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

It has been nearly a full year since Kyrie Irving has played in an NBA game. With his shutdown for the remainder of the year now official, he will not play his next game until at least 19 months post-ACL surgery. That is a lot of time. 19 months ago, the Mavericks were fresh off a run to the NBA Finals. Cooper Flagg was well away from playing his first game at Duke. There was a different president 19 months ago. All of this is to say, when Kyrie Irving suits up (hopefully) on opening night in October, he will not be the player he was against the Sacramento Kings on March 3 of last year. In fact, he may never be that player again. And to expect the Kyrie Irving of old would be misguided. 

Irving turns 34 on March 23. In the history of the NBA, there have only been three players who are Irving’s height (6’2”) or shorter to average more than 20 points per game at age 34 or older: Lenny Wilkins, Steph Curry, and Damian Lillard. All three guys are generational talents like Irving is, but none of them were coming off a major injury. In fact, Lillard sustained a major injury (torn achilles) after playing at that level and age for the entire year. When Irving went down, he was averaging almost 25 points a night in 36 minutes. To get back to that point, he would have to be the outlier that Curry is, who averaged over 29 points in his age-34 season. It just doesn’t happen, and the surgical aspect of the situation substantially reduces the likelihood of a return to form.

Recently, another guard who sustained a major injury last spring, Jaden Ivey, spoke with reporters about the impact of his leg surgery after his latest DNP:

“I’m not the same player I used to be. That’s why. I’m not the J.I. I used to be. The old J.I. is dead. I’m alive in Christ no matter what the basketball setting is.” -Jaden Ivey on his DNP
🎥 @CHGO_Sportspic.twitter.com/9wkMXE7Qqb

— Eazy (@SpeakEZsports_) February 20, 2026

Ivey, 24, was a former top-five pick. He averaged 17.1 points at Purdue his sophomore year and got his average up to 17.6 points per game in his third NBA season before sustaining a broken left leg in January 2025. Now, after starting just five games this season, he says his old self is “dead”. It was a somber reminder that real life is not NBA 2K, and these recoveries can take a serious mental toll on players. I am not saying that Irving feels the same way, but if major surgery can impact a guy as young and talented as Ivey, then no one is safe from the ramifications. Not only is history working against him, but the mental hurdle Irving has to overcome is massive, and it only grows as the time between on-court appearances increases.

Despite all of this, there is a little sun peeking through the clouds. Even though Ivey and Irving are small guards who rely on quickness and ball-handling to be effective, there are key differences between them. For one, they did not have the same surgeries. Ivey broke his fibula, which is a much less common injury than the ACL tear Irving sustained. What was once a death sentence, recovering from an ACL injury now feels pretty systematic. And aside from being the better player, Irving has the number one resource for recovering from surgery at his disposal. Klay Thompson missed nearly three full seasons of his prime due to two separate injuries that he sustained back-to-back. If anyone can get Irving to the place he needs to be, both mentally and physically, it is Thompson. So, although Irving will probably never be the player he was, there is reason to hope for it, as my fellow contributor Michael Harris detailed.

I personally do not think Irving will get back to that level. My expectation is very low for his production next season and beyond. I do not view him as a piece of Cooper Flagg’s future, nor a piece you should move mountains to keep. But I will happily take any and every moment above expectation he gives us. Now that Dallas is out of cap hell, Irving is a luxury the Mavericks can afford. He is a locker-room positive, has plentiful experience to pass on to Flagg and the Mavericks’ draft pick this season, and is a reminder of better times. If you expect to see the player we all saw a year ago, you will be disappointed. But if you expect nothing, Irving will have plenty of pleasant surprises. 

Being selected first overall is the ultimate gift and curse.

On one hand, you’ve shined so much in your pre-NBA career that a team believes you are the premier talent in your age group. You often arrive at a downtrodden franchise heading an effort to turn things around. Fans see you as a savior and a franchise pillar, the likes of Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, and most recently Cooper Flagg.

But, if you’re unable to live up that lofty status, the four-letter B-word seeps into the conversation. That word may hound you for the rest of your career — even if you grow into a helpful role player who sticks in the league for many years.

Ask any Hawks fan what they think of former number two overall pick Marvin Williams. They won’t point to five years as a starting small forward on Atlanta playoff teams in from 2008 to 2012. They won’t point to a body of work that includes a productive 15-year NBA career.

The conversation centers on what he wasn’t. He just wasn’t either of the two All-NBA point guards that followed him on draft day back in 2005.

Enter Zaccharie Risacher, number one overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

It’s obvious he’s not having the offensive breakout everyone hoped for after closing last year’s rookie season on an absolute tear. And most recently, he’s been benched in the starting lineup for CJ McCollum (starting with yesterday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets — but possibly for the foreseeable future).

Last season, after coming back from injury from January 30th until the postseason, Risacher scored 14.9 points in just 25.7 minutes per game while shooting 52% from the field and 42% from three. You could practically see the confidence grow with every shooting explosion. The tortured fanbase could finally feel justified in the organization nailing their bet on an unconventional pick in a down draft cycle.

This season is a different story. Both his scoring impact and efficiency are down from his rookie season, and it hasn’t been offset by improvements in other ‘little areas’ of basketball.

To be clear, this isn’t the end of his NBA career nor his time with the Atlanta Hawks. But it’s undeniable that his development hasn’t gone to plan.

So, that begs the next question:

What has gone wrong so far?

This season has been a different case from his rookie season, when most rightfully expected him to take some time to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NBA game. Some of his biggest issues in my eyes in 2025-26 have been:

Not enough growth in his upper and/or core body strength

His numbers finishing at the rim and through contact most distinctly bear this out. Per databallr, Risacher is getting to the rim 9.2 times per 100 possessions, placing him in the 88th percentile in the league. But his rim finishing shooting percentage is 3.2% worse than league average.

Risacher’s passing vision is limited, and often it seems as if he predetermines when he’s going to try to get a shot at the rim regardless of the position of the defense. Jalen Johnson is in his direct line of view, but his attempt over/through two guys goes poorly:

“When we get in the lane and break the paint, having our eyes out and passing the ball out allows us to get more catch-and-shoot threes,” coach Quin Snyder had to say about his team’s process before the Nets game. “They’re obviously highly efficient shots. When we’re getting our shot blocked when going to the rim, it’s a pretty good indication that maybe there was an opportunity to get off the ball earlier.”

Or sometimes, he goes in expecting contact without the balance to finish if the expected contact doesn’t arrive:

Lack of a functional handle when faced with ball pressure

This was never a real draw to his game, though he’s at least shown he can handle the ball in the open court a bit. But in halfcourt settings especially, he has a tendency to fumble the ball at even the slightest bit of contact.

