Category: Basketball

Game 58. Suns n’ Blazers.

The Sacramento Kings are looking to fill their roster after losing players to injury in the last few weeks. 

Sacramento reportedly agreed to sign guard Killian Hayes to a 10-day contract deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto. 

Hayes most recently appeared in nine games for the Cleveland Charge, the G-League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 22.4 points and 8.5 assists in nine games. 

His last NBA appearance was during the 2024-25 season with the Brooklyn Nets, where Hayes averaged nine points in 27 minutes. He appeared in six games. 

Who is Killian Hayes?

Hayes, 25, was drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to the Detroit Pistons. 

Hayes spent four seasons with the Pistons. His best season arguably came during the 2022-23 campaign when he posted career-highs in games played (76), points per game (10.3), assists (6.2), and steals (1.4). 

Kings add more depth

Sacramento wasn’t done after the Hayes 10-day signing. 

The team adds more depth to their roster following their announcement that recently acquired forward Deandre Hunter is ruled out for the season with ongoing left eye iritis, an injury that required surgery.

“Hunter was diagnosed with a retinal detachment in his left eye. This afternoon, Hunter underwent successful surgery to repair the injury,” the team said in a Feb. 20 news release. “Hunter is expected to make a full recovery and an update will be provided in approximately eight weeks.”

With the news of Hunter, who joined Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine to be ruled out for the final months of the season, they decided to add more depth. 

The Kings signed Patrick Baldwin Jr. to a two-way contract deal.

Baldwin, 23, most recently played for the San Diego Clippers, G-League affiliate of Los Angeles.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sacramento Kings, Killian Hayes agree to 10-day deal

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Olivia Miles scored 15 of her 26 points in the final 5:21 and finished with her fifth triple-double this season, rallying No. 12 TCU to an 80-73 victory over Iowa State on Sunday and extending the Horned Frogs' winning streak at home to 41.

TCU trailed 66-53 with 7:35 remaining before Miles took over to ensure the Horned Frogs (25-4, 13-3) tied Texas for the longest current home streak, while staying atop the Big 12 Conference with their fourth straight win.

Miles, who played at Notre Dame from 2020-2025, scored six straight points to ignite a 16-4 run capped by Taylor Bigby’s 3-pointer and TCU trailed 70-69 with 2:54 left.

Miles extended the run with a go-ahead jumper, two free throws and another jumper over the next two minutes for a five-point lead. She made 3 of 4 foul shots in the final 48 seconds as TCU outscored Iowa State 31-15 in the final quarter.

Miles missed 12 of her first 14 shots before making 6 of 7 in the fourth. She added 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Martz Suarez posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Clara Silva scored 11.

Audi Crooks had 22 points, six rebounds and four assists before fouling out for the Cyclones (21-7, 9-7). Jada Williams scored 15 on 6-for-23 shooting, adding 11 assists. Addy Brown chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Crooks had eight points and Iowa State led by as many as 10 in the first quarter before settling for a 24-16 advantage. Miles and Suarez both scored five in the second period to help TCU cut it to 40-34 at halftime.

Crooks had two layups in the final 1:28 of the third quarter and Iowa took a 58-49 lead into the fourth.

Up next

TCU: At Cincinnati on Wednesday.

Iowa State: Hosts Oklahoma State on Wednesday.

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NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Raegan Beers, who averages a double-double, had 18 points and 18 rebounds in No. 11 Oklahoma's foul-filled 100-93 win over No. 21 Tennessee on Sunday.

Sahara Williams had 22 points and Aaliyah Chavez scored 19 points for the Sooners (21-6, 9-5 SEC). Payton Verhulst scored 17 points and Zya Vann added 15 as Oklahoma's starters all scored in double figures and totaled 93 points.

There were 53 fouls and 79 free-throw attempts. Oklahoma made 36 of 46 free throws and Tennessee made 23 of 33. Oklahoma made more free throws than baskets (30).

