Category: NBA

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Charlotte Hornets 118-113 on Friday night for their seventh straight victory and 12th win in 13 games.

Jared Allen had 25 points and 14 rebounds and James Harden added 18 points and eight assists for the Cavaliers.

Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel finished with 33 points on seven 3-pointers, giving him 193 made 3s for the season — the second most in NBA history by a rookie. Keegan Murray holds the record with 206 set in the 2022-23 season.

LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller each had 18 points and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Charlotte.

Miller’s and-one layup off a no-look feed from Ball cut Cleveland’s lead to four with a minute remaining, but Mitchell made a short jumper and four free throws in the final 40 seconds to seal the win.

The Cavaliers built a 14-point lead in the second quarter and looked like they were preparing to break the game open, but Knueppel began to heat up, finishing with four 3s and 16 points in the first half to cut Cleveland’s lead in to six. Charlotte took the lead late in the third quarter behind three more Knueppel 3s.

But Mitchell began to take over with his physical play. He got to the line 13 times and made 12 free throws.

Charlotte played without suspended forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate and Grant Williams, who sat out with knee injury management forcing them to play younger, less experienced players in the frontcourt.

The Cavaliers outscored the Hornets 50-28 in the paint.

GRIZZLIES 123, JAZZ 114

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 23 points, GG Jackson added 20, and Memphis put together a second-half rally to beat Utah.

The Grizzlies trailed by 14 in the first half, but a strong third quarter led to a 21-6 run and a 10-point Memphis advantage early in the fourth. The lead reached 16 on Jackson’s 3-pointer with 4:31 left.

Eight of the nine Grizzlies who played reached double figures as Memphis snapped a four-game losing streak.

Isaiah Collier led the Jazz with 24 points, while Kyle Filipowski and Ace Bailey finished with 20 points each.

The game featured two teams fighting their way to the bottom tier in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies started the night 11th in the conference, while the Jazz were 13th. And the NBA fined Utah $500,000 earlier this month for sitting key players in the fourth quarter of games against Orlando and Miami.

Meanwhile, any success by the Grizzlies would have to come from the depths of their bench. Nine players were absent against Utah with various ailments or injuries.

That left a skeleton crew to face a depleted Utah roster. Players such as Keyonte George, Jusuf Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr. — acquired from the Grizzlies at the trade deadline — were dealing with injuries.

Lauri Markkanen, Utah’s leading scorer, was a late scratch due to illness.

WIZARDS 131, PACERS 118

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alondes Williams had career highs with 25 points and 10 rebounds in his 11th NBA game and Washington swept a back-to-back set with Indiana.

Sharife Cooper matched his career high with 18 points for Washington, which moved two games above Indiana at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and a half-game in front of Brooklyn, which played later at Oklahoma City.

Jay Huff scored 22 points and tied a career best with five 3-pointers for Indiana. The Pacers finished 2-4 on a six-game trip.

Quenton Jackson added 21 points for Indiana. Micah Potter had 18, and Jarace Walker added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

HEAT 128, HAWKS 97

ATLANTA (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 24 points in his return from a rib injury and Miami never trailed in a victory over Atlanta.

Bam Adebayo had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Miami, and Norman Powell added 15 points in his first game since participating in his first All-Star game. Kel’el Ware had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Jalen Johnson had 16 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists for Atlanta for his 11th triple-double of the season. It is the most in franchise history for a single season and leads the Eastern Conference.

Oneka Okongwu led Atlanta with 22 points. CJ McCollum had 20 points off the bench. He hit four 3-pointers.

Herro played his 12th game of the season. He missed the last 15 because of a rib injury and returned with a flak jacket.

TIMBERWOLVES 122, MAVERICKS 111

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards returned to Minnesota with his All-Star Game MVP award and scored 40 points to help the Timberwolves hold off Dallas, the 10th straight loss for the Mavericks.

Rudy Gobert had 22 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks and Naz Reid added 21 points for the Timberwolves, who squandered a 17-point first-half lead before Edwards took over down the stretch.

Tyus Jones tied the game at 103 on a floater with 6:55 left, capping a 12-2 spurt for the Mavericks and ending a stretch of 36:32 during which the Timberwolves were ahead. But Edwards answered with a step-back 3-pointer and Reid hit one too less than a minute later, and the Mavericks never grabbed the lead.

Edwards, who has eight 40-point games this season, had 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Khris Middleton had 18 points and Marvin Bagley added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who are on their longest losing streak in 28 years

BUCKS 138, PELICANS 118

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ryan Rollins made a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points to help Milwaukee beat New Orleans t for its third straight victory and sixth in seven games.

Playing without injured star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks pulled away in the fourth quarter to improve to 24-30. Antetokounmpo has been sidelined four weeks by a strained right calf.

Bucks newcomer Cam Thomas, a former LSU star, had 27 points in 21 minutes off the bench, and Kevin Porter added 25 points. Rollins was 7 of 10 on 3s and had six assists, four steals and two blocks. The Bucks were coming off a victory at defending champion Oklahoma City before the All-Star break.

Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 32 points in the first game of home back-to-back, while scoring leader Trey Murphy sat out because of a sore right shoulder. The Pelicans dropped to 15-42.

THUNDER 105, NETS 86

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jared McCain scored a season-high 21 points and short-handed Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn.

