Category: NBA

With the trade deadline now behind us, we set our sights on the fantasy playoffs. While it was an eventful deadline, the fantasy implications were limited, with very little to talk about in terms of clear winners and losers. As we approach the pointy end of the season, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the NBA fantasy rankings. And remember, never assume a player is rostered. It always pays to double-check, just in case they have been overlooked.

Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles–whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals–is vital as you navigate the season.

Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Week 17 Pickups

Yahoo High Score Leagues

Jarace Walker, Indiana Pacers (18% rostered)

Arguably one of the biggest winners following the trade deadline, Walker's path to playing time just cleared up a little. With Bennedict Mathurin no longer around, and Indiana now looking to ensure a bottom-four finish, Walker should be able to maintain his recent role. He has scored double digits in seven games, adding serviceable production across most peripheral categories. While his game isn't necessarily built for points leagues, volume alone should see him flirt with top-100 value. As for high-score leagues, he has tallied at least 29 fantasy points in five of the past seven games, making him a viable addition to any roster.

GG Jackson, Memphis Grizzlies (19% rostered)

With Memphis seemingly tearing things down, Jackson could find himself in a favorable situation, much like in previous seasons. Given the current roster construction, there is a chance Jackson could, in fact, start for the remainder of the season. His ability to play multiple positions should also work in his favor, even if he is ultimately moved back to the bench. He has averaged 31.7 fantasy points in each of the past three games, during which he has seen his playing time increase. Despite the fact that there is still some uncertainty surrounding the Grizzlies' exact makeup, Jackson is worth taking a gamble on, especially seeing as we have seen this play out before.

Aaron Wiggins, Oklahoma City Thunder (11% rostered)

Seen as a potential breakout candidate coming into the season, Wiggins has been largely disappointing. The ascension of Ajay Mitchell has played a huge role in that, limiting Wiggins to minutes in the mid-20s on most nights. However, we now have a situation where both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Mitchell are dealing with injuries, providing Wiggins with perhaps his best opportunity of the season. He has now tallied at least 29 fantasy points in five of his past six games, including a 51-point performance during Wednesday's loss to the Spurs. While this is likely to have a shelf-life, Wiggins makes for a nice upside swing heading into the All-Star break.

Standard 9-Category Leagues

Pelle Larsson, Miami Heat (20% rostered)

One of the more unexpected stories from this season has been the recent play of Larsson. Seen as little more than a depth piece, Larsson has taken full advantage of the fact that Miami has had to deal with multiple injuries, most notably Tyler Herro, who has missed a significant portion of the season thus far. Larsson has played at least 28 minutes in nine of the past 12 games, providing the Heat with solid production on both ends of the floor. In eight appearances over the past two weeks, he has been a top-80 player in nine-category leagues, averaging 14.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 three-pointers. The eventual return of Herro will impact Larsson's opportunities, but until then, feel free to give him a look.

Gui Santos, Golden State Warriors (6% rostered)

Santos has quietly gone about his business over the past two weeks, putting up top-50 value during that time. With averages of 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.0 three-pointers and 2.7 combined steals and blocks, he has been delivering on both ends of the floor. The Warriors are currently at a crossroads, having to decide whether to continue pushing for wins or shift their focus to next season. Nonetheless, Santos appears to have carved out a meaningful spot in the rotation, putting himself firmly on the standard league radar.

Tyus Jones, Dallas Mavericks (2% rostered)

When it comes to Jones, this is purely speculation. Following a disappointing stint in Orlando, Jones was traded to Charlotte before being rerouted to Dallas. Currently, the point guard rotation consists of Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard, both of whom are borderline starters at best. Williams is dealing with a leg injury, leaving Nembhard as the last man standing. Enter Tyus Jones. While there are definitely no guarantees when it comes to what Jason Kidd might do on a nightly basis, Jones is in a position to at least provide the team with a veteran on-floor leader. If you can absorb all the risk that comes with a move like this, Jones could be worth a speculative add, especially for those needing assists and steals.

Standard Points Leagues

Will Riley, Washington Wizards (5% rostered)

Despite the addition of Trae Young and Anthony Davis, the path forward for Washington is clear. With a view to the 2026-27 season, it appears as though the Wizards' rotation is going to feature a lot of young players moving forward, one of whom is Riley. He has now recorded at least 32 fantasy points in three of the past four games, closing in each appearance despite not being in the starting unit. Based on what we have seen over the past week, Riley seems to be high on the priority list, which could result in sustained fantasy value for the remainder of the season.

Jaden Ivey, Chicago Bulls (17% rostered)

Based on what we had seen this season, a trade was really the only hope for Ivey when it came to boosting his fantasy appeal. Thankfully, he was moved to the Bulls prior to the trade deadline, landing in what many view as a confusing situation. Chicago now seemingly has too many backcourt options, all of whom have a claim to playing time. In his first appearance since the trade, Ivey shifted straight into the starting lineup, recording arguably his best performance of the season. It was the first time since returning from injury that he had accumulated more than 30 fantasy points, an encouraging sign, at least for his immediate value. The eventual return of Josh Giddey and Tre Jones will complicate matters, but for now, he is worth taking a chance on.

Taylor Hendricks, Memphis Grizzlies (3% rostered)

Much like the situation with Tyus Jones, this is another speculative add based on what might be. Hendricks was a viable last-round target coming into the season, seen as a player who could step into a sizeable role on a team with very little to play for. Those hopes were soon diminished, with Hendricks even falling out of the rotation altogether at one point. Now in Memphis, perhaps we can hit the reset button and hope that he can resurrect his young career, once again playing for a team that should be prioritizing its youth. If you have an open spot on your roster and you can exercise at least a small amount of patience, Hendricks is worth the gamble.

The biggest news for the Lakers on Thursday was that All-Star guard Luka Doncic was unable to play in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers because of left leg soreness, the team announced in the third quarter.

Doncic left the game in the second quarter of the Lakers’ 119-115 win at Crypto.com Arena.

“He felt some soreness in the hamstring,” coach JJ Redick said after the game, adding it was too early to say whether Doncic was injured and the team would get imaging of his leg Friday. Redick said the Lakers didn’t feel comfortable playing the guard during the second half.

