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The Spurs wrestled away the lead from Orlando from the first seconds of the second half and its highly regarded veterans received great support from their young guards in triumph this evening. San Antonio rode an assertiveness advantage on the boards (48-34) and the free throw line (31-15) to prevent any late Magic comeback from happening.

An energized San Antonio squad shot well from the field (67%) and mauled the visiting Magic (16-5 rebounds) and from the stripe (7-0) early on to secure a first quarter lead. Orlando flipped the early game script with a 40-23 second quarter to surprisingly take a lead going into the half, but was unable to hold onto it as the Spurs methodically executed better on both ends after the break.

San Antonio’s DeAaron Fox (14 points and 10 assists) and Dylan Harper (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) more than capably made up for Castle’s absence, while Victor Wembanyama (25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 steals) had the closest thing to a ‘ho-hum’ superstar statline. Keldon Johnson (14 points and 19 rebounds) had another solid effort to bolster his 6th Man of the Year campaign.

Off-season acquisition Desmond Bane (25 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Paolo Banchero (19 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) carried Orlando over the final three periods. The Magic bench that was crucial in their first half comeback – including Mo Wagner (8 points) , Jonathan Isaac’s (7 points), and Tristan DeSilva (7 points) – were not heard from after halftime.

The Spurs took advantage of the five hour delay in tipoff with a 7-for-8 start, including two quick buckets apiece from Wembanyama, Vassell, and Fox. The only noticeable misses were two Harrison Barnes free throws as San Antonio put up 21 points over the first half of the stanza. Orlando could not put up much resistance outside of threes from Bane and Wagner. Wembanyama (8), Fox (10), and Johnson (6) outscored the Magic (21) in an opening frame ended with Spurs up 16.

The Magic ratcheted up their intensity on both ends and erased that comfortable Spurs lead in only two minutes to start the second, with their bench diong the bulk of the damage, including a Tristan DaSilva three ending an 11-0 run. The teams stayed within one possession of each other, with Harper being the primary offense in a rough San Antonio patch. Banchero, emboldened by his teammates’ production, got into double digits scoring and the Magic went to the break up 61-60.

The Spurs pieced together a 10-2 run coming out of the break. They, more importantly, forced two visible turnovers and rattled the Magic execution in general. Unlike the powerhouse production of the first two quarters, the teams put up a combined 21 points in 7+ minutes of action. Banchero and Bane provided the bulk of the production throughout the third, while San Antonio spread out its points more evenly. When it looked like San Antonio might pull away again, the Magic bench helped keep things close for the visitors. Bane’s and-1 brought Orlando to within five. The Spurs leveraged their decided free throw advantage to leave the third up 86-79.

Observations

• Late in the first quarter, Carter Bryant hounded Anthony Black from the endline and forced a turnover on the Magic guard. Those close misses right at the rim are so tantalizing….His catch-and-shoot three in the fourth helped push the Spurs lead to ten.
• Rookie Sequence of the Game: Partway through the fourth, Harper had an iso for much of the shot clock, drew two Magic defenders to him on the right baseline, and fed Carter, filling the empty space in the paint, threw down a monstrous dunk.
• Banchero doesn’t seem to have that ‘it’ factor right now despite the big stats.
• It’s encouraging to see Harper get deeper into the paint on his drives. It seemed like he was stopping a few steps short in recent gamers.
• Having just one all-star will get the younger Spurs a good number of days off during the upcoming break. (fingers crossed)
• The referees must have confused Wembanyama with Giannis, as they whistled him for a 10-second violation on his second free throw attempt in the waning moments.
• As another Harrison Barnes jumper doinked off the rim, former Magic forward Jeff Turner quipped “he’s missed from both sides.”
• Banchero’s late first-half miss became a behind-the-backboard wedgie (I don’t know what you call this when the ball gets stuck in that part between the backboard and the shot clock).
• Pinstripe unis need to make a comeback.
• Sequence of the Game #1: As part of an opening 10-2 Spurs run in the the third, Fox came off a curl and gifted Wembanyama a lob dunk. At the other end, Wembaynama swatted away a Jalen Suggs floater.
• Sequence of the Game #2:. On a delayed fastbreak late in the third, Harper ran out of real estate deep on the right baseline and still managed to convert a reverse lay-up around two Orlando bigs.

Game Rundown

San Antonio connected on its first four attempts – including two Wembanyama gimmes from point-blank range – and the team seemed no worse for the wear from their travel adventures. Vassell’s second straight make put the Spurs up 16-7 and capped a 7-for-8 start. Julian Champagnie’s second field goal put San Antonio up 12. Wagner’s two triples prevented an immediate blowout, but Johnson’s rim attacks pushed the Magic deficit out to 15. The Spurs left a well-played first quarter up 37-21.

