Memphis Grizzlies (18-27, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (12-37, 15th in the Western Conference)
New Orleans; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Memphis hits the road against New Orleans looking to end its five-game road skid.
The Pelicans are 6-26 against Western Conference opponents. New Orleans is seventh in the Western Conference in rebounding averaging 44.0 rebounds. Derik Queen paces the Pelicans with 7.4 boards.
The Grizzlies are 14-15 in Western Conference play. Memphis ranks fourth in the Western Conference with 34.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Zach Edey averaging 7.2.
The Pelicans average 114.4 points per game, 1.9 fewer points than the 116.3 the Grizzlies allow. The Grizzlies average 13.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.5 fewer made shots on average than the 14.8 per game the Pelicans allow.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Pelicans won 133-127 in the last matchup on Jan. 24.
TOP PERFORMERS: Queen is shooting 48.4% and averaging 12.1 points for the Pelicans. Trey Murphy III is averaging 24.0 points over the last 10 games.
Cam Spencer is scoring 11.7 points per game and averaging 2.7 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 21.0 points and 6.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 4-6, averaging 114.3 points, 46.9 rebounds, 24.7 assists, 8.8 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.4 points per game.
Grizzlies: 3-7, averaging 110.5 points, 46.4 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 7.3 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.1 points.
INJURIES: Pelicans: Dejounte Murray: out (leg).
Grizzlies: Scotty Pippen Jr.: out (toe), Ja Morant: out (elbow), Santi Aldama: out (knee), Zach Edey: out (ankle), Ty Jerome: out (calf), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Toronto Raptors (29-20, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (24-22, seventh in the Eastern Conference)
Orlando, Florida; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Toronto will try to keep its four-game road win streak alive when the Raptors face Orlando.
The Magic have gone 16-17 against Eastern Conference teams. Orlando ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference in rebounding with 44.2 rebounds. Paolo Banchero leads the Magic with 8.8 boards.
The Raptors are 22-13 in Eastern Conference play. Toronto ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference scoring 52.3 points per game in the paint led by Scottie Barnes averaging 11.4.
The Magic are shooting 46.3% from the field this season, 0.1 percentage points higher than the 46.2% the Raptors allow to opponents. The Raptors average 113.6 points per game, 2.0 fewer than the 115.6 the Magic give up to opponents.
The teams play for the second time this season. The Raptors won the last matchup 107-106 on Dec. 30, with Jamal Shead scoring 19 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Banchero is shooting 46.2% and averaging 21.9 points for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 18.1 points over the last 10 games.
Barnes is scoring 19.4 points per game and averaging 8.3 rebounds for the Raptors. Immanuel Quickley is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 4-6, averaging 109.5 points, 43.2 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 8.6 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 44.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.2 points per game.
Raptors: 6-4, averaging 111.5 points, 43.8 rebounds, 29.6 assists, 8.0 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.6 points.
INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).
Raptors: Jakob Poeltl: out (back).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its four-game win streak intact when the Hornets take on Dallas.
The Mavericks are 14-13 on their home court. Dallas has a 5-5 record in one-possession games.
The Hornets have gone 11-15 away from home. Charlotte scores 116.2 points and has outscored opponents by 1.6 points per game.
The Mavericks are shooting 47.2% from the field this season, 0.3 percentage points lower than the 47.5% the Hornets allow to opponents. The Hornets are shooting 46.4% from the field, 0.2% higher than the 46.2% the Mavericks' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: P.J. Washington is shooting 45.3% and averaging 14.3 points for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall is averaging 20.3 points over the last 10 games.
LaMelo Ball is shooting 40.6% and averaging 19.0 points for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 5-5, averaging 117.7 points, 45.9 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 7.8 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.2 points per game.
Hornets: 7-3, averaging 119.2 points, 49.6 rebounds, 28.5 assists, 6.5 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.8 points.
INJURIES: Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Kyrie Irving: out (knee), Dante Exum: out for season (knee), Anthony Davis: out (hand), Klay Thompson: out (knee), Cooper Flagg: out (injury management).
Hornets: Mason Plumlee: out (groin).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Portland Trail Blazers (23-25, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (29-18, second in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: New York will try to continue its four-game win streak with a victory over Portland.
The Knicks have gone 18-6 in home games. New York leads the Eastern Conference in rebounding, averaging 46.3 boards. Karl-Anthony Towns leads the Knicks with 11.6 rebounds.
