BOSTON — Jrue Holiday ran into Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman, Celtics staffers and Jordan Walsh while doing mobility drills in the hallway on Monday afternoon. Walsh and Holiday, who mentored the rookie during his first NBA season, talked about shoes. Walsh inquired if Holiday had anything for him. Holiday quipped Walsh doesn’t wear his shoe size.
“Different on the other side now, but it feels good,” Holiday told reporters moments before Celtics-Blazers. “Glad to be back, see a lot of familiar faces and excited to play.”
Holiday again discussed the Celtics’ front office being upfront that he would likely be traded last offseason due to second apron penalties, and appreciated the heads-up Stevens gave before Boston executed a trade to send him to Portland. Holiday briefly landed with the Blazers in 2023 in the Damian Lillard trade before Portland flipped him to Boston in a trade that involved Robert Williams III. Williams III also made his first on-court return to the TD Garden since that trade on Monday after two injury-riddled seasons away from Boston.
Those relationships from that brief crossover helped Holiday land more softly with the Blazers this time around, who he’s led through their continued rebuild, Chauncey Billups’ arrest in October, Lillard’s recovery from Achilles surgery in his return to the Blazers and Tiago Splitter’s ascension to interim head coach. Holiday missed 27 games with a hamstring injury, sitting out the Blazers’ win over the Celtics in Portland late last month before returning to average 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 46.2% shooting through his first six games back. He hasn’t been surprised with the Celtics’ success since losing him and several contributors to the 2024 championship.
“I knew that they’d do well, knowing the type of determination that this coaching staff and organization has,” Holiday said. “Being with this team for a couple of years now and knowing the type of players that they are and how they prepare, I figured that they’d be good and obviously knowing Jaylen, I feel like he takes a lot of things personally, so he doesn’t accept a lot, especially when it comes to being bad.”
Holiday said Jaylen Brown took the postseason loss to the Knicks in May personally, and credited Joe Mazzulla’s communication and coaching methods for their success as well. He also mentioned Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Queta and the coaching staff’s defiance to being proven out as drivers of success this season.
Mazzulla, who usually doesn’t comment on opposing players, even family members and returning Celtics, made an exception for Holiday. He praised Holiday’s off-court contributions as much as what he brought to Boston on the court, which included an XChange business incubator program across several cities including Boston, that Holiday remains invested in alongside Brown.
“The biggest thing that stands out is who he is as a person,” Mazzulla said. “When you take a look at a guy who’s a champion and an All-Star and comes in and accepts a completely different role, and does it with a smile on his face and does it with a level of respect and professionalism and is willing to do what it takes to win every night … the love he had for his wife, taking a year off and being there for his family and his kids and the relationship that he and his wife have, all that stuff sticks out more than the basketball, so it was great having him for the time that we did and I love him to death.”
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — England captain Harry Brook won his first toss of the series and elected to bat in the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Brook criticized the track in the second ODI as the “worst pitch” he’s ever played on despite the visitors winning the game by five wickets and levelling the series 1-1.
England retained the same spin-heavy XI that troubled Sri Lanka in the second game. Zak Crawley couldn’t recover from his knee injury, which means Rehan Ahmed will once again open the batting with Ben Duckett.
Sri Lanka, which hasn’t lost a bilateral home series over the last five years, brought in ace spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in place of fast bowler Pramod Madushan as the wicket is expected to help slow bowlers.
Hasaranga was rested for the first two games with the T20 World Cup starting on Feb. 7.
England: Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid.
Luka Doncic had 17 points and eight assists in the first half of Monday's game [Getty Images]
Luka Doncic put on another scoring masterclass with 46 points as the Los Angeles Lakers claimed a 129-118 victory at the Chicago Bulls.
The Slovenia guard's haul included eight three-pointers, and he also registered seven rebounds and 12 assists at the United Center to end the Bulls' four-game unbeaten run.
Doncic becomes the quickest Laker to reach 2,000 points - achieving the feat in his 65th game since he was traded by the Dallas Mavericks last February.
It was the fourth match in a row that the 26-year-old has finished with more than 30 points and he tops the NBA scoring charts with an average of 33.8 points per game.
He joins Kobe Bryant as the only players in Lakers history with at least 45 points, 10 assists and five three-pointers in a single game.
LeBron James added 24 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Lakers with Rui Hachimura hitting 23 points off the bench.
Despite Doncic's achievements, Lakers coach JJ Redick admitted after the game that the superstar still gives him some anxious moments on the sidelines.
