DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 27: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives against Christian Braun #0 of the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at Ball Arena on December 27, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers finish off their five-game Western Conference road trip as they take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
This will be a fun test for the new look Cavs. It’ll be interesting to see how James Harden attacks Jokic — who is a better rim defender than he gets credit for — in the pick-and-roll. Jokic usually doesn’t want to guard in space. We’ll see if the Cavs can exploit that.
On the other end, Jarrett Allen will have his hands full against the best player in the league and won’t have a lot of help. Evan Mobley (calf) has been ruled out for this game, and both Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (ankle) are questionable to participate.
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass
Point spread: Cavs -1.5
Cavs injury report: Dean Wade – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Evan Mobley – OUT (calf), Jaylon Tyson – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Emanuel Miller – OUT (G League)
Nuggets injury report: Jamal Murray – QUESTIONABLE (hip), Peyton Watson – OUT (hamstring), Tamar Bates – OUT (foot), Christian Bruan – PROBABLE (ankle), Aaron Gordon – OUT (hamstring), Nikola Jokic – PROBABLE (ankle), Curtis Jones – OUT (G League), Spencer Jones – OUT (concussion)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Nae’Qwan Tomllin, Jarrett Allen
Nuggets expected starting lineup: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Cameron Johnson, Nikola Jokic
Mohamed Diawara guards Jaylen Brown during the Knicks-Celtics game on Feb. 8, 2026.
BOSTON — Mohamed Diawara picked up the slack for an absent OG Anunoby.
With Anunoby sidelined for a second straight game because of a sore toe, Diawara became the Jaylen Brown stopper in the second half of Sunday’s 111-89 Knicks victory over the Celtics.
It earned Diawara, the second-round rookie, his first defensive player of the game award, which is given by the Knicks coaching staff after victories.
Mohamed Diawara guards Jaylen Brown during the Knicks-Celtics game on Feb. 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
“You get a guy like Jaylen Brown who is a heck of a player. In the first half he was having his way with us a little bit. He was 6-for-11, he was rolling,” coach Mike Brown said. “In the second half, we did a better job defensively as a team. I got to give Mo some credit. Mo was our defensive player of the game. We threw Mo on him for a little bit. We thought we’re going to try to make Jaylen work, be physical, get up into him, stuff like that, and he did it without fouling. He did a nice job with it. So to see that from a young guy at this point in his career was a lot of fun as a staff.”
In addition to his defensive prowess, Diawara was perfect from the field — 4-for-4 overall, 2-for-2 from deep — while scoring 10 points.
The Knicks outscored Boston by 22 points in Diawara’s 27 minutes.
“I think the beginning of the year, training camp, everybody was like, ‘He’s gonna be good,’ ” Josh Hart said. “And I think with him, it was just more about getting more comfortable, more experience, more minutes, those kinds of things.
“But he’s gonna be extremely good. He’s extremely talented, defensively he can be all over the place but offensively he’s knocking down shots.”
Karl-Anthony Towns returned from a one-game absence for a laceration above his eye.
Karl-Anthony Towns wore goggles for the first time in his career. Getty Images
The Knicks center said the cut — which occurred in last week’s double-overtime victory over the Nuggets — required 16 stitches.
Towns also wore goggles for the first time in his career, revealing the black-rimmed set is the same model used by Amar’e Stoudemire — and still stored by the Knicks.
But they didn’t last long.
Towns removed the goggles in the second half. He also struggled with just 11 points on 3-for-9 shooting, including no 3-pointers and three turnovers.
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 14: Jaylon Tyson #20 and Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers high five during the game against the Detroit Pistons during Preseason on October 14, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will conclude their five-game, Western Conference road trip against the Denver Nuggets on Monday evening at less than 100%. If you’re going against a team with Nikola Jokic, you would ideally like to have your entire front court available for that matchup. Unfortunately for the Cavs, that won’t be possible.
