In a matchup that felt far more like May than January, the Pistons outlasted the Celtics 104–103 on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena, surviving a final Jaylen Brown jumper that fell just short at the buzzer.
The Celtics jumped out to an early 16–8 lead behind Brown’s scoring and strong defensive activity, but the momentum didn’t last long. Jalen Duren scored seven straight points to halt the run, setting the tone for what became a bruising night in the paint.
With four minutes remaining in the quarter, the game’s intensity boiled over. Thirty seconds after Isaiah Stewart checked in, he and Jaylen Brown were assessed double technical fouls following a brief altercation, punctuating an already physical opening quarter.
Boston closed the first with a narrow 29–26 advantage, but the warning signs were there.
Detroit seized control in the second, outscoring Boston 33–22 and flipping the game with defensive playmaking and physicality. Rim protection and activity disrupted Boston’s offensive rhythm, forcing turnovers that the Pistons consistently capitalized on. Detroit scored 19 points off Boston’s 14 turnovers.
Brown carried the scoring, while contributions came in waves from others. Five Celtics reached double figures, but Boston struggled to generate consistent offense against the NBA’s No. 2 defense. The Pistons’ defensive pressure, highlighted by emphatic blocks at the rim from Stewart and Cade Cunningham, helped build their confidence heading into the break.
Boston made its push coming out of halftime. A pair of Sam Hauser three-pointers and a short jumper trimmed the Pistons’ lead to one early in the third, injecting life back into the game.
Payton Pritchard provided a needed spark, scoring 10 points in the quarter to keep the Celtics within striking distance as Detroit leaned on hot shooting from Duncan Robinson and Tobias Harris to maintain its edge.
The game settled into a possession-by-possession battle from there.
The fourth quarter mirrored the rest of the night — physical, tense, and tightly contested. Boston had chances to take control and answered just enough to keep their hopes alive. Ultimately, a communication breakdown on a Tobias Harris three-pointer and a pair of missed free throws from Brown proved to be the difference.
Down one in the final moments, the Celtics put the ball in Brown’s hands for a potential game-winner. His jumper was off the mark, and Detroit escaped with the one-point victory.
WHAT A GAME. Jaylen Brown's shot bounces off the rim and the Pistons hold on to win! 😱 pic.twitter.com/ZCYnI05qDH
The Celtics showed fight and resilience, but the Pistons’ second-quarter surge and defensive connectivity proved decisive. Brown led Boston’s scoring effort with 32 points, and played a large part in Cade Cunningham’s quiet 16-point outing. Tobias Harris’ 25 points, Jalen Duren’s 18 points and nine rebounds, and Duncan Robinson’s five three-pointers elevated the Pistons just out of the Celtics’ reach.
Payton Pritchard chipped in 17 points, while Sam Hauser put together another solid night with 16 points on four made threes. Derrick White’s 1-for-11 outing was difficult to dismiss in a game where both sides were searching for production.
This one came down to margins — a missed shot, poor ball security, and missed free throws. Detroit flexed their muscles defensively, and handled those moments just a bit better.
The Celtics head back home for a rematch against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, a team they dropped a close one to as well just a week ago.
The Dallas Maverick won their third straight game in blowout fashion Monday afternoon in New York, dominating the Knicks 114-97.
Dallas made was hot from three yet again, getting out and punishing a lackadaisical Knicks team that didn’t seem all that interested in playing this game. As we’ve seen from this Mavericks team time and again, if you’re unprepared or not ready to play, Dallas will jump on you, despite their poor record.
The Mavericks were led by a game-high 26 points from Max Christie, while Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 22 points for the Knicks.
Let’s get to the numbers.
3: Consecutive first-halves the Mavericks scored 70 or more points
The Mavericks are currently the 27th ranked offense in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. They entered this matchup making just 34 percent of their threes, a bottom-third of the league number. Even at full-strength (well, what counts for full-strength for this Dallas squad), this Mavericks team hasn’t scored the ball well most of this season. Now they look like the Showtime Lakers.
It’s very funny and strange that Dallas has gone on this heater at perhaps the most shorthanded this roster has been all season — Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and PJ Washington are out, Cooper Flagg missed both Jazz games, and that’s not even counting Dereck Lively and Kyrie Irving, one who is out for the season, and the other who hasn’t played a single game yet. This ragtag group of two-way rookies and undrafted free agents (along with a few obviously key veterans) have propelled Dallas to score 70 points or more in the first half of each of the last three games.
Just a remarkable streak for a team that couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. Who knows how long it can last, but it’s fun to watch.
15: Points scored by Moussa Cisse
A career night for the Mavericks talented two-way big man, Moussa Cisse did what’s he’s done all season when given time: plays his ass off, run the floor hard, rebound, and block shots. Cisse added the cherry on top by finishing lobs and dump-off passes, scoring a career-high 15 points while also grabbing nine rebounds and blocking four shots.
Cisse clearly has something, yet he’s still very raw. He fouls a lot, which makes it hard for him to stay on the floor, but he’s improving — the Knicks game signaled the third-straight 20-plus minute night from Cisse, the first time he’s played 20 minutes or more in three straight games all season. The Mavericks should do what they can to free up room to sign Cisse to a full contract, so he can get as much time on the floor as possible before the season ends.
