Category: NBA

After a hard-fought win in Orlando, the Houston Rockets travel to South Beach for a game about 40 hours later. This is a recipe for disaster. At least James Harden isn’t on the team anymore.

The Heat are 31-29 and are coming off back-to-back losses against the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. They play offense at the league’s fastest pace and take (and make) the most shots in the league. They grab the most defensive rebounds and are fourth on defense.

Norman Powell got hurt against the Sixers so Miami’s offense will mostly revolve around Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Amen Thompson’s nemesis, Tyler Herro.

The early games are basically always losses for the Rockets, regardless of roster. I expect Miami to come out hot after two losses and treat this game a bit more seriously than Houston. If the Rockets come out sloppily, this could be over in a hurry.

Tip-off

2:30pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network and Amazon Prime Video

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Jabari Smith Jr.: OUT

Heat

Nikola Jovic: GTD

Norman Powell: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

Hou -3.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Monday night in Washington D.C. against the Wizards

DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 33 points and 16 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons outlasted the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 122-119 on Friday night in a game that was delayed for 18 minutes in the third quarter because of a blaring horn.

During a timeout with Detroit up 65-64, a power surge caused the overhead scoreboard to malfunction, with the horn remaining on after signaling the teams to return to the floor. Eventually, the scoreboard was shut down to stop the horn and a manual airhorn was used when play resumed.

Cade Cunningham had 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for East-leading Detroit before fouling out.

Cleveland — which will host Detroit on Tuesday night — led by nine points with 2:44 left in regulation, and Cunningham fouled out with 1:56 to play, but the Pistons outscored the Cavaliers 16-7 to force overtime.

With Cleveland up 114-111 with 4.7 seconds left in regulation, Jaylon Tyson tried to intentionally foul Daniss Jenkins near halfcourt, but Jenkins was able to shoot and draw three free throws that he made.

In overtime, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

CELTICS 148, NETS 111

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and Boston rolled past Brooklyn.

Nikola Vucevic finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double since joining the Celtics. Payton Pritchard added 22 points for Boston, which has won five of six since returning from the All-Star break.

The Celtics shot a season-high 66.7% from the field and connected on 22 3-pointers. They also got 77 points from their bench.

Michael Porter Jr. finished with 18 points for Brooklyn, which has lost seven straight games.

The Celtics took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Nets 43-26. Brooklyn managed only seven points over the final 6:23 of the period.

Boston shot 15 of 19 from the field with 12 assists in the pivotal quarter and connected 5 of 7 attempts from the 3-point line

Boston’s lead grew to as many as 41 points in the fourth.

KNICKS 127, BUCKS 98

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and OG Anunoby added 24 as New York routed Milwaukee.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Landry Shamet added 15 points, Josh Hart finished with 12 and Mikal Bridges and Mohamed Diawara each had 10 for the Knicks, who shot 21 for 42 from 3-point distance.

Myles Turner had 18 of his 19 points in the first half, Kyle Kuzma scored 17, Bobby Portis 14 and Ryan Rollins 13 to pace the Bucks. Milwaukee had won eight of 10 coming in and was playing its fifth game in eight days, including four in a row at home. Kevin Porter Jr. chipped 11 points and 10 assists.

The Bucks entered the game as one of the hottest offensive team in the league, but it was the Knicks who controlled play early.

New York jumped out to a 38-30 lead after one quarter fueled by 22 points from Brunson, the most by a New York player in any quarter this season. Brunson made 9 of 10 shots, including all three 3-pointers he attempted.

GRIZZLIES 124, MAVERICKS 105

DALLAS (AP) — Cam Spencer scored 25 points off the bench and Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Memphis to a victory over Dallas.

Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points and Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson each had 12 to help Memphis snap a three-game skid.

The Grizzlies, who had lost seven of their previous eight, led the entire game and won despite being short-handed with star guard Ja Morant out for a 16th consecutive game with an injured left elbow, and Zach Edey (ankle) and Cedric Coward (knee) also sidelined.

Taj Gibson, signed by Memphis on Thursday to help deal with the absences, wasn’t active.

Brandon Williams scored 16 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Mavericks, who have lost seven straight at home. Daniel Gafford added 14 points, Dwight Powell had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Max Christie also scored 13 points.

Rookie Cooper Flagg missed his sixth straight game with a sprained foot.

THUNDER 127, NUGGETS 121

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points in his return after missing nine games with an abdominal strain and Oklahoma City defeated Denver in overtime in a testy matchup that featured multiple technical fouls and an ejection.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, didn’t play in overtime, but the Thunder still pulled through in the extra period.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who got into an altercation with Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort in the fourth quarter, had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists. Dort was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, listed as questionable with an illness before the game, led the Nuggets with 39 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander started and drew loud applause when his name was announced in pregame introductions. His first basket came on a driving layup two minutes into the game.

