SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Prophet Johnson had 35 points to match his career high and propel Sacramento State to a 104-90 victory over Weber State on Monday night.
Johnson made 11 of 16 shots with three 3-pointers and 10 of 13 free throws for the Hornets (9-13, 5-5 Big Sky Conference). He added seven rebounds.
Jahni Summers made 8 of 9 shots with five 3-pointers, scoring 22 with five assists for Sac State. Mark Lavrenov totaled 18 points and nine rebounds.
Ty Saine Jr. had 22 points and six assists to pace the Wildcats (11-12, 5-5). Malek Gomma finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Nigel Burris totaled 17 points and eight rebounds.
Summers had 17 points, Johnson scored 12 and Shaqir O'Neal scored all 10 of his points in the first half to help the Hornets take a commanding 53-32 lead.
INGLEWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 2: Dominick Barlow #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball during the game against the LA Clippers on February 2, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
#SixersAfterDark with only a small risk of blowing a 20-point lead. How pleasant.
Philadelphia won their fourth game in a row, taking down the LA Clippers 128-113 Monday night.
Tyrese Maxey caught fire from three, going for a game-high 29 points on 9-of-18 shooting as well as six assists. Joel Embiid came alive in the second half to finish with 24 points shooting 8-of-19 from the floor.
VJ Edgecombe was cold from the floor but found ways to be productive, having five points on 1-of-11 shooting with three rebounds and seven assists.Dominick Barlow put up a career-high 26 going 10-of-16 from the floor along with 16 rebounds and two steals. Kawhi Leonard led LA with 29 as well.
Paul George was the lone Sixer out with his suspension while the Clippers were without James Harden and Derrick Jones Jr.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
It was quite a start for the Sixers, opening the game on a 18-2 run. Maxey started hot with a couple threes falling away. The Clippers looked every bit like a team that played the night before. Three of their first four turnovers were just because they dropped the ball.
Barlow got a couple of hustle buckets, putting back two missed Embiid shots and finishing a backdoor cut. He was quickly fueling the offense with his putbacks. He intercepted a bounce pass and took it all the way, reaching 11 points, which was a career-high for him in a first quarter.
Things looked a bit more conventional when Maxey got going again, drilling another pair of threes after getting to the line. He seemed to really want to show off his stepback three, trying it on three of his five attempts. His heat check to close the quarter didn’t go, but he still helped power the Sixers to a 21-point lead.
Second Quarter
The staggering changed up again, with Edgecombe leading the second unit along with Jared McCain. Edgecombe found McCain coming off a screen for a three. Adem Bona rolled open to the basket and kicked it to Quentin Grimes to take advantage of a wide open runway and posterize John Collins. The dunk was not only Grimes’ best play in quite some time, but encouraged Edgecombe to drive to do the same over the next few possessions.
It was quickly becoming the Dominick Barlow Game, with him picking up another putback upon returning to the game and shortly picked up a steal as well, completing that fast break with a give-and-go with Edgecombe. The Clippers’ eight turnovers had really kept them in a hole despite shooting 56% from the field.
The heavy doubles the Sixers threw at Leonard helped generate some of those turnovers, but they didn’t slow him down much with his 13 points in the half. LA’s offense predictably wasn’t able to do much without him. On the other end of the floor, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Grimes hit corner threes, and Edgecombe finally made his first field goal with one as well to keep the Sixers at a 19-point lead at the half.
Third Quarter
After a slow start, Embiid knocked down a jumper on three possessions in a row, surpassing his first half total. While Edgecombe did not find the same rhythm, missing on the open threes swung to him, he was plenty involved. He assisted on two of those Embiid jumpers working the two-man game.
The game came screeching to a halt thanks to two Clippers challenges — one successful, one unsuccessful. The Clippers finally started to take advantage of the odd man advantages, slowly chipping away at the lead. Embiid settled things down with a couple looks from the nail before Barlow got another putback, getting fouled in the process as well.
