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The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to continue the five-game winning streak they took into the All-Star break as they host the Brooklyn Nets tonight.

Donovan Mitchell was red hot going into the festivities, and I’m looking for him to continue that run in my Nets vs. Cavaliers predictions.

Read on to see all my thoughts on tonight’s game and get my free NBA picks for Thursday, February 19.

Nets vs Cavaliers prediction

Nets vs Cavaliers best bet: Donovan Mitchell Over 26.5 points (-120)

Donovan Mitchell has been the Cleveland Cavaliers' leading scorer for all year, and was especially productive right before the break. He has averaged 30.8 points per game over his last four contests, scoring 29+ points in each.

Tonight, Mitchell gets to play at home against a Brooklyn Nets defense that ranks 26th in defensive efficiency (115.4) and allows opponents to shoot 49.3% from the field.

With James Harden distributing, Mitchell will find it easier than ever to score.

Nets vs Cavaliers same-game parlay

A strong performance from Mitchell will help Cleveland score a big win against the Nets. The Cavs covered as a 17.5-point favorite in their last game, and I like them to do the same against Brooklyn. I’ll also take the Over, which has hit in each of Brooklyn’s last five games.

Nets vs Cavaliers SGP

• Donovan Mitchell Over 26.5 points
• Cavaliers -16.5
• Over 229.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Beard with me

Harden has made a strong impression in his first three games with the Cavs, and I’m backing him to fill up the stat sheet again tonight.

I’ll also take Evan Mobley (8.8 rebounds per game) to hit the Over on his rebounding total, while Jarrett Allen is a good bet to record a double-double, something he’s done in four of his last five games.

Nets vs Cavaliers SGP

• James Harden Over 20.5 points
• James Harden Over 8.5 assists
• Evan Mobley Over 7.5 rebounds
• Jarrett Allen double-double

Nets vs Cavaliers odds

• Spread: Nets +16.5 (-115) | Cavaliers 16.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Nets +700 | Cavaliers -1100
• Over/Under: Over 229.5 (-110) | Under 229.5 (-110)

Nets vs Cavaliers betting trend to know

Donovan Mitchell has scored 29+ points in each of his last four games. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Cavaliers.

How to watch Nets vs Cavaliers

Nets vs Cavaliers latest injuries

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In a three-team trade with the Suns and the Bulls at the NBA trade deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired forward Ousmane Dieng, jettisoning Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony. It was the third time in 24 hours before the deadline that Dieng had been traded. He was sent to Charlotte for Mason Plumlee, before being shipped off to Chicago, along with other assets, for Coby White. After that deal was completed, the Bulls were added as a third team to the Suns and Bucks trade, in which Nick Richards was traded from Phoenix to Chicago, and the Bucks snagged Dieng. The French export’s time in Milwaukee could be limited, though, as he will enter the offseason as a restricted free agent, with a qualifying offer worth $8.7m. 

While the Bucks were linked to a couple of notable names, including Ja Morant and Cam Thomas (eventually signing Thomas), this was the type of move that lined up with what Jamal Collier of ESPN said in an article on the morning of deadline day: 

“Milwaukee has still scoured the market for a potential upgrade to its roster, sources told ESPN, hoping to benefit from a team looking to offload salary in the future.”

We’ve already seen Dieng in action in three games for the Bucks, so what can we take away from those performances about who he is as a player? 

Player History

Coming out of the National Basketball League (in Australia and New Zealand), he was selected one spot ahead of Jalen Williams in the 2022 draft. The Thunder acquired Dieng’s draft rights from the Knicks at no. 11 overall for three protected first-round picks. In 23 games (11 starts) for the New Zealand Breakers, he averaged 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 20.3 minutes per contest. There, he flashed high-level potential, with NBADraft.net’s Stefanos Makris saying the following:

“Dieng is the definition of a high ceiling/low floor prospect … The sky is the limit, but if taken too high, he can just as easily fall through the floorboards. The French wing surely passes the eye test, being a smooth point forward with nice size and length.”

