Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards wasn't afraid to put Thursday's game in his own hands ... and wasn't afraid to let everyone know about it, including Minnesota head coach Chris Finch.
Edwards made a huge shot to give the Timberwolves a 92-88 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers with 42.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter, before getting in Finch's face.
"That's what I do," Edwards could be seen telling Finch on the broadcast after the 3-point shot.
The Timberwolves went on to win 94-88 and Edwards was asked about that moment during his postgame interview with Amazon Prime.
"I told him, you don't want me to pass the ball, you want me to shoot it." đŁď¸
âThe play before, when I took the midrange over two (players), (Finch) said to pass the ball and I told him, 'You don't want me to pass the ball, you want me to shoot it,'" Edwards said.
Edwards had 31 points, five assists and three rebounds for the Timberwolves. He shot 12-of-24 from the field, including 2-for-6 from the 3-point line.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 113-110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
How many âworst losses of the seasonâ in a row could the Lakers string together in the coming week, because it seems like theyâre trying to do as much.
After a lifeless loss to the Celtics and handing a game away to the Magic, the Lakers went to Phoenix against an undermanned Suns team and blew a double-digit second half lead to lose a third straight. When could this streak end? If they lose to a Steph-, Jimmy-, Kristaps- and, potentially, Draymond-less Warriors team on Saturday, that would be worse.
They then host the tanking Kings and Pelicans in the next two games. We could only be halfway through an impressive run, guys!
So, letâs dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A âBâ grade represents the average performance for that player.
We were long overdue for a good Marcus game, and he delivered in a couple of ways. He knocked down a couple of important shots in the fourth, but his biggest play was a block at the rim that somehow didnât count in the box score.
These are symptoms of bigger issues offensively, but LeBron has been a bystander more often than not of late. It doesnât help that his 3-point shot has absolutely cratered this year.
Most of his baskets in this one came in the third quarter when he punished an undersized Suns team with simple baskets at the rim. Those were nice, but he didnât do much else.
He made countless defensive mistakes by not getting out on shooters early enough on screens, resulting in one flagrant foul and six-point Suns possession.
Ironically, his only basket was a pretty Capela-esque lob.
Similar to LeBron, Reaves has been relegated to ball-watching too much offensively. He did hit a huge shot to tie the game late, but missed the look to tie the game at the buzzer at the same time.
Without a single caveat, Luka was the reason the Lakers got back into the game at the end with his offensive brilliance. He had one of his 3-point shooting games of the season with multiple of those coming down the stretch. Just a brilliant performance offensively from him and the Lakers needed every bit of it.
But I canât just not mention how bad he was defensively. He lost Colin Gillespie multiple times for threes. Grayson Allen was hunting him in the pick and roll and Luka couldnât stay in front of him. Donât get me wrong, he was much, much more good than bad. But there was bad, which is why I canât give it an A+.
It remains extremely funny how positively impactful Luke Kennard has been without taking threes. Itâs now just six threes over his last four games and one in the last two. Heâs been good for the Lakers and a big upgrade over Gabe Vincent. Itâs just funny as to how and why heâs been an improvement.
A very nice return game for Hayes, who brought a level of energy and activity that Ayton did not. Grabbing eight rebounds in any amount of minutes is a big positive for Hayes, too.
Another role player who was due for a good game that had one. LaRaviaâs 3-point shooting just isnât going to come around this year it seems and he still made some mistakes defensively, but he also had a big steal late and was overall good in this one.
Grade: B+
Jarred Vanderbilt
Vando was already teetering on even getting two shifts per night, then he had a horrid sequence in the second quarter where he had a bit of miscommunication defensively with Kennard that allowed Jalen Green to get off a clean, even if very deep, look from three that banked in at the shot clock buzzer. Vandoâs ensuing inbound was lackadaisical and stolen, leading to another three from Phoenix.
He did not play after that.
Iâm back to the point that I think Thiero should get a couple of games to see if he can provide something.
Maxi Kleber
He logged one second, but set one hell of a screen to free up Reaves for the near game-tying shot.
JJ Redick
JJ made some mistakes in this one. I didnât think the play he used his challenge on was worth it and he lost it. I also felt he waited multiple possessions too long to call some timeouts, especially in the third quarter.
But I saw criticism of his defensive scheme because of the open looks the Suns had from three. The Lakers did not play zone because they wanted to try to limit Phoenixâs outside shooting. They also wanted the bigs to come out higher to stop the Suns from shooting off screens, too.
Ayton struggled badly on that coverage though, evidenced by his foul on a closeout that led to a six-point possession. Redick then tried to go to a switching lineup, but the Suns would just find Luka and pick on him. There were a couple of instances of overhelping from the Lakers as well, but thatâs a trait of a bad defensive team that knows its teammates canât stay in front of the opponent.
The Lakers have a team that canât shoot and canât defend. JJ isnât innocent but he didnât build this team.
Grade: C
Thursdayâs DNPs: Kobe Bufkin, Dalton Knecht
Thursdayâs inactives: Rui Hachimura, Drew Timme, Nick Smith Jr., Bronny James, Adou Thiero, Chris MaĂąon
ST.
LOUIS â For
one night, the St. Louis Blues overlooked their record.
Losers
of three in a row and eight of nine (1-7-1), the Blues found a silver
lining in what has been a lost season when they came off the Olympic
break with a thorough win, 5-1 against the Seattle Kraken at
Enterprise Center on Thursday.
Dylan
Holloway scored his second NHL hat trick and had a career high four
points with an assist, and combined with Pius Suter (one goal, two
assists) and Jonatan Berggren (two assists), that line combined for
nine points in the game.
Jordan
Kyrou scored and Justin Faulk added two assists for the Blues, who
improved to 21-27-9 on the season. Joel Hofer made 23 saves.
Here
are Thursdayâs observations:
*
Holloway looked refreshed â Forget the hat trick ⌠well, wait,
letâs not, but aside from adding the offense in what was his most
productive NHL game, Holloway looked as refreshed and healthy as he
has since the end of last season, when the injury bug derailed what
was a banner year that carried over to the 2025-26 season.
He
was skating with fluidity, he was hounding pucks, laying hits and
ready to pounce when given the opportunity.
He
finished the game a plus-4 with five shots on goal in 16:04 of ice
time after
missing 23 of the past 24 games â including the last eight â with
a right high ankle sprain.
âIt
was great just to be back,â Holloway
said.
