Category: NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off one of their most encouraging wins of the season, downing the Denver Nuggets 119-117.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

32 points, 10 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Mitchell came out guns blazing in this game. He scored 13 points in the first quarter and entered halftime with 18 overall. Mitchell converted some absurd and-one’s along the way.

Denver adjusted in the second half, blitzing Mitchell and forcing the ball out of his hands. That helped him rack up 10 assists. And, Mitchell was still able to finish the game with 32 points, including the game-winning free throws with less than a second on the clock.

Grade: A+

James Harden

22 points, 7 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks

This was a slightly more aggressive version of Harden than the one we saw in his debut. He made more of an effort to get into the paint, going to his floater to account for his three-point struggles (2-7 shooting).

Those struggles went away when it mattered most.

Harden buried the 9-1-1 triple to tie the game with under a minute to play. His patented step-back jumper is something we’ve seen countless times in other jerseys. But, if you ask me, it looks so much sweeter in a Cavalier uniform.

Additional credit for his 10 rebounds. The Cavs had a difficult time cleaning the glass tonight, so Harden’s efforts made a difference. And no — that’s not a typo. Harden actually had 3 blocks tonight.

Grade: A+

Jarrett Allen

22 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist

Allen was the hero of this road trip. He put in the work each night, scoring a career-high 40 points earlier in the trip and then capping it off by battling Nikola Jokic for a win. Allen defended Jokic as well as you can reasonably expect, and punished him for being too slow on the other end. This was a monster stretch of games from Allen.

Grade: A+++

Jaylon Tyson

16 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Tyson looked better than he did in Sacramento. His off-ball movement earned Tyson some quality shot attempts, and he shot efficiently from downtown, going 4-9 from the three-point line.

It’s been said before, but Tyson’s confidence is something to rave about. He has zero fear of the moment, and canned a catch-and-shoot three-pointer off a Harden kickout late in the fourth quarter. That type of stuff will earn a Hall of Famer’s trust very quickly.

Grade: B+

Keon Ellis

2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Ellis converted a wild layup in transition that probably should have been an and-one. He was also fine enough on defense despite some of Cleveland’s blown coverages. Other than that, it was a hectic game that Ellis never really found his place in.

Grade: C-

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

6 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists

Tomlin’s inexperience can hold him back at times. The Cavs could have used tighter rotations and better positional awareness from him tonight. A few rebounds would have gone a long way.

I’ll give Qwan credit for nailing two three-pointers, though.

Grade: D+

Dennis Schroder

5 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

I like what Schroder provides for this team. Pesky defense and on-ball creation. But those skills will look better when he isn’t playing in three-guard lineups. This game wasn’t built for Schroder’s strengths.

Grade: C-

Sam Merrill

9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

The Cavs’ lack of size is putting a heavy strain on Merrill right now. He’s too small to defend opposing forwards, and he doesn’t have enough backline help to support him when he’s defending the perimeter.

Thankfully, Merrill was able to get going from downtown. His three triples made a difference and gave Cleveland enough fuel to get to the finish line.

Grade: C

Craig Porter Jr.

0 points, 1 rebound, 9 minutes

Porter just isn’t in a position for success right now. He’s in lineups featuring one, two, or sometimes three other ball-handling guards. The results haven’t been surprising. Porter isn’t a good enough floor spacer or defender to thrive in that type of lineup.

Grade: D-

Thomas Bryant

5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Bryant offered crucial support for Allen in this one. Defending Jokic is no easy task. Bryant’s physicality was important for limiting Jokic as much as humanly possible tonight.

Grade: B+

Less than two minutes into the first quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves second leg of their home back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks, Donte DiVincenzo sank his first field goal – a wing three off of an assist from Jaden McDaniels.

On most nights, a pretty routine start for the Wolves guard and an ordinary thing that happens within the flow of the offense.

But coming off of Sunday’s embarrassing blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, a game in which DiVincenzo didn’t record a field goal, it was an omen for a team that badly needed a positive one.

One assist shy of their season-high 37 on Monday night, it was a concerted effort to come out of the gate and move the ball. Especially in the first quarter, there was an extremely low amount of one-and-no-pass possessions.

