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The Milwaukee Bucks capped off their three-game homestand with a win over the Indiana Pacers. They finally got the monkey off their back, winning three games in a row for the first time this year. Kevin Porter Jr. was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points. Andrew Nembhard led a depleted Pacers squad with 22. 

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Bucks found themselves in an eight-point hole early on, thanks to a rough 2/6 start from the floor. Milwaukee was able to course-correct, responding with a 14-2 run to take their first lead of the game. It was all capped off by a Bobby Portis three-pointer in his first game back, after missing the last two with a hip contusion. Indiana’s bench continued to be a pain in Milwaukee’s backside, as they engineered a 12-3 run to retake the advantage. Aaron Nesmith drilled a shot from beyond the arc with 30 seconds left, giving the Pacers a six-point lead after the first 12 minutes, 29-23. 

Portis made his return well-known in the next quarter. With the Bucks down by six, BP went on a personal 7-0 run to pull them ahead. The two former playoff adversaries, now turned draft lottery hopefuls, went back and forth throughout much of the second frame. AJ Green shifted the momentum to the Bucks, drilling a top-of-the-key three, putting them ahead by five. That margin grew to nine points for Milwaukee after Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner each buried threes. Jarace Walker finally stopped the bleeding for Indiana with a two at the buzzer, but Milwaukee went into the locker room up 54-47. 

The Bucks continued to pour it on to begin the second half. Green buried two more three-pointers, as Milwaukee went on a 16-6 run, building their advantage to 17. 

BP got in his bag again in the waning stages, hitting his patented post fadeaway, and then pulled up from mid-range in Micah Potter’s face. Those two buckets gave the Bucks their largest lead of the night to that point, going up 19. After a couple of baskets from T.J. McConnell got the lead down to 15, KPJ ended the quarter with an and-one layup, sending Milwaukee up by 18, 83-65. 

While the Pacers scored the first four points of the fourth, the Bucks scored on three straight possessions, extending their lead to 20. Pete Nance joined in on the fun, throwing down a two-handed jam, leading to an Indiana timeout. Things seemed to be in cruise control, but the Bucks went cold as the Pacers went on a 15-0 run, cutting the lead to just five with 5:07 left. Rollins finally ended a four-minute and 35-second scoring drought for Milwaukee with a layup. The Pacers got the game within four, but a 9-2 run by the Bucks put the game out of reach. Rollins put the Bucks up 11 with 1:21 to go, but Indiana wouldn’t go away, trimming the Milwaukee lead down to just four with 11 seconds left. Portis scored a quick layup on the other end, officially sealing the game for the Bucks. 

Stat That Stood Out

One of the biggest storylines for the Bucks this season has been their inability to rebound, especially on the offensive glass. Tonight was a much different story, as they secured 13 in the win. Myles Turner and Jericho Sims each had four.

Kinda saw it coming. Four Knicks (33*-19) were listed as OUT at Little Caesars Arena tonight: Karl-Anthony Towns (eye), OG Anunoby (toe), Miles McBride (hernia surgery), and Jose Alvarado (still in transit). Plus Josh Hart was playing, but hindered by a sore ankle. This was not a full-strength squad that came to battle the Conference-leading Detroit Pistons (38-13). Sure a loss seemed possible, but we expected a little better than a 118-80 finish . . . I mean, the Wizards beat Detroit last night, and New York had won eight consecutive games. A 38-point blowout?

YIK asks, “Do we really need a recap of this game?” No. But here you go anyway.

With two starters out, coach Mike Brown fielded a starting lineup of Jalen Brunson (12 PTS, 4-of-20 FG), Mikal Bridges (19 PTS, 7-of-16 FG), Josh Hart (5 PTS, 6 RBS), Mohamed Diawara (4 PTS, 2 RBS), and Mitchell Robinson (4 PTS, 3 RBS). For most of the first quarter, it wasn’t awful. In fact, the period was a low-scoring, tightly fought affair until late.

For Detroit, Cade Cunningham (11 PTS, 7 AST) attacked the rim, hit from deep, and drew fouls, while Paul Reed (12 PTS, 6 RBS) and Isaiah Stewart (15 PTS) dominated down low. The Pistons shot 55% and won the pain 18-4 while the Knicks shot 3-for-12 from deep and attempted zero free throws. It didn’t help that Brunson missed seven of his first eight shots. The Pistons’ defense made his life hell tonight. Bridges kept our heroes afloat with a couple of threes, but a 19-5 Detroit run over the final minutes broke the game open. Heading into the second, the home team was up 28-17.

