NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sam Surridge scored two goals Saturday night, Warren Madrigal added a goal and two assists, and Nashville SC beat the New England Revolution 4-1 in the season opener for both teams.
Surridge opened the scoring in the sixth minute and scored on the counter-attack in the 16th to make it 2-0.
Brian Schwake made his MLS debut. The 24-year-old goalkeeper did not record a save.
Hany Mukhtar blasted a rising first-touch shot from point-blank range to give Nashville a 3-0 lead in the 39th minute and Madrigal capped the scoring in the 49th.
Leo Campana scored in the 47th minute for New England. Campana, who scored seven goals last year in an injury-plagued season, had five goals in five preseason matches.
Matt Turner had four saves for the Revolution.
Surridge, who led Nashville with 24 goals last season (tied with Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga for second in MLS), signed a contract extension through the 2027-28 season with an option for the 2028-29 season, the club announced earlier Saturday.
Coach B.J. Callaghan signed an contract extension Monday with Nashville. In 2025, his first full season with the club, Callaghan led Nashville to franchise records for single-season wins (22), longest unbeaten streak (15 games) and most goals scored (75). Nashville tied the club’s single-season points record with 54 but lost in the first round of the playoffs to eventual MLS Cup champions Inter Miami.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Petar Musa scored two goals on Saturday night, Logan Farrington added a goal and an assist, and FC Dallas beat Toronto FC 3-2 in the season opener for both teams.
Toronto’s Djordje Mihailovic and Derrick Etienne Jr. each scored a goal.
Musa flicked a header, off a cross played by Farrington, inside the left post from the center of the area to cap the scoring in the 79th minute.
Michael Collodi had five saves for Dallas.
Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran did not record a save.
Musa opened the scoring in the ninth minute but Mihailovic answered with a goal off a perfectly-placed through ball played by Jonathan Osorio in the 15th to make it 1-1.
Farrington cut back to evade two defenders and then slipped a shot from the center of the area inside the right post to give Dallas a 2-1 lead in the 38th minute.
Etienne put away the rebound of a shot by Dániel Sallói to make it 2-2 in the 67th.
WACO, Texas (AP) — Taliah Scott made all 11 of her foul shots and scored 22, reserve Marcayla Johnson added 12 points and 15th-ranked Baylor beat Arizona 74-60 on Saturday.
Johnson scored 10 of her points in the first half, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs scored 10 and Bella Fontleroy grabbed 10 rebounds for the Bears (23-6, 12-4 Big 12), who were coming off a 31-point road loss against No. 20 Texas Tech on Wednesday.
Reserve Noelani Cornfield and Daniah Trammell each scored 11 points and Molly Ladwig 10 for Arizona (11-16, 2-14).
The Wildcats entered with a four-game losing streak and had dropped 10 of 11. Despite their struggles, they turned a 10-8 lead just past the midway mark of the first quarter into a 10-point lead with a 12-4 run in less than three minutes.
Arizona led 22-15 after the first period and had eight players enter the scoring column before halftime.
Baylor responded in the second quarter,outscoring Arizona 23-8. Scott's 3-pointer with 3:08 before halftime put Baylor up 31-28 and the Bears went to the break up 38-30.
Fontleroy's jumper with 8:56 made it 42-31 and Arizona led by double digits for nearly all the second half.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Teenager Julian Hall scored two goals in the first half and 30-year-old rookie goalkeeper Kevin Horvath made them stand up as the New York Red Bulls beat Orlando City 2-1 in a season opener on Saturday night.
Cade Cowell passed to Emil Forsberg, who maintained possession through traffic before setting up Hall for a tap-in in the 8th minute. Hall took a pass from 16-year-old rookie Adri Mehmeti and scored in the 40th minute to give New York a 2-0 lead at halftime.
It was the fifth career goal for Hall, who won't turn 18 until March 24. He scored once in 26 appearances last season and twice in 11 appearances in 2024.
Horvath, a member of the U.S. men's national team, totaled six saves and lost his clean sheet in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time on a goal by Tiago Souza. Horvath replaces Carlos Coronel, who left to play in Brazil after five seasons with the Red Bulls. Souza subbed in for Tyrese Spicer in the 76th minute of his MLS debut.
