Category: NBA

Fantasy basketball values can shift quickly as the NBA season enters its most volatile stretch, the trade deadline. Identifying buy-low, sell-high and hold candidates can give fantasy managers a critical edge during the stretch run. If you're looking to climb the standings, think about making a move involving one of the players mentioned below. 

Buy Low

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

It's not often that Brunson struggles to score. In two of his last four games, he has produced 13
or fewer points. Over that four-game span, he shot 37.5% from the field and 29.6% from behind
the arc. The silver lining was that he also averaged 6.0 assists during that span.

Brunson still averages 27.1 points per game for the season, while shooting 47.1% from the field
and 37.9% from deep. He has shot at least 47.0% from the field and 37.0% from three in each
of the last six seasons. This is nothing more than what should end up being a brief shooting
slump. This might be a rare opportunity to acquire Brunson at somewhat of a discount in
fantasy.

Tari Eason, Houston Rockets

Injuries have limited Eason to only 27 games this season. When he returned from his most
recent injury, he came off the bench in both of his first two games back. However, he has started
each of his last four games. He has the potential to remain in a starting role down the stretch
with Steven Adams (ankle) out for the remainder of the season.

Eason averages only 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 2.2 three-pointers coming off the
bench. As a starter, he averages 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.1 three-pointers.
The Rockets likely won't throw out as many double-big lineups anymore, which should keep
Eason locked into a starting role and playing additional minutes. Unlike Brunson, it likely wouldn't cost a ton to acquire him in a trade. Still, he comes with upside.

Sell Low

Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz

Markkanen has played in four of the last five games for the Jazz. He was productive when on
the floor, averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.0 three-
pointers. His scoring contributions could have been even better had he not shot just 42.3% from
the field. The Jazz made a big trade Tuesday, acquiring Jaren Jackson from the Grizzlies. In
a pivot for them, they gave up three first-round draft picks in the deal.

Despite Tuesday's trade, the Jazz could still be a tanking team. They are seven games back of
the 10th seed in the Western Conference and would need to pass three teams to get there. It's
unlikely they get there with only 31 games left to play. Markkanen could still get rest days down
the stretch and potentially be shut down completely as we approach April. With him at least
playing right now, it's time to trade him. Shoot for someone with a lower ceiling, but a higher floor.

Myles Turner, Milwaukee Bucks

The big news surrounding the Bucks is whether they will trade Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf). If he remains on the team through the deadline, the Bucks could then look to trade him in the offseason. Even if he remains with the Bucks, he could be sidelined into March with his current injury. Over the last four games without Giannis, Turner averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers.

If the Bucks trade Giannis, it would likely be for young players and/or draft picks to help take the
franchise into a rebuild. If he stays, the Bucks will likely continue to rack up losses without him,
putting them out of the playoff picture. Turner is stepping up his production right now, but his
role could fluctuate based on what the Bucks decide to do. It wouldn't be a bad idea to sell high on him right now for a player with a more stable outlook.

Hold

Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets

Prior to this season, Watson had never averaged more than 24 minutes in his first three
seasons in the league. Injuries have forced the Nuggets to play him more during the current
campaign, and he has taken his fantasy value to the next level. In 31 minutes a night, he has
averaged 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.2 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers. Even with
more minutes and more shot attempts, he is having his most efficient season by shooting 50.1%
from the field and 42.5% from behind the arc.

Nikola Jokic is back from injury, but it's not all good news for the Nuggets right now. Aaron Gordon (hamstring) is out again and could be sidelined into March. That should leave Watson to
play at least 30 minutes a night regularly. This might seem like a sell-high moment for
him, but there's a clear path for him to continue with his current production.

Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

With his average of 10.7 points per game, Gobert is on pace to see his scoring average decline
for the second straight season. He has been especially disappointing in that department lately,
averaging 8.7 points over his last 12 games. It's not for a lack of efficiency, though, as he shot
61.3% from the field during that span.

While Gobert's scoring is down, he still averages 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks for the season.
He also shoots 70.0% from the field. He's not the player that he was in his prime, but he's still a
nightly double-double threat who can at least provide a lot of rebounds and blocks. His floor
remains high, so don't panic about his recent scoring decline and trade him at a discount.

James Harden is a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. A few hours after news of the trade became public, he spoke with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. In that conversation, he said that he didn’t ask for a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers and that he’s “excited about Cleveland.”

Just spoke to a reflective James Harden, who denied asking for a trade and thanked the Clippers for the opportunity to play the last two and a half years in his hometown. “In life, not even just basketball, when things don't work out, there are ways to end things in relationships…

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 4, 2026

Harden on his exit from Los Angeles:

“In life, not even just basketball, when things don’t work out, there are ways to end things in relationships without having to crack each other. Okay, maybe we just don’t see a future with each other. Maybe we just outgrew each other, whatever the case may be. I feel like other situations weren’t like that. And that’s why I can respect Steve and L and TLu because they didn’t put me in a weird position as much as everybody tried to make it like that.”

