Category: NBA

We’ve been here before.

That’s worth remembering. This is not the first time in the Rafael Stone era that there’s been widespread displeasure with Rafael Stone. It’s familiar territory for Houston Rockets fans.

Specifically, it happens on an annual basis at the NBA Trade Deadline.

To be sure, their recent thrashing at the hands of a Brown-less Celtics squad was aesthetically horrifying. Rockets fans would have done as well to throw on Terrifier.

Early in the season, the notion that Houston’s rebound-focused attack was “gimmicky” was controversial. Now, it’s axiomatic. Anyone should recognize that the Rockets are not going to win at the highest level with this strategy.

The basic recipe to totally shut down the Rockets:

1) Sag way off Thompson and Sengun
2) Press up tight on Durant
3) Victory https://t.co/pUkH82CFdR

— Andrew Soukup (@asoukuptx) February 5, 2026

There’s friend of the show (who I believe still reads these?), Andrew Soukup, with a succinct summary of the problem. A pair of non-shooters. For all the high-falutin’ conceptual stuff about dribble hand-offs, cuts from the high post, triangle offense, etc., the reality is that it’s difficult to build a high-powered, portable NBA offense with two non-shooters in the lineup.

So, the roster is flawed. That at least partly reflects on management. Yet, it would be an oversimplification to suggest that putting a flawed roster on the floor singularly characterizes a team’s general manager as “bad”.

Stone has done plenty well during his tenure.

Rockets have drafted well under Stone

Here’s a refrain I’ve heard several times recently:

“Four lottery picks, four whiffs”.

Firstly, Amen Thompson is not a whiff. That’s a consequence of fans overestimating the expected return on a fourth overall pick. He may not be “Russell Westbrook, Defensive Player of the Year model”, but he’s certainly not a whiff. Such an assessment of Reed Sheppard is also absurdly premature.

Otherwise, you can’t judge draft picks in a vacuum. They must be judged in the context of the draft itself.

It’s unfair to knock Stone for taking Jabari Smith Jr. with the third overall pick. The consensus could not have been firmer. There were three dudes in that draft, Bari was the third, and the Rockets had the third pick. All 30 GMs were making the same decision. Stone was not reasonably going to select Jalen Williams. He can’t be retroactively held to a standard of “shock the world or bust”. You’re locking him into a false dichotomy: either he’s a genius or he’s a bad general manager.

By the way, there’s almost nobody else in 2022 you’d rather have. Jaden Ivey just got traded for a Kevin Huerter sandwich with extra Mike Conley. Dyson Daniels is fun, but Houston doesn’t need a 12.7% three-point shooter in their backcourt. Tari Eason has been good…

Oh, wait.

How about 2024? If you wanted Matas Buzelis, gloat – but only a little bit. He’s still got a negative Box Plus/Minus (BPM). He’s racking up basic counting stats for the Bulls, if that counts as an accomplishment. That said, he’s certainly flashed potential, and if you think he’d have been a better choice than Reed Sheppard, you’re beginning to have a valid case. There’s nobody else I can say the same for. It seems unreasonable to come down on Stone because there’s one guy that he maybe (maybe) should have taken over Sheppard.

Then, there’s 2021: A Stone Odyssey. Not good. Bad.

A critical error. The cardinal sin of the rebuild. Evan Mobley was the choice.

I don’t want to hear “they wouldn’t have drafted Alperen Sengun”. OK – so they’d have compounded the error? Sengun and Mobley would be a great fit together.

On the subject of Sengun…

The Rockets had good lottery luck. Paradoxically, they also had bad lottery luck. Statistically, the balls bounced relatively well. In a vacuum, they got lucky.

Contextually, in the four years that the Rockets tanked, the only two lottery picks who’d have materially changed their fortunes were Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama. That is it. Paolo Banchero is a bad fit with Sengun, and he has not been as good as Sengun, so let us not utter his name again.

Mobley and Chet Holmgren are both excellent, but they’re ceiling raisers. It’d be nice to have either, but they wouldn’t fix this team’s systemic issues. For that matter, neither would Wembanyama, but he’s just so special that he’d change the team by virtue of being him.

Otherwise, you’re asking Stone to – well, draw blood from a stone. If anything, the fact that he walked away from the rebuild with Sengun in the fold is a testament to his drafting acumen.

So is Tari Eason. Give most NBA general managers everything Stone had. Most of them don’t walk away with Sengun and Eason. Other than drafting Green, Stone has made no discernible, significant mistakes that could be identified even without the use of hindsight, which is notoriously 20/20.

What about on the trade market?

Stone needs to make some signature trades

Stone’s approach to trading has been…meiserly?

There’s not one deal you can point to and call egregiously bad. It’s just that most of his deals have been in the vein of hey, I’ll give you a non-rotational player for an even worse non-rotational player and a heavily protected second. Stone has made a bevy of moves that you wouldn’t notice whether he made them or not.

