Category: Basketball

The Milwaukee Bucks notched back-to-back wins against Eastern Conference playoff teams, taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were without James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley, in a tightly contested 118-116 finish. The victory also breaks Cleveland’s seven-game winning streak over Milwaukee, dating back to January 26, 2024. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Ryan Rollins

35 minutes, 18 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 8/13 FG, 2/6 3P, +12

Kenny Atkinson called out Rollins’ improved passing pre-game, and he was proven correct. Made some exceptional reads and came up with a couple of clutch layups near the end. 

Grade: A

Kevin Porter Jr.

38 minutes, 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 1 block, 10/16 FG, +7

This is the best KPJ has looked as a Buck. He was crashing the glass; he isn’t turning it over as much, and he’s becoming a late-game closer. That mid-range jumper to put Milwaukee up two with 20 seconds to go was exceptional. 

Grade: A

AJ Green

38 minutes, 15 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 5/10 3P, +15

The real AJ Green finally stood back up. Doc Rivers told us pre-game that he got after Green for not taking a shot in the first half against Miami, and clearly the message got across. Green took the first shot of the game for the Bucks and was aggressive from there on out. 

Grade: B+

Kyle Kuzma

26 minutes, 17 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 6/14 FG, 5/10 3P, +5

Kuzma has found a rhythm from beyond the arc in his last two games. Shooting 32.5% from range this season, he’s shot 8/17 (47.1%) against Miami and Cleveland. Not saying this is sustainable, but the Bucks will take these types of performances from Kuz. 

Grade: A-

Myles Turner

24 minutes, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, 6/9 FG, 3/5 3P, +5

Despite scoring nine of his 15 points in the first half, Turner was not playing well. He was getting beaten on the glass by Allen and just looked slow. He seemed to find his legs in the second half, grabbing all three of his rebounds. 

Grade: B-

Bobby Portis

21 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4/8 FG, 2/4 3P, -4

While it’s a lower-scoring output than Tuesday night, this was still a solid Bobby game. He didn’t force any bad shots and helped clean up the defensive glass. 

Grade: B

Cam Thomas

16 minutes, 7 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 2 turnovers, 3/6 FG, 1/2 3P, -13

Thomas had very similar games in this back-to-back. He had a nice scoring run when he first checked in, but didn’t find the bottom of the basket after that. Also, it was a bad look when Thomas appeared to complain about being taken out in the fourth quarter. 

Grade: C-

Jericho Sims

29 minutes, 11 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 5/6 FG, 1/2 FT, -5

I was wrong when I said on Sunday that the Sims hype train was over. Every time he came into the game, the Bucks looked much better on the glass. Just a fantastic game for Sims. 

Grade: A

Ousmane Dieng

13 minutes, 5 points, 2 assists, 1/6 3P, 2/2 FT, -12

It was a fairly quiet night for Dieng. He had a three-pointer and had a nice pass to Myles Turner for a dunk. Outside of that, it was a game to forget.

Grade: C-

Doc Rivers

Credit has to go to Doc for running with Sims as much as he did. I would’ve liked to see more of Sims and Turner together, but he made some solid adjustments, limiting the Cavs to 37 shot attempts in the second half (they had 50 in the first).

Grade: B-

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Gary Harris, Gary Trent Jr., Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance

Inactive: Alex Antetokounmpo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and James Harden all sat this one out for Cleveland. Harden has a broken thumb. Despite playing on Tuesday night, Mitchell missed due to a right groin strain, and Mobley—who also played Tuesday—was out due to left calf injury maintenance.
• Two of the Bucks’ major sticking points this season have been total rebounding and getting to the free-throw line, as they rank 27th and 29th in those areas, respectively. Tonight was no different, as they were out-rebounded by the Cavs 44-36 and outshot at the charity stripe 27-5. Doc credited their three-point shooting as the difference, with the Bucks going 19/45 (42.2%) and the Cavaliers shooting 12/40 (30%).
• Ryan Rollins has continued to level up his game since he set foot in Milwaukee. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, who was an assistant in Golden State when Rollins was drafted there, talked about how much he’s grown since then: 

“He’s really become a good passer and decision maker. He’s much more of a pure point guard than when I first saw him; he was just kind of speed and downhill. But now, I really like his feel watching him. These guys are so young and not used to the professional lifestyle, all that stuff, but I loved the talent, I loved his demeanor, tough as nails. I was just more pro Ryan Rollins, and now to see the passing and playmaking. Doc and them, development-wise, have done a great job with him. They have to recognize it here too, right? Guys like that sometimes, are you going to give them a chance? Are you going to give them an opportunity? You gotta give Doc and that group a lot of credit for saying, here you go.” 

• Jericho Sims is playing some of the best basketball of his career during the Bucks’ recent run of good form. In the last 10 games, he’s fourth on the team in minutes per game (26.5) and is averaging 7.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.3 APG. Doc talked pre-game about Sims’ development as of late, with the help of assistant coach Jason Love, specifically:

“J-Love is phenomenal, and that’s another guy when you look at where he’s (Sims) at now to where he was at the beginning of the year, his passing, his rolling, his catching, and making the secondary decision making has been fantastic. That’s taxing work. Who wants to roll 50 times in a practice, catch it, and then try to read over and over? You gotta want to do that stuff, (and) give Jericho credit, but give J-Love credit because they do it every day. They watch film every day, on when it doesn’t work and when it works, and he enjoys doing it.” 

• Myles Turner officially crossed the 1,500 block threshold in the first quarter after swatting a shot away from Dean Wade. He becomes the 41st player in NBA history to break into the 1,500 club, and is 17 rejections away from Caldwell Jones. 

Up Next

The Bucks will wrap up their four-game homestand with another top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, as the New York Knicks come to town. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central time and can be watched on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

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The San Antonio Spurs bring a 10-game winning streak to Barclays Center when they visit the Brooklyn Nets.

The Bottom-5 Nets defense will have its hands full tonight, and my Spurs vs. Nets predictions expect a high-scoring contest. 

Read on for my NBA picks for Thursday, February 26. 

Spurs vs Nets prediction

Spurs vs Nets best bet: Over 224.5 (-110)

This bet isn’t about the Brooklyn Nets suddenly becoming an offensive juggernaut, because they aren’t.

It’s about their Bottom-5 defense and how the San Antonio Spurs are scoring at an elite clip, averaging a league-best 124 points per game during their 10-game winning streak. 

Brooklyn is allowing over 50% shooting in its last 10 games and offers very little defensive resistance. San Antonio has given up 110 PPG in that stretch, and Brooklyn has enough shot-makers to help push this one past the game total.

Spurs vs Nets same-game parlay

De’Aaron Fox has made at least two triples in three of his previous five games, and Nets guard Egor Demin is knocking down at least two made threes in five of his past nine contests. 

Spurs vs Nets SGP

• Over 224.5
• De'Aaron Fox Over 1.5 made threes
• Egor Demin Over 2.5 made threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: MPJ helps lift the total

Michael Porter Jr. averages over 24 PPG and has scored at least 23 points in two of his last five. 

Spurs vs Nets SGP

• Over 224.5
• De'Aaron Fox Over 1.5 made threes
• Egor Demin Over 2.5 made threes
• Michael Porter Jr. Over 22.5 points

Spurs vs Nets odds

• Spread: Spurs XX | Nets XX
• Moneyline: Spurs XX | Nets XX
• Over/Under: Over XXX | Under XXX

Spurs vs Nets betting trend to know

[Stat]. Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Nets.

