Category: NBA

If last Wednesday night’s loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings didn’t make you pull out your hair, scream, shake your head, and or contemplate how much you believe in this team for the rest of the season, than chances are, the loss to the Warriors, Suns, or the embarrassing loss at home to a 17-26 Mavericks team did. For nearly a month now, the Knicks, yes, the same Knicks that were labeled as favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, have looked closer to the worst team in the league than even a good one.

That’s led to the front office being tasked with two major questions. One, do they think that there are personnel issues, or do they think that the team, as currently constructed, is good enough, and that they are just in the middle of a rough patch? And two, if they do think there are some personnel issues, then are there moves out there that are both realistic, and can help remedy whatever issues that they have diagnosed.

Regardless of the front office’s view, the answer to the first question is a clear yes. Whether fans like it or not, the team is flawed. Few teams are perfect, but the Knicks’ talented roster has clear, exploitable weaknesses. They have only one point-of-attack defender in Deuce McBride, who, despite his development, is still undersized and can’t play full games. Besides Jalen Brunson, they lack real ball handlers, resulting in poor shot creation. The bench, though occasionally effective, remains inconsistent.

The second question, unfortunately, is one that we cannot answer. Fans can speculate, but they are left to social media and media outlets. And even then, they seem not to be able to come to a full agreement for much of the season. Throughout this turbulent season, fans have heard about the possibility of the Knicks moving on from Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as players like Mitchell Robinson and the aforementioned McBride. Whether Towns is involved in a deal for a certain Greek superstar or not, it seems that his defense has struggled, paired with what has now become one of his worst offensive seasons in a very long time, making Towns a likely trade candidate.

Steve Popper of Newsday Sports said yesterday there were “whispers around the league” about New York possibly moving Towns. He added, “His name surfaced when Bucks & Knicks discussed the chance of a Giannis deal, but now league sources said that talks have involved other teams including Memphis, Orlando & Charlotte.”

That certainly must’ve raised the eyebrows of some Knicks fans, especially as the fanbase has slowly, but very surely, started to turn against the big man. But Popper also reiterated earlier this morning that he doesn’t think a trade is likely, and that the team isn’t openly shopping anybody.

That sentiment was backed up by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, who spoke about how the Knicks are not looking to move any of their core guys and are planning to ride the season out with the group. He did make sure to include the fact that this doesn’t mean they aren’t speaking to teams. New York will still do their due diligence as they often have, and in a league that just saw superstar Luka Doncic traded away less than 12 months ago, you can never say never.

But much to the dismay of most Knicks fans, it’s looking more and more likely that this team won’t be making any substantial changes this season.

After each game, Brew Hoop evaluates each Buck’s individual performance with a letter grade. At this season’s 25% mark, we decided to check the Bucks’ grades as a progress report, but now that we have hit the halfway point, it’s time to see how the grades turned out since last check. Below are the players’ first-quarter averages, current averages, their most common grades, and their highs and lows. You will probably notice an unfortunate trend.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

• Q1 average: A-
• Current average: B+
• Most common grade: A (nine games)
• Best grade: A+, October 26 (Cavaliers) and November 17 (Cavaliers)
• Lowest grade: D, January 15 (Spurs)

Myles Turner

• Q1 average: B-
• Current average: C+
• Most common grade: B- (six games)
• Best grade: A, November 7 (Bulls), December 29 (Hornets)
• Lowest grade: F, January 15 (Spurs)

Ryan Rollins

• Q1 average: B+
• Current average: B
• Most common grade: B (eleven games)
• Best grade: A+, October 28 (Knicks) and 30 (Warriors), December 27 (Bulls)
• Lowest grade: D-, January 15 (Spurs)

Kevin Porter Jr

• Q1 average: Incomplete
• Current average: B-
• Most common grade: A, A-, and B+ (three games)
• Best grade: A+, December 6 (Pistons)
• Lowest grade: F, January 15 (Spurs)

AJ Green

• Q1 average: B-
• Current average: C+
• Most common grade: B (eight games)
• Best grade: A, October 26 (Cavaliers), November 29 (Nets), December 3 (Pistons)
• Lowest grade: F, December 21 (Timberwolves), January 4 (Kings) and 15 (Spurs

Gary Trent Jr.

• Q1 average: C+
• Current average: C
• Most common grade: C+ (six games)
• Best grade: B+, October 22 (Wizards) and 24 (Raptors), November 1 (Kings) and 26 (Heat)
• Lowest grade: F, October 26 (Cavaliers), December 21 (Timberwolves), January 2 (Hornets) and 15 (Spurs)

Bobby Portis

• Q1 average: C+
• Current average: C+
• Most common grade: B+ (five games)
• Best grade: A, November 24 (Blazers)
• Lowest grade: D, October 22 (Wizards), November 28 (Knicks), January 15 (Spurs)

Kyle Kuzma

• Q1 average: B
• Current average: C+
• Most common grade: B+ (four games)
• Best grade: A+, November 14 (Hornets)
• Lowest grade: F, November 15 (Lakers), January 13 (Timberwolves)

Jericho Sims

• Q1 average: C+
• Current average: C+
• Most common grade: C and C+ (two games each)
• Best grade: A+, December 3 (Pistons)
• Lowest grade: D, November 24 (Blazers)

Gary Harris

• Q1 average: B-
• Current average: C+
• Most common grade: C (four games)
• Best grade: A-, November 14 (Hornets), January 7 (Warriors)
• Lowest grade: C, November 20 (Sixers) and 26 (Heat)

Doc Rivers

• Q1 average: B-
• Current average C
• Most common grade: C (five games)
• Best grade: A, October 30 (Warriors), November 7 (Bulls)
• Lowest grade: F, December 14 (Nets), January 13 (Timberwolves) and 15 (Spurs)

The following received incompletes due to injury and/or lack of playing time in quarter 2: Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance, Taurean Prince, and Cole Anthony.

Unsurprisingly, Milwaukee’s declining performance over the last several weeks affected these grades. Almost all the players—except Bobby Portis—saw their average drop, with Kuzma seeing the largest drop from a B to C+. Giannis, Ryan Rollins, and Bobby are the only main rotational players to not receive an F grade this season, and Gary Trent Jr. is still hoping for his first A.

Some of the worst games of the season, like losses against Brooklyn, Minnesota, and San Antonio, really hurt the averages with plenty of D or F grades. Doc Rivers saw his average drop from a B- to a C, and given his uninspiring coaching, he will likely continue a downward trend. In January alone, Doc averages a 1.62 GPA, which would put him closer to the C- range. Rivers will be on an IEP until further notice.

It’s a “Texas-sized” showdown when the San Antonio Spurs visit the Houston Rockets tonight.

As we know, everything is bigger in the Lone Star State, including San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama, who is a tower of power, especially on the boards. 

My Spurs vs. Rockets predictions expect the 7-foot-4 Frenchman to wipe the glass clean. Here are my best NBA picks for January 20.