Jaden McDaniels cutting dunk, assisted by Rudy Gobert pic.twitter.com/GjlkAvlLap

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) February 10, 2026

“Quick decision making and a lot of mixed-action basketball,” coach Chris Finch attributed to an intentional start to the game. “Julius and Ant were really great in that…they led the way.”

Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards recognition feels notable. A Hawks team missing two key pieces descended upon Target Center on Monday night, and on the tail end of a back-to-back, has embodied what the Wolves have struggled to come up with the energy for as of late.

An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tonight's game at Minnesota:

Dyson Daniels (right ankle inflammation): Questionable
Jalen Johnson (left knee inflammation): Questionable

Jonathan Kuminga (left knee bone bruise): Out pic.twitter.com/gxMV6JCYLE

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 9, 2026

It’s been a lackluster effort from the Wolves’ top two over the last few games, specifically, and Monday felt like a return to normalcy and a simultaneous pull out of a hole.

“It felt great…the ball was moving,” said Rudy Gobert after the game. “I thought our focus was there.”

The reflection of the ball movement was in the box score. A 45 percent 3-point mark at the half, towering over the 33 percent halftime mark on Sunday; a much more iso-heavy game in which one-and-no-pass possessions were the norm.

The fruits of the labor were apparent. 70 points in the paint for Minnesota ballooned to Atlanta’s 42, and seven of the nine players who checked in scored in double digits.

“It was a return to our concepts and our free-flowing stuff,” Finch said. “We just have to commit to it.”

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A Familiar Face Returns

Monday night marked the first time Nickeil Alexander-Walker was back at Target Center in another uniform.

A fan favorite and cheered for by everyone, he returned as the leader of a team he’s been on for less than a season. The hallmark of player development, Alexander-Walker’s tenure in Minnesota went from DNP to major contributor to back-to-back Western Conference Finals teams. His welcome from fans reflected his contributions.

Nickeil received a standing ovation in his return to Minnesota ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HQpZYQWPnV

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 10, 2026

While the game wasn’t close, I think it also served as a reflection of just how much this team has missed Nickeil this season. His willing on-ball defense, spot up shooting, and ability to seamlessly fill gaps is something has sorely missed, and fair to wager that it has cost them some of the games that have so many fans pulling their hair out.

“He deserves all of the love that he is getting…I’m really proud of him,” Rudy Gobert said, who was both in Utah with Alexander-Walker and Minnesota. “He got his opportunity, and I was there to witness it. I think he is still getting better every day, and I am happy that he got this opportunity.”

So who fills that role moving forward? While he’s not the same player, Tim Connelly’s latest acquisition in Ayo Dosunmu has to be the answer.

A willing defender and the main source of offensive pace in his second game in the trees, Dosunmu finished his night with 21 points off the bench. He spent a lot of his time attacking the paint and showing off his switchability on the perimeter.

Ayo Dosunmu explosive transition driving layup pic.twitter.com/ObliQTUIIx

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) February 10, 2026

While Nickeil may have brought other things to the game that Dosunmu does not, it’s clear that his downhill nature is an important element to this team that is only brought consistently by Anthony Edwards. Pair that with his fellow bench mob member Bones Hyland’s ability to push pace alongside him, and an identity seems to be forming with the second unit.

“I think [running in transition] is one of my strengths, and I’m excited about that,” Dosunmu said afterwards. “The city has embraced me, and my teammates have done a great job of putting me in positions to succeed.”

While he admitted that he still has a ways to go to get fully up to speed, the transition has been seamless. Another game and a full All-Star break should be a nice remedy to that moving forward.

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Up Next

The Timberwolves will keep the homestand rolling and welcome the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night in their last game before the All-Star break.

The Blazers have played well over their last three games, and their All-Star Deni Avdija presents a foul-drawing challenge for a Wolves defense that can get their physicality impacted by a heavy whistle.

Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM CT

Highlights

This is the third “home and stay home” series for the Houston Rockets this season. They’re 1-3 so far, with each of those games coming on the road (at Utah and at Portland). Tonight and tomorrow, they take on the new-look Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers traded James Harden for Darius Garland and decided to start tear things down when they traded Ivica Zubac to the Pacers (Indy is going to be really fun next season).

