Category: Basketball

Two-way forward Pete Nance is in the second season of his two-way deal with Milwaukee and has impressed since joining the rotation last month. He’s shooting a bonkers 51% from three on 49 attempts, good for 58.8% from the floor, to go along with solid defense. That’s just five points per game over 25 contests this season, but most Bucks fans have seen enough and want him to be converted to a standard deal. Nance is also approaching his two-way limit of 50 active games: he has nine DNP-CDs, which count as being active, so he can only be active for 16 more, with 27 left on Milwaukee’s schedule. Two-way players also cannot participate in the postseason, including play-in games.

Unfortunately, converting him is not so simple. The Bucks’ standard roster is full with 15 guaranteed contracts, and while they could waive some of their cheaper players and keep the dead money on their books without much issue, some of the best release candidates also have guaranteed money due to them next season. Gary Trent Jr., Gary Harris, and Taurean Prince each have player options for 2026–27 for around $3.9m, so if the Bucks were to waive any of them, that option value would be stretched over three further seasons. Meaning another $1.3m on top of the $20–21m in stretched salary Milwaukee already owes to Damian Lillard and Vasilije Micic through summer 2029.

The options that don’t involve stretching are the Bucks’ upcoming free agents: Ousmane Dieng, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cam Thomas, and Andre Jackson Jr. (who has a $2.4m team option this summer—non-guaranteed salary that wouldn’t require stretching). Ajax is the obvious candidate, given his lack of playing time and lack of familial relations with Milwaukee’s star. But Thomas is actually the cheapest player on the roster now at $845k. If any of these four were waived, they’d be off the books come July 1.

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, make a decision on Nance. Leave him on the two-way and manage his games, thus making him ineligible for any playoff action, or convert him now? We also have questions on the Bucks’ projected finish in the East and the Bucks’ first-round pick this summer.

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As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!

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The Philadelphia 76ers will look to build on their last road win as they visit the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

These teams have already played two tight, low-scoring games this season, and I’m taking the Under again in my 76ers vs. Pacers predictions below.

Keep reading to get a full breakdown of tonight’s matchup and see my free NBA picks for Tuesday, February 24.

76ers vs Pacers prediction

76ers vs Pacers best bet: Under 233.5 (-110)

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA this year. Indiana is averaging just 111.5 ppg on the season, and ranks second-to-last in offensive efficiency.

Even with the Pacers also playing mediocre defense, that’s been enough for the team to trend to the Under, which has gone 33-25 in Indiana’s games.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been only slightly above average offensively themselves this season, averaging 116.2 ppg, but play enough defense to make that work.

We’ve seen these teams play twice this year, easily hitting the Under both times, and I’m expecting the same tonight.

76ers vs Pacers same-game parlay

The Pacers have lost six of their last eight, and are just 2-6 against the spread in that span as well.

I like Philadelphia to cover behind a big night from Joel Embiid, who should impact both sides of the ball.

Embiid has scored 29+ points in nine of his last 10 games, and has recorded a block in four of his last five outings.

76ers vs Pacers SGP

• 76ers -9.5
• Joel Embiid Over 27.5 points
• Joel Embiid Over 0.5 blocks

Our "from downtown" SGP: All in on the Sixers

For my lottery SGP, I’m banking on a big all-around game for Embiid, who has hit this PRA total in nine of his last 10 outings.

Let’s pair that with another strong game from Quentin Grimes, who dished out seven assists and hit five threes on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

76ers vs Pacers SGP

• 76ers -9.5
• Joel Embiid Over 38.5 points + rebounds + assists
• Quentin Grimes Over 1.5 threes made
• Quentin Grimes Over 3.5 assists

76ers vs Pacers odds

• Spread: Philadelphia -10 (-110) | Indiana -10 (-110)
• Moneyline: Philadelphia -450 | Indiana +350
• Over/Under: Over 233.5 (-110) | Under 233.5 (-110)

76ers vs Pacers betting trend to know

The Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings between the 76ers and Pacers. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Pacers.

How to watch 76ers vs Pacers

76ers vs Pacers latest injuries

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders are planning to keep star edge rusher Maxx Crosby despite the trade talk around the five-time Pro Bowl pick, general manager John Spytek said Tuesday.

“Maxx is an elite player. I've been very upfront from the start since I got here, that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them,” Spytek said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Crosby has been rehabilitating from left knee surgery he underwent three days after the regular season ended, as speculation about his status has persisted following an NFL-worst 3-14 record for the Raiders and the firing of coach Pete Carroll after just one year on the job.

Crosby said earlier this month he doesn't want out and that the unsubstantiated reports suggesting he does make him laugh. His future with the club that drafted him in the fourth round out of Eastern Michigan in 2019 became a subject when he was placed on injured reserve with two games left against his wish, preferring to play out the season. Crosby, who has 69½ sacks in seven years, had a career-high 28 tackles for loss in 2025.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

There are 30 teams in the National Basketball Association.

(How’s that for insight?)