The Trail Blazers are 10-14 on the road. Portland allows 117.4 points to opponents and has been outscored by 1.9 points per game.
The Knicks are shooting 47.0% from the field this season, the same percentage the Trail Blazers allow to opponents. The Trail Blazers average 14.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 fewer makes per game than the Knicks give up.
The two teams play for the second time this season. The Knicks defeated the Trail Blazers 123-114 in their last meeting on Jan. 11. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 26 points, and Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 25 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Towns is averaging 20.2 points and 11.6 rebounds for the Knicks. OG Anunoby is averaging 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals over the last 10 games.
Donovan Clingan is scoring 11.3 points per game and averaging 11.2 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Shaedon Sharpe is averaging 22.6 points and 5.8 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 5-5, averaging 109.4 points, 48.2 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.6 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 103.8 points per game.
Trail Blazers: 5-5, averaging 111.8 points, 47.6 rebounds, 21.9 assists, 9.2 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.1 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: Miles McBride: out (ankle), Mitchell Robinson: out (ankle).
Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson: day to day (hamstring), Matisse Thybulle: out (knee), Robert Williams III: day to day (injury management), Blake Wesley: out (foot), Duop Reath: day to day (foot), Kris Murray: day to day (back), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Miami faces Chicago in Eastern Conference action Thursday.
The Bulls are 15-16 against conference opponents. Chicago is 13-12 against opponents over .500.
The Heat are 12-13 in Eastern Conference play. Miami is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 28.5 assists per game led by Davion Mitchell averaging 7.2.
The Bulls' 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.7 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Heat give up. The Heat average 119.8 points per game, equal to what the Bulls give up.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Heat won the last matchup 143-107 on Nov. 22, with Kel'el Ware scoring 20 points in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nikola Vucevic is averaging 17 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Bulls. Coby White is averaging 17.7 points over the last 10 games.
Bam Adebayo is averaging 18 points and 9.7 rebounds for the Heat. Simone Fontecchio is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 6-4, averaging 119.9 points, 43.6 rebounds, 31.8 assists, 7.0 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.4 points per game.
Heat: 5-5, averaging 120.9 points, 48.0 rebounds, 29.1 assists, 7.7 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.4 points.
INJURIES: Bulls: Jalen Smith: out (concussion ), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Zach Collins: out (toe), Tre Jones: out (hamstring), Kevin Huerter: out (back), Josh Giddey: out (hamstring).
Heat: Tyler Herro: day to day (toe), Davion Mitchell: out (shoulder).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Western Conference foes Minnesota and Oklahoma City will play on Thursday.
The Timberwolves are 16-14 in conference play. Minnesota ranks fifth in the Western Conference in rebounding averaging 45.0 rebounds. Rudy Gobert paces the Timberwolves with 11.2 boards.
The Thunder are 7-2 against the rest of their division. Oklahoma City has a 2-6 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Timberwolves make 48.1% of their shots from the field this season, which is 5.1 percentage points higher than the Thunder have allowed to their opponents (43.0%). The Thunder average 6.4 more points per game (120.5) than the Timberwolves allow (114.1).
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Timberwolves won 112-107 in the last meeting on Dec. 20. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 26 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Julius Randle is averaging 22.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists for the Timberwolves. Edwards is averaging 21.3 points over the past 10 games.
Chet Holmgren is scoring 17.9 points per game and averaging 8.7 rebounds for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 4-6, averaging 115.3 points, 45.9 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 9.1 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.7 points per game.
Thunder: 7-3, averaging 116.8 points, 42.6 rebounds, 24.1 assists, 7.6 steals and 7.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.0 points.
INJURIES: Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: out (foot).
Thunder: Ajay Mitchell: out (hip), Nikola Topic: out (groin), Jalen Williams: out (thigh), Alex Caruso: out (adductor), Cason Wallace: day to day (hip), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Houston Rockets came into Thursday night’s game boasting the NBA’s best home record at 15-3. Early in the matchup against the Spurs it looked as if the Rockets would be cruising their way to a 16th home win. The Rockets shot nearly 50-percent from the field in the first half. The ball movement was crisp, the Rockets were getting good looks and knocking them down. At one point the Rockets led by 16 points.
The Rockets had gotten Victor Wembanyama into foul trouble, and he was forced to spend most of the third quarter on the bench with 4 fouls. Advantage Spurs. They scored 30 points in the third quarter outscoring the Rockets 30 to 24 trimming the Rockets lead to just two points going into the final period. All of the ball movement and player movement that served the Rockets so well in the first half disappeared as San Antonio’s defensive intensity picked up significantly, thanks in large part to the efforts of Stephon Castle, who spent time guarding Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant.
