Category: NBA

Josh Hart’s nightly boxscore is like a box of chocolates: you never quite know what you’re going to get. 

He molds his aggressiveness in that department to whatever the game needs.

At times, he becomes the main facilitator, orchestrating the Knicks offense, pushing them in transition and allowing Jalen Brunson to play off the ball.

Other times, he is their second-leading scorer and temporarily carrying the offense.

Often, it’s somewhere in between. 

“I turn down shots, I don’t know how many times,” Hart said after the win over the Celtics in Boston on Sunday. “I love getting assists. I used to love scoring. Now, I love getting guys shots, getting guys involved. Sometimes, it’s the bad read because I should shoot it when I’m open, but I love getting guys shots.”

Sunday was a bit different than that.

He took 14 shots, making seven of them.

That was second most on the team, behind Brunson, and five more than Karl-Anthony Towns — who is supposed to be the clear second option on offense — despite playing three fewer minutes than him.

Hart took six 3-pointers — also second most on the team.

He had three assists, two below his season average. 

In the 13 games he’s played since returning from his sprained ankle, he’s taken as many as 17 shots — which he did in a win over the Blazers at the end of January — and as few as three, which he did in a rout of the Wizards last week.

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That level of polarity is rare for most players.

Some of it is a result of how opponents defend him.

Most view him as the weakest 3-point shooter in the normal Knicks starting lineup of Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby and Towns.

That means other teams often match up their five on him, allowing them to sink into the paint and help on others, not respecting Hart’s ability to hurt them from deep.

Those are usually the times Hart is forced to be the most aggressive, given that he is left open. 

“Games like [Sunday],” Hart said, “[are] where that sacrifice is me having to go out there and be super aggressive and keep them honest.”

Hart is shooting a career-best 40.4 percent from 3-point range this year, exploiting strategic decisions by the opposition. 

“I don’t ever call a play for Josh, and he finds his way,” coach Mike Brown said. “Teams keep putting their five on him, and we tell him to let it fly. He’s really good because he knows when to let it fly. Not only that, if the ball gets pushed ahead to him, fives are used to sitting in the paint or shrinking; now, when the ball gets pushed ahead, that five closes out to Josh, he’s quick on a snap drive. He finishes on the front side, the back side, he can still spray it and he’s got his little [midrange]. 

“He makes a big difference offensively. It’s him because he knows how and when to pick his spots with it. Also when he was out and he came back, that first game in Portland, you felt his presence in transition. Whether he was bringing it or just filling that wing, you felt his presence and it’s much needed especially against the better teams.”

Hart hasn’t always enjoyed his chameleon-like identity.

It was something he had to grow to embrace. 

“I think I acquired it in Portland,” Hart said. “Mark Tyndale, who’s here right now, I think one day I was venting to him. I was saying ‘bro I’m not getting the ball. I’m not getting any touches.’ He’s like ‘we’ve got [Damian Lillard], we’ve got all these guys. We’re not saying you can’t score. We’re saying we’ve got guys that are better and that’s what they’re here to do.’ And from then on, I said ‘let me work out how I can help these guys and find them in good positions.’” 

“It took a little bit of getting used to, but I think right now I’m in a good head space with it.”

The Knicks are about to start a home-road back-to-back against the Pacers and 76ers on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Don’t be surprised if Hart’s approach is completely different between the two games.

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Anunoby, who has missed the last two games with a sore toe, is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Pacers.

Mitchell Robinson is out, with it being the first leg of a back-to-back. 

MIAMI (AP) — Brice Sensabaugh made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining to lift the Utah Jazz to a 115-111 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22 points, Lauri Markkanen added 17, Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Ace Bailey also scored 16 for the Jazz, who won for only the fifth time in their last 23 games.

The Jazz erased a 108-103 deficit with 3:32 left and got within one at 111-110 on Isaiah Collier’s jumper with 1:23 remaining. Sensabaugh, who finished with 14 points, then connected with his shot from behind the arc.

Miami twice had opportunities at a tying or go-ahead score. Andrew Wiggins missed a short jumper with 36 seconds left and Kasparas Jakucionis’ corner 3-point attempt bounced off the rim with 4 seconds left.

Sensabaugh’s two free throws with 3 seconds remaining clinched the win for Utah.

Wiggins scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Jakucionis finished with 20 points for the Heat.