Dieng fell through the floorboards in his four seasons with OKC. He never eclipsed more than 39 games in a season and never averaged more than 14.6 MPG. On top of that, he’s only played 20+ minutes 21 times in 136 career games. Part of that has been because Chet Holmgren, Williams, and the other Jaylin Williams have developed faster, eating into any role he could’ve had. In games where he’s gotten more minutes, Dieng showed flashes of the tools he possesses. One of his best games came against the Bucks last season (albeit without Giannis and Dame), as he scored 21 points on 9/13 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out five assists. 

Offense

The first thing that stands out about Dieng is his silky-smooth jump shot. There aren’t any weird hitches in his shooting form, and it might be the most refined part of his game. Last Wednesday’s game against the Magic was a great display of that. 

His shooting numbers didn’t look great in his first two seasons, with an effective field goal percentage of 50% (the league-wide average in those years was 54.6%) and a 28% three-point percentage. Yet, the last two seasons have shown steady growth, with his EFG% up to 52.1% and 3P% up to 34.2%. 

While he was never featured in OKC’s offense, he did get that chance with the Thunder’s G League team. In 26 games during the 2023–24 season, Dieng averaged 17.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 6.0 APG, with shooting splits of .482/.301/.702. He helped lead the OKC Blue to their first G League title by winning Finals MVP in a three-game series, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 blocks, and just 1.7 turnovers per game. He shot the ball incredibly well, hitting 44.2% of his shots from the field, 53.3% from three-point range (5.0 3PA), and 100% from the charity stripe, albeit on three total attempts. In that finals series against the Maine Celtics, there were noticeable playmaking skills in the half-court, in pick-and-roll scenarios, and even in transition. That’s translated in his short stint with the Bucks so far, as he made several good reads against his former team, including a lob to Jericho Sims in the P&R.

Dieng has on-ball creation skills, with a tight handle on the perimeter. He’s been able to pull up from three, drain step-back threes, and even get to the rim with regularity. He does look a little awkward at times, especially when he tries to Euro step, but that might be a product of his patience to get the right look at the rim. 

Another standout skill is Dieng’s ability to run the pick-and-roll. With his height, he’s able to read the defense and find open players. Even when he drives into the lane, and the defense collapses, he finds shooters open on the perimeter. He does an excellent job of using ball and head fakes to manipulate defenses and open passing lanes. He has great control of the ball, with very few passes I watched that were errant. Dieng knows when it’s his time to take the shot in these situations and attack the roll man in drop coverage. His favorite scoring moves are the floater and the Euro step, but he also has a mid-range jumper he likes to pull out from time to time. 

Overall, there’s a lot to like about Dieng’s offensive potential. The one drawback right now is his frame, weighing 185 pounds at 6’9”, and that has caused problems on drives to the rim against bigger defenders. He is quick enough and long enough to get by some players in the G League and the NBL, but I can foresee issues against bigger NBA bodies. Imagine if he tried to drive on a player like OG Anunoby or even his own teammate, Kyle Kuzma—bigger guys who are just as athletic as him. While he hasn’t run into that problem with the Bucks so far, it’s happened quite a few times over the course of his career. 

That is something that Dieng can change, as he is still growing into his body. Again, he is only 22 years old. How many of us had fully grown into our adult bodies by then? That’s not to say he’s going to grow to the same level as a player like Brandon Ingram, but some tools should excite Bucks fans.

Defense

Dieng’s best defensive tool by far is his IQ. There were multiple plays in his days overseas and in the G League where he would come over from his help position to block shots and deflect the ball, creating fast-break chances. The way he blocks shots is like how Giannis operates on defense: he defends the rim off the help side rather than a traditional rim protector like Rudy Gobert. This isn’t to say Dieng is as good a defender as Giannis; it’s more to show that they work in similar ways in the half-court. 

His length and athleticism make him a versatile defender who guards 1–3 on the perimeter. His 7’1” wingspan is ideal for disrupting ball handlers, generating steals, and deflections. In three games with the Bucks, players are shooting 41.9% when guarded by Dieng (13/31), and in last Wednesday’s game against Orlando, Franz Wagner went 0/4 from the field when Dieng was the closest defender.