The teams are very familiar with each other — the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 4-3 in the Western Conference semifinals last year. The Thunder won the first two meetings this season and they play twice more.

While many expected the Cavaliers to struggle against the Pistons without their star backcourt. Instead, the Cavaliers went toe to toe with the relentless Pistons, eventually falling to the number one seed in the East 122-119 in overtime.

Winners

The Cavalier Bigs

Many would think that without James Harden and Donovan Mitchell on the floor, it would be difficult for the bigs to generate the quality looks they’ve enjoyed throughout February. However, this game was decided by Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Thomas Bryant. The trio combined for 61 of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 122 points against a stout Detroit Pistons frontcourt defense.

Whether it was Allen leading the team with 25 points, Mobley knocking down 4 of 8 from beyond the arc, or Bryant providing a spark off the bench with 13 points and eight rebounds, Cleveland received outstanding contributions across the board. This is exactly what you hope to see from your All-Stars when your All-NBA-caliber stars are sidelined for the night.

Sam Merrill’s dependability

In the absence of other primary offensive weapons, Sam Merrill continues to prove just how elite a shooter he is in this league. The constant motion he plays with within the offense creates quality looks regardless of who shares the floor with him. Tonight, Merrill went 6-for-12 from the field, and nearly every attempt came off movement that generated clean windows to fire away.

We even saw Merrill leverage his perimeter gravity to create quality opportunities inside the three-point line. That’s what separates high-level shooters from situational ones — the ability to bend a defense simply by relocating. It’s reassuring to know that Merrill isn’t solely dependent on others to manufacture his looks; he has the skill set and awareness to operate autonomously within virtually any system.

The Cavaliers Energy

The Cavaliers used to be where the Pistons are, a team that hangs its hat on its heart and hustles every night. Nowadays, it looks like that level of effort can come and go in place of nuclear offensive levels. On Friday night, this was an effort reminiscent of the Cavaliers’ JB Bickerstaff era. Ironically enough, it was against JB, but the Cavaliers matched the Pistons’ grit and grind mentality.

The Cavaliers were fighting for loose balls, getting dirty on the glass, and were not playing complacently. This was a pleasant surprise for a team that at times was sleepwalking during stretches of the season. Hopefully, this is a real sign that the Cavaliers’ mentality has shifted. Whether it is the new players in the locker room or this team has turned the page, the Cavaliers look like they are getting locked in for the postseason.

Losers

Late game execution

The Cavaliers had this game in the bag up four late in the fourth quarter. Cade Cunningham had fouled out for Detroit, the Pistons made up for the lack of offensive direction by creating havoc for the Cavaliers. The Cavalier generated little to no offense in the final two minutes; they turned the ball over multiple times due to the pressure Detroit exhibited.

The nail in the coffin was Jaylon Tyson fouling up three with 4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Daniss Jenkins proceeded to knock down all three free throws. By the time overtime hit, the Cavaliers did what they could to stay afloat; however, without Allen, the offense did not look the same. This was a sour end to what was shaping up to be one of the most impressive wins of the season.

Everyone in attendance for 12 minutes

The horn is stuck at the Pistons game 😂

🎥 @androotid5pic.twitter.com/NKadsAfx1h

— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) February 28, 2026

For those who didn’t watch the game in real time, there was about a 12 minute stretch in the third quarter where the horn was relentlessly blaring. The ESPN broadcast was having a field day capturing the looks of coaches, players, and fans looking miserable. As they should, by the way, that horn was BLASTING.

The icing on the cake was this was when ESPN decided to conduct their interview with Donovan Mitchell, and it went as one would expect. Mitchell tried his best, but imagine talking with anyone with that blasting your eardrums, and having to conduct an interview. Eventually, they resolved the issue, but I am sure that the arena operator will be having a heavy beverage tonight after looking like he was in hell for those 12 minutes.

The arena horn won't turn off in Detroit 😭 pic.twitter.com/wRrWg3uCtQ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 28, 2026

The Memphis Grizzlies (22-36) disassembled what was left of the Dallas Mavericks (21-38) on the second night of a back-to-back set on Friday, taking a 124-105 win at American Airlines Center. Cam Spencer led eight Grizzlies in double figures with 25 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range in the win. Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 16 points and eight rebounds in the loss. It was, in a word, unwatchable.

The first quarter was exactly as ugly as it felt. Dallas managed just 6-of-24 (25%) shooting and went 2-of-10 from distance, finishing with only 20 points in the frame. The offense had no rhythm whatsoever. Naji Marshall went 0-for-4, Max Christie went 0-for-4, and the Mavericks could not generate clean half-court looks. Even the makes felt scattered rather than sustainable. Williams and Khris Middleton did what little damage the Mavs could manage. Middleton went 2-of-6 for five points, while Williams added five of his own on 2-of-4 shooting. It was slow, disjointed, and offensively painful to watch, and the 20-point output reflected exactly how stagnant the opening twelve minutes were.

