Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The San Antonio Spurs spent much of Wednesday night searching for their footing, trailing early and struggling to slow Houston’s tempo. By the final buzzer, they had imposed their will, turning a shaky start into a dominant 111–99 road victory over the Rockets at Toyota Center.

San Antonio overcame a double-digit first-half deficit by tightening its defense, controlling the glass, and leaning on its size in the paint. The Spurs outscored Houston 58–38 in the second half and limited the Rockets to just 13 points in the fourth quarter, sealing the win with disciplined execution and physical play.

“I think it’s the job that everyone was doing around him [Wembanyama] that allowed Victor to be that impactful at the rim,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “We had quite a bit of crowds at the rim and we did a much better job of securing loose balls in the second half and the latter part of the game.”

The Rockets dictated much of the opening half, attacking early in the shot clock and finding success from the perimeter. Houston built a lead that grew to 16 points as San Antonio struggled to contain dribble penetration and gave up second-chance opportunities.

That changed after halftime.

The Spurs emerged with a renewed focus on defense, shrinking the floor and forcing Houston into contested shots. San Antonio began to chip away late in the third quarter, closing the gap behind improved ball movement and a steady diet of interior scoring.

“It felt like we were freaking out a bit,” Johnson said. “It felt like we didn’t settle down into the game [in the first half], but we kept our composure.”

Victor Wembanyama was at the center of it all. He star finished with 28 points and 16 rebounds, anchoring the Spurs on both ends of the floor. Wembanyama repeatedly punished Houston inside, altering shots defensively while drawing fouls and creating space for teammates offensively.

San Antonio’s patience paid off early in the fourth quarter. After finally taking the lead late in the third, the Spurs opened the final period with an 11–0 run that shifted momentum decisively. Defensive stops led to transition opportunities, and the Spurs capitalized by attacking the rim and controlling the pace.

The Spurs’ advantage in the paint proved decisive. San Antonio consistently beat Houston to loose balls and dominated the rebounding battle, limiting the Rockets’ ability to generate second chances. As the game slowed, Houston struggled to find clean looks against San Antonio’s length and discipline.

Rookie guard Dylan Harper provided a significant boost off the bench, scoring 16 points and offering energy during critical stretches. His ability to attack downhill and convert at the rim helped stabilize the Spurs’ offense when the game tightened, preventing Houston from regaining momentum.

Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 25 points, showcasing his athleticism and aggressiveness throughout the night. But despite strong individual performances, Houston could not sustain its early success once San Antonio imposed its defensive structure. The Rockets committed key turnovers and endured extended scoring droughts in the fourth quarter as the Spurs closed out the game.

For San Antonio, the win served as a reminder of how effective the team can be when it commits to defense and physicality. After a recent stretch marked by inconsistency, the Spurs demonstrated their ability to respond under pressure and win a tough, grind-it-out game on the road.

The victory also highlighted the Spurs’ growth in late-game situations. Rather than rushing possessions or settling for contested jump shots, San Antonio remained composed, working the ball inside and trusting its defensive rotations.

As the Spurs continue to navigate a competitive Western Conference, Wednesday’s performance offered a blueprint for success — defend, rebound, and let discipline dictate the outcome. Against a young and energetic Rockets team, San Antonio proved that resilience and execution can still make a difference.

Game notes

• Charles Barkley said Stephon Castle “single handedly changed the game” for the Spurs. And if you look at the tape, he’s right. Castle was in Sengun and Kevin Durant’s business in the second half and made life difficult for him. While Durant finished with 24 points, he shot 8-for-17 and that is largely due to Castle.
• Can we stop with the Mitch Johnson hate? His coaching in the second half and adjustments of putting Wembanyama on Amen Thompson was a huge reason why the Spurs rallied for the win. The Spurs are 32-15 and are en route for the NBA Playoffs. He’s a huge reason why.
• San Antonio’s bench outscored Houston’s 38-14.
• Dylan Harper had a nice evening at the office with 16 points on 8-11 shooting.

1. Tough Day at the Office

After the Celtics went into Atlanta and beat the Hawks by 26, Atlanta decided to return the favor by beating Boston 117-106 in TD Garden. It was an annoying game to watch because every time the Celtics got close to coming back and cut into the lead, the Hawks would go on a run. The frustration was definitely boiling over for Boston, no better personified than when Joe Mazzulla lost it on the refs in the third quarter. Mazzulla essentially waved the white flag at the 4:39 mark of the fourth quarter and Atlanta exacted their revenge.

Joe Mazzulla is HEATED at the refs. Poor Sam Cassell tried to hold him back… pic.twitter.com/7ACryYWAZZ

— Danielle Hobeika (@DanielleHobeika) January 29, 2026

In the postgame interview, Joe Mazzulla was adiment about this being a game that you just flush away. From the hot Hawks shooting to the Celtics turnovers, Mazzulla just chalked it up to “just a bad day at the office.”

Joe Mazzulla on the tough loss and the Hawks three point shooting

“Tough day at the office” pic.twitter.com/ulc7IuBSKl

— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) January 29, 2026

2. Celtics Slow Start Cost them the game

This loss started with the Celtics very slow start to the first quarter and it felt like they never recovered from it. The Hawks went on a 26-9 run to open the game up by 3:35 mark. Anfernee Simons tried to will the Celtics back into the game with 8 straight points out of the timeout, but the score was 38-18 after the first quarter. The Hawks shot 13-26 (50%) from the field and 7-12 (58%) from three. Although Boston got close multiple times in this game, the monster start by Atlanta really was the beginning of the end for this game.

3. Three Point Difference

In the past the Celtics have won and lost games this season just because of the three point shot. That was the great equalizer again in this game, but it was on the losing end for Boston. The Celtics shot 9-34 (27%) from three as a team in this one while the Hawks shot 18-42 (43%) from three. In a game where Boston lost by 11 and Atlanta made 9 more three pointers, that is a recipe for a guaranteed loss.

4. Brown/Pritchard/White Off Nights

It was a tough game for the Celtics three main offensive guys tonight as Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Derrick White all combined to shoot 19-44 (43%) from the field but 1-13 (7%) from three. There were times where all three of them had short bursts in this game that cut in to Atlanta’s lead but it never felt all that cohesive.

