Category: NBA

The Dallas Mavericks (19-34) will try to end their eight-game losing skid on Thursday at 9 p.m. as they play the Los Angeles Lakers (32-21) at Crypto.com Arena. The game, both teams’ last before the All-Star break, will be the fourth in an eight-game homestand for the Lakers, who last played Tuesday in a 136-108 scheduled loss to San Antonio in which LeBron James (foot, back-to-back rest), Luka Dončić (hamstring), Austin Reaves (calf), Marcus Smart (ankle), and Deandre Ayton (knee) did not play.

For the Mavericks, who last played Tuesday in a 120-111 loss to Phoenix, the game will be the third of a six-game road trip. Against the Suns they were led in scoring by Naji Marshall’s 31 points, and as a team made only five of their 22 attempts from three. Flagg, who scored 27 in that game, will sit against the Lakers with a foot injury. He’ll miss the Rising Stars game All-Star weekend but is expected to return after the break.

The game’s emotional resonance as well as its on-court play will be greatly impacted by the absence of Dončić, who last played Feb. 5, sustaining a hamstring injury in win against Philadelphia. The approaching break presents an opportunity for a long recovery in preparation for a playoff run, though Luka has expressed a desire to play in the All-Star game if healthy. Without Luka, the Lakers have played some pretty good ball, winning both their first two games, then hanging tough against the Thunder in a 119-100 loss before throwing their reserves and two-way players into the deep end against the Spurs. The 41 year-old James can still run a team, averaging 21 points and 10 assists in the two complete games without Luka, but their championship aspirations depend on both stars’ health.

Deep cover

The biggest change in the Lakers since these teams last met is the recent addition of shooting guard Luke Kennard, who arrived in a Feb. 5 trade with Atlanta. In three games with the Lakers, Kennard is a cumulative 4-of-9 from three-point range. Kennard joins forward Rui Hachimura (.448 three-point percentage this year) as elite deep threats for the Lakers. They need it in Dončić’s absence; one notable deficit in James’ game this year has been his long-range shooting; the career 35% three-point shooter is making only 30.5 of his tries in 2025-26.

Paging Max Power

Dallas’ current slide overlaps perfectly with a cold stretch for the team from 3-point range, having connected on just 9.37 threes per game during that time; and overlaps nearly perfectly with a cold stretch from guard Max Christie, whose most recent standout performance came Jan. 24 in the first game of the streak, a 116-110 loss to the Lakers in which he made 4-of-10 from 3-point range on the way to 24 points. In the seven games since, Christie has shot 11-of-43 from deep for a .255 percentage, leaving the club without a reliable outside threat to keep defenses honest (Klay Thompson is a middling 15-of-43 in the same span). Shooters have many ups and downs over a season, though Christie’s recent issues also correlate with the team’s instability at point guard, with Ryan Nembhard, Brandon Williams, and Tyus Jones each getting turns at the starting role lately. Though it’s just a four-game sample, Christie has historically performed well against the Lakers, his former team, averaging 14.5 points on .385 shooting from 3-point territory. Dallas is 0-4 in those games.

If it seems like this piece is especially focused on 3-point shooting, it’s because there’s not a lot to focus on at center for the Lakers. While the springy Hayes is an exciting lob threat, neither he nor Ayton, questionable for Thursday, have looked like a long-term answer for a championship contender. The Lakers seemed likely to try to upgrade there at the deadline, instead addressing their other deficiency as a contender by adding a serious deep threat in Kennard. The Mavericks and Lakers, two franchises forever linked over Luka, also feature the two players drafted ahead of him in 2018: Ayton (No. 1) and new Mavericks reserve center Marvin Bagley III (No. 2). Bagley, 8-of-10 from the field so far as a Maverick, could well end up the more appealing player of the two.