The second quarter did not fix anything. Dallas had just 30 total points through 18 minutes and made only two field goals in the first half of the period, while Memphis feasted on open 3-pointers and layups. By halftime, the numbers showed the gap. Memphis shot 50.0 percent from the field and 7-of-19 from 3-point land, while Dallas managed just 33.3 percent overall and 3-of-15 from deep. The Grizzlies moved the ball for 15 assists and consistently generated clean looks. At the same time, the Mavericks’ halfended the same way it began, with turnovers and empty possessions piling up, sending Dallas into the break trailing 64–44.

Dallas couldn’t make a game of it in the second half, either. The Mavericks came out of halftime stuck in the mud again. Memphis continued to generate clean looks while the Mavericks’ offense stayed shaky. The third quarter was more of the same script as the second: Memphis kept getting downhill, turning broken Dallas possessions into easy chances, and the lead kept creeping wider, swelling as large as 34 points.

Memphis managed their blowout in-hand throughout the fourth, while Dallas tried to find anything functional with its bench unit. The Grizzlies stayed comfortable, kept scoring at the rim, and kept winning the possession game with rebounds and extra chances, while the Mavericks traded isolated buckets for empty trips. Dallas did get some late interior scoring and effort plays, but by then the margin was already massive, and Memphis never let it get interesting. In the end, the second half felt like a continuation of the first, just with the deficit growing from bad to out of reach.

Two important losses

The Mavericks are in the part of the calendar where “watchability” stops being the point and lottery balls take over. If Dallas is serious about landing the best pick it can get in June’s NBA Draft, you do not get there by stealing feel-good wins in late February. You get there by banking losses, stacking ping pong ball combinations, and minimizing the nights where you accidentally look competent because one role player got hot.

The urgency is amplified by what Dallas does and does not control going forward. The franchise already owes Charlotte a 2027 first-round pick that is only top-two protected, which means the moment Dallas is merely bad instead of atrocious, that pick is gone. Beyond that, the pick sheet is littered with swaps and obligations in the late 2020s, which is why every season where Dallas actually has a clean shot at a premium pick feels like a rare window. In plain terms, you cannot afford to waste the years where you still own your own outcome, because the bill comes due later.

That is why nights like this, back to back, where half the roster sits, and the remaining starters play 20 to 25 minutes, are not just “embarrassing losses.” They are a front office choosing the only path that realistically matters. Dallas is not one hot streak away from a title, and pretending otherwise drags you toward the worst possible place in the NBA, the middle, where you pick 10th, pay veterans, and pray for miracles. The Mavericks do not need moral victories. They need lottery leverage because the next cornerstone after Cooper is far more likely to arrive via a top pick than via internal development from a patchwork roster. In a season like this, the tank is not a vibe. It is the plan.

The Mavericks need shooting

The Grizzlies did not just beat Dallas; they shot them out of the AAC. Memphis spaced the floor, forced weak closeouts, and punished every late rotation with confident catch-and-shoot threes. When a team is already playing downhill and getting paint touches, the difference between a competitive game and a runaway is whether those kickouts fall. They did. The Mavericks were constantly in scramble mode, and every time they collapsed to stop a drive, the ball found an open shooter who was ready and willing. That is what real spacing does. It turns decent offense into efficient offense and efficient offense into a blowout.

That is the lesson Dallas needs to internalize heading into the offseason, especially if Cooper Flagg is the centerpiece of the rebuild. Flagg’s value will be maximized by driving lanes, short-roll playmaking, and the ability to attack tilted defenses. None of that works if defenders can sit in the gaps and ignore weak-side shooters. The Mavericks cannot half-commit to spacing around him. They need legitimate movement shooters, reliable corner threats, and frontcourt players who can stretch the floor just enough to keep help honest. If this season is about lottery positioning, this summer has to be about shooting infrastructure. Build it correctly, and Flagg elevates everyone. Ignore it, and you are asking a young star to score through traffic every night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a thriller to the Detroit Pistons.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Detroit Buzzer Operator

0 problems solved, 15-minute delay, 40,000 ears damaged

I don’t even know the official job title of whoever was in charge of the buzzer. All I know is they should start finding a new job after tonight.

Grade: F

Dennis Schroder

12 points, 9 assists, 1 rebound, 8 turnovers

The Cavs have turned to Schroder to carry them while they are without Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. That has led to some pretty ugly box scores, like tonight. I can’t in good faith ignore 8 turnovers or 4-16 shooting.

