Category: NBA

Super Bowl Sunday in Toronto means an early Raptors game, and showing up at the arena for 1pm media almost feels like being here before the sun is up. It was a quiet one at Scotiabank Arena today, with a lot of the usual suspects around instead taking the day off to watch some guys play football before and after a Bad Bunny concert.

Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers were in town, and it immediately seemed like coach Rick Carlisle also had another sport on his mind… but it wasn’t football. He came into the Raptors’ media room and immediately launched into some thoughts about Olympic curling, saying he was watching this morning and couldn’t help but “live or die for the Canadian Curling team.” Unfortunately, Canada’s mixed pairs curlers were eliminated later in the afternoon. Sorry, Rick.

As for the actual basketball, Coach Rajakovic says that while Jakob Poeltl was still being held out of today’s game, he was progressing well. After missing over 20 games with a sore back, the team is working to recondition him for a return to the lineup. Unfortunately, Collin Murray-Boyles also ended up leaving the game early due to a lingering thumb injury. The Raptors prepared for this, though! This is why they went out and traded for Trayce Jackson-Davis! He was able to make his Raptors debut in light of CMB leaving the game.

He did well, too, scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes. After the game, Darko Rajakovic said that while it was the plan all along to give him some minutes today, losing CMB gave them a little bit more freedom to do so. There was no pressure from the coach on his newest player, as TJD himself said that Darko texted him after yesterday’s practice and told him to just “play free.” As for CMB, he was hit on the hand, reaggravating an existing injury, and is considered day to day.

After a slower start and a close halftime score, the Raptors found themselves again in the third quarter. Of course, the scars from Wednesday night’s crumble were fresh, and no one was about to prematurely call this a dub before it was official. They seemed to have learned their lessons from last week, though, and were able to keep their 20-point lead throughout the rest of the game. In the end, Toronto took it 122-104 over Indiana.

It was a fantastic game for Scottie Barnes, who scored 25 points on 12-20 shooting from the field, adding 12 rebounds and 6 assists. RJ Barrett scored 20 of his own, and Mamukelashvili scored 17 points off the bench.

Rajakovic had the same words of praise for his All-Star player that he usually does, emphatically saying that “Scottie Barnes is the Defensive Player of the Year” and will one day win the NBA’s MVP award.

“That’s Darko for you,” Scottie said of his reaction to Darko continuing to sing his praises this season (and always). He went on to talk about how much he appreciates Darko as a coach, saying that having a coach that you can consider a friend, someone you can get deep with in conversations, someone who rides for you — it makes a huge difference.

“Scottie is defensive player of the year. He’s an All-Star. He’s gonna be a Finals MVP. He’s going to be an MVP one day. Write down the date I said that” – Darko

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) February 8, 2026

Darko has been saying stuff like this for years, of course. He has always had faith in his star, knowinf his potential and talking him up to the max. Now that Scottie is starting to reach that potential, Darko’s faith in his super star is only getting stronger.

Overall, it was a good win, and one that was expected of this team. The Pacers are 13-40 on the season and headed for the lottery — similar to the Raptors from one year ago. Having back to back wins going into their first meeting with the No. 1 seeded Detroit Pistons on Wednesday (the last game before the All-Star break) will hopefully give them a boost as they take on a tough opponent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kasparas Jakucionis was 6 for 6 from 3-point range and scored 22 points, Bam Adebayo also had 22 and the Miami Heat routed the Washington Wizards 132-101 on Sunday.

Norman Powell added 21 points for Miami, and Kel’el Ware had 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Heat snapped a two-game losing streak and added to their team record with a 14th 130-plus point effort of the season.

Andrew Wiggins had 11 points and 10 rebounds as eighth-place Miami closed within a half-game of seventh-place Orlando in the Eastern Conference.

Tristan Vukcevic had 14 points to lead Washington. The Wizards lost back-to-back games for the first time since a nine-game slide from Jan. 7-24.

Alex Sarr added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who saw both Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly depart early with injuries.

KNICKS 111, CELTICS 89

BOSTON (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 31 points and Josh Hart added 19 to help New York beat the cold-shooting Boston.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who never trailed over the final 42 minutes. Mikal Bridges (14 points) and recently acquired Jose Alvarado (12 points) rounded out the double-digit scorers for New York, which shot 14 of 45 (40%) from behind the 3-point line.