Familiar faces

Even though fans of the Mavericks’ odds in NBA draft lottery have had much to salivate over during the Mavericks’ recent stretch of futility, fans of watchable basketball have had to make do with scraps of competitiveness, such as the 18-1 second-half run that cut the Suns’ lead in half Tuesday. Meanwhile, for fans of NBA players with local ties, the Lakers bring a rich tapestry of Remembering Some Guys, including Marcus Smart (Flower Mound Marcus HS), Drew Timme (J.J. Pearce HS), Jaxson Hayes (University of Texas), Maxi Kleber (a Maverick from 2017-25), and assistant coach Scott Brooks (a Maverick in 1994-95).

How to watch/listen

Thursday’s game will be broadcast on Prime Video; you can catch the radio broadcast on KEGL 97.1FM (English) or KFZO 99.1FM (español).

Kawhi Leonard had 8 points going into the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers only trailed the Houston Rockets by six. Why were the Rockets only up by six when the Clippers best player had been put in check for three quarters? In large part it was the fact that going into the fourth quarter the Rockets had already committed 15 turnovers and had zero fast break points.

The Rockets would go on to finish the game with 21 turnovers that lead to 23 Clippers points. The Clippers also had 22 points in transition to the Rockets 2 fast break points. Oh, by the way, Kawhi Leonard finished the game with 27 points on 9-of-20 shooting, 19 of those points coming in the fourth. Though the Rockets led at one point by 15 points, their sloppy play allowed the Clippers to hang around while Kawhi was not playing well.

The Rockets flipped the script from the previous game against the Clippers just the night before. In that game they struggled early and picked it up in the second half. On Wednesday, the Rockets looked fantastic in the first half. Ball movement was crisp, they were making the extra pass, giving up the good shots for great ones, and pounding the Clippers on the boards. It was the typical formula the Rockets depend on when they are playing well and winning. Then in the third quarter the formula that comes back to bite them kicked in and it cost them.

The Rockets only scored 46 points in the second half, while giving up 59 to the Clips. Kevin Durant struggled for much of the game as the Los Angeles stayed crowded around them both. Early on it looked as if Reed Sheppard would be that spark off the bench that would push the Rockets over the top. However, after scoring 14 points in the first half, Sheppard finished the game with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting in 25 minutes on the floor. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun finished with 21 points and 16 points respectively.

Jabari Smith had a strong stat line with 16 points and 12 rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting, but he missed two critical shots in the fourth quarter, one of them a wide open three-pointer from the corner in front of his own bench. Amen Thompson played 40 minutes and scored 12 points on eight shots and added 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

It was ultimately, once again, the Rockets inability to handle full or half court pressure and get into their offensive sets that cost them. Too many turnovers leading to too many points in the opposite direction and not enough opportunities to score themselves down the stretch, giving up 6 of their 21 turnovers in the fourth quarter. There is no doubt that until the Rockets figure this part out, their lack of movement before the trade deadline to add a veteran ball-handler will loom large.

All things being said, the Houston Rockets will head into the All-Star break with the fourth best record in the Western Conference. They boast two of the top 25 players in the league, and they do have a young core that is still developing and still learning how to play together and how to play with one of the greatest scorers of all-time in Kevin Durant.

I know that Rockets fans want more from this team. In fact, many of us expect more. Putting things in perspective though, the Rockets are in a good place and can still continue to improve and control their own destiny. Hopefully, this all-star break will give everyone time to step back, look at the big picture and realize that we are truly fortunate to not only have NBA basketball in H-Town but to have a team that is relevant and that garners our high- expectations. Enjoy the break TDS faithful! Let’s cheer hard for Reed in the Rising Stars game, and cheer for Alpi and KD in the all-star game. Let’s get everyone back healthy and get things in gear for a strong second half.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 18 points, and Tennessee used a second-half rally to beat Mississippi State 73-64 on Wednesday.

Tennessee (17-7, 7-4 SEC) led 39-28 at halftime, overcoming a fast start from Josh Hubbard, who scored 14 of Mississippi State’s first 16 points and finished with 20 in the opening half. Hubbard also tied the program record for career 3-pointers during the game. Gillespie opened the second half with seven straight points as the Volunteers extended the margin to 46-30.