Spurs vs Rockets prediction

Spurs vs Rockets best bet: Victor Wembanyama Over 8.5 Rebounds (-140)

The cleanly-shaven Victor Wembanyama is a stat sheet stuffer, especially now that he’s back in the swing of things after an injury-shortened December. 

Along with his offensive performances, Wemby has snatched rebounding efforts of nine, 10, and 10 during the San Antonio Spurs’ three-game winning streak. However, all three results stayed below his rebounding totals of 10.5 O/U.

Tonight’s matchup with the Houston Rockets sees that rebounding total dip to as low as 8.5 O/U against a Houston team that ranks among the top rebounding squads in the NBA. While the Rockets do a fine job cleaning the glass, this adjustment is much too large.

Wembanyama’s recent tallies come despite a decrease in rebounding chance (14.3 per game last three vs. 16.6 on the season), with San Antonio’s sharp shooting limiting his impact on the offensive glass. 

This will be the second of back-to-back games for the Spurs, taking those heavy legs on the road where their shooting success drops from 49% at home to 45.8% as a visitor. Houston presents plenty of pushback, sitting seventh in advanced defensive rating and checking opponents to 45.5% shooting at home (seventh lowest). 

In his only matchup with the Rockets this season, Wembanyama recorded eight boards on 14 rebounding chances. Houston had burly center Steven Adams in action for that meeting as well as forward Tari Eason (a combined 14.6 rebounds per game). Adams is out, and Eason is questionable tonight.

Player projections for this game list Wembanyama’s rebounding totals between nine and 12.2, with my number coming out to 10.2 rebounds. That should have the Over 8.5 rebounds priced around -180 instead of the -140 at bet365.

Spurs vs Rockets same-game parlay

Wembanyama has secured nine or more boards in three straight games, and his work on the glass is vital to stopping the Rockets.

Kevin Durant will benefit from plenty of kickouts, as the Houston runs into Wemby inside and hits KD for open looks.

The Spurs are playing the second of back-to-back games and don’t shoot well on the road. Meanwhile, the Rockets play at a plodding pace and feature a very stingy defense at home.

Spurs vs Rockets SGP

• Victor Wembanyama Over 8.5 rebounds
• Kevin Durant Over 2.5 threes
• Under 220.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Texas Takedown

Houston is a step up for the Spurs, who have beaten up on some bad teams during this streak.

Spurs vs Rockets SGP

• Rockets -3.5
• Victor Wembanyama Over 8.5 rebounds
• Kevin Durant Over 2.5 threes
• Under 220.5

Spurs vs Rockets odds

• Spread: Spurs +4 (-110) | Rockets -4 (-110)
• Moneyline: Spurs +140 | Rockets -165
• Over/Under: Over 219.5 (-110) | Under 219.5 (-110)

Spurs vs Rockets betting trend to know

San Antonio is 4-7 Over/Under as a road underdog this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Rockets.

How to watch Spurs vs Rockets

Spurs vs Rockets latest injuries

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

The first half of the 2025-26 season is history, and the Wizards season has at times inspired hope, frustration, and laughter. There have been puzzling moments (like Kyshawn George trying to force James Harden to go left — TWICE in the final minutes of a close game) and some exciting ones as well (like Alex Sarr emerging as one of the game’s better rim protectors).

At 10-32, the Wizards have the NBA’s third worst winning percentage (the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers are percentage points ahead behind). They‘re 14th in the East, 8.5 games out of the play-in, and they have the league’s worst scoring differential adjusted for strength of schedule or not.

As I’ve written previously, scoring margin is the best measure of relative team strength. Adjusted for opponent quality, the Wizards are -10.8 per game this season. That’s a whopping 2.6 points per game worse than the 29th ranked Sacramento Kings.

Barring a complete second half meltdown, the Wizards are out of “worst ever” historical status. Their adjusted scoring margin is 11th worst all-time, which is an improvement from last season when they were third worst. Ever. They remain on course for the worst two-year run — at least in terms of scoring margin — in NBA history.

The Measuring Stick

Here’s where the Wizards currently rank in the various key stats of team strength (where they ranked at the last update, which was Jan. 13, is in parentheses):

• Offensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions): 28 (27)
• Defensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions): 29 (29)

The departures of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert have — at least temporarily — reduced Washington’s offensive efficiency. Kispert’s impact is less because he missed much of the season with injuries. Trading McCollum is more consequential because of his ability to create good shots and to make tough ones. Plus, his experience helped the team stay somewhat organized.

With McCollum gone, the young guys have to figure things out on their own, which at this point is probably a good thing for their long-term development. Call it a short-term quarter step back in hopes of taking a couple giant steps forward.

Offensive Four Factors

• eFG%: 23 (21)
• Offensive Rebounding Percentage: 19 (20)
• Turnover Rate: 26 (26)
• Free Throws Made/Field Goal Attempts: 27 (26)

Since the McCollum trade, the Wizards have shot worse and committed more turnovers. They’re also getting to the free throw line a bit less.

Defensive Four Factors

• eFG%: 22 (23)
• Defensive Rebounding Percentage: 30 (30)
• Turnover Rate: 28 (28)
• Free Throws Made/Field Goal Attempts: 21 (15)

They’re still last in defensive rebounding, but the actual percentage has gone up to 71.0% — it was 70.0% just a few games ago. They’re still almost two percentage points from 29th. As I wrote after a recent game, the defensive results aren’t good, but the coaching staff is implementing a good defensive scheme, and we’re seeing the predictable growing pains.

Player Production Average

Below is a table with updated results from the Player Production Average (PPA) metric so far this season. PPA is an overall rating metric I developed that credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, play-making, defending) and debits them for things that hurt the cause (missed shots, turnovers, fouls, ineffective defense). PPA is similar to other linear weight rating metrics such as John Hollinger’s PER, David Berri’s Wins Produced, Kevin Pelton’s VORP, and the granddaddy of them all, Dave Heeren’s TENDEX.

PPA weighs a player’s performance per possession against that of his competitors season by season. While PPA falls into the category of a linear weight metric, the values for statistical categories float a bit season-to-season based on league performance.

PPA is pace neutral, accounts for defense, and includes a “degree of difficulty” factor based on the level of competition a player faces while on the floor. Beginning with the 2019-20 season, I added a position/role adjustment designed to reflect how roles and on-court positioning affect individual abilities to produce certain stats.

Inputs include:

• on-court team defensive rating
• points
• rebounds (offensive and defensive weighed differently)
• assists
• steals
• blocks
• shot attempts
• turnovers
• personal fouls
• starts
• minutes

In the table below, I’ve included each player’s PPA last time, currently (through games played Jan. 19 — game 42), as well as games played and minutes per game. The Garbage Time Brigade has their own section.

In the table below, LAST = the player’s PPA when I last ran an update, which was through games played Jan. 7, 2026.

2026 All-Star Ballot

Below is a table showing my picks right now for this year’s All-Star game based on a mix of stats and watching too many games.