How to watch Spurs vs Nets

Spurs vs Nets latest injuries

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#1 – A second behind

Sometimes in life, you feel like you’re a step behind. Nothing big, but yet, it creates a difference between where you should be and where you are, and this small difference has consequences. Well, that’s how it felt looking at the Celtics’ off-ball defense last night.

This first bucket from the Nuggets is a great example of the Nuggets being a step ahead. The screen from Cam Johnson causes a bit of chaos as Derrick White and Jaylen Brown don’t switch, leaving a lot of space for Jamal Murray to cut to the rim. A few possessions later, it’s Brown again who is half a second late when Johnson starts moving, and that’s enough for the Nuggets to punish the Celtics.

Denver is a very smart, very well coached team. It isn’t a surprise they involved Jordan Walsh’s matchup in the screen because the young wing has a tendency to overpressure off-ball. Therefore, with all the screens and movement the Nuggets are creating, it is hard for him to keep up.

This game was a great example of what makes a team like Denver so good. They can find a breach in a great defense by targeting players’ tendencies. Like the Celtics, they scout, they learn, and they adapt their approach to the opponent, and it worked out pretty well, even in garbage time.

#2 – The offense broke under pressure

On offense, the Celtics lost the ball on more than 15% of their possessions. When this happens, the Celtics have a 50% win rate. Taking care of the ball is one of the foundations of that team, and they couldn’t deliver last night. Led by Bruce Brown and Spencer Jones, the Nuggets put a lot of pressure on the Celtics’ ball-handlers.

They also didn’t hesitate to bring a second defender to force a quicker decision and generated some mistakes from Boston. With that appetite for steals and the domination on the offensive glass, the Denver Nuggets were able to generate 10 more field-goal attempts than the Celtics. And when the Celtics lose the possession battle, it becomes a lot harder to compete against the best teams in the league.

#3 – Jokic deep-drop

It was a different sight than usual on defense for the Denver Nuggets. We are used to seeing Jokic hedging on the pick-and-roll to force a pass and put pressure on the ball-handler, but this wasn’t the case last night. The guards put a lot of pressure while the Serbian was commanding from the back.

It was an interesting way to take away the paint from the Celtics while showing bodies beyond the three-point line. While Jokic was in the paint behind the pick-and-roll, the Nuggets’ closest defender next to the screen would come to disrupt the action.

Thanks to that, Jokic had less effort to expend on defense and could compensate on offense. In some possessions, Jokic would come up to surprise the ball-handler and create some chaos, like here:

But overall, the 3-time MVP remained in a drop position, and this explains why the Celtics had so much trouble getting to the paint last night.

#4 – Denver daring Ron Harper Junior to shoot

The young wing is discovering the NBA and what it is like to be scouted by the best teams in the world. After a standout performance against the Suns, he was back on the bench to start the game. Yet, like every other player on the roster, the Nuggets scouted him and had a plan in mind for when he would come onto the court.

As the defensive plan was to protect the paint at all costs, they decided to leave him alone beyond the line to make sure the Celtics touched the paint as little as possible.

The Celtics tried to get him involved in the screening action, hoping he would draw some attention from the defense, but the Nuggets couldn’t care less about his shooting threat.

In the end, that approach worked out pretty well for Denver as Harper shot one for seven from deep in 10 minutes. This also took away part of his offensive impact, and the Celtics had to adapt their rotation.

#5 – Double-big again

Because the Nuggets were willing to leave non-shooters open, the Celtics tried their double-big lineup again. If the opponent isn’t going to respect your shooters, you might as well play big. And the idea makes sense.

Because the Celtics played with two bigs and the non-shooter of the two is Neemias Queta, Vucevic was matched up with a smaller player. Therefore, it was easier for him to get a mismatch in the post. However, it was also easier for Jokic to come help from behind because of Queta’s presence in the paint.

To make this work on offense, I think the Celtics need to work on high-low offense with more movement from the off-ball players around the two centers. Defensively, it brought more rebounding stability and rim protection. The Celtics could target non-shooting threats like Christian Braun so the paint remained stacked.

If the Celtics can build some offensive synergy between Queta and Vucevic, things could be really fun and bring a great balance against big teams like Denver.

#6 – Spread actions

Because Denver was so aggressive when it came to protecting the paint, the Celtics decided to start their actions from the half-court line to stretch the Denver defense.

Here, a zoom action for Derrick White starts from half court, with Sam Hauser screening at the logo and Queta handing off at the three-point line. Because of that space and the distance of the screen, Jones has more difficulty containing White. This created a little bit of chaos in the defense and worked pretty well.

Yet, starting from deep isn’t enough, and using screens correctly remains one of the most important parts of off-ball actions. Here, look how easy it is for the Denver Nuggets defenders to stay connected to their matchup despite the various screens.

The idea was great, the execution not so much. Yet, it gives some perspective on how the Celtics offense can adapt when the spacing is missing.

#7 – More volume for White?

Looking at the stats from cleaningtheglass.com, I’m left with a couple of questions.

First, why didn’t White have more opportunities with the shot? He was really efficient with 1.25 points per shot attempt, created chaos with his speed and passing, and yet his usage was pretty average.

In the meantime, Jaylen Brown’s usage was once again close to 40% despite really low efficiency. When the defense shrinks the space like last night, I would like to see more possessions for White to unlock Jaylen Brown off-ball.

Against such a smart defense, isolation and drives in a crowded paint won’t work as much as usual, and the Celtics need to readjust how JB plays against elite teams to make sure to maximize him next to a great connector like Derrick White. The former Colorado guard scored 18 points in the second quarter but couldn’t get anything going after that.

#8 – More minutes for Hauser?

A second question I would have asked is why Sam Hauser didn’t get more minutes. As we saw earlier, the Nuggets were willing to leave a shooter open to protect the paint – even if that shooter was Sam Hauser.

So, when Sam was the guy next to the ball on the pick-and-roll, it created great things for the Celtics because the help defender couldn’t fully commit. And if he did, the Celtics could swing the ball to the wing.

Even if he didn’t make all the shots, the added value in spacing was so crucial that it was vital for the Celtics to keep him on the court to have the best chance on offense.

#9 – Be patient with Vucevic

Do we have a Vucevic problem?

— John Zannis (@John_Zannis) February 26, 2026

It took seven games for someone to raise the question – let’s be patient. And also let’s take a step back and remember that Vucevic isn’t the Celtics’ savior. He never has been an efficient scorer, never been a great interior defender. But he is a smart player with great passing for a 7-footer.

If you are expecting Nikola Vucevic to reach Kristaps Porzingis’ numbers in rim protection and scoring efficiency, well, be prepared to wait for a while because it never was the case. However, Vucevic can bring a push in the possession battle while providing spacing and great secondary passing once he gets more comfortable in the Celtics offense.

Let’s be nice, let’s be patient, this roster isn’t changing anytime soon.

#10 – Out of gas, out of air

Three games in four days, the last one 5280 feet above sea level, and the Celtics were out of gas and out of air.

This month, they played six games on the road, a lot of time away from home. March should be far more comfortable with nine games at TD Garden.

Might be the perfect timing for Jayson Tatum to come back (and for me to book a ticket from France to cover some games from the ground).”

#1 – A second behind

Sometimes in life, you feel like you’re a step behind. Nothing big, but yet, it creates a difference between where you should be and where you are, and this small difference has consequences. Well, that’s how it felt looking at the Celtics’ off-ball defense last night.