Maxime Crépeau finished with 11 saves in his first start in goal for Orlando City after two seasons with the Portland Timbers. Crépeau, who made his 200th career start, replaces longtime starter Pedro Gallese — who signed with Colombia’s Deportivo Cali after his contract expired.
Orlando City’s Wilder Cartagena hobbled off and was replaced by 19-year-old Colin Guske in the 14th minute. Guske played 13 minutes in five appearances last season.
Up next
New York: Hosts the New England Revolution on Saturday.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Aziel Jackson scored a goal in his debut for Vancouver and the Whitecaps beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Yohei Takaoka had two saves for Vancouver.
Jackson opened the scoring in the 57th minute. Tate Johnson played a cross from the left side that deflected off defender DeAndre Yedlin to Jackson for a volley from the center of the area.
Vancouver, coming off its first Western Conference title and 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the MLS Cup championship, played its 500th match in the MLS regular season.
Rafael Cabral, the only RSL player to start and finish every match (across all competitions), had four saves.
The Whitecaps are 16-15-5 in the MLS regular season against Salt Lake, 13-5-1 at home.
Thomas Müller hit the right post with a shot from outside the area in the 16th minute and, moments later, Brian White's shot from the center of the area sailed over the crossbar.
A trio of injuries has cast a dark cloud over the Suns' dramatic double-overtime win on Saturday.
Dillon Brooks, who has been both a culture setter for the organization and a secondary shot creator, averaging 21.2 points per game, will be out indefinitely with a fractured hand, a story first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by others.
The report had no details — What part of the hand? Would surgery be needed? — other than to say doctors would meet in the coming days to come up with a timetable for his return.
Phoenix announced earlier that All-Star Devin Booker will miss at least a week due to a right hip strain, which he suffered in the first game back after the break against San Antonio on Thursday. The team said he would be re-evaluated in a week.
Booker is the Suns' best player, averaging 24.7 points and 6.1 assists per game this season. Not long before the All-Star break, he missed seven games with a sprained ankle, and the Suns went 4-3 in those games.
On top of all that, rotation guard Jordan Goodwin suffered a calf injury Saturday against Orlando and will have an MRI on Sunday, coach Jordan Ott said postgame.
All of that cast a dark shadow over the Suns most dramatic win of the season, a double overtime win against the Orlando Magic where Jalen Green had struggled to a 5-of-25 night shooting, but when it was all on the line in the second overtime he hit the shot that mattered most.
JALEN GREEN HITS THE GAME-WINNING @TISSOT BUZZER-BEATER TO WIN IT FOR THE SUNS IN 2OT!
WASHINTON (AP) — Tai Baribo scored a goal against his former team on Saturday night to help D.C. United beat the Philadelphia Union in the season opener for both teams.
Ezekiel Alladoh, a 20-year-old forward who made his MLS debut, was shown a straight red card in the 59th minute and Philadelphia played a man down the rest of the way.
Baribo, who led the Union with 16 last season was acquired via trade for cash in the offseason, opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. On the counter-attack, Baribo beat goalkeeper Andre Blake with a first-touch shot off a through ball played by João Peglow to make it 1-0.
Baribo had a would-be goal in the opening minutes ruled offside.
Forward Louis Munteanu made his MLS debut for D.C. United when he subbed on for Gabriel Pirani in the 70th minute. Munteanu, a 23-year-old Romanian international, was acquired in January for a club-record transfer fee of $7 million-plus.
Sean Johnson had three saves in his debut for D.C. United. The 36-year-old went into the game with 431 career MLS starts across 16 seasons for Chicago, New York City FC and, most recently, Toronto.
The Union is 28-10-7 against D.C., 8-7-6 on the road.
Philadelphia swept United in the 2025 regular season: 3-0 win at home in April and 6-0 on the road in September.
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Chris Bell poured in 20 points to lead Cal past Stanford 72-66 on Saturday.
