Category: NBA

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Andre Mills scored 21 points to lead Maryland to a 64-60 win over Washington on Saturday.

Mills was only 7 of 18 from the floor, but 3 of 6 from behind the arc with five assists. He was coming off a career-high 39 points against Northwestern on Wednesday and scored 10 of the Terrapins' final 13 points over the last 6:24 of the game.

Solomon Washington’s 11-point, 14-rebound double-double buoyed the Terrapins (11-16, 4-12 Big Ten), while Elijah Saunders had 12 points and five rebounds.

Maryland held a 34-32 lead at halftime, flipping a game-high eight-point deficit into a lead with a 9-0 run starting at the 14:07 mark. They closed the game with a 13-6 run to retake and hold onto the lead.

The Terrapins had advantages in rebounding and on second-chance points, with 36-23 and 16-2 margins, respectively. While the Huskies shot 46 percent from the field (24-for-52) to 40 percent (23-for-57) for the Terrapins, the Terrapins made five more 3-pointers, and shot 43 percent behind the arc.

Zoom Diallo scored 19 points on 8 of 13 from the field to go with five assists for the Huskies (13-14, 5-11). Hannes Steinbach had 14 points and Wesley Yates III added 12.

Up next

Washington will continue its trip to the East Coast with a visit to Rutgers on Tuesday.

Maryland will face No. 9 Nebraska on the road on Wednesday.

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LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Donovan Atwell had 26 points with six 3-pointers, Christian Anderson scored 21 and No. 13 Texas Tech beat Kansas State 100-72 on Saturday in the first game for the Red Raiders since standout post JT Toppin's season-ending knee injury.

Texas Tech (20-7, 10-4 Big 12) maintained a double-digit lead after making nine consecutive shots, including three 3s in a row by Atwell, during a 26-10 run in just under seven minutes for a 40-20 lead with 6:20 left in the first half.

Anderson, who also had nine assists, scored 16 of his points after halftime, when LeJuan Watts had 13 of his 19.

The Red Raiders reached 20 wins for the third season in a row. The school record is four, with coach Bob Knight from 2001-02 to 2004-05.

PJ Haggerty had 17 points and Nate Johnson 15 points for Kansas State (11-16, 2-12), which was playing its second game since a coaching change. The Wildcats beat Baylor 90-74 at home Tuesday, two days after coach Jerome Tang was fired.

The Wildcats led only twice at Tech, when Johnson made their first two shots of the game, a 3 and then a jumper that made it 5-3.

Toppin, the preseason AP All-America selection, averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds a game while having 16 double-doubles before tearing the ACL in his right knee in a 72-67 loss at Arizona State on Tuesday night. He sat at the end of the Tech bench Saturday.

Sophomore forward Luke Bamgboye, a 6-foot-11 transfer from VCU, made his fifth start for the Red Raiders, his first since Dec. 7. He scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting while also having six rebounds and three blocked shots in 21 minutes.

Up next

Kansas State visits Colorado on Wednesday night.

Texas Tech hosts Cincinnati on Tuesday night.

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marcel Hartel scored in the 60th minute and Pep Biel equalized in the 73rd as St. Louis City SC and Charlotte FC opened the MLS season with a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

St. Louis controlled much of the match, finishing with a 22-9 advantage in shots and an 11-3 edge in shots on goal. Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina made 10 saves.

The teams played to a scoreless first half, with Charlotte generating limited attacking pressure while St. Louis created the better chances. CITY SC made its first substitution of the season early in the second half, bringing on Brendan McSorley.

St. Louis broke through in the 60th minute when Hartel finished from the left side of the box after a well-timed pass from Simon Becher opened space in front of the goal.

Charlotte answered 13 minutes later as Wilfried Zaha delivered a through ball that found Biel making a run into the box, and the midfielder finished to level the match.

St. Louis pushed for a winner late, generating several chances in stoppage time, but Kahlina preserved the draw with multiple close-range saves.