Mississippi State (11-13, 3-8) used an 18-0 run early in the second half to close the gap, but Tennessee answered immediately. Gillespie hit a 3-pointer, Nate Ament scored inside and J.P. Estrella added two free throws to stretch the margin once again. The Bulldogs never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

Ament scored 16 points on 5 of 12 shooting and added five assists for Tennessee. Estrella finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Gillespie also recorded four assists and five rebounds. The Volunteers shot 44% and held a 45-31 rebounding advantage.

Hubbard scored 31 points for Mississippi State, going 13 of 24 from the field and 4 of 9 from 3-point distance. The Bulldogs shot 41% and went 7 of 13 at the line.

Up next

Tennessee hosts LSU on Saturday.

Mississippi State travels to Ole Miss on Saturday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The Phoenix Suns had a very tough time tonight. It was all Thunder from the jump. The Suns were outplayed in every phase of the game, and that was that. OKC led by as many as 37.

They are 32-23 heading into the All-Star Break, and they enter having lost 3 of their last 4 games. Not ideal, but at least they will more than likely have Devin Booker and Jalen Green back.

Dillon Brooks will be suspended for their first game back from the break against the Spurs, unless it is rescinded. Here is the path ahead for him:

Game Flow

First Half

Royce O’Neale kicked off the night with a splash from deep on the opening possession of the game. It was a fast-paced game early on, with the teams trading buckets and pushing in transition.

Suns wing Dillon Brooks was not shy, which was expected in a game without Booker, Green, and Allen.

Dillon hit the spin move 🌪️🌪️ pic.twitter.com/JTn3NttkS3

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 12, 2026

The teams were tied at 12 apiece through the opening 3:20 of the game. OKC then went on a push propelled by their bench to push them to a 23-16 lead with 5 minutes left in the first.

Jordan Ott called for a timeout with 3:26 remaining in the quarter after the Thunder pulled ahead by eight, 28-20. The three-ball was not falling, and OKC was getting buckets with ease off the drive, extending their lead to 12.

Mark Williams and Royce O’Neale led the Suns with 6 points each after the opening quarter. Phoenix trailed 37-25. The Thunder were paced by 9 early points from Luguentz Dort.

🟠⚪️⚪️⚪️@match_mortgage | #SunsUppic.twitter.com/aRSgt4v9gu

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 12, 2026

The second quarter started with more of the same, with the Thunder pushing their lead up to 18, 52-34. The shots weren’t falling for Phoenix, and Oklahoma City made them pay early and often.

Kenrich Williams lost the ball out of bounds, and it was clearly off him, only for the official to miss the call and give it to the Thunder. He then, of course, drilled a three as the shot clock expired.

Then Dillon Brooks let the refs know about it, picking up that magical 16th technical foul of the season.

The refs missed a call that led to an OKC three-pointer, then the next possession, Dillon Brooks picked up his 16th technical foul of the season.

He will be suspended for the first game after the ASB against the Spurs.

— Zona (@AZSportsZone) February 12, 2026

Things started to snowball, with the Thunder hitting the bonus halfway through the 2nd quarter, and drilling three after three from deep. It was all Thunder in the second quarter; they led 75-52 entering the break. Their bench poured in 41 points, opposed to Phoenix’s 12 bench points in the opening 24 minutes.

There wasn’t much to write home about in the first half.

Second Half

Dillon Brooks scored five points in the first 2 minutes to spark a little bit of life into what looked like a lifeless team heading into halftime.

As the Thunder tend to do, they matched every punch thrown their way by the Suns and kept their lead intact. They went on an 11-0 run to push their lead out to 92-60.

Jalen Williams was absolutely torching them in every way possible in his return home. He was 11 for 11 with 26 points in 19 minutes with 4:30 left in the third. The Suns had no answer for him…. or anyone else for that matter.

