NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Lina Ljungblom notched her first two points of the season and Ann-Renée Desbiens saved 34 shots to lead the Montréal Victoire over the New York Sirens 4-1 on Thursday night in the first PWHL game since the Olympic break.
Skylar Irving made it a 3-0 lead on an unassisted goal with 9:53 left in the first period, making it three goals on four shots for the Victoire (8-3-0-5), which moved into a 30-point tie for first place with the Boston Fleet.
The Victoire had another goal taken off the board due to goaltender interference. The fourth-place Sirens (7-0-3-7) quickly made a goalie change, switching out Kayle Osborne for Callie Shanahan early in the second period.
The lone Sirens goal came on a power play a few minutes later on a shot by Casey O'Brien assisted by Maja Nylen Persson and Sarah Fillier, who picked up her 10th assist of the year (second in the PWHL).
The Victoire extended their lead to 4-1 with a power-play goal early in the third on a puck that deflected awkwardly off the stick of Ljungblom — her first goal of the season — over the head of Shanahan.
Desbiens, who entered with the second-lowest goals-against average (1.16 per game) finished with a .971 save percentage, saving all but one of the 35 shots she faced. Erin Ambrose and Marie-Philip Poulin were out due to injuries.
Feb 26, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
You know the Spurs have reached a new level from even a month ago when they can look tired and a step slow, and still blow out a bad team (remember, playing down to opponents used to be a thing of theirs). After a hard-fought, exhausting win in Toronto the night before, the Spurs avoided a letdown game against the Brooklyn Nets by beginning the game strong and overcoming some rough stretches by spreading the wealth and riding the hot hand of the moment on their way to a 126-110 victory.
Seven Spurs scored in double figures, led by 26 from the hometown kid Julian Champagnie on 10-14 shooting, 6-9 from three. Michael Porter, Jr. was cold in the first half but exploded in the second for the Nets, finishing with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
Observations
Ed Malloy has always been one of my least favorite refs in the league (egotistical, heavy with the technicals, etc.), and he reminded me why at tip-off. Nic Claxton was grabbing Victor Wembanyama and crossing into his territory, so there were lots stops to reset him. Then, when Malloy finally threw the jump ball, Claxton was draped all over Wemby, who still won it. However, instead of either letting it go and allowing the game to start or calling a foul on Claxton, Malloy decided to redo the throw. Wemby again won it, but come on, Ed! (I think I’m running out of basketball brain cells to want to type this all out.)
The first quarter was a snooze fest, but in a good way because the Spurs were doing what they’re supposed to do: methodically (if unexcitedly) work down an inferior opponent. It lacked the excitement of recent games and opponents, but Devin Vassell remained hot, hitting is two three-point attempts, and Stephon Castle carved up the Nets’ putrid defense for 13 points in the quarter on the way to a 36-22 lead.
The Spurs hit four straight threes to open the second quarter each from their two NY/NJ-area players in Champagnie and Dylan Harper, but things got for sloppy as the Spurs seemed to lose focus, and the Nets managed to cut what had been a 22-point lead down to 12. But, they again did what good teams do and got their act back together to regain control by halftime, behind 19 first-half points from Champagnie.
The Spurs were again asleep at the wheel to start the third quarter as the Nets got within six while Porter Jr. got hot with 17 points in the quarter. This time, it was De’Aaron Fox’s turn to be the stabilizer with 10 points and initiating ball movement. That helped spark everyone else back into form, and five more made threes helped the Spurs get the lead back out to 20, and that was essentially the ball game with the fourth quarter being extended garbage time.
Victor Wembanyama had his third straight off game on offense, although he wasn’t forcing things tonight. He finally got his first field goal late in the second quarter and finished with 12 points on 3-9 shooting, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. He mentioned after last night’s win in Toronto that he was tired from the lack of rest during All-Star weekend and he hadn’t slept well the night before. The back-to-back tonight probably didn’t help much in that regard, but they have two days off before they play the Knicks, followed by a quick train ride to Philadelphia, so hopefully the rest and lack of travel over the next several days helps him regain his rhythm.