32: Mavericks fastbreak points
Dallas literally ran New York off the floor in this one, outscoring the Knicks in transition 32-6. It was a stark contrast — the Mavericks looked like they were consistently two or even three steps ahead of a plodding Knicks team.
The Mavericks pushed at every opportunity they got, and funny enough a lot of those transition buckets were threes. Dallas scored only 44 points in the paint in this one, and while Dallas certainly had a decent amount of layups and dunks on the break, they were able to push ahead and get the Knicks scrambling while Max Christie and Klay Thompson sprinted to the line. Despite being a road game and a unique start time, the Mavericks never looked sluggish. Kudos to them.
A showdown between one of the league’s top offenses facing one of the league’s staunchest defenses ended with defense winning out as a Jaylen Brown contested jumper bounced off the rim, and the Detroit Pistons outlasted the Boston Celtics 104-103 in front of a raucous Little Caesars Arena crowd.
It was a prize fight for 48 minutes, going back and forth with the Celtics hitting deep threes and Detroit’s defense creating running opportunities. It also featured two freshly minted All-Star starters as Cade Cunningham faced Brown. Brown won the matchup 32 points to 16, but Cunningham won the war.
Cade’s wrist is obviously still impacting his offense, and he was relatively selective with his shots. The ones he did take, beyond 15 feet anyway, were flat. But Cade played a brilliant facilitation game and attacked the rim when the opportunity presented itself. Cunningham had 14 assists and zero turnovers and was able to get himself to the line 10 times.
The belt for this one goes to Tobias Harris. The soft-spoken Detroit veteran played his best game of the season, with a team-high 25 points. He hit several huge threes on a night when Detroit struggled with its shot. The Pistons also called his number often, as they took advantage of size mismatches by feeding the power forward in the post to back down an undersized Celtics defender and get a clean look at his patented 10-foot turnaround jumper. Harris also delivered defensively, switching and playing solid help and man-to-man defense. It was Harris who got the assignment to guard Brown with 4.4 seconds remaining, with the entire arena knowing exactly where the ball was going as Boston looked for a game-winning shot.
Detroit also got a big boost from Jalen Duren early. He was nearly unstoppable inside with his face-up game, his deft footwork to create easy looks at the rim, and his rim pressure in the pick-and-roll. He finished with 18 points and nine rebounds
When the Pistons weren’t turning to Unc to patiently dissect Boston’s defense, they relied on their defense to create offense. The Pistons had a 19-4 advantage in points off turnovers and a 20-3 advantage on the fastbreak. Again and again, the Pistons had an answer for whatever Boston was able to throw at them.
Whether it was Brown’s all-around offensive brilliance or 11 combined threes from Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, Detroit never looked like a team that expected anything less than a victory when the final buzzer sounded. And they were right. Again. Because they put themselves in a position to rely on their defense for one final possession. And their defense was up to the task.
The Pistons team is imperfect. It’s clear they need more shooting. But it is also clear they have so many ingredients needed to deliver a championship. Tonight they faced off against one of the best teams in the league and came out on top. It’s just what they do.
Knicks celeb super fan Ben Stiller had a social media meltdown watching the Knicks drop their fourth straight game aon Monday in an ugly 114-97 defeat at the hands of the Mavericks at Madison Square Garden
Stiller, whose ride-or-die fandom has been on full display during the Knicks’ recent playoff runs, seemed to speak for most Knicks fans during the game.
He followed it up by posting, “f———————” a short while later.
“This is a team issue not a player issue,” Stiller continued in a third post during the Knicks game.
The New Yorker tried to remain in good spirits with his last post on the game writing, “Trying to stay positive.”
Comedian Ben Stiller reacts on celebrity row during the first half when the New York Knicks played the Phoenix Suns Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Fellow Knicks fans likely know Stiller’s pain after the team dropped its fourth consecutive game and suffered its ninth loss in its last 11 games since New Year’s Eve.
Ben Stiller’s thread of tweets on X during the Knicks-Mavericks game on Monday night. X @BenStiller
“I’m okay with the boos,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown told reporters after the game. “I mean, if we’re playing crapy…boo. If I was in the stands, I’d probably boo too. You pay [hard-earned] money to come to the game, and this is a form of entertainment for the fans, they know good basketball and they know bad basketball. And we didn’t play good basketball in the first half, so I’m okay with the boos.”
Brown took his team to task in earlier comments during his postgame press conference and even dropped an F-bomb at one point, which he paused and apologized for.
“Bottom line is we gotta lock in and do our job for 48 minutes. There was nothing to be said at halftime except do your job,” he said.
Tyrese Maxey – 17 VJ Edgecombe – 5 Paul George – 5 Joel Embiid – 4 Andre Drummond – 2 Dominick Barlow – 1 Adem Bona – 1 Justin Edwards – 1 Quentin Grimes – 1 Jared McCain – 1 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Sixers welcomed the Indiana Pacers to South Philly on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a Monday night tilt between Eastern Conference foes. Paul George was the lone Sixer unavailable in this one as part of his load management plan for his knee. The Sixers came into this one riding the news of Tyrese Maxey having been named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter.
