Detroit Pistons (31-10, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (10-35, 15th in the Western Conference)
New Orleans; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Detroit will attempt to extend its three-game win streak with a victory against New Orleans.
The Pelicans have gone 7-18 at home. New Orleans averages 13.6 turnovers per game and is 8-15 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents.
The Pistons are 13-6 in road games. Detroit ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference with 32.9 defensive rebounds per game led by Jalen Duren averaging 6.8.
The Pelicans make 46.5% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.6 percentage points higher than the Pistons have allowed to their opponents (43.9%). The Pistons average 11.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.6 fewer made shots on average than the 14.8 per game the Pelicans give up.
TOP PERFORMERS: Derik Queen is averaging 12.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the Pelicans. Trey Murphy III is averaging 23.3 points over the last 10 games.
Cade Cunningham is averaging 25.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 9.8 assists for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 2-8, averaging 112.5 points, 43.0 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 8.3 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.1 points per game.
Pistons: 7-3, averaging 110.7 points, 44.3 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 11.7 steals and 8.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.3 points.
INJURIES: Pelicans: Jose Alvarado: out (oblique), Dejounte Murray: out (leg), Herbert Jones: day to day (ankle).
Pistons: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Phoenix visits Philadelphia for a non-conference matchup.
The 76ers have gone 11-11 in home games. Philadelphia ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference with 48.2 points per game in the paint led by Tyrese Maxey averaging 11.7.
The Suns have gone 12-12 away from home. Phoenix has a 4-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The 76ers average 116.7 points per game, 4.8 more points than the 111.9 the Suns allow. The Suns average 114.7 points per game, 0.7 fewer than the 115.4 the 76ers allow to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: VJ Edgecombe is averaging 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals for the 76ers. Maxey is averaging 28.5 points over the last 10 games.
Devin Booker is averaging 25.3 points and 6.4 assists for the Suns. Dillon Brooks is averaging 19.2 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: 76ers: 6-4, averaging 117.6 points, 41.7 rebounds, 23.0 assists, 10.4 steals and 6.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.5 points per game.
Suns: 7-3, averaging 113.3 points, 43.1 rebounds, 24.7 assists, 9.2 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.6 points.
INJURIES: 76ers: Paul George: day to day (knee).
Suns: Jalen Green: day to day (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
What a scene in Chase Center Monday night on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There was Jimmy Butler, the Warriors’ prized acquisition who was supposed to solve their wing problem once and for all, crumpling to the Chase Center floor with 7:41 left in the third quarter against Miami. His right knee buckled and he couldn’t put weight on it. Teammates helped him limp off the court while the building held its breath.
And there was Andrew Wiggins, wearing Heat colors now, who had received a standing ovation during pregame introductions. As the video tribute played on the big screen Wiggins humbly basked in the adulation, more than worthy of the honor he received from Dub Nation. After all, the crowd that had watched him transform from “worst contract in basketball” to championship contributor had every reason to roar their golden approval.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Kuminga sat on the bench in warmups for the 13th straight game, having formally demanded a trade just days earlier. Past, present, and potentially absent future, all visible at the same time.
This is what happens when you spend years trying to replace Kevin Durant. You get a carousel of talented wings, each carrying their own baggage, each representing a different gamble, each reminding you that sometimes the house doesn’t win.
The irony was almost too perfect
Remember how the Warriors got Wiggins? It all started with them wanting D’Angelo Russell in that sign-and-trade with Brooklyn after KD left, knowing Russell might not fit but believing his trade value would eventually help them reload. Six months later, Minnesota was desperate to pair Russell with Karl-Anthony Towns. The price? Wiggins and the seventh round pick that became Kuminga.
At the time, people called Wiggins one of the worst players in the league with no trade value. Those fools. The Warriors made him into a two-way force on their 2022 championship team, completing his redemption arc, an arc that coincided with Steph, Klay, Dray, and Iguodala’s fourth rings. Front office was looking like geniuses as Wiggins’ All-Star berth proved he was the man of the hour.
Until they decided last winter Wiggins wasn’t the answer anymore and sent him to Miami.
