WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Juke Harris scored 25 points and personally outscored Stanford 9-2 down the stretch, lifting Wake Forest to a come-from-behind 68-63 victory over the Cardinal on Saturday.
The Cardinal led 39-30 at halftime but were unable to extend their lead in the second half. Wake Forest finally tied it at 61 on a layup by Harris with 1:48 remaining. A jumper by Harris with 54 seconds left gave the Demon Deacons their first lead since it was 9-6.
Harris made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 25 seconds and his scoring run was interrupted only by a layup from Ebuka Okorie that made it 66-63 with 10 seconds left. Harris was fouled with nine seconds left and capped the scoring with two more free throws.
Harris made 12 of 13 free throws and the Demon Deacons made 28 of 32 as a team. Stanford was 9 for 14.
Okorie, the nation's seventh leading scorer and third among freshmen at 22.4 points per game, led Stanford (16-10, 5-8 ACC) with 26 points. Benny Gealer scored 11 and Aidan Cammann had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Mekhi Mason scored 10 points for Wake Forest (13-12, 4-8).
A 3-pointer by Cammann tied the score at 9 and started an 11-0 run that gave the Cardinal a 17-9 lead. Although Wake Forest tied it twice, Stanford scored the last seven points of the half and led 39-30 at the break.
Stanford led 58-51 with 6:42 remaining but the Cardinal made only 2 of 12 from the field the rest of the game. Both makes were by Okorie.
Lakers star Luka Doncic told reporters on Saturday that he plans to play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday with Team World. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Lakers star Luka Doncic missed their last four games because of a strained left hamstring, but he plans to play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at the Intuit Dome.
Doncic, who was injured when the Lakers played the Philadelphia 76ers 1½ weeks ago, worked out before L.A. played the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena and has played some five-on-five recently.
Doncic was the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game, which will be his sixth.
“I feel pretty good,” Doncic said Saturday during his media season. “You know, I've been working to get back. Obviously [I] wanted to play the last game, but it wasn't possible. I was almost there, so I think I'll play a little bit.”
His Lakers teammate, LeBron James, was selected as a Western Conference reserve by the coaches, his first time in 21 years not being chosen a starter. James, who didn’t attend the media sessions on Saturday but will talk before the game Sunday, extended his NBA record All-Star selections to 22 in a row.
Doncic, who will play for Team World, was jokingly asked that if he does play will he try to dunk on James, who will be on Team USA Stripes.
“No, I will not try to dunk on LeBron,” Doncic said, smiling.
This will be Doncic’s first time representing the Lakers as an All-Star. His other five came when he played for the Dallas Mavericks, who traded Doncic to the Lakers last February for Anthony Davis.
Doncic was asked about his emotions.
“Every All-Star, just blessed,” he said. “ I'm going to look back at it. I'm a six-time All-Star now, and not everybody can say they're an All-Star. So just take everything into the moment and enjoy this.”
When the NBA coaches selected the All-Star reserves, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was not chosen despite playing some of the best basketball of his career.
But NBA commissioner Adam Silver added Leonard to the roster, allowing him to play in his seventh All-Star Game, which is being hosted in his home arena.
Leonard was asked at his media session on Saturday if not being initially selected was because of his role in the NBA’s investigation of the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer over allegations that the team circumvented the salary cap by paying Leonard under the table through an endorsement deal with a company called Aspiration.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard talks to reporters during the NBA All-Star Game media day. He'll be appearing in his seventh All-Star game on Sunday at Intuit Dome. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
“I’m not sure,” said Leonard, who is eighth in the NBA in scoring at 27.9 points a game. “I don’t think Adam Silver would let something like that play into how a player is playing on the court, especially me. I’m not doing anything.”
Aspiration, which has since filed for bankruptcy, agreed to pay Leonard $28 million over four years. The Clippers have denied the allegations.
The NBA has a new format for the All-Star Game, “U.S. vs. the World.” It will be a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games.
There are two U.S. teams. Leonard will be on the USA Stripes with some of the veterans uch as James and Kevin Durant.
Leonard was asked about his view of the new format.
“I can’t say I hate it or I love it, 'cause I really don’t know what the situation is,” Leonard said. “I know it’s three teams and is it like a pickup game where we wait until somebody scores? But I’d rather it just be East and West and just go out there and compete and see what the outcome is. I don’t think no format can make you compete …”
Fans and media have complained that the players don’t play hard enough and don’t seem to care.