Derrick White had a burst in the third quarter that started with a three on wing. He then was able to make a nice driving layup off of a good screen by Luka Garza. Next he was being defended by Jalen Johnson, was able to stop on a dime and hit a mid range jumper over him. Finally, he drove into the midrange and hit a floater over CJ McCollum.

Pritchard went on his short run at the beginning of the fourth quarter. He started with a pump fake over McCollum, got him up in the air, then finished a wide open layup. The next bucket came when he ran around a Garza screen and hit a nice midrange jumper over Onyeka Okongwu. Finally, he was matched up on Corey Kispert and hit another mid range jumper over him after make a quick stop.

Brown also had his burst in the fourth quarter but it was in the middle when the Celtics were trying to make their last attempt at winning the game. He started with a nice play where Luke Kennard was guarding him and Brown just took him to his spot in the midrange and splashed the jumper. The next play came on a drive blowing by Jalen Johnson where he was fouled and finished the layup for an And-1. The third play was a goal tending call against Dyson Daniels. Finally, he was matched up on Daniels again and hit a sweet midrange jumper with him draped all over him.

5. Anfernee Simons

In a game where a lot of guys struggled to get going, Anfernee Simons was able to play a pretty good game overall. He finished with 12 points on 5-7 shooting from the field and 2-4 from three. He was a big part of the Celtics turning the game around in the first quarter with some really huge baskets.

Simons came out of a Celtics timeout and finished a nice finger roll over the outstretched arm of Okongwu. Next he got the ball from Amari Williams and hit a side step three over Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Finally, on the next Celtics possession he hit another three over Alexander-Walker in essentially the same exact place.

6. Luka Garza

Another guy that had a good night for the Celtics in this game was Luka Garza coming off of the bench after missing Monday’s game against the Trail Blazers with an illness. Garza finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and a career high 6 assists.

All of Garza’s baskets came in the second quarter but they were pretty much all tough buckets. The first one was a put back layup where he sealed off Luke Kennard and was able to finish the play after Jordan Walsh missed a layup. The next play came when Brown found him wide open underneath the basket and finished an And-1 layup through contact. The third basket was another layup, this time off of a nice bounce pass by Derrick White. The fourth was an all out hustle play where he missed a layup, grabbed his own rebound, and put it back up to score. Finally, after Brown missed a layup, Garza was able to tap it back up twice to finish the basket.

When it comes to his new career high in assists, Garza had two of them that made him look like the new-aged Magic Johnson. The first one came off of a nice offense rebound off of a Sam Hauser missed three. Hauser then was able to relocate to the corner where Garza made a nice pass to find him to hit the three. The second started with a nice pick and roll between Hugo Gonzalez and Luka Garza. Garza received a bounce pass and made a nice pass over a double team to find a cutting Jordan Walsh who finished with a reverse layup.

7. Tough Amari Williams Game

Coming off a couple good games against the Bulls and the Trail Blazers, Amari Williams had a bit of rough game. Williams finished with 2 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists on 1-3 shooting. He started the game for the Celtics and played 10 minutes in the first quarter but after that was benched for the rest of the game until garbage time. The reason I can think of for his benching was a culmination of the two smoked layups and two turnovers in the first quarter.

His firs tough play came on a bad pass to Jaylen Brown. Williams was trying to make a bounce pass to Brown but just threw it into Dyson Daniels feet for a turnover that resulted in a Corey Kispert three. The next play came on the Celtics next offensive possession where he ran a pick and roll with Brown. Two defenders went to Brown and it looked like Williams had an easy layup but he just smoked it on the way up. The next one came on alley-oop pass from Derrick White that Williams didn’t slam down, but tried to lay it up and smoked again. Finally, at the end of the first quarter, he committed an illegal screen at half court on Alexander-Walker and Mazzulla pulled him for the rest of the night. This is normal for a rookie in the NBA to have growing pains but it was hard not to see Williams performance as a reason for the Celtics slow start in this game.

8. Baylor Scheierman Hustle

Baylor Scheierman had a quite two first quarters of this game but once he entered the game in the third quarter, he was chaos personified. Scheierman had all 6 of his points in the third quarter along with 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and a lot of hustle plays.

Scheierman started his run of great play by drawing a charge on Jalen Johnson where Johnson threw his shoulder into Baylor’s chest. Then on the next possession, Baylor drew the attention of three Hawks defenders and found Hugo Gonzalez wide open for a corner three. The next play came where the ball was being juggled in the air, Scheierman picked it off and drove to the lane for a layup. That was until Okongwu hit him with a horse collar tackle and Baylor went to the line and hit 1-2 free throws. Finally, at the 1:13 mark, Scheierman backed down CJ McCollum from the three point line to the basket and finished an And-1 layup over him.

9. No paint defense

Neemias Queta was ruled OUT before this game with an illness and I didn’t know the Celtics would look so poor in the paint without him. Clearly he is what makes their defense role because Boston ended up getting destroyed in the points in the paint battle, giving up 44. Hawks were able to take advantage of Williams to start the game in the first quarter, shooting 5-9. The second quarter was a little better for Boston as Garza took over and held Atlanta to 4-9 shooting. However, once the Celtics ran a small ball lineup in the third quarter, the Hawks were able to feast down low, shooting 8-9.

10. Bad Turnover Game

This was a game that was dominated by turnovers for the Celtics. The Hawks only finished with 9 turnovers but Boston ended with 16 turnovers on the night where Atlanta was able to generate 23 points off of them. These turnovers were most seen in the first half as the Celtics had 9 of them. This culminated with the tough shooting game from three was a big reason for the loss.

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Six direct places in the Europa League round of 16 are up for grabs and 11 teams remain in contention for the five last spots in the knockout stage in the final round of the opening phase on Thursday.

Only leader Lyon and second-placed Aston Villa have already qualified for the last 16. They are tied on points atop the standings with six wins and a loss.

Like in the Champions League, all 36 teams play in the last 18 games that kick off simultaneously, and the top eight finishers advance automatically after eight rounds.

The teams placed from nine to 24 enter a two-leg playoff.

Lyon hosts PAOK while Villa meets Salzburg at home.

