CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller had 26 points and eight rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 109-93 on Saturday for their fourth consecutive victory.
Miller made six 3-pointers and the Hornets finished 16 for 42 behind the arc after totaling 72 in the previous three victories, equaling the NBA record for most in a three-game span.
Coby White added 20 points off the bench and LaMelo Ball had 15 points and eight assists. Moussa Diabate finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists as Charlotte pulled within a game of .500 at 30-31.
Jrue Holiday scored 25 points and Jerami Grant had 21 for the Trail Blazers, who played without All-Star Deni Avdija for a third straight game because of a back injury.
Portland missed all 10 3-point attempts in the first quarter and Charlotte took a 29-17 lead. Miller made four 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the second as the Hornets took a 51-43 lead to the half.
The Blazers cut it to 74-67 after three but went cold again in the fourth, missing 10 of their 12 3-point attempts. Portland finished 11 for 47 (23.4%) on 3s for the game.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mark Mitchell scored 17 points and Shawn Phillips Jr. scored 16 points and Missouri walloped Mississippi State 88-64 on Saturday.
Reserve Anthony Robinson II scored 13 points, Trent Pierce scored 10 and Jayden Stone grabbed 10 rebounds for the Tigers (20-9, 10-6 SEC).
Missouri led 54-23 at halftime on the strength of 61.3% (19 for 31) shooting. The Tigers finished shooting 51% (30 for 59).
Josh Hubbard scored 16 points and Quincy Ballard scored 12 points for Mississippi State (13-16, 5-11).
Missouri started with a 9-0 lead and never looked back. Trent Burns' 3-pointer with 13:49 remaining before halftime and they led by double digits for the remainder.
Mitchell's layup with 9:14 before the break made it 30-10. T.O Barrett made two foul shots with 2:07 left in the half and the lead was 50-19.
Missouri has won three of its last four which included wins over then 19th-ranked Vanderbilt and 22nd-ranked Tennessee.
Up Next
Missouri: Will try to end its three-game losing streak at Oklahoma on Tuesday.
Mississippi State: Travels to face seventh-ranked Florida on Tuesday.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Gui Santos #15 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket on Bruce Brown #11 of the Denver Nuggets in the first half at Chase Center on February 22, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s a peculiar kind of justice that plays out in professional basketball when a player stops auditioning and starts belonging. Gui Santos belongs.
The Warriors locked him up on a multi-year extension Saturday, which reads like routine front office housekeeping until you rewind what February actually asked of this team. Both Steph Curry (greatest guard alive) and Jimmy Butler (a menace to society on the basketball court) haven’t played a single solitary second during Black History Month because of bum knees. Then the former #7 overall pick Jonathan Kuminga was shipped off to start his next storyline as the man who saves Atlanta Hawks basketball.
Just a shorthanded Golden State squad navigating the cruelest month of their season. And somehow, the guy with the headband and the Brazilian passport kept surfacing in every statistical category that felt like oxygen.
Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos has signed a three-year, $15 million contract extension with the franchise, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes a player option in 2028-29.
Here’s some Feb stats ahead of tonight’s Lakers game that reveal Santos’ impact this month. You know who leads the team in steals? Santos, with 15, tied with De’Anthony Melton. Blocks? Al Horford leads as a center with 8, but right behind him at 7 is Santos, a wing. Rebounding? The human hustle machine Brandin Podziemski owns that category at 65, but guess who’s sitting at 53, breathing down his neck? Santos again. Assists? He’s tied for second with Podziemski at 38, trailing only Pat Spencer’s 50. You can scan that list three times and still miss the point, which is that glue usually hides. This month it didn’t.
This is the Iguodala archetype. The Swiss army knife Steve Kerr has been hunting since the dynasty thinned out. You can’t manufacture this kind of connective tissue in the lab. You grow it in Santa Cruz, rep by rep, until one February without your stars, the glue guy becomes the guy.