I’ll spare you the full breakdown and recap it like this: The Thunders didn’t miss very often, and their bench played like the ’93 Chicago Bulls.

Garbage time unleashed some rookie minutes for Rasheer Fleming, Khaman Maluach, and even Koby Brea. The 4th quarter was slightly less brutal and somewhat enjoyable at times for the sickos that stuck around.

Koby Brea made some threes. Woo!

Couple of Koby Brea three's, Khaman Maluach stops on the switch + a dunk, Rasheer Fleming knocking down a corner 3.

Suns young guns getting on the box score late in this one. pic.twitter.com/6q1a30AaZP

— Stephen PridGeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) February 12, 2026

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Up Next

The All-Star Break! It’s much needed. We get to see Devin Booker in the 3PT contest and ASG, and Mat Ishbia in the Celebrity Game. Plus, the rest of the squad gets to regroup for a playoff push.

CLEVELAND — Things couldn’t be going better for the Cleveland Cavaliers after acquiring James Harden at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden has fit in seamlessly with what the team is trying to do. As a result, the Cavs’ offense has looked exceptional, they’ve rattled off three straight wins, and have a good chance at taking a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Harden could be the missing piece to a championship-caliber team.

At the same time, Harden has become the ultimate basketball mercenary. He’s one of the very best players of his generation, but is on the sixth team of his career and his fourth team since 2022.

Harden is hardly the only one who fits into this category. Kevin Durant, his former teammate with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets, is on his third team in four years.

Moving teams this often isn’t the exception. It’s become the norm, even for phenomenal players who are still playing at an exceptionally high level.

According to Harden, this is just the result of the NBA being a business.

“It’s basketball, the whole quote on quote loyalty thing is, I think it’s overrated,” Harden said before going exactly into what has led to this kind of environment.

“I think this is a business at the end of the day, and it’s a lot of money involved and a lot of decisions that have to be made. If a player isn’t producing, or if you don’t see him in your future, you know, if the front office, some of them have to do a job and want to keep their job. So they feel like they got to do what’s best keep their job, and they trade players.

“Or if a guy isn’t happy and he wants to be traded to somewhere else, then it’s a problem. It’s just so many different dynamics that go into it. It’s just a business at the end of the day. Not even just the NBA, but people that have normal jobs, have those same problems. It’s just not magnified.

For me, it’s always about, like, I don’t lose focus on trying to compete for a championship. And then financially, making sure that my family is taken care of, you know what I mean? Because I’m very smart, and I’ve sacrificed a lot financially, which I don’t get credit for that, that don’t get talked about, but I’m fulfilled, and I’m happy with it.

“But like, winning a championship, or at least having a chance to. And then financially getting paid, me being available and playing at the highest level for so long.”

It’s hard to argue with a lot of what Harden said. And, he’s seen both aspects of this dynamic better than most. He was traded away from Oklahoma City in his third season — from what could’ve been one of the greatest collections of talent ever assembled — before that group came close to reaching their potential. That perspective probably lends to Harden’s jaded view.

At the same time, it’s understandable that fans wouldn’t like an environment where they don’t know if their star player is going to stay with their favorite team for more than a few seasons.

“It’s a different age, I guess that’s it,” Donovan Mitchell said when asked the same question. “That’s just what it is, right? You adapt. I don’t know where it started. You adapt and figure things out. … I’m not mad. It’s one of those things where you adapt, and you try to go out there and do what you got to do.”

This is what the NBA is, and likely what it will be. The combination of the salary cap restrictions and player empowerment has created this environment. And it isn’t changing anytime soon.

“This is a business at the end of the day,” Harden said, “so I feel like players should ultimately do what’s best for them, and [the] front office does what’s best for them and their owner and their organization.

“So, there’s two sides of a story.”

The Dallas Mavericks announced that Cooper Flagg underwent an MRI, which revealed a left midfoot sprain.

The injury is expected to keep him out of action for the rest of the week, including the Mavericks' game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Flagg suffered the injury during a game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

The injury will also keep him out of the NBA's All-Star weekend festivities, according to reporter Marc Stein.