He has made one noticeable move. You know the one. How does it look now?

Well, let’s see. The Rockets have practically the same Win Percentage (63.3%) now that they finished last season with (63.4%). Yet, that’s not a fair evaluation of the deal. Last year’s Rockets had Fred VanVleet.

The concept behind the Durant deal was always sound. Opponents were always going to sag off of Sengun and Thompson, as described above, and dare a shot maker to make shots. So, trading one of the worst shot makers in the NBA (sorry, residual Green Gangers) for one of the best ought to build on what was already a formidable squad. Even without VanVleet, that might be bearing out:

If not for the loss of Dillon Brooks.

There was no way to flip Green for Durant without including Brooks (or VanVleet). The money has to money. But the Rockets undeniably miss Brooks. They miss his point of attack defense, his (2024-25) floor spacing, and his tertiary shot creation. They miss his cultural impact.

There should be no referendum on Green. This team was not “better with Green than they are with Durant”. They were better with Green, VanVleet, Brooks, and Steven Adams than they are with Durant. At some point, the raw, aggregate net rating of so many players outweighs even a (post-prime, but still) Durant.

Circling back to the thesis: Stone didn’t injure VanVleet or Adams. He didn’t invent the CBA that required him to include Brooks in that deal. He was never going to let Brooks be the deterrent if he wanted Kevin Durant.

So, Stone’s draft record speaks for itself. The totality of his trade activity seems more positive than negative. Here, we have a defensible GM who’s put a deeply flawed contender on the floor.

How do we square that?

Rockets are a work in progress

The Rockets hold a lot of chips. So, by definition, they’re not all in.

Most of the key rotation players are young. They have a surplus of draft capital. Those are the chips; they aren’t on the table. Analogously, they checked on a small raise by giving up Jalen Green and Khaman Maluach.

So until they’re “all in”, the roster should be treated as an unfinished product. Hypothetically, say the Rockets replace Durant with a lesser version of a shot-creating wing in the draft. Suppose they do the same with any veteran on the roster and otherwise run this exact rotation until the core is in their 30s.

OK. Now, the criticisms are fair.

For now, it’s OK if the roster is flawed. If Stone were to trade either Amen or Sengun and picks for Antetokounmpo this summer, he’d better follow that up by acquiring players who complement Antetokounmpo. The roster can no longer be fundamentally flawed. The Rockets will be all-in.

Let’s see how we feel about Stone then.

With the trade deadline passed, the NBA world shifts their focus to the buyout market when teams waive players and they subsequently sign with teams trying to make a playoff push. These players historically never really make an impact on teams that go on to win the title, but it is fun to see where some recognizable names go and people like to talk about it.

The Celtics made four deadline deals, only bringing one standard contract player back in all four trades. They did also receive two-way player John Tonje from the Jazz.

While they did convert rookie big man Amari Williams from a two-way to a standard deal, they still are left with just 12 rostered players and need to have 14 players on the roster.

They can have less than 14 on the roster for 14 days in a row and 28 days total. Look for them to take advantage of that, especially with the All-Star break coming up.

Yet, even though they have the roster spots, they don’t have the money available under the luxury tax to be aggressive in the buyout market.

After the deadline, the Celtics are $842,292 under the tax — not enough to sign anyone on the buyout market. They have to get creative when filling out the rest of their roster.

67 days remain in the season.

The Celtics have three open standard-contract roster spots. Boston must fill at least two for at least 39 of the remaining 67 days.

By my count, Boston can squeeze in 90 "player-days" and dodge the luxury tax.

Talk about threading the needle!

— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) February 5, 2026

The easiest way for the Celtics to maneuver around the rules is to sign players to 10-day contracts.

For the Celtics rest-of-season roster:

I'd expect some 10 Day contracts to happen, timed around keeping 14 players on standard contracts. Then, when they have enough room, a rest-of-season signing.

They didn't go to all this effort to get under the tax to go back over it.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 5, 2026

You never know, but I would put to bed your Cam Thomas dreams, if you have those (I personally do not). I would love Khris Middleton if he is bought out by the Mavericks, but I also doubt that will happen as well.

If you are looking for a big buyout name, you likely won’t find one. In fact, I’d take a look at the Maine Celtics roster because I think that is where the Celtics could be signing players from to fill out the roster. One name that is on there that you might recognize is Keon Johnson, who was a 2021 first round pick and has four years of NBA experience.

Yes, it is fun to imagine big names like Cam Thomas, Khris Middleton, Lonzo Ball or Mike Conley making their way to the Celtics and playing a role for this team. However, Boston’s luxury tax situation probably does not allow for that so I would temper your expectations.

LOS ANGELES — In the NBA world, it feels like an eternity since Austin Reaves burst out of the gate to open the season. The conversations were about his All-NBA candidacy with an All-Star appearance seemingly a given.