Tennessee's Jaida Civil opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer that cut Oklahoma's lead to 71-67. A few minutes later the Lady Vols were within three points before Oklahoma tacked on four free throws at the beginning of an 8-2 run.

A layup by Williams gave Oklahoma an 86-77 lead with 4:14 remaining. The Sooners attempted only two more shots the rest of the game and they scored their last 14 points on free throws.

Talaysia Cooper scored 22 points, Civil 21 and Nya Robertson 18 for Tennessee (16-10, 8-6). Civil had 10 rebounds. The freshman played 33 minutes off the bench and collected her first double-double.

Tennessee led throughout the first quarter and it was 22-20 heading to the second period. An 8-0 run got the Sooners within 30-29 and a 3-pointer from Vann gave them their only lead of the first half, 47-45 at the break.

Up next

Tennessee: The Lady Vols wrap up the regular season at No. 7 LSU on Thursday and at home against No. 5 Vanderbilt on Sunday.

Oklahoma: The Sooners host Arkansas on Thursday and visit Missouri on Sunday.

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Turnovers, an early deficit, and hot outside shooting from the Oklahoma City Thunder did the Cleveland Cavaliers in on Sunday afternoon. They lost their first game in February 121-113.

The stats in the table below are taken from Cleaning the Glass.

	Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	55.1%, 55th percentile	31.9%, 66th percentile	17.2%, 26th percentile	15.9, 26th percentile
Thunder	61%, 84th percentile	30%, 56th percentile	16.3%, 33rd percentile	17.4, 34th percentile

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• The Cavs coughed it up on 37% of their possessions in the first quarter (0th percentile), leading to 17 points off turnovers. This resulted in Cleveland being down by 23 midway through the first quarter and 15 at the end of one. You can’t come out of the gates that poorly against the defending champions and expect to win on the road, regardless of who’s in the lineup.
• Cleveland turned it over just seven more times in the last three quarters, but still gave up 31 points off turnovers overall. The Cavs’ giveaways were costly. This is a Thunder team that has struggled to score in the half-court without their two best offensive players. That isn’t much of an issue if you’re able to generate that many points off turnovers.
• Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined for eight turnovers. There’s context behind why they turned it over this much — mainly the minutes with the starting lineup were bad — but they simply needed to be better. It’s difficult to win games if your two best offensive players aren’t protecting the ball like they need to.
• Oklahoma City outscored Cleveland by 24 points from beyond the arc. The Thunder went a scorching 21-41 (51.2%, 96th percentile) from three. Meanwhile, the Cavs couldn’t get their outside shots to fall as they went 13-39 (33.3%, 35th percentile).
• The Thunder hit as many two-point shots as they did from three, 21, and did so on a worse percentage, 46.7%.
• Oklahoma City tied its third-best three-point percentage in a game and tied their fourth-most threes in a game this season. This was an exceptionally good shooting day from a team that has struggled from beyond the arc when they’re without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylin Williams, and Alex Caruso. On the season, OKC had shot just 34% (19th percentile) without all three on the court before Sunday.
• Sam Merrill was the exception to the Cavs’ poor shooting, going 6-10 from three. He carried Cleveland’s lifeless offense for stretches. The Cavs played their best basketball of the day when he was on the court, as he led the team in plus/minus, being a +6.
• Cavaliers outside of Merrill went just 7-29 from three (24.1%). It’s a make-or-miss league. The Cavs weren’t making their shots, this included Mitchell, who went 0-6 from beyond the arc.
• The Cavs outscored the Thunder 56-40 in the paint. Cleveland finished 72.2% of their looks at the rim (65th percentile) and 52% of their attempts in the short midrange (75th percentile). Harden and Mitchell were a big reason why, as they went 13-17 (76.5%) inside the paint. Their ability to score inside kept them in the game.
• Cleveland’s bench scored 47 points. Merrill (20 points) and Dennis Schroder (11 points) contributed to the Cavs’ reserves outscoring the Thunder’s 47-37.
• Jarrett Allen took just one shot in the first quarter. The Cavs have talked a lot about why it’s important to get Allen involved early. They weren’t able to do so as he registered no first-quarter points.
• The starting front court didn’t score until four and a half minutes into the second quarter. The Thunder’s two-big configuration of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein outplayed Evan Mobley and Allen. OKC’s starting duo combined for 30 points, 22 rebounds, and three blocks in 60 combined minutes. Cleveland’s duo had 26 points, 15 rebounds, and no blocks in their 54 minutes. The Cavs lost this matchup.
• Going along with that, the Thunder outscored the Cavs 17-8 in second-chance points. The Thunder grabbed only one more offensive rebound. They made the absolute most of their opportunities, as they did with their points off turnovers.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jaloni Cambridge scored 33 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and No. 10 Ohio State used a 15-0 run to rally for a 88-83 victory over Southern California on Sunday.

