BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Josh Hubbard scored 15 points, Quincy Ballard added 13 and Mississippi State dominated LSU from the start in an 80-66 victory on Wednesday night.
Mississippi State shot 60% and outrebounded LSU 17-5 in the first 10 minutes while building a 30-10 lead. Later in the half, a 13-3 run left the Bulldogs with a 44-17 lead. It was 44-21 at halftime.
LSU was within 58-42 seven minutes into the second half before Epps hit two 3-pointers in a 10-2 Mississippi State run and the Bulldogs led 68-44.
The biggest lead of the second half was 72-46 with about 10 minutes remaining. LSU kept the margin under 20 points for the final six minutes, which included the game's final five points. It was the closest the game had been since 12 1/2 minutes remained in the first half.
Max Mackinnon scored 15 points, Dedan Thomas Jr. and Rashad King had 14 each and Pablo Tamba added 10 for LSU (13-8, 1-7 SEC).
Ja’Borri McGhee added 11 points and Sergej Macura had 10 for Mississippi State (11-10, 3-5).
Mississippi State bounced back after losing by 32 to then-No. 15 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points, including two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining, as Iowa survived USC's comeback bid to win 73-72 on Wednesday night.
The Hawkeyes (15-5, 5-4 Big Ten) led by as many as 17 points in the second half, but a rally by USC put the Trojans ahead by one point with eight seconds to go. Stirtz was fouled by USC's Jerry Easter II, and made both free throws to put Iowa back ahead.
Tavion Banks also had 20 points before fouling out with just over three minutes to go.
A 20-4 run early in the second half gave the Hawkeyes a double-digit lead, but Kam Woods single-handedly got the Trojans (15-6, 4-6) back into the game with a solo 12-0 run. Woods scored 19 straight points for USC before Jacob Cofie made the go-ahead layup. Woods finished with 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting after playing all 40 minutes. His previous season high was eight points.
USC led 28-27 at the half, led by Chad Baker-Mazara who scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half.
Alvaro Folgueiras added 14 points and five rebounds for Iowa, and Kael Combs dished a team-high four assists.
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.
The Spurs face the Rockets for the third time this season, a 121-110 Spurs victory on November 7 and a 111-106 loss where the Rockets shut down the Spurs in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 29-14 in the final frame. The Spurs’ offensive collapse in the fourth quarter of that second game has caused quite a bit of concern for fans of the Silver and Black, as it showed how the team can be disrupted by physical play, especially in the paint. The Spurs will have to come up with a response tonight, because if the fourth quarter is turned into a wrestling match between Alperen Sengun and Victor Wembanyama, it’s likely that Houston could come out on top again.
The Spurs will have to play more of a space and pace game to counter the grab and grind defense of the Space City gladiators tonight, and not leave Victor one on one against Sengun without help from his teammates. The Rockets are really clicking on offense, with both Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant scoring 33 in their 108-99 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday night, so the Spurs defense will also be tested tonight. They can’t forget about Reed Sheppard, who burned the Spurs for 21 points in the previous contest coming off the bench.
The whole team looked a little off in the loss to the Pelicans a few days ago, where they forgot to play until late in the game and burned all their energy in catching up and had nothing left to finish. They can’t beat the Rockets by playing 1/3rd of a game, as they attempted to do to the Pelicans. Let’s see if the Spurs can get on a roll going into the All Star Break, just a little over two weeks and eight games away. After tonight, the Spurs have a few days of before they face the Hornets in Charlotte, who have been very dangerous lately. Let’s GO SPURS!!
Game Prediction:
Mitch Johnson is fired at halftime by a Pounding the Rock fan poll and is replaced in the second half with player-coach Jeremy Sochan. This is reversed at the end of the third quarter when it is determined that 75% of the votes were cast by 4 users using multiple aliases.
San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets January 28, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT Streaming: ESPN app TV: ESPN Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Baba Miller scored 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as Cincinnati took down Baylor 67-57 on Wednesday night.
