LONDON (AP) — The rumors of Ireland's demise have been exaggerated.
Ireland revived its Six Nations title hopes and killed off England's after a shocking 42-21 blowout win at Twickenham on Saturday.
The script was expected to go the other way. England had not lost at home since autumn 2024, and a fiery retort after losing to Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend was expected to celebrate captain Maro Itoje's 100th England cap.
But England was flat and sloppy while Ireland looked and played like the No. 1-ranked team from 2023; energetic, efficient and fearless. Having slipped to No. 5, the Irish beat a team ranked higher than themselves for the first time since July 2024.
And it was historic: Ireland's highest score and biggest margin against England at Twickenham with a bonus point from scoring five tries to three.
Ireland shot to 22-0, led 22-7 at halftime, scored straight after the break and piled on. Jack Crowley booted seven from 10 for a personal 17 points in his second Six Nations start in two tournaments.
The clash of British and Irish Lions — 13 on Ireland's side and nine on England's — was a reminder of why Ireland dominated the successful squad in Australia last year.
Two consecutive losses have knocked out England from contending for the title. England finishes at Italy and, on the final weekend, defending champion France. Ireland goes home to welcome Wales and Scotland and hoping unbeaten France has an off-day somewhere.
An opening night hammering from France followed by an unconvincing win over Italy plunged Ireland into despair that a generational team was on the wane. But coach Andy Farrell's decision to give starts to Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Beirne, Tadhg Furlong, Josh van der Flier and Crowley came up trumps.
Ireland was relieved early by England errors, highlighted by George Ford twice missing touch-finders into the left corner.
Injured winger James Lowe was replaced by Tommy O'Brien, whose first touch was to support a long break by fellow wing Robert Baloucoune. Gibson-Park quick-tapped, caught England sleeping and dashed over for the opening try that Crowley converted from the touchline.
England was suddenly full of holes. Ireland center Stuart McCloskey slipped off opposite Ollie Lawrence and Baloucoune was scoring. In a double blow for England, fullback Freddie Steward was yellow-carded for illegally trying to slow Gibson-Park.
Referee Andrea Piardi hurt his left leg and had to be replaced by Pierre Brousset, then Baloucoune was scoring off an O’Brien break for 22-0 after 30 minutes.
England coach Steve Borthwick pulled off Luke Cowan-Dickie and Steward for a spark from Jamie George and Marcus Smith and they finally pierced Ireland's magnificent scrambling defense a minute into injury time through Fraser Dingwall.
But the boost was short-lived.
Ireland used a yellow card to Henry Pollock in his first England start to get hooker Dan Sheehan over and Farrell was all smiles.
Pollock returned from the sin-bin to help Lawrence score a try and Ireland fullback Jamie Osborne was yellow-carded.
Itoje usually goes 80 minutes but in his milestone match he was replaced in the 55th.
Crowley added two penalties and a conversion to a try by Osborne straight out of the sin-bin. Ireland's hunger was relentless: McCloskey chased down Marcus Smith from behind to save a try in the 73rd. That earned a fist-pump by Farrell in the coaches' box.
Sam Underhill claimed England's third converted try but moments later Ireland was doing a lap of honor at Twickenham, celebrating a sixth win at England's home in the Six Nations era. No other Six Nations team since 2000 has more than two wins.
TURIN, Italy (AP) — Juventus’ damaging week continued in Serie A on Saturday with a 2-0 loss at home to Como that dents the Italian power’s hopes of Champions League qualification.
The defeat comes days after the Bianconeri’s 5-2 loss at Galatasaray in the first leg of the playoffs in this season’s Champions League. Juventus welcomes the Turkish team for the second leg on Wednesday.
Mërgim Vojvoda scored early for Como with a shot that Michele Di Gregorio should have saved after getting his arm to ball. The chance came about after Juventus’ Weston McKennie lost the ball in midfield.
There were whistles from frustrated Juve fans at the break, and it didn’t get any better for their team after the restart.
Lucas da Cunha broke through to set up Maxence Caqueret for Como’s second in the 61st.
It's Juventus' third straight defeat across all competitions and its fifth game in a row without a win.
Luciano Spalletti's team remained fifth, a point behind Roma before the capital club hosts Cremonese on Sunday. Como stayed sixth, a point behind Juve. Only the top four qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
League leader Inter Milan could open a 10-point gap with a win at Lecce later, before Lazio was to visit Cagliari for the late game.
Tyrese Maxey has been the main man for the Philadelphia 76ers this season, putting up career numbers. The guard is averaging a career-high 28.9 points, and he’s also shooting an impressive 37.9% from downtown.
The Kentucky product is averaging 3.4 makes on 8.9 attempts per night, and Maxey just went 4-for-11 from deep in his first game back from the All-Star break. While that’s the first time he’s cashed the Over in triples in five appearances, there’s reason to believe Maxey will get hot from deep.
The Sixers take on the lowly New Orleans Pelicans tonight, who are allowing point guards to average 3.55 threes per game. Maxey is also shooting 40.2% from downtown on the road, averaging 3.5 makes.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSP,GCSEN
Prop #2: Cade Cunningham Over 25.5 points
-105 at bet365
Cade Cunningham is the main driving force behind the Detroit Pistons’ miraculous season, and he didn’t miss a beat in his return from the All-Star festivities. Cade proceeded to drop 42 against the New York Knicks on Thursday in a huge win at Madison Square Garden.
The guard is averaging 25.7 PPG in 2025-26, and he’s cashed the Over in five of his last six outings. During that span, Cunningham has scored 30+ points three times. The 24-year-old is averaging 27.6 points on the road, and Detroit is in Chicago this evening.
He’ll cook in The Windy City.
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network-Detroit, CHSN
Prop #3: Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points
-105 at bet365
Kevin Durant is a walking bucket, and he’s lived up to expectations in his first season with the Houston Rockets. KD is averaging 26 PPG, which ranks 11th in the league. He erupted for 35 points on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets.
The veteran has hit the Over in points in just three of his last six, but Durant is averaging 27.3 points per game on the road this season, and the Rockets head to MSG tonight to face the New York Knicks.
There’s always an added pressure playing at The Garden, and I have no doubts Durant will rise to the occasion and make this one competitive.
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Feb 20, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) is fouled by Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks returned to State Farm Arena to begin a significant stretch of home games but fell to a disappointing 128-97 defeat to the Miami Heat on Friday night. Onyeka Okongwu led the scoring with 22 points, with CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 20 points. For the Heat, Tyler Herro played his first game since mid-January, scoring 24 points. Bam Adebayo added 17 points as seven Miami players hit double-figure scoring efforts.
The Hawks were in a rest-disadvantaged situation heading into this contest. Having been on the road and captured an impressive win in Philadelphia on Thursday night, they would have returned late to Atlanta that night, while the Heat were already waiting for the Hawks. This was Miami’s first game after the break, and they opened the game like a team who were playing with a rest advantage, running out to an 11-3 start before quickly establishing a double-digit lead in the first quarter.
The Hawks missed a number of shots that could have easily swung the other way (such as three-point attempts from Zaccharie Risacher and Okongwu), but what was a common theme throughout the night was Atlanta’s poor defense in the paint, where Miami scored 72 points.
A few instances from the first quarter: Adebayo is easily able to beat Okongwu on the drive and beats him to the rim:
As if often the case this season, if Okongwu is forced to rotate or step up, it leaves a gaping hole at the rim where teams can exploit the Hawks’ lack of size at the rim. Risacher is easily beaten on the perimeter, forcing Okongwu to step up, which allows Norman Powell to toss a lob to Kel’el Ware, who is easily able to finish with Okongwu out of the picture:
Really, really poor from Risacher here to put the Hawks in a vulnerable position. I have no idea what resistance he thinks this is, but Powell just gets by him as if he wasn’t there (which he may as well have not been on this possession).