CITY SC finished with a 1.9-0.6 advantage in expected goals and a 6-1 edge in corner kicks, but settled for a point. St. Louis remains unbeaten in its four MLS season-opening matches.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Observations after Sixers slide to 4th straight loss, fall to lowly Pelicans  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers slid to a season-worst fourth straight loss Saturday night in New Orleans.

They fell to a 126-11 defeat, dropping to 30-26 overall. The Pelicans improved to 16-42. 

Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. posted 25.

New Orleans had three 20-point scorers in Jordan Poole (23 points), Zion Williamson (21) and Saddiq Bey (20).

Joel Embiid (right shin soreness and right knee injury management) missed his fourth consecutive game. The Pelicans’ injured players included Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi. 

The Sixers will visit the Timberwolves on Sunday night. Here are observations on their dismal loss to the Pelicans:

Sixers determined to draw fouls 

Two of Embiid’s many backups over the years started Saturday night. Andre Drummond matched up with very rarely used 37-year-old big man DeAndre Jordan. 

Both the Pelicans and Sixers began 0 for 4 from the floor. The Sixers at least managed to draw plenty of free throws. Their role players did a good job early of driving hard, consistently reaching the paint and putting pressure on the Pelicans’ lowly defense.

Maxey was the last Sixers starter on the scoreboard. He missed his first five field goals and dealt with customary extra attention on another Embiid-less night.

New Orleans native Oubre made the first field goal of the game, a long-range jumper that gave the Sixers an 8-0 edge. 

Not a beautiful ball game

Quentin Grimes had another nice start. 

Coming off of a 14-point outing Thursday in the Sixers’ loss to the Hawks, Grimes knocked down two three-pointers and scored nine points in the first quarter. 

The Sixers trimmed their rotation down to nine players in the first half, removing Trendon Watford. Justin Edwards joined the mix in the third quarter.

Jabari Walker logged 17 minutes and had nine points and six rebounds. Walker and Adem Bona each had solid defensive possessions on Williamson, although New Orleans’ star forward got rolling early in the second quarter and the Pelicans briefly went ahead. 

The second quarter was a physical, foul-heavy, not especially pretty frame. The Sixers ultimately won it, thanks in part to efficient scoring from Oubre and VJ Edgecombe. Oubre closed the second quarter with a buzzer-beating three and the Sixers held an eight-point halftime lead. 

Hard to exaggerate third-quarter woes  

The Pelicans made a 10-0 run early in the third quarter capped by a Bey triple.

The Sixers played very poorly late in the third with Maxey on the sidelines, too. Bona fouled Karlo Matkovic beyond the arc and he made all three of his free throws to put New Orleans up 97-89.

While the Pelicans had a far better three-point shooting night than usual (50 percent), the Sixers conceded too many easy points and cheap fouls. Even with a 27-11 advantage in points off turnovers, the Sixers couldn’t avoid a terrible loss.

There’s a strong chance the Sixers end the season as the NBA’s worst third-quarter team. Entering Saturday, their minus-17.5 net rating in third quarters was last in the league. The Jazz ranked 29th at minus-10.1.

For a team that’s otherwise been above-average, it’s baffling and inexcusable that the Sixers have been so bad in one quarter for so long.

The Sixers didn’t flip a switch once the fourth quarter started. Poole went on a scoring spree and the Pelicans’ lead ballooned over 20 points.

Unless the Sixers play a much higher-quality game Sunday against the 35-22 Timberwolves, they’ll be staring at a five-game skid.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Atlantic 10 has issued reprimands and fined both No. 18 Saint Louis and VCU for violating the conference's sportsmanship policy following a scuffle between the two teams near the end of a basketball game on Friday night.

The conference said in a statement that it would not issue suspensions and praised game officials for handling the situation in “exemplary fashion.”

The A-10 did not disclose the amount of the fines, but said they would be according to conference policy.

