied for the team lead with 13 apiece.
The Wizards and Pacers do it all again Friday, with the loser leaving with the crown for the worst record in the East.
Feb 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after a dunk during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers obliterated the Brooklyn Nets 112-84 in their first game back from the All-Star break. Let’s see who won the night.
WINNER – James Harden’s Creation
Advantage creation is probably the single most important trait in basketball. Can you beat a defense and get them into rotation? For James Harden, that’s as intuitive as it gets.
Brooklyn looked hopeless trying to contain Harden tonight. He picked them apart on every possession, dishing in the pick-and-roll, throwing lobs to his teammates, scoring at the rim, and nailing step-back three-pointers. Harden finished the first half with 13 points (5-5 shooting), 6 assists, and only 1 turnover.
Harden dissects the defense as good as anyone. His control of the Cavaliers’ offense kept them three steps ahead of the Nets all night long. And while his playmaking makes everyone around him better (especially Jarrett Allen), it’s important not to forget that Harden can score in bunches himself. This dual threat makes Harden the perfect co-partner for Donovan Mitchell. More on that later.
We’ve all seen Cleveland’s offense at its best when the ball is flowing. But that cascading effect of drive, kick, and relocate can only begin if someone causes the defense to break down in the first place. Harden has gotten the Cavs offense out of the mud, back on the track, and speeding to the front of the league.
WINNER – Keon Ellis
The Cavs have always needed a player like Keon Ellis. A fearless and athletic role player who can make things happen on both ends of the floor.
Within seconds of entering the game, Ellis put the ball on the floor, attacked a closeout and threw down a two-hand poster dunk. Shortly after, he scrambled to the corner and blocked a Brooklyn three-point attempt at its release. Later in the same quarter, Ellis buried a catch-and-shoot three-pointer.
I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.
“I’m not sure I’ve seen that in the league,” said Kenny Aktinson after the game. “Getting into the passing lane, he had three blocks tonight, it’s like, I knew that was part of the statistical profile, but to see it live is impressive.“
Ellis is a chaotic defender who has already shown a knack for disrupting plays. Whether it’s swiping down on drives, darting into passing lanes, or blocking unsuspecting shooters. All the while, he’s making an impact as a floor spacer and attacking off the dribble when he gets an opportunity.
WINNER -That Harden to Mitchell Lob
Did we mention something about Harden and Mitchell co-existing?
Early in the first quarter, we got our first Harden to Mitchell alley-oop. And, well, it was better than anyone could have expected.
I wasn’t sure what Harden’s plan was when he stole the ball and accelerated into the open court. It looked like Brooklyn’s defense might stop him at half court or force him into a difficult shot at the rim. But then, Harden threw the ball up into the rafters, and somehow timed it perfectly with Mitchell’s jump to guide him right to the rim for an alley-oop finish.
I can’t say enough about how difficult this pass was. Throwing a lob this gentle after bursting around a defender is the type of thing that only players like Harden are capable of doing at this level.
WINNER — Jarrett Allen (and Evan Mobley)
The Fro has dominated February.
Now, I want to be clear that Allen was already starting to dominate teams before Harden joined the team. This isn’t all because of The Beard.
But, having an elite pick-and-roll partner has only magnified Allen’s increased aggression. He’s been a beast in the paint for a full month now. Tonight, the Nets simply had no solution for him. Allen scored 15 points and earned 10 free throws in the first half.
Harden’s vision in the pick-and-roll has simplified everything. He’s delivering the ball to Allen on time and in motion. Throwing the ball into open space has forced Allen to be aggressive in going after it. From there, all that JA’s had to do is catch and go up with a layup or dunk.
“It’s almost like a quarterback leading a receiver, you catch it in stride,” said Atkinson.
The PNR is great, but Allen has done even more than that. He’s lurked in the dunker’s spot and been rewarded with dump-off passes. He’s buried his defenders in the post with deep-seals to punish mismatches. And, of course, he’s still a defensive anchor on the other end. Whatever you ask of him, Allen is doing it.
Atkinson said before the game that Allen has “opened his eyes” to new possibilities — and he wants to keep him as a focal point of the offense. With the way he’s played, I’m inclined to agree. It would be a mistake to rein him in now.