In the fourth quarter it all fell apart. The Rockets “offense” turned into looking around for Kevin Durant or Sengun to get themselves free to go one-on-five with the Spurs while the others either watched or turned the ball over. The Rockets did not score a single field goal in the fourth until 5:46 to go in the quarter. They would finish having only scored 13 points on 4 made shots from the field. The Rockets shot 28-percent in the second half, ending the game at 39.4 percent. The offensive struggles lead to poor effort on the defensive end. The Spurs finished the game with 72 points in the paint and 38 points off the bench.
Not a single Rockets starter was a positive plus/minus in the game. Alperen Sengun scored 18 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, but he had to work extra hard for all of it. Kevin Durant scored 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting but he also had trouble finding a rhythm in the fourth quarter along with all of his teammates. Amen Thompson was great for three quarters, and then the Spurs switched Wembanyama to his primary defender and he looked flustered and unsure how to respond. He finished with 25 points but only had 2 points in the final quarter.
Wembanyama ended up with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson both scored 16 and 17 points respectively. For the second time this season the San Antonio Spurs looked like the best team in Texas. The Rockets will continue to deal with the narrative of needing a veteran point guard in order to seriously compete for a NBA title this season, and this game will likely be submitted as evidence supporting that. The Rockets head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Friday night for the second game of this back-to-back.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Tyler Bilodeau had 18 points, Eric Daily Jr. had his second double-double this season, and UCLA beat short-handed Oregon 73-57 on Wednesday night to extend the Ducks' losing streak to seven games.
Dailey finished with 14 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds. Donovan Dent scored 11 of his 15 in the second half for UCLA (15-6, 7-3 Big Ten) and Trent Perry, who was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting before halftime, added 12 points.
The Bruins have won three in a row and five of their last six.
Kwame Evans Jr. led Oregon (8-13, 1-9) with 24 points, which included four 3-pointers, and nine rebounds. Nate Bittle, Jackson Shelstad and Takai Simpkins — who are first (16.3 per game), second (15.6) and fourth (12.4), respectively, on the team in scoring this season — did not play for the Ducks due to injuries.
Evans made a layup to open the scoring 10 seconds into the game but UCLA scored the next eight points to take the lead for good. Bilodeau scored seven points in a 13-2 run that made it 26-13 with 7:08 left in the first half.
The Ducks, who started 1-of-11 shooting, shot just 25% (8 of 32) from the field, 4 of 17 (24%) from 3-point range, in the first half.
UCLA has won four straight in the series and is 98-42 against the Ducks.
Dailey threw down an alley-oop dunk that gave UCLA its biggest lead at 44-24 with 16:46 left in the game. Evans scored the Ducks' first seven points in a 12-2 run that trimmed the deficit to 10 about 3 1/2 minutes later, but Oregon got no closer.
UCLA made 20 of 23 from the free-throw line, where the Ducks went 6 of 9.
The Golden State Warriors got back in the win column on Wednesday night, with an emphatic 140-124 win over the Utah Jazz. It was perhaps the team’s most balanced win of the year, as nine different players scored at least nine points.
Let’s grade those nine, as well as the rest of the players who donned a Dubs jersey on Wednesday. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Wednesday’s games, league-average TS was 58.0%.
This was a virtually perfect Moody game, in which he blended his expert role player ability with something a little more. He made his presence felt immediately in this game by absolutely going to work, especially in the paint. He was a force to be reckoned with, keeping possessions alive, out-physicaling his opponents, and muscling his way to the rim and to the line.
He kept it going later in the game with a slew of triples and some timely buckets, all while playing completely lock-down defense. One of the best games he’s ever played.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.
A vintage Draymond game! He didn’t score a single point, and yet felt like one of the best players on the court. Awesome defense and tremendous playmaking. I have to dock him for the three turnovers and for taking as many shots as he did without making one, but he was part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Steve Kerr said after the game that Horford will likely stay in the starting lineup going forward (they do have five back-to-backs left, so he won’t be able to start every game). It’s not hard to see why: the Warriors are simply better when Horford is on the court.
I’ve long felt that Horford would be a great match for the Warriors’ systems, and we’re now seeing that in full force. It’s clear that Al is growing more and more comfortable, and thriving as he does. The passes he made in this game were sensational, as was the interior defense, which kept Utah from getting easy looks at the rim, and led to Jusuf Nurkić having a difficult game.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.