“This was an unfortunate end to a great college basketball game between two of the best teams in the nation," the statement said. "The A-10 considers the matter closed and looks forward to the remainder of the regular season and the Atlantic 10 Championship in Pittsburgh in March.”

Saint Louis won the game 88-75, but before the final horn, there was plenty of action.

The coaches from Saint Louis and VCU were preparing to shake hands when the benches cleared with 1.1 seconds left. With the victory, Saint Louis (25-2, 13-1 Atlantic 10) prevented VCU (21-7, 12-3) from taking over first place.

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DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz raced to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Arthur Fils to win the final of the Qatar Open in just 50 minutes on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Spanish star extended his winning streak to 12 matches in 2026, 20 days after he became the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open — that’s winning all four of the tennis majors.

“It’s been a really strong start to the year,” Alcaraz said.

Winning the title in Doha brought his tally to 26 tour-level titles.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Roman Siulepa scored 22 points, and Nojus Indrusaitis added a career-high 17 as Pittsburgh held off Notre Dame 73-68 on Saturday.

The Panthers (10-17, 3-11 ACC) shot 45% from the field and made 11 of 24 from 3-point range, leading 23-20 at halftime. Siulepa went 7 of 10 from the field and knocked down four 3-pointers while adding seven rebounds and three steals. Cameron Corhen finished with 13 points and eight rebounds as Pittsburgh ended a five-game skid.

Notre Dame (12-15, 3-11) struggled offensively early, going 2 of 18 from 3-point range in the first half with no player scoring more than four points. The Irish briefly grabbed their first lead since the 5:46 mark of the opening half when a layup made it 47-46 midway through the second.

Pittsburgh answered with a decisive stretch as Indrusaitis hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a run that turned a one-point deficit into a 55-49 lead with 4:46 remaining. The Panthers pushed the margin to 63-52 with 2:39 left and never trailed again.

Notre Dame made one final push as Cole Certa scored seven points in the final minute, cutting the deficit to three before Siulepa responded with a dunk, and Pittsburgh sealed the game at the free-throw line.

Certa led the Irish with 16 points, while Logan Imes added 12 points and eight rebounds. Ryder Frost scored 12 off the bench.

Up Next

Notre Dame: hosts No. 3 Duke on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh: travels to Stanford next Wednesday.

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Gia Cooke scored 21 points, Kierra Wheeler added 18 and 10 rebounds for No. 19 West Virginia in a 72-40 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Jordan Harrison added 12 for the Mountaineers (22-6, 12-4 Big 12). Cooke knocked down five 3-pointers and Wheeler earned her seventh double-double of the season. West Virginia shot 29 of 57 (51%) from the field as a team, compared to Oklahoma State's 23%.

The Cowgirls (21-8, 10-6) were led by Stailee Heard, who scored 13.

The Mountaineers started the game on an 8-0 run and were leading by double-digits before the first quarter ended. An 18-2 run in the second quarter that saw the Mountaineers drain the last 12 points of the half put them ahead 49-23. West Virginia scored the first six points of the third quarter, extending the run to 24-2.

Up next

West Virginia: Visits UCF on Wednesday.

Oklahoma State: Visits Iowa State on Wednesday.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have found themselves staring down a long list of injuries throughout the season. On Sunday, they’ll be on the right side of one of these matchups for once. The Oklahoma City Thunder are unfortunately dealing with a wave of key injuries as the Cavaliers are in town.

The full injury report isn’t out yet. But we know that reigning MVP and Finals MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander will be out with an abdominal strain and won’t be re-evaluated until next week. One of SGA’s costars, Jalen Williams, will also miss this game with a hamstring injury.

SGA is averaging 31.8 points per game this season, while Williams is contributing 17.5 points per game.

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Meanwhile, the Cavs are looking at a relatively clean slate unless something unexpected pops up in the next 18 hours. Max Strus will be out with a foot injury. Other than that, the Cavs strategically rested Evan Mobley on the second night of their back-to-back, presumably with the intention of having him play in Sunday’s matchup.