It was Cambridge's fifth 30-point game this season. The sophomore was 12 of 21 from the field and 8 of 9 from the line as the Buckeyes (23-5, 11-4) snapped a two-game losing streak.

Cambridge also had three steals and forced USC to commit a season-high 25 turnovers as the Trojans (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten) had their six-game winning streak come to a close.

USC's Jazzy Davidson scored a season-high 32 points, including six 3-pointers, before fouling out with 1.1 second left. The freshman also had six rebounds and four assists.

Ohio State's Chance Gray had 16 points and Kennedy Cambridge scored 14 points and four steals before fouling out with 4:06 remaining.

Kennedy Smith had 18 points and Dayana Mendes 13 for the Trojans.

There were 13 lead changes and six ties before Ohio State took control.

The Buckeyes trailed 65-61 early in the fourth quarter before going on their decisive run. Jaloni Cambridge had seven points as Ohio State was 5 of 7 from the field while USC committed four turnovers.

The Trojans missed their first seven shots in the fourth quarter and had an 8:17 drought from the field. They made a late surge to get within 86-83 on a 3-pointer by Mendes with 2 seconds remaining, but Cambridge made a pair of free throws after being fouled by Davidson to make it a two-possession game.

Ohio State was 23 of 28 from the foul line. The attempts were a season-high while the makes were one off from tying it.

Up next

USC: At Penn State on Wednesday.

Ohio State: Hosts No. 6 Michigan on Wednesday.

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The Washington Wizards play the Charlotte Hornets at 6 p.m. tonight at Capital One Arena. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Hannah Kohn hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3.1 seconds left for her only points of the game as Clemson upset No. 9 Duke 53-51 on Sunday to snap the Blue Devils’ 17-game win streak.

Demeara Hinds finished with 13 points and Taylor Johnson-Matthews and Mia Moore each added 11 for the Tigers (19-9, 10-6 ACC), who added a huge resume-building victory before the NCAA Tournament.

Toby Fournier had 18 points and seven rebounds for Duke (20-7, 15-1 ACC) which lost its first conference game of the season. Fournier, an ACC player of the year candidate, was held in check for most of the second half after scoring 14 before the break.

The Blue Devils, who last lost on Dec. 4 to then-No. 7 LSU, appeared in control entering the fourth quarter, but Clemson stepped up its defense.

The Tigers took the lead at 44-43 with 3:24 left when Moore drove the lane and drew a foul for a 3-point play. Johnson-Matthews then drilled a 3 to give the Tigers their biggest lead of the game at 4.

Duke would battle back though and Riley Nelson hit a corner 3 to give the Blue Devils the lead with 9.3 seconds left.

But Kohn, who had missed her previous four shots of the game, got free and hit the 3 as Clemson made four of its final five shots from the field.

The Blue Devils were unable to get a final shot off after an inbounds pass was knocked away.

Duke got 10 points and two blocks from Fournier in the first quarter and used a 17-2 run to to build a 20-8 lead before the Tigers began to battle back.

Up next

Duke: Hosts Florida State on Thursday night.