Harden went on to say:

“[I] didn’t want to feel like I was holding the Clippers up in their future. I wanted them to actually have a chance to rebuild and get some draft capital. In Cleveland I see an opportunity to win in the East— they got a very good team, coaching staff, all of the above. So as much as I wanted to stay in LA and give it a go—I’ve never won one before. As a basketball mind I think we have a bit better chance.”

Harden concluded the conversation with:

“At the end of the day it is a business and I think both sides got what they wanted, are in a great place and are very happy. I’m excited about Cleveland —I’m still trying to chase my first championship and do whatever it takes to win.”

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Harden and Donovan Mitchell have already “connected” and are “very excited” for the partnership.

Joining @SportsCenter @ Night on how 11-time All-Star James Harden lands in Cleveland to partner with Donovan Mitchell on a title pursuit: pic.twitter.com/dTMUEJtUFE

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2026

It’s good to get Harden’s perspective on some of this immediately after the trade. Even though the Clippers were playing well lately, it was difficult to see them as true title contenders. His exit, at least based on his statement, would suggest that the move wasn’t motivated just by money, but a desire to compete.

Harden also made clear that he thinks he can win with the Cavs. The Eastern Conference is wide open. And this might be Harden’s last, best chance to win a championship. We’ll see if he — and the Cavs — can make the most of this opportunity.

The 2026 NBA trade deadline is upon us. The moves have started to roll in, and they’ll continue to roll in until the noon pacific time on Thursday, February 5. The big question for Golden State Warriors fans, is whether or not the team will be able to swing a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. But whether or not they do, there’s a lot to watch for. Will they trade Jonathan Kuminga? Will they make some smaller moves? And what will the rest of the league do?

To help you keep track of all the action, here’s every move leading up to the deadline, in reverse chronological order.

2026 NBA trade deadline tracker

• In a shocking move that came together very quickly with little smoke, 11-time All-Star James Harden has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with two-time All-Star Darius Garland and a second-round pick heading to the LA Clippers. This will be Harden’s sixth NBA team, and sets up Cleveland for a fascinating team next season should LeBron James return home for a final season.
• The Boston Celtics, who have surprisingly been one of the NBA’s best teams despite the absence of Jayson Tatum, strengthened their interior by trading for two-time All-Star center Nikola Vučević. In return, the Celtics are sending guard Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls. The teams are also swapping second-round picks.
• A minor three-team deal went down that could have major implications. Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley Jr. are headed to the Chicago Bulls, while Kevin Huerter and Dario Šarić will add reinforcements to the Detroit Pistons, who are on top of the East. The Pistons are also getting a pick swap from the Minnesota Timberwolves who, crucially, cleared some cap space as they pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo.
• The Memphis Grizzlies are officially hitting the rebuild button by trading former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz. John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr. are also Salt Lake City bound, while Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang are headed to the Grizz. Most importantly, Utah is sending three first-round picks to Memphis; the Grizzlies now have 11 first-round picks in the next seven drafts, and can potentially get more if and when they trade Ja Morant. Such a trade becomes easier because the Grizzlies also got an NBA-record $28.8 million trade exception.
• In a swap of role players, the Atlanta Hawks sent Vit Krejčí to the Portland Trail Blazers for Duop Reath and two second-round picks.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers sent wing De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for former Warrior Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis. Dario Šarić and two second-round picks went to the Chicago Bulls in the deal.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In just his fifth collegiate game, freshman Alijah Arenas scored a career-high 29 points and Kam Woods scored 18 points and USC held off Indiana 81-75 on Tuesday night in a frenzied finish.

Arenas, who entered with 30 points scored this season, shot 9 of 23 — including 3 of 9 from 3-point range — and made 8 of 9 foul shots. Ezra Ausar added 12 points for the Trojans USC (17-6, 6-6 Big Ten).

Chad Baker-Mazara, who entered averaging just under 19 points per game, scored just seven in the first half before leaving due to injury.

Lamar Wilkerson was the only Indiana (15-8, 6-6) player in double-digit scoring and finished with 33 points on 55% shooting (11 of 20).

Tayton Conerway made 1 of 2 foul shots with 58 seconds left to get Indiana within 75-69. Off the miss, IU got the offensive rebound, Tucker Devries drew a foul on his layup attempt and promptly made both foul shots. Woods turned it over on USC's following possession, Conerway again converted a layup but missed the and-1 and USC maintained a 75-73 lead with 31 seconds left.

Jordan Marsh made two foul shots to give USC a four-point lead with 24 seconds left. Again, Conerway was on his way to the rim but Ryan Cornish came up with the block from behind.

Arenas made two foul shots with 14 seconds left to seal it.