But maybe I’m delusional, because I thought this game was better than the stat line suggests. Schroder’s usage was insanely high because the team didn’t have many other options. And for all the mistakes he made, the team’s best moments were often being funneled through Schroder’s aggression.

In short, the highs were high, and the lows were low. I don’t think a letter grade can accurately describe this one from Schroder.

Grade: C+

Jarrett Allen

25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block

Allen ends the month with another strong performance. For all the lack of “toughness” we hear about, Allen has always seemed to fare well against the Pistons. If he hadn’t fouled out in the fourth, Cleveland might have gotten over the hump.

Grade: A

Evan Mobley

23 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks

This game ended in misery, but Mobley showed his brightest flashes of the season since returning from his latest calf injury. A big scoring night on 4-of-8 three-point shooting should make everyone feel happy. I only wish he hadn’t disappeared in the final few minutes, especially overtime, where he only attempted one field goal at the buzzer.

Grade: B+

Jaylon Tyson

15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

Tyson was steady for most of this game. He hit a few momentum-swinging jumpers and was one of Cleveland’s better defensive options. It wasn’t until his errant foul at halfcourt that everything unraveled. Even then, Tyson nailed a huge three-pointer in overtime to keep this game close.

Grade: C+

Craig Porter Jr.

5 points, 12 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 turnovers

It’s not easy to have your minutes stripped midway through the season. Porter had earned a place in the rotation before Cleveland’s latest acquisitions at the deadline. But injuries have opened the door again for Porter to see the court — and he’s responded with 21 assists across his last two games.

The limitations are obvious. Porter isn’t a three-point threat or an elite finisher. He had his shot rejected twice in overtime. That hurts.

Grade: B

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

We’ve reached the point of diminishing returns on Tomlin. His inexperience has become more noticeable as the season goes on. Make no mistake, he’s been a massive success story. But his current limitations are starting to show.

Grade: F

Sam Merrill

20 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals

Merrill is a big reason this offense was able to function tonight. His three-point shooting bailed them out of a couple of poor stretches. He even shook Duncan Robinson on a mid-range jumper that unfortunately didn’t count.

Grade: A-

Thomas Bryant

13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Bryant was getting shots up tonight (12 field goal attempts). But the Cavs have needed a backup big man who can deliver games like this. I’m a fan.

Grade: A+

DALLAS (AP) — Cam Spencer scored 25 points off the bench and Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 124-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points and Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson each had 12 to help Memphis snap a three-game skid.

The Grizzlies, who had lost seven of their previous eight, led the entire game and won despite being short-handed with star guard Ja Morant out for a 16th consecutive game with an injured left elbow, and Zach Edey (ankle) and Cedric Coward (knee) also sidelined.

Taj Gibson, signed by Memphis on Thursday to help deal with the absences, wasn't active.

Brandon Williams scored 16 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Mavericks, who have lost seven straight at home. Daniel Gafford added 14 points, Dwight Powell had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Max Christie also scored 13 points.

Rookie Cooper Flagg missed his sixth straight game with a sprained foot.

The Mavericks were within eight points at 44-36 with 5:23 left in the second quarter on Miles Kelly's 3-pointer. But that was as close as Dallas would get the rest of the way.

The Grizzlies used a 20-8 run to lead by 20 at halftime at 64-44, and extended their advantage to a game-high 34 points twice in the third quarter.

Up next

Grizzlies: Play at Indiana on Sunday night.

Mavericks: Host Oklahoma City on Sunday night.

—

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lawson Crouse scored twice, U.S. Olympian Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists and the Utah Mammoth beat Minnesota 5-2 on Friday night to end the Wild's winning streak at six games.

Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton also scored and Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves to help the Mammoth rebound from a 4-2 home loss to NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. Utah holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Seattle.

U.S. Olympian Matt Boldy scored and assisted on Kirill Kaprizov's goal for Minnesota. Second behind Central Division-rival Colorado in the West, the Wild are 9-2-1 in their last 12. They beat the Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday night in Denver.

Cooley opened the scoring with a short-handed goal with 6:37 left in the first period. The former University of Minnesota star got the puck on the right side off a deflection and put a shot between Wallstedt’s legs for his 15th goal.

Keller scored his 18th at 4:26 of the second. Nick Schmaltz forced a turnover on a forecheck and fed Keller on the right side.

Crouse made it 3-0 at 7:49 of the second. He came down the middle, took a pass from Keller and beat Wallstedt with a backhander.

Kaprizov countered for Minnesota on a power play with 5:57 left in the second. He has 33 goals this season.

Hayton made it 4-1 on a power play at 1:19 of the third, and Crouse added his 16th of the season on a tip with 7:12 to go.