Some have it easier than others. That’s always been the case. The NBA practically has a caste system. Moving up a rung requires more maneuvering than Viola disguising himself as Cesario in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Take the Washington Wizards. They are cosmically stinky. The best player in the franchise’s history is Wes Unseld, who, with all due respect, played in an era when an NBA head coach quite literally lit stogies during games.

That was Red Auerbach, the head coach of a Celtics team that always gets to be good for no apparent reason. At least the Lakers play in Los Angeles. There’s at least a causal explanation for their never-yielding goodness.

Then, there’s the Houston Rockets.

Middle-upper class. Seldom among the best teams in the league. Rarely in the duldrums. This iteration of the team is no exception.

There are teams you’d readily trade places with. Please do not deny it. If the Spurs offered to trade rosters and assets, you would trade rosters and assets. Lest we even name The Team Who Shall Not Be Named.

Yet, as a Rockets fan, complaints will find deaf ears with over half of the league’s fanbases. They are objectively in a good spot.

Maybe they shouldn’t do anything about it.

Rockets don’t need to rush decisions

This may seem like a 180. Consider it a publicly available internal dialogue of a confused fan.

Antetokounmpo is tempting. The logic is simple. This is the best player that is likely to be available while the Rockets have assets. Get him.

If they do, you won’t find complaints from me. More broadly, the Rockets’ roster is flawed, perhaps irredeemably. We should all be cozying up to the reality that Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson are not a natural fit. Neither is a natural fit with Antetokounmpo, for the same reasons, but the logic in acquiring him would be that the Rockets are already this good with a roster flaw, so imagine how much better they’d be with an upgrade.

Yet…you’re still trading the farm without alleviating your two non-shooter problem. You’re solving your no franchise player problem, but creating a new no more assets problem. From a utility perspective, the math does not, as the kids say, math.

Questions emerge. Are we 100% sure you need a franchise player in what’s been dubbed in some circles as “the weakest link era”? No, but I land around 90%. Depth matters more than before, but it hasn’t usurped top-end talent as a priority. The best teams in the league have the best players in the league, and depth. You still need an elite player; it’s just that now, it seems more optimal to have 5 good players behind them rather than 2 elite ones.

(Unless you’re The Team Who Shall Not Be Named. Then, you’ve got Michael Jordan’s successor flanked by Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, and tremendous depth).

Are we 100% sure the Rockets don’t have a franchise player? No. I land around 85%.

It’s such a high bar. If it’s going to be Sengun, he needs to shoot about 10% better between zero-and-three feet if he’s not going to consistently shoot threes. If it’s going to be Thompson, he needs to shoot 10-15% better from deep if he’s going to functionally be a guard (and if he’s not going to be a guard, he’s not going to be a franchise player).

Reed Sheppard is an unknown variable in that sense. He can’t grow, so his three-point gravity has to be so immense as to offset his height. He’ll need to improve his handle. There’s no discernible statistical reason why he can’t be the guy, but his flaw may prove the most debilitating of the group.

Are we 100% sure the franchise player has to be currently on the roster, or Giannis Antetokounmpo?

…Now, we’ve arrived at the question.

If the Rockets think they’ll have to trade for “their guy”, they may want to consider haste. These players are not getting any younger. They’re approaching their mid-20s, and the “young player” luster will wear off quickly. That doesn’t mean they must move for Antetokounmpo, but it does mean they’ll basically have to pull the trigger on the next guy (Ant? Can Tyrese Maxey sustain his current offensive production in a winning environment, and would that make him a top-10ish player?) to hit the market.

Could they still draft that guy? The Rockets have some premium picks coming up. Between the Suns and the Nets, they’re likely to pick in the 2027 lottery. The class is seen as weak: But so was the class that yielded Antetokounmpo.

(And Nikola Jokic, by the way).

So many considerations. So much uncertainty. Here’s where it pays to be an optimist. The Rockets are still young. They still have a lot of picks. The glass is half full.

Why rush to alter a good situation? Within the next couple of years, this organization must clarify its direction. That doesn’t mean it’s pressing enough to rush into anything now. If the Rockets do decide to get Antetokounmpo, it will be a defensible decision, but perhaps the best thing to do is sit back, see what they yield with their next crop of draft picks, and make a decision from there.

The right choice could improve their class standing.

Back home to a snowstorm! The Brooklyn Nets wrapped up their three game road trip with an afternoon affair against the Atlanta Hawks. Brooklyn had a lead for much of the game, but the Hawks closed the game on a 24-2 run to hand the Nets their fourth consecutive loss. Brooklyn leaves the road and comes home to a whole bunch of snow. Winter is no joke!

The opponent tonight is transitioning into another era. The Dallas Mavericks look pretty different these days and are likely looking ahead to the Draft. The team snapped a ten game losing streak with a road win against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 7:30 p.m. ET.

🤕 Injuries

Nothing doing for Brooklyn. Another clean slate, their second in the last nine games. Extraordinary in the tanking era. The three two-ways remain with Long Island.

