Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr will miss approximately two weeks with a right hamstring strain, the team announced Thursday.

ALEX SARR INJURY UPDATE pic.twitter.com/OFaXB4qgFI

— Wizards PR (@WizPRStats) February 12, 2026

Sarr, 20, was a late addition to Washington’s injury report and was held out of the team’s 138-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. He will miss the Castrol Rising Stars game this Friday and be re-evaluated in two weeks.

The second-year center is likely to miss at least five games during that stretch: vs. Pacers, vs. Pacers, vs. Hornets, @ Hawks, @ Hawks.

Sarr is one of three players averaging at least 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks this season. His 2.0 blocks per game ranks second in the NBA, trailing only Victor Wembanyama’s 2.7.

With Sarr sidelined and Anthony Davis still recovering from a left finger sprain, Tristan Vukcevic is Washington’s lone healthy center. The 22-year-old will likely start in Sarr’s place until he returns from injury.

The San Antonio Spurs maintained their winning ways on a night both De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama dominated offensively and defensively (in the latter portion, at least). Fox led all players with 27 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals while Wembanyama had 26 points and 9 rebounds. Heading into the mid-season break, the Silver and Black will now look to further cement their playoff standings and continue to play at a high level.

Sometimes you have to reach up with your 8-foot wingspan to grab a rebound, and other times (like the clip below indicates) you only have to let the ball drop in your lap. Victor Wembanyama then wisely brings the ball up with an immediate urgency to slam the point home.

Vic picking up right where he left off!

📺 FanDuelSN SW, ESPN pic.twitter.com/9Z3Lefdne1

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 12, 2026

If De’Aaron Fox looked in full control of the game on Wednesday night, that’s because he was in full control of the game, as evidenced by Fox patiently working his way through the defense for a bucket.

Statistically speaking, De’Aaron Fox is averaging below his usual, exceptional scoring numbers. But to me, that speaks more to Fox adjusting to the Spurs’ system on both offense and defense. Additionally, he’s playing with Victor Wembanyama, knowing that the big man sets the Spurs’ orbit. And by all accounts, it seems like Fox is embracing his role as the playmaker, aggressive wing defender, facilitator, and as the ice-cold or red-hot closer when needed. For these reasons, the Spurs are enjoying a renaissance season behind Wembanyama and Fox—especially when Stephon Castle has legitimately played like the second-best player on the team on some nights (sure, the 40-point triple-double helps).

.@swipathefox feeling it early 🦊

12 PTS | 3 AST | 5/7 FGM pic.twitter.com/rRJPFvrr2e

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 12, 2026

I feel like this is as good a time as any to talk about the last game Dirk Nowitzki played in Golden State (at the old Oracle Arena). I happened to be in town that weekend for my bachelor party, and my buddies and I were treated to a vintage Nowitzki game. Leading the Dallas Mavericks to a win over the Golden State Warriors, he drained 5 threes in a 21-point, season high score in his swan season of a great career.

It was a good game to attend. We didn’t have seats, but we stood in a fairly isolated cemented area behind some club seats. The view was good, and it was better when the patrons in front of us left in the 3rd quarter so we were able to sit down for the rest of the game. This unsolicited trip down memory lane has nothing to do with the play below (other than it involves the Golden State Warriors), but you don’t need me to explain yet again why Victor Wembanyama is so good.

W3MBY NO HESITATION 👌

📺 FanDuelSN SW, ESPN pic.twitter.com/1zF1brgRAm

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 12, 2026

(In my best Admiral Ackbar voice): “It’s a trap!”

pic.twitter.com/1J2cD74UNd Fox understands that the Warriors want you to make the kickout pass to the corner to Barnes. It's a trap. He keeps the ball and waits for the cut. Veteran savvy

— Jeje Gomez (@JejeGomezNBA) February 12, 2026

Keldon Johnson avoided any subtlety in scoring on this fast break just like I avoided taxes—DOING—avoided DOING my taxes. Let’s be crystal clear about that. Johnson continues to lead the second unit, bringing both energy and an immediate dose of scoring to the table.

OH MY KJ 😤

📺 FanDuelSN SW, ESPN pic.twitter.com/f1g8BSxeFQ

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 12, 2026

Harrison Barnes brought the mustard and the Grey Poupon on this sidestepping, samba of a move to the basket for the emphatic slam. It’s easy to forget that Harrison Barnes has been in the league for a while, doing the same ol’ consistently right basketball thing. Harrison Barnes is the Harrison Barnes of all Harrison Barnes. How much Harrison Barnes would a Harrison Barnes if a Harrison Barnes could Harrison Barnes ? A Harrison Barnes would Harrison all the Barnes he could if a Harrison Barnes could Harrison Barnes.

