AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — KeShawn Murphy totaled 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Elyjah Freeman tipped in a miss with 1.4 seconds left as Auburn ended a five-game losing streak by handing Kentucky a third straight loss, winning 75-74 on Saturday night.
Tahaad Pettiford made two free throws with 14 seconds left to pull Auburn within a point. Kentucky turned it over, but Mouhamed Dioubate blocked an attempted layup by Kevin Overton at the other end. Murphy missed on the first tip, but Freeman came through on the second. The Wildcats mishandled the inbounds pass and didn't get a shot off.
Murphy made 9 of 14 shots, including his only 3-point attempt, and all six of his free throws for the Tigers (15-12, 6-8 Southeastern Conference). He also blocked a pair of shots on the way to his fifth double-double. Freeman had 11 points off the bench. Overton and Keyshawn Hall both scored 10 with Hall adding nine rebounds and seven assists.
Otega Oweh totaled a career-high 29 points and seven rebounds to pace the Wildcats (17-10, 8-6). Denzel Aberdeen added 15 points and Collin Chandler scored 10.
Oweh had a dunk and a three-point play in a 7-0 run over the final 2:31 of an evenly played first half and the Wildcats took a 39-35 lead into halftime.
Another Oweh dunk upped Kentucky's advantage to 46-37 early in the second half. Murphy had two straight layups and Pettiford followed with a 3-pointer as Auburn used a 10-2 spurt to cut it to 48-47 with 12:31 remaining.
Murphy again had back-to-back layups before adding two free throws in a 12-0 run and the Tigers moved in front 57-53 with 7:34 left.
Kentucky battled back and used two free throws and a dunk by Oweh, and two free throws by Aberdeen in a 6-0 run to take a 74-71 lead with 18 seconds left.
The Knicks looked dead, on their way to a second straight ugly loss to a contender coming out of the All-Star break.
Jalen Brunson was struggling through one of his worst offensive showings of the year, and his supporting cast had done little to help him. They trailed by 18 in the beginning of the fourth quarter, and boos began to emerge around Madison Square Garden.
But it’s never a good idea to write off Brunson.
Jalen Brunson celebrates after scoring the go-ahead basket during the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 108-106 comeback win over the Rockets on Feb. 21, 2026 at the Garden. Getty Images
The All-Star point guard drilled a jumper to pull his team within four points with 4:40 left in the game. Two possessions later, he drew a charge on Amen Thompson to get the ball back for the Knicks. Two more possessions later, he drilled another jumper to bring them back within two. With 1:14 left, he hit a layup to tie the game 103-103. Then he took another charge — this time on Kevin Durant.
Then came his signature moment.
Brunson crossed up Tari Eason and drilled a 15-footer to give the Knicks a two-point lead with 21.2 seconds left. That was enough to lift the Knicks to a thrilling 108-106 win over the Rockets on Saturday night, marking their largest comeback of the season.
“We found a way,” coach Mike Brown said. “That’s what I’m most excited about.”
Brunson did not make a shot from the field until 4:21 left in the third quarter, missing the first five he took. He had just two points at halftime, via free throws. But he scored eight points in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-4 from the field to help the Knicks avoid what would have been another concerning loss.
“Didn’t like how I was playing,” Brunson said. “Decided that I had to switch it; that simple.
“It’s the mentality of trying to get downhill, make plays, not being hesitant, not being passive. If there are mistakes, they’re aggressive mistakes. Don’t want to be on your heels. I just feel like the first two quarters, I was.”
The Rockets were doubling Brunson for most of the game, and he was deferring to his teammates. By crunch time, he changed course.
Karl-Anthony Towns rises up for a layup during the first half of the Knicks’ comeback win over the Rockets. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“Jalen was in a groove,” Brown said. “It didn’t matter who was on him; he found a way to score.”
Jose Alvarado had five points and three steals in that key fourth-quarter stretch as the Knicks mounted their comeback. They forced the Rockets into nine fourth-quarter turnovers and committed just one themselves.
Karl-Anthony Towns, whose involvement in the offense was a major talking point during the Knicks’ blowout loss to the Pistons on Thursday, added seven points in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 25. Brown credited Towns with challenging his teammates before the fourth quarter about their defense.