These possessions, like recently against the Minnesota Timberwolves below, are all too common. Jaden McDaniels is a premier on-ball defender in the NBA to be clear, but Risacher never looked like he had any shot to get past him to the rim here:

Shifting shot mechanics from shot to shot

In fairness, he hasn’t looked completely lost as a shooter or anything. For his NBA career, he’s shooting 36% on threes on 8.6 three-point attempts per 100 possessions. But he self-creates fewer than 5% of his three-point attempts and makes for his career and is quite clearly a streaky catch-and-shoot guy. In short, he needs a high-level creator to set him up for good looks (more on that later).

One big worry, however, is his oddly low free throw shooting percentage, a common leading indicator of true shooting talent, for example. Last season, he shot 71% from the free-throw line — just fine and no better. But this year, strangely, that number is all the way down to 60%.

I’m no biomechanics expert, but it seems to me that his shot is very upper body-dependent, and his pushy release doesn’t look particularly consistent. I think it’s something that can be ironed out with repetition, because otherwise inconsistent mechanics is something that could cap his overall shooting talent.

Not daring enough to play-make for others, movement shoot, or cut

There are a lot of ways to make yourself useful on offense without a high-level handle. You can read the floor and make quick passes upon receiving the ball. You can move and cut off the ball.

But after flashing these tools last season, Risacher hasn’t built upon this foundation.

The area I think he should tap into more is moving off ball around screens into catch-and-shoot opportunities. That’s simply a more dangerous play type than a standstill catch-and-shoot possession — you can threaten the defense into reacting to your movement even if you don’t touch the basketball.

It’s too much to ask him to be Kyle Korver or anything, but at his height and with his mobility, this should be more of a weapon in his arsenal.

His assist to turnover ratio is up from his 1:1 ratio last season, but I think he can continue to be more ambitious with his passing in coach Snyder’s ‘0.5 second’ system.

It’s a similar story with his cutting frequency. Per the NBA’s tracking numbers via Synergy, Risacher has been right at 8% of his possessions ending from a cut in each of his first two seasons. No growth from year 1 to year 2.

In short, the best way to optimize his offense is to be a jack of all trades. Someone multi-faceted — dangerous to a defense in a variety of ways.

His fit on offense was predicated upon having Trae Young as the focal point

Young is one of the best creators in the NBA. Young found Risacher often last season, and Risacher responded by shooting 38% from three when sharing the court with him (including a small sample this season). Trae Young is now in D.C., and while Jalen Johnson has assumed responsibility as the head of the offense, his ability to find Risacher can’t quite compare.

It’s possible that next season, they Hawks bring in another high-level playmaker to team with Johnson and Dyson Daniels — either via draft or free agency — and that acquisition could be a boon to Risacher’s offense. But in the meanwhile, he’ll need to find other ways to impact the game.

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Risacher was never going to be a typical high draft pick. Almost all of those players historically have on-ball creation skills to build an offense around. Zaccharie’s skillset always lent himself to being a glue guy — someone whose offensive values comes from being set up by others, whether as a catch-and-shoot guy or off screening or off cutting.

There are also two angles to this conversation: the foresight angle and the hindsight angle.

Throughout the draft evaluation process, there was no real consensus in a draft class that was light on talent as compared to other drafts. We here at Peachtree Hoops still never felt as through Risacher was the guy even despite this, due to concerns with his low ceiling, rawness, and the opportunity cost to add a two-way center at a position of need.

Even in hindsight, though, things have clearly gone a good bit worse than envisioned. The trio of AlexSarr, Stephon Castle, and Donovan Clingan, for example, have flashed levels of productivity Risacher hasn’t (with Reed Sheppard, a.k.a. the Mahomesian prospect, in that conversation as well).

But that decision was made almost two years ago at this point. It is what it is.

So now what?

I’d be remiss to not mention that there are areas in which Risacher has shown clear improvement. His defensive impact is very apparent on a team lacking size at the small forward position. He’s a legitimate disrupter defending both on and off the ball, averaging more steals and blocks (2.8 ‘stocks’ per 100 possessions) than in his rookie season.

Risacher injects energy in the fight for rebounds (a big weakness on this squad). His assists per 100 possessions are up while his turnovers per 100 possessions are down. His +/- impact is there. I promise you, it hasn’t all been bad.

But when his offense is just barely functional to this point, that hangup remains an anchor on any other value that he provides.

I still believe he can be a very helpful and impactful role player, but it’s time to stop envisioning Risacher as a foundational player to the franchise.

Not only does he require a significant amount of continued development just to reach the point where he can be a starting wing on a competitive team, there has been nothing to suggest that his ceiling is any higher than that.

Additionally, a different front office head than the current one ultimately spearheaded that pick. The current general manager, Onsi Saleh, has less incentive to force a square peg into a round hole.

“[The starting lineup change] doesn’t reflect in any way my personal belief in Zacch,” coach Snyder had to say after the Nets win on Sunday. “It actually could be a positive for him to be in the game at a different stage. Different matchups with guys. I think that was the case [today]. He looks relaxed. He competed. Zacch’s about all the right stuff. His development is something that’s going to continue to happen whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.”

Again, I still think the 20-year-old still has a productive NBA career ahead of him, but in my opinion the Hawks should continue to develop him while also regarding him as no more than a rotational wing signed to a mid-value contract over the next two future seasons — that is, assuming his fourth-year team option is picked up.

The story of his career is still being written, and I would implore you to not write off someone who doesn’t even turn 21 for a couple of months. But it’s not too early to adjust expectations accordingly — a process both the franchise and the fanbase may have already kicked off.

Since James Harden has arrived in Cleveland, everything has been exactly what one would hope for. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 5–1, the offense looks rejuvenated, and the team’s vibes haven’t been higher this season. Nothing seems like it could detract from the momentum this team has built, as it now finds itself in the third seed of the Eastern Conference. Well, nothing except for the fact that we all know how Harden carries himself with his new clubs.

This is the honeymoon phase—a term that anyone who has been in a relationship knows all too well. Star-crossed lovers become so enamored with each other that they ride the euphoria and push all concerns to the side. Unfortunately, Cavaliers fans should keep in the back of their minds while they enjoy this initial phase of the James Harden experience. That, according to history, it will not last forever.

It would be nice to think the Tobias Fünke train of thought—“It didn’t work for them, but it could work for us”—didn’t have validity, but the pattern has too much credibility. Ask the fans of the Nets, Sixers, and Clippers how the initial portion of the James Harden experience went.

You go on Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, or even just talk to friends, and the quotes eerily all line up to paint the same picture. Harden joins Team X, and suddenly it’s, “Oh wow, he looks reinvigorated.” “Maybe something has changed?” Harden looks phenomenal for a stretch, which allows fanbases and front offices to quiet any reservations they had about the trade.