The second quarter opened with a pair of Robinson alley-oops, but that was it for highlights. Detroit continued to dominate by getting contributions across the lineup, including Cunningham, Tobias Harris, Reed, and Josh Green. Against the short-handed Knicks, J.B. Bickerstaff’s club looked deep. For New York, Bridges was the lone consistent scorer, Jalen Brunson continued to brick (1-of-5 in Q2), and the good guys found themselves on the wrong end of a 63-42 halftime score.

Tyler Kolek lobs it up to Mitchell Robinson for the alley-oop JAM 💥pic.twitter.com/7B6xpKuIka

— Knicks Nation (@KnicksNationCP) February 7, 2026

In the first half, New York shot 35% from the field and 26% from three, while Detroit shot 55% overall and 56% from deep. The latter outscored New York in the paint (26-16) and on the break (11-5). Brunson missed all five three-point attempts, while Hart went 1-for-7 for two points. Bridges was the lone consistent scorer, putting up 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and hitting three threes; no other Knick had reached double figures.

Detroit blew the game open in the third by staying composed and repeatedly punishing New York’s mistakes. Cunningham and Harris generated clean looks, while Daniss Jenkins (18 PTS) scored from all over to keep piling up the lead. The Knicks missed a run of jumpers—Brunson and Bridges both struggled to convert—and couldn’t string together stops or quality possessions. To make matters worse, Hart tweaked something that sent him to the locker room, ending his night. Another long run by the Pistons put them up 90-60 going into the fourth.

The fourth quarter was garbage time with a scoop of trash on top. Detroit kept padding their lead. Kevin Huerter made his debut as a Piston. Trey Jemison III and Pacome Dadiet got some floor time for New York. What else do you need to know? YIK was right. At one point, the camera caught Jalen and Mikal looking forlorn on the bench. If the camera panned back to show my mug, back at the Binghamton headquarters, surely you would have seen the same expression.

On to the next one, which is . . . ahh, crap. . . .

Up Next

The hits keep coming for our heroes, with a trip to Boston to battle the Celtics in a Sunday matinee. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to get their first look at James Harden in a Cleveland uniform on Saturday night, but we may have to wait, as he’s officially listed as questionable for this game.

We are, however, expecting a reunion of some sort. This game will be the first time De’Andre Hunter, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis face their former team. They were all part of a three-team deal that was completed just a week ago.

The Kings currently own the worst record in the league and will be on the second leg of a back-to-back.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (31-21) at Sacremento Kings (12-40)

Where: Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA

When: Sat., Feb. 7 at 10 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass

Point spread: Cavs -11.5

Cavs injury report: James Harden – QUESTIONABLE (trade pending), Dean Wade – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Evan Mobley – OUT (calf), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Emanuel Miller – OUT (G League)

Kings injury report for Friday’s game vs. LA Clippers: Keegan Murray – OUT (ankle), Domantas Sabonis – OUT (back), Isaiah Stevens – OUT (G League)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Jarrett Allen

Kings expected starting lineup: Russell Westbrook, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, De’Andre Hunter, Maxime Raynaud

Previous matchup: The Cavs won their first matchup 123-118 in January.

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	117.5 (8th)	113.9 (11th)	+3.6 (9th)
Kings	111.3 (26th)	120.9 (28th)	-9.7 (29th)

After a rough first half in which the Celtics were 1 for 20 from three, Boston rode a strong third quarter to beat the rival Miami Heat, 98-96. It was one of the biggest comebacks of the season for the Celtics, who trailed by 21 at halftime. It was a great game for the newest Celtic, Nikola Vucevic, who had a double-double in his Celtics debut.

The Celtics had everyone active for this game, outside of Jayson Tatum. They started Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown, Luka Garza and Neemias Queta as the double big lineup from Wednesday returned on Friday. Nikola Vucevic came off of the bench in his debut. The Heat were missing Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier. They started Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson and Bam Adebayo.

It was a slow start for the Celtics as the Heat opened up a 13-2 advantage 3 minutes into the game. It was a slow start for the Celtics as they started 1/6 from the field and 0/3 from three.

Nikola Vucevic checked in at that point, making his official Celtics debut.

His passing was on full display on the offensive end as he made a couple of pretty passes that lead to Celtics baskets. His defense was not great but Adebayo made a bunch of threes but you will live with that because he won’t make those the whole game.