“Welcome back to the Bay, Andrew Wiggins!
He gets a warm ovation from the crowd in his first game back in Golden State 👏 pic.twitter.com/kQUTwuE2fp
Wiggins is averaging 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists with the Heat now. Not spectacular, but Erik Spoelstra thinks it might be the most complete basketball of his career considering the responsibilities he’s handling on both ends. He’s thriving in a system that doesn’t ask him to be someone he’s not.
Kuminga? He started the first 12 games this season leading Coach Steve Kerr to call him a secure starter. Then struggles led to a benching that landed poorly with the 23-year-old. He’s been completely out of the lineup since December 18th and now team sources say everyone agrees the best resolution is trading him before February 5.
Butler was supposed to be the answer, which is why the Warriors gave up Wiggins to get him. They believed his intensity, his playoff pedigree, his two-way dominance would bring All-NBA caliber play to the position. Golden State has gone 12-4 since December 18 with a top-five offense during that stretch.
Losing Butler for any extended time would almost certainly derail that momentum.
Steve Kerr was asked if the Jimmy Butler injury could lead to Jonathan Kuminga minutes.
And so what a scene it was in San Francisco as we got to see those three talented players. They’re on three different trajectories, providing three reminders that sometimes you can make all the smart moves and still end up exactly where you started: searching for the piece that fits.
Butler will get an MRI. The Warriors will hope it’s short-term. They’ll canvas the market for Kuminga trades, prioritizing expiring contracts that don’t lock them into long-term money. They’ll keep spinning the wheel, hoping this time it lands on the right number. Because when you’ve tasted championships, when you’ve had Kevin Durant and know what elite wing play looks like, you can’t stop chasing it.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Anthony Duclair scored twice and the New York Islanders beat Vancouver 4-3 on Monday night, handing the Canucks their 11th consecutive defeat.
Tony DeAngelo had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (27-17-5). Ryan Pulock's second goal of the season put New York ahead for good with 4:02 remaining in the second period.
Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer and British Columbia product Mathew Barzal each had two assists. Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots.
Duclair has seven goals in his last seven games after scoring four in his first 38 appearances this season.
Max Sasson, Evander Kane and Drew O’Connor scored for the NHL-worst Canucks (16-28-5), who have lost eight straight games in regulation. They are 0-9-2 during the losing streak, and still winless in 2026.
Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for Vancouver, which fell to 4-14-3 at Rogers Arena and hasn't won at home since Dec. 6.
Sasson gave the Canucks an early lead, scoring 2:49 into the game, and Kane put them up 2-1 with his eighth goal of the season before the end of the first period.
But the Canucks gave up two goals in 1:24 late in the second and couldn’t recover in the third despite a late goal from O’Connor.
Pulock gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead when he took a pass from Schaefer at the top of the slot and sent a shot over Lankinen.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was at the NBA's presentation to potential investors on Monday over a proposed European NBA league [Getty Images]
London hosted its 10th regular-season NBA match on Sunday as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Orlando Magic 126-109, but there was a different feel to the occasion than in previous games in the city.
Three days on from the Magic's win over the Grizzlies in Berlin's first regular-season NBA match, the Grizzlies' victory concluded a European double-header that brought much excitement around the sport and its potential room for European growth.
In 2027 Paris and Manchester will host a double-header - the latter also getting its first NBA in-season match - while in 2028 Berlin and Paris will take another game each.
All four cities are among those being touted by the NBA as part of its long-term plans for an independent European league that could launch within two years.
Football clubs including Manchester City and Real Madrid are among targets for the NBA to have teams in a European league, with representatives from both attending a presentation on Monday in London.
At grassroots level, basketball is the fastest-growing sport in the UK and has received further recent investment from the NBA, UK government and regionally.
But, professionally, the UK is significantly straggling on its European counterparts and, while there were a record four UK-listed players on NBA rosters in starting squads this season, it is still a low number compared to other European nations.
As plans continue to develop over a potentially transformative NBA European league, there is a sense that this is a major moment for the future of British basketball.
