Category: NBA

DETROIT — An eight-game winning streak didn’t just end Friday night. It was run out of the gym.

The Pistons reiterated their position atop the East with a 118-80 curb stomp of the short-handed Knicks, who were a disaster on offense while losing for the first time since Jan. 19.

Jalen Brunson lowlighted the evening while shooting just 4-for-20 with 12 points, appearing exhausted after carrying the Knicks in a double-overtime thriller two nights earlier.

Brunson was locked down by Ausar Thompson and sat the entire fourth quarter alongside his fellow starters, with coach Mike Brown waving the white flag earlier than ever.

“They kicked our behind, starting with me,” Brown said. “We all got our behind kicked. The Pistons are a good defensive team.”

Overall, the Knicks shot just 35.8 percent — including 24.2 percent on 3s — with James Dolan making the trip to Detroit and watching the ugliness before leaving his courtside seat for the fourth quarter.

It was the fewest points scored by the Knicks this season, by far. Their previous low was 90 points — also in Detroit.

“Obviously, I missed a lot of shots,” Brunson said. “We missed shots as a team, as well.”

The Pistons (38-13), who are now 5 ½ games ahead of the Knicks (33-19) for first in the East, were faster, stronger and more motivated — just like their last matchup about a month ago.

They clearly wanted to send another message after getting eliminated by New York in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

Message received.

Detroit didn’t even need a big night from star Cade Cunningham (11 points, 22 minutes) to dominate.

Brunson wouldn’t use the excuse of facing the exhaustion of carrying an eight-game winning streak and playing not long after Wednesday’s win over the Nuggets.

“It’s not an excuse for what happened today. [The Pistons] played last night. We had a day off. Obviously. we traveled. But there’s no excuse what happens prior to the game,” Brunson said. “You got to come here, you got to be professional, you got to do your job. But we just didn’t do our job well enough tonight.”

The Knicks, meanwhile, carried the posture of punting this game. Jose Alvarado, the new acquisition, didn’t join the team in Detroit. He’ll likely meet the Knicks in Boston for Sunday’s game.

Karl-Anthony Towns sat because of an eye laceration. OG Anunoby was a late scratch because of toe soreness. Josh Hart started but limped off the court in the third quarter and never returned.

---

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

---

The Knicks said it was a right ankle injury, with no further update.

So the Knicks started rookie Mohamed Diawara and Mitchell Robinson and their offense fell off a cliff. Of course, the Pistons — a team that applies physicality and athleticism at levels above the Knicks — had a lot to do with the struggles.

In two games against the Pistons, the Knicks have averaged 85 points, with their total margin of defeat at 69.

It’s a potentially ominous sign considering the Knicks and Pistons could meet in the playoffs, whether in the second round or conference finals. But Brown doesn’t view it that way.

“I don’t look at regular-season games as a barometer because, come playoffs, it’s a different basketball game,” he said. “Especially when you talk about a seven-game series. I’ve been with different teams that went to the finals or played deep in the playoffs that lost the season series to teams and still won in the playoffs.

“I look at it as it’s our next game. It’s very important. These guys handed our lunch to us last time. And so, we need to come fighting. Those are things I’m looking for tonight.

“I don’t look at it like if we win, hey, we’re going to get them come playoff time. Or if they win, they’re going to get us come playoff time.”

The Knicks can fall back on history if we ever get to another playoff series against the Pistons. They were swept in the regular season by the Celtics last year but toppled them in the second round.

So there’s indeed hope no matter what happens in the regular season. But there’s no question the Knicks have looked utterly overmatched by Detroit in two ugly games.

On Friday, they managed just 17 points in the first quarter and 42 after the second. They trailed by 21 at the break, which ended, appropriately, with Brunson getting rejected at the buzzer by Paul Reed.

For the Knicks, it was awful to that point and didn’t get better.

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (AP) — A former New York Jets first-round draft pick was arrested in Tennessee and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend.

Darron Lee was identified Thursday as the suspect and taken into custody at the scene, according to the Hamilton County sheriff’s office.

The victim's identity was not released.

The 31-year-old Lee played 58 games with the Jets, Kansas City and Buffalo from 2016 through the 2020 seasons. The former Ohio State linebacker was the 20th overall pick in 2016 by the Jets. He was the defensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl.

Lee was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Additional charges could be pending following the outcome of the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

Upon arrival, first responders located a female victim and attempted life-saving measures.

