Category: NBA

BROOKLYN — The Celtics could be without multiple starters when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Derrick White (rest) has already been ruled out, and Neemias Queta was a Friday morning addition, listed as questionable to play as he deals with a non-COVID illness.

In addition, Josh Minott (left ankle sprain) continues to be sidelined, as does Jayson Tatum (ruptured Achilles tendon).

The Nets, meanwhile, will be without Haywood Highsmith, who is recovering from right knee surgery.

The Celtics enter the game with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 27-16, while the Nets have the third-worst at 12-30. The Celtics have the second-best net rating in the NBA (+7.6) while the Nets have the 5th-worst (-6.3).

Celtics Injury Report Update vs. Brooklyn (1/23):

Josh Minott – Left Ankle Sprain – OUT
Neemias Queta – Illness (Non-Covid) – QUESTIONABLE
Jayson Tatum – Right Achilles Repair – OUT
Derrick White – Rest – OUT

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) January 23, 2026

The Celtics and Nets face off for the fourth time this season

The Celtics and the Nets have faced off twice this season, with each team coming away with one win. The Celtics are coming off a 15-point win over the Atlanta Hawks, while the Nets are fresh off a historic 54-point loss to the New York Knicks.

At Celtics shootaround in Brooklyn on Friday morning, Luka Garza said he expected the Nets to come out with energy after such a lopsided defeat. But, he also recalled the last time the Celtics and Nets faced off in November, the Nets came away with a 14-point win.

“I think every time a team takes a loss like that, you expect them to come out with a lot of energy, a lot of fire,” Garza said. “But for us, we also remember the last time we played them, and they beat our ass. So, we have a lot of motivation coming into tonight, too.”

It’s NBA rivalry week, and twin vs twin has been deemed must-see TV. Ausar Thompson and the Detroit Pistons host Amen Thompson and the Houston Rockets tonight.

Detroit has zoomed through its schedule and built a comfortable lead over the field in the East. The Rockets are coming off a tough overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last night. They need every W they can get with the West being so tight between the 4th and 7th seed.

Every game is crucial for Houston, but unfortunately for them, Detroit doesn’t take games off, and we want our twin to break the 2-2 tie between the Thompson brothers. This should be another fun national TV game.

Game Vitals

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

How: Prime Video

Odds: Pistons -3.5

Analysis

The masses wouldn’t believe you if you told them the Pistons would reach 30 wins before the Rockets this season. Yet here we are. Detroit is the one seed, best defense besides the Thunder, and has an All-Star starter. The Rockets can’t claim any of those feats.

The Rockets are the 4th seed out West and one of the few teams with a top-five offense and defense, but are they truly contenders?

I use and love numbers, but I can’t get behind the Rockets being a legit top offense, especially in a playoff setting. Houston is efficient from deep, but shoots the 3 even less than Detroit.

Reed Sheppard is their best volume shooter outside of Durant, but he could be unplayable in April. Sheppard has good hands and instincts, but he might get blown by more than anybody I’ve watched this season. Tari Eason is striking it from 3, but he’s definitely a you-have-to-prove-it’s-real type shooter who teams will leave open. The floor will shrink for them. Their outstanding offensive rebounding and Durant’s shot making is their saving grace.

Ball handler wise, who do you really trust on the Rockets? Detroit has some of these same issues (spacing, ball handlers), but at least they have an MVP-level creator on the roster.

As All-Time as KD is, that’s not his forte. A center like Alperen Şengün being the de facto lead ball handler could raise problems due to his lack of shooting. Teams will sag and clog up the spacing for Durant.

On the other end, the Pistons’ defense will translate to any basketball setting. The Rockets are 4th to Detroit’s 2nd, but there’s a 4-point swing between these groups. All elite defenses aren’t created equally.

A high-energy chaotic group that’s on a string travels. The communication travels. Deploying two top-flight Defensive Player of the Year candidates in Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Travels. 

Ausar matches up with point guards 31 percent of the time per Bball-Index, but with the Rockets’ No. 1 option being Durant, we’ll see how JB Bickerstaff plays the matchup game. Amen is on the ball the most, but doesn’t operate like a modern point guard.