âI just wanted to enjoy it. Honestly, if I didnât have an impact
now, Iâm just grateful to be able to play. But itâs obviously
nice to have an impact on the scoresheet.â
Hollowayâs
goal at 7:58 of the first period got the ball rolling for the Blues
in a 1-0 lead, a play that started with a Tyler Tucker rim into the
O-zone, an overskated puck by Brandon Montour, the puck was put back
down low to Berggren, who quickly found Holloway in the left circle
for the quick shot past Philipp Grubauer:
âI
liked his game a lot,â Holloway
said of Berggren, who was his linemate for the first time.
âHeâs a super-smart player, always trying to make plays. From
watching these past 20 games, I was kind of able to get a good grasp
on his game. I knew he would always be looking to make the right
play. Heâs got a lot of patience out there too. I was trying to
find open spots.
âThat
first pass he made to me in the first period was a great pass. Itâs
a special play there.â
Holloway
made it 3-1, 23 seconds after Kyrou gave the Blues the lead, when he
first hunted down and forechecked a puck behind the net and got it to
the point for Logan Mailloux to get the shot to the goal. Suter
curled it back to the front in the crease where Berggren was, getting
a redirection that was stopped but Holloway was on the spot to pounce
on the rebound.
And
when he backhanded in the empty-netter to make it 5-1 at 16:59 of the
third period, it completed a terrific game:
âHis
speed, his tenacity, his ability to add depth scoring and main
scoring,â Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. âWhen heâs playing
like he did tonight and we saw it a lot right before he got injured
(on Dec. 14 in practice), heâs a difference maker.â
Berggren
added, âIâve never played with [Holloway], but you can see in
practice how skillful he is and fast. Really fiun to play with him.â
*
The Holloway-Suter-Berggren line led the way â Holloway earned his
cookies, but Suter and Berggren were also on the prowl.
They
finished with four goals, five assists and a plus-10.
âThose
two are really skillful players,â Berggren said of his linemates.
âI think we think the game pretty similar.â
Montgomery
had the best description of the trio in this game
âI
thought they hounded pucks really well, I thought they used their
speed and
they created a lot of turnovers on the forecheck,â St.
Louis coach Jim Montgomery said of the Holloway-Suter-Berggren line,
âand
then in the offensive zone, they were connected in triangles and
they won races and
they had a great net front presence. You
look at the Suter goal was the best example of it.â
And
the Suter goal that made it 4-1 at 1:56 of the third was two guys
driving the net after Faulkâs initial shot, Holloway makes a hit,
gets up and get the rebound and finds Suter in the interior of the
slot and right circle:
âWe
were moving our feet well and holding into pucks and kind of reset if
needed,â Suter said of the line. âAnd just kind of be around the
net. The bounces kind of worked out.â
*
Quick strike in the second period helps Blues gain control â
Seattle found its legs midway through the first period when the Blues
led 1-0 and had an 8-0 edge in shots. But when Jake Neighbours was
whistled for tripping at 9:59 of the period, the Kraken were able to
gain an edge that started with a power play that had territorial edge
for the entire two minutes and ultimately led to a goal.
The
Blues reset after the period and Kyrouâs goal was a thing of beauty
at 1:12 when he started the play breaking up things in the D-zone,
moving into transition and starting a tic-tac-toe play with first,
Colton Parayko, then Pavel Buchnevich:
*
Winning another challenge â Things could have gotten dicey when
Ryker Evans thought he had cut the Bluesâ lead to 3-2 on a shot
from the point that had eyes and ricocheted off the ice and past
Hofer at 10:19 of the second, but the Blues immediately challenged
and won an offside challenge when Frederick Gaudreau failed to keep a
puck alive and in the zone prior to it.
âI
didnât see it in real time, no,â Montgomery said. â(Video
coach) Elliott Mondou and (assistant video coach) Ryan Stacey ⌠as
they scored, it was already radioed into us that this was offside.
Thank God they has the view. I was wondering what was taking so long.
(The referees) came over and Iâm like, âYouâve got to have the
view from the other angle.â Iâm like, âItâs pretty
distinctive.ââ
* Finley's debut â The numbers won't look gaudy, but for Jack Finley, who made his Blues debut after being claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 7, it was effective enough.
Like father, like son.
Jeff Finley wore No. 37 during his five-year stint with the St. Louis Blues.
The 6-foot-6, 227-pound center gained his first Blues point on Holloway's empty-netter, was a plus-1 and won five of 13 face-offs in 13:17 of ice time, but he was used in a penalty kill role, which was 3-for-3, playing on the fourth line with Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker.
Former Blue Jeff Finley is so proud to be in the building and see his son wear the 'Note for the first time đ #stlbluespic.twitter.com/8TnTd81Toq
"I thought his defensive stick was really good," Montgomery said. "He won two huge face-offs down the stretch. One on the PK and one on the pulled goalie situation. I thought he was in really good support position. That line created momentum for us, so overall, a really good start and I think it's only going to get better as he gets comfortable with the way we play and more importantly, comfortable being in the lineup."
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Clippers guard Kris Dunn drives to the basket in front of Minnesota's Donte DiVincenzo during the Clippers' 94-88 loss Thursday at Intuit Dome. (Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 18 and the surging Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Clippers 94-88 on Thursday night.
Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 12 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 rebounds to help the Timberwolves improve to 5-1 since Feb. 9 and 3-1 since the All-Star break.
Edwards, returning to the site of the All-Star Game, where he was the MVP, was 12 for 24 from the floor and sealed the victory with a step-back three-pointer over two defenders for a 92-88 lead with 42.9 seconds left.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 14 for the Clippers, who struggled from the outset with a season-low 38 points in the first half. Kris Dunn had 11 points for the Clippers (27-31), who have lost three consecutive games for the first time since December.
The Clippers struggled on offense without star Kawhi Leonard, out because of ankle soreness. The Clippers shot 40.5% from the floor, including 18.2% (four for 22) in the second quarter. Minnesota shot 43.4% in the game.
The Timberwolves (37-23) scored just 15 points in the second quarter and still topped the Clippers, who had 11. Minnesota led 44-38 at halftime behind 12 points from DiVincenzo and 11 from Edwards.
The Clippers led by six in the third quarter and were up 68-63 heading into the fourth. Edwards' drive and reverse layup put the Timberwolves up for good at 76-74 with 7:40 remaining.
The Clippers pulled within one three times in the last 2½ minutes, but Edwards answered each time. He scored the Timberwolves' last nine points.
Up next for Clippers: vs. New Orleans on Sunday night.
MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 20: Olivier-Maxence Prosper #18 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket during the game against the Utah Jazz on February 20, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (21-37) will play for the second consecutive night with a game Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies (21-36) that tips at 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center. Dallas snapped a two-game winning streak in losing 130-121 to the Kings Thursday. Naji Marshall scored 36 in the effort and the team was once again without Cooper Flagg, who missed his fourth straight game with a foot injury. As of this writing Flaggâs availability for Friday has not been announced.