Jaylen Brown socred 26 points and Derrick White added 19 for the Celtics, who saw their five-game winning streak snapped, Baylor Scheierman started in place for the injured Sam Hauser and finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

Boston shot 37% for the game and was 7-of-41 (17.1%) from behind the arc.

The matchup pitted two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, with Boston entering with a one-game lead over New York for second place. They’ll meet one more time during the regular season on April 9 in New York.

CLIPPERS 115, TIMBERWOLVES 96

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 41 points and eight rebounds and Los Angeles beat the slumping Minnesota.

John Collins had 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser also scored 15 points. The Clippers took command with a 17-3 run closing out the third quarter.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 23 points, and Julius Randle had 17. The Timberwolves have lost three of their last four, all to sub-.500 opponents. Minnesota made just 8 of 33 3-point attempts and committed 20 turnovers while being held under 100 points for just the second time this season.

Ayo Dosunmu, making his Timberwolves debut after being acquired in a trade with Chicago, had 11 points and two steals.

RAPTORS 122, PACERS 104

TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes had 25 points and 14 rebounds to help Toronto beat Indiana.

Barnes was 12 of 20 from the field and had six assists, four blocks and two steals in 33 minutes. Toronto won its second straight to move 10 games above .500 at 32-22.

RJ Barrett had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Sandro Mamukelashvili added 17 points.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 18 points, Jay Huff had 15 and Jarace Walker 13. Last in the Eastern Conference, the injury-ravaged Pacers have lost four straight to fall to 13-40.

Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Monday, February 9
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN'S)
8:30 p.m.

Oregon at Indiana — FS1

NBA BASKETBALL
10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Portland — KUNP Portland, NBCS Philadelphia, BlazerVision, NBA League Pass

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Daniss Jenkins, the two-way player who has become an integral part of the Detroit Pistons’ rotation, has inked a two-year deal with the club. Jenkins used up the last of his two-way player availability with the Pistons in Friday’s dominant win over the New York Knicks. He scored 18 points and hit three 3-pointers in the game.

Details of his contract have not been disclosed, but reports indicate that the new two-year contract include a team-option for next season. The Pistons reportedly used part of their remaining portion of the bi-annual exception.

The Pistons are required to release a player to make room for Jenkins on the 15-man roster, and while unconfirmed, it is likely that player is veteran Dario Saric.

Jenkins went undrafted in 2024 after an impactful four-year college career with stints at Pacific for two years before transferring to Iona to play with Rick Pitino at Iona and following him to St. John’s for his final season of eligibility.

He signed a two-way deal with Detroit last season where he showed some promise, but he took a big leap forward in Summer League where it became clear he might have an NBA future. He put any questions about his ability to stick in the league to rest early in the season as he filled in for an injured Cade Cunningham.

He averaged 20.2 points per game over a five-game span, including hitting 44% of his threes and 7.6 assists. He’s scored at least 10 points in 15 of his 42 appearances this season.

He is averaging 8.2 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 turnovers in 42 games so far. He has also cemented himself as the team’s backup point guard, and made Jaden Ivey even more expendable. Ivey was traded to the Chicago Bulls at the NBA trade deadline so he could get consistent minutes while he’s working himself back from his broken fibula injury suffered at the beginning of 2025.

Jenkins has clearly earned the trust of head coach JB Bickerstaff, including Bickerstaff choosing to end games with both Cunningham and Jenkins in the back court as dangerous ball-handlers and scorers.

The young guard, who recently said he felt like it was crazy that he was undrafted, now doesn’t have to worry about his availability and gets what likely amounts to a raise of 10 times his two-way contract.

The Brooklyn Nets did not trade away any player at the 2026 trade deadline. After the constant rumors swirling around Michael Porter Jr. — not to mention the chaotic departures of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant in deadlines past — it was a nice, calm week in the borough.

The Nets, however, did waive three players, including Cam Thomas. On Sunday afternoon, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Thomas would sign with the Milwaukee Bucks…

Free agent guard Cam Thomas has agreed to a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, his agent Tony Ronzone of Wasserman tells ESPN. Thomas, 24, averaged 21.4 points per game over the last three seasons with the Nets. pic.twitter.com/ki1SIWBG6G

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 8, 2026

It was a deadline befitting a rebuilding team, with some minor shuffling around the margins, including two low-stakes acquisitions that hardly cost a thing. About a century after the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000, the Boston Celtics sent Josh Minott to Brooklyn for the minimum $110,000 of cash considerations.

