Category: Basketball

HOUSTON (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points and his three-point play with two seconds remaining lifted the Los Angeles Clippers to a 105-102 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Leonard, who had 12 rebounds, scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to extend his career-best streak of 20-point games to 33.

The Clippers led by four points when Kevin Durant made one of two free throws before a layup by Alperen Sengun cut the lead to 102-101 with 43 seconds left. Leonard missed a 3-pointer and Jabari Smith Jr. grabbed a rebound to give Houston the ball.

Sengun shot 1 for 2 from the line with 7.2 seconds left to tie it and Leonard got the rebound before the Clippers called a timeout. Leonard then made a fadeaway jumper as he was fouled and hit the free throw to make it 105-102.

Houston had a chance to tie it, but Tari Eason’s shot was off.

Durant led the Rockets with 21 points and Reed Sheppard added 17 points off the bench.

CAVALIERS 138, WIZARDS 113

CLEVELAND (AP) — Sam Merrill scored a career-high 32, Donovan Mitchell added 30, and Cleveland rolled to a victory over Washington in James Harden’s first home game wearing wine and gold.

Harden had 13 points and 11 assists in 28 minutes for his second double-double in three games since being traded by the LA Clippers to the Cavaliers on Feb. 4. He was only 1 of 4 from the field, but went 10 of 12 from the foul line.

Cleveland has won five straight and 10 of its last 11. It was the fifth time this season the Cavaliers haven’t trailed in a game.

Mitchell, fifth in the league in scoring at 29.0 points per game, had his 28th 30-point game. Jarrett Allen had 21 points and nine rebounds.

Kyshawn George had 17 points and Jamir Watkins 16 for Washington, which has dropped three straight and four of five.

HORNETS 110, HAWKS 107

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller had 31 points and nine rebounds, LaMelo Ball made seven 3s and scored 24 points and Charlotte held on to beat Atlanta, just hours after two of of its starters were suspended by the NBA for fighting.

Kon Knueppel added 18 points on four 3s, and Miller hit five 3s as the Hornets finished 19 of 51 from beyond the arc for their 10th win in 11 games.

Dyson Daniels scored 21 points for Atlanta. Jalen Johnson added 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

The NBA suspended Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate for four games for their role in a fight on Monday night against the Detroit Pistons.

The short-handed Hornets didn’t get much out of replacements Ryan Kalkbrenner and Grant Williams, but G League call up PJ Hall had 11 points and 10 rebounds. And Charlotte got contributions from scoring leaders Miller, Ball and Knueppel, who combined for 10 3-pointers in the first half as the Hornets opened a 17-poiint lead.

CELTICS 124, BULLS 105

BOSTON (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 26 points and Boston rolled past Chicago in the final game for both teams before the All-Star break.

Jaylen Brown added 24 points. Nikola Vucevic finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who have won six of their last seven games.

The Celtics carried a 28-point into halftime, taking advantage of a Chicagos team that was missing several top contributors. Boston’s lead rose as high as 33 in the second half.

Rob Dillingham had 16 points and seven assists to pace Chicago, which has lost six straight. Matas Buzelis added 15 points and eight rebounds.

Vucevic and Chicago’s Anfernee Simons played against their former teams for the first time since being swapped in a trade deadline deal last week.

It was Vucevic’s second double-double in three games with the Celtics. Simons finished with seven points. It marked his first time being under 15 in his four consecutive starts for the Bulls.

BUCKS 116, MAGIC 108

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cam Thomas scored 34 points in his second game with Milwaukee and Kevin Porter Jr. added 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over Orlando.

Jericho Sims and Ousmane Dieng scored 17 points apiece for Milwaukee. Sims added 11 rebounds, leading the Bucks to a 47-30 advantage on the boards.

Desmond Bane led the Magic with 31 points. Paolo Banchero added 17 and Jalen Suggs had 16 points, 10 assists and four steals.

Thomas, who signed with the Bucks as a free agent on Sunday, made 12 of 20 shots and hit four 3-pointers in 39 minutes. He went 4 for 6 from 3-point distance.

Porter had the fifth triple-double of his career.

PISTONS 113, RAPTORS 95

TORONTO (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 28 points, Paul Reed had 16 of his 22 in the first quarter and Detroit beat Toronto in the final game before the All-Star break for both teams.

The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons won for the sixth time in seven games despite playing without centers Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren. The two began serving suspensions handed down earlier in the day for their roles in a fight Monday in a win at Charlotte.

Duncan Robinson scored 13 points and Tobias Harris added 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Pistons improved to 18-7 on the road. Detroit never trailed in posting its seventh consecutive victory over Toronto.

Toronto’s Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points and Scottie Barnes added 17 . RJ Barrett had 16 points and Brandon Ingram 13.

The Pistons outscored the Raptors 50-34 on points in the paint and had 46 rebounds to Toronto’s 35.

Cunningham finished with seven rebounds and nine assists, and matched a season-high by making six of 11 attempts from 3-point range. His career-high is seven, set last season.

KNICKS 138, 76ERS 89

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jose Alvarado scored a season-high 26 points and Mikal Bridges added 22 points as New York beat Philadelphia.

The Knicks bounced back from an overtime home lost to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night for their 10th win in 12 games. Two of those victories have come against the Sixers. The teams split their four-game season series.