Led in scoring by veteran swingman Ty Jerome, the Grizzlies enter this game on a three-game skid and having dropped seven of their last eight; they beat the Mavericks in each of these teamsâ first two meetings, winning 118-104 at home Nov. 7 and in Dallas Nov. 22, 102-96. Since then both clubs have undergone major changes at the trade deadline. Although the bar for âsurprising tradeâ is pretty high around these parts, the Grizzliesâ Feb. 3 deal with Utah sending Jaren Jackson Jr. and others away in a change for guard Walter Clayton Jr., forward Taylor Hendricks, guard Kyle Anderson, and three first round draft picks represented an abrupt change in direction for Memphis.
The post-trade Grizzlies, already without Jacksonâs fellow building blocks Ja Morant (elbow) and Zach Edey (ankle) for much of this season, are giving their entire remaining roster a long look to see who to keep around for a likely rebuild, with wing Rayan Rupert, who arrived last week in a trade with Portland, the only Grizzly not to have yet started a game. For this approach, they have the right coach in Tuomas Iisalo, whose coaching style involves frequent substitutions and high demands on reserves. Since returning from the All-Star break, the only Memphis player to appear in a game and play fewer than 20 minutes has been Anderson, who left Feb. 20 against Utah with a knee injury after playing 18.
Next up
While it will take years to fully determine whether the Jazz or Grizzlies won the Feb. 3 trade, one of the dealâs clear early winners has been GG Jackson, a starter at power forward in eight of the nine games since. The third-year player has used the increased playing time to go on a 20-of-39 bender from long range, a stunning turnaround that has brought his season average up to 34.7 percent. Already an excellent finisher through contact at the rim, his shooting from deep has opened up the floor for him to operate and for his teammates. On a Grizzlies team thatâs suddenly one of the smallest in the league heâs still looking for his first double-digit rebounding game of the season. The four-year contract he signed after making the team as a second-round pick in 2023 looks like quite a bargain now; the Grizzlies have a $2.4M option on him for 2026-27 but he is earning himself a lot of leverage at the negotiating table.
Welcome back, O-Max
Former Maverick Olivier Maxence-Prosper has also made hay with the opportunity afforded him lately; he had a rough scoring night Wednesday against the Warriors, with a late three-pointer his only scoring output, but has posted a couple of 20-point games since the break. The Mavericks drafted Prosper in 2023 for his athleticism, and in Memphis he has shown more refinement in his offensive game, with the ability to handle the rock in transition and put the ball on the floor to drive. Heâs also had some nice nights shooting from three, including a seven-of-eight effort against Portland Feb. 7.
The Grizzlies are not a good team but they do have an intriguing collection of young, talented players, including Hendricks, another third-year player whose offense is gradually catching up to his defense. In the backcourt, guard Javon Small responded to his first start of the season Wednesday with a four-of-eight three-point performance, and Scotty Pippen is turning into a valuable pest with quick hands and a nose for the ball. Guard Walter Clayton Jr., on a title run with Florida this time a year ago, now finds himself taking his lumps in the pros alongside shooting guard Jaylen Wells, the Grizzliesâ leader in starts, though both show signs of being pretty good players in the long haul.
A new leaf
While the Grizzlies turned themselves into a two-month open mic at the trade deadline, the Mavericks have been reshaped into a team with size and veteran experience by the deal that sent Anthony Davis to Washington and brought Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones, and others to Dallas. They beat the Nets Tuesday with a balanced attack in which the teamâs success getting into and controlling the paint led to success in the backcourt, where Klay Thompson made 5-of-10 threes and Brandon Williams connected on 9-of-11 from the field and racked up 10 assists.
One might expect a team like that to chew up the young developing Grizzlies if that team had not just gotten thumped by the worst team in the league, Sacramento, the night before, making 10 three-pointers and turning the ball over 17 times. The Kings beat the Grizzlies this week too, winning 123-114 Monday by outmuscling Memphis in the paint; if the Mavericks are healthy theyâve got the size to impose their will. One downside to the Mavericksâ recent infusion of veterans is that playing on consecutive nights becomes a much taller order; if the team needs young legs they can see if guard AJ Johnson can reprise his impressive 4-4 effort against the Kings. Up until the last two games, the Mavericks appeared to have solved their turnover woes; Fridayâs game presents a good opportunity to get back on track.
How to watch/listen
You can watch the game on KFAA Channel 29 or MAVS TV (streaming), or listen at 97.1FM KEGL (English), and 99.1FM KFZO (Spanish).
The Detroit Red Wings improved to 3-0 against the Ottawa Senators this season with a 2-1 overtime victory at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night. Dylan Larkin scored the winner on a breakaway at 1:50 of OT, his second goal of the night, sliding a gentle backhander through Linus Ullmark's pads.
Along with some controversy, gold medal karma also seems to have followed the American Olympians back to their respective NHL teams. They accounted for all the scoring in this one, their first game back since winning gold at the Winter Olympics.
Even Team USA's video coach got in on the act.
The Red Wings appeared to open the scoring at 8:11 of the first period when Michael Rasmussen sprinted up the ice on a 2-on-1 and fired a wrist shot past Ullmark. But Sens video coach Mike King, just back from Milan with a gold medal, called down to the bench to let the coaches know that an overanxious Elmer SĂśderblom had jumped over the blue line too soon. The Sens got the goal overturned on an offside challenge.
Brady Tkachuk got the Sens on the board at 18:44 of the first, firing home a wrist shot through traffic in front of John Gibson. That would be the only blemish of the night for Gibson, who made 26 saves and seems to have the Sens' number this year. In just his third start since Dec. 27, Ullmark countered with 18 saves on the night.
5:24 into the second period, with Ridly Greig off for hooking, Lucas Raymond gathered the puck in the corner, backhanded a pass into the slot, and Larkin one-timed a snapshot past Ullmark to tie the game at one.
That was it for the scoring on the night, at least in regulation.
One notable moment came at the 7:40 mark of the second period when Greig backhanded the puck out of the Ottawa zone, way over everyone's head. Simon Edvinsson stepped up and shouldered Tkachuk, who would have had no reason to expect contact there.
Tkachuk was left with a bloody nose from his own stick coming up on the collision. It looked like textbook interference, but Edvinsson seemed to contend that he was holding the blue line and Tkachuk, who wasn't looking where he was going, skated into him.
Dylan Cozens fought Edvinsson right after the collision, and that didn't go so well either, while Tkachuk was given a ten-minute misconduct for his protests.