However, a pair of calf injuries means that nearly two months had passed since Reaves had his last truly special game this season…until Thursday

Midway through the third quarter against the Sixers, it looked like the Lakers were on their way to another disappointing home loss. They trailed by double figures and with Luka Dončić ruledout for the rest of the game, where the production was going to come from was a mystery.

That’s when Reaves went to work.

With less than four minutes left in the quarter, Reaves overwhelmed the Sixers. He started by drilling a running pull-up 3-pointer, then he drove inside and converted on a layup, followed by an assist to Jake LaRavia.

In a span of 64 seconds, the game went from creeping toward a blowout loss to a tight contest.

Reaves saved his best for the last quarter. He drilled a 32-foot 3-pointer to beat the shot clock. Then he converted a tightly contested stepback three and, suddenly, Crypto.com Arena was his stage and everyone inside his audience.

Fans were in a raucous. Reaves was grinning from ear to ear, high-fiving teammates and celebrating whilereminding Lakers fans why they fell in love with him in the first place.

“He was unbelievable tonight,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the win. “I know he made threes tonight and hit a couple that were pretty incredible, but his drives and his thrust, [he] got to the free throw line…got in the paint and made plays and scored at the rim. It was really great to see.”

The result wasn’t secured until the closing seconds, but the Lakers held on and beat the Sixers 119-115. Considering the deficit, Luka’s absence and his limited availability, it was one of the best performances of the season by Reaves.

Philly treated Reaves like a superstar. They played as physically as the refs allowed. He was double-teamed all game long and was guarded full-court during crunch time.

It didn’t make much of a difference.

Reaves still ended the game scoring 35 points off the bench, the most by any Laker reserve this season. He went 12-17 from the field and made five 3-pointers, the same amount the Sixers converted as a team.

While the numbers were impressive, his willingness to do whatever it took to win stood out the most.

Reaves was applying pressure on the rim, leading to trips to the line and putting Sixers players in foul trouble. He continued to sacrifice his body in an attempt to draw charges and shift the momentum in LA’s favor. For many players, this would be a career night, but for Reaves, it was another day at the office.

“Winning’s the main thing,” Reaves said. “Regardless of stats, at the end of the day, did you win or lose is how I look at the game. There’s
not many moral victories.

“You can go have a great game and lose and I’m not going to say nobody really cares because there’s people out there that just look at the stats. But people that actually know basketball and appreciate the right things in basketball, care about winning basketball. And that’s what I’ve kind of prided myself on playing my whole career is trying to play the right way and have fun on the court.”

There’s still plenty the Lakers have to fix. The Sixers dominated for long stretches. LA’s defense was as resistant as a turnstile. And the Lakers’ starting center, Deandre Ayton, watched the entire fourth quarter like the rest of us.

Still, Reaves was spectacular. While basketball players’ careers have peaks and valleys, Reaves has had a projection chart that all Fortune 500 companies would envy with steady growth each year and no sign of plateauing.

“Anybody in this league that’s surprised about AR and his ability,” Marcus Smart said, “it’s a shame,”

Thursday was a reminder of just how special those abilities are.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The shorthanded Golden State Warriors pulled off quite a win on Thursday night. Despite playing without Steph Curry, they ended the game on a 22-5 run to steal a 101-97 victory from the Phoenix Suns. It was satisfying and emotional, to say the least, given that the trade deadline had just passed. The beat reporters could hear the celebration from outside the locker room, with Steve Kerr saying it “felt like we won a championship.”

So let’s grade the players who pulled off the feel-good win. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Thursday’s games, league-average TS was 57.9%.

Moses Moody

31 minutes, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 2-for-7 shooting, 2-for-7 threes, 42.9% TS, +4

Moody had a slightly easier task than he usually has when facing the Suns, as Devin Booker was out with an injury. But even though he wasn’t having to guard an All-Star, Moody still found a way to strongly influence the game with his defense. It wasn’t a good offensive game, but the defense and rebounding were special … and his amazing hustle play in the final seconds just might have clinched the game. That play bumps him up a half-grade.

Grade: A-
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.

Gui Santos

36 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-for-9 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 3-for-5 free throws, 80.4% TS, +2

Jimmy Butler III is out for the year with an injury and Jonathan Kuminga has been traded. As a result, we’re going to see a lot of Santos. And if this game is any indication, that’s a pretty exciting thing. He was everywhere on the court. Absolutely everywhere.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.

Draymond Green

24 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1-for-3 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 64.4% TS, -1

This wasn’t Dray’s best game, but you could see in his energy and on his face that he was deeply relieved to still be on the team. It’s been a long career for Green, and this was his first time being on the block at the trade deadline … something he said he hopes to never experience again. He was pretty happy to defer to teammates in this game, and it worked out well. Awesome defense.