This first bucket from the Nuggets is a great example of the Nuggets being a step ahead. The screen from Cam Johnson causes a bit of chaos as Derrick White and Jaylen Brown don’t switch, leaving a lot of space for Jamal Murray to cut to the rim. A few possessions later, it’s Brown again who is half a second late when Johnson starts moving, and that’s enough for the Nuggets to punish the Celtics.

Denver is a very smart, very well coached team. It isn’t a surprise they involved Jordan Walsh’s matchup in the screen because the young wing has a tendency to overpressure off-ball. Therefore, with all the screens and movement the Nuggets are creating, it is hard for him to keep up.

This game was a great example of what makes a team like Denver so good. They can find a breach in a great defense by targeting players’ tendencies. Like the Celtics, they scout, they learn, and they adapt their approach to the opponent, and it worked out pretty well, even in garbage time.

#2 – The offense broke under pressure

On offense, the Celtics lost the ball on more than 15% of their possessions. When this happens, the Celtics have a 50% win rate. Taking care of the ball is one of the foundations of that team, and they couldn’t deliver last night. Led by Bruce Brown and Spencer Jones, the Nuggets put a lot of pressure on the Celtics’ ball-handlers.

They also didn’t hesitate to bring a second defender to force a quicker decision and generated some mistakes from Boston. With that appetite for steals and the domination on the offensive glass, the Denver Nuggets were able to generate 10 more field-goal attempts than the Celtics. And when the Celtics lose the possession battle, it becomes a lot harder to compete against the best teams in the league.

#3 – Jokic deep-drop

It was a different sight than usual on defense for the Denver Nuggets. We are used to seeing Jokic hedging on the pick-and-roll to force a pass and put pressure on the ball-handler, but this wasn’t the case last night. The guards put a lot of pressure while the Serbian was commanding from the back.

It was an interesting way to take away the paint from the Celtics while showing bodies beyond the three-point line. While Jokic was in the paint behind the pick-and-roll, the Nuggets’ closest defender next to the screen would come to disrupt the action.

Thanks to that, Jokic had less effort to expend on defense and could compensate on offense. In some possessions, Jokic would come up to surprise the ball-handler and create some chaos, like here:

But overall, the 3-time MVP remained in a drop position, and this explains why the Celtics had so much trouble getting to the paint last night.

#4 – Denver daring Ron Harper Junior to shoot

The young wing is discovering the NBA and what it is like to be scouted by the best teams in the world. After a standout performance against the Suns, he was back on the bench to start the game. Yet, like every other player on the roster, the Nuggets scouted him and had a plan in mind for when he would come onto the court.

As the defensive plan was to protect the paint at all costs, they decided to leave him alone beyond the line to make sure the Celtics touched the paint as little as possible.

The Celtics tried to get him involved in the screening action, hoping he would draw some attention from the defense, but the Nuggets couldn’t care less about his shooting threat.

In the end, that approach worked out pretty well for Denver as Harper shot one for seven from deep in 10 minutes. This also took away part of his offensive impact, and the Celtics had to adapt their rotation.

#5 – Double-big again

Because the Nuggets were willing to leave non-shooters open, the Celtics tried their double-big lineup again. If the opponent isn’t going to respect your shooters, you might as well play big. And the idea makes sense.

Because the Celtics played with two bigs and the non-shooter of the two is Neemias Queta, Vucevic was matched up with a smaller player. Therefore, it was easier for him to get a mismatch in the post. However, it was also easier for Jokic to come help from behind because of Queta’s presence in the paint.

To make this work on offense, I think the Celtics need to work on high-low offense with more movement from the off-ball players around the two centers. Defensively, it brought more rebounding stability and rim protection. The Celtics could target non-shooting threats like Christian Braun so the paint remained stacked.

If the Celtics can build some offensive synergy between Queta and Vucevic, things could be really fun and bring a great balance against big teams like Denver.

#6 – Spread actions

Because Denver was so aggressive when it came to protecting the paint, the Celtics decided to start their actions from the half-court line to stretch the Denver defense.

Here, a zoom action for Derrick White starts from half court, with Sam Hauser screening at the logo and Queta handing off at the three-point line. Because of that space and the distance of the screen, Jones has more difficulty containing White. This created a little bit of chaos in the defense and worked pretty well.

Yet, starting from deep isn’t enough, and using screens correctly remains one of the most important parts of off-ball actions. Here, look how easy it is for the Denver Nuggets defenders to stay connected to their matchup despite the various screens.

The idea was great, the execution not so much. Yet, it gives some perspective on how the Celtics offense can adapt when the spacing is missing.

#7 – More volume for White?

Looking at the stats from cleaningtheglass.com, I’m left with a couple of questions.

First, why didn’t White have more opportunities with the shot? He was really efficient with 1.25 points per shot attempt, created chaos with his speed and passing, and yet his usage was pretty average.

In the meantime, Jaylen Brown’s usage was once again close to 40% despite really low efficiency. When the defense shrinks the space like last night, I would like to see more possessions for White to unlock Jaylen Brown off-ball.

Against such a smart defense, isolation and drives in a crowded paint won’t work as much as usual, and the Celtics need to readjust how JB plays against elite teams to make sure to maximize him next to a great connector like Derrick White. The former Colorado guard scored 18 points in the second quarter but couldn’t get anything going after that.

#8 – More minutes for Hauser?

A second question I would have asked is why Sam Hauser didn’t get more minutes. As we saw earlier, the Nuggets were willing to leave a shooter open to protect the paint – even if that shooter was Sam Hauser.

So, when Sam was the guy next to the ball on the pick-and-roll, it created great things for the Celtics because the help defender couldn’t fully commit. And if he did, the Celtics could swing the ball to the wing.

Even if he didn’t make all the shots, the added value in spacing was so crucial that it was vital for the Celtics to keep him on the court to have the best chance on offense.

#9 – Be patient with Vucevic

Do we have a Vucevic problem?

— John Zannis (@John_Zannis) February 26, 2026

It took seven games for someone to raise the question – let’s be patient. And also let’s take a step back and remember that Vucevic isn’t the Celtics’ savior. He never has been an efficient scorer, never been a great interior defender. But he is a smart player with great passing for a 7-footer.

If you are expecting Nikola Vucevic to reach Kristaps Porzingis’ numbers in rim protection and scoring efficiency, well, be prepared to wait for a while because it never was the case. However, Vucevic can bring a push in the possession battle while providing spacing and great secondary passing once he gets more comfortable in the Celtics offense.

Let’s be nice, let’s be patient, this roster isn’t changing anytime soon.

#10 – Out of gas, out of air

Three games in four days, the last one 5280 feet above sea level, and the Celtics were out of gas and out of air.

This month, they played six games on the road, a lot of time away from home. March should be far more comfortable with nine games at TD Garden.

Might be the perfect timing for Jayson Tatum to come back (and for me to book a ticket from France to cover some games from the ground).”

The Boston Celtics could’ve secured a four-game road trip sweep over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, had it not been for their second-half tumble. Defensive lapses, a no-show from the reserve unit, and countless missed opportunities doomed the Cs.

But instead of sulking in the aftermath, Jaylen Brown took a different, more constructive approach to digesting the team’s 103-84 defeat in Denver.

“I think we’ll be pleased by how many open looks we had,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “It’s not like our offense didn’t create the advantages we were looking for. We got a bunch of great shots, it felt like. It just didn’t go down tonight.”