With no scoring in the third, the two teams headed for overtime, where the Senators lost an offensive zone faceoff. After head-manning the puck to Raymond in the neutral zone, Larkin caught Shane Pinto flat-footed in the race up ice.
Not realizing Larkin was home free, Thomas Chabot veered out of position to challenge Raymond at the boards with a stick check. Raymond then easily tapped the puck past Chabot for a Larkin breakaway, and he made no mistake, winning it in overtime.
After Canada's gold medal loss on Sunday, Sens fans have probably had enough of 3-on-3 overtime for one week.
Ottawa still ends up with a point out of it, but with the Boston Bruins (WC2) pulling two points out of their game against Columbus on Thursday, the Senators now stand seven points out of a playoff spot in the East.
The Chicago Blackhawks have their first post-Olympic game in the books. A road game against the Nashville Predators is an entirely different viewing experience than Canada vs the United States in the Gold Medal Game, but the Blackhawks must remain focused on developing their roster.
It was a back-and-forth affair, as each team traded goals throughout the game. After two periods of play, they were tied up at one goal apiece.
After exchanging goals again in the early stages of the third period, a wild finish was in store. At 16:44 of the final frame, Ryan O'Reilly scored to give Nashville a 3-2 lead. Steven Stamkos eventually added an empty net goal, and the Predators sent the Blackhawks packing with a 4-2 loss.
Chicago's goals were scored by Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi. Each of these two players is working on scoring 30 goals with a long shot of reaching 40. Bertuzzi's was the 26th of his season while Bedard set a new career high with 24.
Speaking of Bedard, he was the best-looking Blackhawk in this game by a wide margin. He looked like a player who had to sit at home and watch Team Canada lose a heartbreaker in overtime to Team USA.
Bedard was one of their top snubs, and it didn't feel good to see them lose without him being there to help. You never know how things would have turned out for them had he made the team.
A motivated Bedard is a great thing for the Blackhawks. In a game that the team didn't play particularly well, on either side of the puck, he stood out.
If Bedard plays like that in most of their remaining 24 games, he will blow past 30 goals and set a career high in points, despite missing some time with his shoulder injury. He was a little bit lethargic coming back when he first returned to the lineup in January, but now he looks healthy and ready to make a difference.
The Blackhawks are back in action on Saturday evening when they take on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. A matchup against the class of the league is a great test for this team, looking to bounce back from a tough loss in Nashville.
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Feb 26, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) drives to the basket during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images
This game felt like the Rockets season in microcosm. Amen Thompson returned from being out in the previous game, and the Rockets traveled to Orlando for the second game of a back to back. Orlando was at home, and last played Tuesday in Los Angeles. After a game of beating the woeful Kings easily with a more spacing friendly lineup, the Rockets were back to the usual, with Amen as the point guard.
The Rockets size and athleticism do them much less good against a team like Orlando. The Magic can counter the Rockets size and, mostly, athleticism at every position. Like the Rockets, the Magic struggle with offensive execution, and the addition of a single good shooter, Desmond Bane, hasnât fixed the problem. Like the Rockets, great things were expected of the Magic this season, with the addition of Bane, similar to the Rockets with Durant. Some might have favored the Magicâs young talent over that on the Rockets, in the preseason. Again, like the Rockets, that talent has somewhat duplicative skill sets, and most of them require getting into the paint to be most effective.
Like the Rockets, a certain inflexibility of ideas regarding how to play, and further, a lack of shooting and spacing beyond Desmond Bane, has held Orlando back, even when healthy. Also similar to the Rockets, injuries have bent the initial concept of the team out of shape this season. Both are teams with a defense first (last and only?) identity, and neither has done much to address that issue, beyond hoping a new addition will fix it, while doing everything else much as before.
Youâre probably wondering about the game, I donât blame you. I very much believe the mirror image conceit is important in what follows.
The Old Look Rockets did not exactly light up the Orlando Magic with their Amen, Tari, Durant, Jabari, Sengun lineup. Considering potential spacing and general offense issues, one might look at this lineup and think âWow, thatâs all forwards, and one center. Sure, you can SAY Amen and Tari are guards, but they arenât. Only Durant is a shooter anyone must respect and must go out to guard. Even so, Durant prefers to operate in the paint mostly. And Sengun never gets a pass made to him in the paint. He has to get to the rim somehow, from the 3pt line, every time. You know what Iâd do? What everyone else does, harass Durant and pack the paint.â
Guess what? Thatâs what Orlando did. It worked. The Rockets lost the first quarter 22-29, while looking, frankly, dreadful on offense. Sure, itâs bad to surrender points, but itâs worse to surrender them and not score, to boot. It was very much a lather, rinse, repeat, no movement, spacing for a drive and kick that rarely happens, to supposed shooters nobody comes out to guard.
So, in true Udokan fashion, the Rockets tightened up on defense. And they somehow got even worse on offense. Orlando only scored 24 points. Thatâs great defense. The Rockets? They scored 21. That is simply losing NBA offense.
Kevin Durant looked, frankly, tired, maybe old, and why not? Heâs a 37 year old player, playing big minutes routinely on the second night of a B2B on the road. Sengun couldnât operate, the shooters youâd want to take 3pt shots werenât taking them. Orlando wasnât shooting threes at a great rate at that point, but they were taking, at one point, three times as many.
The score at halftime was a Wayback Machine 54-43. The Rockets were On Pace to score 86 points. Thatâs a losing score most nights in 1994. The battle of inept offenses continued, until 5:18 remaining in the 3rd quarter, with Orlando leading 76-57. What follows next was a strong an argument for shooting, for spacing, for point guard play, basically for the idea of offense in basketball, as Iâve ever seen. Of course the Rockets had to play good defense to make that happen, but somehow, despite the presence of Reed Sheppard, Kevin Durant and Clint Capela, thatâs exactly what they did.
At 5:18 remaining, Reed Sheppard came in for Amen Thompson. Clint Capela came in for Alperen Sengun. Tari Eason stayed in the game, and we saw, finally, Josh Okogie take the place of Dorian Finney-Smith (and Jabari Smith).
The Rockets would go on the score the next 21 points. In roughly 4 minutes. Kevin Durant, Reed Sheppard, and Josh Okogie would score all those points, off a far better spaced Rockets offense. Most of those points, unlike earlier, were assisted. Most of them by Sheppard.