HB COMING THRU ‼️

📺 FanDuelSN SW, ESPN pic.twitter.com/LuBFu8UWKf

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 12, 2026

Lastly, sending you out with a shout out to once-a-Spur, always-a-Spur Jeremy Sochan. It never worked out for both parties as intended, but I and many fans wish the very best for Sochan. We’ll always have that 26-point, 18-rebound game you had in a win over the Phoenix Suns in 2024, giving me shades of Dennis Rodman. Maybe our paths will cross again a la Sean Elliott.

Thank You Jeremy pic.twitter.com/5HKRFGW60X

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 11, 2026

If you missed the game because you were too busy researching the history of the civil war between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren (two distinct aquatic species native to the planet Mon Cala), here are the full-game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs head into the All-Star break with the 3rd best record in the NBA, the 2nd best in the Western Conference, a six-game winning streak, and with a ton of confidence that they can be the best team in the league. Their next game will be hosting the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

From performers to locals watching the opening ceremony and tourists taking in the atmosphere, this gallery shows scenes of daily life around the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

___

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

The Milwaukee Bucks, winners of four of their last five, do battle for the final time before the All-Star break tonight when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder smashed the Bucks in the first game this season, but without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it could be closer this time (though I’m not holding my breath). It is also a back-to-back for both teams, which could throw a spanner in the works for either side.

Where We’re At

The Bucks are riding high after a terrific win last night over a playoff team, the Orlando Magic. Of course, the major storyline from that game was how the newbies, Cam Thomas and Ousmane Dieng, performed in their first real minutes. Thomas went nuclear with 34 points on 12/20 shooting, including some preposterous makes, but we already knew he was capable of that. On the other hand, it was really more of a coming-out party for Dieng—who hadn’t had anywhere near that much opportunity in OKC—dropping 17 points on 5/8 from deep. Now it’s really about whether these guys can replicate that level of productivity (or even come close to it).

Without SGA, the Thunder have actually been stumbling a bit lately, losing the first two of their last four games (though they were against the Spurs and Rockets). However, Jalen Williams, who had been out for an extended period with a hamstring complaint, returned on Monday against the LA Lakers, dropping 23 in a win. Williams followed that up with 28 against Phoenix, with OKC winning that one too. So overall, this team is still a juggernaut; it’ll take a mammoth effort to take ‘em down.

Injury Report

Both teams are on a back-to-back, so the injury reports will be out at midday, but it’s safe to assume Giannis (neck), Taurean Prince (neck), and Ryan Rollins (foot) will miss for the Bucks. For OKC, we can assume SGA (abdominal) will be out, as will Ajay Mitchell (abdominal) and Thomas Sorber (ACL).

Player To Watch

I want to see if Ousmane Dieng can get places on the floor against the Thunder defence. Most of his shots were open threes against the Magic, and while it’s great that he knocked them down, I don’t think he’ll get those same easy looks tonight. The knock on him has been that he doesn’t play with enough explosion and force. Maybe he can start to prove that wrong as the season rolls along, but if he showed some stuff tonight against his former team? Oh, that’d be cool.

How To Watch

Prime Video at 6:30 p.m. CST.

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LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Now, it's Chloe Kim's turn to grasp a special spot in snowboarding's record book.

Kim will be in the halfpipe Thursday night, trying to become the first snowboarder to win three straight Olympic gold medals.

The 25-year-old from California hurt her shoulder four weeks ago, disrupting her lead-in to the Milan Cortina Games. Wearing a brace in qualifying on Wednesday, she put down a solid run to lead the standings and said her injury felt fine.

“I've been doing this for 22 years,” Kim said. “Muscle memory is a thing.”

Kim traditionally has the highest-flying most difficult runs in her sport. She is the first woman to land two separate kinds of 1080-degree double corks — two head-over-heels flips — and some version of those could be on tap for the night-time contest at the Livigno Snow Park.

Snoop Dogg is expected to show up to watch one of the biggest names in the Olympics go for history. So will Kim's boyfriend, Myles Garrett, the defensive end for the Cleveland Browns.

Shaun White will be on hand, as well. He is the only other snowboarder with three gold medals in a sport that arrived at the Olympics in 1998.