The following players are out:

• Kyrie Irving
• Cooper Flagg
• Dereck Lively II

Ryan Nembhard and Moussa Cisse are doubtful. Daniel Gafford is questionable.

🏀 The game

Dallas won games one and two. Thanks to the Commissioner’s Cup, we get the ultra rare third cross-conference regular season matchup!

Everyone across the city is trying to dig themselves out of the snow, and the Nets are scheduled to make it back in to town early this afternoon. The Mavs were stranded in Indianapolis and as of noon hadn’t left yet. Best of luck to everyone in this one.

The Mavs have made a mess of things over the past few years, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. With Flagg playing like a franchise star, things are looking bright despite the antics of Patrick Dumont and Miriam Adelson. Dallas has one franchise player on board, and pairing Flagg with another one in the Draft could get the Mavs back in the playoffs as soon as next season. From Tyler Edsel of Mavs Moneyball:

Dallas, as an organization, needs to ask itself tough questions to figure out where we’re going here. Keep the team as is, win 32 games, and in all likelihood miss out on the best guards in the draft? Or sell off some veterans for some draft assets, set yourself up to have a step back this season and enhance your chance at acquiring Cooper Flagg’s point guard of the future.

The choice is clear and obvious. It’s time for the Mavericks to get serious about the build around Cooper Flagg, something I’ve been calling for since the Lottery in May. For the future of the organization, the Mavericks have to get this right, right now. That can only mean one thing for Dallas: It’s time to sell and race to the bottom.

A temporary setback for a major comeback, if they play their cards right. Interestingly, two former Nets — Jason Kidd, the Mavs head coach, and Matt Riccardi, the Mavs co-interim GM — will play big roles in whatever the team does going forward.

It’s taken a while, but maybe Marvin Bagley has put it all together? Bagley III came over from the Washington Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade and has done well in his new city. In five games, he’s averaging close to a double-double on 53.5 percent shooting from the field. If he can keep this up, he’ll earn a permanent spot on this team and be someone Jason Kidd can count on in the future.

The Nets are going to need to be a lot better on the boards if they want to compete tonight. Atlanta beat them by 18 in the rebounding battle on Sunday, and any team is gonna make you pay if you give them extra opportunities. Nic Claxton and Day’ron Sharpe will be tasked with fixing that area and controlling Bagley III on the other side.

👀 Player to watch: PJ Washington

The Mavs are looking to find their building blocks of the future. Washington should be one of the people Mavs ownership has in mind. Washington has had to do a little bit more on offense this season and his numbers are in the ballpark of where they were last season. At 27 years old and in the first year of an extension, he’ll be someone Dallas should be able to count on in the years to come.

What should the Nets do with Michael Porter Jr? MPJ’s been in a shooting slump, but Steve Lichtenstein thinks it could be something deeper:

“Porter suffered an MCL sprain during a January 7 game versus Orlando and sat out a few games before the All-Star break with tendonitis in that knee, though reports noted that the two injuries were unrelated. Porter’s misfires during this period, including the 7-of-8 three-point attempts in Atlanta, haven’t just been of the in-and-out variety; they’ve often been wildly off, an indication that what’s gone awry could very well be due to something physical in nature.

Considering the Nets are already 11 games out of play-in contention, the prudent course of action would be to shut Porter down, as many other teams in tanking mode have been doing when their best players suffer injuries.“

To the last point, if the league wants to knock on your door because you’re sitting a possibly injured player, let them.

Porter Jr isn’t on the injured list, so he’ll be out there. All but one of MPJ’s makes came at the rim, so the Nets are going to need to find easier shot attempts for him. He’s shown throughout this season that he can heat up at a moment’s notice. One good game could get him back on track and looking more like the player that was an All-Star candidate.

📺 From the Vault

The USA and Canada played a game for the ages for the gold medal in the last event of the Olympics on Sunday. The US captured their first gold medal in hockey since 1980 and Jack Hughes’ golden goal in overtime sealed the upset victory. For US hockey, this win was extra meaningful and as we venture back to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, you see why…

More reading: Mavs Moneyball, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Dallas Mavericks Game Notes – Dallas Mavericks
• Nets take on the Mavericks on 4-game losing streak – AP
• What the NBA’s anti-tanking agenda means for the Nets’ plans ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets forced to practice in Atlanta with travel plans upended by NYC blizzard – Bridget Reilly – New York Post

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have informed quarterback Kirk Cousins they plan to release the 14-year veteran when NFL free agency opens next month, new general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday.

“What he’s done in his career, we owe that to him just to allow him some clarity going into free agency,” Cunningham said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Cousins played two seasons with the Falcons with mixed-at-best results, signing a $180 million contract about six weeks before they drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in 2024. Penix won the job in 2025, before a season-ending knee injury made Cousins the starter again down the stretch.

Cousins still started 22 of 34 games over the past two seasons, but he was just 12-10 as a starter. He threw a league-most 16 interceptions in just 14 games in 2024. The 37-year-old is 88-77-2 as a starter with Washington, Minnesota and Atlanta.