The Nets also traded for Ochai Agbaji and his expiring salary, which also earned them a 2032 second-round pick and $3.5 million in cash considerations. Both Minott and Agbaji play on the wing, low-usage off-ball guys who, at their best, hit spot-up threes while defending and filling lanes with a passion. Recall August of 2024, when the Nets took on Ziaire Williams — and a future second — as a salary-dump from the Memphis Grizzlies, a trade that’s worked out pretty well for Brooklyn.

Minott played 526 minutes with the Celtics this season, more than he had played in his first three seasons combined with Minnesota Timberwolves. The #45 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Minott spent plenty of time with the G League’s Iowa Wolves, until this past summer, when he signed with Boston. And to begin this season, the 23-year-old flashed real defensive and spot-up ability, though Jordan Walsh ultimately supplanted him in the rotation…

Welcome to Brooklyn Josh Minott!

Only 23 y/o

3.4 Stocks per 100 (93%tile)
5.7 Deflections p100 (93%tile)
-3.6 contest FG DIFF, -8 rim FG DIFF
Career 62% TS

his .14 dunk rate and 8% Oreb rank 3rd on the Nets, 1st among non-bigs. A huge injection of athleticism pic.twitter.com/Hb0w5KXtLK

— Nets Film Room (@NetsFilm) February 5, 2026

“I’d say I kind of line up perfectly with, just like, the core values here in terms of defensive pressure and, you know, just being disruptive on the defensive end,” said Minott in his introductory presser in Brooklyn. “Additionally, I feel like my shooting has come such a long way for sure. I feel like that’s something I can confidently list as one of my strengths, and I know they believe in taking the right and open shots here.”

He sounds like a Net already! Not to mention that, despite a career-best season, Minott is still a fringe-rotation player on a $2.5 million contract with a team option for next season. Making a good impression over the final two months of Brooklyn’s season could go a long way.

When asked why he felt he’d excelled in Boston, Minott said, “I’d say it was just the hunger I was playing with. That’s something I’m planning on definitely bringing here, just the hunger and desperation. I feel like that’s something that the organization will definitely value considering, like I said, their core principles of defensive, their mindset of just disruption.”

Minott was born in Florida but plays for the Jamaican national team, and some folks call him ‘Why Not’, not only because it fits as a personal mantra but because it’s also a reminder on how to pronounce his last name. If Minott makes his first few 3-pointers in Brooklyn, you’ll be wondering how the hell Sean Marks nabbed him for free. If he starts out cold, not so much. But the man can really defend…

Just look at that defense from Josh Minott on Evan Mobley: pic.twitter.com/t472JFpRuv

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) October 30, 2025

Ochai Agbaji arrives with striking similarities. He was selected by the Cavaliers at #14 in the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery, then was traded to the Utah Jazz in the Donovan Mitchell deal before his debut. Then a trade to the Raptors, and finally, a trade to Brooklyn.

He had by far the best season of his career last year, mainly because he shot 39.9% from three on decent volume…he’s down to 18.5% this season, though his minutes were quite sporadic in Toronto.

“I think it’s just a matter of rhythm, really finding that rhythm,” said Agbaji in his introduction. “And, you know, the conversation with Jordi has been good, brief. Obviously, there’s been a lot going on, but briefly, he just told me he wants me here, and he wants me as a piece of this team, and sees a lot more in me, and a lot more of what I can do and what I can bring to this team.”

Fernández may be telling the truth. The Brooklyn Nets did not have to scoop up Minott or Agbaji; they did not have to duck a tax to get these guys, they didn’t have to match salaries, give up any of their draft hoard …they just scooped ‘em up because they were available.

And Fernández did not hesitate when asked what the newest Nets could bring to the floor: “Every time you can apply ball pressure, whether it’s in the full-court or the half-court, you can create turnovers, deflections, make the other team’s offense uncomfortable, play out of position late in the clock. So, we believe those guys can do that, and I’m excited. I’m excited to watch them play.”

Minott is about 6’9” with a plus-wingspan, a wiry NBA body if there ever was one. Agbaji is a bit stockier, makes some great closeouts and loves to get physical, though there is still some juice in those legs, a welcome sight for fans of one the league’s least athletic teams…

Ochai Agbaji with a STATEMENT dunk.

WOW. pic.twitter.com/iVutyjlX6J

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) November 25, 2025

Agbaji, 25 years old, played with Jalen Wilson at Kansas for three seasons, and they won a national championship together.