Orlando steadied itself with a stunning 13-0 run to start the second. DaSilva paired a three with a floater to help the Magic shave that big deficit to two. After Wembanyama blocked his fast break attempt, Black hit a corner three to tie things at 43. Black’s next three put the Magic ahead. Harper salvaged what could have been an even more disastrous quarter for San Antonio with an excellent shotmaking display. Champagnie’s catch-and-shoot three put the Spurs back out front, but an out-of-bounds call on Banchero was challenged and overturned and the forward hit both freebies. After some frenetic back-and-forth scoring sequences, one point separated them at halftime.

The Spurs forced a turnover on Orlando’s first possession and Champagnie’s free throws put them back up. The teams had trouble hitting shots from distance before Vassell’s baseline fadeaway. Moments later, San Antonio forced a shotclock violation – DE-FENSE! Bane’s consecutive scores brought the Magic within three. Upon Harper’s re-insertion he found Vassell in the left corner for a three-point swish. Banchero’s and-1 made it a one-possession game again. Bane was whistled for a Flagrant 1 foul for an elbow to Wembanyama’s torso. San Antonio did just enough of the right things to leave the quarter up seven.

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For the Magic fan’s perspective, please visit Orlando Magic Daily

San Antonio has its final regular season matchup with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night at 8:30 PM CDT on ESPN.

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Portland Trail Blazers behind the best game of Jarrett Allen’s career.

WINNER – Jarrett Allen

Last game, I gave Allen a WINNER for his dominant first half—a first half that never translated to anything in the second as the Cavs let the Suns pull away from them. I’m glad to say I can give him a proper WINNER for a complete performance this time.

Allen was dominant start to finish. Portland had no reprieve as he ran the floor and finished every opportunity in sight. He was too fast for Donovan Clingan—and too big for anyone else on the court. Allen had 25 points and 10 rebounds at halftime and felt little resistance for the rest of the game.

It wasn’t just transition dunks or dump-off layups. Allen put on a show with his spin moves and crafty finishes. He even unleashed a textbook dream shake in the third quarter

It was so nasty https://t.co/84h8fnKUJVpic.twitter.com/Tr0xae9ZMA

— Dylan🔮🎆 (@dillybar2145__) February 2, 2026

Allen finished with a career-high 40 points to go with 17 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. That’s a statline that’s never been done before in under 30 minutes.

Jarrett Allen with 40 points, 16 boards, 5 assists and 4 blocks. And he's the ONLY GUY IN NBA HISTORY to do it in less than 30 minutes.

Log off the trade machine. I'm placing you all on a 24-hour embargo.

— Fear the 'Fro: A Cleveland Cavs Podcast (@FeartheFroPod) February 2, 2026

WINNER – Jarrett Allen (again)

Yeah, that’s right. We’re making history with the first-ever double WINNER.

While Allen’s performance tonight was special, I wanted to take an extra second to appreciate what goes into a game like this. Because the Cavs roster construction isn’t built in a way that benefits someone like Allen. At least, not traditionally.

NBA teams typically build around one rim-running big, not two. Being paired with Mobley could have been a deal breaker for Allen. Or a major hindrance to his production. But it hasn’t been. Allen has consistently shown up to do his job (save for a playoff series in 2023) and has always stepped up when Mobley is out. Tonight is another example of this.

For as much as we talk about Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley, it remains great that the Cavs have an option like Allen, who can deliver performances like this throughout the season.

Most teams aren’t able to lean on their fourth-best player in the way Cleveland can. And, most players of Allen’s caliber aren’t willing to be the fourth rung on the ladder. Yet he’s never once complained, made excuses, or succumbed to the rampant online criticism. Allen has always been unapologetically himself, and that’s worthy of my respect.

WINNER – Craig Porter Jr. and Sam Merrill

Let’s just lump these two together.

Porter dished out 12 assists in 27 minutes tonight. He’s provided a huge boost of playmaking off the bench with Darius Garland on the sidelines. He’ll never be a volume scorer, but Porter has found a way to stuff the stat sheet and flirt with a 5×5 multiple times this season. He had 3 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks to go with his 12 assists. Truly a unique player in today’s NBA.

As for Merrill, this is the type of game that has become familiar. Merrill hit on 6-of-8 three-point attempts, pouring in 22 points in 29 minutes. He was Cleveland’s second leading scorer and helped blow this game open in the third quarter.