With Stephen Curry, James and Durant near the end of their careers, Durant was asked why the NBA saw the need to make improvements to the All-Star Game.
“I just feel like fans and media need something to complain about, and the All-Star Game don't make them feel like they felt when they were kids,” Durant said. “They need something to complain about. I don't think it's that big of a deal, to be honest — the All-Star Game, All-Star weekend. Just here to celebrate the game of basketball.
"People [are] still coming to celebrate the game of basketball. They're coming to watch. People at home are complaining about the game and the intensity of it. I don't think we'll ever get past that, but to see everybody still here, showing up, doing their jobs, pushing the game forward through this weekend, you go around the city, it's so much energy in the city, so many past greats. … I just think it's way bigger than that this weekend. We can talk about who plays harder or the U.S. team versus the World.”
Damian Lillard was a shocking addition to the NBA's 3-point contest during All-Star weekend, given that the 35-year-old, nine-time All-Star hasn't played a single minute of NBA basketball this year.
His inclusion in the event was head-scratching to many fans. Still, there's no denying that Lillard is one of the best shooters in NBA history.
Not only has he shot over 35% from 3 in nine of his last 10 seasons, but he has won the 3-point contest twice already — 2023 and 2024. He was aiming to become just the third player in NBA history to win the event three times, and the first to do so non-consecutively.
Larry Bird won the event every year from 1986 to 1988, while Craig Hodges won the event each year from 1990 to 1992.
Lillard had a chance to make history. So, did he do it? Here are the full results from the 2026 NBA 3-point contest:
2026 NBA 3-point contest results
First round
*-advanced to the final round
Devin Booker* - 30
Damian Lillard* - 27
Kon Knueppel* - 27
Donovan Mitchell - 24
Norman Powell - 23
Jamal Murray - 18
Tyrese Maxey - 17
Bobby Portis Jr. - 15
Finals
Damian Lillard - 29
Devin Booker - 27
Kon Knueppel - 17
Booker missed the final three shots of his last rack, wasting three opportunities to tie and possibly win the event. Lillard's win makes him the third three-time champion.
What did Damian Lillard score in his prior two wins?
In 2023, Lillard scored 26 points in the finals. His competitors, Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, scored 25 and 17 respectively.
In 2024, Lillard, a model of consistency in this event, scored 26 points yet again, beating Trae Young (24) and Karl-Anthony Towns (22).
Lillard's 29 points in 2026 mark the most he's ever scored in a 3-point contest win.
Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) competes in the three point contest during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Devin Booker came in second-place in the three-point shooting contest during All-Star Weekend. He had a chance to win the event for the second-time in his career, but missed his last three shots that would’ve given him an opportunity to tie or take win the even over eventual champion Damian Lillard.
While he lost, the 57 combined points he scored is 12 more than he won the contest back in 2018. Credit, the scoring system is different than it was eight years ag0, but he made 7 more threes this time on just two extra shots.
In the first round of the contest, Booker had the highest score of any contestant throughout the contest. His 30 points in round one was the 30-point performance in the contest.
While Booker didn’t take home the victory, he’ll have a chance to come away with one on All-Star weekend tomorrow when he participates in the All-Star games for team stripes, and with Phoenix hosting All-Star weekend next year, don’t be shocked if he participates in the three-point contest again.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Jadyn Wooten scored 16 points, Amari Whiting added 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Oklahoma State outscored the Lady Raiders 22-9 in the second quarter to beat No. 16 Texas Tech 75–65 on Saturday.
Oklahoma State (20–7, 9–5 Big 12) took a 36–24 halftime lead, holding Tech scoreless for the final 3:18 of the half. The win marked the Cowgirls’ second victory over a ranked opponent this season and secured their first 20‑win campaign since 2022–23.
Wooten shot 7 of 10 from the field and added seven assists, while Whiting posted her second double‑double of the year. Achol Akot scored 13 points and Stailee Heard added 12 for the Cowgirls, who shot 54% overall and made eight 3‑pointers.
Texas Tech (23–4, 10–4) opened the second half with five straight points to cut the deficit to seven, but OSU answered with an 8–0 run to push the margin back to 44–29. The Lady Raiders trailed by double digits for most of the second half before a late push trimmed it to 66–60 with under three minutes left.
