Category: Basketball

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a thriller to the Detroit Pistons.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Detroit Buzzer Operator

0 problems solved, 15-minute delay, 40,000 ears damaged

I don’t even know the official job title of whoever was in charge of the buzzer. All I know is they should start finding a new job after tonight.

Grade: F

Dennis Schroder

12 points, 9 assists, 1 rebound, 8 turnovers

The Cavs have turned to Schroder to carry them while they are without Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. That has led to some pretty ugly box scores, like tonight. I can’t in good faith ignore 8 turnovers or 4-16 shooting.

But maybe I’m delusional, because I thought this game was better than the stat line suggests. Schroder’s usage was insanely high because the team didn’t have many other options. And for all the mistakes he made, the team’s best moments were often being funneled through Schroder’s aggression.

In short, the highs were high, and the lows were low. I don’t think a letter grade can accurately describe this one from Schroder.

Grade: C+

Jarrett Allen

25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block

Allen ends the month with another strong performance. For all the lack of “toughness” we hear about, Allen has always seemed to fare well against the Pistons. If he hadn’t fouled out in the fourth, Cleveland might have gotten over the hump.

Grade: A

Evan Mobley

23 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks

This game ended in misery, but Mobley showed his brightest flashes of the season since returning from his latest calf injury. A big scoring night on 4-of-8 three-point shooting should make everyone feel happy. I only wish he hadn’t disappeared in the final few minutes, especially overtime, where he only attempted one field goal at the buzzer.

Grade: B+

Jaylon Tyson

15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

Tyson was steady for most of this game. He hit a few momentum-swinging jumpers and was one of Cleveland’s better defensive options. It wasn’t until his errant foul at halfcourt that everything unraveled. Even then, Tyson nailed a huge three-pointer in overtime to keep this game close.

Grade: C+

Craig Porter Jr.

5 points, 12 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 turnovers

It’s not easy to have your minutes stripped midway through the season. Porter had earned a place in the rotation before Cleveland’s latest acquisitions at the deadline. But injuries have opened the door again for Porter to see the court — and he’s responded with 21 assists across his last two games.

The limitations are obvious. Porter isn’t a three-point threat or an elite finisher. He had his shot rejected twice in overtime. That hurts.

Grade: B

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

We’ve reached the point of diminishing returns on Tomlin. His inexperience has become more noticeable as the season goes on. Make no mistake, he’s been a massive success story. But his current limitations are starting to show.

Grade: F

Sam Merrill

20 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals

Merrill is a big reason this offense was able to function tonight. His three-point shooting bailed them out of a couple of poor stretches. He even shook Duncan Robinson on a mid-range jumper that unfortunately didn’t count.

Grade: A-

Thomas Bryant

13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Bryant was getting shots up tonight (12 field goal attempts). But the Cavs have needed a backup big man who can deliver games like this. I’m a fan.

Grade: A+

DALLAS (AP) — Cam Spencer scored 25 points off the bench and Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 124-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points and Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson each had 12 to help Memphis snap a three-game skid.

The Grizzlies, who had lost seven of their previous eight, led the entire game and won despite being short-handed with star guard Ja Morant out for a 16th consecutive game with an injured left elbow, and Zach Edey (ankle) and Cedric Coward (knee) also sidelined.

Taj Gibson, signed by Memphis on Thursday to help deal with the absences, wasn't active.

Brandon Williams scored 16 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Mavericks, who have lost seven straight at home. Daniel Gafford added 14 points, Dwight Powell had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Max Christie also scored 13 points.

Rookie Cooper Flagg missed his sixth straight game with a sprained foot.

The Mavericks were within eight points at 44-36 with 5:23 left in the second quarter on Miles Kelly's 3-pointer. But that was as close as Dallas would get the rest of the way.

The Grizzlies used a 20-8 run to lead by 20 at halftime at 64-44, and extended their advantage to a game-high 34 points twice in the third quarter.

Up next

Grizzlies: Play at Indiana on Sunday night.

Mavericks: Host Oklahoma City on Sunday night.

—

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lawson Crouse scored twice, U.S. Olympian Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists and the Utah Mammoth beat Minnesota 5-2 on Friday night to end the Wild's winning streak at six games.

Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton also scored and Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves to help the Mammoth rebound from a 4-2 home loss to NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. Utah holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Seattle.

U.S. Olympian Matt Boldy scored and assisted on Kirill Kaprizov's goal for Minnesota. Second behind Central Division-rival Colorado in the West, the Wild are 9-2-1 in their last 12. They beat the Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday night in Denver.

