Category: Basketball

The first half of the 2025-26 season is history, and the Wizards season has at times inspired hope, frustration, and laughter. There have been puzzling moments (like Kyshawn George trying to force James Harden to go left — TWICE in the final minutes of a close game) and some exciting ones as well (like Alex Sarr emerging as one of the game’s better rim protectors).

At 10-32, the Wizards have the NBA’s third worst winning percentage (the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers are percentage points ahead behind). They‘re 14th in the East, 8.5 games out of the play-in, and they have the league’s worst scoring differential adjusted for strength of schedule or not.

As I’ve written previously, scoring margin is the best measure of relative team strength. Adjusted for opponent quality, the Wizards are -10.8 per game this season. That’s a whopping 2.6 points per game worse than the 29th ranked Sacramento Kings.

Barring a complete second half meltdown, the Wizards are out of “worst ever” historical status. Their adjusted scoring margin is 11th worst all-time, which is an improvement from last season when they were third worst. Ever. They remain on course for the worst two-year run — at least in terms of scoring margin — in NBA history.

The Measuring Stick

Here’s where the Wizards currently rank in the various key stats of team strength (where they ranked at the last update, which was Jan. 13, is in parentheses):

• Offensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions): 28 (27)
• Defensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions): 29 (29)

The departures of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert have — at least temporarily — reduced Washington’s offensive efficiency. Kispert’s impact is less because he missed much of the season with injuries. Trading McCollum is more consequential because of his ability to create good shots and to make tough ones. Plus, his experience helped the team stay somewhat organized.

With McCollum gone, the young guys have to figure things out on their own, which at this point is probably a good thing for their long-term development. Call it a short-term quarter step back in hopes of taking a couple giant steps forward.

Offensive Four Factors

• eFG%: 23 (21)
• Offensive Rebounding Percentage: 19 (20)
• Turnover Rate: 26 (26)
• Free Throws Made/Field Goal Attempts: 27 (26)

Since the McCollum trade, the Wizards have shot worse and committed more turnovers. They’re also getting to the free throw line a bit less.

Defensive Four Factors

• eFG%: 22 (23)
• Defensive Rebounding Percentage: 30 (30)
• Turnover Rate: 28 (28)
• Free Throws Made/Field Goal Attempts: 21 (15)

They’re still last in defensive rebounding, but the actual percentage has gone up to 71.0% — it was 70.0% just a few games ago. They’re still almost two percentage points from 29th. As I wrote after a recent game, the defensive results aren’t good, but the coaching staff is implementing a good defensive scheme, and we’re seeing the predictable growing pains.

Player Production Average

Below is a table with updated results from the Player Production Average (PPA) metric so far this season. PPA is an overall rating metric I developed that credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, play-making, defending) and debits them for things that hurt the cause (missed shots, turnovers, fouls, ineffective defense). PPA is similar to other linear weight rating metrics such as John Hollinger’s PER, David Berri’s Wins Produced, Kevin Pelton’s VORP, and the granddaddy of them all, Dave Heeren’s TENDEX.

PPA weighs a player’s performance per possession against that of his competitors season by season. While PPA falls into the category of a linear weight metric, the values for statistical categories float a bit season-to-season based on league performance.

PPA is pace neutral, accounts for defense, and includes a “degree of difficulty” factor based on the level of competition a player faces while on the floor. Beginning with the 2019-20 season, I added a position/role adjustment designed to reflect how roles and on-court positioning affect individual abilities to produce certain stats.

Inputs include:

• on-court team defensive rating
• points
• rebounds (offensive and defensive weighed differently)
• assists
• steals
• blocks
• shot attempts
• turnovers
• personal fouls
• starts
• minutes

In the table below, I’ve included each player’s PPA last time, currently (through games played Jan. 19 — game 42), as well as games played and minutes per game. The Garbage Time Brigade has their own section.

In the table below, LAST = the player’s PPA when I last ran an update, which was through games played Jan. 7, 2026.

2026 All-Star Ballot

Below is a table showing my picks right now for this year’s All-Star game based on a mix of stats and watching too many games.

• I paid no attention to position because apparently All-Star has now joined All-NBA as positionless.
• I also paid no attention to the U.S. vs. International aspect of this year’s festivities. On a quick eyeballing of the lists, I see at least eight international players, which is the minimum required.
• I’m not sure if Deni Avdija will actually make the team. He’s playing really well, and there are a lot of good vibes out there about him. In my view, he’s in an arguable group with maybe 6-10 other guys.
• MVP is a two-man race, assuming Jokic can get to the stupid 65-game requirement. SGA’s PPA is 299 (the only player to crack 300 was Stephen Curry, who did it once). Jokic is at 288. Giannis is third at 257.
• LeBron James isn’t on my list because of his status as the game’s elder statesman. His PPA is 182 this season, which is excellent. If I was to drop an old guy for someone playing a little better, it would be Kevin Durant.
• I wanted very much to find a spot for Jimmy Butler, who’s having an excellent season, but I couldn’t see giving two spots to the Golden State Warriors.

The gravitational pull of the NBA’s play-in tournament is calling out to the Toronto Raptors. And it may be too late to escape its reach if the Raptors can’t salvage the four games that remain in their west coast road trip. 

The Raptors (25-19) are currently one game ahead of the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic and only hold a four-game advantage over the 11th-place Chicago Bulls. Toronto doesn’t have a great history of coming back from its trip out west with a winning record. It’s realistic for this team, especially as they continue to navigate through their injuries, to experience a downward spiral in the Eastern Conference by the end of their business trip. 

The challenges remain relentless, with the next hurdle in the gauntlet being the Golden State Warriors. 

Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. EST on Sportsnet for Canadian viewers. 

Here are three storylines to consider ahead of the contest. 

Three-point woes

The Raptors’ inability to knock down shots from beyond-the-arc is hurting them. While it’s always been a concern when trying to construct a roster around Scottie Barnes, the need for shooters has become especially important since the acquisition of Brandon Ingram. 

Golden State is averaging 16.2 three-pointers (1st) on 36.5 per cent efficiency (10th) this season. It’s important that Toronto breaks out of its shooting slump to help neutralize the home-run ball.

Teams have traditionally gone to zone against the Raptors over the last few years. But it’s shockingly embarrassing how often soft coverages have been deployed in the last month. Opponents don’t respect Toronto’s perimeter shooting and the stats support their reasoning. 

The Raptors rank last in the league in three-point efficiency at 33.6 per cent. Since Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic replaced Nick Nurse, the team has finished in the bottom percentile from the perimeter. They shot 34.8 per cent last season (23rd) and 34.7 per cent in 2023-24 (27th). 

After going 6-for-37 (16 per cent) against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 12, the Raptors are 28-for-93 (30.1 per cent) over the last three games. 

Expect the Warriors to go into zone anytime the Raptors’ offence looks like it’s gaining confidence. 

Warriors eager to come out and play

Since their dramatic 141-127 overtime loss to the Raptors on Dec. 28, the Warriors are 9-3. They have also won their last four games by an average of 19.5 points. 

Jimmy Butler’s season ended when he tore his ACL against the Miami Heat on Jan. 20. Stephen Curry continues to serve as the game-breaking engine of the Warriors’ offence, but Butler (alongside Draymond Green) has alternated with contributing memorable performances. In Butler’s absence, the team’s auxiliary pieces need to step up. Fortunately for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, they’ve been an integral reason for their recent good fortunes.

Brandin Podziemski is averaging 16.6 points on a blistering 67.8 per cent shooting during the Golden State’s three-game win streak. He’s also contributing 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals in this stretch. Podziemski hasn’t scorched the net like this since mid-December, when he finished six straight contests with double-digit scoring. 

Moses Moody is also finally realizing the potential the Warriors saw when the organization drafted him with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Moody is averaging 15.6 points per game over the last three contests. He’s having a career-season in points (10.6), three-point percentage (39.2 per cent), steals (0.9) and blocks (0.6). Moody’s production as a three-and-d type of wing has helped offset Buddy Hield’s inconsistency and the drama of Jonathan Kuminga. 

CMB down

While Jakob Poeltl (back) and RJ Barrett (ankle) are expected to miss the game, it’s Collin Murray-Boyles’ inclusion on the injury report that might be the most significant narrative thread. 

Murray-Boyles’ defensive prowess for a rookie is abnormal. On the surface, his six-foot-seven frame and non-elite athleticism don’t look threatening for someone moonlighting as a centre. But for a team without a true big man in its lineup, his intimidating presence and defensive genius are what have held this team together, particularly during the offence’s cold stretches. 

UPDATE 1:15 p.m. ET: Injury reports are available!

For the Sixers, Joel Embiid has been ruled out for Monday hosting the Suns for right ankle injury management. As mentioned in the original post below, Embiid has not played a single game on zero days rest so far this season, so him missing tonight (after playing 33 minutes last night) isn’t a huge surprise. Paul George, who did not play last night, is listed as questionable for left knee injury management.

Seven-foot-one center Mark Williams is questionable for Phoenix due to right knee injury management. Williams has only played in two of a possible six zero-rest games for the Suns so far this season.

The big update from the Suns camp, however, is that it looks like Jalen Green will in fact make his return from injury for Phoenix against the Sixers. Green, a career 20-point scorer in four seasons with the Rockets, has been out since early November with a hamstring injury and has played only two games this season.

Another day, another Philadelphia 76ers game.