Bailey Maupin led the Lady Raiders with 19 points, and Snudda Collins added 18 off the bench. The Lady Raiders shot 4 of 21 from deep and were outrebounded 36–26. Texas Tech entered a half‑game out of first place in the Big 12 and is on the road for three of its next four games.
Up Next
Texas Tech faces No. 12 Baylor at home on Wednesday.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Tae Davis had 19 points, Nijel Pack and reserve Kuol Atak both scored 18, and Oklahoma used an 18-0 second-half run to beat Georgia 94-78 on Saturday.
Davis made 7 of 10 shots and 5 of 7 free throws for the Sooners (13-12, 3-9 Southeastern Conference), who beat No. 15 Vanderbilt by a point on the road last time out to end a nine-game losing streak. Pack hit 6 of 10 shots with four 3-pointers and Atak did his damage on 6-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Reserve Dayton Forsythe scored 13.
Blue Cain scored 20 to pace the Bulldogs (17-8, 5-7), who have lost two straight and 5 of 6. Marcus Millender had 16 points and Kareem Stagg scored 10.
Pack hit two 3-pointers and a jumper and Atak added another 3 in the Sooners’ 18-point run, turning a seven-point deficit into a 60-49 lead with 13:36 remaining.
Atak and Pack made consecutive 3s to push the advantage to 16 and the Sooners led by double digits over the final 11:30.
Georgia led 11-7 when play stopped for a few minutes after a popcorn machine caught fire at a concession stand.
Forsythe hit a 3 to put Oklahoma up 12-11 and the lead changed hands 13 times over the final 14:30 before halftime. Atak hit a 3 with three seconds left and the Sooners trailed 43-41 at halftime.
Georgia made its first nine shots and went into the break shooting 71% — 17 for 24. The Bulldogs shot 38% in the second half.
Inglewood, CA - January 16: The 2026 NBA All-Star Game coming to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
NBA All Star Saturday rolls out with…Adam Silver’s press conference!
Then it moves on to The (State Farm) Three Point Shootout, The (KIA) Shooting Stars, and then the AT&Love Slam Dunk. What better way to spend St. Valentine’s day with these contests? What, you say, with romance or love? Sure, but what about Shooting Stars? Isn’t that part of it? Maybe your love is already a slam dunk? Or best it’s a shot from distance? Anyway, the NBA and Valentines go together like sushi and queso.
Things start off at 4pm Central on NBA/Peacock and last as long as they last, I guess?
A player who hasn’t played a single minute of NBA basketball wins the three point shoot out. You may remember him from Rockets nightmares: Damien Lillard.
I don’t really know what the contest is. I’m glad KIA is sponsoring it, as I have definitely seen, and driven, KIAs. Honestly though, I prefer a kea.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Nate Bittle and Takai Simpkins each scored 22 points to help Oregon snap a 10-game losing streak with an 83-72 win over Penn State on Saturday.
The Ducks (9-16, 2-12 Big Ten) had been without a win since Jan. 2 over Maryland, their only previous Big Ten win of the season.
Bittle's 22 came on 6-of-9 shooting and 8 of 11 at the free-throw line with seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Simpkins made 4 of 5 from behind the arc, and all eight of his free throws. Dezdrick Lindsay added 16 points and five assists.
Simpkins scored 20 in the second half, after shooting 1 of 4 in the first half. He helped the Ducks turn a 38-32 halftime lead into as much as a 15-point second half advantage in which they went on 10-2 and 11-4 runs.
Kayden Mingo led the Nittany Lions (11-15, 2-13) with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Josh Reed added 13 points and Freddie Dilione V had 10 plus three steals.
Oregon's bench outscored Penn State 27-5, with most of those points coming from Lindsay.
Their shared playmaking should be delightful, the kind of joy designed for an All-Star Game.
The U.S. “Stripes” team has similar top-end talent in Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard. However, which trio is more likely to push the pace out of pride, the trio of international stars or the NBA’s oldest guard?
NBA All-Star Game format
The NBA All-Star Game will kick off with the “World” facing the USA Stars; to keep things simple, view the Stars as the younger U.S. team and the Stripes as the more veteran squad.
Winners of that matchup move on to play the USA Stripes, while the first game’s loser also takes on the Stripes to complete the round-robin portion of the All-Star Game.
After the round-robin, the top two teams meet again in the title game, with point differential serving as the first tiebreaker if all three teams finish 1-1.
