Category: NBA

With an injury report more impressive than their starting five, the Warriors couldn’t overcome a sloppy start to their road trip against the lowly Pelicans. 

The Warriors threw the ball just about everywhere — off their shoes, into opponents’ hands, out of bounds, off every inch of iron — except the bottom of the net in a 113-109 loss to the second-worst team in the Western Conference. 

Without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis, Golden State fell behind 31-19 by the end of the first quarter and didn’t hold a lead until midway through the third. 

“With the injuries we have, we have to play well to win. I don’t think we played well tonight,” said coach Steve Kerr, whose team committed 21 turnovers leading to 18 points.

It was almost the second consecutive game Golden State’s reserves completed a second-half comeback after they used a 33-18 fourth quarter to beat Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Sunday.

“The game was right there for us,” Kerr said. “We just couldn’t execute well enough.”

They fell behind by as many as 14 points and scored their third-fewest points in any half this season (trailing 46-39 at intermission) before a split-action assist from Draymond Green to Brandin Podziemski gave them their first lead, 61-59, midway through the third quarter. 

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Green, who missed Golden State’s 129-118 win over Denver on Sunday, returned and helped set up a fair share of open shots, but the Warriors failed to convert many of them. 

Golden State came back to take an 86-85 lead with 7:39 to go, but the Pelicans answered with a 15-3 run following a failed coach’s challenge by Steve Kerr that would have overturned a basket by Zion Williamson that instead turned into a three-point play. 

Williamson led the Pelicans with 26 points — 10 in the fourth quarter. 

What it means 

The Warriors fell to 11-17 on the road with another game in Memphis looming Wednesday. Golden State is the only team among the top eight in the Western Conference with a losing record away from home (next-worst: Suns, 14-14). 

Turning point 

As soon as the Warriors’ charter flight left San Francisco, apparently. 

Whatever momentum the team’s reserves built with their come-from-behind win over one of the West’s top teams was absent from the opening tip inside the Smoothie King Center on Tuesday. 

“We did not execute very well offensively,” Kerr said. “Spacing was bad. Transition we had probably three potential lay-ups in the first half. We didn’t cut, we didn’t run to the rim. We didn’t get to the corners. We just looked a little disjointed. I thought their pressure early took us out of some stuff.”

They missed 16 of their first 21 shots from the field (23.8%) and didn’t get to the foul line until New Orleans was called for a three-second violation with 46 seconds left in the quarter. 

MVP 

Jonathan Kuminga | The best basketball played by anyone associated with the Warriors on Tuesday night wasn’t anyone in uniform in New Orleans. Jonathan Kuminga made an electric debut with the Hawks against the Wizards, scoring 27 points in 24 minutes on 9-of-12 shooting.

Stat of the game 

21-for-95 (22.1%) | Despite the Warriors’ struggles offensively, the game never got away from them. On the other end of the floor, the Pelicans were having just as much trouble scoring the basketball. 

New Orleans made only 10 of its 40 shots from beyond the perimeter, but the Warriors were even worse, converting 11 of 45 attempts (23.3%). 

Up next 

The Warriors head to Memphis, where they will play the second half of their 11th back-to-back of the season. They are 5-5 in the second game of back-to-backs this season, falling to 6-5 in the first half with their loss to the Pelicans. 

Already without Curry (knee), Butler (knee) and Porzingis (illness), Golden State is also expected to be without De’Anthony Melton (knee), who has yet to be medically cleared to play games on consecutive days. Horford (toe) sat in New Orleans with the expectation of playing against the Grizzlies after scoring 22 points with six 3-pointers in their win against Denver. 

The Phoenix Suns started the evening promising, jumping out to a 26-21 lead after the opening quarter. It looked like just maybe this group was starting to figure it out… until it was clear they weren’t. Boston dominated in the second half, and the Suns’ offensive struggles continued.

They have now scored just 158 points combined in their last two games.

The Suns have now scored just 158 points combined in their last two games.

That is 79.0 points per game.

— Zona (@AZSportsZone) February 25, 2026

The third quarter was unacceptable. Phoenix mustered just 11 points and was outscored by 19 in that quarter, which dug them a hole too deep to get out of. They went on a 14-0 run to make it somewhat competitive late in the game, but Boston applied another knockout punch to create distance and unleash the third string.

We could sit here and talk about injuries, but Boston is dealing with a couple of their own. No Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, yet the Celtics were a well-oiled machine. Phoenix will need to figure this out quickly because none of Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, or Jordan Goodwin is coming to save the day anytime soon.

Some credit is due to Boston, but the Suns just didn’t do anything well tonight.

Game Flow

First Half

The game started with each team trading threes: one from Derrick White and then a corner hit from Jalen Green. Sam Hauser drained a

Boston jumped ahead to a 10-5 advantage, getting easy looks early from deep and from crashing the glass. Phoenix went on a 7-0 run to take a 12-10 lead.

Phoenix’s offense picked up a bit as Jalen Green and Collin Gillespie started to get in a rhythm. Even Ryan Dunn got in on the scoring action!

7 early points for Ryan Dunn 👀 pic.twitter.com/clYeNKsGpw

— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) February 25, 2026

The defense followed suit. After allowing 10 points in the opening 3 minutes, they held Boston to just 11 points the rest of the quarter.

Phoenix led 26-21 after the opening quarter. Jalen Green and Ryan Dunn led the way with 7 points each.

We got some early Rasheer Fleming minutes! He didn’t do much in his first stint, but he was playing aggressive point-of-attack defense. Oso continued to show his ability to be feisty and mix it up a bit, which is a welcome sight for Suns fans.