The Sixers are back in action on Tuesday evening to host the Phoenix Suns less than 24 hours after defeating the Indiana Pacers. This is the eighth of an NBA-high (tied with four other teams) 16 back-to-backs this season for the Sixers. So far this campaign, they are 5-2 in games on zero days rest. The Suns are also coming into Philly on the second leg of a back-to-back, having defeated the Brooklyn Nets in New York City last night.

You know what back-to-backs mean by now! No official injury reports until this afternoon.

Joel Embiid, after being listed as questionable throughout the day for left knee injury management and illness, ended up playing against the Pacers, putting up 30 points on 10-for-17 field goal shooting with nine rebounds in 33:18. Neither he nor Paul George have played a game on zero days rest so far this season, so one could guess that Embiid may not be available for Tuesday. PG, however, did not play on Monday night after being ruled out for left knee injury management. That leaves the door more open for him to be possibly available to take on the Suns.

For Phoenix, their only absence for their Monday contest was Jalen Green, out with a hamstring strain. Green was listed as questionable before that contest, however, which is notable as Green has been sidelined since early Nov. 2025 with a hamstring issue. He has played just two games this season for the Suns after being moved to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade, but is a career 20-point per game scorer in his previous four NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets. A return from Green could mean a big boost for the Suns’ offense. Phoenix coach Jordan Ott told reporters on Monday that Green being ruled out against the Nets was “just giving him the extra day” and that Green would make his return against the Sixers on Tuesday “if everything checks out.”

We will keep you posted on official availabilities when the teams’ injury reports are posted.

This is the Sixers’ first of two meetings with the Suns this season. Phoenix are led by franchise veteran Devin Booker, who is averaging 25.3 points, 6.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game in this his 11th NBA season. Dillon Brooks is right alongside Booker this year, averaging 20.9 points per contest and shooting 35.1 percent from three-point range on a 7.2 attempts per game clip. The Suns also have a decent supporting cast down the roster of players contributing well this season, including Grayson Allen, Collin Gillespie and 7-foot-1 Mark Williams. This squad, especially with the prospective addition of Green back in the mix, will be a formidable opponent for the Sixers.

The Suns come into Tuesday’s contest at 26-17, currently sitting in seventh in the Western Conference. They’ve won seven of their last ten games as they continue to battle for every inch of leverage in the conference, with just a game or less separating them from the three squads ahead of them, as of Tuesday morning.

This is game five of a six-game roadie for the Suns, and they’ll have some tired legs on top of that. The struggling Nets were able to keep things relatively close on Monday night against the Suns, so most of the Phoenix starters played a normal amount of minutes last night, ranging from 28 to 34.

The Sixers were in a similar boat against the Pacers in not pulling away until towards the very end of the contest, with the Philly starters logging anywhere from 24 minutes to 40 (Tyrese Maxey) on Monday. So, there may be some weariness on both sides tonight.

Maxey, by the way, had a stellar game last night to celebrate his first All-Star starter nod. He put up 29 points (14 in the fourth period to secure the win) on 12-for-24 field goal shooting with eight assists and a career-high eight steals. It was the perfect display of the guard not only continuing to develop offensively but also the massive leap his defense has taken this season.

The Sixers and Suns will tip off in South Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET.

Game Details

When: Tuesday, January 20, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors may have seen their title chances disappear Monday night.

Star Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in the Warriors’ 135-112 victory over the Heat, according to ESPN.com.

Butler, 36, was helped off the court with a right knee injury at the 7:41 mark of the third quarter against his former team.

Butler was hurt moments after catching a pass in the paint when he went down hard and awkwardly following a collision with the Heat’s Davion Mitchell — who was called for a foul.

After the play, Butler was asking for two free throws, a positive sign to coach Steve Kerr that his spirits were good and “hopefully that’s a good sign.”

“We’re all really concerned but we’ll know more after the MRI,” Kerr said. “Everybody is subdued because of the injury, waiting to hear the news.”

Butler’s knee buckled upon his landing and he grimaced and grabbed at his knee while down for a couple of minutes.

He needed teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield to escort him off the court and to the locker room after the fall on the Warriors’ offensive end.

When he finally got up with assistance, he was unable to put any pressure on his knee.

“It’s something you hadn’t seen before, usually you expect him get up and even if he can’t finish the game just get off the sideline. I just told him to take his time and figure out what he needed in that moment,” Stephen Curry said.

“It’s kind of funny he was still cracking jokes over there while he was on the ground in true Jimmy fashion. He’s always going to have a good time no matter the situation is. I do love that perspective and that part of his personality, even in the worst of moment he’s still having a good time. He was trying to get to the free-throw line, he said it was two shots.”

In just under 21 minutes, Butler had 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, four assists and three rebounds.

He is Golden State’s second-leading scorer behind Curry, having averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists entering the week.

The Warriors currently sit at 25-19 and the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

A disgruntled Butler was acquired last season from the Heat to add another veteran star to Golden State’s aging roster.

The Warriors did make it to the Western Conference semifinals with Butler’s help, but Curry got hurt in Game 1 against the Timberwolves and Golden State was dismissed in five games.

This will only add to questions about whether the Warriors should consider a drastic move at the trade deadline.

Jonathan Kuminga demanded a trade last week as the young forward is frustrated with his role on the team.

“He’s an alpha. He’s one of those guys in the league who everybody else in the gym knows that’s the guy,” Kerr said.

“He has that presence but he also has that game where we can play through him possession after possession. So, assuming we’ll be without him for a little bit, we’re going to miss him, we’ve got a lot of players who can play and we’re showing our depth right now. We’ll just wait for the news to figure out what’s next.”

— With AP

The Phoenix Suns have won two straight, but their win streak will be put to the test when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena tonight.

With both team rosters trending toward full health, my Suns vs 76ers predictions expect a high-scoring affair in the City of Brotherly Love.

Here are my best free NBA picks for this cross-conference clash on Tuesday, January 20.

Suns vs 76ers prediction

Suns vs 76ers best bet: Over 224 (-110)

Both teams are expected to be at or near full strength tonight, which means a high-scoring affair. 

Phoenix Suns G Jalen Green will return from a multi-week absence, and Philadelphia 76ers F Paul George is expected to be available. Even if Joel Embiid sits out the second leg of the back-to-back, Philly has more than enough firepower to put up points at home, and the return of Green to Phoenix's lineup should give the offense a boost.

The Sixers have hit the Over in nine of 15 games as the home favorite, and the Suns have hit the Over in 10 of 17 as the road underdog.

Over the last 10 games, the Suns rank 10th in offensive rating at 116.4, and the Sixers are close behind in 11th at 116.3. In that span, the teams have combined to average 230.9 points, nearly seven points more than tonight’s total.

I’ll take the Over on this modest total as two emerging offenses go head-to-head.

Suns vs 76ers same-game parlay

The Sixers are just 10-12 ATS at home and 6-9 ATS as the home favorite, while the Suns are 15-9 ATS on the road and 9-8 as the road underdog. The spread is just one point, making this essentially a pick 'em, so betting Phoenix to win straight up as the underdog is the most sensible bet with the most profitable odds.

Devin Booker is averaging 10.5 rebounds+assists, and he's recorded 10+ in 23 of 39 contests. He's posted 11.2 rebounds+assists across his last five outings and hit the Over on this combo line three times in that span.

Suns vs 76ers SGP

• Over 224
• Suns moneyline
• Devin Booker Over 9.5 rebounds + assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Maxey Power

Tyrese Maxey is dishing 6.9 assists per game at home. He's recorded at least seven helpers in 21 of 39 appearances overall, including 12 of 20 at home.

Suns vs 76ers SGP

• Over 224
• Suns moneyline
• Devin Booker Over 9.5 rebounds + assists
• Tyrese Maxey Over 6.5 assists

Suns vs 76ers odds

• Spread: Suns +1 (-110) | 76ers -1 (-110)
• Moneyline: Suns -105 | 76ers -115
• Over/Under: Over 224 (-110) | Under 224 (-110)

Suns vs 76ers betting trend to know

The Phoenix Suns have covered the Spread in 32 of their last 45 games (+17.70 Units / 36% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. 76ers.

How to watch Suns vs 76ers

Suns vs 76ers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

On December 3, 2022, the Knicks were embarrassed at home against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on a weekend matinee at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Knicks led by 15 in the second quarter behind strong defense, but ultimately took their foot off the gas and got absolutely blitzed in the second half.

MSG wasn’t happy. A 38-12 run to start the second half turned a 68-68 game into a blowout. The Knicks were struggling badly and would drop to 10-13, including 4-7 at home. Tom Thibodeau was on the hot seat and there were rumors that a loss to Cleveland the next day might’ve cost him his job.

Of course, we know what happened from there. Thibs removed Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose from the rotation permanently to further feature Quentin Grimes. The Knicks won that game against the Cavs and went on a furious charge to win 47 games and a playoff series.

We don’t know if things are going to reach that perilous position in 2025-26, but with a mountain of expectations and a deep struggle to start the new year, the Knicks needed to enforce their will on a severely shorthanded Mavericks team.

They did not. They got absolutely blitzed.

Dallas improved to 18-26. The Knicks lost their ninth game in their last 11 despite welcoming Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart to the lineup. They continued to struggle shooting, continuing a recent slump, but the biggest issue today was the defense, which could look more like this meme than professional athletes paid millions to get stops.