Grade: B

Pat Spencer

32 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-for-11 shooting, 6-for-10 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 84.2% TS, -3

Spencer played his final game on a two-way contract, and will certainly be rewarded with a guaranteed deal now that the Warriors have cleared both cap and roster space. He celebrated by scoring a career-high, while running the offense well and making huge plays.

Under normal circumstances, he would get a good grade, brought down a little by the turnovers. But because of the situation, he gets a perfect one.

Grade: A+ for performance and feels
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

De’Anthony Melton

25 minutes, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 6-for-14 shooting, 2-for-9 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 53.9% TS, +21

Melton is playing out of his mind at the moment, and I’m so glad he stayed on the team through the deadline. That not only means that we get to watch him play this year, but that the Warriors likely think they can retain him next season, too.

The Warriors ended the game on the run of all runs, and I’d argue that Melton was the biggest reason for it. The stats may not be great (other than the plus/minus), but trust your eyes here: Melton was quite arguably the biggest reason they won.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Gary Payton II

19 minutes, 15 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 foul, 6-for-11 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 68.2% TS, +4

Just a sensational game from GPII in every area of the game. Despite usually being the smallest player on the court, he was second in the entire game in rebounds, behind only Phoenix center Mark Williams … and in less than 20 minutes of action! That included the biggest rebound of the game, on Dillon Brooks’ go-ahead three attempt in the waning seconds. His defense was as good as we’ve come to expect, and he had one of the best offensive games of his career. Safe to say, they don’t win that game without Payton.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.

Brandin Podziemski

12 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 0-for-3 shooting, 0-for-3 threes, 0.0% TS, -21

Podz was awful in this game, but you can’t really blame him. He was so ill that he took himself out of the contest, which is saying something for someone who is such a gamer. He was sick enough that Kerr said his status is in doubt for Saturday.

Grade: Feel better!
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.

Al Horford

28 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 4-for-10 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, 3-for-5 free throws, 53.3% TS, 0 plus/minus

It has been abundantly clear lately why the Warriors were so excited to bring in Horford this offseason. And I’m guessing they’re hoping like heck that he picks up his player option for next year.

Grade: B

Will Richard

27 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 2-for-6 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 50.9% TS, +16

I’m guessing we see Richard get a bigger role as the season goes on, and I’m excited to watch that. His defense in this game was just … stunning, really. To quote Bob Fitzgerald, how did this guy fall to the second round? An absolute baller.

Grade: A-

Quinten Post

6 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 foul, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 0.0% TS, -2

I’m excited for Post to get to learn fromKristaps Porziņģis. Should be a great opportunity for him.

Grade: B-

Thursday’s DNP-CDs: Malevy Leons

Thursday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Kristaps Porziņģis

New York Knicks (33-18, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (37-13, first in the Eastern Conference)

Detroit; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Knicks -1.5; over/under is 224.5

BOTTOM LINE: New York visits the Detroit Pistons after Jalen Brunson scored 42 points in the Knicks' 134-127 overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets.

The Pistons are 23-7 in Eastern Conference games. Detroit is the top team in the Eastern Conference with 57.3 points in the paint led by Jalen Duren averaging 13.4.

The Knicks are 22-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. New York has a 14-14 record against opponents above .500.

The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.9 fewer makes per game than the Knicks give up (13.9). The Knicks are shooting 47.2% from the field, 2.9% higher than the 44.3% the Pistons' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Pistons won 121-90 in the last meeting on Jan. 6. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 29 points, and Brunson led the Knicks with 25 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cunningham is averaging 25.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pistons. Duren is averaging 17.6 points and 9.7 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Brunson is averaging 27.4 points and 6.1 assists for the Knicks. OG Anunoby is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 7-3, averaging 116.6 points, 43.0 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 11.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.3 points per game.

Knicks: 8-2, averaging 115.5 points, 49.4 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.9 points.

INJURIES: Pistons: Dario Saric: day to day (not injury related), Jalen Duren: day to day (knee), Tobias Harris: day to day (hip).

Knicks: OG Anunoby: day to day (toe), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (eye), Josh Hart: day to day (undisclosed), Miles McBride: out (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Houston Rockets (31-19, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-12, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Houston hits the road against Oklahoma City looking to prolong its three-game road winning streak.

The Thunder are 30-8 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City averages 120.2 points and has outscored opponents by 12.3 points per game.

The Rockets have gone 17-15 against Western Conference opponents. Houston scores 115.2 points while outscoring opponents by 5.1 points per game.

The Thunder make 48.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.9 percentage points higher than the Rockets have allowed to their opponents (45.9%). The Rockets are shooting 47.2% from the field, 4.0% higher than the 43.2% the Thunder's opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Thunder won the last matchup 111-91 on Jan. 16. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points to help lead the Thunder to the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Chet Holmgren is averaging 17.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and two blocks for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Kevin Durant is averaging 26 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun is averaging 18.5 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 5-5, averaging 116.3 points, 43.0 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.5 points per game.

