Category: Sports News

The Lakers are back on the floor on Friday when they take on the L.A. Clippers for the final time in the regular season. The purple and gold look to even the season series against their inter-city rivals.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. L.A. Clippers

When: 7 p.m. PT, Feb. 20

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: ESPN, Spectrum Sportsnet

Now that the All-Star break is over, the last leg of the season is underway for the Lakers, who aim to stay afloat in the standings and compete for a championship. The second half of the season also means a tougher challenge for Los Angeles as their competition and schedule gets more difficult. This starts against the visiting Clippers, who have slightly cooled off since finding their stride and turning their season around in December.

But in fairness to them, the Lakers haven’t performed well against them since they gained momentum. Part of that is because of injuries and the fact that they caught the Clippers at the wrong time. This game, though, will feel much different because the Clippers made major moves leading up to and at the trade deadline, specifically trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac — two key players who played a huge role in their last two victories against the Lakers.

So expect a new-look Clippers team that is still led by Kawhi Leonard, who has been sensational as of late, averaging 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. The Lakers’ defense has to focus on containing The Klaw without letting the Clippers’ role players control the game, as they did in their last match. Two of the biggest reasons the Lakers couldn’t win that game, despite coming back from down 26 points in the second half, were their poor shooting and lackluster effort on defense.

It would be nice for the opposite to happen on Friday. Heading into the All-Star break, the Lakers’ defense has shown signs of improvement. Take this with a grain of salt, but they’ve had the 14th-best defense in the league so far in February. It’ll be interesting to see if this continues and whether their offense doesn’t plummet as a result. For as long as Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves remain healthy, there’s a good chance that doesn’t happen.

And speaking of health, head coach JJ Redick confirmed at practice on Thursday that the Lakers expect to be at full strength. So, that’s definitely good news and an ideal start for the remainder of the season. The Lakers will have the rest advantage against the Clippers on Friday as the latter will be on the second night of a back-to-back. Let’s see if they can capitalize and tip off their post-All-Star break stint on a winning note.

Notes and Updates

• The Lakers’ injury report is as clear as day with literally no one’s name written on it.
• Since the L.A. Clippers are playing on the second night of a back-to-back, they will not issue an injury report until hours before tip-off. Expect Darius Garland (left toe) and Bradley Beal (left hip) to be out.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

It was a tale of two halves for Karl-Anthony Towns in the Knicks' loss to the Pistons on Thursday night at MSG.

The big man scored just two points on three shots in the first two quarters as Detroit took a 10-point lead into halftime. However, the Knicks and Towns flipped a switch. Towns would use his size advantage to score at will, scoring 12 straight points for the Knicks and dashing the Pistons' lead to, at one point, two. 

"Just trying to make a play, be aggressive with play-making," Towns said of his third-quarter outburst after the game. "Got a chance to get a shot up and wanted to capitalize on those opportunities. And hopefully get us a spark, start the third quarter on a strong note. If I could control anything, it was to get us off to a quick start. I’m happy I was able to do that and find chances to impose my will into the game."

Towns scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half. Not shocking considering the Pistons were down two of their best centers (Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren) for their parts in Detroit's brawl against the Charlotte Hornets before the All-Star break. 

So, why did it take so long for the Knicks and Towns to exploit the mismatch? Head coach Mike Brown gave credit to the Pistons defense for not allowing the big man many good looks in the first half.

"In the first half, too, [the Pistons] switch a lot. So, with [Mitchell Robinson], they're going to blitz or double-team the ball. With KAT, they're going to switch, especially if they create separation," Brown explained. "And so we tried running some of the same actions they switched, and he didn't get as many good looks as he did in the second half. We opened it up and tried to set the screen a little bit higher and a little bit quicker in that second half, so we can get right to it, which freed him up at times."

Towns was asked if the team gameplanned to run the offense through him, knowing the Pistons would be down their two big men, and the second-year Knick said that wasn't the case. 

"Our offense is our offense, it's been that way all year," Towns said. "We have our system; regardless of who is in the game or not in the game, we run the system that we have implemented for our team to the best of our abilities."