The Lakers were undaunted by Doncic’s departure, coming back from 14 points down and holding on for the win by following the lead of Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and a strong defensive effort led by Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Reaves, playing in his second game after coming back from a left calf strain, scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter. His back-to-back three-pointers and two free throws to open the fourth quarter gave the Lakers a six-point lead they never lost. His three-pointer later in the quarter gave the Lakers a 13-point advantage that grew to 16 late in the game.

Reaves did all his damage in 25 minutes off the bench.

James had 17 points and 10 assists, while Hachimura, who started the third quarter in place of Doncic, had 14 points off the bench, including the game-sealing basket with 12.3 seconds left. Hachimura helped the Lakers stay the course after their lead was trimmed to two points with 27 seconds left.

Doncic tried to throw a pass to Maxi Kleber that resulted in a turnover with about 3:45 left in the second quarter. Doncic turned to run back up the court and grabbed the back of his left leg. Doncic went up and down the court several times, grimacing in pain. When Redick called a timeout with 3:03 left, Doncic stayed on the court bent over. He gingerly walked to the bench and then to the locker room.

Read more:Lakers acquire Luke Kennard, prepared to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer

Doncic had 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. He entered the game leading the NBA in scoring, averaging 33.4 points, and second in assists, averaging 8.7.

The Lakers wrapped up 16 days on the road, playing eight games that started in Denver last month and ended in Brooklyn against the Nets on Tuesday night. The Lakers returned home to play the surging 76ers.

The home team's test not only was facing a 76ers team on a five-game win streak, but also finding the energy to keep pace. Redick said he hoped his team got “plenty of sleep” before playing Thursday night.

Reaves returned Tuesday after he missed 19 straight games because of a left hamstring strain. After he played 25 minutes in that game, Redick said Reaves was “good.”

AUSTIN. ENERGY 🔋 pic.twitter.com/GegC3yETrN

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 6, 2026

“No issues and we'll get a little more minutes allocated to him, just over the restriction,” Redick said.

The Lakers announced during the third quarter that they acquired shooting guard Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick.

The Lakers love that Kennard’s shooting can create space on the court for Doncic, James and Reaves. Kennard, a 6-foot-5 guard, is shooting an NBA-best 49.7% from three-point range over 46 games, all off the bench. He has shot 44.2% from three-point range during his nine-year career.

Kennard is averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists and shooting 53.8% from the field.

The Lakers (31-19) next play Saturday at Golden State.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Dallas Mavericks lost 135-123 to the San Antonio Spurs Thursday night in Dallas. Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall had some monster games, but it wasn’t enough to stop a locked in Victor Wembanyama and the rest of this dynamic and impressive Spurs squad.

Dallas, as it often does, kept the game close throughout, despite trailing by double-digit points at multiple instances in the first and second halves. Flagg finished with another 30-point game, Marshall joined him, and Wembanyama had a big 29-point, 11-rebound double-double.

This is the Mavericks sixth loss in a row and their first game played since the trade deadline. Dallas was down to only 10 available players, as the new guys from the Anthony Davis trade should be available on Saturday.

Here are the three numbers to know.

4: Consecutive 30-point games for Cooper Flagg

I think Cooper Flagg is figuring this thing out. The 19-year-old had another spectacular scoring night, notching 32 points on a fairly efficient 14-of-27 shooting performance, including 2-of-5 from three. Flagg didn’t get to the free throw line, but offensively did just about everything else.

Perhaps most impressive was how Flagg adjusted and adapted to Victor Wembanyama’s preposterous defense. Flagg got blocked at the rim by Wembanyama in the first half and you could see Flagg in real time process what he needed to do to score. Instead of barreling toward the rim head first, Flagg picked his spots a little better and released his shots from outside the restricted area but still in the paint. He worked the floater territory to near-perfection, knowing if he took another dribble or two toward the rim, he’d engulfed by Wembanyama’s reach. Another impressive night for a rookie that keeps stacking up these kinds of nights.

60: Spurs points in the paint

Funny enough, Wembanyama only attempt five two point shots tonight, yet the Spurs thrived in the paint and at the basket. While Dallas did a decent job in the second half of preventing Wembanyama from dominating the game, that extra attention certainly opened things up for the Spurs’ dynamic trio of athletic guards.

This was led by a brilliant performance from Stephon Castle, who had 18 points in 22 minutes on 8-of-13 shooting. With Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and rookie Dylan Harper, the Spurs slashed their way to the basket repeatedly. The Mavericks have little-to-none in the way of point of attack defense, and San Antonio exploited that weakness all night.

50: Mavericks percentage on mid-range shots

Dallas took 16 mid-range shots tonight, making eight of them. Both the volume and efficiently were big numbers, and they were what was likely keeping the Mavericks in the game as Castle got to the rim and Wembanyama bombed threes.

The Mavericks are not a mid-range heavy team, but they had to be tonight — Wembanyama is a one-man wrecking crew at the rim, and the Mavericks understood fairly early that they might be better off shooting as far away from Wembanyama as possible. Kudos to the Mavericks for making those shots, as this game would have been ugly otherwise — Dallas shot just 10-of-21 in the restricted area. Woof! Wembanyama is good.

The Dallas Mavericks (19-32) played their first post-Trade Deadline game on Thursday night, taking on the San Antonio Spurs (35-16) at home. Looking to stop a five-game losing streak, Dallas instead extended their season-long skid to six with a 135-123 loss.

Let’s get to the grades!

Naji Marshall: A

32 PTS / 6 REB / 3 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 39 MIN

Marshall was back to his old self, converting at a blistering rate (12-for-21) and constantly pushing the pace. Extra credit for the number of no-calls he endured throughout the game, but he really doesn’t need extra credit for an A grade. He was awesome against the Spurs.

Max Christie: B+

20 PTS / 3 REB / 4 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 38 MIN

Usually a solid defender, Christie was caught sleeping a number of times, resulting in easy scores for the Spurs. Offensively, credit is due for his conscious effort to not camp at the 3-point line as he has in his last few. Case in point, he shot 7-for-14 overall, but only 2-for-8 from deep. He got back to driving and opened up his offensive game against San Antonio He also found his teammates with a handful of nice assists.