The Sixers jumped out to an early 33-30 advantage after the first quarter behind some efficient scoring inside the arc. The Sixers were led in the first by none other than Joel Embiid and Maxey. Embiid poured in 10 points, knocking down a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor. Maxey put 11 on the board of his own. The Pacers were spear headed by Joel Embiid countrymate Pascal Siakam who put in nine points.
The Sixers went cold in the second quarter, only mustering 17 points in the period. The Pacers went to the intermission with a 55-50 lead led by Andrew Nembhard and Siakam.
The Sixers got it revved back up in the third quarter putting in 32 points in the period. The third quarter was similar to the first. Embiid was firing on all cylinders. He led the Sixers with 21 points heading into the fourth quarter. The Sixers took a slim 82-81 advantage into the final frame. Former Sixer T.J. McConnell was a thorn in the Sixers’ side as he led all bench scorers with 10 points after three.
The fourth quarter was a slow grind to start as the Pacers took an early 88-86 lead. The Sixers from there would go on a 21-3 run led by a career high eight steals from your newest All-Star starter, Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers would take a commanding lead at 107-91 with just 3:00 to go in the ball game and not surrender it from there. The Sixers would go on to win this one by a final score of 113-104.
Tyrese Maxey: 29 points, 8 assists, 8 steals, 12-for-24 from the field
Maxey set a career high with eight steals in this one. Maxey became just the second Sixer in franchise history to go for 25 points, eight assists and eight steals, and the first since Allen Iverson in 2003. Maxey is also the first Sixers guard since Iverson 16 years ago to be named an NBA All-Star starter. The newest-minted Sixers All-Star starter was a nightmare to stop from getting to the rim in this one. Maxey poured in 14 of his 29 points in the final period to stretch the Sixers lead and pull away for the win.
Joel Embiid: 30 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 10-for-17 from the field, 9-for-10 from the foul line
Embiid continues to show he is still one of the best big men in the game of basketball. This marked 14 consecutive games of 20+ from Embiid, a sight common for Sixers fans over the years. Embiid started off this one knocking down his first five attempts from the field and, after a quiet second quarter, got it rolling again in half No. 2 to help carry the Sixers to victory.
Once again, a slow start and sieve-like defense were too much for the Nets to overcome Monday, lit up 126-117 by the Suns before 17,344 at Barclays Center.
The Nets put seven scorers in double figures but still spent much of the night teetering on being blown out. That’s how bad their defense was as they fell for the seventh time in their last eight games.
It’s hard to picture the Nets (12-29) snapping that skid unless they start guarding and getting back in transition. They allowed 57.1 percent shooting, and 20-for-39 from 3-point range.
“Oh man, it was a real physical game out there. Credit to them, they punched us in the mouth first. And we just tried to respond, match their physicality,” said Ziaire Williams, who had 15 points in his first game back since Jan. 7. “They’re a good ball club, man. They play really well together, the ball was moving. So it took a lot of second and third efforts out of us.”
Michael Porter Jr. had 23 points to lead seven Nets in double figures despite playing without Egor Dëmin, Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe. But Brooklyn couldn’t get a stop on the other end.
Brooklyn remains fifth in the lottery race. They’re a game behind idle Sacramento, and kept pace a game ahead of sixth-place Utah, which lost.
Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets drives top the basket as Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns defends during the first half when the Brooklyn Nets played the Phoenix Suns Monday, January 19, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Nets allowed a misprint-like 71.4 percent in a first quarter that saw them fall behind by 15. They conceded 6-for-9 from deep in that opening period, and trailed 28-13.
Dillon Brooks scored 27 points and Devin Booker 24 for the Suns.
Jordan Ott — who spent six years as a Nets assistant from 2016-22 — came back for the first time as a head coach. His Suns, projected to win just 30 games this season, are on pace for 50. They’re 11-4 over their last 15 games and lit the Nets up.
Brooklyn led 9-7 after Nic Claxton (12 points, eight rebounds, six assists) kicked out to Noah Clowney for a 3-pointer. But they coughed up the next eight unanswered points, in a run that eventually reached 21-4.
Drake Powell #4 of the Brooklyn Nets puts up a shot over Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half when the Brooklyn Nets played the Phoenix Suns Monday, January 19, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Brooklyn spent the rest of the night chasing.
Booker hit a short jumper to put the Nets in a 64-44 hole.
It was still 72-57 with 1:37 left in the half before the Nets closed on an 11-0 run, capped by Terance Mann’s 3-pointer to beat the buzzer.
That got the Nets within four at the break.
Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets makes a jumping pass during the first half when the Brooklyn Nets played the Phoenix Suns Monday, January 19, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Brooklyn fell behind by 18 in the fourth quarter before they mounted a 16-3 run to get back in it. A Porter jumper pulled them within five, and he scored again to make it 114-109 with 5:34 to play.
A Clowney and-one on a driving floater pulled the Nets within 118-114. But Brooks drilled a 3-pointer and the Nets never challenged.
“They’re a great team. When we went over it in scout, they told us they’re No. 1 in 3-point attempts in transition, and we saw that real quick,” said Williams. “So, they gave us the game plan; it just took us too long just to really dial in. And we dug ourself a little hole.”
The loss, which was essentially decided at halftime with New York down 75-47, led to an exasperated crowd at Madison Square Garden to rain down boos from the rafters to show their frustration with the team.