LA still has Kawhi Leonard and John Collins, both of whom lit up Houston when the teams played back in December. Since then, the Clips have the best record in the NBA. Ty Lue is a good coach and LA is just a few games back of being in 8th place in the West and having the inside track on making the playoffs.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network, NBA TV

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Clippers

Darius Garland: OUT

Bradley Beal: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -7.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Wednesday night at home against the Los Angeles Clippers

The No. 1 men's college basketball team in the country has fallen.

The Arizona Wildcats, ranked No. 1 in USA TODAY's coaches poll, were toppled, 82-78, by the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks after they mounted a second-half comeback to give the Wildcats their first loss of the season 24 games in.

Kansas — without potential top NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson for the 11th time this season — trailed by three at halftime and found themselves down by as many as 11 at the 17-minute mark. They responded with a 9-2 run over the next two minutes to come within three points of Arizona before taking the lead on a Flory Bidunga layup with nine minutes to go.

"KANSAS HAS KNOCKED OFF UNBEATEN ARIZONA! NO. 1 GOES DOWN INSIDE ALLEN FIELDHOUSE! NO DARRYN PETERSON, NO PROBLEM FOR THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS!"

Boog Sciambi with the call for ESPN. 🏀🚨🎙️ pic.twitter.com/rPIHrxToxw

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 10, 2026

Bidunga led the Jayhawks in both scoring (23 points) and rebounds (11). The sophomore big man also had a critical block with 17 seconds left in the game on Koa Peat's layup attempt to protect a three-point lead. Tre White sealed the win by draining a pair of free throws in the final five seconds.

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No. 1 Arizona Wildcats fall to Kansas Jayhawks in upset

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended their five-game Western Conference roadtrip with a bang. They overcame a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to beat a strong Denver Nuggets team 119-117 thanks to their dynamic backcourt.

The Donovan Mitchell and James Harden pairing couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.

The Cavs were kept at arm’s length for most of the game. They never let the Nuggets get out in front by more than 11, but it also never felt like they really had a chance of getting into the game.

That changed down the stretch.

Cleveland’s half-court offense feels inevitable. There’s only so much you can do when you have two guards who require that much attention. There’s just too many holes to plug, and eventually, the defense is going to break.

That’s what happened late. Jarrett Allen found himself wide open for back-to-back crucial baskets to make it a one-point game with just over a minute left.

Harden then hit an impossible step-back three with 32 seconds left to tie the game for the first time in the fourth.

JAMES HARDEN TIES THE GAME AT 117!!!

HE'S GOT 22 ON THE NIGHT.

Tap to watch the finish: https://t.co/lLROH7VIoHpic.twitter.com/LzFlm0gXxl

— NBA (@NBA) February 10, 2026

And finally, Mitchell forced a shooting foul in the final second and hit both free throws to give the Cavs their two-point victory margin.

Mitchell has been the primary scoring engine in their first two games. He poured in 32 points on 11-23 shooting to go along with 10 assists.

Harden, on the other hand, has been the orchestrator of the offense. He’s continually found ways to generate open looks for his teammates, which includes feeding Allen early and often.

This group hasn’t had someone with the playmaking capabilities of Harden. His ability to draw as many defenders into him and then deliver on-time and on-target passes is truly unbelievable.

Harden’s facilitating doesn’t come at the expense of generating good looks for himself. He provided 22 points on 7-16 shooting to go along with 10 huge rebounds and seven assists.

Even though the offense was impressive, Harden’s defense was just as important. He did an excellent job of double-teaming Nikola Jokic and providing help defense when needed. This led to a crucial Jokic turnover on Denver’s third-to-last possession.

Allen continues to be the biggest beneficiary of Harden’s playmaking. He provided 22 points on 10-16 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds.

Allen did a good job of staying in front of Nikola Jokic and containing him the best he could. Unfortunately for Cleveland, containing Jokic still meant he finished with a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists. He also committed seven costly turnovers.

Julian Strawther and Christian Bruan provided 20 points each.

The Cavs return home to take on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. It will be their last game before the All-Star break. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

The Lakers are finally going to start acting like the financial powerhouse they are.

New owner Mark Walter is already one of the wealthiest owners in the NBA, a far cry from the Buss family. That wealth can be spent in only a few ways in the NBA, unlike the Dodgers, which Walter also owns.