Then, Team X hits a bump in the road—whether it’s getting bounced from the playoffs or falling short of expectations—and things get dicey fast. The dialogue around the team and Harden suddenly pivots from, “Where did this guy come from?” to, “Will this team ever look like it did when he first arrived?” Next thing you know, the NBA trade deadline features Team X trying to appease Harden as he looks for his next venture, because your team didn’t cut it.

This is all part of the Harden experience. James Harden is an NBA mercenary. Mercenaries aren’t sentimental; they don’t get emotionally attached. In Harden’s case, if he doesn’t get what he wants quickly, things get sour fast.

This is nothing against Harden—he doesn’t hide his wishes or tendencies. This is very much out in the open. A key factor to consider when getting into the Harden business is that he never gets comfortable, always willing to press the buttons necessary to maximize his chances of winning a title. This is an important piece of information that Koby Altman and the Cavaliers front office were, without a doubt, aware of.

The Cavaliers, with all their chips on Harden, either unknowingly or unwillingly, have put themselves on a rapid and delicate timeline. This is probably the most open the Eastern Conference will be for the next few years, with the Pistons sitting at the top, the Celtics recuperating and reintegrating Jayson Tatum into the fold, and the Knicks looking like the main threats to Cleveland’s chances to represent the East in the NBA Finals.

It’s fair to anticipate that Cleveland has made some indication to Harden that they will either extend him or provide incentives for him to remain in town through next season, at minimum. The Cavaliers are currently benefiting from the Harden experience and show no signs of slowing down. The team should ride this momentum into the postseason. However, it is the playoffs that will set the tone for the team heading into next season, based on the recent chapters of Harden’s career.

This is the deal that Cleveland signed up for. Harden has always shown his cards. If the Cavaliers expect a different response from their newest star, then they got into the wrong business.

After a couple wins against the cellar-dwelling Indiana Pacers, the Wizards took on a surging Charlotte Hornets and got buried under an avalanche of threes. The Hornets made 25 in the game — one shy of their franchise record. Along the way, Charlotte connected on 12-14 from deep in the third quarter alone.

The Wizards did give up some open and wide-open looks in that ridiculous third quarter, but in fairness that kind of shooting is largely outlier flukish luck. Even All-Star teams going against All-Star level “defense” won’t make 12-14 from three-point range.

The Hornets deserve some credit too. Several of those threes came from stellar offensive design — multiple screens and side-switching player movement that befuddled the Wizards and created open looks. While the Wizards made a habit of dying on screens and not communicating effectively on switches, but those actions are tough to cover, and the league as a whole has had difficulty keeping up with them over the past couple months.

Overall, I’d have to say there wasn’t much to learn in this one. Washington was missing several players, head coach Brian Keefe kept the team’s available maintstays on a tight minutes leash, and gave biggest minutes to the two-way and 10-day guys. All part of the Keep That Pick campaign.

Thoughts & Observations

• With Alex Sarr and Tristan Vukcevic in street clothes, Anthony Gill got his first start of the season and the 16th start of his career. Nice that it happened against Charlotte, so Hornets play-by-play man Eric Collins could talk about Gill coming from Charlotte.
• Kyshawn George played pretty well in his first game back from a toe injury.
• Bilal Coulibaly exhibited shocking offensive aggression (for him) from the opening tip. He scored Washington’s first 11 points, and it was more than three minutes before anyone other Wizards player even attempting a field goal. He finished the period with 15 points — the highest offensive output in a single quarter in his career.
• Coulibaly’s previous high for a quarter was 13.
• Note I jotted during the first quarter: LaMelo has the weirdest shot in the NBA. It got even weirder later when he hit a contested and fading three off one leg with the shot clock expiring. He hit 10-15 from three-point range.
• Kudos to the Wizards defense for holding Ball to 2-5 shooting on twos. (No, this is not a serious observation.)
• It’s a little weird to talk about a 33-year-old lacking experience, but I think it might apply to Gill. Example: in the second quarter, he turned down a wide open catch-and-shoot three and instead drove into multiple defenders…and turned it over. The lesson? Take. The. Open. Shot.
• After Coulibaly’s personal best first quarter, he got zero minutes in the second and just eight minutes the rest of the game.
• The Christian and Scooby halftime show was great. If you haven’t seen the show, Google it. You’re welcome.
• I get that the franchise wants to lose so they can keep that first round pick and improve their odds of getting the highest possible draft slot. Even so, why would they start the second half running a postup for Bub Carrington who was being defended by Ball — who’s three inches taller?
• Charlotte’s offensive rating (points per possession x 100) through three quarter was 146. League average this season: 115.4.
• Charlotte is on a seven-game road winning streak.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

FOUR FACTORS	HORNETS	WIZARDS	LGAVG
eFG%	63.8%	59.5%	54.3%
OREB%	36.4%	19.6%	26.1%
TOV%	13.0%	11.9%	12.8%
FTM/FGA	0.207	0.143	0.208
PACE	92		99.5
ORTG	140	121	115.4

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Bilal Coulibaly	17	33	166	28.8%	4.8	329	-6
Jaden Hardy	22	42	156	21.2%	3.6	178	6
Kyshawn George	18	34	137	24.8%	1.8	185	-21
Sharife Cooper	22	42	119	25.8%	0.4	139	4
Jamir Watkins	16	32	136	28.1%	1.8	185	13
Alondes Williams	34	66	132	10.9%	1.2	89	4
Anthony Gill	31	59	126	11.8%	0.8	66	-33
Will Riley	31	59	140	12.3%	1.8	65	-4
Tre Johnson	19	37	91	31.2%	-2.8	2	-21
Bub Carrington	30	58	55	21.5%	-7.5	-81	-27

HORNETS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
LaMelo Ball	27	53	199	32.2%	14.2	530	20
Kon Knueppel	28	55	135	33.9%	3.7	242	33
Brandon Miller	26	50	145	26.6%	4.0	210	7
Josh Green	23	45	199	12.2%	4.5	234	10
Ryan Kalkbrenner	15	29	204	14.7%	3.8	299	24
Tidjane Salaun	21	40	245	7.9%	4.1	172	-9
Grant Williams	26	49	105	14.4%	-0.7	39	33
Pat Connaughton	11	21	107	11.9%	-0.2	68	-17
Tre Mann	21	39	98	18.0%	-1.2	31	-3
PJ Hall	17	32	71	19.8%	-2.9	-22	-7
Xavier Tillman	4	7	33	26.6%	-1.5	-208	-4
Sion James	21	40	24	13.0%	-4.8	-120	-2

Coming into the season, the Boston Celtics weren’t taken nearly as seriously as in recent years. The team was dismissed early and so, too, were Jaylen Brown’s chances of mounting a legitimate MVP case.