With his recently reworked deal, Cousins would have his 2027 salary ($67.9 million) fully guaranteed if he were to remain on the roster by the third day of the new league year.

The Falcons also plan to place their franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts and keep him from becoming a free agent, Cunningham confirmed.

Pitts, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, had a career-high 88 receptions and five touchdowns last season. His 928 receiving yards were the second most among all NFL tight ends. The franchise tag value for tight ends this year is expected to be about $16 million.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Regular season basketball is a funny thing because there was a moment near the end of the first quarter when Tobias Harris threw down a hellacious dunk in traffic and I thought to myself, dramatically, “This is it. This is how the dream dies.”

The Pistons had not only erased a massive early deficit, but had now moved out in front by six. They were suffocating the Spurs, holding them to 4-17 shooting during that stretch, and everything felt like it was unraveling. The moment was too big. The opponent was too tough. The boys were too young. We were going to lose this game and we were going to lose it badly.

Or not!

In a massive twist that I’m sure no one could have seen coming, your guy over here was overreacting just a smidge to a moment that felt bad. Shock! The cool thing though is that I’m allowed to do that. You are too! All of us are allowed to roll around on the floor and wring our hands and shout to the heavens. We can scream about biased officials and annoying announcers and the cruel villains like Tobias Harris throwing down rude dunks that hurt our feelings. Not only is it allowed, it’s encouraged! Get in the mix, my friends. Feel something! Live a little! Viva la vida!

The important thing is that this Spurs team doesn’t do that. They get fired up and they express themselves, but they never seem to let the moment get the best of them. It’s a real “next play” mentality that I aspire to and consistently fall short of.

The Pistons very clearly wanted to rattle the Spurs in this one. It’s a playbook we’ve seen a lot this year and will likely see even more as the stakes get higher. Teams are increasingly realizing that the best way to beat the Spurs is to throw them off their game with, let’s call it, “physicality.” They don’t want to let the Spurs run. They don’t want the ball whipping around. They don’t want them comfortable, getting easy looks. They want the Spurs looking at the officials after every play and thinking about everything happening on the court except what actually matters.

I get it! It would absolutely work on me. Hand up, the Pistons would very likely beat me in a basketball game.

Lucky for us, the Spurs are built of sterner stuff than I am. They surfed the wave instead of getting swallowed by it. They matched the rougher play where they could and didn’t get distracted from their own game plan. Once it became clear they could absorb that physicality, it never really felt like the Pistons had a Plan B. They basically fell back on “we’re going to dare you to shoot,” and the Spurs were like, “deal.” That was that. It was a pretty even game in a lot of ways, but San Antonio kept knocking down shots and Detroit couldn’t match that kind of firepower. Fun game! Nice to see you! On to the next!

It was a mature performance from the team. They all count the same, but this one felt like it carried a little extra weight. National TV. Best team in the East. A group we don’t get to see very often. I don’t know. It just felt like more than “another road game.”

If there’s one thing that’s becoming a consistent trademark of the Wembanyama era of Spurs basketball, it’s that this team likes a test. They get up for it. They seem eager to prove themselves when the lights are on. They hear people saying, “The Spurs are close,” and you can almost feel them wanting to shout back, “We’re not close, we’re HERE.” I don’t even know if that’s fully true yet, but the fact that they believe it says a lot.

And that belief speaks directly to the character of their talisman. This urge to prove something feels baked into the team because it’s baked into Victor Wembanyama. He’s wired to show people. To show he’s the best. To show he cares. I was absolutely one of the people rolling my eyes at his whole, “I’m going to try hard at the All-Star game” thing, and now I’m one of the people sitting here with egg on my face. Victor’s career is going to be defined by the way he relentlessly turns doubt into belief. It’s what he lives for. It’s what he spends every day chasing.

Honestly, it’s breathtaking to watch.

I’m as prone to histrionics as I am to hyperbole, so the one thing you should absolutely not do is get too wrapped up in whatever nonsense I start spitting out once things escalate into playoff mode. But what I do want to say right now, in this brief moment of clarity and calm, is this: I don’t think this team is going to lose in the playoffs because the moment gets too big. Maybe their opponent will have a little more talent. Maybe a little more experience. Maybe a few of the breaks you need to win a championship won’t go their way. Impossible to say, obviously.

But the thing we can say with absolute certainty is that these guys are going to get tested, and they are chomping at the bit to take it. I’m just excited to be along for the ride.