• I paid no attention to position because apparently All-Star has now joined All-NBA as positionless.
• I also paid no attention to the U.S. vs. International aspect of this year’s festivities. On a quick eyeballing of the lists, I see at least eight international players, which is the minimum required.
• I’m not sure if Deni Avdija will actually make the team. He’s playing really well, and there are a lot of good vibes out there about him. In my view, he’s in an arguable group with maybe 6-10 other guys.
• MVP is a two-man race, assuming Jokic can get to the stupid 65-game requirement. SGA’s PPA is 299 (the only player to crack 300 was Stephen Curry, who did it once). Jokic is at 288. Giannis is third at 257.
• LeBron James isn’t on my list because of his status as the game’s elder statesman. His PPA is 182 this season, which is excellent. If I was to drop an old guy for someone playing a little better, it would be Kevin Durant.
• I wanted very much to find a spot for Jimmy Butler, who’s having an excellent season, but I couldn’t see giving two spots to the Golden State Warriors.

The gravitational pull of the NBA’s play-in tournament is calling out to the Toronto Raptors. And it may be too late to escape its reach if the Raptors can’t salvage the four games that remain in their west coast road trip. 

The Raptors (25-19) are currently one game ahead of the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic and only hold a four-game advantage over the 11th-place Chicago Bulls. Toronto doesn’t have a great history of coming back from its trip out west with a winning record. It’s realistic for this team, especially as they continue to navigate through their injuries, to experience a downward spiral in the Eastern Conference by the end of their business trip. 

The challenges remain relentless, with the next hurdle in the gauntlet being the Golden State Warriors. 

Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. EST on Sportsnet for Canadian viewers. 

Here are three storylines to consider ahead of the contest. 

Three-point woes

The Raptors’ inability to knock down shots from beyond-the-arc is hurting them. While it’s always been a concern when trying to construct a roster around Scottie Barnes, the need for shooters has become especially important since the acquisition of Brandon Ingram. 

Golden State is averaging 16.2 three-pointers (1st) on 36.5 per cent efficiency (10th) this season. It’s important that Toronto breaks out of its shooting slump to help neutralize the home-run ball.

Teams have traditionally gone to zone against the Raptors over the last few years. But it’s shockingly embarrassing how often soft coverages have been deployed in the last month. Opponents don’t respect Toronto’s perimeter shooting and the stats support their reasoning. 

The Raptors rank last in the league in three-point efficiency at 33.6 per cent. Since Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic replaced Nick Nurse, the team has finished in the bottom percentile from the perimeter. They shot 34.8 per cent last season (23rd) and 34.7 per cent in 2023-24 (27th). 

After going 6-for-37 (16 per cent) against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 12, the Raptors are 28-for-93 (30.1 per cent) over the last three games. 

Expect the Warriors to go into zone anytime the Raptors’ offence looks like it’s gaining confidence. 

Warriors eager to come out and play

Since their dramatic 141-127 overtime loss to the Raptors on Dec. 28, the Warriors are 9-3. They have also won their last four games by an average of 19.5 points. 

Jimmy Butler’s season ended when he tore his ACL against the Miami Heat on Jan. 20. Stephen Curry continues to serve as the game-breaking engine of the Warriors’ offence, but Butler (alongside Draymond Green) has alternated with contributing memorable performances. In Butler’s absence, the team’s auxiliary pieces need to step up. Fortunately for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, they’ve been an integral reason for their recent good fortunes.

Brandin Podziemski is averaging 16.6 points on a blistering 67.8 per cent shooting during the Golden State’s three-game win streak. He’s also contributing 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals in this stretch. Podziemski hasn’t scorched the net like this since mid-December, when he finished six straight contests with double-digit scoring. 

Moses Moody is also finally realizing the potential the Warriors saw when the organization drafted him with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Moody is averaging 15.6 points per game over the last three contests. He’s having a career-season in points (10.6), three-point percentage (39.2 per cent), steals (0.9) and blocks (0.6). Moody’s production as a three-and-d type of wing has helped offset Buddy Hield’s inconsistency and the drama of Jonathan Kuminga. 

CMB down

While Jakob Poeltl (back) and RJ Barrett (ankle) are expected to miss the game, it’s Collin Murray-Boyles’ inclusion on the injury report that might be the most significant narrative thread. 

Murray-Boyles’ defensive prowess for a rookie is abnormal. On the surface, his six-foot-seven frame and non-elite athleticism don’t look threatening for someone moonlighting as a centre. But for a team without a true big man in its lineup, his intimidating presence and defensive genius are what have held this team together, particularly during the offence’s cold stretches. 

UPDATE 1:15 p.m. ET: Injury reports are available!

For the Sixers, Joel Embiid has been ruled out for Monday hosting the Suns for right ankle injury management. As mentioned in the original post below, Embiid has not played a single game on zero days rest so far this season, so him missing tonight (after playing 33 minutes last night) isn’t a huge surprise. Paul George, who did not play last night, is listed as questionable for left knee injury management.

Seven-foot-one center Mark Williams is questionable for Phoenix due to right knee injury management. Williams has only played in two of a possible six zero-rest games for the Suns so far this season.

The big update from the Suns camp, however, is that it looks like Jalen Green will in fact make his return from injury for Phoenix against the Sixers. Green, a career 20-point scorer in four seasons with the Rockets, has been out since early November with a hamstring injury and has played only two games this season.

Another day, another Philadelphia 76ers game.

The Sixers are back in action on Tuesday evening to host the Phoenix Suns less than 24 hours after defeating the Indiana Pacers. This is the eighth of an NBA-high (tied with four other teams) 16 back-to-backs this season for the Sixers. So far this campaign, they are 5-2 in games on zero days rest. The Suns are also coming into Philly on the second leg of a back-to-back, having defeated the Brooklyn Nets in New York City last night.

You know what back-to-backs mean by now! No official injury reports until this afternoon.

Joel Embiid, after being listed as questionable throughout the day for left knee injury management and illness, ended up playing against the Pacers, putting up 30 points on 10-for-17 field goal shooting with nine rebounds in 33:18. Neither he nor Paul George have played a game on zero days rest so far this season, so one could guess that Embiid may not be available for Tuesday. PG, however, did not play on Monday night after being ruled out for left knee injury management. That leaves the door more open for him to be possibly available to take on the Suns.

For Phoenix, their only absence for their Monday contest was Jalen Green, out with a hamstring strain. Green was listed as questionable before that contest, however, which is notable as Green has been sidelined since early Nov. 2025 with a hamstring issue. He has played just two games this season for the Suns after being moved to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade, but is a career 20-point per game scorer in his previous four NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets. A return from Green could mean a big boost for the Suns’ offense. Phoenix coach Jordan Ott told reporters on Monday that Green being ruled out against the Nets was “just giving him the extra day” and that Green would make his return against the Sixers on Tuesday “if everything checks out.”

We will keep you posted on official availabilities when the teams’ injury reports are posted.