McCain, the former Philadelphia 76er the Thunder acquired in a trade this month, posted his highest points total in five games with Oklahoma City. He made 7 of 12 field goals and 3 of 6 3-pointers in a reserve role.

The Thunder have several players dealing with injuries, including reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams (strained right hamstring). Both are to be re-evaluated in the coming weeks.

Oklahoma City compensated with balanced scoring. Chet Holmgren scored 15 points, Isaiah Joe had 11 and Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort each added 10.

Michael Porter Jr. had 22 points and nine rebounds, and Nolan Traore added 17 points for the Nets. Brooklyn shot just 36.7% from the field in its third straight loss.

Angel Reese came back to Unrivaled, at least in part, to help defending champ Rose BC make a push to the playoffs.

While Reese scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a productive 10 minutes, Rose lost, 80-78, in her return to Hive BC on Friday night at Sephora Arena in Miami. Rose is now 5-7 and in fifth place in the standings with two regular-season games to go. The top six teams will make the postseason.

Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points and hit the game-winning layup for Hive in a game which included 19 lead changes and 16 ties. Azurá Stevens, who the Rose traded away to make room for Reese, added 20 points and eight rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench.

MORE: Unrivaled thrives with record crowd, playoff road trip, Angel Reese’s return

27 PTS and a GAME-WINNER for @Kelz_Hoop 🐝🔥 pic.twitter.com/ookDdKR1jh

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) February 21, 2026

Reese joining Rose is made possible by a recent three-way trade, the second in league history. The trade sent Vinyl BC guard Courtney Williams to Breeze BC, Hive BC guard Saniya Rivers to Vinyl and Rose forward Stevens to Hive.

Rose guard Kahleah Copper had been begging Reese to return to Unrivaled on social media all season. Under a recent TikTok video of Reese unboxing items she bought while traveling in Australia, Copper said, "You unboxing [expletive], like bring your ass to Miami." She later added, "Inbox this Rose jersey."

Cooper scored a game-high 29 points for the Rose on Friday. Shakira Austin added 17 points and nine rebounds.

BARBIE BUCKETS 🤩🌹 @Reese10Angelpic.twitter.com/fPYxkfRFdt

— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) February 21, 2026

Reese was named Defensive Player of the Year and made Unrivaled history with the league's first 20-20 game last season. 

"Angel [Reese], she's, obviously, a young player, a really well-known player and someone who did really well last year. Her team won." Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier said ahead of Reese's return. "To have her back on the Rose is awesome.

"She's just been such a huge addition to Unrivaled, and so, even though it's only the end of the season, we're happy to have her."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel Reese's return to Unrivaled spoiled by Kelsey Mitchell, Hive BC

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) — Joe Scott is out as the Air Force basketball coach, the academy said on Friday, a month after he was suspended pending an investigation into his treatment of cadets.

The school said it was “a mutual parting of ways.” Assistant coach Jon Jordan had been serving as the interim coach.

“Coach Scott’s passion for the game of basketball has long been evident in his competitive and direct coaching style. It was this coaching style that guided Air Force Basketball to some of the program’s most memorable achievements during his initial tenure at the Air Force Academy,” Athletic Director Nathan Pine said.

“This is a different day, and now is the right time for a new voice and a new approach to drive the culture and success of the men’s basketball program, aligned with the Air Force Academy’s mission of forging leaders of character developed to lead in our Air Force and Space Force.” Scott was 97-183 in charge of the Falcons, first leading the team from 2000-04 — a stint that ended with a 22-7 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. After spending time at Princeton, his alma mater, and Denver, he returned to Air Force in 2020.

The Falcons are 47-129 since then, winning just four games last season; they have won three so far this year, losing their last 19 in a row.

“I thank Nate Pine for his leadership. The Air Force Academy gave me my first head coaching opportunity and I am forever grateful," Scott said. “We will always be fans of Air Force Basketball.”

___

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The Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to outscore the Charlotte Hornets 118-113 to win their seventh game in a row.

The stats in the table below are taken from Cleaning the Glass.

	Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	59.7%, 79th percentile	33.3%, 70th percentile	13.2%, 63rd percentile	33.8, 93rd percentile
Hornets	50%, 24th percentile	44.6%, 97th percentile	15.6%, 39th percentile	22.8, 61st percentile