His smaller build also causes issues at the defensive end. It leaves him unable to guard power forwards and centers in the post. The bigger issue comes on the perimeter, where he gets overpowered by bigger players looking to drive into the paint. This made it much harder for him to navigate screens at times, as he got stuck on the screen or even made the wrong read on the ball handler. He seems to have gotten marginally better in this area with NBA coaching, but there isn’t enough of a sample size to say that for sure.

It also leaves him liable to give up rebounds on both ends of the court. Looking over his film, most of his rebounds in the limited time he has spent on the floor at the NBA level are uncontested. The only example I found of him having to box out someone was in a preseason game against the Nuggets this season. It’s not the end of the world, but it shows that his lack of strength could be a problem if he ever must box out bigs. He should only be boxing out players of his size or smaller.

Dieng has a chance to be a solid defender and could address the Bucks’ defensive deficiencies, especially off the bench. Having a help-side defender with his instincts next to Bobby Portis would cover up his issues on that end.

How does he fit down the stretch?

Overall, Dieng will have a much better opportunity for consistent minutes with this Bucks team. As of now, he could get playing time to spell Kuzma as a small forward/power forward. His size and defensive versatility make him a good fit for the Bucks’ defense, both in man-to-man and zone coverage.

Offensively, he can run P&R effectively, so I see a two-man game of him and Sims continuing to work quite well. He doesn’t need the ball to contribute, as he has a dependable jumper in catch-and-shoot situations. With his improving three-point shot, he would be an ideal floor spacer alongside Giannis, either off the bench or potentially in the starting lineup. Kuzma has come off the bench at times, and I would rather use the rest of this season to see how Dieng fits.

Beyond that, it’s hard to tell how short a leash Doc will have on Dieng, given his propensity to favor veterans over young players. With the limited time Dieng could be with Milwaukee, given his contract situation, it would be imperative for the coaching staff to give him significant minutes, around 18–25 MPG. I know the Bucks didn’t give up much to get him, but this team has been starving for young talent for quite some time. They need to see what they have in him so they can decide whether he should stay in Milwaukee for at least one more season.

It was a first half to remember for the Celtics, as they exceeded expectations en route to a 35-19 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

While it was certainly a strong start, what happens the rest of the way will ultimately dictate how this season is remembered.

With that in mind, here are 10 storylines to follow moving forward.

1) Will Jayson Tatum return?

Yes, it’s obvious, but it still counts. Will he or won’t he? My hunch is that Jayson Tatum will, in fact, play for the Celtics this season. It could be in a few days, a few weeks or a few months, but I don’t think he’s doing all this just for the heck of it.

Prediction: Yes, sometime in March or April.

2) Will Jaylen Brown make the All-NBA first team?

Jaylen Brown made the All-NBA second team in 2022-23 but has never made the first team. This is easily his best chance. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic are essentially locks as long as they stay healthy. After that, it feels like Brown, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson, among others, will be battling it out for two spots.

Prediction: No. He makes the second team (finishing sixth or seventh overall), but not the first.

I’m proud of this group and staff/ office looking forward to 2nd half go Cs ☘️ pic.twitter.com/I0cqxQTPYg

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) February 13, 2026

3) Can Derrick White find consistency with his shot?

Derrick White has adjusted to increased responsibility seamlessly in just about every area. His shooting percentages, however, have decreased significantly – 44.2 percent from the field last year to 38.9 this year, along with 38.4 percent from 3 last year to 32.5 this year. I have a hunch White will figure it out. He may not be able to elevate those numbers to where they were last year, but I think he’ll start trending in the right direction.

Prediction: Yes. He ends up around 34 percent from 3 and 40 percent from the field.

4) Will Nikola Vucevic be a perfect fit?

The more I watch Nikola Vucevic play with the Celtics, the more I like the trade. Yes, they’ll miss Anfernee Simons, but Vucevic really fits in perfectly and gives them something an element didn’t have. He’s honestly one of the best low-post scorers and rebounders they’ve had in recent years (if not the best) and has already made strides defensively. I think this will end up working out great for both sides.

Prediction: Yes. He continues to get more and more comfortable and helps most in the playoffs.