Boston fell victim to a collection of factors that snowballed into a storm greater than the blizzard they avoided back in New England this past weekend. Even so, there was a bright side worth pinpointing, as Brown did. The Celtics consistently generated quality looks throughout the second half, which made the result all the more frustrating. Shot creation wasn’t the issue. Shot conversion, however, was.

They finished 12-of-43 from 3-point range (27.9%), with Brown, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Payton Pritchard — all reliable perimeter threats — accounting for 13 of those misses. Of those attempts, 10 came on quality or wide-open looks. Over time, those misses dug a deeper divot, eventually forcing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to pull the plug and sit his starters on the bench for the final 5:33 of the fourth quarter.

Brown doesn’t believe any of that is worth overanalyzing as the team heads back home.

“It’s a long season. It’s a journey,” Brown told reporters. “One game doesn’t make or break us. Tonight, we could’ve played better, we could’ve converted a little bit more — second night of a back-to-back. We don’t hang our heads, though. We move on to the next.”

Leaving regret in the rearview mirror has become one of this season’s greatest strengths for the Celtics. It’s a principle that Mazzulla has preached since the start of the campaign, and one the team has consistently embraced. Whether during their most dominant performances and their ugliest slip-ups, the Celtics have continued to put that short-term memory into practice — pragmatically.

Boston won’t dwell on a single play, no matter how costly, but that doesn’t mean that details are ignored. Film gets reviewed. Mistakes get addressed. There’s a balance, and everyone in the locker room understands it.

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić finished scoring 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, but it was far from pretty. Jokić opened the night 4-of-11 in the first quarter, and nearly half of his 28 shot attempts came from beyond the arc. The three-time league MVP wasn’t the sole difference-maker responsible for dragging the Celtics and tilting the game, even though his double-double suggests it.

For the most part, Boston’s defense held its own against Jokić.

“I think we did a pretty good job on him,” White told reporters, per CLNS Media. “… He’s really good and does a little bit of everything for them, so I think our big did a pretty good job on him.”

The Celtics have 24 hours to unwind and reassess before hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Until then, they’ll roll with the approach that’s brought them this far in moving on from their Denver collapse. They’ll search for whatever opportunities remain in place to improve, make use of their miscues against the Nuggets, and establish the best way to strategize. It’s a collective effort.

“It would’ve been great to finish out strong in the road trip with a win,” Brown told reporters. “But 3-1 on a West Coast swing, coming straight out of the All-Star break, is not half bad. So, we just got to continue to get better little by little. I like where we’re at as a group. I think we’re playing some really good basketball. I think our guys have developed in areas that we continue to push along, so we just got to keep that up.”

Boston still owns the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, with a one and a ½ game lead over the New York Knicks. The race for the top spot also remains within reach, as the Celtics trail the Detroit Pistons only by five games. So while their 20th loss of the season was a tough one to stomach in real time, Boston remains in a favorable position worth highlighting.

“I like where we’re at as a group,” Brown told reporters. “I like where we’re at as a team.”

The Boston Celtics could’ve secured a four-game road trip sweep over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, had it not been for their second-half tumble. Defensive lapses, a no-show from the reserve unit, and countless missed opportunities doomed the Cs.

But instead of sulking in the aftermath, Jaylen Brown took a different, more constructive approach to digesting the team’s 103-84 defeat in Denver.

“I think we’ll be pleased by how many open looks we had,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “It’s not like our offense didn’t create the advantages we were looking for. We got a bunch of great shots, it felt like. It just didn’t go down tonight.”

Boston fell victim to a collection of factors that snowballed into a storm greater than the blizzard they avoided back in New England this past weekend. Even so, there was a bright side worth pinpointing, as Brown did. The Celtics consistently generated quality looks throughout the second half, which made the result all the more frustrating. Shot creation wasn’t the issue. Shot conversion, however, was.

They finished 12-of-43 from 3-point range (27.9%), with Brown, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Payton Pritchard — all reliable perimeter threats — accounting for 13 of those misses. Of those attempts, 10 came on quality or wide-open looks. Over time, those misses dug a deeper divot, eventually forcing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to pull the plug and sit his starters on the bench for the final 5:33 of the fourth quarter.

Brown doesn’t believe any of that is worth overanalyzing as the team heads back home.

“It’s a long season. It’s a journey,” Brown told reporters. “One game doesn’t make or break us. Tonight, we could’ve played better, we could’ve converted a little bit more — second night of a back-to-back. We don’t hang our heads, though. We move on to the next.”

Leaving regret in the rearview mirror has become one of this season’s greatest strengths for the Celtics. It’s a principle that Mazzulla has preached since the start of the campaign, and one the team has consistently embraced. Whether during their most dominant performances and their ugliest slip-ups, the Celtics have continued to put that short-term memory into practice — pragmatically.

Boston won’t dwell on a single play, no matter how costly, but that doesn’t mean that details are ignored. Film gets reviewed. Mistakes get addressed. There’s a balance, and everyone in the locker room understands it.

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić finished scoring 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, but it was far from pretty. Jokić opened the night 4-of-11 in the first quarter, and nearly half of his 28 shot attempts came from beyond the arc. The three-time league MVP wasn’t the sole difference-maker responsible for dragging the Celtics and tilting the game, even though his double-double suggests it.

For the most part, Boston’s defense held its own against Jokić.

“I think we did a pretty good job on him,” White told reporters, per CLNS Media. “… He’s really good and does a little bit of everything for them, so I think our big did a pretty good job on him.”

The Celtics have 24 hours to unwind and reassess before hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Until then, they’ll roll with the approach that’s brought them this far in moving on from their Denver collapse. They’ll search for whatever opportunities remain in place to improve, make use of their miscues against the Nuggets, and establish the best way to strategize. It’s a collective effort.

“It would’ve been great to finish out strong in the road trip with a win,” Brown told reporters. “But 3-1 on a West Coast swing, coming straight out of the All-Star break, is not half bad. So, we just got to continue to get better little by little. I like where we’re at as a group. I think we’re playing some really good basketball. I think our guys have developed in areas that we continue to push along, so we just got to keep that up.”

Boston still owns the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, with a one and a ½ game lead over the New York Knicks. The race for the top spot also remains within reach, as the Celtics trail the Detroit Pistons only by five games. So while their 20th loss of the season was a tough one to stomach in real time, Boston remains in a favorable position worth highlighting.

“I like where we’re at as a group,” Brown told reporters. “I like where we’re at as a team.”

Cooper Flagg is currently the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year. His Duke roommate, Kon Kneueppel, is behind him at around +220 (you bet $100, you win $220). Flagg is currently injured (and Dallas is tanking), and, as somewhat of a betting man myself, I wondered why I should not take the juice on Kneuppel in anticipation that Flagg doesn’t reach the 65-game threshold. This led me to a Marc Stein tweet where he explained that the threshold does not apply to the Rookie of the Year award. Why? Outside of MVP, you could argue that Rookie of the Year is the most coveted award in basketball. Unlike the other trophies, you only have one shot to win it. The NBA’s desire for players to play more is the genesis for this arbitrary number of games, and yet it does not apply to the award that theoretically should have the most participation. This is a sign of a fundamentally broken system, and instead of trying to assign more random parameters around qualification, they should scrap it all and let chaos win.

