SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 1: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets and Kevin Love #42 of the Utah Jazz looks on during the game on December 1, 2025 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Houston Rockets wrapped up a tough seven-game stretch across the All-Star break at 3-4. It started poorly with two bad losses, but after a bit of recovery, Rockets fans should feel like there was meat left on the bone in losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks.
On paper, tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz should be a welcome reprieve from the difficult games of the past few weeks. However, these Rockets have played up and down to their competition all year. In fact, Houston already has a loss to these Jazz, who have played Houston tougher than they have against anyone else over the past two years. Seriously, watch the Jazz against another playoff team and you’ll see a team that can’t wait to roll over and tank. Against Houston? For some reason, it’s personal for this iteration of Utah.
Maybe the Rockets will play hard in the fourth quarter tonight, since that’s been Ime Udoka’s solution to all of Houston’s poor fourth quarters. Not, you know, his poor rotation choices and lack of any offensive game plan beyond “Give the ball to Kevin and hope.”
Kawhi Leonard dribbles past Orlando guard Anthony Black in the second half. (Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)
Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and eight assists as the Orlando Magic held on for a 111-109 victory over the Clippers on Sunday night at Intuit Dome.
Wendell Carter Jr. had 15 points and 14 rebounds and Tristan da Silva scored 13 for the Magic, who improved to 5-2 since Feb. 5.
Kawhi Leonard shrugged off an ankle injury to score 37 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Clippers, who are 4-5 since Feb. 2. Mathurin missed a three-point attempt to win the game at the buzzer.
Jordan Miller had 14 points for the Clippers (27-30).
Leonard exited Friday’s loss against the Lakers with an ankle sprain. Mathurin was playing in his fifth game for the Clippers after he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Indiana Pacers.
Orlando won despite going eight of 23 from three-point range, two games after setting a franchise record with 27 three-pointers in a victory at Sacramento. Jalen Suggs missed his second consecutive game for the Magic with back spasms.
In a tight game throughout, Leonard gave the Clippers a 107-105 lead with 3:03 remaining on a jumper from the top of the key. The Magic took charge from there as Bane hit a jumper to tie the score and then made a layup with 1:28 left for a 109-107 advantage.
As the Clippers missed four consecutive shots, Orlando went up 111-107 on a fast-break dunk from Banchero with 40 seconds left.
Bane tried to pad the Magic’s lead with eight seconds remaining but had his shot blocked inside by rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Mathurin then raced down the floor only to miss a 25-footer as time expired.
Guerschon Yabusele reacts after hitting a 3-pointer during the Bulls' Feb. 22 loss to the Knicks.
CHICAGO — In terms of position and style, Guerschon Yabusele wasn’t a good fit on the Knicks, according to Mike Brown, who faced his former player for the first time in Sunday’s game against the Bulls.
“The position he’s shown he’s best in in the NBA — the small-ball center spot — we just didn’t have the minutes consistently for him to be there,” Brown said before the Knicks’ 105-99 win over the Bulls. “And then when he was at the 4. For us, because of our centers, the matchups weren’t always there. So we had to pick and choose when he was on the floor and how we were going to play him.”
Yabusele, who finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds, didn’t play much with the Knicks, averaging just 8.9 minutes in 41 appearances before being traded to the Bulls before the deadline.
It was a disappointment after Yabusele signed a two-year, $11 million deal as a free agent in the summer.
Team president Leon Rose effectively flipped the Frenchman for Jose Alvarado, a move that wouldn’t have been possible if Yabusele hadn’t waived the second year of his contract.
So Yabusele did the Knicks a solid on his way out.
Guerschon Yabusele reacts after hitting a 3-pointer during the Bulls’ Feb. 22 loss to the Knicks. AP
The rumor, though unconfirmed by Yabusele, is that he’s secured a lucrative deal overseas next season to make up for the lost money.
He has been playing much heavier minutes with the Bulls, who are playing for better odds in the draft lottery, and started Sunday against the Knicks.
Yabusele entered the game shooting 42 percent from deep over six appearances — way above his 29.4 percent with the Knicks.
He was also averaging 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in over 24 minutes with Chicago.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan lauded Yabusele’s leadership.
“He’s always using his voice in a positive way, trying to uplift guys,” Donovan said. “Gives you some flexibility. Can play him at the center spot, at the power forward spot. But just his overall spirit has been good.”
Guerschon Yabusele (l.) defends during the Bulls’ loss to the Knicks on Feb. 22. Imagn Images
There were no complaints about Yabusele’s attitude with the Knicks.
He just didn’t fit in Brown’s plans for a system predicated on movement off the ball.
“His skill set is obviously as a small-ball center. And it’s picking and popping. And then it’s spacing the floor. And the way we try to play, we try to move a lot. Cut a lot,” Brown said. “And then it’s tough because we have [Karl-Anthony Towns] playing heavy minutes, and we have [Mitchell Robinson] playing heavy minutes. This is a situation in Chicago — and even in Philadelphia [where Yabusele was last season], it was a situation where they were able to find consistent minutes for him. Because he’s a good player. Started for the French national team. We all know what they did. The style of play is a little bit different.”
Mitchell Robinson sat again Sunday after playing a night earlier in a victory over the Rockets, but Brown didn’t want to declare his backup center would never play both games of a back-to-back.
“I’m not 100 percent for sure,” Brown said. “Obviously he hasn’t played a back-to-back yet.But I’m not talking to our medical staff asking, ‘Is this going to be like this the rest of the year?’ ”
Brown said the medical staff informs him that Robinson, who is load-managing his surgically repaired ankle, won’t play both games.