“Due to the condition of the victim and the residence, HCSO Criminal Investigative Services Detectives responded. Preliminary findings indicate the victim’s death was the result of a homicide,” the Hamilton County sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Lee has a Feb. 11 court date.

He was previously arrested for assault and domestic violence in 2023.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The second of two straight matchups with the San Antonio Spurs (35-16) on Saturday will be the unveiling of the new-look Dallas Mavericks (19-32), for as long as this looks lasts, anyway.

Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg had matching 32-point, six-rebound nights in Thursday’s 135-123 loss to the Spurs at American Airlines Center, and now the venue changes to the Frost Bank Center, where tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CDT.

The Mavericks slowed Victor Wembanyama down in the second half of Thursday’s loss, after he scored 20 points in the first half on his way to a team-high 29. Seven Spurs scored in double figures in Thursday’s game. San Antonio is second in the West and features one of the most potent defenses in the NBA, but the Mavericks were still able to force them into a close game at home, shooting better than 48% from the field and 38% from 2-point range in the loss.

Here are three storylines to watch for as the two-game home-and-home series shifts to San Antonio.

Gafford turns a corner

Daniel Gafford has quietly turned a corner in his last three games, posting double-doubles in each of the Mavericks’ last three losses. He had 16 points and 11 boards in Saturday’s 111-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, 10 and 12 in Tuesday’s 110-100 loss to the Boston Celtics and 16 and 10 on Thursday against the Spurs. He averaged just over seven points per game in January and just six in December, so its a promising stretch as Gafford tried to find his stride amid a tough 2025-26 season thus far.

Gafford was a candidate for trade before Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline, when Dallas was reportedly offered four second-round draft picks by the Atlanta Hawks, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The Mavs didn’t budge from their demand for a first-round pick in exchange for Gafford, and now he’s here to stay at least through the end of this season.

His new three-year contract kicks in next season, but his $17-million-per-year price tag is not prohibitive if the Mavericks still see Gafford as a fit for this team going forward. The last 30 games of this season will go a long way to figuring that out, and his recent stretch of positive impact

The new guys

Three of the four new Mavericks acquired in trade deadline deals are listed as probable to play against the Spurs the second time around. Tyus Jones, AJ Johnson and Marvin Bagley III could all make their first appearances in Mavericks uniforms at San Antonio on Saturday, while Khris Middleton, who was rumored to be a buyout candidate after the trade was first reported, is listed as doubtful.

Flagg, Marshall and Max Christie all played 38 minutes or more in Thursday’s loss as the Mavericks played with just 10 available on the roster. None of the new guys are likely to be a long-term solution for the Mavericks, but who knows, one or two may surprise us in the last 30 games of the year.

The Mavericks expressed interest in Jones in the off-season before settling for D’Angelo Russell when Jones got a better offer from the Orlando Magic. It will be interesting to see if he’s at least able to make a bigger impact on the roster than Russell did in his short tenure with the team.

Ride or die

The Flagg-Marshall one-two punch has been at least refreshing and at times sensational in recent games. Marshall went from trade candidate as the deadline approached to indispensable in the first game after the deadline. He has scored 30 or more points in a game five times in his six-year NBA career, all with the Mavericks. Two of those five have come in the last two weeks as Marshall has cemented himself into a core position riding shotgun with Flagg.

Marshall has spoken about Flagg’s recent scoring surge “inspiring” him to pick his game up. Co-GM Matt Riccardi told the media ahead of Thursday’s game that Marshall’s is a “perfect” fit alongside Flagg as the rookie takes his place at center stage for the Mavericks for the foreseeable future.

Whether any of this translates into a win at one of the NBA’s best teams on Saturday seems immaterial at this point. The vibes are at a high for 2025-26 with Marshall as Flagg’s wingman, even as Dallas seeks to break its current six-game losing streak.

How to watch

The Mavericks and the Spurs tip off at 5 p.m. CDT on Saturday from San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ viewing area. It will also be streamed on Prime Video.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may have to wait a little longer for James Harden’s debut with the team. Harden was initially expected to play on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings. According to the latest injury report, he may have to wait.

Harden is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game with the reason being “trade pending.” This designation isn’t uncommon for those who were recently traded. Currently, 18 players are on the league’s injury report with the designation of “trade pending.”

If Harden can’t go on Saturday, he would have to wait until Monday when the Cavs conclude their Western Conference road trip against the Denver Nuggets.