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Takeaways

• Really fun game from Stephon Castle. Nothing in the box score super jumps off the page, but it felt like he met the moment in his matchup with Cade Cunningham and basically played Detroit’s star to a draw. He was picking him up near half court, fighting through absurd screens, and staying attached possession after possession. Wembanyama obviously played a huge role in making life uncomfortable for Cade, but the fact that he had to deal with Steph in his ear all night mattered a lot.
• And if that’s all he was doing it would be enough, but he also quietly orchestrated a really steady offensive night. The Spurs shot well, sure, but Steph was the one pushing tempo, finding open guys, and acting like a metronome in the middle of what Detroit was trying very hard to turn into chaos.
• Last Steph note here, but, he has this habit of catching it on the wing and loading up for a Manu-style skip pass across the court. I clock it every time because it’s one of my favorite plays in basketball, but last night, after like the second one, I had this thought of like, “Man, if I’m noticing this, probably safe to say the other team definitely is too.” Sure enough, at one point in the third quarter he got the ball out there and started pushing into the paint and winding up like he was going to sling it to Keldon in the corner. A Pistons defender was ready to jump it, and as I was having a full meltdown about it, Steph just calmly dumped it over the top to Kornet for an easy alley-oop instead. Fun times all around!

STEPH ↗️ LUUUKE

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/BzFqZIf5NB

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

• Always cool to watch Devin Vassell go off like he did tonight. He’s so smooth with the ball, and you can see how frustrating it is for opposing teams when they realize that the Spurs, like, fourth option is suddenly torching them and forcing an adjustment. Imagine spending all day figuring out how to slow down the giant French guy, kind of pulling it off, and then everything falling apart because you forgot about Young Dev. Tragic.
• I’m not smart enough to expound upon the exact impact that assistant coach Sean Sweeney has had on the Spurs defense this year other than to say something like, “Hey! We hired this defensive wizard and we seem to be really good at defense this year! Cool!” However, I will say that I do consistently notice him getting super fired up on the bench when the Spurs do something good defensively and every time I do I think about “Oh yeah, that wizard we hired!” and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

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WWL Post Game Press Conference

– Did you realize the Spurs were on their Rodeo Road Trip right now?

– You know what, I’m glad you asked that because I just really didn’t. Completely slipped my mind.

– Feels like it snuck up on us this year, right?

– Little bit! RRT, in the past, felt like one of those big looming milestones in the season that was always a big deal and caused lots of chatter. It was sort of legendarily when the team would bond and come together as a group and it all felt very romanticized and cool. Maybe I’m just seeing it through my rose tinted nostalgia glasses, but it just doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore.

– Well, they a little bit cheating by having two of the games before the All-Star break and then two “home” Austin games as a part of avoiding the rodeo.

– True. Maybe I don’t hear about it as much because I’m not in San Antonio and the Rodeo isn’t actually, like, consuming any of my day-to-day attention like it did growing up.

– Yea, maybe.

– Mmm hmm.

– Pretty civil conversation today, everything ok?

– Yea I mean, I can pick a fight if you want, just felt like after watching the Pistons fall on their faces all night doing that it just seems a little silly.

– For sure, would hate for us to embarrass ourselves like that.

– Can you imagine?

Well, if any burner-account related insecurities are seeping into this team, they’ve yet to reveal themselves yet.

The Houston Rockets have played their first games since LB started tracking their 2026 first-round pick that is owed to the Sixers, going 2-1 in their first three games post-All Star break. That features wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz with a fourth-quarter collapse to the New York Knicks sandwiched in between.

The quality of opponent is what it is, but the team has been able to follow Kevin Durant’s lead in not getting into any of that Twitter nonsense. Jabari Smith Jr. was one of the Rockets roasted the most in those supposed leaks, and he was Houston’s leading scorer against Utah with 31 points on 17 shots.

Those two wins, along with a Cleveland loss, were enough to bump the Rockets from 24th. where they were last week, to the 25th pick in the draft if the season ended today. Unfortunately for the Sixers, they have the chance to pile up some wins with their upcoming schedule as well. In the next week they’ll be taking on the Kings, Magic, Heat and Wizards.

So with the 25th pick in the draft, Tankathon has the Sixers taking forward Amari Allen out of Alabama. Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson has also been mocked to the Sixers quite a bit as well. Anyone who wants to dive into Jefferson or other prospects that could be available in the mid-to-late 20s can now do so on this very blog as well.

Pick status this week: 25

Pick status last week: 24 (+1 change)

The highest game total in the 2005 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons was Game 5 with the Spurs winning 96-95. The Silver and Black won that nail biter on a go-ahead, clutch three-point shot by none other than Robert Horry. Tim Duncan had 26 points and 19 rebounds along with 2 assists and 2 blocks.

On Monday night in the year of our Lord and franchise savior Victor Wembanyama, the upstart Spurs and Pistons were able to hit the mid ‘90s total with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter. The over/under was projected at 232.5, so odds makers and bettors were probably hoping for more of that sweet modern basketball rather than that grit and grind like we saw way back when the national media was so “bored” with the 2005 Finals that they started making sideline reporters grill Eva Longoria into revealing major plot twists on “Desperate Housewives.”

Regardless, the Spurs and Pistons gave us a nice preview of a heavyweight bout between two of the high ranked teams from their respective conferences. The Pistons, in particular, have never wavered from their embedded DNA of tough basketball, and the Spurs, as they tend to do, do not stray from their heritage of prioritizing defense.