DENIED BY OSO 👋 pic.twitter.com/azL9f8BCiH

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 25, 2026

The tempo was in favor of Phoenix for the first six minutes or so, but Boston went on a 7-0 run to cut the Suns’ lead down to four, 41-37, leading to a Jordan Ott timeout.

Boston stormed back to take a 44-41 lead after a Derrick White triple extended their run to 14-0. The offense fell flat. Grayson Allen hit three free throws after a failed challenge attempt by Joe Mazulla to even the game back up at 44.

My goodness Collin 🫢🫢 pic.twitter.com/lRt6zcMebs

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 25, 2026

Boston finished strong to take a 50-44 lead into the half, led by 18 points from Derrick White. Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, and Jalen Green all had 9 points to pace the Suns in the opening 24 minutes.

Second Half

The Suns opened up the third quarter a bit flat, carrying over from the end of the 2nd quarter. Boston’s suffocating defense seemed to squeeze the life out of them and built their lead back up to 11, their largest at the time.

Boston’s defense continued to stifle the shorthanded Suns, and Sam Hauser got hot, propelling the Celtics’ lead to 19. It quickly turned into another one of those nights. There wasn’t a lot to highlight in the 3rd quarter unless you are a Celtics fan.

Boston won the third quarter 30 to 11 to take an 80-57 lead into the 4th. Yes, 11 points were scored in total by the Suns in the third. Eleven.

End of the third.@match_mortgage | #SunsUppic.twitter.com/SKnqgOK0Nz

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 25, 2026

Phoenix opened the 4th on a 9-0 run, showing a bit of life after a disastrous third to cut the lead down to 14. It was a 14-0 run dating back to the end of the third.

Derrick White and company decided to turn it up a notch as soon as it became a game again, and they were able to take a convincing lead and slam the door shut on the Suns.

Then we had garbage time… the rookies got some run. And that was all she wrote.

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Up Next

The Suns will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night at the Morg.

For Lon Rosen, becoming the Lakers’ president of business operations is a full-circle moment.

Rosen started his career with the Lakers as an intern while in college before becoming a front office executive in the 1980s, eventually becoming an agent and business executive – including being the Dodgers’ executive vice president and chief marketing officer since 2012.

“Being able to sort of return to really where I started, it’s a really exciting thing for me,” Rosen told a handful of beat reporters on Tuesday night. “And I like the challenge, and I’m really looking forward to it. There’s really great people working with me, which is what makes things enjoyable.”

Rosen added: “For me, it’s a challenge. It’s something new, but it is sort of like returning home. But because I still have my connection with the Dodgers, it’s a fun thing.”

“I’ve spoken to others that do this type of work. Luckily there’s a great team that works here at the Lakers that I’ve met for the last two days. And I have a really great team that works for the Dodgers and we all just fit together,” he added.

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In a wide-ranging conversation, Rosen addressed a variety of topics.

He confirmed the plan for president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka to continue to lead the franchise’s basketball operations, along with input from special advisers Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi,

Pelinka told reporters earlier in the month he and franchise governor Jeanie Buss will lead front office expansion.

“Rob’s empowered to do what he does,” Rosen said. “And he’s talked about it and I can talk about it; Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, they have involvement helping Rob a bit. It gives you a deeper bench, and I think Rob appreciates that. And it is unique. But they have a skill set that they can transfer some of it here. And that’s really how we look at it. 

“I have a really good relationship with Rob. I’ve known Rob Pelinka from when he was representing Kobe [Bryant]. I met him many many years ago.” 

Friedman, Zaidi and Rosen are among the Dodgers connections added to the legendary NBA franchise since Mark Walter, who’s also the majority owner of the Dodgers, bought majority ownership of the team from the Buss family in the fall. 

Lakers icon Magic Johnson won’t rejoin the franchise in an official role. Johnson was the team’s president of basketball operations from February 2017-April 2019 before he abruptly resigned. 

“He’s always gonna have some type of involvement with all the teams, but he is not gonna have day-to-day involvement,”  Rosen said. “It’s gonna be no different since he left the Lakers. Obviously he’s a huge fan of the Lakers, but he’s not gonna be, ‘Hey Rob go sign this player. Do that.’ He’ll always be involved with all the teams that he’s involved in, but no, he’s not gonna have day-to-day involvement at all. He is a super Laker fan and he’ll continue to be a super Laker fan. It’s not bad to have that.”

Rosen also had a message for fans after the recent increased season ticket prices for next season – which included a 3% “admin fee”.

“We hope they renew,” Rosen said. “And obviously it reflects on what the market is now and the demand for tickets. You can look at how tickets sell and what the prices are. You look at the primary and secondary market and you can see where their demand is.”

Rosen said he’ll spend a “majority” of his time working for the Lakers, but will still provide “some services” to the Dodgders. 

“We’re gonna look at best practices for both teams,” Rosen said. “I haven’t gotten into the weeds of how the Lakers operate, but I have a sense of how they operate and they operate very well. There’s things that we do at the Dodgers that we do really really well. 

“Both organizations are gonna learn from each other. I don’t know where it’s all gonna fall. People say, the Dodgers are, the, this gold standard. And you know what, we do a really nice job there. And the job here is, I’ve been to a lot of games here. I know their business model is very successful, so I just gotta make sure I don’t mess it up.”

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson left the game against the Washington Wizards with a left hip flexor injury Tuesday night.

Johnson was injured in the first quarter and ruled out after being evaluated by the training staff.

“There was enough there not to send him back in the game,” coach Quin Snyder said.

Johnson, who earned his first All-Star Game berth this season, will be re-evaluated before the Hawks face the Wizards again Thursday to complete back-to-back games in Atlanta. It’s not known if he will miss any additional playing time.

Johnson finished with five points, three rebounds and two steals in about 5 1/2 minutes against the Wizards. He came into the night averaging 23.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists.

