Category: Basketball

BOSTON — On paper, Sunday’s afternoon game between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks was just another NBA game between two Eastern Conference foes missing two star players. The Celtics walked away with a 107-79 win behind big-time games from Jaylen Brown (30 points, 13 rebounds) and Anfernee Simons (27 points), while the Bucks racked up their 5th consecutive loss.

But at TD Garden, it felt like anything but a normal game. That’s because Sunday marked the first-ever Pioneers Classic, a game facilitated by the NBA and meant to honor the legacies of the league’s first Black players.

In truth, the NBA has concocted so many tournaments and themed games over the years that some theoretically lose their significance. But celebrating the 75th anniversary of three NBA Pioneers — Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton — felt particularly authentic, in large part due to its intentional execution.

Chuck Cooper was the first Black player to be drafted into the NBA, being selected by the Celtics in 1950. Earl Lloyd, meanwhile, was the first to actually play in an NBA game, while Nathaniel Clifton was the first to sign an NBA contract. All three former players had family members in attendance at TD Garden, and were recognized on multiple occassions throughout the game.

Beginning this year, the NBA Pioneers Classic will be played annually on February 1 to commemorate the start of Black History Month and celebrate the legacy of the NBA’s Pioneers. Jaylen Brown, who addressed the crowd before tip-off, finished as the inaugural game’s leading scorer and ultimately received the Pioneer’s Classic trophy.

“It was awesome,” Brown said after the game. “It’s pretty cool to be able to pay homage to people of the past. I’m a person who loves to pay my respects. So to know where you’re going, you’ve got to know where you came from. I thought the NBA did a good job of honoring some of those guys.”

Inside a special Sunday afternoon at TD Garden

The attention ahead of the Pioneers Classic was evident; 1950 patches were etched onto every player’s jersey, and the words ‘Cooper’, ‘Clifton’, and ‘Loyd’ embroidered in their warm-ups. ESPN’s broadcast spotlighted the game’s all-Black production crew, and an all-Black referee crew officiated the contest. 

Most notably, the building was filled with the families of former Celtics legends. Bill Russell’s daughter, Karen Russell, and Red Auerbach’s granddaughter, Julie Auerbach, embraced at center court during a timeout break. Eight-time Celtics champion Satch Sanders was in attendance, as was the family of Celtics legend KC Jones.

And, current Celtics got involved in the action; Jordan Walsh met with families pregame, while Brown met with several after the game.

“History is one of my favorite subjects,” Brown said. “Obviously, I know a lot about Celtics history from their inception, from Red Auerbach to KC Jones, to Larry Bird, to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, and here we are now. So a lot of history, a lot of great players have played for this organization — so it’s an honor to continue.”

The event extended far beyond just recognition; the NBA Foundation and NBPA Foundation committed to donating $750,000 over the next five years to establish the NBA Pioneers Scholarship, supporting academic and athletic programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and presented one such scholarship during halftime.

Before the game, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, who served as the Celtics’ head coach for 9 years, spoke about his perspective on the groundbreaking event.

“What I think Pioneer Day represents, to me, is America,” Rivers said while donning a Pioneers Classics hoodie. “Red Auerbach is responsible for our achievements as much as anyone else. He didn’t see color — he wanted to make the league a better league, and he kept doing it with hiring Bill Russel as coach. You think about this city that’s had its ups and downs race-wise, but you have this one guy…”

“When you come here, and you coach here, boy, you really get what Red [Auerbach] was about. And so Pioneers’ Day, first game being here for me, obviously, being a coach here for 9 years, means a lot.”

Doc Rivers (again) condemns ICE shootings

In the backdrop of the inaugural Pioneers celebration was the reality of an increasingly-tense political climate surrounding the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, one that has led many in the NBA world to speak out about recent shootings.

Doc Rivers has been among the most outspoken. Before the game, the Bucks head coach was pressed about his previous comments deeming the recent of Renee Good by ICE a “straight-up murder” — and affirmed he stood by those comments entirely.

“I look at our league. I look at the NBA. We’re celebrating Pioneer’s Day today, right?” Rivers said. “And I look at our league and think (Hakeem) Olajuwon could have been taken off the streets.”

Rivers, who has long been one of the most outspoken voices in the NBA when it comes to social issues, explained he feels an imperative to speak out.