Dominick Barlow has 9(!) offensive rebounds and is a point away from matching his career high pic.twitter.com/4w6B5R6qEq
The offense slowed down again after Maxey followed up that and-1 with a jumper. Some fresh faces helped that as Grimes checked into the game and knocked down a three coming off a screen. On the next possession he kept his head up on a drive to find McCain wide open in the corner, helping the Sixers stay ahead by 13.
Fourth Quarter
A bad pass that didn’t make it to Embiid to close the third got McCain benched to start the fourth though. The shot quality had dipped a bit, but tough makes from Maxey and Oubre kept them afloat. Truly everything was coming up Barlow. After an and-1 drive he had a corner three take three or four bounces off the rim before falling in.
For every time the Clippers did threaten to make things interesting, the Sixers were able to come up with a shot or two to keep them at bay. Embiid made up for a turnover by capping off a nice second half with a couple more jumpers. Another Maxey stepback three made the Clippers wave the white flag with about four minutes to go.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 2, 2026: Injured Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) bounces the ball during a timeout in the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena on January 2, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
For fans eager to see Austin Reaves back on the court, the last week has been frustrating.
Even if the Lakers are taking an understandable cautious approach, fans are rarely reasonable and the idea of Austin returning had them excited, only to be let down twice. After Sunday’s loss, head coach JJ Redick was asked about Reaves’ status.
“I just would say he’s day-to-day, game-to-game, however you want to phrase it,” Redick said. “We’ll hopefully have him for Tuesday but he’s got to feel 100% confident.”
This is not the first time Redick has given some form of a quote like this during the road trip either. The team is clearly being extremely cautious with his return. Unsurprisingly, Reaves is listed as questionable for a third straight game ahead of the Lakers’ clash with the Nets in Brooklyn on Tuesday.
In a vacuum, a game against the Nets would be a perfect time to bring a player back from injury. That likely factored little into the Lakers’ calculus considering how important each win is in the Western Conference, but this should be a comfortable on-ramp for Reaves.
It’s clear Reaves’ return is very close. As frustrated as Lakers fans may be about having to wait, it shouldn’t factor into the team or Reaves’ decision of when to finally suit up.
But, man, It’s about time Reaves got back on that court.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nick Schmaltz had his second hat trick of the season and added two assists for a five-point game in the Utah Mammoth's 6-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.
Schmaltz had his third career NHL hat trick to push his season goals total to 22, one shy of his career high set with Arizona in 2021-22.
JJ Peterka scored his 20th of the season, John Marino had a goal and two assists and Mikhail Sergachev also scored to help Utah end a two-game losing streak. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves.
Schmaltz scored twice in the first as Utah took a 2-1 lead. In the second, Sergachev connected on a power play and Marino and Peterka pushed the advantage to 5-1. Schmaltz completed the hat trick with 7:38 left in the third, scoring off a feed from Clayton Keller on a break.
Liam Ohgren and Teddy Blueger scored for Vancouver. Kevin Lankinen stopped 14 shots.
Vancouver has only two victories in its last 18 games — both on an eight-game homestand that ended Saturday night with a 3-2 shootout loss to Toronto.
Up next
Canucks: At Vegas on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.
Mammoth: Host Detroit on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 10: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles as Day'Ron Sharpe #20 of the Brooklyn Nets defends during the first half at Barclays Center on March 10, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a tough loss against the New York Knicks, the Lakers (29-19) look to redeem themselves against the Brooklyn Nets (13-35) on Tuesday. This is the last stop in their Grammy road trip.
The Lakers were once again confronted with some harsh realities in Sunday’s loss against the Knicks:
They’re not going to win many games whenever they shoot 12-45 (28.6%) from the 3-point line
Losing one quarter by a wide margin can significantly affect the game’s outcome
They have a tough time against opponents who rebound the ball well
Their struggles against teams above .500 continue (9-11) has become a concern
Frankly, these points have been reccurring issues throughout the season and the purple and gold have shown very little to no signs of improving. Whether that’s because of roster construction, injuries, JJ Redick’s coaching, players underperforming or everything at once, it’s fair to say that the Lakers won’t go far if these issues continue.