Rockets: 6-4, averaging 107.6 points, 48.1 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 10.2 steals and 6.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.8 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Luguentz Dort: day to day (knee), Ajay Mitchell: day to day (abdominal), Nikola Topic: out (groin), Alex Caruso: day to day (injury management), Jalen Williams: out (thigh), Isaiah Hartenstein: day to day (eye), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: out (abdominal), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate: day to day (wrist), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Tari Eason: day to day (injury management), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Charlotte Hornets (24-28, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (26-27, ninth in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte seeks to keep its eight-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Atlanta.

The Hawks are 5-3 against the rest of their division. Atlanta has a 6-6 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Hornets are 6-4 against the rest of their division. Charlotte is 1-6 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Hawks average 14.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Hornets give up. The Hornets average 15.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Hawks give up.

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Hornets won 133-126 in the last matchup on Dec. 19. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 28 points, and Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 43 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is averaging 23.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.

Ball is shooting 40.5% and averaging 19.1 points for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 115.7 points, 45.4 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.8 points per game.

Hornets: 9-1, averaging 112.7 points, 48.9 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.4 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu: day to day (dental), Jonathan Kuminga: day to day (knee), N'Faly Dante: out for season (knee).

Hornets: Coby White: out (calf), Tidjane Salaun: day to day (illness), KJ Simpson: day to day (hip), Xavier Tillman: out (personal).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Utah Jazz (16-36, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (26-24, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Orlando Magic host the Utah Jazz in non-conference action.

The Magic are 16-9 on their home court. Orlando is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 16.1 fast break points per game led by Franz Wagner averaging 3.9.

The Jazz are 6-19 on the road. Utah ranks seventh in the Western Conference with 43.8 rebounds per game led by Jusuf Nurkic averaging 10.2.

The Magic average 115.0 points per game, 11.8 fewer points than the 126.8 the Jazz allow. The Jazz average 118.3 points per game, 2.8 more than the 115.5 the Magic give up.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Magic won 128-127 in overtime in the last matchup on Dec. 21.

TOP PERFORMERS: Desmond Bane is averaging 19.2 points and 4.3 assists for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 23.8 points over the last 10 games.

Nurkic is averaging 11.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Jazz. Ace Bailey is averaging 15.9 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 4-6, averaging 110.3 points, 39.7 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.6 points per game.

Jazz: 2-8, averaging 113.8 points, 41.8 rebounds, 29.8 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.2 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: day to day (ankle), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).

Jazz: Kevin Love: day to day (illness), Keyonte George: day to day (ankle), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), John Konchar: day to day (neck), Vince Williams Jr.: day to day (not injury related), Jaren Jackson Jr.: day to day (not injury related).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Denver Nuggets (33-19, third in the Western Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (24-28, 11th in the Eastern Conference)

Chicago; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Denver looks to end its three-game losing streak with a victory over Chicago.

The Bulls have gone 15-11 in home games. Chicago is third in the NBA with 34.9 defensive rebounds per game led by Josh Giddey averaging 7.4.

The Nuggets are 19-9 on the road. Denver is 14-13 against opponents over .500.

The Bulls score 117.0 points per game, 0.8 more points than the 116.2 the Nuggets allow. The Nuggets average 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 fewer makes per game than the Bulls allow.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Bulls won the last meeting 130-127 on Nov. 18. Giddey scored 21 points to help lead the Bulls to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Matas Buzelis is averaging 15 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Bulls. Jalen Smith is averaging 10.7 points over the last 10 games.

Nikola Jokic is averaging 29.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 10.5 assists for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray is averaging 22.2 points and 6.9 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 4-6, averaging 115.1 points, 43.9 rebounds, 28.9 assists, 6.3 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.0 points per game.

Nuggets: 4-6, averaging 109.8 points, 41.9 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 7.1 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.2 points.

INJURIES: Bulls: Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Tre Jones: day to day (hamstring), Zach Collins: out (toe), Collin Sexton: day to day (not injury related), Josh Giddey: day to day (hamstring).

Nuggets: Cameron Johnson: out (knee), Spencer Jones: day to day (head), Tamar Bates: out (foot), Aaron Gordon: out (hamstring), Peyton Watson: day to day (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Golden State Warriors (28-24, eighth in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (30-19, fifth in the Western Conference)

Los Angeles; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Brandin Podziemski and the Golden State Warriors take on Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers in Western Conference action.

The Lakers are 4-6 against Pacific Division opponents. Los Angeles is fifth in the Western Conference with 51.8 points per game in the paint led by Deandre Ayton averaging 11.8.

The Warriors have gone 18-14 against Western Conference opponents. Golden State is the NBA leader averaging 16.5 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 36.5% from downtown. Stephen Curry leads the team averaging 4.5 makes while shooting 39.1% from 3-point range.