Jizzle James added 17 points for the Bearcats (11-10, 3-5 Big 12 Conference) on 6-for-11 shooting. Miller recorded his ninth double-double this season, second most in the Big 12.
Cincinnati shot 39% (28% from deep) and Baylor 35% (23% from deep). Miller made all six of his attempts from the foul line, where the Bearcats were 11 for 14, while Baylor was 5 for 9.
Cincinnati never trailed, as Miller made a dunk on a fastbreak just four seconds into the first half. An 8-0 run extended the lead to double-dights less than eight minutes later, but Baylor answered with a 10-0 run. Cincinnati led 35-28 at the half.
Moustapha Thiam converted a three-point play with 16:14 remaining in the game that made it 45-35 and Cincinnati lead by double figures the rest of the sway.
Thiam finished with 14 points (6-of-12 shooting), and Jalen Celestine and Day Day Thomas had four assists each for the Bearcats.
Tounde Yessoufou scored 16 points and Obi Agbim added 14 for the Bears (11-9, 1-7), who lost their fourth straight game. Cameron Carr and Dan Skillings Jr. led with seven rebounds apiece.
Up next
Baylor: The Bears visit West Virginia on Saturday.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats visit No. 10 Houston on Saturday.
The Jazz had their first nationally televised game, and it did not disappoint… for the first half. In the second half, they fell apart and struggled mightily without Keyonte George. They also faced some familiar faces in John Collins, and Kriss Dunn. Dunn had a fantastic night, notching 5 steals and 14 points. These were not the same Clippers that the Jazz faced at the beginning of the season. At the end of the day, though, the Jazz are one loss closer to a top 3 pick in this year’s NBA draft.
With that out of the way, here are my player grades for tonight’s 115-103 loss to the Clippers.
Lauri Markkanen – C-
Lauri Markkanen looked fairly rusty this game, which is to be expected as it was his first game back since January 12th against the Cavaliers. He started the game shooting 1/6 and just not looking fully comfortable on the court. His night as a shooter did not improve as he would finish shooting 5/15 from the field. He did, however, have two blocks, including an impressive one on a James Harden shot attempt.
Cody Williams- B 🙂
Williams did a little bit of everything tonight, he had 11 points, two boards, and two steals on the night. He continues to be more aggressive on offense, as showcased by his beautiful up-and-under dunk over John Collins. It wasn’t a perfect night for him, however, as he did lose his handle on the ball on what should have been an easy dunk in transition. He also had the ball snatched away immediately after he got a steal. Overall, however, he shot 4/7 from the field and made one of his two three-point attempts.
Ace Bailey- B
If he were graded on his punctuality, Ace would get a big fat F for tonight, as he was late to his halftime interview because he headed to the locker room too early after drilling a three to end the 1st half. Thankfully, that’s not what he is being graded on, as he had a solid night, putting up 20 points while shooting 50% from the floor and making 4/9 threes. He also forced a jump ball on an impressive hustle play.
Kevin Love – C-
Not a night to remember for Kevin Love as he only had 3 points in 24 minutes. He shot a putrid 1/5 tonight and had the worst +/- of any Jazzman at -20. His night wasn’t a total stinker, however, as he still managed to grab 11 rebounds.
Isaiah Collier- B-
Collier had a solid night, dropping 12 points to go along with 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and only one turnover. He also had a pretty smooth fade-away jump shot over Harden. I am slightly discouraged to see him go 0/2 from three. His shot from deep just has very little arc and seems to always miss short. There is no question about his ability to pass the ball and drive to the rim, but the development of his three-point shot will determine whether his game can take the next step.
Brice Sensabaugh- C+
I had the toughest time grading Sensabaugh tonight out of everyone. He had 13 points on decent shooting splits, and he also forced an offensive foul on John Collins. Some of those points did come in garbage time, though, which is why I settled on a grade of C+ for Brice.
