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The new week of NBA action starts with just a trio of games, but we open with a great one, as Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

I’ve found my favorite NBA player prop for that exciting matchup, it’s in a place you may not expect. That and NBA picks for the other two games, on Monday, February 23, below.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Duncan Robinson	Over 10.5 Points	-120
Ty Jerome	Over 17.5 Points	-120
Reed Sheppard	Over 3.5 Assists	+102

Prop #1: Duncan Robinson Over 10.5 Points

-120 at bet365

The Detroit Pistons host the San Antonio Spurs in a matchup between two of the NBA’s best teams, and while this game is full of star power, I’m backing a role player to have a big impact.

Duncan Robinson has been a great secondary scorer for Detroit, averaging 12.3 points per game, and the Pistons' sharpshooter is on fire. Robinson is putting up 15.3 points per game while shooting 47.3% from 3-point range over his last seven.

And while the Spurs are a strong defensive team, they could be better on the perimeter, ranking 16th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

Prop #2: Ty Jerome Over 17.5 Points

-120 at bet365

Reliable bucket getters are few and far between for the Memphis Grizzlies.

That is, until Ty Jerome returned. The journeyman shooting guard is averaging 19.3 points while shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc.

Sportsbooks have caught on, but it’s not enough for this matchup against the Sacramento Kings. 

The Kings are bad, and it’s only gotten worse. They rank dead last in defensive rating and are next-to-last in opponent points allowed per game in February. 

Jerome has topped this number in five of seven games, including going for 28 against the Kings just back on February 4.

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSCA, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast-Memphis

Prop #3: Reed Sheppard Over 3.5 Assists

+102 at bet365

While we start the night with a great matchup, the nightcap is the opposite, as the Houston Rockets are massive home favorites against the Utah Jazz.

The Rockets obviously have edges all over the court, but my best bet is Reed Sheppard to go Over 3.5 assists.

The sophomore guard is averaging 4.0 assists per game over his last five, topping this number three times during that stretch.

The Jazz rank dead last in defensive rating and opponent assists per possession, and in a mismatch like this, Sheppard should get a longer run.

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The end of February means the start of a college sports favorite: the 2026 NCAA March Madness basketball tournament.

With March Madness comes the infamous bracket that people fill out to try and guess which teams will make the run through the tournament to the championship. Filling out brackets has become synonymous with March Madness, and this year, ESPN is poking fun at the intensity the tournament can spark in people.

A new ESPN ad released Feb. 23 marries the idea of March Madness bracket obsession, or what they call "Bracketbrain," with the pharmaceutical ads people often see on television that have long warnings of potential side effects. The satirical ad claims there's only one alleviation for people suffering from Bracketbrain: ESPN's Tournament Challenge, a way to fill out and manage your bracket through March Madness's run.

Watch the new ad below.

Watch ESPN's latest March Madness commercial

In the ad, the "patients" seem to see the outline of brackets in their day-to-day lives, including in their food, the route they take while hiking, and the way they filled out a Scantron sheet while taking a test. These are all clear symptoms of Bracketbrain to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, who appears in the ad as the head of ESPN's Department of Bracketology.

“When the calendar hits March, filling out brackets is all anyone can think about,” Seth Ader, ESPN's vice president of brand marketing said in a news release. “With the Bracketbrain campaign, we’re shining a light on this great time of year, diagnosing the behavior, and reminding fans that ESPN Tournament Challenge is the place to celebrate their obsession.”

Entering Sunday’s game in Minnesota, Philadelphia had lost nine of its last 10 games without Joel Embiid in the lineup. His absence was clearly felt by rookie VJ Edgecombe who said, “We miss Joel. It’s that simple. He’s a walking 30 points,” after a bad loss at home against Atlanta on Thursday night coming out of the All-Star break.

It’s particularly relevant that Edgecombe was the one to make those comments. Edgecombe is a rookie who wasn’t in Philadelphia for Embiid’s MVP season and some of his other high-end seasons that were statistically better than the one he’s having right now, which has still been very good. This is not to contest that Embiid is the same player now that he was before the knee injury two years ago that plagued him for all of last season. But it is to say that he’s playing at a much higher level than many anticipated in 2025-26.