Cade Cunningham could win the MVP this year by default, essentially. This is not a knock on Cade, as he is the leader of the East’s best team currently. But at their current pace, the only top-five MVP candidate (by betting odds) outside of Cunningham that is on track to play 65-plus games this season is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is on pace for just 67 and is also currently hurt. So we may see a year where Nikola Jokic, averaging a triple-double while leading the league in rebounds and assists, Luka Doncic, averaging 32.5 points, and Victor Wembanyama, blocking nearly three shots a game to go with his 24 points and 11 rebounds on a Spurs team that has improved its win total by seven games already, all do not qualify for MVP. And for what? To satisfy a made-up, health-related rule in a league that is increasingly more injured as the days pass? It is completely asinine. The voting has always been narrative-based and subjective, and now is the time to lean in and remove any objectivity so creativity can run free. 

Adam Silver has said the NBA is a social league, and one that values internet clips and reactions. What if, instead of closed-door voting, they broadcast the deliberation? Imagine a room with Bill Simmons, Kendrick Perkins, and other NBA talking heads duking it out over why Nikola Jokic’s advanced metrics outweigh Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s bucket-getting ability. Or maybe they throw Chuck Klosterman in there, and he dispels any Luka Doncic support, citing Nico Harrison’s probable cause for trading him. That would do numbers on social media, Adam! After all, the media ultimately writes the history books. The discussion around the games is done by the people who vote for these awards, so why restrict their subjectivity at all? 

It’s time to get weird. The NBA’s half-baked attempt to put bumpers up on award voting has failed, even if all the aforementioned players reach 65 games played. That these conversations even happen is an indictment of this fragile algorithm. These awards ultimately matter only in debate circles and online forums, so trying to act like they are a sacred relic with high standards is counterintuitive to the goal. In fact, let’s go a step further. Each candidate should have to pitch their case to a Shark-Tank-esque panel of writers and analysts. You want clips, commissioner? How about one of Shaquille O’Neal saying “I’m out” after Victor Wembanyama points to his three-point efficiency at 7’4” as a pillar of his MVP argument.

There are better ways to decide these awards. If the rules apply to some, but not all of them, then it’s time to get rid of the rules. The NBA is an experimental league. We have seen this with All-Star weekend, the play-in tournament, and the NBA Cup. The awards should be the next thing to throw fun wrinkles at. 

Cooper Flagg is currently the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year. His Duke roommate, Kon Kneueppel, is behind him at around +220 (you bet $100, you win $220). Flagg is currently injured (and Dallas is tanking), and, as somewhat of a betting man myself, I wondered why I should not take the juice on Kneuppel in anticipation that Flagg doesn’t reach the 65-game threshold. This led me to a Marc Stein tweet where he explained that the threshold does not apply to the Rookie of the Year award. Why? Outside of MVP, you could argue that Rookie of the Year is the most coveted award in basketball. Unlike the other trophies, you only have one shot to win it. The NBA’s desire for players to play more is the genesis for this arbitrary number of games, and yet it does not apply to the award that theoretically should have the most participation. This is a sign of a fundamentally broken system, and instead of trying to assign more random parameters around qualification, they should scrap it all and let chaos win.

Cade Cunningham could win the MVP this year by default, essentially. This is not a knock on Cade, as he is the leader of the East’s best team currently. But at their current pace, the only top-five MVP candidate (by betting odds) outside of Cunningham that is on track to play 65-plus games this season is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is on pace for just 67 and is also currently hurt. So we may see a year where Nikola Jokic, averaging a triple-double while leading the league in rebounds and assists, Luka Doncic, averaging 32.5 points, and Victor Wembanyama, blocking nearly three shots a game to go with his 24 points and 11 rebounds on a Spurs team that has improved its win total by seven games already, all do not qualify for MVP. And for what? To satisfy a made-up, health-related rule in a league that is increasingly more injured as the days pass? It is completely asinine. The voting has always been narrative-based and subjective, and now is the time to lean in and remove any objectivity so creativity can run free. 

Adam Silver has said the NBA is a social league, and one that values internet clips and reactions. What if, instead of closed-door voting, they broadcast the deliberation? Imagine a room with Bill Simmons, Kendrick Perkins, and other NBA talking heads duking it out over why Nikola Jokic’s advanced metrics outweigh Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s bucket-getting ability. Or maybe they throw Chuck Klosterman in there, and he dispels any Luka Doncic support, citing Nico Harrison’s probable cause for trading him. That would do numbers on social media, Adam! After all, the media ultimately writes the history books. The discussion around the games is done by the people who vote for these awards, so why restrict their subjectivity at all? 

It’s time to get weird. The NBA’s half-baked attempt to put bumpers up on award voting has failed, even if all the aforementioned players reach 65 games played. That these conversations even happen is an indictment of this fragile algorithm. These awards ultimately matter only in debate circles and online forums, so trying to act like they are a sacred relic with high standards is counterintuitive to the goal. In fact, let’s go a step further. Each candidate should have to pitch their case to a Shark-Tank-esque panel of writers and analysts. You want clips, commissioner? How about one of Shaquille O’Neal saying “I’m out” after Victor Wembanyama points to his three-point efficiency at 7’4” as a pillar of his MVP argument.

There are better ways to decide these awards. If the rules apply to some, but not all of them, then it’s time to get rid of the rules. The NBA is an experimental league. We have seen this with All-Star weekend, the play-in tournament, and the NBA Cup. The awards should be the next thing to throw fun wrinkles at. 

There is nothing like a good discussion amongst people when things are civil and both can present coherent and thoughtful views while also being willing to hear what the other has to say, even if you don’t agree with them.

However more often than not these discussions delve into arguments usually with either side digging in to their view and getting nasty and mean and then the insults come out and the name calling starts and next thing you know you are both frustrated.

Even though I am all for a good discussion, there are some arguments that people make that as soon as I hear them I just walk away before I get started because there is no point, since I already know that person isn’t open to hearing any opinion other than the one they just espoused.

So what is one of those arguments I am tired of?

It has to be the basketball G.O.A.T. conversation. In the past 10 years or so there has been a rise to declare LeBron James the G.O.A.T. over the real G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan. I have tried to defend his case but those who think it is LeBron have no desire to listen. So just for the sake of consistency, let me lay it out one more time:

NBA Championships: Jordan is 6-0, LeBron 4-6. Jordan never played a game 7 in a Championship game, which I think is as impressive as anything.

NBA Finals MVPs: Jordan 6, LeBron 4

NBA MVPs: Jordan 5, LeBron 4

NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Jordan 1, LeBron 0

NBA Defensive first team: Jordan 9, LeBron 5

NBA Scoring Champion: Jordan 10, LeBron 1

In these next stats keep in mind that Jordan played 14.5 seasons compared to James 23

NBA All-Stars: Jordan 14, LeBron 22 (though Jordan never pulled out of one hours before tip off preventing a substitution from happening)

NBA All-Star MVP: Jordan 3, LeBron 3

All NBA: Jordan 11 (10 first, 1 second), LeBron 21 (13 first, 4 second, 4 third)

Olympics: Jordan 2 golds in 2 trips, LeBron 3 golds and a Bronze in 4 trips

PPG: Jordan 30.1, Lebron 26.9 (yes LeBron has more points but he also has played 8.5 more seasons)

PPG Playoffs: Jordan 33.4, LeBron 28.4 (Again, I understand LeBron has more points but also played 113 more games than Jordan)

I could keep going but instead I am going to end with this story. I was at the dentist one day. The dental assistant was a Duke fan and she knew I went to UNC. She started talking about how Duke was better and I mentioned how none of Duke’s players were any good in the pros (this was back in the early 2000’s) due to injury or just being bad. Her response was well who does UNC have, Michael Jordan? I thought about this for half a second and just started laughing because not only did UNC have some of the best players in the league at that time with Antwan Jamison, Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, and Vince Carter, but at the same time, even if they didn’t, they still had the Greatest of All Time…Michael Jordan.