Clemson: Visits California on Thursday night.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a gut-check game to the shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder.

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

Donovan Mitchell

20 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 turnovers

This has historically been a tough matchup for Mitchell. He was able to break free for a relatively efficient game (compared to his previous efforts vs OKC), but there’s no doubt the Thunder remain the best defensive team in the league at hounding Mitchell. He had to fight for everything today and went 0-6 from downtown.

Grade: C–

James Harden

20 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 5 turnovers

Harden can handle OKC’s ball-pressure a bit better than Mitchell because of his size at 6’5”. But this is still a difficult matchup even for Harden. The Cavs struggled to get the ball into the paint, and it’s largely because the Thunder’s strong point-of-attack defense and willingness to drop on pick-and-rolls.

I like the Cavs’ chances in this matchup better with Harden, but clearly, beating the champs isn’t going to be easy at any point. Five turnovers knock him down half a grade.

Grade: B–

Jarrett Allen

11 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers

Allen went scoreless in the first quarter as the Thunder’s frontcourt dictated the terms of engagement. Allen eventually found his groove and played an otherwise strong game.

He’s predictably being maligned for the Cavs rebounding issues (though they tied OKC on the glass today). So, I think it’s worth pointing out that Allen had a game-high 6 offensive rebounds.

But… I do have to remove half a grade for airballing that free throw.

Grade: B

Evan Mobley

15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal (25 minutes)

Let’s get some context out of the way before I trash Mobley’s game.

This was only his second game since January 24th. And, he was on a minutes restriction playing against the best defensive frontcourt in the NBA.

With that said, only 2 rebounds are tough to swallow. Mobley also struggled with OKC’s physicality on offense, being moved off his spots and resorting to three-point attempts in the fourth quarter. The Cavs need him to be more aggressive, getting to the paint or forcing his way to the free-throw line.

Grade: D

Jaylon Tyson

7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal

Tyson’s going through an adjustment period, and it’s affected his recent performances. His role is smaller than before, and his impact has felt more scattered.

Grade: D+

Keon Ellis

9 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals

I’m loving the Ellis experience. He’s a difference maker on the defensive end. Just follow him on any given possession and watch how he disrupts actions for the opponent. It’s a joy to watch, and he’s a competent enough offensive player to hang in any matchup.

Grade: A–

Dennis Schroder

11 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

Schroder’s scrappiness is something that will always be valuable. His ability to run the pick-and-roll only adds to his value.

Grade: A+

Sam Merrill

20 points, 3 rebounds

The Cavs fell into a hole early in this game, and Merrill brought them back to life. His momentum-swining three-pointers made this competitive. And, as the day went on, Merrill began attacking closeouts and making great plays inside the perimeter.

Grade: A

Dean Wade

0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block (18 minutes)

There isn’t much room on the court for a player as hesitant as Wade in this matchup. The Thunder pounce on any form of hesitation. Wade is a quality defender and rebounder, but he’s a bad fit offensively against this OKC defense.

Grade: F

MILAN (AP) — AC Milan lost more ground to city rival Inter Milan after a 1-0 loss to Parma at home on Sunday in a match which saw Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek hospitalized after a collision with the Parma goalkeeper.

Loftus-Cheek was struck on the head after colliding with Edoardo Corvi after a cross into the area about 10 minutes into the match at San Siro.

The 30-year-old Loftus-Cheek had a bloodied face while being treated on the field. He was stretchered off with a neck and head brace, and later taken to hospital.

Italian media reports said the England international and former Chelsea player sustained broken teeth and was being examined for head trauma.

“Our thoughts are with him,” Parma coach Carlos Cuesta said.

Mariano Troilo scored with a header off a corner in the 80th minute to give Parma the win. The goal was initially disallowed for a foul but the call was reversed after video review.

Milan had entered the match looking to cut its gap to Inter to seven points. Inter moved 10 points clear with a 2-0 victory at Lecce for its seventh straight league win on Saturday.