Jalen Duren and Stew will take the Şengün matchup. Şengün has struggled to finish at the cup. He’s shot a career high 68 percent at the rim, but that’s a lowly number for a big, and especially a “star” big. It won’t get any easier finishing with Detroit’s dawg pound members ready to bite.

Ausar might not have official access to the dawg pound, but there’s no doubt he’s a menacing defender. He’s an A+ all across the board on the perimeter (stats from 12/31/2025 but remain the same today).

Ausar Thompson's perimeter defense numbers are ridiculous pic.twitter.com/ZmrIR4K28V

— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) December 31, 2025

Amen hasn’t been that level of a defender, but he’s expanded his game a bit offensively. The shot is the shot, but Amen is 79% at the line (~11% jump).  Ausar could take some pointers there, as his poor FT shooting could be something that keeps him off the floor in the postseason, no matter how elite a defender he is.

Shooting aside, point Ausar continues to be a fun wrinkle Detroit can sprinkle in when he’s aggressive. His whip passes become easier to make when he’s a threat to score, and defenders are forced to make a decision. We’ve seen him step up as a ball handler with and without Cade Cunningham, so the New Orleans Pelicans game was not surprising.

With Cade out today, we are seeing a lot more of Ausar Thompson on-ball

And he’s handling those duties extremely well

I think he’s a naturally gifted playmaker, and he’s done a great job staying aggressive with the ball in his hands and initiating the O pic.twitter.com/o9OOoIOb6Ahttps://t.co/OKxKOQbt6R

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) January 22, 2026

The Pistons-Rockets “rivalry” had deeper lore when Jalen Green was a part of HTown. The history between him and Cade made for some anticipated matchups. That debate was settled long ago, but that hasn’t stopped Cade from putting his foot where it doesn’t belong when he matches up with Houston.

Who could forget last year’s slam when he dunked “on all them mfs heads“? Cade’s mentality is an under-discussed aspect of his greatness. He’s a gamer and lets opponents know he’s here to stay. 

Detroit has an opportunity to make another statement on national TV. The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics got the belt in front of the whole NBA world, and Houston is next.

Lineups

Detroit Pistons (32-10)

Cade Cunningham (questionable), Duncan Robinson (probable), Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Houston Rockets (26-16)

Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün

Question of the day

Who is the best spark plug on the roster?

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock, and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is officially available.

Mendoza formally declared for the NFL draft Friday and could be headed to the Raiders with the No. 1 pick in April. Mendoza led Indiana to a 16-0 season and its first national championship with a 27-21 victory against Miami on Monday night.

“Let's get to work,” Mendoza wrote in a social media post that included a highlight video. “I'm humbled to announce that I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft!”

The junior completed 72% of his passes this season for 3,535 yards, with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for seven scores. He played some of his best football in the College Football Playoff, with eight TD passes and no picks. He ran for a score against the Hurricanes, turning a fourth-and-4 play into a 12-yard scamper that proved to be a pivotal moment in the game. It extended Indiana’s lead to 24-14 in the fourth quarter.

Mendoza’s decision to turn pro was widely considered a mere formality. The Hoosiers seemingly tipped his NFL intentions when they signed TCU quarterback Josh Hoover during the open transfer portal window.

Mendoza is considered the clearcut top QB in the draft after Oregon’s Dante Moore announced he would return to school for the 2026 season. And the Raiders desperately need better quarterback play.

Las Vegas went 3-14 in 2025 and clinched the No. 1 overall pick with a loss to the New York Giants in Week 17. And the franchise will have a new coach after firing veteran Pete Carroll after one season.

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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 football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Let’s start the weekend off right with some NBA player prop pick winners. 

I’ve found my three favorites for today, which include some plus-money bets for some under-the-radar guys who should get some added opportunities.

Check out those and more NBA picks for Friday, January 23, below.

Best NBA player props today

Prop #1: Evan Mobley double-double

+135 at bet365

Finding consistency has been difficult for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is why they’re just 25-20. 

But they’ve won eight of their last 12 games, and surprise, surprise, that’s exactly when Evan Mobley returned to the starting lineup.