“I just feel like when I think things are morally wrong — it’s funny, I don’t get into the politics of the economy, who feels what President is better,” Rivers said. “It’s all going back and forth. I don’t get involved in that. I just think when things are morally wrong, it shouldn’t be me; it should be everybody in this room. It should be everybody if you feel strongly about it. What we see on the streets right now, you cannot morally feel good about that. No American can — and that’s why I speak out.”

Rivers said he’s aware that there can be ramifications to his outspokenness, and that he shares those with his players.

“I do tell our guys there are consequences,” Rivers. “You know, there was an Arthur Ashe, there was a Muhammad Ali, there was a Howard Cosell. They all spoke out, and some paid consequences for it. That’s just part of it.”

And in the backdrop of Pioneers Day, with families of trailblazers filling the stands, his comments seemed to carry extra weight.

Pioneers Day served as the latest bridge between past and present for the Celtics

For Joe Mazzulla, Sunday felt like a natural fit because it’s typical for the Celtics to have former players and coaches around the current team.

“The cool thing about us is we’re always having guys hang around,” Mazzulla said. “Those things just happen organically, because people from the past of the Celtics are around a lot, whether it’s at a gala dinner, whether it’s at practice, whether it’s at a game, whether it’s on the plane — we have history around us at all times.”

After the final buzzer sounded, Jaylen Brown connected with Michael Jones (the son of Sam Jones), Karen Russell (the daughter of Bill Russell), Bryna Jones (the daughter of KC Jones), among others. For him, those connections are energizing.

“Be able to connect with people from that came before, gives you information, gives you wisdom,” Brown said. “So, as you move forward, you know exactly what you need to do.”

The Celtics ultimately walked away with a blowout victory, and secured the Eastern Conference’s best net rating. But, Sunday afternoon carried more weight than conference standings.

“It’s a special day for a lot of reasons,” said Mazzulla, who caught up with several Celtics legend family members at halftime. “And I think it just put things in perspective about what it means to be a Celtic.”

“You always hear about the Celtics as a basketball team, but I think when you have Celtics as where we’re at in the community and where we’ve been, [I’m] just as proud to be a part of that.”

Get set for what should be a terrific night of NBA action when the New Orleans Pelicans visit the Charlotte Hornets.

With both teams surprisingly efficient on defense recently, my Pelicans vs. Hornets predictions expect a low-scoring night. 

Read on for my NBA picks for Monday, February 1. 

Pelicans vs Hornets prediction

Pelicans vs Hornets best bet: Under 233.5 (-110)

This high total overreacts to the New Orleans Pelicans’ 28th-ranked scoring defense, as recent form suggests better results are expected. 

Both teams have slowed significantly, ranking in the league’s bottom half for pace over their last five games. 

The Charlotte Hornets' surge into the Top 10 in defense during its six-game win streak is similarly undervalued. Meanwhile, New Orleans has paired the league’s 29th-ranked shooting efficiency with surprisingly disciplined defensive stretches. 

With Trey Murphy III in a shooting slump and both teams prioritizing half-court execution, expect a deliberate, low-efficiency battle that finishes well below this inflated market number. 

Pelicans vs Hornets same-game parlay

Even with the Under in play, Brandon Miller has cleared his scoring prop in nine of his last 10 games.

While New Orleans can look leaky on defense, they defend the 3-point line reasonably well.

Charlotte launches around 40 threes per game, but the misses from contested attempts are where Zion Williamson thrives.

That shot profile puts him in a position to grab at least six rebounds again, which he’s done in five of his last six outings.

Pelicans vs Hornets SGP

• Under 233.5
• Brandon Miller Over 22.5 points
• Zion Williamson Over 5.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: LaMelo From Three

LaMelo Ball is the engine of Charlotte’s offense and never hesitates to fire from deep. 

He’s likely to attempt at least eight threes, and the 37% shooter has knocked down 4+ triples in three of his last six.

Pelicans vs Hornets SGP

• Under 233.5
• Brandon Miller Over 22.5 points
• Zion Williamson Over 5.5 rebounds
• LaMelo Ball Over 3.5 made threes

Pelicans vs Hornets odds

• Spread: Pelicans +6.5 (-110) | Hornets -6.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Pelicans +220 | Hornets -270
• Over/Under: Over 231.5 (-110) | Under 231.5 (-110)

Pelicans vs Hornets betting trend to know

The Hornets have stayed Under the total in 65 % of their home games this season (8-14 O/U). Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Hornets.