Alvarado, acquired last week from New Orleans, shot 8 for 13 from 3-point range and finished with five steals.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 11 rebounds. Mohamed Diawara scored 14 points. Jalen Brunson, who scored 40 points against the Pacers, scored eight on Tuesday.

Tyrese Maxey led the way with 32 points in three quarters for the 76ers, who played without center Joel Embiid, who sat due to right knee soreness. VJ Edgecombe added 14 points, and Dominick Barlow scored 13.

The 76ers, who lost their second straight and for the third time in four games, were held to a season-low point total, just their third game under 100 points this season.

PACERS 115, NETS 110

NEW YORK (AP) — Jarace Walker had 23 points, Kam Jones secured the victory with a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining, and short-handed Indiana beat Brooklyn.

Micah Potter had 19 and Ethan Thompson had 15 for the Pacers, who won for the second straight night after winning in overtime over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night to end a four-game losing streak.

Potter shot 6 of 8 from the field and 6 for 8 from the line. He scored 14 in the second half.

Nolan Traore had 20 points to lead the Nets, who had won two in a row. Day’Ron Sharpe had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Ziaire Williams also had 19.

The Pacers played without eight key players, including T.J. McConnell (right hamstring soreness); Andrew Nembhard (lower back injury management); Aaron Nesmith (lower back soreness); Pascal Siakam (left hamstring soreness); and Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain).

HEAT 123, PELICANS 111

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 27 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks and short-handed Miami beat New Orleans in the final game for both teams before the All-Star break.

Miami used only nine players, with Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Pelle Larsson and Andrew Wiggins sidelined. Herro missed his 15th straight game.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 23 points, Kel’el Ware had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points. Eighth in the Eastern Conference, the Heat improved to 29-27. Miami has won 11 of its last 12 against New Orleans

Zion Williamson had 26 points for New Orleans. He has played a career-high 30 straight games and 40 of 56 this season. In his first six seasons, he played 214 of 472 games and never had more than 25 in a row.

Trey Murphy III added 19 points before leaving late in the third quarter because of soreness in his right shoulder. The Pelicans dropped to 15-41. They had won two in a row.

TIMBERWOLVES 133, TRAIL BLAZERS 109

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Julius Randle had 41 points and Minnesota beat Portland to end its winning streak at three.

Randall, who also had seven rebounds, capped his night with a windmill dunk that put the crowd at the Target Center on its feet. Jaden McDaniels added 21 points for the Timberwolves, playing their final game before the All-Star break.

Jrue Holiday scored 23 points for the Trail Blazers, who trailed by 28 points and were hurt by 25 turnovers. Scoot Henderson, playing just his third game back since missing the first half of the season because of a hamstring injury, finished with 18 points.

Minnesota scoring leader Anthony Edwards was listed as questionable going into the game because of an illness but he started and finished with 14 points.

THUNDER 136, SUNS 109

PHOENIX (AP) — Jalen Williams scored 28 points, Isaiah Joe added 21 and hot-shooting Oklahoma City cruised to a victory over Phoenix.

Oklahoma City led by at least 20 points for the entire second half, pushing the advantage to 37 in the third. Williams shot 11 of 12 from the field and added five assists and four rebounds. Joe made 6 of 8 3-pointers.

Kenrich Williams added 15 points and Chet Holmgren had 13. The defending champion Thunder — who have won four of six — shot 58.4% from the field and got 74 points from players coming off the bench.

Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 23 points. Royce O’Neale and Jordan Goodwin both added 12.

The Thunder jumped to a 75-52 lead by halftime, shooting 11 of 18 (61.1%) from 3-point range. Joe came off the bench to lead the Thunder with 15 points before the break. Brooks led the Suns with 14.

Despite the lopsided loss, the Suns go into the All-Star break with a 32-23 record, which is much better than most anticipated after the franchise traded 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to the Rockets during the summer.

JAZZ 121, KINGS 93

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr scored 23 points in his home debut to lead Utah to a victory over Sacramento.

Lauri Markkanen scored 19 points to help the Jazz win their second straight game. Isaiah Collier added 12 points and 14 assists. Brice Sensabaugh added 19 points off the bench.

Utah shot 54.7% from the field and made 15 3-pointers. Jackson and Markkanen combined for 15 baskets over three quarters.

Demar DeRozan led Sacramento with 20 points and Devin Carter added 19. The Kings lost their 14th straight game after trailing by double digits over the final 40 minutes.

Utah outscored Sacramento 25-6 in fastbreak points and 58-42 in the paint.

NUGGETS 122, GRIZZLIES 116

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray warmed up for their appearances in the NBA’s All-Star festivities by teaming up to help Denver hold off Memphis.

Jokic had the 184th triple-double of his career with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. Murray added 22 points and was 4 for 4 from the foul line in the final 11.7 seconds.

Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points for the Nuggets, who head into the break at 35-20 despite an injury-riddled season that has seen all five starters miss time and six of their top rotation players go out for significant stretches.

The Grizzlies, losers of 10 of 12, erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit, largely with Jokic on the bench, but never could take the late lead.

Jokic reached the triple-double when he assisted Hardaway on a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left in the third quarter for a 93-81 lead.