Are you a Jordan guy or do you think its LeBron? Are there other arguments you are tired of? Let us know in the comments below.

There is nothing like a good discussion amongst people when things are civil and both can present coherent and thoughtful views while also being willing to hear what the other has to say, even if you don’t agree with them.

However more often than not these discussions delve into arguments usually with either side digging in to their view and getting nasty and mean and then the insults come out and the name calling starts and next thing you know you are both frustrated.

Even though I am all for a good discussion, there are some arguments that people make that as soon as I hear them I just walk away before I get started because there is no point, since I already know that person isn’t open to hearing any opinion other than the one they just espoused.

So what is one of those arguments I am tired of?

It has to be the basketball G.O.A.T. conversation. In the past 10 years or so there has been a rise to declare LeBron James the G.O.A.T. over the real G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan. I have tried to defend his case but those who think it is LeBron have no desire to listen. So just for the sake of consistency, let me lay it out one more time:

NBA Championships: Jordan is 6-0, LeBron 4-6. Jordan never played a game 7 in a Championship game, which I think is as impressive as anything.

NBA Finals MVPs: Jordan 6, LeBron 4

NBA MVPs: Jordan 5, LeBron 4

NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Jordan 1, LeBron 0

NBA Defensive first team: Jordan 9, LeBron 5

NBA Scoring Champion: Jordan 10, LeBron 1

In these next stats keep in mind that Jordan played 14.5 seasons compared to James 23

NBA All-Stars: Jordan 14, LeBron 22 (though Jordan never pulled out of one hours before tip off preventing a substitution from happening)

NBA All-Star MVP: Jordan 3, LeBron 3

All NBA: Jordan 11 (10 first, 1 second), LeBron 21 (13 first, 4 second, 4 third)

Olympics: Jordan 2 golds in 2 trips, LeBron 3 golds and a Bronze in 4 trips

PPG: Jordan 30.1, Lebron 26.9 (yes LeBron has more points but he also has played 8.5 more seasons)

PPG Playoffs: Jordan 33.4, LeBron 28.4 (Again, I understand LeBron has more points but also played 113 more games than Jordan)

I could keep going but instead I am going to end with this story. I was at the dentist one day. The dental assistant was a Duke fan and she knew I went to UNC. She started talking about how Duke was better and I mentioned how none of Duke’s players were any good in the pros (this was back in the early 2000’s) due to injury or just being bad. Her response was well who does UNC have, Michael Jordan? I thought about this for half a second and just started laughing because not only did UNC have some of the best players in the league at that time with Antwan Jamison, Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, and Vince Carter, but at the same time, even if they didn’t, they still had the Greatest of All Time…Michael Jordan.

Are you a Jordan guy or do you think its LeBron? Are there other arguments you are tired of? Let us know in the comments below.

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers. They’ll return home for one game to host the Miami Heat before heading back out on the road to face the Boston Cetlics

The Sixers and Heat met earlier this season, with Miami coming away with a 10-point win. Kel’el Ware was a major factor, finishing with 26 points and 16 rebounds as the Heat dominated the glass. Jaime Jaquez Jr. also made his presence felt, adding 21 points in the victory.

Since then, it has been an up-and-down year for Miami. At 31–28, they find themselves hovering around the middle of the Eastern Conference and once again looking like a play-in team. There are plenty of reasons for the uneven season. Injuries have played a significant role, with Tyler Herro sidelined for much of the year. The pairing of Bam Adebayo and Ware has also lacked consistency. One night it clicks, the next Ware barely sees the floor. On top of that, Miami stood pat at the trade deadline while other teams around them made moves to improve.

Still, this is a talented, well-coached group that competes on most nights. Their newest addition, Norman Powell, has put together an excellent season and earned an All-Star nod. With Herro back, the Heat have two dynamic scorers who can space the floor and carry the offense when needed.

Earlier in the season, when the Heat and Sixers matched up, Miami was trying to implement a drive-and-kick offense that was much more unorthodox than the standard pick-and-roll systems you typically see. It led to early success, with the Heat boasting a top-five offense and piling up wins. Since then, there has been noticeable pushback from a few players, and Miami has shifted back to a more conventional approach. The key to this matchup for the Sixers will be limiting second-chance opportunities, as the Heat simply had far too many in their first meeting.

Fortunately for Philadelphia, it appears Joel Embiid will be available this time around. Embiid was solid in their last matchup, scoring 27 points in 26 minutes. He moved well, and looked good in 26 minutes of play. The Sixers are coming off two strong, convincing victories and will look to extend their win streak to three after a post-trade deadline slide that had them drifting toward play-in territory.

The catalyst in both wins has been Tyrese Maxey, who is coming off a near triple-double with 32 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three stocks. If the Pacers game had been more competitive, he likely would have reached the milestone. Maxey has looked much more like himself, showing versatility in his shot selection with deep threes and tremendous finishes around the basket. His backcourt mate, VJ Edgecombe, has also been playing strong basketball. He was dominant from beyond the arc in the win over the Timberwolves and effective scoring inside the arc against the Pacers. The Sixers will need all the backcourt firepower they can get to match Miami’s.

Speaking of the backcourt, Quentin Grimes turned in another strong performance last game, and it could be a sign he is rounding back into the form we saw earlier in the season. He has now scored in double figures in back-to-back games and has looked noticeably more explosive doing it.

The Sixers need all the bench production they can get, and this feels like a matchup where Grimes will be especially important. His scoring punch, along with his ability to space the floor and make plays, will be key as Philadelphia looks to counter Miami’s shooting and ball movement.

Ahead of this matchup, Embiid is listed as probable, which is an encouraging designation. Johni Broome and Paul George remain out. For Miami, Herro appears good to go, along with Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell and Dru Smith. Nikola Jovic is the key player out, and Davion Mitchell is questionable with an illness.

This matchup carries weight for several reasons, starting with the standings. The Heat sit just 1.5 games behind the Sixers, with the Orlando Magic wedged between them. A loss would risk dropping Philadelphia into play-in territory, while a win would create some much-needed breathing room.

The season series also adds another layer of importance. After this game, the Sixers and Heat will meet only once more. A Miami win would secure the regular-season tiebreaker, which could loom large given how tight the standings are. If the Sixers take this one, the series would be split, setting up the March 30 meeting as the deciding game for the tiebreaker.

There is plenty at stake. The Sixers appear to have steadied themselves after what felt like their lowest point of the season. Now they have an opportunity to build on that momentum and secure a crucial win.

Game Details

When: Thursday, February 26, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers. They’ll return home for one game to host the Miami Heat before heading back out on the road to face the Boston Cetlics

The Sixers and Heat met earlier this season, with Miami coming away with a 10-point win. Kel’el Ware was a major factor, finishing with 26 points and 16 rebounds as the Heat dominated the glass. Jaime Jaquez Jr. also made his presence felt, adding 21 points in the victory.