Brown, the lone man in the driver’s seat with Jayson Tatum sidelined, has reshaped not only how he’s perceived but also how his teammates are seen. Boston’s surge from being counted out after its offseason yard sale, combined with Brown’s growth, has put the entire league on notice. Even four-time NBA MVP LeBron James joined the Brown-for-MVP conversation, offering his support following Boston’s 111-89 win over his Lakers on Sunday night.

“He’s playing great basketball,” James told reporters, per CLNS Media.

What Brown has done soars far beyond the usual feel-good Cinderella run. He hasn’t just been dominant; he’s been efficient. The front office moved on from established veterans like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Al Horford, turning instead to less expensive and less experienced contributors such as Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and rookie Hugo González, with no intention of tanking. Instead, they recalibrated to build a system that allows everyone to shine and contribute. And at the forefront of what has become a well-oiled machine, designed by Joe Mazzulla, has been Brown himself.

“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about as well,” James told reporters. “Like, nobody gave him a shot to start the season, and he’s averaging what, 30 (points)? It’s a popularity contest sometimes.”

James continued: “I don’t know the criteria for the MVP anymore. I kind of stopped giving a damn about it a long time ago. I got my own personal issues about it.”

Brown is competing against Cade Cunningham and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the leaders of the Eastern and Western Conference’s top seeds, along with Nikola Jokić, a perennial MVP candidate and three-time winner, and Victor Wembanyama, who is in the midst of a breakout season of his own. There is a legitimate case to be made for each, but at the very least, no MVP discussion should exist without Brown’s name mentioned. By any reasonable measure, he is as qualified as the league’s current frontrunners and, in some cases, more qualified than several players routinely mentioned in the conversation.

It hasn’t been as simple as Tatum’s touches being absorbed by Brown, thus inflating his scoring figures and nudging him into MVP consideration. It’s been far more than that. Brown has embraced a leadership role, even when it lacks glamor. He has invested not only in his own growth but in that of his teammates as well, a commitment that shows up in his playmaking. On Sunday night, against the Lakers, Brown tallied seven assists, and it did nothing to diminish his 32-point performance.

The constant pursuit of elevating both himself and the Celtics collectively has made this season’s version of Brown markedly different from what we’re used to seeing.

“He’s the kind of guy who relishes in getting 1% better, whatever that looks like,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “He just cares about winning. At the end of the day, he wants to win. He’s smart. He knows the game, knows the league, knows what wins, knows what doesn’t win. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of our team, and if you look at last game, he gets a triple-double. Tonight, he picked and chose his spots.”

Brown spent the night finding different ways to score, attacking whoever the Lakers put in front of him. He played with a relentless motor, knocking down difficult shots one after another while flashing his stepback so frequently it became a daunting task to defend him.

LeBron James to me on the “s*** (Jaylen) said about Bronny,” their relationship and why he thinks Jaylen should be a real MVP candidate: pic.twitter.com/vBfn8cO1EE

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) February 23, 2026

It’s one thing to scroll through social media and find validation from fans. It’s another to wind down after a blowout win while a future first-ballot Hall of Famer sings your praises from the opposite locker room, and Brown understands that fully.

“It’s an honor for LeBron, who’s arguably the best player to ever play the game, giving me some high praise,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I’m just grateful. I wake up every morning grateful, humbled, in the position I’m able to be in and put my best foot forward every single day.”

Hearing what James said brought back memories of Brown’s debut, as he shared. He couldn’t help but smile while thinking back on what James told him a decade ago, and how far he’s come since then as a household star, now with a championship, a $286 million max contract, and an NBA Finals MVP to his name.

“My first start was against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and after the game, he came up to me and told me, ‘You’re going to be an All-Star one day. You’re going to be a great player.’ He also said, ‘You’re playing for a great coach,’” Brown recalled of his rookie days under Brad Stevens.

“That was my first start in the NBA. I had a good game back in 2016. So we talked about that at the All-Star Game (this year) — ‘Remember that, 10 years ago?’ And he smiled and said, ‘Of course. I’m not surprised at anything you’re doing right now. So just keep proving people wrong, keep doing what you gotta do, and keep leading your team, and people will take notice.’”

Brown still remembers the reception that greeted him on Draft Night, when a mix of boos and cheers echoed through TD Garden during the team’s draft party. Then-majority owner Wyc Grousbeck addressed the decision, only to be met with even louder expressions of disappointment from those in attendance. For better or worse, Brown has held tightly to those moments, the ones that have shaped him both as an athlete and as a person.

Those experiences have molded him, helped him overcome his lows, and prepared him for his highs. Now, they’ve carried him into the most challenging season of his career, and so far, it has gone nearly perfectly. The Celtics sit at 37-19, winners of eight of their last 10 games. Regardless of the odds or the shifting MVP discourse, Brown isn’t changing a thing.

“We still got 26 games left, so just come with the same mentality I’ve had from Day 1,” Brown told reporters. “Don’t let the praise, the warmth, or the criticism make or break you. Just come out and be Jaylen Brown, who I am. I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world; I play both ends of the court night to night. I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader; I help lead my team, empower my team to come out confidently — stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single time.”

Duke and Arizona looked like the teams to beat in the upcoming men's NCAA Tournament after taking down No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Houston, respectively, on Feb. 21.

The No. 3 Blue Devils beat the Wolverines 68-63 behind Cameron Boozer's 18-point, 10-rebound and seven-assist performance. Guards Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster added 26 combined points in the win.

NCAA Tournament top 16 seeds: A rough day just hours after reveal

Bracketology: NCAA Tournament field prediction has new No. 1 seed

Meanwhile, the Wildcats defeated the Cougars 73-66 behind a career-high 22 points from Anthony Dell'Orso, who played 34 minutes off the bench for the national championship contenders.

There will be a shakeup in the polls on Feb. 23, as No. 6 Iowa State fell to No. 22 BYU and No. 12 Kansas was upset by unranked Cincinnati. No. 18 Vanderbilt also lost to unranked Tennessee.

Here's a look at the latest risers and fallers for March Madness as the regular season winds down:

March Madness bracket predictions

Risers

Duke

• Projected seed: No. 1

Duke is coming off a 68-63 win over No. 1 Michigan on Feb. 21 and looks to be the new frontrunner for the No. 1 overall team in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils are 25-2 on the season and their two losses are to Texas Tech and North Carolina, which are both virtual locks for March Madness.

Duke still has remaining games against Notre Dame, Virginia, NC State and UNC in the regular season.

Arizona

• Projected seed: No. 1

Arizona was the last undefeated team in Power Four until it lost to Kansas on the road Feb. 9, before losing again to Texas Tech in its next game. The Wildcats bounced back on Feb. 21, though, defeating No. 2 Houston 73-66 on the road.