Gui Santos reflected on his journey up to this point, now a key guy for the Dubs:
“The key word for that is patience. Because when I got here, I was a point guard playing back in Brazil… and I spent the whole year in the G-league just learning how to fit in the system here.” pic.twitter.com/Q2tyVmjhEQ
But here’s what separates this story from your standard hustle narrative: his name isn’t just popping up in the dirty work categories. Santos has knocked down 17 three-pointers this month, second on the team behind Moses Moody’s 29. And he’s doing it on 43.6% shooting from deep, which leads the roster in volume attempts (minimum meaningful sample). The hustle guy can shoot and that changes everything about how defenses have to honor him.
Kuminga was supposed to be the next chapter of Warriors development lore. The raw athleticism, the upside, the TWO TIMELINES plan. But development requires trust, and trust requires consistency, and consistency is the one currency Kuminga could never quite produce on demand. The Warriors made their calculation, moved him to Atlanta, and watched him go off in a new uniform while Santos continued quietly becoming indispensable.
Future forensic archaeologists digging through the rubble of Kuminga’s time in Golden State will ask the reasonable question: who was Kerr choosing over him down the stretch? Who earned those minutes that could have gone to the former lottery pick?
Gui mother effin Santos, man. Steve Kerr can never deny this man again, because even without Jimmy Butler, he's going to help the Warriors connect and win games by filling the gap at PF
HOUSTON (AP) — Milos Uzan had 26 points and six assists, Joseph Tugler scored 14 and No. 5 Houston snapped its three-game losing streak with a 102-62 win over Colorado on Saturday.
Uzan had 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half as the Cougars (24-5, 12-4 Big 12) built a 55-29 lead at the break. Houston shot 56%, including 6 of 11 on 3-pointers, in the first half.
Chris Cenac Jr. scored 12 points, Kingston Flemings had 11 points, six rebound and eight assists and Chase McCarty, Emanuel Sharp and Mercy Miller finished with 10 points each for Houston, which shot 60% for the game and 10 of 17 on 3-pointers.
The Cougars forced Colorado into 15 turnovers and converted them into 21 points. They outrebounded the Buffaloes 34-22.
Isaiah Johnson had 19 points, Bangot Dak added 15 points and Sebastian Rancik scored 11 for Colorado (16-13, 6-10). The Buffaloes, who had their two-game winning streak snapped, shot 46% and were 3 of 14 on 3-pointers.
Colorado coach Tad Boyle was ejected after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with the officials with 3:06 remaining in the first half. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson was whistled for a technical foul in the second half. In total, there were 35 fouls called. The Cougars were 24 of 31 from the free-throw line, while Colorado was 13 of 18 from the line.
Trailing 10-2 about three minutes into the game, Houston responded by outscoring Colorado 36-11 over the next 10 minutes to take a 38-21 lead on a 3-pointer by McCarty. Uzan scored nine points in the run.
Josh Reed scored a career-high 25 points, shooting 9 of 12, and Penn State rallied to beat Iowa 71-69 on Saturday, ending the Nittany Lions’ three-game losing streak.
Freddie Dilione V scored 15 points, and Ivan Juric scored 11 for the Nittany Lions (12-17, 3-15 Big Ten). Penn State finished 64% shooting (25-for-39), including 60% (9-for-15) from 3-point range.
Cooper Koch scored 18 points, shooting 6 for 9, and Bennett Stirtz added 16 for Iowa (20-9, 10-8).
Knotted at 69, Dilione was fouled on a drive to the hoop with 1.5 seconds left and promptly made two free throws for the go-ahead foul shots. Iowa failed to get off a shot after a timeout while facing the full length of the floor.
Stirtz's layup with eight seconds remaining tied the game at 69. The basket was the first points for Iowa since a Cam Manyawu dunk with 4:30 remaining left put the Hawkeyes up 67-62.
Reed countered with his 6-0 run, making four foul shots, and Melih Tunca made a free throw for a 69-67 Penn State lead.
Iowa, which now has lost two of its last three games, led 38-34 at halftime.
ATLANTA (AP) — Robert McCray V scored 20 points, his ninth 20-plus point game of the season, and Florida State pulled away in the second half to defeat Georgia Tech 80-71 on Saturday.