Mike Brown reacts one the baseline during the first half of the Knicks’ comeback win over the Rockets.Mike Brown reacts one the baseline during the first half of the Knicks’ comeback win over the Rockets. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“I said, ‘We can win this game. I’ve seen us do it. It starts with the first possession of the fourth quarter, playing defense. We’ve gotta get a stop, it’s the most important possession of the game, the first play of the fourth quarter,’ ” Towns said. “I wanted to do my part as well. … I wanted to set the tone for our team and set the intensity level we needed to play for 12 minutes if we expected to come out with a win.”
OG Anunoby scored just four points in the second half after pacing the Knicks with 16 in the first half, but he drilled both free throws with 5.4 seconds left to ice the game. Landry Shamet added 14 points off the bench and played key minutes down the stretch — over Mikal Bridges, which has become a recurring move by Brown.
Durant entered the fourth quarter with 25 points but added just five the rest of the way on 2-for-7 shooting from the field. Three of those points came on a 3-pointer after Anunoby’s free throws. He also committed three of those fourth-quarter Rockets turnovers.
The Knicks defense had offered little resistance — just as in their loss to the Pistons — until clamping down in the fourth quarter. The Rockets were shooting over 50 percent from the field well into the fourth quarter but went just 3-for-12 in the final period.
“In the fourth quarter, our guys found a way,” Brown said. “They buckled down defensively.”
The Knicks were 12 minutes away from the alarm bells reemerging. But Brunson — and their defense — came alive and made sure they stayed away.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 19: Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Indiana Pacers brings the ball up the court against the Dallas Mavericks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (19-36, 5-19 Away) prepare to face off with the Indiana Pacers (15-42, 10-18 Home) at 4 pm CST on Sunday. While Dallas is on the longest losing streak the franchise has seen since before my car renting age of 25, Indiana is also facing struggles as they were just handed back-to-back losses by a Washington Wizards team that has been eerily competitive of late. Someone has to win this one, right? Right?
A fascinating yin-yang of losing while fighting like heck
Yes, the Mavericks are losing as if their tankathon lives depend on it, but if you actually watch these games, that is absolutely not what is happening on the court or the box scores. No matter who is in the starting lineup or who this team is up against, the Mavericks do not roll over, for anyone, full stop. This “win at all costs, we are not tanking” attitude from the players makes a refreshing dynamic to watch when compared to the decisions being made by other franchises, often in blatant fashion. The Mavericks roster is a combination of youth with varying degrees of potential mixed with veterans with a high level of pride in their craft who were either in the Finals less than two years ago or signed here expecting to help the team return. This double-digit game losing streak is noteworthy—not simply for its unparalleled length this century for the Mavericks—but for the duality of the positive impact it has on the Mavericks locker room to fight every game regardless of time and score, as well as the undeniable shift in lottery odds that comes with every loss.
For a team that aims to be a far more competitive squad next year, this is the best of both worlds. No tanking, just going all out and letting the roster and injury realities do for this team what other cities are seeing their teams not-so-subtly engineer.
Indiana’s flop year
When Tyrese Haliburton suffered a catastrophic injury in the first half of the seventh game of the 2025 NBA Finals, he had already scored 9 points in 7 minutes and had cast real doubt as to the outcome of the championship. Instead, once he tragically left the game, the Thunder mostly cruised to the finish line. That is what happens when you subtract the best player from a Finals roster, something Dallas—albeit in a far different way—had already learned by then.
The Pacers have been without their best remaining player—Pascal Siakam—since returning from the All-Star break. That may very well be the case tonight against the Mavericks. In his absence, the Pacers already porous defense is markedly worse as evidenced by Indiana allowing a career night to Alondes Williams. Don’t feel bad, I had never heard of him either.
This is the sort of game that Dallas can win, given how hungry the team is to notch a victory and end this losing streak.
Washington’s Woes
PJ Washington has seen an expected bump in usage with Cooper Flagg sidelined. His 5-17 effort, resulting in 12 points against Minnesota, was troubling. For Dallas to notch a win against Indiana, a better shooting performance from Washington would go a long way.