Third-placed Freiburg, which trails the leaders by a point, travels to 21st-placed Lille and a point would be enough for the Bundesliga team to advance.

Roma in sixth is away at Panathinaikos in 19th. Sixteenth-placed Nottingham Forest plays seventh-placed Ferencváros at City Ground.

Celtic sits in the 24th and last qualifying place and needs a win against Utrecht, which is 34th and already eliminated. Scottish rival Rangers in 31st is also out of knockout contention.

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

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown felt apologetic after Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu was left missing a tooth following Wednesday night’s 117-106 Celtics loss at TD Garden.

In the fourth quarter, Brown swung his right elbow and connected with Okongwu’s jaw on an offensive possession. Okongwu immediately clutched his face and was left bloodied and missing a tooth, though the 25-year-old later returned to the scene of the crime to shoot his two flagrant free throws. He then retreated to the player’s tunnel, cutting his night short with 6:43 remaining.

Brown addressed the collision with Okongwu and offered his sympathy, drawing from his own experience with facial injuries.

“Just being aggressive like I always am,” Brown said. “Just a basketball play, it’s unfortunate. Okongwu is a good player, and I know from my own experiences with a fractured face and chipped teeth — that s••t is a hassle. It wasn’t intentional, and I know it’s gonna be a long day at the dentist for him, so hopefully he has a good recovery.”

Two seasons ago, Brown took an elbow to the face from teammate Jayson Tatum that resulted in a maxillary facial fracture and required him to wear a protective mask upon his return. Brown missed just four games after a miscommunication while going for an offensive rebound left him dealing with discomfort and pain for nearly two weeks.

While Brown was the culprit this time, he’s uniquely qualified to speak from the perspective of someone who’s been through it.

Okongwu finished with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, adding six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in 28 minutes. After the Hawks closed out the Celtics, he took to social media while receiving medical treatment to send a message to his teammates, offering them a virtual pat on the back for a job well done.

“Good winssss birdsss,” Okongwu posted on his Instagram story.

But even with Okongwu left bloodied, the Celtics suffered the heaviest blow.

Atlanta faced little resistance as Boston struggled to find any rhythm. The Celtics shot just 9-for-34 (26.5%) from three, while the Hawks connected on 18-of-42 (42.9%) from beyond the arc. In the third quarter, Atlanta quickly went on a 10-4 run over the first 4:25 to take a 20-point lead (70-50), prompting Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to call a timeout. The C’s then proceeded to shoot 2-of-11 from three to end the frame.

The defeat, while harsh, isn’t one Boston plans to harp on.

“I give credit to Atlanta,” Brown said. “They just beat us up and down the floor — offense and defense. They shot the ball really well, so give credit to them. They put a lot of pressure on us. This is the part of the season where you have to dig deep physically and mentally, and tonight wasn’t the best example of that.”

Okongwu’s missing tooth didn’t go in vain, and Hawks coach Quin Snyder doesn’t expect the sixth-year veteran to miss much time despite the injury. As one of the more durable members of the team, Okongwu has missed only two games all season.

“He’s tough,” Snyder told reporters. “He took quite a shot, and it’s a good thing that dentistry is a profession. I don’t know what he’s gonna need, but he’s pretty banged up. He took quite a shot. I told him he’s still handsome. But it’s a good thing that people can repair his teeth because he’s going to need some work.”

Will Tatum miss entire season? Forsberg, Abby react to ‘surprising' report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

For the past several months, the question hasn’t been if Jayson Tatum will return to the Boston Celtics this season, but when he’ll return.

But a report Wednesday night has shifted that conversation.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Tatum is “re-evaluating his situation and is now considering sitting out the entire 2025-26 season” while recovering from the Achilles injury he suffered last May.

Tatum recently expressed doubt over how he’d reintegrate with the Celtics when he returns to action, telling The Pivot podcast that he’s been thinking “every single day” for the last two weeks about the potential challenges of joining a team that’s playing like a legitimate contender without him (29-18 and third in the Eastern Conference entering Thursday).

Still, the overwhelming expectation was that Tatum would return at some point this season, with a home date in February or March looking like the general timeframe. So, what should we make of this latest plot twist?

NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg and Abby Chin shared their immediate reactions on the Celtics Talk Podcast after a loss to the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden.

“My immediate reaction is to just dismiss it,” Forsberg said. “I do think Tatum showed a bunch of self-awareness in those comments on The Pivot where he kind of said, ‘Hey, the Celtics have a good thing going. I don’t want to come in and be a disruptor.’ On the other hand, the Celtics still need some pieces to be a true contender, and I ultimately think for them to be in that mix, Jayson Tatum needs to be on the court.

“So, very interesting that this is being thrown out into the universe. I don’t know if this is just it being reaffirmed that he’s having some real heavy thoughts about how he fits and not wanting to disrupt, or if he’s truly pondering if the best path is to just wait.”

“I’m surprised by this,” Chin added. “I feel like this entire season — and everything that we’ve heard coming from Jayson himself — was just how motivated he is to get back this season and to get back as soon as possible.

“And yes, while the Celtics have exceeded expectations, there was always the expectation that Jayson would return this season. And to me, that’s part of the plan and has been part of the plan. So, this is surprising. I’m curious to see where this goes from here.”

To be clear, Tatum hasn’t decided on his future one way or the other. The Celtics star told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne on Wednesday night that he has yet to make a decision on whether he’ll return this season because he “wants to get it right the first time, so it’s just a lot to think about.”

As Forsberg mentioned, it’s possible that Tatum is just wrestling with some internal doubts. This is the first major injury of his career — prior to his injury, no NBA player had appeared in more games than Tatum since he entered the league in 2017 — and he understandably doesn’t want to risk coming back too soon, especially if the Celtics are playing well.

“I do think we’re seeing a little bit of human nature,” Chin said. “I think this injury forced Jayson to confront his basketball mortality.”

That part is understandable. But if Tatum is truly concerned that he’ll somehow mess with the Celtics’ mojo by coming back, Forsberg has a message for the six-time All-Star.

“The Celtics have been good and they’re playing different, and I think Tatum has every right to think that there will be pain points or bumps in the road trying to re-acclimatize,” Forsberg said.