Cooper Flagg: A

32 PTS / 6 REB / 4 AST / 2 STL / 3 BLK – 39 MIN

Flagg was thrown off his offensive game at the start, but true to form, he stayed the course and had a fourth-straight30-plus point outing. Turnovers (three) were a problem, but it’s difficult to be too upset given his overall play on both sides of the ball — he was outstanding. He tied his career-high mark with three blocked shots and now holds the third-highest four-game scoring span by a rookie, ever.

Caleb Martin: B

8 PTS / 4 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 32 MIN

Martin didn’t fill up the box score and his plus/minus was a team worst at minus-20, but that doesn’t paint the most accurate picture of a decent game. He hit 3-for-4 from the floor, snatched a couple of steals and also did a pretty nice job guarding Victor Wembanyama on a number of occasions.

Daniel Gafford: B+

16 PTS / 10 REB / 2 AST / 3 STL / 4 BLK – 33 MIN

Gafford took a page out of Marshall’s book, coming out strong with a 10-point first quarter in which he also turned away three shots. His numbers slowed after that, but he still had a solid double-double and a crazy high seven stocks while not turning the ball over. Gafford has now recorded three straight double-doubles.

Klay Thompson: D

5 PTS / 2 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 20 MIN

Thompson didn’t factor in all that much, taking relatively few shots (especially in the first half) while struggling to convert. He had a few opportunities in the fourth quarter to hit a momentum-shifting 3-pointer, but they just wouldn’t fall for him (1-for-6 from downtown).

Ryan Nembhard: C

5 PTS / 3 REB / 7 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 17 MIN

Nembhard showed flashes of the hot play that got everyone excited at the end of 2025, making nice passes while taking care of the ball (one turnover), but missed seven of his nine shot attempts.

Moussa Cisse: C-

0 PTS / 5 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 12 MIN

Cisse had a tough night defensively, racking up three fouls in just his first five minutes. He was more careful defensively after that, but offensively, he missed an alley-oop dunk and immediately followed it up by getting his shot blocked on the next possession. If nothing else, this will hopefully be a good growth game for him.

Final Thoughts

Dallas continued their longstanding trend of apathetic 3-point defense at the start of the game and coupled it with some shockingly poor turnovers. They remain engaged, competitive and fun to watch, but it does feel like they let this one slip away. A12q-point defeat doesn’t always feel that way, but the early going had some very ugly moments.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Luka Doncic seemingly suffered a leg injury in the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers' Thursday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

He's expected to undergo an MRI on his left hamstring on Friday, according to ESPN.

“Too early to say if it’s an injury," Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters after the game. "(Doncic) had a sore hamstring.”

Doncic's apparent injury occurred with 3:30 left in the second quarter after facing a double-team from two opposing players. The Lakers' star turned the ball over on a bad pass as a result of the double-team and was seen grabbing the back of his left leg before checking out of the game and heading back to the locker room.

He did not return to the court with his team after halftime and did not start the third quarter. The Lakers ruled him out for the remainder of the game due to left leg soreness. Doncic finished the game with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes of play.

Doncic was seen in multiple videos showing a level of frustration after the apparent injury.

Luka Doncic frustrated walking back to the locker room after injuring his hamstring pic.twitter.com/HDhDXVCANw

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) February 6, 2026

He kicked the scorer's table on his way off the court. Once in the tunnel, he was seen on the Spectrum SportsNet broadcast displaying further frustration.

Luka Doncic kicked the scorer’s table in anger and held his head down as he went to the locker room 😔

Via: _MichaelMorales10 on IG pic.twitter.com/xbuaMtmETp

— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) February 6, 2026

Doncic's status will be closely monitored with the Lakers hosting the Golden State Warriors at home on Saturday, Feb. 7.

This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic injury update, 76ers-Lakers status

Jon Horst and the Bucks front office have decided to waive journeyman Nigel Hayes-Davis, who got another shot in the NBA this season with the Phoenix Suns after a long and successful career overseas.

Hayes-Davis, a wing-forward combo, actually would have fitted a position of need for the Bucks. But at 31 years old and with a questionable skillset to succeed in a Giannis-led offence, the Bucks opted to put more eggs in Ousmane Dieng’s basket.

The journeyman averaged 1.3 PPG, 0.3 APG, and 1.2 RPG on 32.6% from the field and just 12.5% from three with the Suns. He had his first NBA stint way back in the 2017-18 season with three different teams—the Lakers, Raptors, and Kings—before departing for EuroLeague opportunities.

Hayes-Davis played for three teams across Europe’s premier competition: Zalgiris (2019-2021), Barcelona (2021-2022), and Fenerbahce (2022-2025). In 2025, he led Fenerbahce to a EuroLeague title, winning the Final Four MVP as well.

The Bucks now have a vacant spot on the 15-man roster as well as a vacant two-way spot. You imagine they’d be looking long and hard into converting Pete Nance—currently on a two-way deal—to a standard deal, creating multiple two-way openings. Suffice to say, there’s still a lot to play out in Milwaukee.

HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie Kon Knueppel had 24 points and LaMelo Ball added 20 to help the Charlotte Hornets roll to a 109-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night and extend their winning streak to eight games.

Charlotte’s streak is the franchise’s longest since winning nine in a row in the 1998-99 season.

The Hornets led by 16 after three quarters and Brandon Miller scored the first five points of the fourth to extend the lead to 96-75 with about 11 minutes to go. A 5-0 run by Charlotte, with a 3-pointer by Sion James, made it 103-81 with about eight minutes remaining and Houston coach Ime Udoka pulled his starters.

It’s a second straight lopsided defeat for the Rockets, who lost 114-93 Wednesday night to a Boston team playing without star Jaylen Brown.

Kevin Durant led Houston, which entered Thursday in fourth place in the Western Conference, with 31 points and Jabari Smith Jr. added 17. It was a tough night for Alperen Sengun, who was averaging 21.2 points, and scored just seven on 3-of-11 shooting.

Miles Bridges added 18 points for the Hornets and Miller finished with 11 after sitting out the entire second quarter after getting three fouls in the first.

WIZARDS 126, PISTONS 117

DETROIT (AP) — Will Riley scored 20 points, Sharife Cooper added 18 and Washington upset Eastern Conference-leading Detroit.