"He's comfortable, we're continuing to try to do different things to help free him up," Brown answered when asked how comfortable Towns is in the offense now compared to the start of the season. "And we'll continue to search to try to do different things to free him up throughout the course of the rest of the year." 

Thursday's loss completed the season series sweep for the Pistons. After the first two losses were by 30-plus points each, the final regular season matchup was much closer. 

Despite that, a loss is a loss and Towns understands what it could mean if the two face off in the postseason.

"There’s no moral victories or one New York wants to see," he said. "But we got a lot of film and we’ll see each other in the playoffs, and we got to be ready." 

The Long Island Nets returned to the court for the first-time after the All-Star break for a matinee game with the New Orleans Pelicans G League team, the Birmingham Squadron in Alabama. On the backs of Ben Saraf and Josh Minott’s strong play, Long Island came away with the win in this one, 121-103.

In fact, the G League Nets looked good all-around as Long Island moved up to 14-9 on the season, two games out of first in the East with 11 to play. Their 7-3 record over the last 10 is tied for second among the 31 G League teams…

Saraf made his return to Long Island after spending some time with the big club. Saraf earned a call-up to Brooklyn in January and played in ten games. Saraf had some good showings up in Brooklyn, especially in Brooklyn’s last game before the All-Star break, when he picked up 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Saraf looked to build on that strong performance, and he did just that on Thursday afternoon.

Saraf led the team in scoring, tallying 18 points. He connected on seven of his 13 attempts, including shooting 50% from deep. This marked one of Saraf’s strongest shooting performances on Long Island, outside of that 40-point performance back in December. Saraf was a multi-tool player too in this one, as he tied career-highs, hauling in six rebounds and tallying eight assists.

Turnovers remain a bit of a negative for Saraf, as he once again was tied for the team lead in this one with three. However, this was a step forward compared to the six, seven, or sometimes eight turnovers we’ve seen earlier in the season…

Josh Minott made his Long Island and Nets debut in this one. The 23-year-old was traded to Brooklyn for $110,000 in cash considerations on deadline day. Brooklyn assigned Minott to Long Island two days ago to continue to develop under head coach Mfon Udofia.

Minott was on a tear in this one. He connected on five of his 10 shots, including 5-of-9 from deep. Minott’s five triples were his NBA G League career-high for made three-pointers in a game. He finished tied for second on the team, scoring 17 points. Minott grabbed a single rebound and registered two assists, two steals and two blocks. This was a very promising first game at the Long Island level for Minott who is seen as a 3-and-D prospect. The Nets hold a $2.5 million team option on Minott for next season.

Malachi Smith was tied for second on the team in scoring, tallying 17 points. The 6’4” combo guard had another good shooting performance, connecting seven of his 11 shots. He continued to be one of the team’s most consistent all-around players, garnering four rebounds and five assists while turning the ball over three times.

Smith has been averaging roughly three turnovers a game since he was given the starting job with three games of five. It’s his biggest glaring issue. It could be a reason why he hasn’t yet been given a chance with a team on a two-way deal. He’s been playing very well, but the turnovers continue to be a killer.

Grant Nelson once again had a good game …. on minutes restrictions. Nelson played 25 minutes, which was the most he’s played since returning from a seven-week rehab for knee soreness. He was once again the starter with the fewest minutes.

Nelson, who went undrafted out of Alabama in June, put up 14 points, shooting the ball over 50%. Nelson, remaining one of the team’s best shooters, also shone in other aspects of the game, as he hauled in four rebounds, picked up two assists, and most impressively had yet another block. Blocking has become a big part of Nelson’s game. His ability to read shots and time a block cannot be understated. He’s been doing very well, but with his minutes restriction, a two-way spot could be off the table.

Tyson Etienne was tied with Nelson for third on the team in points, with 14. Etienne also had three rebounds and five assists. From one Brooklyn two-way to another, Chaney Johnson had 11 points off the bench. He also had four rebounds, three assists, and a steal to his credit for yet another complete game.