A poor defensive sequence from the normally positive Alexander-Walker, who falls behind too easily on the give-and-go exchange from Herro and Kasparas Jakučionis. Herro easily getting by as Alexander-Walker gets caught trying to reach in, and Herro recognizes the opportunity to get ahead of Alexander-Walker, who tries a desperate slap-down to try and salvage the possession as Herro hits the runner:
The Hawks fell behind by 15 points in the early stages of the second quarter before the Hawks were ignited by an 11-point McCollum quarter that saw the Hawks actually tie this game. McCollum hit three three-pointers, as the Hawks hit seven threes in the second quarter alone to reign in the Heat. However, a disappointing end to the quarter saw the Hawks fall behind by six points heading into the locker room as Adebayo gets the better of Okongwu again at the rim for the basket:
The third quarter played out similarly to the first quarter: the Hawks missing shots while offering little resistance to prevent Miami from scoring. This play just over two minutes into the second half sums it up, as Davion Mitchell strolls by Jalen Johnson for the score at the rim, leading to a timeout:
This was only the Heat’s second basket of the quarter, but after a poor, off-balance shot by Okongwu in the lane followed by…I don’t even know how to kindly describe Jalen Johnson’s defense/effort on that possession. The Hawks are on the second night of a back-to-back, but you cannot use that excuse for that type of defense coming out after halftime in a game/against a team the Hawks actually need to win more than others.
This is a team the Hawks are competing with for a play-in spot, and that kind of defense from Johnson — the team’s leading player — is absolutely unacceptable, especially from a player who is more than capable of being an excellent defender. However, since his growth in offensive responsibilities/capabilities, his on-ball defense has taken an absolute nosedive, and that play really sums up the drop-off.
The Heat re-established their double-digit lead, and while a quick run brought that back down to six points, the Heat didn’t take long to push their lead back out to double digits. The Hawks continued to struggle offensively, shooting 9-of-27 from the field, including 1-of-7 from Johnson in the third quarter alone.
The Hawks tried to go to McCollum in hopes of another spark, and while he did score seven points in the third, it was not enough for the Hawks as the Heat eased their way into the fourth with a double-digit lead. The same recipe repeated in the fourth quarter as the Hawks offered little resistance in the paint.
Another example shown in this play, as Risacher gets drawn to the middle and loses sight of Jaime Jaquez Jr., who makes the cut behind Risacher and finishes at the rim:
In the end, the Heat shot 68% around the rim, making a total of 34 made baskets around the rim, which is a lot of baskets to concede at the rim:
The Heat eased away from the Hawks, and the game became a rout, a 128-97 loss at home as the chants of ‘Let’s go Heat’ sounded at State Farm Arena. A disappointing return to State Farm Arena after the All-Star break.
In contrast, the Hawks shot 45% around the rim (well below the 60% league average number), and Hawks head coach Quin Snyder was left to reflect on the Hawks’ percentage at the rim, including keeping the Hawks’ awareness on drives and creating better shots and the process of players continuing to learn with the Hawks’ preferred tendencies offensively.
“We talk a lot about having your eyes out,” said Snyder postgame. “Whatever those shots are, not all shots at the rim are created equal, and there’s times when we’re in a crowd, or we’re trying to finish over somebody, we need to make better decisions in that area. We need each other on offense, and the possessions where that happens, you can feel them. We can generate better shots. When we’re not doing that, that’s not our strength, and it’s going to show with our shot quality. That’s something that we just need to internalize, there’s no shame in that. But we have to generate offense together, whether that means running or movement, passing, and that’s gonna be key for us. We’re at a point now where there’s some guys that are learning that, guys are learning new roles. The end game is the same: that’s what it needs to look like. When you see that, there’s some really good possessions where we get good looks and good things happen and then when we’re not that connected, the result isn’t good enough to win a game.”
Jalen Johnson, similarly, highlighted that when the Hawks are at their best when they execute their gameplan, and admitted the Hawks did not do this last night.
“I think when we’re consistent with the game plan and we come out executing the gameplan, that’s when we’re at our best,” said Johnson. “I don’t think we did a good job of executing the gameplan tonight.”
Snyder alluded to the Hawks’ lack of defensive consistency when the ball wasn’t falling for them on the offensive end, when Snyder wasn’t unhappy with how the Hawks were playing.
“In the first quarter we started out, and even though we weren’t scoring, we had a hard time seeing the ball go in,” said Snyder. “I didn’t think we were playing poorly, offensively. We hung in there with our defense, and there’s a point when the toughness that’s required to kind of keep your focus and continue to sustain defensively when you’re not getting… It’s different, missing shots is different than not getting quality possessions. When you don’t get quality possessions, it becomes much harder to defend, and we teetered with that for a while, and then it slipped. Suddenly, it went from six, eight, ten, and bubbled up to high double digits.”
If by ‘hung in with our defense’ he means give up 70+ points in the paint, allow 34 baskets around the rim, many of them with ease, then, sure, you could say the Hawks hung in there. I’d argue that were it not for the second quarter, and that run where Alexander-Walker and McCollum were hitting shots and brought the Hawks to tie the game, this game would’ve been close to a 40-point blowout. On the balance of the first, third, and fourth quarters, this margin of victory I think reflects the game as a whole. The second quarter was, ultimately, the outlier.
“I think the first quarter, we were kind of getting our sea legs back,” said McCollum. “We didn’t get out and run, didn’t get stops, a little sluggish. Second quarter, we got out and ran, Corey got a dunk, got a transition three, got some rim pressure, got some kick out threes from eyes-out. I think that was the difference. We got a little bit of defensive momentum, obviously 29 points in the first, 28 in the second, so got a couple more stops and tried to prevent second chance opportunities. We tried to ride the wave of momentum but couldn’t sustain it.”
McCollum, generally, held a more realistic assessment of the Hawks’ shortcoming last night.
“Defensively, I think we could have been better with our communication, could have been better in pick-and-rolls,” said McCollum. “I think they went to zone to start that fourth quarter, I think that changed the game and they took advantage of some turnovers, some missed shots … and I don’t think we did enough to win. Herro got off, he got too much freedom, too much space in his pick-and-rolls, too much space in his pull-ups. We’ve got to do a better job of getting the ball in. I think a lot of guys hurt us tonight, and I think we didn’t deserve to win this game.”
In a question alluding to the back-to-back situation the Hawks found themselves in, McCollum maintained that despite a lack of rest, the Heat were able to impose themselves easily in this game to take a deserved victory.
“I would like to go to sleep before 3 A.M. last night, but they beat us, it is what it is,” said McCollum. “They came out, they played better than us. They got off to a good start; it was up 8-0. They executed better than us, they got points in transition, they got threes, they got rim pressure, they did whatever they wanted tonight. So back-to-back or not, they did enough to win, we didn’t do enough to win.”
Individually, there were some solid offensive games from Okongwu (22 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, and 4-of-5 from three), Alexander-Walker (20 points on 8-of-18 shooting), and McCollum (20 points on 8-of-16 from the field). However, struggles from Dyson Daniels (four points on 2-of-7 shooting), and Zaccharie Risacher had a particularly rough game on both sides of the ball (and shot 1-of-8 from the field) which was far from ideal. However, Jalen Johnson shot a woeful 6-of-22 from the field, attempting often to get inside and draw contact and fouls/free throws, but didn’t receive a lot of the calls he wanted.