Boldy got his 35th of the season with 5:57 remaining.

Up next

Wild: Host St. Louis on Sunday.

Mammoth: Host Chicago on Sunday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhla

The game between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers experienced technical difficulties during the second half at the Little Caesars Arena on Friday, Feb. 27.

The Pistons held a 65-64 lead against the Cavaliers with 7:24 in the third quarter when the horn at the scorers' table had a malfunction.

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was interviewed by ESPN during the third period when the horn started and would not stop.

The interview continued for several moments before Mitchell asked, “Do you guys hear the horn?”

The delay went on for at least 12 minutes before the arena staff managed to restart the scoreboard to stop the ongoing sound.

The staff then had to get the scoreboard back up and running before the game could continue. The area used a physical air horn to finish out the game.

Pistons defeat Cavaliers

The game went into overtime, where Detroit outscored Cleveland 8-5 to secure the 122-119 victory. Center Jalen Duren produced a double-double with 33 points and 16 rebounds against the Cavs.

"All the things are coming together for him,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about Duren. “The game’s slowed down for him. His understanding of spacing and when to attack, all of those things have slowed down and are giving him opportunities."

Ausar Thomson on the #Pistons mental toughness through adverse situations as a team pic.twitter.com/d4psr4GCI6

— Eric Vincent (@IAmEricVincent) February 28, 2026

Pistons vs. Cavaliers highlights

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pistons beat Cavaliers in OT in game interrupted by horn malfunction

The Lakers (34-24) look to snap their losing streak against the Golden State Warriors (31-28) on Saturday. The season series between both these Pacific Division teams is currently tied at 1-1.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

When: 5:30 p.m. PT, Feb. 28

Where: Chase Center

Watch: ABC

---

Just when you thought that there was no way the Lakers would lose to a Suns team that didn’t have Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, they find a way to get it done. Now in the midst of what feels like their worst losing stretch of the season, Los Angeles is once again in a slump and there are legitimate concerns about whether they can get out of it.

last three games, the lakers lost to:

– a celtics team without jayson tatum
– a magic team without jalen suggs and franz wagner
– a suns team without devin booker and dillon brooks

ridiculously unacceptable.

— Nicole Ganglani (@nicoleganglani) February 27, 2026

Instead of stacking wins, the Lakers are dropping games and look far from being contenders in the West.

As I mentioned in my last preview, the Lakers aren’t safe from falling into the play-in tournament, and that can very much happen if they continue on this trajectory.

The Lakers’ next opponent is a Warriors team that will also be without two of its best players.

Despite being 4-6 in their last 10, Golden State, sans their superstars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, is still capable of surprising any team. Given how the Lakers are playing right now, this is far from an easy win for the purple and gold.

Expect Brandin Podziemski and Pat Spencer to take charge of their offense while Draymond Green anchors their defense and employs his usual tactics. The Lakers will absolutely need to step up their game for this one and answer some important questions.

Will the Birthday boy, Luka Dončić, get some help from his teammates? Can Deandre Ayton step out of his funk? LeBron James and Austin Reaves usually play the Warriors very well, so will that be the case again? Can the role players contribute more? And finally, will the Lakers play like a team that’s worth being hopeful about?

Notes and Updates

• For the Lakers’ injury report, Rui Hachimura is listed as doubtful due to illness.
• Adou Thiero (G-League) and Bronny James Jr., (G-League) are with the South Bay Lakers.
• As for the Warriors, Jimmy Butler (ACL surgery), Stephen Curry (patellofemoral pain syndrome) and Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation) are out.
• Draymond Green (lower back injury) is probable while Kristaps Porzingis (illness) is questionable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

As Snoop Pierson said in a late-season episode of The Wire, “Deserve aint got nothing to do with it.” (Yes, I am an elder millennial, why do you ask?). Anyway, the Detroit Pistons didn’t play well, but they did escape a game against an undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers team in OT 122-119.

Jalen Duren was brilliant, scoring 33 points to go with 16 rebounds and three blocks. With his performance tonight, he becomes the first Pistons player to score at least 25 points and secure at least 10 rebounds in four straight games since Bob MacAdoo in 1980.

It was a cursed game from the beginning. The Pistons played poorly on both ends of the floor for nearly all of the game’s first 48 minutes. Cade Cunningham had some nice individual scoring plays in the first half, but there was no cohesion among any combination of Pistons players, and Detroit was a step slow all night. And that was against a Cavs team missing both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.

That allowed other players to step up for Cleveland, and step up they did. Jarrett Allen led the team with 25 points, including several nice running floaters. Evan Mobley netted 23, including sinking four threes, and Sam Merrill had 20, also sinking four from deep. Those combined eight threes were two more than the entire Pistons team managed.