The Wizards only dressed 10 players — Cooper was one of three on two-way contracts — a day after a trade with the Dallas Mavericks, but beat a Pistons team that had won five of six. The Wizards improved to 14-36, while Pistons fell to 37-13.

Justin Champagnie and Tristan Vukcevic each scored 14 points for Washington, which has won four of six since a nine-game losing streak. The Wizards got 69 points from their reserves.

Cade Cunningham had 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pistons, who went 9 for 33 (27.3%) on 3-pointers. All-Star center Jalen Duren had four points and three rebounds in 13 minutes left before leaving game with knee soreness.

After trailing by 17 in the third quarter, the Pistons cut it to 112-107 on Duncan Robinson’s 4-point play with 4:15 to go. Bilal Coulibay banked in a 3-point shot as the shot clock expired to make it 117-110, and Detroit couldn’t get enough stops.

RAPTORS 123, BULLS 107

TORONTO (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 33 points, Immanuel Quickley had 24 and Toronto beat new-look Chicago.

Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili each scored 17 points and Scottie Barnes added 13 as Toronto snapped a four-game losing streak against Chicago.

Toronto has 31 wins in its first 53rd games, eclipsing last season’s win total.

Anfernee Simons scored 22 points in his first game with Chicago and Matas Buzelis had 18. Guerschon Yabusele marked his Bulls’ debut with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Smith each scored 13 points and Isaac Okoro added 10 for the Bulls, who overhauled their roster by making seven trades ahead of Thursday afternoon’s deadline.

MAGIC 118, NETS 98

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Suggs had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double, Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Paolo Banchero added 22 to lead Orlando to a win over Brooklyn.

Playing 29 minutes in his seventh game after missing eight games with a right knee injury, Suggs also blocked four shots and had three steals.

Egor Demin led the Nets with a career-high 26 points, shooting 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Fellow rookie Nolan Traore matched his career high with 21 points and added seven assists.

Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn’s leading scorer, shot 2 of 13 and scored nine points.

Anthony Black had 18 points and five assists for Orlando and Mo Wagner came off the bench with 14 points and five rebounds in 12 minutes.

The loss was was the 15th in 17 games for the Nets, who came in as the lowest-scoring (107.1) and poorest field-goal shooting (44.3%) team in the NBA. They shot 41.5% and had 19 turnovers.

HAWKS 121, JAZZ 119

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker broke a tie on a short jumper with 1.3 seconds left and had 23 points in Atlanta's victory over Utah.

Newly acquired Jock Landale had a season-high 29 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds. He had a career-high five 3-pointers and set season highs in blocks with four and assists with five.

Jalen Johnson had his third straight triple-double, giving him 10 on the season. He finished with 22 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists. His 10 triple-doubles are second only to Nikola Jokic league-wide.

The Hawks traded for Landale on Wednesday shortly after he was a part of an eight-player deal that sent him to Utah from Memphis. The Jazz sent the veteran big man to Atlanta for cash considerations. He started in place of the injured Onyeka Okongwu, who missed his fourth game due to a dental fracture.

Jazz rookie Ace Bailey tied it at 119 with a 3-pointer with nine seconds left, setting up Alexander-Walker’s winner.

SPURS 135, MAVERICKS 123

DALLAS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 29 points and 11 rebounds, and San Antonio overcame rookie No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg’s fourth consecutive 30-point game in a victory over Dallas.

Flagg scored 32 points to extend his NBA record for consecutive games with at least 30 points by a teenager. The 19-year-old joined Michael Jordan, Bernard King, Allen Iverson and Jalen Green as the only rookies to score at least 30 in four straight games since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77.

Dallas lost all four games and is on a six-game losing streak, its longest of the season.

Harrison Barnes was another of seven San Antonio players in double figures with 19 points, and De’Aaron Fox scored 17 points while pushing through a rough shooting night with two clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. The second came on Wembanyama’s sixth assist and gave the Spurs a 131-123 lead with 1:24 remaining.

Stephon Castle had 18 points and seven rebounds, the last board coming on his empathic and punctating follow dunk for the final points.

LAKERS 119, 76ERS 115

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Austin Reaves scored 35 points in just 25 minutes, and Los Angeles overcame Luka Doncic’s departure with a left leg injury for a victory over Philadelphia.

LeBron James had 17 points and 10 assists for the Lakers, who snapped Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak with a big second-half rally in their first game back from a draining eight-game road trip.

Joel Embiid had 35 points and Tyrese Maxey added 26 points and 13 assists for the 76ers, who blew a 14-point lead and nearly came back from a 16-point deficit in the second half of their first loss since Jan. 26.

The Lakers led 110-94 with four minutes left, but Philadelphia closed the gap to 116-113 when rookie VJ Edgecombe stole James’ inbounds pass and hit a 3-pointer with 36 seconds to play. James made eight turnovers.

But Maxi Kleber fed Rui Hachimura for a dunk with 12 seconds left, and the Lakers hung on.

With 12-of-17 shooting and five 3-pointers while coming off the bench, Reaves was phenomenal despite playing on a minutes restriction in his second game back from a 5 1/2-week absence with a calf injury.

WARRIORS 101, SUNS 97

PHOENIX (AP) — Pat Spencer scored a career-high 20 points, Gui Santos added 18 and shorthanded Golden State erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Phoenix.

The Suns had a chance to pull ahead in the final seconds, but Dillon Brooks missed a 3-pointer and Golden State’s Gary Payton II came up with the rebound before Moses Moody fed De’Anthony Melton for a layup as time expired.

Phoenix took an 82-76 lead into the fourth quarter after holding Golden State to 17 points in the third. The Suns pushed the advantage to 90-76 less than two minutes into the fourth after Collin Gillespie hit 3s on back-to-back offensive possessions.

But the Warriors weren’t done, methodically cutting into the advantage before Melton made a layup to tie the game at 97-all with 55.8 seconds remaining. Santos made a fast-break layup with 28.7 seconds remaining to put Golden State up 99-97.

Brooks led the Suns with 24 points. Grayson Allen had 21. Phoenix made just six field goals in the fourth quarter, scoring just 15 points.