Utah led 85-82 after three quarters but for the second consecutive game, coach Will Hardy sat Markkanen and Jackson in the fourth period. Jackson was acquired from Memphis in a trade Feb. 3. Jusuf Nurkic also sat out the fourth and finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds.

The Jazz outscored the Heat in the paint 54-30.

Miami’s Norman Powell (back tightness) and Pelle Larsson (right forearm strain) didn’t play, while Tyler Herro (ribs) has been sidelined since Jan. 17. Keyonte George (right ankle sprain) sat out for Utah.

Down 15 midway through the first quarter, the Jazz finished the first half on a 14-2 run. Collier’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Utah a 61-52 lead at the break.

Up next

Jazz: Host Sacramento on Wednesday night.

Heat: Play at New Orleans on Wednesday night.

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

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III made five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, Jeremiah Fears scored 14 of his 20 in the second half and the New Orleans Pelicans sent the Sacramento Kings to their 13th straight loss Monday night, 120-94.

The Kings have their most consecutive losses since the franchise moved from Kansas City to Sacramento ahead of the 1985-86 season.

Murphy has made 23 3-pointers on 40 attempts (72.5%) in the last three games. Zion Williamson scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and had six assists for New Orleans. 

Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and career-high 20 rebounds — the 7-foot-1 rookie’s eighth double-double this season — for Sacramento. Russell Westbrook added 17 points, Devin Carter scored 12 and Nique Clifford 10. 

Westbrook became the 14th player in league history to score at least 27,000 career points. The 18-year NBA veteran has 27,001 career points, 312 behind Elvin Hayes for 13th place on the league's career points list. 

DeMar DeRozan made a driving layup with 4:08 left in the first quarter that gave the Kings a 20-15 lead, but Bryce McGowen and Murphy made back-to-back 3-pointers to give New Orleans the lead for good and spark a 25-6 run. Williamson scored eight points in the spurt. 

Westbrook made a step-back jumper that trimmed the deficit to nine points with 7:36 left in the first half, but Sacramento got no closer. 

Zach LaVine (finger), Keegan Murray (ankle), Malik Monk (illness) and Domantas Sabonis (lower back) did not play for Sacramento. The quartet combines to average 62 points this season. 

The Pelicans snapped a string of 14 consecutive games in which they have not won or lost by more than 10 points. 

Up next

Kings: Play Wednesday at Utah. 

Pelicans: Host Miami on Wednesday. 

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

Fists were flying after a hard foul in the game between the Pistons and the Hornets, which sent the contest into chaos and led to several ejections. 

The brawl came in what ended up being a 110-104 loss for the Hornets on Monday.

The situation unfolded in the third quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte when Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté fouled Pistons center Jalen Duren while he was going for a shot inside the paint.

The foul was called, but the two got into each other’s faces almost immediately, and after Duren pushed Diabaté in his face, all hell broke loose.

Diabaté attempted to retaliate by swinging at Duren as players, coaches and officials tried to get control of the situation. 

Diabaté was able to break free after he was briefly held back and attempted to chase down Duren a second time, but he was restrained again near the courtside seats. 

As the focus was on Diabaté and calming him down, Miles Bridges went after Duren and ignited the situation even further, which led to Isaiah Stewart — who was not dressed for the game — to run off the Detroit bench to take on Bridges. 

Coaches, players and officials had to then work to separate those two. 

Diabaté, Bridges, Duren and Stewart were all ejected from the game, and the NBA will likely take a look at what happened for supplementary discipline.

At the time of the melee, the Pistons had been holding a 70-62 lead over the Hornets as Charlotte was looking to win its 10th straight game.

Things continued to be testy during the game as Hornets coach Charles Lee was kicked out in the fourth quarter. 

Lee had to be held back while screaming at officials for an offensive foul that was called on Grant Williams. 

He left the court to loud applause from the home fans.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nic Claxton scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 123-115 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Noah Clowney added 20 points for Brooklyn, which won its second in a row. Drake Powell had 14 points off the bench, rookies Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore each had 13 and Ziaire Williams added 11.

The Nets won three of the four meetings between the Eastern Conference teams that are rebuilding.

Anfernee Simons scored 23 points for Chicago, which lost its fifth straight. Collin Sexton scored 19 off the bench and Matas Buzelis had 18.