Two riders — Ester Ledecka in parallel giant slalom and Anna Gasser in big air — had a chance for three straight earlier in these Olympics, but neither ended up on the podium.

___

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

It never gets old when Knicks fans invade road arenas to root for the visiting team.

On Wednesday, it happened again to the poor 76cheesteaks.

José, José, José!

What. A. Night.

Jose Alvarado goes 8/13 from three with five steals tonight! 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/yvRemQRoiH

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 12, 2026

Mike Brown

On Alvarado’s fire and urgency:

“His quickness, his ability to shoot the basketball, his ability to pass and make plays without getting knocked off his body, is going to be huge. But he had a great offensive game for us and we need that fire from him. We need that passion. We need that sense of urgency, and it sparks us.”

On Alvarado’s impact vs. Philadelphia:

“He was really, really good for us. He ignited us in many different ways.”

On Knicks’ knack for sharing the basketball:

“I’m blown away with our guys’ ability to share the basketball with one another. A lot of good playmakers, a lot of good passers, so to see that was a lot of fun.”

On the team’s assist-to-basket ratio against the Sixers:

“I don’t know if I’ve seen this before. We had 48 baskets and 41 assists. So unbelievable night in that regard.”

On responding to adversity:

“They are a resilient group of guys. We’re not going to go up the whole year. Everybody expects us to go up the whole year and win it all. But this is a process. We’re going to up, we’re going to take a step backwards, we’re going to figure it out. That’s why there’s coaching, that’s why there’s practice, that’s why there’s shootaround. That’s why we have those guys in the locker room we have figured out and just go out and play the next game and figure out if you can play better the next game and that’s what our guys did.”

On seasonal fluctuations:

“We’re not going to do this the whole year. Everyone wants us and expects us to do this the whole year and go win it all. But this is a process. We’re going to do this, take a step backwards, and when we do, we’ll figure it out. That’s why there’s coaching, that’s why there’s practicing, that’s why there are shootarounds and coaching and guys that figure it out and play a little better the next time than you did the last time.”

On All-Star recognition vs. resting:

“It’s kind of mixed emotions thing. As a coach you do want your guys to get recognized for the stuff they do on the floor. Even like in the summertime, come Olympic time, European Cup time, this Cup time or that Cup time, you want your guys to play on any stage they can and get recognition and success. But there’s always a part of you, too, like, let this guy get some rest, too, or that guy get some rest and hopefully he takes it a little easy. So again, I get pulled and tugged in both directions. At the end of the day you want as much individual recognition as possible for your guys as they can get.”

On staying focused during the pre-ASW-break:

“It’s mixed … I know these guys are thinking about it. If they’re thinking about it everybody else is to a certain degree is and hopefully you can lock in just long enough to figure out how to get a win.”

Jose Alvarado on fitting in with the Knicks roster in their blowout win over the 76ers in Philly.@LT__Murray | @WaltFrazier | #NewYorkForeverpic.twitter.com/JUNHMqDXvi

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) February 12, 2026

Jose Alvarado

On making a statement with a brutal blowout after the OT loss to Indiana:

“We knew this was a big game for us in the standings so we just had to come back. The game yesterday didn’t go our way, but we had to be us come back and get a win today.”

On his confrontation with Trendon Watford:

“He did a hard foul, but I think he did a little extra with the staring. I’m just not gonna go for none of that. It was just in the moment. That’s when I’m at my best, I guess, getting a little active. It worked out in my favor.”

On his career-tying shooting night:

“I had it rolling. I didn’t know I had eight [3s] — I should’ve made one more so I could break my tie.”

On the fan support, even on the road:

“I see the fans, their energy is unmatched. They show their support, they’re gonna use their voice and it gets me going, so I’m gonna do the same energy back for them.”

On finding his rhythm with the Knicks:

“I always thought I was a great shooter, a good shooter. Obviously, it’s getting better and I’m going to keep getting better. I’m just getting in rhythm with the system, the plays, the coaching staff. But they’re doing a great job making it super easy. Today went my way.”

On embracing his identity:

“As soon as I got here, that was the first thing they probably said to me: ‘We need you to be who you are, do not change that.’ This is Game 3 for me, but I’m slowly getting into it.”