SPURS 126, WARRIORS 113

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — De’Aaron Fox scored 27 points and Victor Wembanyama added 26 to send San Antonio into the All-Star break on a six-game winning streak after beating Golden State.

Wembanyama followed up his 40-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night with another strong outing to give the Spurs a 38-16 record at the break. After missing the playoffs the past six seasons, the Spurs have the second-best record in the Western Conference.

Keldon Johnson scored 21 for San Antonio.

Draymond Green had 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Warriors. Moses Moody and De’Anthony Melton also scored 17 for Golden State.

Golden State fell to 29-26 heading into the All-Star break after losing three of five games with star Stephen Curry sidelined by a knee injury. The Warriors are hopeful Curry will return after the break as they look to make a late-season push.

If you didn’t notice, the Utah Jazz have become a point of interest for the entire NBA this week because of how they decided to rest their players. Considering the Jazz are the last thing the NBA and media outlets worry about, it’s a little surprising. Utah has done nothing different than the other tanking teams, until two games ago.

For some reason, Utah’s decision to rest players in the fourth quarter brought the absolute ire of every team in the league. But to be quite honest, it’s a bunch of bad-faith nonsense that the Utah Jazz should ignore.

Utah is doing things in a better way

So apparently, there’s an unwritten rule (and that’s literal because Utah has not broken any actual rules this season) that it is better for a team to trade for a player and not play them for the rest of the season than what the Jazz are doing. The Washington Wizards traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis but have announced they’re out for the season. The Pacers just traded for Ivica Zubac, and they won’t play him “for a while.”

Utah, on the other hand, traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. and played him immediately. Yes, they rested him in the fourth quarter in the last two games, but they actually won one of them. Both games came down to last-second shots. They were competitive, interesting games, and Jazz fans got a taste of what the team would look like with Jaren Jackson Jr. playing with Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George (before he turned an ankle and had to leave the game). What’s better for fans? Getting to see their new player with their team in a competitive game? Or is it better to not see them at all and get clobbered by 20 points each night?

Obviously, the best answer is neither. But Adam Silver has created this environment that Utah, Indiana, and Brooklyn are in, they’re just doing what’s best for their future. And, from everything I read from fans and the message boards I monitor, fans understand it. If anything, they’re anxious with every game the Jazz win.

But if we’re being honest, the NBA isn’t actually worried about the integrity of the game, and most likely won’t do anything to the Jazz, as long as they do this the way they want them to.

The “Integrity” of the game, Kalshi, and Gambling

As always, you want to understand the motivations for something? Follow the money. You can understand this situation much better in that context, but maybe not the way the NBA wants you to.

The NBA might be saying publicly, through its various preferred media outlets, podcasts, and reporters, that the Jazz are hurting the integrity of the game. But it’s completely vapid, and every Jazz fan and NBA fan knows it. No one cared at all what the Jazz were doing this year until something like this happened. But why?

The answer is the lines, not the integrity of the game.

The reason this bothers so many is that it affects the various gambling sites, which offer so many props and lines based on what happens in these games. Don’t believe me? Why hasn’t the league said anything about what Giannis Antetokounmpo’s recent post after the trade deadline? If you didn’t see it, here it is.

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

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 6, 2026

Don’t know what Kalshi is? It’s another gambling site that allows people to gamble on everyday things like the weather, politics, and sports. But why is this bad? Well, you could have gambled on whether Giannis was staying with the Bucks. Before the trade deadline, Giannis had made it clear it was time for him and the Bucks to part ways. Was he creating gambling interest with Kalshi? It certainly looks like it. But does the NBA have anything to say about that? Not a word. On Zach Lowe’s recent pod, where he clutched pearls about the Jazz for ten minutes, he mentioned Kalshi but said he didn’t know what it was (sure). If anything, you could see this as an opportunity for the league to avert attention from something that did not look good. Great work, Adam Silver.

And I get it, gambling sites are a big money maker for the sport and for media, even for this site. But if it gets to the point where players are making decisions like that to affect gambling lines, it’s a big problem. We’ve already seen some of that with players in the alleged gambling scandal earlier this year with Terry Rozier.

Back to Adam Silver.

Adam Silver screwed the Jazz and every other losing franchise

Apparently, in an effort to never let bad teams get better, the NBA flattened lottery rules. Now, I know that’s not why they did it, but that’s what happened. The NBA tried to improve tanking by making the lottery odds flatter, but all it did was give playoff teams a better opportunity to win the lottery. The other side of the coin was that the bad teams had a worse chance. Utah has felt the brunt of this each of the last three seasons, where they haven’t jumped in the lottery once. And it’s not just the Jazz that Adam Silver has screwed over, but all the other bad teams desperate to get cornerstone players in the draft.

Since the draft lottery odds change in 2019:

– The team with the worst record has not picked #1 for 6 years straight.

– The team with the worst record has fallen to #5 three years in a row.