Where to Watch
This game will be broadcast on KFAA-TV and Mavs.com at 4pm CST. Go Mavs.
On Thursday, in their first game since the All-Star break, the Knicks (36*-21) fell way short yet again to the Detroit Pistons. Tonight, they faced off against another tall and physical team, the Houston Rockets (34-21). Through the first quarter, the Knicks set the pace, passed beautifully, and played great defense, but a second-quarter sag put them behind by one at halftime. Houston hit the gas in the third quarter, and an evidently doomed Knicks squad entered the fourth trailing 91-75. Needing a spark, they got it in Jose Alvarado, who had two vital steals and big buckets down the stretch, and Jalen Brunson (otherwise in the barrel all night), who drew three charges overall and hit a couple of big shots in the clutch. Flipping a 15-point deficit, New York wins, 108-106. In a nationally televised game, no less.
New York got OG Anunoby (20 PTS, 4 STL) and Karl-Anthony Towns (25 PTS, 7 RBS) going early. In the first quarter, KAT hit on two hooks and logged a steal, while Anunoby scored on a running three and two dunks (one off his own steal). OG defended the notorious internet troll Kevin Durant, who missed eight of his first 10 shots. Durant would turn it around, though, finishing the night with 30 points on 10-of-26 FG (and a +15).
With Houston bricking 13 of their first 16 shots, New York built a nine-point lead in the quarter, but five offensive boards helped Houston keep pace. At the five-minute mark, Coach Brown paired Brunson (20 PTs, 6-12 FG) with Landry Shamet (14 PTS), Jeremy Sochan, Mohamed Diawara, and Mitchell Robinson (6 PTS, 4 RBS). Sochan, a 29% three-point shooter over his career, was stationed on the perimeter. Not ideal, Coach. The new Knick missed two shots, picked up a foul, and was yanked after two minutes.
A late Reed Sheppard (10 PTS) three-pointer barely lifted the Rockets over the 20-point mark. New York won the period, 27-21.
To open the second, Brown stuck with his starters but handed the keys to Jose Alvarado (8 PTS, 5 STS, 4 AST, 20 MIN). Jose responded with a quick three and two steals, and the Knicks stretched the margin to 13. Brown shuffled the deck from there—Shamet and Robinson in, then Brunson alongside Alvarado. The ball was moving crisply, and New York’s 16 assists were the most ever by the franchise in a first half.
Nothing good can last around here. Alperen Şengün (16 PTS) went to work with a hook, fadeaway, dunk, free throws, and set up Jabari Smith, Jr. (21 PTS) and Sheppard. Durant added three baskets as Houston methodically chipped away, scoring on nine straight possessions during a 13–4 run that cut the deficit to one. Then, with 15 seconds remaining, a loose-ball foul by Towns sent Durant to the line. His two free throws gave the Rockets a 54–53 lead at halftime. It’s the silly fouls that kill us.
Through the half, Durant and Şengün led Houston with 13 points each, while Jabari Smith Jr. added 11 on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting. Thompson put Brunson in a barrel, limiting him to 2 points, 0-for-4 shooting in 17 minutes. Anunoby carried the home team with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and three steals. Both teams shot 51% overall, but Houston held the edge from three (47% to 38%) and on the glass, 19–13. The Knicks forced seven steals, but their 10 turnovers cost them 15 points.
OG putting on a show for New York on Saturday night 💯
The Rockets came out of halftime on an 11–2 burst. The Garden groaned. When Towns picked up another hooking foul on a drive and then had the gall to argue it, that familiar sinking feeling came back. (Later, KAT hit his 1,200th career three, FYI.)
Tari Eason (11 PTS, 12 RBS) controlled the glass, piling up defensive boards and fueling an 8–0 run that stretched Houston’s lead to 10 as the Knicks missed four straight shots. Durant drilled a three during the surge, and another 8–0 spurt in under a minute pushed the margin to 15 with 2:42 left in the quarter. Ime Udoka sent extra bodies at Brunson on nearly every touch; CAP managed two tough mid-range jumpers, but received little help from his cohorts. In the third frame, Towns chipped in five, Anunoby went scoreless, and New York mustered just 22 points, heading into the fourth down 91–75.
