NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 3: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on February 3, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks (35*-21) host the Houston Rockets (34-20) tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks hope to bounce back from a bad showing on Thursday against the Pistons. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant and the Rockets just squeaked by Charlotte, winning by four.
Tip off is 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC. This is your game thread. This is The Dream Shake. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Take it easy, easy like Sunday morning. And go Knicks!
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JANUARY 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to drive past Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Paycom Center on January 16, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This was supposed to be a measuring stick game for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They only play the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder twice. Even though this will be a good test, Oklahoma City’s injuries keep this from being a marquee matchup
The Thunder have really struggled offensively this season in lineups without Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Caruso. In those configurations, the Thunder have posted a 106.1 offensive rating (4th percentile). The defense is still formidable with a 107.9 defensive rating (93rd percentile), which has helped keep them afloat.
This will be a good test for Cleveland’s new-look offense with James Harden. The Thunder have still been elite on that end, thanks to their front court of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. However, they aren’t the same team on offense. We’ll see if the Cavs can take advantage.
Cavs injury report: Max Strus – OUT (foot), Tristan Enaruna – OUT (G League), Riley Minix – OUT (G League)
Thunder injury report: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (ab strain), Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring), Alex Caruso – OUT (ankle), Jay Mitchell – OUT (ankle), Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Thunder expected starting lineup: Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Xavier Edmonds had 14 points and 13 rebounds and TCU closed the game with a 17-5 run, defeating West Virginia 60-54 on Saturday.
It was the third straight double-double for Edmonds and his eighth in the last nine games, raising his season averages to 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
TCU missed eight of nine shots to open the second half and later missed eight in a row. West Virginia led 49-43 with eight minutes remaining before the Horned Frogs cut it to one when David Punch finally hit a jumper. Brock Harding and Punch each made two layups two give TCU a 56-52 lead with 1:36 to go and the Horned Frogs made four free throws in the final seconds to wrap up the win.
West Virginia scored only two points in the final four minutes, finishing the game in a 1-for-6 shooting slump.
West Virginia shot 41% for the game compared to 34% for TCU.
Liutauras Lelevicius scored 14 points off the bench, Punch added 12 and Harding scored 11 for TCU (17-10, 7-7 Big 12).
Honor Huff scored 13 and Brenen Lorient 10 for West Virginia (16-11, 7-7).
TCU missed seven of nine shots in the first eight minutes but trailed only 9-4. The Horned Frogs regrouped and a 14-2 run late in the half led to a 30-25 lead at halftime. Lelevicius hit three 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the half.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 07: Paul Reed #7 of the Detroit Pistons tries to drive around Matas Buzelis #14 of the Chicago Bulls during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on January 07, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jalen Duren is back, but Jaden Ivey is not. The Detroit Pistons face the Chicago Bulls tonight, and they will see the return of their All-Star big man after serving a two-game suspension for an on-court altercation. Ivey, meanwhile, is out tonight due to knee soreness. It’s a bummer not to see Ivey suit up and play 30-plus minutes, but it is no easy road coming back from a major knee injury. I hope we can see the old, explosive Ivey again soon.
The Pistons are on quite a roll, and star point guard Cade Cunningham is finally getting some legitimate MVP buzz. All it takes is for his 3-pointer to start falling and one stellar showing on the grand stage of Madison Square Garden. Cunningham scored 42 points and hit five 3-pointers in a 126-111 win over the Knicks. It would be fabulous if he didn’t follow that up with a stinker against the Bulls, who have lost 10 of their last 11 games.
Game Vitals
When: 8 p.m. ET Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons -10.5
LOS ANGELES — Jayson Tatum appeared on the floor moments before Celtics practice on Saturday and addressed photos showing him seemingly taking part in team activities in San Francisco. He clarified that he didn’t take part in a practice, and rather participated in an optional workout with several Celtics teammates, including Luka Garza.