Injuries favor Cleveland for this one. But that doesn’t mean this game will be easy. The Thunder are still a powerhouse even without two of their biggest stars. Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein can anchor an elite defense with players like Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, and Alex Caruso flanking them.

Dort, in particular, has had plenty of success defending Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell is shooting 11-49 in his last three games against the Thunder. Dort is built to withstand Mitchell’s unique combination of speed and strength. Perhaps James Harden’s presence will alleviate some of the pressure this matchup places on Mitchell.

The Thunder don’t have an elite scoring punch with both SGA and J-Dub on the sidelines. But keep an eye out for Jared McCain, whom OKC acquired at the deadline. McCain scored a season-high 21 points off the bench in the Thunder’s recent win against the Brooklyn Nets and is the type of speedy guard that could give the Cavs trouble.

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Our NBA player prop projections are back for Saturday’s primetime matchup, and the model has spotlighted a few plays that really pop.

We ran the numbers, lined our projections up against the market, and locked in on the spots with genuine value.

For these Rockets vs. Knicks predictions, it’s not guesswork — it’s all driven by the data.

If you’re building your betting card, these are the NBA picks the model likes most for February 21.

Rockets vs Knicks computer picks for February 21

Rockets	Knicks
Durant u24.5 points  -115	Brunson u26.5 points  -125
Thompson o4.5 assists -150	Anunoby o1.5 3-pointers made  -180
Sengun o9.5 rebounds +110	Robinson u7.5 rebounds  -115

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Rockets computer picks

Kevin Durant Under 24.5 points (-115)

Projection: 24.4 points

Offensively, the Houston Rockets just haven’t had much juice lately — their 107.0 points per game over the last 20 outings ranks as the second-lowest mark in the league.

They’ve also been playing at the slowest pace in the NBA on the road this season, which really drags games into the mud.

On top of that, the New York Knicks have played at the third-slowest pace at home over their last 10 games. Fewer possessions overall isn’t great news for Kevin Durant, and that tempo setup works against his points prop.

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Amen Thompson Over 4.5 assists (-150)

Projection: 5.0 assists

Amen Thompson has been doing a solid job setting the table lately, clearing this 4.5 assists line in six of his last 10 games. He’s been more comfortable running the offense, pushing the pace when he can, and creating easy looks for teammates rather than forcing his own shot.

With the ball in his hands more and his playmaking confidence growing, he’s consistently putting himself in position to rack up helpers — so this line feels pretty attainable if that trend continues.

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Alperen Şengün Over 9.5 rebounds (+110)

Projection: 8.8 rebounds

Offensive rebounds are basically bonus possessions and more chances to score creates more opportunities for assists. The Rockets have been elite there, leading the league with 15.7 offensive boards per game this season.

That setup should give Alperen Şengün plenty of chances to cash in on the glass.

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Knicks computer picks

Jalen Brunson Under 26.5 points (-125)

Projection: 25.3 points

The New York Knicks have been playing at a crawl offensively at home lately — over their last 10 games, they’ve had the third-slowest pace in the league.

Now they’re facing the Houston Rockets, who play at the slowest pace on the road this season.

Fewer possessions on both sides should mean fewer scoring chances overall, which isn’t exactly the ideal setup for Jalen Brunson to put up one of his usual big offensive nights.

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OG Anunoby Over 1.5 3-pointers made (-180)

Projection: 2 3-pointers made

OG Anunoby has been quietly reliable from deep, clearing this 1.5 made threes line in seven of his last 10 games. He’s getting clean catch-and-shoot looks within the flow of the offense, and he hasn’t needed high volume to cash this number.

With his minutes steady and defenses often focused elsewhere, he keeps finding space on the perimeter. If he knocks down one early, he’s usually in great shape to get that second triple and push this prop Over again.

