Cleveland Cavaliers (37-23, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (43-14, first in the Eastern Conference)
Detroit; Friday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons host Jarrett Allen and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Eastern Conference action.
The Pistons are 28-7 in Eastern Conference games. Detroit is 8-4 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Cavaliers have gone 23-14 against Eastern Conference opponents. Cleveland ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference shooting 35.8% from 3-point range.
The Pistons are shooting 47.9% from the field this season, 1.8 percentage points higher than the 46.1% the Cavaliers allow to opponents. The Cavaliers average 14.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Pistons give up.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Pistons won 114-110 in the last matchup on Jan. 4.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cunningham is averaging 25.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 3.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Allen is averaging 15.1 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Sam Merrill is averaging 12.3 points over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 8-2, averaging 119.1 points, 46.6 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 10.6 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.4 points per game.
Cavaliers: 8-2, averaging 121.1 points, 43.8 rebounds, 28.6 assists, 10.0 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.8 points.
INJURIES: Pistons: None listed.
Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell: day to day (groin), Max Strus: out (foot), Evan Mobley: day to day (injury maintenance), James Harden: day to day (thumb).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Oregon (11-17, 4-13 Big Ten) has won back-to-back games and three of four following a 10-game skid.
Kwame Evans Jr. had 16 points and a season-high tying four blocks and Wei Lin added 13 points for the Ducks.
Sean Stewart threw down two dunks in an 11-2 run that gave Oregon an 11-point lead with 6:24 left. Nick Boyd made jumper in the lane and John Blackwell followed with a 3 before Simpkins and Braeden Carrington traded 3-pointers to make 65-59 with 4:48 to go but the Badgers got no closer.
Blackwell led Wisconsin (19-9, 11-6) with 22 points and Boyd finished with 11 points and seven assists.
Wisconsin set the program's single-game record with 45 3-point attempts. The previous mark of 40 was set twice: against Providence on Nov. 27, and against Temple in 2001.
Lin scored nine points in a 13-2 run that gave Oregon its first lead of the game at 25-23 with 5:39 left in the first half.
Winter and Boyd each hit a 3-pointer before Rapp converted a three-point play in a 9-3 spurt that gave Wisconsin a 19-10 lead almost seven minutes into the game.
The Ducks shot 71% (17 of 24) in the second half and made 28 of 54 (52%) overall.
The Badgers committed 12 turnovers, nine in the second half, which Oregon converted into 24 points.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Cole Perfetti scored off a rebound at 1:37 of overtime to give the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.
Kyle Connor, returning to the Jets after helping the United States win the Olympics on Sunday, and Gabriel Vilardi also scored, Mark Scheifele had two assists.
Eric Comrie stopped 21 shots. Connor Hellebucyk, who backstopped the United States to the Olympic gold medal, is scheduled to join the team in Anaheim on Friday.
Drew O’Connor and Evander Kane scored for Vancouver, and Nikita Tolopilo made 25 saves.
Vancouver took a 2-1 lead just 38 seconds into the second period when Elias Pettersson won a draw in the Jets' end and Kane blasted a one-timer past Comrie.
Vilardi tied the it with less than two minutes left in second. Parked in the crease, he banged home a pass from Scheifele.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 25: Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors and Will Richard #3 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on February 25, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors put on quite a show on Wednesday night. Despite playing without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III, De’Anthony Melton, and Kristaps Porziņģis, and despite being on the road on the back end of a back-to-back, they crushed the (admittedly tanking) Memphis Grizzlies 133-112. It was a dominant performance, and the most balanced attack of the entire season.
There were just nine players available, and all nine played huge roles. So let’s grade those nine. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note:True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Wednesday’s games, league-average TS was 57.9%.
Moody didn’t particularly stand out in this game, but he played quite well. His defense was solid, and he kept the ball moving. I’d still love to see him be more aggressive attacking the glass and getting out in transition, but I’m not here to argue with strong defense and elite efficiency.
Like I just said above: I’m not here to argue with strong defense and elite efficiency! And Santos took that even a step further, scoring 17 points while only missing one shot — from the field or the charity stripe — all night long. His defense was so active, as he was disrupting passes on the perimeter, cutters in the lane, and shots in the paint. It really feels like we can see everything clicking into place for Gui … he’s turning into a high-quality role player.
Horford is already the elder statesman of the team, but that’s especially true when Curry, Green, and Butler are out. It’s incredible how much he just calms the team down on offense and on defense, and how much more in control the Dubs are when he’s on the court. He didn’t have the most efficient scoring night, but his defense and rebounding were superb.
Want a shining example of a player capable of impacting a game in many ways? Richard didn’t attempt a single shot on Tuesday; and on Wednesday, he led the team in scoring.