Had Detroit lost, the game would have been epitomized by two things. The first is a bizarre 12-minute delay when the horn wouldn’t shut off, and the only solution was to completely shut down the giant display board above center court.

Detroit was playing such an ugly brand of basketball, it actually felt like a bit of a respite. The second key development was late in the game when Detroit’s two stars — Cade Cunningham (25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) and Duren — missed five of six free throws during a pivotal stretch in the fourth quarter. Those shots loomed large as the Pistons attempted to claw their way back into a game the Cavs were leading by nine with 2:44 left.

But a Duncan Robinson three and an Ausar Thompson backcourt steal that led to an easy dunk cut the deficit to four. The Pistons had signs of life, but then took another huge blow when Cunningham fouled out with 1:56 remaining.

After Jarrett Allen and Thompson traded free throws, Tobias Harris picked off the inbounds pass and sailed in for another dunk to cut it to two.

It seemed as if the momentum had completely turned when Jaylen Tyson was called for an offensive foul on the ensuing inbounds play after a hard shove to Robinson. But the Cavs challenged the call, and the play was reversed because Robinson was holding onto Tyson’s jersey before the shove. That was ruled a dead-ball foul, which was a huge turn. That gave Cleveland one free throw (made by Sam Merrill) and the ball. Evan Mobley missed a three-pointer on the possession, which allowed Detroit to stay in the game.

Suddenly, the Pistons found themselves down three with five seconds left. Daniss Jenkins took the inbounds and streaked up the court, going into his shooting motion almost immediately. Tyson tried to deliver a take foul before the shot to ensure Detroit could only get two, but the refs ruled it was too late and gave Jenkins three shots. He sank all three at the line. Improbably, the Pistons tied the game and forced overtime.

Duren and Jenkins took that momentum into overtime, Jenkins hit a huge bucket and had a big assist, and Duren scored a couple of baskets and had a huge steal that led to Tobias Harris’ game-clinching turnaround jumper to provide the final margin.

Somehow, the Pistons did it again. They escaped with a win, finding some reserves in crunch time when it seemed like they couldn’t do anything right. I’m not sure how much it means to beat a Cavs team missing its best players, but it was certainly Detroit sticking to its identity. They played hard and played together when it mattered most.

The Milwaukee Bucks finished their four-game home stand with a stinker, losing in blowout fashion to the New York Knicks 127-98. Myles Turner was Milwaukee’s leading scorer with 19 points and four rebounds, shooting 4/7 from three. For New York, Jalen Brunson scored 27, but they also had six other players reach double digits. 

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

Pregame, Doc Rivers highlighted the need for the Bucks to take care of the ball, especially without Giannis in the lineup. They did just that in the first few minutes, opening up with a five-point edge. They looked ready to expand on that lead, but turnovers on back-to-back possessions sparked an 11-0 run by the Knicks, prompting a timeout from Rivers. Milwaukee battled back, outscoring New York 11-6 to tie the game halfway through the quarter. However, Jalen Brunson continued to give the Bucks fits—as he has throughout his career—scoring 16 of the Knicks’ last 19. Stunning. Brunson finished with 22 after just one quarter, and Milwaukee found themselves down 38-30. 

Even with Brunson going to the bench, New York remained hot from three-point range, beginning the second quarter by drilling their first two threes, quickly going up 16. After trading baskets for the next few minutes, Milwaukee started to chip away at the deficit, getting it to 10 after Turner completed a three-point play. The Knicks responded with a pair of threes from Brunson and Landry Shamet, before OG Anunoby stole the ball and converted on the fast break, putting New York ahead by 18. Turner did his best to make the halftime score look more respectable, getting to the charity stripe multiple times in the final minute or so, but a Towns layup in the dying seconds gave the Knicks a 77-57 edge.  

Milwaukee tapped into their three-point shooting acumen in the third to try to mount a comeback, drilling their first three attempts. However, they were matched by New York, who drilled some of their own triples. The Bucks finally got some stops, allowing them to go on a 9-0 run and cut the deficit to 15 with about seven minutes left. But of course, their offense then went through a dry spell, scoring just one point over the next three minutes as New York went on a 7-0 run. The Bucks got their deficit back to 15 once again, but couldn’t follow thier scores with stops. Knicks up 103-83 heading into the final frame. 

New York’s hot shooting continued early in the final period, as Anunoby, Diawara, Bridges, and Alvarado got buckets in relatively quick succession. The Knicks’ lead rose all the way to 32 after Towns drained his first three of the game—also on just his first attempt of the game, funnily enough—which just about ended it for the home team. Rivers called a timeout and brought in the rest of his bench to finish out the final six minutes. The Bucks finally ended a 4:25 scoring drought when Gary Harris made an uncontested dunk, but the game was obviously long gone. Knicks win.