Podz didn’t have a great start to this game, as he made a few sloppy mistakes in the opening minutes. And then he put that behind him and went out and had a spectacular game. There was a bit of Draymond in him, as he flirted with a triple-double, injected the team with energy, and didn’t need to score to be effective (though he ended up with double-digits on excellent efficiency anyway).
He was crafty, he was a beast on the glass, and he set up his teammates all night long. Great game.
Grade: A Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.
Curry had some extremely aggravating turnovers in this game, especially early in the contest. And honestly, he didn’t do much in the game other than score.
But my goodness did he score. He scored and scored and scored, and he did so with spectacular efficiency. Most importantly, he seemed to score every time the Jazz threatened to make the score close.
Grade: B+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.
Melton did a little bit of everything in this game, for better and also for worse. He got the Dubs into their offensive systems. He made some clutch buckets. He played great defense with extremely active hands. He turned the ball over a lot. He played uncharacteristically out of control.
He is perhaps the only player on the Warriors other than Curry who still has a positive impact even when he doesn’t play as well as we expect, because he does so many little things and quarterbacks the team on both ends of the court. He made some great things happen in this game, but he made some pretty bad things happen as well.
Santos did all the little things on the court in this game … and some of the big things, too. It seemed like he was everywhere on the court. Loose ball? Gui is grabbing it. Rebound up for grabs? Gui is knocking some body to the ground and batting the ball to a teammate. Jazz player is driving or passing? Gui is disrupting it.
Doesn’t hurt when you shoot 6-for-7 from the field, either, but Santos’ game was so much more than that. Tremendous performance across the board.
Post may have lost his starting role to Horford, but this was one of his best games in a long time, and I’m excited to watch him develop into a weapon off the bench. His defense, which was so strong early in the year, returned for this game, and he continued to show improvement rebounding the ball. All while making it rain from deep.
Richard’s offense has been mostly nonexistent lately … but not on Wednesday. On Wednesday he was a crucial part of the offense, and his points were as timely as they were efficient. And he did it all while being an absolute pest on defense once more … this was, remarkably, his fourth consecutive game with at least three steals, and he has 15 total during that span.
He’s just such a good player, even though the turnovers were uncharacteristic.
Hield did exactly what he’s paid to do: scored in a flurry when the Warriors needed it. He opened the second quarter with back-to-back threes, and quickly had 11 points in the quarter as the Dubs took total control. A good passing game for him, too.
Grade: A Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.
Spencer is quickly approaching his two-way contract maximum for games played. We’ll see if the Warriors make a deadline trade that will allow them to roster him.
Grade: Incomplete
Wednesday’s DNP-CDs: Gary Payton II
Wednesday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Jonathan Kuminga
Lakers star Luka Doncic, who's being guarded by the Cavaliers' Nae'qwan Tomlin, suffered a leg injury in the first quarter Wednesday when he slipped off the elevated court in Cleveland, once again raising safety concerns. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)
Luka Doncic grabbed at his left leg. He immediately thought of Dru Smith. The Miami Heat guard’s knee injury suffered in 2023 when he slipped off the side of the Cleveland Cavaliers court haunted Doncic while he winced in pain near the Lakers bench.
The Lakers superstar avoided serious injury after falling off the side of the Cavaliers’ raised court on Monday, but the threat of a player being hurt by Cleveland’s unique 10-inch drop off between the court and the arena floor came into focus again during the Lakers’ 129-99 loss to the Cavaliers.
“It is absolutely a safety hazard,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Doncic was able to return later in the first quarter. “And I don't know why it's still like that. I don't. You know, you can lodge formal complaints. A lot of times you don't see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”
Doncic was injured shooting a fadeaway three with 7:58 left in the first quarter. He was hopping on one foot after releasing the shot and hopped right off the platform, grabbing immediately for his left leg. When he hobbled to the locker room, Doncic could barely put any weight on his leg.
But he returned with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter and finished with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds. He didn’t have any additional braces or wraps on his left leg, but he said he didn’t feel quite 100%.
“I kind of got scared,” Doncic said. “It wasn't a great feeling and looking back at the video I think I got a little bit lucky. It hurts obviously more now, but, just, I tried to go."
Smith was injured much more severely in 2023 when he was closing out on defense, landed on a stat sheet and slipped over the edge. He suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament sprain in the accident, and the Heat contacted the NBA to express concerns about the floor at the time.