E.J. Liddell have a bad game? No. Did he have a great game? Also, no. Liddell connected on 50% of his shots for just eight points, missing all three tries from deep. He did have 10 rebounds three assists (and three turnovers.) Moreover, he remains one of the best shot blockers on the team, picking up two in this one, which was tied with Nelson for the game lead.

David Muoka had a strong game from the bench, as he finished with six points and eight rebounds. Trevon Scott and Hunter Cattoor also put eight points on the board each in their showings from the Long Island bench. Overall, a very complete team win.

Next Up

The Long Island Nets (14-9) return to the court tomorrow night, on Friday, February 20th, for a rematch with the Birmingham Squadron. The game tips off at 8:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on the NBA G League and Long Island Nets respective websites.

• Boxscore: Long Island Nets 121, Birmingham Squadron 103 – G League
• Game Highlights: Long Island Nets 121, Birmingham Squadron 103 – (Video) – G League

There might have been some post-All-Star break rust, but the Toronto Raptors took care of business on the road with a 110-101 win against the Chicago Bulls.

The Raptors were able to hold Chicago at arm’s length for much of the game – they led by as much as 14 and Chicago never led by more than three.

The Bulls mounted a late effort that forced Toronto to play real clutch minutes, but ultimately, the same things that propelled the Raps to an early lead brought them home to a victory: stout defense and (2026 All-Star) Brandon Ingram being a hooper. And while he didn’t play the final three minutes, Ja’Kobe Walter’s fingerprints were all over this result.

It was a game like few others: For just the fourth time this season, the Raptors’ entire roster was available. Head coach Darko Rajakovic elected to bring Jakob Poeltl off the bench – something the Austrian center hadn’t done since December 2024 – as he continues getting his legs under him off an extended absence. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles got the start over him.

Toronto got out to an early 10-2 lead. And while some of the timing was off on offense – it was a pretty long All-Star break, after all – the defensive rotations looked crisp from the get-go.

With all the starters healthy (well, Poeltl didn’t quite look healthy, but he played), the Raptors’ bench unit was able to play in their natural roles, and they looked great. Jamal Shead fought through a screen and forced an offensive foul early on by Isaac Okoro. Ja’Kobe Walter did the same thing with Collin Sexton. It’s the little things! (An aside: How frequently do both teams in an NBA game have a player named Collin?)

The Bulls finished the first quarter with a paltry 11 turnovers. There may have been some rust (and new teammate syndrome) involved on Chicago’s side, but those turnovers were very much a result of the Raptors sending unpredictable double teams, chasing loose balls with force, and effectively walling off the paint.

Alas, the Raptors got off to a rough shooting start, and only won the quarter 25-23 despite attempting 10 more field goals than Chicago.

The Raptors’ stifling defense held up in the second quarter as they went on a 12-0 run that opened up their lead. Bulls guard Anfernee Simons, recently acquired from the Boston Celtics, hit a couple timely threes in the quarter that stopped the bleeding.

But Ingram was in something of a flow state, and dropped 17 points in the half. He and Barnes combined for more than half the team’s first-half points. Ingram finished the game with 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and shot 3/5 from beyond the arc. (The rest of the team was a combined 4/18. Yuck!)

Walter, meanwhile, played one of his best games of the season, scoring 14 points with four boards and three steals in 22 minutes, and making a case for the rotation spot above Gradey Dick. He was incredibly active on defense, and made a couple big offensive plays in the third quarter from the same left corner – one was a missed three where he got his own rebound and hit a reverse layup, and the other was a made three to make it 78-64, the largest lead of the game.

A 7-0 run driven by point guard Tre Jones brought the Bulls back to within seven in the third; he also scored a buzzer beating layup off a Raptors’ defensive breakdown. Ingram made some nice plays toward the end of the quarter, including a beautiful touch pass to Murray-Boyles (not his last one of the game, mind you) and one of a few effortless looking mid-range jumpers.

The Bulls closed the gap to four points early on in the fourth quarter. Quickley, who finished with 14 points on 5/12 shooting, was feeling it with his floaters, and hit a couple that kept the Raptors ahead.