Milan had already lost points at home in a 1-1 draw against Como on Wednesday.

It was the third win in a row for Parma, which is in 12th place.

Other results

Fourth-place Roma opened a four-point gap to fifth-place Juventus. Roma scored three second-half goals in a 3-0 home win against 16th-place Cremonese, which has lost 12 consecutive matches.

Roma is tied on points with third-place Napoli.

Seventh-place Atalanta scored two second-half goals to rally to a 2-1 win over third-place Napoli at home. It was Atalanta's third straight league win. Napoli hasn't won in three consecutive matches in all competitions.

Genoa beat Torino 3-0 at home to end a three-game winless streak. Torino, which played the entire second half with 10 men, hasn't won in four straight matches in all tournaments.

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers might have lost this game in the first six minutes. Let’s talk about it.

LOSER – The First Quarter

The Cavs had 10 turnovers in the first six minutes of the game. Oklahoma City had 17 points off turnovers during that run on their way to a 20+ point lead. That’s a catastrophic opening that will result in a loss 99% of the time.

So what went wrong?

Cleveland entered this game with the wrong approach. They treated this like a regular-season matinee rather than the potential NBA Finals preview that the OKC Thunder were prepared for. The Cavaliers were blitzed from the jump as a result.

Hesitation is a death sentence against this Thunder defense. They pounce on the first sign of indecision. That’s what led to 10 turnovers in the opening quarter as the Cavs frantically searched for their footing. It wasn’t until the offense became more purposeful and decisive that the turnovers finally subsided.

The Cavs eventually fought back into this game and made it a good one. But the opening six minutes are what ultimately cost them.

WINNER – Sam Merrill

A handful of Cavs players stepped up to make this competitive after the first quarter. None was more impactful than Sam Merrill.

Merill jump-started this offense and got them back into gear with his three-point shooting. He nailed consecutive deep balls to cut into the deficit early in the first half. As the game went on, Cleveland continued to rely on Merrill’s outside shooting to bail them out.

It’s not always easy for a player like Merrill to get free against a team such as OKC. They defend off-ball actions better than anyone in the league. That’s why it’s so impressive that Merrill was able to find openings and release the ball before this scrambly Thunder defense could catch up.

Merrill finished with 20 points on 6-10 three-point shooting.

LOSER – Screen Navigation

Turnovers were a problem in the first quarter. That was addressed as Clevleand’s offense settled into the game.

One thing that wasn’t solved, however, was their screen navigation.

I’ll give credit to the Thunder. Isaiah Hartenstein sets some of the widest screens in the association. He was crushing Cleveland’s backcourt all game long. Combine that with an efficient shooting night from the Thunder backcourt, and this was too much to overcome.

Donovan Mitchell and James Harden both got hung up on numerous screens that led to three-point jumpers. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were also torched for playing below the level of the screen. We understand why those bigs would be in drop coverage, but the opponent shooting 21-41 (51%) from deep should probably warrant an adjustment.

WINNER – Schroder and Ellis

Let’s hand out one more pair of winners to a bench squad that’s made a difference.

Schroder and Ellis are giving this second unit new life. They’re able to enter the game and initiate a new style that, at worst, changes the dynamic of a game, and at best, swings things back into Cleveland’s favor.

Their scrappy style lends itself to generating chaos. The Thunder had a taste of their own medicine when this duo was on the floor. Their defensive activity made life more difficult for OKC. And, they each bring their own value on offense.

The Cavs have leaned on Schroder to operate in the pick-and-roll when Mitchell or Harden aren’t on the floor. He isn’t as elite as the starting gaurds but he’s more than capable of running this two-man action.

As for Ellis, he shot just 1-4 from deep, but cut into the lane for a handful of easy buckets. He’s a better shooter than this on most nights and should mesh well with whatever lineups the Cavs put him in moving forward.