Cooley opened the scoring with a short-handed goal with 6:37 left in the first period. The former University of Minnesota star got the puck on the right side off a deflection and put a shot between Wallstedt’s legs for his 15th goal.

Keller scored his 18th at 4:26 of the second. Nick Schmaltz forced a turnover on a forecheck and fed Keller on the right side.

Crouse made it 3-0 at 7:49 of the second. He came down the middle, took a pass from Keller and beat Wallstedt with a backhander.

Kaprizov countered for Minnesota on a power play with 5:57 left in the second. He has 33 goals this season.

Hayton made it 4-1 on a power play at 1:19 of the third, and Crouse added his 16th of the season on a tip with 7:12 to go.

Boldy got his 35th of the season with 5:57 remaining.

Up next

Wild: Host St. Louis on Sunday.

Mammoth: Host Chicago on Sunday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhla

The game between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers experienced technical difficulties during the second half at the Little Caesars Arena on Friday, Feb. 27.

The Pistons held a 65-64 lead against the Cavaliers with 7:24 in the third quarter when the horn at the scorers' table had a malfunction.

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was interviewed by ESPN during the third period when the horn started and would not stop.

The interview continued for several moments before Mitchell asked, “Do you guys hear the horn?”

The delay went on for at least 12 minutes before the arena staff managed to restart the scoreboard to stop the ongoing sound.

The staff then had to get the scoreboard back up and running before the game could continue. The area used a physical air horn to finish out the game.

Pistons defeat Cavaliers

The game went into overtime, where Detroit outscored Cleveland 8-5 to secure the 122-119 victory. Center Jalen Duren produced a double-double with 33 points and 16 rebounds against the Cavs.

"All the things are coming together for him,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about Duren. “The game’s slowed down for him. His understanding of spacing and when to attack, all of those things have slowed down and are giving him opportunities."

Ausar Thomson on the #Pistons mental toughness through adverse situations as a team pic.twitter.com/d4psr4GCI6

— Eric Vincent (@IAmEricVincent) February 28, 2026

Pistons vs. Cavaliers highlights

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pistons beat Cavaliers in OT in game interrupted by horn malfunction

The Lakers (34-24) look to snap their losing streak against the Golden State Warriors (31-28) on Saturday. The season series between both these Pacific Division teams is currently tied at 1-1.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

When: 5:30 p.m. PT, Feb. 28

Where: Chase Center

Watch: ABC

---

Just when you thought that there was no way the Lakers would lose to a Suns team that didn’t have Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, they find a way to get it done. Now in the midst of what feels like their worst losing stretch of the season, Los Angeles is once again in a slump and there are legitimate concerns about whether they can get out of it.

last three games, the lakers lost to:

– a celtics team without jayson tatum
– a magic team without jalen suggs and franz wagner
– a suns team without devin booker and dillon brooks

ridiculously unacceptable.

— Nicole Ganglani (@nicoleganglani) February 27, 2026

Instead of stacking wins, the Lakers are dropping games and look far from being contenders in the West.

As I mentioned in my last preview, the Lakers aren’t safe from falling into the play-in tournament, and that can very much happen if they continue on this trajectory.

The Lakers’ next opponent is a Warriors team that will also be without two of its best players.

Despite being 4-6 in their last 10, Golden State, sans their superstars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, is still capable of surprising any team. Given how the Lakers are playing right now, this is far from an easy win for the purple and gold.

Expect Brandin Podziemski and Pat Spencer to take charge of their offense while Draymond Green anchors their defense and employs his usual tactics. The Lakers will absolutely need to step up their game for this one and answer some important questions.

Will the Birthday boy, Luka Dončić, get some help from his teammates? Can Deandre Ayton step out of his funk? LeBron James and Austin Reaves usually play the Warriors very well, so will that be the case again? Can the role players contribute more? And finally, will the Lakers play like a team that’s worth being hopeful about?

Notes and Updates

• For the Lakers’ injury report, Rui Hachimura is listed as doubtful due to illness.
• Adou Thiero (G-League) and Bronny James Jr., (G-League) are with the South Bay Lakers.
• As for the Warriors, Jimmy Butler (ACL surgery), Stephen Curry (patellofemoral pain syndrome) and Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation) are out.
• Draymond Green (lower back injury) is probable while Kristaps Porzingis (illness) is questionable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

As Snoop Pierson said in a late-season episode of The Wire, “Deserve aint got nothing to do with it.” (Yes, I am an elder millennial, why do you ask?). Anyway, the Detroit Pistons didn’t play well, but they did escape a game against an undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers team in OT 122-119.