“I think the bigger thing is, he just needs to get over that, because the best version of the Celtics includes Jayson Tatum.”

Stephen Curry is now 19th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. With a stepback three against Utah, he passed Paul Pierce, finishing the night at 26,398 career points and still climbing. Another name checked off. Another Hall of Famer in the rearview. On paper, it’s just another milestone in a career already stuffed with them. In practice, this one hits a little different.

Keep 'em coming, 30👏

Stephen Curry has passed Paul Pierce for 19th most points scored in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/kKkp7xR2Ng

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 29, 2026

Speaking of Pierce, remember NBA Live 2002? There was something about that classic hoops title that hit different for me back when I was a young high schooler. Not the gameplay, but the bios. Those little blocks of text that turned polygons into people. And there it was in Paul Pierce’s profile: born in Oakland, playing for Boston, nicknamed The Truth. Now I know Pierce’s family moved to Los Angeles when he was still in elementary school, but for an East Oakland kid like myself scrolling through rosters, that bit of Town trivia felt like finding a secret passage.

He immediately joined several other Bay Area born players like Gary Payton and Jason Kidd as guys I would root for no matter their jersey. Pierce was never the most athletic wing of his era like Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady. He was something better for a certain kind of fan: relentlessly effective. A killer from deep before that was the default setting. Ice cold when the game slowed down. Crafty in ways that didn’t show up on mixtapes but absolutely showed up on scoreboards. And nobody lived at the line like Pierce. He drew fouls with angles, leverage, timing. Nearly nine free throws a night at his peak. That wasn’t explosion. That was intelligence. Knowing exactly when a defender was cooked and making the whistle unavoidable.

So watching him finally break through in 2008, watching him win Finals MVP, felt personal even in Celtics green. An Oakland-born player who proved you didn’t need freakish tools to dominate. Just toughness, feel, and nerve.

Around that same time, the Warriors drafted a skinny kid from Davidson with fragile ankles and a jumper people thought was cute. His name was Stephen Curry, a baby-faced sidekick to Monta Ellis, a guy who very few could have imagined would bend the sport to his will.

Sixteen years later, Curry passed Paul Pierce on the all-time scoring list and he did it with a stepback three in a fashion that would make the Truth proud. Curry also went to the line ten times against Utah, channeling Pierce’s old blueprint in his own language.

The shot that sent Steph to 19th on the all-time scoring list 🎥 https://t.co/1ePHFHzMkppic.twitter.com/mF5NMR4r4B

— NBA (@NBA) January 29, 2026

His FIRST game with 10 FTA in 2026! pic.twitter.com/1F6MPwnX8w

— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) January 29, 2026

That’s the poetry. Pierce thrived by being smarter than everyone else. Curry does the same thing at 37, except his craft warps the geometry of basketball itself. Pierce pushed the three forward for his era while Curry turned audacity into infrastructure. It makes me smile that Pierce was born in Oakland and decades later Curry became Oakland’s basketball avatar. Different paths, and yet the same principles: outsmart the defense, punish mistakes, and do it in style. For me, watching Curry pass Pierce doesn’t just feel like a stat update, but rather more of a handoff. One era of Bay-born basketball intelligence giving way to the next, louder, stranger, more revolutionary version.

If you loved Pierce for being effective over flashy, for the threes, for the free throws, for the nerve, this moment keeps that spirit alive. Curry didn’t just pass him folks, he did it the Pierce way, then added a chapter only he could write.

That’s full-circle basketball swag. The Truth would respect it.

TORONTO — Karl-Anthony Towns, the subject of persistent trade rumors ahead of next week’s deadline, said he’s unconcerned with the chatter.

“I feel like I’ve been in trade rumors a lot for a lot of times, for a year damn near. That don’t matter to me,” said Towns, who was traded from the Timberwolves to the Knicks before last season. “I don’t look at social media or none of that stuff. I focus on the job on hand which is trying to get wins every single night. As long as I do that, I do my job, I go home happy and I feel accomplished. I’m not worried about what anybody got to say or people write or anything like that.”

At least as of earlier this week, the Knicks were not talking to other teams about trading Towns, according to sources. But his struggles have compelled speculation about his availability and that will intensify with recent news that Giannis Antetokounmpo is available.

Towns has a longstanding relationship with Knicks president Leon Rose, who once represented the center as a longtime agent at CAA. Still, Towns said he hasn’t discussed the trade rumors with Rose.

“We only worry about one thing. That’s winning. So I got no reason to go into depth on anything else,” said Towns before the Knicks’ 119-92 blowout win over the Raptors. “It’s just at the end of the day the conversations revolve around one thing and one thing only every single day, 24 hours a day — is winning. How can we win? How can I help this team win? The sacrifices I’ve got to continue to make every single night for us to be the best version of ourselves. I’ve been willing to do that every single night, regardless of what anyone talks about.”

Towns, an All-NBA selection last season, became eligible for a contract extension before the season but there was no traction toward an agreement.

He is shooting career lows this campaign and continued those struggles Wednesday (3 for 11 from beyond the arc), but he also grabbed a season-high 22 boards.

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The Knicks had a case of the back-to-back blues.

Two players — Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson — were ruled out of Wednesday’s win for “ankle injury management,” one day after both played in a victory at MSG versus the Kings.

Josh Hart (ankle injury management) and Jalen Brunson (illness) were also questionable Wednesday before playing.

Hart scored 22 points and Brunson had a rare off night offensively, scoring just 13.

With the depth compromised, Tyler Kolek went from consecutive DNPs to 20 minutes on Wednesday, collecting 10 assists.

Happy birthday to Andre Iguodala, the man who helped the Golden State Warriors unlock a dynasty.

On his special day, with the Warriors scrambling to replace Jimmy Butler and contemplating trading Jonathan Kuminga possibly back to Miami for Andrew Wiggins, there’s no better moment to recognize what we lost when Iguodala retired. Because the truth is simple: the Warriors have been searching for another Iguodala since he retired, and they still haven’t found him.

Join us in wishing a Happy 42nd Birthday to #NBAAllStar, 4x NBA champion and 2014-15 NBA Finals MVP, Andre Iguodala! #NBABDAYpic.twitter.com/lyhDCHz94m

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 28, 2026

Let’s remember what made him irreplaceable.