Since then, it has been an up-and-down year for Miami. At 31–28, they find themselves hovering around the middle of the Eastern Conference and once again looking like a play-in team. There are plenty of reasons for the uneven season. Injuries have played a significant role, with Tyler Herro sidelined for much of the year. The pairing of Bam Adebayo and Ware has also lacked consistency. One night it clicks, the next Ware barely sees the floor. On top of that, Miami stood pat at the trade deadline while other teams around them made moves to improve.

Still, this is a talented, well-coached group that competes on most nights. Their newest addition, Norman Powell, has put together an excellent season and earned an All-Star nod. With Herro back, the Heat have two dynamic scorers who can space the floor and carry the offense when needed.

Earlier in the season, when the Heat and Sixers matched up, Miami was trying to implement a drive-and-kick offense that was much more unorthodox than the standard pick-and-roll systems you typically see. It led to early success, with the Heat boasting a top-five offense and piling up wins. Since then, there has been noticeable pushback from a few players, and Miami has shifted back to a more conventional approach. The key to this matchup for the Sixers will be limiting second-chance opportunities, as the Heat simply had far too many in their first meeting.

Fortunately for Philadelphia, it appears Joel Embiid will be available this time around. Embiid was solid in their last matchup, scoring 27 points in 26 minutes. He moved well, and looked good in 26 minutes of play. The Sixers are coming off two strong, convincing victories and will look to extend their win streak to three after a post-trade deadline slide that had them drifting toward play-in territory.

The catalyst in both wins has been Tyrese Maxey, who is coming off a near triple-double with 32 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three stocks. If the Pacers game had been more competitive, he likely would have reached the milestone. Maxey has looked much more like himself, showing versatility in his shot selection with deep threes and tremendous finishes around the basket. His backcourt mate, VJ Edgecombe, has also been playing strong basketball. He was dominant from beyond the arc in the win over the Timberwolves and effective scoring inside the arc against the Pacers. The Sixers will need all the backcourt firepower they can get to match Miami’s.

Speaking of the backcourt, Quentin Grimes turned in another strong performance last game, and it could be a sign he is rounding back into the form we saw earlier in the season. He has now scored in double figures in back-to-back games and has looked noticeably more explosive doing it.

The Sixers need all the bench production they can get, and this feels like a matchup where Grimes will be especially important. His scoring punch, along with his ability to space the floor and make plays, will be key as Philadelphia looks to counter Miami’s shooting and ball movement.

Ahead of this matchup, Embiid is listed as probable, which is an encouraging designation. Johni Broome and Paul George remain out. For Miami, Herro appears good to go, along with Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell and Dru Smith. Nikola Jovic is the key player out, and Davion Mitchell is questionable with an illness.

This matchup carries weight for several reasons, starting with the standings. The Heat sit just 1.5 games behind the Sixers, with the Orlando Magic wedged between them. A loss would risk dropping Philadelphia into play-in territory, while a win would create some much-needed breathing room.

The season series also adds another layer of importance. After this game, the Sixers and Heat will meet only once more. A Miami win would secure the regular-season tiebreaker, which could loom large given how tight the standings are. If the Sixers take this one, the series would be split, setting up the March 30 meeting as the deciding game for the tiebreaker.

There is plenty at stake. The Sixers appear to have steadied themselves after what felt like their lowest point of the season. Now they have an opportunity to build on that momentum and secure a crucial win.

Game Details

When: Thursday, February 26, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

The Houston Rockets got the blowout win we hoped for against the Sacramento Kings. Now, they turn their attention to the Orlando Magic as Houston plays out the second night of a back-to-back and the first game in a three-game road trip out East.

The Magic are coming off a big emotional win over the Lakers in Los Angeles, 110-109 after knocking off the Clippers in Inglewood two nights earlier. Orlando trailed for the first three quarters against the Lakers before some clutch plays allowed them to pull off the win. Paolo Banchero dropped 36, Desmond Bane added 22, and Wendell Carter Jr. scored 20. And they could get Gonzaga one-and-done star Jalen Suggs back tonight.

The Magic are starting to show their talent a bit, and when Franz Wagner returns in March, look out.

Tip-off

6:30pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network and Amazon Prime Video

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Amen Thompson: GTD

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Tari Eason: OUT

Magic

Jalen Suggs: GTD

Franz Wagner: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

Hou -1.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Saturday afternoon in South Beach against the Miami Heat

The Houston Rockets got the blowout win we hoped for against the Sacramento Kings. Now, they turn their attention to the Orlando Magic as Houston plays out the second night of a back-to-back and the first game in a three-game road trip out East.

The Magic are coming off a big emotional win over the Lakers in Los Angeles, 110-109 after knocking off the Clippers in Inglewood two nights earlier. Orlando trailed for the first three quarters against the Lakers before some clutch plays allowed them to pull off the win. Paolo Banchero dropped 36, Desmond Bane added 22, and Wendell Carter Jr. scored 20. And they could get Gonzaga one-and-done star Jalen Suggs back tonight.

The Magic are starting to show their talent a bit, and when Franz Wagner returns in March, look out.

Tip-off

6:30pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network and Amazon Prime Video

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Amen Thompson: GTD

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Tari Eason: OUT

Magic

Jalen Suggs: GTD

Franz Wagner: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

Hou -1.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Saturday afternoon in South Beach against the Miami Heat

Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.

Fantable Questions of the Week

Q1: After returning from injury, Jalen Green’s offensive production for February has been underwhelming. 15 ppg, 35.3 FG%, 23.7 3PT%, 60 FT% on 12 FGAs per game. What are your thoughts on this?

GuarGuar: I don’t think he’s best as a #1 option, which is what he’s had to be these past few games with all the injuries. He’s also been injured literally all season and it was a hamstring reinjury, so I’ll give him some grace to come back to form. He’s gotta get used to NBA action again and regain that confidence in his body.

Ashton: Can you imagine being Jalen Green right now? He finally returns to the court, looks around, and there is an M.A.S.H. unit sitting on the bench. If we see “Hawkeye” (Alan Alda – not Marvel) on the bench, then I know the Suns are in trouble.

Between having work off some of the rust, he just does not have the starting player support needed to get those percentages up. The bench players and rookies are not going to help. But GA spotting up for a three or Book pulling double teams while making timely passing decisions would. Brooks doing his usual bullying thing would seriously help.

Sure, there is a bit of concern about the FT percentage, but that can be fixed. A broken and hobbled starter squad cannot. I would not read too much into it.

OldAz: He has not been on the court with these teammates all season, and now he has to be the focal point of the offense with the normal #1 and #3 options missing. On top of that, he has to do it without the needed practice time to even figure out what that offense looks like. And finally, he is supposed to do it while working himself back into game shape. One for finally, the pressure of fan expectations (based on his salary and a couple tantalizing games when Book and Brooks were playing) has to make every miss feel like the hole is a foot deeper. I believe he will work his way through this, but it is not going to be quick or easy.

Rod: It’s frustrating for fans, and I’m sure it is for him too. The team has recently been devastated by injuries that have left him in the position of trying to carry much of the scoring load instead of being eased back into the rotation after returning from his own injury, which already caused him to miss the bulk of this season. We already knew he wasn’t an especially efficient scorer, which has been very apparent lately as he’s been relied on way to much at this point.

He’s certainly not a perfect player, far from it, but he’s better than what we’ve seen lately. At full or even half-strength, I believe this team is good enough to cover for each other’s flaws, but, as it is now, those flaws are going to stand out even more and we’ve been seeing a lot more of those lately from more players than just Jalen.