Jalen Duren was brilliant, scoring 33 points to go with 16 rebounds and three blocks. With his performance tonight, he becomes the first Pistons player to score at least 25 points and secure at least 10 rebounds in four straight games since Bob MacAdoo in 1980.

It was a cursed game from the beginning. The Pistons played poorly on both ends of the floor for nearly all of the game’s first 48 minutes. Cade Cunningham had some nice individual scoring plays in the first half, but there was no cohesion among any combination of Pistons players, and Detroit was a step slow all night. And that was against a Cavs team missing both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.

That allowed other players to step up for Cleveland, and step up they did. Jarrett Allen led the team with 25 points, including several nice running floaters. Evan Mobley netted 23, including sinking four threes, and Sam Merrill had 20, also sinking four from deep. Those combined eight threes were two more than the entire Pistons team managed.

Had Detroit lost, the game would have been epitomized by two things. The first is a bizarre 12-minute delay when the horn wouldn’t shut off, and the only solution was to completely shut down the giant display board above center court.

Detroit was playing such an ugly brand of basketball, it actually felt like a bit of a respite. The second key development was late in the game when Detroit’s two stars — Cade Cunningham (25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) and Duren — missed five of six free throws during a pivotal stretch in the fourth quarter. Those shots loomed large as the Pistons attempted to claw their way back into a game the Cavs were leading by nine with 2:44 left.

But a Duncan Robinson three and an Ausar Thompson backcourt steal that led to an easy dunk cut the deficit to four. The Pistons had signs of life, but then took another huge blow when Cunningham fouled out with 1:56 remaining.

After Jarrett Allen and Thompson traded free throws, Tobias Harris picked off the inbounds pass and sailed in for another dunk to cut it to two.

It seemed as if the momentum had completely turned when Jaylen Tyson was called for an offensive foul on the ensuing inbounds play after a hard shove to Robinson. But the Cavs challenged the call, and the play was reversed because Robinson was holding onto Tyson’s jersey before the shove. That was ruled a dead-ball foul, which was a huge turn. That gave Cleveland one free throw (made by Sam Merrill) and the ball. Evan Mobley missed a three-pointer on the possession, which allowed Detroit to stay in the game.

Suddenly, the Pistons found themselves down three with five seconds left. Daniss Jenkins took the inbounds and streaked up the court, going into his shooting motion almost immediately. Tyson tried to deliver a take foul before the shot to ensure Detroit could only get two, but the refs ruled it was too late and gave Jenkins three shots. He sank all three at the line. Improbably, the Pistons tied the game and forced overtime.

Duren and Jenkins took that momentum into overtime, Jenkins hit a huge bucket and had a big assist, and Duren scored a couple of baskets and had a huge steal that led to Tobias Harris’ game-clinching turnaround jumper to provide the final margin.

Somehow, the Pistons did it again. They escaped with a win, finding some reserves in crunch time when it seemed like they couldn’t do anything right. I’m not sure how much it means to beat a Cavs team missing its best players, but it was certainly Detroit sticking to its identity. They played hard and played together when it mattered most.

The Milwaukee Bucks finished their four-game home stand with a stinker, losing in blowout fashion to the New York Knicks 127-98. Myles Turner was Milwaukee’s leading scorer with 19 points and four rebounds, shooting 4/7 from three. For New York, Jalen Brunson scored 27, but they also had six other players reach double digits. 

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

Pregame, Doc Rivers highlighted the need for the Bucks to take care of the ball, especially without Giannis in the lineup. They did just that in the first few minutes, opening up with a five-point edge. They looked ready to expand on that lead, but turnovers on back-to-back possessions sparked an 11-0 run by the Knicks, prompting a timeout from Rivers. Milwaukee battled back, outscoring New York 11-6 to tie the game halfway through the quarter. However, Jalen Brunson continued to give the Bucks fits—as he has throughout his career—scoring 16 of the Knicks’ last 19. Stunning. Brunson finished with 22 after just one quarter, and Milwaukee found themselves down 38-30. 