Mobley is averaging 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds during that period, and I’m betting he has a productive night against the Sacramento Kings.

The Sacramento Kings rank dead last in rebounding rate and allow the fourth-most points in the paint per game. 

Mobley has two double-doubles in his last four games, and tonight looks like a perfect opportunity for him to get another.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, NBC Sports California

Prop #2: Cam Spencer Over 2.5 made threes

+125 at bet365

The Memphis Grizzlies are a mess right now, and I’m not just talking about the Ja Morant drama.

The Grizz have six guys sidelined for tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, including Morant, and have lost eight of their last 11 games.

But somebody is going to have to put up some shots for Memphis, and I’m looking at shooting guard Cam Spencer.

The deadeye 3-point shooter is hitting a ridiculous 45.8% from deep, while the Pelicans allow the second-most threes per game. 

At this price, I love Spencer to drain a bunch of treys.

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast, Gulf Coast Sports

Prop #3: Jalen Pickett Over 4.5 rebounds

+105 at bet365

The Denver Nuggets have had to get creative with their rotations thanks to all the injuries they’ve dealt with.

For instance, 26-year-old guard Jalen Pickett has now made eight starts in a row. And he’s made the most of it, averaging 8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

Let’s focus on his work on the boards because the Milwaukee Bucks rank next-to-last in rebounding rate despite having one of the best rebounders in the NBA.

Pickett has hauled down five or more boards in seven of those eight starts, and we’re still getting plus money on this bet.

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Prime Video 

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

It’s a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals tonight as the Indiana Pacers visit the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center.

Pascal Siakam is cooking right now, and my Pacers vs. Thunder predictions are eyeing him to have another impressive performance this evening. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Friday, January 23.  

Pacers vs Thunder prediction

Pacers vs Thunder best bet: Pascal Siakam Over 22.5 points (-112)

The absence of Tyrese Haliburton has hurt the struggling Indiana Pacers, but Pascal Siakam has stepped into a top role and absolutely flourished.

The veteran is averaging a career-best 23.8 PPG, and he deserves to earn an All-Star nod in the Eastern Conference. 

Siakam is having a solid January, averaging 25 points per night. He’s also cashed the Over in four consecutive appearances, most recently dropping 32 points in a loss to the Celtics on Wednesday evening. 

The Cameroonian is playing even better on the road, averaging 25.2 PPG compared to 22.8 PPG at home. He also erupted against the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier in the campaign, scoring 32 points. 

Siakam will do his thing here. 

Pacers vs Thunder same-game parlay

Chet Holmgren is averaging 17.8 PPG this season, but he’s only scoring 16.5 PPG in January, and he’s been struggling lately. The big man has cashed the Under in points in five of his last six outings. 

The last time Holmgren faced the Pacers, he played 39 minutes but scored only 15 points. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having another MVP campaign, averaging 32 PPG. He’s also shooting the three well, drainnig 39% of his attempts.

The guard was 2-for-7 from downtown earlier this season against the Pacers. 

Pacers vs Thunder SGP

• Pascal Siakam Over 22.5 points
• Chet Holmgren Under 18.5 points
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 1.5 threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: Dort delivers

Lu Dort has cashed the Over in points in back-to-back games, scoring 13 and 18 points. 

Pacers vs Thunder SGP

• Pascal Siakam Over 22.5 points
• Chet Holmgren Under 18.5 points
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 1.5 threes
• Lu Dort Over 9.5 points

Pacers vs Thunder odds

• Spread: Pacers +750 | Thunder -1200
• Moneyline: Pacers +16 | Thunder -16
• Over/Under: Over 226.5 | Under 226.5

Pacers vs Thunder betting trend to know

The Thunder have covered the Spread in 29 of their last 45 games at home (+11.40 Units / 23% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Thunder.

How to watch Pacers vs Thunder

Pacers vs Thunder latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Kevin Johnson died from “blunt head trauma and stab wounds” at a homeless encampment, according to the medical examiner.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Johnson, 55, was pronounced dead Wednesday morning after being found unconscious. His death was ruled a homicide and is being investigated.