The Cavs need players to step up during this road trip. Big-time performances from Craig and Sam go a long way to stacking wins.

The Cleveland Cavaliers rebounded from a poor showing against the Phoenix Suns on Friday by taking it to the Portland Trail Blazers with a 130-111 victory. Jarrett Allen’s 40-point performance led the way.

Allen was simply the best player on the court in what was the most impressive game of his entire career. Portland had absolutely no hope of stopping him inside, as he continually found creative ways to get to the basket. Poor Donovan Clingan didn’t have a chance of slowing Allen. He put up as much resistance as possible, which honestly wasn’t much at the end of the day.

This all led to a career-high 40 points on 16-23 shooting to go along with five assists.

Allen wasn’t just the best offensive player, he was also the best on the other end as well. Allen controlled the paint defensively as he came down with 17 rebounds, registered four blocks, and even threw in two steals for good measure.

It was a completely dominant performance from Allen.

Aside from Allen’s impressive showing, it was an overall weird game. The Cavs were without Evan Mobley (calf) and Darius Garland (foot) while the Blazers had to play without Deni Avdija (back), Scoot Henderson (hamstring), and Jrue Holiday (personal). Combine that with the fact that both teams just made trades and are in a position to make more, and it’s easy to see how you could get an odd showing.

This led to a somewhat disjointed first half for both teams, with the Cavs taking a nine-point advantage into the break thanks to Allen’s 25 first-half points.

The Cavs then broke things open in the third quarter. They won that frame 41-30 largely due to going 6-11 from three. Sam Merrill contributed two of those triples on a night he had it going from the outside.

The Trail Blazers fought back from what was a 24-point fourth-quarter deficit at one point. They cut the lead down to 10, forcing Cleveland to keep their starters in for most of the evening, but weren’t able to really make things interesting down the stretch.

Merrill seemingly couldn’t miss from beyond the arc. He went 6-8 from three en route to a 22-point performance.

Jaylon Tyson had another solid showing, despite the four turnovers. He went 7-12 from the field with 18 points on 4-4 shooting from deep to go along with six assists.

Donovan Mitchell didn’t have it going as a scorer, but he did a good job of setting up his teammates. He provided nine assists. Mitchell finished with 14 points on 6-15 shooting.

Craig Porter Jr. supplied a game-high 12 assists in the victory.

The Blazers were led by 21 points from Caleb Love. Shaedon Sharpe provided 20 points in the loss.

The Cavs have now won six of their last seven, nine of their last 12, and 13 of their last 18 games.

Cleveland’s Western Conference road trip will continue as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 10:30 PM.

The Lakers’ third-quarter struggles have returned. During the early parts of the season, they were getting dominated by opponents after halftime, and that’s been an ongoing trend during LA’s current road trip.

The Cavs outscored the Lakers by 20 in the third en route to a dominant win over the purple and gold, and on Sunday, LA went from a four-point lead to an eight-point deficit thanks to another bad second half start.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

35 minutes, 22 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 9-15 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-6 FT, -17

If this was LeBron’s last game in Madison Square Garden, it was a bit of a letdown. He had a nice dunk and shot a respectable 9-15 from the field, but his defense was poor and hurt LA during their attempt at a late rally.

Grade: C+

Jake LaRavia

23 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 2-7 FG, 1-6 3PT, -19

There was once a case for LaRavia to be LA’s fifth starter, but I just don’t see it now. He is far too inconsistent a scorer.

Grade: D

Deandre Ayton

32 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 6-6 FG, 1-1 FT, -12

Ayton had an okay game. He took advantage of his scoring opportunities, but ideally, he would’ve grabbed some more rebounds, especially considering that LA lost the rebounding battle by 10.

Grade: C

Marcus Smart

30 minutes, 7 points, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 2-9 FG, 1-4 3PT, 2-2 FT, -19

Smart had some nice defensive plays, diving for loose balls and forcing shot clock violations, but he also called his own number on offense far too many times.

Overall, it’s what you’ve come to expect from the Smart experience in Los Angeles.

Grade: B

Luka Dončić

37 minutes, 30 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 10-23 FG, 5-14 3PT, 5-6 FT, -13

Whether it was talking smack to Spike Lee, making free throws, or grabbing boards, Luka was his All-Star self in New York.

That also includes being a defensive liability and getting picked on by the Knicks, especially during the second half. Luka didn’t get destroyed in those moments, but he didn’t necessarily shine either.

Grade: B-

Gabe Vincent

18 minutes, 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 3-5 FG, 2-4 3PT, +7

Vincent was fine in this game. He played for a couple of shifts, knocked down some shots and ended the night as a positive scorer off the bench.