How to watch Pelicans vs Hornets

Pelicans vs Hornets latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

NEW YORK — LeBron James may not have given it much thought, but there were questions around the league on whether his All-Star streak would continue.

And just before the Lakers’ road loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, James and the rest of the world learned that the streak will live on.

He was named to his 22nd consecutive NBA All-Star team, extending a record that he already owned before the honor was revealed. 

The 41-year-old James was voted in as a reserve by the league’s head coaches, with the coaches not allowed to vote for the players on their roster. 

James is averaging 21.9 points, 6.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 31 games.

“Super humbling,” James said after Sunday’s loss. “Mad respect to the coaches and them seeing how I’m still playing at this latter stage of my career and to be able to be an All-Star, that means a lot to my family, my people that’s been following my career, my LeBron faithful, that’s been following my journey. 

“It’s always rewarding just from a humble standpoint to be able to be rewarded for what you put your work into,” he added.

James’ All-Star candidacy was in doubt after he missed the first 14 games because of sciatica and his slow start to the season, which included his regular-season, double-digit scoring streak ending at 1,297 games in the Lakers’ Dec. 4 win over the Toronto Raptors, which was his sixth game of the season. 

But it wasn’t a concern for James, who’s averaged 23.8 points, 6.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds since the scoring streak ended. 

“I didn’t really think about it,” he said. “To be honest, it wasn’t a goal of mine to come into the season, miss the first 14 games and say, ‘OK, I need to be an All-Star.’ I just wanted to get back to playing the game at a high level. I knew I was capable of it once I kind of worked the rust off of missing preseason, training camp, my summer workouts — which I’ve never done in my whole career. I didn’t think about the All-Star Game, to be honest.”

James’ All-Star honor created an even greater gap between him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose 19 All-Star honors are the second-most in league history. 

“When you think about a star player, their prime is their All-NBA, All-Star years — and he’s basically had a 20-plus-year prime,” Lakers Coach JJ Redick said. “It’s unheard of, uncharted, whatever you wanna call it. But it’s incredible. It’s a testament to the work that he puts in.”

James and fellow star Luka Dončić will represent the Lakers during the All-Star Game on Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome.

“He deserved it,” Dončić said of James’ All-Star honor. “He’s playing at the top level still at that age, which is incredible to share the floor with. Congratulations to him, he obviously deserved it.”

The All-Star Game will look differently than previous years, with the league embracing a US vs World format that includes breaking the players into three eight-man rosters. The teams will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.

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The rosters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game are set, and it’s going to be more confusing than ever. This year’s All-Star game features a USA vs. The World format where three teams of eight players playing 12-minute games. Every all three teams (two American squads and one world team) play each other, the top two teams will advance to the championship game with the tiebreaker in pool play being point-differential.

Got all that? It’s enough to make you long for the days of East vs. West, but the lack of effort in the All-Star Game has provided so much bad PR in recents years that they had to distort the entire thing just to try to come out unscathed.

The rosters for the game are set, at least until commissioner Adam Silver has to add an injury replacement for Giannis Antetokounmpo. There’s only 24 roster spots for the All-Star Game, which means there’s always going to be snubs. Here are the players who had a case to make it this year but didn’t get chosen, ranked by how much they deserved it.

6. Julius Randle, F, Minnesota Timberwolves: I debated Brandon Ingram and Lauri Markkanen in this spot, but ultimately felt like Randle had the strongest case. The Wolves enter the week at 31-10, and Randle is having another very good season by averaging  22.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on 60.1 percent true shooting. Randle’s three-point shooting just hasn’t been good enough to earn an All-Star nod this year at 33.5 percent from deep, but he’s having one of his best playmaking seasons ever (24 percent assist rate). He is currently ranked in the 91st percentile of EPM. He didn’t deserve an All-Star spot, but he does deserve a mention for another awesome year.

5. James Harden, G, Los Angeles Clippers: Harden is still playing at a really high level at 36 years old, averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game for a suddenly surging Clippers team. He still scoring efficiency with 60 percent true shooting. He’s taking the fourth most three-pointers per 100 possessions of his illustrious career (12.5) and he’s hitting them at a 35 percent clip while still being one of the league’s best playmakers (35.9 assist rate, which ranks in the 97th percentile of the league). Harden might have had a spot if the Clippers didn’t start so horribly this season.

4. Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers: Embiid has roared back to form over the last month, and it makes the 76ers a darkhorse threat in the East. He’s only played 28 games this year, but he’s averaging 26.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game on 60 percent true shooting. Embiid isn’t exactly all the way to back to his pre-injury form where he was a top-3 player in the world, but the fact that he’s gotten back to even “All-Star snub” level is pretty shocking after he bad he looked last year. Embiid turns 32 in March. Hopefully he has more All-Star nods in his future.

3. Alperen Sengun, C, Houston Rockets: Sengun had a strong case to get in over Chet Holmgren. Sengun is averaging 20.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game on 55.4 percent true shooting. His scoring efficiency might not be great, but Sengun does so much for the Rockets, from anchoring their defense (where he’s much improved) to acting as a playmaking hub to crashing the glass hard on every possession. The 23-year-old will have more All-Star opportunities in the future.

2. Kawhi Leonard, F, Los Angeles Clippers: Leonard always figured to be a side character at the All-Star Game with the Clippers hosting the weekend and his summer cap circumvention scandal with Aspiration still lingering. What’s more surprising is that Leonard has actually looked like an All-Star this year after a slow start: he’s averaging 27.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on scorching 62.8 true shooting. Kawhi is still a takeover scorer from mid-range, and he’s still automatic when he has an open three at 39.5 percent from deep. I would have had him in over LeBron James. He’s simply had a better season.

1. Michael Porter Jr., F, Brooklyn Nets: MPJ has gone from role player to leading man after his offseason trade from the Denver Nuggets to Brooklyn Nets, but unfortunately the Nets’ terrible season cost him an All-Star berth he deserved. Porter Jr. is averaging 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 61.8 percent true shooting. He’s been unlocked in Jordi Fernandez’s system with more off-ball actions that still make him a primary option. He’s shooting 40 percent on 9.6 attempts per game from three. He should have gotten Norm Powell’s spot.

Cooper Flagg was expected to be an elite defender and an adequate offensive performer when he got to the NBA, but he’s way outperformed expectations. Kevin Garnett said this: “We haven’t had a badass, cold ass white boy like this in a long time.” 

Dwight Howard said this: “49 points as a 19-year-old. That’s amazing to see. I know how hard it is to play at this level, and I’m so proud of the young kid. And Jason Kidd for taking a chance and putting him at the point guard position at a young age and letting him learn the game, and he’s just doing a great job, and I’m really proud of his growth and the effort that he’s playing with. Keep it up, young fella, keep it up.”

For his part, Kidd said this: “He’s not about numbers, he’s about wins and losses. That’s who he is. He competes to win… For a young man who thinks that way, he’s gonna be a champion sooner than later. He continues to keep working. For him to be out (with injury) then to be able to come back with this type of game… He’s just competitive and he tried to will his team into a win tonight.”

NBA columnist Brian Windhorst said this: “I’ve seen three teenagers before Flagg who have been blown away impressive to me. LeBron, Luka, and Wembanyama. The way Cooper controls the game on both ends of the floor, the only one he compares to is LeBron.”

He’s gotten a lot of high praise from some pretty impressive people. Not, however, from Jamal Mashburn.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s what Mashburn and Udonis Haslem had to say about Flagg:

If you don’t want to watch the whole video, basically Mashburn says that Flagg “has holes in his game” and that if he came out this year, he would take him sixth after, presumably, Darryn Peterson of Kansas, AJ Dybantsa of BYU, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, UNC’s Caleb Wilson and maybe Kingston Flemings of Houston and Nate Ament of Tennessee.

Pick your six.

That made us think two things: first, good thing he’s not a GM and second, is he still mad about losing to Duke in 1992?

That Laettner thing dies hard.

It’s hard to know what exactly to make of it. There’s no question that Peterson, if his health is good, should excel. Dybantsa looks like a lead-pipe cinch. Boozer gets some criticism over his lack of verticality, but so did his dad. And Boozer’s all-around offensive game is brilliant.

Wilson is immensely promising but his offensive skill set isn’t overly polished yet.

For his part, Haslem said he’d prefer to build around VJ Edgecombe over Flagg or Knueppel, but Edgecombe has a pretty good team around him right now and by most accounts, he’s in third place in the Rookie of the Year race. Obviously that can change but still. He’s got a chance right now to make his team great and it’s average.