“It’s tough to see another player get hurt on this court, with the fall, with the drop off,” Lakers guard Gabe Vincent said Monday, “so hopefully something can get fixed with that, but we’re fortunate that [Doncic] is OK.”
Cleveland’s Rocket Arena, which opened in 1994 and was last renovated in 2019, is also home to the Cleveland Monsters, an American Hockey League affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The basketball court is raised to accommodate the ice underneath the floor. But several teams in the NBA, including the Lakers, share their arena with hockey teams and none have a court that drops off like Cleveland’s.
“It's the only court like this so, I guess it's my fault,” Doncic said. “I [gotta] stop jumping like that."
The Lakers have history with concerning courts this year. In November, Doncic said during a postgame news conference that the Lakers’ custom NBA Cup court used during a home game against the Clippers was dangerously slippery. The team flagged the problem to the league and the Lakers did not use the court again because it was not deemed safe for play in time for the other NBA Cup games.
But when asked if there was a way he could bring the latest problem up with the league, Doncic demurred.
“I don’t know,” Doncic said, “don’t involve me in that.”
Similarly, Redick said any changes would be "way above my pay grade.”
After a rare, mid-season extended break from games due to their plane freezing to the runway after their loss to the Lakers, Dallas must get right back to work by hosting the Charlotte Hornets for a game that will be the second night of a back-to-back for both teams.
For Dallas, Cooper Flagg and Klay Thompson missed Tuesday’s matchup against the Timberwolves with what the injury report called a knee injury, but assuming they’re both ready to go for this one, they should be some of the freshest legs on the court. While is good because…
KONNNNNNN!
It’s the Rookie Bowl, people! Both Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are having rookie seasons that, in most other years, would be runaway unanimous rookie of the year winners. Both are putting up some pretty eye-watering numbers for rookies: 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals per game for Flagg and 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists for Knueppel. Kon, though, has gotten there by shooting 48% from the field and 42% from deep on nearly eight attempts per game. Crazy efficiency. However, in the recent Rising Star draft, it was Flagg who was chosen first overall by team captain Carmelo Anthony.
This game is just one of two times the Mavs and Hornets will face off, so the head-to-head stats and eventual winner will certainly be on voters’ minds when it comes time to crown a rookie of the year.
Hornets are buzzy
When the New Year ball dropped, Dallas and Charlotte seemed like a couple of fellow travelers — both ecstatic with their young centerpieces, but also quietly resigned to, let’s say, build upon that recent draft success by acquiring another great pick.
However, in January, the Hornets are the NBA’s number one team in net rating. They have the league’s best offense and sixth-best defense this month and seem poised to not just make a run at the playoffs, but be buyers on the trade market before next week’s deadline.
The outcome of this game may help clarify just which direction both these squads tack to for the rest of the season.
3 point battle
Charlotte’s league-leading offense in January is powered in large part by their fantastic shooting beyond the arc. They are shooting 38.2% from deep in January, third-best of all teams, while also attempting 40.9 three point attempts per game over that time, the fifth-most in the league.
Dallas, for their part, hasn’t been slouching this month either. They have the 9th-best record, just a skosh ahead of Charlotte’s 10th-best record, and they’ve accomplished that in no small part by preventing opposing teams from getting too hot from deep.
Dallas’ opponents are shooting a paltry 31.9% from deep in the new year, which is the lowest percentage in the league. How much of that is staunch defensive effort versus lucky shooting variance can be debated, but it seems likely that whichever team wins the three-point battle will have a leg up in walking away with a victory.
The Dallas Mavericks returned from a long layoff to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on the first night of a back-to-back. Without Cooper Flagg (ankle injury management) and Klay Thompson (left knee soreness), the Mavs lost 118-105.
Let’s get to the grades!
Max Christie: C-
9 PTS / 4 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 31 MIN
Oof! The layoff was not kind to Christie. He could not find the range and did his offensive damage almost exclusively from the free throw line. Some intangibles kept him out of the basement, but this was definitely one of Christie’s worst games in recent memory.
Caleb Martin: C+
4 PTS / 8 REB / 5 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 32 MIN
Martin struggled with his shot, which was definitely a theme for the Mavericks Wednesday night. He continues to have sticky fingers and chipped in little bits everywhere. He had memorable play in the third quarter when the ball went backcourt. Rather than grab it and take the violation, he let Donte DiVincenzo collect it and opted to play defense, ultimately forcing an air ball and grabbing the miss.