Jalen Brunson, who did not shoot the ball well (9-for-24), was asked after the game what went wrong in the team's latest fiasco, and a clearly frustrated Brunson was up front about the team's struggles.
"We just didn’t follow the game plan at all," he said. "... As a team, we know what we have to do. It’s either we do it, we care enough to do it or we don’t."
While Brunson mentioned that it's a "long season," he also emphasized the importance of fixing the issues that have been plaguing New York as soon as possible.
"We gotta figure this out fast," he said, while also acknowledging that he has all the confidence in the guys in the locker room to do so.
As for the boos that have made their way to MSG after such a special start to the season, Brunson did not hold back.
"I’d be booing us too," he said. "Straight up."
Head coach Mike Brown also weighed in on the jeering from the fans and agreed with Brunson's point of view.
"I'm okay with the boos," he said. "If we're playing crappy, boo. If I was in the stands, I'd probably boo, too. You pay hard money to come to the game."
Following the loss, the Knicks are now 25-18 (third place in the East) and 2-9 in their last 11 games. They still sport an impressive 16-6 record at home, second-best to the Detroit Pistons in the conference, but have lost three of their last four at MSG with Monday's loss not even close.
"I’d be disappointed, too," said Karl-Anthony Towns. "Fans spend their hard-earned money, they give us so much love and motivation to go out there and they expect the results and so do we. Fans are doing their part, we gotta do our part."
Part of doing their part involves tightening up on defense. On Monday, New York let the Mavs shoot 48 percent from the floor and 47 percent from deep. Those numbers were even worse in the first half after the Knicks gave up 75 first-half points.
In fact, the Knicks have only kept their opponents to under 100 points three times this season and none since Nov. 30, which spans 25 games.
"We all need to do some soul-searching, some looking in the mirror," said Josh Hart. "Right now we're playing embarrassing basketball. We're not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we've been abysmal. We've been terrible defensively all year."
The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Phoenix Suns at the Barclays Center Monday evening. It was the first time in a while where the two teams meeting didn’t feel like running into an ex out in public.
No Kevin Durant. No Cam Johnson. No Mikal Bridges. Not even any of Phoenix’s future first rounders were in the backdrop tonight — just a whole lot of buckets on a day to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Brooklyn and Phoenix collectively began tonight shooting 6-of-10 from deep. Two were put in Drake Powell, who returned to the starting lineup with Egor Dëmin held out for injury management…
Although Powell’s name fell into the point guard slot on the pregame lineup card, ball-handling was done by a committee for Brooklyn. Terance Mann got some reps, even dishing seven assists in the first half, as did Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton. (Cam Thomas was also out for injury management.)
Despite the group effort, the Brooklyn’s offense was overshadowed in the first, and for most of the game. While the Nets came out hot, the Suns were white dwarfs, posting 71/67 splits in the first quarter. Dillon Brooks added seven points while shooting 4-of-5 from the field. Phoenix also controlled the game’s pace, grabbing eight points on the break.
The Nets (naturally) caught up a bit when Nolan Traoré checked in at the 4:19 point of the period. He, Jalen Wilson, Danny Wolf, Tyrese Martin, and Ziaire Williams, who returned after missing a week of ball with an illness, cut the deficit to nine after it had ballooned to 15 at one point, yet Phoenix maintained a 40-26 lead after one…
“I’m just grateful just to be out here,” Williams said of his return. “Woke up one morning feeling fine, and then I ended up sick, and missing games, and it was just a reminder of just how anything can be taken away from you by any time…I missed playing with these guys.”
It was the first time the Nets gave up 40 points in a quarter since November 9th. In the second, Michael Porter Jr. looked to get it all back.
After going scoreless in the opening frame, MPJ dropped 13 points while shooting 5-6 from the field. Traoré also continued his run of impressive play since coming up from Long Island. The sequel to his career night in Chicago on Friday started with 10 first half points while shooting a perfect 3-3 from the field. He didn’t get any more in the second half…but still finished the game as a +4.
Williams also hit two threes in the period’s final two four minutes. Mann also put one in for submission seconds before the deadline…
But again, every positive at the offensive end doubled as a negative at the other. Rather than switching, Brooklyn played more of in a drop this evening. Devin Booker and company went to work with the extra space provided. The Suns added 32 more points in the second, maintaining 63/46/91 splits as a team at half, where theu led the Nets by a 72-68 tally.
The Nets also probably threw one too many high doubles at Booker, who had the poise and precision all night to pass out of them and find open shooters.
“We were kind of giving them that shot, trying to live with that rather than Booker ISO,” Mann said. “So, just the ability to make shots down the stretch. They’re a veteran team.”
Even as the shots continued to fall for Phoenix, the Nets did well to keep the deficit from fully reinflating in the third. But while the Phoenix lead didn’t boil, the frustrations for Brooklyn did. Booker and Dillon Brooks each found success baiting the Nets and befooling officials early in the period. The Suns drew nine free throw attempts in the quarter’s first eight minutes after getting 11 in the entire first half.
Fernández said the game was “called like a rugby match,” post game. Williams also noted he felt there were one or two wrongful whistles, but he also tipped his cap to his old teammate.