Grade: B

Jaxson Hayes

12 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 fouls, 1-2 FG, +2

With as many fouls as he had points, Hayes had little impact on the outcome of this game.

Grade: C-

Rui Hachimura

29 minutes, 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 5-11 FG, 1-5 3PT, -1

Hachimura missed many good looks from deep against the Knicks. Making a few of those could’ve been the difference in this one.

Grade: C

Jarred Vanderbilt

20 minutes, 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 0-4 FG, 0-3 3PT, 1-2 FT, +8

The best play Vando had was drawing a foul call on Karl-Anthony Towns when he was trying to grab a rebound. His defense wasn’t noteworthy and his offense was bad.

Grade: C

Drew Timme, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith Jr.

This quartet only played during the final minute of the game, so they will not be graded.

JJ Redick

Redick shrank his bench and went with a nine-man rotation. It went fine, but yet again, the second half adjustments didn’t work.

The Lakers’ zone was getting sliced up and when they just switched, the results weren’t much better. It’s hard to judge how much of their faults are coaching over roster construction, but Redick does have to take some blame for LA often losing to top teams in the NBA.

Grade: C-

Sunday’s inactives: Austin Reaves, Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon, Bronny James

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The NBA trading deadline is upon us.

It was a quiet leadup to the final days before the Thursday, Feb. 5 deadline at 3 p.m. ET, with only one trade in the months of October, November, December and January. Compare that to last season, when there were five over that span.

Much of the league is watching the developments in Milwaukee concerning Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks, though action has started to pick up in recent days.

Keep track of every single trade executed during 2025-26 season below:

2025-26 NBA trade tracker

Hawks move on from Vít Krejčí (Feb. 1)

Portland Trail Blazers receive

• Vít Krejčí

Atlanta Hawks receive

• Duop Reath
• 2027 second-round pick (via Hawks)
• 2030 second-round pick (via Knicks)

Cavaliers move on from De’Andre Hunter (Feb. 1)

Sacramento Kings receive

• De’Andre Hunter (from Cavaliers)

Cleveland Cavaliers receive

• Keon Ellis (from Kings)
• Dennis Schröder (from Kings)
• Emanuel Miller (from Bulls)

Chicago Bulls receive

• Dario Šarić (from Kings)
• 2027 second-round pick (via Nuggets)
• 2029 second-round pick (via Kings)

➤ Trade details

Hawks move on from Trae Young (Jan. 9)

Washington Wizards receive

• Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks receive

• CJ McCollum
• Corey Kispert

➤ Trade details | Winners and losers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA trade deadline: Tracking every deal during 2025-26 season

BOSTON — In the team’s final home game before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, Celtics guard Anfernee Simons helped emphasize his case to remain with the Celtics.

The biggest question surrounding Boston, and Simons in particular, is straightforward: Will he stay? That uncertainty has hovered over his head ever since the Celtics acquired him in the Jrue Holiday-Trail Blazers offseason trade. Simons joined the stripped-down version of the team’s championship-aspiring roster, unaware of what the season would hold. Would the Celtics contend or tank? Would Simons start or come off the bench? Would Simons make it past the deadline still a member of the team?

So far, two of those questions have been answered. Boston’s 107-79 win over Milwaukee improved the team’s record to 31-18, putting them ½ a game ahead of the Knicks for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Simons has logged all 48 of his Celtics appearances off the bench, leaving the final question unanswered.

In the first quarter against the Bucks, Simons got ahead in leaving his imprint in what otherwise would be his last game in Boston with the Celtics. He provided an immediate offensive spark, scoring 11 points, knocking down four of his first six shots to help set the tone in what amounted to a blowout victory to conclude a four-game homestand.

“That’s kind of been his role, and he’s done a great job buying into it, really on both ends of the floor,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Just to have another guy that could take pressure off the others, and score seamlessly, whether it’s catch-and-shoot shots, whether it’s off the dribble, whether it’s driving to the basket, he’s played his role for us tremendously, and he’s just another guy that makes us better.”

Simons used his speed to create separation from Milwaukee’s defenders, giving him enough room to launch his trademark step-back threes. In the final offensive possession of the first quarter, Simons resorted to the move with Amir Coffey defending and drained a buzzer-beating 28-footer to close out the frame.

“That was big for us,” Mazzulla mentioned.