The Seminoles (15-14, 8-8 ACC) led 41-36 at halftime and maintained control after the break, winning in Atlanta for the first time in their last four visits. Florida State, which opened conference play 0-5, has now won eight of its last 11 games.
Georgia Tech (11-18, 2-14) closed the first half on a 12-1 run to trim a double-digit deficit to five, but the Yellow Jackets went cold in the second half. Tech endured an eight-minute stretch without a field goal as Florida State built a double-digit lead and never allowed the margin to drop below eight over the final stretch.
Thomas Bassong added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Seminoles, and Chauncey Wiggins finished with 12 points. Florida State controlled the glass 44-34 and held Georgia Tech without a second-chance point.
Kowacie Reeves Jr. led the Yellow Jackets with 17 points. Jaeden Mustaf added 16 points and eight assists, and Akai Fleming scored 15. Georgia Tech shot 35% from the field and dropped its 10th straight game.
The Yellow Jackets must win their final two games to have a chance at qualifying for the ACC tournament. They currently sit in last place in the conference standings.
Up Next
Florida State: travels to Pittsburgh this Wednesday.
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks have waived point guard Tyus Jones, one of the players involved in the three-team trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards.
The move announced Saturday gives Jones a chance to pursue a deal with a contender needing backcourt help. The 29-year-old made the playoffs three consecutive seasons with Memphis from 2021-23.
The Mavericks now have the flexibility to convert rookie point guard Ryan Nembhard to a standard contract. Nembhard is closing in on the maximum number of NBA games allowed for players on two-way deals.
Jones made two starts among eight appearances for the Mavericks, averaging 3.9 points and 3.8 assists in 16.6 minutes per game. He was traded by Orlando to Charlotte a day before going to Dallas in a three-team deal involving nine players before the trade deadline.
The best season for Jones was 2023-24 with Washington, when he averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 assists. He received votes for Sixth Man of the Year the previous two seasons with the Grizzlies.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal scored the first hat trick of his career in a 4-1 win over Villarreal that moved his team four points clear atop La Liga on Saturday.
At 18 years, 230 days, Yamal is the youngest player to score his first hat trick in La Liga, according to Opta.
His haul included a brilliant solo effort for his second goal, which saw him beat a player as he cut in from the right wing and curl a shot high into the far corner.
“He’s exceptional and he’s here to make people happy," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. "We need his goals to give him confidence. He’s very young and he still has to improve, but everyone knows the quality he has.
"Opponents put two or three players on him and that makes it difficult. Today I’m very happy for him. When he enjoys his football, it’s perfect for him and for us.”
Substitute Robert Lewandowski added Barcelona's fourth in stoppage time at Camp Nou.
Second-placed Real Madrid hosts Getafe on Monday with a chance to trim Barcelona's lead back to one point.
Also on Saturday, Inaki Williams equalized for Athletic Bilbao in a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano.
Later, fourth-placed Atletico Madrid visited Real Oviedo and could move level on points with third-placed Villarreal with a win.
___
This story has been corrected in second paragraph to show Yamal is aged 18 not 17.
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Lakers computer picks
Marcus Smart Over 7.5 points (-105)
Projection: 9.0
This is a five-star play per our Covers prop projections, and Marcus Smart has hit this Over in seven of his last 10 overall.
"The matchup vs. the Golden State Warriors is a positive one for threes; opposing starting SFs have put up the highest three rate in the league this year (47.0%). Over the last 5 games, the opposition's starting SFs have attempted 3.8 foul shots per game (8th-most in the NBA) against the Warriors, making it fairly effortless to get to the charity stripe."
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Deandre Ayton Over 0.5 assists (+115)
Projection: 1.0
Deandre Ayton has 11 assists over his last 10 games, hitting this modest Over six times in that span.
The Warriors have surrendered the second-most assists per game to opposing centers.
Our computer pegs this prop as a +22.4% EV play.
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Austin Reeves Over 3.5 assists (+100)
Projection: 4.5
With our computer calling for a full additional assist for Austin Reeves compared to his posted line, there's a +20.17% EV associated with this play.