The plans for 'NBA Europe' and why now?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has described NBA Europe as a "decade-long" project [Getty Images]
The NBA is planning to launch an independent European league under the working title of NBA Europe.
Talks remain ongoing, but plans lead towards it starting as a league of 12-16 teams that could include a merit-based qualification system as well as promotion and relegation.
London, Manchester, Paris and Berlin are expected to have teams in NBA Europe.
The league is expected to consist of existing teams, new sides and football clubs that currently do not have associated basketball teams.
Talks are in preliminary stages, but there is optimism around the plans and, under the NBA's running, they have the potential to transform European basketball's landscape.
London is being tipped to be among the key cities for the NBA's European hopes, despite its lack of basketball presence.
It is unlikely that London will be a franchise that is part of a football team, with the city earmarked to become a model city to be emulated at other NBA Europe locations.
This is also in part because of London's global appeal to US audiences, and infrastructure that includes the O2 and a reported new indoor arena in the process of being built.
"We know that here in London in particular, in many ways we think this market is tastemakers for much of Europe," said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
"The last I looked, I think the O2 is the leading arena throughout Europe and, from a revenue standpoint, exceeds most arenas around the United States.
"Culturally, all the top acts come through there. There is this New York-London connection from a fashion and music standpoint."
An increasing number of international players in the NBA, a growing viewership in the league across Europe, and the fact that five of the NBA's past seven Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards have been won by Europeans point towards a prime opportunity for the NBA to capitalise.
The NBA has worked on European plans in collaboration with the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), the sport's international governing body.
As well as Silver describing interest from potential investors and sponsors as "significant", current and former players have been showing their support for a European NBA league.
"The NBA has been such a successful brand and they have talked about expansion for 20 years ever since I was in the league, so I'm excited that this next step is finally here," Dirk Nowitzki, the first European to win the MVP award, told BBC Sport.
"If the NBA normally does something, they do it right. Hopefully it is going to be good for European basketball and exciting."
The challenges faced by the NBA
EuroLeague chief executive Paulius Motiejunas (right) has criticised the NBA's plans and questioned whether they are necessary [Getty Images]
The NBA's main opposition has come in the form of EuroLeague, which operates Europe's primary club basketball competition.
EuroLeague has been strong in its objection to NBA Europe and has recently threatened the NBA with legal action should it approach EuroLeague clubs over a switch.
"I'm here to grow basketball in Europe, to make it better," EuroLeague chief executive Paulius Motiejunas told BBC Sport in October.
"From time to time, you have these new projects or new ideas coming. They can either grow the status quo or make it much better or they can hurt.
"I truly believe that this will only hurt the status quo rather than make it better if it continues to be in a way that it has been presented."
There are other stumbling blocks and logistical issues to work out, such as scheduling, ticket pricing, format and travel.
Should the league go ahead under current proposals, teams from potential franchises in London and Manchester travel could travel as far as Turkey and Greece for matches.
"It's a good idea. It's a matter now of travel. Can you logistically do it and how would you logistically set it up?" Isiah Thomas, a 12-time NBA all-star, told BBC Sport.
"Twenty or 30 years ago, you didn't have the type of logistics that we have now in terms of moving around the countries and moving around different places worldwide.
"Logistically, now you can easily set up tournaments, and there's enough talent and in different countries where you can really have a pool of resources that you can continually pull from because the game is being taught at a very early young age."
Silver said an NBA European league will measure success in its infancy by the overall growth of the sport in Europe, rather than commercially.
NBA Europe may have to play matches in smaller arenas early on while larger ones are constructed.
Early suggestions are that ticket prices would be in line with pricing for European sporting events.
What next?
NBA legend Tony Parker (left) attended Sunday's game in London alongside former Arsenal footballer Thierry Henry [Getty Images]
Following Sunday's match in London, the NBA hosted an invite-only presentation about NBA Europe to potential stakeholders, investors and sponsors.
Representatives from Manchester City, Real, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan were in attendance, as were basketball clubs Olimpia Milano and Alba Berlin.
Private equity firms also attended, including JP Morgan, KKR and Raine.