I’m not sure how a team that started 23-9, won the NBA Cup, and looked cohesive on both ends turned into this mess overnight. The offense began short-circuiting on January 2 and hasn’t woken up yet (aside from a few stretches), and the defense has been bad for a while now. It’s the dog days of an NBA season, but it doesn’t make anything about this stretch excusable.

Brunson had 22, KAT had 22 and 18, and Mitch played well. Deuce somehow had a positive plus-minus. That’s about it. Mavericks go wire-to-wire and win 114-97. Bleh.

Dallas got off to a hot start in the first four minutes, taking advantage of poor transition defense and cashing a trio of triples, two by Max Christie and one by residential Knick killer Naji Marshall. The Knicks continued a concerning trend of late on offense, starting ice cold from the field despite good looks from Brunson, Bridges, and Towns. Mike Brown called his first timeout with 8:14 left, trailing 13-4.

It didn’t look better out of the timeout, as Towns turned it over and Bridges missed a corner 3 shortly after. After another Christie 3, the Knicks busted the drought on a nice pick-and-roll that led to a dunk by Mitchell Robinson. A few possessions later, the captain hit Big Mitch again on a pretty lob at the end of the shot clock.

Unfortunately, the defense continued to be porous, and the team still shot threes like they had the Ben Simmons disease. After closing the Suns game 1-for-11 from three, they started this one 0-for-9. This is somehow not the first 1-for-20 stretch we’ve had this week. Compare that to a hopelessly shorthanded Mavericks team that started 6-for-10.

Still, Brunson tried to will his team back in it after an early 15-point deficit. After some pretty passing early, he called bank on an and-1 before a TV timeout and came right back for a sweet floater after some much-needed off-ball movement.

The Knicks closed the first quarter with an innovative lineup, sitting Brunson and Towns for a bench lineup alongside OG Anunoby. Mitch feasted on the boards as usual with two putbacks to give him eight points in the period. Klay Thompson turned back the clock with a pair of threes late, and the Mavericks took a 31-22 lead into the second.

Cooper Flagg was making his MSG debut today, and he looked to take over to start the second with three consecutive buckets, but the Knicks’ offense started to heat up. Towns finished strong, Mikal broke the 3-ball skid, and Towns ran down the lane for a thunderous jam.

Finally, this started to look like a modern-day basketball game with scoring on both ends. The non-Brunson lineup was making shots, but they couldn’t get stops. The tandem of Flagg and Thompson started the quarter hot and the Mavs battled a small Knicks run to go up 43-31 and force another timeout.

That timeout didn’t help. Remember when I said they figured out how to score without Brunson? The next two minutes produced some of the clunkiest offense you’ll ever see, with contested Deuce McBride mid-range shots and KAT missing layups while they get burned in transition. In the blink of an eye, the Mavs were on an 11-0 run, and the deficit was 18 points as MSG began to boo.

After it got to 20, you got a brief run from KAT where he hit a corner three, and he got a dunk in transition after a Josh Hart steal, but that run came to a screeching halt on an interesting stepback three that somehow turned into a Flagrant 1 on Towns because he kicked Dwight Powell in the groin. One step forward, two steps back.

There’s always a point in a blowout where things just get away from you and in that second quarter, things got away from the Knicks.

It’s not even worth talking about the rest of that quarter. Christie nailed six threes in the first half, a Mavericks team that is the 26th best shooting team in basketball was shooting 60% from behind the arc, and the Knickerbockers were booed off the court with an unfathomable 75-47 deficit on national television.

The largest halftime deficit in a decade.

The Mavs got the lead up to 30 early in the third, but the Knicks showed some increased effort on both ends to slowly shave the lead down. Now, they still couldn’t make threes (aside from KAT, I guess), and they still got absolutely grilled by Christie, but the effort was better.

Every time they seemed to be going on a run, though, they missed an open shot, missed free throws, or allowed an open three. It was always something, even if the team was able to get the lead down to 19.

This was an interesting game from Karl-Anthony Towns. He missed so many close shots, to the point where I started thinking his struggles had produced a yips-like effect. Yet, he was more aggressive than he has been of late, which is encouraging. His jumper looked cleaner. Yet, he was still doing dumb things. One big shrug emoji from this game.

Was also a weird game for Brunson, who just looked a tick off. He was missing some open shots that he had and seemed to be caught inbetween getting his own shot and playmaking for his teammates. It’s fine, I guess, but not when everyone else is struggling and the defense is this bad.

There was a funny sequence with two minutes left in the half that encapsulated this game. Brunson got a floater partially blocked off the glass, Mitch missed a putback dunk, and Deuce missed a contested mid-range. Nothing’s going right.

Dallas fell asleep at the wheel briefly, but refocused to get the lead back to 25 in the dying seconds of the quarter. The Knicks won the third, but trailed 94-71.

A sub-plot of this game that was at least interesting as the Knicks ran out the clock was Towns and Powell. Towns kept extending his knee into the groin of Powell, and it finally got called with 10 minutes left. The funny part of this one was one where Powell kicked Towns in the crotch, albeit after the play.

Some brutal missed open threes over the next few minutes prevented the Knicks from making this interesting, but they cut the deficit to 18 with 7:12 left after Naji Marshall finally started missing and KAT hit Bridges for a lob layup to force a rare timeout from Jason Kidd.

Lead was down to 17 on a Hart 3 with 6:15 left. Down to 15 on a Brunson floater with 5:15 left. Just when it looked like maybe they’d make this interesting, they gave up a putback layup to Moussa Cisse, and then Hart turned it over on the inbound.

Mike Brown emptied the bench at 2:45 and that was that. Some notes I came up with during the game:

• Fastbreak points were 32-4 Dallas. The Knicks aren’t a big transition team, but goodness.
• One of Mitchell Robinson’s better games. In a first half where everyone was awful, he had 12 and 12. He finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds in 19 minutes. NYK also won the possession battle with 17 offensive rebounds.
• The Knicks have been one of the worst shooting teams in January. They’ve had brutal offensive stretches, and today was another rough one. 40% from the field and 29% from 3. It’s the fourth time in January they’ve shot 40% or worse from the field.
• Max Christie’s eight three-pointers are tied for the third most ever by an opponent at MSG. Only 2013 Steph Curry and… 2019 Devonte Graham(?) have more.
• Visually, I thought Klay was having a “turn back the clock” game. I checked the statsheet, and he had 14 points on meh shooting and was minus-8. Alright, then.
• While the offense never got better, I appreciate the Knicks’ increased effort defensively in the second half. The Mavs shot 11-for-20 from 3 in the first half, but just 3-for-9 in the second half. Knicks held them to 11-for-30 from the field overall and forced nine turnovers after allowing them to shoot 54% in the first half.

You can’t call any game a gimme with the team’s recent struggles, but you hope a game against the crosstown rival Nets will wake them up. Knicks-Nets at MSG on Wednesday, January 21, at 7:30 pm.

The last Mavericks blowout in MSG was an inflection point for a struggling team. The team looked inward and the coaching staff made a change. Can we get a similar experience in a similar circumstance?

That’s out of our control as fans.

Who would’ve thought that the Minnesota Timberwolves would be 27-14 at the halfway point of the season? Probably the five of you who predicted that Minnesota would finish with a 54-28 record in our predictions edition of Canis Pulsus! Three and a half months later, 72 voters shared their grades. Welcome to…

Canis Pulsus Vol. 46 – Semester 1 Report Card

(Note: Canis Pulsus Vol. 46 data was collected through 1/16 before the Houston Rockets game)

Anthony Edwards

A (40.3%)

Quarter 1: A- (47.1%)

There should be no surprise here, as the recently snubbed All-Star starter has been having a career season on the offensive end of the court. The Wolves are only going to go as far as Ant can carry them, and all indications is that he’s going to carry them very far.

Full voting results:

Julius Randle

A / B+ (31.9% each)

Quarter 1: B+ (38.2%)

Big Ju had an up-and-down first quarter of the season, but has rounded into form in the second quarter. He’s been fantastic in the games that Ant has been out and has been punishing any defender in front of him. What once felt like a salary cap placeholder now looks like a foundational part of the Wolves.

Full voting results:

Jaden McDaniels

A / A- (31% each)

Quarter 1: A- / B+ (35.3%)

Slim has his faults. He still gets into these funks when he’s in foul trouble or emotionally rickety, but he has certain continued to show his evolution, particularly on offense. The secondary playmaking is there, while he’s thriving when called upon as the primary scoring option.

Full voting results:

Rudy Gobert

A (33.3%)

Quarter 1: B+ (35.3%)

Rudy has really time-traveled back to his prime form. Or maybe that form never left. Whatever the case is, he’s certainly making his case for a NBA record fifth Defensive Player of the Year. Even more impressive has been his improvement on the other end of the court (Free throw woes not withstanding). He’s finishing with ferocity and making accurate reads in the short roll.

Full voting results:

Donte DiVincenzo

B (34.7%)

Quarter 1: B (35.3%)

The Donte rollercoaster from perimeter continues. He’s just below his career average from three (37.9%) and though that isn’t a terrible mark, it’s his worst since four seasons ago. Big Ragu will need to find more consistency in his stroke if he wants to improve from his B grades.

Full voting results:

Naz Reid

B(40.8%)

Quarter 1: B- (35.3%)

Naz Reid has really found himself as the season has progressed. Sure, he’s no dynamo on defense, but he’s been scorching hot on offense. In the second quarter of the season, he’s shooting about 50% from the field and over 40% from beyond the arc.