Golden State is not a tough matchup for opposing shooting guards when it comes to assists, surrendering 5.17 per game to the position.
The even-money price just makes this bet all the more appealing.
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Warriors computer picks
Moses Moody Under 2.5 threes (+135)
Projection: 2.5
Moses Moody is projected to be a victim of a potentially crawling pace in tonight's game.
"The 8th-least up-tempo pace home offense in the league over the last 5 games has been the Golden State Warriors.. The Warriors are expected to suffer a drop-off in possessions in this game from sharing the court with the 6th-most lethargic tempo visiting team in the NBA this year (the Los Angeles Lakers)."
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Draymond Green Over 7.5 points (-130)
Projection: 9.6
This line is trending toward 8.5, but is still listed at 7.5 at bet365. Nevertheless, our computer is calling for a robust 9.6 points from Draymond Green.
"Offensive rebounds save possession and produce extra opportunities for scoring and assists, and the Warriors grade out 8th-best in in the league with 13.0 offensive rebounds per game over the last 5 games."
Green has hit this Over in five of his last eight overall.
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Gui Santos Under 14.5 points (-105)
Projection: 12.7
Gui Santos' point prop keeps growing with increasing production, but our projections believe it's time to fade the young power forward.
"The matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers may be a tough one for getting to the foul line; the opposing team's starting PFs have attempted a mere 2.2 free throws per game over the last 15 games (least in the NBA)."
This projection checks in over a full point lower than the posted line, good for a +14.08% EV.
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How to watch Lakers vs Warriors tonight
Location
Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Tip-off
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
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PARIS (AP) — Back in Ligue 1, Arnaud Nordin scored his first goal for Rennes in a 1-0 win over Toulouse on Saturday.
Nordin struggled for playing time in the Bundesliga with Mainz and joined Rennes on loan in January until the end of the season.
The winger's goal in the 27th minute helped Rennes to a third consecutive win. The Brittany club moved level on points with fourth-placed Marseille, which hosts Lyon on Sunday.
On a five-match winless run, Toulouse remained in 10th place.
Nordin jumped higher than defender Charlie Cresswell and broke the deadlock with a header. Nordin previously played for Saint-Etienne and Montpellier. He has more than 200 French league games under his belt.
Rennes hired coach Franck Haise this month following Habib Beye’s exit and was tasked with guiding the team to fourth spot and a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds.
Paris Saint-Germain was at Le Havre later Saturday, looking to extend its lead over second-placed Lens to four points. Monaco hosted Angers.
The Los Angeles Lakers don’t look like a team convinced that a deep playoff run is imminent, but a primetime matchup against the Golden State Warriors gives their stars the perfect stage.
Golden State is still without Steph Curry and lacks answers for the Luka Doncic assignment, so my Lakers vs. Warriors predictions point to a big night from the visitors.
Check out my free NBA picks and betting angles for Saturday, February 28.
Lakers vs Warriors prediction
Lakers vs Warriors best bet: Lakers -4.5 (-105)
The Los Angeles Lakers are 4-2 ATS in their past six meetings with the Golden State Warriors, and JJ Redick’s squad comes in with a solid 18-12 SU road record.
Austin Reaves’ return gives the Lakers three elite ball-handlers, and I’m counting on that creating enough quality looks to cover this small spread against a shorthanded Warriors team.
Golden State is still hanging around the play-in race, but they're 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games, and the offense struggles without Steph Curry's movement.
Lakers vs Warriors same-game parlay
We’ve seen plenty of Doncic hero ball this season, but I’m focusing on the other aspects of his game here.
The superstar point guard is coming off consecutive games with 8+ rebounds and has totaled 37 assists over his last four outings. If the Lakers want to prevail, Luka needs to contribute more than just points.
Lakers vs Warriors SGP
Lakers moneyline
Luka Doncic Over 8.5 assists
Luka Doncic Over 7.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: Press the Klutch
Klutch teammates LeBron James and Draymond Green go head-to-head tonight, and this SGP taps into that matchup. James posted a 20-10-7 stat line against the Warriors earlier this month.