It was a masterclass in playing the right way. It felt like every bucket Richard scored came from either a perfectly-time cut, or beating nine other players down the court for a transition bucket. In fact, let’s just go through all his made shots, in order:
A corner three off a pass from Brandin Podziemski, where he slid into the passing lane
A corner three off a pass from Santos, where he slid into the passing lane
A layup where he dove from the top of the arc down the paint, catching a pass from Podziemski
An and-one layup where he cut from the corner, catching a pass from Malevy Leons
A step-back jumper
An uncontested transition dunk after he knocked the ball away on defense and then sprinted down the court
A transition layup after he stole the ball and beat everyone down the court
An uncontested transition layup after he — starting in the corner of the court on defense — beat everyone down the court
An uncontested transition dunk after the Warriors forced a turnover and he beat everyone down the court
If you feel off-balance, don’t worry. That’s just the earth shifting under the gravitational pull of Steve Kerr smiling the largest smile in human history. Just an impeccable game by Richard.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.
Podziemski was on triple-double watch for much of the night, and while he didn’t match his absurd 15-rebound total from the last two games, he now has 38 boards over his last three contests. That’s impressive for any player, but downright absurd for one as short as Podz is. He did an awesome job running the offense, both as a scorer and as a facilitator. He’s really stepping up to the plate lately, and taking his game to a new level after an up-and-down few months.
Plus, it was his birthday! Happy birthday to the youngest Warrior!
Grade: A Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t really see that game coming from GPII, but he was tremendous. He was a menace on the perimeter, making life miserable for an Grizzlies player who dared handle the ball. And he had a great game on offense as well … like Richard, he did an excellent job cutting and beating everyone down the court.
Obviously we could live without the turnovers, but otherwise a nearly flawless game.
Grade: A Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
Spencer was absolutely masterful running the offense in this game. He was aggressive, but composed, and set up his teammates time and time again. The Warriors had 37 assists on 49 made buckets, and Spencer was the biggest reason why. But while he collected his fair share of dimes, the biggest thing was simply the way he kept the ball moving. Sometimes he put his teammates in position to score, but oftentimes he just put them in position to make the right pass, or to drive, or to get out in transition.
He struggled with fouls and didn’t score efficiently, but he just ran the offense so well.
Grade: A Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists, best plus/minus on the team.
Post has really started playing like a seven-footer recently. He’s stepped it up in a huge way on the glass, and defending the rim. He’s playing like someone who knows he needs to show the team that he can be a bonafide center if he wants to get minutes if and when Porziņģis gets back on the court. Just a very tough game from him … in the good sense of the word.
Grade: A- Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.
Leons was part of the saddest moment on the court. In the waning minutes, Bob Fitzgerald had understandably grown invested in the idea that all nine Warriors could reach double figures. Leons was stuck on nine points, but drew a foul. Unfortunately, he missed both free throws, and kept the Warriors from having a slightly historic game.
That didn’t keep it from being the best game in the young player’s career. This was only his 12th career game, spread over two seasons, but it was emphatically his best. He entered the game with eight career points, then scored nine in this game alone. He entered the game with two assists and one block in his career; he matched those totals. He entered the game with one steal; he had two in this game alone. It was fun seeing him get some serious minutes for the first time, and he certainly made the most of them.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds, tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
Wednesday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, De’Anthony Melton, Kristaps Porziņģis, Nate Williams
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Justin Pippen scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half to help California beat SMU 73-69 on Wednesday night.
Pippen scored six points during a 10-2 surge to give Cal a 64-58 lead with 3:43 to play. But Corey Washington scored nine consecutive points, which included two 3-pointers, and SMU regained the lead at 67-64 with 1:58 remaining.
John Camden answered with two free throws before Pippen hit a jumper and then shot 4 of 4 from the free-throw line to give the Golden Bears a 72-69 advantage with 12 seconds left. Jermaine O’Neal Jr. missed a 3-point shot for SMU on the next possession and Lee Dort added another free throw for Cal to seal it.
Pippen missed 8 of 10 3-point attempts but finished 8-of-19 shooting overall and made 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Chris Bell made four 3s and finished with 20 points for Cal (20-8, 8-7 Atlantic Coast Conference). Camden added 14 points and Dort scored seven points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Boopie Miller and Washington scored 15 points apiece to lead SMU (19-9, 8-7). Jaron Pierre Jr. added 14 points and Samet Yigitoglu chipped in with 11.
Bell scored 15 points on three 3s and shot 6 of 8 from the floor to help Cal take a 38-33 lead into the break. Miller scored eight first-half points to pace SMU.