Joe Mazzulla would not say whether Tatum, who added that he hasn’t practiced since his Maine session, would practice with the team on Saturday as he continues to progress in his on-court work and overall recovery process.
“He’s just continuing to get better,” Mazzulla said. “Working on his reads and then continuing to hit his checkmarks in the weight room and then in the treatment room as well. The main goal is just making sure he gets 100% healthy and continues to get better and better.”
“It’s just trusting the group that we have around him,” he continued. “And taking it step-by-step. So, just making sure we stick to that as much as we can. He came out of the Maine practice pretty well, and so we’ll continue to see it from there. It just depends as he continues to hit those check marks, whatever they may be.”
The latest comments from Tatum and Mazzulla maintain the secrecy the Celtics and Tatum’s team have operated with through the final stages of his Achilles recovery. Several reports indicated over the past week that Tatum’s still uncertain whether he’ll return or not this year, and despite speculation around an NBC-flexed Celtics start time on March 1 against the Sixers, he said that he does not have a return date in mind at the moment.
Mazzulla said the Celtics hadn’t practiced since Tatum’s Maine Celtics session, which went well. Boston doesn’t have a plan for him to join their actual practice activity other than continuing along his normal progression. That would seemingly indicate that there’s no imminent return expected for the Celtics star in the near future.
“Work out, see how you recover the next day and then you just make a plan from there,” Tatum said. “It was a little five-on-five (on Wednesday). It’s tough to go into detail on every single thing I’m doing every day, but I will say I’m just getting acclimated more and doing little things with some of the guys out there, but it’s all part of rehab and just going with the plan.”
Tatum added that he feels better than he did the previous day, and that’s all he’s focused on at the moment rather than a specific return date. He stressed that it’s important that he put himself in position to have a return be a conversation, and continued stressing he won’t play until he’s 100% and he wouldn’t indicate what percent he’s currently at.
The Celtics arrived at Santa Barbara Prep for practice alongside Tatum, who took some light shots on the court before the session began. He sported a team-issued shirt and sweatpants, put on his sneakers and spoke to the media before the practice closed once it began.
“I feel like I’m beating a dead horse,” Tatum said. “I’m taking it one day at a time. This is something that’s very serious. The injury that I had is just a long journey. For me, it’s just easier to take it one day at a time and see how I progress from there.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 16: De'Aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs and DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings embrace at the end of the game at Frost Bank Center on November 16, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
The Spurs have never won both games in the Moody Center series that’s been played in Austin the last four years, and they have a great chance to do it tonight, after blowing out the Suns on Thursday night 121-94. The Suns were without their emotional leader Dillon Brooks due to a league suspension and lost Devin Booker in the first half with hip soreness, and the Spurs took advantage, taking a huge lead in the second half and resting their starters for most of the fourth quarter. The Kings have the worst record in the NBA, and shut down Damontas Sabonis for the rest of the season as he’s getting surgery on his knee for a meniscus tear that wouldn’t heal on its own. Zach Levine and new acquisition De’Andre Hunter are also out for the season, and ethical tanking seems to be fully deployed in central California. The roster for the Kings is now Demar DeRozan, Russ Westbrook, and a bunch of young guys. Two of those guys are Maxime Raynaud, who has been playing well recently, and Keegan Murray, who is turning into a very effective power forward in the league. Westbrook and DeRozan will definitely be in the hall of fame, but they’re a bit past their prime as players. The thing is that they’re still good enough to cause the Spurs issues if they do not play with the kind of effort and commitment that they brought against the Suns. It would be advantageous for the Silver and Black to put this game away early so they could rest players late in the game, because the Spurs will be heading out on the road again for a key contest against Cade Cunningham and the Eastern Conference leading Pistons on Monday night.