Utah Jazz vs Atlanta Hawks recap

The Jazz lost a thrilling game that went down to the last second against the Hawks. Ace Bailey hit the game-tying three with 10.3 seconds remaining, before Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit the game-winner with 1.3 seconds left. The Jazz then had the ball down two and had to settle for a highly contested fadeaway three-point attempt from Bailey that couldn’t find the rim.

AN EPIC FINISH IN ATL!

ACE BAILEY HITS THE GAME-TYING TRIPLE…

NICKEIL ALEXANDER-WALKER FOLLOWS IT UP WITH THE GO-AHEAD JUMPER TO WIN IT FOR THE HAWKS 🚨 pic.twitter.com/UqD9Y4J7Ey

— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2026

It was back and forth all game long, with 31 lead changes and the largest lead for either team being 12. The Hawks were finally able to put together a run in the final minutes and came away with the tight win. Isaiah Collier was once again the standout, with star guard Keyonte George continuing to miss time with a left ankle sprain. Collier played 48 minutes for the second straight game and finished with 25 points and 11 assists, seeming lackluster in comparison to the 22-assist game he had just a few days ago.

Isaiah Collier tonight:

25 Points
11 Assists
7 Rebounds
3 Steals
12/22 FGM
48 Minutes pic.twitter.com/shjQcOHt0T

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 6, 2026

Bailey had a tough shooting night but still managed to impact the game in positive areas, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, two steals, and a block. It’ll never be a complete game from Bailey without a few cool dunks that make you yell from the couch. Lauri Markkanen played well but only logged 23 minutes in this one and sat the entire fourth quarter, maybe giving you a hint at what the Jazz are trying to do with the rest of their season. Kyle Filipowski was a standout, with Jusuf Nurkic collecting another DNP—coach’s decision. Filipowski finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds. Brice Sensabaugh played another good offensive game, and Cody Williams continues to show flashes on the defensive side of the court.

ELITE ball movement by the Jazz leads to an Ace Bailey slam!

Utah leads in Q3…. Tap to watch: https://t.co/2vI39VHjBlpic.twitter.com/LeEGJgpC0H

— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2026

The Jazz are playing respectable basketball while missing George. Coming off a win against a shriveled Pacers team, a win is a win—especially given the Jazz’s limited player availability. They then played the Hawks tough the entire game and just barely came up short at the end. The point is, the Jazz are playing good basketball and YOU should be excited moving forward. The Jaren Jackson Jr. trade will massively impact this team on both ends of the court, and if he were playing tonight, the Jazz absolutely would’ve won this game. But most would agree it’s a good thing the Jazz were able to come away with the loss tonight. The future truly is bright in Salt Lake City.

Jazz Nation, you ready??

Jaren arrived last night, let’s get to work 💜#TakeNotepic.twitter.com/kZJfl8QWts

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 5, 2026

Will Hardy has to be given credit for his coaching choices in the fourth quarter. Choosing to rest Markkanen and roll with the young guys like Williams and Bailey is a perfect example of putting the team first. Let’s all be thankful we have Will Hardy coaching our favorite basketball team and not Quin Snyder.

The Hawks edge out the Jazz tonight in a close one, 121–119, and improve to 26–27. The Jazz fall to 16–36 and will look ahead to the 26–24 Orlando Magic in Orlando on Saturday.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jessica Timmons scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Karly Weathers added 14 points and six rebounds, and No. 21 Alabama took down No. 13 Ole Miss 64-63 on Thursday night.

Timmons scored six straight points beginning with 2:31 remaining in regulation, and gave the Crimson Tide (20-4, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) a lead with 47 seconds on the clock.

After Ole Miss retook the lead on two free throws, Diana Collins made a driving layup that secured the win with 18 seconds to go.

Cotie McMahon led with 22 points for the Rebels (19-5, 6-3), but she was called for a charge with 10 seconds remaining that negated her go-ahead bucket.

Sira Thienou added 13 points and seven rebounds, Christeen Iwuala had 11 and 15 rebounds, and Latasha Lattimore scored 10 to go with 13 rebounds for Ole Miss.

Lattimore's buzzer-beater attempt couldn't find the basket as Alabama survived for the upset.

Alabama has lost just one game of 17 at home this season (a 70-59 loss to then-No. 20 Tennessee). Crimson Tide head coach Kristy Curry reached 550 career victories with the win.

Up next

Ole Miss hosts Arkansas on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Alabama visits Texas A&M on Sunday.

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It was a busy trade deadline day for the Boston Celtics, who salary-dumped three players and converted two-way center Amari Williams to a standard contract. Plus, there’s the addition of veteran center Nikola Vučević, acquired from the Chicago Bulls in the Anfernee Simons trade, which sparked the organization’s final 72 hours of activity.

Boston’s trio of trades during Thursday afternoon’s hours — with the Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, and Charlotte Hornets — allowed the Celtics to reduce their projected salary and luxury tax figure down to $186.5 million, seven months and three weeks after it stood at $540 million.

By parting ways with Simons, Chris Boucher, Josh Minott, and Xavier Tillman Sr., the Celtics dumped enough salary to sit approximately $840,000 under the tax line while creating three open standard-contract roster spots. The Celtics will be able to stay below the tax by getting creative and leveraging 10-Day contracts, as well as other vehicles. The added flexibility allows Brad Stevens to survey the buyout market for depth upgrades moving forward.

Here’s a summary of where things stand for the team after the NBA trade deadline:

The players the Celtics acquired:

• Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls
• John Tonje, Utah Jazz

The picks and players the Celtics sent out:

• Josh Minott to the Brooklyn Nets
• Chris Boucher (and a future second-round pick) to the Utah Jazz
• Anfernee Simons (and a future second-round pick) to the Chicago Bulls
• Xavier Tillman Sr. to the Charlotte Hornets

The new, full Celtics roster

1. Jayson Tatum
2. Jaylen Brown
3. Derrick White
4. Nikola Vucevic
5. Sam Hauser
6. Payton Pritchard
7. Hugo Gonzalez
8. Baylor Scheierman
9. Luka Garza
10. Neemias Queta
11. Jordan Walsh
12. Amari Williams

Two-way players:

1. Max Shulga
2. Ron Harper Jr.
3. John Tonje (acquired in the Chris Boucher trade)

Celtics draft picks remaining

2026: first-round pick, second-round pick (via Detroit Pistons), second-round pick (via New Orleans Pelicans)

2027: first-round pick

2028: first-round pick (via swap with San Antonio Spurs, least favorable)

2030: first-round pick

2031: first-round pick, second-round pick, second-round pick (conditional via Houston Rockets)

2032: first-round pick

Vučević stands as Boston’s premier trade deadline acquisition, brought in to address the team’s need for frontcourt depth. Since the 35-year-old wasn’t mentioned in the Celtics’ latest injury report, he’ll likely debut in Friday night’s game against the Heat at TD Garden.