The rookie was expected to compete for Team Melo in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday.

Flagg had averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 49 games played this season. He's considered the favorite for the NBA's Rookie of the Year based on odds at BetMGM.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg injury update: Mavs rookie out for NBA All-Star event

The Lakers (32-21) will take on the Mavericks (19-34) in their last game before the All-Star break. A victory would not only put them back in the win column after a brutal back-to-back against the Thunder and Spurs, but it’d ensure they win the season series against Luka Dončić‘s former team.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks

When: 7 p.m. PT, Feb. 12

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: Amazon Video, Spectrum Sportsnet

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If LA is going to beat Dallas on Thursday night, it’ll be without Luka. He will be missing his fourth game due to his left hamstring strain.

Even with their superstar out, the Lakers still have some offensive firepower. LeBron James and Austin Reaves are back in action and provide the team with two elite ball handlers to run the offense.

With the arrival of Luke Kennard, the Lakers have an additional 3-point threat they can use to try to stymie Dallas’ defense. Scoring on the Mavericks won’t be easy though, they rank 12th in defense.

On the plus side, the Mavs struggle to put the ball in the hoop. They have an offensive rating of 110.3, which is the fourth-worst in the league.

If Lakers fans are worried about Cooper Flagg going off in this game, he won’t be doing that since he’s been ruled out for this matchup. So, the Mavericks will need someone else to have a monster game if they are going to pull off the road win.

On paper, this should be an easy game for the Lakers. The Mavericks are shorthanded, the Lakers are at home and healthy enough to overwhelm Dallas.

Still, expectations are one thing, but execution is another. The 2025-26 Lakers aren’t known for racking up blowout wins even against weaker opponents.

LeBron has called out his team for being unable to play a complete game, and while the Mavs aren’t exactly an elite squad, it’d be ideal if LA could demonstrate that they can dominate a contest from start to finish by doing so on Thursday night.

Notes and Updates

• As for the injury report, the Lakers have Deandre Ayton (right knee soreness) listed as questionable.
• Luka (left hamstring strain) is ruled out.
• For the Mavericks, Naji Marshall (left foot strain) and Caleb Martin (left ankle sprain) are listed as questionable.
• Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Cooper Flagg (midfoot sprain) and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) are all out.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 19
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 7
Paul George – 6
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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Well, that was technically a basketball game.

The Philadelphia 76ers seem to have started their All-Star break early, falling 138-89 to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

The Sixers had finally returned home from their West Coast trip for Wednesday’s contest. Though, it sounded like another away game, with a loud crowd seemingly more in favor of the Knicks than the Sixers.

With Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Paul George (suspension) and Quentin Grimes (illness) all sidelined, expectations that Philadelphia would be able to keep up with the Knicks were low. Apparently, they weren’t low enough. This was an absolute mess for the Sixers from the start, with their offense cold at best and their defense completely nonexistent.

Truly, the Sixers made the Knicks look like the Harlem Globetrotters dancing all over the Washington Generals in this one. By halftime, Philadelphia was already down 30 points. They managed just 42 by the break. It was somehow even worse than it sounds, genuinely. The embarrassment dragged throughout the second half and the Sixers ultimately fell 138-89.

Thankfully, there’s not another Sixers game for just over a week, with the team heading into the All-Star break that will give them off until Feb. 19.

In the meantime, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.

Joel Embiid

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “but Erin, you just said Embiid didn’t play in this game” and you’d be right. He didn’t. And my goodness, how evident it was. It absolutely baffles me when anyone — from media members to fans to just people online — acts like Embiid isn’t completely crucial to the success of this team. I would point them in the direction of this game and the game on Monday. Yes, they were also missing Paul George (suspension) and Quentin Grimes (illness) making them shorthanded all the way around, but the gaps those guys leave are a bit easier to fill.