I also want to shout out Evan Mobley, who returned from a calf strain tonight. He moved well and found an immediate connection with Harden in the PNR. Similar to Allen, Mobley will benefit from having the ball force-fed to him while running to the rim. There’s less to think about when you’re catching with an advantage. Harden’s passing ensures Mobley can avoid aimlessly probing and instead dominate with his athleticism.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 19: Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 19, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks were back from the All-Star break, and they had a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. So far this season, the Hawks have had the 76ers’ number, and they were looking to add on that success in this matchup. The Hawks were healthy coming into the game, except for Jonathan Kuminga, who will be re-evaluated in a week.
As for the 76ers, they were without Joel Embiid.
Onyeka Okongwu used his vision early to find Jalen Johnson on the other end of the floor.
The 76ers stayed around and made sure the Hawks didn’t pull away with their lead. Nickeil Alexander-Walker used his shiftiness to get this layup to go.
Of course, the 76ers tried to make their last effort to come back, but the Hawks were able to execute down the stretch on both sides of the floor to keep their lead, and ultimately win the game.
Johnson finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, McCollum finished with 23 points, Daniels finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Alexander-Walker finished with 14 points.
The Hawks will be back in action tomorrow against the Miami Heat.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 19: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on February 19, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
So, who forgot to tell the Sixers the All-Star break ended?
Philadelphia dropped their first game after the break 117-107 to the Atlanta Hawks Thursday night.
Tyrese Maxey had some flashy highlights amidst a sluggish shooting night, leading the Sixers with 28 shooting 8-of-23 from the floor. VJ Edgecombe, off of strong first and fourth quarters, finished with 20 points and nine rebounds going 7-of-15 from the field.
Kelly Oubre Jr. also struggled from the field but did what he could from the line putting up 17 points shooting 4-of-13 from the floor and 9-of-11 on free throws. Jalen Johnson led all scorers with 32.
Joel Embiid missed his third straight game, this time with right shin soreness while the Hawks were without Jonathan Kuminga with a bone bruise in his knee.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
Maxey opened the game by darting to the rim, spinning around a defender to finish a layup, but cooled off missing his next four shots. Edgecombe made his first three shots of the night attacking off the dribble, but also had the ball ripped away from him on multiple drives as well.
Despite the aggression from the Sixers’ backcourt, it was not the prettiest start with a stoppage in the game seemingly happening every 10 seconds. Edgecombe was the only player on the floor who looked remotely comfortable offensively with both teams hovering below 40% from the field.
After going nearly five minutes without a field goal the Sixers’ offense was able to string a couple half decent possessions together. Trendon Watford was a big reason, getting himself on the board with a drive before collapsing the defense on another, leading to an open Maxey three. Giving up seven second-chance points had the Sixers in a hole, but Edgecombe closed the gap with a long buzzer beater that trimmed the Hawks lead to two.
VJ Edgecombe with 11 points in Q1 after sinking this ridiculous buzzer-beater three! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MU8k822v1u
Cam Payne checked in for his first Sixers minutes since the 2024 playoffs at the start of the quarter. He missed his first shot of the night but picked up three quick assists, all of which were setting up Quentin Grimes jumpers. He did a fine job of table setting while also avoiding being dunked through the rim by Corey Kispert on the other end.
Excellent awareness/hustle from Adem Bona giving the Sixers possession and Quentin Grimes sinks the triple off the Cam Payne inbound! pic.twitter.com/NKwYTf62R9
A big reason this game had an ugly feel to it was that the Sixers were not able to defend without fouling — they put the Hawks at the line 25 times in the half. Some of those were definitely “make him earn it” fouls by Sixers defenders who had gotten beat, which wasn’t the worst idea in the world given the Hawks missed five of their free-throw attempts.
It was from the line that Atlanta did most of their damage, but Johnson did get going as the half closed. His length gave him an advantage over basically any Sixer that wasn’t Dominick Barlow as he put up 17 in the half. The Sixers’ offense looked rudderless, struggling to create any space off the dribble. On top of cold shooting, Maxey was making some uncharacteristically poor decisions with the basketball, lucky to only have one turnover. They went into the break trailing by seven.