One of those ways is the front office where there is no limit on what the Lakers can spend on the staff off the court. Last week, Dan Woike of The Athleticreported that the Lakers planned to make wholesale hires to the front office.

Prior to the Lakers’ win over the Warriors on Saturday, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka confirmed the report, noting that he and Governor Jeanie Buss would oversee the hires.

Referencing Mark Walter and the Lakers' new majority ownership group, Rob Pelinka said, "there is no expense they'll spare in being the best sort of front office in the world…I think now we'll have an opportunity just with extra resources that Mark brings to build it out and… pic.twitter.com/d91onBvEe4

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) February 8, 2026

Rob Pelinka on collaborating with the Dodgers: “Being able to tap into a person like Andrew Friedman for best practices. He's so incredibly smart and has done such an amazing job bringing championships to the Dodgers” pic.twitter.com/4KCi9N0c6b

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 8, 2026

It would be fair to have some concerns about Pelinka overseeing the hires of the front office considering how hot his seat could be if things go awry this offseason, but given his title, it would be his job to oversee the hirings of the front office.

The question now will be how quickly and how aggressively the team moves to make these hires. It’s unlikely personnel will leave teams midseason, though front office hires and movement aren’t often reported, so it’s possible.

Considering how important this summer will be for the Lakers, assembling a front office and, specifically, a scouting department, should be a high priority.

This is an area where the Lakers should have an advantage over most teams. They are the face of the NBA. They now have the spending power to go along with that.

It’s time they start acting like the premier franchise they are.

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

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid did not play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night to rest his right knee after an off day.

Embiid is averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebound and 3.9 assists this season. He has played in 31 games after being limited to 19 games last year and 39 games the previous season. The 7-foot center scored 33 points in a win at Phoenix on Saturday night.

In Portland, the Sixers also ruled out Quentin Grimes and Quentin Dominick because both had an illness.

Philadelphia was also missing Paul George, who was recently suspended 25 games for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program.

The Sixers host the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

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

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Lamar Wilkerson had 41 points and Indiana beat Oregon 92-74 on Monday night, handing the Ducks a 10th straight loss.

Wilkerson missed his first five shots and then made 13 of 15 for the Hoosiers (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten Conference), who have won two straight and five of six. He made 6 of 12 from 3-point range and 9 of 11 free throws. The senior guard hit 10 3-pointers and scored an Assembly Hall record 44 in a 113-72 victory over Penn State in December. He is the fifth Hoosier to have multiple 40-point games in one season.

Sam Alexis had 16 points for Indiana and Tucker DeVries totaled 15 points and seven assists. Nick Dorn scored 11.

Nate Bittle and reserve Wei Lin scored 15 apiece to pace the Ducks (8-16, 1-11), who are in the midst of the longest losing streak in head coach Dana Altman's 16 seasons. Bittle added eight rebounds and five assists. Sean Stewart scored 12, Takai Simpkins 11 and Drew Carter 10.

Wilkerson scored 16 in a first half that saw nine lead changes and two ties to help Indiana take a 36-30 lead into the break. Lin had nine points as the Ducks bench outscored Indiana's 13-0.

Wilkerson and DeVries hit 3-pointers, and Alexis scored six and had the final two baskets in a 16-6 run for a 52-36 advantage in the first four minutes of the second half. The lead never slipped below 10.

Indiana shot 81.8% in the second half — 18 for 22.

Up next

Oregon: Hosts Penn State on Saturday.

Indiana: At No. 8 Illinois on Sunday.

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

Cade Cunningham had 33 points and nine rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons hung on to beat Charlotte 110-104 on Monday night, snapping the Hornets’ nine-game winning streak in a wild game that included a fight and four player ejections.

Charlotte coach Charles Lee was also ejected after having to be restrained from going after an official while arguing a no-call in the fourth quarter.

Duncan Robinson scored 18 points for the Pistons and Jalen Duren added 15 before being ejected when he ignited the brawl by hitting Moussa Diabate with an open right hand in the third quarter.

Brandon Miller scored 24 points for the Hornets, while LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel each had 20.