At 1:15 remaining in the third, with the Rockets taking a 78-76 lead, the Magic finally scored again. After that it would be a back and forth affair. Durant and a returning Sengun lead the Rockets down the stretch against a Magic team that suddenly found shooting with deadline acquisition Jevon Carter and Desmond Bane, who was amazing tonight. Jabari Smith returned, and with 9 minutes remaining, took, and made, his first three point attempt of the game. Mostly though it was the Rockets playing great defense, an energized Durant splashing tough shots, and finally, Reed Sheppard making two big threes in the last two minutes. Also credit to Josh Okogie. The Rockets finally put him on Desmond Bane, and he helped close him down. Okogie has been everything we hoped DFS would be, including making 3pt shots. Itâs baffling he hasnât played much lately.
I really canât think of a better example of a game to emphasize the points Iâve been trying to make here. I donât think itâs a coincidence that spacing, provided by two shooters defenses must respect, and point guard play turned this game, and brought the Rockets up to NBA average scoring in a bit less than a quarter and a half. Remember, they were on a pace to score 86 points, playing The Ime Way.
The Rockets basically have to play perfect defense to win the Ime Way. Why not play very good defense, and good offense, instead of requiring perfection? It might look like the Magic had a scoring outburst, but again, they were under NBA average. The Rockets really didnât run an offense per se, the spacing just gave players like Durant, like Sengun, the space to be their best. It gave players like Okogie and Smith looks they can make.
Life doesnât have to be as hard as it has been for the Rockets. Why does it seem like they only play reasonable offense when they have almost no other option?
Tonight KD played a real Game of Two Halves. In the end he scored 40 points, on 14-28 shooting. He was 2 for 10 from three point range, and thatâs where maybe we saw tired legs. He hardly seemed to miss late, and showed why he was one of the greats of all time. But late game? Durant benefited from spacing, and from passing to him. The difference between a swarmed, harassed, KD, and one with room to work was enormous.
Sheppard scored 20 points on 7-11 shooting, in 31 minutes. He added 3 boards, 4 assists, 2 steal, 2 blocks, against a turnover. Heâs far perfect, heâs still essentially a 21 year old rookie PG in terms of minutes. Judging him like an established veteran is lunacy. But he is simply the only player on the roster that can provide what they need. The only other player, besides Durant, to give them any shooting gravity, to take defenses out of their packline defense, essentially, and give both Alpie and KD a bit of room to operate.
Maybe itâs also time to stop being stubborn about lineups that cannot provide space to operate for Rockets players on offense? Are they THAT much better defensively? Or at all? The scoring for Orlando seemed about the same either way. What changed was the Rockets offense.
The difference between the Reed lineup late, and everything before it, was that stark. It seems blasphemous to suggest that Amen maybe shouldnât be on the court in certain situations, but thatâs exactly whatâs happening to his brother in Detroit. Itâs very difficult to simply defend your way to a comeback. Scoring is required. You just canât have a player in a guard role that just canât shoot it, combined with a non shooting center, and two other offensive players that simply havenât earned the respect of defenses, for good reason. It just doesnât work in the pace and space, three point shooting, modern NBA.
You may have another viewpoint, and this is just one game, but the Rockets didnât even run some sort of offense late. It was the same old motionless, hanging around the 3pt line stuff, just with a PG who could shoot it, and one defenses must respect for that shooting.
Feb 26, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) and pitcher Bryce Miller (50) walk to the dugout before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
This recap is late because it is being typed out on the bar of a lovely establishment in Twin Falls, Idaho, called Scooterâs. I am on my way to spring training and listened to this game â even though it was televised â while driving up and down various mountain passes. This country hilly as heck, yâall. I thus did not have time before stopping for the evening to recount what happened in todayâs game, which you have likely already seen, but in case you, too, were consumed with other things, here is what happened in todayâs game, another back-and-forth spring training affair where the Mariners eventually came out on top, 8-7.
Bryce Miller
Miller made his season debut and went 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and punching out one on a pitch the broadcast crew was divided between being a splitter or a curveball (Gameday says splitter now, although Gary Hill initially announced it as a curve). Miller came out firing in his spring debut, touching 98.4 on his four-seam â he did give up a double on that pitch, but it was located well across the plate and David Fry sort of stuck his bat out at it and got lucky. Shannon Drayer said on the broadcast that Miller opted not to get the surgery for his bone spur because he found a gel injection that has been working for managing the pain should it crop up, which it hasnât; heâs not concerned, and therefore Iâm not concerned.
The WBC Guys Are Getting Their Hacks In
Julio RodrĂguez leaves on Saturday to join Team Dominican Republic and theyâll be happy to have him; he had a double but also worked two walks in his four plate appearances. Not to be outdone, Cal Raleigh had two doubles, although he didnât catch seven innings this time. Randy Arozarena, who will also leave soon for the WBC, also had a double in a particularly fun first inning that saw that trio go back-to-back-to-back with doubles.
Luke Raley-Dominic Canzone: Heated Rivalry
In the position battle Iâm watching most closely this spring, the healthy revenge tour of Luke Raley continues; he added another hard-hit double today off former Mariner Matt Festa, smoked at 109.8 mph. Dominic Canzone also had a hit, a line-drive single to center on a pitch inside that he fought off and got to drop.
The Spring Awakening Continues
Continuing to see a lot of playing time at second base, Michael Arroyo collected another pair of hits today, including his second double of the spring, and worked a walk. He also initiated another successful challenge; this kid really knows the strike zone. Meanwhile, Colt Emerson had two hits of his own, including a triple.
Brocketship to the Moon
While I was driving up a mountain in eastern Oregon to what felt terrifyingly close to driving onto the moonâs surface itself, Brock Rodden was checking in with his first home run of the spring. Yes it was a middle-middle first-pitch cutter that he ambushed, but still, we love healthy Brock Star.
Pitching Pile Update
It was a mixed bag for the bullpen hopefuls today. One of the best lines was posted by a pitcher I had no idea was a Mariner, one Abdiel Mendoza, who came in during to relieve Miller and polished off the second inning cleanly. Casey Legumina also had a solid outing, working a clean fifth inning with a strikeout. Cooper Criswell didnât have as dazzling an outing as he did in his spring debut, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks, but showcased his ability as a swingman or multi-inning reliever, going two innings. Ryan Loutos struggled again, getting himself into some trouble and surrendering a big hit in the form of a three-run homer to Kate Fave Petey Halpin. Maybe the most intriguing outing for me today was Cole Wilcox, who again showcased his big stuff; he does have trouble commanding it at times, issuing a free pass, but he also collected a strikeout. ItâsâŚsoâŚtantalizinglyâŚclose with Wilcox.
Also close: spring training, for me. Iâll unfortunately just miss a bunch of the WBC guys as theyâre leaving but will have plenty up about everyone else over the coming weeks. Make sure youâre following us on Bluesky (@LookoutLanding) for the video content and let me know if thereâs anything in particular you want to hear about. Iâm aiming for my first day there to be Saturday, Kade Andersonâs professional debut, so unless I fall into a canyon there will be lots of content about that come the weekend.