“I love Dillon to death, man,” he said. “That’s my guy. That’s my big brother. He taught me so much. It’s really dope to see him really flourish this year. I feel like he’s an all star, in my opinion…He’s a great teammate. I hate playing against them but love him on your team. His competitiveness is second to none and I definitely learned a lot of tips and tricks from him.”
The Nets made it a 112-105 game with 7:04 to go after Tyrese Martin connected on a transition three. Porter Jr. followed that up with a quick five, getting three with glam and two with grit…
Michael Porter Jr. gets a flashy one, then a gritty one next time down the floor. pic.twitter.com/A9A72fcuYd
But the mounting pressure from Brooklyn only caused Phoenix’s offensive crystallize and its ball movement to shine. As the Nets repeatedly looked to trap Booker, the Suns the rock with pace and precession, pulling the Brooklyn defense as if it were pizza dough before baking it with a bucket.
“They’re a good ball club, man,” Williams said. “They play really well together, ball was moving.”
The Nets had possesson down nine with a little over a minute to go, but could only draw up a Powell step back three out of the timeout. It clanked off the side rim. Down too much and too late to make playing the foul game acceptable, Brooklyn didn’t down quietly, but a bit quieter than usual.
Final: Phoenix Suns 126, Brooklyn Nets 117
Milestone Watch
Terance Mann’s seven assists in the first half against the Suns are tied for his most in a game this season (fourth time) and tied the most in a half in his career (2/8/22, LAC at MEM).
This was Nolan Traoré’s second career half with 10+ points, joining his 14 points in the second half last night against Chicago.
Halfway There
It’s a common misconception that the All-Star break marks the halfway point in the NBA regular season. That’s usually when we’re about two-thirds of the way there. Believe it or not, tonight was Brooklyn’s 41st game, meaning they’re now at that halfway point. Here was Ziaire Williams’ answer on what the Nets have learned and want to take into second half:
“Yeah, for sure, man, just a whole list of things. Off the top of my mind, we just got to start better. We start off 0-7 and we figured out, but even with tonight, we figured it out, and came up just short. But it’s all a growing process, growing pains, and the best part is, we have a full locker room of guys who want to win and wan’t to compete at the highest level. I feel like that’s the hardest part, is finding a group that loves each other and enjoys going to war with each other every night, and we have that, and that’s the culture that Jordi and the rest of the staff are building. So, we’ll figure it out, and there’s a lot of better days ahead, just got to stay in the process.”
No change in the Tankathon rankings. Nets still is sixth, still two games out of fourth.
Injury Report
The only Net to miss tonight’s game not for injury management or a G-League assignment was Day’Ron Sharpe. The Nets tagged him with an illness/throat contusion injury designation pregame. We’ll monitor the situation and update as we learn more.
Next Up
Brooklyn hasn’t beaten their cross town rival since January of 2023, and even with the Nets sporting the league’s fifth-worst record, it feels like they’ll have a solid chance to break that streak on Wednesday night. The Knicks are in one of their worst losing spells in the Leon Rose era right now, having dropped eight of their last 10 games. The quest for redemption tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.
Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self was reportedly hospitalized on Monday and did not travel with the team to Colorado "out of an abundance of caution," according to ESPN.
Per ESPN, the school said Self was feeling "under the weather" and was later taken to LMH Health, where he was reportedly given IV fluids. According to a statement released by the school, Self is "feeling better but did not accompany the team to Boulder."
Self had another health scare last summer, when he was hospitalized in July after experiencing "some concerning symptoms," wrote Bozello. He was released two days after undergoing a medical procedure in which two stents were placed. He also underwent a similar procedure in 2023 and missed that year's Big 12 and NCAA tournaments due to chest tightness and balance concerns.
Self has been one of the most decorated coaches in college basketball history since taking the helm at Kansas in 2003, leading the Jayhawks to 14 consecutive Big 12 championships from 2004-2018. He's coached Kansas to four final four appearances and national titles in 2008 and 2022 — making him the only coach in school history to win multiple national championships. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. On Nov. 12, 2024, Self passed Allen Phog as the winningest coach in Kansas history.
NEW YORK— The Phoenix Suns defeated the Brooklyn Nets 126-117 on Monday night. The team is 26-17 on the year and winners of two straight. Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks all scored at least 22 points and combined for 73 points. Phoenix hit 20 threes for just the fourth time this season in one of their best shooting performances of the year.
Brooklyn stayed resilient throughout the matchup. It was not an easy win for the Suns. Despite multiple 20-point leads, the Nets clawed back to cut the lead down to four in the fourth quarter.
Phoenix is now 2-2 on their road trip with two games left, and as head coach Jordan Ott eluded to pregame, Jalen Green could make his return to the court tomorrow against the Philadelphia 76ers for his first game action since November 8th. Phoenix looks to be getting some help soon.
Jordan Ott on Jalen Green playing tomorrow: "That where we're headed."
The Suns continue to take advantage of lesser opponents. Brooklyn now 12-29 on the year after the loss, they haven’t loss a game to a team not in the play-in or in the playoffs since October. Phoenix is now tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for 6th in the Western Conference.
Game Flow
First Half
The Suns started hot from the field, hitting five of their first eight shots. Dillon Brooks made three early triples, an encouraging sign considering he shot 17% from three last week. Strong ball movement and penetration gave the team a 30-15 lead early on.