Stat That Stood Out

Look no further than the Knicks’ three-point shooting tonight, going a staggering 21/41 for the game. Shamet and Anunoby led New York, both going 5/7 from deep.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Detroit Pistons 122-119 in overtime. This was an Eastern Conference showdown between two primary contenders that grew chippier as the night went on. We saw everything, from a 10-minute horn delay, fan ejections, and a half-court shooting foul. This one had it all.

Cleveland entered this matchup shorthanded. The injury report was lengthy, including Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Dean Wade, and Keon Ellis. Of course, Max Strus didn’t play either. This many key players being on the sideline could have resulted in a dull matchup. But the Cavs fought until the bitter end.

The Cavs started this game with authority. It became clear immediately that this wasn’t going to be a cakewalk for the Pistons. Cleveland established itself defensively and continued to get just enough offensively to compete.

Dennis Schroder has done a phenomenal job of raising the floor for Cleveland. They’d be hurting for ball-handling and shot creation right now if it weren’t for him. Schroder ran the pick-and-roll throughout the night and made sure the Cavaliers’ bigs stayed involved. His usage began to feel like a burden as Schroder eventually turned the ball over 8 times and shot 4-15. But for most of the game, he was Cleveland’s only reliable ball handler.

Evan Mobley had his best game since returning from a calf injury. He finished with 23 points and nailed 4-of-8 three-pointers. Mobley threw down several impressive dunks, including two separate one-hand jams over Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. He just couldn’t hit the game-tying shot at the buzzer.

Craig Porter Jr. also deserves a shout. He relentlessly attacked the basket and found success dishing the ball to Cleveland’s bigs. Porter racked up 12 assists by the end of the night and has thrown 21 assists over his last two games.

Lastly, Jarrett Allen finished his strong February with 25 points and 9 rebounds on 10-12 shooting. He unfortunately fouled out late in the fourth quarter. And the Cavs simply didn’t execute down the stretch to close this one out.

The Cavaliers are now 37-24 and head to Brooklyn on Sunday.

The Nets were locked in a third quarter fight in Boston when they rolled over. 

They went from competing to quitting. And it happened in a quarter. 

Brooklyn got shredded 148-111 by Boston before 19,156 at TD Garden on Friday night. 

It was the most points the Nets had allowed all season. So was the 66.7 percent shooting they conceded. And the misprint-like 64.7 percent from 3-point range. 

Not since 2022 had Brooklyn allowed that many points. Not since April 1, 2025 had anybody in the NBA permitted better shooting. 

“It was a really, really poor defensive game, probably the worst of the season. I know we’ve shown better. So there’s something for me to fight for,” said coach Jordi Fernández, who has to teach his team not tactics but toughness. “Yeah, the teaching is not what, it’s how. How you present yourself and how you compete. And it was not good enough by our standards.” 

The implosion happened quickly. 

The Nets were within 82-76 midway through the third quarter and gave up an extended 48-13 blitz that lasted until midway through the fourth. 

“Yeah, it was a complete quit when you lose by almost 40 points and they scored 82 points in one half of basketball,” Fernández said. “Give them credit because they’re a very good team, but we can be better than this. And I know it. 

“I believe and trust in our guys. When we have people on our team, it’s because we believe in them. And I don’t know if they believe in how hard they can play, but my job is to show up and make them understand that we can play harder.” 

The Nets watched Jaylen Brown put up 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, sailing through the lane unopposed. Nikola Vucevic added 28. 

Brooklyn trailed by just six with 6:07 left in the third when they folded. They gave up a 48-13 run that saw them allow 16-for-18 shooting, 5-of-5 from deep. Defense that poor beggars belief. 

When it was over, they were down 130-89 with 6:56 left, outscored by 35 in less than a quarter. 

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Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points and Danny Wolf added 16 off the bench. 

The Nets (15-43) have dropped seven straight and are third in the lottery standings, two games behind Sacramento — one in the win column — and a half-game behind Indiana. 

The Celtics have won 10 of their past 12 games and are second in the East while awaiting the return of Jayson Tatum. 

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Former Celtic Josh Minott had nine points, two rebounds and a poster dunk in his return to Boston after being the victim of a salary dump at the trade deadline. 

“That’s above my pay grade. I was in Boston, now I’m in Brooklyn. I don’t know. I play basketball. That’s a question for my agents,” Minott said. “I got a different jersey on. Live, eat, breathe Brooklyn now.” 

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Grant Nelson, inked on a 10-day deal, made his NBA debut with 9:41 to play and scored his first points on a dunk with 6:35 left. 

“It’s just really a dream come true. So I’m just going to do what I can, continue to keep working and hopefully do whatever I can to help this team win some games,” Nelson told YES Network.