Coming off a blowout victory against the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs took on the Sacramento Kings for the second I-35 Series game at the Moody Center in Austin, TX. The Spurs started hot with an 11-0 run. However, the Kings crawled back to within four points by the end of the first quarter. Despite the Spurs’ hot scoring, the Kings were able to keep pace and trailed 73-65 at halftime and even took the lead in the third. Little by little, the Spurs rebuilt the lead to 11 after three. An early run in the fourth put the game away, and the Spurs won 139-122.

Victor Wembanyama led the way with a double-double: 28 points (11-20 FG) and 15 rebounds to go along with six assists, four blocks, and a steal. After a solid outing against the Suns, Wemby turned it up against the Kings. There seemed to be some extra motivation because his childhood friend/teammate, Maxime Raynaud, matched up against him from the start. Nonetheless, Wemby dominated on both ends with multiple dunks and blocks. The All-Star starter will look to continue his MVP campaign against All-Star Jalen Duren on Monday (assuming he ends up playing 65 games).

NOT IN HIS HOUSE! Wemby swats Russell Westbrook’s shot out of the air, and it kickstarts a fast break that results in a bucket for De’Aaron Fox!

VIC ON ONE END 👽
SWIPA ON THE OTHER 🦊

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/Xj5SLNrtWR

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

FOX TO THE ALIEN! D-Fox finds a cutting Wemby on the lob, and he finishes over DeMar DeRozan!

That 4️⃣-1️⃣ connection going crazy tonight ‼️

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/VjooihbTfY

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Wemby dime! Wemby leads the fastbreak and finds a wide-open Carter Bryant, who knocks down the transition three!

CB FOR THREE 👌

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/6iN74BIpsj

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

EXCUSE ME? Wemby pulls off a between-the-legs Smitty move on Raynaud, and he finishes with a two-handed slam!

20 PTS | 13 REB | 5 AST | 4 BLK@wemby going to work tonight 👽 pic.twitter.com/oiZXfZXTqk

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

WITH THE LEFT! Vic drives into the paint and finishes with the left hand past Precious Achiuwa!

VIC WITH THE LEFTY FLUSH 🤯

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/GuxoEypDzd

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

DUNK CONTEST 2027 PARTICIPANT? Vic drives past Raynaud and finishes with a clockwise jam!

OH MY GOODNESS VIC 😱

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/yicFV2hTRq

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Here’s another angle!

OUT OF THIS WORLD 👽🔥 pic.twitter.com/NohRNXnTI7

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Another lob, another Wemby slam! This time, Devin Vassell takes the handoff from Vic, and he fakes his jumpshot into a pass for a wide-open Vic slam!

VICTOR GOING CRAZY 🛸 pic.twitter.com/Lh39GVVmp1

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Stephon Castle dropped 18 points (6-9 FG, 6-8 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, and a block. Since returning from the All-Star break, Steph has shot 70% from the field. His resilience in slashing has also rewarded him with more free throws. Ever since he carried the offensive load for his squad in the Rising Stars Challenge, his shot has slightly improved. The reigning Rookie of the Year will look to continue his hot shooting against a stingy Detroit team and MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.

Here he comes to save the day! After the missed Wemby three, Steph flies in for the putback finish!

cleanup in Area 51 ⚠️

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/jRsVxdHT53

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

De’Aaron Fox dropped 18 points (7-11 FG), five assists, two rebounds, and a steal. After the hot start, D-Fox struggled to take care of the ball as he turned it over four times in the first quarter. Nonetheless, he was still a +8. After the turnover struggles, D-Fox started driving and finding his shot. Anytime he runs a pick-and-roll, the defense most of the time gives him too much space to operate for an open floater or midrange. His P&R with Wemby is deadly, as it gives him even more space to operate. The 2-time All-Star will look to continue to provide the much-needed scoring punch for this young team as the schedule gets tougher.

Another look at the fastbreak kickstarted by Wemby’s huge block: D-Fox plays tough defense on Westbrook and runs the floor for a wide-open layup thanks to Julian Champagnie’s bounce pass from the corner!