Full voting results:

Mike Conley

C- (23.9%)

Quarter 1: C (29.4%)

Minnesota Mike has continued to lose his touch. Sure, he’s not getting as much opportunity on the court, but he’s averaging almost all career lows across the board. Most telling is his field goal percentage which is down to career-worst 34.9%. These may be the final months of Conley’s career, sadly.

Full voting results:

Jaylen Clark

B- (31.9%)

Quarter 1: B+ (21.2%)

I believe the “Record When Jaylen Clark Plays At Least 15 Minutes” is sitting at 16-2, but we have seen a bit more slippage in his game. Not only is his three-point percentage down to sub 30%, but he hasn’t quite been the point-of-attack defensive ace that we were used to seeing. He’ll still make momentum changing energy plays, but we’ll need more from young Clark County moving forward.

Full voting results:

Bones Hyland

B+ (30%)

Quarter 1: Incomplete

Bones has entered the chat this second quarter of the season. The 25-year-old has shown many flashes in this second quarter of the season. He’s a classic fan favorite and not just for his chin waving celebration. Bones plays with a carefree attitude, for better or worse, that is reminiscent of a young Jamal Crawford. Will he be able to bring more consistency in his minutes while competing on defense? He sure seems to have the chance to do so, unlike…

Full voting results:

Rob Dillingham

F (26.1%)

Quarter 1: C- (32.4%)

It pains me to write this, but it seems like the Rob Dillingham Timberwolves era is over. Just the other night, we saw Johnny Juzang, then Leonard Miller, get meaningful minutes ahead of Dillingham. He might score some impressive buckets in garbage time, but even those highlights are sandwiched between unconfident play filled with mistakes.

Full voting results:

Terrence Shannon Jr. / Leonard Miller / Joan Beringer / Joe Ingles / Johnny Juzang

Incomplete

Coaching staff

B+ (33.8%)

Quarter 1: B (29.4%)

Chris Finch and his team has continued to try pulling different levers throughout the season. It wasn’t a smooth first quarter, but he seems to have found rotations and a mix of players who have played much more consistent basketball in the second quarter.

Full voting results:

Front office

A- (31.9%)

Quarter 1: B (29.4%)

Sometimes no move is the best move. The Wolves haven’t jumped the gun to trade for a Ja Morant (Pun not intended, kinda) or blow things up. There’s still smoke around whether or not they plan to add a guard or wing to the rotation, but by next quarter, the trade deadline will have passed and we will have seen what their plan is for the rest of this season.

Full voting results:

Ownership

A (31.9%)

Quarter 1: B (26.5%)

What happens when you make amends with the most important player in franchise history? That’s an easy A for Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. Bringing Kevin Garnett back into the fold is going to absolutely blow the roof off Target Center, whenever that’s going to happen.

Full voting results:

Will the Wolves make the play-in tournament?

No (Earn top 6 seed) (88.7%)

Quarter 1: No (Earn top 6 seed) (88.2%)

Full voting results:

Will the Wolves make the playoffs?

Yes (100%)

Quarter 1: Yes (100%)

Full voting results:

What do you hope the Wolves accomplish during the next quarter of the season the most?

Earn homecourt advantage with a top four seed finish

Quarter 1: Increase effectiveness and consistency of defensive effort

Over 20% of responses were focused on the Western Conference standings. It’s going to be a photo finish when it all shakes out, but ideally the Wolves can finagle their way into a top three seed, effectively “dodging” the Oklahoma City Thunder until a potential Conference Finals rematch.

Other common answers included fixing/trading Rob Dillingham, and finding more opportunities for Joan Beringer.

With a quarter of the regular season over, my feelings on the direction of the Wolves are…

Very optimistic (70.8%)

Preseason: Very optimistic (63.3%)
Quarter 1: Slightly optimistic (61.8%)

There’s that optimism we’ve been missing! It looks like voters are ready to believe in the Wolves again.

Full voting results:

It looks like the Wolves were sandbagging after that 2.92 first quarter progress report, as they ended up on Honors Roll with an impressive 3.13 GPA. Go ahead and order that bumper sticker, Wolves fans!

Inside the NBA’s push to launch a European league, the legal tension with EuroLeague, and why the fight for basketball’s future is heating up.

FIBA, basketball's global governing body, first introduced the EuroLeague in 1958 as the continent's premier competition. But over the last 25 years, FIBA has lost its grip on the operation. There was a split in 2000 with the Union of European Leagues of Basketball, where top clubs chose sides in competing operations, with ULEB ultimately gaining control.

EuroLeague is now a privately run company controlled by EuroLeague Commercial Assets, which has long held a stranglehold over Europe's second-most-popular sport. But over the last year, the NBA has signaled interest in forming a competing league of its own alongside FIBA to grow the sport in a region where 15% of the league's players now come, including some of the world's biggest modern superstars and nearly every league MVP this decade.

"We have been talking about this for decades at the NBA," Leah MacNab, the league's senior vice president, head of international strategy & operations, told Boardroom last week from Berlin, where the NBA was hosting a regular-season game between the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. Brother Franz and Mo Wagner first played at hometown EuroLeague club Alba Berlin before starring for the Magic, and the NBA was playing its first-ever regular-season game in Germany before the two teams headed to London on Sunday. MacNab said a register-your-interest campaign on social media for the games received 450,000 responses.

Franz Wagner gets a ROARING ovation as he's introduced in Berlin 🔊

Grizzlies-Magic in the NBA Berlin Game presented by Tissot on Prime! pic.twitter.com/ckBvgByRpd

— NBA (@NBA) January 15, 2026

NBA Europe, the league's internal working title for the operation, was first seriously floated last year in partnership with FIBA and now has a projected start date of fall 2027. The league would have 10-12 permanent members and four to six rotating members who could qualify under some competitive format to be determined by FIBA, emulating the model of the EuroLeague, with 12 permanent members and six rotating spots. But the biggest reason why the NBA is trying its hand at a European league is a simple market inefficiency.

"We think that the current structure really doesn't take advantage of the commercial opportunities," MacNab said. "So, we wanted to put our hats in the ring, and we're really excited to take this to the next step."

The next steps are finding the right markets, teams, and ownership groups for permanent members. Meetings took place last week during the NBA's Eurotrip, with JP Morgan Chase and the Raine Group advising on the discussions. The membership will likely come from a combination of existing EuroLeague teams and top European soccer clubs looking to expand into hoops in markets where the league sees room for growth. And unlike the NBA, where sovereign wealth funds from Gulf states are limited in the stakes they can take in teams, MacNab said she expects NBA Europe to operate a little differently in that regard.

One particular meeting in London, per The Athletic, was attended by EuroLeague members Real Madrid, Barcelona, Olimpia Milano, Greek power Panathinaikos, Alba Berlin, and Lyon-area ASVEL, which is owned by NBA legend Tony Parker. The NBA also met up with representatives from soccer giants Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and AC Milan, as well as Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Blackstone, and Arctos. Qatar Sports Investments, which owns Paris Saint-Germain, has also been linked to the NBA Europe project, while the league reportedly additionally met up with EuroLeague member and Istanbul power Fenerbahce in Berlin.

The NBA has recently played regular-season games in Berlin, London, and Paris, and will hold its first-ever regular-season game in Manchester next year. In a press conference in Berlin on Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he's very familiar with Alba Berlin's success. He confirmed discussions with Real Madrid and other Spanish clubs, and said Istanbul is a market he's looking at. Madrid, Fenerbahce, and ASVEL are reportedly three permanent EuroLeague members who have held off on signing long-term extensions to stay in the league. While MacNab said that there's no financial number the league is looking for right now for membership fees, a recent report claimed the league is targeting valuations of up to $1 billion.

Not surprisingly, the EuroLeague won't let potential key members leave without a fight. Amid a report last week that claimed the EuroLeague sent a letter to the NBA stating that it would take legal action if the league had discussions with teams signed to EuroLeague contracts, Silver told reporters, "I send the legal letters to my lawyers, so I'll let them handle that."

A source close to the NBA told Boardroom that the league hasn't engaged with anyone about an NBA Europe opportunity that they are not free to discuss. But there could be a pretty easy escape hatch for any interested party that has that particular conflict, as FC Barcelona is rumored to have. EuroLeague shareholders such as Barcelona, which recently signed a 10-year extension, reportedly have exit clauses of around €10 million, a relatively modest sum in what Silver has repeatedly described as a long-term play on the continent.

"I don't think by any means it's inevitable that there is a clash," Silver said when asked about the EuroLeague. "If I thought that the ceiling was the existing EuroLeague and their fan interest, we wouldn't be spending the kind of time and attention we are on this project."

MacNab told Boardroom she thinks NBA Europe and the EuroLeague can co-exist long term on the continent and believes that there's room for the two leagues to even compete against each other in the same markets. The NBA, in partnership with FIBA, has approached the EuroLeague several times but said it hasn't been able to reach a partnership that makes sense for either side.

“The NBA has been announcing and announcing things for a year, but still it’s nothing that you can grasp on,” EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas told the Associated Press over the weekend. "We've only heard the plan or the fireworks of how amazing it will be, how much potential there is. The ’27 start is already around the corner.”

While MacNab acknowledged that the NBA has a lot to sort out over the next 18-20 months, the league is confident in its plan and path forward.