NBA legends Pau Gasol and Tony Parker featured at the meeting, as did former Sweden and Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"I'm a believer that if NBA comes with a business case and a business model and can combine it with the European fans, it will be a perfect match," said Ibrahimovic.
"That's why we are here - to make it successful and to make it magic, because we believe in it."
It is understood that investors wanting to enter a team in the league will be charged an entrance fee of between 500m euros (£434m) and 1bn euros (£868), decided on a case-by-case basis.
The NBA remains open to potential majority investment from sovereign wealth funds for NBA Europe franchises. At present, they can only invest up to 20% in an NBA franchise.
By the time Manchester hosts a double-header with Paris in 12 months, there will be a much clearer picture of the future of the NBA Europe plans and whether a 2027-28 season launch is realistic.
"It would be fantastic to grow the game and hopefully elevate it to new heights in Europe," said two-time MVP Steve Nash, whose family originates from London.
"(There is a) huge upside in London because it's not traditionally a basketball city or country in the UK.
"To build a fanbase, to build a club, to bring new fans into the game would be incredible for Europe, basketball and the NBA.
"The players coming into the league are more and more international; the fans are growing throughout the world. London would be a fantastic place to bring the game."
TheRockets won their matchup against the Pelicans on Sunday pretty easily, with the return of Dr. Jaswishy, and Kevin Durant eclipsing Dirk Nowitzki’s career scoring mark. Dirk had recorded a nice congratulatory video for Kevin Durant, which was played in Toyota center upon points 31,362 being scored. That is, truly, a lot of basketball points.
Tonight’s matchup is with the Spurs, and will mark the 5th and final game of Houston’s much needed home stand. But don’t worry, they’ll be off to Philadelphia and Detroit later this week, lest their home/road games played split become too normal. The Rockets can finish this stretch 4-1 with a win, but in the Spirit of AK I can only suggest that a dismal, dispiriting loss will occur. It’s better not to hope, as the Texans demonstrate in Divisional Round year after year.
Anyhow this should be a good one, as it will be on NBA/Peacock, after their big day of mostly not great MLK day games (Detroit v Boston was very good).
Looking ahead because we don’t have to take it day by day – the Pretty Decent 76ers on Thursday.
Tip Off
7:00PM CT
How To Watch Peacock/NBA
Injury Report Rockets Steven Adams: Out (Ankle)
Fred VanVleet: Out (Acl), Tari Eason: Day-To-Day, One Day At A Time, Play It By Ear, (Ankle)
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Alex Killorn broke a second-period tie, rugged newcomer Jeffrey Viel scored his first goal of the season and the Anaheim Ducks beat the New York Rangers 5-3 on Monday night.
Cutter Gauthier scored twice on his 22nd birthday — the second into an empty net in the final minute — to push his season total to 22. Mason McTavish also scored to help Anaheim to its fourth victory in a row following a nine-game losing streak.
Lukas Dostal made 19 saves, surviving a wild scramble on a late 21-second two-man advantage.
Matthew Robertson, Artemi Panarin and Vladislav Gavrikov scored for New York, and Spencer Martin stopped 21 shots in his fourth NHL game of the season.
Seeing time with Igor Shesterkin sidelined by a lower-body injury, Martin was back in goal after stopping 25 shots Saturday in a 6-3 victory in Philadelphia that ended a five-game losing streak.
Killorn gave Anaheim a 3-2 lead with 1:58 left in the second period. He scored off a rebound of Jacob Trouba’s long shot after a prolonged scramble behind the goal.
Gauthier padded the lead at 1:01 of the third, and Gavrikov countered for New York at 7:11 with a long shot on a power play.
Viel tied it at 2 at 8:29 of the second with his first goal for the Ducks and the first in 12 NHL games this season. Acquired from Boston on Friday for a 2026 fourth-round pick, Viel controlled Ryan Poehling’s feed from the blue line and beat Martin from close range.