Look, we know a few former NBA players read this site on occasion. Like Mashburn and Haslem, they’ve been there and know things most of us don’t know and will never know. It reminds us a bit of Kidd at this presser, where he told the writers they were idiots who didn’t know the league and he did. He played at a high level and he knew what he was talking about.

That’s why we don’t criticize Jon Scheyer when things don’t live up to our expectations. Not only does he know way more than we ever will, but look at what none of us know. You can’t possibly know the minor injuries, the psychological pluses and minuses, who really works well together and who just got dumped by his girlfriend. There was a stretch in his junior season when Jason Williams had some emotional issues to deal with. Same, we think, for Grayson Allen when he had his kicking issues. How do any of us know how to approach the complex emotions everyone has and how they affect individuals, much less the team?

So yes, Mashburn and Haslem are inevitably better informed than most of us are. You can’t dismiss their opinions completely.

But if you’re reading here, you’ve seen Flagg for at least a year and half now and you’ve seen how fast he has improved in the league. You’ve seen him blow past NBA legends since he was on the Select Team.

And he’s just barely 19.

Even NBA pros can get it wrong. Boozer’s dad was a second-round pick who went on to a tremendous NBA career. No one understood how good Mark Price was. It’s unfathomable that Nikola Jokic was a second-round pick. Most recently, people were very dubious about the Charlotte Hornets taking Kon Knueppel with the fourth pick in last summer’s draft.

Those guys can think what they want. We can all check back in a few years and see if they were right.

Some nights, the mountain in front of you feels too steep to climb. Sunday night was one of those nights for the Suns against the Clippers.

Yes, they have competed well without Devin Booker and Jalen Green this season. That part is real. But against this matchup, rhythm never arrived. The midrange game fell apart as they went 12-of-47 (25.5%) from two. Turnovers did not turn into points (18 Clipper turnovers resulted in just 13 Suns’ points). And the size disadvantage, which at times teased the idea of swinging the game, never actually did. The Clippers saw it, smelled it, and went straight to the paint. Over and over. Relentless. Punishing.

That is the contrast the league offers sometimes. Effort without reward. Fight without flow. The Suns showed up. They worked. But execution never caught up, and the mountain never moved.

Nights like this happen in the NBA. Not every climb is meant to be conquered. Sometimes the lesson is simply knowing when the slope was too sharp, even if you kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

Climb that ladder, D. Brooks! With his 27 points in an impressive win against the Cavs, Dillon Brooks has now chalked up 8 Bright Side Ballers on the year, tying him with Collin Gillespie.

I don’t know much. But I do know that I did not see this coming from Brooks. Simply unreal.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 50 against the Clips. Here are your nominees:

Grayson Allen
23 points (7-of-21, 4-of-13 3PT), 1 rebound, 8 assists, 2 steals, 0 turnovers, -3 +/-

Dillon Brooks
22 points (7-of-20, 4-of-6 3PT), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 turnovers, -1 +/-

Jordan Goodwin
12 points (4-of-9, 4-of-7 3PT), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0 turnovers, -6 +/-

Collin Gillespie
12 points (4-of-13, 4-of-10 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, -15 +/-

Royce O’Neale
9 points (3-of-8, 3-of-8 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 1 turnover, -4 +/-

Mark Williams
7 points (3-of-6), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, -1 +/-

Who gets it?

This was quite a weekend for the San Antonio Spurs. First they have to stay over in Charlotte due to weather. Then they have to land in Atlanta en route and change planes due to mechanical issues.

The Spurs return game originally scheduled for 3:00 p.m. was pushed to 6:00 p.m. and eventually 8:00 p.m. The Many of the players and coaching staff went straight from the airport to the arena as there was little time to break between.

The Spurs had a fantastic first quarter followed by an abysmal second quarter giving up 40 points and giving the Orlando Magic the lead. Mitch Johnson went into the locker room and revved up his team. The Silver & Black answered only allowing 42 points in the second half.

For his efforts, Johnson will be rewarded with trip to the All-Star Game.

He’s doing so in his first official season as head coach. An honor his predecessor Gregg Popovich earned four times during his illustrious career.