Q2: Dillon Brooks’ broken hand will likely cause him to be out for 4-6 weeks, meaning that it is possible for him to miss all of the Suns’ remaining games. If that happens, do you believe that the Suns will finish the regular season with a record good enough to qualify for the play-in games?

GuarGuar: Barring absolute catastrophe, I think we are locked into the Play-In game. Unfortunately, with this injury, I think it’s really tough for us to finish higher than 7th and not have to play in the Play-In. We’d need to really get hot starting in March when Booker gets back. Hopefully, Brooks comes back sooner than expected. His toughness is much needed on this squad.

Ashton: I was a real proponent of the Suns taking the sixth seed. Now? It is time for a major revision. The two-way players are not going to be able to play much longer, and the rookies really just have not developed in the NBA, though they are doing fine in the G League.

To be honest, what a rotten turn of events for the Suns and their fans. Even if some of the starters outside of Brooks return, what remains is the question of how long they can stay healthy. I will take the under, but the over that Book can sell more shoes.

With all that said, I am not all doom-and-gloom. The Suns will need to lose a lot of games to fall out of the tenth seed. They have a six-game lead over the Clippers as of Tuesday afternoon.

I think the Suns will go dancing. Is it March Madness yet?

OldAz: I write this on Monday night, and the Suns have an 11-game cushion on the 11th-place Grizz with 24 to play. Those same Grizzlies are 14 games under .500 and on pace to win 31 games (the Suns have 33 currently). I am not sure I am prepared to contemplate this question further, as that would be an all-time collapse by the hometown team.

Rod: While I don’t think this is likely, I do believe there’s a small possibility of it happening, depending upon the health of the rest of the team…and how determined the teams currently below 10th in the West are to tank the rest of the season. With Brooks out for all of the rest of the regular season, I see it as pretty difficult for the Suns to stay put as the 7th seed, and could drop well down the play-in ladder though. At this point, I’m just hoping that they can avoid falling to 9th or 10th, where they would have to win two play-in games just to get into the playoffs.

Q3: With the recent rash of injuries, rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming have gotten some meaningful rotation minutes. Do you believe they proved that they’re ready for more, even when the team gets healthy again?

GuarGuar: I don’t know if they can crack the rotation yet when everyone is fully healthy (if that ever happens again this season haha), but I have liked what I’ve seen from them recently. Man Man had some bright stretches during that Portland game and Rasheer is beginning to look a tad more comfortable offensively. I still doubt they would be in the rotation come play-in/playoff time, though.

Ashton: No. This is probably the short answer, but they just have not been given the time to develop the minutes against NBA caliber players.

If this were a buy/sell question, I would sell. Maybe we will change the title of Inside the Suns to ‘Around the Suns Horn’ article.

Suns are going to lose some games in the immediate future (please beat the Lakers, and I will call it a win during the injury stretch), and the best-case scenario is that Fleming and KM get some decent development minutes for the future.

But for now, I will keep my expectations low.

OldAz: I thought this about Fleming the last time he got meaningful minutes and held his own, but alas, those minutes dried up pretty quick. Player development takes commitment, and I am hoping these injuries force the Suns to make a little (or a lot) more of this necessary commitment. I wouldn’t mind seeing KM get some more minutes too, but it seems to me that with Brooks out, Dunn and Fleming combining for 40+ minutes a night would not be a bad thing, even if the growing pains cost them a few wins in a stretch where they were likely to struggle anyway.

Rod: Not just yet. What I have seen from them lately in encouraging though and, hopefully, they’ll show that even more as they’re given more court time until the team heals up. And I do believe they’re now at the point where, even with the team fully healthy, it’s really worth taking a chance on putting them in under certain circumstances, particularly when the Suns are facing bigger teams whose size is creating problems for them.

As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!

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Quotes of the Week

“We do have to find ways to turn teams over, and a lot of that’s Goodie (Jordan Goodwin), so we’re going to have to find ways to manufacture it. That’s a big piece of what we do.” – Jordan Ott

“Especially with those guys being out (Book, Brooks, Goodwin), everybody has got to be aggressive to get open looks, take the open drive and knock down open shots.” – Royce O’Neale

“We’re 30th in free throws differential since February 1. We can’t get to the free throw line, cant get their rim.” – Jordan Ott

“When he (Dillon Brooks) first found out (that his hand was broken), he was probably disappointed. The next morning I think he was in here shooting with one hand. He’s crazy, but that’s who he is. That’s how hard he works and a testament to him as a player and a person. He’s special in that way.” – Collin Gillespie

“Everybody has got to have a little grace. He (Jalen Green) has been out for three quarters of the season. It’s not an easy thing to do to just insert yourself back into the lineup and be able to just play at that level or play at the speed of the game. I have a ton of grace for him because I’ve been through that where I missed a whole year. He’s missed like three quarters of the season. It’s not easy and he’s done an incredible job of just fitting in seamlessly. It’s been pretty cool to see.” – Collin Gillespie

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Suns Trivia/History

On February 27, 1972, the Suns’ 6’1″ rookie reserve guard Mo Layton led all scorers with a career high 37 points to fuel a Suns 127-125 come-from-behind victory over the Cavaliers in Cleveland. It was the single 30+ point game of Layton’s 5-year NBA career. He only played for the Suns for two seasons, averaging a modest 8.2 ppg before being waived by the Suns before the beginning of the 1973-74 season. He also spent a short time that year playing for the ABA’s Memphis Tams under his former Suns head coach, Butch van Breda Kolff. Coach van Breda Kolff owns the dubious distinction of having the shortest tenure ever as a Suns head coach after he was fired just 7 games into the 1972-73 season.

On March 3, 1993, the 41-13 Phoenix Suns – as expected – defeated the 19-35 Philadelphia 76ers 125-115 in Phoenix. The one unexpected thing during that game was 76ers backup center, 7’7″ Manute Bol, who was mostly known only for his shot blocking, making 6 three pointers, 2 more than the entire Suns team. Suns forward Charles Barkley was both amazed and amused by it all.

That one time Manute Bol drained six three-pointers in one half against the Suns was so fucking awesome even Charles Barkley had to give him five. pic.twitter.com/DliDRzGnvA

— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) December 3, 2021

On March 6, 2019, Devin Booker became the youngest player ever to make 500 3-Point Field Goals at 22 years, 127 days.

On March 6, 2020, Suns’ backup center Aron Baynes scored 37 points, gathered 16 rebounds, and recorded 2 blocks while making 9 of 14 shots (64.3%) from three while taking over for injured starting center Deandre Ayton in a 127-117 home win over the Portland Trail Blazers. In NBA history, no one else had ever done all of those things in one game.

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This Week’s Game Schedule

Thursday, Feb 26 – Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers (7:00 pm)
Tuesday, March 3 – Suns @ Sacramento Kings (9:00 pm) Peacock

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This Week’s Valley Suns Game Schedule

Thursday, Feb 26. Valley Suns vs South Bay Lakers (7:00 pm) ESPN+
Saturday, Feb 28 – Valley Suns @ Texas Legends (6:30 pm)
Monday, March 2 – Valley Suns vs Salt Lake City Stars (6:30 pm) Prime Video

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Important Future Dates

March 1 – Playoff eligibility waiver deadline
March 4 – Final day to sign players to two-way contracts
March 28 – NBA G League Regular Season ends
March 31 – 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin
April 12 – Regular season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 13 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET)
April 14-17 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
April 18 – NBA Playoffs begin