This is the Sixers’ first of two meetings with the Suns this season. Phoenix are led by franchise veteran Devin Booker, who is averaging 25.3 points, 6.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game in this his 11th NBA season. Dillon Brooks is right alongside Booker this year, averaging 20.9 points per contest and shooting 35.1 percent from three-point range on a 7.2 attempts per game clip. The Suns also have a decent supporting cast down the roster of players contributing well this season, including Grayson Allen, Collin Gillespie and 7-foot-1 Mark Williams. This squad, especially with the prospective addition of Green back in the mix, will be a formidable opponent for the Sixers.

The Suns come into Tuesday’s contest at 26-17, currently sitting in seventh in the Western Conference. They’ve won seven of their last ten games as they continue to battle for every inch of leverage in the conference, with just a game or less separating them from the three squads ahead of them, as of Tuesday morning.

This is game five of a six-game roadie for the Suns, and they’ll have some tired legs on top of that. The struggling Nets were able to keep things relatively close on Monday night against the Suns, so most of the Phoenix starters played a normal amount of minutes last night, ranging from 28 to 34.

The Sixers were in a similar boat against the Pacers in not pulling away until towards the very end of the contest, with the Philly starters logging anywhere from 24 minutes to 40 (Tyrese Maxey) on Monday. So, there may be some weariness on both sides tonight.

Maxey, by the way, had a stellar game last night to celebrate his first All-Star starter nod. He put up 29 points (14 in the fourth period to secure the win) on 12-for-24 field goal shooting with eight assists and a career-high eight steals. It was the perfect display of the guard not only continuing to develop offensively but also the massive leap his defense has taken this season.

The Sixers and Suns will tip off in South Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET.

Game Details

When: Tuesday, January 20, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors may have seen their title chances disappear Monday night.

Star Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in the Warriors’ 135-112 victory over the Heat, according to ESPN.com.

Butler, 36, was helped off the court with a right knee injury at the 7:41 mark of the third quarter against his former team.

Butler was hurt moments after catching a pass in the paint when he went down hard and awkwardly following a collision with the Heat’s Davion Mitchell — who was called for a foul.

After the play, Butler was asking for two free throws, a positive sign to coach Steve Kerr that his spirits were good and “hopefully that’s a good sign.”

“We’re all really concerned but we’ll know more after the MRI,” Kerr said. “Everybody is subdued because of the injury, waiting to hear the news.”

Butler’s knee buckled upon his landing and he grimaced and grabbed at his knee while down for a couple of minutes.

He needed teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield to escort him off the court and to the locker room after the fall on the Warriors’ offensive end.

When he finally got up with assistance, he was unable to put any pressure on his knee.

“It’s something you hadn’t seen before, usually you expect him get up and even if he can’t finish the game just get off the sideline. I just told him to take his time and figure out what he needed in that moment,” Stephen Curry said.

“It’s kind of funny he was still cracking jokes over there while he was on the ground in true Jimmy fashion. He’s always going to have a good time no matter the situation is. I do love that perspective and that part of his personality, even in the worst of moment he’s still having a good time. He was trying to get to the free-throw line, he said it was two shots.”

In just under 21 minutes, Butler had 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, four assists and three rebounds.

He is Golden State’s second-leading scorer behind Curry, having averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists entering the week.

The Warriors currently sit at 25-19 and the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

A disgruntled Butler was acquired last season from the Heat to add another veteran star to Golden State’s aging roster.

The Warriors did make it to the Western Conference semifinals with Butler’s help, but Curry got hurt in Game 1 against the Timberwolves and Golden State was dismissed in five games.

This will only add to questions about whether the Warriors should consider a drastic move at the trade deadline.

Jonathan Kuminga demanded a trade last week as the young forward is frustrated with his role on the team.

“He’s an alpha. He’s one of those guys in the league who everybody else in the gym knows that’s the guy,” Kerr said.

“He has that presence but he also has that game where we can play through him possession after possession. So, assuming we’ll be without him for a little bit, we’re going to miss him, we’ve got a lot of players who can play and we’re showing our depth right now. We’ll just wait for the news to figure out what’s next.”

— With AP

The Phoenix Suns have won two straight, but their win streak will be put to the test when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena tonight.

With both team rosters trending toward full health, my Suns vs 76ers predictions expect a high-scoring affair in the City of Brotherly Love.

Here are my best free NBA picks for this cross-conference clash on Tuesday, January 20.

Suns vs 76ers prediction

Suns vs 76ers best bet: Over 224 (-110)

Both teams are expected to be at or near full strength tonight, which means a high-scoring affair. 

Phoenix Suns G Jalen Green will return from a multi-week absence, and Philadelphia 76ers F Paul George is expected to be available. Even if Joel Embiid sits out the second leg of the back-to-back, Philly has more than enough firepower to put up points at home, and the return of Green to Phoenix's lineup should give the offense a boost.

The Sixers have hit the Over in nine of 15 games as the home favorite, and the Suns have hit the Over in 10 of 17 as the road underdog.

Over the last 10 games, the Suns rank 10th in offensive rating at 116.4, and the Sixers are close behind in 11th at 116.3. In that span, the teams have combined to average 230.9 points, nearly seven points more than tonight’s total.

I’ll take the Over on this modest total as two emerging offenses go head-to-head.

Suns vs 76ers same-game parlay

The Sixers are just 10-12 ATS at home and 6-9 ATS as the home favorite, while the Suns are 15-9 ATS on the road and 9-8 as the road underdog. The spread is just one point, making this essentially a pick 'em, so betting Phoenix to win straight up as the underdog is the most sensible bet with the most profitable odds.

Devin Booker is averaging 10.5 rebounds+assists, and he's recorded 10+ in 23 of 39 contests. He's posted 11.2 rebounds+assists across his last five outings and hit the Over on this combo line three times in that span.

Suns vs 76ers SGP

• Over 224
• Suns moneyline
• Devin Booker Over 9.5 rebounds + assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Maxey Power

Tyrese Maxey is dishing 6.9 assists per game at home. He's recorded at least seven helpers in 21 of 39 appearances overall, including 12 of 20 at home.

Suns vs 76ers SGP

• Over 224
• Suns moneyline
• Devin Booker Over 9.5 rebounds + assists
• Tyrese Maxey Over 6.5 assists

Suns vs 76ers odds

• Spread: Suns +1 (-110) | 76ers -1 (-110)
• Moneyline: Suns -105 | 76ers -115
• Over/Under: Over 224 (-110) | Under 224 (-110)

Suns vs 76ers betting trend to know

The Phoenix Suns have covered the Spread in 32 of their last 45 games (+17.70 Units / 36% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. 76ers.

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On December 3, 2022, the Knicks were embarrassed at home against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on a weekend matinee at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Knicks led by 15 in the second quarter behind strong defense, but ultimately took their foot off the gas and got absolutely blitzed in the second half.

MSG wasn’t happy. A 38-12 run to start the second half turned a 68-68 game into a blowout. The Knicks were struggling badly and would drop to 10-13, including 4-7 at home. Tom Thibodeau was on the hot seat and there were rumors that a loss to Cleveland the next day might’ve cost him his job.