USC seemed poised to run away with it when Woods buried a 3 with 11:42 left to give the Trojans a 55-41 advantage. The Hoosiers responded with a 14-5 run to get back in it.

Up Next

Indiana: Hosts Wisconsin on Saturday.

USC: Travels to Penn State on Sunday.

___

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

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

---

The Sixers extended their win streak to five games after their 113- 94 victory in Golden State.

They were without Joel Embiid (injury management) and Paul George (suspended). The Warriors were without the services of Stephen Curry (knee), Jonathan Kuminga (knee) and Jimmy Butler (ACL).

The Sixers dominated for most of the game, with the Warriors getting it close in the middle quarters following a 17-2 run.

The Sixers’ bench unit was crucial in picking up the slack for a poor Tyrese Maxey shooting night (prior to the fourth quarter).

A lot of guys contributed, including a magnificent stretch of minutes from Adem Bona and better shooting from Quentin Grimes, but two guys stood out above the rest for Bell Ringer consideration.

VJ Edgecombe: 25 points, 11-of-20 FG, 2-of-7, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals

Edgecombe bounced back from a tough night against the Clippers with an elevated offensive performance. He felt comfortable from inside the paint Tuesday, operating in the midrange to his pull-up and converting through contact in the paint.

In the first he kicked off his scoring with a step-back up jumper going left and cut through the defense with a slithering layup in traffic.

In the second, the rookie blew past Al Horford for a layup and hit a pull-up three over Draymond Green.

In the third frame, after drawing a foul on Horford and making 1-of-2, he crossed up De’Anthony Melton and finished a difficult layup through Green in the paint. On the next possession, he hit a catch-and-shoot three.

VJ Edgecombe crosses Melton then finishes through Green:

Hit a three the following possession pic.twitter.com/GsKwP1nyUu

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) February 4, 2026

He continued his attack in the fourth with more tough buckets against a lackluster defensive effort from Golden State.

He had a possession against Bahamian national team teammate Buddy Hield, whom he took all the way to the cup for a left handed finish … with some trash talk to top it off.

They grow up so fast, Buddy pic.twitter.com/ojirTnxf2B

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 4, 2026

Another veteran-like performance for the Sixers’ first-round pick.

Trendon Watford: 16 points, 7-of-13, 1-of-2, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks

Watford was extremely valuable for the Sixers’ offense against the Warriors. His point-forward ability gave the Sixers an extended period in the first half to rest Maxey. In that time, the Sixers went on a 20-4 run to extend a double-digit lead.

Watford's pass helps Quentin Grimes create space on the defender pic.twitter.com/oVlxb3iUrS

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) February 4, 2026

It does not always look pretty, but his effectiveness as a driver helped the Sixers reserves keep pace with the bench unit of Golden State.

He would add a couple buckets throughout the second half through aggressive drives and conversions in the paint, including a deep three in the fourth to extend the lead to over 20 points with just a few minutes remaining.

His playmaking ability was a constant presence on a night where Maxey did not have his full offensive arsenal working.

With the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, the fate of Guerschon Yabusele in a Knicks uniform continues to be a talking point.

SNY's Ian Begley reports that the Knicks are open to dealing Yabusele, but there are even reports that he's getting calls to play in Israel.

Yabusele talked about the rumors, including the New York Post's Stefan Bondy, after Tuesday's win against the Wizards. He left the possibility open for anything to happen in the next few days, including leaving the NBA to play overseas.

"I ain’t closing no door on nothing," Yabusele said. "I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to be. So right now, I can tell you nothing has been discussed or signed or anything like that. I’m a Knicks player at the end of the day. There’s nothing with that. But there’s been teams calling, so yeah, I feel like the report was just them saying they want me and then everybody thought that I signed something already. No, nothing like that. But there’s some teams out there that we heard are getting ready to sign me if I go back that way. We’ll see what happens."

After signing a two-year, $12 million contract with New York this offseason, the forward was pegged to play a big bench role for head coach Mike Brown. However, that hasn't happened.

Yabusele is averaging just 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 41 games this season. He's also averaging just nine minutes per game and his role continues to diminish. In the team's rout of the Wizards on Tuesday, Yabusele was the only player not to play.

Yabusele is guaranteed $5.5 million, according to Spotrac, and has a player option for next season. 

The trade deadline is Thursday.

It’s been a while since this one could be used, but that is 1-2-3-4-5 wins in a row for the Sixers.

Philadelphia swept their back-to-back with a 113-94 win over the shorthanded Golden State Warriors Tuesday night, their first five-game winning streak since the end of the 2023-24 season.

VJ Edgecombe bounced back with his first 20-point game in two weeks, leading all scorers with 25 with seven rebounds shooting 11-of-20 from the floor.

Tyrese Maxey dealt with a swarming defense all night, finishing with as good a 14-point and seven-assist game as possible. Kelly Oubre Jr. carried the Sixers from deep, putting up 15 points shooting 4-of-12 from the field and 4-of-10 from three-point range. Gui Santos and Pat Spencer led Golden State with 13 apiece.