With the score at 96-92, a key sequence ensued that encapsulated the Raptors’ defense-to-offense success and the game’s often frantic pace: Jamal Shead stole the ball off Rob Dillingham, diving to the floor to grab it, then flipped the ball to Quickley who led a fast-break that ended with a corner three by none other than Ja’Kobe Walter.

After another Shead bucket and a monster help-side block by (2026 All-Star) Scottie Barnes, the Raptors took what felt like a potentially commanding 103-94 lead. But the Bulls respondedwith a 7-0 run, capped off by another timely Simons three, and the score was 103-101 Raps.

Then Brandon Ingram won the basketball game.

From the top of the key, Ingram made his second of the aforementioned touch passes to Murray-Boyles, who’d gotten deep post position in a mismatch against Simons, and drew an and-one. Then, after a defensive stop, Ingram hit another one of his effortless-looking mid-range buckets, this one serving as the dagger. Murray-Boyles blocked a Simons three to put icing on the cake.

This was one of those many nights when Raptors fans are thankful to have Brandon Ingram, a true hooper, to bail out the offense on a night when the threes are simply not falling. The Bulls scored 15 more points on threes, but the Raptors’ stellar defense made up for that math as they forced 23 turnovers vs giving up 14.

Ingram was complimentary of Walter after the game, and gave the sophomore credit for his defense.

“We actually went at it in practice a little bit the other day where he got into my shit,” he said. “He makes guys not want to dribble the basketball.”

Barnes finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists, along with two steals and a block. RJ Barrett was a team-high +14, and scored 13 points with six rebounds. Gradey Dick played nine scoreless minutes, and did not make much of a case to get Walter’s minutes. But ultimately it was very refreshing to see what looks like the team’s true 10-man rotation, depending your thoughts on Jamison Battle.

The Raptors remain in the Midwest as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday afternoon. They’re currently 2.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers at fifth in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls, who made a few deals at the trade deadline that have put them squarely on a rebuilding path, are not the most formidable opponent. But tonight was a solid showing for the Raptors coming off an extended break, and particularly for Ingram and Walter, who may just be solidifying his role with the team.

Rajakovic said as much when asked about Walter getting bigger minutes: “There’s a growing confidence with our group that he’s ready for the challenge,” he said.

BOSTON (AP) — The City of Beverly Hills apologized to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown on Thursday for initially stating that an event he hosted on the eve of the NBA All-Star Game was shut down because the city said it lacked a permit.

“Upon further internal review, the City has determined that its prior public communication contained inaccurate information,” the city said in a statement posted to Instagram. “Specifically, no permit application was submitted nor denied for the event and the residence does not have any prior related violations on record.”

But Brown posted a statement from Jaylen Brown Enterprises on the X platform Thursday night taking issue with another part of the city's statement that claimed the event was actually shut down because of a perceived code violation.

The event promoting Brown’s performance brand, 741, was held at Oakley founder Jim Jannard’s home. Brown has a sponsorship deal with Oakley.

“We acknowledge the City of Beverly Hill's recent clarification confirming that prior public statements made on their behalf were incorrect and false; specifically that no permit was ever applied for, denied, and that the residence had no prior violations on record, ” the statement said.

The statement from Brown's company added that while it appreciated the clarification, it still took issue with the city's insistence that the event was shut down because of a belief that a code violation had taken place.

“No alleged proof of any violation was ever produced to the homeowner, our team or legal counsel,” the statement said. “Without observation, documentation, or confirmed violations, enforcement action based on belief alone raises serious due-process concerns.”

On Sunday, Beverly Hills released a statement to The Boston Globe, saying it rejected a permit.

“An event permit had been applied for and denied by the City due to previous violations associated with events at the address,” the statement to the Globe said. “Despite the fact that the permit was denied, organizers still chose to proceed with inviting hundreds of guests knowing that it was not allowed to occur. BHPD responded and shut down the unpermitted event.”