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• Both the Cavs (129.7 offensive rating) and the Hornets (125.6 offensive rating) finished with single-game offensive ratings that were in the 80th percentile or above. How both teams got there was very different. Charlotte did this by controlling the offensive glass and generating second-chance points. Cleveland did so by shooting great from the field and by getting to the free-throw line repeatedly.
• Charlotte registered 37 second-chance points. They did so by grabbing 23 offensive rebounds, many of which were due to not being able to track down long rebounds from missed threes. Additionally, being without Evan Mobley made this problem worse. Still, it’s frustrating when the Cavs are beaten this handily on the offensive glass.
• The Cavs registered 18 second-chance points of their own. This would be a solid output on most days. For example, the team that leads in second-chance points per game — the Portland Trail Blazers — does so with 18.5 per contest. Even though this is much lower than Charlotte’s 37, being able to get these helped soften the blow. Jarrett Allen grabbed seven of Cleveland’s 10 offensive rebounds.
• Cleveland is now 18-2 when Allen scores more than 15 points and 10-0 when he scores 20 or more. Allen put up 26 points on an efficient 11-15 shooting. He was arguably the team’s best player again — which has become a common occurrence over the past three or so weeks.
• Additionally, they’re 14-0 when Allen attempts 10 or more shots. He took 15 in the win over Charlotte.
• The Cavs took 42% of their shots at the rim (90th percentile). This has been a recent trend. They’ve registered over 40% of their shots in the restricted area during their last three games. Allen’s good play, and how the offense has shifted after adding James Harden to the mix, play a large role in that.
• The Hornets converted just 43.5% of their shots in the restricted area (1st percentile). The Cavs didn’t necessarily do a great job of defending the three-point line. They struggled with their rotations out to shooters, especially in some of the Hornets’ guard-to-guard screens, but they made up for it by controlling the paint. The easiest way to have a good defense is by defending the rim. The Cavs did that at a high level. Getting to the basket is still the most efficient way to score.
• The Cavs took their fewest three-pointers of a game this season (21) despite shooting 47.6% from deep (92nd percentile). The offense did a great job of generating clean outside shots while getting the ball inside when those looks weren’t there. They’ve come a long way from the side-to-side action that led to the contested, standstill threes that we saw at the beginning of the season.
• Cleveland posted a great 109 half-court offensive rating (81st percentile). Having two dynamic guards in Donovan Mitchell and Harden, who are this effective in the pick-and-roll, will lead to an elite half-court offense. There’s a reason why they’ve been so good in this area in the five games Harden has been with the team.
• The Cavs are now 21-8 when Mitchell scores 30 or more points and 18-4 when he scores 32 or more. These numbers don’t correlate to winning as Allen’s scoring totals do, but generally speaking, this team has typically won when Mitchell is scoring at a high level. That happened again here as he poured in 32 points in the victory.
• This was Mitchell’s 100th 30-point game with the Cavs. He’s cementing himself as one of the best players in franchise history. Here’s to a few hundred more.
• Keon Ellis led the team in plus/minus by being a +19. He’s played six games with the Cavs and was a +17 or better in three of those games. So far, the Cavs have played some of their best basketball with him on the floor. The defensive energy he brings fits in well with this group.
• The Cavs registered a 143.5 offensive rating with Harden on the court. That was the second-best number for a Cavalier behind only Allen (147.4). Coming into this game, the Cavs had an outrageous 129.4 offensive rating when Harden is playing (100th percentile). Simply put, the offense has been unstoppable with Harden through five games. This is exactly what he was brought in to do.

The Milwaukee Bucks put on a show coming out of the break, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 139-118. Ryan Rollins led the Bucks on both ends, racking up 27 points (on a career-high seven threes), six assists, four steals, and two blocks. Special mention to Kevin Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas, who dropped a combined 52 points. The Pels were led by Zion Williamson, who scored 32 points on 13/17 shooting.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Pels got out to a quick start, making a bunch of easy looks at the rim. Ryan Rollins, however, was saving the Bucks’ bacon, nailing several contested long-range shots to have the game even at 10 apiece. Then, the Bucks went on a 5-0 run, featuring Kyle Kuzma punching it reverse-style twice in a row. Milwaukee would make a move to go up 26-18; there must have been something in that bayou air because this run featured a Bobby Portis putback slam. The Pels would respond with a 7-0 run, though, punctuated by the Milwaukee native Jordan Poole nailing a bomb in transition. Zion Williamson really flexed his muscle to end the period, scoring a bunch of times to put New Orleans up 38-33 after one.

Cam Thomas, who did not score in the opening frame, got the Bucks the lead back to open the second with a three and an and-one. Unfortunately, Zion would snatch the lead right back for the Pels, already scoring his eighth bucket from 10 tries early in the second. Remember when I said Cam Thomas hadn’t scored until the second quarter? Yeah, he ended up scoring 16 straight points for the Bucks (and did it in less than six minutes, no less). 16. Straight. Points. What an absolute psycho, man. And then for the rest of the quarter, I’ll be honest with you, neither team played a lick of defence (with both sides turning it over in the open court a number of times). The visitors were up 71-65 going into the locker room.

The Bucks were scoring at a solid rate to open the second, with KPJ, Rollins, and Portis boarding the tough-shot express. That said, the Pels were scoring at the same rate, able to keep the margin at the 6-9-point mark throughout the opening four minutes. New Orleans got it within two a few times, but the Bucks had an answer (often Rollins or Thomas) on every occasion. And in Rollins’ case, I don’t just mean on offence; this dude had four steals and two blocks at the end of the third, making huge plays to save easy baskets under the rim. Bucks up 103-96 after three.

Like clockwork, Thomas opened the fourth with a few buckets to bring him to 27 on the night. Pate Nance then got in on the act, nailing a corner three and a tough layup to force James Borrego into a timeout—visitors up 113-104 with just under eight minutes left. The Bucks would go on a 7-2 run right out of the timeout, forcing yet another timeout from the Pels (and more KPJ dance moves). For all his flaws, KPJ is a bucket when he gets in that mode (and trust me, he was in that mode throughout the fourth). From there, it was all academic; Milwaukee beats their pick-swap nemesis.

Stat That Stood Out

The Bucks rank fifth in the NBA with a 48.1% shooting percentage. They shot a ridiculous 59.8% tonight. Good golly.

The Jazz win a massive tank battle!