Of course, we know what happened from there. Thibs removed Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose from the rotation permanently to further feature Quentin Grimes. The Knicks won that game against the Cavs and went on a furious charge to win 47 games and a playoff series.

We don’t know if things are going to reach that perilous position in 2025-26, but with a mountain of expectations and a deep struggle to start the new year, the Knicks needed to enforce their will on a severely shorthanded Mavericks team.

They did not. They got absolutely blitzed.

Dallas improved to 18-26. The Knicks lost their ninth game in their last 11 despite welcoming Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart to the lineup. They continued to struggle shooting, continuing a recent slump, but the biggest issue today was the defense, which could look more like this meme than professional athletes paid millions to get stops.

I’m not sure how a team that started 23-9, won the NBA Cup, and looked cohesive on both ends turned into this mess overnight. The offense began short-circuiting on January 2 and hasn’t woken up yet (aside from a few stretches), and the defense has been bad for a while now. It’s the dog days of an NBA season, but it doesn’t make anything about this stretch excusable.

Brunson had 22, KAT had 22 and 18, and Mitch played well. Deuce somehow had a positive plus-minus. That’s about it. Mavericks go wire-to-wire and win 114-97. Bleh.

Dallas got off to a hot start in the first four minutes, taking advantage of poor transition defense and cashing a trio of triples, two by Max Christie and one by residential Knick killer Naji Marshall. The Knicks continued a concerning trend of late on offense, starting ice cold from the field despite good looks from Brunson, Bridges, and Towns. Mike Brown called his first timeout with 8:14 left, trailing 13-4.

It didn’t look better out of the timeout, as Towns turned it over and Bridges missed a corner 3 shortly after. After another Christie 3, the Knicks busted the drought on a nice pick-and-roll that led to a dunk by Mitchell Robinson. A few possessions later, the captain hit Big Mitch again on a pretty lob at the end of the shot clock.

Unfortunately, the defense continued to be porous, and the team still shot threes like they had the Ben Simmons disease. After closing the Suns game 1-for-11 from three, they started this one 0-for-9. This is somehow not the first 1-for-20 stretch we’ve had this week. Compare that to a hopelessly shorthanded Mavericks team that started 6-for-10.

Still, Brunson tried to will his team back in it after an early 15-point deficit. After some pretty passing early, he called bank on an and-1 before a TV timeout and came right back for a sweet floater after some much-needed off-ball movement.

The Knicks closed the first quarter with an innovative lineup, sitting Brunson and Towns for a bench lineup alongside OG Anunoby. Mitch feasted on the boards as usual with two putbacks to give him eight points in the period. Klay Thompson turned back the clock with a pair of threes late, and the Mavericks took a 31-22 lead into the second.

Cooper Flagg was making his MSG debut today, and he looked to take over to start the second with three consecutive buckets, but the Knicks’ offense started to heat up. Towns finished strong, Mikal broke the 3-ball skid, and Towns ran down the lane for a thunderous jam.

Finally, this started to look like a modern-day basketball game with scoring on both ends. The non-Brunson lineup was making shots, but they couldn’t get stops. The tandem of Flagg and Thompson started the quarter hot and the Mavs battled a small Knicks run to go up 43-31 and force another timeout.

That timeout didn’t help. Remember when I said they figured out how to score without Brunson? The next two minutes produced some of the clunkiest offense you’ll ever see, with contested Deuce McBride mid-range shots and KAT missing layups while they get burned in transition. In the blink of an eye, the Mavs were on an 11-0 run, and the deficit was 18 points as MSG began to boo.

After it got to 20, you got a brief run from KAT where he hit a corner three, and he got a dunk in transition after a Josh Hart steal, but that run came to a screeching halt on an interesting stepback three that somehow turned into a Flagrant 1 on Towns because he kicked Dwight Powell in the groin. One step forward, two steps back.

There’s always a point in a blowout where things just get away from you and in that second quarter, things got away from the Knicks.

It’s not even worth talking about the rest of that quarter. Christie nailed six threes in the first half, a Mavericks team that is the 26th best shooting team in basketball was shooting 60% from behind the arc, and the Knickerbockers were booed off the court with an unfathomable 75-47 deficit on national television.

The largest halftime deficit in a decade.

The Mavs got the lead up to 30 early in the third, but the Knicks showed some increased effort on both ends to slowly shave the lead down. Now, they still couldn’t make threes (aside from KAT, I guess), and they still got absolutely grilled by Christie, but the effort was better.

Every time they seemed to be going on a run, though, they missed an open shot, missed free throws, or allowed an open three. It was always something, even if the team was able to get the lead down to 19.

This was an interesting game from Karl-Anthony Towns. He missed so many close shots, to the point where I started thinking his struggles had produced a yips-like effect. Yet, he was more aggressive than he has been of late, which is encouraging. His jumper looked cleaner. Yet, he was still doing dumb things. One big shrug emoji from this game.

Was also a weird game for Brunson, who just looked a tick off. He was missing some open shots that he had and seemed to be caught inbetween getting his own shot and playmaking for his teammates. It’s fine, I guess, but not when everyone else is struggling and the defense is this bad.

There was a funny sequence with two minutes left in the half that encapsulated this game. Brunson got a floater partially blocked off the glass, Mitch missed a putback dunk, and Deuce missed a contested mid-range. Nothing’s going right.

Dallas fell asleep at the wheel briefly, but refocused to get the lead back to 25 in the dying seconds of the quarter. The Knicks won the third, but trailed 94-71.

A sub-plot of this game that was at least interesting as the Knicks ran out the clock was Towns and Powell. Towns kept extending his knee into the groin of Powell, and it finally got called with 10 minutes left. The funny part of this one was one where Powell kicked Towns in the crotch, albeit after the play.

Some brutal missed open threes over the next few minutes prevented the Knicks from making this interesting, but they cut the deficit to 18 with 7:12 left after Naji Marshall finally started missing and KAT hit Bridges for a lob layup to force a rare timeout from Jason Kidd.

Lead was down to 17 on a Hart 3 with 6:15 left. Down to 15 on a Brunson floater with 5:15 left. Just when it looked like maybe they’d make this interesting, they gave up a putback layup to Moussa Cisse, and then Hart turned it over on the inbound.

Mike Brown emptied the bench at 2:45 and that was that. Some notes I came up with during the game:

• Fastbreak points were 32-4 Dallas. The Knicks aren’t a big transition team, but goodness.
• One of Mitchell Robinson’s better games. In a first half where everyone was awful, he had 12 and 12. He finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds in 19 minutes. NYK also won the possession battle with 17 offensive rebounds.
• The Knicks have been one of the worst shooting teams in January. They’ve had brutal offensive stretches, and today was another rough one. 40% from the field and 29% from 3. It’s the fourth time in January they’ve shot 40% or worse from the field.
• Max Christie’s eight three-pointers are tied for the third most ever by an opponent at MSG. Only 2013 Steph Curry and… 2019 Devonte Graham(?) have more.
• Visually, I thought Klay was having a “turn back the clock” game. I checked the statsheet, and he had 14 points on meh shooting and was minus-8. Alright, then.
• While the offense never got better, I appreciate the Knicks’ increased effort defensively in the second half. The Mavs shot 11-for-20 from 3 in the first half, but just 3-for-9 in the second half. Knicks held them to 11-for-30 from the field overall and forced nine turnovers after allowing them to shoot 54% in the first half.