Even with Brunson going to the bench, New York remained hot from three-point range, beginning the second quarter by drilling their first two threes, quickly going up 16. After trading baskets for the next few minutes, Milwaukee started to chip away at the deficit, getting it to 10 after Turner completed a three-point play. The Knicks responded with a pair of threes from Brunson and Landry Shamet, before OG Anunoby stole the ball and converted on the fast break, putting New York ahead by 18. Turner did his best to make the halftime score look more respectable, getting to the charity stripe multiple times in the final minute or so, but a Towns layup in the dying seconds gave the Knicks a 77-57 edge.  

Milwaukee tapped into their three-point shooting acumen in the third to try to mount a comeback, drilling their first three attempts. However, they were matched by New York, who drilled some of their own triples. The Bucks finally got some stops, allowing them to go on a 9-0 run and cut the deficit to 15 with about seven minutes left. But of course, their offense then went through a dry spell, scoring just one point over the next three minutes as New York went on a 7-0 run. The Bucks got their deficit back to 15 once again, but couldn’t follow thier scores with stops. Knicks up 103-83 heading into the final frame. 

New York’s hot shooting continued early in the final period, as Anunoby, Diawara, Bridges, and Alvarado got buckets in relatively quick succession. The Knicks’ lead rose all the way to 32 after Towns drained his first three of the game—also on just his first attempt of the game, funnily enough—which just about ended it for the home team. Rivers called a timeout and brought in the rest of his bench to finish out the final six minutes. The Bucks finally ended a 4:25 scoring drought when Gary Harris made an uncontested dunk, but the game was obviously long gone. Knicks win.

Stat That Stood Out

Look no further than the Knicks’ three-point shooting tonight, going a staggering 21/41 for the game. Shamet and Anunoby led New York, both going 5/7 from deep.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Detroit Pistons 122-119 in overtime. This was an Eastern Conference showdown between two primary contenders that grew chippier as the night went on. We saw everything, from a 10-minute horn delay, fan ejections, and a half-court shooting foul. This one had it all.

Cleveland entered this matchup shorthanded. The injury report was lengthy, including Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Dean Wade, and Keon Ellis. Of course, Max Strus didn’t play either. This many key players being on the sideline could have resulted in a dull matchup. But the Cavs fought until the bitter end.

The Cavs started this game with authority. It became clear immediately that this wasn’t going to be a cakewalk for the Pistons. Cleveland established itself defensively and continued to get just enough offensively to compete.

Dennis Schroder has done a phenomenal job of raising the floor for Cleveland. They’d be hurting for ball-handling and shot creation right now if it weren’t for him. Schroder ran the pick-and-roll throughout the night and made sure the Cavaliers’ bigs stayed involved. His usage began to feel like a burden as Schroder eventually turned the ball over 8 times and shot 4-15. But for most of the game, he was Cleveland’s only reliable ball handler.

Evan Mobley had his best game since returning from a calf injury. He finished with 23 points and nailed 4-of-8 three-pointers. Mobley threw down several impressive dunks, including two separate one-hand jams over Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. He just couldn’t hit the game-tying shot at the buzzer.

Craig Porter Jr. also deserves a shout. He relentlessly attacked the basket and found success dishing the ball to Cleveland’s bigs. Porter racked up 12 assists by the end of the night and has thrown 21 assists over his last two games.

Lastly, Jarrett Allen finished his strong February with 25 points and 9 rebounds on 10-12 shooting. He unfortunately fouled out late in the fourth quarter. And the Cavs simply didn’t execute down the stretch to close this one out.

The Cavaliers are now 37-24 and head to Brooklyn on Sunday.

Tonight at the Fiserv Forum, the visiting Knicks (38*-22) took on the suddenly hot Bucks (26-32), which we never saw coming given their gawky adolescent phase. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Deer had won eight of ten and clipped some of the league’s best along the way. Conversely, the unpredictable Knicks had alternated between world-beaters and egg-beaters since the All-Star break. Which Knicks team would show up for the last night of their three-game road trip? The winning one! Final score, 127-98.

The Knicks started slow, but then blasted off behind Jalen Brunson’s 22-point first quarter. J.B. mixed it up with jumpers, multiple triples, and free throws, missing only one of his 10 field goal attempts. His roomie Josh Hart provided a three, a transition finish, and a block that sparked an improved defensive effort that included steals from OG Anunoby (24 PTS, 5-7 3PT, 2 STL) and Mikal Bridges (10 PTS, 2 STL, 2 BLK).