The Jazz lost a game against the Grizzlies that they led and controlled most of the first half, but fizzled out in the second half—losing the third and fourth quarters by a combined 21 points. It was actually a very important game. Before the game started, the Jazz were sitting at 18 wins and 6th in the lottery standings, and the Grizzlies at 20 wins in the 8th lottery slot. Now with only 25 games remaining, every single win and loss is absolutely crucial towards the draft lottery standings that are so tight—and in a draft that looks incredibly generational. When the Jazz have a top 8 protected pick, the Jazz need to lose every game they can, and they succeeded tonight losing 114-123.

off to houston ✈️ pic.twitter.com/u5lEEoRul0

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 21, 2026

It was clear from the injury reports what this game was going to be…The Jazz had Jusuf Nurkic out with a nose injury. Obviously Walker Kessler and Jaren Jackson Jr remain out for the season so I find it funny they continue to list them on the injury report, but the injury report didn’t end there. Keyonte George continuing to miss time with his ankle, and just today a few hours before the game the Jazz added Lauri Markkanen to the report with an illness who went on to miss the game. The lengths the Jazz have to go to uphold the Integrity of the game, because this is so much better than literally playing your guys for over half of the overall 48 minutes… But fine Adam Silver!! We’ll just not play them at all and you’re going to like it! Speaking of the integrity of the game… The Grizzlies Injury report is listed below.

🚨 Have YOU or a LOVED ONE been personally victimized by the Memphis Grizzlies injury report? You may be entitled to financial compensation.

Call now 📞 pic.twitter.com/a4cbp748Sj

— Growl Towel Central (@GTC901) February 20, 2026

The Jazz started quite hot in this one, making 11 of their 13 total threes they made this game in the first half. Guys like Blake Hinson knocking down shots making it look easy. Kevin Love checked in for 5 minutes in the second quarter, hit 2 threes, and Will Hardy then instantly pulls him out. Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier were Batman and Robin out there today—Collier with 24 points, 5 assists, and 6 combined STOCKS; Filipowski with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 combined STOCKS. Ace Bailey continues to show flashes, hitting tough and confident shots, just showing glimpses of what type of player he’ll be on day.

watching our 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 take flight never gets old 🤩 pic.twitter.com/YXNXc6egtF

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 21, 2026

Once the second half started you could feel the shift. The Jazz weren’t quite as polished as they seemed in the first half. Will Hardy managed the rotations to perfection, and the Jazz’s 12 point lead at halftime was cut down to 2 going into the fourth quarter. And by the time there was 4:35 remaining in the fourth quarter the Grizzlies were up 16 points. And you have to understand the Grizzlies wanted to lose this game just as badly as the Jazz. I say this honestly with no bias… Even though the Jazz lost this game, actually watching and observing the guys the Jazz had out there vs who the Grizzlies had out there, the Jazz players seemed far more exciting, talented, athletic, and just better… But they ended up winning anyway… I mean losing! Excuse me.

floater off the glass is 𝙸𝙲𝚈 🥶 pic.twitter.com/ceIjiriazX

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 21, 2026

never panicking, just planning 🤔💭 pic.twitter.com/BV8pk2jjhw

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 21, 2026

This was one of the most important games of the season for the Jazz. First game post All-Star break, 26 total remaining, and they couldn’t have started the second half any better. Jazz fans need to continue to be thankful the front office is doing what’s right for the franchise, and we as Jazz fans need to embrace our fandom and really come together. It’s kind of felt like a civil war on Jazz Twitter and other online communities these past few years, but the basketball world really does not care about us except for when they need a punching bag. So if we don’t have each other we have nothing.

the rook's hoopin' on both sides of the ball 😈#TakeNote presented by @Go_Aptivepic.twitter.com/EGVHXvozH0

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 21, 2026

The Utah Jazz tankfully lost this one tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies 114-123, building some lottery space between them and the Grizzlies.They’ll have another few days off before continuing the road trip playing the Rockets in Houston on February 23rd.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ryan Rollins made a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points to help the Milwaukee Bucks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 139-118 on Friday night for their third straight victory and sixth in seven games.

Playing without injured star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks pulled away in the fourth quarter to improve to 24-30. Antetokounmpo has been sidelined four weeks by a strained right calf.

Bucks newcomer Cam Thomas, a former LSU star, had 27 points in 21 minutes off the bench, and Kevin Porter added 25 points. Rollins was 7 of 10 on 3s and had six assists, four steals and two blocks. The Bucks were coming off a victory at defending champion Oklahoma City before the All-Star break.

Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 32 points in the first game of home back-to-back, while scoring leader Trey Murphy sat out because of a sore right shoulder. The Pelicans dropped to 15-42.

Rollins had 16 points in the first half to help Milwaukee take a 71-65 lead. Williamson had 21 points in the half.

The Bucks took a 103-96 advantage into the fourth. After the Pelicans cut it to 108-102 on Williamson’s layup, the Bucks pulled away with a 14-4 run. Pete Nance hit two 3s and a layup during the run.

Up next

Bucks: Host Toronto on Sunday.

Pelicans: Host Philadelphia on Saturday night.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The Cleveland Cavaliers obliterated the Brooklyn Nets 112-84 in their first game back from the All-Star break. Let’s see who won the night.

WINNER – Jarrett Allen

“I’m running out of things to say about Jarrett Allen,” Donovan Mitchell said after the game.

Same, Donnie.