The Knicks needed a shot of adrenaline and got it from Alvarado. He found Shamet for a three, slipped a pass to Towns for a cut-and-finish dunk, and buried a three of his own to spark an 8–0 run that forced a Houston timeout and cut the deficit to six. Brunson drew a charge on the next trip, and Towns powered to the rim to make it a two-point game with three minutes left. After Eason answered with a hook, Brunson calmly knocked down a 9-footer to keep it tight.
Alvarado wasn’t done. He picked off a pass and finished a tough layup, then came up with another steal (his fourth steal of the night) that led to a Brunson layup. Tie game, 1:30 left. Brunson wasn’t done, either—he drew his third charge of the night on Durant, then hit a pull-up. Two-point lead, 30 seconds left. Durant missed from mid-range, Smith missed from three, and Towns secured the rebound.
OG Anunoby made two free throws with six seconds to go. Out of a timeout, Durant struck from 25’ to make it a one-point game. Two seconds left. Shamet was fouled, made one of two, and KD missed from midcourt as the buzzer buzzed. Ballgame!
Up Next
Matthew Miranda is up next with a radical recap. On to Chicago our heroes go for a tilt tomorrow night. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
A scuffle broke between the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat with 1:55 left the contest as the Heat led 134-113. The Heat went on to win, 135-120.
Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. charged at Heat forward Myron Gardner after Pippen had just missed a shot and was walking back and never saw Gardner coming as he knocked Pippen down with a push in the back, setting an off-ball screen.
Pippen walked Gardner down, pointed at him and apparently said something before shoving him in the chest and face. Gardner retaliated, grabbing Pippen, as they pulled each other to the floor near courtside seats.
Both players were ejected from the contest.
After the game, Pippen told reporters that he thought Gardner took a "cheap shot" and jokingly said he needed a "hug."
"I thought it was kind of a cheap shot. He kind of hit me when I didn’t see him," Pippen said. "I thought it was a soft move. I just thought he needed a hug on the other end."
Pippen ended the game with 18 points off the bench. He shot 7-of-15 from the field, including making three from deep. He added six assists, two steals and a block in 21 minutes.
Gardner only played six minutes in the ball games, scoring five points.
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Desiree Wooten had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists on Saturday night to help Colorado beat No. 20 Texas Tech 75-68 to extend its win streak to five games.
Colorado (19-8, 10-5 Big 12) has won eight of its last nine.
Zyanna Walker scored 14 points, Anaelle Dutat had 11 points and eight rebounds, and Logyn Greer added 12 points for the Buffaloes.
Jalynn Bristow had 18 points and four blocks for Texas Tech (24-5, 11-5). Snudda Collins added 13 points and Bailey Maupin scored 12.
Maupin hit a 3-pointer that trimmed Texas Tech’s deficit to a point with 1:30 left but, with the shot clock winding down, Wooten hit a pull-up jumper that made it 71-68. The Lady Raiders committed turnovers on their next two possessions before Dutat and Wooten each hit two free throws to cap the scoring.
Colorado scored 27 points off 17 Lady Raiders turnovers and outrebounded Texas Tech 32-17. The Buffaloes were plus-12 (15-3) on the offensive glass and outscored Texas Tech, which shot a season-high 58% (26 of 45) from the field, 17-2 in second-chance points.
Denae Fritz converted a three-point play that capped a 9-0 run and gave Texas Tech a 59-51 lead with 2:09 remaining in the third quarter. The Buffaloes scored 10 of the next 12 to tie it at 61-all with 6:43 left in the game and Jade Masogayo made two free throws with 2:04 to play that gave Colorado its biggest lead to that point at 69-63.
The Knicks took an early lead, lost it and then stormed back in the fourth quarter to beat the Houston Rockets, 108-106, on Saturday night.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Knicks got it done without Jalen Brunson to kick things off with OG Anunoby the biggest benefactor as he started the game 3-for-4 and scored seven of New York’s first 13 points. Anunoby led all scorers with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting after 12 minutes.