Reports that the Cavs traded for Harden came through on Tuesday. The official trade announcement from the team came the following day.

Harden hasn’t played since Jan. 30. He missed his last two games with the Los Angeles Clippers for personal reasons — which was due to the impending trade — and he wasn’t available for Cleveland’s first game since the trade was announced on Wednesday.

On the season, Harden is averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game on .419/.347/.901 shooting splits.

Harden isn’t the only Cavalier who may be missing Friday’s game. Dean Wade has also been added to the injury report with a left ankle sprain. He is listed as questionable for the game.

Wade is averaging 5.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on .417/.340/.750 shooting this season.

The Cavaliers will also be without the services of Evan Mobley (calf), Max Strus (foot), and Emanuel Miller (G League).

Update: Harden has been upgraded to available for Saturday’s game. Wade has been downgraded to doubtful.

The Lakers homestand continues on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Golden State Warriors. Los Angeles looks to tie the season series against their Pacific Division foe.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

When: 5:30 p.m. PT, Feb. 7

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: ABC

---

The Lakers’ recent victory over the Philadelphia 76ers was a quality win. Not only did they beat a team with an above .500 record, but they also had a good day in the Western Conference standings. The teams above and below them in the standings — specifically the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns — both lost, making the win over Philadelphia even more impactful.

Unfortunately, though, LA lost Luka Dončić to a leg injury in the same game. It is reportedly not considered a major injury. However, Dončić has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Warriors, similar to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, who both are nursing their own injuries as well.

So that means that the second game between the Lakers and Warriors this season will once again feature an incomplete cast just like the season opener.

That said, the purple and gold will still have LeBron James — who missed the season debut against the Warriors — as well as Austin Reaves, who will take charge of the offense with Dončić out.

What the Lakers looked like in the second half against the Sixers will pretty much be how they will be in the midst of Dončić’s absence. LA is still a tough team to beat, especially when Reaves is playing like an All-Star and with James doing the same. On top of that, they’ve also had the 11th-best defense in the NBA over the last 10 games, and it’d be nice if they can keep that up.

The Warriors team that the Lakers will see on Saturday may be without two of their best players, but they’re still a very scrappy unit. They outplayed the Suns in the clutch in their last game, completing a comeback victory. Expect them to play their brand of basketball, which involves the usual motion offense, lots of 3-point attempts (they lead the league in that) and a pesky defense.

This game could also be Luke Kennard’s first one as a Laker. He is currently listed as questionable, as the trade is still pending. His 3-point shooting would give the purple and gold an additional boost.

Despite some star power missing, expect this Lakers-Warriors matchup to still have some extra intensity. Let’s see if LA can use their home crowd to ignite them to a win on Saturday.

Notes and Updates

• For the Lakers’ injury report, Luka Kennard (trade pending) is currently listed as questionable.
• Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are out.
• As for the Warriors, Stephen Curry (right patellofemoral pain syndrome), Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation), Li Cryer (left hamstring injury) and Jimmy Butler (right ACL tear) are out.
• Brandon Podziemski (illness) is probable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

Diagnosed with what is being called as “patellofemoral pain syndrome,” or commonly known as runner’s knee, Steph Curry will miss the Golden State Warriors’ Saturday’s marquee matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Also absent will be Luka Dončić, who is nursing a hamstring injury.

No Steph tomorrow vs. Lakers. He’s still rehabbing the knee.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 6, 2026

Curry told ESPN’s Anthony Slater that his recovery is progressing.

“It’s trending in the right direction,” Curry said. “It’s different than last year, but something that will heal.”

While the Warriors have continued to list Curry as day-to-day, there is no indication that Curry is trending toward a return any time soon.

“It’s a matter of learning as I go what works rehab-wise,” Curry said. “Because it’s still painful. You have to try to get rid of all the inflammation and pain. It’s something we still have to monitor and injury-manage, but it’s something where, if I come back too early, it could flare up.”

Curry is set to miss his 14th game of the season, which would put him close to missing the 65-game threshold that is a requirement for inclusion in an All-NBA Team. Should Curry end up ineligible, it would be the first time since the injury-shortened 2019-20 season that he will not be part of an All-NBA Team, and only the fifth time in his career that he will not be included.

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Olivia Hutcherson had 19 points, seven rebounds and five steals, Skye Belker had 16 points and four 3-pointers, and No. 23 Princeton beat Pennsylvania 69-50 on Friday night for its 16th straight victory in the series.