– Play-In Tournament teams have
won the last two #1 picks (Mavs and Hawks)

Bad teams… pic.twitter.com/epx3esKv2H

— NetsMuse (@NetsMuse) February 9, 2026

So, the bad teams never get better, and only a select few play-in teams have won the lottery. You did this, Adam Silver. You are the one who created this environment. What else are the Jazz supposed to do? The first two seasons after the Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, they did things the “right way.” They won more games than they should have but didn’t win the lottery. Then, last season, to try to up their odds, they still didn’t win, even with the worst record in the league. This season, they have developed the talent they’ve drafted, kept Lauri Markkanen to build with their core, and have now traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. They have been a bottom-ten team all season and have no shot at the play-in. And what do the Jazz get for doing something that undoubtedly helps their team? Two media days of getting blasted when they’ve done nothing different than everyone else. Just a reminder, Brooklyn tanked earlier than Utah. Don’t believe me? They rested Michael Porter Jr. in their first meeting with Utah on December 4th. Utah played its full roster and won. If you’re going to talk about the Jazz doing this earlier than they should, then you’d better talk about the teams like Brooklyn and Washington, who were doing it earlier than the Jazz. But we know that won’t happen because apparently the only thing that matters is the integrity of the gambling lines and the prop bets.

What’s next?

Despite the odds being literally stacked against them, Utah has come up with a way to build its team for a long window of contention. At the trade deadline, they traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. with picks they’ve smartly accumulated during the rebuild. Utah still owns all its own picks and now has another core player for next season.

But it’s time to give the finger to the league, Adam Silver, and the entire sports media that has piled on this week against them. Rest the players, Jazz. Rest all of them. Play the two-way guys, play 10-day contract guys. It’s time for development for the rest of the season for Cody Williams and Ace Bailey. The rest of the lineup can have the opportunity to mend their gastric distress and back spasms. That’s apparently the most acceptable, ethical move in the current NBA Adam Silver has created. Utah just has to adjust to what is allowed.

BOSTON (AP) — Ebuka Okorie scored 22 points and Benny Gealer added 21 to lead Stanford to a 70-64 victory over Boston College on Wednesday night.

Jayden Hastings scored four points in a 6-0 surge to pull Boston College to 65-62 with 1:53 remaining. Gealer answered with a 3-pointer and then Jeremy Dent-Smith made two free throws with 22 seconds left to seal it.

Okorie shot 8 of 14 from the floor with two 3-pointers, and made 4 of 5 free-throw attempts to go with five assists. He has 515 points this season, one shy of Todd Lichti’s (1985-86) program record for most points scored by a freshman.

Gealer made 7 of 14 field-goals attempts and was 6 of 13 from long range. Dent-Smith finished with 11 points for Stanford (16-9, 5-7 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Boden Kapke made three 3s and scored 15 points for Boston College (9-15, 2-9), which has lost five consecutive games. Fred Payne added 14 points, Luka Toews scored 13 and Hasting had 11. Payne was 0 of 6 from distance.

Stanford closed the first half on a 16-2 run to tie it 34-all at the break. In the second half, Gealer started and ended a 14-2 run with 3-pointers to give the Cardinal a 52-43 lead with 10:23 remaining.

Up next

Stanford: Plays Saturday at Wake Forest.

Boston College: Hosts California on Saturday.

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ATLANTA (AP) — Juke Harris scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Mekhi Mason scored 17 points off the bench and Wake Forest beat Georgia Tech 83-67 on Wednesday night to end a five-game losing streak.

Cooper Schwieger and Tre’von Spillers each scored 13 points for Wake Forest (12-12, 3-8 ACC), which shot 53% (28 of 53), including 46% (13 of 28) from 3-point range.

Kowacie Reeves Jr. scored 18 points, and Baye Ndongo scored 14 points for Georgia Tech (11-14, 2-10).

Wake Forest opened the second half with an 11-0 run, turning a 37-33 lead at the break into a 15-point advantage. The Demon Deacons stayed ahead by double digits the rest of the way.

With 11:32 left before halftime, Reeves broke a 15-all tie with a 3-pointer and followed that with a second-chance dunk. Wake Forest countered with a 3 from Isaac Carr, and Tre’von Spillers followed with another with 9:47 before the break for a 21-20 lead as the Demon Deacons led the rest of the way.

Up Next

Wake Forest: Hosts Stanford Saturday.

Georgia Tech: Will try to end its six-game losing streak at Notre Dame on Saturday.

___

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Trent Pierce scored a season-high 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, Shawn Phillips Jr. had the go-ahead dunk and a block in the closing seconds, and Missouri beat Texas A&M 86-85 on Wednesday night to snap a five-game skid against the Aggies.

Mark Mitchell threw a lob to Phillips for an alley-oop dunk that gave Missouri an 86-85 lead with 17 seconds left.

Rylan Griffen missed a 3-point shot eight seconds later but Zach Clemence grabbed the offensive rebound. After a timeout with 4.1 seconds left, Rashaun Agee took the inbounds pass and drove to the hoop, but his layup attempt before the buzzer was blocked by Phillips.

T.O. Barrett added 17 points for Missouri (17-7, 7-4 SEC), Phillips had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Jacob Crews and Jayden Stone each scored 11. Mitchell finished with nine points and eight assists.

Clemence led Texas A&M (17-7, 7-4) with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Griffen scored 17 and Agee had 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Griffen hit a 3 and Marcus Hill made a layup to cap a 13-4 run that gave Texas A&M a 79-78 lead with 4:57 to play, the first of eight lead changes in the final five minutes.