While Johnson registered a triple-double (16 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists), he was very much aware of his poor game.
“I don’t really care for no triple-double, I played terrible tonight,” said Johnson. “I just got to be better, and I just got to be better for my teammates, but we have another chance on Sunday to regroup and hopefully string together some wins. We’re home for quite, quite a long stretch, so, the chances are right in front of us. We just got to go out there and get it.”
Johnson registered just two free throw attempts in this game, a stark contrast to the 16 attempts he took against the Sixers on Thursday night.
“Those are two physical teams,” said Johnson when asked about the free throw disparity. “So last night it was just, it’s kind of different with the whistle. Tonight I just try to keep that same mentality and trying to be aggressive. I didn’t draw as many fouls as I would like and get some easy ones going early … this is something you got to adjust to and more importantly, just continue to play through. They’re going to see what they see and they’re human too and they make mistakes. I just got to continue to play through all that.”
Johnson didn’t have a great offensive game, obviously, and while he took some tough shots in traffic, nights like this can happen. While the offense for the Hawks obviously not great (shooting 38% from the field), the defense was of greater concern as they conceded 128 points on 52% shooting. Not to beat a dead horse, it’s the defensive side of the ball you want to see more from Johnson, and where’s so much more capable than he has shown. Johnson’s offense will be fine, and while I think a triple-double isn’t reflective of a good game but instead says a lot to say how impactful he can be despite playing poorly offensively.
All in all, a tough loss for the Hawks. On paper, probably not an unexpected loss on the second night of a back-to-back, but when you watch it unfold, I think it becomes a lot more disappointing.
The defensive effort was really poor and was difficult to watch at times. Miami is good at driving the ball and getting out in transition — a nightmare if, for example, the opposition is shooting poorly, like the Hawks did last night — but against a team that the Hawks are actually looking to compete with and jostle for seeding, the urgency required was absent. It’s one thing to compete and come up short, but the lack of urgency was of greater concern.
The Heat now lead the season-series 2-1, with the last matchup coming on the last day of the regular season. The Hawks, however, may not get close enough for that matter after that loss, now 3.5 games adrift of the Heat for the 8-seed. Not impossible to turnaround, but certainly a challenge.
Good news for the Hawks (27-31), however, is that they’ve got plenty of home games that aren’t back-to-backs, and beginning with the Brooklyn Nets (15-40) at State Farm Arena on Sunday afternoon. A good opportunity for a bounce back at the very least for the hosts.
A burner. In a group chat full of “stan” accounts. Speaking poorly of his teammates.
What?
Well, it’s a testament to your poor judgment if you expect emotional maturity from NBA superstars. This man has been exalted for 20 years. Shame is likely less of a variable in his life than it is in yours or mine.
That said, it is imperative (potentially for legal reasons, and if not certainly for journalistic integrity) to note that we do not know if it was Durant.
It does feel like it was Durant, though, doesn’t it?
He had every opportunity to deny it. Deflection without denial is suspect at best. If you suspect your partner of cheating, and when confronted, they tell you, “I’m not here to talk about all that cheating nonsense”…
I have got bad news for you.
Still, speculation is speculative in nature. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Here’s the rub:
The Rockets may have to make a choice this summer anyway.
Rockets might reach an inflection point
Theoretically, there are three options:
Do nothing.
Win-now moves
Future-focused moves
If the Rockets win a playoff series, option 1 will likely appeal. The theory that re-inserting Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams into the equation will yield sufficient improvement will carry some weight.
What if they don’t?
I just spilled ample ink on how important Fred VanVleet is. So much as I stand by that, it would be a bit hard to accept that a first-round exit team would be vaulted into serious title contention by his low assist-to-turnover ratio. If the Rockets can’t win one playoff series, it’s hard decision time.
In essence, that means either Antetokounmpo season, or sending Durant to the Hornets team he (allegedly) so openly admires.
Most Rockets fans will prefer the latter route. It’s understandable. There is a prevalent parasocial attachment to the “young core.” It’s human.
The fact that I’m impervious to it may be a subject for therapy.
Here’s a harsh reality check: That young core is getting older. Life comes at you fast. Statistically speaking, NBA players tend to level off, improvement-wise, around year 5, or age 25. Here’s a whole academic study if you need something*
*I only read the abstract, but the information is there.
Alperen Sengun is 23, and over halfway to 24. Amen Thompson is the same age. By now, the Rockets’ front office should at least be considering the possibility that Sengun just won’t ever be as efficient around the rim as his best-case comparisons are. They have to be entertaining the idea that Thompson will never have a workable jump shot.
Ergo, they have to be considering the possibility that they didn’t draft “the guy”.
None of which is to say this choice is easy. This team is still talented. Houston could trade Durant for rotational guys and a first-round pick. They could forge ahead as a perennial first or second-round exit, hoping to strike gold in the draft. It’s legitimately not a bad plan.
Here’s the only strong conclusion I’m looking to draw here: If the Rockets don’t win a playoff series, Option 1 should not be attractive to them. It’s a waste of everyone’s time. If they can’t get that far in 2025-26, something substantive should change this summer.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Pakistan and New Zealand's opening Super Eights match at the T20 World Cup was abandoned on Saturday because of rain without a ball being bowled.
The rain started at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium as soon as Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first.
The persistent rain eventually led to the umpires calling off the Group 2 game with the teams awarded a point each.
Tournament co-host India plays South Africa in Ahmedabad in the first Group 1 match on Sunday, when co-host Sri Lanka and England meet in Group 2 in Pallekele.
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 6: Ryan Rollins #13 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 6, 2025 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Fresh of the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks continued their resurgence, running away with it against the New Orleans Pelicans. It was the Bucks’ triumvirate at guard that led the way, with Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., and Cam Thomas each going for 25-plus points in a game that offered strong performances across the board. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Rollins was phenomenal all night but set the tone early, calming the Bucks with his first of seven threes after the team had two poor possessions to open the game. He was aggressive but played within the flow of the offence, and his work as a student over the past two years has clearly paid off—his Lillard-esque step-back game was on full display. Want more? Without Myles Turner, Rollins turned rim protector too, coming up with two huge swats at the rim, and hounded New Orleans’ ball handlers all night, finishing with four takeaways. He’s become so reliable his glow-up is probably under appreciated.
Green wasn’t able to trouble the scorers, but it wasn’t as if he had a bad game—his game-high +22 is a testament to that. As has been documented, his passing game has really improved this season and he dropped an absolute dime to a cutting Nance after curling around a screen and rising up into his shooting motion. As we know, Green will find the bottom of the net more often than not, but if he can continue to add to his peripheral skill set, he’ll be that much more valuable a player.
Kuzma got the start at power forward and had quite a nice game overall. He finished explosively at the rim early and looked good on the short roll too, catching and making decisions in traffic. On one instance, he had a nice dump-off to Sims for a dunk. Like most of the Bucks, though, he offered little deterrence to New Orleans’ rim assault.
With Rollins and then Thomas cooking, Porter looked content to let the game come to him for much of the night. More often than not, he made the right pass and took the right shot. In the fourth, however, he took over, scoring 13 points and dishing two assists to put the game out of reach. In all, this was close to an ideal game from Porter—plenty of highs and very few lows—and he finished with just one turnover.
Sims continued his yeoman’s work on the boards in the first half and even had a beautiful touch pass to Rollins for three. Early in the third, however, he picked up his fourth foul while setting a hard screen at half court, which forced him to the bench with 8:56 left in the quarter. Still, he made his minutes count, posting a plus/minus of +21, which tells you the sort of impact he was having—even if he wasn’t quite the Zion stopper he was last time.