Taylor Hendricks – D
A night that Taylor Hendricks will need to put behind him as he continues to battle back after his horrific leg injury last season. In my notes for this game, I didn’t mention him once. I still believe in Hendricks 100%, but tonight was rough for him as he shot 0/4 to go along with 3 turnovers in just 12 minutes of gametime. He also posted a +/- of -15.
Kyle Filipowski- D+
On paper, Flip had a solid game. 8 points, 10 rebounds, and a +8 on the night. That, however, doesn’t tell the full story of his game. He got beat inside by the Clippers big men several times. The charge that was called on John Collins was a very generous call, because to me it just looked like Flip got bullied. His defense must improve if he wants consistent minutes heading into next season.
Walter Clayton Jr.- C-
Clayton played only 19 minutes tonight, which I thought was a slightly odd decision considering that Keyonte George was out tonight. He did nail a three and get a nice lay-up that probably should have been an and-one. Looking at the stats, he also had a block, which I have no mention of in my notes, and have no memory of seeing him get one, but I’ll take their word for it.
Kyle Anderson- B
Kyle Anderson was Kyle Anderson, providing a steady vet presence out there in a game without Jusuf Nuric. He did have 12 points on good shooting and 5 assists. Side note, I don’t think I will ever get used to watching the way he plays basketball. Just completely at his own pace, and with his own unique shooting form.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has told the Milwaukee Bucks he’s ready to be traded, and it puts speculation about his future into overdrive as the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches. It appears the Bucks are resigned to their fate when it comes to trading their superstar forward, but it’s still possible they will wait until the summer for the best deal.
Rival teams are lining up to make Milwaukee their best offer, and right now there’s four teams considered “strong suitors” for Antetokounmpo. The New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves were named by Charania as the teams who currently have the inside track on landing the Greek Freak. Charania gave his report during the ESPN NBA tip-off show on Wednesday night.
Notice that this report does not include a few teams often mentioned as potential Giannis suitors: the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets. The Rockets, Spurs, and Thunder reportedly don’t have interest in trading for Antetokounmpo at this time, and it’s likely that the Lakers’ best offer couldn’t come until this summer when they gain control of more tradable draft picks.
What could each of these teams offer? Let’s get into it.
Golden State Warriors’ Giannis trade offer
It might be wise to fade the Warriors’ future with Stephen Curry approaching his 38th birthday. If Golden State really is willing to go all-in to give Curry another superstar teammate for one last potential run, this is one hell of an offer. Butler is out for the year with a torn ACL, and Kuminga and Podziemski are middling role players, but the draft compensation here is significant. Outside of getting their own picks back, which seems impossible, betting against the Warriors at the end of Curry’s career might be the best Milwaukee can do.
Knicks’ Giannis trade offer
Giannis has always wanted the Knicks, and the Knicks have always been a terrible trade partner for Milwaukee. This trade is legal on Feb. 1, and at least it doesn’t have the Bucks taking back Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks can add first-round swaps in 2026, 2030, and 2032. They do not have a tradable first-round pick. The Bucks could probably immediately flip Anunoby and Bridges for significant draft compensation. It feels like this only happens if Giannis really pushes for it.
Heat’s Giannis trade offer
The Heat can add swaps in 2028, 2030, and 2032. The trade would keep Giannis in the East, and put him in a market where he would likely re-sign. Milwaukee getting three unprotected first-round picks and three swaps might be enough to pull the trigger. Second-year center Kel’el Ware is the best long-term asset in this haul, while Tyler Herro could probably be flipped for more picks in the offseason. I like this one the more I think about it.
Timberwolves’ Giannis trade offer
Randle and McDaniels are both good players who could be flipped to other teams for future draft assets. Beringer was Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2025, and projects as a super bouncy young center who could fit well in a Milwaukee rebuild. It still feels like the Wolves just don’t have enough draft capital to get it done. The 2026 pick is currently slated to be No. 20 overall. Even if Milwaukee can find two first-round picks out there for McDaniels (no guarantee), it still feels underwhelming.