22 points for the captain in the 1Q 🫡

this marks a season-high points record in a single quarter for any Knick this season 📈 pic.twitter.com/OEflKydmSK

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 28, 2026

Milwaukee tried to stay competitive with buckets from Ryan Rollins (13 PTS) and Myles Turner (19 PTS, 4 RBS), but they mostly huffed New York’s exhaust. Although Karl-Anthony Towns (17 PTS, 13 RBS) was scoreless in the quarter, the ‘Bockers whupped the home team in the paint (12-2), shot 6-of-9 from deep, and committed just one turnover to Milwaukee’s five. Heading into the second frame, their lead was 38-30.

Congratulations to Cap for scoring 7,000 points as a Knick and doing so in 265 games. He finished the night with 27 points on 11-of-17 from the field, 4-of-6 from deep.

Jalen Brunson. 7,000 points as a member of the Knicks 🔥

He achieved this milestone in just 265 games, marking the fewest games to reach 7k points in franchise history! pic.twitter.com/lA0Ux2f9MB

— NBA (@NBA) February 28, 2026

To open the second period, coach Mike Brown went with Jose Alvarado (7 PTS, 5 AST), Bridges, Mohamed Diawara (10 PTS), Anunoby, and Towns. Mo buried a three to cap an 8–0 run and strengthen the case for more playing time . . . then the rook picked up two fouls and prompted Brown to try the Towns-Mitchell Robinson attack instead. Karl finally registered on the scoresheet, and although Porter answered with a few midrange jumpers, Milwaukee couldn’t trim their deficit to single digits.

When Brunson returned, the Knicks rolled on. They incinerated the nets, and their defense put the hammer down, with steals, deflections, rebounds, and blocks. A late 10-0 run pushed New York’s lead to 20 and forced coach Doc Rivers to call a third timeout. After that, KAT and Landry Shamet (15 PTS) stepped into the scoring spotlight, and by intermission, New York was up 77-57. That’s their second-highest scoring first-half total of the season.

Good to see Mo back in the mix! pic.twitter.com/0beLyErYjW

— Knicks Fan TV 🏀🎥📺🏁 (@KnicksFanTv) February 28, 2026

The Knicks cruised through the half by shooting 61% from the field (59% from three, 13-of-22), limiting the Bucks to 54% overall, forcing nine turnovers that led to 14 points the other way, and scoring 18 fast-break points. They doubled Milwaukee in the paint (24-12), dished 20 assists on 28 makes, and blocked four shots. Milwaukee had zero steals. After two quarters, Brunson led all scorers with 25 points, and Turner had 18 for the home team.

OG Anunoby hit three three-pointers for the Knicks’ first nine points of the second half and scored 15 in the quarter. Soon after OG’s explosion, Brunson got dinged for his first technical foul of the year when AJ Green violated his landing space, but no whistle blew. Things got a little wobbly for our heroes. The Bucks cut a 24-point deficit to 15 thanks to nine points by Kyle Kuzma. Rather than losing their grip on the rope, New York regained it by returning to the tactics that had worked so well earlier—great defense, ball movement, and shot selection. In a flash, they went up by 22 again. Porter and Kuzma hit back-to-back longballs, but their spark never caught fire.

To close out the quarter, Mitch blocked Portis, and Diawara sank two freebies, giving the visitors a 103-83 advantage.

OG said "my turn" 🙂‍↕️

17 PTS | 4 3PM | 3 AST | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/q1SEB8apZ0

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 28, 2026

The fourth quarter began with five more points from Diawara and another Anunoby trey. Milwaukee got some push from Portis and Cam Thomas, but Bridges took his turn, splashing in some buckets to stretch the lead to 29.

With the game well in hand, both teams emptied their benches around the 6:13 mark. Tyler Kolek received a nice ovation. Jeremy Sochan, Ariel Hukporti, Trey Jemison, and Jordan Clarkson also checked in for New York, while Gary Trent, Jr. and Thanasis Antetokounmpo stretched their legs for Milwaukee. From there, it was all cardio. Great game, and just when we forgot how enjoyable easy wins are.

Up Next

Back to MSG to host the San Antonio Spurs in an early matinee. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but what NBA Cup Final?

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Alex Lyon made 27 saves to beat his former Florida teammates for the second this month, helping the Buffalo Sabres top the Panthers 3-2 on Friday night for their eighth victory in 11 games.

Lyon played for the Panthers during the 2022-23 season. He has won two of his past four starts — both against Florida.

Beck Malenstyn gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead with 8:22 left, sending a slap shot from the point through traffic and past Daniil Tarasov. Florida challenged for goalie interference after Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s stick made contact with Tarasov’s glove, but the goal stood.