Perhaps that’s the primary source of disappointment this season for Philly. There are still two months left in the regular season, but it’s becoming clear that the Sixers are probably a tier below the East’s top group of contenders. On a good night, they’re right there with the upper echelon of the conference. But there just aren’t enough good nights it feels like and a lot of the good nights that do exist are courtesy of a big game from Embiid.

Embiid has given the franchise more than any other player has since Allen Iverson wore the uniform. Time and time again, the organization has failed to empower him, and this month’s trade deadline was just the latest example. Embiid returning from his knee injury and being this good, say 75-85% of the player he used to be, should be considered an overwhelming success. It wasn’t long ago that medical retirement was being discussed as a potential option for Embiid in his early 30s. If there was ever a season in which the Sixers could find a way to be good enough in the games Embiid isn’t on the floor and give the big man at least one more crack at a deep playoff run, it would be this one.

Embiid’s injury history is obviously long, and unfortunately, the bigger problem is that he’s suffered several fluke injuries that have impacted his postseason availability. Yes, there have been bigger injuries that have called into question the viability of building a contender around Embiid. Early in his career particularly it was fair to question his commitment to rehabbing those injuries. But how many times have we seen Embiid wearing a mask in the playoffs? How many times does it feel like he has taken a fall or been fallen on by another player that resulted in a minor injury that would flare up and force him to miss a playoff game here or there or perform at less than 100%?

Hopefully this season is a sign of good things to come for Embiid and he can play at this level for at least a few more seasons. Maybe there’s a longer runway for him to win a championship with the Sixers than we all thought. But at this time one year ago, it felt like there was no runway at all. That’s what makes it so disappointing that losing in the second round again feels like the ceiling for this year’s team. Whatever happens in the next couple months, be sure to appreciate the fact that Joel Embiid is having the season he’s having.

On today’s episode, Ryan Eichten and Leo Sun talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves’ two post-All-Star Break games, including a blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers by a season-high 27 points and an 11-point win over the Dallas Mavericks:

— On Sunday night, the Wolves suffered their largest loss of the season at home to the 76ers. While the Wolves were without Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid, the 76ers themselves were without Joel Embiid and Paul George, and had also played the night prior in New Orleans.

— In place of Gobert and Reid, Joan Beringer got his first career start, but picked up three quick fouls in the first half, limiting his impact on the game. The Wolves are still super high on Beringer, but with three bigs ahead of the 19-year-old Frenchman on the depth chart, his impact the rest of this season is still likely to be limited.

— Against the Mavericks on Friday, they rolled out a primarily eight-man rotation, along with a short stint for Beringer in the first half. The move seemed like a signal of what the rotation will look like the rest of the way for the Wolves, with the usual starters plus Reid, Ayo Dosunmu, and Bones Hyland coming off the bench.

— Anthony Edwards was again outstanding in the clutch in the win over the Mavericks, scoring a total of 40 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Ant’s improved play late in close games bodes well for the Wolves in the playoffs, where they may have a higher ceiling than their team a season ago that made the Western Conference Finals.

— Naz Reid has been playing great of late, putting up 21 points, four 3-pointers, seven rebounds, four assists, and three stocks against the Mavericks, including a nasty dunk over Daniel Gafford.

— With just 27 games left in the season, the stretch run is now upon us. The Wolves are just one game back of the three seed and will need to start winning games in bunches if they want to climb that high in the standings.

VAIL, Colo. (AP) — American skier Lindsey Vonn says she nearly lost her left leg following a frightening crash in the women’s downhill at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Vonn shared in an Instagram post on Monday that her injuries went far beyond the complex tibia fracture in the leg she initially revealed after clipping a gate and sailing off course just 13 seconds into her run on Feb. 8.

The 41-year-old Vonn said the trauma from the crash led to compartment syndrome in the leg. Compartment syndrome involves excessive pressure building up inside a muscle, either from bleeding or swelling. High pressure restricts blood flow and can lead to permanent injury if not treated quickly.