Entering into Sunday evening, the Spurs needed a win and a Denver Nuggets loss to regain the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

But last night OKC played a role in determining the All-Star head coach as they played the Denver Nuggets. Their victory over Denver reinstated the Spurs as second in the Western Conference.

Why is the second seeded coach chosen for the All-Star Game?

For those who are unaware, the coach of the top seeded team takes the helm each year, unless that individual coached the game the previous year.

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault earned the honor last season, and although OKC is at the top of the Western Conference, he cannot appear in the All-Star Game this season. The honor then goes to the second seed.

Mitch Johnson will join Detroit Pistons’ J.B. Bickerstaff as a 2026 All-Star Game coach, leading one of three teams in Los Angeles during All-Star Weekend.

After the game, Spurs guard Dylan Harper was asked if the team knew the impact of the win against Orlando.

“I didn’t know. He didn’t say anything. Congrats to him, I think he’s done a great job of bringing us together. I think letting us go, but at the same time holding us accountable from top to bottom. So I mean he definitely deserves it, that’s a historical award. Congrats to him.”

Johnson, whose postgame came before the end of the OKC/Denver match, played down the opportunity before it was official but did say that it “I think it would be an honor and humbling to be able to be a part of All-Star Weekend with the best players in this league…it’s something that I’d just be honored to have the privilege to do. Probably a great bonus in memories for me and my family, and if not, I’ll enjoy the break.”

Alas, there will be no break for Mitch Johnson. He’ll coach the Spurs against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday — their fifth and final meeting of the regular season — before heading to the west coast with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, David Jones Garcia, and Carter Bryant.

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The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching and the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be a playoff contender in the Western Conference.

With a lot of basketball left to play, any moves the Lakers make at the deadline may determine just how far the team can go this season.

While Luka Dončić and LeBron James are likely safe bets to remain with the Lakers, the fate of several other players remains questionable for the second half of the season.

The team is looking to build around Doncic and what happens before the trade deadline could back up that action. Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht and Rui Hachimura might all be viewed as potential trade assets for Los Angeles.

NEW YORK — Almost three hours before Sunday’s nationally televised game between the Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden, about 50 huddled fans gathered outside the “world’s famous arena,” eagerly awaiting entry.

The chants of “Let’s Go Knicks” were loud enough to give people who were walking by in midtown Manhattan bundled up because of the frigid temperatures a sarcastic side-eye.

But the frenzy outside the arena isn’t for a playoff game, because it was only Feb 1. The anticipation hit a fever pitch, even though the mercury hit a balmy 15 degrees. For an average ticket price of $912, according to TickPick (the highest since Kobe Bryant’s final game in 2016), they better be diehard fans or scalpers. 

Those screaming Knicks fans couldn't care less about how they look or sound, and that is great news for NBC, which broadcast the game to kick off its “Sunday Night Basketball” package with a doubleheader. (The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets capped off the night)

Two of the NBA’s most storied franchises, the game’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, who could be making his last trip to New York unless these teams meet in the Finals, Luka Doncic, this season’s leading scorer, and a franchise so championship-starved that any playoff elimination feels like a funeral, are enough storylines to keep any fan tuned in.

Those in attendance got their money’s worth, with the Knicks winning their sixth straight overall in a 112-100 victory.

Make no mistake about it, that’s what NBC wants, and viewers will see that the production and the feel is going to be like that of the network’s main sports cash cow, “Sunday Night Football,” broadcast television’s No. 1 rated program for the past decade and a half.

Tracy Morgan was screaming during Luka's free throw. 😂

Mike Tirico was sitting right next to him and had to ask him about it. pic.twitter.com/SH6Wmi1HRD

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) February 2, 2026

Mike Tirico, the play-by-play extraordinaire for “Sunday Night Football” and next week’s Super Bowl 60, along with his Winter Olympic hosting duties, will call the games, and analysts Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford are also on board for the ride.

The look and feel of "Sunday Night Basketball" and NBC’s $2.5 billion annual investment make this another showcase for the Peacock network, but during the first installment, it doesn’t have the standalone “all eyes on me” mentality of its football counterparts, as there were four other night games on the Feb. 1 NBA schedule. 

“I tell people all the time, if you get a chance to go back in time, some of my best moments were on this network,” Miller told USA TODAY Sports. “Obviously, in this building, and to have a chance to do a 360, and wouldn't say end my career. But it looks like it, you know, this would be my last swan song. I was on that other network for 18, 19 years, and now, to be back here, um, it's something that's truly a walk down memory lane for me.”