On Wednesday night, the Sixers simply could not put up any sort of defense in the paint or at the rim on the Knicks. Seemingly no one could even slow down Karl-Anthony Towns. Embiid might not be as explosive as he once was, but he still contributes a hell of a lot in this department.

That’s not even to mention the offensive scoring, spacing, playmaking and more that Embiid has been able to contribute on a consistent basis over the last month and a half for the Sixers. It’s not a coincidence that, not only do they miss out on his points, but the rest of the Sixers’ offense struggles as a whole when Embiid is off the floor.

I’m not saying it should be all on Embiid to keep an entire team from completely imploding… but it certainly seems like he’s a major factor in it. The Sixers better hope for their sake he doesn’t need to miss any sort of extended time, because the past two games make it seem like he’s the only thread holding the damn thing together at this point.

The All-Star break

I think everyone — from the team to the fans — are ready for a bit of a break. With Embiid continuing treatment for his right knee, an illness going around the squad, everyone still bouncing back from their West Coast trip and the passing of the trade deadline, this All-Star hiatus is coming at the perfect time.

The best case scenario for this next week is to serve as a reset for the Sixers. Get everyone rested up and as healthy as possible, hopefully getting Embiid back in the lineup right away. Try to mentally flush both the drama of the trade deadline as well as the sour taste of these last few games. Work out the situations with the two-way contracts and 10-day guys to get some stability in the roster and rotation. Something has to give.

Well, we’ll see what happens and where we are in eight days.

Tyrese Maxey: 32 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

OK, I’ll give credit to one guy that actually played in this game: Tyrese Maxey. It’s wild that the guy averaging damn near 40 minutes a night, who probably needs a break more than anyone, was the only one able to do much of anything on Wednesday night. By the end of the third period, Maxey had scored 32 of the Sixers’ 71 total points. You have to give him credit: even down an insane amount of points, if he’s on the floor, he’s giving it his all. For better or worse. He still is looking for the open shots from long range, he still is going to use his speed and athleticism to drive to the rim, and he’s still going to finish directly into contact, no matter how physical it gets.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get much help tonight. Only Dominick Barlow (13 points) and VJ Edgecombe (14) also managed to score in double digits for the Sixers.

Now, did Maxey necessarily need to even play 32 minutes (including the entire third) in this game that seemed pretty out of reach earlier on? Well, that’s up for debate… At least Nick Nurse let him sit for the fourth!

Beautiful move and finish from Tyrese Maxey here.

(Yes, Admin knows the score. Just posting any plays that bring me even the slightest speck of joy at this point.) pic.twitter.com/KPkc0H4pVr

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 12, 2026

In one last game before the All-Star Break, the Toronto Raptors welcomed the Detroit Pistons for the first game between these two teams this season. The Pistons are the top team in the East this season, their team-building efforts from the past few seasons coming to fruition.

While fans were disappointed to see the Raptors lose, it proved a thesis that has rung true all season long: The Raptors’ hot start set unrealistic expectations for the ceiling of this current team.

Here’s the thing — they are one season removed from being a tank machine. They make some good moves (ie, getting Brandon Ingram), Scottie Barnes is playing like an All-Star and a potential All-Defence kind of guy, and those are nice improvements from last year. Yet, the idea that they were going to even contend in the Eastern Conference was way too premature for this iteration of the team. That’s before you think about Jakob Poeltl missing a bunch of time, and some unexpected turns in the road as well.

They go on a HOT win streak at the beginning of the season, which is great for vibes. Yet, that set a standard that this current roster just isn’t equipped to maintain. We can acknowledge there have been some exciting improvements this season, while still admitting there is work to be done before this team will have some serious motion in the playoffs.

So, when the No. 1-seed Detroit Pistons come to town and deliver a 113-95 loss to the Raptors, why freak out? Why catastrophize? Why sit there and lament about what they should or shouldn’t have done at the deadline when none of the available moves would have changed much about the situation?

