BOTTOM LINE: Eastern Conference foes Atlanta and Miami square off on Friday.
The Hawks are 14-20 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta ranks second in the league with 18.1 fast break points per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 4.3.
The Heat are 4-5 against opponents in the Southeast Division. Miami is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 17.8 fast break points per game led by Norman Powell averaging 3.6.
The Hawks are shooting 47.1% from the field this season, 1.3 percentage points higher than the 45.8% the Heat allow to opponents. The Heat average 119.6 points per game, 1.2 more than the 118.4 the Hawks allow to opponents.
The teams square off for the third time this season. The Hawks won 127-115 in the last matchup on Feb. 4. Johnson led the Hawks with 29 points, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Heat with 21 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is scoring 23.5 points per game with 10.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists for the Hawks. CJ McCollum is averaging 20.1 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 47.4% over the past 10 games.
Jaquez is averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists for the Heat. Bam Adebayo is averaging 20.8 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 42.1% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 5-5, averaging 116.6 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points per game.
Heat: 5-5, averaging 118.0 points, 51.1 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 9.6 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.6 points.
INJURIES: Hawks: Jonathan Kuminga: out (knee).
Heat: Keshad Johnson: day to day (calf), Tyler Herro: day to day (ribs), Norman Powell: day to day (back).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles Clippers face the Los Angeles Lakers in Western Conference action Friday.
The Lakers are 22-14 in conference play. The Lakers are seventh in the Western Conference scoring 116.0 points while shooting 50.0% from the field.
The Clippers are 7-4 against the rest of the division. The Clippers are ninth in the league allowing just 112.3 points while holding opponents to 46.6% shooting.
The Lakers average 116.0 points per game, 3.7 more points than the 112.3 the Clippers give up. The Clippers average 12.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.7 fewer makes per game than the Lakers allow.
The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Clippers won the last meeting 112-104 on Jan. 23. Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points to help lead the Clippers to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Luka Doncic is averaging 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals for the Lakers. LeBron James is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games.
Leonard is averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals for the Clippers. John Collins is averaging 16.3 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-4, averaging 116.1 points, 39.2 rebounds, 27.0 assists, 8.7 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 52.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.2 points per game.
Clippers: 6-4, averaging 110.0 points, 41.4 rebounds, 23.7 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.0 points.
INJURIES: Lakers: Deandre Ayton: day to day (knee).
Clippers: Bradley Beal: out for season (hip), Darius Garland: out (toe).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 19: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors shoots a three-point shot over Sam Hauser #30 and Baylor Scheierman #55 of the Boston Celtics in the second half at Chase Center on February 19, 2026 in San Francisco, 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 Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors got back into action on Thursday night and, well, it didn’t go great. The Dubs, who were playing without Steph Curry, spent the bulk of three quarters getting their butts handed to them by the Boston Celtics. Golden State recovered late with a furious rally in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late, as they lost 121-110.
Let’s grade the players who took the court for the Warriors. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Thursday’s games, league-average TS was 58.0%.
I look forward to watching Green and Porziņģis play defense together. It should be really, really fun. Unfortunately, the latter was on a minutes restriction on Thursday, and the former had a fairly atrocious performance.
Grade: D Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.
Santos has moved into a starting role, and I think we can firmly and confidently now say that his energy still translates when he plays a large amount of minutes. He’s still the same Gui, flying all over the court on offense and defense, and making the little plays. He doesn’t always make the best plays, but he makes the hustle plays and he just makes the team play better. Santos had a few clutch shots in this game, and kept countless plays alive. He made good things happen.
The worst thing about Melton’s game these days is that he just might be playing his way out of the Warriors price range. That’s a problem for another day. For now, it’s hard to imagine the Dubs being at all competitive with Curry sidelined if they didn’t have Melton. He’s playing so well.
Grade: A- Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.
Moody started this game very well. He made a three on the first possession of the game, and played strong defense on Jaylen Brown in the opening minutes. From there, though, things went downhill. He couldn’t stay in front of Brown for the rest of the game, and really didn’t provide anything on the glass — he only had three rebounds, one of which came when he grabbed his own missed layup. He couldn’t create any offense, either. I kind of wonder if there’s a small ailment he’s working through, because he just looks sluggish and unathletic right now.
There were times in the game where the ball moved beautifully for Golden State, and Spencer was right in the middle of that. His offense helped keep them in the contest in the first half, though his defense really hurt them in the second half.
Grade: B Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.
Despite coming off the bench, Horford was second on the team in minutes. And while he really struggled to score, he did everything else really, really well. The Warriors got absolutely obliterated on the glass and in the paint, but Horford was the one player who was fighting against that. He had his elbows out all game, and protected the rim while gobbling up rebounds. His screens and passing were very strong.
Grade: B+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.
Porziņģis made his Warriors debut at the start of the second quarter, and it went quite poorly. The Dubs got crushed in his minutes, which wasn’t his fault, but he wasn’t exactly playing well. But when he returned later in the quarter, it seemed that the nerves and rust had been removed, and suddenly things were starting to click. He had a few really nice plays in this game, including impressive hands to catch a speedy pass, gather himself, and dunk in traffic; a shot-clock beating contested three; and a blocked shot. And he spent a lot of time sharing the court with Horford, in a two-big lineup that we’ll likely see a bit of over the rest of the season.
It wasn’t all pretty. He looked a step slow, which was understandable given that he’d been sidelined for over a month. He rarely seemed to venture inside the arc on defense, which may have been partially a schematic decision, but certainly stood out. He had a pair of turnovers.
Those are usual bumps and bruises. Overall, the expectations were low given how long he’d been out, and the fact that he was in a new system, and he exceeded those expectations.