"He's an engine that's fully on and he likes to create out there and that's part of what makes him a great player," he said.
"Because I played with him, I have a pretty good understanding of that - not to say it doesn't test your patience at times.
"You have to be willing to live with some of the stuff he tries because more often than not you will get a great result."
Friday afternoon, a massive "ICE Out" rally in downtown Minneapolis ended at the Target Center, a gathering so large that more than half the people attending the march could not get in the door of the arena. Then Saturday saw more protests and the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a federal officer, which in turn sparked even larger protests and an outpouring of grief and anger in the city and around the nation. The NBA wisely postponed the Timberwolves game at the Target Center that night.
Sunday, that game was played, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr described it as one of the "most bizarre, sad games I've ever been a part of." The Timberwolves' hearts were clearly not in it, they scored just 85 points (their first time under 100 this season) and the Warriors picked up an easy win.
Monday, life and the NBA kept moving on. The Warriors and Timberwolves played again, and people at the Target Center Monday night said things were still "quiet," the vibe was a bit somber and "weird."
However, maybe things looked and felt slightly better by the time the game ended. The Timberwolves looked distracted again at the start, but got a spark off the bench from Bones Hyland that seemed to turn things around. Minnespota went on to pick up a win against a shorthanded Golden State squad behind 17 from Hyland and 18 from Julius Randle. It snapped the Timberwolves' five-game losing streak— right now, Minnesota will take all the wins it can get. On and off the court.
"It's a lot, a lot…" Rudy Gobert said after the win during an interview on Peacock. "We are here doing what we love, give people joy and distract them from the bad things that are happening. That's all we can do. Stay safe, send love to the people that are affected, and keep doing what we do. Try to lead by example. People need some joy in these times."
This is still a city and a state reeling from the killing of Pretti over the weekend, and Renee Good a couple of weeks before. Protests still fill the streets in Minneapolis, and that vibe certainly was still in the air at the Target Center — there were "f*** Ice" chants during the game (including at the end of a moment of silence for Pretti. Even the Timberwolves trampoline dunk team was wearing "ICE Out" shirts Sunday.
Monday, during one break in play, as the cameras panned the crowd and showed fans on the jumbotron, a couple of fans held up “ICE Out Now!” signs, and a huge cheer rose from the crowd.
It wasn't just inside the Target Center where players were making their voices heard. There was former Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, for one.
What is happening in the Twin Cities and the Great North Star State is heartbreaking to witness. These events have cost lives and shaken families — and we must call for accountability, transparency, and protections for all people. This moment demands that we reflect honestly on…
There were other players around the league making comments or voicing their opinions.
"There's a lot of change that needs to happen, and when you're here, you feel it..." Stephen Curry said after the Warriors win Sunday. "It was amazing to watch the turnout and the peaceful protests and the unified voice that was there. You feel that would kind of turn the tide into a more positive direction … and then you wake up and see what happened."
"Knowing what my values are and what I stand for really all day yesterday I was disgusted," Brianna Stewart said after an Unrivaled game in Miami. "Everything you see on IG and in the news, we're so fueled by hate right now instead of love. I wanted to have a simple message of 'abolish ICE,' which means to uplift families and communities, having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence. When human lives are at stake, it's bigger than anything else."
Breanna Stewart with an important message ahead of today’s matchup with Vinyl BC: pic.twitter.com/aetUQv1OAH
"For the second time in less than three weeks, we've lost another beloved member of our community in the most unimaginable way," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said pregame Sunday. "As an organization, we are heartbroken for what we are having to witness and endure and watch, and we just want to extend our thoughts, prayers, and concern for Mr. Pretti's family, all the loved ones, and everyone involved in such a unconscionable situation in a community that we really love, full of people who are by nature, peaceful, and prideful…
"I'm more than a resident. This is my home. I love living here. I love being a part of this community. I've been embraced from day one. People have been amazing. It's sad to watch what is happening. On the human level, certainly as somebody who takes great pride in being here, I know a lot of our players feel the same. They all love being here, and it's just hard to watch what we're going through."
Maybe Monday night's win was a small step toward bringing some joy and starting to help a community heal.
Chicago Bulls (23-23, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (11-36, 14th in the Eastern Conference)
Indianapolis; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers host Nikola Vucevic and the Chicago Bulls.
The Pacers are 7-24 in Eastern Conference games. Indiana is 5-28 against opponents with a winning record.