There is way more things to be happy about this season without freaking out over every loss. For the first time since 2020, the Raptors have two players heading to the All-Star Game. Their coaching staff was selected to lead one of the All-Star teams. They have multiple players in the Rising Stars game as well. Not saying the All-Star Game is the be-all and end-all of the year — but the representation is exciting and shows improvement from this team. It shows the league is noticing them and their improvements as well.

This wasn’t meant to be a championship year. It wasn’t meant to be a Conference Finals year. The Raptors are actually fairly on schedule rebuild-wise, and this one loss against the Pistons isn’t reason to go on a dramatic spiral about it all. Unless that brings you joy??

Instead of wasting more energy on a bad loss, I will instead be heading into my All-Star Break ready to rewatch Piper and Paul’s bronze medal Ice Dance program 100 times, go into a Biathlon-lore rabbit hole, and watch some Skeleton. Enjoy your All-Star Break, friends.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Julius Randle had 41 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat Portland 133-109 von Wednesday night to end the Trail Blazers;' winning streak at three.

Randall, who also had seven rebounds, capped his night with a windmill dunk that put the crowd at the Target Center on its feet. Jaden McDaniels added 21 points for the Timberwolves, playing their final game before the All-Star break.

Jrue Holiday scored 23 points for the Trail Blazers, who trailed by 28 points and were hurt by 25 turnovers. Scoot Henderson, playing just his third game back since missing the first half of the season because of a hamstring injury, finished with 18 points.

Minnesota scoring leader Anthony Edwards was listed as questionable going into the game because of an illness but he started and finished with 14 points.

Minnesota was coming off a 138-116 win at home over Atlanta that stopped a two-game skid.

McDaniels' floating jumper pushed Minnesota's lead to 50-38 midway through the second quarter. McDaniels had 15 points in the opening half and the Timberwolves led 61-51 at the break.

Edwards and Julius Randle hit back-to-back 3-pointers to go up 73-59 in the third quarter. Rudy Gobert dunked to cap a 16-2 run and gave the Timberwolves a 79-59 lead.

Portland ended the third quarter on a 10-3 run to close to 96-82 but couldn't find a rally down the stretch. All-Star Deni Avdija struggled with 11 points.

The Blazers were without Shaedon Sharpe, who missed the third straight game for the with a left calf strain.

Up next

Trail Blazers: At Utah on Thursday night.

Timberwolves: Host Dallas on Friday, Feb. 20.

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

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 27 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks and the short-handed Miami Heat beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-111 on Wednesday night in the final game for both teams before the All-Star break.

Miami used only nine players, with Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Pelle Larsson and Andrew Wiggins sidelined. Herro missed his 15th straight game.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 23 points, Kel’el Ware had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points. Eighth in the Eastern Conference, the Heat improved to 29-27. Miami has won 11 of its last 12 against New Orleans

Zion Williamson had 26 points for New Orleans. He has played a career-high 30 straight games and 40 of 56 this season. In his first six seasons, he played 214 of 472 games and never had more than 25 in a row.

Trey Murphy III added 19 points before leaving late in the third quarter because of soreness in his right shoulder. The Pelicans dropped to 15-41. They had won two in a row.

Ware hit a 3-pointer with 2:46 left in the third quarter to cap a 23-10 run that gave Miami a 92-76 lead. The Heat hit four 3s during that surge, one each by Kasparas Jakucionis, Fontecchio, Myron Gardner and Ware.

During that stretch, Jakucionis also hit three free throws after landing on Murphy’s foot on a missed 3 near sideline. Murphy was called for a flagrant foul.

Miami pushed the lead to 17 at 112-95 with 6:19 left in the fourth. After New Orleans cut it to 115-111 on Williamson’s putback, Fontecchio hit a 3 from the left corner with 54 seconds remaining to make it 118-111.

Miami led 58-55 at halftime. Adebayo had 15 points in the half.

Up next

Heat: At Atlanta on Friday, Feb. 20.

Pelicans: Host Milwaukee on Friday, Feb. 20.