The Dallas Mavericks will rest rookie sensation Cooper Flagg for Wednesday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced earlier Wednesday.
Officially, Flagg is being held out for "left ankle injury management."
He scored 16 points in 34 minutes in the Mavericks' last contest on Jan. 24 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Flagg, the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has had a few injury scares this year but has only missed three other games this season. He last missed games on Jan. 15 and 17 but had played in the Mavericks' last three contests.
For the season he's averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
The Mavericks will also be without Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, Anthony Davis and Moussa Cisse, per the team.
The Dallas Mavericks (19-27) host the Minnesota Timberwolves (28-19) on Wednesday evening. It’s the first game of a back-to-back for the Mavericks; they unexpectedly had three days off when their Sunday game was postponed due to weather. Dallas has won four out of their last five, with the lone loss coming last Saturday to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves are on the other side; they lost five in a row before snapping out of it with a Monday win over the Golden State Warriors
Heres the main things you need to know before tipoff.
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
WHAT: Trying to slow down Anthony Edwards
WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
Dallas has an annoying injury report, but that’s been the entire stinking year. Cooper Flagg was ruled out due to an ankle injury or injury management, whatever you want to call it. I expect him to play tomorrow. Klay Thompson is out as well with knee soreness. Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, and Dereck Lively are of course out. Anthony Edwards was the only Timberwolf on the injury report of note and he is playing.
This is going to be a close game somehow, I just have zero idea how that actually happens. Naji Marshall’s been given the green light and I expect more of that. PJ Washington needs to string together some decent games too. Dallas is going to have a hard time on the boards but if Ryan Nembhard can get the offense in a flow for the Mavericks, maybe they hang around and surprise the Wolves, who are talented but inconsistent as hell.
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!
We don’t know how many more times LeBron James will play in the arena he called home for 11 years. As such, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out all the stops to make sure that the current Los Angeles Lakers star knew that what he’s done for the team and community is appreciated.
First, the crowd gave him the loudest ovation during pregame intros, which included a special welcome from the Cavs’ mascot, Moondog.
Then, the Cavs welcomed him back with a tribute video at the first timeout with highlights of his 25-straight point game against the Detroit Pistons in 2007. It was a fitting tribute, given that the current Cavs were sporting the same uniforms the team wore then.
Cavs welcome LeBron back with highlights of his 25-straight point performance against the Pistons in 2007. pic.twitter.com/m5RKXP0rtO
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can find the awesome Cavs’ Starter jacket HERE. Homage’s entire Cavs collection can be found HERE.
James has the ability to keep playing the game at a high level, even if his athleticism has taken a notable decline in the last few seasons. Whether or not someone of his caliber wants to keep going if he isn’t able to play at the level he used to remains to be seen. James doesn’t have anything more to prove in this game.
Could Brooklyn Nets swoop in and steal Giannis Antetokounmpo from the New York Knicks … using the Knicks own first round picks? Wouldn’t that be juicy?
Well, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, Dave McMenamin agree there’s indeed a possibility of a Nets offer in the Wednesday edition of their Hoop Collective podcast.“ Windhorst took the lead…
Will the Brooklyn Nets make an offer for Giannis?
No aggregation from Swamp Dragons, clipped straight from the source. Nets have 10 tradable firsts, 11 by draft day.
“I think Brooklyn will seriously consider making an offer,” Windhorstr said, noting the assets Sean Marks & co. have accumulated, particularly draft picks which are likely to the coin of the realm as well as good young players in any deal for the 31-year-old two-time MVP and one Finals MVP. A number of those assets — three remaining unprotected firsts in 2027, 2029 and 2031 as well as an unprotected swap in 2028 — were all part of the Nets haul from the June 2024 trade for Mikal Bridges.
“Brooklyn has 10 tradeable firsts and Michael Porter Jr. and 11 tradeable firsts as of draft night. Do we think Brooklyn will make an offer,” the ESPN’s top NBA insider asked amidst a back-and-forth between the three writers. “I think Brooklyn will seriously consider making an offer.”