A fourth-round draft pick by New England in 1993, Johnson spent time with the Patriots, Minnesota and Oakland before landing with the Eagles. He had 43 tackles, including seven sacks, and returned a fumble for a touchdown in two years with Philadelphia. He played 15 games for the Raiders in 1997.

Johnson later played in the Arena Football League for Orlando and Los Angeles. The L.A. native played collegiately at Texas Southern.

Investigators believe Johnson had been living at the encampment at the time of his death. Friends said Johnson had health issues later in life that contributed to his situation.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed moved into the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday and has a familiar foe trying to chase him down over the weekend.

Rory McIlroy sounds up for the fight, too.

“I came from 10 behind a couple years ago to win,” the No. 2-ranked McIlroy said defiantly. “I think I’m seven back at the minute.”

McIlroy sure will need to improve to reel in Reed, the former Masters champion who kept his card clean and shot 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round at Emirates Golf Club.

Reed, a LIV Golf member who plays frequently on the European tour, made four birdies and a 40-footer for eagle at the par-5 13th. The American was on 9-under 135 for the week.

McIlroy birdied the par-5 18th to shoot 69 and repair some of the damage from a 72 in the first round.

Few know the course better than McIlroy, the record four-time champion — including in 2024 when he was 11 shots back heading onto the 18th hole on the Friday yet still won, and in 2023 when he outlasted Reed in a memorable final-round duel that got personal.

Throw in their loud singles match at the Ryder Cup in 2016, won by Reed, and they certainly have some history.

“If I go out there tomorrow, maybe in slightly better conditions in the morning, and post a low one, then I’ll be right in the mix come Sunday,” said McIlroy, who was tied for 20th.

Reed, who has placed second and 10th in his two other appearances at the Dubai Desert Classic, said he was happy with his game, having started with a round of 69 in much tougher conditions.

“The good thing is today I felt like (I'm) hitting the ball exactly where I need to and I feel like I’m hitting some solid putts,” Reed said.

Andy Sullivan finished birdie-eagle to shoot 65 — the lowest round of the day — and was alone in second place, one stroke ahead of Italian pair Andrea Pavan (68) and first-round leader Francesco Molinari (72).

Johnson misses cut

Dustin Johnson, the longtime former No. 1, was the biggest name to miss the cut after a second straight 74.

The American is becoming an afterthought in golf after moving to the breakaway LIV circuit in 2022, the same year as Reed, and has slid to No. 639 in the world ranking.

Fleetwood languishing

No. 3-ranked Tommy Fleetwood is another headliner in Dubai, where he now lives, but only just made the cut after struggling to a 72 to be 10 shots off the lead.

Better placed was Tyrrell Hatton, the defending champion who shot 69 and was in sixth place, four strokes off the lead.

Hatton, another LIV golfer, chipped in for eagle at the short par-4 No. 17 for his highlight of the day.

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

In a classic dog days of the NBA season kind of game, the Wizards lost to the Denver Nuggets, 107-97. It was Washington’s eighth straight loss, and it was a slog to watch.

Both teams seemed tired and low energy. The Nuggets had something of an excuse — they played Tuesday in Los Angeles and flew across the country. Washington’s last game was at home on Monday afternoon. Maybe they had some hard practices?

Despite both teams missing loads of shots, they combined for 17 total transition points — nine for the Wizards, and eight for the the Nuggets. The Nuggets walked the ball up the floor on many possessions. They exhibited relatively disciplined shot selection and won just enough possessions to get the win.

The Wizards, who usually push the ball up the floor quickly after opponent makes or misses, were content to walk it up themselves. Unlike the Nuggets, they were far more likely to take a quick shot. If there was a theme in this game, it was Washington working hard individually to get a difficult shot, and the Nuggets working as a team to get better ones.

This was certainly not a rule. Jamal Murray had a “Murray Flurry” (as dubbed by the Nuggets broadcast) in the third quarter that was heavy on isos. Peyton Watson had a few terrific one-on-one play. In general, though, the Nuggets would run actions and move ball and players until they got an advantage, and then attack.