It was a rough quarter, as the Heat led 29-15. Baylor Scheierman led the team with 5 points off the bench while no one else had more than 2 points.

The Celtics missed 16 of their first 17 threes of the game while the Heat made 7 of their first 15 threes. It was just that kind of start for Boston as the Heat led 42-22.

Jaylen Brown woke up in the 2nd, scoring 15 points after just 2 in the first. He was great, but the rest of the team was not, scoring just 8 points in the quarter. They shot 1/20 from three and trailed 59-38.

The double big didn’t work in this one. It really cramped the spacing, Garza is not a good enough shooter to be spaced in the corner and get any respect. All of his value comes from the pick and pops and crashing the glass. With Queta out there it doesn’t work as well.

On defense, it put Queta on Davion Mitchell on the perimeter, pulling him away from the basket. He got roasted a few times as Mitchell got to the paint with ease.

They traded for Vucevic, that might leave Garza without a role. He’s been awesome for about 2 months now, but Vuc is a better player than Garza is. He will play a role in some games, even if it is not every night.

The Celtics went away from the two-big look and went on a run to cut the Miami lead to 12 at 67-55 with 5:03 to go in the third quarter.

Then the Celtics really got going, cutting a 67-49 game to a 70-67 game and a Miami timeout. Vuc was making plays, with back to back layups and a pair of free throws to a one score game.

Boston took the lead, but a Norman Powell buzzer beater tied the game at 74. It was a dominant third quarter for the C’s. They outscored the Heat 36-15 in the period and flipped a 21-point game to a tied game. Jaylen Brown led the team with 24 points and Nikola Vucevic had a double-double off of the bench.

The fourth quarter got off to a back and fourth start as the Heat continued to hang around. It was the Payton Pritchard Show for the Celtics as he scored 10 of the Celtics first 14 points of the quarter.

After getting tied up with Bam Adebayo on for a jump ball, Jaylen Brown won the tap and it led to a Derrick White three to give the Celtics a two point lead 98-96 with under 2 minutes to go. It ended up being the last score of the game.

With 40.2 seconds to go in the game, Jaylen got called for an offensive foul for elbowing Andrew Wiggins in the face. Joe Mazzulla challenged the call but did not win the challenge and the call stood.

On the next possession, Derrick White had a huge block on Davion Mitchell who drove to the rim. The Celtics had the ball with a chance to ice the game but Derrick’s shot was just a tad long and Miami got the ball down 2 with 8 seconds to go.

The Heat got the ball to Andrew Wiggins who drove the ball and passed it to a wide open Mitchell, who missed a really good look. The ball was tipped out of bounds by Adebayo and the Celtics advanced it with .7 left. Boston inbounded the ball and won the game 98-96.

Davion Mitchell MISSED a WIDE OPEN 3 to win the game 😭💀 pic.twitter.com/Pg0WcUgVCK

— Logion Noops (@LogionNoops) February 7, 2026

Jaylen Brown led the team with 29 points, Payton Pritchard had 24 off of the bench, Nikola Vucevic had 11 points and 12 rebounds also off the the bench and Baylor Scheierman was a team best +17.

The Celtics shot 42% from the field and 28% from three while the Heat shot 42% from the field and 33% from three. Boston’s next game is Sunday afternoon before the Super Bowl at 12:30 EST time from TD Garden against the New York Knicks.

As Michigan State prepares for a Big Ten matchup with No. 6 Illinois, Spartans coach Tom Izzo has a big decision in front of him. The problem is, he has no idea how to make it.

That decision centers around MSU guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who is under fire for a series of underhanded plays against Minnesota in a 76-73 loss. Arguably the most notable was a backwards kick while trying to create space from Golden Gophers forward Langston Reynolds, resulting in a technical foul. And all of this came just days after Michigan coach Dusty May called out Fears' play as "dangerous."

Izzo, after the game, did not mince words. He said he wasn't sure he was going to start Fears against Illinois in Feb. 7's prime-time game, but comments on Feb. 6 indicate that threat may have been empty.

REQUIRED READING: Tom Izzo chides Jeremy Fears after technical foul: 'He ain't gonna play that way'

“I’ve looked at everything with Jeremy, and I can’t say like you normally do,” Izzo said, per the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY network. “I talked about not starting him and bringing him in, suspending him for a half. And then I looked at the whole situation, and I’m still not sure what I’m gonna do. And that’s the honest-to-God truth. And the only reason I’m not is because I gotta make sure that what is reported is always different than what actually happened."