The win gives the Spurs their third undefeated month in franchise history (with a minimum of 10 games played). Their entire 11-game win streak has been within the month of February, with their last loss being the infamous snow game in Charlotte. Also, if they win the next two, they will sweep the Rodeo Road Trip. Who saw this happening coming into the season?
Utah Jazz leading scorer Lauri Markkanen is out and will be re-evaluated in two weeks after an MRI of an injury suffered in practice on Wednesday found a hip impingement, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.
Markkanen also tweaked his ankle during that practice, but the MRI on it was clean, Charania added. (The NBA did not send a doctor to review the MRI results, despite an online report, which was quickly retracted.)
Markkanen has played at an All-Star level this season, leading the Jazz in scoring, averaging 26.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He has missed 16 games lately due to a variety of ailments.
Markkanen found himself in the middle of the NBA’s tanking debate when the Jazz, for a short stretch, played him and just-acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. for 25 minutes per game but sat them in the fourth quarter (Utah blew a lead to Orlando and lost in one of those games). Utah owes its pick to Oklahoma City but it is top-eight protected, and the Jazz are tanking to hold on to that pick (they currently have the sixth-worst record in the league and a 96% chance of retaining the pick).
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was not amused by the creative benchings and brought the hammer with a $500,000 fine for Utah for sitting its stars in key moments of an undecided game. The Jazz got the message and since then Jackson (knee) and Jusuf Nurkic (nose) both needed surgeries that happen to end their seasons.
Now Markkanen will miss at least two weeks, and likely more. For medical reasons.
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 26: Corey Kispert #24 of the Atlanta Hawks shoots the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on February 26, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Not going to lie, this was such an uncompetitive game against a clearly tanking team that I have nothing to recap.
Corey Kispert had 22 in the first half and a career-high (!) 33 points overall. Newbies CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga added 25 and 17 respectively.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey broke Allen Iverson's 76ers franchise record for 3-pointers, finishing with five 3s and 28 points Thursday night in Philadelphia's 124-117 victory over the Miami Heat.
Maxey also had 11 assists and helped steady the Sixers after they blew a 16-point halftime lead. Joel Embiid had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Kelly Oubre scored 21 points for Philadelphia, which has won three straight after dropping its previous four.
Bam Adebayo had 29 points and 14 rebounds and Tyler Herro scored 25 points for the Heat, who have lost two straight.
Maxey came in with 882 3-pointers, three behind Iverson, and broke the record with 1:38 left in the first quarter. He made all five of his 3s — a career high for a period — and scored 20 points in the first quarter alone. He finished 5 of 12 beyond the arc.
The 25-year-old Maxey has 887 3-pointers midway through his sixth season; Iverson played his first 10 seasons and parts of two more for the Sixers.
Miami took its first lead of the game on a 3 by Herro with 2:44 left, but the Heat didn't score again. Maxey hit two free throws and then found Kelly Oubre for a 3 to put the Sixers back ahead 121-117. Embiid extended the lead on a 3 with 29.2 seconds remaining.
The Sixers led 73-57 at halftime. Miami rallied to tie it late in the third quarter, and the margin was within single digits the rest of the way.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 26: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a three point basket during the first quarter against the Miami Heat at Xfinity Mobile Arena on February 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A franchise record and a big standings win in one night — what a treat.
The Sixers outlasted the Miami Heat 124-117 Thursday night. They are now 33-26, still in control of the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Tyrese Maxey dropped 20 in the first quarter, breaking Allen Iverson’s franchise record for made three-pointers, and led the Sixers with 28 points and 11 assists. Joel Embiid put up 26 and 11 boards on 8-of-20 shooting despite picking up some banged up ribs in the second quarter.
VJ Edgecombe, again coming up with big clutch baskets despite some quiet stretches, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, shooting 8-of-12 from the floor. Bam Adebayo led all scorers with 29.
The Sixers were only down Paul George (suspension) and Johni Broome (meniscus tear) while the Heat were only down Nikola Jovic.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
Embiid opened this game much more aggressively than the previous one, muscling his way to the basket for two easy layups before knocking down a three. He was the hub of everything early, scoring or assisting their first 14 points scored in the half-court. His two-man game opened up Maxey for a three and he also threw a nice pass to Dominick Barlow cutting to the block.