“I actually knew him before he came to Kansas,” said Agbaji. “I was one of his hosts on his on his recruiting visit, so I’ve known him for a long time now, and seen him grow and expand in his game, his career. So now, ending up with him as a teammate and as a teammate again is great. So, like I said, it just feels like even more of a home here with him and some other guys.”

Neither player checked in during Brooklyn’s blowout of the Washington Wizards, though the trades had just been finalized. It remains to be seen where Minott and Agbaji will land in Jordi Fernández’s rotation, but their next opportunity to play will come on Monday evening against the Bulls. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

• Nets hope under-the-radar acquisitions Josh Minott, Ochai Agbaji can be key pieces for rebuild – Brian Lewis – New York Post

Before Thursday’s trade deadline, a rumor last week linked the Bucks with former Nets guard Cam Thomas, primarily from HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto. While the contract isn’t public yet, usually post-deadline signings are for the veteran’s minimum, which would be about $905k for Thomas over the remainder of the year. Milwaukee can use the minimum salary exception to add him, and their cap hit would be $846k in that case. They had an open roster spot after waiving Nigel Hayes-Davis on Thursday evening, hours after acquiring him and Ousmane Dieng in exchange for Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey.

The 24-year-old Thomas spent four and a half seasons as a Net, after they selected him 27th overall in 2021. He first broke into their rotation during the latter years of the KD/Kyrie squads as a microwave scorer off their bench, moving into the starting lineup in his third campaign. In 2023–24, he assumed the mantle of their leading scorer the year after Kevin Durant was traded to Phoenix with 22.5 PPG and 2.9 APG on .442/.364/.881 shooting over 66 games (51 starts), but on subpar efficiency. Last season, he missed 57 contests with a left hamstring injury that held him out for three months, then ended his year six games after his late February returned. He’d been averaging a career-high 24.0 PPG. In each campaign, he put up 18+ attempts per game, so he’s earned a reputation as a chucker.

Perhaps due to that, Thomas didn’t receive any multiyear offers after hitting restricted free agency last offseason, including from the Nets. The 6’3” LSU alum therefore took the qualifying offer, giving him the ability to veto trades during 2025–26. He’s appeared in 24 contests for the Nets, starting only eight, with scoring (15.6 PPG), rebounding (1.8 RPG), and shooting (.399/.325/.843) numbers down across the board and his typical 3.1 APG. He also strained that same hammy in November, knocking him out for 20 games until just before New Years. After two years averaging 31+ MPG, he was down to 24.3 this year. Recognizing Brooklyn didn’t envision him as part of his future given the lack of an offer last summer, he surely would have waived that right had the Nets found a deal for him last week, but they couldn’t get anything done. He missed the team’s flight on February 4th, listed as out with “personal reasons,” which many speculated to be a pending move.

The initial Scotto rumor also liked Thomas to the Cavs, echoing a trade idea Jackson proposed between them, the Bucks, and Nets. Scotto mentioned that Cleveland discussed a Thomas trade that would have sent Lonzo Ball (since traded to Utah and waived) and “second-round draft compensation” to Brooklyn. Those talks didn’t progress, and the Nets waived Thomas very shortly after the 2 p.m. Central deadline on Thursday. That’s apparently what he was hoping for, telling Andscape’s Marc Spears:

“Super excited ready to actually help and contribute to another team. My next team is getting elite scoring, good play-making and a good combo guard… I picked Milwaukee because they wanted me and they told me they’ve been interested for years now. So, it’s good to have this opportunity come to fruition. And I’m just hoping to meet everybody, get to know everybody and contribute as soon as possible.”

It’s worth noting that Milwaukee also has about $3m remaining on its room exception this season (the rest of it was used to sign Kevin Porter Jr. to a new contract last July), and could use that to outbid other Thomas suitors. But given the mutual interest between Thomas and the Bucks, it’s probably a minimum contract. Since he is changing teams in free agency, Milwaukee will have Non-Bird rights on him this offseason, so their next contract could only give him a 20% raise on his new salary—a fair bit less than the $6m Brooklyn is still paying him this season. For anything more, they’d need to use a different exception, like the mid-level or bi-annual.