Thomas is just such a weapon to have off the bench and is perfectly suited to the role of microwave scorer. He absolutely dominated the second quarter—four paint buckets, two from midrange, and his lone three (to go along with three free throws). His ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line is such a positive, especially on this team. He won’t ever fill it up with boards or assists, but that’s not what he’s on the court for. Really, you can’t ask for more than over a point per minute on 65% shooting.
His opening dunk aside, it took a little while for the Ous to truly get loose in this one, but he got there. Dieng’s game is just silky and his versatility continued to shine. His quick feet defensively forced a travelling violation. He had a great grab-and-go then find of Nance, which should have resulted in a bucket. He hit a nasty step-back from midrange in the fourth and followed that up by getting into the paint and kicking it to Nance in the corner for three. He got to the line too. Overall, it wasn’t the explosion he had against the Thunder, but it was another quality outing. He’s a baller.
If a game encapsulated the Bobby Portis experience, this was it: offence giveth, defence taketh away. He was efficient, hit the glass, and even showed some explosiveness with a dunk and a block at the rim. But his limitations as a defensive presence also stood out against a Pelicans teams that lives in the paint. Still, in a win as convincing as this one, it’s hard to knock him too much.
I’m not sure anyone on this team plays the game the right way more than Nance. He does the little things well, moves off ball, and keeps balls alive. But it’s his processing speed that’s most impressive—he doesn’t hesitate, making decisions so quickly (and they’re usually they’re the right ones) that it creates opportunities for himself and others. He might’ve had the game’s most important sequence too: up just six after a Zion basket, Nance helped force a turnover and then cashed a corner three on the other end. At this point, it’s clear as day—the Bucks need to find a way to make him a permanent part of the squad next year.
Grade: A-
Doc Rivers
Rivers’ toughest decision likely came pre-game when he determined who’d start. Given his recent performances, Dieng might’ve been unlucky, but the move was the right one—match-up wise and as a reminder that if Dieng wants it he has to take it. His decision to bring Thomas off the bench also deserved (and deserves) some praise, as does the way he’s managed the rotations at the guard spots (including cementing Gary Trent Jr. to the bench and giving Gary Harris a DNP, which can’t have been easy considering how valuable he’s been as a steadying force). He’s had his struggles this year, but tonight Doc got it right.
Grade: A
Garbage Time: Gary Trent Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Andre Jackson Jr.
DNP-CD: Gary Harris.
Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo.
Bonus Bucks Bits
The break must have treated the Bucks’ bigs well because not only did Kuzma have two early flushes, but Bobby Portis jammed a put-back—just his sixth dunk of the season.
With three minutes to go in the first quarter, the Pelicans had doubled the Bucks’ points in the paint (20-10). It should come as no surprise—New Orleans leads the league in that category on the season.
After a strong start by the Bucks, a 22-11 run gave the Pelicans the lead to end the first quarter.
Jordan Poole stepped onto the court for first-quarter action after receiving DNPs over the previous nine games. He finished with just three points (1/6) in 25 minutes.
Zion’s 14 points in the first quarter were a personal season high. Thomas took notice and dropped 18 in the second (a second-quarter career high). Yeah, he’s a bucket.
Rollins looked smooth from long-range, hitting 4/7 triples in the first half on his way to a career-high 7/10. On the other end, the Pelicans struggled, shooting just 1/10 as a team in the first half and finishing a paltry 4/25.
After a KPJ fast-break dunk late in the second, Wes Matthews said, “I remember when I was that athletic.” We love you, Wes, but come on now.
The Bucks went 29/49 (59%) from the field in the first half, while the Pelicans went 29/47 (62%). Good shooting or bad defence? Considering they finished 55/92 (60%) and 47/87 (54%), it’s safe to say it was the latter.
Portis started a perfect 7/7 from the field until finally missing one—a driving layup attempt—with about seven minutes to go in the third.
The Bucks took the lead with 6:45 left in the second quarter and never gave it back.
A seven-point game with eight minutes remaining in the fourth, Milwaukee went on an 20-8 run to put the game away.
Despite playing in New Orleans, there was a distinguishable “Bucks in six” chant to end the game. I guess it is a city of culture.
Thomas now has 77 points in 79 minutes of action with the Bucks. Let that sink in.
Rollins, Porter, and Thomas combined for 79 points on 33/47 shooting (70%), while dishing out 15 assists and committing just five turnovers. They are 23, 25, and 24 years old. The Bucks picked up two of them after being waived and gave up just MarJon Beauchamp for the other. I won’t comment on CBS’s front office rankings. I just won’t.
Up Next
The Bucks are back in action Sunday, taking on the Toronto Raptors at home. You can find all the action on FanDual Sports Wisconsin—tip off is at 2:30 p.m. Central.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 09: Amon-Ra St. Brown attends Netflix's Receiver Premiere at Netflix Tudum Theater on July 09, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix) | Getty Images for Netflix
Before we get into the present day discussion, I want to start things off by paying homage. Going back generations at this point, Detroit has always been a top-tier sports town. From Hall of Famers like Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, to Stanley Cup Champion and current general manager of the Detroit Red Wings Steve Yzerman, there is no shortage of legends to choose from.
That’s part of what made that stretch several years ago so difficult for so many fans, myself included. When all four of the city’s teams—the Lions, Pistons, Tigers, and Red Wings—were seriously going through it at once (think back to the year 2020), it understandably became a tough pill to swallow.
However, six years now probably feels like a lifetime ago for those players who are still on the present-day rosters, and during that time, more than a few superstars have been born in Motown. With that in mind, it felt like a good time to revisit this topic—who is currently the biggest household name in Detroit sports?
My answer: I am going with Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham. Obviously, there are several bonafide options for the Lions, including players with national brand deals like running back Jahmyr Gibbs and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. For the Tigers, Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal for the Tigers certainly has a case to be made, but baseball lacks the global appeal of basketball.
With some of the old guard of the NBA beginning to wind down their careers, it feels like Cunningham is aware of what is a bit of a unique opportunity, and is the biggest reason as to why the Pistons sit atop the NBA standings. On top of that, Cunningham’s new signature shoe with Nike should help cement his status as a global star. And yes, maybe there is a bit of recency bias in-play here after Cunningham’s dismantling of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
What about you? Who do you think is the biggest star in Detroit sports today? Let us know in the comments below.
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 3: Josh Hart #3 and Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the Houston Rockets on February 3, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In Thursday’s loss to Detroit, every Knicks (35*-21) drive into the paint looked like a LaMelo Ball driver’s ed video. Tonight, they hope for better results when they host the Houston Rockets (34-20) at the Mecca.
This nationally televised tilt is a match-up of two third-place teams. The Knicks have gone 7-3 in their last ten games, while the Rockets have gone 6-4. When they last squared off, wayyy back on February 3, 2025, the Knicks beat Ho-Town 124-118. In that one, Jalen Brunson led New York with 42 points, while Amen Thompson paced Houston with 25 points.
The Rockets hold a defensive rating of 112.8, fifth in the league. Their offensive rating is 118, seventh overall. They average 114.6 points per game, which is just on the cusp of the league’s third tier. Ime Udoka’s club leads the league in rebounds at 48.6 per game and offensive rebounds at 15.8, but ranks 28th in pace and assists, and 29th in three-point attempts. (FWIW, Detroit attempted just 30 from downtown on Thursday, but made 40% of them—because defense.)