The Bulls are 3-7 against the rest of the division. Chicago allows 119.9 points to opponents while being outscored by 2.0 points per game.
The Pacers score 110.2 points per game, 9.7 fewer points than the 119.9 the Bulls allow. The Bulls are shooting 47.7% from the field, 0.6% lower than the 48.3% the Pacers' opponents have shot this season.
The teams play for the third time this season. In the last meeting on Dec. 6 the Pacers won 120-105 led by 36 points from Siakam, while Coby White scored 22 points for the Bulls.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jay Huff is scoring 8.3 points per game and averaging 3.7 rebounds for the Pacers. Siakam is averaging 21.8 points and 7.6 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Vucevic is averaging 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Bulls. White is averaging 16.3 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 5-5, averaging 108.2 points, 44.7 rebounds, 29.2 assists, 8.0 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.0 points per game.
Bulls: 6-4, averaging 118.2 points, 43.4 rebounds, 31.8 assists, 7.2 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.9 points.
INJURIES: Pacers: Obi Toppin: out (foot), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).
Bulls: Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Zach Collins: out (toe), Tre Jones: out (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Ryan Rollins and the Milwaukee Bucks visit Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers in Eastern Conference action.
The 76ers are 18-17 in conference play. Philadelphia has a 12-6 record in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Bucks are 14-14 against Eastern Conference opponents. Milwaukee allows 115.5 points to opponents and has been outscored by 3.6 points per game.
The 76ers average 116.1 points per game, 0.6 more points than the 115.5 the Bucks allow. The Bucks average 111.9 points per game, 3.9 fewer than the 115.8 the 76ers allow.
The teams play for the third time this season. The 76ers won the last matchup 116-101 on Dec. 6. Quentin Grimes scored 22 points to help lead the 76ers to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Grimes is scoring 13.3 points per game and averaging 3.8 rebounds for the 76ers. Maxey is averaging 24.9 points and 2.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Rollins is scoring 16.1 points per game and averaging 4.5 rebounds for the Bucks. AJ Green is averaging 2.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: 76ers: 4-6, averaging 110.8 points, 41.6 rebounds, 23.0 assists, 10.9 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.3 points per game.
Bucks: 4-6, averaging 108.0 points, 41.4 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 6.8 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.0 points.
INJURIES: 76ers: Charles Bassey: day to day (personal), Paul George: day to day (knee), Joel Embiid: day to day (knee).
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (calf), Kevin Porter Jr.: out (oblique), Taurean Prince: out (neck).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Atlanta Hawks (23-25, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (29-17, second in the Eastern Conference)
Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta looks to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Hawks take on Boston.
The Celtics are 21-11 in conference play. Boston is 13-11 against opponents with a winning record.
The Hawks are 11-17 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta is 5-6 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Celtics average 15.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.4 more made shots on average than the 13.3 per game the Hawks give up. The Hawks average 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 more makes per game than the Celtics give up.
The teams play for the second time this season. The Celtics won the last matchup 132-106 on Jan. 18. Jaylen Brown scored 41 points to help lead the Celtics to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Derrick White is shooting 39.1% and averaging 17.6 points for the Celtics. Brown is averaging 26.2 points over the last 10 games.
Jalen Johnson is averaging 23 points, 10.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 3.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 6-4, averaging 113.2 points, 46.3 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 7.5 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.7 points per game.
Hawks: 6-4, averaging 115.0 points, 44.1 rebounds, 30.6 assists, 10.1 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.1 points.
INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Luka Garza: out (illness).
Hawks: Kristaps Porzingis: out (achilles), Zaccharie Risacher: day to day (knee), N'Faly Dante: out for season (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
This is the sort of game the Rockets should win going away. The Memphis Grizzlies, shorthanded as almost always, and without Ja Morant, as per usual, should be the sort of team the Rockets beat. Not that they’re a bad team, or have bad players, they’re one of the deeper teams in the NBA, full of generally good players. They’re just always injured, and usually missing at least one of their two stars. The draft picks they got for Desmond Bane will no doubt help them draft still more good, but constantly injured players, but that doesn’t help them much in the present.
To which I say, aw, that’s too bad.
Meanwhile the Rockets were as full strength as they’re likely to be for a while, though I suspect a fair few of them are battling illness. Jabari Smith in particular had that “I’ve got to choose to when to expend energy.” look tonight, and was sometimes out of the game, and not on the bench.