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 25: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets and Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics go up for the rebound during the game on February 25, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Boston Celtics traveled to Denver to face the Nuggets Wednesday night. Boston had been surging up the power rankings with a blistering month of February and faced off against the fourth placed Nuggets. Boston played a decent enough first half, but they could not hang with Denver in the second and eventually losing by 19 points, 103-84. Jaylen Brown had 23 points and 11 boards. Derrick White chipped in 20 points and 3 blocks for the road team.
Jaylen Brown returned to the starting lineup alongside Baylor Scheierman, White, Neemias Queta, and Sam Hauser after a night off in Phoenix last night against the Suns. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Julian Strawther, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun started for the home team. The Nuggets came into the game looking for a home win after losing to the Warriors on Sunday afternoon.
Murray scored the game’s first points on a back cut to the basket. Queta came right back down the other end for a loud tomahawk dunk to get the C’s on the board. Scheierman laced his first three-point attempt on a step-back trey over Murray.
Both teams traded buckets early in the quarter, and it was 10-10 at the 7-minute mark of the first. Vucevic entered the game alongside Queta as a double-big lineup; Hauser was first to the bench for Boston. Jaylen Brown was aggressive early and looked to attack the paint on consecutive trips down the floor. Brown led the C’s with 9 early points as Boston opened up a 16-13 lead with five minutes remaining in the first.
A Christian Braun triple saw another tied score as Ron Harper Jr. got some early minutes alongside Hugo Gonzalez, Brown, Pritchard, and Vooch. Jokic misfired on a three-pointer but backed it up inside with a twirling hook shot over Vucevic.
Boston’s ball movement was superb to start the game as the C’s swung the ball around the key to JB, who rattled home his twelfth point of the quarter on his first three-point make. Boston took a 24-21 lead at the end of the first quarter. Boston was just 3 of 11 from three in the first, shooting just 27 percent from beyond the arc. Queta had a decent quarter with 6 points in the first quarter.
DENVER, CO – FEBRUARY 25: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 25, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Derrick White drained two consecutive times down the court for Boston to start the second quarter. The hometown White, was actively involved in all the plays with dimes and scores as Jaylen Brown got a seat on the bench to start the 2nd quarter. White rattled off 8 quick points to start the second quarter as Boston took an early 8-point lead, 36-28.
Denver had several offensive rebounds to get extra possessions, but the Nuggets cut the lead back to just 2 points. Jaylen Brown returned to action at the seven minute mark after a TV timeout. White laced his third triple of the quarter in front of his parents as the C’s kept the pressure on Denver.
Denver hit the lead at the 5 minute mark of the second, 40-39, Jokic was fouled on a deep two pointer but couldn’t convert either of his two free throw attempts. Jaylen Brown scored his first points of the second quarter with a mid range fade away with 2 minutes to go in the half. The pace of play had slowed right down to a crawl midway through the second quarter as both teams struggled to convert at either end.
Vucevic missed a straight on deep three-pointer, Derrick White slipped into the lane and grabbed the offensive board and converted an easy stick back for his fifteenth point of the game. White drained his fourth three of the game just before the half time break, Boston up by one point, 48-47, thanks to Derrick White’s hot 2nd quarter performance.
Brown came out pumped up at the start of the second half, immediately going to the low block and bodied up Strawther as he went through the defenders chest. Brown ran the court the next play and attacked the rim drawing another foul, this time on Cam Johnson. Scheierman converted his second triple from the deep wing as Boston took a quick four-point lead in the third quarter.
Denver got into early foul trouble to start the second half, both teams continued to struggle shooting the ball, Boston was 40 percent compare to Denver, at just 35 percent. Jokic was settling for three-pointers all night and the big man was 2-10 from deep at the six minute mark of the third. Boston went scoreless for 2 minutes, as they watched Jokic hit 5 straight points to take give the home team a 64-61 lead.
Brown had a brilliant chase down block on Simpson, JB ran the court and fed Vucevic for the alley oop tip in. Brown kept the pressure on the Nuggets wings drilling a two-pointer on a step back jumper and then drawing a foul on Braun who hit Brown from behind. Tim Hardaway Jr gave the Nugs some energy from the bench in the third, hitting a pair of shots, Denver up 70-67.
Boston started to show fatigue during the third, on the second night of a back-to-back, Denver’s hustle wearing down the road team at altitude. The Nuggets ended the quarter up by 10 points, 77-67, their largest lead of the game, with 12 minutes of regulation to play.
Denver went on a 15-0 run which pretty much sealed it. Scheierman stepped out of court and later had a three-pointer overruled. Boston’s attempted clean sweep of the West Coast ended as they went down by a wide margin managing to shoot a paltry 33% from the field, and recorded 11 turnovers on the night. Danilo Banton and Luka Garza got some run in the final 5 minutes of play as Coach Mazzulla waved the white flag and got White and Brown out of the game for good.