Then the coach decides which of the two games Robinson will suit up.
The Knicks only have three more back-to-back sets.
MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 20: Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz smiles during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 20, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Grant Burke/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Utah Jazz are going to be in a very tight tanking race to end this season. Right now, they’re competing with the Kings, Pacers, Nets, Pelicans, and Wizards to jump into the top-5 come lottery night.
A team to watch is the New Orleans Pelicans, who are not incentivized to tank at all this season. I think it’s a safe bet that the Jazz get to the #5 spot come lottery night, but can they jump higher? The Wizards are also just two games up on the Jazz, and it’s possible the Jazz jump them as well. So that leads us to today’s question.
In what lottery position do the Utah Jazz finish at the end of this season?
My personal guess? I think the Jazz will do what it takes to get to the #4 spot, ensuring themselves that they have zero chance to give their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Adam Silver will do anything to hurt the Jazz, as evidenced by his latest fines, which focused on the Jazz even though other teams have done the same things the Jazz have done this season. And maybe this is all just hopefull thinking than logic, but I want to stick it to Silver and the NBA as much as possible as the season progresses and into the future. Let’s get into that top-4, Jazz!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays the ball against Baylor Scheirman #55 of the Boston Celtics during the second half of their game at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Sunday was a day of celebration for the Lakers as they honored Pat Riley with a statue before, fittingly, a game against the Celtics.
Even though Riley is with the Heat organization now, he made sure everyone knew the task at hand.
“The time has come to kick some a–,” Riley said. “To kick some Boston a–.”
The Lakers missed that memo.
Los Angeles didn’t come out like a home team looking to prove that they could go toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the NBA. And they certainly didn’t play with the intensity you want to see for a rivalry that’s often considered the best in sports.
The offense was inept, with Luka Dončić missing long two after long two and failing, hitting just one of his six attempts. Luka, though, was at least chucking shots at the basket as opposed to his backcourt mate, who disappeared. Austin Reaves took just 10 shots and was a complete non-factor in the second half.
In the second quarter, when Boston began to put the game out of reach, no Laker stepped up to counter. For every goaltend not called in LeBron’s favor, he missed two bunnies at the rim.
The energy wasn’t going to come from the Lakers’ role players either as they were too busy missing shots, turning the ball over or being targeted defensively. The result of it all was a lot of heads hanging, dejected looked and a team that, once again, was all too willing to fold under pressure.
For most of the contest, the Lakers had the urgency of a lethargic cat on a windowsill. They were going to be aggressive only when they wanted to be and no amount of buckets from Jaylen Brown or Payton Pritchard was going to motivate them to be better.
In the fourth quarter, when LA went on a short run to get the game back in single digits, Boston called a timeout and responded with aggression. Pritchard and Brown had their fingerprints all over the game offensively while the Lakers looked like helpless passersby, unwilling and unable to stop them.
With the Lakers playing at a laissez-faire level, the home crowd matched their energy.
Inside the packed stadium, the Celtics fans roared in approval of every Boston play. Celtics green was sprinkled throughout the crowd, and after a Neemias Queta dunk, fans cheered so loudly that it felt more like theTD Garden,not Crypto.com Arena.
The Celtics dominated in virtually every statistical category. They won the battle of the boards 50-39. Boston held LA to just 89 points, their second-fewest points in any game this season.
Lakers fans can blame this team’s results on its roster construction. Or take it out on the front office. Heck, on Sunday night, they can even blame the officials, who had a handful of questionable calls.
But ultimately, there is no justification for coming out and laying an egg against your biggest rival. Where is the passion? The anger? Did anyone notice any extra communication between the players on the court? A sense of urgency when the result was getting out of hand?
Let’s also not forget that LA is in the middle of a log jam in the West and needs every win possible.
Given how aggressively Boston played compared to Los Angeles, you’d think they were the team that had something to prove.
That the Celtics were the ones trying to demonstrate they could beat the best teams in the NBA. But that’s the thing about excellence, it’s always present, and it’s clear 56 games into the season that the 2025-26 Lakers aren’t that type of team.
SEATTLE (AP) — Paul Rothrock had a goal and an assist after replacing an injured Jordan Morris early in the first half and the Seattle Sounders beat the Colorado Rapids 2-0 in a rainy season opener on Sunday night.
Seattle lost Morris to a noncontact injury in the 8th minute and Rothrock had a hand in staking the Sounders to a 1-0 lead seven minutes later when he hustled to keep the ball in play, setting up a header by Albert Rusnák for a long nifty assist.
Hassani Dotson appeared to score three minutes later in his Sounders debut but had it waived off for a foul after a video review. Dotson signed as a free agent after seven seasons with Minnesota United.
The Rapids' Noah Cobb had a red card downgraded to yellow after another video review in the 30th minute to keep the match at even strength.
Dotson took a blow to the head and was replaced by 18-year-old Snyder Brunell in the 15th of 16 minutes of stoppage time as the 1-0 lead held at halftime. Brunell made three starts in six appearances last season, scoring two goals.
Colorado had four players tagged with yellow cards in the first half after new coach Matt Wells said that he wanted the Rapids be more aggressive. Wells replaced Chris Armas after two seasons when he failed to lead the club to the playoffs last year after a first-round exit in Armas' first season.
Rothrock used assists from Jesús Ferreira and Osaze De Rosario in the 62nd minute to score an insurance goal. It was his 11th goal in 65 career appearances.
Andrew Thomas finished with four saves and claimed his fourth clean sheet in his 26th career start for Seattle in league play. Sounders mainstay Stefan Frei moves to a backup role this season.