The Lakers make 49.9% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.9 percentage points higher than the Warriors have allowed to their opponents (47.0%). The Warriors average 115.9 points per game, 0.3 fewer than the 116.2 the Lakers allow to opponents.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Warriors won 119-109 in the last meeting on Oct. 22. Jimmy Butler III led the Warriors with 31 points, and Doncic led the Lakers with 43 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Doncic is averaging 33.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Lakers. LeBron James is averaging 18.5 points over the last 10 games.

Podziemski is averaging 11.8 points and 3.5 assists for the Warriors. Moses Moody is averaging 13.1 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-3, averaging 115.9 points, 42.6 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.6 points per game.

Warriors: 5-5, averaging 116.6 points, 41.0 rebounds, 30.1 assists, 11.5 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.4 points.

INJURIES: Lakers: Luka Doncic: day to day (leg), Adou Thiero: out (knee).

Warriors: Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Kristaps Porzingis: day to day (illness), LJ Cryer: day to day (hamstring), Stephen Curry: day to day (knee), Seth Curry: out (back).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Dallas Mavericks (19-32, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (35-16, second in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio is looking to extend its three-game win streak with a victory over Dallas.

The Spurs are 9-3 against division opponents. San Antonio is second in the Western Conference in rebounding averaging 46.5 rebounds. Victor Wembanyama paces the Spurs with 11.1 boards.

The Mavericks are 3-8 against opponents in the Southwest Division. Dallas is 8-9 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 14.3 turnovers per game.

The Spurs are shooting 47.3% from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point higher than the 46.3% the Mavericks allow to opponents. The Mavericks are shooting 47.1% from the field, 1.5% higher than the 45.6% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the third time this season. The Spurs won the last meeting 135-123 on Feb. 6, with Wembanyama scoring 29 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is averaging 24.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks for the Spurs. De'Aaron Fox is averaging 17.1 points over the last 10 games.

Cooper Flagg is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 7-3, averaging 115.6 points, 45.6 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 7.0 steals and 7.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.9 points per game.

Mavericks: 4-6, averaging 118.5 points, 47.4 rebounds, 25.6 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.7 points.

INJURIES: Spurs: Luke Kornet: day to day (ankle), Lindy Waters III: day to day (knee), Jeremy Sochan: day to day (quad).

Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), P.J. Washington: day to day (concussion protocol), Brandon Williams: day to day (leg), Kyrie Irving: out (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Washington Wizards (14-36, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Brooklyn Nets (13-37, 14th in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Saturday, 3 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn heads into the matchup with Washington as losers of three straight games.

The Nets are 9-21 in Eastern Conference games. Brooklyn is 1-2 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Wizards are 9-20 in Eastern Conference play. Washington has a 4-25 record against opponents above .500.

The Nets' 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.1 more made shots on average than the 13.7 per game the Wizards give up. The Wizards average 12.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.5 more makes per game than the Nets allow.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Wizards won the last meeting 119-99 on Jan. 3, with Justin Champagnie scoring 20 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is scoring 25.1 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Nets. Egor Demin is averaging 10.4 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 43.2% over the past 10 games.

Alex Sarr is averaging 17.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for the Wizards. Bub Carrington is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nets: 1-9, averaging 99.6 points, 40.7 rebounds, 23.4 assists, 6.7 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 42.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.7 points per game.

Wizards: 4-6, averaging 111.1 points, 43.8 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 9.8 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points.

INJURIES: Nets: Ochai Agbaji: day to day (not injury related).

Wizards: Dante Exum: out for season (knee), Anthony Davis: out (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (illness), Tre Johnson: day to day (ankle), Trae Young: out (quad).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Philadelphia 76ers (29-21, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (31-21, seventh in the Western Conference)

Phoenix; Saturday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Philadelphia aims to keep its five-game win streak alive when the 76ers take on Phoenix.

The Suns are 17-8 on their home court. Phoenix is third in the Western Conference at limiting opponent scoring, allowing just 111.4 points while holding opponents to 46.8% shooting.

The 76ers are 14-9 on the road. Philadelphia ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference with 12.3 offensive rebounds per game led by Charles Bassey averaging 3.5.

The Suns score 113.8 points per game, 1.6 fewer points than the 115.4 the 76ers give up. The 76ers average 12.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.5 more makes per game than the Suns allow.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Suns won 116-110 in the last matchup on Jan. 21.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mark Williams is scoring 12.3 points per game and averaging 8.1 rebounds for the Suns. Dillon Brooks is averaging 22.0 points and 4.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Joel Embiid is scoring 26.1 points per game and averaging 7.4 rebounds for the 76ers. Tyrese Maxey is averaging 20.7 points and 3.0 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 6-4, averaging 111.3 points, 41.4 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 9.5 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.2 points per game.

76ers: 6-3, averaging 117.2 points, 41.2 rebounds, 27.6 assists, 9.8 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.3 points.