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) shoots the ball in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
When Caleb Foster had various members of the Duke team on the Brotherhood Podcast before last season started, he asked everyone who had surprised them the most.
Just about everyone said Kon Knueppel, and that kind of got your attention.
This past fall, before the NBA season started, someone asked Charlotte GM Jeff Peterson if he was unfortunate to have drafted fourth and missed out on Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and VJ Edgecombe.
We donât remember exactly what he said, but he made it clear that he got the player he wanted, and that stuck, too.
And on Thursday night, Knueppel, who is having a tremendous rookie season, shattered the NBA three-point record with 23 games to go.
He surpassed Keegan Murrayâs previous record of 206 in a game at Indiana and his 207th three came on a pass from former Duke teammate Sion James.
How cool is that? The new record, which heâll keep breaking for a while, is currently 209.
Even if Knueppel only gets one three per game (and he had eight against the Pacers), heâd finish with 232. If he averages two per game, itâll be 255. And if he averages three, heâll get to 278.
If he goes on a real tear and gets four per game, Knueppel would finish with 301.
Wherever he ends up, that record is likely to be safe for a few years. What an amazing season the kid has had!
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Naji Marshall #13 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on February 7, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Christie couldnât quite find the range, hitting only 3-for-9 overall and 2-for-5 from deep. Compounding the issue was that what he did contribute didnât come in any impactful way â no big-moment shot or key defensive stop and two turnovers paired with zero assists.
Caleb Martin: B-
10 PTS / 0 REB / 2 AST / 3 STL / 0 BLK â 20 MIN
Martin had a deceptively decent box score despite an almost shockingly bad plus/minus of minus-25. He shot 4-for-7 from the floor, didnât turn the ball over and had an impressive number of steals.
Khris Middleton: B+
17 PTS / 5 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK â 33 MIN
Middleton put on a savvy veteran performance. He didnât shoot at a particularly effective rate to start, but made up for it by getting to the free throw line (5-for-5) and then hit a couple of nice shots in the fourth quarter to end the game 5-for-9 overall (2-for-4 from down town). He had a more solid game than his box score totals would necessarily indicate, although you really canât complain about much there aside from three turnovers.
Marvin Bagley: B
10 PTS / 9 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK â 29 MIN
In a recent Grades article, I pondered if Bagley would eventually get a starting nod over Gafford, given their comparative play. Tonight Bagley got his chance, although Gafford was unavailable. Iâm not really sure what else to say about him at this point. He has been a huge positive for this team, consistently making smart plays and putting himself in a position for success. His production has been great, especially relative to minutes played. He was 5-for-6 from the floor and continues to do a lot of small things â boxing out (unheard of!), getting offensive rebounds, sneaking into the paint for a little drop-off pass he converts into a dunk. He took a knee to the head, but returned after a quick trip to the locker room to come just shy of a double-double. Way too many turnovers and fouls (four apiece) hurt his grade relative to where he has been lately.
Brandon Williams: B+
16 PTS / 3 REB / 4 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK â 27 MIN
Despite hitting 6-for-10 from the floor, Williamsâ grade gets dinged for three turnovers, three fouls and hitting only 3-for-7 from the free throw line. His game was a bit Jekyll-and-Hyde as a result, but credit for a big three-pointer in the fourth quarter and consistently penetrating to breakdown the defense.
Klay Thompson: C
8 PTS / 2 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK â 16 MIN
Thompson mirrored Christie in both output and presence. He was fine, but largely flew under the radar in respect of material impact on the game.
AJ Johnson: A+
11 PTS / 2 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK â 15 MIN
Iâve joked with fellow MMBâers David Trink and Tyler Edsel about my high hopes for Johnson, so it feels good to give him an A+ here. In fairness, there is quite literally zero history to compare to, and this was his best game as a Mav by default. Nonetheless, he did have a solid game and was a legitimate part of the Mavsâ fourth quarter comeback when he dropped in eight of his 11 points. 4-for-4 shooting with two and-ones allowed him to show some flashes. Itâs nice Dallas has a very young player they can invest some time in, to see what they may have.
Final Thoughts
The Mavericksâ ability to get obliterated in the first quarter and inevitably make it a clutch game is the stuff of legend at this point. Itâs beyond belief. Dallas couldnât finish the comeback, largely victimized by missed free throws (21-for-34) and 17 turnovers. If nothing else, it helps the effort for a higher draft pick.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
Michael Porter Jr. has spent this month fighting his way through a funk partly of his own making.
The worst shooting slump he can remember has been about rhythm and rust. And maybe a little bit about mentality as well.
âItâs the feel, the timing. My shot hasnât felt this off since I can remember. For the last four or five games, Iâve been off. But thatâs what happens when youâre out of rhythm and you donât play for a while,â Porter said before Thursdayâs 126-110 loss to the Spurs.
âYou can really lose your timing and your touch in two or three days of not playing. So not playing (in the last two games) pre-All-Star break, then not getting in the gym much during it, Iâm paying the price for it.â
And so had Brooklyn.
Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (C) tries to put up a shot past a defending San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (L) in the first half at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA, Thursday, February 26, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
After missing games in Utah and Detroit while mourning the death of his grandmother, Porter hadnât been the same since returning. He sat the last two games before the All-Star break and admitted he didnât get into the gym as much as he shouldâve.
Heâd been as cold as this weekâs blizzard since, averaging 19.0 points and shooting just 10-of-55 from deep in his prior seven games.
He showed signs of his old form Thursday vs. San Antonio.
âIâve got to get back in rhythm,â said Porter. âBefore the All-Star break I didnât play a couple games. And then I honestly didnât do much over the break. So Iâve got to get back in rhythm and play better.â
Porter started to shake off his malaise against San Antonio with 25 points and 14 rebounds, both team highs.
It may be less about adjusting to defenses and more about adjusting to circumstances.
The mental issue may not be about mourning, but motivation. Porter had done nothing but win in Denver, where every night was high pressure.
This rebuilding thing is an adjustment.
Michael Porter Jr. (C) tries to dunk but is blocked by San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (R) and teammate San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (L). JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
âThis is a new situation that Iâve been in,â said Porter. âBut no game is meaningless. Itâs all part of the journey. Weâre not just looking at this year. Weâre looking at the next one, two, three, four, five years. All these games matter for growth, continuity and chemistry. Sometimes itâs hard to focus on that. But weâve got to come in and work every day and realize itâs a bigger picture.