Watson played great for the Nuggets — a career-high 35 points along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. He took a hard fall when he got clotheslined trying to dunk on Khris Middleton after earlier turning his ankle landing after scoring a highlight-reel bucked on Alex Sarr. His emergence as a quality offensive option is a great development for Denver — made possible by Nikola Jokic’s knee injury.

Thoughts & Observations

• While transition defense wasn’t much of an issue last night (the Nuggets were apparently too tired to run), one play early in the game exemplified the team’s struggles defending in transition. Denver came up with a steal and Murray started up the floor. Tre Johnson was the only defender back — two Nuggets players were ahead of the ball. Johnson had to choose — match up with his man on the wing or pick up Aaron Gordon in the center of the floor. Correct prioritization would have sent him to Gordon. Johnson went to the wing. That left Gordon alone under the rim for an easy dunk.
• I could be wrong on this one, but…there was an offensive fast break I think the Wizards got wrong. They had a three-on-two. Kyshawn George had the ball and was dribbling to the offensive end right-of-center of the court. To his left was Sarr in the middle and Will Riley on the wing. To me, the right play would have been for George to go to the middle and for Sarr to cross over to get on his right — ball in the middle flanked by offensive players. Another option could have been for George to move further right to open more of a lane for Sarr to come down the middle of the lane and force a Denver defender to guard two guys. Instead, George dribbled straight up the floor, Sarr and Riley ran their lanes, and Denver defenders never had to make a real decision. The tight spacing gave George only two real options — drive into two defenders or kick it out to Riley on the wing. The tight spacing meant there was a relatively short closeout. Riley missed the three-point attempt, and the Wizards didn’t score on a three-on-two break.
• George was this close to having an impressive game, despite shooting just 6-17 from the floor. He had 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and a steal. The three turnovers were acceptable given the assists and his overall offensive load. He’s gotta stop fouling so much — especially the pointless tantrumy ones.
• The spate of “injuries” meant that Anthony Gill got rotation minutes, and he wasn’t bad.
• One good thing: unlike their last matchup with the Nuggets, I didn’t see the Wizards helping off Murray. He had to work harder to generate offense.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

FOUR FACTORS	NUGGETS	WIZARDS	LGAVG
eFG%	50.0%	45.8%	54.4%
OREB%	28.2%	28.6%	26.1%
TOV%	11.8%	15.1%	12.8%
FTM/FGA	0.289	0.238	0.211
PACE	93		99.6
ORTG	115	104	115.7

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Tre Johnson	34	66	124	21.4%	1.1	125	-11
Kyshawn George	34	66	110	30.5%	-1.1	118	-4
Alex Sarr	36	71	118	19.0%	0.4	106	-9
Justin Champagnie	18	35	191	6.9%	1.8	131	2
Anthony Gill	12	23	213	4.3%	0.9	117	1
Will Riley	21	40	96	27.5%	-2.2	63	5
Jamir Watkins	18	36	106	11.3%	-0.4	72	2
Bub Carrington	38	74	72	22.5%	-7.3	10	-18
Khris Middleton	28	54	77	18.5%	-3.9	-43	-18

NUGGETS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Peyton Watson	40	78	170	23.8%	9.9	375	13
Jamal Murray	36	70	109	29.0%	-1.3	172	18
Aaron Gordon	33	65	132	19.2%	2.0	136	23
Jonas Valanciunas	22	43	129	30.6%	1.7	152	-3
Bruce Brown	18	35	96	24.2%	-1.7	150	-7
Spencer Jones	28	54	121	3.2%	0.1	45	0
Zeke Nnaji	10	20	133	11.5%	0.4	90	-2
Jalen Pickett	33	63	68	13.3%	-4.0	-15	16
Tim Hardaway Jr.	20	38	19	21.0%	-7.8	-172	-8

The San Antonio Spurs salvaged the rest of their brief road trip with a close call in Utah against the young Jazz. It was one of those rare occasions in which records could be misleading because the Jazz (15-30) have more talent than their record indicates, put up a fight at home and have made lots of internal growth since October. It almost felt like watching a grandmaster at the chessboard sweat it out against a younger prospect who will be a bigger factor in the next few years.   