Payton was one of the biggest — perhaps the biggest reason why the Warriors made such a strong attempt at a second-half comeback. His defense was all over the place, forcing multiple turnovers, even if he was only credited with one steal. His offense was electric, both getting out in transition for buckets that brought life to the arena, and draining threes to make the deficit manageable. Just a fantastic game for GPII.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.
Green did not have his usual stat line, so Podziemski had it for him, instead. An exceptionally well-balanced game for Podz which, critically, didn’t include a turnover or a foul. It wasn’t his best defensive performance, but that’s picking nits in a really great game. Good to see him play so well.
Richard had a huge sequence in the first quarter. After Boston had pushed the lead to 10 points, Richard drained threes on both ends of the two-for-one to end the frame, getting the Dubs right back into it. The team couldn’t maintain that performance, but Richard did. He was one of their biggest offensive weapons, and his defense was swarming. I’m looking forward to seeing how he finishes out his highly successful rookie campaign.
Grade: A
Thursday’s DNP-CDs:Malevy Leons, Quinten Post, Nate Williams
Thursday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry
Bennedict Mathurin, acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, had 38 points off the bench against Spencer Jones and the Nuggets in just his third game as a Clipper. (Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
Bennedict Mathurin scored 38 points in his home debut for the Clippers, and they held off the Denver Nuggets 115-114 on Thursday night.
Denver’s Jamal Murray had a chance to tie it on three free throws with 0.9 seconds remaining after a foul from Derrick Jones Jr. Murray made the first two before missing the third, with time expiring on the rebound.
Kawhi Leonard added 23 points, and Jones had 22 to help the Clippers (27-28) improve to 21-7 since Dec. 20. Both teams were coming off the All-Star break.
Mathurin, acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, was 12 for 22 from the field, while Leonard went eight for 18 and scored at least 20 points for the 34th consecutive game.
Nikloa Jokic had 22 points and 17 rebounds for Denver (35-21). Murray scored 20 points, Bruce Brown had 19, and Cam Johnson and Julian Strawther added 18 each.
Denver was without Aaron Gordon (hamstring) for the 10th consecutive game, while Peyton Watson (hamstring) has missed the last four.
Tempers flared with 10:27 remaining when the Clippers’ Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Kris Dunn and Mathurin tangled with the Nuggets’ Jonas Valanciunas under the Denver basket after a free throw.
Dunn, Mathurin and Valanciunas all received technical fouls, with Denver making one free throw for an 83-83 tie.
The Nuggets tied it 107-107 with 46 seconds remaining on a shot inside from Jokic. The Clippers went ahead by four on free throws from Mathurin and Jones, but Murray drove for a dunk and hit a three before drawing the foul by Jones on a last-ditch attempt from beyond the arc.
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 19: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks on February 19, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Broadway. CBGBs (RIP). The Apollo. Yankee Stadium (RIP).
Ain’t a patch of terra firma anywhere else on the whole damn terra can rival the platforms NYC does. Madison Square Garden’s on that list, where last night Cade Cunningham was Sinatra, the Beatles, James Brown and Michael Jordan in a 126-111 Detroit Pistons win.
The Knicks went into the All-Star break winners of 10 of 12, but this was the first leg of their most brutal stretch of the season, the first leg of a two-week gauntlet featuring home dates with Houston, San Antonio and Oklahoma City, while visiting Cleveland, Toronto, Denver and the Lakers; three of those road games games are one end of a back-to-back.
Every win is a good win, but with only three games separating the East’s second- and fifth-seeds, every win is one the Knicks need, not only for their confidence (now 16-15 against winning teams) but for their playoff positioning. One slip in form — one injury — and instead of hosting the Magic in the opening round and the Celtics in the semis, they might need to win as the lower seed against Cavs only to open the next round in Michigan.
Dunno know if you heard, but this season the Pistons have whupped the Knicks not once, not twice, but thrice. You can tell they and their fans are awfully excited, and who can blame them? Knick fans know better than most what it’s like to suffer a long dry spell, then awaken back to life. Yet Detroit was without their top two bigs, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, both suspended after the latter sprang to the defense of the former after he’d been sucker-punched by someone who’s twice beat up his children’s mother (twice that we know of). It seemed the Knicks caught a break. All they caught was a whupping.
Last year the Pistons beat them five times in the regular season and playoffs by a total of 32 points. Detroit took the first two meetings this season by 31, then 38; while this game was closer (the Knicks were still in it midway through the third), Mars is closer than Jupiter, yet very far indeed. Last night was easily the most competitive game between the teams this season and Detroit still led the final 40 minutes. Counting last year and this year’s regular-season and playoffs, they’re 8-5 against New York.
I haven’t believed these Pistons can beat the Knicks in this year’s playoffs, mostly because of things that have little to nothing to do with these Pistons. They haven’t won a postseason series since George W. Bush was the inept war criminal Nepo Baby-in-Chief, as opposed to the metastasized malignancy in place today. NBA teams don’t go from “haven’t won a series in 17 years” to the Finals. It just doesn’t happen. Then again, jump-shooting teams never won till Golden State did in 2015. Of course, they were never “just” a jump-shooting team.
Maybe what these Pistons are matters more than whatever they’re not. What they are is physical, big and long, and dead certain they’re better than the Knicks. What they’re not is a great shooting team, nor is Cade considered a great shooter, and yet this year against the Knicks the Pistons are shooting 56/46/80 AS A TEAM, outscoring their more accomplished elders by 40 points on 2s and 51 on 3s.
This is a rivalry now, or what passes for one after decades of owners with dildos for brains devolving until it’s nearly impossible to keep a team together more than 2-3 years or find where to watch half their games. The Knicks and Pistons can both taste it. “The old East is dying,” Gramsci might’ve said, “and the new East struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters.” Such a time to be a monster!