Naji Marshall: B+
18 PTS / 6 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 32 MIN
Marshall was the star for Dallas as the only starter that was hitting shots consistently throughout the game. He rebounded well and knocked down his free throws, though he fouled a bit more than was ideal. This would have been a much uglier game without Marshall’s performance. He was the solitary Maverick with a positive plus/minus (1).
P.J. Washington: B+
21 PTS / 7 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 33 MIN
Washington is clearly still working himself back into the groove, but seemed to improve in real time. He was trending for a much lower grade early on, but came alive to hit 50% of his 20 shot attempts. He may not quite be back to his usual self just yet, but hopefully the latter part of this game propels him there.
Daniel Gafford: B-
14 PTS / 6 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 21 MIN
Gafford had a solid game, but there were a few plays where he got pushed around a bit, or just couldn’t quite find his spot. He got himself to the line and converted his attempts efficiently (4-of-5 from the stripe), but did foul a bit much and had two of turnovers.
Dwight Powell: C+
5 PTS / 9 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 26 MIN
Powell put up a good enough line coming off the bench, but led the team with four fouls and got on the turnover bandwagon with two of his own. His four assists were nice from the backup center position.
Brandon Williams: B-
17 PTS / 5 REB / 3 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN
Williams scored, but he wasn’t especially efficient and he had more turnovers than assists until the fourth quarter. Decent game relative to a sub-par outing for the Mavs in general, with credit for getting to the line a bunch, even if the end result was converting 8-of-12.
Final Thoughts
The Mavs were out of sorts, which should come as no surprise given how many key players were sitting. 17 turnovers was a big part of their undoing in a game that generally brought little excitement. While not quite a slog, it was far from memorable either.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-105 Wednesday night in Dallas. It was a weird, disjointed game that saw Dallas trailing by double-digits for most of the second half, but never letter Minnesota pull away. It was an ugly game, with lots of turnovers, fouls, and missed shots.
Dallas started feisty, like they always do, but it wasn’t enough. Trailing by only two after the first quarter despite tons of miscues, the Wolves won the second quarter 27-19 and never really looked back. The Mavericks made a few pushes in the fourth quarter to close the gap to around 11 or 10 points, but never threatened past that threshold. The loss is the second in a row for Dallas, after a four-game winning streak was snapped Saturday against the Lakers.
Here are the numbers to know.
19: Mavericks turnovers
Our recap highlighted this point and we try hard not to overlap the recap and the stats post, but this one was unavoidable: Dallas lost this game because they couldn’t take care of the ball, pure and simple.
Of the 19 turnovers, 14 of them were in the first half, and eight of those 14 in the first quarter. Hell, the Mavericks committed three turnovers within the first 90 seconds of the game. It’s honestly a miracle this game was never a blowout — the Mavericks did everything they could to spot the Wolves a sizeable lead in the first half.
Without Cooper Flagg and the only point guards in the rotation coming off the bench, the Mavericks struggled to initiate their sets cleanly. When the Mavericks did hang onto the ball, they scored well enough (60 points in the paint), but Dallas could never sustain a comeback because of the mishaps. Minnesota only scored 22 points off those 19 turnovers, as they played with their food way too much. This was really a 25 or 30 point blowout in disguise, thanks to the Mavericks just playing harder than the Wolves for most of the game.
3: Mavericks made 3-pointers
It’s really hard to win a game in the NBA in the year 2026 without being able to shoot. Dallas made only three 3-pointers, but what might be worse is they only shot 18.
Yes, the Mavericks went 3-of-18 from three. Both the makes and the attempts are appalling. Klay Thompson missed this game, and Max Christie went 0-of-5 from three. Dallas has no shooting behind those two players, and without Flagg, the Mavericks were cooked in generating any type of drive-and-kick attack. Dallas got to the free throw line a ton and scored a lot in the paint, but it didn’t matter. The Wolves made 12 three pointers. Sometimes three is greater than two is all you need to say about an NBA game nowadays.
14: Mavericks offensive rebounds
If the Mavericks couldn’t control the ball and couldn’t shoot, how in the hell was this only a 13-point loss against a winning team? Well the Mavericks competed, like they always do. Dallas had 14 offensive rebounds, more than Minnesota, which is saying something considering how big the Wolves are.