In fact, after the annoying loss to New York, Los Angeles fell to seventh in the competitive Western Conference standings which, as we all know, is play-in territory. This didn’t last long thanks to the Suns’ loss a few hours after, but it’s a warning on what can happen if they don’t start stringing some wins.
Luckily for them, they’ll have a good chance of improving their record right away when they take on a rebuilding Nets team on Tuesday. The Nets are pretty much Michael Porter Jr’s team right now along with a bunch of serviceable role players like Cam Thomas, Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton. They can be competitive at times but truth to be told, there’s no reason for the Lakers to lose to them.
Now in jeopardy of being a play-in team, this has become sort of a must-win game for the purple and gold. They can’t lose games like this anymore, especially with seven of their next 10 games coming against teams above .500. The Nets are one of the very few teams in the league with a bottom-tier offensive and defensive rating. They don’t shoot and rebound the ball well. If there’s a group that’s worse than the Lakers in pretty much everything, it’s them.
The goal is to make sure MPJ — who is averaging 25.6 points a game — doesn’t go off. Same goes with Claxton, who shouldn’t dominate the boards and in the paint against Deandre Ayton. If the Lakers can manage to make sure the Nets don’t have an anomaly type of shooting performance or feast inside the paint, then they should be able to handle them.
The Lakers should also use this as another “get right” game before they head home and their schedule gets tougher. Their biggest competitors will be themselves, especially if their offense underperforms again. Hopefully, the team that shows up is the one that’s determined to close their road trip on a winning note and is serious about being a competitive playoff team this season.
Let’s see if the Lakers can do just that on Tuesday.
Notes and Updates
The Lakers’ injury report lists Bronny James Jr., (left lower leg soreness) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) are questionable.
Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) is out.
For the Nets, Haywood Highsmith (right knee surgery) is out and Noah Clowney (lower back sprain) is probable.
Mikal Bridges dunks the ball during the Knicks' Feb. 1 win over the Lakers.
Mikal Bridges’ epiphany came from a bit of personal reflection.
After the Knicks win over the Raptors in Toronto last week, when Bridges scored 30 points, his answer on the MSG Network broadcast went viral for how honest he was. Bridges admitted that he was “feeling too entitled” and “wasn’t being coachable.”
That realization wasn’t prompted by the coaching staff or his teammates — it came from within.
“I think my biggest thing is being accountable, accountability,” Bridges told The Post after the win over the Lakers Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. “You spend a lot of time by yourself, so just trying to realize what I gotta do to be better. I think that was one of the big things — I wasn’t being accountable enough for things that were happening. And not me being coachable as well, as I should.”
Mikal Bridges dunks the ball during the Knicks’ Feb. 1 win over the Lakers. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
Coach Mike Brown on Sunday claimed that he did not see those comments, but stressed that Bridges has been coachable.
Still, Bridges has noticed a shift in how he’s operating on the floor.
“It just makes you play more free,” Bridges said. “Not worrying about nothing but playing the right way.”
Miles McBride will miss his fourth straight game Tuesday against the Wizards with what the team still lists as left ankle injury management.
Mitchell Robinson is out, with it being the first leg of a back-to-back.
Whatever Brown and his staff is saying at halftime, it’s clearly working.
The Knicks have absolutely dominated second halves during their current six-game winning streak.
They recorded a net rating of 42.3 points in second halves across those six games.
That’s by far the best in the NBA during that stretch — the next closest is the Cavaliers at 19.7 points.
Compare that to first halves during that stretch, where the Knicks had a net rating of 7.1 points — eighth in the NBA.
“This is a mature group,” Brown said. “They’re competitive as well. We just tell them what we see, a lot of times they just go out and correct it. It’s more about being locked in and doing the little things, detail-wise, better, and not every other play or every few plays.”
Across this six-game win streak, opponents have shot just 41.7 percent when Jalen Brunson was the closest defender, according to NBA.com’s tracking stats.