Zack Steffen saved three shots to begin his third season with Colorado.
The Sounders won't play another match at home until April 12 due to stadium updates ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 31: Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 31, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Jazz 118-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
According to Jake Fischer, the Utah Jazz are “determined to retain … Walker Kessler.”
This edition of the Sunday Best around-the-league NBA notes is also the @JakeLFischer Latest … direct from Jake via Tulane's Pro Basketball Negotiation Competition held every February.
From Fischer, who was talking about the Indiana Pacers and their recent deal to trade for Ivica Zubac:
Trading for Zubac likely cements the Pacers’ return to title contention in 2026-27 once Tyrese Haliburton is back from his crushing Achilles’ tear in Game 7 of last season’s NBA Finals. Numerous contacts with rival teams have suggested to me that the Pacers traded away too much for Zubac and could have waited until the summer to see what other options would have presented themselves, but I continue to hear that Utah is determined to retain restricted free agent-to-be Walker Kessler.
The Pacers have long coveted Kessler, sources say, but I would counter the skeptics and say that there is tangible wisdom to Indiana getting its frontcourt business done now if its other preferred target is not likely to be available.
Clearly, the Pacers traded for Zubac, knowing the Jazz would be re-signing Kessler. The signing of Jaren Jackson Jr. signaled that the Jazz are determined to be a competitive team next season. Knowing they have the restricted free agency rights to Kessler, there’s no reason for them to let him go or trade him.
We’ve also gotten this same message from Tony Jones, who recently spoke on the radio and said the Jazz would be willing to match any offer that comes in.
That’s what he said on the radio 🤷🏼♂️ said the Jazz aren’t pressured by it at all.
Also said that Jazz will match for Walker even if it’s $35 million, and turned down a trade for Walker this last draft that included a lottery pick
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 22: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center on February 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 76ers defeated the Timberwolves 135-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a lot of rough nights at Target Center this season. Tonight was another one to add to the list, as the Wolves were routed 135-108 by the Philadelphia 76ers. The 27-point loss is the largest loss of the season for Minnesota.
Right from the opening minutes of the game, it was clear the Wolves were going to have to get creative with their rotations if they wanted to pull this one out. With Rudy Gobert suspended for accruing too many flagrant fouls and Naz Reid out with shoulder soreness, Minnesota turned to Joan Beringer for his first career start to fill out the starting lineup.
That plan went up in smoke quickly as Beringer picked up two quick fouls just four minutes into the game, necessitating him going to the bench for the remainder of the quarter. His second-quarter stint didn’t go much better, as after just a single minute on the court, the rookie bigman picked up his third foul, putting him on the bench the rest of the half.
With the lack of other front-court options on the active roster, Beringer’s foul trouble threw a wrench into the Wolves’ rotations for the rest of the game. The Wolves tried mixing and matching with different players to see what would stick, including Mike Conley, Jaylen Clark, and Terrence Shannor Jr., who were all out of the rotation in the last game, but none of the combinations worked.
The lineups that had any sort of success included Anthony Edwards. Minnesota only lost Ant’s minutes by three points, but were outscored by 22 points in the 11 minutes Ant was on the bench before garbage time. Edwards finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, but turned the ball over seven times.
“Just unexpected coverages,” Edwards said of the turnovers following the loss. “Sometimes they would be in a drop, sometimes they would be in a high wall, and then when I go to pass it, they might hit the ball out of my hand. I lost the ball a couple times on the dribble. Just bad turnovers.”
The Wolves desperately missed Gobert’s defense near the rim, but his absence was not the only issue that caused the poor defensive output this game. They had poor closeouts on shooters most of the game and gave up 17 second-chance points.
“Just a lot of short close outs,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch explained after the game. “We talked about the guys we needed to get up to take away their airspace, and then once they had seen enough go in, then they made tough ones, but just a lot of short close outs. We probably short-closed them out at least a half a dozen times, if not more, in the first half alone.”
Edwards took accountability for a lot of those defensive lapses, saying, “Most of them was me. A couple of them, they were three, four steps behind the line. I’m not thinking they even gonna shoot it. And they still shot it and they made it. That’s on me. I’ll take it.”
Tyrese Maxey was superb the entire game, scoring 39 points to go along with eight assists, outdueling his fellow All-Star Edwards.
It was another tough night for Julius Randle as he scored 18 points while finishing with just three rebounds and three assists. Finch did mention that Randle was “under the weather pretty severely,” despite Randle not showing up on the team’s injury report leading up to the game.
While the Wolves desperately missed Gobert and Reid in this game, it’s hard to use that as a reason for the poor performance when the 76ers, who played in New Orleans the night prior, were without Paul George, who, like Gobert, is suspended, and Joel Embiid, who is injured.
The Wolves have also been one of the healthier teams in the NBA this season, making their 35-23 record to this point feel underwhelming for a team with championship aspirations.
The loss by itself doesn’t signal that the sky is falling. The Wolves proved last season that they can make a playoff run with whatever seed they get. They also remained just one game back of the three-seed in the Western Conference, as each team currently seeded three through seven lost either today or yesterday.
While the Timberwolves still have the opportunity to achieve their loftiest of goals, at a certain point, the excuses have to fade away, and a sustained stretch of winning needs to occur. They now have just 27 games left in the season to make that happen.
Up Next
The Timberwolves now head out west for a three-game road trip starting on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers. With their last six games taking place at Target Center, and the All-Star break in the middle, this will be the first road game for the Wolves in almost three weeks. Fans can watch the game starting at 9:00 PM CT on Peacock.