Boston would drop just their second game of February and now return home to face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, 7:30 pm EST.
The Denver Nuggets ruled guard Jamal Murray out for the rest of their game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Murray was on the team's injury report before the game, dealing with "right hamstring tightness," but he was deemed available to play. And that's not what took him out of the game.
Murray shot just 1-of-3 from the field for two points in 8 minutes of play. He was 0-for-2 from the 3-point line.
Here's what happened to Murray:
Why was Jamal Murray ruled out?
Murray was ruled out during the game against the Celtics due to an illness, the team announced on X. He was initially deemed questionable to return before being ruled out.
Despite getting almost nothing from one of their stars, the Nuggets won 103-84.
"He looked awful," Nuggets coach David Adelman said of Murray, per the Denver Gazette's Vinny Benedetto. "They gave him all the medication. It did not help. ... All kinds of bodily things were happening."
Jamal Murray career stats
Murray has averaged 18.6 points, 4.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game in 589 games played. He has averaged 25.5 points, 7.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds this season. The guard was named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season.
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Max Mackinnon scored a season-high 34 points, including 11 in the second overtime period, and LSU rallied to defeat Mississippi 106-99 on Wednesday night.
LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC) snapped a five-game losing streak and Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12) has lost 10 in a row.
A three-point play by Mackinnon with just under four minutes left in the second overtime gave LSU a 95-92 lead, the Tigers' first lead since it was 41-40 in the final minute of the first half. With LSU leading by one point, Mackinnon made a driving layup with 1:30 remaining to start a personal 6-0 run that sealed the win for the Tigers.
Michael Nowoko scored 18 points, Pablo Tamba 15, Rashad King 13 off the bench and Robert Miller III 12 for LSU. Jalen Reece had 11 points and 10 assists.
Ilias Kamardine had 26 points and 10 assists for Ole Miss. Malik Dia scored 20, AJ Storr 19 and Eduardo Klafke 16.
Ole Miss led throughout the second half and the lead was 78-71 with 5 1/2 minutes left. Nowoko scored six points for LSU in a 9-2 run that tied the score with 1:38 remaining.
Ole Miss went back ahead on an alley-oop dunk by Corey Chest but he missed the and-one free throw. LSU tied it with 15 seconds left on a pair of free throws by King and the game went to overtime.
LSU never led in the first overtime period but there were three ties, the last when the Tigers' Tamba converted a layup with 36 seconds remaining.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 14: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome on February 14, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
According to Tony Jones, Adam Silver is sending independent doctors to verify the injury to Lauri Markkanen.
One thing I’m hearing about Lauri Markkanen’s scheduled MRI: The league is sending independent doctors to verify.
This news comes on the heels of those independent doctors visiting the Indiana Pacers and pressuring them to medicate an injured player to play.
The league asking if the Pacers would consider medicating Aaron Nesmith so that he could play in the game that they were fined for sitting out players seems like a massive overreach. Absurd. https://t.co/2MlvhjWLTN
What’s clear from this whole situation is that Adam Silver is not interested in what’s best for the players, the teams, or the fans. It’s solely the bottom line. If he really cared about the players’ and the league’s health, he’d lower the number of games to reduce injuries and make the games more meaningful. Instead, Silver is constantly looking to add games and tournaments to solve every problem.
What exactly happens here if Silver’s doctors disagree? Are they going to force the Jazz to play Markkanen? What happens if Markkanen has a serious injury like the one that happened to Vince Williams Jr.? Would that be a good thing? Utah should disregard anything these doctors say. The credibility is already gone, based on what we’ve seen in Indiana. Utah should do what’s best for Utah, something that Adam Silver has not considered even once.
This whole situation has proven Silver to be completely out of touch with the fans and what they actually want. Every all-star break, Silver presents some idiotic new tech feature like this one, where you can change a jersey number if your team trades a player.
You’ll be surprised that this feature didn’t take. Turns out, fans of teams stay fans of their team even if they trade away their favorite player. Embarrassing.
And this year, Silver introduced some AI integration to make things more hyper-personalized. Great, now we lose the entire communal feeling we get with sports. Why even go to games, right?
Adam Silver: "There's no doubt that AI will have the same impact on sports… how we're going to be able to [hyper-personalize] our telecasts… We're about to witness probably the most significant change, certainly in my lifetime, in how sports are presented." 🏀📺🎙️ #NBApic.twitter.com/ZS6ZZjvidv
This is just more evidence of a commissioner who is not familiar with even the basic elements of what makes sports great. Fans want hope that maybe one day they can win a championship. A fanbase like the Utah Jazz has to do things differently than the larger markets in the league, the ones that Adam Silver is biased towards. Utah will only improve, and any bad team for that matter, by getting top-tier talent in the draft. If Lauri Markkanen has as much as a sniffle, the Jazz should rest him. If they lose this pick this season, it would be an absolute disaster, but maybe that’s what Adam Silver wants. The Jazz staying bad is better in his mind because it’s one more small market for the large markets to beat up one year after year.