“I feel like I’ve been better as of recently,” Brunson said after Sunday’s win. “I’m gonna give effort every single time. I’d be a below-the-rim rim protector with my charges. Just find a way to impact the game on that side of the floor as best I can.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball overcame an early head-to-head collision with coach Charles Lee to score 24 points, and the surging Charlotte Hornets fought back from a 22-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 102-95 on Monday for their seventh straight win.
Kon Knueppel added 17 points, hitting four 3s, and Brandon Miller and Grant Williams each scored 16 as Charlotte pulled within a half-game of the Atlanta Hawks for the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets overcame 17 turnovers while matching their longest winning streak since March 2016.
Trey Murphy III scored 27 points to lead the Pelicans, who have lost six of their last nine. Zion Williamson finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Derik Queen had 16 points.
ROCKETS 118, PACERS 114
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Alperen Sengun matched his season high with 39 points, and Jabari Smith Jr. added 19 to help short-handed Houston overcome the absence of All-Star forward Kevin Durant to beat Indiana.
Durant sat out, coach Ime Udoka said, after spraining his left ankle when he stepped on a fan’s foot. The Rockets already were missing center Steven Adams, who is expected to miss the rest of this season following surgery on his injured left ankle, so Sengun did the heavy lifting.
He made 13 of 25 from the field and 13 of 18 from the free-throw line including 8 of 12 during the fourth quarter. Houston won its third straight, got its fifth victory in six games and captured its third straight on the road.
All-Star forward Pascal Siakam finished with 27 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 25 to lead the Pacers, who charged back from a 12-point deficit in the third quarter to take the lead. But they didn’t have quite enough to extend their winning streak to a season-best three straight.
GRIZZLIES 137, TIMBERWOLVES 128
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 30 points, Ty Jerome added 19 and Memphis built a 20-point lead in the second half and held on for a victory over Minnesota.
Memphis maintained a double-digit advantage through much of the fourth quarter. Minnesota, behind Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, seemed poised to overtake Memphis, but the Grizzlies never let the Timberwolves within nine points and snapped a six-game losing streak.
Jaylen Wells scored 18 points for Memphis, while Cam Spencer and Vince WIlliams Jr. added 16 points apiece.
Edwards led Minnesota with 39 points and seven rebounds. Jaden McDaniels scored 29 points and DiVincenzo finished with 21, including 13 in the fourth. Minnesota had its four-game win streak halted.
76ERS 128, CLIPPERS 113
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, Dominick Barlow added 26 points and 16 rebounds, and Philadelphia beat Los Angeles for their fourth consecutive victory.
The game featured two big names who weren’t selected as All-Star reserves: Joel Embiid of the Sixers and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers.
Embiid had 24 points as he continues to gain full strength after a right ankle injury. The Sixers improved to 11-10 without Paul George, who is serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program.
Leonard led the Clippers with 29 points and Jordan Miller had 21 points off the bench.
Los Angeles was without James Harden, who missed his second straight game due to personal reasons. Coach Tyronn Lue said before the game that Harden was at home in Phoenix.
MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 2: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #3 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 2, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Everything the Minnesota Timberwolves do right now is under a massive microscope. That microscope’s name is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It’s hard to watch Jaden McDaniels shoot 18-26 from three during the last two weeks and not think immediately of how a certain team in Milwaukee would think of him. It’s increasingly difficult to watch Julius Randle without wondering if he will be sticking around if Minnesota continues to try to prioritize McDaniels and Naz Reid without getting a deal done for Giannis.
Jaden McDaniels over his last 10 quarters…
Points: 58 Rebounds: 11 Assists: 6 2s: 11 for 18 (61%) 3s: 11 for 14 (79%) https://t.co/fdPhRMkgYa
All of that is on the table. It means that so little about tonight’s game is actually about tonight’s game. Still, the nature of this recap means that we do need to talk about what happened against the Memphis Grizzlies instead of thinking about what price, if any, is too high for a current top-three player in the entire association.