Josh Hart acted as the main facilitator with three assists while Mikal Bridges added two assists and two rebounds in the early part of the game.
-- Meanwhile, the Rockets struggled with their shot in the early going, particularly Kevin Durant who started 0-for-6 before hitting a three with about three minutes left in the quarter. Durant went 3-for-11 in the quarter as part of a 9-for-26 (34.6 percent) team effort.
-- Head coach Mike Brown’s first subs came with about five minutes left in the quarter, subbing out all of his starters except for Brunson. Jeremy Sochan, Landry Shamet, Mohamed Diawara and Mitchell Robinson were the first players to come off the bench. Diawara and Sochan came off the court a few minutes later for Hart and Anunoby.
-- Incredibly, Brunson had just two points in the quarter (on two made free throws in the final five seconds) and went 0-for-3 with just one assist while playing all 12 minutes and yet New York took a 27-21 lead into the second quarter.
-- Anunoby really had it working and started the second quarter the same way he opened up the game, drilling a corner three in nearly the exact same spot.
-- The Knicks opened up their lead early in the second that reached 13 points, but Houston hung in there and cut it to within one point with just over two minutes to play on Alperen Sengun’s three-pointer. They would tie it at 50 after Jabari Smith Jr. made one of two free throws. Durant’s two made free throws in the final seconds brought the Rockets all the way back and gave them a 54-53 lead going into halftime.
-- Following their poor shooting effort in the first quarter, Houston went a ridiculously efficient 12-for-15 in the second quarter. The biggest catalyst was Sengun who had 11 in the quarter and 13 at the half. Sengun, Durant and Smith combined for 37 of Houston’s 54 points.
-- Brunson went into the break without having made a field goal and only attempted four shots in what was a very uncharacteristic half for him. Anunoby’s offensive output also stalled midway through the quarter as New York was outscored 33-26 in the second quarter.
-- Things got worse for the Knicks after the break. With their leading-scorer shut down all game, New York struggled to find offense consistently. Karl-Anthony Towns did what he could with Shamet also chipping in off the bench, but it was no match for Durant who took over with 12 points in the quarter. He finished with a game-high 30 points.
-- It wasn’t until 4:21 left in the third that Brunson made his first field goal of the night. He had been 0-for-5 before that as the Rockets did a great job of neutralizing him and keeping the ball out of his hands.
-- Down by as many as 18 points early in the fourth quarter, things got interesting when New York went on a 16-4 run which included some clutch threes by Shamet and Towns. Brunson's third made shot of the game got the Knicks even closer before KAT's layup with 3:32 left in the game brought New York back to within two points.
-- After some back-and-forth, Jose Alvarado forced a steal, his fifth steal of the game, and got the ball to Brunson who drove to the basket and hit a reverse layup to tie it all up at 103. A minute later, the All-Star really sent the MSG crowd into a frenzy after drilling a pull-up jumper that put his team ahead for the first time since the second quarter.
-- That shot ended up being the dagger with Houston missing two good looks on the other end before fouling Anunoby with five seconds left. Anunoby hit both free throws (New York went 13-of-14 from the line) to go up four. Durant and the Rockets wouldn't go quietly though, hitting a three to make it a one-point game. Shamet made one of two free throws on the other end and the Knicks won a wild game with some crazy swings.
Game MVP: New York's All-Stars
Although it took him a while to get going, Brunson's shot-making at the end was clutch, but the Knicks don't get to that position without the work that Towns did earlier in the quarter.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Kelvin Yeboah scored in the 90th minute to rally Minnesota United to a 2-2 draw with Austin FC in a season opener on Saturday night.
Yeboah, who scored nine times in 30 appearances last year in his first full season, used an assist from defender Devin Padelford on the equalizer. Padelford subbed in for Anthony Markanich in the 78th minute.
Defender Brendan Hines-Ike staked Austin to a 1-0 lead in the 7th minute with an assist from newcomer Facundo Torres.