I really don’t know what else to say about Allen that we haven’t already seen in the previous seven games. He’s crashing the glass. He’s playing with authority and forcing his way into the paint. Allen started tonight by burying an elbow jumper just to prove he can do it.

I mean, seriously. An elbow jumper?

Jarrett Allen during the Cavs' win streak:

– 40 points, 17 rebounds
– 10 points, 11 rebounds (23 minutes)
– 29 points, 10 rebounds
– 22 points, 11 rebounds
– 21 points, 9 rebounds (26 minutes)
– 15 points, 10 rebounds (23 minutes)
– 26 points, 14 rebounds

BEAST MODE

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) February 21, 2026

Allen’s played with a newfound aggression that predates the James Harden acquisition. Harden has only added more fuel to the fire. He’s now getting more opportunities than before and making the most of them. Allen has recorded a double-double in six of Cleveland’s seven wins (falling just short with 9 rebounds against the Wizards).

LOSER – Second Chance Points

This was a rough night on the glass for every Cavalier not named Jarrett Allen.

Charlotte grabbed 23 offensive rebounds for 37 second-chance points. That’s the type of thing that should result in a loss 99% of the time. Thankfully, the Cavs managed to grab key rebounds and play good defense outside of those second-chance opportunities. But man… did they have to fight for it.

Part of this can be explained by the Hornets launching 56 three-point attempts. All of those threes led to long rebounds, which have historically been a weak point for the Cavaliers. They don’t have many rebounders in the backcourt who can successfully win those 50/50 balls.

This isn’t an excuse, rather an explanation. The Cavs are a good defensive rebounding team when both Allen and Evan Mobley are available. They became a below-average team when one of them is off the floor. That’s a straightforward fact that’s been true since the core four era began. Don’t expect it to change now.

WINNER – The Bench

The Hornets made this game interesting. And while the Cavalier starters ultimately closed this game out, I can’t give enough credit to the bench for swinging momentum multiple times throughout.

Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis are brothers in causing mayhem. They combined for five steals and wreaked havoc in the passing lanes. Two pesky, athletic guards who never stop harassing their opponent are a good thing to have on your side.

“Sometimes he [Ellis] gets a deflection, and you don’t even see how it happens,” said Kenny Atkinson after the game.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin deserves a shout-out, too. He didn’t come up with any stocks tonight, but he’s always aggressive and isn’t afraid to get physical. Of course, that’s all true for Jaylon Tyson, as well. The Cleveland bench has become one of the nastiest groups in the league, and that toughness is something the Cavs haven’t always had.

Game. Blouses.

Not that it matters much, but the Dallas Mavericks (19-36) lost their 10th straight game and their first out of the NBA All-Star Break on Friday, 122-111, to the Minnesota Timberwolves (35-22) at Target Center. The Timberwolves donned their Prince-inspired City Edition jerseys and served pancakes (probably) in the visitors’ locker room after beating the Mavericks for the third straight time this year.

Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 40 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win. Naz Reid added 21 and seven off the bench, while Rudy Gobert abused Dallas’ small frontcourt for 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting and 17 rebounds. Khris Middleton led seven Mavericks in double figures with 18 points and seven rebounds in the loss. Marvin Bagley III added 15 points and 13 boards.

Reid, Donte DiVencenzo and Jaden McDaniels combined to make it rain purple, knocking down all five of their first-quarter 3-point attempts and helping the Wolves gradually extend their lead as the frame wore on. The Mavericks countered with… well, no one. Cooper Flagg (foot) and Max Christie (ankle) were both held out of the matchup to gear up for the all-important stretch run. We laugh to keep ourselves from crying, don’t we, Mavs fans? Minnesota led 40-25 after one in a first quarter that saw 10 combined turnovers.

The Timberwolves continued to turn the ball over in the second quarter, but it didn’t matter. The Mavs couldn’t take advantage of the extra possessions to carve into Minnesota’s lead before the break, and Dallas trailed 69-57 at halftime, despite nine Timberwolves giveaways. Edwards led all scorers with 20 points and had four rebounds in the first half. He went off for 17 on 6-of-10 shooting in the second quarter.

Dallas tried to mount a comeback in the third quarter, continuing an extended 24-8 run from late in the second through the first four minutes of the third. Washington helped the Mavs creep back in it with his second 3-pointer of the game from the right corner to bring Dallas to within 77-75 with 7:23 left in the frame. The Wolves took a 96-88 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Klay Thompson got hot down the stretch to make things interesting. He scored his first basket of the game, a 3-pointer from the left wing, with 1:52 left in the third quarter, then poured in eight more in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. His third 3-point make of the game came with 7:23 left in the game and brought the Mavericks to within two, down just 103-101. Tyus Jones scored the next time down to tie the game and force a Timberwolves timeout after tracking down Thompson’s missed 3-point attempt for an offensive board.

But Edwards nailed a step-back 3-pointer late in the shot clock out of the timeout to give Minnesota the lead for good, with 6:37 left. Naz Reid hit his fourth of the game a minute later to put the Wolves up 109-105 with 5:25 left. The Timberwolves did just enough to keep the pesky Mavericks at arm’s length the rest of the way.