His absence cleared the way for Jonathan Kuminga to score a season-high 27 points in his Hawks debut. He was acquired from Golden State at the trade deadline.

The Hawks beat the Wizards 119-98.

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

CLEVELAND — Brick by brick, the Knicks were dismantled by the Cavs.

An atrocious shooting night ended Tuesday with a 109-94 loss for the Knicks, who folded easily to their fellow Finals contender and left Rocket Arena tied for third in the East.

The third quarter was the breaking point. Or better yet, the bricking point. It was horrendous.

The Knicks managed just 11 points in those 12 nasty minutes, shooting a combined (shield your eyes, children) 3-for-24 overall, 1-for-12 from beyond the arc and 4-for-8 from the foul line.

It was their lowest-scoring quarter of the season and looked the part.

“No matter what we did, we either turned the ball over or we had a tough shot,” coach Mike Brown said after arriving late to his postgame news conference. “So we made some play calls tonight. But we didn’t generate anything from the calls that we made.”

So they entered the fourth quarter down 18 and couldn’t recover, not against a stout Cavaliers defense and without the help of competent shooting. Brown finally waved the white flag with 2:42 remaining, emptying his bench and sending the starters on a walk of shame.

Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, Landry Shamet and OG Anunoby combined to miss 42 of their 61 attempts. Bridges was aggressively misfiring at 6-for-17 on the evening. Brunson was worse at 6-for-19.

Karl-Anthony Towns was perfect but only took five shots, with four of those in the first quarter. It furthered KAT’s head-scratching trend of alternating strong performances with disappearing acts. Anunoby (five points, 2-for-9 from the field) has struggled since returning from a toe injury.

Brown’s attempt to give an opportunity to Jeremy Sochan was also a miscalculation, with the newcomer appearing utterly lost in his two first-half minutes. Mohamed Diawara got the call in the second half and also tossed up bricks.

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“We just didn’t play well enough,” Hart said. “We didn’t execute offensively.”

It was an all-around dud. The Cavs responded with a balanced but not especially potent attack. They shot just 42.5 percent as a team, but it didn’t matter against the Brickerbockers. Mitchell Robinson, who has owned the Cavs frontcourt since the 2023 playoffs, was the lone positive for the Knicks with 15 rebounds, including eight offensive.

The Knicks (36-22) are now even with the Cavs (36-22) and two games behind the No. 2 Celtics, who beat the Suns on Tuesday night.

But the Cavs are surging. They revamped at the trade deadline, acquiring James Harden for the talented but habitually unavailable Darius Garland. They also brought in bench pieces Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis.

It’s all been positive for Cleveland, which has won 13 of 15 after Tuesday’s blowout. Kenny Atkinson just missed out on guiding Harden in Brooklyn before he was unceremoniously dumped by GM Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai. Now he’s excited for the chance in Cleveland.

“His composure, calmness,” Atkinson said of Harden, who scored 20 points Tuesday. “He’s just got a command of the game. That settles everybody down. It’s huge. He knows where the ball’s got to go. He knows the end-of-game stuff. Sharp, sharp player.”

The Knicks understood the difficulties of defending Harden and Donovan Mitchell, perhaps the best offensive backcourt in the NBA.

But defending wasn’t the problem Tuesday for the Knicks. It was the bricklaying.

“Ugly game,” Brown said.

The New Orleans Pelicans stepped in front of their home crowd at 17-42, a team so bad they make late-stage tank commanders nervous. And the Golden State Warriors, because this is who they are a lotta nights without their firepower, made it close down the stretch but ultimately faltered.

Final score: 113-109 Pelicans. Here’s the crime scene: the Warriors got outscored 31-19 in the first quarter and spent the next three quarters playing catch-up basketball against a team vying for a high draft pick in the lottery . Golden State won the second quarter, won the third, won the fourth but alas, still lost the game. Missing their stars Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t seem to be like a good enough reason to lose this game considering they just knocked off the Nuggets Sunday with similar injury woes.

They almost did bail themselves out, which marks the resilience this team has possessed all season with or without their stars.

Pelicans escape with a 113-109 win over the Warriors in a game that wasn't exactly the prettiest. But Dejounte Murray finishes with 13 points and 3 assists in his return. Zion Williamson had 26 points and 6 rebounds.

Pels are 4-2 over their last 6 games.

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) February 25, 2026

De’Anthony Melton was the best player on the floor for the Dubs, dropping 28 points on 8-of-21 shooting while going 9-of-11 from the free throw line, keeping Golden State’s pulse going when it had no business still beating. Moses Moody added 24 on 7-of-13 with a +13 that screamed “this man is figuring it out”. Brandin Podziemski hauled down 15 rebounds — 5 offensive — looking like the second coming of Westbrook. And Draymond Green orchestrated 6 assists with his usual controlled chaos. These guys fought. Credit where it’s due.

But the team shot 11-of-45 from three, which cost them on a night when their feisty opponents only made 10 threes of their own. If the Dubs knock down their usual clip beyond the arc tonight they probably pull away pretty easily.

On the other hand the Pelicans forced enough turnovers (all 20 of them) to the tune of being gifted 18 points off of Golden State’s mistakes. That’s how you get a lottery team jump started in their home arena.

Zion Williamson scored 26 on 11-of-21 shooting while the Warriors defense wrestled against his physicality Saddiq Bey added 18. Jordan Poole, playing against his former team with something to prove, dropped 12-6-3 off the bench. Of course he did.

Any given night in the nba. Warriors beat the nuggets the other night, and turn around and lose to the pelicans tonight. These are NBA players at the end of the day, yall gotta start realizing that.#Nba

— @SportsJunky (@SportsJunky94) February 25, 2026

The Warriors lose in New Orleans tonight. Doomed by 31-19 first quarter. They're 11-17 on the road. Three games back of the Suns for the #7 seed, two up on the Blazers for the #8 spot.