Izzo added Fears' kick was largely retaliatory, something he was taking into consideration during his decision-making process.

"I did not like the backward kick, OK?" Izzo said. "He was pushed, he did that. Sometimes, those are reactionary."

Izzo talked about Fears at length, praising his acumen in the classroom and the fact that the passion that got him in trouble is also the passion that makes him a strong player for the Spartans.

The timing, for Michigan State, is poor. A season-ending injury to Divine Ugochukwu has left Michigan State extremely thin at point guard, something Izzo did point out will not be a factor in whatever decision he makes.

With all of that in mind, there's a very good chance Fears continues to start against Illinois despite the controversy. Which means the college basketball viewing world's — and Izzo's — eyes will be fixated firmly on No. 1, to condemn or vindicate the Hall of Fame coach's decision.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Izzo vague on Jeremy Fears Jr status vs Illinois Saturday

DETROIT — An eight-game winning streak didn’t just end Friday night. It was run out of the gym.

The Pistons reiterated their position atop the East with a 118-80 curb stomp of the short-handed Knicks, who were a disaster on offense while losing for the first time since Jan. 19.

Jalen Brunson lowlighted the evening while shooting just 4-for-20 with 12 points, appearing exhausted after carrying the Knicks in a double-overtime thriller two nights earlier.

Brunson was locked down by Ausar Thompson and sat the entire fourth quarter alongside his fellow starters, with coach Mike Brown waving the white flag earlier than ever.

“They kicked our behind, starting with me,” Brown said. “We all got our behind kicked. The Pistons are a good defensive team.”

Overall, the Knicks shot just 35.8 percent — including 24.2 percent on 3s — with James Dolan making the trip to Detroit and watching the ugliness before leaving his courtside seat for the fourth quarter.

It was the fewest points scored by the Knicks this season, by far. Their previous low was 90 points — also in Detroit.

“Obviously, I missed a lot of shots,” Brunson said. “We missed shots as a team, as well.”

The Pistons (38-13), who are now 5 ½ games ahead of the Knicks (33-19) for first in the East, were faster, stronger and more motivated — just like their last matchup about a month ago.

They clearly wanted to send another message after getting eliminated by New York in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

Message received.

Detroit didn’t even need a big night from star Cade Cunningham (11 points, 22 minutes) to dominate.

Brunson wouldn’t use the excuse of facing the exhaustion of carrying an eight-game winning streak and playing not long after Wednesday’s win over the Nuggets.

“It’s not an excuse for what happened today. [The Pistons] played last night. We had a day off. Obviously. we traveled. But there’s no excuse what happens prior to the game,” Brunson said. “You got to come here, you got to be professional, you got to do your job. But we just didn’t do our job well enough tonight.”

The Knicks, meanwhile, carried the posture of punting this game. Jose Alvarado, the new acquisition, didn’t join the team in Detroit. He’ll likely meet the Knicks in Boston for Sunday’s game.

Karl-Anthony Towns sat because of an eye laceration. OG Anunoby was a late scratch because of toe soreness. Josh Hart started but limped off the court in the third quarter and never returned.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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The Knicks said it was a right ankle injury, with no further update.

So the Knicks started rookie Mohamed Diawara and Mitchell Robinson and their offense fell off a cliff. Of course, the Pistons — a team that applies physicality and athleticism at levels above the Knicks — had a lot to do with the struggles.

In two games against the Pistons, the Knicks have averaged 85 points, with their total margin of defeat at 69.

It’s a potentially ominous sign considering the Knicks and Pistons could meet in the playoffs, whether in the second round or conference finals. But Brown doesn’t view it that way.

“I don’t look at regular-season games as a barometer because, come playoffs, it’s a different basketball game,” he said. “Especially when you talk about a seven-game series. I’ve been with different teams that went to the finals or played deep in the playoffs that lost the season series to teams and still won in the playoffs.

“I look at it as it’s our next game. It’s very important. These guys handed our lunch to us last time. And so, we need to come fighting. Those are things I’m looking for tonight.

“I don’t look at it like if we win, hey, we’re going to get them come playoff time. Or if they win, they’re going to get us come playoff time.”