Cleveland will be without the services of Evan Mobley. He’ll be missing his sixth game in a row with a calf strain he sustained in the team’s Jan. 26 win over the Orlando Magic.
The Cavs might also be without Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson. Both are questionable for Monday’s game.
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Wade missed Friday’s win against the Sacramento Kings with a left ankle sprain. He last played on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
On the season, Wade is averaging 5.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on .417/.340/.750 shooting splits.
Tyson is the new addition to the injury report. He’s also questionable with a left ankle sprain.
Tyson struggled as the de facto starting power forward against the Kings. He seemed hesitant at times playing alongside James Harden, and wasn’t able to get his shot to fall. He finished that game with 10 points on 3-8 shooting with six rebounds and no assists.
The Cavs will likely turn to Nae’Qwan Tomlin as the starting four if neither can go. Their absence would also open the door for increased minutes for Thomas Bryant and Keon Ellis.
Denver could also be down several key pieces.
The Nuggets will be without the services of Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (hamstring). Jamal Murray (hip) is questionable for the game. Jokic (ankle) and Christian Bruan (ankle) are probable to play.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 28: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on September 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Super Bowl was pretty fun. And a certain Brave had a pretty good view of both the game and the half time show. While Ronald Acuna Jr. likely had fun seeing football up close, you know that he and his teammates are ready for later this week as Spring Training gets under way.
Pitchers and Catchers will report today and tomorrow, while the rest of the team will stroll in as the week progresses. We are less than two weeks away from the Braves first Spring Training game, so you know everyone is ready to get to Florida and get to work in anticipation of the season.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Ny'Ceara Pryor scored 20 points with two clutch free throws late, Fatmata Janneh added a double-double and Texas A&M upset No. 21 Alabama 72-69 on Sunday to snap a six-game losing streak.
Jessica Timmons had a three-point play to give Alabama a 57-53 lead with 9:34 remaining. Lemyah Hylton hit a 3-pointer and Lauren Ware added a layup to cap a 10-0 run as Texas A&M moved in front 63-57. Timmons did all the scoring in a 7-0 spurt and the Crimson Tide moved ahead 64-63 at 4:11.
Alabama’s Essence Cody was called for a flagrant-1 technical, fouling out with 3:03 left. Ace Austin, who was fouled by Ware prior to the technical, made 1 of 2 free throws before Salese Blow sank two for the technical and the Aggies led 67-65. Pryor and Naomi Jones traded baskets before Janneh made 1 of 2 foul shots for a three-point lead with 21 seconds remaining.
Karly Weathers scored nine seconds later, but Pryor hit two foul shots and Ware blocked a 3-pointer at the other end to preserve the upset.
Pryor added seven assists, six rebounds and four steals for the Aggies (9-10, 2-8 Southeastern Conference). Janneh had 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Ware scored 13.
Timmons totaled 19 points and eight rebounds to pace the Crimson Tide (20-5, 7-5). Ta'Mia Scott added 18 points and Cody scored 13 with seven rebounds.
Ware scored six to help Texas A&M take a 14-12 lead after one quarter.
Ware, who had 10 points by halftime, scored on a layup in the final minute and Janneh had a three-point play with two seconds left to give Texas A&M a 34-29 lead at the break.
Scott hit her fourth 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded in the third quarter to give the Tide a one-point lead.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cam Thomas has signed with Milwaukee after getting waived by the Brooklyn Nets, the Bucks announced on Sunday.
The 24-year-old guard had spent his entire career with the Nets, who selected him out of LSU with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.1 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 24.3 minutes in 24 games with Brooklyn this season. He had missed about seven weeks with a left hamstring strain but returned on Dec. 27.
Hamstring issues also limited Thomas to 25 games last season, though he scored 24 points per game when available. Thomas, who is 6-foot-3, averaged 22.5 points and played 66 games in 2023-24.