Hot hand, then good hands

The Timberwolves canned eight of their 13 first-quarter 3-point attempts and shot north of 58% from the field in the opener to put the game effectively out of reach early for the undermanned Mavericks. When the early hot hand deserted them, the Wolves made up for it on the offensive glass. The Minnesota front line gobbled up 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, resulting in five easy put-backs for center Rudy Gobert. Dallas came into the game allowing the third-most offensive rebounds in the NBA, at 12.4 per contest.

Minnesota ended up shooting 16-of-42 (38.1%) from beyond the arc in the win and out-rebounded the Mavs, 66-58. The Mavs gave up 17 offensive boards in the loss.

Tryouts?

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said before the game that one of the things the team wanted to do was to get a good hard look at AJ Johnson, who was brought in from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Anthony Davis at the NBA Trade Deadline, and two-way rookie Miles Kelly. Johnson’s first bucket as a Maverick came on a high-flying second-quarter fast-break lob from Naji Marshall after a P.J. Washington steal, to bring Dallas back to within 45-37. He turned the ball over on the Mavs’ next possession. Johnson is a 21-year-old second-year player who decommitted from the University of Texas a couple years ago in favor of starting his professional career in Australia after high school.

Johnson played just five minutes in the loss, all in the first half, and Kelly didn’t get in until the fourth quarter. Even if it didn’t materialize on Friday, expect Dallas to get extended looks at these guys over the last 27 games of the season.

Where’s Washington

Someone had to score baskets for the short-handed Mavericks in this one. Despite all the missing pieces coming into the game for Dallas, they were still scheduled to play 48 full minutes on Friday. Washington would get every opportunity to turn a corner, but he turned in another stinker through the first half against Minnesota.

Washington shot 2-of-8 from the field in the first half for five points, as newcomer Khris Middleton led Dallas with 12 points at the half. He hit a 3-pointer in the game’s opening moments, then scored just two points over the next 22-plus minutes. For much of the 2025-26 season, he’s been in full-on regression mode after cementing himself as one of the most important Mavericks on the roster a year ago.

Washington got going a little early in the third quarter, scoring in transition less than two minutes into the second half before knocking down a mid-range jumper two possessions later to bring the Mavs to within 75-68, as part of an extended 24-8 run from the end of the second through start of the third. His second 3-ball of the game put him at 12 points with 7:23 remaining in the third and brought Dallas back to within two, down just 77-75.

Washington was not eligible to be traded at the deadline this season, but will be this offseason. It will be interesting to see what kind of market, if any, there is for him. He finished with 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting and 12 rebounds in Friday’s loss at Minnesota.

The Jazz snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and lost 114-123. Depending on who you ask this was either a masterclass in tanking, or an embarrassing implosion. This game also featured many familiar faces for both teams, (Hello Kyle Anderson, and Taylor Hendricks) as well as an emotional homecoming for Jaren Jackson Jr.

Ace Bailey– B

Ace had arguably the most memorable play of the game from a Jazzman when he caught a beautiful lob from Collier and threw it down. He dropped 20 points, with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block on the night. His shot from deep wasn’t falling tonight, going 2-9, but he had some good looks from deep. He’s still only 19 (which I just recently learned) and will continue to develop and grow as a player. I think I speak for all Jazz fans when I say that I’m very excited to see the player that Ace will become.

Cody Williams–C-

Really tough shooting night for Cody. He only had 5 points in 37 minutes, and had four turnovers. He did rebound the ball well tonight though, posting a team high 9. He also had a really impressive defensive moment when he shut down a three on one.

Isaiah Collier –A-

Collier was awesome yet again. Lead the team in scoring and assists with 24, and 5 respectively. His speed will never cease to amaze me. His defense tonight was also impressive as he had four steals, and two blocks.

Kyle Filipowski –B-

Two of Flip’s five turnovers came inbounding the ball tonight. He did have some impressive defensive moments and 20 points so it certainly wasn’t a bad game for him. He’s proven to be a capable backup big man and should be a really nice piece for this Jazz team when they are competing for a playoff spot next season.

John Konchar–B

Making his first start as a Jazzman, the former undrafted free agent looked solid in front of his former team. While he is still yet to knock down a three as a member of the Jazz, he did have a productive game, especially on defense. He had 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. He plays hard, and knows his role.

Brice Sensabaugh–C-

Brice Sensabaugh is an enigma. One game he will look like a high end starter, the next he will look like a low tier bench player. In a game where you would figure he would be one of the go to guys on offense he was largely invisible. He shot poorly from deep (1-4) and had 3 turnovers. He still managed to score 9 points in limited playing time, but I feel that its a bad sign that he’s not getting on the floor as much as he seemingly should. Maybe I have it wrong and the reason that he’s not playing as much is because we want to lose, but guys like Collier and Flip have been playing well and don’t seem to have any limits on their playing time. Sensabaugh also received a tech after he didn’t get a foul call on a play where he absolutely got fouled.

Vince Williams Jr. –B-

Solid night for the former Grizzly. He plays with a lot of hustle, and had a ridiculous pass to his former teammate. He dove for a loose ball, secured it, and passed it while seated, to Konchar for an easy layup. He didn’t have the best night shooting the ball, going 2-7, but who really cares? He plays hard and is so much fun to watch, and at this point in the season thats all that really matters.

Oscar Tshiebwe –B

In 14 minutes he grabbed 6 rebounds, 2 points. It’s too bad we didn’t get to see more of him, but he got in foul trouble which limited his minutes tonight.