Meanwhile, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson looked great, while Kevin Durant seems to be The Terminator of Mid Range Shots.
The Rockets have a problem of playing down to their competition, and they knew Memphis wasn’t really on their level, too. Memphis, for its part, seemed to have ignored that part, and played hard, and to win. They fielded a really small team overall, and that caused the Rockets a lot of problems defensively. Or seemed to, anyway.
What I mean by that is, Memphis scored a lot of easy seeming points, and grabbed a bunch of offensive boards by taking advantage of being smaller and quicker and getting to long rebounds more often. But what did all that add up to in the end? 99 points. So did the Rockets play bad defense? You can’t tell by the scoreboard, and that, after all, is what matters. For all the seemingly easy looks, Memphis shot 37% overall, and 19% from three point range on high volume. They scored 30 points in the second quarter, and never broke 24 in any other.
Maybe we’ve all been infected by Ime Udoka? He seems to regard any points scored on the Rockets as a deep insult, and likely a character flaw on the part of the defender. It’s an impossible standard, and when you look at a point total under 100 points, it’s hard to see what exactly the Rockets did so poorly overall.
The Rockets offense faltered a bit, too, until the fourth quarter when the Rockets stopped messing around, and put the Grizzlies away, 32-22.
There were three notable things tonight from Rockets players. One was a return to inside dominance for Alperen Sengun. As Memphis could only send Santi Aldama and Jaren Jackson Jr at Sengun. (I think JJJ is defensively an overrated player. He does stuff that looks great, but apart from highlights, he doesn’t seem do all that much overall, for a max player). Anyway, those two weren’t close to enough. Alperen Sengun went for 33pts/9rbs/6ast/1stl. He went 15-17 shooting. One of his misses was a late clock 3pt grenade thrown to him by Tari Eason. He shot 3-4 on FTs, and simply dominated inside on offense.
The second thing is that Amen has been generally excellent as a point guard lately. It helps that his teammates now occasionally indulge in the vice known as “Offense” from time to time, but this is mainly thanks to Amen playing the position better all the time, it seems. Tonight Amen had 14 assists to 4 turnovers, to go with 8pts, 8rbs and 1stl. He also played some really good defense.
A brief word about turnovers. For me, they come in different flavors. Some are careless, some are the result of panic, some are because a player is bad at dribbling, or passing, and some are bad judgment or as is often the case with the Rockets, from over passing, forcing a pass, rather than just taking a decent shot opportunity. Those are a problem. Some turnovers are a result of useful aggression, of attempting to break a defense, to find and involve teammates, that fail. Just as every missed shot isn’t the same, every turnover isn’t the same. The second group aren’t turnovers that bother me. Most of Amen’s 4 tonight were of that variety. He’s not panicking when he’s trapped or picks up his dribble anymore.
The third thing is Kevin Durant. It must be dispiriting to play against him. Well, it was certainly dispiriting to watch him play against the Rockets, most nights. A defense can do everything well against him, and it just won’t matter. Tonight he scored 33pts on 11-24 shooting, went 4-9 from three point range, and grabbed 8 boards, dished a couple of assists, and had a block. He does turn the ball over in odd, and frustrating ways, but since a high in Philly, he seems to have become much more careful. Some turnovers you’re just going to have to live with if you make Durant a play initiator, rather than just a scorer and finisher. As long as the number stays low, that’s fine.
Kevin Durant, however, truly shouldn’t be one of the highest minutes per game players in the NBA. There’s enough talent on the Rockets roster that if used properly can prevent this. But we’re seeing what every coach seems to see with KD. It’s just so easy to have him just fix all the offensive weaknesses, simply by being Kevin Durant. And so the minutes, and points pile up. Until they don’t.
Anyhow, a solid, if slightly concerning win. For all the gloom and doom, the Rockets are 16-3 at home. OKC is 20-4, Detroit is 18-4. The Rockets have played 19 at home, to 25 on the road. Next up, a sterner test against San Antonio on Wednesday, in Houston.
Ironically, on a night when the Bulls seemingly could not miss from three, the Lakers had one of their best defensive performances of the season. The box score does not bear it out too much, but that felt as locked in as the team has been defensively in some time.
It tailed off a bit in the fourth, but LA was creating turnovers and finishing stops with rebounds to end the possession. It was a strong showing on that end and even when Chicago opened the second half with a barrage of baskets, LA stayed focused and had a response that kept the game from resembling Saturday’s in Dallas.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
One thing I really appreciate about LaRavia is how often he is just running around the court. He’s really the perfect glue guy type.