They play in Memphis tomorrow night. De'Anthony Melton (28 pts tonight) expected to rest.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 25, 2026

This is a team that’s 30-28, scratching for playoff positioning, as they await the return of at least a couple of their best players. One broken quarter against one of the league’s worst teams decided everything tonight. Tough.

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 21
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 8
Paul George – 6
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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We won’t be planning a parade for a win against an Indiana Pacers team with a starting five worth of talent on the sidelines, but it sure was nice to see the Philadelphia 76ers just suit up and handle their business. The Sixers jumped out in front with a scorching hot second quarter that saw them rack up 45 points in the frame. They avoided the usual third quarter bugaboo, actually extending the lead coming out of halftime, and were able to limit everyone’s minutes as they mostly coasted in the fourth quarter of the 135-114 win. It was a blistering offensive performance, as their 57.6 percent shooting from the floor was the team’s best mark in two years (h/t Erin Grugan). Philadelphia has now won two straight games as they’ll head back home to face Miami on Thursday. Let’s talk Bell Ringer first.

Tyrese Maxey: 32 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers

Maxey was on a clear triple-double pace on the evening before getting to take the rare fourth quarter off. It’ll pay off later in the week that Tyrese got to keep a little extra tread on the tires. Tonight, he was dynamite offensively, and not because he had some terrific outside shooting night (just 2-of-8 from three). Instead, it was Tyrese’s ability to carve into the paint and weave his way in and around and under defenders, finishing with a bunch of dazzling lay-ins and creative passes to teammates, and drawing fouls. His body control and shooting touch while sprinting faster than everyone else on the court is simply marvelous. Maxey also had a play where he backed the defender down repeatedly and then canned a turnaround jumper, years of putting in the work in the weight room on display. A more competitive game and we’re likely looking at a 40-point triple-double from Tyrese, just an outstanding evening.

Maxey to Embiid. Dime. pic.twitter.com/4aX33cY1aI

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 25, 2026

Joel Embiid: 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 4 turnover

After missing the past five games, Joel made his return to action and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. Offensively, the gravity he creates for others is night and day from when he’s unavailable. Embiid had a couple nice assists where the double team came and he found Kelly Oubre Jr and Trendon Watford open for buckets. Joel knocked down a couple jumpers himself, but a lot of his work tonight actually came as a roll man, adeptly finishing through some traffic around the hoop. Defensively, Embiid looked in fine form, spryly getting around the court to rotate and challenge shots. Overall, it was about as good as we could have hoped to see from the big man in his return, who can sometimes tend to fall on the sluggish side after a layoff.

Welcome back, big fella! Embiid finds Oubre for the trey pic.twitter.com/GK1SNesiyt

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 25, 2026

VJ Edgecombe: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover

With Embiid back and Tyrese cooking, Edgecombe was able to have a highly efficient night, shooting 9-of-13 from the field. He wasn’t some wallflower though, attacking across all three levels. VJ nailed a couple spot-up threes, had a handful of hard drives at the hoop to finish through contact, and also showed off that advanced middie game with a pull-up and a fadeaway jumper. Really, everything just looked smooth and unforced for him tonight; he picked his spots and otherwise filled in all the gaps doing the little things elsewhere. It was the ideal “play off the stars” kind of game from the rookie.

This kid is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/CqZgznoFbV

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 25, 2026

“You can’t curate your circumstances,” said Mark Daigneault before the Oklahoma City Thunder played the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, and that stuck with me. It’s true in every aspect of life, as he went on to mention, but seems especially true in sports. Especially true in basketball, and even more so in the final months of the season. You can build a great roster, create great plays, have great team chemistry — but so much of that goes out the door in the final stretch of the season.

You can’t pick and choose what players will be available to you by the time March rolls around. Sometimes, the players you have are dealing with minutes restrictions or lingering injury issues (see: Jakob Poeltl). The schedule doesn’t stop for you, though. You need to adapt to it.

Now, when you’re dealing with the circumstances at hand, and your opponent is as well, but theirs are worse (see: SGA still out), then maybe you should take advantage of that. The Raptors did not tonight.

Toronto’s performance against OKC is a huge reason why I am of the belief that people overreact when this team loses. I know that sounds weird, but listen (read?). This current iteration of the Toronto Raptors isn’t built to win a championship — I’ve said this before. They are having a good growth year, sure. RJ Barrett said exactly that after the game tonight, to think back to where they were last season at this time. How much better they are, but also hhow mucht hey still have to learn.

He’s right, and games like this are proving what this roster is lacking. Poeltl, of course, is a big hole in this roster as his injury is managed, and he doesn’t play both games on back-to-backs. They also lack the offensive punch needed to compete with the best NBA teams.

Once a team like OKC shuts down the Raptors’ best offensive player (Ingram), there isn’t much Toronto can do to recover. Scottie Barnes, of course, helps. Other than that, the Raptors’ offence tonight lacked the accuracy needed to overcome the Thunder. OKC’s defence was too suffocating, the Raptors weren’t shooting well enough, and they weren’t defending with 100% intensity 100% of the time. That’s important when playing the reigning champions.

What was great about their performance, though, was the urgency they played with in the fourth quarter. Too little too late? Maybe. Better than just rolling over, though. Barrett even compared it to how they lost to the Pistons a few weeks ago — that tonight they at least put up a fight. What you can’t do after coming back like that is let OKC go on a 9-0 run, though. Lesson learned.

The other bit of news, as we head into the second night of a back-to-back tomorrow, is that Scottie Barnes tweaked his quad in the final minutes of tonight’s game. The team says he has a quad contusion and is questionable for tomorrow’s game against San Antonio.