Doncic is not one to throw down highlight-reel dunks. His All-Star Game joys will come from either absurd passes or threes taken from downtown Los Angeles.
Note: The Intuit Dome is 11 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
Even in a 12-minute game, the exhibition that it is, Doncic may take four 3-pointers, likely all uncontested. In that case, betting on him to make multiple shots from beyond the arc should not be at plus-money.
Much of an All-Star Game comes down to motivation.
Some piece of LeBron and Durant refuses to relinquish their standing in the NBA hierarchy. Given the chance to beat Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Maxey, expect the old guard to do so.
There may be some variance worry in a 12-minute game, but that should also allow the veterans to play more aggressively without getting winded.
Frankly, the younger roster may have more worry about getting worn out; who is more likely to over-enjoy LA nightlife this weekend, the young players reaching their first All-Star Game, or players who have done this for more than a decade?
This may come as a shock, but game it out. The World is favored to beat the USA Stars, and if doing so, it would face the USA Stripes in the second game of the day.
A win would propel the World into the title game, while the Stripes would advance if they merely beat the Stars in the final game.
The Stripes may conserve their energy to then beat the young’uns, setting up a more earnest rematch between the World and the Stripes for the All-Star Game championship.
This matchup could become plodding, at least by All-Star Game standards.
Jan 31, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) reacts to his teams three pointer against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
If you’re a Sixers fan who skipped out on Friday night’s All-Star festivities, you missed a heck of a time. Beloved rookie VJ Edgecombe took home Rising Stars MVP honors. Edgecombe showcased everything that has made him a legitimate building block for this franchise during his first pro season during the mini-tournament, mixing clutch scoring with hard-noise play and, simply, a knack for winning basketball.
The Sixers have had their woes as of late, and, really, for a time much longer than that, but Edgecombe has got the goods. That helps a little, right?
As for Saturday night’s All-Star action, the highlight for Sixers fans is Tyrese Maxey taking part in the 3-Point Contest. Maxey will be joined by Devin Booker, Kon Knueppel, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Bobby Portis and Norman Powell.
No Sixer has ever won the contest previously, which dates back to 1986. Hey, there’s a first time for everything, right?
Enjoy a night of hoops, which will also feature the Shooting Stars competition and, of course, the Slam Dunk contest. Chat about it all below in our open thread!
MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 29: Haywood Highsmith #24 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns on January 29, 2024 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. 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 2024 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns are signing forward Haywood Highsmith to a multi-year deal, ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania reports. With Jamaree Bouyea’s contract expected to be converted from a two-way to a standard deal, Highsmith’s signing signals that Cole Anthony, who was acquired last week from the Milwaukee Bucks, is not expected to stay on the team.
Free agent forward Haywood Highsmith has agreed to a multiyear deal with the Phoenix Suns, his agent Jerry Dianis tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/UbkwghKYRL
Highsmith, 29, spent the last four seasons with the Miami Heat before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets this past offseason, but never played for them as he was recovering from a torn meniscus. According to reports, he’s healthy and was slated to make his season debut before being waived last week. Charania reported that he “considered multiple playoff teams,” before he signed with Phoenix, who sit seventh in the West, and 2 games out of the fourth seed.
During his time with Miami, Highsmith played in 35 playoff games and was a consistent contributor during their miraculous run to the NBA Finals in the 2022-23 season. Having shot 38% or better the last two seasons, looks to be a solid fit in Head Coach Jordan Ott’s three-point reliant system.
After acquiring Amir Coffey last week and now adding Highsmith, the Suns have made a concerted effort to beef up their forward spots as they look to make a playoff run.
The Sacramento Kings will lose one of their star players for the rest of the regular season, adding to the list of misfortunes this year.
The Kings will be without their leading scorer Zach LaVine, who will miss the rest of the season to undergo surgery on his right hand after the All-Star break, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Friday evening.
LaVine, 30, averaged 19.2 points per game on 47.9% shooting in 31.4 minutes for Sacramento this season, appearing in39 games.
He was acquired from the Chicago Bulls just over a year ago in Feb. 2025 via a three-team trade that sent De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs and Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Tre Jones and draft picks to the Bulls.
LaVine will be a free agent after next season, but could opt for free agency this summer. He signed a five-year, $215.16 million contract with the Chicago Bulls on July 7, 2022.
The deal includes a 2026-27 player option that would pay LaVine nearly $49 million.