The Sabres won 2-1 at New Jersey on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. They are tied with Detroit for second place in the Atlantic Division. Buffalo has missed the playoffs an NHL-record 14 straight years.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers are in serious danger of missing the playoffs. Florida, which has lost six of its past eight, is eight points behind Boston for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 23 games left.

Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs also scored for Buffalo. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett scored for Florida.

Buffalo got a needed insurance goal with 1:17 remaining on an empty-netter from Krebs. Florida cut it to a goal with 35 seconds left when Bennett’s shot went off the post and Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin inadvertently swept the puck in off of Lyon.

Florida played much of the game without defenseman Uvis Balinskis who blocked a shot late in the first period. After coming off the ice to get treated, Balinskis returned and played one more shift. He only played two in the second and did not come out for the third.

Up next

Sabres: At Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Panthers: At the New York Islanders on Sunday.

Up next

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhla

When the Brooklyn Nets first played the Boston Celtics this season, I wrote about how both teams were at or near the same competitive skill level. After all, it was way back in late November and Boston was a mediocre 7-7. They sat just two spots ahead in of Brooklyn in the East, and were still looking to find rhythm with a newly reconstructed roster.

What a stupid, hilarious assertion.

In the time since, Brooklyn’s been the Yin to Boston’s Yang. They’ve gone 13-31 while Boston’s gone 30-13. The Celtics are now knocking on the postseason door for a 12th straight season, while the Nets are knocking on heaven’s.

Sometimes, you just have to say it when you can.

But tonight, the Nets certainly couldn’t, not that I or anyone expected them to be able to. Brooklyn fell behind quickly in game no. 59. They turned it over three times in the contest’s first three minutes. The Celtics did what they do, and have somehow continued to do for years even with significant roster turnover — beginning the game 6-6 from deep. For Brooklyn, it would only get worse defensively from beyond the arc, but more on that later.

Josh Minott also played his first non-garbage time minutes in the first for the Nets. While Boston remained ahead during them, they gave us the only bit of basketball we could celebrate tonight. Early on, the 23-year-old put the athleticism that always made him an intriguing prospect on full display while creating for himself and others….

Nice job creating by Josh Minott, getting by his old teammate and one of the game's best defenders.

Danny smokes the first look so he won't get the assist, but really should. pic.twitter.com/p7MRp86Typ

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) February 28, 2026

Seconds after soaring past Hugo González for a jam on the break, he went over Nikola Vučević and Day’Ron Sharpe for two more just before the horn. Minott finished with nine points and two rebounds in 16 minutes of play while shooting 4-7 from the field.

Minott making plays right down until the last second of the first… pic.twitter.com/U3K51oJB2E

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) February 28, 2026

Following their new teammate’s lead, Brooklyn kept attacking the paint in the first half, even as Boston continued to advertise the 3-pointer as a viable offensive weapon. The Nets outscored the Celtics inside 32-22 in the first half. They pushed to the cylinder anytime they could on the break and weren’t bashful about attacking known rim-receptionist Vučević in the halfcourt either.

And while the Celtics still led at halftime by a 66-57 margin, shooting 12-20 from deep by that point, Brooklyn seemed to be making progress. Just 24 hours removed from a game where they lost the turnover battle 15-8 and finished -10 in points off them, they were winning it 8-4 and with a +6 advantage through two vs Boston. They also put the Celtics at the line for just 11 first half shots after giving San Antonio 21 attempts in the first half last night.

Nevertheless, Boston started the second half 5-5 from the field, jumping up by two touchdowns less than three minutes into the third. The Boston three-party raged on in the process. The Celtics went 5-7 from deep in the period, hitting skip passes and leveraging around screens like a well-oiled machine they are.

Between a quick five from Egor Dëmin, who was scoreless in the first half, and Nolan Traoré probing and creating, the Nets tried to hang around, but if they did, it was only by a coogi thread.

Brooklyn went into the fourth down 109-83. Then, after the Celtics started a perfect 4-4 from the field again, they were down 117-83.

So, that meant extended garbage time, and a look at a Net with even less experience here than Minott. This morning, Brooklyn signed rookie Grant Nelson to a 10-day contract. The Alabama product checked in with 9:50 remaining. He ended up tallying three points, dishing four assists, and blocking two shots.

Grant Nelson gets his first NBA points, dunking over Luka Garza. pic.twitter.com/BZwjzv9cqr

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) February 28, 2026

That burn gave him 60 minutes played in three games in two leagues in three days. I think he’ll sleep well tonight.