So, ignore those doctors, Danny, Ryan, and Austin. They don’t have the team’s best interest at heart.
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Isaiah Johnson scored 18 points, and Colorado scored the last six points to beat Kansas State 79-70 on Wednesday night.
P.J. Haggerty and Andrej Kostic each scored four points in an 8-0 surge to pull Kansas State to 73-70 with 2:13 to play, but Colorado shot 6 of 8 from the free-throw line to seal it. The Wildcats were down 22 points with about 13 minutes remaining.
Johnson shot 5 of 11 from the floor and had nine rebounds and seven assists for Colorado (16-12, 6-9 Big 12). Ian Inman made five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for the Buffaloes. Barrington Hargress added 15 points, Sebastian Rancik scored 13 and Bangot Dak had 10.
Haggerty scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with four assists to lead K-State (11-17, 2-13). Kostic and Nate Johnson added 10 points apiece. The Wildcats have lost eight of their last nine games.
Colorado took the lead for good about eight minutes in and led 37-18 with 3:45 left before halftime. K-State closed on a 15-5 run to cut the deficit to 42-33 at the break. Hargress scored 10 points and Inman made three 3s for the Buffaloes in the half. Haggerty scored 11 first-half points and grabbed six rebounds to pace K-State.
The Wildcats pulled within five early in the second half, but the Buffaloes answered with a 17-0 run for a 59-37 lead.
Up next
Kansas State hosts TCU on Saturday.
Colorado is on the road Saturday against fifth-ranked Houston.
Feb 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts after a turnover during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
When the Houston Rockets took a 77-50 lead into the half against the Sacramento kings on Wednesday night, anyone who thought to themselves, “It’s over.” hasn’t watched Rockets basketball this season. Undoubtedly, you yourself may have has some reservations about switching over to your favorite Netflix show and calling it a night. Those reservations were briefly justified when the Kings started the second half on a 13-2 run, prompting Ime Udoka to call a time out, just few minutes into the quarter.
Udoka has seen what we have all seen before. A tale of two halves. To his credit, he pressed the right buttons and kept with the right combination of players that kept the offense from suddenly becoming stagnant. Alperen Sengun (26-point triple-double), Kevin Durant (21 points on 62 percent shooting), and Reed Sheppard (28 points on 43 percent from the three-point line) really powered the Rockets offensively, along with a much welcomed showing from Josh Okogie who shot an efficient 5-of-7 from the field, of which three of those shots were from behind the arc.
With Amen Thompson out with an apparent quad injury, Aaron Holiday got some run and not only shot well but gave the Rockets another ball handler that was able to help keep the ball movement crisp. Jabari Smith had 12 points on 6-of-12 from the field and even “Uncle Jeff” Green got some run in this game chipping in 5 points. It was a complete team victory over a bad Sacramento Kings team. However, given some of the issues the Rockets have had in these types of games, including against these very Kings, this win is not something to shake a stick at. In fact, Rockets fans hope it’s a sign that this team is on track to no longer struggle to win these types of games against lesser opponents.
If the Rockets are going to achieve what we all hope they are going to achieve, then these types of games need to be automatic. It’s especially helpful that the main rotation was able to rest in the fourth quarter headed into the second game of a back-to-back, this time on the road in Orlando. Getting a home win is also a welcome sight as the Rockets had lost four of the last 7 home games. In the end, a win is a win, and the Rockets need to start stacking as many of those as possible, so tonight Rockets fans can go home happy.
MILWAUKEE, WI - FEBRUARY 25: Dennis Schroder #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots a free throw during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 25, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cavs have suffered their first loss when Jarrett Allen scores 20 or more points; they’re now 1-10. Allen was fantastic offensively, pouring in 27 points on 10-15 shooting.
This is also the first time the Cavs have lost when Allen takes 10 or more shots; they’re now 1-14 when he does so. Allen was understandably featured early and often. He made the most of his opportunities and nearly sent the game to overtime, but his would-be game-tying hook shot came a fraction of a second after the final buzzer.
The Bucks took 49% of their shots from three (92nd percentile). This translated to 45 outside attempts.
Milwaukee canned 42.2% of their triples (85th percentile). The Cavs, once again, dared their opponent to beat them from deep. The Bucks did so in a way the New York Knicks couldn’t the night before.