Getting a scorer as talented as Thomas, despite his inefficiency, for next to nothing is certainly a steal. What’s more interesting is what this means for Milwaukee moving forward this season. On their first three-game winning streak of the season, their competition before the break is more serious than the cellar-dwelling Pelicans and Pacers. Still, at just 21-29, they’re 2.5 games back of Charlotte—whom they have a tiebreaker over after winning the season series 3-1—for the East’s final play-in spot. So the hill is still steep, if they choose to climb it.

Thomas can only score, doesn’t defend, and while he’s right that he can play-make, it’s really only for himself. He probably will help more than he hurts the rest of the year, but maybe not to a great extent. Mainly, he’ll give the moribund Bucks offense (24th in ORtg per Cleaning The Glass) a definite boost whenever he’s on the floor, and the Bucks are simply not good enough to not add talent. I wonder about his future, though: he’ll be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this summer, and will certainly be trying to raise his stock after a disappointing last year or so in Brooklyn, which impacted his market last summer. Giannis has complained about selfish play from his teammates and how guys are playing for their next contracts; few would call Thomas unselfish, and he’s hoping for a multiyear deal come July. So perhaps he isn’t a good long-term fit if Giannis sticks around. But a new team-friendly deal over two years (at most) could be tradable, especially if it has a team option.

One more note: many assumed that up-and-coming big man Pete Nance would be converted from his two-way contract to a standard deal (Milwaukee currently has one two-way spot open) for that final roster spot. While that could happen yet, if the Bucks were to open a spot by waiving Gary Harris, Gary Trent Jr., or Jericho Sims, they’d have to stretch their 2026–27 salary over three more years. That’s because each of them has a player option for next season, which is counted as guaranteed money. Nance has 21 games of two-way eligibility remaining, having been active for 29 so far this year.

North Carolina basketball picked up a thrilling win over rivalDuke on Saturday, Feb. 7, but will feel its pockets getting lighter as a result.

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Sunday, Feb. 8, that it was fining the Tar Heels $50,000 for fans storming the court at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, following Seth Trimble's game-winning shot.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracketology projection NCAA tournament sees Kansas on rise

"The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that the University of North Carolina has been fined for violation of the league’s event security policy at the conclusion of its men’s basketball game versus Duke University on February 7," the league wrote in a news release.

"The conference’s event security policy is designed to protect the safety and well-being of all student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans."

The fine is $50,000 for UNC, as it was the first offense for the program. The penalty increases to $100,000 for a second offense and is $200,000 for each subsequent offense within two years.

All fines for storming the court or rushing the field that are collected under the policy are directed to the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship Fund, which benefits ACC student-athletes pursuing graduate education.

In addition to the court storming, following the game, Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer alleged that members of his staff "got punched in the face."

"It's hard to talk about the game when I was most concerned for the safety of our players,” Scheyer said. “I don't wanna make it about that, but ... I got staff members that got punched in the face ... That's not what this game is about. That was a scary ending."

The University of North Carolina did not respond to USA TODAY Sports' request for comment on the claim from Scheyer.

Fans actually stormed the court on two separate occasions. Fans first rushed the court following Timble's 3-pointer, but the clock still showed 0.4 seconds remaining in the game. They rushed the court once again after the clock officially hit triple zeroes, however, it was treated as one incident by the conference.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UNC basketball fined by ACC for fans storming court after Duke win

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Jade Masogayo's three-point play with two seconds remaining lifted Colorado to a stunning 80-79 victory over No. 14 TCU on Sunday, denying the Horned Frogs a spot at the top of the Big 12 Conference.

After Donovyn Hunter's driving layup gave TCU a 79-77 lead with five seconds remaining, Masogayo took a sideline inbounds pass, drove the right side of the lane and made a short bank shot to tie the score. Kennedy Basham was called for a foul on the play and Masogayo sank the and-1 for the win.

TCU led 76-70 after a layup by Olivia Miles with about three minutes remaining. Colorado scored the next five points, then Miles made a free throw for a 77-75 lead with 50 seconds left. Masagayo made two tying free throws with 24 seconds left.

Masaqayo scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting plus 9 of 10 free throws. Desiree Wooten added 19 points, Logyn Greer 17 and Zyanna Walker 15 for the Buffaloes (16-8, 7-5 Big 12). Masagayo topped her previous best of 22 points against TCU last season.

Miles matched her season high with 31 points. Marta Suarez scored 20 and Hunter 17 for TCU (21-4, 9-3). With a win, TCU would have shared first place with 15th-ranked Baylor, which is 10-2 in the conference.