Despite Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle in the Wolves’ front court, Dallas beat this bigger Minnesota team up on the glass all night. It helps that Dallas did miss 15 three pointers, creating long-miss opportunities that can be hard for the defensive team to track down, but the Mavericks got a ton of boards simply because they were outworking their competition. I counted multiple instances of Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell just wanting the ball more on close rebounds near the rim. It’s nice to see the Mavericks haven’t given up the fight, but it wasn’t enough in this game.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has not played at any point this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered in last year's playoffs. He might not play at all this season, according to new reports.
Per NBA insider Chris Hayes, Tatum is considering whether he should sit out the remainder of the 2025-26 season, but a final decision has not been made. In a story ESPN published early Wednesday morning, Tatum confirmed that he hasn't made a decision about his return and said he "wants to get it right the first time, so it's just a lot to think about."
The NBA champion tore his right Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on May 12, 2025.
The six-time All-Star was expected to try to return this season for Boston, especially with the Celtics surprising, currently sitting third in the Eastern Conference. Haynes indicated that Tatum was prepping for a return and was potentially close to getting back on the court, but the situation has changed.
Tatum, per ESPN, is "progressing well in his rehabilitation and is feeling stronger every week, but he's waiting to make a decision because of the severity of the injury."
Tatum signed a contract extension with the Celtics on July 6, 2024.
He’s averaged 23.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game over 585 career games played.
The Mavericks fell to the Timberwolves in what was easily one of the most tedious and disjointed games of the season. Dallas was led by P.J. Washington’s 21 points, Naji Marshall’s 18, and Brandon Williams’ 17, who was forced into a larger role with Cooper Flagg sidelined. Minnesota countered with 31 from Julius Randle, 23 from Naz Reid, and 20 from Anthony Edwards, controlling the game whenever it threatened to slip into chaos. And chaos was everywhere. The night was defined by turnovers, missed layups, and nonstop trips to the free-throw line, with the two teams combining for 66 free-throw attempts in a game that rarely found any flow. Dallas’ biggest problem was self-inflicted: the Mavericks committed 19 turnovers, repeatedly giving Minnesota extra possessions and preventing any sustained offensive rhythm. In a game this ugly, the team that took better care of the ball was always going to win, and Dallas never did.
The night opened in chaos, with two quick Julius Randle buckets coming directly off live-ball turnovers, setting the tone for a sloppy start in which Dallas committed three turnovers before the 10-minute mark and struggled to establish any offensive rhythm. Minnesota couldn’t capitalize cleanly, however, as the Timberwolves missed jumpers and free throws, allowing Daniel Gafford to dominate the early possession battle with multiple offensive rebounds, a dunk, a putback, and four points in a two-minute stretch that kept Dallas attached despite the mistakes. The quarter devolved into a parade of missed shots, blocks, and giveaways, with both teams trading empty possessions. At the same time, Brandon Williams and Dallas’ bigs kept generating trips to the line, accounting for the Mavericks’ scoring more than shot-making. By the end of the quarter, Dallas had already attempted 13 free throws, which was the only thing preventing Minnesota’s cold shooting from turning into a deficit instead of a narrow lead.
The quarter opened in the same ugly fashion as the first, with Ryan Nembhard and Bones Hyland trading free throws before both teams immediately fell back into a mix of misses, turnovers, and stalled possessions, until Minnesota finally broke the drought with a Joan Beringer alley-oop dunk to extend the lead. Dallas started the period 1-for-5 from the field, and after Jaden Hardy hit a three, the Mavericks went on another cold stretch, missing four straight shots and scoring only on two Max Christie free throws over more than three minutes. The Wolves pushed the lead to 40-34 behind Randle jumpers, Gobert putbacks, and Hyland drives, forcing Dallas into a timeout while the offense continued to sputter. The sloppiness piled up: Dallas committed 13 turnovers in the quarter, both teams combined for 25 fouls, and the Mavericks managed just 2 made threes, leaving almost every possession to be decided at the line or on broken plays. Naji Marshall and Brandon Williams kept Dallas afloat with drives, layups, and trips to the line, but with turnovers and missed shots piling up on both sides, the quarter never found a rhythm, and Minnesota carried a 58-48 lead into halftime.