Ben Saraf, who the Nets swapped in from Long Island with Drake Powell, also logged nine minutes down the stretch. His first few weren’t as memorable as Nelson’s, as he got called for an illegal screen just seconds after checking in. However, he did rebound, putting in seven points while shooting 3-3 from the field. Ochai Agbaji and Danny Wolf also combined for 15 points on 6-11 shooting in the fourth.

An honest man would remind you that all that production came against Boston’s deep bench guys, but the ultimate beat down Boston delivered should be sobering enough on its own. The Celtics had a magnet ball that never lost its pull, even as Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard tested it with “heat check” heaves. Those two combined for 50 points on 18-24 shooting from the field and 8-9 from three. Pritchard finished as a +40 in 28 minutes.

Even Ron Harper Jr., who’s appeared in just 14 games and 11-42 from deep this year, dusted himself off, came in, and buried a three in the final two minutes. The Celtics collectively shot a ludicrous 22-34 from three.

“Better technique, better knowing who the personnel is,” Fernandez said postgame. “And obviously, you know we were not good enough. When you shoot 49% from the field, 40% from three, and you turn over 11 times, you should be able to give yourself a chance or fight. And it was like a really, really poor defensive game, probably the worst of the season, and I know we’ve shown better. So there’s something for me to fight for.”

Fernández often talks about wanting to see that “fight” from his players. It felt like he missed that tonight, and it’s hard to argue otherwise.

“Yeah, it was a complete-on quit, when you lose by almost 40 points,“ he said. ”They scored 82 points in one half of basketball. Obviously, give them credit because they’re very good team, but we can be better than this.“

Final: Boston Celtics 148, Brooklyn Nets 111

Milestone Watch

Not much going on. Grant Nelson played three games in three days: with the Long Island Nets Wednesday and Thursday and tonight for Brooklyn. He played a little less than 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, over at Tankathon, the Nets are still third in lottery chances, but they’re now a half game out of second.

Next Up

The Nets will host the Cleveland Cavaliers for a third and final time this season at the Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon. Brooklyn hasn’t beat the Cavs since their hold skipper Kenny Atkinson took over the team in in 2024. This one tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Boston Celtics 148, Brooklyn Nets 111 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Boston Celtics 148, Brooklyn Nets 111 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Brown, Vucevic score 28, Celtics shoot season-high 66% in a 148-111 win over the Nets – Kyle Hightower – AP
• Nets have no answers for scorching-hot Celtics in worst defensive game of the year – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Josh Minott flashes vs. former team, but Celtics’ 3-point barrage buries Nets in 37-point loss ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. drops 18 in 148-111 loss at Celtics – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Supreme Court has denied a request by former professional basketball player Charles Bediako to play for the University of Alabama again this season while he appeals his eligibility case against the NCAA.

According to online court records, the high court on Friday denied Bediako's emergency motion for an interim injunction so he could play again for the Crimson Tide. Bediako said an expedited decision was needed because the end of the regular season and postseason tournaments are fast approaching.

An email seeking comment was left with Bediako’s lawyer after regular business hours on Friday.

Bediako, who played in the NBA G League, on Monday filed an appeal of Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet’s recent decision that ended Bediako's temporary playing status with the University of Alabama.

Bediako, a 7-foot center from Canada, spent two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament both years. He wasn’t selected in the 2023 NBA draft, but played three years in the G League, the NBA's minor league.

He filed a lawsuit against the NCAA after it denied Alabama’s request to allow him to return to collegiate competition this season. His lawyers argued that Bediako remains within his five-year college eligibility window. NCAA President Charlie Baker and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey have opposed Bediako’s reinstatement.

A judge, who later recused himself from the case, issued a temporary restraining order that allowed Bediako to play while the case moved forward. He ended up playing in five games. But Pruet on Feb. 9 ruled against Bediako, writing that the player “failed to demonstrate that he is entitled to the injunctive relief that he seeks.”

Bediako has been playing for Canada in FIBA World Cup qualifiers, including in Thursday's 96-85 win over Puerto Rico.

Alabama’s regular season ends on March 7. The SEC men’s basketball tournament takes place in mid-March, and the NCAA Tournament will be held from March 17-April 6.

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The Nets had come into TD Garden losers of 6 in a row on Friday night, they left losers of 7 in a row. The Celtics beat the Nets in blowout fashion, 148-111 behind a big 28 point game from Jaylen Brown.