“When you have so much trauma to one area of your body so that there’s too much blood and it gets stuck and it basically crushes everything,” Vonn said.

Vonn credited Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon who works for Vonn and Team USA, for conducting a fasciotomy to salvage her leg.

“He filleted it open (and) let it breathe, and he saved me,” she said.

Vonn noted that Hackett was only in Cortina because she was competing after tearing the ACL in her left knee shortly before the Olympics.

“If I hadn’t had done that, Tom wouldn’t have been there (and he) wouldn’t have been able to save my leg,” she said.

Vonn, who said she has been discharged from the hospital, also broke her right ankle in the crash.

“It has been quite the journey and by far the most extreme and painful and challenging injury I’ve ever faced in my entire life times 100,” she said.

Vonn underwent multiple surgeries during a week-long stay at a hospital in Treviso, Italy, following the accident. She credited both Hackett and Italian doctors for their efforts to repair her leg, which she said was “in pieces" following the accident.

She says she struggled with pain and blood loss in the immediate aftermath and had to receive a transfusion to help raise her hemoglobin levels.

Vonn, who said she is “very much immobile," is confined to a wheelchair at the moment, but has turned her attention to her rehab and is working her way toward being able to use crutches. She estimated it will take about a year for the bones in her left leg to heal. Only after that will doctors be able to go in and repair the torn ACL, which played no role in the crash.

“It's going to be a long road,” she said. “I always fight and we keep going.”

Vonn stressed she had “no regrets” about her comeback following a six-year retirement or her decision to ski at the Olympics despite the knee injury.

“I wish it had ended differently, but I’d rather go down swinging than not try at all,” said Vonn, who was atop the World Cup series rankings in the downhill when she arrived in Cortina. “I think what I was able to achieve was more than anyone expected to begin with. ... This year was incredible and so worth everything.”

She likened her injuries to “one blip on the radar." She did not go into any sort of detail about her competitive career, though her father, Alan Kildow, told The Associated Press shortly after the accident he would like her to retire.

“Life is life and we have to take the punches that come,” Vonn said. “Going to do the best I can with this one. It really knocked me down. But I’m like Rocky. I’ll just keep getting back up.”

___

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

#1 – 60 seconds that says it all

Sometimes, 48 minutes can be sum up in just 60 seconds – and last night’s game against LA was the case. In this sequence, the Celtics are able to take four shots while the Lakers only have one attempt, which is blocked from behind.

The willingness to fight for offensive rebounds and to put pressure from the other side of the court was a big difference-maker for the Celtics against a team that can be elite offensively when they are able to run their usual offense.

The Celtics didn’t let that happen and limited the Lakers to an 89-point game.

#2 – Payton Pritchard’s magic

The level of efficiency Payton is showing since moving back to a 6th-man role is just out of this world. Last night, again, the former Oregon star showed why the Celtics believe so much in him to get the offense going, especially in late-clock situations.

Besides the incredible shooting touch, his ability to create space is what stands out the most this season. At the rim or on the perimeter, his frame, handle, speed, and footwork are working together to create space, even when he seems to be stuck.

As he said, he likes the ball and wants to dance with it — and the ball loves him back.

It’s not just a gimmick, and the shots he is making aren’t just fun highlights for TikTok. He is becoming an offensive threat that the Celtics can rely on to close games because, against the matchup he wants, Pritchard is able to get to his spots and carry the team on his large shoulders.

#3 – Deep touches for Vooch

The other big change in the last few weeks was the addition of Nikola Vucevic, who is also coming off the bench. The former Bull is bringing some post-up gravity, but it is quite different from what we are used to seeing from the Celtics. He gets the ball far deeper than Kristaps Porzingis would.

His post-up positions are deeper in the paint, not at the top of the key. With his low center of gravity (for his size), he can push back players with ease and find deeper positions on offense. This gives the Celtics coaching staff new options for play-calling, like here where, after a timeout, they draw a play to get the ball inside for Nikola.