The Knicks can fall back on history if we ever get to another playoff series against the Pistons. They were swept in the regular season by the Celtics last year but toppled them in the second round.

So there’s indeed hope no matter what happens in the regular season. But there’s no question the Knicks have looked utterly overmatched by Detroit in two ugly games.

On Friday, they managed just 17 points in the first quarter and 42 after the second. They trailed by 21 at the break, which ended, appropriately, with Brunson getting rejected at the buzzer by Paul Reed.

For the Knicks, it was awful to that point and didn’t get better.

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (AP) — A former New York Jets first-round draft pick was arrested in Tennessee and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend.

Darron Lee was identified Thursday as the suspect and taken into custody at the scene, according to the Hamilton County sheriff’s office.

The victim's identity was not released.

The 31-year-old Lee played 58 games with the Jets, Kansas City and Buffalo from 2016 through the 2020 seasons. The former Ohio State linebacker was the 20th overall pick in 2016 by the Jets. He was the defensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl.

Lee was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Additional charges could be pending following the outcome of the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

Upon arrival, first responders located a female victim and attempted life-saving measures.

“Due to the condition of the victim and the residence, HCSO Criminal Investigative Services Detectives responded. Preliminary findings indicate the victim’s death was the result of a homicide,” the Hamilton County sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Lee has a Feb. 11 court date.

He was previously arrested for assault and domestic violence in 2023.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The second of two straight matchups with the San Antonio Spurs (35-16) on Saturday will be the unveiling of the new-look Dallas Mavericks (19-32), for as long as this looks lasts, anyway.

Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg had matching 32-point, six-rebound nights in Thursday’s 135-123 loss to the Spurs at American Airlines Center, and now the venue changes to the Frost Bank Center, where tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CDT.

The Mavericks slowed Victor Wembanyama down in the second half of Thursday’s loss, after he scored 20 points in the first half on his way to a team-high 29. Seven Spurs scored in double figures in Thursday’s game. San Antonio is second in the West and features one of the most potent defenses in the NBA, but the Mavericks were still able to force them into a close game at home, shooting better than 48% from the field and 38% from 2-point range in the loss.

Here are three storylines to watch for as the two-game home-and-home series shifts to San Antonio.

Gafford turns a corner

Daniel Gafford has quietly turned a corner in his last three games, posting double-doubles in each of the Mavericks’ last three losses. He had 16 points and 11 boards in Saturday’s 111-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, 10 and 12 in Tuesday’s 110-100 loss to the Boston Celtics and 16 and 10 on Thursday against the Spurs. He averaged just over seven points per game in January and just six in December, so its a promising stretch as Gafford tried to find his stride amid a tough 2025-26 season thus far.

Gafford was a candidate for trade before Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline, when Dallas was reportedly offered four second-round draft picks by the Atlanta Hawks, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The Mavs didn’t budge from their demand for a first-round pick in exchange for Gafford, and now he’s here to stay at least through the end of this season.

His new three-year contract kicks in next season, but his $17-million-per-year price tag is not prohibitive if the Mavericks still see Gafford as a fit for this team going forward. The last 30 games of this season will go a long way to figuring that out, and his recent stretch of positive impact

The new guys

Three of the four new Mavericks acquired in trade deadline deals are listed as probable to play against the Spurs the second time around. Tyus Jones, AJ Johnson and Marvin Bagley III could all make their first appearances in Mavericks uniforms at San Antonio on Saturday, while Khris Middleton, who was rumored to be a buyout candidate after the trade was first reported, is listed as doubtful.

Flagg, Marshall and Max Christie all played 38 minutes or more in Thursday’s loss as the Mavericks played with just 10 available on the roster. None of the new guys are likely to be a long-term solution for the Mavericks, but who knows, one or two may surprise us in the last 30 games of the year.

The Mavericks expressed interest in Jones in the off-season before settling for D’Angelo Russell when Jones got a better offer from the Orlando Magic. It will be interesting to see if he’s at least able to make a bigger impact on the roster than Russell did in his short tenure with the team.

Ride or die

The Flagg-Marshall one-two punch has been at least refreshing and at times sensational in recent games. Marshall went from trade candidate as the deadline approached to indispensable in the first game after the deadline. He has scored 30 or more points in a game five times in his six-year NBA career, all with the Mavericks. Two of those five have come in the last two weeks as Marshall has cemented himself into a core position riding shotgun with Flagg.