It was the fourth career goal for Hines-Ike in 105 appearances. Torres played for Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras last season and arrives via a reported $9.5 million transfer fee. He left Orlando City in 2024 as its all-time scorer with 37 goals and 17 assists over three seasons.
Minnesota United pulled even by halftime when second-year defender Morris Duggan used his head to score his first career goal — with an assist from Joaquín Pereyra.
Myrto Uzuni scored in the 78th minute to give Austin a 2-1 lead. Uzuni scored six times in 27 appearances last season. Defender Jon Gallagher and Robert Taylor had assists.
Drake Callender finished with four saves in his first start in goal for Minnesota United. Callender was acquired from Charlotte FC to replace Dayne St. Clair, who signed a free-agent deal with Inter Miami. Callender won two titles with Inter Miami before moving on to Charlotte.
Brad Stuver stopped two shots to begin his sixth season with Austin.
Head coach Cameron Knowles earns the draw in his first match with Minnesota United. Knowles takes over for Eric Ramsay, who left for EFL Championship side West Bromwich Albion in the offseason.
Austin is aiming for a second straight trip to the postseason under second-year coach Nico Estévez.
Up next
Minnesota United: Hosts FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
Sophomore Sho Evans of Cleveland High missed a potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation, but he did not let that reduce his confidence. When the Cavaliers needed help in overtime on Saturday night, he delivered during a 68-64 victory over Fairfax in the City Section Open Division semifinals at L.A. Southwest College. The Cavaliers will face top-seeded Palisades in Friday's final. Palisades defeated San Pedro 71-56.
Five of Evans' seven points came in overtime, none bigger than a shot that went in with 50 seconds left while being fouled and Cleveland clinging to a 61-60 lead. He made the free throw, and that was the blow Fairfax couldn't recover from after showing feistiness and resiliency all night.
"I just had to have that shooter's mentality when you miss or make, keep shooting," Evans said. "My teammates and coaches trust me to make shots."
The biggest shot of the night in OT. Sho Evans. Three-point play. 64-60 Cleveland with 50 seconds left over Fairfax. pic.twitter.com/H7EqEoKlta
Charlies Adams finished with 24 points for Cleveland (20-9), which needed a free throw from Harout Posheyan with 2.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. He was fouled on an offensive rebound off a missed shot by Evans and made one of the two free throws. Fairfax kept switching from man-to-man to a trapping zone on defense, and it produced lots of Cleveland turnovers in the second half.
Ketrayl Roberson led Fairfax (20-10) with 15 points and Chris Stokes scored 13 points.
It's going to be a difficult task for Cleveland to topple heavily favored Palisades. No City Section opponent had come closer than 21 points until San Pedro lost to the Dolphins in Saturday's semifinals by 15 points.
Freshman guard Phillip Reed continues to surpass expectations and come through in a variety of ways. He had 17 points in the first half when the Dolphins trailed early and finished with 29 points. The arrival of the Popoola twins EJ and OJ, from Detroit, gave the Dolphins size and athleticism. EJ had 14 points. Add to all that, junior guard Jack Levey is an exceptional three-point shooter.
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 21: Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 21, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings: Tyrese Maxey – 20 Joel Embiid – 9 VJ Edgecombe – 8 Paul George – 6 Dominick Barlow – 2 Andre Drummond – 2 Jared McCain :’( – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 1 Adem Bona – 1 Justin Edwards – 1 Quentin Grimes – 1 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Philadelphia 76ers lost their fourth straight game Saturday night, falling to a New Orleans Pelicans team that still has the second-worst record in the Western Conference even after the 126-111 victory, played one night earlier, and started DeAndre Jordan in the year of our lord 2026. To the surprise of exactly no one, the Sixers were horrendous in the third quarter, allowing the Pelicans to drop 40 points in the period, turning a double-digit lead into a deficit in the process. All the good vibes from the first half of the season are long gone at the moment, and even if Joel Embiid suits up again as early as Sunday against Minnesota, it’s pretty clear there are some glaring holes with this Philadelphia roster. So with all that doom and gloom out of the way, let’s momentarily focus on the spare positives and talk Bell Ringer.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 21: Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a three point basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 21, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Oubre, who grew up in New Orleans, had a nice homecoming to the Big Easy, shooting 7-of-15 from the field with four made threes for a team-high 25 points. The most memorable of those three-pointers was a buzzer-beater to end the first half, after which he blew a kiss to the crowd in true Kelly fashion. In addition to his shooting prowess from the perimeter, Oubre continued his attack mentality from the Atlanta game a couple nights ago, repeatedly initiating contact to get to the charity stripe; he is now 16-of-19 from the free throw line across the past two games. Really, it was a three-level scoring game for him, as Kelly also chipped in a few middies of the floater and fadeaway variety. Saturday was another good example of Oubre’s ability to scale up his usage when the team is missing some pieces.