The ability to provide starter-level production while coming off the bench has made Simons a vital component of the team. He accepted the role that awaited him in Boston and didn’t waver. In the six months since being traded from Portland, Simons hasn’t once allowed trade speculation to consume him. He’s been a consummate professional throughout — accepting his role, giving the team what it needs when it needs it, and even adjusting during stretches when the team would prefer he rein it in.

“They get pissed off at me when I shoot the ball sometimes, but I like to feel the game out,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like it’s the right shot. It might not be the right shot other times. They’re just trying to give me the ultimate confidence to be myself — to go out there and play.”

Simons finished with 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting, adding three rebounds and an assist. He drilled six 3-pointers and drew an ovation from the Boston crowd as he checked out in the fourth quarter — an acknowledgment that Simons might not return with the team after its upcoming two-game road trip.

“It’s cool to go out there and see what the game needs and also impact the win in that way,” Simons said.

Offensively, he’s been everything the Celtics have needed.

Simons ranks third on the team at 2.6 made 3-pointers per game, narrowly trailing leader Derrick White (2.8). He has emerged as one of the league’s most elite bench scorers, ranking third in bench points behind only Naz Reid and Jaime Jaquez Jr., making him a sneaky Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Just as important, Simons has shown tangible defensive growth, quieting the long-standing questions that followed him from Portland about his commitment on that end of the floor.

But as great as Simons has been, nothing is ever concrete in the NBA — and that includes his future in Boston.

Knowing this, Mazzulla has taken a proactive approach to maintaining constant communication with his players — giving them space to feel heard, gauging where their heads are at, and offering whatever support he can to ease the mental strain that the approaching trade deadline creates for anyone caught up in rumors.

“I talk to them every day,” Mazzulla said pregame. “Depending on where guys are at, what that conversation looks like. I try to communicate with the guys every day, and whatever needs to be said or had or listened to is what we need to do at that particular time.”

In Simons’ mind, the Boston experience has given him everything he could have envisioned, no matter how it ends.

“Yeah, for sure,” Simons said. “Just an opportunity to go out there and showcase what I can do.”

The Utah Jazz lost 107-100 in Toronto, it was competitive all night, but Utah just couldn’t catch a rhythm from deep and had too many sloppy possessions that the Raptors turned into easy points. The Jazz stayed within striking distance all night and had their chances late, but never quite found enough consistent offense to pull it out. Lauri Markkanen and Isaiah Collier carried a lot of the scoring, but the rest of the team didn’t provide enough to pull it out.

Lauri Markkanen — A

Lauri was really good tonight. 27 points, 7 rebounds. The shot wasn’t particularly efficient, but he kept us in it and stayed aggressive. When he plays he keeps us competitive. He also had a sweet block that led to a sick self lob off the glass dunk, don’t see that everyday.

Isaiah Collier — A-

Really liked what I saw from him tonight. Played under control, attacked the paint, and set guys up for easy buckets. 19 points, 7 assists, 8 of 10 from the line. This was a great bounce back game for him, he’s really been struggling as of late. Good to see some life out of him.

Jusuf Nurkic — C+

Solid night with 11 points, 13 rebounds. Great on the boards, but a few costly turnovers and missed layups kept this from being a standout game. Just a solid Nurk night.

Cody Williams — B+

Very nice night for Cody. 10 points and played strong defense. I thought he played the best defense on Brandon Ingram tonight and at times shut him down. Cody continues to get better and is becoming a really nice rotation player for the Jazz.

Ace Bailey — C-

Ace struggled with his shot tonight going 1 of 10 shootingfor 4 points. The bright spot for him to night was his 10 rebounds and the effort he puts on defense. Even though he didn’t shoot well he continued to affect the games in other areas and be affective that way.

Svi Mykhailiuk — B-

Hit some timely shots and helped spread the floor. 8 points and hit 2 threes. Had a couple bad turnovers, but besides that just a normal night from Svi.

Walter Clayton Jr. — C

Made some plays in his minutes but continues to struggle with on ball pressure and shooting from three. When he was able to break the pressure he played with pace and had some nice passes. I would like him to seek his own shot out more and shoot it with confidence. He end with 7 points and 2 assists.

Brice Sensabaugh — C

Quiet night for Brice. His handle continues to struggle with long on ball defenders, cause him to turn the ball over. When he can’t get to his spots and catch a rhythm he’s not very effective. Just 4 points for him tonight.

Kevin Love — C+

Solid vet presence. Struggled from three but made some smart passes and helps organize the young guys. 4 points, 5 boards.

Kyle Filipowpski — B-

Really solid in his limited minutes tonight. Showed physicality and effort. Only played 9 minutes, but 6 points, 6 rebounds. Surprised he didn’t get more time.