Green hauled in seven rebounds and added six assists in his last outing, and his playmaking will be a key ingredient in a Steph-less offense.
Lakers vs Warriors SGP
LeBron James Over 19.5 points
LeBron James Over 1.5 threes
Draymond Green Over 4.5 assists
Draymond Green Over 5.5 rebounds
Lakers vs Warriors odds
Spread: Lakers -4.5 (-105) | Warriors +4.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Lakers -170 | Warriors +145
Over/Under: Over 230 (-110) | Under 230 (-110)
Lakers vs Warriors betting trend to know
The Lakers are 23-15 SU against Western Conference opponents this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Warriors.
How to watch Lakers vs Warriors
Location
Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Tip-off
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Lakers vs Warriors latest injuries
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Tyus Jones signing with Orlando seemed like one of the smarter pickups of the offseason, a team that needed stability at the point signs up a veteran guard who knows how to run a team and doesn't turn the ball over. It didn't work on the court as smoothly as expected, and Jones was traded to Charlotte, then a day later was re-routed to Dallas as part of the three-team Anthony Davis trade.
Jones did not find a home in Dallas either, and the team has waived him, a move that had been expected for days.
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have waived guard Tyus Jones.
Jones (6-0, 196) appeared in eight games (two starts) with the Mavericks and averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 assists in 16.6 minutes per game.
Dallas needed to open a roster spot to convert Ryan Nembhard's two-way contract to a standard contract, reports Marc Stein. Nembhard has more than earned that contract.
Jones is a free agent who will be eligible for playoff rosters. Expect some team to snap him up.
The New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz are set to square off for the second time in three days.
Saddiq Bey erupted for a season-high 42 points in the last meeting, and my Pelicans vs. Jazz predictions are counting on the NOLA guard to shoulder the scoring load once again.
Read more in my NBA picks for Saturday, February 28.
Pelicans vs Jazz prediction
Pelicans vs Jazz best bet: Saddiq Bey Over 20.5 points (-110)
Saddiq Bey missed the 2024-25 season following ACL surgery, but the New Orleans Pelicans guard has found his rhythm over the past couple of months.
Bey is averaging a career-high 17.2 points per game, and he’s bumped that up to 21.0 ppg since the calendar flipped to 2026 — highlighted by a season-best 42-point outing against the Utah Jazz on Thursday.
He’s scored 20+ points in 11 of his last 15 games and will be leaned on to carry New Orleans’ offense with Trey Murphy III sidelined.
The Jazz also rank 30th in points allowed per game, so Bey should have plenty of opportunities to fill it up again.
Pelicans vs Jazz same-game parlay
The Pelicans have won three straight, while the Jazz are mired in a four-game losing streak and will be without Lauri Markkanen.
Both teams rank in the bottom five in team defense, so scoring should come easily tonight. The Over has also cashed in each of the last five meetings between these squads.
Pelicans vs Jazz SGP
Saddiq Bey Over 20.5 points
Pelicans moneyline
Over 243.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Making It Rain
The Pelicans and Jazz rank 29th and 30th in three-pointers allowed per game, respectively, so we should see plenty of treys tonight.
Bey has connected on at least three triples in nine of his last 14 outings, and teammate Jordan Poole is knocking down an average of 2.5 from deep per game this season.
For Utah, Brice Sensabaugh has hit more than 2.5 shots from beyond the arc in four of his past five contests, while Keyonte George is also averaging 2.5 made threes per game.
Pelicans vs Jazz SGP
Saddiq Bey Over 2.5 threes
Jordan Poole Over 1.5 threes
Brice Sensabaugh Over 2.5 threes
Keyonte George Over 2.5 threes
Pelicans vs Jazz odds
Spread: Pelicans -6.5 (-110) | Jazz +6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Pelicans -250 | Jazz +210
Over/Under: Over 245.5 (-110) | Under 245.5 (-110)
Pelicans vs Jazz betting trend to know
New Orleans is 6-0 in the last six meetings against Utah. Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Jazz.