Unlike against the Knicks, the Bucks converted 89.5% of their shots at the rim (97th percentile). Cleveland did a good job of limiting the Bucks’ ability to get to the basket. Only 23% of their shots came there (17th percentile). However, you can’t build your entire defense around giving up three-point shots to protect the rim while also not protecting the rim. The Bucks were able to have their cake and eat it too.
Milwaukee did all of its damage in the half-court, with a 123.8 half-court offensive rating (97th percentile). The Cavs didn’t give them many opportunities in transition, but that doesn’t matter when the other team is executing that well in the half-court.
Cleveland shot poorly from three, going 12-40 (30%, 23rd percentile). There were guys out of the lineup, but this team is still built around outscoring its opponent. Shooting this poorly from deep isn’t going to cut it most nights, especially when your best three-point shooters — Sam Merrill (2-8) and Jaylon Tyson (1-6) — aren’t able to get anything to fall.
Overall, the Bucks had 21 more points from beyond the arc. It’s a make-or-miss league.
The Cavs outscored Milwaukee 25-6 in second-chance points. Winning this handily allowed the Cleveland to stay in this game despite not executing to the level Milwaukee did offensively.
Dean Wade led the Cavs in plus/minus (+9) for the second game in a row. That said, he struggled offensively, going 0-4 from the field to finish with no points. He was a non-factor on that end.
Dennis Schroder provided 26 points on 8-14 shooting. He did a great job of stepping into the starting point guard role. His scoring and playmaking kept the offense on schedule, which is all you want on a night you’re down this much firepower.
The Cavs went 20-27 from the free-throw line, while the Bucks went 3-5. It once again felt like the Cavaliers were on the wrong end of some crucial calls, but the free-throw disparity paints a much different picture.
Feb 25, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Looking for their 10th straight win for the first time in ten years, the Spurs continued their tour of Eastern Conference playoff teams, this time across the border against the Toronto Raptors. It wasn’t a pretty game, but despite more offensive struggles from Victor Wembanyama and some terrible free throw shooting making life harder than it had to be, the Spurs found a way, rallying back from 15 down late in the third thanks to some hot three-point shooting and clutch defensive play.
The Spurs scored the first six points and got out to a 9-2 lead, but similar to two nights ago in Detroit, things suddenly slowed down while they struggled with 5 turnovers, and the Raptors kept chipping away at the lead, closing the quarter on a 12-6 run to get within a point, 30-29. The main reason the Spurs were still ahead was, fortunately for them, Devin Vassell was also still in Detroit form with 8 points on 2-2 from three, and Dylan Harper came in hot off the bench for 9 points in the first quarter.
The Spurs seemed to wake up to start the second, with a Wemby block leading to a Harper fast break dunk, followed by a De’Aaron Fox three to force a quick Raptors timeout, but it was short lived. Wemby continued to struggle on the offensive end, and Toronto responded with a 7-0 run to take their first lead at 36-35. It stretched to a 10-0 run after a Spurs timeout, after they gave up a three by turning it over in the backcourt. The Spurs again briefly regrouped, regaining the lead and stretching it to five thanks to more offensive heroics from Vassell and Harper, but Wemby just couldn’t get involved on offense, and the Raptors closed on an 8-2 run to take a 57-55 lead into halftime.
The Raptors immediately got a three-point play to open the third quarter before Wemby finally got his first field goal of the game on an alley-oop dunk from Champagnie, who then hit a three to ties things back up. Lots of whistles had both teams in the bonus early, although Wemby, who couldn’t buy a call against former Spur Jacob Poeltl, was getting agitated and subbed out earlier than usual, likely to cool off. With him out and Luke Kornet seemingly a step slow after suffering a leg contusion in Detroit, the offense opened up for the Raptors, who continued to stretch out the lead in transition and from three. On offense, the Spurs were settling for threes and mostly missing, but a big one from Stephon Castle cut into a 15-point Raptors lead, and the Spurs found themselves down 78-90 with 12 minutes to go.
Matt Bonner, who is now a studio analyst for the Raptors but joined the Spurs broadcast for this game, mentioned Toronto’s biggest weakness is something Spurs fans can relate to: forgetting what got them there and getting stagnant in the fourth quarter. He was proven prophetic, as the Spurs opened the quarter on a 15-2 run to regain the lead, including threes from Castle, Vassell and Harrison Barnes, and a calmed-down Wemby’s presence on defense had the Raptors reeling. What they did have was the whistle in their favor and were already in the bonus less than five minutes in, which they used to stay close. More huge threes from Champagnie and Wemby got the Spurs ahead 106-100 with under 4 minutes to go, but poor offensive decisions after a timeout let the Raptors get back within two.