Thomas is shooting a career-low 39.9% overall this season, and he’s made 32.5% of his 3-point attempts. He has shot 43.5% overall and 34.3% from 3-point range in 239 career games, including 88 starts.
TAMPA — Ben Rice may not want to lose his catcher’s gear just yet.
While the emerging slugger is still slated to be the regular Yankees first baseman this season, the re-signing of Paul Goldschmidt as a veteran backup could also lead to a few more starts behind the plate for Rice, according to manager Aaron Boone.
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“I don’t anticipate it affecting Rice because we think Rice is a star and we think he’s going to mash in the middle of the lineup for a long time,” Boone said Sunday on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM.
“Before we signed Goldy back, I was thinking Rice is truly our third catcher [behind Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra]. Protect you late in the game if you make an aggressive move with the bench or whatever, you got that coverage. Now, it probably pushes him a little more into — I don’t expect a lot — but somewhat more of a catching role. There’s tough lefty days, we’re going to want Goldy in there, we could put Ben behind the plate because we feel he’s going to hold his own too against lefties.
“So it complicates it there a little bit, but to finish off our roster with a really good player [in Goldschmidt], we felt like we had to do it.”
Paul Goldschmidt playing first base against the Athletics. JASON SZENES/NY POST
Boone acknowledged that Goldschmidt “wasn’t necessarily the perfect fit” — a right-handed hitting outfielder would have been more useful given the composition of their projected roster — but the Yankees opted to go for what they felt was the best player available in free agency to help balance out their left-handed lean.
Goldschmidt crushed left-handed pitching last season, posting a .981 OPS, though the Yankees have said they want to let the lefty-hitting Rice — who started 46 games at first base, 26 at catcher and 48 at DH in 2025 — face his fair share of lefties this year as well.
While the signing of Goldschmidt to a one-year, $4 million deal, as The Post’s Jon Heyman reported, should not affect Rice’s overall playing time, it could have some ripple effects down the rest of the roster, particularly with how the Yankees make up their bench.
If everyone stays healthy through spring training, the Yankees bench will likely include Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario and two of Escarra, Oswaldo Cabrera and Jasson Domínguez.
Yankees catcher Ben Rice #22 reacts against the Red Sox. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Escarra still projects as the true backup catcher, though depending on how often the Yankees would play Rice there, that could change.
Cabrera and Domínguez are both switch-hitters who are better from the left side, though the Yankees may need Cabrera more as a backup shortstop to José Caballero (since they did not seem comfortable playing Rosario there last season).
“Probably not in either situation a case where we’d want them as bench pieces — that doesn’t mean there’s not a scenario where they’re part of a true rotation where there’s real regular playing time,” Boone said. “But there’s a lot to still happen between now and when we break camp in late March.”
Jan 19, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) celebrates a three point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Looks like Giannis isn’t the only Milwaukee Bucks player who will take part in All-Star Weekend. Bobby Portis was announced as one of the eight players who will take part in this season’s three-point contest. This is the first time in his 11-year career that Portis will participate in an All-Star event. It’s the third straight year the Bucks have had at least one player in the three-point shootout, with Damian Lillard (2024, 2025) and Malik Beasley (2024) also participating for Milwaukee. The remaining competitors include Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Norman Powell, Devin Booker, and Kon Knueppel.
Portis is having one of his best seasons shooting from behind the arc, hitting 45.1% on 4.3 attempts per game. That mark puts him in a virtual three-way tie for fifth place in 3P% with Sam Merrill and Ayo Dosunmu. He’s also tied for seventh for three-point shooting in a single season in Bucks franchise history. It ranks as his second-highest career percentage, as he shot 47.1% in his first season with the Bucks.
Speaking of Lillard, he’s set to make his return to the court in the competition as well. Despite not playing at all this season due to a torn Achilles, Lillard is looking to add another three-point title to his extensive resume. Dame won back-to-back competitions in 2023 and 2024, the latter of which he won while in Milwaukee.