The Nola native nails his third three at the buzzer and the Sixers take a 65-57 lead into the locker room. pic.twitter.com/ynDmwWwAkB
Feb 21, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker (33) reacts to making a three point basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Walker has replaced Trendon Watford in the rotation since signing his standard NBA contract and returning to action. He made that decision look good again on Saturday, giving the team a nice lift off the bench in his 16 minutes and recording a team-best plus-five plus-minus. Normally not a reliable outside shooter, Walker canned two of his three triples, knocking one down in transition in the first quarter and later spotting up from the corner. He also did rugged work on the glass, most evident when he battled for an offensive rebound late in the first half and finished through contact for a three-point play opportunity. With the Sixers looking to be a player or two short on a lot of nights, it’s at least good to have Jabari back in the fold.
Anyone else you felt had some nice moments in the midst of this mess? Let us know in the comments.
MIAMI (AP) — Andrew Wiggins scored 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting, Norman Powell finished with 25 and the Miami Heat beat the Memphis Grizzlies 136-120 on Saturday night.
Tyler Herro finished with 14 points, Bam Adebayo added 13, while Kasparas Jakucionis and Jaime Jacquez Jr. each scored 12 for the Heat. Miami’s Kel’el Ware had 11 points and 15 rebounds.
Powell overcame a 2-of-7 performance at the free-throw line by converting 10-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-8 on 3-pointers.
With the game out of reach late and 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, Memphis’ Scotty Pippen Jr. charged at Miami’s Myron Gardner and shoved him near the first row. Both fell to the floor and briefly wrestled before they were separated and ejected.
After leading by five at halftime, the Heat pulled away when they outscored the Grizzlies 39-26 in the third quarter. Powell and Jakucionis each scored nine in the period. Jacquez’s bank shot with 1:19 remaining in the quarter gave the Heat their first 20-point lead at 109-89.
Despite committing 18 turnovers, the Heat finished with 36 assists.
GG Jackson scored a season-high 28 points, Jaylen Wells added 25, Pippen had 18 and Ty Jerome finished with 17 for the Grizzlies, who have lost 11 of 14.
Memphis stayed within distance in the first half by connecting on nine 3-pointers.
The Grizzlies again were without star guard Ja Morant (left elbow sprain), who missed his 13th consecutive game. Santi Aldama, Cedric Coward and Kyle Anderson are all dealing with knee issues and also sat out for Memphis.
Davion Mitchell (illness) and Nikola Jovic (back) didn’t play for the Heat.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 13: Pat Riley looks on during Michael Cooper's jersey retirement during the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers on January 13, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers (34-21) will take on the Boston Celtics (36-19) on Sunday as they look to split the season series against their arch rivals. They will also be honoring Pat Riley by unveiling his statue outside Crypto.com Arena.
It’s only right that the Lakers will face the Celtics at home on the day that they immortalize Pat Riley with a statue. It wouldn’t make sense to face any other opponent because the Celtics play such a huge role in Riley’s historic legacy. So there’s indeed more pressure for the Lakers to win this one.
The Celtics team stepping onto the court at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday is, unfortunately, a very good one. Despite their best player, Jayson Tatum, being out since the start of the season, they’re sitting nicely in second place in the Eastern Conference. This says a lot about how well-built their roster is and how much weaker the Eastern Conference is than the Western Conference.