Brown countered to ESPN, saying: “That was not true. We didn’t need a permit because the owner of the house, that was his space. We were family friends. He opened up the festivities to us so we didn’t have to. We never applied for one.”

The statement from Brown’s company on Thursday said it remains “open to a constructive resolution with the City of Beverly Hills.”

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The Penny Hardaway era of Memphis basketball has had more than its share of ups and downs.

Just ask Hardaway himself. After making the Men's NCAA Tournament in three of the past four years, the Tigers are enduring a difficult season in which they are 12-14 (7-6 AAC). After their most recent loss, an 87-66 loss to USF that saw Hardaway visibly upset on the sideline at multiple points in the game, he wore his emotions on his sleeve.

REQUIRED READING: What had Penny Hardaway fighting back tears after third straight loss

"I wanted that game bro," Hardaway said in response to Jason Munz of "The Commercial Appeal," part of the USA TODAY network, before taking a long moment to gather himself. "I just want the game," he added, punctuating with a light knuckle rap on the podium.

When asked how he keeps from entirely falling apart, Hardaway replied: "I'm just gonna keep riding with my guys and believing in God," he said. "That's what I'm gonna do. It's tough. Because we've never been here but... It's not impossible."

This will likely mark the first year Memphis doesn't hit 20 wins under Hardaway, and the second time in three years it won't make the Men's NCAA Tournament (barring, of course, a run in the AAC conference tournament).

Memphis has another game against a very good USF team on March 5 at home, where Hardaway and the Tigers will try to exact some revenge on the Bulls in the penultimate game of their regular season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Penny Hardaway gives emotional answer after Memphis loses to USF

Amid one of his disappearing acts, Mikal Bridges was again benched in the fourth quarter.

The guard sat the final 9 ½ minutes of Thursday’s 126-11 Knicks defeat to the Pistons at the Garden, with Landry Shamet getting the playing time and trust from coach Mike Brown.

“Landry had hit a couple shots. We needed to score,” Brown said. “They’re both really good defenders. And so I just stayed with Landry. But it wasn’t anything where, ‘Oh, I’m going to sit Mikal because he’s not doing this, or he’s not doing that.’ We were looking to score points and Landry was the only one to make a shot from behind the arc.”

Shamet scored 15 points in 28 minutes Thursday.

Bridges, who was acquired for five first-round picks and recently signed a $150 million extension, scored just eight points in 25 minutes.

Bridges was also 0-for-3 from beyond the arc.

He was also benched in favor of Shamet down the stretch of victories this month over the Sixers and Lakers.

There has been more tanking discourse than ever across the NBA.

Commissioner Adam Silver said during the All-Star break that tanking has been “worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory” and that he is considering “every possible remedy” to combat it.

Brown weighed in on potential solutions before the team’s game against the Pistons on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

“Definitely trying to make somebody fight for it at the end of the season,” the Knicks coach said. “Whether you have a small tournament before the playoffs start or something like that to where it’s not just guaranteed that the team with the worst record gets the best odds. That may change it a little bit.”

Already, the Jazz and Pacers have been fined $500K and $100K, respectively, for sitting healthy players in recent games.

Brown’s Knicks certainly aren’t in the tanking conversation, and his teams throughout his tenure have never really fit that description.

But he recognizes it has gotten out of hand.

“Adam’s a smart guy and he’s figured out a lot of really good things for this league,” Brown said, “so I have a ton of faith in him that he will figure it out.”

OG Anunoby, with one less toenail, made his Knicks return Thursday — scoring eight points in 32 minutes.

He missed the Knicks’ past four games before the All-Star break with right toenail avulsion.

He said that he had to have his full toenail removed and that there was “a lot of pain” and that “it’s an open wound, like it’s just flesh and raw, bloody.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

Anunoby is normally tasked with guarding Cade Cunningham, whom the Knicks faced Thursday.

Without Anunoby, the Knicks were routed by the Pistons 118-80 in the first of those last four games before the break.

Agent Rich Kleiman took a dig at Knicks owner James Dolan on social media.

Madison Square Garden Sports announced Wednesday that it is considering splitting the Knicks and Rangers into two, separately traded public entities.