The Tigers have never lost to Penn in the Carla Berube era (14-0).

Princeton trailed 30-28 at halftime before scoring 24 points in the third quarter to take a nine-point lead. The Tigers started the fourth on an 11-3 run to make it 63-46.

Madison St. Rose added 15 points and six assists for Princeton (19-2, 7-1 Ivy League), which improved to 9-1 at home this season. The Tigers have won 17 of their last 18 games.

Mataya Gayle and Simone Sawyer each scored 16 points for Penn (13-8, 3-5). Tina Njike grabbed 10 rebounds to go with nine points.

The Quakers ended the first half on a 13-2 run to take the lead. Hutcherson made a free throw with 7:40 left in the third to give Princeton the lead for good at 35-34.

Up next

Penn: Has a week off before playing at Cornell on Feb. 13.

Princeton: Plays at Columbia on Feb. 13.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Luka Doncic and the Lakers appeared to have dodged a worst-case scenario after the star guard had an early exit from Thursday night’s home win over the 76ers. 

Doncic was ruled out for Saturday’s prime-time game against the Warriors. On Friday, coach JJ Redick said Doncic would have an MRI after dealing with soreness in his left hamstring. 

This can be taken as a positive sign because the team typically announces updates when a player is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks due to injury.

ESPN also reported Friday that there’s optimism Doncic isn’t dealing with a “major” left hamstring injury.

That’s good news for the Lakers and Doncic, especially after he kicked the scorer’s table out of frustration on his way to the locker room as he was leaving Thursday’s game. 

But even though Doncic avoided a major injury, there’s still uncertainty about his status.

Day to day? 

A week?

Longer, with All-Star weekend just a week away and the Lakers’ first game after the break not until Feb. 20?

Clarity to those questions likely won’t come until Redick’s pregame media availability Saturday afternoon, though it appears a potential Doncic absence would be short term. 

The Lakers have shown multiple times they’re equipped to at least tread water when they’re without one of their star players.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Austin Reaves, just two games back from a 19-game absence due to a strained left calf, once again showed Thursday how vital he is to the Lakers – even with Doncic and LeBron James on the roster.

Reaves scored his 35 points in the final three quarters against the 76ers, including 21 in the second half, leading the Lakers to a 14-point comeback victory during a half without Doncic. 

And he did it in a variety of ways.

Drives to the basket past 76ers athletic defenders. Catch-and-shoot and pull-up 3-pointers regardless of how tightly he was defended. And while Reaves came off the bench and played on a minutes restriction against the 76ers, how he played showed he’s getting his rhythm back after being sidelined for so long. 

But it isn’t just Reaves’ return, and return to form, that the Lakers would benefit from if Doncic has to miss multiple games. 

James is not only available but also is in a better rhythm compared with the last time Doncic missed multiple games in a row – when Doncic traveled to Slovenia in early December for the birth of his second daughter. James only had a few games under his belt after sitting out of the first 14 games because of sciatica. 

James has not only found his groove now but lineups that also feature him without Reaves and Doncic have thrived, mainly because of the toughness and tenacity those groups play with – which was on display Thursday.

The Lakers have gone 4-4 in the eight games Doncic has missed so far this season – a significant dip from the 27-15 record they have in the games he’s played. 

Luke Kennard is questionable to make his Lakers debut Saturday, with the official designation being “trade pending.” The Warriors will be without star guard Steph Curry.

What had been considered Egor Dëmin’s biggest weakness heading into the last NBA draft has turned around with the Nets.

It was showcased again when the rookie recorded a career-high 26 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the 3-point line, in the Nets’ 118-98 road loss to the Magic on Thursday night.

After posting the fifth-worst 3-point shooting percentage at BYU in 2024-25 — 27.3 percent off of 4.7 attempts per game — scouts and league analysts questioned how high Dëmin’s ceiling would be without an effective long-range shot.

The eighth overall pick has taken those concerns to heart this season, developing an outside shot that he now shoots at a 40.2 percent clip on an average of 6.4 attempts.

At the postgame press conference, Dëmin credited the help of his personal coach, Zach Gonzales.

“We’ve done an incredible amount of time working on that in the gym in Los Angeles in the predraft, and then during the preseason that I’ve been here,” he said after the loss. “He’s definitely one of the biggest reasons why my shooting is so much better right now. … I’ve just been shooting a lot. That’s kind of the key. To be able to run faster, you gotta run. To be able to shoot better, you just gotta shoot a lot at the game speed and learn those habits.”