Free throws were a problem all night, with the Spurs hitting just 13-23 compared to 23-27 for the Raptors, and it reared it’s ugly head in the waning seconds of the game. Harper had a chance to get them up by 4 with 16 seconds left but missed both free throws. Fortunately, he got his own rebound, and Fox hit 1-2 to get the Spurs up 109-106 with 10 seconds left. Immanuel Quickley then hit 1-2 FT’s, and after a timeout, Wemby hit 1-2 with 8.7 seconds left. That meant the Raptors still had a chance, but Brandon Ingram’s three-point attempt went off the side of the backboard, and the Spurs were able to get the rebound and heave it down court as time expired, securing their ugly (but beautiful) 10th straight win for the first time since 2016.
Game notes
Right after receiving a ton of praise on this site for the way he handled not being the center of attention on offense in Detroit, Wemby was back to trying to do too much when things weren’t going right in the first half. He forced what few bad shots he could find, going 0-4, plus he had a couple of turnovers when he tried to dribble into the Raptors defense. Then, he got subbed out earlier than usual in the second half after Poeltl got under his skin with holding, tripping and driving right into him. After some time to mentally cool off, Wemby was better (but not great) in the fourth quarter. His defense was there all night with 5 blocks and was why he was as team-high +19 on the court, but it was another bad night on offense with just 12 points on 3-12 shooting (although he had those four huge points in crunch time).
A big part of the team’s free throws woes were courtesy of Fox (2-8) and Harper (0-2). While the rest of the team combined to hit 10-12, including 3-4 from Castle, it continues to be an issue particularly for the guards. They survived tonight despite shooting just 2-6 in crunch time (including Wemby’s 1-2), but overall the team is going to have to be better at the line. Once the playoffs hit, free throws will become harder to come by, and they’ll have to take advantage of whatever free points they can get.
Despite a couple of blunders late, Harper was awesome on both ends tonight with 15 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. His performance off the bench was especially important with Keldon Johnson only playing 14 minutes after suffering a shoulder stinger. One great moment of maturity came late when Ingram tried to pump fake him three times to draw a foul, but he didn’t bite. Overall, Harper and Vassell (21 points on 5-6 from three) were the only two players who were steady on offense all night, and the Spurs desperately needed that.
The win, combined with the skeleton Thunder losing in Detroit tonight, now has the Spurs just one game back in the loss column from the top seed in the West. They need to keep this tank rolling while OKC is injured and secure home court advantage.
Play of the Game
It may have been overshadowed by the missed free throws afterwards, but otherwise Fox was Mr. Clutch once again, including this huge bailout shot over the backboard with just over a minute to go.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz had 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, Alvaro Folgueiras made 8 of 10 from the field and had a season-high 20 points and five assists, and Iowa beat Ohio State 74-57 on Wednesday night.
Cam Manyawu had 12 points and seven rebounds for Iowa (20-8, 10-7 Big Ten) and Tavion Banks scored 10 points.
The Hawkeyes shot 57% (27 of 47) from the field, 5 of 18 (28%) from 3-point range, and made 15 of 17 from the free-throw line.
Amare Bynum made back-to-back 3-pointers to give Ohio State a 14-2 lead, but Folgueiras answered with a three-point play and, after Devin Royal made a free throw, the Hawkeyes scored 18 consecutive points — eight by Stirtz — to start a 28-3 run. The Buckeyes missed nine consecutive field-goal attempts and committed five turnovers during their scoring drought of eight-plus minutes.
Devin Royal led Ohio State (17-11, 9-8) with 16 points and John Mobley Jr. scored 15. Bruce Thornton added 10 points.
Ohio State scores seven of the first 10 second-half points to trim its deficit to 10 points, but the Buckeyes got no closer.
Iowa was plus-11 (15-4) in points off turnovers and outscored the Buckeyes 44-18 in the paint.
DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Cade Cunningham added 29 points and 13 assists and the Detroit Pistons beat the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-116 on Wednesday night in a matchup of conference leaders.
The Thunder started the game without five of their six leading scorers — Shai Alexander-Gilgeous (abdomen), Isaiah Hartenstein (calf), Chet Holmgren (back), Ajay Mitchell (abdomen) and Jalen Williams (hamstring). The only one of the top six to start was Isaiah Joe, and he left at halftime because of a bruised hip.
Duncan Robinson added 16 points for East-leading Detroit. The Pistons have won six of seven to improve to 43-14.
Jaylin Williams had a career-best 30 points for the defending champion Thunder, and Cason Wallace added 23. The Thunder dropped to 45-15. They had won five of six.
After Oklahoma City cut it to 108-105 with 5:06 to play, Javonte Green answered with a 3-pointer on a possession where Detroit had four offensive rebounds.