Keyonte George, who should probably be the Most Improved player, and Ace Bailey are the real deal and have lots to do with that. These games will continue to be special, too, since Bailey and Dylan Harper are former teammates at Rutgers who will bring the intensity against each other. Team CEO Danny Ainge should stop holding Lauri Markkanen hostage and trade him for youngsters and assets to bolster the Jazz, since he is a gateway player.

There was good reason to be impressed by the Spurs’ 3-point shooting as well. It was only the 10th time in their regular-season history that three Spurs made at least four in the same game, with De’Aaron Fox, Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama combining to hit 15-25. 

This is also a good time to point out that Luke Kornet is as good as a backup big man gets, and the team is vulnerable in his absences when Wembanyama sits. He takes up a lot of space, which helps disrupt shot attempts and grab rebounds. On these nights, Wembanyama has had to be close to perfect, and in this case, he was.

Takeaways

• It’s incredible how the Jazz and many other teams lose track of Champagnie, especially when he’s wearing the loudest sneakers in the building. Keep in mind that only four players had made more 3-pointers in January heading into the matchup. Nonetheless, it was his seventh time this year making at least five treys in a game. This type of long-range production makes him the perfect “in case of emergency, break glass” type of player. He moves well without the ball and roams the area opposing defenses help off too easily. Consider how 76.5 percent of his 3-point attempts are open to wide-open, per the NBA’s tracking data.
• Carter Bryant has sky-high potential as one of the top defenders in the NBA.  He’s got a rare combination of hustle and athleticism that will help him guard up. Additionally, it doesn’t matter that he’s only averaging 2.5 points on 8.2 minutes per game. He’s only age 20, and I’m always glued to my seat when he checks in. Rookies, even late lottery picks, deserve a grace period while they figure out offense. He’s starting to look more comfortable on that end, taking what the offense gives him instead of seeking out highlight-real dunks (that don’t always go down).
• Considering the team’s recent late-game struggles, closing out the Jazz in the fourth quarter with fireworks from and Wembanyama was big time. It was a 180° turn from the fourth quarter they blew in Houston on Tuesday, in which they combined for 18 percent shooting. It’s been a slight speed bump, but it’s important that the team can look to the stars for direction. When they do things like this, it gives them extra credibility in the locker room when they need to call everyone to attention.
• If we are talking about the spirit of the Sixth Man of the Year award, Keldon Johnson should be the leading man. It’s starting to feel like a surprise when he misses because he’s averaging a 62. 4 effective field goal percentage.  He led the bench in this one with 21 points, 5 assists, a steal and a block.
• Undoubtedly, one of the hardest things for a team to do is run like greyhounds while maintaining a top-shelf defense. The Spurs guarded well and set a new season high of 32 fastbreak points on Thursday. They are a middle-of-the-pack team in pace (100.67) yet effective when flooring it, partly because of Wembanyama‘s rebounding and outlet passing. 
• Props to Kevin Love, who moves like an old buffalo in his advanced age but maintains a high level of vigor. It’s always great to have pedigree like that in a locker room, which reminds one of how Chris Paul was a good veteran who had a positive effect on the Spurs last year.

You got a date Friday night? It’s okay if you don’t. The Boston Celtics have a date with the Brooklyn Nets, and you can watch. I’m here to prepare you for this game with a handful of plays, matchups, and tactics that could decide the winner. Let’s get into it.

Over the Hedge

Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez loves to play on the front foot. Despite the youth of his roster and the transient nature of many of the role players, he’s going to get aggressive in order to pressure his opponents. That involves a lot of hedging in pick-and-rolls when his team is facing pull-up shooters.

That’s a tactic in which the roll man defender rises above the screen to disrupt the ballhandler’s momentum, then retreats to cover his own man. Typically, this involves someone stunting the roller or providing early help if a pass comes over the top. It takes away easy pull-up threes (something the Celtics thrive on), but it exposes them to easier roll reads. Here’s the gamble Fernandez took in their last game: the Nets will live with whatever happens on the roll instead of letting the trigger-happy Celtics guards get easy three-point looks. Neemias Queta took that strategy and put it in the dirt.