Though the Nets have dropped 10 of their last 11 games, Dëmin has seen an uptick, shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the arc on seven attempts per game across the last 10 contests.

It has consistently improved over time.

He held his highest 3-point shooting percentage in January (47.2) and shot as low as 32.9 percent in November.

The most 3-point attempts the Moscow native has taken this season is 14, including during a loss against the Warriors when he shot 7-for-14 on Dec. 29.

“Thanks to my teammates for finding me. I think most of them were catch and shoots, if not all of them,” Dëmin said of his performance. “So, for me, it’s a goal to find this window where I make my teammates’ lives easier for them to find me. Their unselfishness is obviously huge for me. They’re willing to share this ball and trust me with my shots.”

Head coach Jordi Fernández even thought Dëmin should have made more Thursday.

“We all know he is a threat from the 3-point line. Every time he shoots, I think it’s going in,” Fernández said. “He was 6-for-10 but I felt like he could have been 10-for-10. Very good right there. We needed that from him because I think Nolan [Traore] shot it well too, but after those two, the rest of the team made three 3s. So, we gotta be shooting with confidence. … We gotta find that rhythm as a group. I think it will come sooner than later.”

---

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND NETS STATS

---

His efforts Thursday also came along with other positive takeaways for him and his fellow rookies.

Dëmin’s career-high night, along with Traore’s career-high-tying 21 points, marked the first Nets rookie duo to each score 20-plus points in a game since Albert King and Buck Williams on April 17, 1982.

Additionally, the five Nets rookies took the court together for the first time, winning the six minutes in the fourth quarter, 19-13.

“Every minute matters and they won their minutes together,” Fernández said. “Their last seven minutes, they won those minutes, and I’m proud of them for doing that. That’s what I expect from them every time they play.”

While the Nets go through another rebuild, it’s vital for them to build on the early development of their rookies, especially Dëmin, who has been the most promising, before they hope to add a college star as they sit fourth in the lottery race.

Luka Doncic was diagnosed with a strained left hamstring and listed as out for the Lakers' game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers have not indicated a timetable for Doncic's return.

Doncic was injured late in the second quarter of the Lakers’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. He threw a pass to Maxi Kleber that was a turnover, turned to run back on defense and immediately grabbed his left hamstring.

Doncic went up and down the court a couple of times but was unable to play any longer. The Lakers called a timeout, and Doncic headed to the locker room and did not return.

After the game, Doncic was limping down the hallway. Coach JJ Redick said Doncic would undergo an MRI exam Friday.

Doncic leads the NBA in scoring (33.4) and is second in assists (8.7). He's missed eight of the Lakers' 42 games because of injuries and the birth of his daughter, and they're 4-4 without him.

“We need him,” guard Austin Reaves said after the game. “He’s our best player and the engine of a lot of the stuff that we do. Yeah, so, hopefully we get good news.”

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Golden State Warriors’ furious rally against the Phoenix Suns last night ended in an improbably 101-97 win, in a game the Suns were favored by oddsmakers. Without Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, the Warriors banked on defense to eke out the win.

Talking to reporters after the game, head coach Steve Kerr made sure to emphasize the morale-boosting nature of the win amidst a season wracked with controversy, tragedy, and mediocrity.

“Felt like we won the championship,” Kerr said. “Just the emotion of everything over the last two days. Losing three of our guys who were beloved in the locker room. Jimmy’s season-ending injury, Steph being out. Everything has just been tough this last week or ten days, whatever it is since Jimmy’s been out. It felt like a great team win where everybody just fought and competed and stayed with it. Beautiful thing to watch.”

Steve Kerr after exiting a loud road locker room celebration: “Felt like we won the championship.” pic.twitter.com/BOeRLiB0Qw

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 6, 2026

With the Jonathan Kuminga saga finally over, the Golden State Warriors can finally move on.

Kuminga, the Warriors’ lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, struggled to find consistency and was given little leeway to work through his mistakes and shortcomings. In several ways, Kuminga was a victim of the misalignment between the front office/ownership, who wanted to develop while competing for titles, and the coaching staff, who was focused purely on doing whatever they could to give them the best chance at winning.