"We think that there's enough interest both from fans and from investors," she said. "There's enough talent out there at a very top-tier level to make this a compelling product."

What's clear is that the war over the future of European basketball is only beginning, and likely won't be ending even if and when NBA Europe gets off the ground later next year.

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About 90 minutes before Monday’s game, Josh Hart was answering questions from a couple of reporters. Someone asked him about the Knicks’ then 2-8 stretch.

“I think it’s a combination of stuff. Just gotta be better defensively, more physical, into the ball, more effort, more energy. That kind of stuff. I can’t say that I’m surprised because obviously January – middle of January especially – those are the kind of dog days of the season. So not too surprised,” Hart said. “You kind of see a few teams around kind of showing that fatigue. You know, it happens every year.”

Hart wasn’t excusing the Knicks’ poor play. But he didn’t sound too worried about it.

About four hours later – after the Knicks put up a no-show performance against the Mavericks – Hart had a different take on the team.

“We have to go out there with a sense of urgency,” Hart said. “At this point, (more than) 40 games in, normally you don’t put too much into struggles, because there’s highs and lows, but at this point we have to play desperate, because that’s (where) we are right now.”

Now, the Knicks have lost nine of their last 11 games. They have a bottom 5 defense in that span; New York may have hit rock bottom on that side of the ball Monday when Dallas put up 75 points in the first half.

It was one of the worst losses of the Jalen Brunson era. And one that led to a damning comparison between this year’s team and last year’s team, which reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

“I think last year no matter what we did, the effort was there. I haven’t seen this kind of effort that we had today, it was embarrassing,” Hart said.

He referenced a game last season when the Knicks leaned on effort and physicality to win.

“We didn’t shoot the ball, we couldn’t score, but we said, ‘We’re gonna lock in, and we’re gonna play defense, we’re gonna play physical, and we’re gonna make it tough.’ It’s the same group of guys, so how we’re playing right now is really inexcusable,” Hart said. “We all gotta look in the mirror and do some soul searching.”

How did the Knicks reach this point? How did a team that started the season 23-9 end up here?

In digging around on this, one theme has come up consistently over the past couple of weeks:

This group is not tied together in the way that their early season success would suggest. Players haven't fully bought into their roles under head coach Mike Brown. Those reasons are cited often when you talk to people about the Knicks’ flaws.

Now, these issues aren’t unique to this year’s team. They existed to a degree in the locker room last season. But the Knicks coaching change hasn't rooted them out.

The firing of Tom Thibodeau and hiring of Brown was never going to cure all that ailed the Knicks. But the move definitely raised the stakes for New York. 

That was made clear earlier this month when owner James Dolan said in a WFAN interview that he expects the Knicks to reach – and win – the NBA Finals. 

A few weeks ago, Dolan’s expectations seemed reasonable. The Knicks started the season 23-9; they won the NBA Cup in Las Vegas last month.

But things have fallen apart since then.

New York is 27th in opponent three-point percentage; the club has one of the NBA’s worst defenses over the past four weeks. Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled on both ends of the floor for much of the season.

It’s easy to point the finger at the new head coach. Certainly, Brown and his staff deserve criticism for the club’s freefall.

But what about the front office? Management’s three biggest acquisitions (Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby) haven’t played at a high level with any consistency this season. The 2025 free agent signings (Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson) haven’t provided the depth the Knicks were looking for.

So how does it all get turned around? The Knicks don't have much flexibility from here. They can use draft capital and/or Miles McBride to acquire a significant rotation player. It may be tough for the Knicks to recoup value in a Yabusele trade because of his 2026-27 player option.

Sure, Leon Rose & Co can execute a larger trade. But that would mean giving up on a core that they put together two summers ago.

Would Rose and his group make that kind of move? They probably don’t want to. But more losses like Monday’s may force their hand.

Winter blues? Derrick White is battling his annual January slump originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

New Englanders know January can be a brutal month. The days are short and bitterly cold. Winter storm warnings seem to exist in perpetuity. All that holiday glee resides in the rearview mirror, and yet spring seems so far away.

January is a brutal month for NBA players, too. The body is feeling the effects of the first 41 games, but there’s still 41 more to go. There are trade rumors and a relentless game schedule. The All-Star break can’t arrive soon enough. Surviving the January doldrums feels like a legitimate chore.

And, if you’re Derrick White, January can’t seem to pass without a maddening shooting slump.

In his four full seasons since joining the Celtics, White has routinely slumped his way through January. It might have cost him an All-Star nod during the 2024 title season. On Monday night, in a showdown of Eastern Conference titans, White missed 10 of the 11 shots he hoisted against the Pistons and turned hesitant during the fourth-quarter moments where he typically thrives.

White was field-goal-less when he stepped to the free throw line early in the fourth quarter to shoot a technical freebie. He missed that one, too — in a game the Celtics would lose by a point, 104-103.

The numbers confirm what’s been hiding in plain sight: January is White’s toughest month. In his four full seasons since joining Boston, White’s scoring plummets to his lowest output of the seven regular-season months. It’s the only month in that span that he’s shooting under 40 percent from the field overall, and his January 3-point percentage is the worst of the seven months as well.

It’s fair to wonder if White is feeling the effects of Jayson Tatum’s absence. While he’s pushed back on the suggestion that scoring has become more difficult while elevating to the No. 2 option, his shooting woes suggest otherwise.

Of the 154 players averaging at least eight shots per game with at least 25 games played this season, White ranks 149th in field goal percentage at 39.1 percent. Of the 113 players in that same group who average at least four 3-pointers per game, White ranks 105th in 3-point percentage at 32.4 percent.

But January has still been his cruelest month. White, who has now failed to reach double digits in scoring in his last three games, is shooting 36.7 percent from the field and 24.7 percent on 3s in 10 games this month. 

Wake White up when January ends.

The good news: History suggests White typically rebounds well in February. That has been both his highest scoring month and his best shooting month (by far) over the past four seasons. White is averaging 17.3 points per game over his last four Februarys, while shooting 49.6 percent overall and 43 percent beyond the arc.

It says something about White’s ability to impact the game in so many other ways that he has lingered in the All-Star conversation despite his obvious shooting woes.

On Monday night, White registered a team-high five assists to go along with nine rebounds (including five on the offensive glass) and two blocks. White was the closest defender on 24 of Detroit’s shot attempts, an insanely high number even by his All-Defense standards. He’ll get votes for Defensive Player of the Year. 

The potential in-season return of Tatum could go a long way toward improving the shot quality White enjoys in the second half of the season. Some of the Celtics’ inconsistent ways in recent weeks could be alleviated by White simply getting himself back on track with his offensive output. That Boston is still second in the NBA in offensive rating despite White’s shooting woes is very impressive.

There are six more games to navigate in January. White has played in 40 of Boston’s 41 games this season and could be due for a night off along the way. The Celtics ought to change all the calendars in the Auerbach Center to February to see if they can accelerate White out of his January slump. 

LeBron James missed out on selection as an NBA All-Star starter for first time in 22 years, but the Los Angeles Lakers star could still feature in February's event.

On Monday, the NBA announced the 10 players voted as starters, including Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, the Lakers' Luka Doncic and San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.

Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the 2026 starters, while current NBA players and a media panel each accounted for 25%.

The five players with the best score in each conference were named as starters across the three teams, with international players playing for the world team.

James, 41, was ranked ninth overall in the Western Conference by voters.

The NBA's all-time leading scorer can still earn selection as a reserve for the game held in Los Angeles on 15 February, but he will have to rely on a panel of NBA coaches to play as one of the 14 reserves.

James was selected in 2025 but did not play in the event after picking up an injury.

The All-Star game has been revamped this season and will feature two teams of players from the United States and one team of international players.

They will compete in a round-robin tournament comprising of four 12-minute games. The top two teams will then face each other in a championship game.

Players selected from Eastern Conference:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo - Milwaukee Bucks
• Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics
• Jalen Brunson - New York Knicks
• Cade Cunningham - Detroit Pistons
• Tyrese Maxey - Philadelphia 76ers

Players selected from Western Conference:

• Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors
• Luka Doncic - Los Angeles Lakers
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets
• Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

More questions answered...

• What changes are being made to 2026 NBA All-Star game?
• What is the NBA's controversial '65-game rule' and how is it impacting players?
• What is an ACL injury and why is it so serious?

After last night’s victory against the Utah Jazz, Victor Wembanyama was asked about being selected to the All-Star staring five. Immediately after discussing the honor, the focus shifted to baldness.

When asked about Carter Bryant’s standout performance, Wemby responded,

“It was great, it was great. Feels like now he makes dunks, he don’t want to let the hair go.”

Wembanyama is referring to the recent posts that Carter Bryant was offered $20,000 to shave his head. Thus far, Victor and Keldon Johnson have ceremoniously shaved their heads while Jordan McLaughlin was ahead of the curve.

Bryant was offered the stipend to join in the festivities. When he turned it down, De’Aaron Fox said that if Bryant blew three more dunks he’d not have an option to shave his head.

Wemby believes despite making the dunk and turning down the money, Bryant will come around.

“I think everybody needs more bald players. I think it’s a show of dedication, at least from my point of view. I think Carter’s coming next if I had to bet on it.”

When asked if Wemby, as a team leader could exert his power and influence to lobby for more shave players, he replied wryly,

“I definitely am. And we need to start having contracts and conditions.”