Derrick White cuts from the right corner to the left as the center sets a screen for him, and then Hugo Gonzalez screens to give Vucevic more space to catch the ball near the rim. Exquisite play call to beat the Lakers’ zone defense.

#4 – Ghost to beat the switch

When the Lakers weren’t in a zone defense, they tended to switch a lot, and the Celtics took advantage of that. Recently, we saw a lot of teams that would rather hedge on the pick-and-roll, leaving the short roll open, but this wasn’t possible against that Lakers defense. So, instead of setting ball screens with their big men, the Celtics went for ghost screens with shooters.

Ghost screens, or slip screens, are very tough to defend for switch defenses because often one of the two players involved forgets to switch, as it doesn’t feel like a “real screen.” However, even if that isn’t a real screen, the confusion between the defenders is enough to create the required space.

On this second example, Queta’s screen creates confusion off the ball, as Luka Doncic expects Deandre Ayton to switch onto Hauser, but the big man follows Neemias Queta and that’s an open shot for Boston.

Here again, this time for White, the Celtics trick the Lakers. Derrick gets close to Luka Doncic as if he were setting the screen, so Luke Kennard gets ready to switch. But Luka doesn’t feel White, so he stays on Pritchard, as there was no “real screen.” The consequence? Yet another 3-pointer for the Boston Celtics.

#5 – Jaylen Brown’s reads

With a bigger volume, the opportunity for Jaylen Brown to learn how to become elite at reading space has been obvious — and he is getting there. There were a couple of actions last night where he looked like one of the great playmakers in this league.

On this first drive of the game, he attracts three defenders and doesn’t have a lot of time to think or space to move. He stops, pivots, finds an open man, and swings the ball to the corner for Baylor Scheierman.

On the pick-and-roll below, he reads the defensive mistake really well. Ayton switches, but Rui Hachimura doesn’t, leaving the roll man alone for a second. Brown sees it and finds a passing lane above the Lakers center, right where Queta needs the ball. Great read again to punish the defensive mistake.

Yet, his passing wasn’t the most impressive part of his game last night.

#6 – Brown’s defense and transition motor

The Celtics’ #7 was the transition motor the Celtics needed to get over that Lakers defense. The All-Star put a lot of pressure on the ball and in the passing lanes, leading to three steals and one out-of-bounds turnover.

In transition, he was able to draw a lot of free throws, which were more than welcome to compensate for his 18 missed field goals. His speed, aggressiveness, and willingness in these fast-break situations really made the Lakers defense collapse and were perfect to punish the turnovers he often created.

#7 – The drop effect

Defensively, the Celtics dared the Lakers to make their pull-ups — and they didn’t. Straight from the jump, Queta was deep in the paint after the Ayton screen, showing LA that if they wanted to win, they had better be ready to make it rain.

Unfortunately for Pat Riley and the Lakers, it didn’t happen. The Lakers shot 37% from mid-range. And, because the Celtics were protecting the paint at all costs, the rim efficiency from the Lakers was very poor compared to their standards.

Indeed, the Lakers are the most efficient team at the rim this season, with 74% on shots within four feet of the basket. Last night, the Celtics limited them to only 55%, and all that without fouling, as the Lakers only took 18 free throws.

#8 – Gonzalez vs. Doncic

It’s hard not to be romantic about basketball. Hugo Gonzalez was a child when Luka Doncic was still playing at Real Madrid, and last night, they faced each other on the biggest stage, in the NBA’s most historical matchup.

The Lakers superstar tried to go after the Spaniard, but most of the time, the young wing was able to hold his ground and not fall into the guard’s fakes.

Even better, he tricked him later in the game with a nice baseline cut while the defense’s attention was on Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown.

Safe to say I’m looking forward to their next matchup. In the meantime, Luka Doncic wished him the best of luck.

#9 – Spacing duel

One image means a thousand words, and this one speaks loudly. These possessions came one after another, and it is obvious how much better the Celtics’ spacing is compared to the Lakers’.

With this great defensive presence, thanks to the Lakers’ lack of spacing, the Celtics can concede a mismatch because they can protect it, shrink the space, and cut the passing lanes.