As he’s done a lot of as of late, Quentin Grimes knocked down a three very quickly after checking in for the first time. Two turnovers in a row, one that saw him get stripped and the other a bad post-entry pass, helped the Heat erase the early Sixers’ lead. Whether this was the first time all year he had a short leash, or Nick Nurse wanted to go big with both Jabari Walker and Trendon Watford, Grimes’ first shift only lasted a little over two minutes.
Once he made his first two threes, it seemed like Maxey wanted to get breaking the franchise record for made threes over as quickly as possible while keeping the offense somewhat organized. He made his fourth three of the quarter to pass Allen Iverson with a little over a minute left in the first. While the Sixers couldn’t stop themselves from fouling Miami, Watford’s foul on Jaime Jaquez at least gave the fans a chance to give Maxey a nice round of applause. He added on another three and a trip to the line, but that only had the Sixers up by one.
After taking a hard foul on the first play of the quarter, Embiid was favoring his side for the remainder of his shift. He was still able to score with ease, even getting down the floor and up for an alley-oop, but Edgecombe threw an errant pass. Even if the Sixers weren’t getting stops, they took over control of the pace to start the quarter, with Edgecombe beating most of the Heat back on defense nearly every time down the floor. He was also hobbling a bit after completing an and-1 on one of those fast-break possessions.
That nick Edgecombe took didn’t seem to slow him down at all. On top of his three transition drives to the hoop, Maxey hit him with a lob as well. It looked like he was playing with more confidence as the quarter wore on, especially after hitting a grenade three to beat the shot clock.
Miami starting the night cold from three helped the Sixers defense a lot. They basically just had to keep the Heat out of the paint to get stops. Two quick makes followed by another Grimes turnover was just the shot of life they needed as the Sixers were starting to build a lead. Embiid was able to settle things, drawing two shooting fouls on the swipe through move. Grimes redeemed himself with a corner three to give the Sixers a 16-point lead at the break.
Third Quarter
Seriously, what do they do at halftime? The Sixers didn’t pay for it too much immediately, but it took them nearly four minutes to score in the second half. They seemed to let a loose ball or two speed them up, either hoisting a contested three or trying to drive through the whole defense.
The timeout Nurse called didn’t stop Adebayo or Tyler Herro from catching fire from three, nor did it really get the Sixers’ offense back on track. They hit a couple kick-out threes but Maxey and Embiid weren’t able to cook the same way they had been. Adebayo was on such a three-point surge Miami briefly took their first lead of the night.
That second three from the Sixers at least stopped the bleeding for a moment. After Kelly Oubre Jr. sunk that one, he and Maxey strung two good drives together for baskets. After Cam Payne and Barlow hit their first threes of the game, an Adem Bona putback appeared to end the quarter on good vibes, pushing the lead to seven. Maxey thought he was fouled on the miss that caused the putback and got T’d up after a very heated conversation.
For the second straight quarter it took the Sixers a couple minutes to score and Miami capitalized with a 7-0 run to tie it up again. A Payne three to end that was much needed, but not as much as Edgecombe scoring his first points since the second quarter.
Still favoring his midsection quite a bit, Embiid looked like a different player in the second half. He had multiple passes he just couldn’t corral and his shots not even coming close were a result of him not being able to bully his way to spots as easily. He went to the bench with 6:48 to go at a timeout. While Edgecombe and Oubre both hit jumpers coming out of that timeout, Miami responded with two threes on their ensuing trips down the floor.
Maxey and Edgecombe were finally able to break the Heat’s zone consistently as the game wound down, which was good because Embiid continued to sit on the bench. After a pair of Maxey free throws, he kicked to Oubre for an open three to put the lead back up to four. Edgecombe impressively secured the rebound on the Heat miss, but the Sixers ensuing basket was waved off due to basket interference from Bona.
Perhaps it was the interference call that did it, because Embiid replaced Bona after that possession. After Herro missed a contested three, the Sixers got another kick-out three, this time it was Embiid and he drilled it to put the game away.
Here's a sentence that should scare the rest of the NBA: The Oklahoma City Thunder are getting healthy.