The Spurs can make this game less stressful if they take control early and take a big lead at the half. Neither DeRozan or Westbrook are great three point shooters, and Victor should be able to limit their offense when he’s in the game by creating a no-shooting zone in the paint. The team needs to be focused and not look forward to Monday night, because that kind of thinking can lead to a bad Saturday night. It will be interesting to see whether Castle ends up defending DeMar or Russ, because either matchup will be fun to watch. It will be either DeMar’s crafty moves or Russell’s quickness and strength, and each one will provide unique challenges for Castle as he prepares his game for playoff basketball. It’s going to be fun to watch, let’s GOO SPURS!!
Game Prediction:
Matthew McConaughey will show up in the announcer booth, and will make the call of the game as he screams “alright, alright, alright!” as Victor Wembanyama dunks the ball.
San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings (Austin) February 21, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT Streaming: NBA League Pass TV: KENS5 Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
Kévin Denkey and Nick Hagglund scored late goals to lead FC Cincinnati to a 2-0 win over Atlanta United FC in an MLS regular season opener for both teams on Saturday.
In the 80th minute, Denkey received an assist from Ender Echenique, faking out goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos before finishing with his left foot between a pair of defenders.
Hagglund doubled their tally with a header from a Bryan Ramírez corner in the 90th minute. Hagglund suffered two broken ribs and a collapsed lung against Atlanta in on May 25 last year, missing more than two months.
Cincinnati lost 2025 MVP finalist Evander due to a hamstring injury 13 minutes into the game. He was replaced by Gerardo Valenzuela.
Denkey missed a golden chance in the 56th minute. After a turnover from center back Juan Berrocal fell to Denkey, he had a one-on-one chance with Hoyos, but hit the outside of the right post.
It was the first game for Atlanta United manager Gerardo “Tato” Martino, the former Argentina and Barcelona manager who most recently managed Inter Miami from 2023-24 and coached Lionel Messi at all three stops.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kwame Evans Jr. scored 21 points and Oregon's 7-0 run in the last 59 seconds helped the Ducks steal a 71-70 win over USC on Saturday.
Nate Bittle scored 14 points to go with 11 rebounds and four steals. His two foul shots with 10 seconds left were Oregon's go-ahead points. Takai Simpkins scored 12 and Drew Carter 11 for the Ducks (10-17, 3-13 Big Ten).
Chad Baker-Mazara scored 21 points before fouling out, Ezra Ausar scored 15 points to go with 11 rebounds before fouling out, and Alijah Arenas had 13 for the Trojans (18-9, 7-9 Big Ten).
With Baker-Mazara and Ausar on the bench, Arenas attempted to split defenders before Oregon's Dezdrick Lindsay swiped the ball and threw it into the front court as time expired.
Jacob Cofie made 1 of 2 foul shots to give USC a 70-64 lead with 1:10 left. Evans responded with a layup and drew Ausar's fifth foul to reduce Oregon's deficit to four.
Evans missed the foul shot, and in a scramble for the ball, Oregon's Carter threw it out to Evans who buried a 3 to make it 70-69. Arenas missed his shot attempt and Kam Woods missed the follow-up tip-in before Bittle collected the rebound.
Out of a timeout, Bittle caught a lob pass in the lane before getting fouled by Baker-Mazara — his fifth — and made the game's final points.
Oregon has won its last four road games at USC.
Up Next
Oregon: Hosts 24th-ranked Wisconsin on Wednesday.
USC: Will make the 30-minute cross-town jaunt to Westwood to face UCLA on Tuesday.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 24: Alex Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards shoots the ball while guarded by Moussa Diabate #14 of the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on January 24, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards host the Charlotte Hornets tomorrow night. Let’s get to the preview
Game info
When: Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Injuries: For the Wizards, Trae Young (knee, quad), Anthony Davis (hand, groin), Cam Whitmore (shoulder), Alex Sarr (hamstring), and D’Angelo Russell (not with team) are out.
For the Hornets, Liam McNeely and Coby White are out. Grant Williams is day-to-day.