Miller, a self-proclaimed early bird because of his military brat upbringing, starts his gameday with a workout and then preps his storyboard, which takes about 2.5 hours, and whether the game is a blowout or a close affair, there will be plenty of things to talk about.

“I like to be overprepared that way,” Miller said, acknowledging the fans’ complaints of his perceived bias or that he talks too much during telecasts.

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up their sixth win in their last seven games thanks to a 40-ball from Jarrett Allen that helped lead them past the Portland Trail Blazers130-111.

Allen is incredibly skilled offensively. His footwork, touch around the rim, quickness, and passing are advanced for someone at his position. That was on display as he ran around, over, and through Portland’s hapless center, Donovan Clingan, all evening.

The 40-point performance is what’s going to get the headlines, but the variety of ways Allen was able to score is what was most impressive.

He was a force in transition, beating his man down the floor. This created easy baskets if the defense forgot about him, and also allowed him to get smaller defenders caught in deep seals. This created driving lanes for others, as there are very few things that disrupt a defense as much as a mismatch right at the start of a possession.

Allen also consistently made the right move out of dribble-hand-offs. If his defender gave him room, Allen created space for the guard. If the center came up, Allen went around him for the drive to the hoop.

Then, there was the pick-and-roll game. He found ways to finish and create space for the ball handler in those situations. The vertical spacing he provides is incredibly valuable when the team is down two of its top scorers.

And lastly, Allen just did a good job of scoring on the block. He displayed his post moves, using up-and-unders and hook shots, to create angles inside.

Overall, it was just a completely dominant offensive showing from Allen, who did all of this in under 30 minutes and registered five assists as well.

As if the 40-ball wasn’t enough, Allen was also the best defender on the court. He completely controlled the glass with 17 rebounds, had four rejections, and added two steals just for fun. His defensive effort buoyed the Cavs on a night they started a little helter-skelter on that end.

Allen put up one of the most ridiculous stat lines in NBA history. I’m generally not a fan of cherry-picked stats, but you can tell if one is good based on the company of the other people in the club. And if you’re a center, you want to be in any group that features Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal.

Games like this show how good Allen is, but also why his typical inconsistent play can be so infuriating. It’s fair to point out that Portland isn’t exactly built to stop Allen. Their defense wasn’t disciplined, which allowed someone who was steadily and consistently executing to have a big night. But that doesn’t account for all of Allen’s success.

We’ve consistently seen that Allen is at his best when Evan Mobley is unavailable. Allen’s most impressive stretch of basketball as a Cavalier came in the 2023-24 season with Mobley out of the lineup. And now, we’re seeing that again in a similar situation.

This would be explainable if it were simply that Allen’s offensive game doesn’t mesh with Mobley’s. And while it’s true that Allen now has much more room to operate offensively, he also plays just over half of his minutes each game with Mobley when both are available. The duo is playing an average of 15.4 minutes a night together. Overall, Allen is averaging 27.1 minutes per game.

If it were simply a spacing issue, we should see some version of this Allen when Mobley is on the bench. However, the difference is more so in how Allen seems to approach the game when he’s the only center.

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Allen plays with much more force and aggression when Mobley is unavailable. His skill set requires him to play that way to be effective. A center coasting through games isn’t going to have the necessary impact on either end of the floor. Their presence needs to be felt at all times if they’re mostly a paint-bound big.

I’m not sure how you get around this issue. Force-feeding Allen early in games would help. It’s certainly something the team should be prioritizing. But it’s also true that Allen’s effort shouldn’t be dependent on who’s in or out of the lineup. He’s far too good a player to have his energy fluctuate so dramatically on a night-to-night basis.

Ultimately, that’s only something Allen can fix.

Sam Merrill’s shooting can open up the game for everyone else. He went 6-8 from beyond the arc. This went a long way in Cleveland, finishing the game going 16-34 (47.1%) from three.

The havoc Merrill causes when he shoots this well is incredibly helpful for an offense. Defenders were closing out incredibly hard every time Merrill came off a screen. This led to him having four assists and helped open up lanes inside for his teammates.

It’s no surprise the Cavs had a 141.3 offensive rating when Merrill was on the floor. That number tied Allen for the highest mark on the team. Merrill playing this well simply unlocks the entire offensive attack.