Shai Gilgous Alexander, who missed nine games with an abdominal strain, is not on the injury report and is expected to return to the Thunder rotation on Friday night against Denver.
The reigning NBA MVP, Gilgous-Alexander is the frontrunner to repeat, averaging 31.8 points, 6.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds per game shooting 39% from 3-point range.
Oklahoma City kept its head above water, going 5-4 with Gilgeous-Alexander out (Jalen Williams missed seven of those games, and there are a host of other injuries on the team). The Thunder retain the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but the red-hot Spurs are now just two games behind them and have a much easier schedule the rest of the way (OKC has the second-toughest remaining schedule in the league). Oklahoma City and Detroit are now in a race for the No. 1 overall seed in the league (the Thunder lead by a half-game as of this writing, but the Pistons have one fewer loss).
His return comes in time both for his chance to play enough games to qualify for postseason awards (he can only miss six more games this season) and to keep the Thunder as a top seed — a huge advantage with how loud their arena is during the playoffs.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Elina Aarnisalo scored 20 points, Lanie Grant added 15 points and 21st-ranked North Carolina ended its two-game losing streak by beating Virginia 82-70 on Thursday night.
Reserve Nyla Brooks scored 11 points, and Nyla Harris and Ciera Toomey each scored 10 for North Carolina (24-6, 13-4 ACC), which shot 58% (29 of 50), including 67% (16 of 24) from 3-point range.
Kymora Johnson scored 22 points and Romi Levy 15 for Virginia (19-9, 11-6).
North Carolina built a 9-0 lead and carried it to 15-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Tar Heels opened its offense in the second, outscoring Virginia 13-5 over in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the quarter to build their lead to 28-13. North Carolina led 40-23 at halftime.
North Carolina maintained its double-digit lead through the third until Levy made a 3-pointer with 6:57 left to get the Cavaliers within 66-57. After trading baskets, the Tar Heels went back to their double-digit cushion with an 8-2 run and were never threatened again.
North Carolina reached 13 conference wins for the second straight season — the first time in school history to hit the mark in back-to-back seasons.
Virginia is sporting its first 19-win season in the four-year tenure of head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton.
Up next
North Carolina: Hosts 12th-ranked Duke in a regular-season finale on Sunday.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Amelia Hassett scored 15 points on five 3-pointers to lead No. 16 Kentucky past Auburn 63-56 on Thursday night.
Hassett was 5 of 8 from the floor and posted six rebounds and two blocks. Clara Strack notched 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks — after entering second in the nation with 75 blocks, having already broken her own Kentucky program record of 73 blocks set last season.
Teonni Key had 11 points and nine rebounds for Kentucky and Morgan Tonie also scored 11 to go with four assists.
The Wildcats (21-8, 8-7 Southeastern Conference) held a 35-27 lead at the half after starting the game on a 14-3 run. The lead shrunk to six in the third quarter, before another 14-3 run ballooned it to as much as 19. The Tigers closed the game on a 14-2 run over the final 5:47.
Khady Leye had 20 points, eight rebounds and two steals for the Tigers (14-15, 3-12). Harissoum Coulibaly added 13 points. Kaitlyn Duhon had five steals, driving a 17-8 turnover advantage and 15-9 margin on points off turnovers.
The Wildcats outrebounded the Tigers 37-26 and shot 46% (24 of 52) to the Tigers' 39% (22 of 57).
Up next
Kentucky ends the regular season on Sunday, hosting No. 3 South Carolina.
Auburn finishes its regular season slate with a trip to Arkansas on Sunday.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Liv McGill had 28 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Laila Reynolds added 14 points, and Florida beat No. 19 Mississippi 74-67 on Thursday night for its first victory over a ranked opponent this season.
Florida (17-13, 5-10 SEC) snapped a seven-game losing streak in the series.
McGill found Reynolds for an alley-oop layup in transition for a 63-51 lead early in the fourth during a 12-1 run.
But Ole Miss scored the next nine points, with two 3-pointers from Tianna Thompson, to get within 65-60 with 4:13 left. The Rebels would not get closer that five points the rest of the way as Me’Arah O’Neal and McGill combined to go 4 of 4 at the stripe in the final 1:16 to secure it.