Both Bontemps and McMahon agreed with Bontemps offering this: “A top five player becoming available … a lot of things are going to be discussed that you don’t know about and you don’t expect to hear. Players like this do not become available very often and while there are concerns about Giannis out-years on the contract, about his calf, all this stuff at the end of the day, he’s a top five player on the planet and those five players are still going to return big value in a trade.”
All of this was in a roundtable of discussion of which NBA teams would make a move for the near 7-footer who has finally made it clear he wants a new home. as their colleague Shams Charania reported earlier in the day
So far, the Knicks and Miami Heat are seen as the leading candidates, but the Knicks and Bucks tried and failed to come to an agreement during an exclusive trade window last summer. A big impediment was that Leon Rose had traded all those picks (plus two in last year’s draft) and a couple of seconds to Brooklyn in the Mikal Bridges trade. The Nets also have $15.3 million in cap space
Giannis, whose never played for any team other than the Milwaukee Bucks in his 11-year career, is going to be eligible for a five-year, $275 million extension come October no matter who controls his contract with.
Windy and Bontemps discuss the risks involved with that extension.
“Also, if you’re trading for Giannis who’s 31 years old, you’re also trading for the right to pay him $270 million in an extension this fall,” said Windhorst. “If you’re going to do that, you’re going to have to commit to that, do we agree on that?”
“Yes,” agreed Bontemps. “Can’t imagine many teams that would want to take Giannis on for the price it would take to get him that would only want him for a year and a half.”
Windhorst did say
The Nets of course, with the smallest payroll in the league and Joe Tsai and Julia Koch’s deep pockets — a combined net worth approaching $100 billion, wouldn’t likely flinch at Giannis price tag. He currently makes $54.1 million. However, agreeing to the full amount and term of an extension would mean paying him more than $60 million at age 37.
Marks made it clear at the Nets Media Day in September that if they were to defer from their rebuild, there would have to a belief that whoever they acquired would have to dramatically change the franchise’s course, not an incremental move up the standings.
“If you’re going after max level talent, they’ve got to automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team. This this can’t be ‘well, let’s go get this and lock ourselves in to being a six or seven seed.” he said. (Emphasis added.)
Windhorst et al didn’t offer any thoughts on whether Antetokounmpo would want to join Brooklyn, particularly since the Nets are currently one of the league’s worst team and he reportedly wants to join a winner. In previous reporting, ESPN and others have suggested that the Bucks front office would try to work with their franchise player to get him to a team he likes. How much patience the front office and new owner would have remains to be seen.
The ESPN trio weren’t the only pundits suggesting Nets interest but the most prominent voice, Jake Fischer, told The SteinLine that he could see the Nets as well as the Hornets and Jazz playing a facilitator roles.
Growing belief that we’ll see Brooklyn, Charlotte and Utah play facilitator in a few of these more complicated frameworks. Sources say Nets, Hornets, Jazz have all been reiterating in ongoing conversations that they’re willing to help grease trades in exchange for draft capital.
The Nets could have as many as 13 firsts going forward, including the 10 tradeable ones, as well as as many as 20 seconds (While the Nets may have more than enough seconds, they could swap out seconds from traditionally good teams like the Lakers and Celtics for picks likely to be higher. The Nets currently have three Laker seconds plus a Celtics second and a Warrior second.)
With the Phoenix Suns exceeding expectations a little more than halfway through the season, many have now started to give them their flowers for a successful season. Dealing with key injuries to guys like Jalen Green and, now, Devin Booker has had this team fighting top-tier teams while limited. Many guys on this roster have had to step up and shine in bigger roles, and one of those guys has been Dillon Brooks.
Brooks, who was a solid third option for the Memphis Grizzlies, was once said to be “under no circumstances” would be brought back. A player who was mocked by fans after a bad playoff series with the Shanghai Sharks then went to Houston and changed his narrative around the league. He is once again trying to rebuild here in the Valley this season, where he has certainly won over the fanbase by storm.