Bell was 5-of-11 shooting and 7 of 7 at the free-throw line to go with seven rebounds and two steals for the Golden Bears (19-8, 7-7 Atlantic Coast Conference). John Camden notched 18 points and eight rebounds, while Dai Dai Ames had 17 points and seven rebounds.
The win makes it a regular-season sweep for the first time since 2009-10 for the Golden Bears, who are coached by Stanford alum Mark Madsen. Before this season, the Golden Bears had lost five in a row to Stanford.
Ebuka Okorie continued a stellar freshman season for the Cardinal (16-11, 5-9), scoring 17 points and tallying 13 rebounds for the first double-double, and double-digit rebounding performance of his career. He'd never secured more than seven rebounds in a game prior to Saturday. Okorie entered the game averaging 22.5 points per game, the sixth-best average in the country.
Stanford's Aidan Cammann scored 19 points, along with six rebounds and two blocks, but was 11 of 19 at the free-throw line. Benny Gealer scored 15 points, and AJ Rohosy had 10 to go with six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
The Cardinal mounted a 7-0 run inside the final 1:14, using a turnover from Justin Pippen and a foul from Ames to set up three free throws for Gealer. A turnover from Ames set up a layup for Cammann to make it 71-66 with 29 seconds to go.
A free throw from Camden with 24 seconds and missed 3-pointers from Gealer and Okorie sealed the result.
Cal built a 39-25 halftime lead after a 12-1 run with five points from Bell.
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 21: Jalen Green #4 hugs Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns after shooting the game winning basket against the Orlando Magic on February 21, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Wow, what a crazy turn of events on this Saturday afternoon. A game that was supposed to end early ended up being three hours long with two overtime periods and three buzzer beaters for the Phoenix Suns. They ended up beating the Orlando Magic 113-110 after a game-winning three from Jalen Green.
That being said, this game was not all sunshine and rainbows, as the Suns struggled on offense without Devin Booker leading the charge. With Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin also getting hurt and not returning in this contest, it really put the game in the hands of Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, and Grayson Allen.
For the Magic, they were an all-out threat in the beginning, being led by Desmond Bane, who could not miss for the first quarter. He eventually fouled out, leading to Paolo Banchero and Jevon Carter trying to save the day on the road, but it was just not enough. Even with his shooting struggles today, Jalen Green made two big shots in double OT when it mattered most, and that was enough to secure a much-needed win for the Suns.
Game Flow
First Half
The Suns fans sadly opened up this game on their feet for a couple of minutes, awaiting a basket, until Dillon Brooks drained a three-pointer. This then led them down 9-3 early, as Tristan Da Silva matched Brooks’ points. Orlando’s offense started hot, getting to the basket, with Desmond Bane taking command. Phoenix, on the other hand, could not buy a bucket for the first six minutes of the game.
Threes were not falling, and at one point, they were 4/16 from the field. Added to that, Dillon Brooks unfortunately hurt his hand and then went back to the locker room.
Looks like Dillon Brooks is heading to the locker room. It looked like he was grabbing his hand/wrist on the last handful of possessions, specifically after shooting the ball. pic.twitter.com/nlNwcky0Rw
With him out, though, Jordan Goodwin made some big rebounds and helped raise the defensive tenacity. This led the Suns to climb back into the game, even though they were down by double digits at one point.
Even with this, though, Bane was just on a tear and shot a perfect 5/5 from the field in the quarter and finished with 14 points. This allowed them to take a 25-21 lead into the quarter break.
To start the second quarter, the Suns were rusty, but then they completely silenced that downhill experience. After a Jevon Carter three-pointer to make it an eight-point game, the Suns registered seven straight points and made it a one-point game.
That is where Bane started to get the ball back from Orlando and continue his heater, but Collin Gillespie was ready to match that. Gillespie took the lead back for the Suns after scoring five straight and scoring from all three levels.
That is where the game plan switched for both teams, as Phoenix dominated the paint in the first quarter. Now, Orlando was showing they could match those points, as Paolo Banchero and Jevon Carter started finding ways to attack the Suns’ basket. This blew the lead back to double digits, as the former fan favorite Jevon Carter proved the Bulls wrong for waiving him.