LOS ANGELES — The stars were shining bright in Los Angeles. On the night that legendary Lakers coach Pat Riley got his statue outside the Crypto.com Arena, inside the arena was filled with hoops royalty: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dwayne Wade and James Worthy (not to mention the NBC crew of Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and Reggie Miller).
On the court, there were plenty of stars, too: LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Jaylen Brown were playing in the All-Star Game just last weekend.
However, it was the Celtics' role players who were the difference in a comfortable 111-89 Boston win, particularly Payton Pritchard, who scored 30 off the bench and was a force down the stretch. "I think we have a lot of underrated players that people didn't know that were this good, and were ready for that moment," Pritchard said of the bench play. "And so I think they're just seeing it."
Boston Defense
Where Boston's depth really started to show up was on defense — Baylor Scheierman got the start for the Celtics, Hugo Gonzalez came off the bench, and both were ball hawks all night, pressuring Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, making them really work for their points. Boston wanted to pressure the ball, get out and run and wear the Lakers down. It worked as the Lakers shot less than 40% as a team.
What really stood out — and a key difference in this game — was Boston's game-plan discipline. Celtics' defenders pressured LeBron (20 points on 21 true shot attempts) and Doncic (25 points on 25 true shot attempts) but dared the Lakers' role players to beat them, often with good looks. Lakers not born in Slovenia shot 21.7% from 3-point range (5-of-23).
"I mean, sometimes you just have to make shots," LeBron said. "They made timely shots when we didn't. We didn't give ourselves a good chance on the offensive end. Defensively, we held firm for as long as we could, but offensively we didn't give ourselves a good chance."
That lack of shooting has been an issue for the Lakers all season, which is why they traded for Luke Kennard at the deadline (nine points on Sunday, taking only two 3-point attempts in 22 minutes). Boston's pressure defense was the story of the night, exacerbating Los Angeles' shooting issues.
"Offensively, we're starting to find our footing, but defensively, we got to make sure that we keep that same mentality. We saw it carried out through tonight. Hugo made some big plays for us. Baylor was amazing tonight."
The first half was largely close, but Boston created some space late in the second quarter because it was generating better looks and, with that, shooting a higher percentage. It was 60-50 Boston at the half despite 18 from Doncic.
It was during the second half that the depth issues really started to catch up with Los Angeles, as they had opportunities but could not close the gap on Boston. For the night, Pritchard alone outscored the Lakers' bench, and by the end was hitting 3-pointers and barking at NBC's Reggie Miller as he ran back up court.
Then there was Jaylen Brown. Boston's All-Star and MVP candidate led all scorers with 32 points, and he was the aggressor all night, getting downhill and drawing fouls in the paint (he was 9-of-12 from the free throw line).
Jaylen Brown gets the circus shot to go as the Celtics continue to dominate!
Lakers coach JJ Redick thought his team played well enough on defense to be in the game, but 89 points isn't going to win in the NBA, especially against a top-two team in the East like Boston.
Boston got a dozen points and eight assists from Derrick White, while Neemias Queta had 10 points and 12 boards. Austin Reaves added 15 for the Lakers.
"We did enough defensively, we're just awful offensively tonight," Redick said.
The Lakers stars can help with that, but Redick is going to need a lot more from his role players if the Lakers are going to be any kind of threat in the West.
Karl-Anthony Towns took over down the stretch Sunday, scoring seven of his team’s final 11 points as the Knicks escaped with a 105-99 win.
The Bulls (24-34) lost their ninth straight — their worst streak since 2019 — and have a clear direction of bottoming out.
Three of their starters were operating on minutes restrictions and didn’t play most of the fourth quarter, while three of their best veterans — Coby White and Nikola Vucevic included — were shipped off before the trade deadline.
Still, the Knicks (37-21) found themselves in a dogfight.
The result felt in doubt until Mikal Bridges buried a corner 3-pointer with 26 seconds left off an assist from Jalen Brunson, who kicked out the pass to his wide-open teammate.
It provided a six-point lead to the Knicks, who were riding Towns for much of the evening.
The center finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds, both team highs.
He knocked down five of his nine trey attempts.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after scoring against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Brunson added 19 points and nine assists.
Landry Shamet scored 16 off the bench.
“Our guys just found a way,” coach Mike Brown said.
Despite the organization’s eyes on the draft lottery, the Bulls settled for a fight early.
Guerschon Yabusele, who was phased out of the Knicks rotation this season and traded before the deadline, started at center for Chicago and produced nine points with eight rebounds in the first half.
He finished with 11 points and 13 boards in 30 minutes.
The Bulls led by eight in the second quarter and by a point with under three minutes left in the fourth — before KAT took over.
Towns also earned defensive player of the game honors, awarded by the coaching staff, after collecting three steals.
“Not only did he get a double-double, he was great for us defensively,” Brown said.
The Knicks arrived Sunday under less-than-ideal circumstances.
They played a late-night thriller Saturday night — an 8:30 p.m. tipoff against the Rockets — then flew across a time zone to play in the Midwest.
Tired legs and minds probably were a factor.
Jalen Brunson of the Knicks dribbles past Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls during the first half at the United Center on February 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images
But the Knicks did enough in the second half to avoid an embarrassing defeat.
“An 8:30 game and then traveling for a back-to-back game, I think, is outrageous,” said Josh Hart, who finished with 11 points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes. “But happy we were able to get the win.”
Towns came out aggressive, following up his strong performance Saturday.
It was an encouraging development amid a largely disappointing season for Towns, who has been dropping hints all season about his discontent with Brown’s system.