#10 – Mazzulla remaining quiet about JT

CelticsBlog’s Bobby Manning tried to get some input from Joe Mazzulla about Jayson Tatum’s participation in practice, but all he got was a long silence and Joe Mazzulla staring at him.

Even if we don’t have strong insights, it feels like Jayson Tatum’s return could be in the coming weeks.

The Celtics are closing in on an interesting benchmark for potential NBA contenders. Their current record is 37-19, which puts 40-20 in play. For those that aren’t familiar, the 40-20 rule is defined as follows (via NBA reddit):

The 40-20 rule, coined by Phil Jackson, states that legitimate NBA championship contenders must secure 40 wins before losing 20 games. This benchmark, emphasizing consistency and dominance, holds a 90.9% success rate, with 40 of the last 44 champions meeting this criteria since 1979-80.

The Celtics have had a strong recent record, going 8-2 in their last 10 and overall are at a .661 winning percentage for the season. They have two more West coast road trip games against the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. Then they return home against the Brooklyn Nets. If they can win the next 3 games, they’ll have met the criteria for the 40-20 rule.

Of course there’s a Jayson Tatum sized “yeah but” to consider here. The premise of this rule is that teams performing well in the regular season are poised to do well in the postseason (duh). The thing is, if Tatum does return, then the makeup of the team will look noticeably different in the playoffs than it did for the first 3 quarters of the season. So even if the team fails to reach the 40-20 mark, they still have a great chance to be one of the outliers that gets the job done regardless.

Still, it would be pretty cool for the team to reach that goal and something the current construction of the team can hang their hat on. Like “look, we met the criteria of a contending team even without our superstar player.”

So, on to your topic questions:

• Do you think the Celtics can make it to 40 wins before 20 losses?
• Do you think this is a good benchmark to track for contenders?
• Do you think the rule applies to a team about to get back their star player from injury?
• Do you think the Celtics are winning the title this year?
• Insert your own follow-up questions and topics!

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Two of the worst teams in the Western Conference meet tonight as the Sacramento Kings face the Memphis Grizzlies. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at the FedExForum. 

My Kings vs. Grizzlies predictions are targeting Memphis to add to Sacramento’s recent misery. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Monday, February 23. 

Kings vs Grizzlies prediction

Kings vs Grizzlies best bet: Grizzlies -4 (-110)

The Memphis Grizzlies are sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 21-34 record. However, they’ve covered tonight’s spread in back-to-back games at home, comfortably beating the Timberwolves and Jazz. 

Memphis is riding a three-game winning streak against the Sacramento Kings, who are in 15th place in the West. Sacramento has lost 16 in a row and has been absolutely blown out in four straight, losing by at least 17 points each time. 

The Grizzlies have covered the spread in two of their three victories against the lowly Kings in 2025-26.

Kings vs Grizzlies same-game parlay

Jaylen Wells is coming off an impressive 25-point showing in Saturday's loss to the Heat. He’s cashed the Over in four of his last seven, and he’s averaging 16.3 points per game in February. 

In three meetings with Sacramento this season, Wells is also averaging 15.3 PPG.

The Kings have scored fewer than 100 points in three of their last four, and that wasn’t even against any elite defensive teams. Memphis ranks 16th in defensive rating, allowing 117.7 points per game. 

That being said, two of the last three meetings between Sacramento and Memphis have cashed the Under in points, and the Kings are struggling immensely on the offensive end. The Grizzlies aren’t a whole lot better.

Kings vs Grizzlies SGP

• Grizzlies -4
• Jaylen Wells Over 14.5 points
• Under 233

Our "from downtown" SGP: Thank you, Jerome

Ty Jerome has cashed the Over in triples in back-to-back outings, draining three treys in each contest.