INJURIES: Suns: Isaiah Livers: day to day (shoulder), Grayson Allen: day to day (knee), Jalen Green: day to day (hip), Devin Booker: day to day (ankle).

76ers: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

All of us have a player we like more than others on the team. All of us probably have a player we don’t like as much on the team. Tonight’s game pretty much united both, as with the exception of the deep bench, and maybe, Durant’s night, everyone on the Rockets was fairly dismal. It was a dismal loss, coming back to back on a another dismal loss.

You might look at Kevin Durant’s 31pt 11-21 shooting night and conclude he had a good outing. He didn’t, in my opinion. It wasn’t that he lacked effort, and didn’t make the typically very difficult looks he often gets, he did for the most part. But the fact that Durant is getting mostly tough looks is a deeper problem in itself, whether he can make them most nights or not. The bad part was that KD had 6 liveball turnovers (and a couple of bad plays that weren’t ruled as turn overs but sort of were) to one assist. I’m not a great turnover worrier, but these were almost all back breaking, progress killers. They were almost all of the “pressing to make a pass, to make it happen, to be a hero” sorts, but that pass rarely seemed to connect with anyone but a Hornet. Durant and Amen Thompson recorded 12 of their 18 turnovers.

Charlotte scored 17pts off those turnovers. The Hornets have been, contrary to expectation, rather good lately. They’re 9-1 in their last 10 games, compared to the Rockets 6-4. Since getting a taste of success, the Hornets have seemed hungry for more, and are playing hard. Playing with much more energy tonight than the Rockets, anyway. The Rockets were playing back to back, and the Hornets had rested three days, but if a team fancies itself as one that might go far in the playoffs, that excuse just doesn’t play. The Hornets themselves had 20 turnovers, but it didn’t hurt them as much, it seems. About midway through the third quarter it was clear to me that the Rockets flaccid offense wasn’t going to get the job done.

You might look at Kevin Durant’s night as a good one, turnovers aside. Well, then, that is arguably worse, because earlier in the season the Rockets would generally win games where Durant had a good offensive night. Tonight, despite that, it wasn’t close. The ten point margin was due to the deep bench crew, lead by Uncle Jeff, narrowing the gap, and forcing the Hornets to play their starters late. While that was the most enjoyable Rockets stretch of the game, the outcome never seemed in the balance.

Every Rocket starter besides Jabari Smith Jr, had a pretty bad game. Jabari might have bad nights, but I will say I rarely can fault his effort. I suppose Josh Okogie didn’t stink, but after scoring the opening five points for the Rockets, went on to score one point more all evening. Amen was 3-7 with 7ast against 5 To. Sengun was 3-11, but with 9 boards and 5 assists. Reed was bad, too. The exceptional lift he used to get on his threes is gone right now, and he’s shooting some almost as a set shot. They aren’t going in that way.

The Rockets, despite having less energy than the Hornets tonight, did try. They were all clearly trying. But the most recent Spurs game saw the move of attacking Sengun, and teams that are awake, and the Hornets and Boston are in that group, have been doing it, too. (Hat tip to AK.) We’re seeing tons of offenses call up Sengun in pick and roll actions, and then use a guard or small forward to beat him to the rim. If help comes at the rim, the pass goes to the corner, over and over. Or it doesn’t come, and it’s an easy basket. The reaction to counter this by the Rockets has been impossible to detect, by me, anyway.

Meanwhile, on offense, I counted very few moments when Sengun didn’t have four defenders around him in the paint. Clint Capela was the single Rockets player with a positive game +/-. Sengun was the only regular whose – wasn’t double digits. The deep bench was +12 against starters in garbage time, though!

What I’m seeing is a team with no answers on defense, or offense, other than, you guessed it, try harder. That’s an answer that can work sometimes, but it’s also exhausting if that’s appears to be a coach’s sole response to adversity. The Rockets look like a team for whom the stimulant blast of “TriHrdR” brand energy drink has flatlined.

If the defense is lacking answers, though, the offense doesn’t even know the questions. The Rockets totaled fewer than 200 points in two nights. Their opponents, in those two nights, did not score more than the average for NBA teams, and below their own season average. The Rockets weren’t close to winning either one, because the offense, when it loses the rebounding battle, as it did the last two nights, shows just how weak, inept, and fundamentally outmoded it is. Over the past two nights the Rockets, who trail only the Sacramento Kings in lowest number of 3pt shots attempted, shot around 40 fewer threes than the opposition, and in equal portions.

Let’s look at KD’s night one more time through the three point lens. He went 3-4. That’s nice, but the volume is nothing much. That means, though, he shot 8-17 from two, and that’s just not quite efficient enough to justify that many shots for two points. Not quite breaking even analytically isn’t good enough. Neither is Sengun going 3-11. Jabari Smith’s 6-9 from two is fine, but unusual. Simply said, to compete with that high a three point attempt margin against them, the team has to do something else exceptionally well. Score from two point range. Shooting a ton of free throws well. Having the sort of massive rebounding edges the Rockets enjoyed early on, (once again, opponents have adjusted to this by devoting the same amount of effort to the boards, to blunt that edge). The Rockets had none of these.