The Pacers are on sabbatical for a year. The Celtics are under new management. The Cavs, the league’s most disappointing playoff team the past few years, are risking it all on James Harden, the league’s most disappointing playoff performer for over a decade. The Banchero/Bane Magic have yet to make any. Despite getting the best run of play Joel Embiid’s shown in nearly two years, the 76ers have made it clear they’re no longer about the present and are looking to the future. The Heat haven’t been the Heat for a while.
The East’s two best teams met last night, as did its two best players. Jalen Brunson scored an efficient 33 to go with eight assists (33rd and 8th!). But he also had half his team’s dozen turnovers. Cunningham’s no debutante, but his performance felt like a coming-out party, a degree of leveling up you maybe weren’t expecting. Mozart’s last two symphonies. Beethoven’s last. Radiohead going from The Bends to OK Computer. Cade going from “that man is niiiice” to “that man is nassssty.”
There’s all kinds of fans and all kinds of fandoms. Me, personally, I was first drawn to the Knicks and the NBA because of my love of the game. So while I def wouldn’t react the same way in May, best believe I enjoyed Cade’s effort immensely. The East has stunk for a while. Cunningham joining the Tatum/Haliburton/Giannis-when-he’s-healthy stratosphere is a treat for those who love stargazing.
Also, Cade is dangerous. Legitimately. Trae Young had a good two weeks against the Knicks in 2021, but they’ve pretty much always had his number in the regular season; there wasn’t ever a second act to develop real drama. To varying extents, Tatum and Haliburton’s teams have punted on this season, if only to better position themselves to relaunch. Jeremy Sochan had some very nice defensive moments, but Cunningham roasted every Knick that tested the flames. Too big, too quick and too good.
When’s the last time (some of you may be too young to have an answer for this) the Knicks mattered and were up against legit dangers like Cunningham and Haliburton, players you know ached to beat them? I’d think after last year Tatum and Jaylen Brown would love nothing more than a second-round rematch. The Knicks are (despite last night’s L) a great team! And a lot of great teams in the East have a target on the Knicks’ backs. If this doesn’t quicken you as a fan, we’re not the same species.
Quoth Jaybugkit: “Kinda contentious.” These Pistons are. They oughta be; nobody values wealth like someone who grew up poor. Two years ago Detroit had the league’s worst record; now they have the best. Two to three months from now, they could meet the Knicks with a lot more than bragging rights at stake.
I hope by then both teams are healthy (OG Anunoby returned to the lineup after two weeks out and looked like someone returning after two weeks out). I hope Cade and Brunson bring their A-games. I hope the Knicks remember Karl-Anthony Towns being a great shooter and scorer for a 7-footer also means he’s a 7-footer, so get his butt down on the block for once instead of everything being a 3 or a drive 25 feet from the hoop. These Knicks/Pistons games have all almost been over before they began. Hopefully the rivalry is just getting started.
The Pistons didn’t have Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart on Thursday. With those two sidelined, it was logical to think Karl-Anthony Towns would have a big game.
After the game, Towns was asked if there was an emphasis to get the ball inside against the short-handed Pistons.
“I mean, our offense is our offense. It’s been that way all year,” Towns said. “So we have our system and we’re gonna — regardless of who’s in the game or not in the game — we run the system that we have implemented for our team to the best of our abilities.”
So, no, the Knicks did not look to go to Towns more often against Detroit’s depleted front court. Towns did have eight points in the first two minutes of the second half, but none of it mattered in the end.
The Knicks lost to the Pistons for the third straight time this season; the past two losses were by a combined 69 points.
Towns’ offense wasn’t the only issue this time. The Knicks couldn’t stop Cade Cunningham. They couldn’t make outside shots and they couldn’t keep Detroit off of the offensive glass.
But Towns’ comfort and production in the Knicks' offense have been a question mark for most of the season.
“He’s comfortable,” Mike Brown said after the game. “We’re continuing to try to do different things to help free him up. And we’ll continue to search to try to do different things to free him up throughout the course of the year.”
Maybe the Knicks should take a page out of the Pistons’ playbook on this one. It seems to me that there is a clear hierarchy in Detroit. It’s Cunningham first and foremost; all the Pistons players know it and they know their roles. They excel in their roles, defend well and get the ball from Cunningham regularly (13 assists on Thursday).
Jalen Brunson is unquestionably the face of this Knicks team. But it seems to me that the hierarchy in New York isn’t defined well. At least, it’s not defined as well as it is in Detroit.
As Brown and the Knicks search to free Towns up, maybe they should take a look at what’s going on in Detroit.
The offense would be much simpler if Brunson led and everyone filled in roles around him. Maybe that’s not realistic for this Knicks team. But it’s working in Detroit.
Jose Alvarado: "Playoffs is a whole different ballgame. We're not going to sit here and say, 'oh, they beat us in the regular season...' We're not thinking like that." pic.twitter.com/Dm1QB2oxbZ
The Pistons are 3-0 against the Knicks this season. They’ve swept the season series, winning by a combined 84 points. This obviously doesn’t bode well for the Knicks in the playoffs. But the Knicks last season showed you that the regular season doesn’t always matter. They lost all four games against the Celtics last season but beat them in the second round of the playoffs.
"Playoffs is a whole different ballgame,” Jose Alvarado said after Thursday’s game. “We're not going to sit here and say, 'oh, they beat us in the regular season...' We're not thinking like that."
MIKAL OUT MOST OF FOURTH
Mikal Bridges went to the bench with9:30 to go in the fourth quarter on Thursday and never returned. Brown went with Landry Shamet over Bridges in an effort to cut the Pistons’ lead.
“Landry had hit a couple shots. We needed to score. They’re both really good defenders. And so I just stayed with Landry,” Brown said. “But it wasn’t anything where, ‘Oh, I’m going to sit Mikal because he’s not doing this, or he’s not doing that.’ We were looking to score points and Landry was the only one to make a shot from behind the arc.”
Shamet went 3 for 8 from beyond the arc against the Pistons. The rest of the Knicks went 5 for 27. Bridges, Towns and OG Anunoby hit two of their combined 15 attempts.