On the second night of a back-to-back the Sixers were without Joel Embiid, out with right ankle injury management on top of Paul George’s suspension. The Warriors were without Steph Curry, Jonathan Kuminga, and Jimmy Butler who’s out for the season.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• A much slower start than the previous night with the Warriors chasing Maxey off the ball. Two of their first three field goals of the night were Andre Drummond putbacks, though Dominick Barlow carried something over hitting the Sixers’ first three of the night.
• Playing against an old team of his, Oubre found his shooting stroke early with a pair of threes. He was also one of the four Sixers to pick up a steal in the first as they forced seven turnovers. When they were able to take care of the ball the Warriors shot 57% from three.
• After sputtering for a couple of minutes, the Sixers’ offense got a quick flurry to end the quarter. Edgecombe got to the basket off the dribble, Adem Bona was actually able to do the same off a hand off. Trendon Watford got some earlier run and hit a couple push shots, the second cutting the Warriors’ lead to one.

.@trendonw on a mission. pic.twitter.com/8fRoD7tTve

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 4, 2026

Second Quarter

• Carrying over from the first, the Sixers capped off a 14-0 run with an impressive alley-oop to Bona thrown by Quentin Grimes. Both Edgecombe and Grimes had good moments off the dribble in this stretch, each of them drilling threes in response to the Warriors’ baskets that had ended the run.

BONA 4EVER pic.twitter.com/ZaDCmEj25f

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 4, 2026

• Speaking of former teams, it was De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield trying to get the Warriors back on track. Their three-point shooting had cooled down, missing six of their first seven of the second. Grimes and Edgecombe had not cooled down though, growing the Sixers’ lead to as big as 15.
• That was erased in quick fashion thanks to a 10-0 Golden State run. Drummond had a rougher second go with two ugly turnovers. Oubre also coughed up an easy fast break opportunity getting tunnel vision on a drive. The Sixers didn’t score a field goal for the last 6:13 of the half after a Grimes three. A reckless closeout by Moses Moody on a Maxey three helped them scrape by to the break with a three-point lead.

Third Quarter

• The field goal drought continued as it took the Sixers three minutes to make their first of the half with a tough Edgecombe floater. The good thing was not only was Barlow rebounding just about every miss, but the Warriors also couldn’t score for the first four minutes of the half.

The rook has bounced back in a big way tonight pic.twitter.com/k6xcPjncEa

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 4, 2026

• A three from Hield opened up the lid back up again, but Edgecombe had baskets to answer. He tried to run fast off of misses, getting fouled on one aggressive drive attempt and making a layup on another. A few possessions later he hit their second three in a row that was the result of good ball movement.
• That didn’t last for long as the Warriors shot just 28% from the field in the quarter. The Sixers had a chance to really stretch their lead but mistakes and bad bounces got in the way. They had several bunnies spin out late in the quarter. Still, after a three from Melton with time winding down the Sixers were still on top by 13.

Fourth Quarter

• Edgecombe remained in control, kicking off the quarter with a fadeaway jumper from the baseline. Watford had missed some of those bunnies in the third but got on target again with his driving push shots. Drummond was able to redeem himself as well with a wild drive.

Wat pushing through 💪 pic.twitter.com/LTGMFaSri3

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 4, 2026

• The only bummer was that Jared McCain had another short leash on the night, not seeing any minutes in the second half until the benches had emptied. He missed both of his shots in the first half, one of them getting thoroughly swatted. Ironically, the Sixers finally started to hit some threes as a team to put the game away. Drummond got involved in that as well, hitting his first three since early January.

The Houston Rockets have won three straight games. Tonight, they welcome the Boston Celtics to Toyota Center, who are on a two-game winning streak of their own (and are crushing the Mavericks in Dallas as I type this).

When these teams met early in the season, Boston was also on a winning streak but were still trying to find themselves in a Jayson Tatum-less, post-Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis world. They were incorporating Joe Mazzulla’s style with new personnel like Anfernee Simons and guys like Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta getting more run than in years past. Simons has been traded to Chicago and Nikola Vucevic, his “replacement” on the roster, is expected to be out tonight while physicals are procured and travel is undergone.

Tonight marks the start of a TOUGH seven-game stretch for Houston that extends on either side of the All-Star break. After tonight, Houston stays home for a game against the SCORCHING Charlotte Hornets, who will be going for their eighth straight win while Houston will be on a back-to-back. Then, it’s off to Oklahoma City for a matinee on Saturday. After a couple of days off, the Rockets will host the Clippers for two straight games in two straight nights. The Clippers just traded James Harden but have been the best team in the NBA since Christmas (by a wide margin). Finally, after the All-Star break, the Rockets will be on the road against those same Hornets, who might be going for their 12th straight win. Finally, Houston heads to Madison Square Garden to take on the surging New York Knicks.