TCU took its first lead of the game, 37-34, on a 3-pointer by Suarez to open the third quarter. Colorado never led in the third but 10 points from Greer helped keep it close, 67-62 heading to the fourth quarter.

Wooten scored 10 points in the first quarter and Colorado led 28-20 after one. It was 34-all at halftime.

Up next

TCU: The Horned Frogs visit Baylor on Thursday.

Colorado: at Houston on Wednesday.

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TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes had 25 points and 14 rebounds to help the Toronto Raptors beat the Indiana Pacers 122-104 on Sunday.

Barnes was 12 of 20 from the field and had six assists, four blocks and two steals in 33 minutes. Toronto won its second straight to move 10 games above .500 at 32-22.

RJ Barrett had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Sandro Mamukelashvili added 17 points. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 10 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes in his Toronto debut following a trade with Golden State.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 18 points, Jay Huff had 15 and Jarace Walker 13. Last in the Eastern Conference, the injury-ravaged Pacers have lost four straight to fall to 13-40.

Toronto rookie center Collin Murray-Boyles left with 3:47 left in the first quarter and did not return after he sprained his left thumb. He had two points in eight minutes.

Indiana swingman Johnny Furphy left after taking a bad fall in the third quarter. The Pacers said he was out with right leg soreness.

Up next

Pacers: At New York on Tuesday night.

Raptors: Host Detroit on Wednesday night.

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

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Avery Howell had a career-high 34 points and 14 rebounds — the 6-foot sophomore’s sixth double-double this season — and Sayvia Sellers scored 23 points to help No. 24 Washington beat Wisconsin 91-86 in overtime on Sunday.

Howell scored eight points in OT, including two of her career-high tying six 3-pointers. Elle Ladine finished with 16 points for Washington (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten). The Huskies had lost back-to-back games for just the second time this season.

Destiny Howell hit five 3-pointers and finished with 28 points for the Badgers. Gift Uchenna had 24 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Laci Steele added 10 points and Ronnie Porter tied her season high with 10 assists to go with eight points and six steals.

Destiny Howell made a 3-pointer and, after Brynn McGaughy hit two free throws on the other end, was fouled as she hit another and the and-1 free throw gave the Badgers a one-point lead with 1:09 to play. Avery Howell answered with a putback off a miss by McGaughy that made it 87-86 with 43 seconds left.

Wisconsin (13-11, 5-8), which has lost four straight, went 0 for 3 from the field — all 3-point shots by Destiny Howell — from there.

The Badgers closed the third quarter with an 11-0 run and scored eight — all by Uchenna — of the first 11 in the fourth to take a six-point lead with 6:09 left in regulation. The Huskies scored nine — five by Sellers and four by Howell — of the next 12 to make it 71-all with 3:40 remaining.

Up next

Washington: Plays Wednesday at No. 10 Iowa.

Wisconsin: Visits Illinois on Wednesday.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored a career-high 36 points and Iowa upped its winning streak to six games by handing Northwestern a seventh straight loss with a 76-70 victory over the Wildcats on Sunday.

Stirtz made made 12 of 20 shots and all eight of his free throws for the Hawkeyes (18-5, 8-4 Big Ten Conference). The senior guard hit 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Tavion Banks added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Nick Martinelli scored 21 on 6-for-19 shooting for the Wildcats (10-14, 2-11). Jake West sank four 3-pointers and scored 18. Tre Singleton had 10 points before fouling out.

West buried a 3-pointer to give Northwestern an 18-13 lead with 8:31 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats played with the lead until a three-point play by Stirtz tied it 30-all with 2:13 left. Stirtz added two free throw, Kael Combs hit a jumper and Banks scored the final five points in a 12-5 run to give Iowa a 39-35 advantage at halftime.

Combs had the first basket of the second half and Stirtz followed with a 3-pointer to push the lead to nine. Stirtz added another 3-pointer and the Hawkeyes took their first double-digit lead at 54-40 with 13 minutes left.

West answered with a 3-pointer to spark a 13-2 run and Northwestern pulled within 56-53 four minutes later. Stirtz hit a 3-pointer to keep Iowa in front and the Hawkeyes maintained a two-possession lead until West hit another 3 to cut it to 70-67 with two minutes left. Stirtz drove for a layup and Banks added two free throws to wrap it up.

Up next

Iowa: At Maryland on Wednesday.

Northwestern: Hosts No. 2 Michigan on Wednesday.