Kings vs Grizzlies SGP

• Grizzlies -4
• Jaylen Wells Over 14.5 points
• Under 233
• Ty Jerome Over 2.5 threes

Kings vs Grizzlies odds

• Spread: Kings +4 (-110) | Grizzlies -4 (-110)
• Moneyline: Kings +150 | Grizzlies -180
• Over/Under: Over 233 (-110) | Under 233 (-110)

Kings vs Grizzlies betting trend to know

The Sacramento Kings have hit the Team Total Under in 32 of their last 50 games (+11.50 Units / 20% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Kings vs. Grizzlies.

How to watch Kings vs Grizzlies

Kings vs Grizzlies latest injuries

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NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA said on Monday it has provisionally suspended Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni for one match following accusations he racially abused Vinícius Júnior.

The decision means that Prestianni will miss Wednesday’s second leg of the Champions League playoff between Real Madrid and Benfica. Madrid won the first match in Lisbon last Tuesday with Vinícius scoring a second-half winner for a 1-0 victory.

The game was halted for nearly 10 minutes after the Brazil forward scored and celebrated by the Benfica corner flag, upsetting local fans and players. After being confronted by Prestianni, Vinícius accused the Argentine player of calling him “monkey.”

Prestianni has denied racially insulting Vinícius.

The anti-racism protocol was activated but no further action was taken during the match as there was no evidence against Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt while talking to Vinícius. The Madrid forward was shown a yellow card after his celebration.

UEFA said the decision from its control, ethics and disciplinary Body (CEDB) is related to a discriminatory behavior.

“This is without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies,” it said in a statement.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said after the match he was “shocked and saddened to see the incident of alleged racism” and praised the referee for activating the anti-racism protocol.

Benfica showed support for Prestianni, with the Portuguese club claiming that Madrid players who said they heard the insult were too far away. Benfica later released a statement saying it welcomed UEFA’s investigation and that it “fully supports and believes the version presented” by Prestianni, “whose conduct while with the club has always been guided by respect” toward everyone.

Benfica fans had reacted angrily to Vinícius celebrating his 50th-minute goal by dancing at the corner flag, throwing bottles and other objects toward the Madrid players. Prestianni then confronted Vinícius and said something while covering his mouth with his jersey.

Prestianni insisted that Vinícius misunderstood what was said, while Benfica players after the match reportedly said the Argentine provoked the Brazil forward but never racially insulted him.

Kylian Mbappé was among the Madrid players who strongly defended Vinícius and posted on X: “Dance, Vini, and please never stop. They will never tell us what we have to do or not.”

The France star also said Prestianni should never play in the Champions League again.

___

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

New York half-baked its play for the greater part of Sunday’s affair…

…but turned up the heat late and did enough to win another game.

Here’s a bunch of stuff said of late by your Knicks superheroes.

Mike Brown

On Robinson’s absence on Sunday and his back-to-back management:

“Obviously, he hasn’t played a back-to-back yet. But I’m not talking to our medical staff asking, ‘Is this going to be like this the rest of the year?’”

On Towns’ defensive impact against the Bulls:

“Not only did he get a double-double, he was great for us defensively.”

On Towns’ different opportunities and usage compared to last season:

“I understand it’s something that we need to talk about, and I’m OK talking about it, but until those numbers change, there’s not much for me to say because he’s getting an opportunity. We don’t call a ton of plays. Now, you compare his numbers to last year, [backup center Mitchell Robinson] didn’t play in the regular season. KAT averaged 36, 37 minutes a game. Mitch is playing now. Landry didn’t play last year. He’s playing. We’re trying to get him up to 17 to 22, 23 minutes a game. We’ve got Jose [Alvarado] now. … So when you do that, guys’ minutes are going to go down. Not only are guys’ minutes going to go down, but guys’ field goal attempts are going to go down and all the things that you see impact the game statistically.”

On Yabusele’s fit in New York and lack of minutes:

“The position he’s shown he’s best in in the NBA — the small-ball center spot — we just didn’t have the minutes consistently for him to be there. And then when he was at the 4. For us, because of our centers, the matchups weren’t always there. So we had to pick and choose when he was on the floor and how we were going to play him.