Blake Hinson – A

Hinson was awesome tonight. In his second ever NBA game he managed to impress. He was perfect from deep, and had 4 boards. He also set his career high in points with 13. Hinson plays with a lot of hustle and like I said in my last player grades article that I think he could definitely serve as a depth piece here, or for another team.

Elijah Harkless –B+

You know exactly what you’re going to get from Harkless every time he steps onto the court: hustle, and defense. Tonight was no exception as he played hard for his 7 minutes of action.

Kevin Love –A

The veteran only played 5 minutes in this one, but he was great, making both his three pointers, (one of which was an and-one) and also dishing out 3 assists.

The Cleveland Cavaliers extend their win streak to seven after a narrow win over the Charlotte Hornets.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

32 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

Mitchell started this game 4-15. But, as we’ve seen all season, Mitchell turned it on when the Cavs needed him most. He shot 5-8 the rest of the way and finished with his 100th 30-point game as a Cavalier.

Grade: A–

James Harden

18 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Harden is dishing the rock with efficiency since joining the Cavs. He had another 8 assists tonight as the Cavalier offense feels more potent than it’s been all season with him at the helm. We only wish he could have grabbed a few more rebounds or been sharper off the ball defensively.

Grade: B+

Jarrett Allen

26 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

Allen hasn’t let up on any opponent for weeks now. He put his head down and attacked the paint over and over again tonight as the Hornets didn’t have enough bodies to stop him. If he hadn’t hauled in 14 rebounds, the Cavs would have lost this one. Bravo, Allen. This aggression has been a joy to watch.

Grade: A+

Jaylon Tyson

5 points, 1 rebound

Tyson’s role has changed significantly now that Harden is here. That means we’ll likely have to adjust how we grade him. He simply isn’t getting as many opportunities. That said, Cleveland could have used a better effort on the glass.

Grade: B-

Keon Ellis

4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

I’m convinced that Ellis can clone himself and appear multiple places at once. That’s the only way to explain some of the defensive plays he comes up with.

Grade: A–

Thomas Bryant

2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Bryant had some highs and lows. His block in the third quarter was electric, but he might have been a step too slow for a fast-paced matchup like this.

Grade: B-

Dennis Schroder

8 points, 3 assists, 3 steals

Schroder continues to be a pest. He came up with two big steals in the second half and has given the Cavs bench an edge that they’ve been missing.

Grade: A-

Sam Merrill

10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

Merrill had more success tonight. He hit 2-of-4 three-point attempts and had a nice backdoor cut early in the first half.

Grade: B+

Dean Wade

8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal

Wade hit consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter to close this out. He hasn’t missed a shot since returning from the All-Star break.

Grade: A+

The Washington Wizards defeated the Indiana Pacers, 131-118 on Friday night at Capital One Arena.

This game began as one where the Wizards were losing for much of the first half, even into the second. The Wizards were losing by as many as 15 points at one point in the second quarter. But in the fourth quarter, Washington shot over 70 percent from the field, forced 7 turnovers and scored 11 points off of them and ultimately came up with the win.

Alondes Williams scored 11 of his 25 points off the bench to lead the Wizards to victory. He was also the leading scorer overall. Sharife Cooper also added 18 points, also off the bench for Washington.

For the Pacers, Jay Huff led with 22 points.

The Wizards’ next game is on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. Tip off is at 6 p.m. ET. At least for now since there is a chance of a snowstorm. See you then.

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out an impressive 118-113 victory over a surging Charlotte Hornets team on the second night of a back-to-back. It wasnt pretty for the entire 48 minutes. Cleveland struggled to defend the three-point line and clear defensive possessions, but they executed well enough offensively to get the win. That’s all that matters in a game like this.

The Cavaliers controlled most of the first half. They won the first quarter by 10, pushed their lead to 14, and then settled for a six-point advantage going into the break.

Charlotte roared back in the second half. They retook the lead in the third quarter due to shooting 8-15 from beyond the arc in that frame. They pushed their advantage to four before the Cavs reasserted control.

Cleveland wasn’t able to create much separation in the fourth, but they also never let Charlotte off the mat. The offense continued to generate clean looks in the half-court thanks to their dynamic backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Combine that with an energized Jarrett Allen, and you have the makings of an elite offense.

Meanwhile, the Hornets weren’t able to get their outside shots to carry them in the fourth as they did in the third quarter. They went 2-15 from three, and their offense simply ran out of gas. This led to the Cavs winning the final frame 28-24.

Allen continued his string of impressive play. He set the tone early by scoring 11 of his 26 points in the opening quarter. Even though he wasn’t scoring as much over the final three quarters, his activity never wavered, which led to him finishing with 14 rebounds and a block.

Mitchell and Harden once again worked well together in crunch time. Harden had the reins as the play initiator, while Mitchell was able to find opportunities to score when the ball came his way. This led to Mitchell scoring 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter. Harden finished the evening with 18 points on 6-14 shooting to go along with eight assists.

This wasn’t a perfect game by any stretch. The Cavs once again struggled to clear defensive possessions. This led to the Hornets compiling 37 second-chance points and gathering 44.6% of their missed shots (97th percentile). Many of these were due to the Cavs not being able to corral long rebounds off missed triples. This is an area where Evan Mobley’s absence (injury management) was sorely missed.