Boardroom, which Kleiman co-founded with Kevin Durant, posted on Instagram a message that read: “You may soon be able to own a piece of the Knicks and Rangers.”

Kleiman responded to that post: “No thanks unless the owner was gone.”

Kleiman represents Durant, who notably spurned the Knicks for the Nets in free agency in 2019.

NEW YORK (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 42 points and 13 assists to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 126-111 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.

The Pistons have defeated the Knicks in the teams’ three meetings this season.

Paul Reed scored 18 points, Tobias Harris had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Ausar Thompson added 10 points for Eastern Conference-leading Detroit.

Jalen Brunson led New York with 30 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Landry Shamet scored 15 points and Josh Hart had 11 as the Knicks shot a miserable 23% (8 of 35) from 3-point range.

The Knicks scored the first five points of the game, taking their biggest lead at 9-2. The Pistons then went on a 21-8 run, taking the lead for good.

Detroit ended the second quarter on a 7-0 run and took its first double-digit lead of the game, 58-48, at halftime.

The Knicks pulled within 62-60 on Towns’ basket early in the third quarter. But, Duncan Robinson hit back-to-back 3s and the Pistons extended their lead to 13 points before settling for a 90-79 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Detroit went up by a game-high 19 points at 104-85 on Daniss Jenkins’ tip-in with 7:50 left in the game.

The Knicks closed within 11 at 120-109 on a 3-pointer by Brunson with 1:33 remaining, but got no closer.

CAVALIERS 112, NETS 84

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points, James Harden added 16 and Cleveland routed Brooklyn to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games.

The Cavaliers have also won five straight at home and 11 of their last 12 overall. It was the second straight game and sixth time this season they haven’t trailed in a game.

It was the start of five games in seven days for Cleveland. With a 102-67 lead at the end of the third quarter, coach Kenny Atkinson rested his starters for the final 12 minutes.

Michael Porter Jr. had 14 points and Ochai Agbaji 13 for Brooklyn, which is 5-20 since Dec. 29.

Harden and Mitchell were in sync early. Harden got a steal off a bad pass by Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney and started a fast break. He lobbed a pass to Mitchell for an alley-oop that gave the Cavaliers a 14-3 lead.

Harden made his first six from the field, including three 3-pointers. He also had nine assists and five rebounds. Mitchell was 7 of 12 from the field.

Cleveland was up by 18 points at the end of the first quarter. Jarrett Allen scored 10 of his 15 points in the first 12 minutes.

The Cavaliers shot a season-best 64.2% from the field in the first half (27 of 42) and had a 70-48 advantage at halftime.

ROCKETS 105, HORNETS 101

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left for the last of his 35 points, and Houston held on to beat Charlotte.

Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 points, and Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun each had 13 for Houston. The Rockets overcame an 11-point first-half deficit.

Grant Williams led the Hornets with 20 points. Brandon Miller scored 17 points, but was 1 of 12 from 3-point range.

LaMelo Ball, playing a day after being involved in a two-car crash in downtown Charlotte, had 11 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.

The Hornets, who had won 11 of 12 going into the All-Star break with the only loss coming to Eastern Conference-leading Detroit, looked sharp early and bolted to an 11-point lead early in the second quarter.

But the Rockets would start to pull away in the fourth quarter with Sengun making a spinning reverse layup against rookie 7-foot- center Ryan Kalkbrenner and baby hook shot on back-to-back possessions to Houston its biggest lead at 95-84 with five minutes left.

WIZARDS 112, PACERS 105

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bub Carrington and Anthony Gill each scored 13 points and helped spark a decisive fourth-quarter run as Washington outlasted Indiana.

Kadary Richmond and Jaden Hardy also had 13 points each as Washington snapped a three-game slide on a day it announced Trae Young is still at least a week from his team debut.

Bilal Coulibaly and Tristan Vukcevic scored 12 points each in the opener of a back-to-back set against the same opponent.

Jarace Walker scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Pacers, who fell to 2-3 during a season-long, six-game road trip wrapped around the All-Star break.