QUITE A MOMENT
Zevi Samet, the leading scorer in Yeshiva University program history, took some time in the heart of his season to help uplift a young boy in need. Samet brought Kobe, a young teen, to Knicks-Pistons on Thursday. It was Kobe’s first NBA game. The two connected through the Moments to Memories Fund, which is dedicated to providing meaningful experiences to people/families in need. This week will mark 12 years since Kobe’s mom passed away. It is an emotional time for the young teen and his family. Attending Thursday’s game gave uplifted Kobe during a difficult time of year. Samet is averaging 22.7 points per game this season and set the program record for career points last month. Samet and Yeshiva begin the Skyline Conference championship tournament on Tuesday.
Feb 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Dickerson (7) takes a jump shot against Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun (31) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
This is a kind of glass half full win. The glass isn’t entirely full, but nor is it entirely empty. It’s definitely better than a close loss by a reverse of this score. Tonight the Rockets tied their season series with Charlotte. That’s pretty good, considering how well the Horncats have played lately and that they’ve seen this very hot Hornets team twice in their past few games. Tonight’s loss brought the Hornets down to 8-2 over their last 10 games. The Rockets remain a solid B at 6-4.
The Hornets average over 115 points per game. The Rockets held them to 101, with defense we have not really seen since early in the season. Half full!
I wonder if we haven’t seen as much of that defense in the past month or six weeks because it’s an exhausting way to do things in the NBA, hoping you can hold opponents to around 100 points, when NBA average scoring is 114. With the All Star Break the Rockets returned re-energized perhaps, because they totaled 23 “stocks” with 15 steals and eight blocks. Half full, right? Also, half empty, as it’s difficult to believe the Rockets will get so many stocks every night.
The Rockets won despite shooting 28% from three point range, on a goodly number of open shots. Half full! But they started the game on pace to shoot about 40 3pt shots after the first half, but reverted to form and ended up shooting 32. Which is above their second lowest in the NBA season average, at least.
The Hornets shot 10 more 3pt shots, and they didn’t make they at a much better rate than the Rockets. But those 10 extra three pointers more or less kept the Hornets in the game late, when they really should have returned to their papery nest for the night.
Kevin Durant, or perhaps “Mr. Dickerson”, had a splendid night. He played a relatively low 36 minutes. He scored 35pts on 14-20 shooting, with 8rbs, 4ast, 1stl, and 3blk. He was 2-4 from three. Also everything else was a high degree of difficulty two point shot. He didn’t get the ball as often at the top of the 3pt arc, which reduced turnovers and sped up the offense slightly, so glass half full, overall.
KD didn’t end up hurting the Rockets, as he has some of his nights with a truly godawful number of live ball turnovers. In fact, this might have been one of his best games as a Rocket. Half full!
Half empty, this is good, because the Rockets definitely needed every tough, contested, mid range jumper he could provide. The next highest Rockets scorer was Jabari Smith Jr, who had a nice night, at 15pts on 6-9. Sengun had 13, and continues to struggle somewhat on offense, only going 6-16, but totaling a team high 7 assists. Reed Sheppard also had 13, but on 5-12 shooting. Reed seems to be able to either make threes, or twos, but not both at the same time. Still, his 24 minutes were the highest +/- of any bench player, and his impact, despite the half emptiness of his 3pt shot tonight, was positive.
I do have a “glass actually full” player tonight. Perhaps you weren’t expecting it to be Dorian Finney-Smith, but it was, overall. He didn’t post a huge statline, but a useful one, and he was a useful player. For the first time DFS looked like a veteran NBA player. Hopefully that’s what the Rockets will get going forward, as Josh Okogie seems to be the latest player banished to Imeberia. He might be hurt, but if not, playing him would have meant playing 10 players, and that’s straight insane.
Let’s be happy with this win, over a team that’s been one of the best in NBA over the past eight weeks. The Rockets are in third place, but also in a virtual with Denver in the Western Conference after Jamal Murray missed a game tying, and hard grifted, free throw with less than a second left in regulation.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 19: Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates with Victor Wembanyama #1 during game against Phoenix Suns in the first half at Moody Center on February 19, 2026 in Austin, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The music was bumping, the crowd leaned forward and the fiesta-themed jerseys once again felt right at home in a city that prides itself on keeping things weird.
On a night when the energy inside the Moody Center built with every defensive stop and every finish at the rim, the San Antonio Spurs turned a competitive first half into a runaway, routing the Phoenix Suns 121–94 in front of an enthusiastic Austin crowd.
The final margin — 27 points — told only part of the story. What began as a steady, workmanlike effort evolved into a showcase of depth, discipline and defensive bite.
San Antonio didn’t explode out of the gate. The Spurs instead slowly and quietly established control, leaning on ball movement and active hands on defense to build a 30-25 lead after one quarter. The Suns, even while short-handed, hung around early behind timely perimeter shooting and key half-court execution.
But the tone of the night was being set on the other end of the floor.
Every time Phoenix ventured into the paint, it found alien-like length waiting. Every rushed pass was met by a deflection. And as the second quarter unfolded, the Spurs began to squeeze.
Midway through the period, the silver and black strung together a decisive run sparked by transition opportunities and second-chance points. The defense fed the offense; missed Suns shots quickly became fast breaks the other direction that turned into easy points for San Antonio. By halftime, the Spurs had turned a tight contest into a 61-49 advantage — comfortable, but not yet secure.
Then came the third quarter, where the game tilted for good in the favor of the fiesta jerseys.
The Spurs emerged from the locker room sharper, faster and far more aggressive. They opened the half with a flurry — attacking the rim, rotating swiftly on defense and closing out shooters with purpose. What had been a 12-point cushion ballooned as Phoenix struggled to find rhythm.