For those who don’t remember how the event goes, the NBA explained it in their press release about this year’s participants:
In the two-round contest, players attempt to score as many points as possible from multiple 3-point locations within 70 seconds. The top three scorers from the first round advance to the championship round, where the highest score determines the winner.
You can watch BP light it up from Los Angeles next Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Central time on NBC and Peacock.
AMARILLO, TX - SEPTEMBER 16: Mitch Bratt #20 of the Amarillo Sod Poodles pitches during the game against the Midland RockHounds at Hodgetown on September 16, 2025 in Amarillo, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | John E. Moore III/Getty Images
We already discussed one part of the return for Merrill Kelly in this series, when we covered Kohl Drake. Bratt was also received from Texas for their short-term loan of Kelly. While he is three years younger than Drake, having turned 22 in July, and is less likely to reach the majors this year, Mitch is still seen as among our better pitching prospects. Fangraphs had him in their top 10 arms, while Prospects 1500 were even more bullish, ranking Bratt as Arizona’s fifth-best pitcher (and it was perilously close there: Bratt was #13 overall, with the pitchers ahead of him occupying spots #9-12).
Mitch’s best talent is his control. He just doesn’t walk many batters: last year at Double-A, he issued only 21 free passes across 122.1 innings of work. His K:BB for the year was better than seven, and he actually improved on that after the trade. Small sample size warning, but in Amarillo, he had a K:BB ratio of 42:5 across 31.2 innings for the Sod Poodles. That 8.4 ratio was easily the best of any Arizona prospect in 2025 – nobody else, regardless of innings pitched, was able even to reach 7.0. Purely on walk rate alone, Bratt was tied for the lowest figure of anyone with 10+ IP in the D-backs’ system.
That’s the good news. The bad news is, his strike-throwing comes with a cost: a lot of hard contact. All told, Mitch allowed almost as many home-runs (18) as walks (21) last year. His fastball typically sits around 91 mph, and none of his pitches appear to be particularly outstanding at this point. Fangraphs rates them all 45-50, with the latter grade seen as the ceiling across the board. It seems that Bratt is going to need to learn how to pitch, in order to be successful, because he won’t be blowing the ball past batters based on stuff alone. That mean mixing up his offerings and locations, in order to keep hitters off balance, while continuing to show the good control he has done thus far.
While the fact he is a left-handed pitcher certainly raises his profile, the addition to the 40-man roster in November was likely more to do with Mitch being Rule 5 eligible, rather than immediate plans for him in the big leagues. Despite his young age, Bratt has already completed five years in the minors, having been drafted out of high school. He was picked by Texas in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, out of Georgia Premier Academy. I think he may start the year in Double-A again, mostly because the Reno Aces rotation appears full: Cristian Mena, Kohl Drake, Dylan Ray, Spencer Giesting and Yu-Min Lin are probably ahead of Mitch on our current depth chart.
As mentioned in our World Baseball Classic articles, Bratt is Canadian, though his appearance in the 2023 WBC did not go well. If he reaches the majors here, he won’t quite be a pioneers, but it’s close. The D-backs have only had one pitcher born in Canada across their history. It was Adam Loewen, who made eight appearances in relief, as part of the 2016 squad. It didn’t go well – a 15.00 ERA. So Bratt definitely has a shot at becoming our most successful pitcher from North of the border. [Since you ask, there have been three such position players. Most recently, of course, was Josh Naylor: but before him, Arizona was home to Jamie Romak and Danny Klassen]
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 07: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns pressures Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You know this by now: I love discovering and learning new things related to basketball or related to the Suns. I’ve already talked about it here, but once again, it’s a video from the Dreamcast Show that inspired me in the production of this article about maximizing possessions (a domain that is important in Jordan Ott’s playing philosophy).
This season, the Suns don’t win because they shoot better, but because they shoot more. Phoenix is not elite in shooting (15th in shooting efficiency this season), but Phoenix — and some of its players — is a team that manipulates the volume of play.