Before the close of the first half, though, Grayson Allen snuck in a buzzer-beater layup to drop the Magic’s lead to eight, 51-43.
The third quarter started with Orlando still playing through their hot hand in Bane, who hit another three. That said, the Suns went on an 11-0 run to tie the game. Mark Williams finally started getting involved in the offense, scoring back-to-back baskets in the paint. Add that with a three from O’Neale and Gillespie, and the Magic are forced to take a timeout.
Out of that timeout, the Suns took the lead back with a nice three from Green. That is where their offense started delivering with Williams once again. The stellar Suns’ defense continued as well to keep them alive, forcing some big turnovers. The Magic did try to match by going inside with their own bigs, Goga Bitadze and Mo Wagner. That was not enough, though, for one Sun who made his presence known.
Jordan Goodwin also made himself a major X-factor in this quarter on both ends. With two steals already and hitting a buzzer-beater three, the Suns now lead the Magic by four, 77-73, heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth, the Suns returned to what had been their strength: scoring inside. With Oso Ighodaro having a great night, he attacked Mo Wagner and got some offense going for the Suns. Not only was he solid on the glass, but he was solid on the glass.
The Suns continued to press on the gas pedal and expand this lead. Even with Carter and Bane trying to score, it is not enough with the team basketball taking place. Gillespie and Goodwin have a combined 36 points, shooting 6/10 from three-point range, and continue to deliver on offense.
That being said, as we know, the Suns will always be in a close one, as the Magic scored six straight points, forcing the Suns to take a timeout. With them struggling from three, the Magic were able to take that eleven-point lead down to three. The Suns also lost Jordan Goodwin. He appeared to be grabbing his calf and ran into the locker room.
Goodwin tweaked something in his left leg and called for a sub in the middle of live play. Struggling to move right now. Fouled to stop play and went back to the locker room.
With a tough offense stretch for Phoenix in the fourth, the Magic tied the game up at 96 from a dunk by Anthony Black. The Suns, who were prioritizing making some threes late, missed the game-winner in regulation. Collin Gillespie, who tried to get the Suns their third buzzer-beater tonight, was unfortunately unsuccessful in that regard.
OT
To kick off OT, the Suns got a blessing with a big steal from Jalen Green that led to Desmond Bane fouling out of the game. Sadly, Green missed both free throws, and on the other end, Wendell Carter Jr. converted a three-point play to take the lead. With no Bane, the Magic ran their offense through Banchero, who was effective for them. The Suns, though, had Grayson Allen, who scored seven straight to take the lead back with a minute left. Of course, though, Banchero tied it back up, and after a nice try from Mark Williams to tie the game, it now heads to double overtime.
Double OT
With both teams hungrier than ever, to secure this win, the physicality on the defensive end continues to intensify. After missing a pair of free throws, Jalen Green splits his next pair, but once again, Banchero makes another shot to take the lead. That said, the Suns had Grayson Allen continue to come up big, making another shot to take the lead. With the Suns attacking the basket, they forced Wendell Carter Jr. to foul out, just as Bane did. Green once again then split his pair of free throws.
Since the Suns forced multiple steals late in the game, they limited the Magic’s shot attempts, helping address their struggle to score late. Multiple times, both teams have gone silent on offense for consecutive minutes, making this dogfight keep dragging on. The physicality on the defensive end is also very prevalent right now.
With the Suns up three, Isaac missed two free throws, but then Jevon Carter tied it up. That was all until the man who needed it most, Jalen Green, hit the third buzzer-beater for the Suns and won the game 113-110.
The Suns gear up for another home game tomorrow, taking on the Portland Trail Blazers in a fun back-to-back homestand. The team will need some much-needed rest after this long duel with the Orlando Magic.
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 3: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on February 3, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks (35*-21) host the Houston Rockets (34-20) tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks hope to bounce back from a bad showing on Thursday against the Pistons. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant and the Rockets just squeaked by Charlotte, winning by four.
Tip off is 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC. This is your game thread. This is The Dream Shake. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Take it easy, easy like Sunday morning. And go Knicks!