There are definitely still some rough stretches remaining on the schedule after this one, but nothing as sustained as this. If Houston comes out of this 4-3 or even 3-4, I think I’d take it. Now you can call me a “fake fan” or whatever for not predicting 7-0.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Celtics

Nikola Vucevic: OUT

Jayson Tatum: OUT

Chris Boucher: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Thursday (tomorrow) night at home against the Charlotte Hornets

WASHINGTON (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and the New York Knicks rolled to their seventh straight victory, 132-101 over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Mikal Bridges scored 23 points and Jalen Brunson added 21 for New York, although the Knicks did lose Josh Hart to a sprained left ankle in the third quarter. Hart, who dealt with right ankle trouble earlier this season, walked gingerly to the tunnel immediately after leaving the game and did not play again.

Will Riley scored 17 points and Bub Carrington added 14 for the Wizards. Washington has won three of its last five, but the two defeats were by 31 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday and by the same margin to the Knicks four days later.

New York has won 11 consecutive games against the Wizards.

The Knicks went 2-9 from Dec. 31 to Jan. 19, but they’ve rebounded impressively from that slump. During this seven-game run, they have wins by 54, 27, 30 and 31. They led by 41 on Tuesday.

New York was able to rest players ahead of Wednesday night’s showdown with Denver, which also played Tuesday at Detroit. Only Brunson reached the 30-minute mark in this game for either team.

The Knicks led by as many as 18 points in the first quarter and were up 72-45 at halftime.

JAZZ 131, PACERS 122

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Isaiah Collier had a career-high 22 assists — the most in the NBA this season and the most by a Utah player since John Stockton in 1992 — and the Jazz beat Indiana with just seven healthy players.

Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points for the Jazz, who were short-handed after trading Georges Niang, Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr. and Taylor Hendricks to Memphis earlier Tuesday for Jaren Jackson Jr., Jock Landale, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr.

The last NBA player with 22 assists in a game was Denver’s Nikola Jokic last March 7. Collier, who played the entire game, also scored 17 points as all seven Utah players had 14 points or more. Brice Sensabaugh scored 20, Ace Bailey had 19 and Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Quenton Johnson scored 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting and Jarace Walker also had 24 for the Pacers, who held out four regular starters — All-Star Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell — for rest or because of minor injuries. All four played a night earlier, when Indiana lost 118-114 to visiting Houston.

Little-used Kam Jones, a healthy scratch on Monday, made his first career start for the Pacers and had 12 points.

LAKERS 125, NETS 109

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James scored 25 points, Luka Doncic had 24 and Los Angeles rolled to a victory over Brooklyn in Austin Reaves’ first game since Christmas.

Reaves had 15 points in 21 minutes after missing the last 19 games with a strained left calf. He entered late in the first quarter with the Lakers already well in control and helped them continue to pour it on during their 20-for-25 shooting start to the game.

Jake LaRavia scored 18 points for the Lakers, who finished 5-3 on their road trip and play next against Philadelphia at home Thursday night, a few hours after the NBA’s trade deadline has passed.

James had said it was difficult to evaluate the team’s potential without Reaves, who was averaging 26.6 points before he was hurt. They looked potent Tuesday, though it’s hard to judge much against the hapless Nets, who are only good at losing badly.

PISTONS 124, NUGGETS 121

DETROIT (AP) — All-Star Cade Cunningham had 29 points and 10 assists and Detroit beat Denver.

All-Star Jalen Duren added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Duncan Robinson scored 20 for the Pistons, who have won five of six, including a 109-107 win in Denver on Jan. 27. They came into the game following a record-setting win on Sunday, beating the Brooklyn Nets 130-77 and setting a franchise mark with a 53-point margin of victory.

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 32 points and eight assists while Nikola Jokic had 24 points and 15 rebounds.

The Nuggets never led, but Jokic got them within two possessions, 112-107, with 2:33 to play. After a Detroit miss, Murray’s 3-pointer made it a two-point game.

Tobias Harris answered with a 3-pointer on Detroit’s next possession, and the teams traded baskets to make it 117-112 with 1:15 left.

Detroit finally got a stop with 33 seconds left and clinched the game from the free-throw line.

HAWKS 127, HEAT 115

MIAMI (AP) — All-Star Jalen Johnson had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, CJ McCollum added 26 points off the bench and Atlanta beat Miami to snap a two-game slide.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 19 for the Hawks, who led most of the way and spoiled Miami’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of its 2006 NBA championship. Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal were sitting courtside, and most of the players from that first Heat title team were in attendance.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 21 points for the Heat. Pelle Larsson and Simone Fontecchio each had 18, and Bam Adebayo finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds for Miami.

Atlanta took the lead for good with 4:31 left in the opening quarter and answered every Miami rally attempt with a run of its own.