Pop Isaacs hit a 3-pointer that made it 29-27 with 9:40 left in the first half and Texas A&M led until Anthony Robinson II made a fast-break layup with 13:03 to go in the game gave the Tigers a 60-59 lead.

Up next

Missouri: Hosts Texas on Saturday.

Texas A&M: Plays Saturday at No. 19 Vanderbilt.

___

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In the final game before the All-Star break, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the visiting Washington Wizards138-113. Here are the winners and losers in James Harden’s home debut.

Winner – Sam Merrill, certified sniper

The importance of Merrill to the Cavs has been well-documented, but he was unconscious in the first half, going 9-9 from the floor, including 7-7 from beyond the arc. Even the heat check at the end of the half was no match.

THE MOST FIRE HALF YOU COULD HAVE. @smerrill05 | #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/ZuZ1IeNxYC

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 12, 2026

Merrill was just one three-pointer shy of tying the Cavs record for threes in a half (C.J. Miles in 2014 and Kevin Love in 2016), but the swingman showed his versatility with a big block early in the third quarter as well. While he is normally acting as a connector on the offensive side, Merrill was downright lethal shooting the basketball. He had a tough and-one at the end of the first half, just for good measure, and ended up with a career-high 32 points.

The wavering health of Merrill has impacted the consistency of lineups that head coach Kenny Atkinson can put together, but there is no doubt of his impact when he is available. The Cavs are 7.5 points per 100 possessions better with Merrill on the floor than off per Cleaning the Glass. That’s the second-best mark on the team behind only Donovan Mitchell (+10.8).

Winner – Jarrett Allen’s toughness

It is a rare sight to see Jarrett Allen get angry at a referee and get called for a technical foul, but he did tonight. And immediately followed it up with an absolutely smothering block that led to a Donovan Mitchell lay-in.

JA's block -> Don's basket. #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/xUewJ0fpXi

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 12, 2026

Washington was without its usual big Alex Sarr (and of course, no Anthony Davis, either), so they operated without a center. It makes sense that Allen plays with an extra fire given his advantage over the Wizards’ bigs — or lack thereof. Like Merrill, Allen was perfect from the field and finished with 21 points.

Allen continues his excellent play following the five-game Western Conference swing, including a very good effort against Nikola Jokic on Monday night. Bear in mind, this good stretch comes with Evan Mobley still sidelined with a calf injury, though the reigning Defensive Player of the Year appears to be coming back very soon.

Winner – James Harden’s Rocket Arena debut

Against the backdrop of Cavalier fans wearing fake beards on a stick, James Harden put on a dazzling – and seemingly effortless – performance. The veteran guard displayed his generational passing capabilities with some insane finds, including this full-flow behind-the-back dime to Jaylon Tyson.

This pass rocks, man. @JHarden13 | #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/YqtSs14NTv

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 12, 2026

Harden had nine assists in the first half and notched his second-straight double-double early in the third quarter, and it would have been easy to miss. The passing skills make everyone better, but it’ll prove especially valuable for Allen and Mobley.

He only attempted four shots from the field, but took 12 free throws to make up for it. That rim pressure is something the Cavs were lacking with Darius Garland, who inexplicably failed to get to the free-throw line despite having an excellent handle and great speed. Harden’s ability to generate and absorb contact is a valuable tool in the playoffs.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jizzle James scored 24 points, Baba Miller had a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double, and Cincinnati rolled past Kansas State 91-62 on Wednesday night.

Miller also recorded six assists and four blocked shots. He has 11 double-doubles this season and is one of three players nationally with the stat line of at least 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game.

James buried 6 of 8 3-pointers and Jalen Celestine, who scored 18 points, made 4 of 6 3s. The Bearcats hit on 16 of 28 3-pointers.

Sencire Harris scored 12 points, and Day Day Thomas added 10 for Cincinnati (13-12, 5-7 Big 12).

Needing 31 points to reach 2,000 for his career, K-State’s P.J. Haggerty scored 24. With seven more points, he will join Gonzaga’s Graham Ike, Indiana’s Tucker DeVries and Oklahoma’s Nijel Pack as the only active Division I players with 2,000 points.

Celestine, Miller and James all hit two 3-pointers as Cincinnati opened the game with 6 of 8 3s, building a 30-11 lead in the first eight minutes. The Bearcats led 53-31 at halftime after shooting 57% from the floor and making 9 of 14 3-pointers.

A 10-0 run helped Cincinnati stretch the lead to 28 points early in the second half, and the margin peaked at 32 when Jordi Rodriguez hit a 3 with about 3 minutes remaining.

The Bearcats won on the road for the first time this season after being 0-6 in true road games.

The Wildcats (10-14, 1-10) have lost five straight.

Up next

Kansas State: The Wildcats hit the road to play No. 3 Houston on Saturday.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats return home to face Utah on Sunday.

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The Dallas Mavericks (19-34) will try to end their eight-game losing skid on Thursday at 9 p.m. as they play the Los Angeles Lakers (32-21) at Crypto.com Arena. The game, both teams’ last before the All-Star break, will be the fourth in an eight-game homestand for the Lakers, who last played Tuesday in a 136-108 scheduled loss to San Antonio in which LeBron James (foot, back-to-back rest), Luka Dončić (hamstring), Austin Reaves (calf), Marcus Smart (ankle), and Deandre Ayton (knee) did not play.