Josh and Jose!🧡💙 #NewYorkForeverpic.twitter.com/IjTQ8ReOYz

— Liz Knicks🏀 (@LizzyBaigo) February 12, 2026

Josh Hart

On Alvarado’s enforcer role:

“That’s what we need. That’s what we want from him. Obviously that toughness, ability to help us get organized, ability to knock down shots. And defensively bring energy, bring physicality, get in the passing lanes, those kinds of things. That’s why he’s here.”

On Knicks’ fans takeover in Philly:

“It’s fun. Kind of getting used to it now. Everywhere on the East Coast it’s really Knick fans coming out and showing love. Boston is tough obviously. Everywhere else we feel like we always have the majority of the fans on the East Coast. Shoutout to them. They come and show love and we appreciate it.”

On his All-Star break mindset:

“I’m checked out now. I’ve got my wine right here. I’m living my best life.”

On Alvarado’s role:

“That’s what we need. That’s what we want from him. Obviously that toughness, ability to help us get organized, ability to knock down shots. And defensively bring energy, bring physicality, get in the passing lanes, those kind of things. That’s why he’s here. Honestly, I didn’t realize he had that many shots, that many threes, but it shows what he’s capable of. We’re going to need him a lot down the stretch.”

"JOSE! JOSE!" 🗣️

Jose Alvarado chants erupt in Philly 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OFhaCECrcB

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 12, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On Alvarado joining the Knicks:

“To see that guy with the same jersey as you is something special. We’re glad to have him.”

On Alvarado’s performance:

“He was that Jose Alvarado you see on TV all the time.”

https://t.co/ioY4HJK8lHpic.twitter.com/cQdiM7mg3T

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) February 12, 2026

Most know that this blog has been around for quite a while (21 years and counting) and the community has evolved over the years. We have some people that have been commenting since the first days, some that joined during the title years, some that joined just to complain about the down years, and some that just arrived recently.

However, there’s another category of folks out there, the silent majority. Now, I don’t mind people just reading. I think we could operate just fine as a magazine or newsletter or whatever format. But from the very beginning, I’ve believed in the power of interaction. Put another way, people say that “content is king,” which is true, but let’s extend it to say “and community is queen.”

So this is my call to all the readers that haven’t signed up for a CelticsBlog account. The time is right to join the community and contribute your voice. Or to quote Dead Poets Society quoting Walt Whitman: “That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

Need more incentive? How about this. There are additional perks to joining with an account.

Perks of being a signed in member

• Fewer ads on our articles
• You get to comment on articles and post your thoughts in the Feed
• The notification bell in the upper RH corner will show you when someone rec’s or responses to your comments and feed posts
• You get to ignore other commenters you don’t want to see
• You can rec other great comments and Feed posts
• You can track your activity and set your preferences on your account profile page

I’ll also point out that by joining you can post your own content on The Feed.

So join the community by signing up for an account. Then come and introduce yourself to us! Some questions you could answer:

• How long have you been a fan?
• Why did you become a fan?
• How long have you been reading the blog?

And finally, a note to the long-time commentors and members of the community. Please give everyone a warm welcome when they join the conversation and keep being the awesome fans that you are. From the beginning I’ve preached one golden rule, treat everyone with the same respect that you would want to be treated with.

So join up and add your voice to the conversation!

The Wizards lost by 25 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game that I just don’t want to think or write about. Except for this: the person watching last night’s game with me thought it was nice James Harden was introduced as part of a ceremony to honor old-time players. They were shocked to learn he was playing.

Instead of talking about defensive rotations and offensive actions against Cleveland, let’s zoom out and take stock of the Wizards season so far.

The Measuring Stick

Here’s where the Wizards currently rank in the various key stats of team strength (where they ranked at the last update, which was Jan. 20, is in parentheses):

• Offensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions): 28 (28)
• Defensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions): 29 (29)

I’m reasonably sure I’ve spotted moments of growth and improvement, though those moments haven’t been consistent enough to send a signal through the numbers. That signal isn’t necessarily important right now. The roster is extremely young, and the overarching organizational goal is keeping their top eight protected first round pick.

At least in theory, we might hope to see some positives in the individual numbers, but team data will remain in the basement because the team needs to lose.

Some of this will (and has been) done at the roster level. For example, sitting everyone with “injuries” in a must-lose game against the Brooklyn Nets. Some of it will (and has been) done at the lineup level, such as playing two-way and G League guys for entire fourth quarters (and winning a game anyway) or starting the diminutive lineup they did against Cleveland last night (the tallest player was the 6-8 Kyshawn George).