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The best thing about the Wizards blowout loss to the Miami Heat is that it’s over. Miami weathered an early stretch of hot shooting from Washington — and a cold streak of its own. When the teams reverted to something closer to their norms, the Heat gave Washington the bum’s rush. The game was into garbage time by halftime.

I have little good to say about the Wizards after this one. I mean, they got curb-stomped by a team starting someone named (and I’m not making this up) Myron Gardner.

In fairness, Gardner wasn’t bad. Basketball-Reference claims he attended Georgetown (the one in DC) after first playing for South Plains College (a community college in Texas), and that he also played for Little Rock.

Here are the few Wizards positives:

• Justin Champagnie was decent — 3 offensive rebounds and 7 total in 25 minutes.
• Alex Sarr tried on the defensive end but was truly on an island all afternoon. He finished with 12 rebounds…and five fouls as he tried to cover for his missing in action teammates.
• Coulibaly also tried on the defensive end. He committed four fouls.
• Solid game from Jamir Watkins, who scored 12 points, hit a three, and had 7 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks.
• The Wizards committed just 12 fouls in the game. Sarr had five. Coulibaly had four. No one else had more than one. Perhaps this is because a prerequisite for committing a foul is being near the offensive player.

For example, when he wanted to throw down a poster dunk on an offensive rebound, Bam Adebayo had to do it over teammate Kel’el Ware. No Wizards were in the vicinity.

Washington lost in every meaningful way. They got outshot, out-rebounded, committed more turnovers, and made fewer free throws. They got lit up by Kasparas Jakucionis. They got outscored by 41 points in Adabayo’s 28 minutes.That’s a complete drubbing.

This was Washington’s eighth loss of the season by 30 or more points. One of those was a 45-point beatdown by the Boston Celtics.

They have eight more losses by 20 or more points, including a 29-point drubbing by Boston. They have three more defeats by 19 points.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

FOUR FACTORS	HEAT	WIZARDS	LGAVG
eFG%	57.2%	48.4%	54.3%
OREB%	39.6%	20.4%	26.1%
TOV%	15.2%	18.0%	12.7%
FTM/FGA	0.125	0.118	0.208
PACE	106		99.5
ORTG	125	96	115.5

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Jamir Watkins	33	74	123	13.9%	0.7	115	-33
Justin Champagnie	25	55	121	20.5%	0.6	120	-8
Tristan Vukcevich	20	44	101	31.4%	-2.0	95	-17
Bub Carrington	29	63	92	22.6%	-3.4	52	-9
Sharife Cooper	20	45	107	17.8%	-0.7	72	-28
Alex Sarr	26	57	94	23.1%	-2.9	50	-5
Kyshawn George	19	42	97	30.6%	-2.4	56	-4
Keshon Gilbert	13	30	99	4.3%	-0.2	20	-21
Will Riley	21	46	64	23.3%	-5.5	-16	-26
Bilal Coulibaly	34	74	62	14.4%	-5.7	-40	-4

HEAT	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Kasparas Jakucionis	26	57	213	16.6%	9.2	431	27
Bam Adebayo	28	62	134	22.7%	2.7	287	41
Andrew Wiggins	23	52	132	18.0%	1.5	261	1
Kel’el Ware	30	66	153	16.0%	3.9	200	22
Simone Fontecchio	19	42	141	21.2%	2.2	288	33
Myron Gardner	21	46	124	22.1%	0.8	224	0
Norman Powell	25	55	137	23.2%	2.7	182	7
Davion Mitchell	25	55	71	14.0%	-3.4	-26	16
Jaime Jaquez Jr.	24	52	54	31.4%	-9.9	-174	9
Nikola Jovic	6	12	168	22.6%	1.5	369	0
Dru Smith	6	12	103	9.4%	-0.1	125	0
Jahmir Young	8	18	68	17.1%	-1.4	-41	-1

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard hasn’t played all season long due to sitting out with a torn Achilles. Despite that, he plans to participate in the 2026 All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

The NBA announced its participants in the 2026 State Farm 3-Point Contest on Feb. 8 and one of the participants is Lillard.

Lillard, 35, suffered his injury when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.

Lillard, who is a nine-time All-Star, isn’t a stranger to three-point competitions. He won the contest twice in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024.

The Oakland native has played 13 seasons in the NBA. Throughout his career, Lillard made a name for himself as one of the best shooters, especially in the clutch, where he developed his signature “Dame Time”.