Dallas briefly showed life out of halftime when P.J. Washington scored twice inside, but that momentum disappeared almost immediately as the offense stalled. Minnesota went on a run powered by Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, including a pair of Edwards threes that stretched the lead to 66–52 early in the quarter. With the Mavericks unable to generate clean looks, Naji Marshall was the only consistent source of offense, keeping Dallas afloat with floaters, layups, and free throws. At the same time, Julius Randle continued to score through contact to keep Minnesota in control. The Wolves pushed the lead to 80–63 behind Randle’s free throws and a step-back jumper, forcing Dallas into desperation mode as the quarter wore on. A brief Dallas push late in the period, highlighted by a Powell cutting layup and a Ryan Nembhard jumper, was immediately erased by a Naz Reid three, and even a rare Anthony Edwards technical didn’t help when Jaden Hardy missed the free throw, leaving the Mavericks staring at a 92-75 deficit heading into the fourth.
The quarter opened with Daniel Gafford throwing down back-to-back dunks in the first 90 seconds, cutting the margin to 92-77 and briefly injecting life into a building that had been quiet most of the night. Dallas followed that with a Jaden Hardy three, a Gafford hook, and a P.J. Washington driving layup, trimming the lead to 101–84 and forcing Minnesota into a timeout as the Mavericks finally showed some urgency. That was as close as it would get, as the Wolves immediately answered with Naz Reid threes, Anthony Edwards jumpers, and Randle finishes, rebuilding the cushion to 106-9. At the same time, Dallas fell back into missed layups, turnovers, and foul-trading. Even a late Washington tip-in flurry only cut into a deficit that never truly moved, as Minnesota comfortably closed out a 118-105 win with Reid’s floaters and Edwards’ late-clock shot-making sealing the game.
What has happened to PJ Washington?
P.J. Washington was one of the moves that bought Nico Harrison real time after the Luka trade, and at the time, it made sense. He was a starter on a 2024 Finals team, followed it with a career year through one of the most chaotic seasons this franchise has ever had, and looked like a long-term piece worth committing to. But this season, after signing a four-year extension that effectively locks him in through the summer, Washington has quietly slipped, missing 11 games with nagging injuries and losing lineup security to the emergence of Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg. Even when the box score looks fine, the impact doesn’t match it anymore. Tonight was the perfect example. Washington finished with 21 points and seven rebounds, but he went 0-for-3 in the first half. He didn’t really start scoring until the game was already out of reach, eventually finishing 10-for-19 as the fourth quarter turned into extended garbage time.
The numbers looked respectable, but they feel hollow, padded by minutes that didn’t actually swing anything. When a player is sharing closing-time relevance with Caleb Martin, that alone tells you how far his grip on this role has slipped. The effort gaps show up, too. Late in the third quarter, Washington missed a jumper, watched his own rebound bounce past him, and then got beaten to the loose ball by Mike Conley, a sequence that summed up the frustration with his season. For a player who once defined Dallas’ physical edge, too many nights now feel like he’s just along for the ride, collecting stats after the outcome has already been decided.
A reminder to be thankful for Cooper Flagg
Tonight’s game was one of the most lifeless and dreadful watches of the season, not because the Mavericks were missing stars, but because it exposed what this roster actually is without one. Even without Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Cooper Flagg, there were still plenty of rotation players on the floor, yet what unfolded looked exactly like the version of this season Dallas was headed toward before the lottery balls bounced their way. We’ve spent weeks talking about empty numbers, inflated box scores, and lineups that can’t finish possessions, and this was that problem laid bare: role players trying to self-organize offense, settling for bad shots, and bleeding momentum whenever anything went wrong. That made the night especially jarring. The franchise was honoring Norm Sonju, one of the architects of what a real NBA organization is supposed to look like, while putting a patchwork roster on the floor built around short-term fixes rather than structure. We’ve seen it in games where P.J. Washington’s points came after the outcome was decided, in nights where turnovers piled up with no one able to stabilize, and in stretches where the bench had to hold everything together.
Without Cooper Flagg to give this team a true center of gravity, the result is exactly what this game was: disjointed, hollow basketball that would feel normal if not for the luck of last summer.
Turnovers, turnovers, and more turnovers
The Mavericks finished with 19 turnovers, 14 of them in the first half, and that alone explains why this game never felt stable for even a few minutes. Every time Dallas had a chance to settle into something functional, the ball went the other way, turning empty possessions into easy opportunities for Minnesota and preventing any rhythm from ever developing. For a team lacking ball handlers and finishers who aren’t designed to organize offense on their own, that first-half carelessness wasn’t an anomaly either; it has been a recurring theme throughout the season. When you’re giving away a quarter of your possessions before halftime, it doesn’t matter how hard you play or who gets hot late, you’re spending the night trying to dig out of a hole you created yourself.