The 12-year-veteran was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Donnie Freeman scored 18 points, Nate Kingz had 13 and the game‑winning layup with two seconds remaining, and Syracuse edged SMU 79–78 on Saturday.
Tyler Betsey’s 3-pointer with 3:50 remaining pulled Syracuse within 76-75, and Naithan George added a layup on the next possession. SMU (17–8, 6–6) missed two free throws and four straight field goals in the final 90 seconds, leaving the door open for Syracuse’s final possession.
Freeman blocked four shots for the Orange, while George added 16 points and six assists. Betsey and Kiyan Anthony each finished with 13 off the bench, with Anthony hitting three second‑half 3-pointers. Syracuse shot 45% from the field and made 11 3s.
Jaden Toombs led SMU with 19 points and five rebounds off the bench, and Corey Washington added 13 points and nine boards. Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 12, and Boopie Miller had 11, as the two combined for five made 3-pointers. The Mustangs went 13 of 17 at the line but had two crucial misses in the closing minute.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 13: Carter Bryant #11 of Team Vince smiles during the Castrol NBA Rising Stars as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Friday, February 13, 2026 at Intuit Dome 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
All Star weekend is here. Tonight’s schedule:
Starting at 4:00 PM CT—NBA All Star Saturday: Three point shooting contest, Shooting Stars, Slam Dunk contest
Friday night’s festivities had three Spurs participating, and tonight there are two, Carter Bryant in the Slam Dunk Contest, and Dylan Harper competing in the Shooting Stars with his brother and dad. I don’t know how they’re going to make that interesting for (… checking) three hours of air time, but I guess we’ll find out.
Game Prediction:
The dunk contest is disrupted when Mac McClung shows up and demands to drive a car onto the court. He compromises and does a dunk with a ventriloquist’s dummy, which he makes talk while he’s doing a dunk.
All Star Saturday Night February 14, 2026, 4:00 PM CT-7:00 PM TV: NBC, Peacock Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 22: Ivica Zubac #40 of the LA Clippers guards LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game on January 22, 2026 at Intuit Dome 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ivica Zubac’s departure from the Lakers is still quite a sore spot.
Not only was he traded for a journeyman center who had a fairly specific niche role, but the future franchise cornerstone was dealt across the hallway to the Clippers, forcing fans into a front row view of how badly the Lakers failed.
It was one of the more spectacular failures of Magic Johnson’s tenure as President of Basketball Operations and was also emblematic of how poorly he ran the franchise. While examples are aplenty, Zubac himself provided even more recently.
In an extensive interview on a Croatian YouTube channel, Zubac shared many anecdotes about his time with the Lakers, with a strong focus on Magic, who was unreasonably harsh on the young center at the time.
Zu opened up a lot about his Lakers tenure (translated from Croatian so not 100% accurate):
-Worked out a couple times with Kareem. Kareem wanted a full time position with the Lakers to work with him (and other bigs) but management never agreed.
There are plenty of qualifiers here to get out of the way first. For one, this is a translation of a Croatian interview in which the translator admits to possible errors. On top of that, this is Zubac’s side of the story, which is worth keeping in mind.
That being said, very little of this feels out of character for Magic either. The signings of Andrew Bogut, Michael Beasley and Tyson Chandler throughout the years did block playing time for Zubac, who fans were often clamoring to get more minutes.
And the team very clearly undervalued Zubac all the way to the moment they traded him. He consistently improved early in his career and only really got to show it once he landed in a Clippers jersey. Once the team did trade him, the offered some half-baked excuse of not thinking they could afford to keep him with rumors of JaVale McGee feeling his job was in jeopardy, none of which felt like the truth.
All of this just further underlines how bad Magic was at his job. If the belief is that LeBron was coming to LA no matter what — something which gained validity with each passing year he stayed with the Lakers as they struggled — then even Magic’s biggest win comes with a major asterisk.
Magic has the argument for the best Lakers player of all time for what he did with the Showtime Lakers. But he also has an argument for the worst basketball decision-maker in franchise history, too. A truly rare accomplishment.
Victor Wembanyama
Jaylen Brown
Tyrese Maxey
Cade Cunningham
Jalen Brunson
Luka Doncic
Kevin Durant
Devin Booker
Donovan Mitchell
Steph Curry
Damian Lillard
Kawhi Leonard
Anthony Davis
Russell Westbrook