His influence thus far has garnered the respect of his fans and peers in the Jackals as well as members of the Spurs crew.

There was even some in-arena fun from The Coyote focused on bald members of the audience.

We all know when Wemby wraps his head around an idea, he gets people on board. After all, the Jackals was his brainchild.

Now the head is bald and he’s putting his energy behind getting his teammates on board.

In his postgame interview, Harrison Barnes stated he wasnt against shaving his head as long ias it was his decision. He also hypothesized that Stephon Castle will be the last to shave his head.

Even NBA on Prime got in on the trend.

Who will be next to go under the shaver? Only time will tell.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

It probably was not as smooth as you would have drawn it up, but the Suns took care of business in Brooklyn on Monday night. They never fully shook the Nets, yet they controlled the game anyway. Brooklyn was doing it on the second night of a back-to-back, which made it even more impressive, especially after falling into an early 20-point hole. You could feel the Nets gaining confidence as the night went on. They shot 50.6% from the field and 39.5% from deep and kept pushing.

The difference came on the defensive end, specifically in how Phoenix handled Michael Porter Jr. The plan was clear: let the kids around him fire. Make everything he wanted uncomfortable. It worked. He finished with 23 points, but it took 23 shots to get there, including 2-of-10 from beyond the arc.

The Suns led nearly wire-to-wire after a brief 6-3 deficit, though a 15-2 run to close the second quarter let Brooklyn linger longer than ideal. Same story in the fourth. Not perfect. Still effective. Phoenix held on for win number 26.

It was a full team effort to reach 126 points. Three players cleared 20. Six finished in double figures. Scoring came from everywhere. The road trip now sits at 2-2 with two games left, and the Suns are back to even at 12-12 away from home.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

It was close after the Suns’ win over the Knicks, with the entire bench mob pulling in 28% of the total vote. But one guy separated himself from the pack, and that was Jordan Goodwin.

His 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, paired with the defensive pressure he brought as part of that second unit, helped steady the game when it started to wobble. That impact did not go unnoticed, and it earned him his third Bright Side Baller of the season.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 43 against the Nets. Here are your nominees:

Dillon Brooks
27 points (8-of-15, 6-of-9 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 turnovers, +7 +/-

Devin Booker
24 points (10-of-18, 1-of-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, +7 +/-

Collin Gillespie
22 points (7-of-10, 5-of-7 3PT), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, +16 +/-

Mark Williams
16 points (5-of-6), 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers, +12 +/-

Grayson Allen
14 points (5-of-13, 4-of-10 3PT), 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 0 turnovers, -7 +/-

Royce O’Neale
11 points (4-of-8, 3-of-7 3PT), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 turnovers, +13 +/-

Who gets it?

The Atlanta Hawks suffered their fourth successive loss, and a loss at home on MLK Day on Monday afternoon in a closely fought 112-100 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks’ charge in the fourth quarter, scoring 32 points. Jalen Johnson added 28 points and 16 rebounds. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 21 points, and Bobby Portis scored 19 points.

Off the back of a massive loss against the Boston Celtics, the Hawks welcomed back Dyson Daniels and Luke Kennard to the rotation, while Hawks head coach Quin Snyder made an additional change to the starting lineup by inserting Corey Kispert in place of — the struggling of late — Vit Krejci. CJ McCollum, meanwhile, returned to the bench with Daniels returning.

The story of the first, undoubtedly was the Hawks’ struggles shooting the three-pointer, missing their first 21 attempts from distance — basically going through the entire first half without making a three before McCollum made the Hawks’ first three with 27 seconds remaining in the first half.

The Hawks have looked leggy on jump shots of late — which, they hope, will be helped by a lighter schedule coming up — and Monday afternoon was no exception. Some of these shots they were unlucky not to see go down — the Hawks worked their opportunities well in the first half but had almost nothing to show for it.

The Hawks, finally, found their feet shooting the three-pointer in the second half, but did so as the Bucks — and Myles Turner — briefly found their own form shooting three, keeping the lead around 20 points in the beginning stages of the third quarter. A 10-0 run brought the Milwaukee lead down to 13 points, before an 18-4 run brought the lead below single digits — hope had returned. The Bucks looked as though they had stabilized in the fourth quarter, taking a 13-point lead in the early exchanges in the fourth quarter after a Kevin Porter Jr. and-one.

An Alexander-Walker brought the Milwaukee lead down to nine points with 6:57 remaining (leading to a timeout), and from this point forward it was the Alexander-Walker and McCollum show. Alexander-Walker would take the starring role, igniting for five threes in the fourth quarter, and his shot-making was instrumental to the Atlanta comeback.

McCollum chipped in too and, starting from that 6:57 mark on that Alexander-Walker three, combined with Alexander-Walker to score the next 24 points the Hawks scored — finally broken by a three from Jalen Johnson with 1:10 remaining (from which point forward, normal service was resumed between Alexander-Walker and McCollum).

These baskets from Alexander-Walker (especially) and McCollum brought the Hawks back within the game, and Atlanta faithful was rewarded with a clutch game down the stretch. Let’s look at how it unfolded and where the game was lost on this occasion.

Down four points with just over two and a half minutes remaining, Alexander-Walker continues his fourth quarter effort by coming off of a pin down set by Onyeka Okongwu, coming around the screen, receiving the ball, and rising into the three:

A good switch by Porter Jr. here to get a good contest. It’s just an even better shot by Alexander-Walker, and a good screen from Okongwu to facilitate it.

On the probe by Porter Jr., Dyson Daniels does an excellent job defensively to get through the Antetokounmpo screen and contest the shot, forcing the Milwaukee miss, and now, giving the Hawks a chance to take the lead:

Just brilliant on-ball defense from Daniels, especially to get through the screen and stay with Porter Jr.

After two missed free throws by Johnson — denying a great opportunity to give the Hawks their first lead since the first half — and a missed shot by Antetokounmpo, the Hawks take the lead thanks to made free throws from McCollum. This was short-lived, as the threat of the Antetokounmpo screen (which he slips) puts Daniels behind the play, and forces McCollum to switch from Green to Porter Jr. Daniels switches to Green, but it’s not enough to prevent Green draining his sixth three of the game:

It’s a well worked play from the Bucks, and the slip from Antetokounmpo really puts Daniels behind the play, who likely expected having to go around the stationary Antetokounmpo on the screen.

The Milwaukee lead itself was, briefly, short-lived, as McCollum draws the Bucks’ defense in the corner and kicks the ball out to Johnson above the break, who rises into the three to give the Hawks a 105-104 lead with 1:11 remaining:

It’s a good job by McCollum, operating in a tight space in the corner — with Daniels keeping Porter Jr. close-by — and another shot that is well contested by Porter Jr. Just another better shot made by the Hawks, in this case, by Jalen Johnson.

The Bucks would trade another blow to the Hawks’ newly found lead, with the Bucks using the threat of the two-man between Antetokounmpo and Green (which yielded a lot of success in this game) to open up an avenue offensively. In this case, the threat of a Green three prompts McCollum to chase around the screen to cover Green opens up the roll for Antetokounmpo. When Porter Jr. slips the pass to his roller, it prompts Johnson to slide over to plug the gap. This opens up Portis in the corner, and good use of a fake sends Johnson into the Hawks’ bench, while Portis hits the three to give the Bucks the lead once again:

Portis is shooting over 47% from three this season; it’s hard to blame Johnson a ton for committing to the challenge on Portis here. Prior to that, the Bucks run the play exactly as they should through Giannis and Green — it was their most consistent avenue to score, and with Green shooting as he did in this game the Hawks couldn’t afford to be burned by another three from him.

Faced with a favorable switch onto Ryan Rollins, Johnson looks to take it to the chest of Rollins, but as he bounces into Rollins the force of the bump knocks the ball loose and picked up by Antetokounmpo, who pushes the ball in transition and finishes at the rim to give the Bucks a four point lead with 36 seconds remaining, and an Atlanta timeout:

A tough break for Johnson, who on the last two possessions was sent to the shops by Portis for the three and then turns the ball over for a costly fastbreak basket (and, arguably, lucky not to be called for the foul on Antetokounmpo).

A tough, fading shot from McCollum at the rim out of the timeout brings the Hawks back within two, and once the Bucks get past half-court the fouling game begins. Kyle Kuzma hits both free throws to restore the four-point lead, and the Hawks take their final timeout. Out of which, Daniels (who was a threat for the Bucks inbounding the ball and then cutting), delivers the ball to Alexander-Walker back on the perimeter, who hits the three to bring the lead to one point:

The play provided an insight to how the Hawks were willing to play this one out: everything rode on this three. A quick two — which Daniels could have driven to the rim — and the Hawks can still play the foul game. Missing the three would have ended the game there and then. Fortunately for the Hawks, Alexander-Walker had the hot hand, and he keeps the Hawks’ hope alive:

A very quick foul on Ryan Rollins gives the Hawks plenty of time to get down the court — no matter how Rollins shoots from the line — and get a chance for a decent shot. Rollins splits the pair, meaning even just a two would give the Hawks a chance to send the game to overtime. Johnson inbounds the ball to McCollum, who brings the ball up the floor, gets stuck, stumbles, and puts up a tough shot which is missed, and the game comes to an empty end:

It’s a horrible possession for McCollum, who had a good fourth quarter right up this point. He just gets stuck and has to find a way to get the ball anywhere, away from the situation he found himself in. For one of Johnson, or, especially, Alexander-Walker to not get the final shot is tough for the Hawks. Alas, this was the way of things, and the Hawks’ comeback from a terrible shooting half falls agonizingly short.