This season, Vučević is averaging 16.9 points with nine rebounds and 3.8 assists, while shooting 50.5% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point range across 48 appearances.

In addition, the Celtics bring in John Tonje on a two-way contract from Utah, after being drafted by the Jazz with the 53rd pick last Spring. He was a consensus second-team All-American last season at Wisconsin, averaging 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 38.8% shooting from 3-point range. He has spent most of the season in the G League, averaging 18 points, 4.1 rebounds, and1.4 assists, while shooting 37.6% from 3-point range with Salt Lake City.

What are your thoughts on the new-look Celtics following Thursday’s trade deadline? Let us know in the comments down below.

The short-handed Mavs gave the Spurs a tough contest tonight as they kept the game close throughout, and got incredible performances from Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall and Max Christie. Daniel Gafford dominated the paint for Dallas, it was a tense night for the Silver and Black as they barely held onto the lead for the second half. Victor Wembanyama started off the game with incredible shooting, but it was his defensive plays late in the game that sealed the win, as the Spurs put the game away with a 12-4 surge in the last 3 minutes in the game. Harrison Barnes had a really efficient game and made key plays in the finishing run. Dylan Harper did another great job and provided key plays as the Spurs took over late. Stephon Castle had some WOW plays and his defense was key, although he didn’t have a perfect game, he did make key plays down the stretch and finished with a +27 in under 22 minutes, which is almost inconceivable. It was another less than perfect game, but also a solid win for the Silver and Black as they overcame another great game from the Maverick’s super rookie and got their 35th win of the season. You also have to give credit to Fox, who came through with key plays in the fourth quarter after not playing particularly well for most of the game, and Champagnie, who always comes through with needed.

Observations

• After playing an 8 man squad last night against the Thunder, the Spurs faced Mavs team that only fielded 9 players as they traded away four players at the trade deadline and didn’t have the players they traded for available tonight. [The box score on nba.com listed 11 players available, so maybe the broadcast crew was wrong.] This seemed a little more legit than the artificial situation created by the Thunder last night when half of the roster suddenly developed hangnails on the same day and couldn’t suit up against the Spurs.
• Tonight is the the 4,000th Spurs game in history.
• Victor scored the first 10 points of the game for the Spurs, but he picked up two early fouls, one on a charge, and the other on a play where Caleb Martin charged into him, but was changed into a block on a replay.
• The Spurs, took almost all of their shots in the first quarter from three point range. I’m not sure that’s a winning strategy, but they committed to it.
• Gafford was killing the Spurs smallball lineup when Victor had to sit and Coach Mitch went with Harrison Barnes at center. He took a bunch of trips to the line as the Mavs tied up the game late in the first quarter.
• Barnes made a veteran move and drew a foul and hit a pair of free throws to give the Spurs a 38-35 lead at the end of the first quarter.
• Castle was on a minutes restriction, but he brought it in the minutes he played, and stole Cooper Flagg’s cookies to stop a Mavs mini-run halfway through the second quarter.
• Victor Wembanyama’s unreal shooting touch and Castle’s pugnacious defense broke down the Mavericks resolve as the Spurs took a double digit lead late in the second quarter. Naji Marshall kept the Mavs in it with 20 first half points, and a sloppy end to the first where both teams traded turnovers had the Spurs leading 74-63 with a half to go. As always, the biggest concern going into halftime for the Spurs is always whether they can hold up in the third, when they often step off the gas and drift into a miasmic fugue state.
• Carter Bryant is growing up before our eyes, and while his offense is inconsistent, he’s already one of the best defenders on the roster.
• The Spurs’ tendency to give three point shooters wide open looks is becoming concerning. Naji Marshall was burning up the nets in the first half, and he still was able to get lots of great looks in the third quarter.
• The Spur had two travelling calls in the third quarter, which has to be some kind of record. The first one looked to me like the kind thing that happens about 30 times a game in the average NBA game and is never called. The second one was a legal hop step from Keldon Johnson that was just an incorrect call. Between that and an obvious missed goaltending call on a Harper shot, it felt like home cooking. It’s puzzling.
• The Mavericks shot light out in the third quarter and cut the Spurs lead to 3 with a quarter left to play, Spur leading 99-96, outscored 33-25 in the quarter.
• Flagg was aggressive to start the fourth, and cut the deficit to a single point early in the fourth with an open three caused by Castle gambling for a steal. Things got chaotic for a while and somehow the Spurs were able to regain the upper hand with a Fox triple to get up by 7 with 7:55 left in the game.
• Champagnie’s ability to draw fouls on three point attempts is one of the Spurs best offensive plays.
• Wembanyama re-entered the game with 5:37 left with a four point Spurs lead. The Mavs cut the lead to just a single point a minute and a half later with Gafford and Marshall taking advantage of poor Spurs defensive rotations.
• Daniel Gafford was isolated on Victor Wembanyama under the hoop with thee minutes and the Mavs within four points. Victor gave him no chance to score, swallowing up his shot. The Spurs put on a finishing 12-4 flurry in the final three minutes to put the game away and win 135-123.

---

The Spurs will be back in San Antonio on Saturday night for a rematch against the Mavs. After that game, the Spurs will be on the road until March 5 for the annual Rodeo Road Trip. They will play February 19 and 21 at the Moody Center in Austin, which will count as home games, but still are part of the RRT.

DALLAS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 29 points and 11 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame rookie No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg's fourth consecutive 30-point game in a 135-123 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

Flagg scored 32 points to extend his NBA record for consecutive games with at least 30 points by a teenager. The 19-year-old joined Michael Jordan, Bernard King, Allen Iverson and Jalen Green as the only rookies to score at least 30 in four straight games since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77.

Dallas lost all four games and is on a six-game losing streak, its longest of the season.