Arizona is back to being a contender for the No. 1 overall seed, along with Duke.

Florida

• Projected seed: No. 2

Florida was shaky at times early in the year, but has hit its stride in recent weeks and is dominating the SEC. The Gators have won 12 of their past 14 games, including wins over Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

Florida's frontcourt trio of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu might be the best in college basketball and starting guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee are also heating up, which could be scary for opposing teams facing the reigning national champions.

UCLA

• Projected seed: First Four Out

UCLA coach Mick Cronin went viral for the wrong reasons after its blowout loss to Michigan State on Feb. 17. However, the Bruins turned around and defeated No. 10 Illinois 95-94 at home on Feb. 21, which is a huge boost to their resume.

UCLA still has some work to do but holds an 18-9 record with ranked wins over Purdue and Illinois, two of the top projected teams in March Madness.

Fallers

Houston

• Projected seed: No. 2

Houston is coming off back-to-back losses to Iowa State and Arizona and appears to have fallen behind both schools in the Big 12's pecking order. While the Cougars are still national championship contenders, they have some work to do to get back onto the No. 1 seed line.

Kansas

• Projected seed: No. 3

Kansas was blown out by Iowa State on Feb. 14, before defeating Oklahoma State on Feb. 18 with limited help from star guard Darryn Peterson. The Jayhawks then suffered perhaps their worst loss of the season on Feb. 21, falling to unranked Cincinnati by 16 points at home.

Thankfully for Kansas, Peterson played 32 minutes in the loss after pulling himself from the game against the Cowboys.

Vanderbilt

• Projected seed: No. 5

Vanderbilt, losers of three of its past five games, is quickly falling out of contention to be the higher seed for the Round of 32, should it reach that stage of the NCAA Tournament.

The Commodores have dropped back-to-back games to Missouri and Tennessee, who are looking to surpass Vanderbilt in the SEC order. The losses were only by five combined points, though, showing how slim the margins can be between winning and losing.

Vandy ends the regular season with games against Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee again, which could all go either way.

Clemson

• Projected seed: No. 9

Clemson was looking to compete with North Carolina to finish second in the ACC standings, until its current four-game losing streak started. The Tigers are 20-8 on the season, but have lost four straight, including three against unranked teams in Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Florida State.

The Tigers have upcoming games against Louisville and North Carolina, two ranked teams. Things could get ugly quick if they can't win at least one of those two games, in terms of seeding and even avoiding the bubble.

When is Selection Sunday 2026?

The 68-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be unveiled on 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 15.

March Madness 2026 schedule 

The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will transpire over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.

Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

• First Four: March 17-18 (Buy tickets)
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (Buy tickets)
• National championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (Buy tickets)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA tournament bracketology teams rising, falling in bracket predictions

LOS ANGELES — Jaylen Brown broke into a toothy grin as he chest-bumped Payton Pritchard at the center of Crypto.com arena, moments after Pritchard crossed up Austin Reaves en route to his sixth three-pointer of the night.

Brown, Pritchard’s longest-tenured teammate, relished the offensive explosion.

“Payton has been playing at an All-Star level,” Brown said after the Celtics 111-89 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. “And I’m happy to see it. Nobody happier to see it than me.”

Pritchard’s three-pointer extended the Celtics’ lead to 22 points, their 37th win of the season all but secured. And, a team that was once heralded by many as destined for the lottery extended their lead for second place in the Eastern Conference.

On the sidelines, Jayson Tatum chuckled, in awe of Pritchard’s masterful offensive display (the Celtics guard finished the afternoon with 30 points on 10-14 shooting).

Jayson Tatum can’t believe Payton Prichard is absolutely cooking LeBron and the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/WfbK8RFzkO

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) February 23, 2026

But afterwards, in quintessential fashion, Pritchard said he wasn’t a finished product.

“[There’s] another step I can get to,” Pritchard said. “So, just gonna keep working — and I’m gonna get to it.”

In one sense, Payton Pritchard was the story of the Celtics’ blowout win over the Lakers — the 27-year-old has been on a tear as of late, averaging 23.6 points and shooting 54.4% from the field in his last 7 games (since Anfernee Simons was traded to the Chicago Bulls).

Payton Pritchard, the NBA’s most efficient isolation scorer this season, overcame an ice-cold start to the year to average 17.6 points and 5.4 assists per game, both career-highs.

But, was Pritchard the story of the Celtics’ Sunday afternoon victory? Is he the story of the Celtics’ season?

Jaylen Brown, of course, deserves plenty of the limelight

In the victory, Brown talled 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, putting forth another all-around performance that earned praise from LeBron James himself.

“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James said, per CLNS Media. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30 [points]? Just under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”

Brown has received his fair share of accolades this season; in January, he earned his first-ever Eastern Conference Player of the Month selection. Last week, he started in an All-Star game for the first time in his NBA tenure. And, before the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated simply that there were no holes in Brown’s game.

Is Brown’s leap the story of the Celtics’ season?

There’s a strong case to be made. Jaylen Brown has played some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 29.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists — all career-highs.

It’s unusual for a player in their 10th season to make such a substantial lap — Brown is scoring 7 more points per game than he did last year — and it’s the first time in his career he’s been in MVP conversations.

“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” Brown said. “I play both ends on the court night-to-night. I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader. Help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single night.”

In some ways, Celtics-Lakers was all about the young bucks

It’s hard to boil down the Celtics’ success to the elite play of one player, when all season long has so loudly been about the team. Contributions have come from different players every night — for a stretch, it was Josh Minott starting games for Boston (Minott is no longer on the team).

For a couple-month period, Jordan Walsh, who started 20 consecutive games, was the talk of the town. For a stretch, it was Hugo Gonzalez, who began to break through at just 19 years old.

A hallmark characteristic of this group has been that regardless of who is available, the same attention to detail is on full display.

Nowadays, Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman regularly start games for Boston, with Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic coming off the bench.

There were turning points in Sunday’s beatdown that felt like the Celtics’ success could largely be attributed to the team’s trio of young defenders: Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, and Jordan Walsh.

Mazzulla said that Brown pulled all three aside — as well as Sam Hauser — at Saturday’s practice in Santa Monica in order to go over some of the Lakers’ stars offensive tendencies. That extra scout carried over into Sunday’s game; James, Austin Reaves, and Luka Doncic combined to shoot just 22 of 53 (41%) from the field.

And, Brown liked what he saw from that trio in action on Sunday afternoon.

“Hugo made some big plays for us,” Brown said. “Baylor was amazing tonight. Defense is what we’ve got to continue to elevate.”