MILWAUKEE — The Knicks went from bricking to clicking. 

Three days after their frigid shooting night against the Cavs, the Knicks caught fire in Brew City — where it was an unseasonably warm Friday — while trouncing the Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo, 127-98. 

The Knicks alternated hot streaks from their three best players. Jalen Brunson owned the first quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns took over the second. OG Anunoby put the game away in the third quarter. The final 12 minutes felt like extended garbage time before the inevitable win for the Knicks (38-22), who finished 2-1 on their Midwest road trip and were happy to go home. 

“This is how we played offensively throughout most of the year,” coach Mike Brown said. “So for us to be able to space the ball correctly, make quick decisions with the basketball while touching the paint, playing off two feet, was huge. 

“We got a lot of mileage just from playing the game the right way. So I applaud our guys for playing the way they did on both sides of the ball tonight.” 

Brunson finished with 27 points and seven boards in 30 minutes. Towns, the NBA’s leader in double-doubles, had 17 points and 13 rebounds. Anunoby had his best game since returning from his toenail avulsion, scoring 24 points while shooting 5-for-7 on 3s. 

“It’s always good when you make shots,” Anunoby said. 

The Knicks needed that good result. They were coming off that disheartening defeat three nights earlier in Cleveland against a rising Finals contender. Their schedule pivots to the toughest five-game stretch of the season — v.s. San Antonio, at Toronto, vs. Oklahoma City, at Denver and at the Lakers. All those opponents are top six in their respective conferences. 

The Bucks (26-32), though, are just about average. And the conditions were ripe for a Knicks bounce-back. They had two days off before tipoff after a short flight from Cleveland.

They were fully healthy outside of Miles McBride, who spoke before the game and described his recovery from sports hernia surgery as a “slow process.” 

The Bucks, meanwhile, were again missing Antetokounmpo, the megastar who sat his 14th consecutive game with a strained hamstring. The Bucks had been playing better lately without Antetokounmpo, but they’re clearly a couple of levels lower without him. 

So the Knicks had a great opportunity Friday and took immediate advantage. They held a double-digit lead in the first quarter and led by 20 at the break. The same offense that looked broken in Cleveland was humming at Fiserv Forum. 

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Brunson brought his chef’s hat to cook. He dropped 22 points in the opening quarter on 9-of-10 shooting with three rebounds and two assists. 

Towns picked it up in the second quarter with 12 points. The Knicks went into halftime with 77 points while shooting 60 percent on treys. 

It came after a hard and critical look at the film of the defeat to the Cavs on Tuesday, when they scored just 11 points in the third quarter — a season low for them in any quarter — while shooting 3-for-24. 

Brunson said that defeat went beyond just missed shots. 

“Let’s not be results-based. Let’s be process-based,” the point guard said. “And the process wasn’t there.” 

The process looked perfectly fine against the Bucks — Brunson’s included. 

“Our physicality offensively was there because we set screens the right way and then we played fast,” Brown gushed. “So it takes all of us to do it and when you do it and have one of those guys [like Brunson], he’s going to be able to break loose. That was good to see tonight.” 

Friday’s game between the Pistons and Cavaliers was delayed for roughly 12 minutes — all because the horn at Little Caesars Arena would not turn off.

During a timeout midway through the third quarter with the Pistons leading 65-64, an electrical malfunction caused the horn to keep running, prompting officials to stop the game until arena staff could fix the issue.

“I’m here at the scorer’s table, and there was a complete malfunction electrical-wise here,” sideline reporter Jorge Sedano said during the ESPN broadcast. “You can see this gentleman here working frantically to try and get everything reset.”

The arena horn won't turn off in Detroit pic.twitter.com/wRrWg3uCtQ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 28, 2026

Sedano added that both the clocks and the score went out across the entire arena.

“Clearly you hear the horn still going off, and there’s a level of frustration here trying to figure that out,” he said. “I spoke to both coaching staffs — [Pistons head coach] J.B. Bickerstaff and [Cavaliers head coach] Kenny Atkinson — and asked them, ‘Guys, have you ever dealt with anything like this at any level?’

“They both shook their heads and said, ‘No, this is definitely a first.’”

According to the Associated Press, the malfunction was ultimately caused by a power surge.

Fans across the arena looked visibly frustrated — as some covered their ears — as the horn continued to blare.

The delay was also long enough that both the Pistons and Cavaliers started to warm up again until it was fixed.

The horn finally turned off after 12 minutes, which prompted a loud roar from the Detroit crowd.

“There you go,” play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco said on the broadcast once the horn turned off. “The horn is stopped, and the fans applaud.”

For the remainder of the game, the scoring crew was tasked with using a manual airhorn while the arena was without the main scoreboard.