You can’t call any game a gimme with the team’s recent struggles, but you hope a game against the crosstown rival Nets will wake them up. Knicks-Nets at MSG on Wednesday, January 21, at 7:30 pm.

The last Mavericks blowout in MSG was an inflection point for a struggling team. The team looked inward and the coaching staff made a change. Can we get a similar experience in a similar circumstance?

That’s out of our control as fans.

Who would’ve thought that the Minnesota Timberwolves would be 27-14 at the halfway point of the season? Probably the five of you who predicted that Minnesota would finish with a 54-28 record in our predictions edition of Canis Pulsus! Three and a half months later, 72 voters shared their grades. Welcome to…

Canis Pulsus Vol. 46 – Semester 1 Report Card

(Note: Canis Pulsus Vol. 46 data was collected through 1/16 before the Houston Rockets game)

Anthony Edwards

A (40.3%)

Quarter 1: A- (47.1%)

There should be no surprise here, as the recently snubbed All-Star starter has been having a career season on the offensive end of the court. The Wolves are only going to go as far as Ant can carry them, and all indications is that he’s going to carry them very far.

Full voting results:

Julius Randle

A / B+ (31.9% each)

Quarter 1: B+ (38.2%)

Big Ju had an up-and-down first quarter of the season, but has rounded into form in the second quarter. He’s been fantastic in the games that Ant has been out and has been punishing any defender in front of him. What once felt like a salary cap placeholder now looks like a foundational part of the Wolves.

Full voting results:

Jaden McDaniels

A / A- (31% each)

Quarter 1: A- / B+ (35.3%)

Slim has his faults. He still gets into these funks when he’s in foul trouble or emotionally rickety, but he has certain continued to show his evolution, particularly on offense. The secondary playmaking is there, while he’s thriving when called upon as the primary scoring option.

Full voting results:

Rudy Gobert

A (33.3%)

Quarter 1: B+ (35.3%)

Rudy has really time-traveled back to his prime form. Or maybe that form never left. Whatever the case is, he’s certainly making his case for a NBA record fifth Defensive Player of the Year. Even more impressive has been his improvement on the other end of the court (Free throw woes not withstanding). He’s finishing with ferocity and making accurate reads in the short roll.

Full voting results:

Donte DiVincenzo

B (34.7%)

Quarter 1: B (35.3%)

The Donte rollercoaster from perimeter continues. He’s just below his career average from three (37.9%) and though that isn’t a terrible mark, it’s his worst since four seasons ago. Big Ragu will need to find more consistency in his stroke if he wants to improve from his B grades.

Full voting results:

Naz Reid

B(40.8%)

Quarter 1: B- (35.3%)

Naz Reid has really found himself as the season has progressed. Sure, he’s no dynamo on defense, but he’s been scorching hot on offense. In the second quarter of the season, he’s shooting about 50% from the field and over 40% from beyond the arc.

Full voting results:

Mike Conley

C- (23.9%)

Quarter 1: C (29.4%)

Minnesota Mike has continued to lose his touch. Sure, he’s not getting as much opportunity on the court, but he’s averaging almost all career lows across the board. Most telling is his field goal percentage which is down to career-worst 34.9%. These may be the final months of Conley’s career, sadly.

Full voting results:

Jaylen Clark

B- (31.9%)

Quarter 1: B+ (21.2%)

I believe the “Record When Jaylen Clark Plays At Least 15 Minutes” is sitting at 16-2, but we have seen a bit more slippage in his game. Not only is his three-point percentage down to sub 30%, but he hasn’t quite been the point-of-attack defensive ace that we were used to seeing. He’ll still make momentum changing energy plays, but we’ll need more from young Clark County moving forward.

Full voting results:

Bones Hyland

B+ (30%)

Quarter 1: Incomplete

Bones has entered the chat this second quarter of the season. The 25-year-old has shown many flashes in this second quarter of the season. He’s a classic fan favorite and not just for his chin waving celebration. Bones plays with a carefree attitude, for better or worse, that is reminiscent of a young Jamal Crawford. Will he be able to bring more consistency in his minutes while competing on defense? He sure seems to have the chance to do so, unlike…

Full voting results:

Rob Dillingham

F (26.1%)

Quarter 1: C- (32.4%)

It pains me to write this, but it seems like the Rob Dillingham Timberwolves era is over. Just the other night, we saw Johnny Juzang, then Leonard Miller, get meaningful minutes ahead of Dillingham. He might score some impressive buckets in garbage time, but even those highlights are sandwiched between unconfident play filled with mistakes.

Full voting results:

Terrence Shannon Jr. / Leonard Miller / Joan Beringer / Joe Ingles / Johnny Juzang

Incomplete

Coaching staff

B+ (33.8%)

Quarter 1: B (29.4%)

Chris Finch and his team has continued to try pulling different levers throughout the season. It wasn’t a smooth first quarter, but he seems to have found rotations and a mix of players who have played much more consistent basketball in the second quarter.

Full voting results:

Front office

A- (31.9%)

Quarter 1: B (29.4%)

Sometimes no move is the best move. The Wolves haven’t jumped the gun to trade for a Ja Morant (Pun not intended, kinda) or blow things up. There’s still smoke around whether or not they plan to add a guard or wing to the rotation, but by next quarter, the trade deadline will have passed and we will have seen what their plan is for the rest of this season.

Full voting results:

Ownership

A (31.9%)

Quarter 1: B (26.5%)

What happens when you make amends with the most important player in franchise history? That’s an easy A for Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. Bringing Kevin Garnett back into the fold is going to absolutely blow the roof off Target Center, whenever that’s going to happen.

Full voting results:

Will the Wolves make the play-in tournament?

No (Earn top 6 seed) (88.7%)

Quarter 1: No (Earn top 6 seed) (88.2%)

Full voting results:

Will the Wolves make the playoffs?

Yes (100%)

Quarter 1: Yes (100%)

Full voting results:

What do you hope the Wolves accomplish during the next quarter of the season the most?

Earn homecourt advantage with a top four seed finish

Quarter 1: Increase effectiveness and consistency of defensive effort

Over 20% of responses were focused on the Western Conference standings. It’s going to be a photo finish when it all shakes out, but ideally the Wolves can finagle their way into a top three seed, effectively “dodging” the Oklahoma City Thunder until a potential Conference Finals rematch.

Other common answers included fixing/trading Rob Dillingham, and finding more opportunities for Joan Beringer.