The perfect sequence of that saw him chase a long rebound into the corner only to be beaten to the ball by a Bull. He hustled back, got in front of Nikola Vučević after an early three and boxed him out to secure the board on the other end.
It’s probably an aspect I don’t give him enough credit for.
A great three quarters for LeBron before a relatively quiet close. He had some ugly misses, but also some big fastbreak dunks. Another strong defensive night from him as well.
This is the fourth straight game that Ayton has not closed. One of those games was the Nuggets game when he got poked in the ye, but it’s still an interesting development.
This was about as steady a game as you could expect from Smart. Hig biggest contribution to Bulls fans, though, were the two missed freebies at the end.
This was as easy as it’s looked for Luka in a long time. It was perhaps his best performance from three this season. It also featured Luka closing a game out with some big threes, which hasn’t happened too often this year. That could be a sign of him and Redick finding better ways to pace things throughout the first three periods.
That was both cool and terrifying at the same time as he seemed to barely pull it off. Outside of that, I thought Hayes was actually really good defensively as he was part of some switching units that led to him needing to fly out to close outs on the perimeter which he did well.
After a strong fourth quarter in Dallas, Rui put together four great quarters in Chicago. He was red hot from the jump and gave the Lakers a huge boost off the bench, something they’ve rarely had this season.
The Golden State Warriors got their butts kicked on Monday night, and who can blame them? In addition to the standard absence of Jimmy Butler III, they were also playing without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Jonathan Kuminga, and Seth Curry. Even against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that’s on quite a skid, a win just wasn’t realistic.
Golden State gave it a good run for a while, but ran out of steam late in the first half and never recovered, ultimately losing 108-83 in their lowest-scoring game of the year. So let’s grade the players who played bigger roles than usual in a scheduled loss. 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 Monday’s games, league average TS was 58.0%.
I’ll talk about this again when we get to another player, but one of the things I’ve been noticing lately when the Warriors rest their starters is that the team really doesn’t seem to view Moody as being an offensive threat. He’s a quality role player, but even with all of their go-to scorers sidelined, the Dubs just don’t turn to Moody to be a scoring option.
Sure, he was only one field goal attempt shy of the team lead, but they were almost all rhythm shots, set up by teammates or by the flow of the offense. There was no sense of Okay, Moses, Steph’s out and everyone else is out, have the rock and feast.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just feels like a little bit of a peek behind the curtain for the team. While some players on the Warriors feel like role players because they share the court with future Hall of Famers, Moody feels more like a role player because he’s a role player. He’s often a very good role player, but in games where he doesn’t have that star cast around him, he doesn’t look very good. He also got taken off the dribble by Rudy Gobert a few times, which can’t happen.
Congrats to Santos on his first career double-double! He was all over the court in this one, and a big part of why the Warriors almost held their own on the glass against a team with Gobert and Julius Randle. He also showed off some seriously crafty moves, particularly with a slick reverse post move early in the contest.
He wasn’t efficient, though that’s a theme for the night. And he had more turnovers than you’d like, though that comes with being forced into more of a playmaking role than he’s supposed to have. It was a flawed game, certainly, but it felt like he played well and showed a lot.
Grade: B+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds, best plus/minus on the team.
A bit of a hot-and-cold game for Post. He showed some really nice stuff on offense, though ultimately wasn’t too inefficient. He got worked a bit on defense and the glass (Gobert had 17 boards), but had a few eye-opening plays.
Not his best work, but not his worst, either.
Grade: B- Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.
Leave it to Spencer to always bring the toughness. No one played harder in this game than Pat and, despite being mostly out of the rotation these days, he was counted on to lead the team in minutes and didn’t look at all exhausted despite moving at full speed.
Despite the poor shooting night for the team (the Warriors shot 34.7% from the field and 23.1% from deep), the offense often flowed beautifully … until the shot went up. And more often than not, the offense flowed beautifully because Spencer was getting the team into their sets and motions and keeping the ball moving. Sure, that resulted in more turnovers than is ideal, but the Wolves have a top-five defense and Spencer was playing the unexpected role of leading the offense. It happens. He played well.
Grade: A- Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.
So, let’s revisit what I wrote about Moody, because there was a distinct difference with Podziemski. It was clear from the plays the team ran, and the way Podziemski’s number was called, that they wanted him to be the go-to scorer in this game. He flashed some potential, as he had a few brilliant plays on offense.