âItâs definitely a change. Itâs a learning curve and a learning experience for me. In the past, youâre ramping up for the playoffs, trying to get guys healthy and get chemistry right. This situation is different. But itâs a cool opportunity to grow and learn.â
And to show heâs a huge piece of that bigger picture, which should start to come into focus over the summer.
âWe have a process and a plan in place. You cannot control everything but itâs very exciting and everybody should feel the excitement of the next step,â said head coach Jordi FernĂĄndez. âThese last 25 games are very important. Then itâs a big summer for everybody. I want to win every game, but playing these 25 to compete, and [then] how we structure the summer is the best thing, the biggest summer of our lives.
âSo whatever it takes â understanding where your feet are and what youâre asked to do, putting the team first â not yourself, but the team, and going out there to compete and get better. Thatâs what weâre demanding. Weâre demanding that from the vets, to lead by example, to go out and fight and compete. Thatâs a must. So there are no excuses here; thereâs no feeling bad for yourself, no wasting 25 games. These 25 games are very important for everyone.â
Porter was aggressive Thursday, perhaps too much. He had six turnovers, getting caught in the lane vs. Victor Wembanyama.
âYeah, 22 shots is good. He disrupts so much. Maybe what Iâd like to see is less than six turnovers,â said FernĂĄndez. âRight there is maybe some of those is he just sees two bodies in front, he kicks it, he cuts, maybe he gets a layup [or] somebody gets a layup⌠[But] he was aggressive. He played well.â
Luka Doncic went off for 41 points against Collin Gillespie and the Suns, but the Lakers stumbled to a third straight loss, 113-110 on Thursday night. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
The losses are mounting for the Lakers in the most excruciating of ways. They've lost their last two games in the final second, and it's eating at them because they used to be so good in late, critical moments.
The Lakers fell to the Phoenix Suns 113-110 on Thursday after Austin Reaves missed a three-point shot as time expired. The injury-depleted Suns earned the win on a three-pointer by Royce OâNeale with ninth-tenths of a second left.
The Lakers have lost three consecutive games for the third time this season. They were blown out by the Boston Celtics on Sunday before losing by one at home to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday when Luka Doncic passed up a three and threw the ball to LeBron James, who missed a hurried, last-second three.
Against the Suns, the Lakers rallied from 12 points down in the fourth quarter after Doncic went to work. He hit back-to-back threes during the comeback and finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
The Lakers made it a clutch game, the kind in which they've been an NBA-best 16-5. Still, they lost.
âOur losses are louder than other teams' because we're the Lakers and because of the way we lose,â coach JJ Redick said. âTonight was a one-possession clutch game, which, now we've lost a few of those. But we've been great for the most part in the clutch all year.â
The Lakers (34-24) tied the score twice in the final minute, first on a three by Reaves and then on a tip-in by James, who had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, with 22.7 seconds left.
Phoenix put the ball into the hands of Grayson Allen, who blew past Doncic and got into the teeth of the Lakers' defense. Doncic and James collided and fell down, giving Allen a chance to whip a pass to Collin Gillespie, who swung the ball to a wide-open OâNeale.
OâNeale's winning shot settled into the nets cleanly.
âThere was no one to rotate, essentially,â Redick said. âSo, got a clean look and he made it.â
On the final play, Marcus Smart inbounded the ball and James and Maxi Kleber set a double-screen to get Reaves open. Reaves floated to the corner and took a cross-court pass, but his shot bounced off the rim
âJust missed,â Reaves said. He was five for 12 from the field and two for five from three-point range.
After another tough loss, Reaves called the teamâs level of frustration âVery high.â
Allen finished with 28 points and six assists off the bench, and Gillespie had 21 points for Phoenix (34-26).
The Lakers couldn't stop Phoenix from making threes. The Suns were 22 for 50 from three-point range despite playing without All-Star guard Devin Booker (right hip strain), Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Jordan Goodwin (left calf strain).
âThey shot 50 threes, you know? So, obviously they made a lot,â Doncic said. âSo they were just moving around. I think a couple stretches we did a pretty good job being physical, but then just a couple stretches of not being physical and they just were [taking over].â
Next up for the Lakers are the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on Saturday. Itâs another opportunity for the Lakers to move on from disappointment.
âThe only way to get out of it is to keep playing,â Smart said. âLike I said earlier, you can't get too high, too low. That's when the snowball effect happens. We're still in good shape.
"We got to continue to trust and we can't allow games like this to deter us from trusting in each other and trusting the way that we play. ... It hurts. But like I said, we get to go out and redeem our stuff and we got to make up for it.â
Notes
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura didnât play because of an illness, the team said. But backup center Jaxson Hayes, who missed the previous game because of right ankle soreness, played 21 minutes, finishing with eight rebounds and six points.
Feb 26, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) drives to the basket past Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
When Precious Achiuwa, Maxime Raynaud and Dequon Plowden come to town, Katie bar the doors. Youâre in for a tough one.
Achiuwaâs career-high scoring night spelled doom for the Dallas Mavericks (21-37) on Thursday at American Airlines Center, as the Sacramento Kings begrudgingly (14-47) took the 130-121 win in the battle of who wanted it less. Achiuwa led the Kings with 29 points and 12 rebounds in the win, while Raynaud scored 22 and Plowden added a season-high 19. Frequent Mavs killer DeMar DeRozan scored just seven points, in a weird one.
Naji Marshall tried to will the Mavs to a third straight win but had no one riding shotgun with him through wide stretches of the game. Here are six numbers that tell the tale of the Mavsâ latest loss to pile on the heap that has become the 2025-26 season.
5-of-5: Naji Marshallâs shooting start
The Mavericks fell behind 28-15 in the gameâs first seven minutes, but Naji Marshall dragged the Mavs along, sparking the ailing Dallas offense into an 11-2 Mavs run to stay connected early. He macheted his way through the trees for a strong driving hoop with 4:51 left in the first before finding Klay Thompson with a nifty cross-court pass for an open 3-pointer in the corner two possessions later to bring the Mavericks to within 30-24. Marshallâs pair of free throws with 3:08 left in the opener put him at 13 points in the gameâs first nine minutes.
Marshall didnât miss from the field in the first quarter and dished two assists when the Sacramento defense caved in around his dense center of gravity as the only Maverick contributing anything of substance to the cause. He came into the game scoring 15 or more points in 17 of his last 20 games. He promptly missed four of his next five attempts to start the second quarter, but still eclipsed the 20-point mark before halftime for the fourth time in his tenure with the Mavs.
42: Kingsâ first-quarter scoring
Unfortunately, the Mavericksâ defense allowed the Kings to shoot 57% from the field in the first, and the offense turned it over six times in the quarter. It was the perfect recipe for allowing the worst team in the NBA to score 42 points. Ineptitude at its finest.