You know this: a possession is gained and preserved in three different ways.
First, by securing an offensive rebound. Phoenix grabs almost 13 offensive rebounds per game, with an Offensive Rebound% of 31%, which places them near the top of the league in that area. A possession is also gained by forcing a turnover, and Phoenix is also very well positioned in that category, ranking top 3 in steals per game (10.4), but also top 3 in Opponent Turnovers% with 17.1%. The quality of this team in these two areas is no longer in question, but what often hurts them is converting those opportunities (because of major shooting inconsistency).
Finally, it’s good to gain a possession, but it’s even better if it is preserved so you can attempt a shot. Here, the Suns are less good: 19th in offensive TOV% and 15.4 turnovers per game, which is huge for a team that creates so many “easy” situations.
To better visualize this possession gain, I imagined a small formula: (OREB/g + STL/g) – TOV/g — it’s not perfect science nor an absolute truth, but a trend indicator with a margin of error. And with this formula, the Suns gain on average +7.8 possessions per game.
For comparison, the best defensive team in the league, OKC, is at +6.3. Houston, who are the best offensive rebounders, are at +9.8. The Celtics, who are the team that loses the ball the least this season, are at +8.2. And finally, the Pistons, who are the most balanced team in this area, are at +7.8.
Phoenix doesn’t need to be perfect to win; they have a structural engine that gives them 6–10 extra possessions per game. But unfortunately, a big lack of shooting success on some nights places them in the Play‑in zone even though they generate as many extra possessions as the top‑3 teams.
But how is the team organized to generate so many extra possessions? Well, they rely on a clearly defined system and style of play: a constant physical presence in the dunker spot, combined with a sort of all‑in approach to maximize the chances of grabbing the offensive rebound. We can see it clearly in the action below: it starts with a pick and roll between Mark and Devin to swing the ball to Dillon in the corner, Booker positions himself in the dunker spot while the rest of the team comes to support him in that task. As a result, Embiid is focused on Devin Booker, which leaves Mark Williams free to do his job.
Then the team also relies on a super aggressive and oppressive defense that is not afraid to jump passing lanes or closeouts. The system is disruptive, which allows Phoenix to force many turnovers, like here against the Blazers: they try as much as possible to poke the ball loose (on passes or on-ball) while staying close to their matchup, Jordan Goodwin succeeds, and can go straight into transition.
Speaking of Jordan Goodwin, the wing ranks among the best in the league in this possession‑maximization profile. If we take the raw formula from earlier and standardize it per 100 possessions to make it more representative, Goodwin alone generates +5.2 extra possessions per 100 possessions. And that’s not all: among all players with +250 minutes this season (yes, that’s a lot of players…), Jordan Goodwin is the only one combining +7% OREB% and +2% TOV%. If there is one player whose value is underestimated, it’s him. At the end of the season, he should be one of the priorities when salary negotiations begin.
Phoenix doesn’t dominate through pure talent, but through volume. And it’s clear that the day efficiency matches intention, this team will move into another category.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 08: Kris Dunn #8 of the Los Angeles Clippers and Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves get into a scrum in the fourth quarter at Target Center on February 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dunn was ejected from the game. The Clippers defeated the Timberwolves 115-96. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With 8:25 left in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles Clippers rookie Yanic Niederhauser rose up in a crowd of three Minnesota Timberwolves. Off a miss, the young big man grabbed the ball, dunked it with authority, and picked up an and one in the process.
Stretching the lead to 24 for the Clippers at that point in the game, it was an indictment and moment to look in the mirror for a Wolves team that continued to write the same story it has all season. The problem is, the circumstances on this one weighed much more heavily.
After an inexcusable loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night that showed all of the usual porous defensive efforts, Rudy Gobert had enough and went just short of nuclear in his postgame comments.