The Hawks took a 21-point lead in the second quarter; Miami quickly got within 11, but Atlanta had the margin out to 17 points again by halftime.

It was largely the same plot in the third quarter; Miami shaved 12 points off the deficit to get within five after just 4:57 of the second half, but the Hawks pulled away again and McCollum’s 3-pointer to end the quarter gave Atlanta yet another 17-point lead going into the fourth.

BUCKS 131, BULLS 115

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kyle Kuzma matched a season high with 31 points and Milwaukee snapped a five-game skid, beating Chicago in a meeting of short-handed teams.

Milwaukee was missing its top two scorers due to injury, while the Bulls traded away three players earlier in the day.

The Bulls sent Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to Detroit as part of a three-team deal in which they acquired Mike Conley Jr. from Minnesota and Jaden Ivey from the Pistons. They also traded Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick to Boston for Anfernee Simons and a second-round selection.

Chicago was missing leading scorer Josh Giddey due to a strained left hamstring.

Milwaukee was again without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who strained his right calf on Jan. 23. Antetokounmpo was on the court taking shots and working out before the game.

The Bucks improved to 4-15 without Antetokounmpo.

CELTICS 110, MAVERICKS 100

DALLAS (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 33 points and 11 rebounds, and Boston beat Dallas, overcoming another stellar showing from Cooper Flagg and handing the Mavericks their season-worst fifth consecutive loss.

Flagg scored 36 points in the rookie No. 1 pick’s first meeting with the team he grew up watching because Boston was the closest NBA city to his hometown, about 200 miles south of Newport, Maine.

It was Flagg’s third consecutive 30-point game, five nights after the 19-year-old set the NBA scoring record for a teenager with 49 against Charlotte. The former Duke standout had nine rebounds and six assists.

Payton Pritchard scored 26 points for the Celtics, who were playing without Anfernee Simons. Boston acquired Nikola Vucevic for Simons in a trade with Chicago earlier in the day, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

Luka Garza scored nine consecutive Boston points on 3-pointers during a 14-4 run that finished the third quarter and gave the Celtics an 86-67 lead. Garza made all four of his attempts from 3 and scored 16 points in 20 minutes.

THUNDER 128, MAGIC 92

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Isaiah Hartenstein had his first career-triple double, Isaiah Joe scored 22 points and Oklahoma City rolled past Orlando.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and nine assists, Lu Dort scored 18 points and first-time All-Star Chet Holmgren added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the defending champion Thunder (40-11), who became the first team this season to reach 40 wins.

Hartenstein finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 23 minutes. The eighth-year center became the 10th Thunder player to record a triple-double.

Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams, who missed his eighth straight game with a hamstring injury, and Ajay Mitchell, who sat out his sixth game in a row with an abdominal strain.

Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 20 points, and Paolo Banchero added 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Franz Wagner, the Magic’s leading scorer, missed his fifth straight game with a high left ankle sprain.

76ERS 113, WARRIORS 94

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rookie VJ Edgecombe had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Andre Drummond added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Philadelphia won its fifth straight game, beating Golden State, who were missing Stephen Curry because of a painful right knee.

Trendon Watford had 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench while Adem Bona made all five of his first-half field goals in nine minutes to help the Sixers to a 58-57 lead at the break. Bona finished with 11 points.

The Sixers grabbed 24 offensive rebounds for a 55-34 advantage on the boards and scored 15 points off the Warriors’ 20 turnovers.

Philadelphia’s second bus arrived only about 75 minutes before tipoff because of Bay Area traffic, but coach Nick Nurse was unconcerned about his team having a prolonged warmup since it was the second game of a back-to-back. The Sixers beat the Clippers 128-113 on Monday.

Curry exited early from Golden State’s 131-124 loss to Detroit on Friday because of the troublesome knee. Forward Jonathan Kuminga, whose future with the franchise remains uncertain, sat out his fifth straight game with a bone bruise in his left knee.

Gui Santos and Pat Spencer scored 13 points apiece and Moses Moody added 12 for the Warriors, who lost a third straight game at home.

SUNS 130, TRAIL BLAZERS 125

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Collin Gillespie scored a career-high 30 points, Mark Williams had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Phoenix bounced back from a slow start for a win over reeling Portland.

Grayson Allen also scored 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting and Jordan Goodwin had 16 points and 10 rebounds on a night when the Suns played without leading scorer Devin Booker (25.4 points per game), who was out with a right ankle sprain. Jalen Green was also out of the Suns’ lineup.

Gillespie tied a career high with eight made 3-pointers and also had 10 assists.

Jerami Grant had 23 points to lead Portland, which lost its sixth straight game. Donovan Clingan had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Shaedon Sharpe added 19 points for Portland.

The Trail Blazers also played without their leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, Deni Avdija (25.5 points per game), who has a lower back strain and was just named to his first All-Star game.