For the Mavericks, who last played Tuesday in a 120-111 loss to Phoenix, the game will be the third of a six-game road trip. Against the Suns they were led in scoring by Naji Marshall’s 31 points, and as a team made only five of their 22 attempts from three. Flagg, who scored 27 in that game, will sit against the Lakers with a foot injury. He’ll miss the Rising Stars game All-Star weekend but is expected to return after the break.

The game’s emotional resonance as well as its on-court play will be greatly impacted by the absence of Dončić, who last played Feb. 5, sustaining a hamstring injury in win against Philadelphia. The approaching break presents an opportunity for a long recovery in preparation for a playoff run, though Luka has expressed a desire to play in the All-Star game if healthy. Without Luka, the Lakers have played some pretty good ball, winning both their first two games, then hanging tough against the Thunder in a 119-100 loss before throwing their reserves and two-way players into the deep end against the Spurs. The 41 year-old James can still run a team, averaging 21 points and 10 assists in the two complete games without Luka, but their championship aspirations depend on both stars’ health.

Deep cover

The biggest change in the Lakers since these teams last met is the recent addition of shooting guard Luke Kennard, who arrived in a Feb. 5 trade with Atlanta. In three games with the Lakers, Kennard is a cumulative 4-of-9 from three-point range. Kennard joins forward Rui Hachimura (.448 three-point percentage this year) as elite deep threats for the Lakers. They need it in Dončić’s absence; one notable deficit in James’ game this year has been his long-range shooting; the career 35% three-point shooter is making only 30.5 of his tries in 2025-26.

Paging Max Power

Dallas’ current slide overlaps perfectly with a cold stretch for the team from 3-point range, having connected on just 9.37 threes per game during that time; and overlaps nearly perfectly with a cold stretch from guard Max Christie, whose most recent standout performance came Jan. 24 in the first game of the streak, a 116-110 loss to the Lakers in which he made 4-of-10 from 3-point range on the way to 24 points. In the seven games since, Christie has shot 11-of-43 from deep for a .255 percentage, leaving the club without a reliable outside threat to keep defenses honest (Klay Thompson is a middling 15-of-43 in the same span). Shooters have many ups and downs over a season, though Christie’s recent issues also correlate with the team’s instability at point guard, with Ryan Nembhard, Brandon Williams, and Tyus Jones each getting turns at the starting role lately. Though it’s just a four-game sample, Christie has historically performed well against the Lakers, his former team, averaging 14.5 points on .385 shooting from 3-point territory. Dallas is 0-4 in those games.

If it seems like this piece is especially focused on 3-point shooting, it’s because there’s not a lot to focus on at center for the Lakers. While the springy Hayes is an exciting lob threat, neither he nor Ayton, questionable for Thursday, have looked like a long-term answer for a championship contender. The Lakers seemed likely to try to upgrade there at the deadline, instead addressing their other deficiency as a contender by adding a serious deep threat in Kennard. The Mavericks and Lakers, two franchises forever linked over Luka, also feature the two players drafted ahead of him in 2018: Ayton (No. 1) and new Mavericks reserve center Marvin Bagley III (No. 2). Bagley, 8-of-10 from the field so far as a Maverick, could well end up the more appealing player of the two.

Familiar faces

Even though fans of the Mavericks’ odds in NBA draft lottery have had much to salivate over during the Mavericks’ recent stretch of futility, fans of watchable basketball have had to make do with scraps of competitiveness, such as the 18-1 second-half run that cut the Suns’ lead in half Tuesday. Meanwhile, for fans of NBA players with local ties, the Lakers bring a rich tapestry of Remembering Some Guys, including Marcus Smart (Flower Mound Marcus HS), Drew Timme (J.J. Pearce HS), Jaxson Hayes (University of Texas), Maxi Kleber (a Maverick from 2017-25), and assistant coach Scott Brooks (a Maverick in 1994-95).

How to watch/listen

Thursday’s game will be broadcast on Prime Video; you can catch the radio broadcast on KEGL 97.1FM (English) or KFZO 99.1FM (español).

Kawhi Leonard had 8 points going into the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers only trailed the Houston Rockets by six. Why were the Rockets only up by six when the Clippers best player had been put in check for three quarters? In large part it was the fact that going into the fourth quarter the Rockets had already committed 15 turnovers and had zero fast break points.

The Rockets would go on to finish the game with 21 turnovers that lead to 23 Clippers points. The Clippers also had 22 points in transition to the Rockets 2 fast break points. Oh, by the way, Kawhi Leonard finished the game with 27 points on 9-of-20 shooting, 19 of those points coming in the fourth. Though the Rockets led at one point by 15 points, their sloppy play allowed the Clippers to hang around while Kawhi was not playing well.

The Rockets flipped the script from the previous game against the Clippers just the night before. In that game they struggled early and picked it up in the second half. On Wednesday, the Rockets looked fantastic in the first half. Ball movement was crisp, they were making the extra pass, giving up the good shots for great ones, and pounding the Clippers on the boards. It was the typical formula the Rockets depend on when they are playing well and winning. Then in the third quarter the formula that comes back to bite them kicked in and it cost them.