The Nets began the third quarter with a 14-5 spurt over the first three minutes to extend their advantage to 15 at 74-59. But Chicago responded with a 30-15 run over the final nine minutes of the quarter to tie it at 89 entering the fourth.

Two free throws by Isaac Okoro two minutes into the fourth gave the Bulls their first lead since early in the second at 93-91. The Nets then had a 12-6 spurt over the next three minutes to regain the advantage, 103-99.

The teams traded scores the rest of the way, with the most significant being Wolf’s layup with 3:33 remaining and two free throws by Claxton on the next possession that extended Brooklyn’s lead to 115-107.

Both teams were short-handed. The Nets didn’t have leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (right knee tendinitis) and rookie guard Egor Demin (rest), while Chicago missed Zach Collins (sprained right toe), Josh Giddey (strained left hamstring), Tre Jones (strained left hamstring), and Noa Essengue (left shoulder surgery).

Up next

Bulls: Play at Boston on Wednesday night.

Nets: Host Indiana on Wednesday night.

The Utah Jazz, despite their best efforts, beat the Miami Heat with a final score of 115-111.

Utah’s tanking tactic of pulling Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic after the third quarter in favor of the youth could not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Through the first three quarters, the Jazz were led by Jackson Jr.‘s 22 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Markkanen chipped in 17 points while Jusuf Nurkic added 10 points and 16 rebounds.

This game hurts the Jazz in the tank race, but it proves that Utah’s approach to losing games this season is no less ethical than its tanking counterparts. Unlike the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, the Jazz played their stars in back-t0-back games for the majority of the game, rather than sitting them with phantom injuries. This allows fans to watch Utah’s best players while still allowing the team to (in most cases) achieve its long-term goals.

Tonight, however, the youth stepped up in the fourth quarter to push the Jazz past Miami’s most competitive lineup. Isaiah Collier controlled the pace of the game late, finishing with 13 points and nine assists. Brice Sensabaugh, who has struggled over the past few outings, hit a big three and game-sealing free throws late. And Kyle Filipowski contributed a double-double, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Utah still holds the 6th best lottery odds after tonight. Wins from the Pelicans and the Nets mitigate any negative impacts from tonight’s win. If the lottery was today, the Jazz would own a ~96% chance of retaining their pick.

The Jazz return home on Thursday to face off against the Portland Trailblazers.

No Dyson or Jalen. CJ McCollum scored some points. The Hawks once again played no defense.

Please (nicely) discuss among yourselves.

The education of Nolan Traore continues.

And the rookie is proving to be a quick study.

Traore’s precocious play at the point led Brooklyn to a 123-115 victory over visiting Chicago before a crowd of 17,038 at Barclays Center on Monday night.

The win came without Egor Dëmin and Michael Porter Jr., the Nets coming in just 1-9 without the latter.

But Nic Claxton picked up the slack with a career-high 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting, 10 rebounds and four assists.

Meanwhile, Traore ran a surprisingly potent attack that shot 51.1 percent overall and 48 percent from deep.

The French teen had 13 points and 13 assists, tied for the most by a rookie this season in the NBA, and fourth most by a rookie in team history.

“It’s good because at the same time we’re learning to play with each other and we’re playing better. So it’s good,” said Traore, making his seventh straight start and improving rapidly.

“[Jordi Fernández] trusts me a lot with the ball, and that’s important for me. Sometimes I can call the plays, sometimes he does, and we build that relationship and it will be even better.”

Brooklyn (15-37) sits fifth in the lottery standings.

They’re a game behind Washington, and one ahead of Utah.

“We executed. The ball was popping,” said Claxton. “We were missing Mike, but everybody stepped up and we were able to create some good looks and I knocked down some shots.

“(Traore’s) figuring out how to use his speed and knowing when to go and when to slow down.

He’s extremely fast and can touch the paint almost every play, but he’s figuring it out.

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He’s gaining confidence and we’re going to need it going forward.”

Traore is the first Nets rookie with a points-assists double-double since Terrence Williams on April 3, 2010.

Noah Clowney added 22 points and was 4-of-6 from deep.

“Nolan was making the right play to start, whether that was getting downhill, spraying it, scoring, hitting the pocket,” said Clowney. “He was giving us an advantage and letting us play off that. When you play like that, it’s really easy.”