The Milwaukee Bucks got back in the win column after a disappointing loss in their last game, beating the Miami Heat 128-117. Kevin Porter Jr. led all scorers with 32 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis also chipped in 21 each. Norman Powell scored 26 for the Heat. 

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

There was no denying that Kyle Kuzma struggled on Sunday, scoring just three points. He quickly put that behind him to open things up tonight, scoring nine of the Bucks’ first 11 in a back-and-forth opening six minutes. While Kuzma was powering the Bucks’ offense, the Heat’s All-Star guard Norman Powell was cooking for them; he scored six straight points to put Miami up three in the later stages. The Heat clung to a two-point advantage until Porter drilled a triple with 13 seconds left. The bucket put Milwaukee up by one after the first 12 minutes, 30-29. 

Both teams’ benches went band-for-band in the first few minutes of the second, until the Bucks created a cushion after a 6-2 run, prompting an Erik Spoelstra timeout. Ousmane Dieng scored his first home points as a member of the Bucks, nailing a three to give the home team a double-digit edge. However, Miami’s shooters then caught fire, converting four straight from beyond the arc before Andrew Wiggins scored in transition to tie the game, capping a 14-2 run. The game remained deadlocked until Cam Thomas completed a three-point play and then drilled a step-back jumper with one second left; Thomas’ five-point burst gave the Bucks a 63-58 lead at the break. 

The Heat threw the first punch out of the locker room, going on a 7-0 run to regain the lead. A couple of Bucks who were held scoreless in the first half, AJ Green and Myles Turner, helped them respond in kind; Green’s first three of the night capped an 8-2 run to put Milwaukee back in front. Things remained tight between the two squads, but Miami regained the edge and held it for the rest of the quarter. A Bobby Portis floater with 46 seconds left cut the Heat lead down to 93-89 going into the fourth.

Miami was making shots from distance to open the final frame, drilling a pair to grab their largest lead of the night at nine. Milwaukee battled back, as Green, Portis, and Dieng converted three straight from long range, flipping the game back in the home team’s favor. KPJ then came up clutch with the biggest shot of the night, swishing an and-one fall-away triple to put the Bucks up two. The four-point play sparked a 10-0 run for Milwaukee, which was more than enough. The Bucks’ defense held the Heat without a field goal for a whopping 6:34! 

Stat That Stood Out.

The Bucks needed a closer in this game, and KPJ answered the call. 10 of his 13 fourth-quarter points came in the final 5:35 of the game.

During a 20-minute interview with the media Tuesday, new Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen said Magic Johnson won’t be involved in any “day–to-day” involvement with the team and that hopes season-ticket holders will “renew” them despite the enormous increase for next season.

Rosen, who has been an executive vice president and chief marketing officer with the Dodgers since 2012 when Mark Walter and Guggenheim Baseball Management purchased the club, took over the Lakers job after Tim Harris resigned from that role.

Rosen, who is back with the Lakers after Walter purchased the team for a $10-billion valuation, was asked about Johnson’s role with the Lakers and how he would be involved with Rob Pelinka, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager.

Johnson was president of basketball operations for the Lakers from Feb. 21, 2017 until April 9, 2019, when he abruptly resigned.

Read more:Lakers are trying to unlock the greatness in Deandre Ayton

“Earvin's involved with all types of things. He owns football teams, baseball teams, soccer teams, insurance companies, a lot of things. He's always gonna have some type of involvement with all the teams, but he is not gonna have a day-to-day involvement (with the Lakers),” Rosen said. “It's gonna be no different since he left the Lakers. Obviously he's a huge fan of the Lakers, but he's not gonna be, 'Hey Rob go sign this player. Do that.' He'll always be involved with all the teams that he's involved in, but no, he's not gonna have day-to-day involvement at all. He is a super Laker fan and he'll continue to be a super Laker fan. It's not bad to have that. You see the involvement he had the other day when Pat (Riley) was here (to have his statue unveiled) and he'll always be involved that way.”

Rosen was asked about ticket prices increasing for the 2026-27 season.

There have been reports from Lakers fans that gave an example of their tickets in the 300-level increasing to over 45% from $6,192 to $9,035.

One fan said his increase was about 15% and another 3% fee if the tickets were not paid for upfront.

“We hope they renew. And obviously it reflects on what the market is now and the demand for tickets,” Rosen said. “You can look at how tickets sell and what the prices are. You look at primary and secondary market and you can see where their demand is.”

Pelinka told the media after the trade deadline that he’ll work with Walter and Jeanie Buss, who is still the board of governor for the Lakers, when it comes time to make basketball decisions this summer.

Both Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations for the Dodgers, and Farhan Zaidi, a special advisor with the Dodgers, will be advisors for the Lakers and Pelinka. Zaidi was seen at the Lakers’ practice facility Monday.

“Rob's empowered to do what he does,” Rosen said. “And he's talked about it and I can talk about it. Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, they have involvement helping Rob a bit. It gives you a deeper bench, and I think Rob appreciates that. And it is unique. But they have a skill set that they can transfer some of it here. And that's really how we look at it. Look, I have a really good relationship with Rob. I've known Rob Pelinka from when he was representing Kobe (Bryant). I met him many many years ago."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Knicks (37*-22) won two difficult games before they entered Rocket Arena to face the Cavaliers (37-22). In both wins—against the Rockets and the Bulls—there were the customary lulls we’ve come to expect from New York. Tonight, they topped that by going full lull, playing listless hoops from start to finish. They shot horribly from deep (10-of-37), scored a season-low 11 points in the third quarter, and took the L, 109-94.

That finish makes the Cavs 20-6 in their last 26 games and ties them with New York for third place. It also concluded the regular season series between these two, which the Knicks won 2-1.