VIC ON ONE END 👽
SWIPA ON THE OTHER 🦊

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/Xj5SLNrtWR

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

PICKPOCKET MASTER! D-Fox picks Keegan Murray’s pocket and finishes on the other end with a wide-open jam!

SWIPA NO SWIPING 🦊

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/pBxIU8nS8D

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Keldon Johnson dropped 18 points (6-12 FG, 3-4 3PT, 3-4 FT) and a rebound in 21 minutes off the bench. Even though he was loud and demonstrative, KJ’s 18 was a sneaky 18. While most of the attention was on Wemby, Fox, and Castle, KJ battled early shooting struggles and started splashing home open threes. His willingness to drive into the paint when the team needs him to create offense usually results in a tough bucket. The Sixth Man of the Year candidate will look to continue the silver and black’s spark plug energy off the bench.

Corner Specialist! Keldon knocks down the open three from the corner in front of the Kings’ bench!

K3LDON 🏹

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/KdDahLYjYJ

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Dylan Harper dropped 12 points (5-9 FG), five rebounds, and five assists in 23 minutes off the bench. After showing out in the Rising Stars Challenge with Steph, Dyl continues to showcase his talent as a combo guard. On most teams picking in the lottery, Dyl would be a ROTY candidate and leading the offense. However, his role off the bench has provided much-needed guard play when D-Fox and Steph are on the bench. Instead of leading a lottery/play-in team, he is an important piece to the puzzle for this contending Spurs team.

Cut and slam! After feeding Wemby in the post, Dyl goes to set a slip screen and cuts to the basket to receive a rewarding Wemby pass for the open jam!

VIC DIME ➡️ DYLAN DUNK

📺 @KENS5pic.twitter.com/ZsEbCbQWOi

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Don’t sleep on his hops! Dyl drives in from the corner and finishes with a ferocious slam! The dunk was so astonishing that even Vic couldn’t help but look amazed!

Wemby was in disbelief after Dylan Harper hammered it home with the left 🤦‍♂️ 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OzbdXjOeYj

— NBA (@NBA) February 22, 2026

Julian Champagnie dropped eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Julian has started games and has come off the bench this season, but for now, it seems that he will start for the rest of the season alongside Devin Vassell at the forward positions. They both have played three positions this season (SG, SF, PF), and both are versatile enough to guard at either position. However, it is worth noting that Julian is taller and a better rebounder. Watch him intercept the pass from Westbrook and sprint to the cup for a poster fastbreak slam over Murray!

JULIAN JAM 😤

📺 KENS5 pic.twitter.com/wbn5QkPbM3

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Another angle on the slam!

NASTY @JulianChampagn2 🫣 https://t.co/zYwoUtrSVKpic.twitter.com/uegtKjIqER

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 22, 2026

Despite letting the Kings come back in the second, the Spurs kept their hot shooting pace and opened the floodgates in the fourth. For the first time, the Spurs won both of their I-35 games. Also, they have now won 40 games before losing 20, which usually means they are a true contender (91% of the time, championship teams have won 40 games before losing 20). Only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons have met that mark this season, and they are both leading their respective conferences. As mentioned earlier, Detroit awaits the Spurs’ arrival on Monday.

Finally, here are the full game highlights.

The Spurs face a tough test on the road against the Detroit Pistons this Monday at 6:00 P.M. (CST) on Peacock/NBCSN.

The Dallas Mavericks (19-36) visit the Indiana Pacers (15-42) for a very strangely timed Sunday afternoon game. Dallas is in the midst of a double-digit losing streak, having not won a game in over a month. The Pacers just out tanked the Washington Wizards twice in a row. This is going to be a monumentally bad game!

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Indiana Pacers
• WHAT: Road trippin’, still
• WHERE: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
• WHEN: 4:00 pm CST
• HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass

There are TWENTY TWO players on the injury report for this game between both teams. Cooper Flagg headlines the guys out for the Mavericks. Moussa Cisse and Ryan Nembhard are doubtful, largely due to how many games they have left of their eligibility. Daniel Gafford and Max Christie are still questionable. Miles Kelly and Caleb Martin are expected to play. Most of the Pacers roster is questionable with Zubac, Nesmith, Johnny Furphy, and Haliburton definatively out.

With both Cooper Flagg out again, this becomes a nearly impossible watch. But both of these teams at least play at a fast pace, so watching them might be fun if youre a true sicko. I’d expect the Mavericks to come out on top of this one. They have too many useful players compared to the Pacers. But Dallas is on a massive losing streak, so it’s POSSIBLE they lose. We’ll see. I don’t have high expectations and won’t be watching this one that closely.

Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!

Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!

The Cleveland Cavaliers erased an early 23-point first-quarter deficit, but they weren’t able to complete the comeback. The shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder, fueled by incredible outside shooting, were able to hand the Cavs their first loss in February. Cleveland fell 121-113.

The Cavaliers dug themselves their early hole due to their inability to protect the ball. They turned it over 10 times in the first quarter, leading to 17 points going the other way. That helped juice an Oklahoma City offense that was forced to play without its two best scorers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

Cleveland’s cramped starting lineup led to this. Head coach Kenny Atkinson went with James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen to open things up. I like that group in most matchups, but this wasn’t one.

The combination of Oklahoma City’s perimeter defenders and the lack of ball handlers outside of Harden and Mitchell led to these issues. There weren’t outlets for the guards, and the offense struggled. This group was outscored by 14 in the five minutes they played.

Things got worse from there as the deficit ballooned to 23 late in the first quarter before the Cavs started their comeback.

Cleveland consistently rallied back over the next two-and-a-half quarters. They cut the deficit to a respectable 15 after one, brought it to single digits at the end of the second, and gained their first lead of the game midway through the third.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, that was the only lead they would take. The Thunder recaptured their advantage heading into the fourth quarter and were able to keep the Cavs mostly at arm’s length down the stretch.

Oklahoma City’s outside shooting was a weapon all game, and saved them in the fourth quarter. They simply couldn’t miss as they hit their third-highest percentage of threes in a game this season. Even though the Cavs got close multiple times, they couldn’t make the big stop when they needed to.

The Thunder ended the game going 21-41 (51.2%) from three while the Cavs went just 13-39 (33.3%). In the end, it’s a make-or-miss league.

Sam Merrill’s shooting was the only thing keeping the Cavs in the game for stretches. He was red hot from deep as he went 6-10 from beyond the arc en route to a 20-point game.

Mitchell provided 20 points on 9-19 shooting to go along with five assists and two steals.

Harden continued his streak of having seven or more assists. He finished with nine to go along with scoring 20 points on 8-14 shooting. He did, however, turn the ball over five times.

Allen wasn’t able to keep his strong play going. The Cavs weren’t able to get him involved early as he took just one shot attempt in the first quarter. This led to a somewhat unimpactful game as he provided 11 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

Mobley ended the game with 15 points with just two rebounds. Dennis Schroder supplied 11-bench points.

The Thunder were led by 22 points from Isaiah Joe and 20 from Cason Wallace. Chet Holmgren had 17 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in the win.

Even though the Cavs lost this game, this was nothing to be too discouraged by. The Thunder were missing two of their best offensive players, but you would sign up to be without them every night if it guaranteed you’d make more than half of your 41 three-point attempts.

This type of offensive performance was so far out of character for this version of the Thunder. Coming into today, lineups without SGA, Williams, and Alex Caruso had registered an abysmal 106.1 offensive rating(4th percentile).

You have to tip your cap to the Thunder on a game like this. They executed at an extraordinarily high level and were the better team today. However, there’s no reason to come away from this one thinking the Cavs aren’t on their same level.

The loss snapped what was a seven-game winning streak. Cleveland has still won 12 of their last 14 games.

The Cavs will be back in action Tuesday as they host the New York Knicks. Tip-off is at 7:30 PM.