“His skill set is obviously as a small-ball center. And it’s picking and popping. And then it’s spacing the floor. And the way we try to play, we try to move a lot. Cut a lot. And then it’s tough because we have [Karl-Anthony Towns] playing heavy minutes, and we have [Mitchell Robinson] playing heavy minutes. This is a situation in Chicago — and even in Philadelphia [where Yabusele was last season], it was a situation where they were able to find consistent minutes for him. Because he’s a good player. Started for the French national team. We all know what they did. The style of play is a little bit different.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On embracing title-winning expectations:

“I think as a team, it’s a blessing to have expectations and have high standards. It means we’re doing something right. And last year, we did a lot right. The fans are expecting even more from us with an offseason and another season under our belts with experience and unity and understanding each other. So when we get in those spots in the playoffs, we can find ourselves winning the game. For me, personally, my career’s been full of pressure. I’ve always been held to a higher standard than everyone. I understand that criticism comes with that when you’re not succeeding, and rightfully so. My whole career has been based on me getting that ring and winning. I understand more than ever now in my career that winning trumps everything.”

On the Knicks’ unity and sacrifice:

“That’s why I’m so adamant about our team staying together, having that continuity, having that unity. Nothing deterring us or dividing us on this team. It’s a special team, we have a special group of guys. For us to win, it’s going to take all of us to win a championship. I’m so blessed that I’ve got these guys in this locker room and I’ve got my support system, my family, my fiancée that are pushing me to another level even from last year to do what’s needed for this team to win. Whether that’s to sacrifice more like this year or like in these last two games, if I’m touching the basketball, I got to make the shots. I’m glad I’ve been able to do that for my teammates and we’re able to win these games.”

On not using excuses in dealing with back-to-backs:

“There’s no excuses. We’re professionals. We’ve gotta come out here and do our job. Our fans expect it. The city expects us to play with tenacity. Tonight, I thought we did a good job of not making excuses and getting the job done.”

On his confidence coming from preparation:

“I work hard on my game. I put the time and effort in, and in my mind and my support system, I don’t think anyone’s put more time in their craft than me, and that’s where my confidence has grown from. It’s not from touching the ball in the game. It’s from touching the ball in the empty gym with no light, no fans and my [player development] coach Mark Bryant. So I’m extremely confident in my game. I’m extremely confident mentally that when I do touch the ball, I can do something really special with it. When I touch the basketball, I’ve gotta make these shots, and I’m glad I’ve been able to do that to help us win these two games.”

On dealing with pressure and having a clear goal in mind:

“I think as a team, it’s a blessing to have expectations and high standards. That means we’re doing something right, and last year we did a lot right and fans are expecting a lot from us. For me personally, my career’s been full of pressure, and I’ve always been held to a higher standard than everyone, and I always understood that criticism comes when you’re not succeeding and rightfully so. It’s a special team. We have a special group of guys, and for us to win, it’s gonna take all of us to win a championship.”

Josh Hart

On navigating the weekend back-to-back:

“An 8:30 game and then traveling for a back-to-back game, I think, is outrageous. But happy we were able to get the win.”

On Bridges’ offensive involvement:

“I guess [he does have high expectations given the outgoing draft picks]. At the end of the day, Kal’s gonna do what he’s gotta do. He’s gonna find his way. Like I said, I think there’s times where we can do a better job of making sure he’s involved offensively and aggressive and get him into his spots, same thing with OG [Anunoby[ and JC [Jordan Clarkson] when he plays — someone like that who can score, we’ve gotta make sure we put him in position to be successful and not just doing it within the flow of the offense.”

On Bridges’ clutch ability:

“With Kal, I’ll let y’all figure that one out. We know what we have in him. We know what he means to the team. And the beauty of him is he can have a terrible game the whole game and make a game-winning play, and I think he’s done that — I wouldn’t say terrible game — but he’s done that plenty of times, making game-winning plays late in the game when we need him. That’s why we got him.”

Jalen Brunson

On Towns seeing shots fall:

“When anyone sees the ball go through the hoop, it gives a level of confidence and makes you feel like you can do anything on the court. Then you shot-fake, they bite, and then you’re able to make plays for yourself or others. For (Towns), it’s a great sign. He’s sticking with it. That’s who he is.”