Viel had no points and 30 penalty minutes in 10 games this season for Boston, and added another fighting major in his Ducks debut Saturday night in a 2-1 overtime victory over Los Angeles. In 66 career NHL games, he has four goals, two assists and 188 penalty minutes.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Jimmy Butler III #10 of the Golden State Warriors is helped off the court
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Miami Heat 135-112 on Monday night, improving to 25-19 on the season and 11-4 over the team’s past 15 games. They continued climbing in the standings, hoping to escape the play-in. Yet, all that success became a moot point when Jimmy Butler III’s right knee bent in the wrong direction after he landed awkwardly catching a pass in the third quarter.
Butler screamed in pain, collapsed, and laid on the floor for several minutes as he was surrounded by his teammates. He had to be helped off the floor by Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga while he put no weight on his right knee. Regardless of the game’s outcome, no event on Monday has more of an impact on the Warriors championship prospects than Butler’s prognosis. But a best case scenario will likely sideline him for weeks, and a worst-case could end his season.
The Warriors were able to withstand a collapse for the moment after Butler’s exit. Steph Curry seemed to calm the team’s nerves with a step back three and a continued stretch of hot shooting helped the Warriors head into the fourth quarter with a 104-93 lead.
With Golden State already missing Butler and Draymond Green (who didn’t play due to an ankle sprain) for the final quarter, Curry was quickly pushed to the bench after unnecessarily picking up his fifth foul. Yet, for the second time in his Dubs tenure, Buddy Hield stepped up in a game when a star went down with an injury.
The Warriors season hangs in the balance, outside the confines of the court for the moment, but a scoring spurt from Hield and an explosion from Brandin Podziemski propelled Golden State to a 24-point lead that allowed Curry to rest for the remainder of the game. Hield scored 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field (4-for-7 from three) while Podziemski scored a game-high 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting (3-for-7 from three).
Nearly everyone on the Warriors who played on Monday played well. Butler had 17 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals before he got hurt in 20 minutes of action. Quinten Post and Moses Moody combined for 28 points while shooting 7-for-11 from three. Even in a relatively quite night from Curry, he recorded 19 points and 11 assists.
The Warriors will get little time to reset without Butler. They will be back on the floor for the second half of a back-to-back tomorrow night when they face the Toronto Raptors.
Coach Jordan Ott of the Phoenix Suns was a longtime assistant with the Nets.
After six years as a Nets assistant, Jordan Ott returned to Brooklyn on Monday as head coach of the Suns, leading them to a 126-117 victory at Barclays Center.
He packed a career’s worth of ups and downs into those six seasons.
“Yeah, just good memories. Six years. A lot of good people, a lot of good players. Saw the whole gamut of seasons (in) six seasons,” said Ott. “But yeah, it’s good to be back. Just different in the other locker room, but another game, ready to go.”
Ott arrived in Brooklyn in 2016 as an assistant on Kenny Atkinson’s staff. He helped oversee their first rebuild, and watched them form the Big Three. He outlasted his mentor to work under successors Jacque Vaughn and even Steve Nash — on the staff for their Eastern Conference semifinal classic vs. Milwaukee — before taking his hard-earned lessons to the Lakers in 2022.
Coach Jordan Ott of the Phoenix Suns was a longtime assistant with the Nets. Getty Images
Now he’s taken over the Suns, and has former Nets forward DeMarre Carroll on his staff.
“I think it was just so many different seasons, from where we started, those first couple years of just the development piece,” said Ott. “I mean, it’s cool with DeMarre now, like, bringing him in that group in that third season with Kenny. Go to the playoffs with a different group that was developing but with great veteran leadership. And then it shifted; it shifted to the superstars. And we were close, through all those ups and downs of those couple seasons.
“We were close, stepping on the line in Game 7. So, just got to be prepared. Gotta be prepared for a lot of different stuff. I don’t know what’s next, but attack each day, every day is a new challenge. Early in those Brooklyn years we didn’t have draft picks, so it was all about, ‘How can we maximize the group that we have?’ And that was influential. Never had to go through a time where, ‘Hey, play this, do this.’ We were all trying to win every single night. So, overall good experience.”
The Nets started rookie Drake Powell and Terance Mann in the backcourt vs. the Suns. Powell finished with 11 points while Mann added 10.