Cleveland ruled the opening quarter, staying in front for nearly the full 12. Donovan Mitchell (23 PTS) set the tone with buckets, steals, and dishes, while Evan Mobley (12 PTS, 7 RBS) drained an early three and Jarrett Allen (19 PTS, 10 RBS) cleaned the glass. Through the first frame, the Ohio Players shot 54% from the field, buried 5-of-11 threes, and doled out 10 assists on 14 made baskets. They committed just four turnovers while capitalizing on New York’s six giveaways.

In the quarter, the Knicks shot 50% from the field but poorly from deep. Josh Hart (10 PTS) provided some energy, distributing to Mikal Bridges (18 PTS, 6-of-17 FG) and Karl-Anthony Towns (14 PTS, 7 RBS, 5 FGA!) before hitting his own three to cut the deficit to two. Inside they had success with three blocked shots (OG Anunoby, Towns, Bridges) and buckets around the rim, but they were a step slow against Cleveland’s length and quick transitions. Mitchell’s steal-and-layup plus dimes to his teammates—including late threes from Dean Wade (11 PTS)—helped the Cavs close the frame up 35-26.

The Nova connection 🤝

Josh Hart ➡️ Jalen Brunson 🔥
pic.twitter.com/Ez3LYhptKx

— Knicks Nation (@KnicksNationCP) February 25, 2026

Wade hit a triple early in the second quarter to go ahead by a dozen, and the Cavs benefited from even more Knicks turnovers. In fact, their 12 turnovers were the most New York committed in a first-half this season. Quite an achievement!

Mitchell Robinson (11 PTS, 15 RPBS, 2 BLK, 19 MIN) came in and pulled boards out of Allen’s grasp. Mitch singlehandedly kept New York within reach with rebounds, a putback, and an alley-oop from Jose Alvarado, while Towns added a putback and later a three. For Cleveland, Mitchell and Allen continued to chip in buckets and Dennis Schröder was a nuisance on defense.

Mitchell Robinson dominates the offensive glass 💪 pic.twitter.com/Rn0Qbjbb86

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 25, 2026

When Jalen Brunson (20 PTS, 6-of-19 FG) returned after a breather, he steadied the offense with a drive and a late pull-up three. The Knicks went on a 10-2 run late in the deep end of the quarter to cut the deficit to one. From there, Cleveland outscored them by five. Bridges hit a floater in the final seconds, but the home team still carried a 60–54 lead into halftime.

Through the half, Cavs outshot New York from deep (35% to 27%), grabbed seven offensive rebounds to the Knicks’ three, and turned 12 New York turnovers into 11 points. New York shot 51% overall, owned the paint 32-26, and blocked six shots to Cleveland’s three, but their blunders kept them on the outside looking in. Mitchell led all first-half scorers with 15, while Brunson had 13 for the good guys.

Jose Alvarado on this jump ball 😅

It was worth a try 🤷‍♂️pic.twitter.com/mZknW3ReoK

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 25, 2026

After intermission, this game got sloppier than my kid’s bedroom. James Harden (20 PTS) opened the third quarter with a step-back jumper, Mitchell forced a Towns turnover, and Allen converted a putback. The Knicks failed to do anything well—Bridges missed twice, Towns committed another turnover, etc.—before Brunson set up OG Anunoby for a three. When Harden swished from deep, the deficit was 11 again and Coach Brown needed a timeout.

New York continued to throw rocks from deep, making 5-of-21 after two and half quarters. They continued to turn the ball over, too, which explains why they couldn’t get the differential to low-single digits. With four minutes left, and down by 14, Brown tried a lineup of Brunson, Alvarado, Landry Shamet, Mohamed Diawara, and Robinson. Same results. To close the period, Brown dusted off Jordan Clarkson. Nada,otra vez. New York scored their fewest points in a quarter (11), and went into the fourth trailing 83-65.

Dennis Schroder dime to Donovan Mitchell —

Too smooth. 🥶

pic.twitter.com/L8PD4w4m3J

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 25, 2026

Weirdly, OG Anunoby logged 34 minutes, took nine shots, and finished with five pints. He must have worn his invisibility cloak, because I barely saw him on the court.

In Q4, the misery continued, and the hole reached 19 points until Alvarado (5 PTS, 1 STL, 1 BLK) hit from the corner. In need of energy, Jose seemed most likely to bring some pep. On another possession, GTA snaked into the paint and kicked out to Josh Hart, who hit another (finally) three-pointer. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t gain ground because they couldn’t stop Mitchell at the other end.

Bridges missed another layup, Mobley put back a Mitchell miss, and a befuddled Brown called for time. The clock still had seven-and-a-half minutes on it, but the Knicks had done nothing yet to convince us that a rally was possible. A few minutes later, when Brunson missed off the glass on a drive, it became abundantly clear that Cleveland had secretly put a transparent lid on the visitors’ rim—there was no other logical explanation for how badly New York had shot. Unless they were drugged . . . or had lyme disease . . . or ate pizza in Utah.

The deficit reached 20, the reserves came on, and this turkey was finally, mercifully cooked.

Up Next

New York travels to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Friday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more. Let’s gather to protest outside the NBA’s offices.

The Lakers began their front office transformation under Mark Walter with the hiring of Lon Rosen, replacing Tim Harris as President of Business Operations. While his role has no on-court impact, it does represent the changes that are coming.

However, don’t expect Rob Pelinka to be one of those changes.

Rosen spoke to reporters before Tuesday’s game against the Magic and confirmed that Pelinka would remain in his role as President of Basketball Operations.