With Kuminga’s trade to the Atlanta Hawks that sent him and Buddy Hield eastward (in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis), a fresh start and opportunity for him to become the player he wants to be is at hand. However, per sources that told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson, Kuminga and his camp were reportedly “shocked” that he ultimately ended up in Atlanta.

As for the Jonathan Kuminga side of last night's trade, sources say he was "shocked" to be sent to the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks aren't a team that his camp kept contact with and Atlanta was an "out of left field" destination

Fresh start feels good for both sides

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) February 5, 2026

But beggars can’t be choosers. Kuminga publicly requested a trade; the Warriors, pivoting from their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, chose to send him and Hield to Atlanta for Porzingis, who presents as a health/availability risk but would be a massive boon to their chances to make noise in the postseason.

By all reports, Kuminga left the Warriors on good terms with his now-former teammates. Draymond Green, after their win against the Phoenix Suns last night, made sure to speak highly of Kuminga and wish him luck in his new environment.

Green on what he hopes Jonathan Kuminga takes to Atlanta from his tenure with the Warriors: pic.twitter.com/l05pvznLwb

— Sam Gordon (@BySamGordon) February 6, 2026

BOSTON — Amid all the chao of Thursday’s NBA midseason tradeline deadline, the Celtics traded for two-way player John Tonje.

Tonje, who was drafted by the Utah Jazz 53rd overall in June, was in the middle of standout season with the Salt Lake City stars when he learned he was traded. He ultimately landed in Boston as part of the trade that sent Chris Boucher to the Jazz.

For Tonje, the Celtics mark a new opportunity, but also a reunion of sorts.

The 24-year-old doesn’t know a ton of people in Boston, but he does know one: Celtics guard Baylor Scheierman.

Tonje and Scheierman were AAU teammates in high school, years ago at the Omaha Sports Academy. That club no longer exists, but its legacy lives on: for the first time, the Celtics have two players from Nebraska.

When Scheierman found out that Tonje was coming to Boston, he immediately texted him to congratulate. The two reunited on Friday morning at the Auerbach Center, as Tonje got his first time of the new organization.

“We kept in touch a little bit throughout college — not like a whole lot,” Scheierman said. “But, so it’s cool to have someone from Nebraska, for sure.”

Plenty of people from Omaha were excited to see Tonje and Scheierman reunite.

“I had a bunch of people from back home blowing up my phone,” Scheierman said. “All my old AAU teammates. It’s cool that he’s that he’s here with us. He’s a talented player.”

Tonje appeared in 32 games for the Salt Lake City Stars this season, averaging 18 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. That came on the heels of a big-time NCAA Tournament run with Wisconsin Badgers, in which he averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Before Wisconsin, he spent four seasons at Colorado State, and one year in Missouri.

But, before all of that, Tonje was another very talented Nebraskan basketball player, just like Scheierman.

“He can score in a variety of ways,” he said. “He’s a good defender. I think those are the two biggest things that stood out to me back in those days. I was completely different player and build back in those days, but I think those are the two things that stuck out the most, was just his physical maturity, it was just the ability to score.”

Tonje’s locker room at TD Garden sits across the way from Scheierman’s, and two will undoubtedly have plenty of time to catch up in the coming months.

But, for now, Scheierman has gotten a kick out of a pretty unlikely reunion that emerged amid the chaos of a busy trade deadline.

“It’s a cool thing,” Scheierman said. “Just for Nebraska to have two Nebraskans on the same team.”

A professional athlete is now a partial owner of prediction market platform Kalshi, and it’s a big one. 

Key Takeaways

• NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo said on X that “it was time to make some (opinions) of my own.”
  
  
• Kalshi had a trade market up on Giannis earlier this week and was offering a spread on his team’s Friday night game. 
  
  
• The NBA asked for the regulation of prediction markets that offer contracts on games in May 2025.

In an unprecedented move, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo announced Friday on the social media site X that he’s a shareholder of a trading exchange that offers sports event contracts. 

“The internet is full of opinions,” the Milwaukee Bucks star wrote. “I decided it was time to make some of my own. Today, I’m joining Kalshi as a shareholder.

“We all on Kalshi now.”

We all on @Kalshi now pic.twitter.com/cCNGxfLWO8

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 6, 2026

The nine-time All-Star and 2021 NBA champion will partner with Kalshi at live events and in marketing.

As an NBA player, he's forbidden from trading on NBA markets, Kalshi announced, citing its insider trading policy.