(If that price is all three of Naz, Jaden, and Julius, that’s certainly too high for me)
The Wolves did what we all know them to do and came out flat. A first-quarter deficit grew and festered like an ever-spreading cough that no one seems to be able to get rid of. While on the topic of sicknesses, it seems pretty clear that the entire team frequently looks anemic and completely devoid of whatever vitamin is needed to provide consistent effort.
The story of this game was the eight-point lead that the Grizzlies maintained for the entirety of the contest. It is exceptionally difficult to consider the Wolves a good team when they have inverted their early-season form and turn into a pumpkin whenever they face a team below 500.
To Minnesota’s discredit, Memphis was also missing two consistent starters and at least four rotation pieces by my count.
It’s just bad.
Despite a great performance from Jaden, these are the types of games that fuel the desperation necessary for the Wolves to go all in on a Giannis trade. And it doesn’t help when your supposed second option has fans tweeting like this:
Julius looks like he’s volunteering to be the guy traded tonight lol
The word to describe it is just flat. So much of this team is without depth and without texture. The Wolves are not a product you can trust. They are the gas station sandwiches of the NBA. One day, they are the exact thing you need on a road trip, a shocking bit of excellent normalcy to distract from disappointing other options. Another day, they had you projectile vomiting on the side of the highway about an hour and a half later because the lettuce had started to rot.
All that is to say that anyone who sees Minnesota as a title contender is simply wrong. The unseriousness is unavoidable and is just fully baked into this team as is. Whether that would change in an era focused fully on the Jaden/Ant/Naz trio remains to be seen, but this iteration of the team will not escape who they are.
Maybe we will look back on this recap in a couple of months — as we did last year… and the year before as well — and laugh at this level of declaration, but I think there’s a reason that the Wolves burn out in the conference finals.
The Wolves have the ceiling of being able to beat anyone. The last few matchups with the Thunder have shown that. But their inability to lock in and just show up every day, every hour, every play means that they just cannot stop getting in their own way.
If you missed this whole game, you missed out on nothing. You should’ve watched Unrivaled.
A 16-3 run in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter buried any hope of a Minnesota comeback. What else is there to say about a performance like tonight that hasn’t already been said? Ant started off hot, and then cooled off as the game fell out of grasp. Cam Spencer and Ty Jerome made a bad loss worse for Minnesota.
If there’s a story that continues to stand out, it is how dreadful Mike Conley has been. Whereas Bones Hyland at least has a lesser version of the Jordan Poole/Michael Jordan wheel that he spins every game, Conley is ping-ponging between Hornets Tony Parker and Bucks Jeff Teague.
The old man is, by all accounts, a wonderful teammate and an integral part of the locker room, but the biggest difference maker for the Wolves’ deadline hopes is probably getting number 10 to go from a five-minute-a-game player to a zero-minute-a-game player.
Additionally, it was a terrible night for Naz Reid, who had been the most impactful Wolves player according to most net rating numbers over the past few game winning streak. Naz’s issues tend to mirror the team’s. There’s such a high high, but such a low low. Tonight was quite low.
Basketball is fun. Being a fan of a good team is, typically, fun. The Wolves have once again drained me of my will to watch and my will to support.
That brings us back to the question that looms as large as the last name that would answer it. I’d have no problems putting my own words to it, but I think it’s already been said about as well as it can.
To me the Wolves trading for Giannis puts both potentially crashing and burning AND potentially winning a ring on the near-future table — maybe even equally as likely. I don’t think either of them are foreseeable right now
Your view kinda depends on your appetite for risk/reward
Goodnight Wolves fans. I’m sorry you had to watch that. I wish you didn’t have to. I wish I hadn’t.
Up Next
The Timberwolves finish their three-game road trip north of the border as they take on the Toronto Raptors, where they look to end one of the craziest streaks in the NBA, as they have not won a road game in Toronto since January 21, 2004. The game begins at 6:30 PM CT, airing on FanDuel Sports Network.