Florida (17-13, 5-10 SEC) shot 59% from the field and outscored Ole Miss 46-20 inside the paint. McGill made a layup early in the third quarter to break Florida’s single-season scoring record, passing Tonya Washington’s mark of 631 points.
Thompson set career highs with 25 points and seven 3-pointers for Ole Miss (21-9, 8-7). Cotie McMahon added 15 points and Christeen Iwuala had 10. Latasha Lattimore, the Rebels' third-leading scorer, was injured in the third and did not return.
Florida closed the first half on a 15-5 run to take a 40-37 lead into the break. McGill led the Gators with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Ole Miss went without a field goal for the final five minutes of the first half.
Up next
Ole Miss: Returns home to play Texas A&M on Sunday in a regular-season finale for both teams.
Florida: Goes on the road to face No. 23 Georgia to conclude its season.
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT - SEPTEMBER 29: Mo Bamba #11 of the Utah Jazz poses for a portrait at Redman Studios on September 29, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
According to Shams Charania (through agents), the Utah Jazz have signed Mo Bamba to a 10-day contract.
7-footer Mo Bamba is signing a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports and Greer Love tell ESPN. Bamba spent time earlier this season with the Raptors and has averaged 17 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the Jazz’s NBA G League affiliate. pic.twitter.com/zjzVIstqaO
This likely comes because of the loss to Jusuf Nurkic, who is out for the season. Bamba was on the Jazz roster to start the season and now makes his return. We’ll see if this will turn into a larger contract, but we may be seeing multiple 10-day contracts as the season goes on.
Bamba has not been able to find a home in the NBA, and it’s unlikely this is a long-term thing. That said, Bamba is a true center, something the Jazz do not have on their roster. This allows the Jazz to use their young players with a true center in certain lineups. The closest thing they have to that right now is Kyle Filipowski, but he doesn’t look like a long-term fit at center for Utah. We may not see Bamba at all, but it is a nice option for Utah to get a lineup on the floor that vaguely resembles what we might see next season.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 14: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome on February 14, 2026 in Inglewood, 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 GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It looks like Adam Silver wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Yesterday, I wrote about Tony Jones reporting that the NBA was sending its own doctors to verify the injury to Lauri Markkanen.
Today, Tony Jones apologized for getting something wrong. Apparently, they are just going to verify the MRIs, which is apparently standard practice, but not sending their own medical personnel to Utah.
Lauri Markkanen is undergoing his MRI, I’m told, so the Jazz should have results coming. The NBA is evaluating the results, as standard practice. They did not send medical personnel to Utah. That part I got wrong. My apologies.
This is the second time the NBA has made a point of critiquing the reporting on what they are doing. If you don’t remember, they critiqued Rick Carlisle, saying they didn’t do what he said they did.
Reached out for comment on this:
“Coach Carlisle’s description of the process that went into the decision to fine the Indiana Pacers is inaccurate,” a league spokesperson told @YahooSports. “An independent physician led the medical review. In addition, the Pacers’ General… https://t.co/2TX97UsawR
Obviously, Tony Jones was contacted by someone, which led to his apology today. It’s not clear what to think at this point, but given how the NBA has been going about things, I have a hard time believing anything they say. Or finding any fault with Jones at all.
Putting the he-said he-said behind us, it’s an absolute scabby mess that the NBA keeps picking at. It’s a bad look for the league and for Silver’s leadership to continue creating a PR disaster like this, all for some momentary gains with threats to Utah and Indiana. For what? games with their best players on the floor to manufacture some bogus competitiveness? What if they focused on the upcoming playoff race instead of two small-market teams that they never push anyway? It’s not like Utah or Indiana had any notable number of national games.