Grayson Allen got in on the strong shooting action. He hit two triples early on. Just like Brooks, he struggled with his shot last game going 4/13 behind the arc against the Knicks.
After one the Suns led 40-26.
Phoenix stayed hot from behind the arc to start the second quarter with Gillespie and Ryan Dunn getting in on the action. When the Nets started to gain some momentum leading to a Suns timeout, Phoenix stayed looking for threes with a Royce O’Neale wing three.
With a firm lead, the Suns were spreading the ball around. Jordan Ott was relying on his second unit in the second frame. Isaiah Livers got in the game and had some touches and Oso Ighodaro was doing a lot of ball handling.
Around the halfway point of the quarter, the Suns’ lead started hovering around 20 points, but the Nets cut into it with threes, ball movement and physical defense. The Nets ended the half on a 24-8 run.
At the end of two the Suns lead 72-68.
Second Half
Phoenix got their lead back up to double digits early in the second half. Brooks, Booker and Collin Gillespie all got some easy looks as the team kept a steady lead as the pace started to slow down. Phoenix had a lot of strong ball movement.
After three, the lead that the Suns built to end the first quarter was completely back. Suns led 103-89 heading into the fourth.
Brooklyn did not lay down to start the fourth. Thanks to their hot shooting and the Suns struggling to score, the Nets cut the lead to 5. With four minutes to go the Nets cut it down to four after a Noah Clowney And-one for their 27th point of the quarter in less than 8 minutes, but never got any closer.
Despite Dillon Brooks picking up his 14th technical of the season, the Suns built a sizable lead to take home their 26th win of the year.
Up Next
Phoenix will head to Philadelphia to face the 76ers tomorrow. Jalen Green is set to return for his first game since November 8th. Bright Side will be on the scene with live coverage. Follow HoldenSherman1 on X for updates throughout the game.
The Cavs couldn’t get anything to fall, going 8-35 (22.9%) from three (5th percentile). This was their lowest three-point percentage for a game this season. It’s a make-or-miss league. The best teams are typically the ones that make the highest percentage of threes. Their inconsistent outside shot is part of the reason why the results have been as they are.
This was Cleveland’s fourth time shooting 25% or worse from beyond the arc. They’ve lost all four times they’ve done so. Last season, the Cavs only shot 25% or worse three times.
The Cavs’ eight three-point makes tie their fewest for a game this season. The Cavs’ three-point volume has gone down considerably lately. They were in the 25th percentile for three-point attempts on Monday. Shooting fewer threes has been a recent trend. They’re 12th in three-point attempts since Dec. 13 and 18th in January. This comes after leading the league in attempts at the start of the season. The Cavs didn’t need more three-point attempts, considering how bad they were shooting it. However, it is alarming how much the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. I’m not sure what the offensive identity of this team is on nights like this.
The Thunder outscored the Cavs by 45 points from three. It doesn’t matter how good you are in other areas. There’s no overcoming being outscored by this much from three. The Thunder shot extraordinarily well from deep as they connected on 23 of their 47 attempts (48.9%).
The poor shooting was compounded by not being able to finish inside as the Cavs converted just 47.2% of their shots at the rim (3rd percentile). The Cavs did their best to get to the rim. They went 17-36 on shots in the restricted area (90th percentile for attempts). But that doesn’t matter if you aren’t able to get anything to fall. The Thunder were able to pack the paint because of how bad Cleveland was shooting from three. They never could establish any kind of offensive flow.
Oklahoma City registered a 130.7 half-court offensive rating (99th percentile). The Thunder executed exceptionally well in the half-court. They swung the ball to the open man and trusted their offensive process. The Cavs dared players like Lu Dort to beat them with their outside shot, and they did.
The Cavs turned it over 21 times. This led to Oklahoma City getting 23 points off turnovers compared to Cleveland’s eight.
Cleveland outscored Oklahoma City 22-5 on second-chance points. The Cavs secured 24 second-chance opportunities to the Thunder’s four. The Cavaliers did this without letting the Thunder run in transition, as Oklahoma City was in the 9th percentile in transition points off of live offensive rebounds. This is the only area of the game the Cavs excelled in.
Cleveland’s 24th different starting lineup was outscored by 12 points in just over 10 minutes of play. The Cavs went with a starting group of Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. That group struggled to get anything going offensively due to their lack of ball handling. They also didn’t do enough defensively to make it work. I understand and even agree with the reasoning behind this group. It just didn’t work.
The Cavs are 2-8 when Mitchell scores 21 or fewer points in a game he plays. The Cavs have gone as Mitchell has from a scoring perspective this season. When he scores more than 35, they usually win. When he scores 21 or fewer, they almost always lose.
Mitchell shot just 27.8% from the field. It was his third-worst shooting percentage for a game this season. Similar to his scoring numbers, the Cavs are 2-6 when he shoots under 40% from the field.
Well, if you’re only going to play well for like five minutes, the last five minutes of the game are probably the best time to do it.
The Sixers played with their food all night but still came away with a 113-104 win over the Indiana Pacers Monday night.
Tyrese Maxey again didn’t live up to the All-Star starter status he had just earned for most of the night, but he did have a career-high eight steals and got going in the fourth to finish with 29 points shooting 12-of-24 from the floor. Joel Embiid cooled off after a scorching first quarter, but also found it again in the fourth, leading all scorers with 30 points and nine rebounds on 10-of-17 shooting.