Asked Rudy Gobert what he meant by accountability and where that accountability needs to come from.
"It starts with ourselves, but it seems like we don't have that. So I think at some point, from the coaches, yeah, from the coaches. It's not an easy position for a coach to take… pic.twitter.com/2HxFe5Wm2y
With new trade acquisition Ayo Dosunmu making his debut on Sunday, it was a ball on a tee for the Timberwolves to respond to a pointed callout against a Clippers team overwhelmed from a talent perspective on national TV.
Instead, what followed was a bored and tired performance with a level of energy that often plagues this team.
Specifically, from the Wolves’ top two options in Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, who would be fair to assume were the majority of the targets of Gobert’s postgame comments, a failure to set the tone on Sunday came from the top.
At the end of the first half, Edwards had eight points on 3-11 shooting, no rebounds, just one assist, and sandwiched an 0-5 start from three in as well. Randle added six first-half points on 37% shooting and rounded things off with two second-half rebounds.
Behind both stat lines were poor off-ball defense for most of the game, and a lot of reliance on drawing fouls for production.
“I feel like we had good energy today, but the offense just wasn’t going for us…especially for me,” Edwards said after the game.
Except it wasn’t. The energy wasn’t there. Perhaps postgame quotes were a little more tempered this time around with what Gobert said on Friday, but “good” would not be an adjective many would use to describe what came out on Sunday.
Instead, it was perhaps another case study of letting one side of the ball impact the other.
A place where the energy was indeed “good”? The opposite bench. Kawhi Leonard finished the game with 41 points and four steals. The rest of his team?
They followed suit.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – FEBRUARY 08: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers goes to the basket against Donte DiVincenzo #0 and Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center on February 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Clippers defeated the Timberwolves 115-96. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Not Included Enough”
Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels combined for three points.
Frankly, that’s not surprising considering their combined seven shots.
“I’ve gotta get them [each] to ten shots at least,” coach Chris Finch said after the game. “We’ve got to be able to find the next play for those guys.”
McDaneils, specifically in years past, has been tabbed a “barometer for ball movement” by Finch. Someone who may not get as many plays called or work to assert his will on the game offensively, McDaniels’ reflexive position seemed to be a thing of the past this season with his continued improvement and clear next step taken offensively.
Averaging 15 points and a 44% three point shooter, it’s impossible to imagine a game in which the two-way wing finishes things with just four shots. The Kawhi assignment that McDaniels drew certainly didn’t help, a seemingly impossible task for a game in which Leonard was unrelenting in his offense.
Kawhi Leonard, hounded by Jaden McDaniels, adjusts and get it to fall for his 30th point pic.twitter.com/KRq6JGD1ft
Facing multiple screens on most possessions, I question if more volume for Jaden on offense was the answer out of this one.
For DiVincenzo, I raise a few more questions.
The Wolves are 21-10 this season when he scores 12 or more points, and indicator that he’s getting the ball and pairing that with solid looks from three.
“Once you get stops and run, then everyone is touching the ball,” he said in the locker room after the game, noting more of a reluctance in the half-court when the Wolves don’t get stops on the defensive end.
When games tend to get into a track meet, the ball finds the hands of Edwards and Randle more often, and they feel the need to keep the pace themselves. When the ball doesn’t find the cylinder, the avalanche tends to begin.
“I think the energy right now feels like we lost five in a row,” DiVincenzo added. “But this team responds, and whatever the coaches bring to us tomorrow, we have to address.”
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – FEBRUARY 08: Ayo Dosunmu #13 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball against Jordan Miller #22 of the Los Angeles Clippers in the first quarter at Target Center on February 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Quickly On Dosunmu
Ayo Dosunmu made his Wolves debut, and it had all of the makings of a team debut.
Clearly not comfortable with the offense yet, the former Illinois guard showed hesitancy within the offense, and finished the game with a team-low -33.