San Antonio outscored the Suns 37-22 in the third, and with each possession the gap widened and the energy inside the building intensified. The Spurs forced tough shots late in the shot clock. They dominated the glass. They converted in transition. It was the kind of quarter that young teams strive for — poised but relentless.
At the center of the effort was Victor Wembanyama, who once again made his presence felt and for Phoenix, unavoidable. Altering shots at the rim, stretching the floor offensively or finishing above defenders, the Spurs’ phenom dictated space and pace. Even when he wasn’t scoring, his gravity altered the defense, creating clean looks for teammates spotting up on the perimeter or cutting along the baseline.
But this was not a one-man show.
San Antonio’s supporting cast delivered as well. The guards pushed tempo and shared the ball, turning good shots into great ones. Role players came off the bench and immediately impacted the game — diving for loose balls, rotating into passing lanes, finishing through contact. The Spurs’ offensive balance was evident in the box score and unmistakable on the court.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the competitive tension had dissipated. The Spurs’ lead hovered comfortably above 20, and Phoenix’s body language reflected the uphill climb.
San Antonio didn’t let up.
Instead of easing into the finish, the Spurs maintained defensive intensity, refusing to allow the Suns any sign of hope. The bench unit extended possessions, moved the ball freely and continued attacking mismatches. The final minutes became a celebration of depth and development — a reminder that this roster is growing together.
For Phoenix, the absence of key contributors loomed large, particularly as the game wore on. Without its full core of playmakers, the Suns struggled to generate consistent offense against San Antonio’s length and pressure. Attempts to rally were met with another stop, another rebound, another quick outlet pass leading to a layup or open jumper.
By the time the final horn sounded, the 121–94 scoreline felt inevitable.
The Spurs shot efficiently, won the rebounding battle and forced turnovers that translated into easy points. Perhaps more importantly, they displayed the kind of composure and connectivity that signals maturation. Early-season growing pains have gradually given way to stretches of cohesive basketball, and Friday night’s performance served as another step forward.
For a team still building its identity, nights like this matter. Not just because of the margin of victory, but because of how it was achieved — through defense, balance and sustained effort.
As fans filtered out into the Austin night, the buzz lingered. The Spurs had not only secured another win; they had delivered a performance that felt representative of their trajectory — young, confident and increasingly complete.
And for at least one evening at the Moody Center, the future of San Antonio basketball felt as bright as the scoreboard suggested.
OG Anunoby struggled against Cade Cunningham during the Knicks' loss to the Pistons on Thursday.
Cade Cunningham got around Mikal Bridges, crossed up Mitchell Robinson then dunked all over Karl-Anthony Towns.
He flexed for a second and yelled at a Madison Square Garden crowd that he was sucking the life out of.
Sharing a floor with Jalen Brunson, this time around it wasn’t even close who the best player on the court was.
He probably won’t win it this year, but Cunningham looked like an MVP.
He finished with 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds in the Pistons’ 126-111 thrashing of the Knicks on Thursday night, moving New York to 0-3 against Detroit this year.
Most troublingly, OG Anunoby was the Knicks’ primary defender on Cunningham and provided almost no resistance, particularly during a third quarter in which Cunningham took over the game.
He scored 11 straight Pistons points during one stretch in that third quarter.
Cunningham shot 57.1 percent when Anunoby was matched up with him, per NBA Courtside’s tracking stats.
OG Anunoby defends during the Knicks’ loss to the Pistons on Feb. 19, 2026. Getty Images
Knicks coach Mike Brown tried Josh Hart and Jose Alvarado on Cunningham later in the fourth quarter, but the results were not much different.
Anunoby left before the locker room was opened to the media.
“He can do a lot for a guy his size and puts teams in predicaments with the stuff that he’s doing because really your guy is [6-foot-2], 6-1 and is on a guy who is 6-7 doing it,” Brown said of Cunningham. “And you’re putting a small forward on him. Most of the time the small forward isn’t used to navigating the stuff that he does on the floor.”
When the Knicks made a mini-run to cut the deficit to 12 points with just under five minutes left in the game, Cunningham drilled a stepback trey to remove any little suspense that was still lingering in the arena.
“We want to try to keep the ball off the middle of the floor,” Brown said. “And we didn’t do a good job of it. We allowed him to get to the middle of the floor often. And when he got to the middle of the floor he hurt us. So we have to do a better job of trying to keep the ball on the sidelines and not allowing it to get to the middle of the floor.”
Anunoby missed the last four games before the All-Star break with a right toenail avulsion.
He had his entire toenail removed and is still in pain, he said previously, with it still being an open wound.
Cade Cunningham attempts a shot during the Knicks’ Feb. 19 loss to the Pistons. NBAE via Getty Images
And Thursday was a nightmarish return to the court.
Other than his defensive no-show, he had a brutal shooting night.
He recorded just eight points on 3-for-13 shooting from the field and 1-for-8 shooting from 3-point range.
As a team, the Knicks went just 8-for-35 from deep.
“We did a great job of generating some wide-open looks, especially from the 3-point line,” Brown said. “They just didn’t go in tonight.”
No, they certainly didn’t.
It seemed all of Cunningham’s did, however — particularly against Anunoby.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics goes in for a layup against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Chase Center on February 19, 2026 in San Francisco, 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 Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Boston Celtics returned to the court after the All Star break Thursday night, to face the eighth placed Golden State Warriors. Boston won their first game of a four-game West Coast road trip as they survived a late scare but dominated the Warriors through three quarters, 121-110. Brown had a triple double after just three quarters, Pritchard and Hauser combined for 42 points for Boston.
The Warriors came into the game without Steph Curry, Seth Curry and Jimmy Butler and started with a lineup of Pat Spencer, De’Anthony Melton, Myles Moody, Gui Santos and Draymond Green. Former C’s front court pairing of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford started on the opposing bench after departing the C’s last summer. Boston rolled with the post deadline lineup of White, Brown, Hauser, Scheierman and Queta once again.