In July 2013, Andre Iguodala turned down more money from Denver to join the Warriors on a four-year, $48 million deal. That single decision separated the Warriors from “cute story” to “championship contender.” His pedigree legitimized everything Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were building. When an All-Star caliber player chooses your young, unproven team over a bigger payday, people pay attention.

Then he backed it up by winning Finals MVP in 2015, holding LeBron James to 38.1% shooting when guarding him compared to 44% against other defenders. That wasn’t just about defense. That was about identity. The role player who sacrificed his ego won the biggest individual award of the championship run. That was the Warriors Way crystallized. Here’s what made Iguodala special: he came off the bench for Harrison Barnes without destroying the locker room. An All-Star, a franchise centerpiece in Philadelphia, willingly accepted a reduced role because Coach Steve Kerr believed it gave the team the best chance to win.

Most players would have demanded a trade. Iguodala absorbed the tough situation privately, then went out and delivered when the Warriors needed him most. When Golden State fell behind 2-1 to Cleveland in the 2015 Finals, Kerr inserted him into the starting lineup and Iguodala kept LeBron from averaging 80 points, helping the Warriors win three straight games and capture their first championship.

That’s championship DNA. That’s what separates good players from dynasty builders.

When Kevin Durant arrived, the Warriors added otherworldly talent and complicated emotional dynamics. He was the guy Kerr referred to as the adult in the room, a level headed veteran who could lead with both his play on the court and his spirit behind the scenes.

He was the Swiss Army knife alternating between being a highflyer, clutch shooter, and primary playmaker over eight seasons while guarding the opponent’s best player. But his real value was leadership. He mentored young players like Moses Moody, Kuminga, and Wiggins during his final Warriors stint in 2021-23. When the Warriors won their fourth championship in 2022, Iguodala was taking a backseat yet again to his younger teammates. But his presence, his voice, his example carried through the entire run.

Remember when the Warriors retired his jersey last year, making him only the seventh Warriors player to have the honor? He joined Wilt Chamberlain (No. 13), Chris Mullin (No. 17), Nate Thurmond (No. 42), Alvin Attles (No. 16), Rick Barry (No. 24) and Tom Meschery (No. 14) up in the rafters. The cosmic poetry of Jimmy Butler making his Warriors debut on the night Iguodala’s jersey was retired felt like a passing of the torch. Butler, who played alongside Iguodala in Miami, embodied similar qualities: the calm in the chaos, the defensive anchor, the unselfish star.

Butler helped the Warriors get a first round playoff series win in a supporting role to Curry, before his ACL exploded this season. And suddenly Golden State is back to an all too familiar space, desperately searching for someone who can fill the Iguodala-shaped hole in their roster.

Pretty good chance they won’t find him. Not because there aren’t great wings in the league, but because Iguodala’s greatness wasn’t just his skill set. It was his spirit, his timing, his willingness to sacrifice, his ability to lead without needing credit. That’s the standard. That’s what every trade, every signing, every draft pick has been chasing. And that’s what makes Iguodala’s legacy etched in stone, even as the Warriors struggle to find the next wing to carry that honor forward.

Happy birthday, Andre. We’re still trying to figure out how to replace you. We probably never will.

CLEVELAND — As LeBron James made the trip to Rocket Arena before the Lakers’ Wednesday night blowout loss to the Cavaliers, he couldn’t help but wonder the same thing everyone else was.

Could that have been James’ last NBA game in Cleveland, and should he soak it in even more than usual?

“That’s every road arena that I’ve been in,” James said. “I think [I’ve] talked about that, that I’m just trying to take everything in, not take the moments for granted. Because it could be [my last season].” 

James, who’s 41 years old and playing in his league-record 23rd NBA season, reiterated that he doesn’t know what the future will hold for him beyond this season. 

He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. 

“I obviously haven’t made a decision on the future, but it very well could be [my last season]. So, no matter if it’s here or going to Washington and playing the next game, [Madison Square] Garden, Barclays [Center], on this trip. And obviously it means a little bit more here for me personally because I grew up 35 minutes south of here.”

James, and the Lakers, struggled on Wednesday night. 

The four-time league MVP finished with just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting to go with six turnovers, five assists and three rebounds.

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And the 129-99 final score was the Lakers’ largest margin of defeat in a game this season. They were outscored by the Cavaliers 99-59 in the game’s final 32 minutes, including 72-44 in the second half, after having a 40-30 lead early in the third. 

“We got outplayed, you can say, I got outcoached,” coach JJ Redick said. “We just didn’t look like we had all our juice.”

Despite the lackluster performance that dropped the Lakers to 28-18, there was a bright spot outside of the tribute video the Cavaliers had for James in the first quarter: second-year guard Bronny James scoring eight points — a dunk in transition and a pair of 3-pointers in the game’s final 3 ½ minutes after the Cleveland chanted “We want Bron-ny” multiple times during the fourth quarter. 

Bronny, 21, was born in Akron, Ohio like his father. He spent many years around the Cavaliers during the elder James’ two stints with the organization from 2003-2010 and 2014-18. 

“It was pretty cool just sitting over there and watching him just continue to live out his dream,” LeBron said of Bronny. “Obviously it’s a homecoming for him/ And to see him get that fastbreak dunk, hit a couple shots, get the ovation from the fans – it’s a pretty cool moment for him, for us as a family, for my wife and his siblings. Just super cool.”

LeBron added: “And my mom is here watching her son and her grandson. Like, I don’t even know how to even wrap that all in one in my brain. And yeah, it’s so weird and so cool and so surreal. My mom gets to watch her son and her grandson play in the NBA at the same time. I actually just started to think about how insane that is. That’s awesome.”

But regardless of Wednesday’s result, James’ future was always going to be the main focus coming out of the game against the Cavaliers. 

James told cleveland.com in May 2017 that he felt he didn’t have anything left to prove. 

But nearly nine years later, he’s still playing. 

“After going to eight straight Finals and with all the energy and all the mental toll and the physical toll that it took on me and obviously my teammates – four in Miami, four [in Cleveland – if you would’ve asked me if I was going to be playing eight years later, I’d have said no,” James said. “It’s just, there’s no way I could have foreseen that. A couple more years? Yeah. I can go out and play at a high level for a couple more years. But eight years? No.”