In a conversation with reporters, new Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen says the plan is for Rob Pelinka, with input from Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, will continue to handle basketball operations. Pelinka told reporters the plan is to have an expanded front…

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 25, 2026

Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi’s continued involvement with the Lakers’ front office is interesting. On one hand, it appears the Dodgers and Lakers could be operating under one umbrella moving forward with Rosen going from one franchise to the other.

However, if you want to be more cynical, it could also be a matter Friedman and Zaidi overseeing how the front office is operating and whether Pelinka should be the one in charge moving forward. There definitely is some overall observing and evaluating to report back to Walter. Those two are not just trusted executives under Walter but also have had success as well.

This also doesn’t mean that there won’t be more people hired around him. Almost assuredly, there will be more voices in the front office, which can only be a good thing. It’ll be a big change for the Lakers, who have operated with a small circle under Pelinka.

The other interesting aspect from Rosen was that Magic Johnson will not have a role in the front office. Depending on the tweet you saw, though, it came across very differently.

New Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen told reporters this evening that Rob Pelinka will remain as the team’s president of basketball operations and while Earvin “Magic” Johnson will surely be around the franchise, no official title is planned for him with LAL

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 25, 2026

Magic Johnson will hold no official day-to-day position, but he’ll continue to be around the Lakers as always. He hosted the on-court ceremony for Pat Riley on Sunday.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 25, 2026

How you feel about this depends on your faith in Rosen, Walter and the new front office. Given their track record of success with the Dodgers, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that Magic will continue to have the “role” he has now, which is being around the team for events but nothing else.

Some skepticism is both natural and fair. This current Lakers front office has given no reason to be confident. But Walter and Friedman and Zaidi have had success, so it might be time for a cautious amount of trust.

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers took down the New York Knicks 109-94.

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

Donovan Mitchell

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

Mitchell didn’t score the ball efficiently, but he looked much more comfortable against the Knicks than he did in OKC. Not having Lu Dort attached to you goes a long way. This was a quality offensive performance from Mitchell, carried on his ability to get to the free throw line 13 times.

Grade: B+

James Harden

20 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers

We’ve seen a few classic Harden-blemishes show themselves over his last two games. Iffy point-of-attack defense, 3 turnovers, and an 8-18 shooting night.

However, the box score looks worse than it felt. Harden took quality shots, kept Cleveland’s offense grooving, and probably should have finished with more assists than he had.

Also, Harden should have been rewarded with a few more free throws in this one. I don’t know why he isn’t getting the same calls he has been receiving for the previous decade.

Grade: B

Jarrett Allen

19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Allen was more involved tonight than he was in OKC. The Cavaliers had an easier time penetrating New York’s defense, and that inherently benefits Allen. He did a great job scoring at the rim, and outside of a few conceded rebounds, Allen held his own as Cleveland’s defensive anchor.

Grade: A-

Evan Mobley

12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist

Mobley is clearly still working his way back from his calf injury and searching for his place among the Cavaliers’ newest additions. He felt disjoined in this one, never really fitting in with what the team was doing on offense. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Mobley flashed some of the on-ball creation we’ve been wanting to see. He’s always seemed to enjoy the Karl-Anthony Towns matchup.

Grade: C+

Jaylon Tyson

12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Kenny Atkinson said before the game that Tyson will have to “earn” his minutes moving forward. His first half stint tonight included three personal fouls in 12 minutes. The second half was much better, and the fourth quarter was a strength. His efforts on the glass helped Cleveland win the rebounding battle before garbage time.

Still, Tyson is currently navigating his way through a weird stretch. It will be interesting to watch moving forward.

Grade: B+

Keon Ellis

4 points, 1 assist

This seems like it should be a good matchup for Ellis. He played an important role defensively, but he wasn’t overly effective in stuffing the stat sheet tonight. That’s bound to happen now and again.

Grade: B+

Dennis Schroder

3 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals

Schroder is meshing nicely with Cleveland’s bench. He’s done a fine job running the offense as a backup point guard and threw some sneaky passes tonight. I thought his shot selection was mostly fine, but I will have to ding him half a grade for 1-6 shooting.

Grade: B–

Sam Merrill

0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist

We’ve seen some erratic shooting performances from Merrill recently. He’s either going full inferno or coming up empty on everything. Either way, he still brings off-ball gravity and defensive grit that keep him in the rotation. Merrill shot 0-4 from deep tonight but was a plus-13.

Grade: D+

Dean Wade

11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

Wade remained in the starting lineup as Cleveland looked to match New York’s size on the wings. He smoked his first layup attempt, but then drilled three consecutive three-pointers to help the Cavs build an early lead.

Grade: A+

The Dallas Mavericks defeated (21-36) the Brooklyn Nets 123-114 at Barclays Center on Tuesday, nabbing just their seventh road win of the season.

In a game that came together a bit helter-skelter after both teams had to fly in on the day of because of the blizzard conditions along the East coast, Dallas built enough of a lead to weather a fourth quarter comeback attempt from Brooklyn.

Dallas had six players in double digits as the team shot 59% from the floor, and did enough in the end to overcome a 23-point night from Michael Porter Jr.

That it even got close enough to register as a clutch game speaks to the up-and-down nature of this Dallas team in its current state. After scoring a season-high 76 points in the first half, the Mavs did just enough to close it out down the stretch and secure a back-to-back win after their 10-game losing streak.

In his bag

With Khris Middleton, the team’s high-scorer from their win against the Pacers, leaving mid-game with a shoulder injury and big man Daniel Gafford playing only 17 minutes because of foul trouble, a perfect, Marvin Bagley-shaped hole opened up in Dallas’ rotation, and the big man stepped up.

Marvin Bagley scored 22 points off the bench in just 20 minutes to lead the Mavs in scoring. As the Mavs navigate the rest of this season with an eye firmly on the future, the idea of locking down Bagley is looking better and better. He’s on an expiring contract, so if Dallas likes what they see, it’s never too soon to add a little stability to a roster in flux.