All-Star internet troll Kevin Durant averages 25.8 points per game and shoots 40% from three in his umpteenth season. Alperen Şengün averages 20.7 points and 9.4 rebounds. Thompson, whose twin Ausar helped to bruise up the Knicks on Thursday, averages 17.6 points and 7.6 rebounds. Jabari Smith, Jr. averages 15.2 points and shoots 36% from three, and sophomore Reed Sheppard averages 12.7 points and makes 39% from three.
Their starting five is expected to feature Thompson, Tari Eason (12.2 PPG), Smith, Şengün, and Durant. Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet are sidelined for the season with surgeries. Aside from Miles McBride, the Knicks have a clean injury report.
Prediction
ESPN gives New York a 60% chance to win. Okie dokie. Unfortunately, the Knicks have as many personalities as KD has burner accounts—you never know which version of the team to expect, given their fluctuations of energy, effort, and discipline from night to night. Sure, a win against a top team might mitigate some of the malaise we feel after watching the Pistons (playing without key players) completely outmatch New York again. But another loss feels inevitable, no? We just saw one tall, physically imposing team manhandle the Knicks. Now here comes another. From what and where can we draw optimism?
Best case scenario, New York wins with authority, regains our confidence, and has a smooth flight to Chicago for tomorrow’s tilt with the Bulls. Worst case scenario? Imagine that and pull it back a few notches—that’s our prediction. Knicks lose by less than ten.
Game Details
Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026 Time: 8:30 PM ET Place: Madison Square Garden, NYC TV: ABC Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
Mar 17, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks and their star point guard Kyrie Irving recently made it official – Irving would be out for the remainder of the season, looking for a fresh start in 2026-2027. While talking with fellow Mavs Moneyball contributor David Trink about what we could expect from Irving upon his return, I stated “I’m irrationally confident Kyrie is going to come back very much the same [as his pre-injury form].” Although David didn’t quite share my inflated enthusiasm, we both thought the point/counterpoint was worthy of exploration.
To be clear, I freely acknowledge my belief is at least in part every bit as truly “irrational” as I said – I am not a doctor, nor do I have true insight on the severity of the injury or how the surgery went. That said, there are a few truths which inform my stance: There have been zero reports of any type of setback whatsoever; Irving is notoriously committed to his craft and has shared rehab videos via social media for months now; he is regularly seen on the practice floor (though not in five-on-five situations) putting in work; his return will come seven months after the high-end recovery period for an ACL injury, greatly maximizing his overall rehab. Irving’s intent to return when he is 150% better will only be aided by the extended time off.
While one may argue these rationales are anecdotal, there is proof-positive evidence that a given player has every reasonable expectation of a return to form. Here is a look at other NBA players that experienced an ACL injury, only to immediately return to their pre-injury level of play.
Zach Lavine
Pre-injury per game stats 2016-2017: 18.9 PTS / 3.4 REB / 3.0 AST
Post-injury per game stats 2018-2019: 23.7 PTS / 4.3 REB / 4.5 AST
Lavine was only 22-years old when he tore his left ACL, prematurely ending his 2016-2017 season. He returned the following year, but only played in 24 games, with significant absences book-ending that season. Using 2018-2019 as his true return shows he improved across the board. Lavine had youth on his side and his game was still developing, so some of the improvements are expected, but his ACL has not impacted him again to this point and his best years were post-injury.
Kawhi Leonard
Pre-injury per game stats 2020-2021: 24.8 PTS / 6.5 REB / 5.2 AST
Post-injury per game stats 2022-2023: 23.8 PTS / 6.5 REB / 3.9 AST
Leonard suffered his ACL injury at the age of 30 (technically just days shy), which cost him the remainder of that year’s Playoffs and entirety of the 2021-2022 season. His first season back saw him average a single point per game fewer than the season in which he was injured, the exact same rebounds per game, and a bit of a drop off in assists per game (though 2020-2021 was an outlier in its own right, as his career high in assists and the only season he averaged five or more).
Jamal Murray
Pre-injury per game stats 2020-2021: 21.2 PTS / 4.0 REB / 4.8 AST
Post-injury per game stats 2022-2023: 20.0 PTS / 4.0 REB / 6.2 AST
Murray suffered an ACL injury when he was 24 years old during the 2020-2021 NBA season. The injury caused him to miss the entirety of 2021-2022. Upon his return, Murray performed as though he did not miss a beat. He played in 65 total games that season and saw no appreciable change to his output, except for his assists, which actually increased by about 30%. The year he returned was also the year his Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship.
Klay Thompson
Pre-injury per game stats 2018-2019: 21.5 PTS / 3.8 REB / 2.4 AST
Post-injury per game stats 2022-2023: 21.9 PTS / 4.1 REB / 2.4 AST
At 29 years old, Thompson suffered an ACL tear that cost him the following season in its entirety. Before he could spool back up, he then suffered an Achilles injury that kept him out yet another year-plus. Despite missing two-and-a-half seasons following two significant injuries, Thompson’s first full season back saw him play in 69 games with nearly identical stats as he put up before the injuries.
Closing thoughts
In fairness to the above examples, Irving is the oldest of the players discussed. However, I wanted to provide some range of examples in the assessment, including a player who experienced a near-unprecedented sequence of injuries to afford us a solid range. In all cases, the players were as good or better than they were pre-injury. For what it’s worth, a 30-year-old Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles injury (widely considered much more severe than an ACL injury) that cost him a season, and he too returned to almost identical form upon his return.
Modern treatments and rehab regimens are truly next level for high caliber athletes like those in the NBA. There you have the basis for my hopeful sense that when Irving takes the court again, it takes him no time to return to the player we knew prior to his ACL injury.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 20: Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball over Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of the basketball game at Spectrum Center on February 20, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Former Blue Devil Kon Knueppel passed Donovan Mitchell for the second-most threes made by a rookie in an NBA season with 185. Coincidentally, the three that pushed him past Donovan was made…over Donovan.
Keegan Murray holds the record with 206, set in 2023.
Charlotte has 25 regular season games left and Knueppel is averaging 3.4 threes per game. If he keeps that pace, he’ll shatter that record with 272-273 made threes.
He’s also averaging 18.8 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 43.2% on three-point attempts. The only players in NBA history to average at least 15 points and five rebounds per game while shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range were Larry Bird and Paul Pierce, which puts Knueppel in some pretty elite company – and he’s just a rookie!
We’re all coming around on the Brooklyn Nets’ 2025 NBA Draft, so widely mocked that the Phoenix Suns didn’t mind gasping at it on social media. The Nets themselves are probably feeling better about their draft too, if you believe last summer’s rumors that Brooklyn tried to trade one or two of their five first-round picks, but couldn’t find a suitor. Since then, Egor Demin hasn’t missed a three, and there have been flashes from the others too.
I know I feel a bit better about it, though it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. On January 23rd, I posted this: “32 rookies have taken 50+ two-pointers. Bottom three in 2P%: Danny Wolf, Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traore.”
For good measure, Wolf had the lowest 2P% among any NBA player 6’11” or taller, and Traore was tied for the lowest 2P% in the league. The case against the Flatbush Five was still very easy to make, and it wasn’t that they had redundantskillsets. That analysis was always lame.
Rather, Brooklyn drafted guys that struggled with either physicality, explosiveness, or both, and the one plus-athlete they did draft almost never handled the ball. That was a tough pill to swallow, particularly after watching the incredible physicality of last year’s playoffs. It’s a motor league.
It's a motor league.
-Speed and Distance -Depth for maintain 48min physical energy. -Sum of all ball-pressure by hand for detering pass/drive. -Bumping capability of both ends.