Before the game, Brown reiterated that Towns’ offensive role isn’t much different, if at all, and the dip in production is simply a product of the roster changes.
Towns showed Sunday he can thrive in this offense.
“I understand it’s something that we need to talk about, and I’m OK talking about it, but until those numbers change, there’s not much for me to say because he’s getting an opportunity,” Brown said. “We don’t call a ton of plays. Now, you compare his numbers to last year, [backup center Mitchell Robinson] didn’t play in the regular season. KAT averaged 36, 37 minutes a game. Mitch is playing now. Landry didn’t play last year. He’s playing. We’re trying to get him up to 17 to 22, 23 minutes a game. We’ve got Jose [Alvarado] now. … So when you do that, guys’ minutes are going to go down. Not only are guys’ minutes going to go down, but guys’ field goal attempts are going to go down and all the things that you see impact the game statistically.”
The gold banners shimmered in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena on Sunday afternoon. They were shown on the video board repeatedly, on the NBC broadcast, and during the halftime celebration of former Lakers coach Pat Riley who helped hang four of them during his tenure.
The afternoon was supposed to be a celebration for the Hall of Fame coach. A love letter to the Lakers’ Showtime era. A purple-and-gold victory lap against their hated rivals.
Instead, it turned into a public mugging.
LeBron James drives against Derrick White during the second half. Getty Images
The afternoon began with pomp, circumstance and a bronze grin. Riley poised beside his newly unveiled statue, Armani suit pressed, hair slicked back as if time had never dared touch it. The architect of the Lakers’ golden 1980s. The man who beat Boston twice on the sport’s grandest stage. The maestro of flair and fast breaks.
“The time has come to kick some Boston ass,” Riley declared before tipoff, the words hanging in the air like cigar smoke.
They echoed.
Then they boomeranged.
Because by the time the final buzzer mercifully sounded, it was the Celtics who had done the ass-kicking — 111-89, a 22-point dismantling that felt even more lopsided than the scoreboard suggested. On a day meant to celebrate the Lakers’ dominance over their oldest rival, Boston walked into Los Angeles and treated it like a home game.
And at times, it sounded like one, too.
You could hear it in the second quarter when the green jerseys sprinkled throughout the lower bowl began to rise in unison. You could feel it midway through the third, when every made 3 by Payton Pritchard was greeted with a roar that cut through the building. By the fourth quarter, as the Lakers trailed by 20 and fans in gold streamed toward the exits, a full-throated “Let’s go Celtics!” chant echoed through the arena. In Los Angeles no less.
A "Let's go Celtics" chant has broken out at the Crypt. Absolutely ugly loss.
That is not just a loss. That is a cultural bruise.
The Celtics didn’t just beat the Lakers; they exposed them. Peeled back the layers. Showed the seams.
Jaylen Brown played like a man who understood the symbolism of the afternoon. He scored 32 points and flirted with a triple-double. He attacked switches with surgical precision, bullied smaller defenders in the post and glided through the lane as if the Lakers’ defense were a polite suggestion rather than a professional obligation.
Then there was Pritchard, the sharpshooter who turned this rivalry showcase into his personal shooting clinic. He hit six 3s and scored 30 points. More than any player on the Lakers team, including Luka Dončić and LeBron James. Each jumper felt like another splash of cold water in the Lakers’ face.
“This is how this team kills you,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick of the Celtics. “Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard. Pritchard made a lot of them (3-pointers) tonight. He played a great game.”
Pat Riley speak at press conference during the game between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers on February 22, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena. NBAE via Getty Images
Redick blamed the Lakers’ lack of offense, not the defense, but make no mistake about it. This blowout loss was about the defense, or lack of it.
It remains the Lakers’ Achilles’ heel, and on Sunday it was exposed again.
Rotations were sluggish. Closeouts were soft. The Lakers were outrebounded on the defensive glass 41-31. And then there’s the elephant in the locker room.
“They made timely shots, and we didn’t,” said James after the loss. “Defensively we held serve as long as we could, but offensively we didn’t give ourselves a chance. We’ve got a lot of room to grow.”
Luka Dončić is an offensive savant, a generational scorer who can bend defenses with a glance. But on this afternoon, the other side of the ball told a harsher story. When he was on the floor, the Lakers were a staggering minus-21. Boston hunted him in space, forced switches and made him defend in isolation. The Celtics didn’t just recognize the mismatch; they exploited it without mercy.
“They were physical. They played great defense. We have to match their physicality on the defensive end,” said Dončić, who was the biggest culprit on that end of the floor. “We need to do better on offense.”
Championship teams have weak links. They just don’t let those links stay weak.
Former Celtic Marcus Smart, now wearing purple and gold, was brought to LA for his defensive prowess and ability to score the basketball when necessary. Instead he went scoreless on Sunday. 0 for 7 from the field. The defensive edge that once defined his game dulled by indecision and missed shots. When he clanked a few more jumpers off the rim in the fourth quarter, you could almost hear the collective sigh. This was not revenge. This was regression.
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By the time the game unraveled, the symbolism was unavoidable. Riley’s statue stood outside, immortalized in bronze, a reminder of an era when the Lakers imposed their will on Boston. Inside, a new generation of Celtics was imposing its.
This rivalry has always been about more than basketball. It’s about legacy. Identity. The tug-of-war between coasts. On Sunday, Boston didn’t just win a regular-season game. They walked into Los Angeles on a day dripping with nostalgia and reminded everyone that banners from the 1980s don’t defend pick and rolls in 2026.
And as the green-clad pockets of fans lingered in the aisles, chanting while seats emptied around them, the message was unmistakable: History is earned every night. It does not arrive with a statue.