The Rockets only scored 46 points in the second half, while giving up 59 to the Clips. Kevin Durant struggled for much of the game as the Los Angeles stayed crowded around them both. Early on it looked as if Reed Sheppard would be that spark off the bench that would push the Rockets over the top. However, after scoring 14 points in the first half, Sheppard finished the game with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting in 25 minutes on the floor. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun finished with 21 points and 16 points respectively.

Jabari Smith had a strong stat line with 16 points and 12 rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting, but he missed two critical shots in the fourth quarter, one of them a wide open three-pointer from the corner in front of his own bench. Amen Thompson played 40 minutes and scored 12 points on eight shots and added 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

It was ultimately, once again, the Rockets inability to handle full or half court pressure and get into their offensive sets that cost them. Too many turnovers leading to too many points in the opposite direction and not enough opportunities to score themselves down the stretch, giving up 6 of their 21 turnovers in the fourth quarter. There is no doubt that until the Rockets figure this part out, their lack of movement before the trade deadline to add a veteran ball-handler will loom large.

All things being said, the Houston Rockets will head into the All-Star break with the fourth best record in the Western Conference. They boast two of the top 25 players in the league, and they do have a young core that is still developing and still learning how to play together and how to play with one of the greatest scorers of all-time in Kevin Durant.

I know that Rockets fans want more from this team. In fact, many of us expect more. Putting things in perspective though, the Rockets are in a good place and can still continue to improve and control their own destiny. Hopefully, this all-star break will give everyone time to step back, look at the big picture and realize that we are truly fortunate to not only have NBA basketball in H-Town but to have a team that is relevant and that garners our high- expectations. Enjoy the break TDS faithful! Let’s cheer hard for Reed in the Rising Stars game, and cheer for Alpi and KD in the all-star game. Let’s get everyone back healthy and get things in gear for a strong second half.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 18 points, and Tennessee used a second-half rally to beat Mississippi State 73-64 on Wednesday.

Tennessee (17-7, 7-4 SEC) led 39-28 at halftime, overcoming a fast start from Josh Hubbard, who scored 14 of Mississippi State’s first 16 points and finished with 20 in the opening half. Hubbard also tied the program record for career 3-pointers during the game. Gillespie opened the second half with seven straight points as the Volunteers extended the margin to 46-30.

Mississippi State (11-13, 3-8) used an 18-0 run early in the second half to close the gap, but Tennessee answered immediately. Gillespie hit a 3-pointer, Nate Ament scored inside and J.P. Estrella added two free throws to stretch the margin once again. The Bulldogs never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

Ament scored 16 points on 5 of 12 shooting and added five assists for Tennessee. Estrella finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Gillespie also recorded four assists and five rebounds. The Volunteers shot 44% and held a 45-31 rebounding advantage.

Hubbard scored 31 points for Mississippi State, going 13 of 24 from the field and 4 of 9 from 3-point distance. The Bulldogs shot 41% and went 7 of 13 at the line.

Up next

Tennessee hosts LSU on Saturday.

Mississippi State travels to Ole Miss on Saturday.

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The Phoenix Suns had a very tough time tonight. It was all Thunder from the jump. The Suns were outplayed in every phase of the game, and that was that. OKC led by as many as 37.

They are 32-23 heading into the All-Star Break, and they enter having lost 3 of their last 4 games. Not ideal, but at least they will more than likely have Devin Booker and Jalen Green back.

Dillon Brooks will be suspended for their first game back from the break against the Spurs, unless it is rescinded. Here is the path ahead for him:

Game Flow

First Half

Royce O’Neale kicked off the night with a splash from deep on the opening possession of the game. It was a fast-paced game early on, with the teams trading buckets and pushing in transition.

Suns wing Dillon Brooks was not shy, which was expected in a game without Booker, Green, and Allen.

Dillon hit the spin move 🌪️🌪️ pic.twitter.com/JTn3NttkS3

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 12, 2026

The teams were tied at 12 apiece through the opening 3:20 of the game. OKC then went on a push propelled by their bench to push them to a 23-16 lead with 5 minutes left in the first.

Jordan Ott called for a timeout with 3:26 remaining in the quarter after the Thunder pulled ahead by eight, 28-20. The three-ball was not falling, and OKC was getting buckets with ease off the drive, extending their lead to 12.

Mark Williams and Royce O’Neale led the Suns with 6 points each after the opening quarter. Phoenix trailed 37-25. The Thunder were paced by 9 early points from Luguentz Dort.

🟠⚪️⚪️⚪️@match_mortgage | #SunsUppic.twitter.com/aRSgt4v9gu

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 12, 2026

The second quarter started with more of the same, with the Thunder pushing their lead up to 18, 52-34. The shots weren’t falling for Phoenix, and Oklahoma City made them pay early and often.

Kenrich Williams lost the ball out of bounds, and it was clearly off him, only for the official to miss the call and give it to the Thunder. He then, of course, drilled a three as the shot clock expired.

Then Dillon Brooks let the refs know about it, picking up that magical 16th technical foul of the season.

The refs missed a call that led to an OKC three-pointer, then the next possession, Dillon Brooks picked up his 16th technical foul of the season.