The Celtics, in turn, tallied their third consecutive victor.

They now have the NBA’s fourth-best record (trailing only the Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs) and third-best net rating (trailing only the Pistons and Thunder).

After the win, Mazzulla was asked what he thought was the story of the Celtics’ season.

His answer perfectly reflected the Celtics’ mindset: focus on the right now, on the controllables. Focus on the process, not the result.

“The story’s not done,” Mazzulla said. “We are only a product of what we do tomorrow, what we do the next day, and that’s just the story. If we would have lost this game by 1, tomorrow’s film session [would have] to be as detailed and as disciplined as it is going to be with the result that we had. And so that’s the story. It’s not done yet.”

Asked Joe Mazzulla what he thinks the story of this Celtics team has been:

“The story's not done. We are only a product of what we do tomorrow, what we do the next day, and that's just the story. And if we would have lost this game by 1, tomorrow’s film session has to be as… pic.twitter.com/kM8dPvM0UW

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) February 23, 2026

Mazzulla doesn’t expect Monday’s Celtics film session to feel any different on the heels of a victory as it would feel after a loss. After the 22-point win, he noted the Celtics gave up two back-cuts and an after-timeout lob to LeBron. He also noted that the Celtics overhelped on several three-point attempts.

All of those plays — win or loss — is what the group will focus on tomorrow.

“We haven’t done anything,” Mazzulla said. “All we’ve done is stick to the process of winning on both ends of the floor, put our head down. [We] don’t overreact to a good win or to a bad loss. And, [we] get better in the next game.”

Weekly schedule analysis can be the difference between winning and losing tight fantasy basketball matchups, especially during busy stretches of the season. By identifying low-volume game days, managers can maximize streaming spots, while also prioritizing players from teams with four-game slates to squeeze out extra production. This breakdown highlights the most favorable schedules, teams to target, and potential matchup advantages to exploit. With several clubs playing four times and a few light days ideal for streaming, proactive roster management will be key to gaining an edge in points, categories, and overall lineup efficiency throughout the week.

Days with fewer than six games

These are dates to target players for streaming options from the following teams: 

Monday, February 23: SAS vs. DET, SAC vs. MEM, UTA vs. HOU

Friday, February 27: CLE vs. DET, BKN vs. BOS, NYK vs. MIL, MEM vs. DAL, DEN vs. OKC

Saturday, February 28: POR vs. CHA, HOU vs. MIA, TOR vs. WSH, LAL vs. GSW, NOP vs. UTA

Teams with more than three games this week

Make sure to activate players and target weekly pickups from the following teams:

Nets (4), Celtics (4), Cavaliers (4), Mavericks (4), Pistons (4), Rockets (4), Lakers (4), Grizzlies (4), Bucks (4), Pelicans (4), Thunder (4), Trail Blazers (4), Kings (4), Spurs (4) 

Teams with fewer than three games this week

Consider looking for streaming options if your roster includes players from these teams:

Clippers (2), Suns (2)

Top teams to target based on favorable matchups

Mavericks at Nets, vs. Kings, vs. Grizzlies, vs. Thunder

The Mavericks open with their only road game of the week, as they take on the Nets, who give up the league's second-highest field-goal percentage, including the second-highest three-point percentage, along with the sixth-most turnovers per game. This should be a great opportunity for the squad to establish a good rhythm heading into a couple more highly winnable matchups. Next, they clash with the Kings, who are missing a few of their top players due to injury trouble and are giving up the league's third-most points per game. Moving ahead, a meeting with the Grizzlies, who give up the league's ninth-most points per game, including the fourth-most three-pointers, along with the league's seventh-most turnovers per game. All three matchups provide ideal opportunities for Max Christie and Khris Middleton to maximize their impact from long range, while guys like Brandon Williams and P.J. Washington should be able to pad their stats across the board against the unimposing defenses. Finally, the Mavs face the Thunder, in what will most likely be the toughest game of the week. However, Cooper Flagg (foot) should be back in action by then and will help give his side a better chance to take advantage of the Thunder's few weak spots, as they give up the league's third-most three-pointers per game and the seventh-highest three-point shooting percentage. The Thunder also give up the fourth-most offensive rebounds per game. 

Rockets vs. Jazz, vs. Kings, at Magic, at Heat 

The Rockets start things off with a couple of very winnable home games. First, they take on the Jazz, who give up the league's most points per game, along with the fourth-highest three-point percentage, followed by an encounter with the Kings, who give up the league's highest field-goal percentage and third-most points in the paint per game. Both matchups should help the Rockets get their offense rolling, giving guys like Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith to get into a groove before a couple of more challenging games to follow. Up next, they meet with the Magic, who give up the league's fifth-most free throws per game, as well as the eighth-highest field-goal percentage, including the seventh-highest field-goal percentage to opposing power forwards. Amen Thompson should look to use his size advantage in the backcourt to put the pressure on the rim with drives to draw foul contact, as well as open up easy looks for his teammates. The Rockets then close the week against the Heat, who give up the league's ninth-most points in the paint and second-most rebounds per game. Kevin Durant will need to step up to help lead the charge in both matchups, while Alperen Sengun and Clint Capela will be instrumental in ensuring their squad's best chances by imposing their presence in the paint. 

Grizzlies vs. Kings, vs. Warriors, at Mavericks, at Pacers

The Grizzlies begin their week with back-to-back home games, providing a chance to improve on their 11-15 home record. They start off against the Kings, who give up the league's fifth-most free throws per game. The Kings also give up the fourth-most points per game to opposing shooting guards and second-most points per game to opposing small forwards, suggesting that Malik Monk and Precious Achiuwa could stand out as top streaming options for the day. Up next, an encounter with the Warriors, who give up the league's fifth-highest field-goal percentage to opposing point guards and the second-most rebounds per game to opposing centers, which should help guys like Scotty Pippen, Ty Jerome and Cam Spencer continue to provide notable impacts from the backcourt, while Olivier-Maxence Prosper may remain in line to step up in for his squad's injury-riddled frontcourt. The Grizzlies then clash with the Mavericks, who give up the league's most points in the paint, as well as the third-most rebounds per game, including the third-most offensive rebounds. Lastly, a meeting with the Pacers, who give up the league's sixth-most points per game, including the second-most points in the paint and the fifth-highest field-goal percentage. They also give up the third-most free throws and fourth-most rebounds per game. These final two matchups provide ideal grounds for Grizzlies' frontcourt players to thrive, making GG Jackson, Taylor Hendricks and Santi Aldama (who should be back from a knee injury by then) ideal streaming options for the couple of games. 