“Giannis is a legend,” said Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said in a statement. “He’s exactly the type of long-term partner we want to align our growing brand with, and we couldn’t be happier he’s on board.”

Giannis’ team was listed as a 1.5-point underdog on Kalshi against Indiana in a game that had received more than $90,000 in trading volume on the same day of the announcement. Kalshi even has a page involving Giannis, with contracts on nine active markets.

Earlier this week, Kalshi had a market posted on whether The Greek Freak would be traded before the NBA’s deadline and to which team. He ultimately remained with the Bucks. 

Gray area

According to the NBA’s 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, players can have passive investments under 1% in sports betting companies, but they are not allowed to own, operate, or manage sportsbooks. Kalshi falls into a unique category. 

Kalshi is federally regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), allowing it to offer outcome contracts on sports in all 50 states. However, the trading exchange has run into several legal roadblocks in states with legal, regulated sports betting. Massachusetts recently won a court decision to keep Kalshi from operating there, but a temporary restraining order has yet to be implemented. 

Nevada is also trying to keep prediction markets out of its jurisdiction and is in a lengthy court battle with Kalshi, which argues that it can’t be regulated by states and it offers contracts, not wagers. 

NBA request 

The league has not yet issued a statement on Giannis’ agreement with Kalshi. In May 2025, however, the NBA asked the CFTC to provide a regulatory framework for single-event games after Kalshi started offering moneylines and spreads on the league’s contests. 

“If the CFTC does ultimately decide to permit the continued offering of sports event contracts, we encourage it to close this gap and to adopt a comprehensive regulatory and oversight framework analogous to those governing state sports betting markets, and to impose meaningful limitations on the continued expansion, via self-certification, of these markets into ever more exotic and narrow event propositions,” the NBA wrote in a letter to the federal agency. 

The league has experienced multiple betting scandals over the last number of years. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is facing federal illegal gambling charges after he was arrested in October for allegedly taking part in a 2023 scheme. 

Ex-Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA after he manipulated playing time to help a group of bettors win player prop bets in 2024. Porter is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Maxi Kleber is far down the list of impactful players on the Lakers roster. He is often only playing during garbage time and doing little during those minutes to make a compelling case for extended play.

However, against the Sixers, Kleber had his best performance as a Laker.

With Jaxson Hayes suspended for one game, Kleber had to step up in his place and he delivered.

His 4 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists don’t tell the full story of how well he played in this game. From grabbing offensive rebounds to defending multiple positions, Kleber was doing everything that impacts winning. It’s why, during his 26 minutes of play, he had a plus-minus of +23, the best on the team.

After the win, Marcus Smart discussed why Kleber is a guy that everyone loves.

“The ultimate professional,” Smart said. “I mean, there’s a reason why Maxi is still in this league, still going, and it’s the reason why he’s on this team with us and it’s the reason why we celebrate him the way we do because he comes in every day, no matter what, and he gives that.

“Whether it’s in practice, whether it’s in the game, whether he plays two minutes, whether he plays 20. We enjoy watching him actually do that because we know how hard he works and we know what he’s going to give every night. That’s nothing of a surprise for us. We’re just excited to see him out there getting a chance to do it.”

As a defensive role player, Smart is well aware of what it takes to embrace a position on a team. For Kleber, his role is smaller than Smart’s, but just as important to the team’s fabric. He’s a leader and an example for the younger players to look up to on how to carry themselves in the NBA.

“Maxi, it doesn’t matter if he’s played and had a big impact and then is a DNP the next game…his spirit, his approach, his being a teammate and rooting for other people, it never changes,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “For all our guys, he’s an easy guy to root for.”

Against Philly, Kleber ended the game with one of his best moments of the night.

With the Lakers leading by eight points with under a minute to go, LA needed one more score to put the game to bed.

LeBron James put the exclamation point on the win with an emphatic dunk, but Kleber is the one who set it up. As James drove inside, Kleber set a Gortat screen on Joel Embiid, stopping the Sixers big man from contesting LeBron’s drive.

While James drove to the rim, Kleber put his hands up to indicate to the refs that he was not fouling Embiid. When LeBron completed the play, Kleber kept his arms up and pumped them in the air in celebration.

Kleber won’t often play 20-plus minutes, but he stays ready to contribute. And thanks to Kleber’s level of preparedness, the Lakers turned a double-digit deficit into a feel-good win.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.