WARRIORS 132, GRIZZLIES 112
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Will Richard scored 21 points, Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II added 19 apiece and Golden State routed Memphis in a game between two teams depleted by injuries.
Gui Santos added 17 points as eight of the nine Golden State players who saw action reached double figures. The ninth player, Malevy Leons, had nine points.
The Warriors built a double-digit lead in the first half, stretched the margin to 32 in the fourth quarter and coasted to the victory.
GG Jackson had 24 points and eight rebounds for Memphis. Ty Jerome finished with 22 points and five assists. Javon Small scored 16 points.
The Warriors are still jockeying for postseason positioning, beginning the night slotted eighth in the West after a 113-109 loss in New Orleans on Tuesday night. The Grizzlies have been on the skids since late January, dropping two straight and 12 of their last 15 entering Wednesday’s game.
The loss dropped Memphis into a tie for 12th place in the West with the idle Dallas Mavericks.
SPURS 110, RAPTORS 107
TORONTO (AP) — Devin Vassell scored 21 points, De’Aaron Fox added 20 and the San Antonio Spurs overcame Victor Wembanyama’s rough night to beat the Toronto Raptors 110-107 on Wednesday, extending their season-best win streak to 10 games.
Wembanyama scored 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting. He went 1 for 6 from 3-point range and 5 for 6 at the free-throw line, where his lone miss came with 8.7 seconds left in regulation and his team ahead by three.
Toronto’s Brandon Ingram missed a 3 that would have tied the game, and Wembanyama grabbed the rebound.
Wembanyama finished with eight boards and three assists in 30 minutes. He also had five blocks, including a pivotal one on Jakob Poeltl with 44 seconds left.
Dylan Harper scored 15 points, Stephon Castle had 13 and Julian Champagnie 10 as the Spurs won their fifth straight meeting with the Raptors.
Ingram had 20 points and a season-high 11 rebounds, Immanuel Quickley scored 20 points and Scottie Barnes added 15 as the Raptors lost their third straight at home.
ROCKETS 128, KINGS 97
HOUSTON (AP) — Reed Sheppard made a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points, Alperen Sengun had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, and Houston beat Sacramento.
Kevin Durant added 21 points for the Rockets in their most-lopsided victory of the season. Houston has won two in row since blowing an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter at New York on Saturday.
Russell Westbrook scored 22 points for Sacramento, but 17 came in the first quarter. DeMar DeRozan added 15 on a night he moved ahead of Paul Pierce into 20th place on the NBA’s career scoring list.
The Kings were coming off a victory over Memphis that snapped their franchise-record 16-game losing streak.
Westbrook was 8 for 14 in the first quarter, with his 17 points his most in a first quarter since getting that many against Utah on Feb. 9, 2020. But the rest of the Kings were 1 for 10 and Houston led 33-22. The Rockets then outscored the Kings 44-28 in the second, going 8 for 12 from 3-point range, to lead 77-50 at the break.
Sengun had his third triple-double of the season and 11th of his career. Houston shot 54.7% from the field and hit 17 of its first 30 shots.
The Rockets led by 36 points in the fourth quarter.
BUCKS 118, CAVALIERS 116
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kevin Porter Jr. had 20 points, Ryan Rollins added 18 and Milwaukee held off short-handed Cleveland for its fifth victory in six games.
The Cavaliers appeared to tie it on Jarrett Allen’s basket underneath at the buzzer, but it was ruled that time had expired. Allen had 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Cleveland was without James Harden after he broke his right thumb Tuesday night in a home victory over New York. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley also sat out, with Mitchell nursing a strained right groin. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his 13th consecutive game for the Bucks because of a strained right calf.
Jaylon Tyson pulled the Cavaliers to 116-114 with two free throws. After Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma missed a 3-pointer, Dennis Schroder scored from the right side of the lane to tie it 116 with 35.6 seconds left. Porter hit a free-throw line jumper to put the Bucks up 118-116 with 20.2 seconds remaining.
NUGGETS 103, CELTICS 84
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 30 points and 12 rebounds on a rough shooting night to help Denver beat Boston.
Denver played most of the game without guard Jamal Murray. He left after logging 7:51 due to an illness and did not return.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 14 points as the Nuggets bounced back from a 1-2 trip out of the All-Star break, which included a loss at Golden State on Sunday. They kept pace with Houston in the tight Western Conference standings. Denver is percentage points behind the Rockets for third place.
Jaylen Brown returned to Boston’s lineup after sitting out Tuesday night at Phoenix with a right knee contusion. Brown had 23 points for the Celtics, who finished 3-1 on a Western Conference trip. They had won five straight and nine of 10 before running out of steam in the thin air.