Overall Takeaway:

The Jazz battled hard and kept this game competitive, which is all you can ask for this season. Sloppy possessions late cost them the game. Up next on this long road trip, Utah will play the Indiana PacersonTuesday, Feb. 3 at 5:00 PM MST.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren joins John Stockton and Domantas Sabonis as the third former Zag to be named an NBA All-Star as a reserve for Team USA. It won’t be the last time that he’ll join the world’s greatest talents on the biggest stage, that’s for sure.

🌟 YOUR 2026 NBA ALL-STARS 🌟

Starters:

Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jaylen Brown
Jalen Brunson
Cade Cunningham
Stephen Curry
Luka Dončić
Nikola Jokić
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Tyrese Maxey
Victor Wembanyama

Reserves:

Deni Avdija
Scottie Barnes
Devin Booker
Kevin Durant
Jalen…

— NBA (@NBA) February 1, 2026

The No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is currently averaging 17.8 points on a shooting split of 57.1 field goal percentage/37.7 three-point percentage/77.4 free throw percentage, 8.6 rebounds (No. 17 in the league), and 2.0 blocks per game (No. 3 in the league). His 13 double-doubles are tied for the 23rd-most in the NBA.

Holmgren’s a major reason why the reigning NBA champion Thunder holds down the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference standings at a 38-11 overall record. The two-way threat has always been an elite rim protector, but has stepped up offensively with wing Jalen Williams out for the majority of the 2025-26 season.

After missing the entirety of his first professional season in 2022-23 with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, Holmgren has come into his own and become a household name. He played all 82 games during the following season and was the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference during the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs.

Holmgren did have another setback in the 2025-26 season with a right iliac wing fracture, forcing him to play only 32 regular-season games. He would come back stronger than ever during their recent magical playoff run and break the NBA Finals Game 7 blocks record with five.

At 23 years old, Holmgren is still just scratching the surface of his full potential. When he’s healthy, Gonzaga’s 2021-22 Second Team All-American is one of the best defenders on the planet.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored a career-high 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting and had seven assists on Sunday night to help Iowa beat short-handed Oregon 84-66 for its fourth win in a row.

Oregon (8-14, 1-10) has lost eight straight — its last seven by an average of 16.9 points — and nine of its last 11.

Alvaro Folgueiras added 15 points and eight rebounds, Brendan Hausen scored 11 and Cooper Koch 10 for Iowa (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten). The Hawkeyes shot 59% (33 of 56) from the field, hit 10 of 22 (44%) from 3-point range and committed a season-low five turnovers.

Kwame Evans Jr. sandwiched a pair of three-point plays around a dunk by Dezdrick Lindsay as Oregon scored eight of the first 12 second-half points to trim its deficit to five points with 16:38 left in the game. Stirtz scored 13 points in the next five-plus minutes before Koch scored in the lane to make it 59-43 with 10:23 remaining and Iowa led by at least nine the rest of the way.

Evans had 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting, 1 of 7 from behind the arc, for the Ducks. Takai Simpkins, who missed Wednesday’s 73-57 loss to UCLA due to an ankle injury, scored 16 points and Lindsay added 10.

The Ducks were without Jackson Shelstad, Nate Bittle, Ege Demir and Devon Pryor due to various injuries. Drew Carter, a senior walk-on, made his first career start. The 6-foot-3 guard, in his second season with Oregon, played football at Colorado in 2022 and then transferred to Northern Colorado, where scored 11 points in nine appearance in the 2023-24 season.

Up next

Iowa: Visits Washington on Wednesday.

Oregon: Plays Saturday at No. 12 Purdue.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

NEW YORK — The Lakers are used to putting on a show when they’re at Madison Square Garden. 

But for most of Sunday night, they watched a show they probably wouldn’t want reruns of: The Knicks beating them up on the offensive glass and creating a barrage of open three-pointers. 

The result was the Knicks’ burying 18 three-pointers, and the Lakers losing in New York 112–100 despite Luka Dončić’s near triple-double of 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. 

LeBron James, who entered Sunday with the all-time third-best-winning percentage by a visiting player at Madison Square Garden, recorded 22 points, six assists and five rebounds. 

But the Lakers couldn’t match the Knicks’ three-point proficiency, shooting 28.6% from beyond the arc compared to New York’s 42.9%.

The Knicks grabbed 15 offensive rebounds compared to the Lakers’ seven.

Sunday was the Lakers’ first loss at Madison Square Garden since 2021. 

OG Anunoby scored a team-high 25 points for the Knicks to go with eight rebounds, while Josh Hart added 20 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had an 11 point, 13 rebound double-double. 