The best thing for Adam Silver and the NBA to do right now is to stop. That’s literally all they have to do. Let the Utah Jazz do the things that so many other teams have done for so many years. Do your job and cover the competitive games going on as we speak, rather than trying to harm the future of teams doing what’s best for them.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 04: Derrick White #9 and Baylor Scheierman #55 of the Boston Celtics share a laugh against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on December 4, 2025 in Washington, DC. 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 Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
DENVER — The Celtics finished their West Coast roadtrip with an impressive 3-1 record, tallying double-digit wins against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns, before running out of steam in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Afterwards, Jaylen Brown noted that a 3-1 record on a four-game trip wasn’t “half-bad” while attributing most of the Celtics’ struggles in Denver to some uncharacteristic poor shooting (like Joe Mazzulla, I’ll give some credit to the Nuggets for playing a pretty superb game).
I’m on my flight home from Denver, and we have had lots of basketball coverage and reporting on the site throughout the trip, so I wanted to share a few more casual observations from my past week on the road!
Celtics fans are literally everywhere, in every city
Celtics fans made their presence known in all four cities of this West Coast trip — San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Denver — which is pretty much par for the course.
I’ve been on the road for the past two seasons, and have been pretty underwhelmed with the home crowds at Chase Center (in SF) and Crypto.com Arena (in LA).
But, this trip, the road fans stood out to me more than ever before.
In LA, we saw Jaylen Brown egging on Celtics fans who were kicked out of the arena in the waning moments of the Celtics’ blowout.
Baylor Scheierman is from a small town in Nebraska!!!
Baylor Scheierman became the butt of a team-wide joke after candidly answering my question about what it was like to play against LeBron James and the Lakers. Scheierman reflected on the experience
“It was a dream come true,” he said. “Being from a small town in Nebraska, I had a lot of hometown friends & family that were taking pictures of the TV screen, sending it to me, ‘You’re on the court with LeBron James. LeBron James is guarding you.”
Asked Baylor Scheierman about going up against LeBron & the Lakers:
“It was a dream come true. Being from a small town in Nebraska, I had a lot of hometown friends & family that were taking pictures of the TV screen, sending it to me, ‘You’re on the court with Lebron James.’” pic.twitter.com/IpL1IyEghT
I posted the clip on Twitter/X, and Hugo Gonzalez (who Scheierman is extremely close with) replied to it, poking fun of how often Scheierman brings up the fact that he’s from small-time Nebraska: “Could we please stop spamming the “I’m from a small town in Nebraska”????“
@playforhim3 could we please stop spamming the “I’m from a small town in Nebraska”????
Scheierman, meanwhile, was quick-witted in his response, taking a shot at the fact that Gonzalez was long-destined to be a pro while Scheierman had a more unlikely journey: “Little brother, we weren’t supposed to all be here.”
Hermanito, no se suponía que todos estuviéramos aquí.
As I got the Twitter notifications, I laughed at the exchange because I thoroughly enjoy the friendships that emerge on sports teams. They were my favorite part of being on a sports team, and they’ve been my favorite part of covering them over the past three years. I’ve also written extensively about Baylor and Hugo’s very close relationship, and I have enjoyed being in the locker room this year and hearing their constant banter.
Later that night, the Celtics blew out the Phoenix Suns, 97-81, and vibes were extremely high (I wrote about the play of the season here).
Then, Sam Hauser, who tallied 16 points in the win, began his media availability by noting he was “from a small town in Wisconsin” with Scheierman within earshot. Derrick White later noted he was “from a small town in Colorado.”
I actually (jokingly) apologized to Scheierman for setting him up for the slander, because I do frequently ask players about the emotional / pinch me side of being in the NBA. Case in point: on Tuesday night, I also asked Neemias Queta about representing Portugal in the NBA, and what that experience has been like.
Asked Neemias Queta what it’s been like to represent Portugal this year:
“That's always something surreal for me to like, being from Portugal and living in the NBA world, and just being able to go out here and compete at the highest level every night.”
The Scheierman/small-town Nebraska stuff was all in good fun, and the ongoing bit highlighted to me the growing camaraderie on the team — so I thought I’d share it here!
Everyone is cheering on Ron Harper Jr.
Harper Jr. is on a two-way contract, but he’s not your average two-way. It’s obvious to anyone who steps foot in the Celtics locker room that he already gets along pretty well with many of the guys on the official roster, and that’s likely in part because he’s pretty deep-rooted with the Celtics.