Devin Vassell led all players with 28 points on a scorching 7 – 11 shooting from downtown. Victor Wembanyama poured in 21 points, pulled down 17 rebounds, and had 6 blocks.

Devin Vassell was simply seeing an ocean inside of an ocean inside of an ocean every time he let loose a shot from deep. For the season, he’s shooting 37% from long range as he continues to stack together games played. The Spurs are a deep team, but it especially works when vets like Vassell can stay on the floor and take advantage of the orbit of defenders around Wembanyama.

D3V off to a hot start 🔥

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/LC2VSfChnF

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

Do you think Wembanyama has ever had a slice of pizza from Little Caesar’s? He seems the type that would enjoy one of their Crazy Puffs (cupcake-sized pizzas). That being said, I am not sure if his body has ever been introduced to grease before so it might be a shock to his system.

Like a perfectly blended amalgam of marinara sauce, cheese, and more cheese, the Spurs seem to have finally melded together as a team that moves in sync where each player could be blindfolded but still find their teammates anywhere on the floor.

THERE HE GOES 👽

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/9Mu12sCFd7

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

It’s easy to forget (at least for me) that the Spurs have the number 2 overall pick playing off the bench, and the kid has flashed his talent multiple times this season. Their cup runneths over with potential.

Beautiful move by the rook 🤌

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/9fldyhAnke

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

Speaking of things easy to forget (for me at least, I’m getting old), it’s also easy to forget that the Spurs also have the number 14 overall pick playing off the bench. The players mentioned after this game how cohesive the offense played. This particular play demonstrates how the team also played complete basketball on both ends with Carter Bryant blocking a shot attempt, running up the floor to space out the Pistons’ defense so that he can easily find a streaking Keldon Johnson for the bucket.

CB blocks ➡️ KJ scores!

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/CDCkc6wWTh

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

I wanted to highlight this specific play where Stephon Castle found a hole in the defense and casually walked his way to an open dunk because otherwise Castle seems to have an understated Dwyane Wade style to his game. That is, once or twice a game, you’ll see him sacrifice his body and take a hard tumble to the floor. He’s explosive and uber athletic in his own right, but where you saw peak Wade flying down the floor doing acrobatic feats, Castle’s style of play seems more measured until suddenly it isn’t. It’s a slight contradiction that I thoroughly enjoy watching.

STEPHON. CASTLE. 😤

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/bV1EQRHZ0B

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

Wembanyama’s block was impressive, but I was just as impressed by his patience waiting for the shooter to see if he was going to pump fake or drive.

GOT HIS 🚫

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/9xfs20aUb5

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

I think Wembanyama just invented the block off the glass to himself for a rebound move. Consequently, Castle’s jumper also looks pretty smooth. I’m just tingling watching this team.

VIC BLOCKS IT. STEPH CASHES IT IN 💰

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/5wwglv6tFd

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

Don’t adjust your 55 inch, $300 television (can you believe how cheap TVs are now??), this play below is not a duplicate of the previous play embedded above. Sure, Wembanyama blocked another shot off the glass, and Castle and Vassell have the same hair style and smooth-as-molasses jumper, but this one went to Vassell.

THIS SEQUENCE 😨

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/Fi9uLmCMSN

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

Former President Barack Obama recently said there’s no aliens in Area 51. Mayhaps the former POTUS should look in San Antonio where we have our own Area 51 aliens. And let’s be honest with ourselves, if extra terrestrials are going to visit us, most likely they want a taste of our greatest resource: tacos.

EXCLAMATION POINT ‼️

📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/1CjXxKlJ0P

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2026

I also have to mention that Robinson had 13 points and 3 rebounds in only 26 minutes. No, not that Robinson. But Duncan did play 26 minutes and racked up 5 assists. No, not that Duncan either. Every team needs shooting, and I need the Spurs to one day sign Duncan Robinson and have him wear a stitched jersey of both the last names of Tim Duncan and David Robinson—he can be the only player in the league with his first and last name on his jersey so we all can briefly relive the glory days.

Sending everyone out with the fond message that the gnomes are out of bounds:

If you missed the game because you were too busy binging seasons 1 and 2 of Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives (the only two you need to binge), here are the full-game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs head up north to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, February 24, 2026.

The Knicks are a good team. They may not always look or play like it. But they are. At 37-21, they have a top-five record in the league, have a top-three offense, a defense that has been on the cusp of being top 10 in defensive rating, and remain top five in net rating as well. Despite all of these things being true, though, it’s not a stretch to say that this team, one that has had championship aspirations from day one, has also been among the most disappointing ones in recent memory.

They can’t beat the Pistons, the one team that has consistently been ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. Their bench has been an inconsistent question mark for much of the season. Mikal Bridges continues to have stretches where he seemingly disappears. And the starting lineup, despite posting better stats this year, still struggles against great defenses. Among the most alarming concerns this season, though, has been the disappointing season that Karl-Anthony Towns has had… Or that’s at least what the majority of the fanbase wants to think. But is that a fair assessment?