Midway through the third quarter Duren was driving toward the basket when he was fouled by Diabate. Duren got face-to-face with Diabate and the two appeared to butt heads. Duren then hit Diabate in the face with his open right hand, igniting a confrontation that lasted more than 30 seconds.

While Pistons forward Tobias Harris was holding Diabate back, Diabate threw a punch at Duren. Duren walked away and Bridges charged at him, throwing a left-handed punch. Duren retaliated with a punch. Diabate attempted to charge again at Duren and had to be held back. Isaiah Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled.

Diabate, Bridges, Duren and Stewart were ejected.

NETS 123, BULLS 115

NEW YORK (AP) — Nic Claxton scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds to lead Brooklyn to a win over Chicago.

Noah Clowney added 20 points for Brooklyn, which won its second in a row. Drake Powell had 14 points off the bench, rookies Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore each had 13 and Ziaire Williams added 11.

The Nets won three of the four meetings between the Eastern Conference teams that are rebuilding.

Anfernee Simons scored 23 points for Chicago, which lost its fifth straight. Collin Sexton scored 19 off the bench and Matas Buzelis had 18.

JAZZ 115, HEAT 111

MIAMI (AP) — Brice Sensabaugh made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining to lift Utah to a victory over Miami.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22 points, Lauri Markkanen added 17, Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Ace Bailey also scored 16 for the Jazz, who won for only the fifth time in their last 23 games.

The Jazz erased a 108-103 deficit with 3:32 left and got within one at 111-110 on Isaiah Collier’s jumper with 1:23 remaining. Sensabaugh, who finished with 14 points, then connected with his shot from behind the arc.

Miami twice had opportunities at a tying or go-ahead score. Andrew Wiggins missed a short jumper with 36 seconds left and Kasparas Jakucionis’ corner 3-point attempt bounced off the rim with 4 seconds left.

Sensabaugh’s two free throws with 3 seconds remaining clinched the win for Utah.

Wiggins scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Jakucionis finished with 20 points for the Heat.

MAGIC 118, BUCKS 99

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Black scored 26 points, Desmond Bane added 25 and Orlando beat Milwaukee to snap the Bucks’ season-long three-game win streak.

Magic forward Franz Wagner played 17 minutes after missing 23 of the last 25 games due to a high ankle sprain. Wagner came off the bench for the first time in his career and finished with 14 points and five rebounds.

Kevin Porter Jr. led Milwaukee with 28 points and seven assists, but the Bucks committed 20 turnovers and gave up 67 points in the second half. that ended their season-long three-game win streak.

TIMBERWOLVES 138, HAWKS 116

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half as Minnesota used a dominant second quarter to cruise to a win against the short-handed Atlanta.

Edwards led seven Minnesota players scoring in double figures, pushing the Timberwolves to a commanding win after a pair of disappointing losses to New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers. Julius Randle has 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Minnesota, which had lost three of four.

A game without much intensity changed early in the fourth when Atlanta’s Mouhamed Gueye appeared to trip up Wolves center Naz Reid. The two came together in an altercation that included a crowd of people trying to break up the two players. Both players were ejected.

Newcomer Ayo Dosunmu, playing his second game after being acquired in a trade from Chicago, had 21 points off the bench as Minnesota led by as many as 31.

CJ McCollum had 38 points for the Hawks, who have lost four of five and were playing without Jalen Johnson (left knee inflammation), Antonio Daniels (right ankle inflammation) and newly acquired Jonathan Kumiga (left knee bone bruise).

PELICANS 120, KINGS 94

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III made five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, Jeremiah Fears scored 14 of his 20 in the second half and New Orleans sent Sacramento to their 13th straight loss.

The Kings have their most consecutive losses since the franchise moved from Kansas City to Sacramento ahead of the 1985-86 season.

Murphy has made 23 3-pointers on 40 attempts (72.5%) in the last three games. Zion Williamson scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and had six assists for New Orleans.

Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and career-high 20 rebounds — the 7-foot-1 rookie’s eighth double-double this season — for Sacramento. Russell Westbrook added 17 points, Devin Carter scored 12 and Nique Clifford 10.

CAVALIERS 119, NUGGETS 117

DENVER (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, including two free throws with 0.9 seconds left after James Harden’s tying 3-pointer, and Cleveland rallied to beat Denver.