Marshall has spoken about Flagg’s recent scoring surge “inspiring” him to pick his game up. Co-GM Matt Riccardi told the media ahead of Thursday’s game that Marshall’s is a “perfect” fit alongside Flagg as the rookie takes his place at center stage for the Mavericks for the foreseeable future.

Whether any of this translates into a win at one of the NBA’s best teams on Saturday seems immaterial at this point. The vibes are at a high for 2025-26 with Marshall as Flagg’s wingman, even as Dallas seeks to break its current six-game losing streak.

How to watch

The Mavericks and the Spurs tip off at 5 p.m. CDT on Saturday from San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ viewing area. It will also be streamed on Prime Video.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may have to wait a little longer for James Harden’s debut with the team. Harden was initially expected to play on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings. According to the latest injury report, he may have to wait.

Harden is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game with the reason being “trade pending.” This designation isn’t uncommon for those who were recently traded. Currently, 18 players are on the league’s current injury report with the designation of “trade pending.”

If Harden can’t go on Saturday, he would have to wait until Monday when the Cavs conclude their Western Conference road trip against the Denver Nuggets.

Reports that the Cavs traded for Harden came through on Tuesday. The official trade announcement from the team came the following day.

Harden hasn’t played since Jan. 30. He missed his last two games with the Los Angeles Clippers for personal reasons — which was due to the impending trade — and he wasn’t available for Cleveland’s first game since the trade was announced on Wednesday.

On the season, Harden is averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game on .419/.347/.901 shooting splits.

Harden isn’t the only Cavalier who may be missing Friday’s game. Dean Wade has also been added to the injury report with a left ankle sprain. He is listed as questionable for the game.

Wade is averaging 5.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on .417/.340/.750 shooting this season.

The Cavaliers will also be without the services of Evan Mobley (calf), Max Strus (foot), and Emanuel Miller (G League).

The Lakers homestand continues on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Golden State Warriors. Los Angeles looks to tie the season series against their Pacific Division foe.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

When: 5:30 p.m. PT, Feb. 7

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: ABC

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The Lakers’ recent victory over the Philadelphia 76ers was a quality win. Not only did they beat a team with an above .500 record, but they also had a good day in the Western Conference standings. The teams above and below them in the standings — specifically the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns — both lost, making the win over Philadelphia even more impactful.

Unfortunately, though, LA lost Luka Dončić to a leg injury in the same game. It is reportedly not considered a major injury. However, Dončić has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Warriors, similar to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, who both are nursing their own injuries as well.

So that means that the second game between the Lakers and Warriors this season will once again feature an incomplete cast just like the season opener.

That said, the purple and gold will still have LeBron James — who missed the season debut against the Warriors — as well as Austin Reaves, who will take charge of the offense with Dončić out.

What the Lakers looked like in the second half against the Sixers will pretty much be how they will be in the midst of Dončić’s absence. LA is still a tough team to beat, especially when Reaves is playing like an All-Star and with James doing the same. On top of that, they’ve also had the 11th-best defense in the NBA over the last 10 games, and it’d be nice if they can keep that up.

The Warriors team that the Lakers will see on Saturday may be without two of their best players, but they’re still a very scrappy unit. They outplayed the Suns in the clutch in their last game, completing a comeback victory. Expect them to play their brand of basketball, which involves the usual motion offense, lots of 3-point attempts (they lead the league in that) and a pesky defense.

This game could also be Luke Kennard’s first one as a Laker. He is currently listed as questionable, as the trade is still pending. His 3-point shooting would give the purple and gold an additional boost.

Despite some star power missing, expect this Lakers-Warriors matchup to still have some extra intensity. Let’s see if LA can use their home crowd to ignite them to a win on Saturday.

Notes and Updates

• For the Lakers’ injury report, Luka Kennard (trade pending) is currently listed as questionable.
• Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are out.
• As for the Warriors, Stephen Curry (right patellofemoral pain syndrome), Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation), Li Cryer (left hamstring injury) and Jimmy Butler (right ACL tear) are out.
• Brandon Podziemski (illness) is probable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

Diagnosed with what is being called as “patellofemoral pain syndrome,” or commonly known as runner’s knee, Steph Curry will miss the Golden State Warriors’ Saturday’s marquee matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Also absent will be Luka Dončić, who is nursing a hamstring injury.

No Steph tomorrow vs. Lakers. He’s still rehabbing the knee.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 6, 2026

Curry told ESPN’s Anthony Slater that his recovery is progressing.