Overall, though, he struggled to score, but again: the takeaway here is less about the results, and more about the process, and seeing what the Warriors wanted and how they value different players. Podz is less steady and less reliable than Moody, but it’s also pretty clear that Golden State views him as potentially being an impact scorer in a way that they don’t with Moses.
His hustle was great in this game. He was the team’s second-highest rebounder and, as he always does, drew some charges.
No, you’re not reading that incorrectly: Richard really did have six steals in this game. It was a masterclass of defensive engagement and activity. He was everywhere on that end of the court, with stunningly disruptive hands.
The offense? Not so much. But as with everyone here, he gets something of a pass given the situation. Gotta love the defense.
Hield shot 20% from the field, 0% from the free throw line, and got put in the spin cycle by Gobert 25 feet from the hoop. That’s all I have to say about that.
Grade: D Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
TJD gets an “A” for unintentional humor. Twice he came to the free throw line in the fourth quarter of a game that had long since been decided. The Wolves have a “Bricken for Chicken” special, where everyone gets free Chick-fil-A if an opposing player misses a pair of free throws in the second half. Both times, Jackson-Davis missed the front half of his free throws, turning the arena into a frenzy. Both times he made the second, resulting in an audible “awwww” from the crowd. It was pretty funny.
Other than that … well, he played pretty decently, I thought.
Leons entered the game having scored just two points in his short NBA career. He not only quadrupled that mark, but was the only Warriors player to shoot with above-average efficiency. And he ripped down five boards in nine minutes! Quite a nice showing for the two-way contract.
Grade: A+
Monday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford, Jonathan Kuminga, De’Anthony Melton
NBA legend Paul Pierce is facing a paternity lawsuit from a woman claiming he is the father of her unborn son.
Princess Santiago, an event director in Los Angeles, filed the suit on Jan. 12, according to TMZ Sports. She is demanding DNA testing from the 48-year-old former Celtics and Nets star to prove whether Pierce is the father.
Santiago, in a statement to TMZ, said the case is not about “drama or attention” but accountability and “doing what’s right for my child” after she claimed attempts to keep it out of court failed.
Paul Pierce speaks during Tony Allen’s jersey retirement ceremony on March 15, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images
“I filed for paternity papers after multiple attempts to resolve this privately,” Santiago said in a statement. “Paul Pierce is the father of my son, King, and I am simply asking for a paternity test so the truth can be confirmed.”
Santiago has posted multiple photos of her baby bump to her Instagram account startng in November 2025. Her latest post features her in a satin, blue robe with the caption: “It’s only up from here.”
Pierce’s lawyer had no comment when reached by TMZ.
Pierce has three children with his former wife Julie Landrum. The couple had been together since 2010 before divorcing in 2023.
The former Kansas star was drafted No. 10 overall in the 1998 draft and played 19 years in the NBA, ending his career with the Wizards and Clippers.
Pierce, a basketball Hall of Famer and former FS1 contributor, won his only NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008 and was the MVP of the Finals. He was a 10-time All-Star
Princess Santiago, pregnant and posing in front of a Christmas arch. Princess Santiago/Instagram
Is Jusuf Nurkic the most dangerous man in the NBA? I’m mostly joking, of course, because despite the fact that he’s on an unprecedented run of three consecutive triple-doubles (which was on nobody’s bingo card at the beginning of the season, don’t even pretend), it took a herculean performance from Keyonte George to claim the only Jazz win in that stretch, a five-point victory against Minnesota.
In the fourth game of this home stretch, Utah is still stumbling from back-to-back losses of 17 and 31 points.
So no, the NBA isn’t exactly cowering in fear at the Jokic-fication of Bosnia’s finest. Certainly not the red-hot Clippers, who have won so many games that they’re forcing non-believers to eat sheets of paper. Basketball is the weirdest sport ever, man.
So, what does this midseason matchup between two Western Conference foes have in store? Well, the host Jazz, now 15-31 and 3-7 in their last 10, have seemingly locked in their fate before the game has even tipped off. Just take a look at the injury report, which lists Keyonte George as out (rest) and Markkanen, Nurkic, and Love all as game-time decisions.
Especially against a team as hot as Los Angeles. The Clips desperately needed to climb out of the Tankathon race, given the fact that they do not own their own draft pick thanks to the increasingly awful SGA-Paul George deal. In case this point hasn’t been driven home to the Jazz’s deal with OKC, there is no reason to lose basketball games when you’re not fighting for ping pong balls.