Asked about the final possession, Quin Snyder discussed that while the Hawks didn’t have a timeout these are scenarios they try to prepare for. Snyder was pleased with the Hawks’ spacing on the play and believed it just unfortunate that the ball was tipped away.

“We didn’t have any timeouts and those are situations you work on in practice, and it was one of the ones we had touched,” said Snyder of the final possession. “Really trust CJ with the ball and thought we got into a position where we were going to get a good shot: either he was going to get one or he was going to kick it out, and the ball just got tipped. It’s hard to fault. I should preface it by saying it’s not just one play, but we actually executed. Sometimes you do that and don’t get the right result, but the floor was open, we had guys spaced, JJ was on the trail. The ball just got tipped.”

Nickeil Alexander-Walker provided a more detailed perspective of the final play and his perspective of it, and how the play began to unravel before his eyes.

“The last play I know coach had a call,” began Alexander-Walker. “I was running to the corner to be prepared for said call. CJ was coming down. I was waiting for the action to begin. Based on the spacing, I was hesitant to continue just because I guess the live read was different from the call. It was just about me staying spaced and being ready. The help guy gambled — and I was kind of shocked that he did just with it being Corey, and usually in late game you want to stay as solid as you can be. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the shot we wanted.”

As Snyder mentioned, the Hawks losing this game went beyond this missed shot from McCollum. It’s hard to look anywhere else other than the Hawks’ first half shooting: 1-of-22 from three (0-of-21 to start). By the end of the first half, the Bucks had eight three-pointers (outscoring the Hawks 24-0 in that department) and led by 16 points. Despite this, Snyder was pleased with how the Hawks continued to play the right way on both ends of the floor.

“It was our whole team,” said Snyder of the Hawks’ shooting struggles. “I think we were 1-of-21 from three — we’re better shooters than that. We were getting great looks. It’s really easy when that happens to stop doing the things that got us those shots. You can lose your resolve to keep playing that way. That was a big topic for us at the half: ‘Let’s keep doing what we’re doing, eventually we’re going to make some shots.’ When we score 72 points in the second half, 33 assists on 39 field goals, that’s how we want to play. If some of those shots go in it’s a different ball-game. Those are the things that are hard to control: whether the ball goes in. What we can control is the kind of shots we’re getting, and we were getting great looks — we were open.

“Having said that, it’s very easy — when you’re not seeing the ball go in the basket — to let up, get frustrated, and it carries over to the defensive end. That didn’t happen either. Holding a team like that to what we did and just continuing to grind and play, in spite of the fact we were missing shots, gave us an opportunity to stay in the game until we did make some. This is one of the games you wish you got the affirmation of a win, but I think our guys took a big step as far as their connectivity and how we need to play. I thought we ran well, even late in the game, and a couple of shots that went in that Milwaukee shot that you tip your hat — they’re not easy shots. What we take from this is how we play, if we continue to play that way the scoreboard will reflect it.”

“The good thing about it is we kept shooting, despite all the misses,” added Jalen Johnson. “That’s tough, and rare to go for 0-for-21, it’s unlike us. Sometimes, you’ve got to adjust. We came out in the second half and started making shots.”

The Hawks shot 11-of-20 from three in the second half, with Alexander-Walker shooting 5-of-6 from three in the fourth quarter alone, describing how the Hawks’ shooting would eventually even out. He also outlined his belief in how the Hawks’ energy and their approach to their play would be a dictating factor in the Hawks’ shooting and general play.

“It goes back to the law of averages of basketball and understanding the realities of the game,” said Alexander-Walker. “You’re not going to make shots all the time. Sometimes the ones that feel good miss, sometimes the ones that feel nasty go in somehow. That was the tale of the night, but we found a way to chip away at it. We understood a lot of shots we were getting were good shots. One thing I did learn and could feel: despite the shots going in or going out — whatever the game was giving us — our energy and mentality towards it will change everything. I feel the game follows the energy, and our energy changed our — I want to say — spirit, to a degree… You can feel it more in the second half than the first half. The first half, we were getting great looks. We make those shots, maybe it’s a different outcome. Nonetheless, woulda, coulda, shoulda.

“The main thing is our energy is what gave us a fighting chance, and we played through mistakes and the game went up and down, and they responded to our run. We threw another punch, and those are the things that carry on for the rest of the 37-something games (remaining in the season).”

The Hawks were unlucky in the first half, it must be said. They missed a lot of threes that on different nights would go in — to shoot 0-of-21 for, basically, an entire half is almost unheard of (the Pacers came close this season, shooting 1-of-20 in a half). Despite these struggles shooting the three, there were some strong, solid individual games from the Hawks.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s game in the second half was transformative in this game. Often this season, Alexander-Walker has stepped up in the fourth quarter for the Hawks and Monday afternoon was another such example. Having begun the game 2-of-10 from three through three quarters, Alexander-Walker finished shooting 43% from three — an achievement given how he began shooting in this game. While Johnson hit a big three, and McCollum hit some tough shots too — his threes galvanized the Hawks in this game. Alexander-Walker finished with 32 points on 9-of-20 from the field, 7-of-16 from three, and 7-of-7 from the free throw line.

Alexander-Walker and McCollum went on a combined run in the fourth quarter, scoring 24 straight points between them, and the ever-insightful Alexander-Walker outlined the adjustment playing next to McCollum.

“I think it’s just about reading points of attack and playing off-ball with movement,” said Alexander-Walker. “I know in the first half I had drove, he had hit to me, set a screen, then I got stopped, he peeled off, I hit him, he was able to drive a close-out and get a layup — small things like that. The more we use our skillset and tools together, I feel it’s going to benefit us. There was times where it did, and it’s just about communication and learning CJ. He’s also learning us and what our system is and where he can be effective. I’m trying my best to be better at communicating. The tough thing it is (me) being in year 7, and him being in year 13/14 — I’m not trying to come off as the guy that’s talking down to someone who has done this before, but still having that open communication and saying ‘Hey, trust me,’ or ‘What do you see here?’ Just getting the feel.”

I believe this is the play Alexander-Walker is referring to:

As the relationship grows, there’ll probably be times where McCollum is able to recognize Alexander-Walker’s movement to the corner and find him there when the layup isn’t as open as it was in this instance.

During an interview prior to the game, McCollum himself promised Peacock that he would shoot better in this game, and he did. McCollum scored 17 points on 5-of-11 from the field, 2-of-4 from three, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. If Johnson’s missed free throws are something that is remembered from this game, there’s a whole different bracket for McCollum’s final possession of the game. Irrespective of the fact there was no timeout available, it was a bad possession that fell in McCollum’s hands, and a costly one — but a better game overall.

Johnson’s contributions to this game were, by no means, small, scoring 28 points on 11-of-24 from the field, 3-of-6 from three, 16 rebounds, and six assists. It was good to see Johnson be a little more forceful attacking the rim in this game; the Boston game was tough for many reasons, one of them being that between all the Boston makes, the Hawks couldn’t get out and run. Johnson was able to do that a little more in this game and also find his feet with three-pointer in this game.

“JJ just continued to play,” said Snyder of Johnson’s shooting. “He missed a couple early on that he can make, and he didn’t get discouraged at all.”

It’s hard not to think about Johnson missing those two free throws in the fourth quarter, which would have given the Hawks their first lead since the first half (McCollum would right this wrong moments later to give the Hawks the lead). In a game as close as this was down the stretch, those moments can go a long way.

Dyson Daniels had a solid return to action: 17 points on 8-of-16 from the field to go with nine rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals. Daniels was excellent defensively, and he was able to get on the offensive glass in the first quarter for some put-backs, and some great cuts in this game too. That said, it’s so hard to ignore his three-point shooting — the Bucks were more than happy to let him shoot, and even though there were possessions where Daniels could have shot the three (kicking it to another teammate instead, there were also possessions where he was so open that he had no choice but to shoot it, and he missed his two attempts. Daniels last made a three on December 14th, and has missed his last 19 attempts from three when he has shot.

Late in the game, Snyder made the ‘offense-defense’ switch for the last possession of the game, and it was Kispert to come in for Daniels. It’s just tough that it’s come to this — perhaps after the season there’ll be an explanation behind Daniels’ incredible regression from three. He’s really solid everywhere else — and great defensively — but it’s difficult from three.

Still, pretty good games from those three players, led by the efforts of Alexander-Walker.

“We had a number of guys, from a statistical standpoint, had good numbers but I also thought that none of them were thinking that way when they were playing,” said Snyder. “They were connected, and those things happen naturally when you’re playing as a team and playing the way we want…”

Onyeka Okongwu had a difficult game: four points on 0-of-6 shooting from the field and 0-of-4 from three, scoring all four of his points from the free throw line — just a difficult game for Okongwu, his hook shots just weren’t falling, and he wasn’t able to get deep enough inside, nor get amongst the offensive rebounding for his own offense, but did help contribute for others with his four offensive rebounds.

Corey Kispert didn’t add a whole lot more than Vit Krejci in the starting lineup, scoring two points on 1-of-4 shooting and 0-of-3 from three in (…drumroll!) 20 minutes — that magical 18-22-ish minutes for the starting small forward spot. A return to the bench did not solve Krejci’s shooting struggles, shooting 0-of-6 from the field and three — now shooting 14-of-49 from three (28.6%) in the month of January.