The Nets love throwing a hedge at shooting ballhandlers. That makes Neemias Queta's short-roll decision making and lob catching awfully important for Friday's game pic.twitter.com/a7hgxcPFuj

— Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) January 22, 2026

In very typical Fernandez fashion, this scheme ratchets up the pressure on both teams. Queta has to roll into the right spot and receive a good pass from his guard. The Nets have to rotate properly to stop the roll, then cover the immediate passing options. Queta has to decide where to pass, and his teammates need to cut/relocate into space to help with his read. It’s a fragile chain of events for both sides and whoever executes on that chain of events will be at a big advantage.

Pressure Flare

Flare screens are a pet action for the Celtics. When you have a plethora of shooters and good screeners, it’s an easy way to generate threes and drives. Facing a Nets team that plays four rookies in the rotation, even your simplest actions can cause communication problems. Flare-based actions created all kinds of problems for Brooklyn in the last matchup.

Boston threw a heavy dose of flare screens at the Nets in their last matchup. Make the young team communicate, and you're likely to get some decent looks. Expecting more of the same tomorrow pic.twitter.com/pQKMsG45j2

— Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) January 22, 2026

Brooklyn is 29th in defensive rim attempt frequency and 21st in defensive rim FG% according to Cleaning the Glass. It doesn’t take much to break the paint against this team; Joe Mazzulla can lean on easy actions to drum up drives. Look for plenty of flare screens on Friday night.

Lockdown Neem

The Nets have a problem with rim pressure on defense, but not as much on offense. Seven of their rotation players have rim rates at 50% or better this season. Perimeter prevention is important, but some of these Nets are going to get to the rim sooner than later. This is another pressure point for Neemias Queta, who needs to be his best rim-protecting self on Friday. Luckily for the Celtics, he was that guy in their November matchups.

Neemias Queta's rim protection will be a big swing factor tomorrow night against the Nets pic.twitter.com/JmSB2og4N9

— Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) January 22, 2026

Timely rotations and big blocks can hamstring a Nets offense that has been on life support recently. If Neem gets active early and deters them from venturing into his paint, that’ll go a long way towards the win.

I hope you feel a bit more prepared for this game. Now kick back and bask in some Celtics excellence.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their first game of the season against the Sacramento Kings. They’ll be at home tonight. Cleveland went 0-2 against the Kings last year.

Defense

After spending two weeks in the bottom-10 of defense rating, Cleveland snapped back to being elite when they held the Charlotte Hornets to just 87 points in their latest win.

I couldn’t say this was all due to the Cavaliers’ defense. The Hornets also happened to shoot well below their expected percentage. Especially on open three-point attempts. But hey, luck is part of this thing. And I thought the Cavs did a fine job of protecting the paint and leaving Charlotte with few options other than chucking threes on a night where they simply didn’t have it.

Replicating this effort against the Kings should be feasible. This is a far less dangerous offense, with SAC ranking 28th in offensive rating this season. Of course, you can’t take anything for granted in the NBA, but I’d be upset if the Cavs didn’t turn in another strong defensive performance tonight.

Taking Care of the Ball

This is becoming an issue.

Cleveland has turned the ball over at an unusual rate this season. They rank 13th in turnover percentage, which isn’t awful, but it’s a steep decline from being fourth last season. Part of this is that they don’t have as many capable ball-handlers and playmakers as before. Injuries to Darius Garland and Max Strus, combined with losing Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert, have mattered.

The Cavs had 20 turnovers in Charlotte, 21 turnovers against the OKC Thunder, and 18 turnovers in Philly. This is a trend that can’t continue if they want to stack wins.

Evan Mobley’s Usage

I’m repeating one of my points from our last preview. Mobley has to be involved for the full length of the game. I really don’t want ot keep writing about this.

We saw Mobley get to his spots effortlessly in the first half against the Hornets. For him to finish the second half with only 1 point on two field goal attempts is a crime. This is a problem the team has long neglected. It’s time we see them finally address this and put their best foot forward.

Let’s get a high-volume game from Ev.