Brooklyn led by as many as 15 in the third quarter, with rookie Danny Wolf (13 points, six rebounds, three blocks, two steals) giving them a 74-59 lead that looked safe.

Drake Powell — who put Patrick Williams on a poster in the first quarter — hit a 3 to put the Nets ahead 87-73 with 4:27 left in the third.

But they let the Bulls — playing sans Josh Giddey and Tre Jones — close on a 16-2 run to knot it at 89-all entering the fourth.

All but a half-minute of that run came with Traore on the bench, and Ben Saraf running point.

When Fernández went back to Traore in the final period, the French teen settled the game down.

With the game knotted at 99-all with just over eight minutes left, the Nets mounted a 10-3 run to untie it.

Wolf found Terance Mann for a 3-pointer that gave Brooklyn a 109-102 edge with 5:19 to play.

This one they didn’t squander.

Kansas basketball will be once again without freshman star Darryn Peterson for its Monday, Feb. 9, matchup against Arizona.

Peterson is listed as out for the No. 9 Jayhawks with flu-like symptoms, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal. That makes the task harder for Kansas against No. 1 Arizona (23-0, 10-0).

REQUIRED READING: Alabama's Charles Bediako deemed ineligible by Tuscaloosa County judge

The freshman guard has appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 20.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on 48.9% shooting. This marks the 11th game of the season that the projected top pick in the 2026 NBA will miss this season. Peterson has also battled a hamstring strain and cramps earlier in the season.

Junior guard Jamari McDowell started in Peterson’s place, while senior guard Melvin Council Jr. and sophomore forward Flory Bidunga have stepped up in the games Peterson has missed this season.

Kansas and Arizona had a 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT) tipoff. The Jayhawks' lone loss at home this season came against No. 5 UConn.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas freshman star guard Darryn Peterson out vs Arizona

Four players were ejected following a fight during the third quarter of a game between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets on Monday, Feb. 9.

Suspensions could follow.

The brawl began bubbling when the Hornets’ Moussa Diabate delivered a hard foul on Pistons center Jalen Duren with more than seven minutes remaining in the quarter. The players exchanged words.

Duren shoved Diabate in the face, and Charlotte forward Miles Bridges shoved Duren. Diabate threw a punch at Duren and had to be held back by coaches and teammates, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. 

Moments later, Bridges punched toward Duren. Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart, who was not in the game, rushed the floor and put Bridges in a headlock. Players from both teams swarmed in to separate them.

"Miles got some blows in," one announcer said on the broadcast of the game.

All four were ejected from the game.

Best angle of Beef Stew vs. Bridges.

Watch Duncan Robinson for comedic effect. pic.twitter.com/9OjSDpzvLe

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 10, 2026

Will Pistons and Hornets players be suspended for brawl? 

Once the NBA assesses its discipline from this fight, expect several suspensions and fines to be levied, particularly for those like Isaiah Stewart, who came off the bench. 

According to the NBA rulebook, during fights or altercations, players who aren’t subbed in must remain on the sidelines, “in the immediate vicinity of their bench.” The league also stipulates that violators will be subject to an automatic one-game suspension without pay, with an additional fine of $50,000. 

Because Stewart also threw punches and made contact with Hornets players, his suspension may be for multiple games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wild Pistons-Hornets brawl breaks out. Four players ejected

The Cleveland Cavaliers have updated availability for numerous key players for tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets. Dean Wade is OUT with an ankle injury, while Jaylon Tyson, who was also listed as questionable with an ankle injury, will be available to play.

Rookie Tyrese Proctor will be available to play after being questionable with an illness.

Max Strus and Evan Mobley remain out. Mobley hasn’t played since January 26 with a calf strain, while Strus has yet to play this season.

Cleveland’s wing depth has taken a hit without Wade. They traded De’Andre Hunter at the deadline for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, a move that has paid off in the short-term, but has left them without many backup options on the wing other than Wade.

Wade is also one of the team’s best and most underrated defenders. He consistently raises their floor defensively and isn’t as easy to replace as you might think.