Now, some of the frustrations are warranted. Over his first 10 years in the league, Towns earned a reputation for being one of the most efficient scorers in the league. During that span, the big man averaged 23.1PPG on 52.4% shooting from the field, and 40% shooting from three. His rare combination of size, post-up skills, and shooting allowed him to be as good as he is despite his very obvious and frustrating shortcomings on the defensive end.

This year he has looked and performed like a shell of himself. We may never know if there was an underlying injury issue or if it was just the new offense Mike Brown installed last summer. But the version of Towns we have seen for the overwhelming majority of this season has been one of hesitation, disappearance, and uncharacteristic struggles.

Through his first 49 games, Towns averaged 19.7PPG, while shooting 46.3% from the field, and 35.3% from three, while attempting just 14 field goal attempts per game. All of those marks would be the lowest, or second lowests of his career.

Some of it has been him simply missing shots he usually makes. But it’s been deeper than just him missing shots. As evident by his field goal attempts, he’s been featured less as a scorer in the Knicks’ new offense. Instead of having his number called, he is now required to read defenses more and find the best times for him to attack, something he and his teammates have both struggled to do.

Towns has seemed to have turned things around a bit tough. Towns has scored 20 or more points in five straight games, which is the longest streak of the season. And during the stretch, he is averaging 23.4PPG, while shooting 56.6% from the field, and 47.8% from three. He’s been more aggressive, evident by his 15.2 field goal attempts per game, and overall, he’s looked more comfortable, and just as importantly, more decisive.

But it’s clear that this isn’t, and never was, a strictly Towns problem. As mentioned earlier, his teammates have struggled to find Towns, especially when he pops screens. Lately, though, there’s been more of an effort by his teammates, and more specifically, by Jalen Brunson, to get him involved. While the two still lack the two-man game fans dreamed of when they were first paired up, Brunson has looked for his center noticeably more as of late.

Going back to the earlier question, I’d confidently answer that the blame Towns has gotten has been disproportionate and unfair. Towns still deserves some criticism for the way he has shot the ball, the amount he complains (although some of that is warranted given his horrendous whistle), his somewhat improved, but still frustrating defensive miscues, and most importantly, his offensive fouls that make you want to pull your hair out. But the numbers point to him being one of the Knicks, and believe it or not, the league’s most impactful players.

This season, Karl-Anthony Towns has:

* More rebounds than Nikola Jokić or Victor Wembanyama

* More points than Stephen Curry or LaMelo Ball

* More made 3-pointers than Devin Booker or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

* More steals than Evan Mobley or Rudy Gobert

* More double-doubles…

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) February 23, 2026

I am firmly on the side of analytics and stats not being absolute. And that they can be deceiving, and or misused. But, hear me out. As seen above, Towns currently has more rebounds than Nikola Jokić or Victor Wembanyama, more points than Stephen Curry or LaMelo Ball, more made 3-pointers than Devin Booker, more steals than Evan Mobley or Rudy Gobert, more double-doubles than Luka Dončić or Cade Cunningham, more assists than Amen Thompson or Isaiah Hartenstein, and h higher plus/minus than Jaylen Brown and Anthony Edwards. Those names and stats, especially since they are totals and not averages, can be cherry-picked to fit a narrative.

Only 4 players in the NBA have a 90th percentile or better O-EPM AND D-EPM:

Victor Wembanyama
Derrick White
Chet Holmgren

The fourth?

Karl. Anthony. Towns. pic.twitter.com/A2aUrjDOsT

— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) February 23, 2026

But, according to EPM (estimated plus-minus), which is a newer adjusted plus-minus metric that quantifies expected impact, Towns has been great. As of February 23rd, Towns is just one of four players in the league that rank in the 90th percentile or higher in both offensive EPM and defensive EPM.

According to Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks are now 10.7 points better per 100 possessions with Karl-Anthony Towns on the court this season.

That ranks 1st among 45 players who have seen at least 1600 minutes of court time. pic.twitter.com/1xkn7gfwDh

— Jonathan Macri (@JCMacriNBA) February 23, 2026

Are those numbers still not enough? Towns, despite his flaws, remains the team leader in plus-minus this season, with an impressive +336. Brunson is second at just +266. And as mentioned above, the Knicks are now 10.7PPP better with Towns on the court, which happens to rank first in the league among players who have played 1600 or more minutes.

I am not here to tell you that Towns is the Knicks’ best or most impactful player. You can take the data and the eye test and decide for yourself. I’m also not here to tell you that he’s a perfect player. Or that he’s had an amazing season. But I will tell you that despite all of his flaws and despite his not being able to play up to his usual standards, Towns has still had a solid season. He deserved a fair share of the blame for his shortcomings and his offensive inconsistencies. But he doesn’t deserve to have everything blamed on him. He can’t control how much Josh Hart mucks up offenses against good defenses, how bad the bench has been at times, how much Brunson struggled to get him the ball at times, especially in crunch time, or how Bridges occasionally goes MIA. This team, as we’ve all seen, has some clear weaknesses, despite being a very good team. And Towns can’t, and shouldn’t be held accountable for all of them.