With a quarter of the regular season over, my feelings on the direction of the Wolves are…

Very optimistic (70.8%)

Preseason: Very optimistic (63.3%)
Quarter 1: Slightly optimistic (61.8%)

There’s that optimism we’ve been missing! It looks like voters are ready to believe in the Wolves again.

Full voting results:

It looks like the Wolves were sandbagging after that 2.92 first quarter progress report, as they ended up on Honors Roll with an impressive 3.13 GPA. Go ahead and order that bumper sticker, Wolves fans!

Inside the NBA’s push to launch a European league, the legal tension with EuroLeague, and why the fight for basketball’s future is heating up.

FIBA, basketball's global governing body, first introduced the EuroLeague in 1958 as the continent's premier competition. But over the last 25 years, FIBA has lost its grip on the operation. There was a split in 2000 with the Union of European Leagues of Basketball, where top clubs chose sides in competing operations, with ULEB ultimately gaining control.

EuroLeague is now a privately run company controlled by EuroLeague Commercial Assets, which has long held a stranglehold over Europe's second-most-popular sport. But over the last year, the NBA has signaled interest in forming a competing league of its own alongside FIBA to grow the sport in a region where 15% of the league's players now come, including some of the world's biggest modern superstars and nearly every league MVP this decade.

"We have been talking about this for decades at the NBA," Leah MacNab, the league's senior vice president, head of international strategy & operations, told Boardroom last week from Berlin, where the NBA was hosting a regular-season game between the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. Brother Franz and Mo Wagner first played at hometown EuroLeague club Alba Berlin before starring for the Magic, and the NBA was playing its first-ever regular-season game in Germany before the two teams headed to London on Sunday. MacNab said a register-your-interest campaign on social media for the games received 450,000 responses.

Franz Wagner gets a ROARING ovation as he's introduced in Berlin 🔊

Grizzlies-Magic in the NBA Berlin Game presented by Tissot on Prime! pic.twitter.com/ckBvgByRpd

— NBA (@NBA) January 15, 2026

NBA Europe, the league's internal working title for the operation, was first seriously floated last year in partnership with FIBA and now has a projected start date of fall 2027. The league would have 10-12 permanent members and four to six rotating members who could qualify under some competitive format to be determined by FIBA, emulating the model of the EuroLeague, with 12 permanent members and six rotating spots. But the biggest reason why the NBA is trying its hand at a European league is a simple market inefficiency.

"We think that the current structure really doesn't take advantage of the commercial opportunities," MacNab said. "So, we wanted to put our hats in the ring, and we're really excited to take this to the next step."

The next steps are finding the right markets, teams, and ownership groups for permanent members. Meetings took place last week during the NBA's Eurotrip, with JP Morgan Chase and the Raine Group advising on the discussions. The membership will likely come from a combination of existing EuroLeague teams and top European soccer clubs looking to expand into hoops in markets where the league sees room for growth. And unlike the NBA, where sovereign wealth funds from Gulf states are limited in the stakes they can take in teams, MacNab said she expects NBA Europe to operate a little differently in that regard.

One particular meeting in London, per The Athletic, was attended by EuroLeague members Real Madrid, Barcelona, Olimpia Milano, Greek power Panathinaikos, Alba Berlin, and Lyon-area ASVEL, which is owned by NBA legend Tony Parker. The NBA also met up with representatives from soccer giants Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and AC Milan, as well as Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Blackstone, and Arctos. Qatar Sports Investments, which owns Paris Saint-Germain, has also been linked to the NBA Europe project, while the league reportedly additionally met up with EuroLeague member and Istanbul power Fenerbahce in Berlin.

The NBA has recently played regular-season games in Berlin, London, and Paris, and will hold its first-ever regular-season game in Manchester next year. In a press conference in Berlin on Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he's very familiar with Alba Berlin's success. He confirmed discussions with Real Madrid and other Spanish clubs, and said Istanbul is a market he's looking at. Madrid, Fenerbahce, and ASVEL are reportedly three permanent EuroLeague members who have held off on signing long-term extensions to stay in the league. While MacNab said that there's no financial number the league is looking for right now for membership fees, a recent report claimed the league is targeting valuations of up to $1 billion.

Not surprisingly, the EuroLeague won't let potential key members leave without a fight. Amid a report last week that claimed the EuroLeague sent a letter to the NBA stating that it would take legal action if the league had discussions with teams signed to EuroLeague contracts, Silver told reporters, "I send the legal letters to my lawyers, so I'll let them handle that."

A source close to the NBA told Boardroom that the league hasn't engaged with anyone about an NBA Europe opportunity that they are not free to discuss. But there could be a pretty easy escape hatch for any interested party that has that particular conflict, as FC Barcelona is rumored to have. EuroLeague shareholders such as Barcelona, which recently signed a 10-year extension, reportedly have exit clauses of around €10 million, a relatively modest sum in what Silver has repeatedly described as a long-term play on the continent.

"I don't think by any means it's inevitable that there is a clash," Silver said when asked about the EuroLeague. "If I thought that the ceiling was the existing EuroLeague and their fan interest, we wouldn't be spending the kind of time and attention we are on this project."

MacNab told Boardroom she thinks NBA Europe and the EuroLeague can co-exist long term on the continent and believes that there's room for the two leagues to even compete against each other in the same markets. The NBA, in partnership with FIBA, has approached the EuroLeague several times but said it hasn't been able to reach a partnership that makes sense for either side.

“The NBA has been announcing and announcing things for a year, but still it’s nothing that you can grasp on,” EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas told the Associated Press over the weekend. "We've only heard the plan or the fireworks of how amazing it will be, how much potential there is. The ’27 start is already around the corner.”

While MacNab acknowledged that the NBA has a lot to sort out over the next 18-20 months, the league is confident in its plan and path forward.

"We think that there's enough interest both from fans and from investors," she said. "There's enough talent out there at a very top-tier level to make this a compelling product."

What's clear is that the war over the future of European basketball is only beginning, and likely won't be ending even if and when NBA Europe gets off the ground later next year.

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About 90 minutes before Monday’s game, Josh Hart was answering questions from a couple of reporters. Someone asked him about the Knicks’ then 2-8 stretch.

“I think it’s a combination of stuff. Just gotta be better defensively, more physical, into the ball, more effort, more energy. That kind of stuff. I can’t say that I’m surprised because obviously January – middle of January especially – those are the kind of dog days of the season. So not too surprised,” Hart said. “You kind of see a few teams around kind of showing that fatigue. You know, it happens every year.”

Hart wasn’t excusing the Knicks’ poor play. But he didn’t sound too worried about it.

About four hours later – after the Knicks put up a no-show performance against the Mavericks – Hart had a different take on the team.

“We have to go out there with a sense of urgency,” Hart said. “At this point, (more than) 40 games in, normally you don’t put too much into struggles, because there’s highs and lows, but at this point we have to play desperate, because that’s (where) we are right now.”