What it means

The Lakers, who dropped to 29–19, still have a chance to secure a winning record on the trip despite the loss to the Knicks, who are on a six-game winning streak after Sunday’s victory.

Despite the loss, the Lakers still have the third-best-winning percentage among Western Conference teams with a 17–11 record in games away from Crypto.com Arena.  

Turning point

After the Lakers had great ball security for most of Sunday, Dončić made an errant pass that was picked off by Towns and led to an Anunoby dunk in transition to tie the game at 77 at the 2:37 mark of the third quarter. 

Gabe Vincent turned the ball over on the next possession, with Anunoby getting another dunk to put the Knicks up 79–77.

The Lakers had another empty possession when Rui Hachimura missed a corner 3, with Brunson assisting Landry Shamet on an alley-oop in transition for a Knicks’ 6–0 run that turned a Lakers two-point lead to a four-point New York advantage. 

The Lakers trailed by eight entering the fourth, and trailed for the remainder of the game. 

MVP: Jalen Brunson

Despite shooting four of 15 from the field, the Knicks star guard controlled the game with 13 assists, spraying out passes after getting into the Lakers’ defense. 

He had nine assists in the second half, which the Knicks won 60–44.

Stat of the game: 2

That’s how many field goal attempts Deandre Ayton took after the first quarter after having nine points on 4-of-4 shooting and four rebounds in the opening frame.

Ayton finished with 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting and five rebounds in 32 minutes, with the Lakers playing a center-less lineup in the final 3:34.

The Lakers are now 11–15 when Ayton takes nine or fewer shots, and 15–2 when he has at least 10 field goal attempts in a game. 

Up next

The Lakers will wrap up their eight-game, 16-day “Grammy” trip against the Nets on Tuesday before having an extended stretch back in Southern California.

By the time the trip ends, the Lakers would’ve been on the road for 12 consecutive days.

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At Madison Square Garden, the Knicks (31*-18) shook off a middling first half, outscored the Lakers 60–44 after halftime, and survived 15 lead changes to claim their sixth straight win, 112–100.

From the jump, L.A. attacked home plate and New York tried their luck from the outfield. The strategy showed promise with the first two longballs swished. When the shots stopped falling—and the visitors continued to find easy scoring opportunities—the home team slipped on the scoreboard.

Congratulations go out to Karl-Anthony Towns, selected today for his sixth All-Star Game. The Big Begonia pounded the glass early, but two quick fouls curtailed his quarter. The good news: KAT committed just one more foul in the game and would finish with an 11-13 double-double, four assists, two steals, and a team-high +23 in his 32 minutes. Great effort from him overall tonight.

Meanwhile, the Lakers embraced simplicity, benefiting from basic actions like alley-oops to Deandre Ayton. For the Knicks, Mikal Bridges grabbed a steal (good) but missed four of his first five shots (less good). Their offense flowed mostly through Jalen Brunson (12 points, 13 dimes, seven boards) and OG Anunoby, who scored 11 of his 25 total points in the first period.

WINGSTOP: Mikal’s ball pressure creates an open three for OG 🔥 pic.twitter.com/x6Yk9QSpSL

— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) February 2, 2026

After an uneven start, Luka Dončić gained steam and finished the night with 30 points, 15 boards, and eight assists. Under his leadership, his team dished and swished, assisting on 21 of their 38 made field goals tonight. They closed Q1 ahead, 33-27, while New York’s uninspired offense barely shot 40%.

The bench provided some uplift in the second frame. Tyler Kolek (eight points, four dimes, 13 minutes) and Mohamed Diawara delivered treys, and Landry Shamet chipped in a bucket to stay competitive. Shamet was the human torch tonight, dropping 23 points and hitting 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. Although L.A. led for most of the second quarter, when Kolek scored five unanswered points, the Knicks briefly went ahead with 4:40 left.

KAT returned and worked the glass, but the Knicks turned the ball over at a 2:1 ratio, thus hindering their progress. Across the aisle, LeBron (22 points) steadied things with midrange scores and free throws, while Ayton (13 points, five boards) and Hachimura (11 points, three rebounds) tidied up the iron. When a well-rested Luka checked back in, he fully shifted the balance back from orange to yellow. Sticking to the game plan, L.A. carried a 56-52 lead into intermission.

hart of the city 🫡 pic.twitter.com/2AetGDzF1Y

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 2, 2026

Through the first half, the Goldtrotters outshot the Knicks overall, 49% to 43%, with both teams attempting 43 field goals. New York had the better numbers from deep (41% to 30%) and on the glass (24-19), but had been outscored in the paint by eight and committed six turnovers. At the break, Luka led all scorers with 18 points and seven boards, while OG had 11 points for the hometown heroes.