Taelon Peter added 16 points as Indiana fell a game behind Washington at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Jay Huff and Ben Sheppard scored 15 each.

Pacers guards Kam Jones (back soreness) and Aaron Nesmith (ankle sprain) both left by halftime.

The Wizards led by 17 early in the third quarter before the Pacers responded with a 14-3 run to take a 92-91 lead early in the fourth.

Washington answered later with its own 14-0 run to put it away.

HAWKS 117, 76ERS 107

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 10 rebounds and CJ McCollum added 23 points as Atlanta beat Philadelphia in the teams’ first game after the All-Star break.

Dyson Daniels finished with 15 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14, and Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each had 10 as the Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with their third win over Philadelphia this season.

Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and Rising Stars MVP VJ Edgecombe added 20 for the Sixers, who were without center Joel Embiid, who missed the game due to soreness in his right shin.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 points and Quentin Grimes scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half for Philly. Andre Drummond contributed 10 points and 14 rebounds as the Sixers lost their third in a row and for the fourth time in five games.

RAPTORS 110, BULLS 101

CHICAGO (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 31 points and Toronto returned from the All-Star break to beat Chicago.

With Chicago coach Billy Donovan away following his father’s death Saturday, assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. directed the Bulls. Chicago has lost seven straight, also falling to the Raptors two weeks ago in Toronto.

Fifth in East, Toronto won for the eighth time in 12 games to improve to 33-23. Ingram also had eight rebounds and six assists. Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter each had 14 points, and RJ Barrett added 13.

After Anfernee Simons hit a 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run and pull Chicago to 103-101 with 2:12 left, Collin Murray-Boyles had a three-point play with 1:18 remaining and Ingram hit a 17-footer with 36 seconds to go to make it 108-101.

Simons led Chicago with 20 points in his fifth game since coming over from Boston in a trade. Isaac Okoro added 16.

SPURS 121, SUNS 94

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Stephon Castle scored 20 points, Victor Wembanyama added 17 and San Antonio beat short-handed Phoenix for its seventh straight victory.

San Antontio also will face Sacramento on Saturday in Austin, a city the Spurs covet as part of a mega-region that they’ve cultivated for years.

Castle converted 8 of 11 shots from the field and had four assists and three steals in 21 minutes. Wembanyama had 11 rebounds and five blocks while playing 25 minutes. De’Aaron Fox added 15 points and eight assists in 22 minutes.

The Spurs received big contributions from backups Dylan Harper (17 points) and Luke Kornet (10 points, nine rebounds).

Jalen Green, playing in just his eighth game of an injury-plagued season, led Phoenix with 26 points. Mark Williams had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Suns star Devin Booker played only nine minutes, all early in the game, before leaving with right hip soreness.

Cade Cunningham led the Detroit Pistons in a 126-111 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Feb. 19.

Cunningham produced 24 of the team’s 58 points in the first half, entering the locker room with a 10-point lead. The Detroit star finished the game with 42 points and continues to build himself into an MVP candidate.

REQUIRED READING: Ranking the NBA's best players: Top 25, revisited

He is currently third in the MVP race at +700 on BetMGM, trailing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-150) of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic (+275) of the Denver Nuggets.

The Pistons are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-13 record.

Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks highlights

Cade Cunningham stats vs. Knicks

• Points: 42
• FG: 17-for-34 (5-for-11 from 3-point line)
• Free Throws: 3-for-3
• Rebounds: 8
• Assists: 13
• Steals: 1
• Blocks: 2
• Turnovers: 5
• Fouls: 0
• Minutes: 38

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cade Cunningham stats, points tonight, Pistons vs Knicks highlights

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker left Thursday night's 121-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter with right hip soreness and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Suns head coach Jordan Ott told reporters that Booker "wasn't moving great" and the decision to sit him was made to "save himself from himself," per the Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin.

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Booker initially subbed out and went into the locker room with 5:24 left in the first quarter. He checked back in with 4:46 left in the second but then exited again two minutes later and returned to the locker room. His final stat-line for the night was five points and a rebound, shooting two-for-six from the floor in just nine minutes played.