Pelicans vs. Warriors, at Jazz, at Jazz, at Clippers

The Pelicans start things off against the Warriors, who are dealing with injury trouble to a few key players. Combined with the fact that they give up the league's fifth-most turnovers per game, that should result in a somewhat favorable matchup. Herbert Jones could be a stand-out contributor by using his defensive ability to convert the turnover-prone opponents' gaffes into easy baskets. Moving ahead, the Pelicans face back-to-back meetings with the Jazz, who own one of the league's most lackluster defenses and are shorthanded in the frontcourt. The Jazz give up the league's third-highest field-goal percentage and most three-pointers per game. They also give up the second-most free throws per game, which should allow Trey Murphy to get back into rhythm quickly upon his expected return from a brief injury absence. Additionally, rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen should prosper in their respective areas of prowess. The Pelicans wrap their week with a more challenging matchup -- road game against the Clippers. However, there is still room for the squad to carry over momentum that was ideally built through the first part of the week and take advantage of the fact that the Clippers give up the league's fifth-highest three-point shooting percentage, including the sixth-highest field-goal percentage to opposing shooting guards, an area where Murphy can once again lead the way. 

Three seasons ago, the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons faced off on January 6th. At the time, the winner of the game was actually considered the loser. Both teams were on a downward slide and playing to increase their lottery odds for the ultimate prize, the chance to draft Victor Wembanyama. Now, after two incredible turnarounds by these historic NBA franchises, they meet for the first time this season, looking to secure top seeding in their respective conferences.

Detroit holds the best record in the NBA, and San Antonio has the third. Both teams have a top-five defense and a top-ten offense. They are led by two of the best young players in the NBA, in Wembanyama and Cade Cunningham. In many ways, this is shaping up to be one of the best East vs. West rivalries for the foreseeable future. Monday will be the first of many battles between these two in the years to come.

San Antonio and Detroit are similar teams on the court, too. Both have dominant paint big men in Wembanyama and Jalen Duren, athletic wings like Stephon Castle and Ausar Thompson, and good lead guards like De’Aaron Fox and Cade Cunningham. They lock down the paint and use their athleticism on the perimeter to take chances and create turnovers.

San Antonio is on an eight-game winning streak and is nipping at the Oklahoma City Thunder’s heels for the top seed in the West. Beating Detroit on the road would be another statement victory for the up-and-coming Spurs.

San Antonio Spurs (40-16) vs. Detroit Pistons (42-13)

February 23rd, 2026 | 6 PM CT

Watch: Peacock| Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), Stanley Umude – Out (G League), David Jones-Garcia – Out (G League), Mason Plumlee – Out (conditioning), Lindy Waters III – Questionable (knee)

Pistons Injuries: Isaiah Stewart – Out (suspension), Isaac Jones – Out (G League), Bobi Klintman – Out (G League), Chaz Lanier – Out (G League), Wendell Moore Jr. – Out (G League)

What to watch for:

Cade vs. Wemby

Surface-level analysis here: the Pistons and Spurs will go as far as Cunningham and Wembanyama take them. That will be true again on Monday night. Cunningham is Detroit’s offensive engine. He’s one of the best scorers and passers in the NBA. He has great floor vision and, at 6-foot-6, the size to make plays in the paint. His one weakness is that he isn’t an elite three-point shooter, hitting just 33.8% from deep this season. Expect Castle to get the Cunningham assignment and hound him on drives and in the pick-and-roll.

On the other end, Wembanyama will likely have to contend with Duren, a sturdy big body in the middle. Wembanyama has found a lot of success against opposing big men this season, and has sometimes struggled against smaller, more agile defenders. For that reason, we could see Thompson guarding San Antonio’s big man to keep him from establishing a rhythm.

Winning a mud fight

The Pistons are one of the most physical teams in the NBA, living up to the franchise’s identity. The Spurs have dealt with their fair share of big, tough teams. Wins against the Houston Rockets prove what San Antonio can do when they make the other team feel their presence. This game could very well come down to which team can assert its physical will. San Antonio has a shot, even against a tough team like Detroit, but they’ll have to stay locked in for 48 minutes to make it happen.

Managing the possession battle

Detroit is great at securing extra possessions. They are first in the NBA in steals (10.6 per game), opponent turnovers (17.4 per game), and fourth in offensive rebounds (13.1 per game). The Spurs have gotten much better at securing the boards (3rd in the NBA in rebounding) and taking care of the ball (5th in the league in turnovers per game), but like we saw on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings, they can have stretches of mental lapses. So can the Pistons, who are 23rd in the NBA in turnovers (15.2 a game). The Spurs will need to take care of the ball, win the battle on the glass, and take advantage of Detroit’s mistakes to give themselves an edge.

The latest installment of the NBA’s most historic rivalry was staged Sunday, Feb. 22, with Jaylen Brown leading the Boston Celtics to a 111-89 victory over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on the road.

Brown nearly produced a triple-double, compiling 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes of play.

He has taken over as the primary option for Boston since Jayson Tatum tore his right Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 12, 2025.

Brown was named the NBA Finals MVP after the Celtics won the championship in 2024, but James believes there’s a case to be made for Brown to be mentioned in this season's MVP race.

"This whole MVP thing, I don't understand why his name is not getting talked about as well," James said of Brown after Sunday's game. "Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he's averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It's a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you."

Brown is averaging 29.2 points, seven rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season. He's fourth among NBA players in points per game this season.

The MVP conversation has largely been dominated by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), the winners of the prior two MVP awards.

"It's an honor to play the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. It's an honor for LeBron, who's arguably the best player to ever play the game, to give me some high praise," Brown told reporters after the game. "So, I'm just grateful."

James and Brown were teammates during the NBA All-Star Game mini-tournament earlier this month at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Who is considered the NBA MVP favorite?

Odds via BetMGM, as of 1 a.m. ET Monday morning:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-140)

Nikola Jokic (+310)

Cade Cunningham (+500)

Victor Wembanyama (+2500)

Luka Doncic (+4000)

Jaylen Brown (+5000)

Donovan Mitchell (+10000)

Anthony Edwards (+15000)

Jalen Brunson (+20000)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James praises Jaylen Brown after Celtics-Lakers game

As JJ Redick prepared to coach the Lakers against the Celtics on Sunday, Pat Riley was being honored outside of Crypto.com Arena with the team’s first statue of a coach. 

The franchise’s past and present had collided, with the 41-year-old hot shot hoping to one day mirror the accomplishments of the 80-year-old legend. 

Ever since Redick was hired to take over the Lakers’ helm in June 2024, he has drawn comparisons to Riley. 

They’re both former players. After they retired, they both became broadcasters. Riley hardly had any coaching experience (two years as a Lakers assistant from 1979-81) before being handed one of the most prestigious jobs in the league in 1981. Redick had no coaching experience. They both have strikingly slick personas. 