Third Quarter
Unfortunately for the Sixers, not much looked different to start the second half either. The Hawks continued to push their way to the basket while Maxey continued to throw the ball over the backboard. He did finish a potential momentum-swinging play when he got a give-and-go and slammed it hard over Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
He was able to momentarily capitalize on that, hitting a stepback three on the following possession. The offense would stall again, going another four minutes without a field goal, but with Oubre continually getting to the line the Sixers were able to slowly chip away at the lead.
Now on a standard contract, Jabari Walker was able to play in his first game since Feb. 3. He gave the Sixers a much needed shot in the arm when he picked off an errant pass right after burying a corner three, finishing the fast break by throwing a no-look pass to Adem Bona. They could just never string enough quality possessions together though. Maxey hit a quick three to give them a shot at a 2-for-1, but Grimes and Payne did their best to give the ball away on the following possession. That left the Sixers down by four heading into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
It makes sense why the Sixers struggled with Johnson from a physical standpoint, but their inability to stop CJ McCollum was much more concerning. They just bit on every single one of his fakes, helping the seasoned vet get to the line time after time while hardly breaking a sweat.
He had really gone passive for the middle stretch of the game, but the Sixers were again at a point where Edgecombe was the only one who could buy a jumper to fall. A big problem, especially when he picked up his fifth foul with over five minutes remaining in the game. So many Sixers drives were just dead on arrival, driving into too many defenders that were too set and too tall to get around.
Another thing the Sixers weren’t able to do all night was get out and run. They had just 13 fast break points on the Hawks’ first 12 turnovers. Two straight blocked shots allowed them to do so, the first by Andre Drummond and the second by Maxey. It wasn’t much, but with the Hawks not putting the game away those two fast break baskets got the Sixers and crowd right back into the game.
Sixers on an 8-0 run in the last 1:15 and they're within six points of the Hawks! pic.twitter.com/pi0Ewe5fqY
Up by four, McCollum seemed to get away with a travel, nailing a floater to get the lead back up to six. Grimes followed that up with a bad midrange jumper, one that was heavily contested. After Johnson split a pair at the line, Maxey also took an ill-advised pull-up, which essentially put the game away for the night. This game was there for them to grab all night, they just couldn’t take it .
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 19: Nolan Traore #88 of the Brooklyn Nets steps to the basket against Dean Wade #32 and Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Rocket Arena on February 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets snuck into the All-Star break in an optimal lottery position and without a crowd of accusers behind them, alleging they’ve compromised the game’s integrity and warped its competitive nature. The latter without the former is a rare thing today, particularly this season.
Tonight, they reemerged from it in a far less enviable spot. They visited the revamped Cleveland Cavaliers, and while the uneven matchup reinforced their advantageous draft position, it was no easy watch.
The Cavs started the game with a 14-3 burst after the Nets opened shooting 1-7 from the floor. Cleveland’s initial offensive fluidity warranted an early timeout for Jorid Fernández, even by his standards. The second year coach called for one with the Cavs up just 4-0.
“Yeah, it was two mistakes that were completely controllable, and it just tells me about the readiness of our players,” Fernández said of the timeout. “It was the lack of effort and readiness, and you know, I’m not going to let it fly.”
However, premature didn’t equal productive. On Brooklyn’s next defensive possession, Evan Mobley got free for a wide open running dunk. That was the easiest of Cleveland’s first six shots of the game, all of which they made. Less than 10 minutes deep, the Cavs were already up 15.
One of the new Nets Ochai Agbaji again checked in toward the end of the first, followed by Drake Powell, Danny Wolf, Terance Mann, and Ziaire Williams. That group looked a tad less lost at the offensive end, but still wayward. The Nets shot just 2-13 on from deep in the first, and as a result, trailed 36-14 after it.
Nets second unit doing some good things on offense, taking the right shots, just can't finish off possessions… pic.twitter.com/XhxO0ww6EY
Less than three minutes into the second, the Cavalier lead had already boiled to 20. Whether rising up to defend the rim or chasing Dennis Schröder into the backcourt for loose balls, Day’Ron Sharpe and Agbaji did their best to will Brooklyn back into it, and while I can’t call being down 14 “in it,” the team did respond.