I will say this: If the Knicks want to ultimately raise the Larry O’Brien trophy, it’s still on Towns. While he’s been solid and better than many realize, he still has the most to show and improve on as far as performance vs. expectations go. If he and his teammates can get the best version of Towns to show up in the playoffs, this team could take another much-needed leap.

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The Miami Heat will be searching for their fourth straight win tonight as they visit the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.

Miami is hot, and my Heat vs. Bucks predictions expect the away team to keep rolling. 

Read more in my NBA picks for this 8 p.m. ET tipoff on Tuesday, February 24.

Heat vs Bucks prediction

Heat vs Bucks best bet: Heat -6.5 (-110)

The Miami Heat remain in the playoff mix with a 31-27 record, and they’ve captured three straight victories heading into tonight’s clash. 

Erik Spoelstra’s squad has beaten the Pelicans, Hawks, and Grizzlies, covering the spread in each game. In fact, they just blew out the Grizz by 16 points on Saturday, which means the Heat are well-rested. 

Miami beat the Milwaukee Bucks by three points earlier this season, and Milwaukee just got blown out by 28 by the Raptors on Sunday. The Heat also have an impressive 19-11 ATS road record.

Heat vs Bucks same-game parlay

Andrew Wiggins is averaging 16.1 points per game this season, and he’s cashed the Over in two of his last three. The Canadian balled out for 28 on Saturday in the big victory over Memphis. 

Bam Adebayo is averaging 2.9 dimes per game, but he’s comfortably cashed the Over in five straight. 

The Heat star has 10 assists across his last two appearances, and the Bucks are allowing 3.9 per contest to centers.

Heat vs Bucks SGP

• Heat -6.5
• Andrew Wiggins Over 14.5 points
• Bam Adebayo Over 2.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Tyler's Herro-ics

Tyler Herro has cashed the Over in triples in three of his last four games, and in his last road appearance, the guard was 2-for-4 from 3-point land.

Heat vs Bucks SGP

• Heat -6.5
• Andrew Wiggins Over 14.5 points
• Bam Adebayo Over 2.5 assists
• Tyler Herro Over 1.5 made threes

Heat vs Bucks odds

• Spread: Heat -6.5 (-110) | Bucks +6.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Heat -245 | Bucks +200
• Over/Under: Over 228 (-110) | Under 228 (-110)

Heat vs Bucks betting trend to know

The Miami Heat have covered the 1Q Spread in 30 of their last 40 away games (+19.80 Units / 43% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Bucks.

How to watch Heat vs Bucks

Heat vs Bucks latest injuries

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The Dallas Mavericks visit the Brooklyn Nets this evening, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Dallas has been dominant against Brooklyn this season, and I’m targeting them to keep it up in my Mavericks vs. Nets predictions. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Tuesday, February 24. 

Mavericks vs Nets prediction

Mavericks vs Nets best bet: Mavericks moneyline (-130)

The Dallas Mavericks may be having a disappointing campaign, but they just ended a nine-game losing streak on Sunday with a road victory. They finish up their six-game road swing tonight against the Brooklyn Nets, who they’ve beaten a lot over the last few seasons. 

Dallas has won both meetings with the Nets in 2025-26, and while the Mavericks are 6-19 on the road, Brooklyn is just 8-19 at home and has lost four straight. 

The Mavericks demonstrably outrank the Nets in offensive and defensive efficiency, as Brooklyn is among the worst in the NBA in both metrics.

Mavericks vs Nets same-game parlay

P.J. Washington has been one of the Mavs’ top guys alongside Cooper Flagg. He’s averaging 14.3 points per game, and he’s cashed the Over in two of his last three. Flagg is sidelined with a foot injury, which means a bigger workload for Washington. 

Max Christie's landing in Dallas has allowed him to thrive in a bigger role. He’s averaging a career-best 13.3 points, and the former Michigan State Spartan has hit the Over in four of his previous five outings. 

The youngster scored 16 points in the win over Indiana on Sunday, and he’s cashed the Over in points in three consecutive road appearances.

Mavericks vs Nets SGP

• Mavericks moneyline
• PJ Washington Over 15.5 points
• Max Christie Over 14.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Hands of Klay

Klay Thompson has cashed the Over in boards in two of his last three.

Mavericks vs Nets SGP

• Mavericks moneyline
• PJ Washington Over 15.5 points
• Max Christie Over 14.5 points
• Klay Thompson Over 2.5 rebounds

Mavericks vs Nets odds

• Spread: Mavericks -2 (-110) | Nets +2 (-110)
• Moneyline: Mavericks -130 | Nets +110
• Over/Under: Over 225.5 (-110) | Under 225.5 (-110)

Mavericks vs Nets betting trend to know

The Dallas Mavericks have hit the Team Total Over in 23 of their last 35 games (+9.05 Units / 22% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Nets.

How to watch Mavericks vs Nets

Mavericks vs Nets latest injuries

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