With his infectious energy and the effort this team lacked for years, he has finally built a name for himself in shifting the culture in the Valley. He has done that so well that he has started to get praise from former NBA players, even one of the Valley’s best, Charles Barkley.
Charles Barkley says Dillon Brooks deserves to be an All-Star
“What’s different than what he does than Draymond? What Dillon Brooks is doing for the Phoenix Suns is similar and comparable to what Draymond does for the Warriors when they were rolling, and he was like the third or… pic.twitter.com/hrI41Dkscg
Now what Barkley says in this snippet is fact. Brooks has been the culture shifter here and the perfect puzzle piece to mesh everything. If you need him to go out and get you a game-winning stop, he will. If you need him to be the leading shot taker because four top scorers are out, he can do that. This man is the do-it-all box of fun the fanbase has been salivating for to have on the core, and he is finally here.
Not to mention that Brooks is having a solid year, stats-wise. He is averaging a career-high 20.5 points this season, on a team where he is given more opportunities. Even if he is not close to 40% from three-point land like last year, in a bigger role, he is still shooting just shy of 35%, which is still impressive given his growth as a player. All of that, with 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals, looks like a great resurgence season for the man.
The main question is, will that be enough? We already saw, with the fan voting, how low Devin Booker ranked on the scale compared to the other Western Conference stars. I know fan voting isn’t all of it, but it seems like an uphill battle, especially with how deep the conference is.
Brooks is an all-star for this team and is a key part of the engine that keeps it going. He deserves it, but so do so many players, and the spots are so limited. That being said, with how many other stars are in this conference, I think he will not get there. But what are your guys’ thoughts?
Lakers forward LeBron James finished with 11 points, five assists and six turnovers against the Cavaliers on Wednesday in Cleveland. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)
Lakers teammates and coaches clapped. LeBron James stared stoically at the video board. Instead of acknowledging the Cleveland crowd showering the Lakers star with applause after a video tribute on Monday, James lifted his jersey over his face.
He wiped his eyes.
More than two decades after the Cavaliers drafted him first overall in 2003, James returned to his hometown and had one of his worst games ever as an opponent in Cleveland. He finished with 11 points, five assists and six turnovers in the Lakers’ 129-99 blowout loss while Luka Doncic shook off a first-quarter injury scare to lead the team with 29 points, five assists and five rebounds.
The Cavaliers (29-26) played a video tribute for James in the first quarter, finishing the montage of his career with the message “Welcome Home.” James clutched the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the final image.
The video tribute played during a tense moment for the Lakers' bench as Doncic had just hobbled off the court with what looked like a serious leg injury. The star guard had slipped off the side of the court and into the Lakers' bench after shooting a fadeaway three-pointer with 7:58 remaining in the first quarter. Doncic was hopping backwards on one leg after he took the shot and fell off the edge of the court. He immediately grabbed at his lower left leg. The Lakers needed to call a timeout for trainers to help Doncic to his feet. He hobbled toward the locker room, putting almost no weight on his left leg.
Cleveland’s home court is raised above the arena floor to accommodate for an ice hockey rink underneath. It’s the only arena in the NBA with the unique set up. Miami Heat guard Dru Smith suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament sprain from slipping off the court in 2023.
Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, returned with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter without any additional braces or wraps on his leg. He finished the first half as the Lakers’ leading scorer with 15 points and five assists, but the team still trailed by two.
The Cavaliers shot a sizzling 53.8% from the field in the second quarter to turn a four-point first-quarter deficit into a two-point halftime lead, 57-55. They made seven of 11 three-pointers in the third quarter and outscored the Lakers by 20 in the frame. James was subbed off midway through the fourth as the rout continued.
James missed a point-blank layup on his first shot. The sigh of disappointment from the packed crowd was almost louder than the polite applause he received when he was introduced in the starting lineup.