Devin Booker (right hip soreness) will not return tonight

— Amanda_Pflugrad (@Amanda_Pflugrad) February 20, 2026

An All-Star for the fifth time this season, Booker has caught the injury bug recently. He missed seven straight games with a sprained ankle that he originally suffered on Jan. 23 against the Atlanta Hawks. He returned to the Suns lineup on Feb. 7 and played in their next game on Feb. 11 before sitting out the team's final game before the All-Star break against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

At All-Star Weekend, Booker participated in the three-point contest and was part of the USA Stars team, winning the first edition of the new USA vs. the World format All-Star Game.

The Suns are currently the seventh seed in the West, two games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Devin Booker ruled out with hip injury after exiting Suns game in second quarter

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers did what they were supposed to do against the struggling Brooklyn Nets. Cleveland controlled this game wire-to-wire, which led to a one-sided 112-84 victory.

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

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• The Cavs are 17-2 when Jarrett Allen scores 15 or more points. Allen finished with exactly 15 in his 24 minutes of action. The Cleveland guards did a good job of getting him involved early and often.
• Allen’s 10 free-throw attempts tie the second most he’s had for a game this season. Allen didn’t do a great job of converting these opportunities (5-10), but getting to the line is more important. He continually went up strong whenever he was coming off a screen and roll with James Harden. That’s what led to most of these looks. And as we know, Allen is at his best when he’s playing with this level of aggression.
• The offense took 43% of their shots at the rim (92nd percentile). The most efficient shot in basketball is still at the rim. The offense was able to continually get there due to the guard’s ability to get to the rim and find the bigs in the pick-and-roll. This led to a great offensive output even though the Cavs only converted 65.7% of their looks at the rim (44th percentile).
• Cleveland added 10.9 points in transition per 100 plays (96th percentile)against Brooklyn. The offense has been elite since the Harden addition, but a majority of their damage came in the half-court. In their previous three games, they were under the 25th percentile in points added in transition. That changed on Thursday as they were able to attack off steals and defensive rebounds.
• The Cavs pulled their starters after the third quarter and scored just 10 total points in the fourth. The reserves really struggled as they went 5-22 from the field and 0-12 from three in the final quarter. Their poor showing really skews most of the Cavs’ offensive stats. For example, the halfcourt offensive rating was great through the first three quarters, but the poor showing in the fourth made me erase an entire paragraph about what has made them so good there. So, thank you, Cavs reserves, for that.
• Donovan Mitchell led the starters with a plus/minus of +37. He made the most of his 21 minutes, scoring 17 points on 7-12 shooting with five assists. The Cavs were at their best with him on the court. As good as Harden has been, this is still Mitchell’s team. The pairing couldn’t have gotten off to a better start together.
• Mitchell went 7-12 from the floor (58.3%). He’s been able to attack as a scorer against rotating and unstable defenses in a way he hasn’t before at any point in his career, largely due to Harden’s presence. As a result, Mitchell has shot over 54% from the floor in three of the four games he’s played with Harden.
• Harden finished with nine assists. He’s now finished with seven assists or more in each of his games as a Cavalier.
• Harden provided three steals. Playing alongside Dean Wade and Evan Mobley in the starting lineup gave him more leeway to jump passing lanes. Being able to create turnovers is a good way to offset the defensive limitations we know that Harden has.
• Cleveland’s defense was phenomenal as the Nets finished with an 86.5 offensive rating (2nd percentile). This was Cleveland’s best defensive rating of any game this season. The Cavs kept the Nets from finishing at the rim, contested three-point shots, prevented them from getting out in transition, and cleaned the defensive glass. As a result, Brooklyn was held to under 20 points in three of the four quarters.
• Keon Ellis has three blocks and a steal. He’s been everywhere on the court for the Cavs and is a legitimate difference maker on that end. The Cavs getting Ellis in the De’Andre Hunter trade was an absolute steal. I’m not sure why the Sacramento Kings weren’t giving him consistent playing time earlier this season.