What to watch for
The Wizards are looking to win their third straight game, this time against their Southeast Division foes in Charlotte. The Hornets have lose three of their last four games but had a recent nine game winning streak and are 26-31 heading into tomorrow’s game.
With the immediate Washington area under a winter weather advisory and a winter storm warning in some of the surrounding suburbs, do not expect this game to be postponed tomorrow. It is rare for NBA games to be postponed due to snow unless there are blizzard or near such conditions. The Washington area is not expected to get the worst effects. The northeast United States is expected to get such conditions, but all the northeast USA teams (Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics) and the Toronto Raptors are on the road in cities not affected by the storm.
WACO, Texas (AP) — Obi Agbim and Tounde Yessoufou scored 16 points apiece to propel Baylor to a 73-68 victory over Arizona State on Saturday, ending the Bears' four-game skid.
Agbim made 6 of 8 shots and hit three of his four 3-pointers in the final five minutes to help the Bears (14-13, 4-10 Big 12 Conference) prevail. Yessoufou hit 6 of 14 shots with two 3-pointers. Isaac Williams totaled 14 points and five assists, while Cameron Carr scored 13 with four assists.
Anthony “Pig” Johnson had 20 points to pace the Sun Devils (14-13, 5-9). He made 6 of 11 shots and 8 of 10 free throws off the bench. Maurice Odum added 13 points, and Massamba Diop and reserve Allen Mukeba each scored 10.
Odum hit a 3-pointer and Johnson made four free throws in a span of 27 seconds to put the Sun Devils up 35-27 with three minutes left in the first half and the eight-point advantage held at halftime, 40-32.
Michael Rataj buried a 3-pointer and Williams hit a jumper to cap a 14-4 run to begin the second half as Baylor took a 46-44 lead. It was a one-possession game until Odum hit from distance to put the Sun Devils up 57-53 with 7:50 remaining.
Agbim's 3-pointer gave Baylor a 60-59 lead with five minutes left. Carr hit a jumper and Agbim added another 3 to push the lead to five with 2:31 to go. Johnson made four free throws and Odum scored off a Johnson steal to cut it to 68-67, but Agbim answered with another 3 and Baylor held on.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 19: Tari Eason #17 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets celebrate after a play during the second half of a basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on February 19, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Houston Rockets vs New York Knicks
February 21, 2026
Location: Madison Square Garden — New York, NY
TV: ABC
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 7:30pm pm CST
Probable Starting Lineups
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
DALLAS (AP) — Jermaine O'Neal Jr. scored 16 points, Samet Yigitoglu and BJ Edwards both added 15 in SMU's 94-70 win over Boston College on Saturday.
Jaden Toombs and Jaron Pierre Jr. put up 13 points each for the Mustangs (19-8, 8-6 Atlantic Coast Conference). Boopie Miller finished with 11 points and a team-leading seven assists.
SMU finished the first half on an 11-0 run, capped by a buzzer-beater 3-pointer by Pierre Jr. to go up 40-36 headed into the break. The Mustangs pulled away with a 14-0 run in the second half, finishing the final frame outscoring Boston College by 20.
Fred Payne led the Eagles (9-18, 2-12) with 20 points. Jason Asemota and Boden Kapke both added 10 in Boston College's eighth-straight loss.
The Mustangs shot 56% from the field compared to the Eagles' 33%.
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Bangot Dak scored 17 points, Barrington Hargress added 16, and Colorado defeated Oklahoma State 83-69 on Saturday, giving the Buffaloes their third straight home win.
Colorado didn't allow a field goal in a 5 1/2-minute stretch early in the first half and the Buffaloes led 25-8 eight minutes into the game. Colorado made five 3-pointers in that opening stretch.
Scoring runs of 9-0 and 6-0 helped Oklahoma State get within 42-34 at halftime.