Feb 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball under pressure from Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The NBA officially filled out its All-Star game roster, and it is filled with former Kentucky Wildcats. There will be five total Cats in Los Angeles as the ASG festivities kick off in a little less than two weeks.
The five Wildcats named to the league’s most prolific game are New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Jamal Murray, and Phoenix’s Devin Booker.
Murray, a nine-year veteran with the Nuggets, will appear in his first-ever All-Star Game in 2026. He’s having a career year in Denver, averaging 25.5 points per game, shooting 48.7% from the field, and also 7.5 assists per game. He currently has the Nuggets sitting as the third seed in the Western Conference.
The Wildcats’ guard pipeline never fails to amaze. Maxey, who is playing his sixth season for the 76ers, has been one of the most elite guards in the league this season. Averaging just under thirty points a game, the former Wildcat has become the face of the franchise in Philly. A savvy guard who can score at all three levels.
In a weekend full of celebrities and stars in LA, there will be no shortage of Wildcats around all weekend long. Former Cats are always making BBN proud.
The All-Star game is set for February 15th at the Inuit Dome, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 29: Jarrett Allen #31, Darius Garland #10, Donovan Mitchell #45 and Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers pose for a portrait during Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day at Rocket Arena on September 29, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the things that the team seemingly hasn’t been willing to do in the past is give up one of their core four players: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. That group — based on what was said publicly — was considered mostly untouchable. That might be changing.
ESPN insider, Brian Windhorst, said Monday during a radio hit for ESPN Cleveland that he’s “not as convinced” that keeping that group together is their focus.
“For a while now, it was very clear that they did not want to touch the core four. I think it’s probable that the core four will still be on the team on Thursday afternoon, but I think the fact that I have heard some more willingness to expand beyond that indicates that the Cavs feel a level of pressure with this roster in this season.
“I just want to be careful how I word it, because I think what’s most likely to happen is that the roster, the core, stays intact. But I’m not as convinced that that is 100% their focus as it has been in the last year and a half or so.”
“I’m not as convinced that that is 100% their focus as it has been in the last year and a half,” – @WindhorstESPN on if the Cavs will keep the Core 4 intact through the trade deadline on Thursday 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/SX7PmYkaim
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Spida shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
While it’s likely that the core will stay together, it’s notable that there is noise around it breaking up, even if it’s unlikely at this time. Presumably, any move that would shake up the core would have to put them in a better position to compete now, which is difficult to do given how little time is left in the season.
At the same time, there is pressure within the organization to succeed at all levels. This is the most expensive team in the league, and they’re expected to compete at a championship level. Despite their recent strong play, they frankly aren’t near the same level as the other top contenders in the league, and they’re running out of time to prove that they can get there.
The Cavs’ recent success is almost more damning than anything. For example, Allen has consistently played his best basketball in Cleveland when Mobley isn’t available. That showed again on Sunday when he dropped 40 points in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. You don’t want to make too much from one game, but outside of stretches last regular season, their core group specifically has been less than the sum of their parts — especially in previous playoff runs.
There’s also the tacit admission that the team’s two biggest trades in the last year were misses. The Cavs didn’t win the initial Hunter trade with the Atlanta Hawks, and were wrong to choose Lonzo Ball over either/both Isaac Okoro and Ty Jerome — even though Jerome has only played two games this season. They already moved Hunter and are looking to move Ball as well.
We’ll see if the Cavs make any moves before Thursday’s deadline. They likely won’t make a trade just for the sake of doing so. That’s not how this front office has operated. But it’s worth noticing that they could be open to making a bigger move and finally have the ability to do so.
Altman has often talked about how his team has a long runway to compete. This season, they’re starting to run out of that runway. The plane needs to start flying.
Feb 16, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Team LeBron forward Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers receives the Kobe Bryant MVP Award after the 2020 NBA All Star Game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-Imagn Images
On Sunday, the NBA announced the reserves for the 2026 All-Star Game, which takes place in less than two weeks at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the new home of the LA Clippers. It goes without saying that there were no Warriors among the reserves … Steph Curry already made the team as a starter, and Jimmy Butler III’s ACL tear ended his slim chances of representing the Dubs in Inglewood.