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JANUARY 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to drive past Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Paycom Center on January 16, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This was supposed to be a measuring stick game for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They only play the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder twice. Even though this will be a good test, Oklahoma City’s injuries keep this from being a marquee matchup
The Thunder have really struggled offensively this season in lineups without Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Caruso. In those configurations, the Thunder have posted a 106.1 offensive rating (4th percentile). The defense is still formidable with a 107.9 defensive rating (93rd percentile), which has helped keep them afloat.
This will be a good test for Cleveland’s new-look offense with James Harden. The Thunder have still been elite on that end, thanks to their front court of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. However, they aren’t the same team on offense. We’ll see if the Cavs can take advantage.
Cavs injury report: Max Strus – OUT (foot), Tristan Enaruna – OUT (G League), Riley Minix – OUT (G League)
Thunder injury report: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (ab strain), Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring), Alex Caruso – OUT (ankle), Jay Mitchell – OUT (ankle), Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Thunder expected starting lineup: Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Xavier Edmonds had 14 points and 13 rebounds and TCU closed the game with a 17-5 run, defeating West Virginia 60-54 on Saturday.
It was the third straight double-double for Edmonds and his eighth in the last nine games, raising his season averages to 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
TCU missed eight of nine shots to open the second half and later missed eight in a row. West Virginia led 49-43 with eight minutes remaining before the Horned Frogs cut it to one when David Punch finally hit a jumper. Brock Harding and Punch each made two layups two give TCU a 56-52 lead with 1:36 to go and the Horned Frogs made four free throws in the final seconds to wrap up the win.
West Virginia scored only two points in the final four minutes, finishing the game in a 1-for-6 shooting slump.
West Virginia shot 41% for the game compared to 34% for TCU.
Liutauras Lelevicius scored 14 points off the bench, Punch added 12 and Harding scored 11 for TCU (17-10, 7-7 Big 12).
Honor Huff scored 13 and Brenen Lorient 10 for West Virginia (16-11, 7-7).
TCU missed seven of nine shots in the first eight minutes but trailed only 9-4. The Horned Frogs regrouped and a 14-2 run late in the half led to a 30-25 lead at halftime. Lelevicius hit three 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the half.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 07: Paul Reed #7 of the Detroit Pistons tries to drive around Matas Buzelis #14 of the Chicago Bulls during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on January 07, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jalen Duren is back, but Jaden Ivey is not. The Detroit Pistons face the Chicago Bulls tonight, and they will see the return of their All-Star big man after serving a two-game suspension for an on-court altercation. Ivey, meanwhile, is out tonight due to knee soreness. It’s a bummer not to see Ivey suit up and play 30-plus minutes, but it is no easy road coming back from a major knee injury. I hope we can see the old, explosive Ivey again soon.
The Pistons are on quite a roll, and star point guard Cade Cunningham is finally getting some legitimate MVP buzz. All it takes is for his 3-pointer to start falling and one stellar showing on the grand stage of Madison Square Garden. Cunningham scored 42 points and hit five 3-pointers in a 126-111 win over the Knicks. It would be fabulous if he didn’t follow that up with a stinker against the Bulls, who have lost 10 of their last 11 games.
Game Vitals
When: 8 p.m. ET Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons -10.5
LOS ANGELES — Jayson Tatum appeared on the floor moments before Celtics practice on Saturday and addressed photos showing him seemingly taking part in team activities in San Francisco. He clarified that he didn’t take part in a practice, and rather participated in an optional workout with several Celtics teammates, including Luka Garza.
Joe Mazzulla would not say whether Tatum, who added that he hasn’t practiced since his Maine session, would practice with the team on Saturday as he continues to progress in his on-court work and overall recovery process.
“He’s just continuing to get better,” Mazzulla said. “Working on his reads and then continuing to hit his checkmarks in the weight room and then in the treatment room as well. The main goal is just making sure he gets 100% healthy and continues to get better and better.”
“It’s just trusting the group that we have around him,” he continued. “And taking it step-by-step. So, just making sure we stick to that as much as we can. He came out of the Maine practice pretty well, and so we’ll continue to see it from there. It just depends as he continues to hit those check marks, whatever they may be.”