It’s time to block Sam Presti’s number. Do not answer his calls, no matter how good the deal sounds.
Now at 21-24, they’ve crept up to the final Play-In spot in the Western Conference, and will not be in the habit of dropping shocking games to teams like Utah, which (truth be told) is not interested in stealing one from a winning team in the final half of the season.
The future is… kinda bleak for the Clippers at the moment, and that’s saying something for one of the most depressing teams in the history of basketball. Constantly in the shadow of their older, golder brothers down the road, the Clips took a chance on the duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and sent their submission to the NBA Finals. But that submission was… how do we put this? Lost in the mail, caught in the shuffle, passed up for more promising prospects, set ablaze in a fiery rage, take your pick.
Be it fate, karma, the glass skeletons of their cornerstone pieces, or some other act of the basketball gods, this era of the Los Angeles Clippers has been one of the most disappointing and cursed in the history of the game. Now with James Harden as their lead and Kawhi Leonard lounging on his recliner on the sidelines, what is this team capable of accomplishing as currently constructed?
There is no way out. Their stars are already past their primes, declining, and carrying nearly zero trade value. They have no option but to build through the draft. Their roster is expensive yet ineffective, and ownership is so all-in on making this team competitive at any cost. But they hit their ceiling a long time ago. They’re one of the awkward teams stuck in basketball purgatory.
As much as tanking can hurt a fanbase, it feels far preferable for a team to lose by choice rather than because they have no other choice. The Clippers are forced to cross their fingers and hope their team — as currently constructed — manages to break through behind a core of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Brutal.
So, when these two teams square off on Tuesday night, it’s important to understand the greater context of their competition. While Los Angeles is expected to win this game, their trajectory is one of decline, but Utah is just getting started.
How to watch Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers:
Date: Tuesday, Jan 27, 2026 Time: 8:00 PM MT Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT Channel: Jazz+, KJZZ Odds: LAC -10.5
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
It’s a frustrating omission that I’m sure Bailey will not be happy about. He has done everything the Jazz have asked him to, and his reward for much of this season was watching minutes go to Svi Mykhailiuk. With Lauri Markkanen missing time, Bailey has shown more and more consistency with some great flashes of talent. In the last 7 games minus Lauri Markkanen, Bailey has averaged 15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 48% from the field and playing impressive defense. What might have been for the young prospect had the Jazz prioritized playing time from the start of the season? At least we’ll all appreciate those developmental Mykhailiuk minutes in 5 years when … oh yeah …
It also deserves mention that Walter Clayton Jr. did not make a spot on the team but he has gotten even less time than Bailey so that’s not as much of a surprise.
That wasn’t the only snub for the Jazz. None of Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, or Kyle Filipowski made the sophomore team either.
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This is less of a surprise considering the level of play for all three has been up and down. Surprisingly, Cody Williams is probably the biggest snub here. His play in the last 10 games or so has been a welcome sight. He has shown great defensive potential and is starting to look like a real piece for the Jazz moving forward. Williams has started the last 10 games and has averaged 9.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, shooting 53% from the field and 35% from three. Those numbers are a revelation considering how rough his rookie season was.
It’s a nice stretch, but it wasn’t enough to get consideration. Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but you can bet the players pay attention to this. It matters to them. Utah can’t do anything at this point to get them into the game, they should have had a clear plan at the start of the season. That plan should have been to find a way not to have veterans taking time from their young players. Yes, that is happening now, but some arbitrary “gotta earn those minutes” rule kept the players from success, and that’s frustrating.
I have no doubt Bailey will be on the team next year, he’s proven just how good he can be, but it’s a lost opportunity that you can’t get back.
ORANGEBURG, S.C. (AP) — Owen Bronston Jr. had 15 points to guide South Carolina State to a 70-64 victory over Delaware State on Monday night.
Bronston did his scoring on 5-for-10 shooting from 3-point range for the Bulldogs (5-16, 3-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).
Jayden Johnson and James Morrow both scored 14 for South Carolina State and Florian Tenebay added 10 points.
Dean Shepherd scored 14 off the bench to lead the Hornets (5-15, 0-5), who have lost six in a row. Zion Bethea added 13 points and Miles Webb scored 11.