VJ Edgecombe didn’t make a field goal in the first half but got his coveted poster in the second, putting up 11 shooting 3-of-9 from the floor. Kelly Oubre Jr. started in place of Paul George and had his best scoring output since returning from injury, going for 18 on 8-of-14 shooting while Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 25.
On the front end of a back-to-back, PG was ruled out for this one with left knee injury management while the Pacers were without Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin and, obviously, Tyrese Haliburton.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
Oubre kicked off what was a pretty fast offensive start, blowing past Johnny Furphy on his first two touches of the game to get right to the basket. Embiid eased into the game, stepping into his midrange early and often. The Pacers started just as well, getting the Sixers to overplay passes and swing to wide open baskets.
No one’s start was more impressive than Embiid’s though, automatic with his jumper, making his first five shots of the night. That was the type of pace required at the start of this with Indiana starting the game 8-of-12 from the field. A couple tie-ups that led to steals were the only resistance the Sixers offered early.
The majority of that defense was thanks to Dominick Barlow, who not only grabbed a couple of steals, but created a couple layup opportunities running off of rebounds. Maxey picked up that baton once more of the second unit checked in, cheating off a couple of times to poke the ball away for three steals as the Sixers led by three after a high-scoring first.
Second Quarter
The second unit of Adem Bona, Jabari Walker and Trendon Watford all out there together was asking a lot offensively. That only became a tougher burden when Maxey subbed out for Edgecombe to start the second quarter. Even swapping out Barlow for Walker, that lineup was only able to score one basket in the half-court and that was a difficult layup by Quentin Grimes.
Despite the starters trickling back into the game, it remained a struggle to score as well as stopping the Pacers. Maxey got himself open looks off the dribble but missed his first two jumpers off the dribble and was not looking to get to the basket at all outside of transition. Edgecombe, scoreless, was again not looking for his shot much.
Just as Oubre hit a three that could have settled things down, they had another breakdown getting back on defense and the Pacers got those three points back instantly. Even if they wanted to just run everything through Embiid to fight back that wouldn’t have worked as he shot 0-of-3 in the quarter. The only thing keeping the Sixers in this game was their ability to generate turnovers. The Pacers turned it over five times in the second after giving it away six times in the first. A T.J. McConnell-esque backcourt steal from Maxey cut the Pacers lead to five, but they couldn’t get a good shot up on the last possession of the half to make it any closer.
The Sixers only looked slightly better coming out of the break. Edgecombe looked to attack the basket more, got fouled a couple of times, though he split both trips at the line. Maxey attacked the basket once, missed the layup but it was putback by Barlow. They got a bit of good luck to bounce their way when Aaron Nesmith smoked an open dunk, the rebound leading to an open Oubre three.
Edgecombe’s continued attack to the basket paid off — he finally got his first field goal of the night with a layup and putback his own missed floater a few moments later. Perhaps most importantly he finally got that poster he’s been looking for all season, throwing it down over Sixers legend Tony Bradley.
It wasn’t a perfect defensive quarter by any means. Indiana’s guards were doing a lot of cooking off the dribble, and the two turnovers were the fewest the Sixers had generated in a quarter so far. On the Pacers’ final possession they finally swarmed T.J. McConnell so he couldn’t get his 10-footer off, kicking out for a missed three that allowed the Sixers to hang on to a one-point lead.
Fourth Quarter
Some more up-and-down minutes to start the quarter from Maxey, who opened it with his fifth steal of the game and yet another fastbreak layup. He missed his next two shots, tough looks in the midrange, but got the rebound on the second and was able to put that back.
The second unit frontcourt of Walker and Bona gave the Sixers really strong minutes, helping them hold the Pacers scoreless for over two and a half minutes. Walker’s hustle doesn’t always show up in the box score, but it certainly did in this one with his three steals. The only bad thing was the Sixers’ half-court offense once again stalled out and they only extended their lead to six.
It took them way longer than anyone would have wanted, but the Sixers finally looked like a team that could put the lowly Pacers away in the final minutes of the game. Embiid knocked down a three upon returning and that seemed to relax everyone. Maxey continued his attack on the following possession, one more basket from Embiid followed and the Pacers were ready to call timeout to pack it in for the night.
Carmelo Anthony saw firsthand what he believed had been ailing Knicks star Kar-Anthony Towns.
It’s no secret that Towns has been struggling this season for the Knicks under Mike Brown’s offensive system and is having one of the worst shooting seasons of his career.
Carmelo Anthony gives his take on Karl-Anthony Towns’ Knicks struggles this season. X @NBA_Courtside
“When it comes to KAT, [he] shot an airball in the fourth quarter the other day and I…screamed out, ‘it’s over with. Leave it alone, on to the next one,’” Anthony explained. “He looked back and said, ‘Aight I got you OG.’ But for him to shoot that airball and for him to acknowledge what I said in that moment, you were thinking about it. So you cannot think like that throughout the course of the game when you’re playing basketball, because now you’re worrying about what people are saying about me.”