On a day meant to honor the past, the present punched Los Angeles in the mouth.
Last night in NYC, the Knicks (37*-21) found another gear to steal one from Houston, while the Bulls (24-34) dropped their eighth straight against Detroit. With both teams on the second night of a back-to-back, we expected fatigue to be a factor. What we didn’t expect was Karl-Anthony Towns (28 PTS, 11 RBS, 5-9 3PT) borrowing the Captain Clutch cape and fending off a late Chicago push. Knicks win, 105–99.
Like bricks? You would’ve loved the start of this one. The Bulls shot 2-0f-11 from the field, while the Knicks missed five of their first six long-range attempts but took a brief 9-3 lead. From there, the Bulls owned the glass, rebounding at nearly a 2:1 clip. New Bull Guerschon Yabusele (11 PTS, 13 RBS!) crashed the glass and connected from deep, playing like someone eager to impress a team he should have worked harder to impress when he was cashing their checks. Another new Bull, Nick Richards (9 PTS, 14 RBS), scored seven points and grabbed three boards in his first seven minutes. For the visitors, Towns scored twice from deep and on an aggressive drive, but then fouled Isaac Okoro (12 PTS) after the Bull had already released his layup. So it goes. The Knicks were losing 27–25 after one.
During the game, I monitor the NBA app for any noteworthy updates to share with you. I’d be derelict in my duties not to pass on this nugget:
Chicago opened the second period with more fire and desire, extending the lead on buckets from Tre Jones and Okoro and steady work inside from Jalen Smith (12 PTS). The Knicks, meanwhile, drifted through one-and-dones and sleepy turnovers. For some reason, Coach Brown—watching the same fatigued team we saw—chose not to play a fresh Tyler Kolek or Mohamed Diawara in the first half. Brown gave time to Ariel Hukporti (4 PTS, 5 RBS) and Jeremy Sochan (2 PTs, 3 RBS, 11 MIN) in the frontcourt, but the backcourt sure looked like they’d appreciate a respite, too.
Towns kept our heroes close with a tip-in, free throws, and a pair of threes to lead all scorers with 17 points by halftime. Great stuff—but there’s always some peccadillo. When KAT committed another offensive foul, the generally even-keeled Mike Breen sounded annoyed to see one . . . more . . . bonehead . . . foul. Later in the period, Breen groused about Karl complaining about another non-call, positing that the big man might fare better with the refs if he didn’t protest every . . . single . . . time. The sentiment is mutual, Mike.
With New York flailing in Q2, Jalen Brunson (19 PTS, 9 AST, 1-6 3PT) returned and settled the offense with a couple of midrange jumpers. Josh Hart (11 PTS, 9 RBS, 5 ASTS) began to turn up his effort, and Landry Shamet’s (16 PTS) two late threes briefly drew New York even, but free throws gave Chicago a 53-52 lead at the break.
By intermission, both teams had shot 43%, yet Chicago was winning from deep (39% to 36%) and in the paint (18–14). The Knicks held a narrow rebounding edge, 27–25, and turnovers were even at six apiece.
After a rest, New York came out with more energy, going on a 13-6 run to start the half. They got threes from Hart, Mikal Bridges, Brunson, and Shamet and built a 13-point lead. Chicago clawed back behind second chances from Yabusele and outside shooting from Smith and Okoro. Late in the quarter, sophomore Matas Buzelis scored on a drive, drained a three, and converted at the line to tighten the differential. The Knicks were up 83–78 heading into the fourth.
Through three quarters, Josh Giddey was mostly a non-factor, with a few assists, rebounds, and a steal. Early in the final frame, things got sloppy, and Chicago got a jolt from a different guard. Collin Sexton, quiet in limited minutes thus far, hit a couple of threes to cut the gap to two points with 4:30 to go, and Richards was a problem inside. Coach Brown sent in Brunson, Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby, and Huk, but two one-and-done possessions resulted in Chicago taking a one-point lead with three minutes left. Their coach, Billy Donovan, relied heavily on the Giddy-Buzelis tandem and, for a brief moment, it seemed like it might work.
On a Bulls inbounds, KAT committed another maddening foul, but redeemed himself with a big clutch performance. After that mistake, he scored on a go-ahead triple and a charging layup, plus grabbed a timely rebound. Thanks to his efforts, the good guys had a four-point lead when he stepped to the charity stripe with a minute left. To the delight of viewers back in the snowy Empire State, the United Center shook with “Let’s Go Knicks!” chants. That must rankle the ghosts of the 90’s Bulls, no?
On Chicago’s next possession. Giddey quickly drove into Anunoby (9 PTS, 9 RBS, 2 STL, 1 BLK) for his second field goal of the night, plus a free-throw. Following his miss, the Knicks got the ball over midcourt and found Bridges (11 PTS, 5 ASTS, 2 STL, 1 BLK) in the corner for a game-sealing triple.
After the game, Breen interviewed KAT, the player of the game (Brown also named Towns DPOG). Nothing awkward about the interview at all! Mike’s a consummate pro, and Karl deserved the spotlight for preserving this win. And who knows—maybe this is a sign of Towns turning a corner after a rocky season. Better hope so. If the Knicks want to reach the Finals, they’re gonna need him.
Up Next
New York heads to Cleveland for a Tuesday night tilt with a hot Cavaliers club. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
In between the third and fourth quarters of the NBA All-Star Game, NBC announced that they will be showing “The Quiet Work,” a five-part documentary on Jayson Tatum’s return from the torn Achilles injury that he suffered in Game 4 of the second round playoff series against the New York Knicks.