Gilbert Arenas

On pushing back against soft narrative:

“When you look at KAT, he’s just running around and he says things in interviews. You think that’s actually how he plays the game. If you really look at the play, he does play a rugged style of basketball. He does bang. He’s just bang, bang, spin, got you. But he just has a shot. And there’s times where if he has a little guy on him, he shoots it. He has a big guy on him, he shoots it. But he will sit there post up, too a little for a big guy, but he’s smart enough to know, well yeah I have a little guy on me. If I try to bang first he’s going to flop, that’s an offensive foul. Well I can just shoot right over him. So I can’t say he plays the game wrong or right. He plays the game how he sees it in the moment.”

Mumbai, India (AP) — Sikandar Raza called correctly at the coin toss as Zimbabwe opted to bowl against the West Indies in their Group 1 Super 8 clash at cricket's Twenty20 World Cup.

South Africa and India are the other two sides in Group 1 — the Proteas beat the defending champions by 76 runs in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

It is a chance for both sides competing today to put additional pressure on the co-hosts.

Zimbabwe had topped Group B in the league stage — it showed stunning T20 form in beating Australia and Sri Lanka in the first round.

It is Zimbabwe’s first qualification to the T20 World Cup’s second round. Meanwhile, West Indies had topped Group C.

Both sides have made one change — for Zimbabwe, left-arm medium pacer Richard Ngarava comes in for spinner Wellington Masakadza.

West Indies brought in medium-pace allrounder Romario Shephered in place of Roston Chase.

The pitch at the iconic Wankhede Stadium should aid batters in general. However, it has slowed down in the second innings over the course of the tournament, so the side chasing could face difficulty unless there is ample evening dew.

___

Lineups:

Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (captain), Tashinga Musekiwa, Tony Munyonga, Dion Myers, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani

West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (captain), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

___

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

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The San Antonio Spurs hit the road tonight to face Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. 

Detroit is riding a five-game winning streak, and my Spurs vs. Pistons predictions are eyeing them to keep it rolling this evening at home. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Monday, February 23. 

Spurs vs Pistons prediction

Spurs vs Pistons best bet: Pistons moneyline (-120)

The Detroit Pistons are the best team in the Eastern Conference at 42-13, sitting 5.5 games clear of the Boston Celtics. Detroit is searching for its sixth straight victory and has compiled a 21-6 record at home. 

While the San Antonio Spurs are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak, the Pistons have won back-to-back meetings against them. San Antonio hasn’t been as great on the road either, going 18-10.  

JB Bickerstaff’s squad has also won four of its last five contests at Little Caesars Arena. Detroit will bring Victor Wembanyama & Co. back down to earth tonight.

Spurs vs Pistons same-game parlay

Duncan Robinson scored 17 points in Saturday’s win over the Bulls and he’s cashed the Over in three of his last four. The sharpshooter is averaging 13.2 points per game at home as well. 

Cade Cunningham is one of the best passers in the league, ranking second in assists with an average of 9.8. Since the All-Star break, he’s cashed the Over in both games, dishing out 13 dimes in each. 

Spurs vs Pistons SGP

• Pistons moneyline
• Duncan Robinson Over 10.5 points
• Cade Cunningham Over 5.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Harris handles the perimeter

Tobias Harris was just 2-for-5 from deep on Saturday, and he’s cashed the Over in triples in back-to-back games at home. 

Spurs vs Pistons SGP

• Pistons moneyline
• Duncan Robinson Over 10.5 points
• Cade Cunningham Over 5.5 assists
• Tobias Harris Over 1.5 made threes

Spurs vs Pistons odds

• Spread: Spurs +1.5 (-110) | Pistons -1.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Spurs +100 | Pistons -120
• Over/Under: Over 230.5 (-110) | Under 230.5 (-110)

Spurs vs Pistons betting trend to know

The Detroit Pistons have hit the 1H Moneyline in 36 of their last 45 games (+19.20 Units / 19% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Pistons.

How to watch Spurs vs Pistons

Spurs vs Pistons latest injuries

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