Most team and league personnel aren’t expecting for James to retire after this season — though it’s uncertain whether he’d continue his career with the Lakers.

But if James does decide to retire, he would’ve done so without a proper farewell tour. 

“I have not even thought to the point of a farewell tour or whatever the case may be,” James said. “Because I haven’t had the conversation with myself and my family on when is it over? So I think that will come after that.”

When James does have his internal dialogues, they come back to why he’s still playing – a question he has a consistent answer for.

“My why has been that I’m still playing this game at a high level and I still love the process,” he said. “The process of putting in the work, inspiring, giving what I got to the game because I’ll have more years in my life without it than with it to be able to inspire. I’m not talking about even me personally. I’ve done well for myself on a personal note.

“Now, obviously, the question gets asked more and the thought creeps in my mind more at 41 years old of when the end is and where’s the finish line for us to hang this thing up. But how much juice can I squeeze out of this orange? I’m in a battle with Father Time and I’m taking it personal, and I’m seeing how many more times I could be victorious over him. I won’t be one of those guys that won’t be able to walk off the court, that’s for sure.”

The Houston Rockets came into Thursday night’s game boasting the NBA’s best home record at 15-3. Early in the matchup against the Spurs it looked as if the Rockets would be cruising their way to a 16th home win. The Rockets shot nearly 50-percent from the field in the first half. The ball movement was crisp, the Rockets were getting good looks and knocking them down. At one point the Rockets led by 16 points.

The Rockets had gotten Victor Wembanyama into foul trouble, and he was forced to spend most of the third quarter on the bench with 4 fouls. Advantage Spurs. They scored 30 points in the third quarter outscoring the Rockets 30 to 24 trimming the Rockets lead to just two points going into the final period. All of the ball movement and player movement that served the Rockets so well in the first half disappeared as San Antonio’s defensive intensity picked up significantly, thanks in large part to the efforts of Stephon Castle, who spent time guarding Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant.

In the fourth quarter it all fell apart. The Rockets “offense” turned into looking around for Kevin Durant or Sengun to get themselves free to go one-on-five with the Spurs while the others either watched or turned the ball over. The Rockets did not score a single field goal in the fourth until 5:46 to go in the quarter. They would finish having only scored 13 points on 4 made shots from the field. The Rockets shot 28-percent in the second half, ending the game at 39.4 percent. The offensive struggles lead to poor effort on the defensive end. The Spurs finished the game with 72 points in the paint and 38 points off the bench.

Not a single Rockets starter was a positive plus/minus in the game. Alperen Sengun scored 18 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, but he had to work extra hard for all of it. Kevin Durant scored 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting but he also had trouble finding a rhythm in the fourth quarter along with all of his teammates. Amen Thompson was great for three quarters, and then the Spurs switched Wembanyama to his primary defender and he looked flustered and unsure how to respond. He finished with 25 points but only had 2 points in the final quarter.

Wembanyama ended up with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson both scored 16 and 17 points respectively. For the second time this season the San Antonio Spurs looked like the best team in Texas. The Rockets will continue to deal with the narrative of needing a veteran point guard in order to seriously compete for a NBA title this season, and this game will likely be submitted as evidence supporting that. The Rockets head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Friday night for the second game of this back-to-back.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Tyler Bilodeau had 18 points, Eric Daily Jr. had his second double-double this season, and UCLA beat short-handed Oregon 73-57 on Wednesday night to extend the Ducks' losing streak to seven games.

Dailey finished with 14 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds. Donovan Dent scored 11 of his 15 in the second half for UCLA (15-6, 7-3 Big Ten) and Trent Perry, who was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting before halftime, added 12 points.

The Bruins have won three in a row and five of their last six.

Kwame Evans Jr. led Oregon (8-13, 1-9) with 24 points, which included four 3-pointers, and nine rebounds. Nate Bittle, Jackson Shelstad and Takai Simpkins — who are first (16.3 per game), second (15.6) and fourth (12.4), respectively, on the team in scoring this season — did not play for the Ducks due to injuries.

Evans made a layup to open the scoring 10 seconds into the game but UCLA scored the next eight points to take the lead for good. Bilodeau scored seven points in a 13-2 run that made it 26-13 with 7:08 left in the first half.

The Ducks, who started 1-of-11 shooting, shot just 25% (8 of 32) from the field, 4 of 17 (24%) from 3-point range, in the first half.

UCLA has won four straight in the series and is 98-42 against the Ducks.

Dailey threw down an alley-oop dunk that gave UCLA its biggest lead at 44-24 with 16:46 left in the game. Evans scored the Ducks' first seven points in a 12-2 run that trimmed the deficit to 10 about 3 1/2 minutes later, but Oregon got no closer.

UCLA made 20 of 23 from the free-throw line, where the Ducks went 6 of 9.

Up next

UCLA: The Bruins host Indiana on Saturday.

Oregon: The Ducks host Iowa on Sunday.

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The Golden State Warriors got back in the win column on Wednesday night, with an emphatic 140-124 win over the Utah Jazz. It was perhaps the team’s most balanced win of the year, as nine different players scored at least nine points.

Let’s grade those nine, as well as the rest of the players who donned a Dubs jersey on Wednesday. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Wednesday’s games, league-average TS was 58.0%.

Moses Moody

26 minutes, 26 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 9-for-15 shooting, 5-for-9 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 77.6% TS, +28

This was a virtually perfect Moody game, in which he blended his expert role player ability with something a little more. He made his presence felt immediately in this game by absolutely going to work, especially in the paint. He was a force to be reckoned with, keeping possessions alive, out-physicaling his opponents, and muscling his way to the rim and to the line.

He kept it going later in the game with a slew of triples and some timely buckets, all while playing completely lock-down defense. One of the best games he’s ever played.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Draymond Green

23 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 0-for-6 shooting, 0-for-6 threes, 0.0% TS, +17

A vintage Draymond game! He didn’t score a single point, and yet felt like one of the best players on the court. Awesome defense and tremendous playmaking. I have to dock him for the three turnovers and for taking as many shots as he did without making one, but he was part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Grade: B-

Al Horford

24 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 90.0% TS, +22

Steve Kerr said after the game that Horford will likely stay in the starting lineup going forward (they do have five back-to-backs left, so he won’t be able to start every game). It’s not hard to see why: the Warriors are simply better when Horford is on the court.