Now, the Knicks have lost nine of their last 11 games. They have a bottom 5 defense in that span; New York may have hit rock bottom on that side of the ball Monday when Dallas put up 75 points in the first half.

It was one of the worst losses of the Jalen Brunson era. And one that led to a damning comparison between this year’s team and last year’s team, which reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

“I think last year no matter what we did, the effort was there. I haven’t seen this kind of effort that we had today, it was embarrassing,” Hart said.

He referenced a game last season when the Knicks leaned on effort and physicality to win.

“We didn’t shoot the ball, we couldn’t score, but we said, ‘We’re gonna lock in, and we’re gonna play defense, we’re gonna play physical, and we’re gonna make it tough.’ It’s the same group of guys, so how we’re playing right now is really inexcusable,” Hart said. “We all gotta look in the mirror and do some soul searching.”

How did the Knicks reach this point? How did a team that started the season 23-9 end up here?

In digging around on this, one theme has come up consistently over the past couple of weeks:

This group is not tied together in the way that their early season success would suggest. Players haven't fully bought into their roles under head coach Mike Brown. Those reasons are cited often when you talk to people about the Knicks’ flaws.

Now, these issues aren’t unique to this year’s team. They existed to a degree in the locker room last season. But the Knicks coaching change hasn't rooted them out.

The firing of Tom Thibodeau and hiring of Brown was never going to cure all that ailed the Knicks. But the move definitely raised the stakes for New York. 

That was made clear earlier this month when owner James Dolan said in a WFAN interview that he expects the Knicks to reach – and win – the NBA Finals. 

A few weeks ago, Dolan’s expectations seemed reasonable. The Knicks started the season 23-9; they won the NBA Cup in Las Vegas last month.

But things have fallen apart since then.

New York is 27th in opponent three-point percentage; the club has one of the NBA’s worst defenses over the past four weeks. Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled on both ends of the floor for much of the season.

It’s easy to point the finger at the new head coach. Certainly, Brown and his staff deserve criticism for the club’s freefall.

But what about the front office? Management’s three biggest acquisitions (Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby) haven’t played at a high level with any consistency this season. The 2025 free agent signings (Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson) haven’t provided the depth the Knicks were looking for.

So how does it all get turned around? The Knicks don't have much flexibility from here. They can use draft capital and/or Miles McBride to acquire a significant rotation player. It may be tough for the Knicks to recoup value in a Yabusele trade because of his 2026-27 player option.

Sure, Leon Rose & Co can execute a larger trade. But that would mean giving up on a core that they put together two summers ago.

Would Rose and his group make that kind of move? They probably don’t want to. But more losses like Monday’s may force their hand.

Winter blues? Derrick White is battling his annual January slump originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

New Englanders know January can be a brutal month. The days are short and bitterly cold. Winter storm warnings seem to exist in perpetuity. All that holiday glee resides in the rearview mirror, and yet spring seems so far away.

January is a brutal month for NBA players, too. The body is feeling the effects of the first 41 games, but there’s still 41 more to go. There are trade rumors and a relentless game schedule. The All-Star break can’t arrive soon enough. Surviving the January doldrums feels like a legitimate chore.

And, if you’re Derrick White, January can’t seem to pass without a maddening shooting slump.

In his four full seasons since joining the Celtics, White has routinely slumped his way through January. It might have cost him an All-Star nod during the 2024 title season. On Monday night, in a showdown of Eastern Conference titans, White missed 10 of the 11 shots he hoisted against the Pistons and turned hesitant during the fourth-quarter moments where he typically thrives.

White was field-goal-less when he stepped to the free throw line early in the fourth quarter to shoot a technical freebie. He missed that one, too — in a game the Celtics would lose by a point, 104-103.

The numbers confirm what’s been hiding in plain sight: January is White’s toughest month. In his four full seasons since joining Boston, White’s scoring plummets to his lowest output of the seven regular-season months. It’s the only month in that span that he’s shooting under 40 percent from the field overall, and his January 3-point percentage is the worst of the seven months as well.

It’s fair to wonder if White is feeling the effects of Jayson Tatum’s absence. While he’s pushed back on the suggestion that scoring has become more difficult while elevating to the No. 2 option, his shooting woes suggest otherwise.

Of the 154 players averaging at least eight shots per game with at least 25 games played this season, White ranks 149th in field goal percentage at 39.1 percent. Of the 113 players in that same group who average at least four 3-pointers per game, White ranks 105th in 3-point percentage at 32.4 percent.

But January has still been his cruelest month. White, who has now failed to reach double digits in scoring in his last three games, is shooting 36.7 percent from the field and 24.7 percent on 3s in 10 games this month. 

Wake White up when January ends.

The good news: History suggests White typically rebounds well in February. That has been both his highest scoring month and his best shooting month (by far) over the past four seasons. White is averaging 17.3 points per game over his last four Februarys, while shooting 49.6 percent overall and 43 percent beyond the arc.

It says something about White’s ability to impact the game in so many other ways that he has lingered in the All-Star conversation despite his obvious shooting woes.

On Monday night, White registered a team-high five assists to go along with nine rebounds (including five on the offensive glass) and two blocks. White was the closest defender on 24 of Detroit’s shot attempts, an insanely high number even by his All-Defense standards. He’ll get votes for Defensive Player of the Year. 

The potential in-season return of Tatum could go a long way toward improving the shot quality White enjoys in the second half of the season. Some of the Celtics’ inconsistent ways in recent weeks could be alleviated by White simply getting himself back on track with his offensive output. That Boston is still second in the NBA in offensive rating despite White’s shooting woes is very impressive.

There are six more games to navigate in January. White has played in 40 of Boston’s 41 games this season and could be due for a night off along the way. The Celtics ought to change all the calendars in the Auerbach Center to February to see if they can accelerate White out of his January slump. 

LeBron James missed out on selection as an NBA All-Star starter for first time in 22 years, but the Los Angeles Lakers star could still feature in February's event.

On Monday, the NBA announced the 10 players voted as starters, including Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, the Lakers' Luka Doncic and San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.

Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the 2026 starters, while current NBA players and a media panel each accounted for 25%.

The five players with the best score in each conference were named as starters across the three teams, with international players playing for the world team.

James, 41, was ranked ninth overall in the Western Conference by voters.

The NBA's all-time leading scorer can still earn selection as a reserve for the game held in Los Angeles on 15 February, but he will have to rely on a panel of NBA coaches to play as one of the 14 reserves.

James was selected in 2025 but did not play in the event after picking up an injury.

The All-Star game has been revamped this season and will feature two teams of players from the United States and one team of international players.

They will compete in a round-robin tournament comprising of four 12-minute games. The top two teams will then face each other in a championship game.

Players selected from Eastern Conference:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo - Milwaukee Bucks
• Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics
• Jalen Brunson - New York Knicks
• Cade Cunningham - Detroit Pistons
• Tyrese Maxey - Philadelphia 76ers

Players selected from Western Conference:

• Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors
• Luka Doncic - Los Angeles Lakers
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets
• Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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