Vit Krejci had five points in his Portland debut after being acquired in a trade with Atlanta.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Xavier Booker scored a career-high 24 points, Donovan Dent had a double-double, and UCLA routed Rutgers 98-66 on Tuesday night.

UCLA (16-7, 8-4 Big Ten) bounced back from a 98-97 double-overtime loss to Indiana that ended a three-game win streak.

Booker made 10 of 11 field goals and all four of his 3-point attempts. Dent finished with 13 points and 11 assists. Tyler Bilodeau hit three 3s and finished with 19 points for the Bruins. Eric Dailey Jr. scored 13 points and Trent Perry had 10.

UCLA shot 56% (35 of 63) from the floor and 57% (12 of 21) from long range. The Bruins also made 16 of 18 from the foul line.

Kaden Powers made three 3-pointers and scored all 18 of his points in the first half for Rutgers (9-14, 2-10), which has lost six straight games. Tariq Francis added 12 points and Lino Mark scored 10 for the Scarlet Knights.

UCLA took the lead for good, 21-19, on Booker's hook shot. The Bruins closed the first half on an 8-2 surge to stretch their lead to 52-40 at the break. Bilodeau scored 17 first-half points and Dailey added 10 for the Bruins.

Daily's dunk gave UCLA a 64-43 lead early in the second half. The Bruins later began a 15-0 run to stretch their lead to 91-58 with 4:31 remaining. Powers was 0 of 3 from the floor in the second half.

Up next

Rutgers: hosts No. 9 Nebraska on Saturday.

UCLA: at home against Washington on Saturday.

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DALLAS (AP) — Darrion Williams scored 25 points and Quadir Copeland posted a double-double and NC State stayed perfect on the road in ACC play by beating SMU 84-83 on Tuesday night.

Copeland distributed a career-high 16 assists without a turnover and grabbed 10 rebounds. Reserve Matt Able scored 13 points and Tre Holloman and Ven-Allen Lubin each scored 11.

NC State (17-6, 8-2) is 6-0 in the ACC away from home.

Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 23 points, Boopie Miller scored 14, and B.J. Edwards and Corey Washington each scored 11 for SMU (15-7, 4-5).

Up 84-83, Copeland missed two foul shots with 15 seconds left. Out of timeouts, Miller took the ball for a last shot. Holloman smothered him repeatedly, denying attempted drives to the basket before blocking Miller's up-and-under shot attempt to end it.

NC State used an 11-2 run to turn a 58-50 deficit into a 61-60 lead when Able sank a 3-pointer with 10:57 remaining. It was NC State's first lead since being up 12-11 with 13:29 before halftime.

NC State reached its first double-digit lead when Terrance Arceneaux converted a three-point play with 6:50 left for a 75-64 advantage.

NC State reduced its deficit to 32-29 on a layup by Holloman with 4:09 left before halftime. SMU responded with a 10-0 run with a 3-pointer by Edwards, Pierre's step-back jumper, Miller added a 3 and Pierre threw down a dunk to give the Mustangs their first double-digit lead at 42-29.

Up Next

NC State: Hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday.

SMU: Travels to face Pittsburgh on Saturday.

___

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Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is best known for his scoring and leadership, but for one night he was the team's best defender.

Yes, really.

Head coach Mike Brown announced after the Knicks' 132-101 rout of the Wizards on Tuesday night that Brunson was the team's Defensive Player of the Game, an honor Brown and his coaching staff introduced when he was hired before the season began. 

It's the first time this season Brunson has earned the honor, doing so after his two-steal performance. But it was Brunson's two drawn charges that clinched it for Brown.

"You talk about one of our standards is sacrificing," Brown said. "And you know, you got your MVP candidate, your All-Star, sacrificing his body to try to get charges and get the possession going the other way. So, a great overall team effort tonight, good win."

For the first time this season, Jalen Brunson is the defensive player of the game! 👷

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/PCmO0YfJZ0

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 4, 2026

When asked how the rest of the Knicks reacted to him being named defensive player of the game, the three-time All-Star guard played coy. 

"Very surprised, and so was I," Brunson said. When asked for specifics, Brunson repeated "no comment" a few times with a smirk.

"I'm not gonna repeat any of the jokes [from the team], but it's legitimate," Brown said. "He had two charges, second in NBA in charges taken, you know, only one away. So he might, he should be in first place now."

After Brunson's two drawn charges, he is now at the top of the NBA in that category, and Brunson knows how important those plays are to a game.

"Obviously, we get the turnover and we look at it as a momentum-changer and as a possibility to, kind of make the other team feel defeated in the moment," Brunson said. "We use it to our advantage and have the momentum swing and keep it going."

Brunson's increased defensive pressure has come at a great time. New York has now won seven in a row and the first-year coach said it has helped with the team's turnaround.