Lillard is currently No. 5 all-time in three-pointers made with 2,804, sitting behind Klay Thompson, Ray Allen, James Harden, and Stephen Curry.

NBA ALL-STAR 2026: NBA All-Star reserves revealed: Snubs, surprises and who makes the cut

NBA ALL-STAR 2026: NBA announces new All-Star Game format: US vs. World, round-robin play

2026 State Farm 3-Point Contestants

The 2026 State Farm 3-Point Contest for NBA All-Star Weekend is happening Feb. 14. All-Star Saturday night, which features the three-point shootout, shooting stars event and slam dunk contest. It will start at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) on NBC and Peacock.

Here are the participants competing in the three-point contest:

• Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel, 42.8% 3-pt FG, 174 3-pt made in 2025-26 season
• Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell,3.7 3-pt made per game in 2025-26 season, 1,798 career 3-pt made
• Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray,43.2% 3-pt FG, 156 3-pt made in 2025-26 season
• Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey,38.% 3-pt FG, 169 3-pt made in 2025-26 season
• Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker,2018 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest winner
• Portland Trail Blazer guard Damian Lillard,2023 & 2024 NBA All-Star Three-Point contest winner

The 2026 State Farm 3-Point Contest field ⬇️

Saturday, Feb. 14 | 5 p.m. ET | NBC & Peacock

Former champ Devin Booker among five 2026 All-Stars.

Two-time winner Damian Lillard can match the record with a third title.

Kon Knueppel can become the first rookie to win the event. pic.twitter.com/W6cI4LdctJ

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 8, 2026

Cleveland basketball’s latest chapter has already gotten off to an explosive start. 

James Harden made his Cavaliers debut Saturday night in Sacramento, but he took a backseat during his postgame interview after it got humorously crashed by hip-hop sensation Travis Scott.

Harden and his All-Star teammate Donovan Mitchell, speaking with Cavs sideline reporter Serena Winters after a 132–126 win over the Kings, broke out into hysterics as the animated Scott ran across the court, snatched the microphone, and went berserk.

“We goin’ to the yard!” Scott yelled before quickly darting off. “What are we doing? DM, JH — what the f–k?!” 

Travis Scott crashed James Harden's interview after Harden's first W with the Cavs pic.twitter.com/kA8T9O7Gow

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 8, 2026

The since-viral clip seemingly captured an early bonding moment between the All-Star guards, following Cleveland’s acquisition of Harden ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for Darius Garland.

The former MVP scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 23 points and eight assists in his first game wearing Wine and Gold, helping the Cavs avoid an upset at Golden 1 Center. 

Mitchell led the charge with 35 points.

Scott, a Houston native, has a longstanding friendship with the former Rockets star. 

Harden, 36, guest-starred in Scott’s music video for his 2016 track“way back,” which name-drops the shooting guard on the song’s hook.

The music video has since been unlisted, potentially due to Scott’s sponsorship deal with Nike and Harden’s affiliation with Adidas. 

The Cavaliers (32–21) sit at fourth place in the Eastern Conference, hoping the addition of Harden can lift the squad into title contention.

To the surprise of no one, the latest Laker injury update involves a day-to-day designation.

On Saturday, Deandre Ayton was a very late scratch for the Lakers with a knee injury. Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber stepped up in his place, helping the team to a victory over the Warriors.

After the game, head coach JJ Redick was asked about Ayton and his injury and you’ll never believe what the team considers him.

“He went out for his shooting stretch and just didn’t feel completely comfortable with it,” Redick said. “I don’t think there’s any reason to believe it’s anything but day-to-day.”

How helpful it is to know he’s just day-to-day, just like Luka Dončić is day-to-day with his hamstring injury. I mean, when you really think about it, aren’t we all just day-to-day?

Kleber’s play over the last two games has made the absences of Hayes against the Sixers and Ayton against the Warriors less of a concern. In fact, in both games, Kleber was the best center for the Lakers.

However, is it really that sustainable for Kleber to keep playing like this? I’d go as far as to say that it’s day-to-day whether he can keep being this impactful.

Adding to that is the fact the next two games are coming against perhaps the two best teams in the league in the Spurs and the Thunder and the team really needs to be back to full strength. Even if Ayton is in a bit of a slump of late, the best version of the Lakers includes him playing at a high level and if the Lakers are going to win either of these next two games, they need to play a high level.

Hopefully that day-to-day designation results in him playing on Monday.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.