Offensive Four Factors

• eFG%: 26 (23)
• Offensive Rebounding Percentage: 16 (19)
• Turnover Rate: 24 (26)
• Free Throws Made/Field Goal Attempts: 26 (27)

Over the past few weeks, the Wizards are shooting a little worse but getting a few more offensive rebounds. This is something of a young team cliche, which is fine.

Defensive Four Factors

• eFG%: 24 (22)
• Defensive Rebounding Percentage: 30 (30)
• Turnover Rate: 27 (28)
• Free Throws Made/Field Goal Attempts: 23 (21)

Effectively no change on the defensive end. Opponents are shooting slightly better, which has been sorta offset by committing fewer fouls that send opposing players to the free throw line. The signal here is clear: the Wizards don’t make the other team miss shots, they’re worst in the league at getting the ball when the opposing team misses, and they don’t force turnovers. They also foul at an elevated rate relative to the league.

Player Production Average

Below is a table with updated results from the Player Production Average (PPA) metric so far this season. PPA is an overall rating metric I developed that credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, play-making, defending) and debits them for things that hurt the cause (missed shots, turnovers, fouls, ineffective defense). PPA is similar to other linear weight rating metrics such as John Hollinger’s PER, David Berri’s Wins Produced, Kevin Pelton’s VORP, and the granddaddy of them all, Dave Heeren’s TENDEX.

PPA weighs a player’s performance per possession against that of his competitors season by season. While PPA falls into the category of a linear weight metric, the values for statistical categories float a bit season-to-season based on league performance.

PPA is pace neutral, accounts for defense, and includes a “degree of difficulty” factor based on the level of competition a player faces while on the floor. Beginning with the 2019-20 season, I added a position/role adjustment designed to reflect how roles and on-court positioning affect individual abilities to produce certain stats.

Inputs include:

• on-court team defensive rating
• points
• rebounds (offensive and defensive weighed differently)
• assists
• steals
• blocks
• shot attempts
• turnovers
• personal fouls
• starts
• minutes

In the table below, I’ve included each player’s PPA last time, currently (through games played Feb. 11 — game 53), as well as games played and minutes per game. The Garbage Time Brigade has their own section.

In the table below, LAST = the player’s PPA when I last ran an update, which was through games played Jan. 19, 2026.

PLAYER	GAMES	MPG	LAST	PPA
Alex Sarr	41	28.2	145	138
Justin Champagnie	50	19.3	96	108
Kyshawn George	43	30.1	94	97
Tre Johnson	40	25.0	80	82
Bilal Coulibaly	33	26.8	81	80
Malaki Branham	28	9.8	56	58
Bub Carrington	53	28.0	51	53
Tristan Vukcevic	33	11.9	46	52
Cam Whitmore	21	16.9	49	49
Will Riley	45	16.6	34	46
GTB	GAMES	MPG	PPA	PPA
Kadary Richmond	1	6.0		315
Jaden Hardy	1	15.0		99
Skal Labissiere	3	12.7		73
Anthony Gill	19	3.8	48	48
Jamir Watkins	17	13.4	29	29
Keshon Gilbert	3	16.0		8

A few quick observations:

• Alex Sarr’s production has been drooping a bit lately. Over the past few weeks, he has had some good games and great moments, as well as some real duds. He’s more than a little overtaxed inside where he continues to be the NBA’s busiest rim protector.
• Justin Champagnie has generally produced when given minutes.
• When I mentioned earlier how perceived improvement isn’t sending a signal in the numbers, I was thinking in part of the overall consistency in individual production numbers. Scanning the list, Sarr has declined a bit, Champagnie and Will Riley have improved, and everyone else has been about the same.

Final PPA numbers for traded guys — with the Wizards and then with their new team:

• CJ McCollum: 113 | 91
• Marvin Bagley III: 103 | 130
• Khris Middleton: 83 | 99
• Corey Kispert: 79 | 76
• AJ Johnson: 0 | -98

The Sixers’ woes against the Knicks go beyond the 49-point thrashing they received on national television on Wednesday evening. They go beyond the remnants of the team’s 2024 playoff loss to New York. When the Knicks come to South Philadelphia, those issues begin before tip-off.