Harrison Barnes was another of seven San Antonio players in double figures with 19 points, and De'Aaron Fox scored 17 points while pushing through a rough shooting night with two clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. The second came on Wembanyama's sixth assist and gave the Spurs a 131-123 lead with 1:24 remaining.

Stephon Castle had 18 points and seven rebounds, the last board coming on his empathic and punctating follow dunk for the final points.

Naji Marshall matched Flagg with 32 points for Dallas, and Daniel Gafford had 16 points and 10 rebounds a few hours after the trade deadline passed without the center leaving in a deal when he was the subject of speculation.

The Mavericks were playing their first game since trading 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, who had been sidelined a month with a left hand injury.

Wembanyama made his first five 3-pointers and had 20 points at halftime as the Spurs led by double digits several times but couldn't put the Mavericks away until the final two minutes. The 7-foot-4 French star missed his last four 3s and was 9 of 14 from the field.

Flagg did most of his damage after halftime, scoring 22 points as the Mavericks cut a 13-point deficit to one but never could go in front.

Up next

These teams play again in San Antonio on Saturday.

___

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

And so it begins.

While the Lakers made a small move for Luke Kennard on Thursday ahead of the trade deadline, their biggest win came when the Bucks opted not to deal Giannis Antetokounmpo. By kicking the can down the road on his kinda sorta trade demand, it brings the Lakers into the fold this summer.

To the shock of no one, the Lakers plan to go after the Greek Freak in the offseason, as reported by Brad Turner of the LA Times.

The Lakers will make a hard push to acquire the All-Star forward during the summer, people with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Times, after the Milwaukee Bucks declined to deal the two-time most valuable player by the noon deadline.

People close to Antetokounmpo said the New York Knicks and Miami Heat are his preferred destinations, but he would not rule out the Lakers .

While the first point is very obvious in that the Lakers will go after Giannis, the latter part is the most interesting. New York has long been at the top of the list for Giannis, but their involvement in any trade feels like it will depend on whether things go awry for them in the postseason.

As for the Heat, they had a chance at Giannis at the deadline but couldn’t muster a good enough offer. With Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware to go with draft picks, they’re going to have one of the most competitive offers.

Having said all that, the Lakers have never been much of a factor in the Giannis trade conversation until now. Once they establish themselves as an option, will that sway Giannis? He had a lengthy response talking about how cool it was for a European to be the face of the Lakers when Luka was traded to LA. More recently, he spoke glowingly about LeBron James after playing him in Crypto.com Arena.

None of that means he would want to play in LA, necessarily. But the allure of playing with Luka has to mean something.

But it doesn’t mean the Bucks will send him to the Lakers either. They’ll have to make the best offer. But they’re going to be in the race, which is closer than they’ve been at any other point.

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

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Christoph Tilly and Bruce Thornton combined for 36 points as Ohio State beat Maryland 82-62 on Thursday.

Tilly had 19 on 7-of-10 shooting for the Buckeyes (15-7 7-5 Big Ten). Thornton shot 7 of 9 to finish with 17. John Mobley Jr. added 15 points, four assists and two steals. He was 5 of 9 from deep, continuing his streak of making at least one 3-pointer in every game this season. Taison Chatman added 10 points before he was ejected.

Thornton, who now has 1,913 career points, is 21 shy of the fifth place on the Ohio State all-time scoring list. He'd reach third on the list with 2,000 career points.

The win snapped a three-game skid for the Buckeyes.

Elijah Saunders had 20 points for the Terrapins (8-14, 1-10) before receiving a flagrant foul and an ejection — he had also fouled out — with 1:34 left in the game, along with Chatman after a scuffle under the hoop.

Solomon Washington added 13 and eight rebounds. Andre Mills scored 11.

The Buckeyes took a 42-30 advantage into the break after holding Maryland to five points over the final four minutes of the half. Tilly had 11 in the first half and Thornton added 10. The Buckeyes used a 9-3 turnover advantage in the half to build a 13-0 edge on points off turnovers.

Their lead ballooned to as much as 22 in the second half on a 3-pointer from Mobley that capped a 9-0 run.

Up next

Ohio State hosts their rival, No. 2 Michigan on Sunday.

Maryland heads to Minnesota on Sunday for a contest with the Golden Gophers.

___

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Can a six-game losing streak be fun? The Dallas Mavericks (19-32) are hard at work testing psychological boundaries on the basketball court.

Losing basketball in the short term means better chances for Draft Lottery wins ahead, and a new era started in earnest on Thursday with the tank rolling through the tulips in the Mavs’ 135-123 loss to the San Antonio Spurs (35-16) at American Airlines Center.

Whether bad basketball means good vibes for the Mavericks (19-32) for the rest of the 2025-26 season remains to be seen, but as losses like Thursday’s begin to pile up for Dallas, it should result in a good draft pick in June. Thursday’s loss was the Mavericks’ sixth and a row, but it was anything but bad basketball, as Dallas shot 47-of-95 (48.5%) from the field and 12-of-31 (38.7%) from 3-point range against the Spurs. Dallas’ losing streak could be prolonged with another matchup at the Spurs on Saturday, followed by road dates at the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Imbued with the juice of an eventful Trade Deadline, the Mavs had a certain bounce to their step to open the game against San Antonio. Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall and Max Christie all stepped up for Dallas, combining for 26 of the Mavericks’ 35 first-quarter points. Marshall played 11 of the game’s opening 12 minutes and led all scorers with 11 points after one. San Antonio was led by Victor Wembanyama, who scored 10 in the frame as the Spurs took a 38-35 lead going into the second quarter.

Marshall scored a tear-drop floater over Wembanyama’s outstretched arm on the first possession of the second, before Gafford finished an alley-oop from Ryan Nembhard the next time down to cut the Spurs’ lead to 41-39. Nembhard wormed his way to the cup for a scooping score with 10:45 left in the second to tie the game, 41-41, before Caleb Martin turned a baseline drive into a fadeaway jumper for his second bucket of the game to pull the Mavericks in front.

The Mavs were playing like they had something to prove, as Nembhard launched a long 3-pointer from five feet beyond the top of the key to keep Dallas in front, 46-44. Cooper Flagg bailed himself out with a series of pump fakes and a turnaround jumper the next time down to extend Dallas’ lead to 48-44. The Mavericks were shooting 19-0f-31 at that point.