"I said it before, he’s more than a facilitator," Brown explained. "He's more than a scorer. He's more than team captain, great guy and all that other stuff. Whatever he puts his mind to, sky's the limit, you know. So, for him to go out there and not only talk about what we need to do defensively, but also leave it out there, too, is a lot of fun to see -- especially when you're talking about a guy that's stepping up and putting his body on the line to get ran over time after time after time." 

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Matias Maccelli scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Matthew Knies added a goal and an assist for Toronto (27-21-9). John Tavares scored his 20th of the season and Bobby McMann added an empty-netter.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced for the Maple Leafs, including a diving stop on Leon Draisaitl that prevent the Edmonton from getting back into the game in the final minutes of the third period.

Jake Walman and Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Oilers (28-20-9), who have lost two straight. Connor Ingram made 22 saves.

Toronto was coming off a 4-2 victory over the Flames in Calgary on Monday, and heads into the Olympic break with a three-game winning streak.

Kapanen tied the score at 2 early in the third period, but a pair of penalties proved to be Edmonton’s undoing. Rookie winger Matthew Savoie was sent off for interference, and Mattias Janmark joined him seconds later on a high-sticking infraction. Maccelli scored just under a minute into Toronto’s 5-on-3 advantage and Tavares swiped a shot in from the side of the net on the power play to give Toronto a 3-2 lead at the 7:42 mark of the third period.

Toronto went 2 for 2 on the power play, while Edmonton failed to score on its only man-advantage chance of the game.

Up next

Maple Leafs: Off for the Olympic break and at Tampa Bay on Feb. 25.

Oilers: At Calgary on Wednesday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Nets are an unserious basketball team and the Lakers took care of them quickly on Tuesday night. LA immediately got out in front and had twice as many points as Brooklyn had in the opening quarter.

By halftime, the Lakers had 69 points, and this contest was over.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

30 minutes, 25 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 10-16 FG, 0-3 3PT, 5-7 FT, +24

If this was LeBron’s last dance in Brooklyn, it was a wonderful waltz. He had some monster jams and dominated, especially in the first half.

"HERE COMES LEBRON!"

LeBron James steal & slams never gets old 🍿

Tap to watch: https://t.co/8c44VxDzlEpic.twitter.com/oAvqbMSZP1

— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2026

Thanks to James’ dominance, the crowd was cheering for the Lakers as if it were a home game.

Grade: A+

Luka Dončić

29 minutes, 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers, 1 foul, 8-18 FG, 4-11 3PT, 4-6FT, +19

Luka, who was named the Western Conference Player of the Month earlier on Tuesday, continues his elite 2026 with another solid performance on the road.

He came out aggressive with 14 points in the opening quarter and had some mesmerizing passes, including a no-look dime to Deandre Ayton.

Grade: A+

Deandre Ayton

28 minutes, 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-5 FG, 1-2 FT, +16

Ayton wasn’t as aggressive in this game, but it also wasn’t really needed. He took only a handful of shots and converted most of them.

Grade: B

Marcus Smart

18 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-5 FG, 0-2 3PT, +30

Smart got a little trigger-happy in this game. With the result secured, the shot-chucking was less concerning than it typically can be.

Grade: C

Jake LaRavia

22 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 7-9 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-6 FT, +10

LaRavia started this game but was relegated to the bench to start the third quarter, with Austin Reaves back. Against the Nets, he was good, but a reserve role should be his position moving forward.

Grade: B+

Jaxson Hayes

15 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3-3 FG, 3-4 FT, +8

Hayes was a bulldozer during his early shifts, just stuffing the ball in the hoop repeatedly. These kinds of plays are why he will be a participant in the Dunk Contest.

Grade: A-

Austin Reaves

21 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3-9 FG, 1-5 3PT, 8-10 FT, +10

Reaves was noticeably rusty in his return, but that is expected. He’s going to be just fine, and the fact that he is back is the most important aspect of this game.

Grade: B-

Rui Hachimura

26 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2-3 FG, 1-2 3PT, -1

Hachimura got virtually no looks in this game. In other matchups, he has to be more involved in the offense. This was an unserious game, so less of an immediate concern and more something the team has to get right moving forward.

Grade: C-

Jarred Vanderbilt

19 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-4 FT, +4

Okay defense and shooting from Vando in this one. It’ll be interesting to see if Lakers head coach JJ Redick keeps him in the rotation once Reaves is fully back and not on a minutes restriction.

Grade: C-

Gabe Vincent

16 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, -9

When Vincent doesn’t score, it’s really hard to justify playing him. It might be time for him to take a seat.

Grade: F

Drew Timme, Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber, Bronny James

None of these players were in the game for 10-plus minutes, so they will not be getting a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick had the Lakers ready to dominate, and they took care of business early. It’s still annoying to see the Lakers have another third quarter where they got outscored, but you can kind of give them a pass in this instance.

Grade: B+

Tuesday’s inactives: Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon, Nick Smith Jr.

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