The Sixers have a Knicks fan problem that was exacerbated during Wednesday’s loss. It sounded like the game was being played at Madison Square Garden with how many Knicks fans were in attendance. When the Sixers are hosting New York, the prices jump for tickets on the secondary market. That’s been the case for a while. I can distinctly remember being a freshman in college in the city and overhearing a couple New Yorkers discuss getting “cheap” tickets to a Sixers-Knicks game because the fans here “don’t care.” This was during New York’s Carmelo Anthony era and during the Sixers’ lone season with Andrew Bynum on the roster. Can you blame Philadelphians for not caring at that point?

There will be some consternation, as there has been over the years, blaming fans in the Philly region for “allowing” this to happen. The day I blame the fans is the day I stop writing. There’s a difference between being a bandwagon fan who tunes out during some lean years, which is fine for casual observers, and being just so utterly fed up that you don’t want to put your money into a claw machine you know is never going to give you a prize. Maybe it’ll latch onto one for a fleeting moment, but that bad boy is slipping away like a Game 7 victory in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Again, I don’t begrudge Sixers fans for not going on Wednesday. I considered going just to do something, but the ticket prices were more than they usually are for a weeknight game on the likes of SeatGeek and StubHub, so I passed. Are people going to be mad that fans decided not to see the Joel Embiid-less Sixers lose by nearly 50 freaking points? Are we supposed to be mad at fans that they didn’t expose themselves to embarrassment of that magnitude?

People in Philly are voting with their wallet. This isn’t 2018 or 2019. The Sixers, after a plethora of second-round exits and the infuriating way they handled the trade deadline last week, aren’t a prime asset in anyone’s entertainment portfolio right now outside the hardest of the hardcore fans. When Embiid plays, they’re awesome and the building blocks of in-prime superstar Tyrese Maxey and beloved rookie VJ Edgecombe are there, but people don’t want to get hurt again while getting wrapped up in the perpetual nonsense that is the NBA regular season.

Speaking of wallets, let’s just be honest. New Yorkers, on the whole, have more cash than the average Philadelphian. A Knicks game in South Philly is way cheaper than a Knicks game at MSG. Whether people are doing a quick Amtrak trip, taking a Peter Pan bus or are simply transplants to a less expensive urban dwelling, money talks for that fan base. Knicks fans, even during their frequent dark times, love their team. Given the juice the franchise has had in recent years, it’s not surprising to see this hit another level when the Knickerbockers come to town.

There doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut fix for this. People are out on the Sixers locally. They have distinct disdain for management. New Yorkers are willing to fork over the dough for a quick, cost-effective road trip. Winning cures all and it will likely take the Sixers reaching a threshold they haven’t hit in a quarter of a century, whether that’s merely an Eastern Conference Finals appearance or a NBA Finals berth outright, to get that arena truly rocking again.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers ran over a bad Washington Wizards team 138-113 on Wednesday evening.

The stats in the table below are taken from Cleaning the Glass.

	Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	63.9%, 91st percentile	44.7%, 96th percentile	19.4%, 12th percentile	38.6, 98th percentile
Wizards	47.1%, 14th percentile	37.5%, 86th percentile	14.4%, 51st percentile	14.4, 19th percentile