The NBA rescheduled Saturday’s game between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves to Sunday, because 24 hours is Adam Silver’s preferred hiatus after a federal agent commits murder. Once that happened, Coach Steve Kerr was going to rest his veterans on the unexpected back-to-back. While the shorthanded Warriors fought hard, the talent gap, quick turnaround, and mere presence of Naz Reid in an opposing jersey led to a 108-83 loss.
First, the positives. The Warriors backups still played really solid defense, holding the Timberwolves to 108 points, 12.5 less than what they’re averaging in January. Will Richard had six steals and the team racked up 14. Gui Santos had 11 points and 10 rebounds and the team was only -5 in his 26 minutes. Pat Spencer scored 10 points, dished six assists and grabbed five rebounds, and was only -10. Even Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski were good on the defensive end of the court, helping force Julius Randle into six turnovers.
But Rudy Gobert crushed them on the boards, collecting 17 rebounds. Reid crushed them from the perimeter, with 15 points, seven rebounds, and three triples. And old friend Donte DiVincenzo hit five threes, delivered eight assists, and even blocked three shots. Gobert blocked two shots, but the Warriors eventually began running away from him, like Greg Bovino fleeing Minneapolis for a cozy retirement.
The Warriors managed to hold it together without four veterans resting for approximately one-and-a-half quarters. Richard got a steal and a score to tie the game and it looked like this rag-tag crew of Warriors just might pull off the upset.
If you’re wondering how the rest of the game went, it’s important to note that the above clip was the final one posted by @NBCSWarriors and it happened with over 60% of the game yet to play. It was also the last highlight posted by the official Warriors account on X, the everything app, because the social media team may have also been load managing tonight.
With 6:30 to go in the second quarter, Gary Payton II made a layup to give the shorthanded Warriors a 34-32 lead. On their next possession, Forever Warrior Donte DiVincenzo blocked Richard, and on the next, GPII committed an offensive foul, and followed it up by committing a defensive foul.
Gui Santos came in and immediately scored with 4:22 to go, then the offense ground to a halt. The Warriors missed seven of their next eight shots, culminating in an emphatic rejection by Rudy Gobert in the final seconds of the half. For the first 18 minutes, the game was tied 34-34. For the next six, Minnesota outscored the Warriors, 19-4.
It was a similar story in the first quarter, when the Warriors scored only two points in the last four minutes. It’s not really the players’ fault — you can’t expect a ton of offense against a strong Timberwolves defense, particularly when it’s a lineup of Spencer-Payton-Richard-Hield-Jackson-Davis.
Quinten Post acquitted himself well in 16 first-half minutes, scoring eight points and sinking two of the team’s four threes. He wasn’t quite as good in the second half but still finished with a team-leading 13 points. Yes, 13 points.
You know who had to be furious about that stat line? Post’s new arch-enemy, Joe Ingles, who once nearly blinded Duke coach Jon Scheyer during a Summer League game, while playing for the Summer Dubs.
For all you Dutch basketball enthusiasts, 6-foot-9 Nederlander Malevy Leons notched six points, his first of the season for the Dubs. He also had four rebounds, an assist, and a steal, making King Wilhelm-Alexander and Queen Maxima incredibly proud. Joe Ingles did not seem upset with him after the game.
Payton fouled out in 12 minutes, which is not good but weirdly impressive, like when a small dog eats an entire wheel of cheese. His night ended when he committed a loose ball foul going for a rebound, then fouled Gobert as he grabbed another offensive board, though GPII didn’t stop him from dunking anyway.
This game was the least-interesting thing happening in Minnesota this week and Steve Kerr may as well have been putting his team on a general strike. The Warriors reserves played with a lot of heart and might have even pulled off a win against a worse team than the Timberwolves. But even without the injured Anthony Edwards, the Wolves have seven starter-caliber players, and that’s a tough matchup for the back of the Warriors’ bench.
The road trip concludes Wednesday in Salt Lake City, where the pretending-not-to-tank Utah Jazz await. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they’re resting Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, so they might face a full-strength Jazz unit — but don’t underestimate team president Danny Ainge’s ability to put his team in contention for lottery balls.
Don’t be surprised if Jusuf Nurkic’s mysterious illness, possibly caused by him scaring Ainge with a triple-double this week, lingers through Wednesday. Also possible: Cody Williams gets a hangnail, Kyle Filipowski has an allergic reaction to postum, or Svi Mykhailiuk injures his hand trying to spell his own last name. January basketball: It’s DNP-tastic!