Kon Knueppel’s three-point shooting kept the Hornets in the game. He went 7-15 from beyond the arc en route to a game-high 33 points. Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller both contributed 18 points apiece.

Even though there were areas to improve, this was a solid win. The Hornets are better than their record indicates. They came into this one winning eight of their last 10.

The Cavs have won their seventh in a row and 12 of their last 13. They were playing well before the trades, but have taken that to a new level since.

Cleveland will look to keep their strong play going. They head to Oklahoma City to take on a shorthanded Thunder team on Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is at 1 PM.

The All-Star break is in the rearview, and as the schedule tightens and teams around the league start fine-tuning rosters and jockeying for postseason position, every night carries a little more weight. That reality applies to the Phoenix Suns as well, who currently sit seventh in the Western Conference. If the season ended today, they would be hosting a Play-In game, living in that uncomfortable middle where urgency never really lets up. Like so many teams right now, Phoenix is still chasing something close to full strength while trying to stay competitive in the standings.

That task did not get any easier on Thursday night. Devin Booker exited the first game back from the break in the second quarter and never returned. Hip soreness was the initial explanation, one that felt manageable in the moment. But the injury report for Saturday’s matchup against Orlando tells a clearer story. Booker has been ruled out with a hip strain, officially removing him from the lineup as the Suns try to navigate the early stretch of a tightening schedule.

Suns injury report for tomorrow:

Grayson Allen – QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
Cole Anthony – OUT (Not With Team)
Devin Booker – OUT (Right Hip Strain)
Haywood Highsmith – OUT (Right Knee Injury Management)

— Amanda_Pflugrad (@Amanda_Pflugrad) February 21, 2026

You could see something was bothering Booker while he was on the floor, even if there was no single play that clearly set it off. Nothing obvious, nothing dramatic, simply a player who did not look right. Regardless, Booker finds himself back on the injury report once again. He has already missed time this season with a sprained ankle and a strained groin, and now a hip strain joins the list. Notably, each of those injuries has involved his right leg.

Recovery timelines for something like this can vary depending on severity, which makes projecting an exact return tricky. The hope is that it does not stretch beyond a couple of weeks, though that remains to be seen as the team monitors how he responds.

With this latest absence, Booker has now missed eight of the Suns’ last 11 games. Over that stretch, Phoenix is 4-4 without him, and 5-7 in the 12 games he has missed overall this season.

Grayson Allen, who has already missed the previous four games, is listed as questionable. He popped up on the injury report unexpectedly before tip-off against San Antonio, another reminder of how unpredictable this season has been from a health standpoint. Allen has appeared in 35 games during what has been an injury-riddled year for him.

Dillon Brooks will return from suspension, which helps stabilize things on the wing, but the Suns are still searching for footing as the calendar keeps moving and the postseason edges closer into view. Availability remains fluid, lineups remain unsettled, and the margin for error continues to narrow with every passing game.

As far as rebuilds go, the Spurs have managed a relatively quick turnaround. From tearing things down to the studs in 2023, to reaching legitimate contender status, it’s been a quick three years. Currently, San Antonio sits poised and firmly cemented in the two seed of the Western Conference, on a 58-win pace, which would be quite the jump from 34 only one season ago.

But this is the NBA. There’s the regular season, which is all fine and good, but what matters is the playoffs. And there’s a commonly held belief that in order to truly contend for a championship, a team needs to taste defeat in the playoffs first. They need those “playoff scars.”

So how true is that? For those teams that managed to invert their regular-season status, what does history say about doing the same in the postseason?

Taking a look at the modern era, since the turn of the century, history tends to favor teams knocking on the door of the Finals to just barging in. Very few teams have gone from not making the playoffs to even making the Conference Finals the very next year, but it does happen.

The prime example is the 2008 Celtics. Boston hadn’t entered the postseason in two years, but general manager Danny Ainge managed to put together what many call the first super-team of the era—adding the talents of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett alongside Paul Pierce. It not only ended the Celtics playoff drought, but it brought them their first championship since 1986.

Then there are the 2021 Phoenix Suns. Phoenix hadn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2010, but then managed to make the finals in 2021. This was following an undefeated run in the Orlando bubble, which still did not grant them a playoff birth. In the offseason, they traded for Chris Paul, Monty Williams coached his ass off (finishing 2nd in Coach of the Year voting), and they went on a run.

Next are the 2020 Lakers. They flipped a six-year playoff drought into a championship in the bubble. This was their second year with LeBron James, and their first year with Anthony Davis.

James adds to the list with the 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers. After adding him in free agency and trading for Kevin Love, the Cavs kicked off a four-year run of meeting Golden State in the Finals. This, after they hadn’t even won more than 33 games since 2010.

Finally, the 2024 Indiana Pacers round out the list. The Pacers had been absent from a postseason appearance for three years until making a leap to the Conference Finals. This new success was attributable to the development of star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, as well as the addition of star forward Pascal Siakam.

And that’s the list. Overall, there is a small trend. All of these teams have added major talent and are usually built around a generational great.

While history shows us that most deep playoff runs follow at least a first or second round exit the year prior, the precedent is there for a deep run, provided the team has the right pieces.

This Spurs team has the right pieces. They have a generational great in Victor Wemanyama and have the new addition of De’Aaron Fox. This is on top of the talented role players built around them. It won’t be easy, but it’s quite possible that San Antonio breaks the trend and adds itself to the above list.