It’s the season for snubbery, and a lot of fan bases are upset that one of their players didn’t make the cut for the mid-season festivities. So who do you think are the biggest snubs?
Here’s the full lineups as a refresher:
West starters: Steph Curry (Warriors) Luka Dončić (Lakers) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) Nikola Jokić (Nuggets) Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
East starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Warriors Bucks … for now) Jaylen Brown (Celtics) Jalen Brunson (Knicks) Cade Cunningham (Pistons) Tyrese Maxey (76ers)
West reserves: Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers) Devin Booker (Suns) Kevin Durant (Rockets) Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) Chet Holmgren (Thunder) LeBron James (Lakers) Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
East reserves: Scottie Barnes (Raptors) Jalen Duren (Pistons) Jalen Johnson (Hawks) Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) Norman Powell (Heat) Pascal Siakam (Pacers) Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
So who got snubbed? The clear answer in my eyes is Kawhi Leonard. Normally I’m of the mindset that most snubs aren’t worth getting upset over … that in any given year, there are 30 or so players worthy of being All-Stars and it’s hard to make a case that the “snub” actually deserves to make the roster over any of the players ahead of him. But I probably would have picked Leonard over every Western Conference reserve other than Edwards. He’s averaging 27.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, shooting 39.1% on threes with a 62.5% true-shooting percentage, and playing his usual defense. Add in the fact that his team is hosing the All-Star Game, and it’s truly staggering to me that he didn’t get selected.
There will be replacements announced between now and the February 15 game, and hopefully Leonard is on that list. But for now, he’s my biggest snub.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Cotie McMahon scored 20 points and No. 13 Mississippi rolled to a 71-45 victory over Auburn at neutral site Legacy Arena on Monday night.
McMahon made 7 of 13 shots, 6 of 8 free throws and grabbed seven rebounds for the host Rebels (19-4, 6-2 Southeastern Conference), who have won three straight and five of six.
Sira Thienou totaled 14 points and eight rebounds for Ole Miss. Christeen Iwuala added 12 points and 11 rebounds for her ninth double-double this season. Latasha Lattimore left with an apparent ankle injury in the fourth quarter for the Rebels after scoring six points — leaving her one shy of 1,000 for her career.
Harissoum Coulibaly had 11 points to lead the Tigers (13-10, who have lost four in a row — all to ranked teams.
Mya Petticord had two baskets in a game-opening 10-4 run for Auburn. McMahon made three baskets and four free throws as Ole Miss scored the next 18 points to take a 12-point lead after one quarter. The Tigers missed their last 10 shots and both their free throws, going scoreless over the final 6:58.
Khady Leye's layup 2:01 into the second quarter ended the drought and left Auburn trailing 24-12. McMahon had 15 points as the Rebels took a 35-19 lead into the break. The Tigers shot 28.6% and scored nine points over the final 13:02 of the half.
McMahon scored five in the third quarter to top 20 points for a third straight game and Ole Miss led 50-31.
The Tigers came in averaging an SEC-low 54 points per game and missed their first 11 3-pointers until Kaitlyn Duhon connected with 5:47 left.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 29: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on November 29, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Turns out, Michael Porter Jr. isn’t the only Brooklyn Nets big currently garnering interest around the league. Jake Fischer reports Monday that “sources say that Toronto, in addition to calls on mid-tier centers like Dallas’ Daniel Gafford, has also expressed interest in Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe.”
Day’Ron continues to be one of the best bigs off the bench this season, currently averaging 21.9 points and a ludicrous 17.7 rebounds per 100 possessions.
There was also news — actually no news — on the Giannis Antetokounmpo front. As Brian Lewis reported exclusively, the the Brooklyn Nets pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo never … actually … began.
That’s what Lewis tweeted exclusively Monday afternoon….