During the pregame show of the Celtics matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, NBC ran Episode 1 of the first part titled “Starting at Zero.” Tatum also posted the episode on his YouTube channel for everyone to see.
The episode starts out before Game 4 and shows Tatum’s thought process which is optimistic despite losing Games 1 and 2 at home. After winning Game 3, Tatum said he felt “excited” and thought he was going to have a big game. He would be correct.
The focus then shifts to Tatum’s mom, Brandy Cole, and her thoughts ahead of the game, saying, “as long as we have JT on the floor, we have a chance.”
Tatum would have 42 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks on 16-28 shooting from the field and 7-16 shooting from three. He said, “It felt like one of those nights” where he was just in the zone. He continued, “I was playing that well that I thought we were going to figure this out and we were going to win.”
Then comes the 3:05 mark of the fourth quarter where the Celtics are behind 111-104 and Tatum goes down. Tatum said when he lunged for the ball, “it felt like someone kicked me.” Cole said she looked at the scoreboard and saw Jayson down and thought he just needed to get up and shake it off and it didn’t cross her mind that it was that serious sitting three or four rows away from the court.
When Nick Sang, the Celtics physical therapist and athletic trainer, saw Tatum down, he had a feeling something was different. Sang then asked Tatum if he “heard a pop” and Tatum said he could hear it and it sounded like “one of those guns that go off at a track meet.”
He remembered grabbing his leg and begging that it wasn’t something serious. As he is shown being carried off the floor, Tatum said he was in shock, scared, and everything in his life flashed before his eyes. He said, “in that moment, it felt like everything came to an end” in his NBA career. The episode then ends with a shot in a hospital with the sign reading “Surgical Check In.”
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 22: Royce O'Neale #00 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 22, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns played the second night of a back-to-back on Sunday, hosting the Portland Trail Blazers, and the result was an abysmal performance. Phoenix scored just 77 points.
It is easy to understand why when you zoom out. Phoenix was without three of its four highest-paid players, and the absence showed from the opening tip.
$94.3 million in payroll out tonight. May the odds be ever in our favor https://t.co/eIDgXQmaGe
What it felt like was the final five minutes of the Orlando game, followed by two overtimes, stretched across an entire night. There was no offensive rhythm, no flow, and no sense of continuity. The shooting issues that have lingered all February stayed right on schedule, and the game never found a pulse.
You can call it expected, even understandable. Still, with so much youth on the floor, you hope someone grabs the moment and makes it theirs. That never really happened. No one stepped forward, no one bent the game in their direction, and the opportunity passed without resistance.
The team shot 36.9% from the field, 25.7% from three, committed 23 turnovers, and didn’t score more than 20 points in any single quarter. Collin Gillespie scored 18 points to lead all Suns’ scorers, and 14 of those came in the fourth. Meanwhile, both Donovan Clingan and Jerami Grant had 23 points for the Blazers, with Clingan adding 12 rebounds.
The loss marked the fewest points scored by the Suns since October of 2017. Phoenix now finds themselves further away from the sixth seed as the loss drops them to 33-25.
Before a single point was scored, the night started going sideways. Portland All-Star Deni Avdija exited with back tightness. He was questionable on the report, gave it a go, but was unavailable once his back locked up. On the next trip down, Collin Gillespie got tangled up in a foul with Donovan Clingan, braced himself as he hit the floor, and appeared to tweak his right wrist. One possession later, Clingan looked to injure his left thumb.
Three sequences, three issues. The Mortgage Matchup Center, which I have lovingly renamed “The Morg”, kept doing what it has done all week: quietly claiming bodies before the game ever had a chance to breathe.
The Morg is living up to its name. Claiming guys left and right to injury…
It was a brutal offensive start for both teams. When the seven-minute mark rolled around, the scoreboard read 4-2 Suns, and it felt every bit as rough as it looked. Phoenix opened 2-of-13. Portland countered with 1-of-8.
The first real jolt came when Jalen Green ripped down the floor and finished a transition dunk, his first in a Suns uniform.
With the roster thinned out, the first look off the bench went to rookie Rasheer Fleming, with Jamaree Bouyea right behind him. The youth got real minutes, real responsibility, and a real chance to shape the night.
Bouyea paced Phoenix with 6 in the first quarter, while the Suns shot 34.8% from the field and 0-of-7 from deep. Portland lived in the same neighborhood, shooting 32% and finishing 2-of-14 from beyond the arc.
After one, it was an ugly 20-20 game.
The second quarter opened, and Khaman Maluach was on the floor.
And wouldn’t you know it? He hit his first three-pointer in his career, a corner ball, scoring the first three-pointer for the team at the same time.
The second quarter continued the same trend as the first quarter in that both teams were having a hard time scoring. Halfway through the quarter, the Suns had the edge 7–6 in scoring.
Portland was the first team to string together a real run, ripping off nine straight points by pushing the pace and attacking the interior. Phoenix responded by circling the perimeter, hesitant to challenge Clingan, and taking turns missing threes. Ryan Dunn struggled mightily through the stretch. On one possession, he grabbed an offensive rebound, retreated to the three-point line, and missed. The next trip down in transition, he pulled up and airballed another three.
Ryan Dunn had Williams on a little man & decided to airball a 3 instead….
Amir Coffey added some juice off the bench as the Suns were looking anywhere. He made three straight buckets, getting Phoenix to within 2. Portland responded, however, closing the quarter on a 5-0 run, extending their lead to 47-40 at the break.