As the second frame progressed, MPJ had an easier time getting to his spots and leveraging around the pressure of a defense well aware of his shooting prowess. Brooklyn also pushed for more points in transition, at one point enjoying a 14-6 run…
Egor could've hit Clowney for an easy dunk here…His shooting confidence continues to pay off, gets the Nets an extra point. pic.twitter.com/fc2fHaovm6
But as the offense found it’s footing, the defense slipped. No Nic Claxton to defend the rim essentially made this a matchup nightmare for Brooklyn vs James Harden and Jarrett Allen as a pick-and-roll dance partners. The Cavs kept the music going for the entirety of the first half, going for 36 points the paint and outscoring the Nets there by 18 in the process. They posted .643/.571 splits, while Brooklyn shot .365/.269. That’s a -27.8 and -30.2 difference in percentage points.
“Their physicality and their intensity was as it should be for winning teams,” Fernández said. “So, we were not even close.”
So, Brooklyn started the second half down 70-48, once again in a battle against public embarrassment rather than the guys at the other end of the court.
No one told the Cavs that. They started the third on a 15-2 run after making their first four shots. Brooklyn didn’t hit a field goal until Danny Wolf splashed a corner three at the 6:43 mark of the third. Amid their cold streak, Donovan Mitchell canned a transition triple to put his team up 85-50. After that, when Spida pulled out his web-slinger celebration, it became even more clear who was having fun tonight and who wasn’t.
The Nets then bled out in the street like Uncle Ben, except this time there were no inspiring lessons to take away. Cleveland outscored Brooklyn 32-19 in this frame, inflating their lead to as many as 43 at one point.
However, there were a few silver, check that, bronze linings down the stretch. And honestly, that’s all we’re in business for at this point.
In the final minute of the third, Powell and Agbaji gave a look at at what can do together with their athleticism, chipping away six points to make it a 102-67 score entering the fourth…
Impressive job by Powell to gather this tipped board and then find Ochai in stride (pay no attention to the score, btw). pic.twitter.com/NobEDE2ojJ
Agbaji continued to play tough in the final quarter, adding another handful of transition points to help the Nets extend a 15-2 run between the periods. He finished the night with 13 points after shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from deep, trailing only MPJ in the scoring department. Porter Jr. tallied 14 points on your 5-13 shooting while grabbing five boards.
“Yeah, he did a great job,” Fernández said of Agbaji. “He was ready to shoot. He still has to get used to the spacing, the rules, some of the plays, and defensive concepts, but I think he did a great job. He was ready. He fought physically and mentally. He was ready to go, and it was good to see.”
“I’m excited about what we can do and the style we play is very unselfish,” Agbaji said. “That’s kind of the player that I am so I fit into that well.”
Said Agbaji post-game: “I’m excited about what we can do and the style we play is very unselfish. That’s kind of the player that I am so I fit into that well.”
ICYMI, Agbaji came to Brooklyn in deadline day deal with the Raptors. Suffice it to say that the Nets won that deal. The Nets get the 25-year-old from the Raptors along with Raps 2032 second and $3.5 million in cash in return for the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic, a 29-year-old Serbian shooting guard who had blown out his achilles day before. Agbaji will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Brooklyn also rotated well to shut down Cleveland’s reserves, who went 0-12 from deep in the fourth. Nolan Traore also extended his streak to six consecutive games with at least four assists, tying Kerry Kittles for the fourth-longest streak by a rookie in franchise history.
It was all very “Chris Paul hit’s a huge three,” but I’ll say it again, there’s not much out there for these Nets other than little wins. In terms of a literal one, they weren’t even close. At least tomorrow’s another day, even if it is against the champs.
Final: Cleveland Cavaliers 112, Brooklyn Nets 84
Milestone Watch
Nolan Traore has extended his streak to six consecutive games with at least four assists, which is tied as the fourth-longest streak by a rookie in franchise history and the longest since Kerry Kittles’ six straight in 1996.
Injury Report
As mentioned, Nic Claxton missed tonight’s game. He suffered a right ankle sprain at practice yesterday. He had only missed four games this season before tonight. We’ll provide updates on him as they come in.