The TV outside the visitor's locker room cycled through photos of Lakers players and staff members who have history in Cleveland. Bronny James, who was born in Cleveland while his father played for the Cavaliers, was welcomed with a photo of him sitting on stage during the Cavaliers’ championship celebration in 2016.
His homecoming came with eight points, including two three-pointers and a one-handed dunk.
LeBron James drives to the basket for a dunk against the New York Knicks on April 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden. NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers’ eight-game “Grammy” trip continued against the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. It’s the Lakers’ lone regular-season matchup at Rocket Arena, meaning it could be one of the last NBA games James plays at the arena he used to call home for 11 seasons.
James holds several Cavaliers career regular-season records, including games played (849), points (23,119), assists (6,228), rebounds (6,190), steals (1,376) and triple-doubles (64). Every time he comes back to northeast Ohio, he’s showered with adoration from Cavaliers fans – many of whom hope he’ll play for Cleveland one more time before retiring.
Here are James’ 11 greatest moments with the Cavaliers:
NBA debut
There have not been many NBA debuts as anticipated as James’.
How did he respond to the hype? By exceeding expectations – which became a common theme in James’ career after being the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft.
James stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals in his debut on Oct. 29, 2003. And even though the Cavaliers lost to the Kings, James provided early glimpses of what he’d become in his legendary career.
LeBron James looks on against the Washington Wizards during the NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2006 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. NBAE via Getty Images
First 50-piece
One of the highlights from James’ second season was his first 50-point game, when he finished with 56 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a loss to the Raptors on March 20, 2005.
James made the first of 21 consecutive All-Star and All-NBA teams after his second season.
Playoff debut
James led the Cavaliers to their first playoff appearance in eight years in his third season.
He not only impressed in his playoff debut, recording a triple-double (32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), but the Cavaliers also won their first-round series against the Wizards in six games.
LeBron James makes the game-winning shot against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 NBA Playoffs. NBAE via Getty Images
25 straight
Against a Pistons team looking to make its third NBA Finals in four years and competing in its fifth consecutive Eastern Conference finals, James put on a performance for the ages.
In a pivotal Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills, James scored 25 straight points for the Cavaliers – and 29 of the team’s final 30 points, including a go-ahead layup with three seconds left in double overtime – to secure the win. He finished with 48 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in Game 5, with the Cavaliers winning Game 6 to clinch their first NBA Finals berth in franchise history.
Franchise leading scorer
James has been the NBA’s all-time leading scorer for nearly three years after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Feb. 7, 2023.
But nearly 15 years prior, he became the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer at 23 years old, passing Brad Daugherty, in a March 21, 2008, win over the Raptors.
James averaged 30 points per game during the 2007-08 season.
Redeem team
He may not have been in a Cavaliers uniform during the achievement, but James won the first of his three Olympic gold medals as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, also known as the “Redeem Team.”
LeBron James celebrates a basket against the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena on November 1, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty Images
First MVP
After leading the Cavaliers to a franchise-best 66-16 record during the 2008-2009 season, James received his first NBA MVP.
James has been named the league’s MVP four times, including twice with the Cavaliers (2008-09, 2009-10).
First playoff buzzer-beater
James’ first buzzer-beating game-winner in the playoffs was in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference finals, when he knocked down a 3-pointer as time expired over Hedo Türkoğlu to secure a one-point win.
Four of James’ five playoff buzzer-beaters came while playing for the Cavaliers.
Leading way in 2015 NBA Finals
It may not have led to the Cavaliers’ first NBA championship – that came a year later – but James led Cleveland to its first Finals wins in franchise history while leading a short-handed Cavaliers team that was without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the championship series the Cavaliers lost in six games to the Warriors.
LeBron James is congratulated by his teammates as he holds the Larry O’Brien trophy after defeating the Golden State Warriors, 93-89, in Game 7 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Sunday, June 19, 2016. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Cavaliers’ first NBA title
The Chasedown block on Andre Iguodala.