But the plus minus doesn’t tell the full story. The argument can be made that the former Bull was the only member of the Wolves who decided to play hard on Sunday, and flashed in spots, specifically in the first half.
Ayo Dosunmu on-ball steal + hustle play + driving layup, great introductory two-way sequence pic.twitter.com/nqaO81h3A6
For the near term, it may look a little bumpy for someone who will be on the ball as much as Dosunmu. But the defensive chops are there, and the energy he brings was clear right away. He stood up multiple drives, and showed effort around the basket, which will certainly be welcomed on the Wolves bench.
If the pyramid of energy can flip, moving forward with the top two players bringing a little more to the table, the newly-acquired Dosunmu’s addition will look more like a puzzle piece that fits moving forward, as opposed to the team-wide awkwardness felt in his debut.
Up Next
A familiar face, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, is in town to face his former team head-on with his current one in the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta has won two of their last three, with the loss coming to a red-hot Charlotte Hornets team.
Another performance with poor energy would be shocking and raise further alarms with this team. Alexander-Walker is particularly close with many members of this team, which is something that raises the competitive level. Piling onto that is the last time the Wolves played the Hawks, a notorious 24-point blowout that temporarily woke the Wolves up for a few games and was a hard look in the mirror of how things were going at that time.
“In Atlanta, we got our asses kicked,” Donte DiVincenzo said after the game, reflecting back and answering a question on how this team handles lulls in the season, with the New Year’s Eve game in A-Town being one of them.
It’s well known in the locker room, and the hope is that it can radiate in the wake of a bad matinee on Sunday.
Tipoff at Target Center is slated for 7:00 PM CST.
Free agent Cam Thomas has agreed to a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The terms for the deal were not initially disclosed.
Thomas averaged 21.4 points per game over the past three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets.
The 24-year-old guard was waived by the Nets on Thursday, Feb. 5, after the trade deadline.
He had signed a one-year, $5.9 million qualifying offer in September and was set to become a free agent after the season.
TORONTO, CANADA - FEBRUARY 8: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors reacts on the floor during the first half of their NBA game against the Indiana Pacers at Scotiabank Arena on February 8, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. 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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Super Bowl Sunday in Toronto means an early Raptors game, and showing up at the arena for 1pm media almost feels like being here before the sun is up. It was a quiet one at Scotiabank Arena today, with a lot of the usual suspects around instead taking the day off to watch some guys play football before and after a Bad Bunny concert.
Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers were in town, and it immediately seemed like coach Rick Carlisle also had another sport on his mind… but it wasn’t football. He came into the Raptors’ media room and immediately launched into some thoughts about Olympic curling, saying he was watching this morning and couldn’t help but “live or die for the Canadian Curling team.” Unfortunately, Canada’s mixed pairs curlers were eliminated later in the afternoon. Sorry, Rick.
As for the actual basketball, Coach Rajakovic says that while Jakob Poeltl was still being held out of today’s game, he was progressing well. After missing over 20 games with a sore back, the team is working to recondition him for a return to the lineup. Unfortunately, Collin Murray-Boyles also ended up leaving the game early due to a lingering thumb injury. The Raptors prepared for this, though! This is why they went out and traded for Trayce Jackson-Davis! He was able to make his Raptors debut in light of CMB leaving the game.
He did well, too, scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes. After the game, Darko Rajakovic said that while it was the plan all along to give him some minutes today, losing CMB gave them a little bit more freedom to do so. There was no pressure from the coach on his newest player, as TJD himself said that Darko texted him after yesterday’s practice and told him to just “play free.” As for CMB, he was hit on the hand, reaggravating an existing injury, and is considered day to day.
After a slower start and a close halftime score, the Raptors found themselves again in the third quarter. Of course, the scars from Wednesday night’s crumble were fresh, and no one was about to prematurely call this a dub before it was official. They seemed to have learned their lessons from last week, though, and were able to keep their 20-point lead throughout the rest of the game. In the end, Toronto took it 122-104 over Indiana.