Christian Coleman and Isaiah Coleman combined for an 8-0 run that drew the Cowboys within 45-44 early in the second half and they went ahead 48-47 four minutes into the period. But Oklahoma State never went ahead by more than a point and Colorado used a 15-4 run to rebuild a double-digit lead, 68-57.
The lead reached 15 points on a 3-pointer by Alon Michaeli with 3 1/2 minutes remaining and 16 points when Isaiah Johnson converted a layup with 1:50 to go.
The Cowboys missed their last 10 shots.
Parsa Fallah scored 14 points and Christian Coleman and Vyctorius Miller added 11 points each for Oklahoma State, which has lost five straight.
Michaeli had 12 points off the bench for Colorado (15-12, 5-9 Big 12). Sebastian Rancik grabbed 10 rebounds and Hargress had eight assists.
The Cowboys (16-11, 4-10) fell to 0-10 when scoring less than 81 points. They are 16-1 when scoring at least 81.
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 19 points off the bench, and Georgia used a late run to defeat Texas 91-80 on Saturday, ending a three-game home losing streak
The Bulldogs (19-8, 7-7 SEC) shot 60% overall, 11 of 20 from 3-point range, and led 45-35 at halftime. Marcus Millender added 15 points and five assists, Somtochukwu Cyril and Kanon Catchings each scored 13 and Blue Cain finished with 12 points and five assists.
Texas (17-10, 8-6) rallied in the second half behind Matas Vokietaitis, who finished with 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and Dailyn Swain, who added 21 points. Jordan Pope scored 17 for the Longhorns, who shot 57% overall and 6 of 12 from 3-point range.
Texas tied the game at 67-all on a step-back 3-pointer by Pope with 7:37 remaining.
Justin Abson started a Georgia run with a dunk, and a three-point play by Cain capped a 10-2 surge that pushed the lead to 77-69 with 5:26 left. The Bulldogs later extended the margin to 87-75 on a Catchings 3-pointer with 2:04 remaining and never let Texas get closer than eight the rest of the way.
The Bulldogs and Longhorns split their season series after Texas beat Georgia 87-67 on Jan. 24.
The standings may not show it, but the Houston Rockets are stumbling these days.
Although the New York Knicks may look like peers, they are actually far more trustworthy.
These Rockets vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks trust the home team on Saturday, February 21.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden, with the game airing on ABC.
Rockets vs Knicks prediction
Rockets vs Knicks best bet: Knicks -3.5 (-105)
It is not just that the Houston Rockets have gone 3-10 against the spread in the last month. It is also that they have fallen short of bookmakers’ expectations by an average of 9.1 points in those 10 ATS losses.
That is not terribly surprising once realizing Houston’s offensive rating in the last month has been No. 22 in the NBA, down from No. 4 before Jan. 21. When your offense slips by 8.3 points per 100 possessions, woes are going to follow.
Rockets vs Knicks same-game parlay
Kevin Durant may have poured in 35 points in his first game following the All-Star Break, but he fell short of this points prop in five of eight before the break, part of why the Rockets have cashed 10 Unders in 13 games in the last month.
Rockets vs Knicks SGP
Knicks -3.5
Kevin Durant Under 24.5 points
Under 219
Our "from downtown" SGP: KAT Boards
While New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled to shoot lately, he has continued to pile up rebounds, grabbing double-digit boards in 10 straight games and hitting this prop in nine of them.
Rockets vs Knicks SGP
Knicks -3.5
Knicks 1H -1.5
Kevin Durant Under 24.5 points
Under 219
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 10.5 rebounds
Rockets vs Knicks odds
Spread: Rockets +3.5 (-110) | Knicks -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Rockets +135 | Knicks -160
Over/Under: Over 219 (-110) | Under 219 (-110)
Rockets vs Knicks betting trend to know
Houston is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games. Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Knicks.
How to watch Rockets vs Knicks
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Tip-off
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Rockets vs Knicks latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