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

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks rookie teenage standout Cooper Flagg will miss their final game before the All-Star break and not play in the NBA's Rising Stars game on Friday night because of a left midfoot sprain.

The Mavericks announced Wednesday night than an MRI revealed the injury that occurred in their loss at Phoenix a night earlier, when the 19-year-old had 27 points in 36 minutes. They said further updates will be provided as appropriate

Flagg, the No. 1 overall draft pick last summer, is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his 49 games with Dallas.

The Mavericks (19-34) have an eight-game losing streak going into Thursday night's game at the Los Angeles Lakers.

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

For the Nets, the endgame was pretty galling.

But for their tanking efforts, the end result was pretty good.

Brooklyn blew a huge late lead and fell 115-110 to tanking rival Indiana before a crowd of 16,779 at Barclays Center on Wednesday night.

After the Nets starters built an 18-point cushion, their bench squandered it.

And once rookie Egor Dëmin’s surprisingly clean 3-point look rimmed out in the final second, they’d suffered a vexing come-from-ahead defeat.

Granted, the Nets (15-38) might have also avoided a Pyrrhic victory.

They’re still fifth in the lottery standings, but now just a game behind the fourth-place Pacers and second-place Washington.

They’re two games clear of the sixth-place Jazz, thanks to Utah’s win against Sacramento.

“A lot of the things we did well, we stopped doing well. Only one good defensive quarter doesn’t help in the NBA,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “In the second half we gave up 13 second-chance points, nine fast-break points, and in the third quarter alone we had 11 turnovers.

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“Those are things we can control, and we weren’t good enough. That’s why we lost. We have higher standards than that, especially on things we can control, and when you get an opportunity you have to play as hard as you can and be locked in. Losing three out of four quarters, you’re not going to win many games.”

After the Nets had blown an 82-64 lead midway through the third, Day’Ron Sharpe had a steal and layup to knot the game at 110-110 with 38 seconds left.

But Kam Jones — who had missed all five of his attempts from deep to that point — hit a prayer 3-pointer with seven seconds left to put the Nets in a 113-110 hole.

And despite getting free for a clean look, Dëmin just missed and Indiana iced it at the line.

“It was an amazing play. Knowing their coverage, I knew it would be a good shot for me unless they changed something. I’m really upset it didn’t go in, but I’ve got to move on,” said Dëmin, who had 13 points, five assists and five rebounds. “I’ll probably sit with it a little over the break, but then think about the next games.”

Brooklyn played without starters Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney and Michael Porter Jr. Rookie Nolan Traore had 20 points and eight assists in another big night, albeit five of the 16 Nets turnovers.

Still, the rookies were encouraging, with 65 of the Nets’ 110 points. But the bench as a whole did Brooklyn in.

Brooklyn reeled off eight unanswered points to pad the cushion to 82-64 midway through the third.

Sharpe (season-high 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists) kicked out to Ziaire Williams for a 3-pointer that gave the Nets their biggest lead of the evening.

It was still 86-70 after Traore’s skip pass to Williams with 4:31 left in the third. But Brooklyn couldn’t protect that lead, helplessly watching it bleed away.

The Nets conceded an extended 30-11 run that spanned the third and fourth. And all but six points of that came with the reserves on the floor.

Brooklyn had an 86-73 lead when the starters went out with three minutes left in the third.

It was tied 97-all when Traore, Dëmin and Sharpe checked back in, the bench on the wrong side of a 24-11 blitz.

Micah Potter (19 points, 12 boards) put the Pacers ahead at the line, and his putback dunk made it 100-97 with 7:11 left.

Traore tied it at 105-105 on a high-difficulty turnaround in the lane, and a Dëmin corner 3-pointer put the Nets back ahead 108-106 with 2:04 to play.

Sharpe had a steal and layup to knot it at 110-110 with 38 seconds left, but Jones’ 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining turned out to be the winner.

Jarace Walker led the Pacers with a game-high 23 points.

“A lot of it was just being careless,” Fernández said. “Starting with me, we all have to be better.”