Harden finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in his second game with Cleveland. Harden, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4, scored 23 points in his Cavaliers debut three nights later.

Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists but missed a potential winning 3-point shot at the buzzer. Two nights after Jokic passed Oscar Robertson for second place in career triple-doubles, he notched his 183rd.

WARRIORS 114, GRIZZLIES 113

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gui Santos made a go-ahead layup with 19 seconds left and Al Horford stole the ball from Cam Spencer moments later after he rebounded a Memphis miss, and Golden State rallied late to beat the Grizzlies.

Pat Spencer had 17 points and seven assists, leading seven players in double figures for a Warriors team missing Stephen Curry for the fourth straight game because of a lingering right knee injury that coach Steve Kerr said would keep him out of the All-Star Game next week.

De’Anthony Melton’s layup with 2:46 left pulled the Warriors within 113-110 and Moses Moody made it a one-point game with 2 minutes remaining. Brandin Podziemski, Santos and Horford each scored 16 points, and Moody 15.

Earlier in the day, Curry’s backcourt mate, Jimmy Butler, underwent surgery in Los Angeles for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that ended his season last month.

Ty Jerome scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half and also dished out seven assists.

Jahmai Mashack scored 17 points off the bench, Taylor Hendricks had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contributed 15 points — and the Grizzlies reserves scored 68 points, most Golden State has given up to an opponent’s backups this season.

TRAIL BLAZERS 135, 76ERS 118

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Toumani Camara scored a career-high 30 points and shot 8 of 10 from 3-point range, Deni Avdija had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Portland used a huge third quarter to cruise to a victory Philadelphia.

Jerami Grant and Donovan Clingan each added 15 points for the Trail Blazers, who trailed 65-64 at halftime before outscoring the 76ers 49-22 in the third to take control.

Embiid, who scored 33 points in a win at Phoenix on Saturday night, sat out against Portland to rest his right knee after an off day. Tyrese Maxey had 30 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. 19 for the 76ers, who wrapped up a 3-2 Western road trip and lost for just the second time in eight games overall.

THUNDER 119, LAKERS 110

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jalen Williams scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half of his return from a 10-game injury absence, and Oklahoma City snapped their two-game skid with a victory over Los Angeles.

Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and current NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic both sat out due to injuries, leaving their supporting casts to play a Thunder-style physical game featuring 52 combined free throws.

LeBron James scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half for the Lakers, whose three-game winning streak ended with another ineffective defensive performance.

Jalen Williams, who had been out with a hamstring strain, and Jaylin Williams both hit big jumpers while the Thunder broke open a close game down the stretch. Chet Holmgren added a key put-back dunk with 1:17 to play for the NBA-leading Thunder, who had lost three of five.

Isaiah Joe scored 19 points and Alex Caruso added 17 from Oklahoma City’s bench. Holmgren had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Marcus Smart scored 19 points and Austin Reaves had 16 on a minutes restriction for Los Angeles, which dropped to a pedestrian 14-9 at home.

Josh Hart’s nightly boxscore is like a box of chocolates: you never quite know what you’re going to get. 

He molds his aggressiveness in that department to whatever the game needs.

At times, he becomes the main facilitator, orchestrating the Knicks offense, pushing them in transition and allowing Jalen Brunson to play off the ball.

Other times, he is their second-leading scorer and temporarily carrying the offense.

Often, it’s somewhere in between. 

“I turn down shots, I don’t know how many times,” Hart said after the win over the Celtics in Boston on Sunday. “I love getting assists. I used to love scoring. Now, I love getting guys shots, getting guys involved. Sometimes, it’s the bad read because I should shoot it when I’m open, but I love getting guys shots.”

Sunday was a bit different than that.

He took 14 shots, making seven of them.

That was second most on the team, behind Brunson, and five more than Karl-Anthony Towns — who is supposed to be the clear second option on offense — despite playing three fewer minutes than him.

Hart took six 3-pointers — also second most on the team.

He had three assists, two below his season average. 

In the 13 games he’s played since returning from his sprained ankle, he’s taken as many as 17 shots — which he did in a win over the Blazers at the end of January — and as few as three, which he did in a rout of the Wizards last week.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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That level of polarity is rare for most players.