I’ve long felt that Horford would be a great match for the Warriors’ systems, and we’re now seeing that in full force. It’s clear that Al is growing more and more comfortable, and thriving as he does. The passes he made in this game were sensational, as was the interior defense, which kept Utah from getting easy looks at the rim, and led to Jusuf Nurkić having a difficult game.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.

Brandin Podziemski

28 minutes, 11 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 2-for-6 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 6-for-6 free throws, 63.7% TS, +16

Podz didn’t have a great start to this game, as he made a few sloppy mistakes in the opening minutes. And then he put that behind him and went out and had a spectacular game. There was a bit of Draymond in him, as he flirted with a triple-double, injected the team with energy, and didn’t need to score to be effective (though he ended up with double-digits on excellent efficiency anyway).

He was crafty, he was a beast on the glass, and he set up his teammates all night long. Great game.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.

Steph Curry

28 minutes, 27 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, 5 turnovers, 1 foul, 7-for-14 shooting, 4-for-10 threes, 9-for-10 free throws, 73.4% TS, +16

Curry had some extremely aggravating turnovers in this game, especially early in the contest. And honestly, he didn’t do much in the game other than score.

But my goodness did he score. He scored and scored and scored, and he did so with spectacular efficiency. Most importantly, he seemed to score every time the Jazz threatened to make the score close.

Grade: B+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

De’Anthony Melton

23 minutes, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3-for-8 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, 4-for-5 free throws, 58.8% TS, +13

Melton did a little bit of everything in this game, for better and also for worse. He got the Dubs into their offensive systems. He made some clutch buckets. He played great defense with extremely active hands. He turned the ball over a lot. He played uncharacteristically out of control.

He is perhaps the only player on the Warriors other than Curry who still has a positive impact even when he doesn’t play as well as we expect, because he does so many little things and quarterbacks the team on both ends of the court. He made some great things happen in this game, but he made some pretty bad things happen as well.

Grade: B-

Gui Santos

22 minutes, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 6-for-7 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, 2-for-3 free throws, 96.2% TS, +6

Santos did all the little things on the court in this game … and some of the big things, too. It seemed like he was everywhere on the court. Loose ball? Gui is grabbing it. Rebound up for grabs? Gui is knocking some body to the ground and batting the ball to a teammate. Jazz player is driving or passing? Gui is disrupting it.

Doesn’t hurt when you shoot 6-for-7 from the field, either, but Santos’ game was so much more than that. Tremendous performance across the board.

Grade: A+

Quinten Post

17 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 4-for-7 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 71.4% TS, -3

Post may have lost his starting role to Horford, but this was one of his best games in a long time, and I’m excited to watch him develop into a weapon off the bench. His defense, which was so strong early in the year, returned for this game, and he continued to show improvement rebounding the ball. All while making it rain from deep.

Grade: A

Will Richard

20 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 5-for-8 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 81.3% TS, -3

Richard’s offense has been mostly nonexistent lately … but not on Wednesday. On Wednesday he was a crucial part of the offense, and his points were as timely as they were efficient. And he did it all while being an absolute pest on defense once more … this was, remarkably, his fourth consecutive game with at least three steals, and he has 15 total during that span.

He’s just such a good player, even though the turnovers were uncharacteristic.

Grade: A-

Buddy Hield

17 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 5-for-8 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 81.3% TS, -11

Hield did exactly what he’s paid to do: scored in a flurry when the Warriors needed it. He opened the second quarter with back-to-back threes, and quickly had 11 points in the quarter as the Dubs took total control. A good passing game for him, too.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.

Trayce Jackson-Davis

4 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 1-for-1 shooting, 100.0% TS, -7

Just a little garbage time for TJD. He’s likely out of the rotation for the foreseeable future, assuming Horford and Post are both playing.

Grade: Incomplete

Malevy Leons

4 minutes, 0 points, 0-for-1 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, -7

A little garbage time for Leons, as well. Fun seeing him out on the court.

Grade: Incomplete

Pat Spencer

4 minutes, 1 point, 1 rebound, 1-for-2 free throws, 113.6% TS, -7

Spencer is quickly approaching his two-way contract maximum for games played. We’ll see if the Warriors make a deadline trade that will allow them to roster him.

Grade: Incomplete

Wednesday’s DNP-CDs: Gary Payton II

Wednesday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Jonathan Kuminga

Luka Doncic grabbed at his left leg. He immediately thought of Dru Smith. The Miami Heat guard’s knee injury suffered in 2023 when he slipped off the side of the Cleveland Cavaliers court haunted Doncic while he winced in pain near the Lakers bench.

The Lakers superstar avoided serious injury after falling off the side of the Cavaliers’ raised court on Monday, but the threat of a player being hurt by Cleveland’s unique 10-inch drop off between the court and the arena floor came into focus again during the Lakers’ 129-99 loss to the Cavaliers.

“It is absolutely a safety hazard,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Doncic was able to return later in the first quarter. “And I don't know why it's still like that. I don't. You know, you can lodge formal complaints. A lot of times you don't see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”

Doncic was injured shooting a fadeaway three with 7:58 left in the first quarter. He was hopping on one foot after releasing the shot and hopped right off the platform, grabbing immediately for his left leg. When he hobbled to the locker room, Doncic could barely put any weight on his leg.

Read more:'Like it was yesterday.' Lakers lose in emotional return to Cleveland for LeBron James

But he returned with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter and finished with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds. He didn’t have any additional braces or wraps on his left leg, but he said he didn’t feel quite 100%.

“I kind of got scared,” Doncic said. “It wasn't a great feeling and looking back at the video I think I got a little bit lucky. It hurts obviously more now, but, just, I tried to go."

Smith was injured much more severely in 2023 when he was closing out on defense, landed on a stat sheet and slipped over the edge. He suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament sprain in the accident, and the Heat contacted the NBA to express concerns about the floor at the time.