Averaging 41 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, 3.5 steals and three blocked shots in Games 5 and 6.
Leading the first 3-1 comeback in Finals history.
James not only led the Cavaliers to their NBA title over the Warriors in 2016, ending Cleveland’s 52-year professional sports title drought, but did so in a way he felt made him “the greatest player of all time.”
2018 Finals, Game 1
The game is remembered for George Hill missing a go-ahead free throw, and J.R. Smith dribbling out the clock to force overtime in a game the Warriors eventually won.
But James’ performance in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals was an instant classic: 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
“Oh man, that’s above my pay grade,” Atkinson said when asked whether he’s conceptualized coaching James.
“I know what he means to this community and this organization. I do know that. After that, my focus is on this roster and trying to improve this team that we have.”
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Atkinson doesn’t know what it’s like to coach a James-led team, but he does have experience coaching against them. Atkinson has been on coaching staffs that have gone up against James in either the playoffs or the Olympics five times. Atkinson’s team hasn’t won any of those matchups. Most recently, that includes the 2024 Olympics when Atkinson served as an assistant coach for the French men’s national basketball team.
“I’m going to ask him tonight if he orchestrated those last plays against us in the gold medal game,” Atkinson said. “I have a feeling he did.”
Even though James has lost a step athletically, he hasn’t tactically. That has allowed him to continue being an All-NBA caliber player into his 40s.
Whether or not the Cavs pursue James in the off-season or earlier remains to be seen. What we do know is that James’s current head coach, JJ Redick, hasn’t found a downside in coaching someone of James’s stature.
“I haven’t found it challenging,” Reddick said of James.
“At age 41, in his 23rd season, he loves new challenges. What we tried to do as a coaching staff is challenge him in different ways. That could be three-point volume or getting more transition opportunities for our team. It could be very specific stuff like that. It could be continuing to be a fantastic leader. … To me, it hasn’t been hard to coach him. You just have to kind of understand what he needs and then coach him that way.”
For now, Atkinson will continue to coach against James. Whether or not that changes in the future remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Atkinson isn’t taking games like Wednesday’s for granted.
“This is the best,” Atkinson said of this game. “You’re playing agianst LeBron and Luka (Doncic). These are the fun games with LeBron. I mean, you never know how many times you get to compete in the same arena.”
The Warriors have made it known to the Bucks that they are willing to offer a Jonathan Kuminga/Jimmy Butler-headlined package with draft picks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, sources tell @SIChrisMannixhttps://t.co/Kve6z871is
NBA trade rumors: Warriors updates on possible Giannis move
ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes the Warriors could have a promising offer, as they also own all of their picks.
He compared their assets to Oklahoma City nearly a decade when they traded Paul George and Russell Westbrook for picks and said "everyone else is gonna have to try to beat a strong Golden State offer if it comes."
According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo "is ready for a new home ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline" and he added that he thinks Milwaukee is "more open than ever to Antetokounmpo offers between now and the deadline."
"Everyone else is gonna have to try to beat a strong Golden State offer [for Giannis] if it comes."@WindhorstESPN explains why the Warriors would be a major player if Giannis ever becomes available 👀 pic.twitter.com/jgRPEt3iP1
Kuminga, 23, was drafted by the Warriors with the No. 7th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. He has one-year (team option) remaining after this season after signing a two-year, $46.8 million deal with the Warriors on Sept. 30, 2025.
Butler, 36, arrived in the Bay Area from Miami nearly a year ago on Feb. 6, 2025, as a result of a five-team trade that sent Detroit Pistons' Kenyon Martin Jr. and a 2028 second round pick to the Utah Jazz for Dennis Schroder, Lindy Waters III and a 2031 second round pick.
That same day, Butler signed a two-year, $110.96 million contract extension with Golden State.
Giannis Antetokounmpo contract
Antetokounmpo, a 10-time All-Star, signed a three-year, $175.37 million veteran contract extension with Milwaukee on Oct. 23, 2023.