Some of it is a result of how opponents defend him.

Most view him as the weakest 3-point shooter in the normal Knicks starting lineup of Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby and Towns.

That means other teams often match up their five on him, allowing them to sink into the paint and help on others, not respecting Hart’s ability to hurt them from deep.

Those are usually the times Hart is forced to be the most aggressive, given that he is left open. 

“Games like [Sunday],” Hart said, “[are] where that sacrifice is me having to go out there and be super aggressive and keep them honest.”

Hart is shooting a career-best 40.4 percent from 3-point range this year, exploiting strategic decisions by the opposition. 

“I don’t ever call a play for Josh, and he finds his way,” coach Mike Brown said. “Teams keep putting their five on him, and we tell him to let it fly. He’s really good because he knows when to let it fly. Not only that, if the ball gets pushed ahead to him, fives are used to sitting in the paint or shrinking; now, when the ball gets pushed ahead, that five closes out to Josh, he’s quick on a snap drive. He finishes on the front side, the back side, he can still spray it and he’s got his little [midrange]. 

“He makes a big difference offensively. It’s him because he knows how and when to pick his spots with it. Also when he was out and he came back, that first game in Portland, you felt his presence in transition. Whether he was bringing it or just filling that wing, you felt his presence and it’s much needed especially against the better teams.”

Hart hasn’t always enjoyed his chameleon-like identity.

It was something he had to grow to embrace. 

“I think I acquired it in Portland,” Hart said. “Mark Tyndale, who’s here right now, I think one day I was venting to him. I was saying ‘bro I’m not getting the ball. I’m not getting any touches.’ He’s like ‘we’ve got [Damian Lillard], we’ve got all these guys. We’re not saying you can’t score. We’re saying we’ve got guys that are better and that’s what they’re here to do.’ And from then on, I said ‘let me work out how I can help these guys and find them in good positions.’” 

“It took a little bit of getting used to, but I think right now I’m in a good head space with it.”

The Knicks are about to start a home-road back-to-back against the Pacers and 76ers on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Don’t be surprised if Hart’s approach is completely different between the two games.

---

Anunoby, who has missed the last two games with a sore toe, is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Pacers.

Mitchell Robinson is out, with it being the first leg of a back-to-back. 

MIAMI (AP) — Brice Sensabaugh made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining to lift the Utah Jazz to a 115-111 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22 points, Lauri Markkanen added 17, Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Ace Bailey also scored 16 for the Jazz, who won for only the fifth time in their last 23 games.

The Jazz erased a 108-103 deficit with 3:32 left and got within one at 111-110 on Isaiah Collier’s jumper with 1:23 remaining. Sensabaugh, who finished with 14 points, then connected with his shot from behind the arc.

Miami twice had opportunities at a tying or go-ahead score. Andrew Wiggins missed a short jumper with 36 seconds left and Kasparas Jakucionis’ corner 3-point attempt bounced off the rim with 4 seconds left.

Sensabaugh’s two free throws with 3 seconds remaining clinched the win for Utah.

Wiggins scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Jakucionis finished with 20 points for the Heat.

Utah led 85-82 after three quarters but for the second consecutive game, coach Will Hardy sat Markkanen and Jackson in the fourth period. Jackson was acquired from Memphis in a trade Feb. 3. Jusuf Nurkic also sat out the fourth and finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds.

The Jazz outscored the Heat in the paint 54-30.

Miami’s Norman Powell (back tightness) and Pelle Larsson (right forearm strain) didn’t play, while Tyler Herro (ribs) has been sidelined since Jan. 17. Keyonte George (right ankle sprain) sat out for Utah.

Down 15 midway through the first quarter, the Jazz finished the first half on a 14-2 run. Collier’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Utah a 61-52 lead at the break.

Up next

Jazz: Host Sacramento on Wednesday night.

Heat: Play at New Orleans on Wednesday night.

—

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

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III made five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, Jeremiah Fears scored 14 of his 20 in the second half and the New Orleans Pelicans sent the Sacramento Kings to their 13th straight loss Monday night, 120-94.

The Kings have their most consecutive losses since the franchise moved from Kansas City to Sacramento ahead of the 1985-86 season.