Michael Porter Jr. returned after sitting out Sunday’s loss in Chicago. But rookie Egor Dëmin (left plantar fascia injury management), backup center Day’Ron Sharpe (illness/throat contusion), and Cam Thomas (left hamstring injury management) were out against Phoenix.
Rookie Ben Saraf was in the G League.
Jalen Green was out for the Suns.
When the Nets were mulling offers for Mikal Bridges, they rejected an offer of Green and a couple of their first-round draft picks back from Houston. They eventually pried five first-rounders and a swap from the Knicks for Bridges.
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler left Monday night's 135-112 victory against the Miami Heat at Chase Center with an apparent right knee injury.
The Warriors were leading 77-75 with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter at the time of the injury stoppage.
Butler jumped to receive a lob pass from guard Brandin Podziemski, which was met with contact from Heat guard Davion Mitchell as Butler was landing and going up for a layup.
It seemed as if Butler's knee buckled as he immediately fell to the ground before being tended to by the Warriors' medical staff.
Jimmy Butler had to be helped to the locker room after appearing to injury his knee pic.twitter.com/sOSpAxbbAP
Golden State's Jimmy Butler went down, grabbing his right knee, during the third quarter of the Warriors' game against the Heat. Butler and Davion Mitchell both went up as Butler tried to receive a pass in the post, and he landed awkwardly.
Jimmy Butler had to be helped to the locker room after appearing to injury his knee pic.twitter.com/sOSpAxbbAP
Butler had to be helped off the court and could not put any weight on his leg. The Warriors ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
Butler had a sprain of this same knee last season, and a meniscus tear in it back in 2018.
Butler is averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists a game for the Warriors this season. Golden State has been 9.2 points per 100 possessions better with Butler on the court this season.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Simon Nemec scored at 1:18 of overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
Nemec took a backhand pass from Jack Hughes and beat goalie Devin Cooley from close range.
Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves to help New Jersey rebound from a 4-1 home loss to Carolina on Saturday night for its third victory in four games.
Dawson Mercer opened the scoring for New Jersey at 7:51 of the second period, and Nazem Kadri tied it at 9:44 of the period. Rookie Matvei Gridin got his first NHL assist on Kadri's goal.
Cooley stopped 29 shots. The Flames had won two in a row.
Devils defenseman Luke Hughes left in the second period after appearing to be shaken up during a puck battle along the boards.
Defenseman Zach Whitecloud made his Calgary debut after being acquired from Vegas on Sunday along with two draft picks and a prospect in a trade that sent longtime Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights. Whitecloud had two shots and three blocked shots in 22:33.
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the New York Knicks on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, winning 114-97 . Both teams had players nursing injuries, but it was the Mavericks who ended up with the big win.
Let’s get to the grades!
Cooper Flagg: B
18 PTS / 7 REB / 3 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN
Flagg had a solid game, but it was somewhat muted by a minutes restriction and Max Christie providing a lot of scoring punch. His four turnovers were somewhat glaring, but he hit 50% of his 14 shot attempts and chipped in a bit of everything.
Max Christie: A+
26 PTS / 6 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 35 MIN
Christie went absolutely out of his mind and it was a sight to behold. I’ve recently written about how nice it is to see him do more than shoot threes, but Monday night it was plenty nice to see him hoisting the long ball. Christie was 9-for-13 including a mind-boggling 8-for-10 from deep. His second half play came down to earth a bit, but it hardly mattered with the Mavs taking a 20+ point lead into the final frame. He led all scorers and hit a career high in three-point field goals for top marks.
Caleb Martin: C+
3 PTS / 1 REB / 3 AST / 3 STL / 1 BLK – 24 MIN
Most of Martin’s contribution came in the form of stuff you won’t see in a box score. He hounded the Knicks on defense, an effort highlighted by another three steals, but otherwise left the offense to others.
Naji Marshall: B
19 PTS / 8 REB / 4 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 33 MIN
Marshall couldn’t be stopped in the first half, driving relentlessly to eviscerate the Knicks’ defense. As the game went on, he took more three-pointers, but only hit 1-for-6, driving his shooting percentage down. His game was very similar to Flagg’s, with his blemish being a lower shooting percentage rather than a high turnover total.