Nikola Vučević in his Celtics debut:

11 PTS
12 REB
4 AST
2 STL pic.twitter.com/g2sF1G5tDN

— NBA (@NBA) February 7, 2026

5) Will Joe Mazzulla win Coach of the Year?

Joe Mazzulla is in the mix for Coach of the Year, but he has some stiff competition with JB Bickerstaff, Jordan Ott, Mitch Johnson and more. I believe the Celtics will continue to rack up wins and continue to help his cause, but I don’t think anyone’s catching the Pistons in the East, so it’s hard to argue against Bickerstaff.

Prediction: No. He comes close, but finishes second behind Bickerstaff.

6) Which role players earn opportunities in the playoffs?

Mazzulla has mixed and matched with his bench most of the season, tinkering his lineups based on the opponent. Which of these guys who have contributed in spurts will stay in the rotation in the playoffs? It will likely continue to be matchup dependent, but I think he trusts Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez and Luka Garza most, with a sprinkle of Jordan Walsh and Amari Williams as needed.

Prediction: Scheierman, Gonzalez and Walsh see occasional minutes, depending on the opponent.

7) Will all the road games early be a problem?

Eight of the Celtics’ first 12 games are on the road, starting with a tough four-game trip against the Warriors, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets. This is a tricky stretch, and they need to make sure it doesn’t veer the wrong direction. Going 2-2 is fine, but 1-3 or 0-4 wouldn’t be ideal. It doesn’t get any easier in early March, with road games against the Cavaliers, Spurs and Thunder in a span of five days.

Prediction: They struggle somewhat, but not enough where they plummet in the standings. They go 2-2 on the first road trip and 1-2 on the second, but they take care of business against worse teams at home to start 7-5 overall.

8) Does Neemias Queta make an All-Defensive team?

Neemias Queta is the unsung hero of this whole Celtics season so far. People who watch the team regularly are aware of how valuable he is, but those who follow the NBA casually have no idea. He’s currently 10th in the NBA in defensive rating (105.6), 18th in blocks (1.3) and is the anchor of a unit that’s allowing the second-fewest points per game in the NBA (108.4) behind only the Thunder.

Prediction: Yes, he makes the second team – a well-deserved honor.

Neemias Queta mid-season block reel https://t.co/TVm4PHe4k6pic.twitter.com/uagau9x8OW

— 𝒃🏀 (@HiddenNBA) February 17, 2026

9) How many wins do the Celtics finish with and where do they end up in the standings?

This one is possibly the most fun to predict. In one sense, the Celtics are playing with house money. In other, they didn’t come this far just to come this far. I don’t think there will be a major drop-off, but I also don’t think they’ll catch the Pistons. I think the Knicks will pull ahead, but the Celtics will hold off the Cavaliers. Obviously Tatum’s status could swing it dramatically, so I’m making a safe pick in between where I think it would be if he comes back and if he doesn’t.

Prediction: 52-30, No. 3 seed.

10) Do fans start to believe this team can win it all?

The average Boston sports fan is enjoying this run, yet remains somewhat skeptical that the Celtics can legitimately contend for a championship. Are they right? Possibly, but I wouldn’t rule it out. The Thunder still factually have the best chance. The rest of the West is loaded, and the Pistons, Knicks and Cavaliers are all legit, but there’s no reason the Celtics can’t make the Finals and give the Thunder or anyone else a battle. Especially if that Tatum guy returns. It’s a tricky season, because fans are genuinely bought in but don’t want to be disappointed if it all crumbles. But that’s what being a fan is all about, right?

Prediction: Fans’ expectations stay about the same if Tatum stays sidelined. Fans’ expectations start to soar if he returns. We’ll see how it all shakes out, but it could be one heck of a story.

Agree? Disagree? Kind of agree? Let us know.

Darryn Peterson's availability has once again become a storyline this college basketball season, even as the potential No. 1 pick of the 2026 NBA Draft helped the Jayhawks to an 81-69 win over Oklahoma State.

Peterson exited No. 12 Kansas' Big 12 win over the Cowboys shortly after hitting a 3-pointer with 18 minutes left in the second half. He didn't return to the game, finishing with 23 points, two rebounds, one block and one steal in 18 minutes of play.