It was a fantastic game for Scottie Barnes, who scored 25 points on 12-20 shooting from the field, adding 12 rebounds and 6 assists. RJ Barrett scored 20 of his own, and Mamukelashvili scored 17 points off the bench.
Rajakovic had the same words of praise for his All-Star player that he usually does, emphatically saying that “Scottie Barnes is the Defensive Player of the Year” and will one day win the NBA’s MVP award.
“That’s Darko for you,” Scottie said of his reaction to Darko continuing to sing his praises this season (and always). He went on to talk about how much he appreciates Darko as a coach, saying that having a coach that you can consider a friend, someone you can get deep with in conversations, someone who rides for you — it makes a huge difference.
“Scottie is defensive player of the year. He’s an All-Star. He’s gonna be a Finals MVP. He’s going to be an MVP one day. Write down the date I said that” – Darko
Darko has been saying stuff like this for years, of course. He has always had faith in his star, knowinf his potential and talking him up to the max. Now that Scottie is starting to reach that potential, Darko’s faith in his super star is only getting stronger.
Overall, it was a good win, and one that was expected of this team. The Pacers are 13-40 on the season and headed for the lottery — similar to the Raptors from one year ago. Having back to back wins going into their first meeting with the No. 1 seeded Detroit Pistons on Wednesday (the last game before the All-Star break) will hopefully give them a boost as they take on a tough opponent.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kasparas Jakucionis was 6 for 6 from 3-point range and scored 22 points, Bam Adebayo also had 22 and the Miami Heat routed the Washington Wizards 132-101 on Sunday.
Norman Powell added 21 points for Miami, and Kel’el Ware had 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Heat snapped a two-game losing streak and added to their team record with a 14th 130-plus point effort of the season.
Andrew Wiggins had 11 points and 10 rebounds as eighth-place Miami closed within a half-game of seventh-place Orlando in the Eastern Conference.
Tristan Vukcevic had 14 points to lead Washington. The Wizards lost back-to-back games for the first time since a nine-game slide from Jan. 7-24.
Alex Sarr added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who saw both Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly depart early with injuries.
KNICKS 111, CELTICS 89
BOSTON (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 31 points and Josh Hart added 19 to help New York beat the cold-shooting Boston.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who never trailed over the final 42 minutes. Mikal Bridges (14 points) and recently acquired Jose Alvarado (12 points) rounded out the double-digit scorers for New York, which shot 14 of 45 (40%) from behind the 3-point line.
Jaylen Brown socred 26 points and Derrick White added 19 for the Celtics, who saw their five-game winning streak snapped, Baylor Scheierman started in place for the injured Sam Hauser and finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Boston shot 37% for the game and was 7-of-41 (17.1%) from behind the arc.
The matchup pitted two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, with Boston entering with a one-game lead over New York for second place. They’ll meet one more time during the regular season on April 9 in New York.
CLIPPERS 115, TIMBERWOLVES 96
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 41 points and eight rebounds and Los Angeles beat the slumping Minnesota.
John Collins had 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser also scored 15 points. The Clippers took command with a 17-3 run closing out the third quarter.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 23 points, and Julius Randle had 17. The Timberwolves have lost three of their last four, all to sub-.500 opponents. Minnesota made just 8 of 33 3-point attempts and committed 20 turnovers while being held under 100 points for just the second time this season.
TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes had 25 points and 14 rebounds to help Toronto beat Indiana.
Barnes was 12 of 20 from the field and had six assists, four blocks and two steals in 33 minutes. Toronto won its second straight to move 10 games above .500 at 32-22.
RJ Barrett had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Sandro Mamukelashvili added 17 points.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 18 points, Jay Huff had 15 and Jarace Walker 13. Last in the Eastern Conference, the injury-ravaged Pacers have lost four straight to fall to 13-40.