Bluntly, the Rockets do not run an offensive system in the sense of players knowing what to do and when to do it. Watch their organization on offense, and their lack of reaction to what teammates are doing. Nobody seems to know what actions they should run with what teammates, or what they should be doing except “spacing” around the arc for an offense that hardly shoots any threes by modern standards. I could go on, but simply put, the offense barely exists, and what does exist is outmoded and inadequate.

The average number of points scored in an NBA game this season is around 114. The Rockets lost decisively not breaking 100 points in two games. Their opponents scored fewer than average points, and yet the Rockets had no viable chance of winning either game.

The answer isn’t more defense when the team holds an opponent to under NBA average points. How much additional effort would equalize 40 fewer three point attempts in two nights?

The schedule features OKC in OKC on Saturday. I don’t see things improving immediately.

For the better part of three quarters of this game, it felt like the typical “first home game after a long road trip” performance from the Lakers. They lacked energy, focus and their superstar as Luka Dončić left the game late in the first half due to injury.

Then, everything flipped in the third quarter as the Lakers not only got back into the game but took control. A chaotic ending made things hairy at the end but the result was as unexpected a win as the Lakers have had in some time.

While Austin Reaves is going to take home lots of plaudits in this one, a lot of guys had their hands all over this victory.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

37 minutes, 17 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 block, 8 turnovers, 1 foul, 7-17 FG, 0-3 3PT, 3-3 FT, -5

This was a very rough showing from LeBron. He felt out of rhythm throughout and while he had a couple of highlight reel dunks, he also had some really frustrating turnovers, including one that nearly sparked a miracle comeback late.

Grade: C-

Jake LaRavia

23 minutes, 14 points, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 5-7 FG, 0-2 3PT, 4-5 FT, -1

LaRavia didn’t do much wrong in this. The main reason he didn’t play more was because head coach JJ Redick rode a lineup predominantly of bench players in the fourth quarter.

Grade; B+

Deandre Ayton

20 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 fouls, 4-5 FG, 2-2 FT, -13

You can look at Ayton’s game in two ways. He was either a player who was fine in his minutes before Redick stuck with Maxi Kleber on a night he was incredible or he was a starting center who just got benched for the third-string center.

Grade: B-

Marcus Smart

31 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 fouls, 2-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 1-4 FT, -15

There was a lot of Marcus Smart in this one. In another game, he probably fouls out of the game. But the officials were certainly letting him play in this one, so he was up to his old Marcus Smart tricks.

Still, he missed some late free throws and also had a part in the crazy turnover late that nearly let the Sixers steal the game back.

Grade: B

Luka Dončić

16 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers, 3-10 FG, 0-4 3PT, 4-4 FT, -10

We were well on track to a disappointing Luka game before he left with an injury. He was a pretty big part in the lethargic and lackluster first half from the Lakers in this one.

Grade: D+

Maxi Kleber

26 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 2-3 FG, +23

Put this one up there with his outing in Utah earlier this season as wins Maxi Kleber had a huge hand in. The stats don’t tell the whole story in this one, but each one of his rebounds came on the offensive end and it felt like all four led to a bucket.

An enormous effort on a night when they needed him with Jaxson Hayes suspended.

Grade: A

Rui Hachimura

35 minutes, 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 5-7 FG, 2-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, +16

Another solid night off the bench for Rui, who started in place of Luka in the second half. He had some really big baskets late in the third quarter as part of a run that really flipped the tide.

Grade: A-

Jarred Vanderbilt

23 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 3-7 FG, 0-3 3PT, +16

A truly chaotic Vando game, especially in the fourth quarter. He was a big part of the second half comeback, especially defensively. But if I never see another corner three from Vando, that’ll be too soon.

Grade: B+

Austin Reaves

25 minutes, 35 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers, 12-17 FG, 5-8 3PT, 6-7 FT, +5

Saving the best for one of the last, it’s hard to describe just how good Reaves was in this one. He only returned to the court days ago after over a month and just had one of his best games of the season. He was everything the Lakers needed both with and without Luka, including a pair of huge 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter.

Grade: A+

Dalton Knecht

He had one shift, made multiple mistakes defensively and then didn’t play again. The only surprise of the day for Knecht is that he wasn’t traded.

JJ Redick

I had some questions about the zone and how ineffective the team was defensively, but there’s only so much he can do on that end. I always appreciate when a coach rides the hot hands, which he certainly did in the second half. He also managed Reaves well to keep him under his minutes restriction while keeping him on the floor for the end of the game.

Grade: B+

Thursday’s DNPs: Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr., Drew Timme

Thursday’s inactives: Jaxson Hayes, Adou Thiero

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.