Refusing to be replaced

Since the end of last season, when Brandon Williams was getting minutes on an injury-ravaged Mavericks team that was limping across the finish line, Dallas has cycled several potential replacements — none of whom have stuck quite like Williams has.

Dante Exum’s return never materialized, Jaden Hardy never stuck in the rotation, the D’Angelo Russell experiment never showed life, and the early momentum of rookie Ryan Nembhard has slowed dramatically. Through it all, the once and future “placeholder until Kyrie gets back” remains Brandon Williams.

Against the Nets (15-42), Williams notched his third career double-double with 19 points and 10 assists while shooting 9-for-11 from the floor. There’s something admirable about a guy who really takes the smallest of opportunities and makes hay.

3-pointers are a myth

On one hand, there’s something admirable about simply being who you are, and if you are the Mavericks, you are not good at shooting 3-pointers. On Tuesday, the team attempted only 23 — a far cry from the league average of 37 per game — and made a respectable eight, good for 35% on the night. It should be said, though, that five of those eight came courtesy of Klay Thompson, who went 5-for-10. Dallas’ only other true outside shooter, Max Christie, is in something of a slump. After opening the season as one of the best in the league from the corner, he’s shooting just 31% from deep in the month of February, and tonight’s 1-for-5 effort won’t help that math.

In Christie’s defense, his big two-handed dunk in the fourth was functionally the dagger that ended any comeback hopes Brooklyn may have been harboring. Still, so long as Christie remains in the starting lineup, and especially if Cooper Flagg remains out, there’s going to be plenty of shots to go around, and he shouldn’t let an off night like tonight (or an off month) prevent him from letting them fly.

A highly anticipated battle of Eastern Conference forces never took shape on Tuesday night, as the Knicks struggled to build momentum on both ends of the court in a 109-94 loss to the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena.

Here are the takeaways...

-- While both teams came out hot, nearly matching in efficiency and pace, an edge in first-quarter possessions and jumpers from beyond the arc helped the Cavs take a 35-26 lead through 12 minutes. The Knicks lacked ball control, committing six sloppy turnovers in the period that produced seven points in transition, and the Cavs shared the wealth much better, with four of their five starters making three shots apiece. Cleveland also attacked without any fear of New York's physicality, properly balancing movement around the perimeter and inside the paint behind Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.

-- There were signs of the Cavs taking greater command, as their lead reached 12 within a minute of the second quarter due to poor three-point shooting and further turnovers from the Knicks. But the Knicks clawed back, cutting their deficit down to one with a 10-2 run by the 3:00 mark. The catalysts were their bigs down low, as Karl-Anthony Towns scored 11 points by halftime while Mitchell Robinson logged a team-high six rebounds with seven points off the bench. The Cavs responded with an 8-0 run minutes before the break, ultimately entering the locker room with a 60-54 lead. Jalen Brunson had one more point (13) than the Knicks had first-half turnovers (12, a season-worst mark), and they shot an uninspiring 27 percent (4 of 15) from deep.

-- The third quarter started slowly for the Knicks, so much so that they were issued a delay of game violation before the Cavs even inbounded. There was an absence of rhythm and tenacity, and the combination of rushed possessions and poor shot choices kept them from generating any momentum. By the 4:05 mark, a three from Harden pushed the Cavs' lead to 13, forcing the Knicks to burn a timeout. To make matters worse, they couldn't contain Jarrett Allen, who actually led the Cavs in points (18) and rebounds (10) after three quarters. A ghastly 5 of 27 mark from three placed the Knicks in an 18-point hole, and their measly 11 points was their worst third-quarter output since 2022. Towns and Brunson also combined for just two more shot attempts (17) than Mikal Bridges (15).

-- A pair of made threes from Jose Alvarado and Josh Hart early in the fourth quarter were ironic and still too little, too late. The Cavs kept pace with ease, holding a comfortable 20-point lead around the halfway mark. Abysmal three-point shooting and costly turnovers placed the Knicks in a deep hole, and they simply ran out of time to recover or adjust their plan. The body language was ugly too, and a quiet 20-point effort from Brunson wasn't close to sufficient. Towns only scored three points in the second half, and was responsible for nearly one-third (5) of the team's 17 turnovers.

-- Hart, who scored seven points in the first quarter, finished with only 10 across 26 minutes. OG Anunoby was a ghost, as he scored five points on a weak 2 of 9 shooting in 34 minutes. Robinson racked up a team-high 15 boards (eight on offense), but added just two buckets in the second half. It was a dormant night for the Knicks' bench, which delivered 27 points (11 were from Robinson). Mitchell scored a game-high 23 points for the Cavs, while Harden (20) and Allen (19) combined for 39. Overall, the Knicks shot 27 percent from deep (10 of 37).

Game MVP: Jarrett Allen

Most of the attention was directed toward Mitchell and Harden -- and rightfully so -- but it was Allen who gave the Knicks fits in the paint and on the glass. The veteran big finished with 19 points on 7 of 8 shooting with 10 rebounds across 29 minutes.

Highlights

Mikal Bridges to the basket 💪 pic.twitter.com/SAHFcNxIE1

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 25, 2026

KAT and-one! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uyNa3wQvSY

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 25, 2026

Flight 23 cleared for takeoff ✈️

Mitch throws it down! pic.twitter.com/UgOlsB4Kex

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 25, 2026

Mitchell Robinson dominates the offensive glass 💪 pic.twitter.com/Rn0Qbjbb86

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 25, 2026

What's next

The Knicks (37-22) will wrap up their three-game Midwest road trip on Friday night in Milwaukee, with a matchup against the Bucks (8 p.m. tipoff).