Moses Moody hit the game’s first bucket on a triple, Boston in the road green uniforms went inside on the first play to Queta as he rolled to bucket and drew a foul. With Ron Harper Jr. and Jaylen Brown the only Celtics active during All Star festivities, the rest of the squad had several days off. Brown knifed past three Warrior defenders to hit on his first layup with the left hand.
Hauser hit his first triple for Boston from the top of the key, Scheierman nailed a three of his own as Boston went up 11-10 early. Derrick White hit a mid range jumper then cut to the basket for a layup as the pace was high early. Boston up 17-15 shooting 54% percent at the first timeout in San Francisco.
Al Horford and Nikola Vucevic were the first big men off the bench for both teams. Ron Harper Jr. hit a corner triple from the bench, fresh off his All Star weekend appearance. Baylor Scheierman stole the ball at halfcourt and went all the way to the cup for his fifth point of the game.
Payton Pritchard once again came off the bench to spark the C’s, he had a killer crossover straight out of Tim Hardaway’s playbook for his first score of the night as he went all the way for a layup. Jordan Walsh had back-to-back baskets with 5 quick points, Boston with the early 33-23 lead.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – FEBRUARY 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on February 19, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Boston young legs of Harper, Walsh gave the C’s a big spark late in the first quarter, the pair combined for 11 first quarter points. The Warriors were gunning all quarter, going 8-17 from three, but it was Boston with a well rounded team performance, to lead 36-32 at the first break.
Vooch hit his first shot from a corner three to start the second quarter. Gonazalez splashed home his corner triple attempt in front of the C’s bench as Boston once again had a ten-point lead. Hugo batted away a pass attempt as Boston reclaimed possession. Pritchard and Gonzalez spearheading a quick 13-2 run to start the second quarter.
Sam Hauser threaded the needle to Vooch who was rewarded for running the court for the jam as Boston had a 19-point lead in a dominant second quarter performance. Godlen State had just 2 points in the second quarter until the seven minute mark. Al Horford got whistled for throwing a stray elbow toward rookie Hugo Gonzalez. The play was reviewed first then challenged, Boston winning the challenge and regaining possession.
Brown drove with a sweet crossover and had Santos draped all over his arm to score his twelfth point of the night and get an extra from the stripe with three minutes to go in the half. Pritchard hit a long bomb from deep as Boston regained an eighteen point lead.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – FEBRUARY 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Al Horford #20 of the Golden State Warriors during the game on February 19, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
KP hit his first three-pointer for the Warriors, but Hauser matched him with a three-pointer of his own as the Celtics were proving too much for the home team to handle behind 19 first half assists. Boston ended the half with back-to-back triples by Hauser and Pritchard as the C’s took a 23-point lead into halftime, 74-51.
Queta hit a rolling layup to start the third, the Portuguese bigman caught a pass off a bobbled ball that hit a Warrior defender’s head. Hauser drained his fourth three and Brown hit a reverse layup as they were rolling to start the second half. The C’s raced out to a 31-point lead before half the San Fran fans had even returned to their seats after halftime. JB was on triple dub alert with a 20 minutes to go in the game
Joe Mazzulla went to his bench depth with a thirty point lead at the five minute mark of the third. Pritchard, Vucevic and Harper Jr off the bench for Boston. Vuc immediately impacted game, blocking a shot and hitting a bank shot form the low block down the other end. Gonzalez entered the game and had a great drive and left hand finish with a pretty ISO dribble on a close out.
Pritchard’s splashed home his fourth triple of the night came off a JB assist as he logged a triple double with 17, 11 and 10 with two minutes to go in the third. Moody drained a pair of triples late in the quarter, yet the Celtics held onto a massive lead a quarter to go in the game, Boston up by 29 points 102-73.
Golden State cut the Boston lead back to 20 points as Joe rested the starters at the start the fourth quarter. Scheierman stopped the bleeding for Boston as the points had dried up for the visitors. Joe Mazzulla got Jaylen Brown back into the game with six minutes to go in the contest holding a 17-point lead.
Santos drained a triple to cut the lead to 14 points. Pritchard was stripped at mid court and then turned it over a second time as the Golden State crowd found their voice. It was Pritchard who made a pair fo tough contested triples as Boston hit 117 points with four minutes remaining in the game. The points dried up for Boston in the fourth as Golden State ratcheted up the pressure.
Jaylen Brown’s turnaround jumper on the bass line was his 23rd point of the night and that was enough for Boston to win the game as Golden State ran out of time to make a further run. Detroit knocked off the Knicks earlier in the evening meaning Boston moved back into second place in the East win a game cushion on New York.
Boston’s next game is on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at 6:30pm, BEAT LA!!
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 30 points and the Orlando Magic beat Sacramento 131-94 on Thursday night for the Kings’ franchise-record 15th straight loss.
Orlando made a team-record 27 3-pointers on 51 attempts. Banchero was 5 of 7 from 3-points range and had six assists and five rebounds in the opener of a four-game trip.
The Kings broke the futility record a day after star center Domantas Sabonis and guard Zach LaVine had season-ending surgeries. The franchise had 14-game losing streaks in 1959-60 and 1971-72 while playing as the Cincinnati Royals.
The NBA record for consecutive losses is 28, set by Philadelphia over the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons and matched by Detroit in 2023–24.
The NBA-worst Kings are 12-45, with a five-game trip up next. Sacramento is winless since beating Washington at home Jan 16 for its season-best fourth straight victory.
Orlando broke the team record for 3-pointers of 25 set Jan. 3, 2004, at Sacramento in a 138-135 loss in double overtime.
Anthony Black added 20 points for Orlando. Desmond Bane had 17, Jett Howard 16, and Jevon Carter 14. Seventh in the East, the Magic improved to 29-25.