I’m told the #Bucks haven’t received a call from Brooklyn about Giannis Antetokounmpo. I know there’s reporting to the contrary, and I can’t say say what the #Nets will do in the future; but as of now league sources say they haven’t called the Bucks. #nbahttps://t.co/guR4ya9Ghn
[A] highly placed league source familiar with the situation told The Post that — among the calls that the Bucks have fielded on the 31-year-old star — Brooklyn wasn’t among them as of Monday afternoon.
That of course runs counter to some early reporting that Brooklyn, which had long coveted the 6’11” Greek big man, would jump into the trade fray now that the Bucks are willing to listen to offers. As Lewis noted.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the most sought-after player at Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. But sources told The Post that — contrary to reports — the Nets haven’t called Milwaukee about the Greek superstar.
For years, Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks hoarded assets in case Antetokounmpo ever decided he wanted to leave Milwaukee and was made available.
The news follows word from Brian Windhorst that the Nets haven’t put Michael Porter Jr. on the market. MPJ, presumably would be a big piece in any Giannis trade Brooklyn would make. Not including him now would indicate that the 27-year-old is likely to be a part of Brooklyn’s long-term plan … or that they will wait til the summer to field offers.
Specifically, Jake Fischer reports that the Raps are pursuing size and although their top target is Donatas Sabonis, they have monitored Sharpe as well.
Toronto will continue to explore its options for an infusion of size. As we’ve reported many times, they have shown an interest in Sabonis for some time … while some in Anthony Davis’ camp still believe that the Raptors will pursue him. Sources say that Toronto, in addition to calls on mid-tier centers like Dallas’ Daniel Gafford, has also expressed interest in Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe.
The Raptors have all their first round picks through 2032 as well as all but one of their seconds..
The deadline of course is now three days away, Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
STAVELY, Alberta (AP) — Three Southern Alberta Mustangs junior hockey players were killed Monday morning in a vehicle crash while heading to practice.
RCMP said it responded to the crash at an intersection with Highway 2 in Stavely — about an hour’s drive south of Calgary. JJ Wright and Cameron Casorso, both 18 and from Kamloops, British Columbia, and 17-year-old Caden Fine of Birmingham, Alabama, were killed.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a social media post, offered condolences to the players' families and teammates.
“The whole Alberta hockey family is standing with you in sorrow and in prayer,” Smith said. “In the days ahead, I know Albertans will wrap these families and this team in love and support as they navigate a pain no one should ever have to bear.”
RCMP said the crash involved a northbound semi truck pulling gravel and a small passenger vehicle going east. The driver of the semi, a 40-year-old man from Stavely, sustained minor injuries.
The U.S. Premier Hockey League team said on Facebook that it is working closely with authorities and is asking for privacy for the players' families.
“There are no words that can adequately express the depth of our grief," the team said. "These young men were more than hockey players — they were teammates, sons, brothers, friends, and deeply loved members of our Mustangs family and the communities we call home. We are a family, and today our family is hurting.”
At the town’s arena, three white and red jerseys with the last names of the players were draped over a table, along with three upright hockey sticks.
The Kamloops Minor Hockey Association said in a statement that Casorso and Wright grew up in the B.C. organization. Casorso played from 2012 to 2025 and Wright from 2011 to 2025.
“Although their journeys began here in Kamloops, they found a second hockey family and a new bond with the Southern Alberta Mustangs,” the statement said. “These three young men were teammates and friends to many. We are grieving together, as one hockey family forever changed by the loss of these young men.”
The Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League also offered support on social media: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who knew them,” the team said.
News of the crash evoked memories of another deadly crash involving a junior hockey team.
In April 2018, 16 people were killed and 13 injured when a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League crashed. The team had been on its way to a playoff game when a semi truck went through a stop sign and into the path of the bus at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Saskatchewan.
The mayor of Humboldt expressed condolences to the Alberta team on Facebook.
“We stand with your community as you mourn this tragic loss, and our thoughts are with all those affected,” Mayor Rob Muench said.