The Lakers should expect a hard-fought game. The Celtics are a team with a top-two offense and top-eight defense. They attempt the third most 3-pointers, so expect a ton of shots from beyond the arc, specifically from Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. The Lakers’ perimeter defense will have to be ready. It’ll be interesting to see if they switch from the zone defense coverage they’ve been employing as of late.
In the last meeting between these two teams when the Lakers were blown out by the C’s, Los Angeles didn’t have Luka Dončić, LeBron James or Marcus Smart. That certainly won’t be the case on Sunday. Also note that Boston is one of the slowest-paced teams in the league, so it would be great if L.A. takes advantage of that.
Ultimately though, the Lakers will have to outplay the Celtics’ well-oiled system on both ends of the court. This means their superstars and role players all have to step up. It’s frankly unacceptable to lose to the Celtics on the day the organization honors Pat Riley, so this is a must-win game.
Let’s see if this team shows some pride and beats the Celtics on Sunday.
Notes and Updates
The Lakers’ injury report stays clean with only Bronny James Jr. and Adou Thiero unavailable as both are currently playing for the South Bay Lakers.
Same goes for the Celtics’ report, which only indicates Jayson Tatum (Achilles tear) as out.
HOUSTON (AP) — Guilherme Santos scored two goals in the second half of his MLS debut to rally the Houston Dynamo to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire in a season opener on Saturday night.
Santos found the net for the first time in the 67th minute — with assists from Jack McGlynn and Ezequiel Ponce — to tie it 1-1. He scored the winner unassisted 11 minutes later off a deflection.
Santos joined the Dynamo after scoring 95 goals in 429 appearances for Brazilian Série A side Santos FC.
Hugo Cuypers picked up where he left off last season, scoring unassisted in the 31st minute to stake the Fire to a 1-0 lead. Cuypers had 17 goals in 33 appearances last season and scored 10 times in 31 appearances in 2024 — his first season in the league.
Jonathan Bond totaled two saves for the Dynamo, while Chris Brady saved two shots for the Fire.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter led Chicago to its first playoff appearance since 2017 last season.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sam Surridge scored two goals Saturday night, Warren Madrigal added a goal and two assists, and Nashville SC beat the New England Revolution 4-1 in the season opener for both teams.
Surridge opened the scoring in the sixth minute and scored on the counter-attack in the 16th to make it 2-0.
Brian Schwake made his MLS debut. The 24-year-old goalkeeper did not record a save.
Hany Mukhtar blasted a rising first-touch shot from point-blank range to give Nashville a 3-0 lead in the 39th minute and Madrigal capped the scoring in the 49th.
Leo Campana scored in the 47th minute for New England. Campana, who scored seven goals last year in an injury-plagued season, had five goals in five preseason matches.
Matt Turner had four saves for the Revolution.
Surridge, who led Nashville with 24 goals last season (tied with Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga for second in MLS), signed a contract extension through the 2027-28 season with an option for the 2028-29 season, the club announced earlier Saturday.
Coach B.J. Callaghan signed an contract extension Monday with Nashville. In 2025, his first full season with the club, Callaghan led Nashville to franchise records for single-season wins (22), longest unbeaten streak (15 games) and most goals scored (75). Nashville tied the club’s single-season points record with 54 but lost in the first round of the playoffs to eventual MLS Cup champions Inter Miami.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Petar Musa scored two goals on Saturday night, Logan Farrington added a goal and an assist, and FC Dallas beat Toronto FC 3-2 in the season opener for both teams.
Toronto’s Djordje Mihailovic and Derrick Etienne Jr. each scored a goal.
Musa flicked a header, off a cross played by Farrington, inside the left post from the center of the area to cap the scoring in the 79th minute.
Michael Collodi had five saves for Dallas.
Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran did not record a save.
Musa opened the scoring in the ninth minute but Mihailovic answered with a goal off a perfectly-placed through ball played by Jonathan Osorio in the 15th to make it 1-1.
Farrington cut back to evade two defenders and then slipped a shot from the center of the area inside the right post to give Dallas a 2-1 lead in the 38th minute.
Etienne put away the rebound of a shot by Dániel Sallói to make it 2-2 in the 67th.