But two-thirds of the way through this season, none of Brooklyn’s selections look particularly egregious. I’m still concerned about their high-end outcomes — how much ball-handling will Egor Dëmin provide in a playoff setting? how much can Danny Wolf compensate for a lack of vertical pop around the rim? — but we’re not talking about high-end outcomes just yet.
Not every member of Brooklyn’s 2025 NBA Draft class will become a valuable rotation player. Some may never crack a playoff rotation. But all of them still have a chance. All of them have shown something to put faith in.
Egor Dëmin
This is most true for Egor Dëmin and his 3-point shooting. At BYU, he shot 27.3% from deep on 10 3PA per 100 possessions. Through 48 games in Brooklyn, he’s shooting 38.8% from deep on nearly 13 3PA per 100 possessions. This just doesn’t happen. It doesn’t make sense.
Yes, his stroke always looked better than those numbers did, and yes, he played through a knee injury at BYU, and yes, his pre-NCAA shooting numbers were better. It’s still unfathomable. Given his pre-draft profile, Dëmin may be in the midst of the most miraculous 3-point shooting season a rookie has ever put forth.
Get to know Dëmin, though, and it makes sense. The baby-faced Russian teenager will talk your ear off about his cat, or about English words he’s struggling to pronounce, or why roasting marshmallows around the campfire at BYU beats tapping the keg anywhere else, everything except his unprecedented shooting turnaround. Only then will Dëmin revert to a cliché, shrug his shoulders, and cite the work he’s put in. He really isn’t surprised by this.
It’s enough to warm a cynic’s cold heart, to believe that this cherubic sniper will take over the NBA with overwhelming levels of being dope, having fun, smiling, etc…
No rookie has changed their perception more than Dëmin through 50-something games. Sure, he makes a cool extra pass here and there and an intriguing kick-out with the snap of a wrist, but my man was getting Josh Giddey comparisons last summer. He is not a jumbo-handler, nor a primary ball-handler with excellent vision. Dëmin is a catch-and-shoot threat with everything else to work on, and while his worst games — when the shots don’t fall — are indeed worrisome, Nets fans don’t have to panic too much about that yet.
Look at this, man…
tough night vs OKC but Egor's shooting season is crazy
thinks about going to get the handoff, split-second decision to C&S instead, cashes it pic.twitter.com/xAE46P9XnM
Every live-game rep is valuable. And you can trust Dëmin, universally praised for his work ethic and attention to detail, to make the most of them. But in terms of analysis, we don’t need to see much more from him this season. Are there really going to be ball-handling/driving improvements before he spends much more time in the weight room over the next couple years?
At 6’9”, his block/steal/deflection rates are all average, giving him something of a defensive floor. He often guards opponents’ low-usage wings — against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, he started on Dean Wade.
I find his processing/playmaking to be most intriguing. The common refrain, for now, is that we don’t get to see his high-level passing much because he can’t get downhill, and while that’s partly true, it’s also an oversimplification. Dëmin has tossed some dimes as a spot-up guy, taking advantages of defenses rotating over to him — he loves looking off help defenders — but I think he’s also missed high-level opportunities. Ziaire Williams should probably have a layup here…
Dëmin has tossed just 54 rim assists in 1205 minutes, per PBP Stats, or one every 22.3 minutes. That matches, almost exactly … Cam Thomas. There’s no doubt Dëmin is a willing passer, particularly hungry to make kick-outs, but I’m most curious to see how his playmaking progress over the next season or two.
The Brooklyn Nets drafted a weird player at #8 overall, but that’s not an inherent negative. Egor Dëmin is a certified sniper and a powerfully optimistic young man. He scares the hell out of me sometimes, given how reliant he is on spot-up threes, but I’m rocking with him.
Nolan Traore
Nolan!! He was so bad early on. Teenage point guards are rarely productive, but it seemed like Traore was two years away from being two years away. On January 23rd, he was shooting 33.3% inside the arc. As I mentioned up top, that was tied with the minuscule Rob Dillingham for the worst mark in the league. Turns out my reverse jinx worked.
That night, he had the finest game of his career to date, putting up 21 points in that double OT loss to the Boston Celtics. With the necessary caveat that the stretch run before All-Star Weekend marks the true dog days of the NBA, Traore hasn’t looked back since.
The French teenager is 40-of-75 from two since January 23rd; he’s now shooting 44.4% on the season. At this rate, he could clear 50% by daylight savings time. What the hell happened?
First, Jordi Fernández gave him some tough love after a big loss to the Washington Wizards: “I need him to use his superpowers and touch the paint. It felt like he got caught shooting the unders. And a lot of times they’re going to go under because that’s what they want you to do. And if you keep shooting it, missing them, you know, sometimes if you keep doing the same thing and seeing the same results, I think that’s the definition of insanity … I’m okay with a pull-up three, [but] I don’t love it because he hasn’t shown that he can make it consistently.”
And here’s what that adjustment looks like for Traore…
Fernández is right: Per Synergy Sports, Traore is scoring just 0.79 points per off-the-dribble jumper, a 26th percentile mark league-wide. (Compare that to his 1.03 points per catch-and-shoot jumper, 38th percentile league-wide.)
But when Traore is using a screen, then a re-screen, then finding an angle to attack, you see his prodigious speed in action. Of course, he looks so much more comfortable than he did at season’s beginning, putting defenders in jail and getting to two feet to pivot around. His assist-to-turnover ratio is nearing 2:1, and those jump-stops in the lane are a big reason why.
Other than patience and poise, the big key for Traore is how far he can probe into the lane with a live-dribble. That was the most worrisome part of his prospect profile to me — here was a speedy, penetrating guard whose handle was suspect in tight spaces. Traore has done a much better job lately extending his dribble, though old habits still rear their ugly head from time to time. You can see the difference in these two plays:
Is Traore bendy/crafty enough to excel with his skinny frame? We’ll see. But this past month of play has been thrilling. Perhaps he’s not two years away from being two years away.
Drake Powell
I don’t really have a ton to say about Drake Powell because he doesn’t really do a ton on the court. He’s fallen below 15% usage, though that shouldn’t be a shock for a first-round pick with one of the lowest usage-rates of all time in his pre-draft year.
That by itself isn’t particularly worrying, though after some early season performances like his 15/3/3 game against the New York Knicks, where he moonlighted as lead ball-handler for the second unit, I thought we’d avoid Kris Dunn-level offensive responsibility. I mean, the flashes are there, including his 47% conversion rate on mid-range shots, per Cleaning the Glass…
Alas, the handle/processing is pretty far away from being able to shoulder any real offensive burden. Oh well.
I’m more concerned about Powell’s catch-and-shoot deficiencies: After scoring 1.18 points per shot on catch-and-shoot jumpers at UNC, he’s down to 0.87 points per possession (16th percentile) in the pros. Small sample, rookie year, I get it. But if defenses don’t feel the need to close out to Powell, it gets a little spooky.
Not to pile on, but the defensive creation hasn’t been there either. Low block/steal rates, and he’s tied with Danny Wolf and Michael Porter Jr. in deflections per minute, toward the bottom of the team. The rebounding numbers are low, too. So right now, the question is simply: What does Drake Powell do?
I don’t know yet. He probably needs to put on some real muscle this summer and next, but before then, Powell can keep taking advantage of Brooklyn’s increased pace. The Nets are no longer one of the slowest, fastbreak-avoidant teams in the league, and that should grant Powell more opportunity to explore.
Thanks to his archetype, raw athleticism, and flashes of on-ball defense, coaches and front offices will keep giving him the benefit of the doubt. That includes Jordi Fernández. But over the final third of this season, I’d like to see one consistent skill from Powell, whatever that may be.