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• Sam Merrill scored a career-high 32 points. He was on fire from deep, going 9-10 from three. He also made both of his shots inside the arc. Merrill simply couldn’t miss, and there was nothing the Wizards could do to contain him.
• James Harden assisted on six of Merrill’s 11 field goals. He did a great job of finding Merrill whenever he could. We’ve seen how Harden can open up the game for guys like Jarrett Allen. Clearly, he can have that same kind of effect on an off-ball shooter like Merrill as well.
• The Cavs registered a 113.3 offensive rating in the half-court (88th percentile). This was the third game with Harden, and the third time the half-court offensive rating was over 109 — which is an elite number. This team has the skills to be absolutely lethal in the half-court, and they have been.
• Cleveland took 40% of their shots at the rim (86th percentile). Washington didn’t have the personnel inside to keep the Cavs from getting to the basket, and the Cavs took advantage. The restricted area is still, and always will be, the most efficient place to score from. There’s no reason to go away from your advantage once you create it.
• Jarrett Allen went 8-8 from the field to finish with 21 points. It seems like Allen has made every shot that he’s put up recently, which has led to his teammates calling him Wilt. In his last four games, Allen has gone 34-44 (77.3%) from the field. He’s playing some of the best basketball of his career right now.
• The Cavs are now 9-0 when Allen scores 20 or more points. Allen playing his best offensively has led to wins. Now, the question is figuring out how to get this version of Allen when Evan Mobley gets back into the equation.
• Harden took just four shot attempts in over 28 minutes. The last time he took four or fewer shots was in April 2024 during a game he played under 10 minutes. Harden isn’t too concerned about his lack of scoring. “I’m top 10 in scoring all-time. Scoring isn’t a problem for me.”
• The Cavs had their highest free-throw rate in a game this season. Harden is to thank for that with his 12 free throw attempts. This is an area he’s going to help immensely.
• Washington controlled the offensive glass, finishing with 28 second-chance points. Offensive rebounding has been an issue of late, and understandably so. Being without both Dean Wade and Mobley hurts in this department. Still, you’d like to see the Cavs do a better job on the glass. Fortunately for them, they gathered many of their misses as well and had 27 second-chance points of their own.
• The Cavs played at a 105.5 pace. Despite concerns that the offense would play slower with Harden, they’ve actually increased their pace. Over the past three games, Cleveland has been playing at a 102.3 pace. For context, their season-long average is 101.8. It’ll be interesting to monitor this as Harden continues to get implemented into Kenny Atkinson’s system.
• Donovan Mitchell has taken more shots since playing with Harden. He had 19 attempts on Wednesday and is averaging 22 in the three games he’s played with Harden. For reference, Mitchell is averaging 20.8 field-goal attempts per outing on the season. One of the concerns with adding Harden would be that he could take away some of Mitchell’s shots and keep him from doing what he does best. So far, that hasn’t been the case. He’s only made life easier for Mitchell.
• The Cavs have registered a 125.6 offensive rating with both Mitchell and Harden on the floor this season. Cleveland’s offense has been humming in the 54 minutes the duo has spent on the court together. This has led to a +10.9 net rating together.

Notable reactions to Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych being banned from the Milan Cortina Games because of his insistence on wearing a helmet that pays tribute to athletes and coaches killed in the war with Russia:

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“No one, no one — especially me — is disagreeing with the messaging. The messaging is a powerful message. It’s a message of remembrance. It’s a message of memory and no one is disagreeing with that. The challenge that we are facing is that we wanted to ask or come up with a solution for just the field of play.” — International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry.

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“I thank our athlete for his clear stance. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honor and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken.” — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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"I want to believe that the reason is that she really felt sorry as an athlete, as a former athlete, and that she really wants me to compete. But we have what we have and we’ll see what is next.” — Heraskevych, on his meeting with Coventry.

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“I think I'm just left with a real sense of sadness, and real surprise." — 2014 and 2018 women's skeleton Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold, speaking on the BBC.

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“He trained wearing a helmet bearing the faces of Ukrainian athletes and friends killed by Russia. He wanted to remind the world that this war continues. That it has names. Faces. Stories. He was excluded from the Olympics. Excluded by the same Olympic Committee that allowed 20 Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.” — Katarina Mathernova, European Union Ambassador to Ukraine, on Instagram.

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“The IOC has banned not the Ukrainian athlete, but its own reputation. Future generations will recall this as a moment of shame.” — Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

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“It’s just a shame that he’s missed out on a chance of being able to compete at an Olympics, which is very sad.” — Olympic men's skeleton leader Matt Weston of Britain.

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“The International Olympic Committee destroyed our dreams. It's not fair.” — Mykhailo Heraskevych, the slider’s coach and father.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — A big upset in men's moguls at the Milan Cortina Olympics was decided by a razor-thin margin. Hardly a margin at all, really.

Unheralded Australian freestyle skier Cooper Woods snatched the gold medal away from the sport's most decorated skier, Mikael Kingsbury of Canada, after both scored 83.71 points in Thursday's final. The tiebreaker in moguls is the “turns” score, a mark judges base on how cleanly the skiers moved their way through the bumps.

Turns make up 60% of a moguls score — with the two jumps and a racer's speed counting for 20% each. In this case, turns meant everything. Woods won that element 48.40 to 47.70.

That's how the Olympic gold ended up in the hands of the 25-year-old Woods, who had managed one podium finish in 51 World Cup events, and silver ended up with Kingsbury, who last month became the first moguls skier to amass 100 wins on the sport's top circuit.

This is Kingsbury's third Olympic silver medal, adding to second-place finishes in 2014 and 2022. He broke through for gold in at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

Woods wept with joy after as he realized his achievement of beating the moguls GOAT while Aussie fans cheered in the stands, with one holding up an inflatable wallaby.

Ikuma Horishima of Japan repeated as the bronze medalist from four years ago.