Murphy has made 23 3-pointers on 40 attempts (72.5%) in the last three games. Zion Williamson scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and had six assists for New Orleans. 

Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and career-high 20 rebounds — the 7-foot-1 rookie’s eighth double-double this season — for Sacramento. Russell Westbrook added 17 points, Devin Carter scored 12 and Nique Clifford 10. 

Westbrook became the 14th player in league history to score at least 27,000 career points. The 18-year NBA veteran has 27,001 career points, 312 behind Elvin Hayes for 13th place on the league's career points list. 

DeMar DeRozan made a driving layup with 4:08 left in the first quarter that gave the Kings a 20-15 lead, but Bryce McGowen and Murphy made back-to-back 3-pointers to give New Orleans the lead for good and spark a 25-6 run. Williamson scored eight points in the spurt. 

Westbrook made a step-back jumper that trimmed the deficit to nine points with 7:36 left in the first half, but Sacramento got no closer. 

Zach LaVine (finger), Keegan Murray (ankle), Malik Monk (illness) and Domantas Sabonis (lower back) did not play for Sacramento. The quartet combines to average 62 points this season. 

The Pelicans snapped a string of 14 consecutive games in which they have not won or lost by more than 10 points. 

Up next

Kings: Play Wednesday at Utah. 

Pelicans: Host Miami on Wednesday. 

___

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

Fists were flying after a hard foul in the game between the Pistons and the Hornets, which sent the contest into chaos and led to several ejections. 

The brawl came in what ended up being a 110-104 loss for the Hornets on Monday.

The situation unfolded in the third quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte when Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté fouled Pistons center Jalen Duren while he was going for a shot inside the paint.

The foul was called, but the two got into each other’s faces almost immediately, and after Duren pushed Diabaté in his face, all hell broke loose.

Diabaté attempted to retaliate by swinging at Duren as players, coaches and officials tried to get control of the situation. 

Diabaté was able to break free after he was briefly held back and attempted to chase down Duren a second time, but he was restrained again near the courtside seats. 

As the focus was on Diabaté and calming him down, Miles Bridges went after Duren and ignited the situation even further, which led to Isaiah Stewart — who was not dressed for the game — to run off the Detroit bench to take on Bridges. 

Coaches, players and officials had to then work to separate those two. 

Diabaté, Bridges, Duren and Stewart were all ejected from the game, and the NBA will likely take a look at what happened for supplementary discipline.

At the time of the melee, the Pistons had been holding a 70-62 lead over the Hornets as Charlotte was looking to win its 10th straight game.

Things continued to be testy during the game as Hornets coach Charles Lee was kicked out in the fourth quarter. 

Lee had to be held back while screaming at officials for an offensive foul that was called on Grant Williams. 

He left the court to loud applause from the home fans.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nic Claxton scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 123-115 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Noah Clowney added 20 points for Brooklyn, which won its second in a row. Drake Powell had 14 points off the bench, rookies Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore each had 13 and Ziaire Williams added 11.

The Nets won three of the four meetings between the Eastern Conference teams that are rebuilding.

Anfernee Simons scored 23 points for Chicago, which lost its fifth straight. Collin Sexton scored 19 off the bench and Matas Buzelis had 18.

The Nets began the third quarter with a 14-5 spurt over the first three minutes to extend their advantage to 15 at 74-59. But Chicago responded with a 30-15 run over the final nine minutes of the quarter to tie it at 89 entering the fourth.

Two free throws by Isaac Okoro two minutes into the fourth gave the Bulls their first lead since early in the second at 93-91. The Nets then had a 12-6 spurt over the next three minutes to regain the advantage, 103-99.

The teams traded scores the rest of the way, with the most significant being Wolf’s layup with 3:33 remaining and two free throws by Claxton on the next possession that extended Brooklyn’s lead to 115-107.

Both teams were short-handed. The Nets didn’t have leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (right knee tendinitis) and rookie guard Egor Demin (rest), while Chicago missed Zach Collins (sprained right toe), Josh Giddey (strained left hamstring), Tre Jones (strained left hamstring), and Noa Essengue (left shoulder surgery).

Up next

Bulls: Play at Boston on Wednesday night.

Nets: Host Indiana on Wednesday night.