Dwight Powell: B
2 PTS / 5 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN
As ridiculous as it sounds, Powell is getting a bump for the absolute beating he took at the hands of Karl Anthony-Towns. Throughout his NBA career, Powell has been hit in the face more than a professional boxer, but Monday night was next level. Towns is known for his flailing knees, but Powell took a variety of groin shots and stayed professional, using it as motivation to play harder. In respect of his actual game, there isn’t much to talk about. The Knicks’ bigs decimated the Mavericks bigs, but Powell was a pro doing the dirty unsung work.
Klay Thompson: A-
14 PTS / 5 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 21 MIN
I’m inclined to go a bit high on Thompson’s grade, which seems counterintuitive relative to his recent play. That said, he did a nice job intangibly on defense, while grabbing boards, getting steals and even tossing a couple of assists to his teammates. In the limited time he played, it was a good game that looked better than even the box score may suggest.
Ryan Nembhard: C+
4 PTS / 3 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 22 MIN
Nembhard didn’t have a huge impact on the stat line, struggling to find his shot (2-for-7) with a 5:2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Extra credit for checking in late in the third quarter to settle things down when the Mavericks were a bit out of sorts – it won’t show up in any statistical category, but it was undoubtedly significant and allowed Dallas to enter the fourth quarter with a 23-point lead.
Moussa Cisse: A-
15 PTS / 9 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 4 BLK – 20 MIN
Cisse did his best to match the Knicks’ size, and while his numbers may not have been as pretty at Karl-Anthony Towns’ or Mitchell Robinson’s numbers, he did work in just under 20 minutes of play. His four blocks were a menace to the Knicks, but his three turnovers and four fouls didn’t help his cause. Stepping up and hitting two free throws when the Knicks decided to Hack-A-Cisse was bigger than the final score may indicate.
Final Thoughts
Both teams were a bit beat up coming in, but Dallas was coming off two lopsided wins while New York has been struggling of late. The Mavericks came in like a wrecking crew, dropping the most first-half points the Knicks have given up all season. As expected, things got a bit closer here and there in the second half, frankly getting too close for comfort late in the fourth quarter before Dallas closed it out. The Mavericks have plenty of struggles right now with a lot of players out or having just returned, but you wouldn’t have known it in what was basically a full on drubbing of the Knicks Monday night.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
In a matchup that felt far more like May than January, the Pistons outlasted the Celtics 104–103 on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena, surviving a final Jaylen Brown jumper that fell just short at the buzzer.
The Celtics jumped out to an early 16–8 lead behind Brown’s scoring and strong defensive activity, but the momentum didn’t last long. Jalen Duren scored seven straight points to halt the run, setting the tone for what became a bruising night in the paint.
With four minutes remaining in the quarter, the game’s intensity boiled over. Thirty seconds after Isaiah Stewart checked in, he and Jaylen Brown were assessed double technical fouls following a brief altercation, punctuating an already physical opening quarter.
Boston closed the first with a narrow 29–26 advantage, but the warning signs were there.
Detroit seized control in the second, outscoring Boston 33–22 and flipping the game with defensive playmaking and physicality. Rim protection and activity disrupted Boston’s offensive rhythm, forcing turnovers that the Pistons consistently capitalized on. Detroit scored 19 points off Boston’s 14 turnovers.
Brown carried the scoring, while contributions came in waves from others. Five Celtics reached double figures, but Boston struggled to generate consistent offense against the NBA’s No. 2 defense. The Pistons’ defensive pressure, highlighted by emphatic blocks at the rim from Stewart and Cade Cunningham, helped build their confidence heading into the break.
Boston made its push coming out of halftime. A pair of Sam Hauser three-pointers and a short jumper trimmed the Pistons’ lead to one early in the third, injecting life back into the game.
Payton Pritchard provided a needed spark, scoring 10 points in the quarter to keep the Celtics within striking distance as Detroit leaned on hot shooting from Duncan Robinson and Tobias Harris to maintain its edge.