And they both were tasked with leading the team through major transitions. Riley helped the Lakers pass the baton from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson, while Redick is overseeing the Lakers’ passing of the guard from LeBron James to Luka Doncic. 

When Redick was hired, he knew the franchise was hoping he’d fill the Armani shoes of the legendary coach. The question on everyone’s mind was obvious: Could he be the next Pat Riley? 

“Pat, to me, sort of set the standard for modern NBA coaches,” Redick said.

For Riley, the respect is reciprocated.

“He’s a fiery guy,” Riley said of Redick. “He could shoot the hell out of the ball. He was tough as nails, you know. I don’t know. Sometimes I look back and I remember myself at that time and I looked at JJ and I think they picked the right person. There’s just a quality about him I think that goes above and beyond.”

Redick is still evolving into who he is as a coach. He’s still finding his style. His voice. But this much is for sure: He’s an incredibly hard worker. His basketball IQ is respected by everyone in the locker room. After games, Redick locks himself in a dark basement and pores over film. He’s a basketball sicko.

He undoubtedly can be described as intense, a quality for which Riley was infamous.

Magic Johnson gave a handful of reporters a glimpse into how Riley ran his teams after the 8-foot, 510-pound statue of his former coach was unveiled in a star-studded ceremony Sunday.

“He didn’t let us take a day off or a play off or a moment off,” Johnson said. 

Johnson praised Riley for his masterful in-game adjustments, calling him “a visionary.” He also pointed out how much courage it took for Riley to make Johnson the team’s No. 1 offensive option while he was still sharing a uniform with Abdul-Jabbar, who turned 35 in Riley’s first season as Lakers head coach. 

“Hold on, wait a minute, huh?” Johnson recalled his reaction being at the time. “A dude who was the greatest player at that time that ever played the game and you’re going to go to him and say somebody else is going to take the bulk of the offense now?”

Johnson called Riley fearless and extremely tough. 

He’d make the Lakers run for 40 minutes straight at practices. He’d make them do three-man weaves without letting the ball touch the ground. Over the summer, he’d send each player a letter telling them how much he wanted them to weigh. Then he’d weigh them publicly when they reported to training camp. 

Riley especially knew how to get under Johnson’s skin. He’d show him highlights of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan and say, “What are you gonna do?”

“Soon as he did that, the button was going to go off on me and I’m going to have a triple-double,” Johnson said. “That’s all he had to do, just put those two dudes up there and he knew I was going to go to another level.”

Riley led the Lakers to four championships from 1982-1988, and he ushered in the Showtime era. Under him, Johnson became a three-time MVP. Johnson called him “one of the greatest coaches who ever lived,” as well as “the coolest man that’s ever put on an Armani suit.”

Redick, meanwhile, is just in his second season as coach of the Lakers. 

He’s still getting his feet wet. Last season, he vowed to evaluate himself by growth instead of metrics. He led the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference at 50-32 before they were eliminated by the Timberwolves in the first round. 

Afterward, Redick was far from patting himself on the back. 

“I know I can be better,” he said. “And I know I will get better. I don’t necessarily take any satisfaction from how the year went. That’s not to say I’m not proud of what the group was able to do and how we were able to figure out things on the fly and put ourselves in a position to have homecourt in the first round. But there’s always ways to get better. And I can get a lot better.”

This season, Redick has led the Lakers to fifth place in the West despite James, Doncic and Reaves only playing 12 games together because of injuries.

Redick is still becoming Redick.

But his potential is unquestionably through the roof. His analysis of the game is incredibly sharp. When he was still hosting the “Mind the Game” podcast with James before he was hired by the Lakers, he’d dissect players and their moves with surgeon-like precision.

Players respond to him. They respect him.

And he has navigated the tricky line of helping the 26-year-old Doncic become the face of the team while the 41-year-old James is still the face of the league and one of the greatest players of all time.

Whether Redick can become a Riley-esque figure is still unknown.

Perhaps it’s an unfair comparison, one that would set up any fledgling coach for disappointment. 

But for now, Redick is going to have a reminder of who he aspires to be every time he shows up for work.

It stands tall in between bronzed figures of Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar. It has slicked-back hair, a tailored designer suit and is the ultimate example of greatness. 

“It’s a good-looking statue,” Redick said.

The Houston Rockets wrapped up a tough seven-game stretch across the All-Star break at 3-4. It started poorly with two bad losses, but after a bit of recovery, Rockets fans should feel like there was meat left on the bone in losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks.

On paper, tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz should be a welcome reprieve from the difficult games of the past few weeks. However, these Rockets have played up and down to their competition all year. In fact, Houston already has a loss to these Jazz, who have played Houston tougher than they have against anyone else over the past two years. Seriously, watch the Jazz against another playoff team and you’ll see a team that can’t wait to roll over and tank. Against Houston? For some reason, it’s personal for this iteration of Utah.

Maybe the Rockets will play hard in the fourth quarter tonight, since that’s been Ime Udoka’s solution to all of Houston’s poor fourth quarters. Not, you know, his poor rotation choices and lack of any offensive game plan beyond “Give the ball to Kevin and hope.”

Tip-off

8:30pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network and Peacock

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Jazz

Jaren Jackson Jr.: OUT

Lauri Markkanen: GTD

Keyonte George: GTD

Jusuf Nurkic: OUT

Walker Kessler: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -14.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Wednesday night at home against the Sacramento Kings

Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and eight assists as the Orlando Magic held on for a 111-109 victory over the Clippers on Sunday night at Intuit Dome.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 15 points and 14 rebounds and Tristan da Silva scored 13 for the Magic, who improved to 5-2 since Feb. 5.

Kawhi Leonard shrugged off an ankle injury to score 37 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Clippers, who are 4-5 since Feb. 2. Mathurin missed a three-point attempt to win the game at the buzzer.

Jordan Miller had 14 points for the Clippers (27-30).

Leonard exited Friday’s loss against the Lakers with an ankle sprain. Mathurin was playing in his fifth game for the Clippers after he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Indiana Pacers.

Orlando won despite going eight of 23 from three-point range, two games after setting a franchise record with 27 three-pointers in a victory at Sacramento. Jalen Suggs missed his second consecutive game for the Magic with back spasms.

In a tight game throughout, Leonard gave the Clippers a 107-105 lead with 3:03 remaining on a jumper from the top of the key. The Magic took charge from there as Bane hit a jumper to tie the score and then made a layup with 1:28 left for a 109-107 advantage.

As the Clippers missed four consecutive shots, Orlando went up 111-107 on a fast-break dunk from Banchero with 40 seconds left.

Bane tried to pad the Magic’s lead with eight seconds remaining but had his shot blocked inside by rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Mathurin then raced down the floor only to miss a 25-footer as time expired.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.