Next Up
Brooklyn’s rocky road out of the All-Star break takes its toughest turn tomorrow night as the Nets will travel to Oklahoma City for a date with the reigning champs. The Nets haven’t beat the Thunder in over two years now. If anything, the size of the game’s spread should be interesting. This one tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 19: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Rocket Arena on February 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers thoroughly dominated the Brooklyn Nets. They controlled from the opening tip and never gave the Nets a chance to get off the mat. This led to a runaway 112-84 victory.
The Cavs asserted their control early on. They started the game on a 14-3 run that was capped off by a beautiful alley-oop from James Harden to Donovan Mitchell. That one play seemed to end any chance of this game being competitive.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the Donovan Mitchell NBA Jam shirt is HERE.
The biggest question heading into this game was how the Cavs would look with Evan Mobley and Dean Wade back in the starting lineup. If this game was any indication, the answer is they’ll look quite good.
The offense worked great with the two bigs. Harden and Mitchell found openings to get Mobley involved going to the basket, and they did so without forgetting about Jarrett Allen.
The boxscore won’t show it, but Allen was dominant inside. He finished with 15 points in 24 minutes and aggressively attacked any time he had an opening. This led to a game-high 10 free-throw attempts.
Mobley had a solid game in his return from a calf strain. He provided 10 points, nine rebounds, and two assists on 5-9 shooting in 18 and a half minutes of play.
Mitchell once again led the team in scoring with 17 points in 21 minutes. The Cavs played their best basketball with him on the court as he led the team by being a +37 in plus/minus.
Harden was in complete control offensively. He orchestrated the attack at an incredibly high level, which led to him scoring 16 points on 6-8 shooting while dishing out nine assists.
The Nets were led by 14 points from Michael Porter Jr.
The one-sided win allowed the Cavs to keep all of their starters under 30 minutes of play. This is much needed as they head on the road to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday evening. Tip-off is at 7 PM.
MESA, Ariz. — Former big league manager Bob Melvin is returning to the Athletics as a special assistant in baseball operations.
The Athletics said Thursday that Melvin will advise the front office. The 64-year-old managed the A’s to three AL West titles from 2011-21, then left for San Diego and later San Francisco. The 64-year-old previously managed Seattle and Arizona.
Melvin was voted American League Manager of the Year in 2012 and 2018 with the A’s and led them to the playoffs six times while compiling an 853-764 record. The only manager in franchise history with more wins was Connie Mack with 3,582 for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-50.
In 22 seasons overall as a manager, Melvin has a 1,678-1,588 record, ranking 20th for wins. He was National League Manager of the Year with the Diamondbacks in 2007.
San Diego hired Melvin away from the A’s after the 2021 season, and he left the Padres after two seasons to go to San Francisco. The Giants fired Melvin after an 81-81 record last year, their fourth consecutive season missing the playoffs.
The former big league catcher played 692 games for seven different teams over 10 seasons from 1985-94. His most with any team were 265 games with his hometown Giants from from 1986-88.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 14: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was created using a halo filter) Stephen Curry #30 of Team USA Stripes poses for a portrait during the NBA All-Star Game Portraits as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday, February 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Barron/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Per sources that told ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania, Steph Curry will be re-evaluated in 10 days. Curry, who is suffering from “patellofemoral pain syndrome” (runner’s knee) on his right knee, has missed the Golden State Warriors’ last six games and is set to miss his seventh straight game against the Boston Celtics tonight.
Steph Curry will be re-evaluated again for his persistent right knee issue in 10 days, sources tell me and @ShamsCharania. That rules him out of the team's next five games. He missed the last five before the All-Star break. https://t.co/26E0i2PPZW
Including tonight’s game, Curry is set to miss the next five games, effectively disqualifying him from end-of-season honors such as inclusion in an All-NBA team.
Curry will almost certainly be ineligible for end-of-season honors like All-NBA.
Tomorrow will be his 17th missed game of the season. He'd have to play every game the rest of the way to hit the 65-game minimum for eligibility. https://t.co/oRNt6jUABM
It will be the first time Curry will not be in an All-NBA team since the 2019-20 season, during which he played only five games due to a hand injury. It will only be the sixth time in his career that Curry will not be an All-NBA member.