The NBA's most versatile defenders this season, based on time spent guarding PG/SG/SF/PF/C:

1. Jarred Vanderbilt
2. Josh Minott
3. Dean Wade
4. GG Jackson
5. Jordan Walsh
6. Alex Caruso
7. Hugo Gonzalez
8. Naji Marshall
9. Spencer Jones
10. Gui Santos

Defensive Positional… pic.twitter.com/2hbQPMBC2S

— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) February 9, 2026

The Cavs have managed to survive even with injuries to Wade, Mobley and Strus. They’ve done so behind an All-Star caliber season from Donovan Mitchell, huge performances from Jarrett Allen, and a new Hall of Famer in James Harden.

Harden made his Cavalier debut on Saturday and scored 23 points while helping his team get across the finish line. We’ll be watching to see how Harden continues to develop chemistry with his new teammates. Allen, in particular, should continue to thrive with another pick-and-roll ball-handler in the lineup.

This is Cleveland’s final game of their West Coast road trip. They previously played the Sacramento Kings, LA Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Phoenix Suns. After tonight, they’ll head home for their first game of February in Rocket Arena. They host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

The Cavs have the best winning percentage in the NBA since Dec. 29 and have a top-10 offense and defense during this stretch. Let’s see if they can keep on rolling and head home with one more win.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The injury-depleted Indiana Pacers have been dealt another blow, announcing Monday that second-year forward Johnny Furphy is expected to miss the rest of this season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Furphy was hurt during the third quarter of Sunday's 122-104 loss at Toronto. Team officials issued a three-paragraph statement Monday saying the Australian was taken to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and an MRI confirmed the extent of the injury. Indiana is in New York to face the Knicks on Tuesday.

Furphy is yet another addition to an expansive injury list headlined by two-time All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has been ruled out for the rest of this season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Game 7 of June's NBA Finals.

Starters Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and key backups Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell have all missed games with injuries this season. The result: Indiana has the league's second-worst record at 13-40. The absences, however, gave Furphy, a second-round draft pick in 2024 out of Kansas, a chance to show what he could do in 21 starts. He was averaging 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

The Pacers also could be dealing with yet another injured player — new center Ivica Zubac, who Indiana acquired last week in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. He's been dealing with an ankle injury since December and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said recently that Zubac won't play until he's “really ready.”

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

The Boston Celtics just made an announcement their fans have been eager to hear.

The franchise said star forward Jayson Tatum, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in May, was assigned to participate in portions of a G League practice Monday, Feb. 9. Following that session, the Celtics will recall Tatum, where he’ll continue his rehab with the team.

The Celtics said they would issue future updates when appropriate.

Tatum, 27, had suffered the injury during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, but has remained a steady presence around the team through its first 53 games of the season.

The announcement doesn’t necessarily mean Tatum will return to game action imminently, but it does carry significant implications.

Here’s everything you need to know about Jayson Tatum’s recovery from his Achilles tendon rupture:

Jayson Tatum injury update: What does it mean for a potential return?

Does this mean Tatum will absolutely return at some point during the 2025-26 season? Not necessarily. Is it a positive sign? Yes, overwhelmingly so.

Achilles tendon ruptures are complicated injuries that require calculated and arduous rehabs. That Tatum has progressed to the point of limited participation in practice signals that he has advanced to a certain level of competence.

In September, Tatum told USA TODAY Sports that he hadn’t fully ruled out a return to the court for the 2025-26 season, so this aggressive timeline indicates that Tatum and the Celtics may be considering a pathway toward a return.

To be sure: the practices will be controlled and the franchise will push Tatum only as far as he’s able. And even then, they will exercise prudence and will closely monitor how he responds to the sessions.

But, if Tatum is to return this season, he’d eventually need to return to practice and a return this soon should build optimism.

Still, there will be plenty of work left to do for Tatum, and the most challenging part of his recovery will almost certainly be mental. After extended absences, players often feel the need to be tentative or cautious out of fear of reaggravating the injury. Tatum may face similar concerns, and he may even feel he’s lost some explosion or speed.

But even though Achilles ruptures used to be considered career-ending injuries, modern medicine has allowed plenty of players to return to full health and participation after suffering them.

Boston has surpassed expectations and is 34-19, which is currently third in the East. If Tatum is cleared and able to return, he would instantly add a massive boost of scoring, playmaking and rebounding for the Celtics.

It would also make the Celtics a real threat to win the Eastern Conference

Jayson Tatum stats

Last season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jayson Tatum injury update: Latest on Celtics star