He was on the 2024 Celtics Summer League team with Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and Neemias Queta, and was at Celtics training camp in both 2024 and 2025.
Harper started in place of Jaylen Brown in Phoenix when Brown was sidelined with a right knee contusion. From the jump, I noticed that Brown was extremely animated whenever Harper did anything on the floor, and was coaching him up when he was on the bench.
I asked Jaylen about Ron on Wednesday night, and he shared his ongoing message to Ron: “Confidence — just let it fly.”
“At times, you can see he might be thinking about it a little bit,” Brown said. “Ron is one of the best shooters on our team, and teams are leaving him open. Tonight, they were choosing to leave him open, he just has to step in and knock it down, like he’s been doing his whole life.”
Asked Jaylen Brown what’s stood out about Ron Harper throughout this roadtrip:
“Ron’s one of the best shooters on our team.”
Said teams were leaving him open and that it’s all about instilling him with confidence pic.twitter.com/OFDNScJMLE
“He cares about the details,” Joe Mazzulla said. “Obviously, the offensive stuff — he can make shots, he can think, he can play. But defensively, just competing, understanding the details, executing the game plan, taking pride in defense… He just loves basketball.”
Those are just a few of my fun notes from this West Coast swing — I’ll try to do more of these journal entry-style posts when I’m on roadtrips moving forward!
Forward Taj Gibson, 40, has agreed to a deal to join the Memphis Grizzlies, his agent told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Feb. 26.
It will be the 17th season for the USC product. He's played with seven different NBA teams during his professional career, including last season with the Charlotte Hornets. He started 11 of the 37 games he played in.
He can play as a power forward and center.
Gibson adds a veteran voice to a Grizzlies’ roster that was among the youngest in the league to start the season.
The Grizzlies and forward Kyle Anderson also reached a buyout agreement, according to Charania.
How old is Taj Gibson?
Gibson is 40 years old and will turn 41 on June 24.
If he plays for Memphis, he will become the 35th player in the league’s history to play in an NBA game after turning 40.
Taj Gibson stats
Gibson has averaged 8.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game in 1,002 games played.
DALLAS, TX - MAY 26: Kyle Anderson #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 26, 2024 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. 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 2024 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Slo-Mo is back!
On Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Kyle Anderson has agreed to a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and plans to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kyle Anderson has agreed to a contract buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and plans to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves after clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. Anderson spent two seasons with the Timberwolves (2022-24) and gets an opportunity to rejoin the West contender. pic.twitter.com/lzdq2lDayL
It is not the first time Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly has signed the 12-year veteran as back in the summer of 2022, the Wolves signed Anderson to a two-year $18 million deal. Anderson fills the 15th and final roster spot for Minnesota and is eligible to be added to the playoff roster.
Slo-Mo had other potential opportunities to join a contending team, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, but decided to rejoin a Wolves organization that both believed in and treated him well in the past.
Anderson played a monumental role during the 2022-23 season in getting the Wolves to the playoffs in what ended up being a turbulent season following the trade for Rudy Gobert. Anderson that season averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game while also providing leadership for a young Wolves roster both on the court and in the locker room.
Slo-Mo’s production dipped during the 2023-24 season, in which the Wolves made their first Western Conference Finals in 20 years. The most notable decline was his 3-point shot, which went from 41 percent the season prior to under 23 percent, a number that remains the outlier for his career.
The play that best represented what Slo-Mo brought to the Wolves during his two seasons in Minnesota came in Game 4 of the 2024 West Finals when Anderson called for Anthony Edwards to pass to an open Karl-Anthony Towns in the corner, simultaneously screening off the defender as the Wolves avoided a sweep at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.
Anderson will likely see a somewhat limited role the rest of the season in Minnesota, but can provide extra defensive depth at both the wing and the center position, a role he played a lot during his first stint with the Wolves. Slo-Mo will surely also provide added leadership both on and off the court as he reconnects with former teammates Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Mike Conley.
Slo-Mo could join the team as soon as Sunday against the Denver Nuggets, according to Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune. The Wolves’ next game at home takes place Tuesday against the Grizzlies, where Anderson is likely to see a sizeable ovation from the Target Center faithful.