“It’s tough to see another player get hurt on this court, with the fall, with the drop off,” Lakers guard Gabe Vincent said Monday, “so hopefully something can get fixed with that, but we’re fortunate that [Doncic] is OK.”

Cleveland’s Rocket Arena, which opened in 1994 and was last renovated in 2019, is also home to the Cleveland Monsters, an American Hockey League affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The basketball court is raised to accommodate the ice underneath the floor. But several teams in the NBA, including the Lakers, share their arena with hockey teams and none have a court that drops off like Cleveland’s.

“It's the only court like this so, I guess it's my fault,” Doncic said. “I [gotta] stop jumping like that."

Read more:'Just be a good basketball player.' How Rui Hachimura is thriving off the bench

The Lakers have history with concerning courts this year. In November, Doncic said during a postgame news conference that the Lakers’ custom NBA Cup court used during a home game against the Clippers was dangerously slippery. The team flagged the problem to the league and the Lakers did not use the court again because it was not deemed safe for play in time for the other NBA Cup games.

But when asked if there was a way he could bring the latest problem up with the league, Doncic demurred.

“I don’t know,” Doncic said, “don’t involve me in that.”

Similarly, Redick said any changes would be "way above my pay grade.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

After a rare, mid-season extended break from games due to their plane freezing to the runway after their loss to the Lakers, Dallas must get right back to work by hosting the Charlotte Hornets for a game that will be the second night of a back-to-back for both teams.

For Dallas, Cooper Flagg and Klay Thompson missed Tuesday’s matchup against the Timberwolves with what the injury report called a knee injury, but assuming they’re both ready to go for this one, they should be some of the freshest legs on the court. While is good because…

KONNNNNNN!

It’s the Rookie Bowl, people! Both Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are having rookie seasons that, in most other years, would be runaway unanimous rookie of the year winners. Both are putting up some pretty eye-watering numbers for rookies: 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals per game for Flagg and 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists for Knueppel. Kon, though, has gotten there by shooting 48% from the field and 42% from deep on nearly eight attempts per game. Crazy efficiency. However, in the recent Rising Star draft, it was Flagg who was chosen first overall by team captain Carmelo Anthony.

This game is just one of two times the Mavs and Hornets will face off, so the head-to-head stats and eventual winner will certainly be on voters’ minds when it comes time to crown a rookie of the year.

Hornets are buzzy

When the New Year ball dropped, Dallas and Charlotte seemed like a couple of fellow travelers — both ecstatic with their young centerpieces, but also quietly resigned to, let’s say, build upon that recent draft success by acquiring another great pick.

However, in January, the Hornets are the NBA’s number one team in net rating. They have the league’s best offense and sixth-best defense this month and seem poised to not just make a run at the playoffs, but be buyers on the trade market before next week’s deadline.

The outcome of this game may help clarify just which direction both these squads tack to for the rest of the season.

3 point battle

Charlotte’s league-leading offense in January is powered in large part by their fantastic shooting beyond the arc. They are shooting 38.2% from deep in January, third-best of all teams, while also attempting 40.9 three point attempts per game over that time, the fifth-most in the league.

Dallas, for their part, hasn’t been slouching this month either. They have the 9th-best record, just a skosh ahead of Charlotte’s 10th-best record, and they’ve accomplished that in no small part by preventing opposing teams from getting too hot from deep.

Dallas’ opponents are shooting a paltry 31.9% from deep in the new year, which is the lowest percentage in the league. How much of that is staunch defensive effort versus lucky shooting variance can be debated, but it seems likely that whichever team wins the three-point battle will have a leg up in walking away with a victory.

The Dallas Mavericks returned from a long layoff to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on the first night of a back-to-back. Without Cooper Flagg (ankle injury management) and Klay Thompson (left knee soreness), the Mavs lost 118-105.

Let’s get to the grades!

Max Christie: C-

9 PTS / 4 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 31 MIN

Oof! The layoff was not kind to Christie. He could not find the range and did his offensive damage almost exclusively from the free throw line. Some intangibles kept him out of the basement, but this was definitely one of Christie’s worst games in recent memory.

Caleb Martin: C+

4 PTS / 8 REB / 5 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 32 MIN

Martin struggled with his shot, which was definitely a theme for the Mavericks Wednesday night. He continues to have sticky fingers and chipped in little bits everywhere. He had memorable play in the third quarter when the ball went backcourt. Rather than grab it and take the violation, he let Donte DiVincenzo collect it and opted to play defense, ultimately forcing an air ball and grabbing the miss.

Naji Marshall: B+

18 PTS / 6 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 32 MIN

Marshall was the star for Dallas as the only starter that was hitting shots consistently throughout the game. He rebounded well and knocked down his free throws, though he fouled a bit more than was ideal. This would have been a much uglier game without Marshall’s performance. He was the solitary Maverick with a positive plus/minus (1).

P.J. Washington: B+

21 PTS / 7 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 33 MIN

Washington is clearly still working himself back into the groove, but seemed to improve in real time. He was trending for a much lower grade early on, but came alive to hit 50% of his 20 shot attempts. He may not quite be back to his usual self just yet, but hopefully the latter part of this game propels him there.

Daniel Gafford: B-

14 PTS / 6 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 21 MIN

Gafford had a solid game, but there were a few plays where he got pushed around a bit, or just couldn’t quite find his spot. He got himself to the line and converted his attempts efficiently (4-of-5 from the stripe), but did foul a bit much and had two of turnovers.

Dwight Powell: C+

5 PTS / 9 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 26 MIN

Powell put up a good enough line coming off the bench, but led the team with four fouls and got on the turnover bandwagon with two of his own. His four assists were nice from the backup center position.

Brandon Williams: B-

17 PTS / 5 REB / 3 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN

Williams scored, but he wasn’t especially efficient and he had more turnovers than assists until the fourth quarter. Decent game relative to a sub-par outing for the Mavs in general, with credit for getting to the line a bunch, even if the end result was converting 8-of-12.

Final Thoughts

The Mavs were out of sorts, which should come as no surprise given how many key players were sitting. 17 turnovers was a big part of their undoing in a game that generally brought little excitement. While not quite a slog, it was far from memorable either.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.