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Mitchell Robinson Under 7.5 rebounds (-115)

Projection: 7.1 rebounds

Mitchell Robinson has gone Under this 7.5 line in six of his last 10 games, and the trend makes sense when you look at his role. His production tends to come in bursts — mostly off putbacks, lobs, and defensive activity — rather than steady offensive volume.

He’s also not a high-usage option, so if the pace slows down or the offense flows through other scorers, his opportunities can be limited. Unless he piles up extra chances on the glass or gets extended run, this number can be a tough one for him to clear consistently.

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How to watch Rockets vs Knicks tonight

Location	Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date	Saturday, February 21, 2026
Tip-off	8:30 p.m. ET
TV	ABC

Not intended for use in MA.
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CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Canada wins gold in men’s curling at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The Detroit Pistons have a commanding 5.5 game lead in the East (as of Saturday afternoon). Behind them are the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers, all bunched up within a game and a half of each other. It is worth noting that the Raptors are 3.5 games out of 2nd place as well.

The Celtics have the slight edge at the moment, and they could potentially be getting back Jayson Tatum any day now. But clearly this race is far from over.

Looking to the strength of remaining schedule (via Tankathon), the Celtics have the 6th most difficult schedule remaining. They play the Thunder twice, as well as the Spurs, Nuggets, Cavs, and Knicks.

In contrast, the Cavs have the 26th hardest remaining schedule (5th easiest) and the Knicks have the 20th. The Cavs are also 9-1 in their last 10 have have gotten a big boost from adding James Harden to their lineup. Sure, he hasn’t exactly delivered in the playoffs, but he’s a regular season stats machine that helps teams stack wins.

The last few months are also always kind of fluky when you factor in tanking teams, lame duck players and coaches, load management, and teams that have nothing left to play for after their seed is locked in.

With all that said, the next couple of weeks could be critical to the seedings. So where do you see the Celtics finishing and who do you think ends up with the 2 seed?

COLOMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Meechie Johnson scored 21 points and racked up a career-high nine assists, and Kobe Knox added 17 points for South Carolina in a 97-89 win over Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon, snapping a seven-game losing streak.

Elijah Strong put up 16 points for the Gamecocks (12-15, 3-11 Southeastern Conference) and Mike Sharavjamts added 15. Eli Ellis had 11 off the bench to help South Carolina score a season-high 97 points.

South Carolina jumped ahead with an 8-0 run in the first half that included two points from Johnson and three from Knox, and headed into halftime up 46-39. The Gamecocks took their biggest lead of the game — 89-76 — off a 6-0 run with 2:17 to play.

Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9) was led by Quincy Ballard with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jaden Epps scored 13 in the first half before leaving the game with an injury, and didn't return. SEC leading scorer Josh Hubbard finished with 13, after only putting up two in the first half. Ja'Borri McGhee had 12 and Sergei Macura 10.

The Gamecocks shot 85% from the free throw line (23 of 27).

Up next

Mississippi State: Visits No. 25 Alabama on Wednesday.

South Carolina: Hosts Kentucky on Tuesday.

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit two homers in his spring debut as he prepares for the World Baseball Classic next month.

The three-time Most Valuable Player hit a pair of two-run shots, one in the third inning and another in the fourth against the Detroit Tigers. He finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs.

The 33-year-old has won the MVP in three of the past four seasons, including last year when he hit .331 with 53 homers and 114 RBIs.

“We've got the WBC coming up, which I'm excited about, and an exciting Yankees season,” Judge said after his performance. “We've got a lot of unfinished business from last season, especially the way it ended for us. I'm just trying to put myself in the best position to help this team win a lot of ballgames.”

Judge will be part of what looks like a loaded Team USA lineup in the WBC. The position player group also includes Bryce Harper, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber.

The WBC's pool play round runs from March 5-11 at four sites in Tokyo, Houston, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The championship game will be on March 17 in Miami.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb