The NCAA Tournament field is somewhat starting to shape up, with multiple teams pulling ahead as potential national championship favorites. Saturday, Feb. 21, was potentially even a Final Four preview, with No. 3 Duke defeating No. 1 Michigan and No. 4 Arizona beating No. 2 Houston.
There are also assuredly to be a few bid stealers come conference championship season, which almost always throws a wrench when in the NCAA's plans with crafting the 68-team bracket.
Here's a look at the latest NCAA Tournament preview, including bubble teams and locks to reach March Madness:
March Madness bracket bubble watch tracker
Based on games through Saturday, Feb. 21
NCAA Tournament locks
Big Ten (7): Michigan, Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin
There are 27 virtual locks for the NCAA Tournament, according to Bart Torvik's "TourneyCast," one of multiple metrics used by the NCAA in deciding the bracket. Each team listed has a 99.8% chance or better to reach the Tournament, per Torvik.
Torvik's metrics are part of the NCAA's BPI equation, alongside other third-party analyst Ken Pomeroy, who runs KenPom.
NCAA Tournament likely ins
Big 12(1): UCF
Big Ten (2): Indiana, UCLA
ACC(2): SMU, Miami
SEC (4): Kentucky, Texas A&M, Texas, Georgia
Big East(0): N/A
Other(3): Saint Mary's, New Mexico
There are a lot fewer likely-in teams than locks, due to there still being a few weeks left in the regular season, along with conference tournaments. Teams included have between a 70% and 99.8% chance to reach the NCAA Tournament, per Torvik.
NCAA Tournament bubble teams
Big 12(3): TCU, West Virginia, Cincinnati
Big Ten (3): Ohio State, USC, Washington
ACC(2): Virginia Tech, Cal
SEC (2): Auburn, Missouri
Big East(1): Seton Hall
Other(3): Santa Clara, San Diego State, VCU
Not all of these teams will reach the NCAA Tournament, and some might only have a chance at earning a bid through the conference tournament. Still, these teams have between a 5% and 57% chance of reaching the tournament as an at-large team, per Torvik.
Newton, MA - February 3: Boston Celtics President Brad Stevens watches his son Brady Stevens play for Newton North. (Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Boston’s secret weapon this year has been the play of guys that were, basically, afterthoughts in assessments of the team coming into the season.
Sure, among Boston cognoscenti, there were expectations that Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, and Sam Hauser would be able to fill in some gaps caused by the loss of Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis. But even among these fans, there was little expectation that the C’s would see such massive steps up in production from players that had pretty uneven playing time last season, and there were few expectations for the C’s rookies, Amari Williams and Hugo Gonzalez, as well.
So what happened?
First of all, it’s my belief that your typical NBA bench player has a fair bit more to show than what his role allows him. These guys are all pretty much All-Americans—at least the ones that come up through the US college system. Some of them come in raw and need training to develop their games up to a point where they can contribute meaningful minutes; other guys are closer to finished products who need game reps to get used to the NBA’s pace and intensity. But I am firmly convinced, and I use the Boston Celtics as my chief example, that a lot of bench talent in this league is being wasted by teams that are focused primarily on their stars—or the process of acquiring stars.
The difference between the Celtics and most teams in this league is the way they evaluate and develop all of the talent on their team.
Last week I wrote about how the Celtics had been scouting Baylor Scheierman for years—and along with that, they probably had broken down more film on him than your typical draft analyst. They also had another thing going for them that the typical draft analyst doesn’t. They’d actually interviewed him. Twice.
BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 26: Baylor Scheierman is drafted 30th overall by the Boston Celtics during the 2024 NBA Draft – Round One on June 26, 2024 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics saw something different, though. They saw a gifted basketball player whowas willing to put in the work. The results speak for themselves. This season, the C’s are ten points per 100 possessions better than their opponents when Scheierman is on the floor.
Of course, the Celtics haven’t just drafted ‘proven quantities’ into supporting roles. They’ve also taken flyers on 19-year olds like Walsh and Gonzalez. We tend to forget that Jordan was taken after just one season at Arkansas.
Here’s where the C’s player development coaches have really shined. Walsh was an incredibly raw prospect coming out of the Razorbacks program, and the C’s player development team have basically spent the last two and a half seasons providing the sort of assistance with skill acquisition that used to take place in college.
The C’s have shown patience with player development that seems to be a rarity in the NBA. Neemias Queta is an example of Boston benefiting from another team’s lack of patience. Queta was drafted by Sacramento, given a two-year contract, and then ditched. Their loss was Boston’s gain. Queta signed with Boston as a free agent, and has grown into a starting caliber center for an upper division team in the NBA. This only happens when a team is willing to invest time in player growth.
Boston, MA – July 1: Boston Celtics draft picks Amari Williams, Max Shulga, and Hugo González introduce themselves to kids at the Huntington Avenue YMCA on July 1, 2025. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
The Celtics were also willing to bring Gonzalez over right away. There were teams ahead of Boston who had strong interest in Hugo, but they wanted him to stay in Europe for a year or two. Gonzalez is still very much a rookie, but he’s shown flashes of brilliance that the C’s player development team can hone much more effectively than spending a couple years in Europe playing against weaker competition.
Another factor that the Celtics have going for them is the personnel in their front office.
The Celtics haven’t just shown skill in drafting players and putting together a solid coaching staff; they’ve also rolled out the red carpet for free agents like Neemias Queta and undrafted rookies like Sam Hauser.
For Sam, the choice came down to offers from the Heat and the Celtics.
The Heat wanted Sam to compete for a two-way spot during Summer League, while the Celtics had a two-way deal on the table.
At the time, Miami had a strong reputation for developing overlooked talent, and Boston didn’t.
That comment, by the way, is a Midwesterner’s way of saying, “We didn’t trust Pat Riley.”
Mies van der Rohe, one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, was fond of replacing the old phrase “The devil’s in the details” with “God lives in the details.”
Now that might not be the case, but the Celtics have been far more detail-oriented when it comes to roster construction than their peers. They have spent more time and attention on these players and it has unquestionably paid off.
The Lakers will honor legendary coach Pat Riley, talking to guard Michael Cooper during a game in 1985, with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. (Getty Images)
The Lakers had defeated the hated Boston Celtics in the 1987 NBA Finals and there stood coach Pat Riley at the Forum in Inglewood with a microphone in his hands and joyous players behind him relishing the moment.
Riley then made a declaration.
“I’m guaranteeing everyone here next year we are going to win it again,” Riley said.
He quickly looked back at his shocked players.
Byron Scott said it was the kind of moment that showed why Riley is having his statue unveiled by the Lakers on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, and on the day L.A. plays the rival Celtics, no less.
Riley won four championships and reached the Finals seven times during nine years coaching the franchise for which he once played.
Lakers coach Pat Riley celebrates with players, including Kurt Rambis, left, and Magic Johnson, right, after winning the 1985 NBA title. (Los Angeles Times)
Showtime, Scott said, was as much about Riley as Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper and James Worthy.
It had been almost 20 years since the last team that won back-to-back championships, the 1968-69 Celtics, and yet there was the “calculating” Riley making his guarantee.
“We’re all sitting there at the Forum and he’s on the damn pedestal talking and he said, ‘I’m guaranteeing everyone here next year we are going to win it again.’ We were just like, ‘What did he just say? We’re still trying to enjoy this one,’” Scott recalled, laughing.
“He said it and he turned around real quick and kind of looked at us and we were all like, ‘Wait a minute. Did he just say we are going to win this s— again next year? We ain’t even celebrated this one.’ But what he did is subconsciously he got us thinking about that ...
“We all started working out earlier than we normally do when we win a championship. I remember I went to the UCLA track and I saw Coop there. Magic there. I said, ‘Wait a minute, I ain’t never seen these brothers here this early.’ Then I thought, ‘I ain’t never come this early either.’ It was like I had to get ready.
"Like I said, he thought about that and was calculating about it and it was exactly what we needed. We needed that challenge and that’s why I think he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time. We were able to pull it off.”
Indeed, the Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons in seven games the next season to win another ring.
Scott, who won three championships with the Lakers, said Riley could push them so hard because the coach “worked his ass off.”
“When we started flying in our own private plane, there were times when I would get up in the middle of the flight to go use the bathroom in the back and his light would be the only one on going through stuff,” Scott said. “And I remember that like it was yesterday. The man was just a tireless worker and his work ethic was unmatched as a coach. He was always prepared.”
Worthy said Riley demanded the best from his players because he demanded so much out of himself.
Riley won a championship as a bench player with the Lakers in 1972. But as coach he was the director of the Lakers’ championship runs in the '80s.
“He was real honest about what he saw. So, he was always good,” Worthy said. “He pushed you to the limit. He understood personalities and how far he could push certain people. You know how you wring that face towel up and hang it up? He would always take it down and he would get one more drop out of you. He was like, ‘Naw, there are a couple more drops in you. You didn’t squeeze tight enough. There is one more drop in there.’ He ended up getting it too.
"He kept us together with honesty and truth and hard work. There weren’t no days off. Wasn’t no load management. None of that. Every game I played with Pat Riley, win or lose, I was ready and prepared — without question.”
Lakers, from left, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott, Magic Johnson and coach Pat Riley during 1985 victory parade. (Andrew D. Bernstein / NBAE via Getty Images)
Mychal Thompson, who was acquired by the Lakers in 1987, spent seven seasons playing for the Portland Trail Blazers and coach Jack Ramsay.
Thompson quickly realized that playing for Riley alongside Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar required more than he had ever given.
“Riley’s demands were quite high,” said Thompson, who won two titles with the Lakers. “You couldn’t play for Pat Riley unless you are a true pro. There was no foolishness tolerated from him and, of course, Magic, his lieutenant. Obviously I played against them many years — and Jack Ramsay was a demanding coach too — but the Lakers under Riley was a whole different level. They expected to win championships and when you expect to win championships you can’t afford any slack-offs.”
How Riley became coach is the stuff of Lakers lore.
He was a commentator for the Lakers alongside the venerable Chick Hearn, doing what was then a simulcast of radio and television. When Lakers coach Jack McKinney was injured in a bicycle accident in November 1979, assistant coach Paul Westhead took over and hired Riley as an assistant. The Lakers went on to win the championship in 1980.
But six games into the 1981-82 season, Johnson expressed his desire to be traded because he was unhappy playing for Westhead. Lakers owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and chose West, the team's former coach who was working as a scout, to replace him.
Lakers coach Pat Riley takes a knee as he talks to his players on the bench, including James Worthy and Bob McAdoo, in 1983. (Los Angeles Times)
But at the news conference for the announcement, West balked and said he was going to assist Riley, who was named the interim coach before it became permanent.
Thus began the rise of of Riley, who took Showtime to the highest heights during the '80s.
Jeanie Buss, Jerry’s daughter who remains the Lakers' governor and minority owner, says this honor for Riley is well deserved.
“This will be a great way to celebrate one of the most important people in the history of the Lakers and of the NBA,” Buss told The Times. “As the stylish leader of the Showtime Lakers, Pat Riley became the epitome of an era. And I’m so glad that generations of Angelenos will be able to gather by his statue, to learn of his achievements and to understand his central role in the history of our city.”
When Worthy was drafted No. 1 overall by the Lakers in 1982, he recalled his first meeting with Riley. West picked up Worthy at the airport and the two drove to meet Riley for lunch.
“I had never met Pat Riley and he came in and I was like, ‘Man, is this Robert De Niro or this Pat Riley!’” Worthy said, laughing. “He had a cool, open-collared shirt on. He had long hair. I was like, ‘This man here, he is cool.’ But you also knew then from our conversations that he was a great coach and he expected the best out of you.”
The images of Riley standing on the sideline looking stylish in Armani suits, his slicked-back hair seemingly perfect, are ingrained in the minds of basketball fans.
It was a look of authority and self-assurance that even the Hollywood crowd that attended the games respected and admired.
“So, I’m just trying to figure out what Riles’ statue is going to look like,” Worthy said. “It's got to be one of those sideline Armani suits with his hands on his sides or something. That’s the best one, man, and his neat hairdo, looking stylish. That’s got to be it.”
Week 18 is the first full week of NBA action after the All-Star break, and this begins the mad dash to the fantasy playoffs for many managers. After a light Monday schedule with just three games, there will be at least five on every other day, led by double-figure days on Tuesday (11 games) and Thursday (10). There are some teams focused on the draft lottery, but many others are still in the mix for playoff berths or, at the very least, a play-in tournament spot. Let's look at the schedule breakdown for Week 18 and a few of its key storylines.
Week 18 Games Played
4 Games: BKN, BOS, CLE, DAL, DET, HOU, LAL, MEM, MIL, NOR, OKC, POR, SAC, SAS
3 Games: ATL, CHA, CHI, DEN, GSW, IND, MIA, MIN, NYK, PRL, PHI, TOR, UTA, WAS
2 Games: LAC, PHX
Week 18 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 17)-Monday: None
Monday-Tuesday: None
Tuesday-Wednesday: BOS, CLE, GSW, MIL, OKC, TOR
Wednesday-Thursday: HOU, SAC, SAS
Thursday-Friday: BKN, DAL
Friday-Saturday: None
Saturday-Sunday: LAL, NOR, POR
Sunday-Monday (Week 19): BOS, DEN, LAC, MIL
Week 18 Storylines of Note
- Avoid the Clippers early in the week, and be ready to move on from the Suns after Thursday.
The Clippers and Suns are the only two teams playing just two games in Week 18. Regarding the Clippers, their non-essential fantasy players won't be viable options until the back end of the week, as they play games on Thursday and Sunday. Hopefully, the time off to begin the week will be enough to get Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and John Collins (head, neck) back into the fold. Both exited Friday's loss to the Lakers due to injury, with the latter being ruled out for the Clippers' final Week 17 game at the time of publishing.
As for the Suns, who have been hit hard by injuries throughout the season, they play their Week 18 games on Tuesday and Thursday. Devin Booker (hip) will be re-evaluated towards the end of the week, which essentially takes him off the board. And during Saturday's double-overtime win over the Magic, Phoenix lost Dillon Brooks (hand) and Jordan Goodwin (calf), with the former out indefinitely due to a broken left hand. Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen have added fantasy value with those players out, even with Phoenix's poor schedule. However, that may not be the case for Ryan Dunn or Royce O'Neale.
- Five teams play three games over the final four days of Week 18, including the Nets and Lakers.
The Nets, Mavericks, Lakers, Pelicans and Trail Blazers will have the busiest schedules to end Week 18. Brooklyn, Dallas and New Orleans are all teams playing for the future, with the first two focused on improving their draft lottery odds (New Orleans traded its 2026 first-round pick as part of the deal that landed them Derik Queen in last year's draft). And given how those teams have handled the availability of some of their regulars, get ready for players like Day'Ron Sharpe and Danny Wolf in Brooklyn, and Marvin Bagley III in Dallas to emerge as streaming options to end the week.
The Lakers and Trail Blazers are fighting for playoff seeding in the West, with the latter facing seemingly insurmountable odds to get out of the play-in tournament. While the Lakers have gotten back to full strength after the All-Star break, Portland is still dealing with some injury issues. Will they have Deni Avdija (back) for all four of their games in Week 18? Robert Williams (knee) is close to a guarantee to sit out back-to-backs, and it's fair to ask questions regarding Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson as well.
- Golden State and Toronto have the worst schedules to end Week 18.
The Warriors and Raptors only play one game after Wednesday. While the former hosts the Lakers on Saturday in what should be an intense contest, the Raptors visit the Wizards on the same day. And with Washington clearly focused on ensuring its top-8 protected pick doesn't go to the Knicks, the Raptors are likely to face a team without most of its best players on the floor. That could mean a big finish to the week for Brandon Ingram or Scottie Barnes (who missed Toronto's final game of Week 17 for personal reasons).
The question for the Warriors is whether Stephen Curry (knee) will be available at any point during Week 18. His re-evaluation timeline of ten days seemingly rules him out for the Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back against the Pelicans and Grizzlies. Also, that back-to-back likely limits Kristaps Porziņǵis (Achilles) and Al Horford (back) to two appearances during Week 18. That isn't enough to get Quinten Post back onto the fantasy radar, however.
- The Celtics and Bucks each have two back-to-backs to navigate.
Boston and Milwaukee have back-to-backs on Tuesday/Wednesday and Sunday/Monday during Week 18. The Celtics' first back-to-back is on the road against the Suns and Nuggets in the final games of their current west coast trip, while Milwaukee will play home games against the Heat and Cavaliers.
The game against Cleveland may be one where the Bucks benefit from the Cavaliers being at less than full strength, as they host the Knicks the night prior. If Evan Mobley (calf) were to play against New York, would he be rested in Milwaukee? Given the stakes involved, it would be unsurprising if Mobley sat out the second game.
Milwaukee is still without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), and Myles Turner (calf) has missed the last two games due to injury. Boston has been the healthier team recently; fantasy managers will hope that this means the entire roster will be available to begin Week 18.
The San Antonio Spurs will bring the NBA's longest active winning streak to Detroit to face the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons in a heavyweight matchup Monday on Peacock.
The Spurs are ranked second in the Western Conference, having won eight consecutive (most recently a 139-122 victory Saturday over the Sacramento Kings).
At 42-13, the Pistons have won five consecutive and have the league's best winning percentage (.764) for the first time since the 2006-07 season (and two years after Detroit had the worst record in franchise history at the All-Star break, 8-46).
This will be the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams, which will play again March 5 in San Antonio. The Pistons, who are beginning a three-game homestand, swept last season's series with the Spurs for the first time since 2007-08.
See below for additional information on how to watch the Spurs-Pistons matchup and a breakdown of the game. Also check out the schedule for the NBA on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the 2025-2026 season.
The game will feature a matchup of former No. 1 overall NBA Draft picks Cade Cunningham (2021) and Victor Wembanyama (2023).
Recently proclaiming himself as the top candidate for MVP, Cunningham leads the Pistons in scoring (over 25 points per game) and assists (9.6 per game, second in the NBA). He ranks third in the NBA in clutch scoring (115 points), which helps earn him an MVP endorsement from Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
"Cade Cunningham’s the MVP hands down," Bickerstaff recently said. "If you have a guy — and if the MVP is the person that’s most important to winning with the record that we have and the weight that he carries — there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the MVP if the season were to end today."
Wembanyama leads the Spurs in scoring (24.4 points per game), rebounding (11.1 per game, fifth in the league) and blocks (2.7 per game, tops in the NBA). If he can reach the 65-game threshold for eligibility, the Frenchman seems a lock for Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA.
After missing 12 games in November and December with a left calf strain, the 7-4 forward has played in 19 consecutive games, the third-longest streak of his career. He can miss three more games this season and still appear on the postseason awards ballot.
The Pistons will be without center Isaiah Stewart, who is serving the fourth game of a seven-game suspension from a Feb. 9 altercation in Charlotte. Teammate Jalen Duren is playing his second game after a two-game suspension for the same fight.
The Spurs are 2.5 games behind the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder for the top seed in the West. Powered by the talented backcourt of De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, San Antonio is averaging 127.2 points per game and 31.7 assists per game (best in the NBA) since Feb. 1.
What other NBA games are on Peacock and NBCSN on Monday?
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood
NBA on NBC 2025-26 schedule:
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
Before Towns scored a team-high 25 points in the win, Shaq, along with Charles Barkley, criticized the Knicks’ big man’s game, calling him out for playing “soft.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, celebrating after a bucket, scored a team-hight 25 points in the Knicks’ 108-106 comeback win over the Rockets on Feb. 21, 2026 at the Garden. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
To his credit, O’Neal admitted to Towns after the game that he criticized his “soft” play because he has often seen him play with force and wants to see him do that on a consistent basis.
“At the beginning of the game, I said you were playing soft because I’ve seen you at times when you play great,” O’Neal told Towns on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” postgame show. “And what you must understand in New York, you need to be great for you guys to win the championship. It’s high aspirations.
“If you guys win the championship, of course, they’re gonna talk about [Jalen] Brunson, but it’s you and your play. You have to be dominant. You responded very, very well. You played well, you played in the paint, that’s how you should play. You should always play great. Being from Jersey, good ain’t good enough. You had a great game tonight. I’m proud of you.”
If Shaq was looking for agreement from Towns, he was in for a bit of a surprise.
“Nah, for sure. But what you said, too, if we win a championship, they can talk about anybody as long as we all get a ring. That’s the most important thing. I don’t care about none of that.”
It was a team-first response by Towns, but Shaq still wasn’t buying it and came back with a quick retort.
Before the game, @SHAQ said KAT was "playing soft."
“No, but you gotta play great. 1-2 punch, and you’re a part of that 1-2 punch,” O’Neal said.
Towns gave Shaq’s point a quick acknowledgement but doubled down on his point that helping bring the Knicks an NBA title is what it’s all about, not individual accolades.
“Hell yeah, but I wanna make sure we all understand that the biggest goal, the main goal here, is to win,” Towns said. “It don’t matter about who gets the credit or whatever.”
Shaquille O’Neal at this past All-Star Game Weekend. NBAE via Getty Images
But O’Neal tripled down on his point, replying: “It ain’t about that, you gotta play great. Nope, you gotta play great to get the credit.”
Towns, sounding like he was ready to end this part of the interview replied: “I hear you. Legend, I agree with you.”
After the interview with Towns was complete, Barkley told Shaq that Towns is a good player and a nice guy, but that it’s not in his mental makeup to have a killer mindset. He also added you can’t force a player to be something he’s not.
Despite the drama, it appears Towns may be starting to turn the corner.
Towns — a six-time All-Star — posted his fourth-straight 20-point game, his longest streak of the season.
PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) — T20 World Cup co-host Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field against England in their Super Eights Group 2 game on Sunday.
England has happy memories of the venue where it routed Sri Lanka 3-0 in a T20 series before the tournament.
However, Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka was confident to chase under overcast conditions after beating Australia earlier in a group match when opening batter Pathum Nissanka scored a belligerent century.
Sri Lanka made two changes, bringing back fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera in place of Pramod Madushan while Kamil Mishra made way for Kusal Perera.
England captain Harry Brook said he would have liked to bowl first had he won the toss.
“See how it (the wicket) plays early on and try to adapt,” Brook said.
England has picked the same XI for the fourth straight game in the tournament, which meant Will Jacks, Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid providing it three spin options with Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer the two pace bowlers.
Later on Sunday, in a Group 1 Super Eights game, India will take on South Africa at Ahmedabad.
___
Line-ups:
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (captain), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
In Jose Alvarado’s first four games with the Knicks, his offensive splits were much better in the two road games — both victories — than they were in the team’s two home losses at the Garden.
But the Brooklyn native enjoyed the first true MSG moment of his homecoming, helping spark the comeback from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a rousing 108-106 victory over the Rockets.
Alvarado was used by coach Mike Brown for significant minutes to help spark the team’s defensive revival down the stretch, finishing with eight points, five steals and a plus-18 rating over 20 minutes off the bench, even earning José Reyes-style chants of “Jose, Jose, Jose” from the appreciative crowd.
Jose Alvarado celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer during the Knicks’ 108-106 comeback win over the Rockets on Feb. 21, 2026 at the Garden. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
“It’s always gonna [feel] amazing. It’s kind of like a pride thing I got,” Alvarado said after the game.“It’s like when I play for my national team [Puerto Rico] or my country, I’m playing for my hometown, and I’m always gonna have to represent on another level, and just compete.”
Alvarado’s New York roots and gritty two-way playing style figured to endear him immediately to the MSG crowds following a trade-deadline acquisition from the Pelicans.
The undrafted five-year veteran’s best of his first four appearances in a Knicks uniform easily was a 26-point eruption in 19 minutes — on 8-for-13 shooting from 3-point range — in Wednesday’s road win over the 76ers. Alvarado also managed 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting (2-for 6 from deep) in a win in Boston in his team debut.
That represents a sharp contrast for the Christ the King High School product’s first two home games since his acquisition, with just 10 total points on 4-for-13 shooting, including 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. The backup point guard, known as “Grand Theft Alvarado,” also totaled seven steals in the two road victories and just one in two home defeats.
Jose Alvarado celebrates with the fans after making a bucket during the second half of the Knicks’ comeback win over the Rockets. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“Just getting a real rhythm,” Alvarado said earlier this week. “Like I’ve said, it just comes with spending time with the guys and being around them and slowly getting it.
“But we’re passing that, we’re in rhythm now so we’ve got a good stretch ahead of us and we’re trying to do something special here.”
Jalen Brunson was on the bench, and the Knicks were down by 16 to start the fourth, but 3-pointers by Landry Shamet, Karl-Anthony Towns and Alvarado plus a putback slam by Mikal Bridges pulled the Knicks within six with about seven minutes to play.
“Sometimes it’s not gonna be shots falling and you gotta do the little things, get steals, and do that,” Alvarado said. “But it’s always gonna be a different type of motor when I put that jersey on. I’m from here, and I gotta represent the best way I can.”
Alvarado then cut the deficit to two with a strip of Kevin Durant and a layup before Brunson eventually tied it with 1:27 remaining.
“[Assistant coach] Rick Brunson was the one that suggested throwing Jose in the game at the time, which was the right call,” Brown said. “We threw Jose in, and he gave us a spark on both ends of the floor.”
Karl-Anthony Towns' message to his teammates entering the fourth quarter with the Knicks down 16 to the Houston Rockets was simple: Get stops.
In fact, he challenged his team to do so if they wanted to win the game and not be blown out for a second consecutive game following the All-Star break, himself included.
"I just challenged our team to start the fourth," Towns said. "I said, ‘we can win this game and I’ve seen us do it and it starts with the first possession of the fourth quarter playing defense. We gotta get a stop.’ I wanted to do my part as well and glad I was able to find a way to get that stop and from then I wanted to set the tone for our team and set the intensity level that we needed to play for for 12 minutes if we expected to come out with a win."
New York ended up pulling off an incredible fourth-quarter comeback by outscoring the Rockets, 33-15, in the final frame. Some of that was Jalen Brunson coming alive late in the quarter after Houston did a great job of limiting him offensively, but it was also the team-wide effort shown across the board.
Towns himself finished with 25 points and OG Anunoby was the main scoring threat early in the game, ending with 20 points while doing what he does defensively. Even role players like Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet played important parts in the win, as did the raucous MSG crowd.
"We got stops. We got turnovers and that translated into offense and it gave us a confidence boost, that momentum," Towns said. "The crowd was amazing, all 15 guys on the team were amazing."
Before the fourth quarter, the Knicks had little answers for Houston's trio of Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun. And even though Durant led all scorers with 30 points, he and the rest of the Rockets were held in check for the most part during the fourth quarter.
For example, Sengun went 0-for-4 with two turnovers in the fourth, mostly defended by Towns. Meanwhile, Alvarado (suggested to head coach Mike Brown by assistant Rick Brunson to be on the floor for the fourth) did most of his damage in the final frame and finished with eight points, four assists and five steals.
"We got stops that we needed and then our leaders KAT and JB stepped up and do what they do and took us to the promised land," Alvarado said.
Knicks coach Mike Brown pushed back on the idea that Karl-Anthony Towns has to be more involved in the offense or more assertive.
Then Towns went out and proved him right, at least for one night.
He finished with a team-high 25 points in the 108-106 win over the Rockets on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored a team-high 25 points, reacts during the Knicks’ 108-106 comeback win over the Rockets on Feb. 21, 2026 at the Garden. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“Knowing that those two guys are our leading scorer, our second-leading scorer [Jalen Brunson and Towns], first-most shots, second-most shots; trying to fit those two guys in that order and then everybody else is what’s most important,” Brown said before Thursday’s game.
“I look at KAT and he’s probably right where he should be. Maybe he should be the leading scorer, I don’t know, but for sure the second-leading scorer — he’s that. He gets the second-most field goal attempts behind Jalen. … The No. 1 guy is probably gonna get the most stuff, because he’s the No. 1 guy. The No. 2 guy, he’s gonna get the second-most stuff because he’s the No. 2. So whatever you do, hopefully it averages out to you getting the second most, if you’re the No. 2 guy.”
But Brown did concede that he has made changes to the offense in order to maximize Towns.
“We’ve simplified it a lot,” Brown said. “We’ve simplified it a lot to try to fit him in and everyone else at the same time. … Our offense is different now than it was in the preseason because I’ve had to try to adjust and make it fit everybody to where Jalen’s getting his first, KAT’s getting his second, then we go from there.”
Tyler Kolek was briefly sent down to the G-League so that he could play for the Westchester Knicks on Saturday.
He recorded 19 points and 13 assists in 37 minutes in Westchester’s 122-114 win over the Cleveland Charge.
Tyler Kolek, who scored 19 points and grabbed 13 assists, goes up for a layup during th e Westchester Knicks’ 122-114 win over the Cleveland Charge in G-League play on Feb. 21, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks then recalled him to the active roster immediately after the game, and he was available for Saturday night’s game, though he did not see any action.
“Shower up quick, head down there,” Kolek said after the G-League game. “Hopefully, I’ll make it for the tip.”
Kolek has fallen out of Brown’s rotation since the Knicks acquired Jose Alvarado just ahead of the trade deadline as a backup guard.
“Jose’s played, obviously,” Brown said before Saturday’s game. “Jose’s played well for us. He’s given us a different look. Tyler’s been awesome, for Year 2. He has a chance to be a good pro, really good pro. He’s just gotta stick with it, and we gotta keep trying to help him by finding ways for him to get reps. So today was a good opportunity for us to find a way for him to get a rep.”
Mitchell Robinson played 18 minutes and recorded six points and four rebounds on Saturday.
He is expected to sit the second leg of the back-to-back against the Bulls in Chicago on Sunday.
Giants coach John Harbaugh was in attendance Saturday and received a loud ovation from the MSG crowd when he was shown on the jumbotron.
BOTTOM LINE: Chicago looks to end its eight-game skid when the Bulls take on New York.
The Bulls are 16-24 in conference matchups. Chicago is sixth in the league with 52.0 points in the paint led by Josh Giddey averaging 8.6.
The Knicks have gone 24-14 against Eastern Conference opponents. New York is third in the Eastern Conference scoring 117.7 points per game and is shooting 47.2%.
The Bulls' 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Knicks allow. The Knicks average 14.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.9 more makes per game than the Bulls give up.
The teams square off for the third time this season. The Knicks won the last matchup 128-116 on Nov. 3. Jalen Brunson scored 31 points to help lead the Knicks to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Anfernee Simons is scoring 14.3 points per game and averaging 2.5 rebounds for the Bulls. Matas Buzelis is averaging 15.2 points and 6.0 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Mikal Bridges is scoring 15.7 points per game and averaging 4.2 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 24.5 points and 4.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 1-9, averaging 110.2 points, 42.3 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 8.3 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.1 points per game.
Knicks: 7-3, averaging 118.7 points, 43.8 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 7.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.0 points.
INJURIES: Bulls: Anfernee Simons: day to day (wrist), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Jaden Ivey: out (knee), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).
Knicks: Miles McBride: out (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota hosts the Philadelphia 76ers after Anthony Edwards scored 40 points in the Minnesota Timberwolves' 122-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Timberwolves have gone 20-10 at home. Minnesota is fourth in the Western Conference with 16.0 fast break points per game led by Ayo Dosunmu averaging 3.6.
The 76ers are 15-11 on the road. Philadelphia ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference shooting 35.3% from 3-point range.
The Timberwolves are shooting 48.3% from the field this season, 1.2 percentage points higher than the 47.1% the 76ers allow to opponents. The 76ers average 115.9 points per game, 1.2 more than the 114.7 the Timberwolves give up to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Naz Reid is scoring 14.3 points per game and averaging 6.4 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Edwards is averaging 29.0 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Tyrese Maxey is averaging 28.9 points, 6.7 assists and two steals for the 76ers. Kelly Oubre Jr. is averaging 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 7-3, averaging 123.2 points, 44.5 rebounds, 25.9 assists, 9.7 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.3 points per game.
76ers: 5-5, averaging 112.7 points, 41.5 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 9.0 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points.
INJURIES: Timberwolves: None listed.
76ers: Joel Embiid: out (knee).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Utah Jazz (18-39, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (34-21, fourth in the Western Conference)
Houston; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Keyonte George and the Utah Jazz visit Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in Western Conference action.
The Rockets are 19-16 in Western Conference games. Houston is 14-5 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 14.4 turnovers per game.
The Jazz are 10-26 against conference opponents. Utah averages 15.5 turnovers per game and is 7-7 when winning the turnover battle.
The Rockets are shooting 47.2% from the field this season, 1.6 percentage points lower than the 48.8% the Jazz allow to opponents. The Jazz score 8.8 more points per game (118.2) than the Rockets give up to opponents (109.4).
The teams square off for the third time this season. In the last matchup on Dec. 2 the Jazz won 133-125 led by 29 points from Lauri Markkanen, while Durant scored 32 points for the Rockets.
TOP PERFORMERS: Durant is averaging 26.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Rockets. Jabari Smith Jr. is averaging 16.9 points over the last 10 games.
Jusuf Nurkic is scoring 10.9 points per game and averaging 10.4 rebounds for the Jazz. Isaiah Collier is averaging 16.7 points and 3.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 6-4, averaging 105.2 points, 45.9 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.5 points per game.
Jazz: 3-7, averaging 115.9 points, 46.4 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 10.6 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.1 points.
INJURIES: Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate: day to day (knee), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).
Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: day to day (illness), Keyonte George: day to day (ankle), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: day to day (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
San Antonio Spurs (40-16, second in the Western Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (42-13, first in the Eastern Conference)
Detroit; Monday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Detroit is looking to continue its five-game win streak with a victory over San Antonio.
The Pistons are 22-6 on their home court. Detroit scores 117.6 points while outscoring opponents by 8.3 points per game.
The Spurs are 19-10 on the road. San Antonio is the NBA leader with 35.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Victor Wembanyama averaging 9.3.
The Pistons make 48.1% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.7 percentage points higher than the Spurs have allowed to their opponents (45.4%). The Spurs score 9.3 more points per game (118.6) than the Pistons allow (109.3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Ausar Thompson is scoring 10.2 points per game and averaging 5.9 rebounds for the Pistons. Cade Cunningham is averaging 26.4 points and 5.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks for the Spurs. De'Aaron Fox is averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 8-2, averaging 119.1 points, 44.9 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 11.1 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points per game.
Spurs: 9-1, averaging 124.0 points, 48.2 rebounds, 30.6 assists, 7.4 steals and 7.1 blocks per game while shooting 51.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.4 points.
INJURIES: Pistons: None listed.
Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Lindy Waters III: out (knee), Mason Plumlee: out (reconditioning).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Ariel Lassiter had the only goal of the second half and Portland beat the Columbus Crew 3-2 in a season opener on Saturday night, topping off a record-setting night for the Timbers' Diego Chará.
Lassiter scored the winner in the 88th minute on a night when Chará became the first field player in league history to make 400 starts with one club. It was the 500th MLS match for the Timbers and Chará has appeared in 427 of them as he begins his league-record 16th season with one team.
Kevin Kelsy and defender Jimer Fory had assists on Lassiter's 13th goal in 171 career appearances.
Wessam Abou Ali scored unassisted in the sixth minute to give Columbus an early lead.
Felipe Mora tied it with a goal in the 14th minute and Antony Alves Santos put Portland ahead with a goal six minutes later. Gage Guerra and Chará notched assists on Mora's goal and newcomer Cole Bassett assisted on Antony's score. Bassett came over in a trade with the Colorado Rapids.
Diego Rossi tied it 2-2 when he scored for the Crew in the 44th minute with assists from Abou Ali and Malte Amundsen.
James Pantemis finished with three saves in goal for the Timbers and Patrick Schulte turned away three shots for the Crew.