How to watch Pelicans vs Jazz
Location
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Tip-off
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
Pelicans+, KJZZ 14
Pelicans vs Jazz latest injuries
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After having to leave the game against Philadelphia after 10 minutes, Miami Heat All-Star wing Norman Powell has been diagnosed with a groin strain and is considered week to week, the team announced.
INJURY UPDATE: MRI results for Norman Powell returned as a Grade 1 right groin strain. He will be week to week.
Nikola Jovic (lower back injury management) has been ruled out of tomorrow's game vs the Rockets.
Powell was a first-time All-Star this year, averaging a career-high 22.5 points per game and shooting 39% from 3-point range. Powell has been playing through a number of nagging injuries, according to reports, which will give him a chance to heal.
Powell will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Not that there is ever a good time for an injury, but this is less than ideal for the Heat, who sit eighth in the East at 31-29 and are fighting to hold on to their No. 8 seed and an easier path through the play-in to the playoffs.
Los Angeles, CA - February 22: Guard Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics shoots between Austin Reaves #15 and center Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers as guard Luka Doncic #77 looks on in the second half of a NBA basketball game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 22, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
It’s always good to beat LA. Always.
And it’s always good to beat LeBron James.
And it’s great that LeBron joined the Lakers in order to make victories all the sweeter.
For me, I sometimes wonder what LeBron thinks of Boston in his heart of hearts. He’s far too savvy to say anything out loud about the team, but consider that the Celtics were in his way starting in 2008; in fact, they were so much in his way that he left Cleveland and joined Miami to get past them.
And he was able to get past the Celtics, first as a member of the Heat, and then, again, as a Cavalier. He had a roughly 7-year run where he pretty much owned Boston, knocking the C’s out of three conference finals appearances and four playoff appearances overall.
But, inexorably, time has caught up with LeBron, and now, as he’s facing the end of his career and the Celtics are back again.
To be sure, LeBron did add a championship with the Lakers, and he had the satisfaction of seeing the Lakers tie the Celtics for most titles won, but that tie was short lived. The Celtics secured another title in 2024, and appear poised to contend for more titles in the future. The Lakers, Luka Doncic notwithstanding, do not.
Yes, the Celtics are once again the better team, as evidenced by two thorough spankings of the purple and gold this season, and a record of 10-6 against the Lakers since LeBron joined the team.
A different kind of respect for Luka
During the game, Joe Mazzulla paid Luka a very high honor.
Now with pretty much any other team, putting a rookie and a second year guy on the other team’s leading scorer is a sign of disrespect, insanity, or a fervent hope to secure a high draft pick (don’t use the “T” word — the league is on high alert for such things these days).
But Boston isn’t other teams, and Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez play defense as though their life depended on it. Mind you, their playing time pretty much does.
The two wings held Luka to 25 points, 7 less than his season average, and the difference was basically one less made basket and about four fewer free throw attempts.
Yes, these two kids, and I don’t mind calling Scheierman a kid, since he’s young enough to be one of mine, effectively locked down Luka without sending him to the line. That’s a level of skill that one simply does not associate with newcomers to the league.
Overall, the team also limited Luka to just three assists, well down from his season average of 8.6. His season average is 54.1 passes per game, and on Sunday he made just 37.
One of the easiest insights to give someone new to the game regarding its likely outcome is to see which team has to work harder for its points. Now, it’s not a perfect indicator, but it’s a good eye test for neophytes.
The Lakers, and Dončić especially, had to work much harder for their points on Sunday, and that’s down to the exceptional defense played by Boston.
At least Riley’s statue is wearing nice clothes
But what was especially enjoyable about the victory on Sunday, though, was that it was Pat Riley Day.
Now, normally, I would say that a Celtics win, especially one delivered in clear and convincing fashion, would be sufficient to ruin Riley’s day, but in this case, I think Riley’s day was actually ruined when he saw his statue.
I find Riley’s statue ugly not because I’m a Celtics fan, but because I was an art major.