Craig Porter Jr. continues to have an impact as a facilitator. He didn’t look to score, but was able to get his teammates involved by picking up a career-high 12 assists.

Porter’s feel for the game was on complete display. He did a great job of finding the open man by making the simple, correct pass time after time. This included hitting Allen in the pick-and-roll, Jaylon Tyson in the short roll, and Merrill coming off screens.

The Cavs needed someone to provide extra playmaking duties while they wait for Dennis Schroder to join them for Wednesday’s game. Porter more than stepped up on Sunday.

Why a Sixers trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo is not a good idea originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The NBA trade deadline is three days away, and the Sixers could face a big decision regarding the future of their franchise.

This time of year, trade rumors are heaved like end-of-quarter 70-footers. As we approach this deadline, several of them are scenarios involving Bucks megastar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

There aren’t many teams who can even entertain a deal to acquire the 2-time league MVP. Many don’t have the combination of young talent, salary, and draft capital Milwaukee would want to level a trade of this magnitude.

The Sixers happen to be able to foot the bill, but they shouldn’t try.

Giannis is a singular talent. A perennial All-Star and MVP short-lister. He’s also crazy expensive, commanding $58.5 million next season, with a player option for 2027-28 worth $62.8 million. Its difficult enough to fill out a roster with three players commanding $145 million.

Acquiring Antetokounmpo would require the Sixers to move on from Joel Embiid or Paul George. But not just Embiid or George. The Sixers would have to include more salary. To give up their franchise player, Milwaukee will probably ask for young talent. By young talent, they mean rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, or second-year man Jared McCain. In addition, the Bucks will likely ask for a minimum of three, even four first-round draft picks or pick swaps.

Giannis is blessed with an amazing amount of natural ability. What he most likely won’t bring to his new team is availability. He is currently sidelined with a self-diagnosed calf injury. This season will be the sixth of his last seven where he will miss at least 15 regular season games.

Having Giannis on your team will make it better, but how much better? Since the Bucks won the NBA title in 2021, they’ve won exactly one playoff series since.

Let’s not forget the fact that he is actively requesting to be traded. What happens if he becomes a Sixer, then he doesn’t love it in Philadelphia? He’s likely to force another trade right out again, a year or two older, with less value than you gave up for him, and likely less interest. Sixers fans lived through this already with James Harden. Did we forget so quickly?

This move would a nuclear option for a team who truly believes it is one player away from title contention, and one that screams “To Hell with the future.”

The Sixers are not currently one player away. They already are short on roster depth, something a trade would only worsen. And this move would send away much of its future in actual talent, and draft capital.

If the Bucks are actually selling, maybe Daryl Morey can attack on the margins, perhaps making a move for frontcourt help, like Bobby Portis. He could certainly help the Sixers in the rebounding department, and comes relatively inexpensively at $13.4 million. Would the Sixers try reserves Andre Drummond and Quentin Grimes for Portis?

There’s no question that Larry Bird was the beating heart of the 1980’s and early ‘90’s Boston Celtics, but no one wins championships by themselves and one of Bird’s greatest teammates was Kevin McHale.

Hailing from Hibbing, Minnesota, McHale attended Minnesota before entering the NBA in 1980 when Red Auerbach pulled off a legendary trade: he swapped the #1 pick to Golden State for the #3 pick and Robert Parish.

The Warriors then took Purdue’s Joe Barry Carroll – quickly named Joe Barely Cares by NBA fans – and Boston had two future Hall of Famers.

McHale came off the bench as a sixth man for a few years before joining Bird and Parish as starters. And what a career he had.

McHale was celebrated for his footwork and his elegant post moves. In today’s game, there is less demand for this kind of play, but the guy was essentially unstoppable inside. Basketball is cyclical like most things, prone to fashionable ideas.

We’re basically out of the small ball era and a player who can consistently score inside is going to be a valuable asset. McHale is a great role model for those players.

Incidentally, for a small town, Hibbing has produced some remarkable people. Aside from McHale, Hibbing is the hometown of baseball legend Roger Maris, Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Charles Manson and his stooges, Robert Mondavi, who sold a whole lot of wine, Gus Hall, who ran four times for U.S. president as the nominee of the U.S. Communist Party, Gary Puckett of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap and perhaps most famously, legendary musician Bob Dylan.