Precious Achiuwa nullified Marshallâs 13 first-quarter points with 14 of his own, on 6-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-2 from downtown. Center Maxime Raynaud, who has filled in admirably for most of the season as Domantas Sabonisâ year has been lost to a knee injury, added eight in the quarter on 4-of-7 shooting against a paper-thin Dallas frontcourt.
The Kings took a 42-28 lead after one. When the team sitting in 29th in the NBA in scoring lays 42 on your head in the fourth quarter, youâre in the bad place.
11-0: Dallasâ early third-quarter run
After trailing 68-56 at the half, finally, someone joined Marshall at the party early in the third. Dallas was down 72-58 when Max Christie woke up. He drove through the teeth of the Kingsâ defense to bring the Mavs to within 72-60, before canning his second 3-pointer of the game three possessions later to make it 72-69 with 8:47 left in the third.
But Dallas, ever-prone to the live-ball turnover, gave it all back in the next three minutes. The Kings answered with a 14-2 run of their own to extend the lead to 86-71 midway through the third. Devin Carter scored on three put-back buckets during the Sacramento run.
The Mavs and the Kings battled to a stalemate in the third, sending it to the fourth quarter with Sacramento holding onto a 100-88 lead.
20-of-33: Dallas free-throw shooting
The little things bit the Mavs in the ass against the Kings. In a game where Dallas struggled to catch up after falling down by 18 points early on, the Mavs didnât help themselves at the free-throw line. For a team that canât hit from the outside, living in the paint and converting at the stripe becomes crucial. When guys donât hit the free ones, trouble piles up on trouble, and it makes a comeback almost impossible.
As the Mavericks tried to come back late in the fourth quarter once again, it was the missed free throws that made the hill just a little too steep to climb. The 17 turnovers didnât help, either. They led directly to 21 points for the Kings.
36/10/6: Marshallâs stat line in the loss
Marshall finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the loss on Thursday, becoming just the second Maverick this season to finish a game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Cooper Flagg did it in the teamâs 111-107 loss at the Houston Rockets on Jan. 31, when he poured in 34 points, pulled down 12 boards and dished five dimes.
Only three other Mavericks players have ever finished a game with at least 30, 10 and five. Dirk Nowitzki did it 29 times, current co-general manager Michael Finley did it once and Luka DonÄiÄ did it 88 times in a Mavs uniform. Remember that guy?
Marshallâs 36 points on Thursday set a new season-high mark and were just two points shy of his career-high scoring mark of 38 points, which came last season at the New York Knicks.
4-of-4: An AJ Johnson sighting
Mixed in with all the ridiculousness Thursdayâs game provided was an AJ Johnson sighting. The 21-year-old second-year end-of-the-bench enigma scored 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting in 15 minutes, easily his best performance since coming over to the Mavs seven games ago from the Washington Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade.
The Mavericks sent one diminutive long-term project of a point guard out in that trade in Jaden Hardy. Does the team want to take on another in Johnson by holding onto him this offseason?
PHOENIX â Donât let the late comeback attempt fool you. Or Luka Doncicâs absurd shotmaking. Or the teamâs late uptick in hustle, physicality and energy.
Because if the Lakers played with the level of intent they did in the final 6 ½ minutes of Thursdayâs matchup against the Suns for the entire game, they wouldnât have been in the position they were in in the first place.
Instead, they were late to the party, with Royce OâNealeâs game-winner 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left and Austin Reavesâ wide-open missed corner 3 at the buzzer sending the Lakers out of Mortgage Matchup Center with a 113-110 defeat for their third straight loss.
Royce OâNeale of the Phoenix Suns celebrates with Collin Gillespie after making the go-ahead three-point shot against the Los Angeles Lakers during the final seconds of the second half. Getty Images
Itâs the second straight game they lost late after being one of the leagueâs best clutch teams, following Tuesdayâs home loss to the Magic.
âWe were supposed to win,â Marcus Smart said. âWe did everything right. We were healthy. Weâre playing well, and we let our foot up, and they made us pay for it. And those are the ones that get us.â
Doncic finished with a game-high 41 points on 12-of-21 shooting to go with eight assists and eight rebounds. He scored 14 points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth.
But the Lakers, who were facing a short-handed Suns team that was missing their two best players in Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, shouldnât have needed his scoring output the way they did.
But the Lakers werenât tenacious enough on the glass, with Phoenix grabbing 15 offensive rebounds.
And they were slow closing out to shooters, leading to the Suns shooting 44% on 3s (22 of 50).
âThe thing we talked about [Thursday] morning was trying to limit their lasers and not just in makes, but in terms of attempts,â coach JJ Redick said. âItâs the reason we didnât play a ton of zone [defense], didnât play any zone. We made some adjustments with our fives. Had them in coverage for most of the game; they ended up getting some good looks. Went to 15. They got some transition 3s.
âYou have to defend for 24 seconds. So that starts in transition and then theyâre just gonna keep playing and get to multiple actions and, and thatâs the part that I think that just hurt us a lot. Just being able to keep up with their pace and their speed.â
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic backs down Collin Gillespie in the first half. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
What it means
The Lakers are on their first three-game losing streak since early January, and have lost five of their last seven games.
Theyâre 34-24 on the season and clinging onto No. 6 in the West, just one game ahead of the No. 7 Suns in the standings.
Turning point
A cop out would be to say there were too many critical moments that the Lakers lost to choose just one.
But of all of the embarrassing moments, one stood out among the rest: when Ryan Dunn, who was the furthest away from the Lakersâ basket after contesting a missed Luke Kennard 3-pointer, beat every Lakers player down the floor to make himself available for a wide-open dunk in transition.
The Suns went up 96-86 after the dunk, with the Lakers calling timeout.
Grayson Allen and Rasheer Fleming of the Phoenix Suns high-five during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
MVP: Grayson Allen
Allen led the Suns with 28 points, including 16 in the third the Suns took control of the game.
He and Collin Gillespie made six 3s apiece.
âWe just got to do a better job at getting to bodies and forcing them inside the three-point line when that happens,â Jake LaRavia said. âIt starts with physicality.â
Stat of the game: Five
Thursday was just the fifth time this season the Lakers lost a game after shooting at least 50% from the floor.
They entered Thursday with a 24-4 record in games they made at least half of their shots.
Up next
The Lakers travel to San Francisco for a nationally-televised matchup against the Warriors on Saturday at Chase Center.
The statuses for Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis and DeâAnthony Melton werenât known as of Thursday evening after they missed the Warriorsâ road win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday.
The Lakers are hoping to get Rui Hachimura back in the lineup after he sat out of Thursdayâs game because of an illness.