The game settled into a possession-by-possession battle from there.
The fourth quarter mirrored the rest of the night — physical, tense, and tightly contested. Boston had chances to take control and answered just enough to keep their hopes alive. Ultimately, a communication breakdown on a Tobias Harris three-pointer and a pair of missed free throws from Brown proved to be the difference.
Down one in the final moments, the Celtics put the ball in Brown’s hands for a potential game-winner. His jumper was off the mark, and Detroit escaped with the one-point victory.
WHAT A GAME. Jaylen Brown's shot bounces off the rim and the Pistons hold on to win! 😱 pic.twitter.com/ZCYnI05qDH
The Celtics showed fight and resilience, but the Pistons’ second-quarter surge and defensive connectivity proved decisive. Brown led Boston’s scoring effort with 32 points, and played a large part in Cade Cunningham’s quiet 16-point outing. Tobias Harris’ 25 points, Jalen Duren’s 18 points and nine rebounds, and Duncan Robinson’s five three-pointers elevated the Pistons just out of the Celtics’ reach.
Payton Pritchard chipped in 17 points, while Sam Hauser put together another solid night with 16 points on four made threes. Derrick White’s 1-for-11 outing was difficult to dismiss in a game where both sides were searching for production.
This one came down to margins — a missed shot, poor ball security, and missed free throws. Detroit flexed their muscles defensively, and handled those moments just a bit better.
The Celtics head back home for a rematch against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, a team they dropped a close one to as well just a week ago.
There was plenty of animosity from fans directed at Knicks players. But the loudest boos were held for Karl-Anthony Towns.
When he briefly checked out of the game late in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 114-97 loss to the Mavericks on Monday at Madison Square Garden, he was hounded with loud jeers.
“I mean, you spend what $140 to represent your favorite player with a jersey,” Towns said of the boos. “And you come to an MLK Day game at The Garden and the tickets are twice to three times the price, and to come here and spend your hard-earned money, money that you’ve saved up to bring your family to this game and for us to come here and obviously to not only win — which is disappointing — but to not really have a chance? I’d be disappointed too, and fans, they spend their hard-earned money. They give us so much love and motivation to go out there and they’re expecting results and so do we. So fans are doing their part and we’ve gotta do our part.”
Karl-Anthony Towns on the boos at MSG directed at him and the team
"You spend $140 to represent your favorite player with a jersey. You come to MLK Day here at The Garden and tickets are 3x the price. I'd be disappointed too" pic.twitter.com/vrTAznt1mV
Towns has struggled during the Knicks free fall. He was given a flagrant foul for kicking Dwight Powell in the groin while taking a 3-pointer. By the end, it was the fourth straight game he recorded five fouls.
“You just gotta win at the end of the day,” Towns said after finishing with 22 points on 9-for-19 shooting and 18 rebounds. “Fans nor us want to hear any excuses. We’ve just gotta wanna get the job done and that’s what we’ve gotta do.”
With the Knicks back to full strength, Jordan Clarkson might now be on the periphery of coach Mike Brown’s rotation.
He played just two minutes in Monday’s loss.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns #32 puts up a shot as Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall #13 defends during the third quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“There are different combinations that we haven’t had this year,” Brown said. “My biggest goal, I got a range of minutes that I like guys to play. With these eight, eight and a half to nine guys, it’s hard to get them to that range by playing many more guys. I gotta keep messing around with it and make sure that it fits seamlessly with the group to help them flow on the floor, on both ends.”
Draymond Green tormented Towns on the court last week during the Knicks loss to the Warriors on Thursday and then on his podcast posted Monday, saying the Knicks center’s voice weakens his ability to trash-talk.
“OG Anunoby and I were having a conversation,” Green said. “And [Towns] came over and joined in, talking. And he told me, ‘Hey man, you’re going to start talking in the last minute and a half of the game? You’re a front-runner.’
“Now, one thing Karl-Anthony Towns can’t do is call me a front-runner. His voice changes too much to call someone a front-runner. Because we don’t really know which KAT we getting.”