The Suns were 2-of-19 from three-point range in the first half, with the rookies, Maluach and Fleming, accounting for those makes. The box score wasn’t good, it wasn’t bad. It was ugly. Royce O’Neale was 0-of-5 from the field. Ryan Dunn was 1-of-7. Jalen Green was 2-of-9. 24 of the Suns’ 40 points were scored by the bench, with Bouyea leading the Suns with 8 points.
The best shot of the night? A fan won $10,000 for hitting half court shot.
The Suns opened the second half with a shot clock violation on their first possession. If you have a hand, feel free to place the palm of it directly on your face and leave it there for a moment.
Another 9-0 run by the Blazers pushed the lead to 15. The shooting fell apart, the defense followed, and the whole thing felt disjointed. Jalen Green was the lone steady presence. By the midpoint of the quarter, he had scored all 9 of the Suns points.
Ryan Dunn is the pigeon. Getting posterized by Grant one possession, taken off the dribble by Holiday the next. Portland is targeting him and he is failing the test
Soon Phoenix was down by 20 points. Short-handed or not, the team was struggling and failing the test. That test? Seize the moment. Take advantage of the opportunity before you.
Khaman Maluach looked good, for what it’s worth. He was playing with some give-a-shit.
The Suns shot a putrid 30.4% in the third quarter and were 1-of-8 from three. They were outrebounded 15-8. They scored just 17 points, and entered the fourth down 71-57.
The fourth quarter opened with the Suns finally knocking down a pair of threes, one from Rasheer Fleming in the corner and another from Collin Gillespie. Gillespie followed by drilling two more threes, trimming the deficit to 11 with 7:48 left and briefly giving the building something to lean into.
Phoenix entered the fourth with just three made threes. Gillespie alone matched that total in the first 4 minutes in the 4th
Things got a little spicy with five minutes left. Ryan Dunn and Donovan Clingan got into a mild shoving match that triggered a review for a hostile act. After a long look, it was ruled that nothing met the criteria. Still, it counted as the most visible life Dunn showed all night.
A moment later, Clingan missed two straight free throws. Somewhere, Chick-fil-A trays were being mentally claimed.
The game strolled on, and the sun had no offense outside of calling Gillespie in the final quarter. Eventually, the inevitable occurred as the Suns lost 92-77.
Up Next
The Suns welcome the surprising Boston Celtics to the Morg on Tuesday night. We shall see you then!
Feb 22, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
On paper, no one game is more important than another across 82 games in the regular season. A result in October will matter as much as a result in March.
But we know that’s not true.
For the Lakers, there are two games that always matter more than the rest. There have been many rivalries that have come and gone but the Celtics games have always carried more weight.
After getting blown out in Boston under not-so-great circumstances, Sunday was supposed to be the chance for the Lakers to get some sweet revenge. They were at full strength, at home and haven’t left the state for a game since the very beginning of the month. Everything was set up nicely for, at the very least, a competitive game.
Instead, the fourth quarter featured Jaylen Brown getting MVP chants, Payton Pritchard talking trash after an endless barrage of threes and Neemias Queta slamming home lobs without a hint of resistance.
Utter embarrassment.
With a chance to not only get some revenge but match up with one of the top teams in the league, the Lakers chose the path they are all too willing to head down this year as they let go of the rope entirely. The Celtics bullied them from the very start to win the mental game and then hustled all over the court to win the actual game, too.
If the Lakers didn’t have enough to beat the Celtics, that’d be one thing. But putting forth that effort against that team on your home floor? Absolutely inexcusable.
It matters not how poor the officiating was in the first half. When the rubber met the road, the Lakers completely folded on Sunday, a trait that is starting to become commonplace for them.
So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
None of those qualifiers will matter, though, because everyone is getting the same grade after that performance.
This is the worst case scenario for Smart. No team is more familiar with his shortcomings than the Celtics, who chose to completely disregard him offensively. He punished them by careening shots off the rim in their direction.
Reaves probably wasn’t far off from being an All-Star with the injury replacements earlier this month. He definitely strengthened his case tonight by being the fifth or sixth best player on the floor.
Fans who criticize Luka for complaining to the officials too much will be feasting after this game. Valid or not, it’s a miracle he didn’t get a technical.
Grade: F
Jaxson Hayes
The only thing saving him from the same grade as his teammates is that he only played five minutes before exiting the game and not returning with an ankle injury.
LaRavia had maybe the highlight of the game for the Lakers with a big dunk after driving the lane. If you can name one other thing he did in this game other than turn the ball over in the backcourt, that’d be impressive.
The fourth quarter starting with Vando driving the lane, failing to eurostep around his defender and putting up a contested layup with his right hand should have been the point when everyone turned the game off.
Grade: F
Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber, Kobe Bufkin
Thirteen months ago, Dalton Knecht scored 13 points with three threes in 14 minutes in a 21-point win over the Celtics, in case you were wondering how dramatically he’s fallen off.
JJ Redick
With the game on the brink of getting away from the Lakers just past the midway point of the fourth, the Lakers had Luka on the floor alone with Reaves and LeBron on the bench. Don’t worry, though, because Redick brought them back in the game after a Brown and-one made it an 18-point game with right around five minutes to go.
Michael Smith, Pat Fraher, Curtis Blair
What was your favorite missed call of the game from this officiating crew? Was it the first missed goaltending? The second? Personally, I think it’s the sequence where Michael Smith missed Brown elbowing Smart in the face, then called technicals on both Reaves and Smart in the aftermath.
Grade: F
Sunday’s inactives: Chris Mañon, Drew Timme, Nick Smith Jr., Bronny James, Adou Thiero