Towns finished Monday’s game tied for the team lead in points, with 22 on 9-of-19 shooting.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns #32 looks for the open man as Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall #13 defends during the first half. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
When Towns was subbed out at one point during the game, the Madison Square Garden crowd booed him, according to The Post’s Stefan Bondy.
Towns entered the game shooting a career-worst 46.6 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range. He’s averaging 20.9 points per game this season.
The Knicks have struggled as of late, with Monday’s loss their fourth straight.
Carmelo Anthony on Karl Anthony Towns:
"When it comes to KAT. KAT shot an airball in the 4th the other day and I said 'its over with, leave it alone. Onto the next.' He looked back and said 'ight i got you OG.' For him to shoot that airball and acknowledge what I said in that… https://t.co/oQ833AolYBpic.twitter.com/9EegJm3RtW
After a close, tense win over the Timberwolves, the Spurs got a nice blowout against an inferior opponent, closing out their homestand the right way. Victor Wembanyama put on a show on the day he was announced as an All-Star starter, dropping seven three-pointers on his way to 33 points to lead San Antonio to a 123-110 victory over the Jazz.
The win is not a surprise, since the Jazz didn’t have Lauri Markkanen and have been likely purposefully dropping in the standings, but Utah shocked the Spurs earlier in the year, showing there’s something about them that can give San Antonio fits. At least for a while, that proved to be true on Monday. The recipe for a blowout was there early, but the visitors weathered a Victor Wembanyama three-point onslaught and a focused, high-pace attack in the opening frame, mostly by making a few threes, hitting some tough looks inside the arc, and avoiding turnovers. Had it not been for a few slow rotations by a Spurs team that looked a little lackadaisical on defense, the lead would have probably been larger than eight after the first 12 minutes, but the Jazz deserve credit for starting strong and staying within striking distance even as their second unit struggled.
Likely thinking about the second game of a back-to-back set in Houston on Tuesday, Mitch Johnson decided to go deeper into his bench than usual, sending in Lindy Water III and Kelly Olynyk to start the second quarter. It turned out to be a bad decision, as the lack of familiarity in the units they were a part of was evident. Even when those two sat, the defense remained shaky at times against a Jazz offense that moved the ball beautifully and consistently found the open man, finishing the half with 18 assists in as many made buckets and getting to the line at will as the Spurs’ players tried to scramble back to contest open looks. Fortunately, the Spurs had built a buffer earlier and scored enough to prevent the lead from fully evaporating. San Antonio was still ahead at the break, but only by four, and Utah seemed to have had momentum on their side.
The memories of the awful third quarter against the Timberwolves were fresh in everyone’s minds, and the Spurs have been known to head into the second half with less than ideal effort, so the threat of a close game in which the rotation players would have to log heavy minutes to squeak out a win was real. Fortunately, no one looked nonchalant this time. Stephon Castle was aggressive, attacking the rim to help San Antonio erase a significant first-half free-throw disparity. The threes continued to fall, and the defense got stops, which led to transition opportunities. All three guards had great stretches, and even Carter Bryant, who has had some rough rookie moments this season, looked comfortable on the floor, knocking down shots and playing with physicality on the other end. Keyonte George tried to keep his team afloat, but couldn’t. After three, the Silver and Black were up 16.
No lead is safe in the modern NBA, as the Wolves reminded San Antonio two nights ago, but the Spurs were locked in, and without Markkanen, the Jazz simply lacked the firepower to threaten a comeback. The lead ballooned to 24 past the halfway mark and Wembanyama sat the rest of the way. Utah made some shots that made the final score look closer than it felt in the second half, but the win was never in question.
Game notes
Wembanyama edged out Anthony Edwards to be the fifth All-Star starter in the West thanks to the fan vote. He showed on Tuesday why he has earned the attention of the viewing public by hitting jumper after jumper and being a formidable defensive presence, finishing the game with 33 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals on just 27 minutes. Next accomplishment? An All-NBA team, health permitting.
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper combined to score 47 points in 27 shots to go with 21 assists. Granted, it came against a bad team, but performances like this one, in which none of them dominate the ball and all find their moments to shine, are what made the trio so tantalizing earlier in the year.
Both teams logged over 30 assists. It wasn’t always the prettiest of games, but the ball moved a lot. The Jazz, even when not at full strength, run a good offense. If they add one extra piece and a rim protector, Will Hardy will lead them back to the playoffs in no time.
It wasn’t a good Keldon Johnson game, but the rest of the regular rotation players were all productive. The starting forwards stepped up, with Champagnie hitting outside shots and pulling down boards and Barnes attacking the rim and dishing out assists. Luke Kornet was also rock-solid off the bench.
There was also a surprisingly strong performance from a fringe rotation guy: Carter Bryant. It wasn’t looking good after he passed up two shots and was called for a charge in his first possessions, but he steadied himself and had arguably his best night of the season. He was a disruptive defender and strong finisher, showing off the tools that made him a lottery pick. Yet the most impressive aspect of his game was how he reacted to that initial adversity. It will take time and patience, but he could be a good two-way wing eventually.
Play of the game
Dylan Harper has been praised for looking mature beyond his years, but don’t confuse maturity with a lack of fire. The staredown on Nurkic after the dunk shows that the rookie has an edge to him.
The Spurs will visit one of their rivals in the second game of a back-to-back. It should be an intense and physical battle between two of the West’s best.