Los Angeles, CA – February 22: Former Lakers coach Pat Riley with his wife Chris Rodstrom look on as his statue is unveiled in Star Plaza in front of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 22, 2026. Riley won 4 championships as Lakers head coach. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Of course, some really nifty work was done to give character to the clothes, and perhaps that’s an appropriate tribute to Riley—his clothes look good.
But that statue—that statue is what happens when you try to make a sculpture based on a photograph.
There’s a lack of coherent anatomy in the sculpture. Try to hold your hand in the position that Riley is holding it—it feels awkward and kind of painful. His raised arm looks a bit like a piece of licorice, with no clearly defined elbow, and the legs suggest a contrapposto pose that just isn’t carried through into the torso. He’s stepping forward and leaning backwards in a manner does not reflect the way that any sober person walks.
And then there’s the face. Now the thing about Pat Riley is that he does have a rather heavy brow, but he must have winced mightily when he saw his features given an almost Cro Magnon appearance.
There’s a far more well-done sculpture of an NBA coach near Faneuil Hall.
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 03: Bronze statue tribute to Boston Celtics coach and president Red Auerbach in Boston's Faneuil Hall Market on March 3, 2013 in Boston. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The statue, of course, is Red Auerbach’s, capturing him, cigar in hand, poised to get up off the bench he’s sitting on and do some characteristic bit of Auerbach showmanship or gamesmanship.
Now this statue is no Moses by Michelangelo, but it’s better executed than Pat Riley’s, and it’s well, it’s just more fun. Anyone can sit on the bench with an appropriately larger-than-life Red, and in fact, there are parts of Red’s sculpture that have been buffed to a nice shine from passersby stopping to interact with it.
A small version of the statue, stripped of its championship ring, is presented annually to the league’s Coach of the Year.
INDEPENDENCE, OH – APRIL 20: The Red Auerbach Trophy that head coach Mike Brown of the Cleveland Cavaliers received as the NBA's 2008-09 Coach of the Year Award is seen at the Cleveland Clinic Courts April 20, 2009 in Independence, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Anyone but Joe
On Wednesday, CelticsBlog’s Jeff Clark started a poll regarding this season’s Coach of the Year award.
I think it should go to anyone but Joe Mazzulla.
Why?
First of all, I think that Gregg Popovich might have been the only other coach in recent memory who could match Mazzulla in disregard for that particular award, so hey, it might as well go to someone who appreciates it.
Secondly, I think the award should be routinely given to coaches of teams that are not the Boston Celtics, because that little sculpture of Red Auerbach about to celebrate a victory over some other team is a nice tiny little reminder of where the Celtics fit in the NBA’s grand scheme of things.
Which isn’t to say that Mazzulla isn’t richly deserving of the award.
Coming into the season, 40 wins seemed an unlikely outcome for all but the most optimistic fans, and the C’s could achieve that with 22 games left on the calendar.
40 before 20—almost
The big watch, this week, was whether Boston could get to 40 wins before 20 losses. That mark is considered a leading indicator of whether a team has legit potential to contest for a championship.
As it turns out, the C’s fell just short, losing to Denver at the end of a longish road trip that took them on a tour of California and the western states.
Looking at the schedule, most of us had our doubts about Wednesday’s game against Denver. It was Boston’s third road game in four nights, and it was a back to back.
I think the team held Jaylen out of the Phoenix game at least in part to have him better rested for Denver, but it wasn’t enough. The team, which hustles more than most at both ends of the court, ran out of gas, or legs, or something in the third quarter, and Denver, coming off a two day break, cruised to victory.
Here’s where I say that as much as I like these Celtics, they’re not championship caliber without Jayson Tatum. I don’t know how much Tatum the Celtics need to be true championship contenders, but I’m pretty sure that it’s more than zero.
If Tatum comes back in early March and the C’s can make it to the second or third round of the playoffs, I think there’s a good chance that Tatum will have recovered to the point where something magical could happen, but that’s my best case scenario.
Even so, this team has been as much fun to root for as any Celtics team in my memory.
And in case you’re wondering
Boston’s overall record against the Lakers is 212-166.
Lakers
Warriors