On Wednesday, Americans took gold and silver in women's moguls.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

I don't love it, I just don't MIND it. I only mind if you mess with the game once it starts. They're bad, they wanted to be bad, they rested guys, they got killed. I don't enjoy it but I don't find it to be THROWING a game. https://t.co/a5QvFHvcCN

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 12, 2026

That was the sort of outrage posted to social media after the Jazz…*checks notes*…won their second game in a row over three matches? No, of course not the lineup — or concept of one — the Sacramento Kings threw into the fire in Utah’s 121-93 victory last night in the Delta Center. But there’s still one more test for the Jazz to experiment with their vile ways on, as the divisional rival Portland Trail Blazers are in town. They find themselves in a pickle with a 26-29 record without a head coach, replaced by interim coach Tiago Splitter. Man, just yesterday, he was hitting hook shots over Chris Bosh in the Finals. However, they remain undefeated over the Jazz in the regular season, winning their last two matches against this squad. But because of peer pressure from basketball minds such as Bobby Marks, the Jazz have been forced back to their winning ways; at least three quarters of competitive basketball is what you can expect to receive due to the league’s intervention to make sure the Jazz aren’t disgracefully resting their good players. Despicable. Vile. Unethical. Anyways, the Pacers just played a lineup of two-way players and guys on 10-day contracts.

But with both teams coming off a back-to-back one game before the All-Star break, who knows what atrocities you can expect to see on the injury report? Or maybe there won’t be any casualties at all, considering the Jazz are one of the only teams without a single participant during All-Star Weekend in LA. Sadly, no Ace Bailey in Rising Stars, no Cody Williams in the Dunk Contest, or Lauri Markkanen in the main event, because Brandon Ingram was allowed to replace the injured Steph Curry, for reasons that can only be explained by Adam Silver.

You can expect Keyonte George to be out throughout the break due to his lingering ankle issues. I saw a full quarter of the newly established big three, and that was enough excitement to keep me patient until 2027. But even without him, the Jazz have created a revolution. The finger-pointing shall be no more: since Jackson Jr.’s debut, the Jazz have posted the third-best defensive rating in the NBA at 101.6. In context, they’re the worst-rated defensive team all season, with a 120.9 rating. That’s…wow. I need a moment to sit down. I’m a proud parent watching my kid put the square-shaped object into the square hole. I watched them get taken out by the mighty Hornets, getting 150 points getting dropped on their dome, and now I bear witness to them putting a halt to the unstoppable Kings as they score a measly 93.

Okay, maybe the Magic, Heat, and Kings are not top-tier offensive juggernauts. But neither is Portland: they hold the 22nd-best offense and the 19th-best defensive rating. They’re one of those teams trying to cash in, despite one of the most brutal Western Conference skill gaps in existence. There is the idea that a strong, lengthy lineup they pose will be able to outrebound and outwork you, ranking second in the league in offensive rebound percentage at 34.5%. They score 18.4 second-chance points a game due to these opportunities. I love rooting for underdogs like ourselves, but I don’t believe they can escape unscathed and make a deep playoff run in the West. As a mid-level team, scrapping for the playoffs? You have my support, dear friend.

They struggle to find their identity without newly found superstar Deni Avdija — a driving specialist who draws some of the most fouls in the NBA. He attempts around 9.4 free throws in a game, hitting them at an 80.2% clip. Defenses often have to collapse on him, but how will he fare when facing Jaren Jackson Jr. for two and a half quarters? The Jazz can now proudly limit his rim-finishes, making him more reliant on facilitating and perimeter shooting. His assist numbers might rise, but scoring efficiency drops.

Utah will probably want to tug on the reins a little bit. Under no circumstances would anyone want to gift OKC a free lottery pick. The Jazz could probably still circumvent the media’s thunderstorm of anti-tank extremism; they just have to, y’know, not mess with DraftKing’s—I mean, the NBA’s glorious integrity.

Injury Report

Jazz:

OUT – Keyonte George (right ankle sprain), Walker Kessler (left shoulder surgery)

Trail Blazers:

QUESTIONABLE – Shaedon Sharpe (left calf soreness), Kris Murray (lumbar strain)

OUT – Matisse Thybulle (left thumb UCL tear), Damian Lillard (torn achilles)

How to watch:

Who: Utah Jazz (18-27) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (26-29)

When: February 12th, 7:00PM Mountain Time

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City

Channel: Jazz+, KJZZ

Radio: 97.5/1280 The Zone