But San Antonio built a quick 7-0 run on two steals from Stephon Castle to take the lead back and take it for good. Castle made four of his first five field goat attempts on Thursday, including a jam midway through the second as the Mavs’ defense parted before him, before Wembanyama canned his fourth straight 3-ball to open the game the next time down to give San Antonio back a 58-52 lead. His fifth was of the step-back variety from 26 feet away, extending the Spurs’ run to 19-4 and forcing another Mavericks’ timeout.

Marshall did everything he could to keep the Mavericks in it in the first half, knocking down his second 3-pointer of the game with a minute left in the first half to keep Dallas connected, down 71-63. Dallas went into the locker room down 74-63 after Harrison Barned answered with a 3-pointer of his own on the other end.

Flagg, who scored 10 of his own in the first half, knocked down his first 3-ball of the game in rhythm from the top of the key in a late-clock scenario on the Mavericks’ first possession of the third. He dipped through the defense for a turnaround in the lane the next time down for a bucket that brought the Mavs to within 77-70. Flagg found Marshall for an open 3-pointer, Marshall’s third of the game, midway through the third to pull the Mavs to within single digits, down 87-78.

Marshall’s fourth straight longball to start the game came with five minutes left in the third and after a San Antonio timeout, to bring Dallas to within 90-86. Flagg drove for an authoritative dunk three minutes later to trim San Antonio’s lead to two, 93-91. Flagg and Marshall combined for 47 points through three quarters in an impressive offensive display against one of the league’s best teams. Dallas trailed 99-96 heading into the fourth.

Coopering his Flagg

COOPER DRILLS THE BIG 3!!!! pic.twitter.com/Zh9eXmF96a

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) February 6, 2026

The legend continues to grow. No rookie since Allen Iverson in 1996 has ever scored more points in a four-game span than Flagg has in his last four. Two free throws early in the fourth quarter put Flagg at 146 in the Mavs’ last four losses, passing Trae Young’s mark of 144 set in 2018. They also brought the Mavericks to within one point of the lead, down 106-105 with 9:12 left in the game.

Although the outmatched Mavericks couldn’t get over the hump down the stretch, this team is playing with a breath of fresh air at its back, even as the losses pile up. After the dark cloud of Nico Harrison’s presence was lifted earlier this season, it’s been incredible to watch Flagg elevate his game to an elite level in the last week or so. And now that Anthony Davis’ elephant of a contract has left the room, the Mavericks are fun again all of a sudden.

Flagg soared for another teardrop finish over Wembanyama with five minutes left to play to put him at the 30-point mark for the fourth straight game. He finished with 32 points on 14-of-27 shooting and six rebounds in the loss and perfected his newly patented “Wemby Killer” in the process. If the NBA is looking for a new face of the league, maybe, just maybe, Flagg could shave that mustache and fill the role.

Exhale, Naji

Look at this pass from the kid to Naji who drills the 3! pic.twitter.com/V2df4gIX8w

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) February 6, 2026

Marshall scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting in the first half, matching Wembanyama for the game-high mark through two quarters. His name was at the tip of every NBA analyst’s tongue as the Trade Deadline came and went, due to his team-friendly contract and his brilliant stretch of play that started last year and continued this season, whether playing with the starting five or coming off the bench.

He made both of his first-half 3-point attempts and abused a Spurs’ defense that was clearly focused on slowing Flagg down as its first priority. Marshall has expressed his desire in recent days to stay with the Mavericks, and that’s what Mavericks fans wanted, too. Dallas held firm to its requirement of a first-round draft pick if the team was going to move off of Marshall at the deadline, and it may be a blessing that no teams bellied up to the bar with one in any offers over the past week.

Marshall drove through De’Aaron Fox for a bucket in the mid-range with 4:08 to play that once again brought the Mavericks to within one, down just 120-119 and give him 30 points to go along with Flagg’s 30-piece. He finished with 32 and six, matching his young buddy Flagg every step of the way.

Marshall’s game fits so many different styles of play. He’s so skilled at bullying his way to the bucket, but the thing that sets Marshall apart is that he’s able to remain in control and avoid turning the ball over while doing it. As co-general manager Matt Riccardi said in a pre-game press conference, Marshall’s game fits “perfectly” with Flagg’s as a core part of the new era of Mavericks basketball.

No new friends, yet

The Mavericks started the game with an increasingly familiar starting lineup of Christie, Marshall, Gafford, Martin and Cooper Flagg. The four new roster members acquired in NBA Trade Deadline deals on Wednesday and Thursday were not with the team. The Mavs had just 10 players available against the Spurs, but Kidd leaned on his starters for heavier minutes against the Spurs rather than relying on the second unit, which featured all three of the Mavs’ two-way guys.

Nembhard made a couple of nice plays in the second quarter, but Cisse found himself in foul trouble when he picked up his third with 7:30 left in the frame. Brandon Williams (leg) was out for Thursday’s game against San Antonio, as was P.J. Washington (concussion).

The first chance that Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, AJ Johnson and Tyus Jones will have to play with their new team will come on Saturday in San Antonio. Their first home game in Dallas won’t come until Feb. 26, as the Mavs’ next six games are on the road, with the All-Star break in the middle of that road trip.

Wemby quiet down the stretch

Wembanyama started the game by making his first five 3-point attempts and racked up 20 points and six rebounds by halftime. He finally missed one from deep with 2:35 left in the second. Wembanyama raised up and zipped a pass to a wide open Dylan Harper underneath the next time down for Wembanyama’s second assist of the game. That bucket kept the Spurs in front, 69-58, late in the second after the strong start by the Mavs.

He has absolutely torched the Mavs’ top-10 rated defense in the teams’ first two meetings of the year. Wembanyama scored 40 points in the Spurs’ 125-92 thrashing of the Mavericks to open the 2025-26 season.

Wembanyama scored just four points in the third quarter, which helped the Mavs climb back into the game, as Marshall and Flagg chipped away at the lead. He was inexplicably shut out in the fourth until he hit two free throws with three minutes left to play, as his Spurs nursed a four-point lead. His team-high 29 points and 11 boards came on a night when seven Spurs scored in double-figures.