Danny Wolf
Danny Wolf is no longer shooting the lowest 2-point% of any player 6’11” or taller, minimum 50 attempts. Hooray! (That’s because, since January 23rd, Christian Koloko and Hansen Yang have qualified. Wolf hasn’t passed anybody.)
Wolf had a couple strong games against a couple really bad teams before All-Star Weekend, where Fernández put the ball in his hands a bit more. He opened up about the experience: “The last month, two months, it’s a lot of learning. I was playing off the ball, and for me, it’s just like, I felt a little bit too sped up. But there’s gonna be games where that’s my role. And then when coach does give me the ball and trusts me with it, it’s on me to make the right play. I think for me, it was just — I know I’m a work in progress, especially off the ball.”
Wolf will have to make 3-point shots; only time will tell if he’s capable. But now that he’s not shooting 50% from three anymore, like he was when he burst onto the scene, it’s been pretty rough going on offense. Some of it certainly is being too sped up — you can see it when he tries to dribble through a crowd — but so much of it is a lack of vertical pop.
He gets fouled here, but at 6’11” with a full head of steam and taking off from the restricted area, you gotta try and dunk this or something…
So yeah, I’m pretty worried about his scoring profile. Not much else to say there.
That being said, Wolf’s defense in isolation has been a pleasant surprise of his rookie year. Anytime a (non-Jimmy Butler) player tries to size him up, it typically does more to stunt the offense rather than truly expose Wolf. Considering his above-average block/rebound numbers in a beefy front-court next to Day’Ron Sharpe, I’d say that end of the floor has been a positive in his rookie year.
Elsewhere, his assist:turnover ratio is also nearing 2:1, and as we saw at Michigan, many of his best passes go to Day’Ron Sharpe or Nic Claxton as pick-and-roll lobs or dump-offs around the rim. Given his 3-point heavy shot diet and particular passing strengths, I think it’s safe to say the Nets have a position in mind for him going forward.
Over the final third of the season, I’d love to see Wolf either sweep his arms through the lane and draw some more fouls á la Noah Clowney, use more deceleration driving to the rim, or get to two feet and create more kick-out opportunities.
Alas, Danny Wolf has to score to reach his high-end outcome. That’s his sell. Bully little guys and embarrass the oafs. The defensive flashes and occasional spot-up three (though he needs to improve his %s there) are cool, but let’s hope to see some more reliable finishing over this final third of the season.
Ben Saraf
Ben Saraf may be the true dud of the bunch, but it’s too early to be sure. He was picked #26 overall, and has struggled with both Long Island in the G League and with the Brooklyn Nets. However, he did just go for 18/6/8 in Long Island’s most recent game.
Saraf is shooting just 25% from deep with the big league club, and the stroke doesn’t look great either, though he’s in the mid-30s with Long Island. Either way, it’s an incredibly small sample that’s tough to draw conclusions from, but of all Brooklyn’s rookies, Saraf is the one who desperately needs to show some shooting improvement next season, if not right now.
He’s simply lacking confidence, especially when he’s up with Brooklyn. Perhaps this G League stint will do him well, as it did Traore before him, but right now, he’s not showcasing his strengths. Saraf’s drives are wayward; he was never the most explosive athlete, but he had more counters than this…
Where’s the behind-the-back, the spin, the jump-stop and pivot? Watch a couple highlights of Saraf as a prospect, and you’ll know it’s in there somewhere. He might not be an NBA-level scorer — Saraf is shooting just 38.7% from the floor in the G League, despite nailing some threes — but he’s gotta die trying.
Hey, eight assists per 100 possessions ain’t so bad.
Alright, maybe I’m not as high on this rookie class as I thought I was.
It’s still early, though. And Egor Dëmin has stones no spreadsheet can quantify; just look at the end of that Orlando Magic game. And Nolan Traore is improving, while Drake Powell just threw down a huge dunk…
Since I harped on his 2-point scoring here, Danny Wolf will probably just 10-of-10 next game out, same for Saraf.
The Flatbush Five are entering the home stretch of their rookie season. They may not save the Brooklyn Nets in one fell swoop, but such a drastic rebuild was never going to be easy. Plus, you can’t discount how they might improve playing next to the blue-chip talent the Nets hope to add in the 2026 NBA Draft…but it’s too early to talk about that.
For now, Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf are all just trying to make it work. Their next opportunity to show out comes on Sunday afternoon as the Brooklyn Nets face the Atlanta Hawks with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Nov 16, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
The post-trade deadline time can be a strange one in the NBA. The teams that didn’t make many moves are trying to get ready for the playoffs, hoping to peak at the right time. The ones that shook things up are looking to rediscover an identity or form one for the first time. And then some franchises want the season to mercifully end, like the Kings.
Sacramento came into the season with play-in hopes, loaded up with veterans and a few young pieces. To say that they fell short of expectations would be an understatement. The Kings are last in the West, and unlike other bottom-dwellers, they find themselves there despite trying to win.
At least they were earlier in the season. After the deadline, they shut down Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and deadline acquisition De’Andre Hunter, as they all underwent season-ending surgeries. One of their feel-good stories of the season was the emergence of rookie Dylan Cardwell, but he will be out for a month. Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan are still there, but those two couldn’t do much in Sacramento’s 37-point loss to the Magic on Thursday. They have some interesting young players that they need to develop the rest of the way, but no one who stands out as a cornerstone. The lottery can’t come soon enough for De’Aaron Fox’s previous team.
The Spurs are in a completely different situation. They have exceeded expectations and have the second-best record in the West, with a realistic chance to catch up to the injury-riddled Thunder. They did nothing at the deadline, so the chemistry they built remains intact, as shown in their convincing victory over the Suns after the All-Star break. All their rotation players are healthy and should be well-rested after not needing to be on the floor for heavy minutes to dispatch Phoenix in their first Austin game. And they looked locked in from the start and dominant the entire night, proving they are hungry as they prepare for the franchise’s return to the playoffs.
Late February and March basketball offers matchups between teams that have opposite goals and realities. The Spurs should prevail easily against a Kings team that wouldn’t mind another loss to keep the other tankers at bay. But there’s a reason they play the games, so San Antonio should come out focused and take care of business.
Spurs Injuries: Mason Plumlee – Out (Conditioning), Lindy Waters III – Questionable (Knee).
Kings Injuries: Domantas Sabonis – Out (Knee surgery), Zach LaVine – Out (Hand surgery), Dylan Cartwell – Out (Ankle), De’Andre Hunter – Out (Eye).
What to watch for:
The battle of the French centers. With Sabonis out, rookie Maxime Raynaud has been starting for the Kings and putting up some solid numbers. The big man has averaged 117 points and 8.4 boards when he’s been on the floor at tip-off, and in his last five games, he’s averaged 14.2 points and 9.8 boards. Wembanyama should dominate the matchup, but it should be fun to see him go against a talented 7’1 center who happens to be his friend.
The Spurs, finding their killer instinct. One of the few disappointing things about this iteration of the Silver and Black has been the team’s propensity to play down to its competition, resulting in too many close games. Against the Suns, that wasn’t an issue, as they started well and never relented on their way to an easy win. The same should happen against the lowly Kings, as the talent disparity is massive. Blowing out inferior or shorthanded teams not only allows for less wear-and-tear but is also typically a sign of a mature group. Let’s see if the young Spurs are making progress there.