All in all, a solid comeback from a 23-point hole and a 0-of-21 start from three. Alexander-Walker was excellent in the second half (28 of his 32 points coming in the second half), Johnson was much more impactful than he has been lately, and Dyson Daniels was solid too. The Hawks executed well down the stretch, but that three from Portis followed by the Johnson turnover put the Hawks on the back foot, and when Alexander-Walker gave the Hawks a chance to tie or win the game, the last possession was an unfortunate dud.

The Hawks (20-25) are now on a four-game losing streak and head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies (18-23) on Wednesday night. The game is Memphis’ first game back on home soil since their games in Berlin and London — perhaps a good time as any to play a Grizzlies side adjusting back to a vastly different time zone.

Until next time!

1. Another Close Loss to the Pistons

For the third time in four matchups against the Detroit Pistons this season, the Celtics have lost in very close fashion. This was an incredible game of basketball overall. It was a back and forth game all night long and Jaylen Brown just missed the game winning shot by an inch. Definitely not the desired outcome for Boston, there were a lot of mistakes and very cold shooting but it was a great fight. In the three losses this season, Boston has only lost by 6,7, and 1 point. The Pistons are first in the East for a reason and the Celtics showed that they were able to hang with them even without Jayson Tatum.

2. Tobias Harris/Duncan Robinson Legacy Game?

Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson have been no strangers to the Celtics over the years. Harris spent 6 seasons on the Philadelphia 76ers and Robinson spent 7 years on the Miami Heat. Boston has battled and matched up with them numerous amounts of times, but I can’t say I have seen both of them play actually productive games against the Celtics until this game. Tobias Harris finished with 25 points on 11-20 shooting from the field and Duncan Robinson finished with 15 points on 5 three points. In a game where Boston was able to slow down Cade Cunningham, it was really demoralizing to see them go off in this game.

Robinson made some really timely shots for Detroit all night long but none were bigger than his three in the fourth quarter. He got the ball on the wing, shook Derrick White out of his shoes on a pump fake, and splashed the three

Harris also made some timely threes in the fourth quarter but his biggest came at the 1:37 mark. The shot clock was running low and Cade Cunningham was looking to pass the ball. Hauser stepped up to Cunningham and left Harris wide open in the corner for three that made it a 4 point Pistons lead that basically won them the game.

3. Detroit Bigs Crushed Boston

One big advantage the Pistons are always going to have over the Celtics is their big man rotation. Jalen Duren finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds while Isaiah Stewart finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. When Detroit ran their double big man lineup, it really killed Boston, especially with both Luka Garza and Neemias Queta getting into foul trouble.

Duren had a stretch in the third quarter where he showed how much of a dominant force he really was. At the 4:26 mark, the Pistons were running the fast break off of a Celtics miss. Cunningham ran to the corner, threw up an alley-oop pass to Duren who was streaking down the court and he finished a thunderous slam over Anfernee Simons. Then later in the quarter at the 3:33 mark, Duren again was a force in the paint, following a missed layup by Stewart for a put-back slam.

Stewart made a ton of great defensive plays in this game but none were bigger than the block he had on Neemias Queta in the second quarter. Queta got the ball in the middle of the floor and rose up for a two-handed jam. However, Stewart came out of no where to jump perfectly with Queta to swat the ball away.

4. Turnovers Hurt

The Celtics finished this game with 14 turnovers but with the way they were throwing the ball around, it really felt like they had more. Detroit was able to take advantage almost every time, scoring 19 points off of Boston’s turnovers and at times it was the only reason why the Pistons were able to stay in the game. A lot of them were turnovers where the Celtics would just lose the handle on the ball or make an errant pass that lead to an easy basket for the Pistons. Take this play from Jaylen Brown for example, Brown loses the handle and the Pistons go down the court the other way for easy layup. This was an all night problem for Boston and it really felt like they just shot themselves in the foot.

5. All-Star Starter: Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown was voted as an All-Star Starter before tonight’s game and showed why he was deserving of his spot, finishing with a double-double of 32 points and 11 rebounds on 11-28 shooting. Brown did all he could to will the Celtics to a win in this game but just came up short in the end. The outcome shouldn’t deter the great game he had however because he made some incredible plays against a tough Pistons defense late in the game to keep Boston in striking distance.

One of my favorite plays of the night from Brown came at the 2:30 mark in the first quarter. Defended by Ron Holland, Brown pump faked the three to get him to jump, then went to the midrange, created seperation with his off arm, and sank the jumper.

His fourth quarter was probably the biggest for Boston however, scoring 10 of the Celtics 21 points. Brown started with a play where he got to his spot at the free throw line, pump faked to get Caris LeVert in the air, and finished the midrange jumper through contact. He then matched up with Duncan Robinson at the three point line and blew by him. Brown then met Duren at the rim and finished a tough basket over him. Next was a play where Tobias Harris was all over him on defense but Brown was able to get by him and finish the layup with his right hand. Finally, Brown was once again matched up with Harris but this time he blew right by him to score a floater that made it a one point game with 45 seconds left.

7. Sam Hauser Continues to Impress

After hitting 10 threes against the Hawks in his last game, Sam Hauser continued his great run of play into this matchup with the Pistons, finishing with 16 points on 6-9 shooting from the field and 4-7 shooting from three. You can argue that Hauser was the second best player on the court for Boston as he had a huge stretch of scoring in the third quarter.

Hauser began the third quarter doing a great job running around the court to get to the top of the three point line for a pull-up jumper over two Pistons defenders. On his next basket, he made another cut to a similar spot at the three point line but a little farther. White found him and Hauser made another three over a great contest by Ausar Thompson. Finally, Hauser pulled out his midrange bag, taking Duncan Robinson off of the dribble. He drove, got Robinson up in the air, and hit the jumper looking a little bit like Jaylen Brown. Sadly this stretch got interrupted with him picking up his fourth foul but this was a great stretch that gave the Celtics energy coming out of halftime.

6. Payton Pritchard Back in the Lineup

After a tough game in Miami and missing the Celtics last game in Atlanta, Payton Pritchard made his return to the lineup for this matchup and had a pretty solid game, finishing with 17 points on 5-8 shooting. Although there were times he looked hesitant to shoot, he was able to make an impact. Like Hauser, Pritchard had a great third quarter where he dropped 10 points.

Pritchard’s third quarter started off of a nice pass from Jaylen Brown. Brown was double teamed on the block and found Pritchard who was wide open on the wing for three. His next play started with a pass from Queta where he pump faked Robinson and drove to lane. He then hit a hesitation dribble and put up a midrange shot over Duren for a tough bucket. His final play of the third quarter started with him blowing by Harris on the perimeter where he was picked up by Isaiah Stewart. Pritchard did a good job of getting to the basket and was able to finish a reverse layup over the contest from Stewart. I hope this game is able to get Pritchard going again for a while because the Celtics are in desperate need of a consistent number two option next to Jaylen Brown right now.

8. Tough Derrick White Game

This was arguably the worst game of the season for Derrick White, finishing with 4 points on 1-11 shooting and 0-6 from three. He did have 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks on Cade Cunningham but this was the worst game in a string of rough games. In his last 4 games, White is averaging 9.3 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, on 28% shooting from the field and 15% from three. This after White had a great month of December and looked to be shaking off the rust from his slow start to the season. It feels like there is a correlation between the Celtics winning and losing games this season and at times it feels like it comes down to if White is going to have a good game or not. I’m sure he will bounce back from this rough patch just like he did before but I just hope this doesn’t become a more concerning trend.

9. Brown vs Cunningham

Brian Scalabrine did a pregame interview with Jaylen Brown on NBC where he said that he would be the primary defender on the Pistons All-Star Starter Cade Cunningham in this game. Despite the loss, Brown and the Celtics did a pretty good job of defending Cunningham as a whole. He finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds but shot 4-17 from the field and 0-4 from three.

Out of the shot attempts where Brown looked to be the primary defender, Cunningham shot 1-5. On the first attempt, Brown rode Cunningham’s off hand all the way to the basket where Cade missed the layup. The second attempt saw Cunningham attempt a midrange jumper that Brown was able to block and even though they called it a foul, it was overturned on a Celtics challenge. The third attempt was another midrange jumper where Brown was able to get around a Duren screen for a nice contest. The fourth attempt saw Cunningham once again try to shake off Brown but Jaylen stayed glued to him and forced another contest jumper. The final attempt was the only attempt that Cunningham got the win on and was a big one. At the 2:21 mark of the fourth quarter Brown was stuck behind a screen from Thompson that allowed Cade to get into the lane for an easy floater.

If these two teams match up in a playoff series, I can see Brown being the primary defender on Cunningham again and hopefully holding him to a similar result in this game.

10. Playoff Atmosphere

All four games that the Celtics and Pistons have played this season have been down to wire, good old fashioned slugfests that have felt like the Game 7 of a playoff series. This is due to the intensity that comes out of both teams when they step foot on the floor and it feels like it will be a disservice to everyone who enjoys basketball if these two teams don’t matchup in the playoffs this season. Detroit has become a juggernaut behind their aggressive defense and timely offense while Boston is going to have Jayson Tatum back in a playoff series which increases almost every attribute on both sides of the ball for the Celtics. Ideally we get a rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals with the same result but either way I love this budding rivalry and I hope we get to see it for years to come.