Maxime Raynaud led Sacramento with 17 points. Keegan Murray added 15, and Precious Achiuwa and Malik Monk each had 14.
Banchero had 18 points in the first half to help the Magic take a 64-55 lead.
After Sacramento cut it to 83-81 with 4:25 left in the third, Orlando closed the quarter with a 19-3 run to take a 102-84 lead into the fourth.
Tristan da Silva hit three straight 3s early in the fourth to make it 111-88. The Magic outscored the Kings 48-13 in last 16:25.
Sabonis had a meniscus tear in November, and played just 19 games this season. LaVine had surgery to repair a tendon on his right pinky finger.
The Kings started out as the Rochester Royals and also were the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and Kansas City Kings. They moved to Sacramento for the 1985-86 season.
Up next
Magic: At Phoenix on Saturday.
Kings: Face San Antonio in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 19: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs on February 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns played their first game after the All-Star break on Thursday night, drawing the San Antonio Spurs in Austin. It felt like a useful measuring stick, a chance to see where Phoenix stood against one of the better teams in the league and a team they had already beaten twice this season.
That opportunity shifted quickly.
Devin Booker exited the game with a little over five minutes left in the first quarter and did not return to the bench right away, heading straight back to the locker room. Optimism crept back in when he reappeared on the bench and eventually checked into the game early in the second quarter. He gave it a few minutes, tried to play through it, then headed back to the locker room again.
That was it for his night. The issue was right hip soreness, and Booker would remain out for the rest of the game.
Suns injury update: Devin Booker (right hip soreness) OUT remainder of game. #Suns
It was another frustrating moment for a Suns team that cannot seem to align health and timing. Jalen Green, playing in only his eighth game of the season, looked like he was finally finding a rhythm. But with Dillon Brooks suspended after picking up his 16th technical foul in the final game before the break, Grayson Allen sidelined with an ankle injury, and Booker unavailable, the margin for error disappeared quickly.
“Tried to go back out there. Save himself from himself. Wanted to go out and play. Wasn’t moving great when he came back in,” Suns head coach Jordan Ott noted after the game. “He felt good enough to come back in, and the first couple of times up and down, I didn’t notice anything, and then definitely noticed there at the end of that second stint.”
Watching the injury unfold live, there was no obvious moment where Booker took a hard hit or suffered a violent tweak. Nothing stood out as a clear cause. It looked like one of those things that built quietly until it could not be ignored anymore.
The Suns now turn their attention to Saturday afternoon, when they host Orlando at home with a 3:00pm tip. As always, the focus shifts back to the same question that keeps following this team around.
INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers looks on during the game on January 22, 2026 at Intuit Dome 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers are back on the floor on Friday when they take on the L.A. Clippers for the final time in the regular season. The purple and gold look to even the season series against their inter-city rivals.
Now that the All-Star break is over, the last leg of the season is underway for the Lakers, who aim to stay afloat in the standings and compete for a championship. The second half of the season also means a tougher challenge for Los Angeles as their competition and schedule gets more difficult. This starts against the visiting Clippers, who have slightly cooled off since finding their stride and turning their season around in December.
But in fairness to them, the Lakers haven’t performed well against them since they gained momentum. Part of that is because of injuries and the fact that they caught the Clippers at the wrong time. This game, though, will feel much different because the Clippers made major moves leading up to and at the trade deadline, specifically trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac — two key players who played a huge role in their last two victories against the Lakers.
So expect a new-look Clippers team that is still led by Kawhi Leonard, who has been sensational as of late, averaging 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. The Lakers’ defense has to focus on containing The Klaw without letting the Clippers’ role players control the game, as they did in their last match. Two of the biggest reasons the Lakers couldn’t win that game, despite coming back from down 26 points in the second half, were their poor shooting and lackluster effort on defense.
It would be nice for the opposite to happen on Friday. Heading into the All-Star break, the Lakers’ defense has shown signs of improvement. Take this with a grain of salt, but they’ve had the 14th-best defense in the league so far in February. It’ll be interesting to see if this continues and whether their offense doesn’t plummet as a result. For as long as Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves remain healthy, there’s a good chance that doesn’t happen.
And speaking of health, head coach JJ Redick confirmed at practice on Thursday that the Lakers expect to be at full strength. So, that’s definitely good news and an ideal start for the remainder of the season. The Lakers will have the rest advantage against the Clippers on Friday as the latter will be on the second night of a back-to-back. Let’s see if they can capitalize and tip off their post-All-Star break stint on a winning note.
Notes and Updates
The Lakers’ injury report is as clear as day with literally no one’s name written on it.
Since the L.A. Clippers are playing on the second night of a back-to-back, they will not issue an injury report until hours before tip-off. Expect Darius Garland (left toe) and Bradley Beal (left hip) to be out.
The big man scored just two points on three shots in the first two quarters as Detroit took a 10-point lead into halftime. However, the Knicks and Towns flipped a switch. Towns would use his size advantage to score at will, scoring 12 straight points for the Knicks and dashing the Pistons' lead to, at one point, two.
"Just trying to make a play, be aggressive with play-making," Towns said of his third-quarter outburst after the game. "Got a chance to get a shot up and wanted to capitalize on those opportunities. And hopefully get us a spark, start the third quarter on a strong note. If I could control anything, it was to get us off to a quick start. I’m happy I was able to do that and find chances to impose my will into the game."
Towns scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half. Not shocking considering the Pistons were down two of their best centers (Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren) for their parts in Detroit's brawl against the Charlotte Hornets before the All-Star break.
So, why did it take so long for the Knicks and Towns to exploit the mismatch? Head coach Mike Brown gave credit to the Pistons defense for not allowing the big man many good looks in the first half.