Only Jayson Tatum missed this one for the Celtics. They started the group that has become the usuals; Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta. Brooklyn, meanwhile, had no one missing on the injury report. They started Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton.

The Nets have beaten the Celtics once already and the last time these two teams played, it went to 2OT. Brooklyn had given Boston problems this year so it was important that the Celtics brought the energy for 48 minutes. Especially since it was the first home game back off of a west coast trip.

Spoiler alert: they didn’t give the Celtics any problems on Friday.

The Celtics were hot from there early, making their first 5 makes and going 8/10 from the field. However, Brooklyn was able to hang around because Boston could not get a stop as the Nets started the game 7/11 themselves.

Former Celtic Josh Minott checked into the game for the Nets in the first quarter. He had 4 points and a huge poster dunk on Hugo Gonzalez in the period.

HUGE Josh Minott dunk, I miss him and am going to post his highlights too pic.twitter.com/DBEplaXG2b

— Danielle Hobeika (@DanielleHobeika) February 28, 2026

The Celtics led 35-32 at the end of the first quarter. They went 6/7 from three point range with the only miss being a Gonzalez heave at the end of the quarter. Nikola Vucevic led the way with 10 points and 5 rebounds off of the bench.

Boston’s defense was lacking in the first half. Entering Friday’s game, the Celtics had the best defense in the league over the past 1o games.

look at the celtics defense https://t.co/tJqxbJdc10

— jack (@janderson22_) February 27, 2026

However, Brooklyn was getting whatever they wanted throughout the half. Finishing with 32 points in the paint for the half.

The Celtics still led 66-57 after the half. Jaylen Brown led the team with 14 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists while Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Neither team could get a stop for a lot of the third quarter as well. The Celtic stayed hot from three as they were 16/26 from three for the game in the middle of the third quarter as they took their largest lead of the night.

They never looked back.

A 27-7 run gave the Celtics a 109-83 cushion at the end of the third quarter. Jaylen Brown led the team with 28 points while Nikola Vucevic had 24 and 10 off of the bench and was a +25 in the game.

The lead ballooned to 34 points in the 4th quarter as Payton Pritchard put in a nice layup leading to a Brooklyn timeout.

Jaylen Brown finished the game with 28 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds. He was dominant throughout the game shooting 9/12 from the field and 4/4 from three. Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds and Payton Pritchard scored 22 points and was a +40 for the game.

The Celtics shot an astronomical 67% from the field and 65% from three while Brooklyn shot 49% from the field and 41% from three. Boston’s next game is Sunday night at 8 EST against the 76ers from TD Garden.

The good thing about the Lakers is that when things are going well, the attention the franchise receives is more than virtually anyone else in sports gets.

However, the other side of that coin is that when losses are piling up, the media frenzy is just as loud, perhaps even louder.

After the Lakers lost to the Suns, head coach JJ Redick discussed the negativity that comes with being the most popular basketball team on Earth.

"Our losses are louder than because we're the Lakers and because the way we lose. You get this deep in the season and again tonight was a one-possession clutch game…Our losses are louder." – JJ Redick postgame

— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) February 27, 2026

Whether fair or not, the standard in Los Angeles is to win all the time, with no exceptions or grace allowed. So, when fans or the media can’t see the path towards a title, the blame game begins and that’s a contest no one can win.

Simply put, the Lakers, given the size of their fanbase and the amount of national TV games they play, aren’t allowed to struggle quietly. If something is going wrong in LA, it will be broadcast on every show, podcast and website imaginable.

It also doesn’t help that the Lakers are playing poorly.

During this losing streak, the Lakers have been blown out by the Celtics, lost to a Magic team missing key players, and failed to generate any stops in the fourth quarter against Phoenix.

When you have awful losses on the largest stage, it’s going to get people talking about your flaws ad nauseam.

As Don Draper said in the television show “Mad Men,” “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”

The only way the Lakers can do that is by winning games. And the path towards that is fixing the defense, optimizing the offense and getting the trio of LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves all playing well together.

Also, there are only 20-plus games left to get that done. So, yeah, the 2025-26 Lakers might be cooked.

But yes, Redick is right. It does get loud in LA.

Hopefully, one day, the noise is about the team going on a title run, and the conversation is about how the Lakers have one of the best run franchises in the NBA.

Right now, the dialogue is much darker. And no matter how loud the noise is, the play on the court warrants the criticisms.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.