Out of halftime, the Knicks went on a 12-7 run to reclaim the lead. With more focused hustle and flow, the starters made their shots, Josh Hart (20 points, four boards, 8-of-11 FG) provided invigorating constant motion, and Towns ruled the boards, collecting six boards and six points in the period.

A mid-quarter Hart three-pointer put New York up by six. He, Anunoby, and Shamet were shooting 18-of-27 for 50 points, while their teammates had hit just 16-of-53. Around then, Luka hit the jets to spark a 9-2 run and go ahead again, but our heroes responded with back-to-back Anunoby dunks and a Shamet breakaway that restored their advantage and set the crowd roaring. After that 15-5 run, the Knicks closed the frame, 90-82.

OG ANUNO-3️⃣

14 PTS | 4 REB | 2 AST pic.twitter.com/TqpUqKqEG5

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 2, 2026

New York kept pace with L.A. through the fourth with inside finishes from Bridges and Anunoby and a timely Hart three. Luka delivered a bomb that had the makings of trouble, but Shamet and Bridges countered with triples of their own. Around the three-minute mark, with a 10-point differential, Hart played excellent defense on Luka and altered a last-second heave. By not fouling, Hart forced a shot-clock violation, and Anunoby dunked on the subsequent possession. That sequence put a lid on the game. Smart drilled from deep near the two-minute mark, but two more bombs from ShamWow in the final minute-and-a-half drove in the final nails.

LeBron's defense SEALED the win for the Knicks:

🧱 Gives up open 3
🧱 Gives up offensive rebound
🧱 Gives up open 3 again

Just standing around 😭 pic.twitter.com/dcCaKqJmNW

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) February 2, 2026

Up Next

Professor Miranda is on your recap. As for our heroes, they’ll travel to D.C. to face the Wizards on Tuesday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count. 

Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the Lakers' acquisition of Luka Doncic.

Coach JJ Redick acknowledged he felt "stressed" knowing about the trade before the Lakers played the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden that night in 2025.

While his stress may have faded, Redick couldn't have liked what he saw from the Lakers on the same floor one year later.

Despite a strong effort from Doncic, the Lakers struggled with their shooting and lost 112-100 to the Knicks on Sunday night.

After Landry Shamet made his second straight three-pointer to give the Knicks a 112-99 lead with 59.3 seconds left, Redick pulled his starters. The Lakers led 56-52 at halftime but were outscored 38-26 in the third quarter after New York went on a 15-5 run to take a 90-82 lead into the fourth quarter.

Read more:Lakers star LeBron James named an NBA All-Star for a record 22nd time

Doncic finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Lakers' 45% shooting from the field and 29% shooting from three-point range.

With the Lakers in sixth place in the uber-competitive Western Conference at 29-19, Doncic was asked where he thought they stood in their pursuit of an NBA championship.

"We're in a good spot,” Doncic said. “Obviously, got some work to do. But I think today we obviously missed a lot of good looks, but I think we have a great group."

LeBron James had 22 points, six assists and five rebounds, but he fell to 23-9 in regular-season games at Madison Square Garden, and the Lakers slipped to 4-3 on their season-high eight-game trip, which ends Tuesday in Brooklyn.

With the Lakers 5-5 in their last 10, James also reflected on where the team stands.

“I like this group, but we got to continue to get better,” James said. “And that's good. We should want to get better. … We want to continue to get better and better. It's a tough league.

"Like I said, it's been tough all season as far as dealing with injuries. ... Unfortunately our All-Star two-guard [Austin Reaves, calf injury] has been out for a minute and that's a big piece of our team. So, it's kind of hard to see what we can really, truly be.”

Deandre Ayton had 13 points and five rebounds, and Marcus Smart had seven points and three assists.

OG Anunoby had 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists to lead the Knicks (31-18), who have won six straight. Shamet scored 23 points off the bench, and Josh Hart had 20 points and four rebounds. Jalen Brunson finished with 12 points and a season-high 13 assists.

Before the game, James was named an All-Star for a record 22nd time.

“Obviously, super humbling,” James said. “Mad respect to the coaches and them seeing how I'm still playing at this latter stage of my career and to be able to be an All-Star. That means a lot to my family, my people that've been following my career, my LeBron faithful that’s been following my journey.

"It's always rewarding just from a humble standpoint to be able to be rewarded for what you put your work into. So, it's pretty cool.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.