Former Spurs vs. Former Kings. De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes combined for 48 points in the first matchup with his former team this season. Fox also had 11 assists. DeMar DeRozan had 27 in just 15 shots in the losing effort, and Drew Eubanks played 11 minutes off the bench. The former Spurs and the former Kings could once again play a part in determining the winner. DeRozan would need to fuel the offense for Sacramento to have a chance, and Eubanks would need to provide solid minutes against Wembanyama. For San Antonio, Fox’s scoring and Barnes’ shooting are not as necessary, but always welcomed. And if things get out of hand, we might even get to see Doug McDermott in garbage time.
If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!
The No. 3 Blue Devils (24-2) and No. 1 Wolverines (25-1) are set to play for the first time in 13 years when they take the court at 6:30 p.m. ET, not from Michigan's Crisler Center or Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, but from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in The Duel in the District.
This will mark the 31st meeting between the programs and the seventh in a neutral site, which includes three meetings in the NCAA Tournament.
The last meeting between Duke and Michigan occurred in 2013 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, when the Blue Devils took down the Wolverines 79-69 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Here's what you need to know about the "Duel in the District" between Duke and Michigan on Saturday:
Why are Duke-Michigan playing nonconference game in February?
The "Duel in the District" game between Michigan and Duke was announced on June 24, 2025. Capital One Arena is the home of the NBA's Washington Wizards, the NHL's Washington Capitals and the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team.
The matchup is set to take place at the arena, which hosts several high-profile NCAA events in the coming years, including the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball East Regional, the 2027 Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship and the 2028 Division I Women’s Basketball Regional.
Michigan makes its way back to the nation's capital for the first time since participating in the Coaches vs. Racism matchup against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 13, 2021. The Wolverines play in Capital One Arena (then the Verizon Center) for the first time since winning the Big Ten Tournament there in 2017.
Duke played in the 2024 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena, falling to eventual tournament winner North Carolina State in the quarterfinals.
Duke-Michigan basketball history
Series record: Duke leads 22-8
Duke and Michigan have faced off 30 times prior to Saturday's game. That includes three meetings in the NCAA Tournament (1992 national championship, 1964 Final Four and the 2011 second round) between the programs.
Here's a look at entire history between the programs:
Feb. 21, 2026 (Washington, D.C): No. 3 Duke vs. No. 1 Michigan
Dec. 3, 2013 (Durham, N.C): Duke 79, Michigan 69
Nov. 22, 2011 (Lahaina, Hawaii): Duke 82, Michigan 75
March 20, 2011 (Charlotte): Duke 73, Michigan 71 (Round of 32)
Dec. 6, 2008 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Michigan 81, Duke 73
Nov. 21, 2008 (New York): Duke 71, Michigan 56
Dec. 8, 2007 (Durham, N.C.): Duke 95, Michigan 67
Dec. 7, 2002 (Durham, N.C.): Duke 81, Michigan 59
Dec. 8, 2001 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Duke 104, Michigan 83
Dec. 9, 2000 (Durham, N.C.): Duke 104, Michigan 61
Dec. 11, 1999 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Duke 104, Michigan 97
Dec. 12, 1998 (Durham, N.C.): Duke 108, Michigan 64
Dec. 13, 1997 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Michigan 81, Duke 73
Dec. 8, 1996 (Durham, N.C.): Michigan 62, Duke 61
Dec. 9, 1965 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Michigan 88, Duke 84
Dec. 10, 1994 (Durham, N.C): Duke 69, Michigan 59
Dec. 11, 1993 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Duke 73, Michigan 63
Dec. 5, 1992 (Durham, N.C.): Duke 79, Michigan 68
April 6, 1992 (Minneapolis): Duke 71, Michigan 51 (national championship)
Dec. 14, 1991 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Duke 88, Michigan 85
Dec. 8, 1990 (Durham, N.C.): Duke 75, Michigan 68
Dec. 9, 1989 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Michigan 113, Duke 108
Dec. 7, 1970 (Durham, N.C.): Duke 95, Michigan 74
Dec. 10, 1969 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Duke 73, Michigan 68
Dec. 9, 1968 (Durham, N.C.): Michigan 90, Duke 80
Dec. 6, 1967 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Duke 93, Michigan 90
Dec. 3, 1966 (Durham, N.C.): Duke 96, Michigan 75
Dec. 21, 1965 (Detroit): Duke 100, Michigan 93
Dec. 5, 1964 (Durham, N.C.): Michigan 86, Duke 79
March 20, 1964 (Kansas City): Duke 91, Michigan 80 (Final Four)
Dec. 21, 1963 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Michigan 83, Duke 67
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 20: Alondes Williams #31 of the Washington Wizards dunks the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on February 20, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Wizards returned from the All-Star break with disastrous back-to-back wins in a tête-à-tête against the Indiana Pacers. In the one last night, the Wizards rallied from a 15-point second quarter deficit to win by 13.
In the NBA’s 2026 race for the bottom, Washington has fallen to fifth behind the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana, and the Brooklyn Nets. The Utah Jazz — an annual leader in tanking shenanigans — is lurking.
Alondes Williams poured in points during the team’s win over the Indiana Pacers. | NBAE via Getty Images
I sympathize with Wizards head coach Brian Keefe and general manager Will Dawkins. Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George sat. They traded away productive to semi-productive veterans for Anthony Davis and Trae Young — neither of whom has played even a second for the Wizards.
Justin Champagnie, who produces when he plays, departed last night’s game after just 11 minutes with a sore knee.
Keefe is left with no choice but to play kids, and what’s making The Tank a bit of a challenge is that some of those kids are playing pretty well — at least when going up against a Pacers team missing virtually every useful NBA player in the organization.
Kids playing pretty well, even against what amounts to a G League squad, isn’t bad. The Wizards need to lose enough to keep that first round pick, so things could get downright debaculous in the near future. Just to be clear, I want Dawkins to know that I can help. I have enough vacation time to become the NBA’s oldest ever rookie on a 10-day contract. Maybe two.
I mean, yeah my body might not hold up for more than a game or two (if that), but I will brick lots of threes, be easy pickings on defense, and consistently fail to get back on defense.
Also, if Anthony Gill serves as the team dad, I can (briefly) be the team’s granddad.
Thoughts & Observations
Full disclosure: I was on work travel and did not watch either of these games, so these observations are strictly from the numbers.
Amazing to think that the Wizards had a 61.1% effective field goal percentage, and the Pacers clocked in at 57.8% and the teams combined for a slightly subpar offensive night. Both teams committed loads of turnovers. Neither got to the free throw line or gathered offensive rebounds.
If the teams had combined for an average night offensively, they would have totaled 252 points. They tallied 249. Not a huge difference, but again — amazing considering the high shooting percentages from the floor.
Even more amazing: the Wizards shot 61.1% from the floor (eFG%) while also hitting just 6-29 — 20.7% — from three-point range. That’s because they hit 74.2% on twos. Yowza.
Washington’s ability to get inside was determinant — they outscored the Pacers 78-46 in the paint.
Kudos to Alondes Williams for having a great game halfway through a 10-day contract — 25 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists in 30 minutes.
More kudos to Kadary Richmond, also on a 10-day contract, for producing 6 steals in 31 minutes.
Even more kudos to Sharife Cooper — on a two-way contract — for notching 18 points and 5 assists in 27 minutes.
Yet more kudos to Keefe for giving 55% of the game’s minutes to guys on two-way contracts and 10-day contracts.
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
PACERS
WIZARDS
LGAVG
eFG%
57.8%
61.1%
54.3%
OREB%
19.1%
24.4%
26.1%
TOV%
19.3%
15.6%
12.8%
FTM/FGA
0.156
0.158
0.208
PACE
109
99.4
ORTG
108
120
115.4
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 listed in the Four Factors table above. 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 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