He will be suspended for the first game after the ASB against the Spurs.

— Zona (@AZSportsZone) February 12, 2026

Things started to snowball, with the Thunder hitting the bonus halfway through the 2nd quarter, and drilling three after three from deep. It was all Thunder in the second quarter; they led 75-52 entering the break. Their bench poured in 41 points, opposed to Phoenix’s 12 bench points in the opening 24 minutes.

There wasn’t much to write home about in the first half.

Second Half

Dillon Brooks scored five points in the first 2 minutes to spark a little bit of life into what looked like a lifeless team heading into halftime.

As the Thunder tend to do, they matched every punch thrown their way by the Suns and kept their lead intact. They went on an 11-0 run to push their lead out to 92-60.

Jalen Williams was absolutely torching them in every way possible in his return home. He was 11 for 11 with 26 points in 19 minutes with 4:30 left in the third. The Suns had no answer for him…. or anyone else for that matter.

I’ll spare you the full breakdown and recap it like this: The Thunders didn’t miss very often, and their bench played like the ’93 Chicago Bulls.

Garbage time unleashed some rookie minutes for Rasheer Fleming, Khaman Maluach, and even Koby Brea. The 4th quarter was slightly less brutal and somewhat enjoyable at times for the sickos that stuck around.

Koby Brea made some threes. Woo!

Couple of Koby Brea three's, Khaman Maluach stops on the switch + a dunk, Rasheer Fleming knocking down a corner 3.

Suns young guns getting on the box score late in this one. pic.twitter.com/6q1a30AaZP

— Stephen PridGeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) February 12, 2026

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Up Next

The All-Star Break! It’s much needed. We get to see Devin Booker in the 3PT contest and ASG, and Mat Ishbia in the Celebrity Game. Plus, the rest of the squad gets to regroup for a playoff push.

CLEVELAND — Things couldn’t be going better for the Cleveland Cavaliers after acquiring James Harden at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden has fit in seamlessly with what the team is trying to do. As a result, the Cavs’ offense has looked exceptional, they’ve rattled off three straight wins, and have a good chance at taking a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Harden could be the missing piece to a championship-caliber team.

At the same time, Harden has become the ultimate basketball mercenary. He’s one of the very best players of his generation, but is on the sixth team of his career and his fourth team since 2022.

Harden is hardly the only one who fits into this category. Kevin Durant, his former teammate with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets, is on his third team in four years.

Moving teams this often isn’t the exception. It’s become the norm, even for phenomenal players who are still playing at an exceptionally high level.

According to Harden, this is just the result of the NBA being a business.

“It’s basketball, the whole quote on quote loyalty thing is, I think it’s overrated,” Harden said before going exactly into what has led to this kind of environment.

“I think this is a business at the end of the day, and it’s a lot of money involved and a lot of decisions that have to be made. If a player isn’t producing, or if you don’t see him in your future, you know, if the front office, some of them have to do a job and want to keep their job. So they feel like they got to do what’s best keep their job, and they trade players.

“Or if a guy isn’t happy and he wants to be traded to somewhere else, then it’s a problem. It’s just so many different dynamics that go into it. It’s just a business at the end of the day. Not even just the NBA, but people that have normal jobs, have those same problems. It’s just not magnified.

For me, it’s always about, like, I don’t lose focus on trying to compete for a championship. And then financially, making sure that my family is taken care of, you know what I mean? Because I’m very smart, and I’ve sacrificed a lot financially, which I don’t get credit for that, that don’t get talked about, but I’m fulfilled, and I’m happy with it.

“But like, winning a championship, or at least having a chance to. And then financially getting paid, me being available and playing at the highest level for so long.”

It’s hard to argue with a lot of what Harden said. And, he’s seen both aspects of this dynamic better than most. He was traded away from Oklahoma City in his third season — from what could’ve been one of the greatest collections of talent ever assembled — before that group came close to reaching their potential. That perspective probably lends to Harden’s jaded view.

At the same time, it’s understandable that fans wouldn’t like an environment where they don’t know if their star player is going to stay with their favorite team for more than a few seasons.

“It’s a different age, I guess that’s it,” Donovan Mitchell said when asked the same question. “That’s just what it is, right? You adapt. I don’t know where it started. You adapt and figure things out. … I’m not mad. It’s one of those things where you adapt, and you try to go out there and do what you got to do.”

This is what the NBA is, and likely what it will be. The combination of the salary cap restrictions and player empowerment has created this environment. And it isn’t changing anytime soon.

“This is a business at the end of the day,” Harden said, “so I feel like players should ultimately do what’s best for them, and [the] front office does what’s best for them and their owner and their organization.

“So, there’s two sides of a story.”

The Dallas Mavericks announced that Cooper Flagg underwent an MRI, which revealed a left midfoot sprain.

The injury is expected to keep him out of action for the rest of the week, including the Mavericks' game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Flagg suffered the injury during a game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

The injury will also keep him out of the NBA's All-Star weekend festivities, according to reporter Marc Stein.

The rookie was expected to compete for Team Melo in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday.

Flagg had averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 49 games played this season. He's considered the favorite for the NBA's Rookie of the Year based on odds at BetMGM.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg injury update: Mavs rookie out for NBA All-Star event