“It’s trending in the right direction,” Curry said. “It’s different than last year, but something that will heal.”

While the Warriors have continued to list Curry as day-to-day, there is no indication that Curry is trending toward a return any time soon.

“It’s a matter of learning as I go what works rehab-wise,” Curry said. “Because it’s still painful. You have to try to get rid of all the inflammation and pain. It’s something we still have to monitor and injury-manage, but it’s something where, if I come back too early, it could flare up.”

Curry is set to miss his 14th game of the season, which would put him close to missing the 65-game threshold that is a requirement for inclusion in an All-NBA Team. Should Curry end up ineligible, it would be the first time since the injury-shortened 2019-20 season that he will not be part of an All-NBA Team, and only the fifth time in his career that he will not be included.

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Olivia Hutcherson had 19 points, seven rebounds and five steals, Skye Belker had 16 points and four 3-pointers, and No. 23 Princeton beat Pennsylvania 69-50 on Friday night for its 16th straight victory in the series.

The Tigers have never lost to Penn in the Carla Berube era (14-0).

Princeton trailed 30-28 at halftime before scoring 24 points in the third quarter to take a nine-point lead. The Tigers started the fourth on an 11-3 run to make it 63-46.

Madison St. Rose added 15 points and six assists for Princeton (19-2, 7-1 Ivy League), which improved to 9-1 at home this season. The Tigers have won 17 of their last 18 games.

Mataya Gayle and Simone Sawyer each scored 16 points for Penn (13-8, 3-5). Tina Njike grabbed 10 rebounds to go with nine points.

The Quakers ended the first half on a 13-2 run to take the lead. Hutcherson made a free throw with 7:40 left in the third to give Princeton the lead for good at 35-34.

Up next

Penn: Has a week off before playing at Cornell on Feb. 13.

Princeton: Plays at Columbia on Feb. 13.

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Luka Doncic and the Lakers appeared to have dodged a worst-case scenario after the star guard had an early exit from Thursday night’s home win over the 76ers. 

Doncic was ruled out for Saturday’s prime-time game against the Warriors. On Friday, coach JJ Redick said Doncic would have an MRI after dealing with soreness in his left hamstring. 

This can be taken as a positive sign because the team typically announces updates when a player is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks due to injury.

ESPN also reported Friday that there’s optimism Doncic isn’t dealing with a “major” left hamstring injury.

That’s good news for the Lakers and Doncic, especially after he kicked the scorer’s table out of frustration on his way to the locker room as he was leaving Thursday’s game. 

But even though Doncic avoided a major injury, there’s still uncertainty about his status.

Day to day? 

A week?

Longer, with All-Star weekend just a week away and the Lakers’ first game after the break not until Feb. 20?

Clarity to those questions likely won’t come until Redick’s pregame media availability Saturday afternoon, though it appears a potential Doncic absence would be short term. 

The Lakers have shown multiple times they’re equipped to at least tread water when they’re without one of their star players.

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Austin Reaves, just two games back from a 19-game absence due to a strained left calf, once again showed Thursday how vital he is to the Lakers – even with Doncic and LeBron James on the roster.

Reaves scored his 35 points in the final three quarters against the 76ers, including 21 in the second half, leading the Lakers to a 14-point comeback victory during a half without Doncic. 

And he did it in a variety of ways.

Drives to the basket past 76ers athletic defenders. Catch-and-shoot and pull-up 3-pointers regardless of how tightly he was defended. And while Reaves came off the bench and played on a minutes restriction against the 76ers, how he played showed he’s getting his rhythm back after being sidelined for so long. 

But it isn’t just Reaves’ return, and return to form, that the Lakers would benefit from if Doncic has to miss multiple games. 

James is not only available but also is in a better rhythm compared with the last time Doncic missed multiple games in a row – when Doncic traveled to Slovenia in early December for the birth of his second daughter. James only had a few games under his belt after sitting out of the first 14 games because of sciatica. 

James has not only found his groove now but lineups that also feature him without Reaves and Doncic have thrived, mainly because of the toughness and tenacity those groups play with – which was on display Thursday.

The Lakers have gone 4-4 in the eight games Doncic has missed so far this season – a significant dip from the 27-15 record they have in the games he’s played. 

Luke Kennard is questionable to make his Lakers debut Saturday, with the official designation being “trade pending.” The Warriors will be without star guard Steph Curry.