The latest comments from Tatum and Mazzulla maintain the secrecy the Celtics and Tatum’s team have operated with through the final stages of his Achilles recovery. Several reports indicated over the past week that Tatum’s still uncertain whether he’ll return or not this year, and despite speculation around an NBC-flexed Celtics start time on March 1 against the Sixers, he said that he does not have a return date in mind at the moment.
Mazzulla said the Celtics hadn’t practiced since Tatum’s Maine Celtics session, which went well. Boston doesn’t have a plan for him to join their actual practice activity other than continuing along his normal progression. That would seemingly indicate that there’s no imminent return expected for the Celtics star in the near future.
“Work out, see how you recover the next day and then you just make a plan from there,” Tatum said. “It was a little five-on-five (on Wednesday). It’s tough to go into detail on every single thing I’m doing every day, but I will say I’m just getting acclimated more and doing little things with some of the guys out there, but it’s all part of rehab and just going with the plan.”
Tatum added that he feels better than he did the previous day, and that’s all he’s focused on at the moment rather than a specific return date. He stressed that it’s important that he put himself in position to have a return be a conversation, and continued stressing he won’t play until he’s 100% and he wouldn’t indicate what percent he’s currently at.
The Celtics arrived at Santa Barbara Prep for practice alongside Tatum, who took some light shots on the court before the session began. He sported a team-issued shirt and sweatpants, put on his sneakers and spoke to the media before the practice closed once it began.
“I feel like I’m beating a dead horse,” Tatum said. “I’m taking it one day at a time. This is something that’s very serious. The injury that I had is just a long journey. For me, it’s just easier to take it one day at a time and see how I progress from there.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 16: De'Aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs and DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings embrace at the end of the game at Frost Bank Center on November 16, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
The Spurs have never won both games in the Moody Center series that’s been played in Austin the last four years, and they have a great chance to do it tonight, after blowing out the Suns on Thursday night 121-94. The Suns were without their emotional leader Dillon Brooks due to a league suspension and lost Devin Booker in the first half with hip soreness, and the Spurs took advantage, taking a huge lead in the second half and resting their starters for most of the fourth quarter. The Kings have the worst record in the NBA, and shut down Damontas Sabonis for the rest of the season as he’s getting surgery on his knee for a meniscus tear that wouldn’t heal on its own. Zach Levine and new acquisition De’Andre Hunter are also out for the season, and ethical tanking seems to be fully deployed in central California. The roster for the Kings is now Demar DeRozan, Russ Westbrook, and a bunch of young guys. Two of those guys are Maxime Raynaud, who has been playing well recently, and Keegan Murray, who is turning into a very effective power forward in the league. Westbrook and DeRozan will definitely be in the hall of fame, but they’re a bit past their prime as players. The thing is that they’re still good enough to cause the Spurs issues if they do not play with the kind of effort and commitment that they brought against the Suns. It would be advantageous for the Silver and Black to put this game away early so they could rest players late in the game, because the Spurs will be heading out on the road again for a key contest against Cade Cunningham and the Eastern Conference leading Pistons on Monday night.
The Spurs can make this game less stressful if they take control early and take a big lead at the half. Neither DeRozan or Westbrook are great three point shooters, and Victor should be able to limit their offense when he’s in the game by creating a no-shooting zone in the paint. The team needs to be focused and not look forward to Monday night, because that kind of thinking can lead to a bad Saturday night. It will be interesting to see whether Castle ends up defending DeMar or Russ, because either matchup will be fun to watch. It will be either DeMar’s crafty moves or Russell’s quickness and strength, and each one will provide unique challenges for Castle as he prepares his game for playoff basketball. It’s going to be fun to watch, let’s GOO SPURS!!
Game Prediction:
Matthew McConaughey will show up in the announcer booth, and will make the call of the game as he screams “alright, alright, alright!” as Victor Wembanyama dunks the ball.
San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings (Austin) February 21, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT Streaming: NBA League Pass TV: KENS5 Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