"In the first half, too, [the Pistons] switch a lot. So, with [Mitchell Robinson], they're going to blitz or double-team the ball. With KAT, they're going to switch, especially if they create separation," Brown explained. "And so we tried running some of the same actions they switched, and he didn't get as many good looks as he did in the second half. We opened it up and tried to set the screen a little bit higher and a little bit quicker in that second half, so we can get right to it, which freed him up at times."
Towns was asked if the team gameplanned to run the offense through him, knowing the Pistons would be down their two big men, and the second-year Knick said that wasn't the case.
"Our offense is our offense, it's been that way all year," Towns said. "We have our system; regardless of who is in the game or not in the game, we run the system that we have implemented for our team to the best of our abilities."
"He's comfortable, we're continuing to try to do different things to help free him up," Brown answered when asked how comfortable Towns is in the offense now compared to the start of the season. "And we'll continue to search to try to do different things to free him up throughout the course of the rest of the year."
Thursday's loss completed the season series sweep for the Pistons. After the first two losses were by 30-plus points each, the final regular season matchup was much closer.
Despite that, a loss is a loss and Towns understands what it could mean if the two face off in the postseason.
"There’s no moral victories or one New York wants to see," he said. "But we got a lot of film and we’ll see each other in the playoffs, and we got to be ready."
PORTLAND, ME - November 15: Ben Saraf #77 of the Long Island Nets drives to the basket during the game against the Maine Celtics on November 15, 2025 at Portland Expo Center in Portland, Maine. 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 China Wong/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Long Island Nets returned to the court for the first-time after the All-Star break for a matinee game with the New Orleans Pelicans G League team, the Birmingham Squadron in Alabama. On the backs of Ben Saraf and Josh Minott’s strong play, Long Island came away with the win in this one, 121-103.
In fact, the G League Nets looked good all-around as Long Island moved up to 14-9 on the season, two games out of first in the East with 11 to play. Their 7-3 record over the last 10 is tied for second among the 31 G League teams…
Ben Saraf scored a team-high 18 points while matching his NBA G League career highs with 8 assists and 6 rebounds in Long Island’s win over the Squadron 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JRefcedSjU
Saraf made his return to Long Island after spending some time with the big club. Saraf earned a call-up to Brooklyn in January and played in ten games. Saraf had some good showings up in Brooklyn, especially in Brooklyn’s last game before the All-Star break, when he picked up 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Saraf looked to build on that strong performance, and he did just that on Thursday afternoon.
Saraf led the team in scoring, tallying 18 points. He connected on seven of his 13 attempts, including shooting 50% from deep. This marked one of Saraf’s strongest shooting performances on Long Island, outside of that 40-point performance back in December. Saraf was a multi-tool player too in this one, as he tied career-highs, hauling in six rebounds and tallying eight assists.
Turnovers remain a bit of a negative for Saraf, as he once again was tied for the team lead in this one with three. However, this was a step forward compared to the six, seven, or sometimes eight turnovers we’ve seen earlier in the season…
Making his Long Island debut, Josh Minott knocked down 5 triples at Birmingham to set his NBA G League career high for made 3-pointers in a game 🎯 pic.twitter.com/nFxk3mFJno
Josh Minott made his Long Island and Nets debut in this one. The 23-year-old was traded to Brooklyn for $110,000 in cash considerations on deadline day. Brooklyn assigned Minott to Long Island two days ago to continue to develop under head coach Mfon Udofia.
Minott was on a tear in this one. He connected on five of his 10 shots, including 5-of-9 from deep. Minott’s five triples were his NBA G League career-high for made three-pointers in a game. He finished tied for second on the team, scoring 17 points. Minott grabbed a single rebound and registered two assists, two steals and two blocks. This was a very promising first game at the Long Island level for Minott who is seen as a 3-and-D prospect. The Nets hold a $2.5 million team option on Minott for next season.
Malachi Smith was tied for second on the team in scoring, tallying 17 points. The 6’4” combo guard had another good shooting performance, connecting seven of his 11 shots. He continued to be one of the team’s most consistent all-around players, garnering four rebounds and five assists while turning the ball over three times.
Smith has been averaging roughly three turnovers a game since he was given the starting job with three games of five. It’s his biggest glaring issue. It could be a reason why he hasn’t yet been given a chance with a team on a two-way deal. He’s been playing very well, but the turnovers continue to be a killer.
Grant Nelson once again had a good game …. on minutes restrictions. Nelson played 25 minutes, which was the most he’s played since returning from a seven-week rehab for knee soreness. He was once again the starter with the fewest minutes.
Nelson, who went undrafted out of Alabama in June, put up 14 points, shooting the ball over 50%. Nelson, remaining one of the team’s best shooters, also shone in other aspects of the game, as he hauled in four rebounds, picked up two assists, and most impressively had yet another block. Blocking has become a big part of Nelson’s game. His ability to read shots and time a block cannot be understated. He’s been doing very well, but with his minutes restriction, a two-way spot could be off the table.
Tyson Etienne was tied with Nelson for third on the team in points, with 14. Etienne also had three rebounds and five assists. From one Brooklyn two-way to another, Chaney Johnson had 11 points off the bench. He also had four rebounds, three assists, and a steal to his credit for yet another complete game.
E.J. Liddell have a bad game? No. Did he have a great game? Also, no. Liddell connected on 50% of his shots for just eight points, missing all three tries from deep. He did have 10 rebounds three assists (and three turnovers.) Moreover, he remains one of the best shot blockers on the team, picking up two in this one, which was tied with Nelson for the game lead.
David Muoka had a strong game from the bench, as he finished with six points and eight rebounds. Trevon Scott and Hunter Cattoor also put eight points on the board each in their showings from the Long Island bench. Overall, a very complete team win.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (14-9) return to the court tomorrow night, on Friday, February 20th, for a rematch with the Birmingham Squadron. The game tips off at 8:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on the NBA G League and Long Island Nets respective websites.