REQUIRED READING: Bill Self rejects narratives he's seen on Darryn Peterson's health

Speaking to reporters after the game, Kansas coach Bill Self said the reason Peterson left was due to cramping. He also said he didn't "anticipate" the issue flaring up again, adding that it was a disappointing situation considering Peterson could have had an even bigger game than he did.

Peterson has missed several games this season due to a hamstring issue and what was described as flu-like symptoms vs. top-ranked Arizona.

"Well we've had it more than a couple times," Self told reporters. "And I didn't anticipate that tonight at all. I thought that he was good to go. But obviously we only got 18 minutes out of him. And that's really disappointing, because he could have had a really big night.

"But one thing about it is it's happened often enough that our guys have learned to play without him, even though that's not the way want to play. But that's certainly not something that we're unaccustomed to right now."

Here were Bill Self's initial thoughts after the win:#kubballpic.twitter.com/BvDJzkbxrd

— Jordan Guskey (@JordanGuskey) February 19, 2026

Self also said that it's "concerning," and that Kansas would prefer him to be fully available for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

"It's a concern. I thought we were past it, but obviously we're not. It's certainly a concern," Self said. "You get into the NCAA Tournament, you're playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak. Yeah, all it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season."

HAYES: Kansas State is embarrassing itself not to protect basketball, but help football

Self wasn't the only person to comment on Peterson's lack of playing time in the second half. TNT college basketball studio analysts Jalen Rose, Bruce Pearl and Jamal Mashburn spoke at length about the ongoing saga with Peterson, with Mashburn rhetorically asking, "why even be a part of it?"

"I think the interesting part of this with the NIL era and the transfer portal, this has become much more transactional than we've really thought about," Mashburn said. "From the standpoint that, we can't separate the conversation of them winning a championship and him going to the NBA.

"Because it's a transition year for him at the end of the day. If he can go straight from high school straight to the pros, he probably would have done it. That's how I see it. They really need him to win a championship, but if he's going to get into the NCAA Tournament, and you're gonna load manage that part of it, why even be a part of it?"

"If [Darryn Peterson's] gonna get into the NCAA Tournament, and you're gonna load manage... why even be a part of it."@jamalmashburn, @JalenRose & @coachbrucepearl weigh in on the Kansas star after he sat most of the 2H in tonight's win 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Ni4lWClJGS

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) February 19, 2026

Added former Auburn and Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl:

"It's a business, and I think the kids in the locker room understand he's got the chance to be No. 1. They want him to be healthy. I think times have changed a little bit. Years ago, there might have been guys in the locker room that would have really taken him to task a little bit: 'Hey, we need you to win this championship.' But they all recognize it might just be bigger than that.

"So, disappointed, and this is not the last that we're going to hear of this story."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Self on Darryn Peterson's lack of minutes in Kansas win vs OSU

As the All-Star confetti settles, the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in a place that feels… familiar.

The sixth seed.

If you’re a Wolves fan, that number probably triggers two completely different emotions at once. On one hand, last year’s sixth seed turned into a Western Conference Finals run. On the other, that path was sprinkled with just enough good fortune that you’d be lying if you said you’d want to try that roulette spin again.

Let’s revisit it.

Last season, the Wolves slid into the six spot and drew the three-seeded Lakers. That Lakers team had the star wattage with LeBron James and Luka Doncic at the top, but underneath? Tissue paper. Minnesota’s depth swallowed them whole in five games. Then the basketball gods handed the Wolves another break: the seventh-seeded Warriors upset Houston, giving Minnesota home court in the second round. And just when things started getting interesting, Steph Curry’s hamstring tapped out in Game 1 and never came back.

That’s how you punch your ticket to the Western Conference Finals.

And then Oklahoma City reminded everyone what the top of the mountain actually feels like. The Thunder didn’t just beat the Wolves. They took their lunch money and asked if they wanted a receipt.

So yes, the sixth seed “worked” last year. But if you’re serious about winning the West, actually winning it, you don’t sit around waiting for dominoes to fall in your favor. Especially not if you’re the Timberwolves, a franchise that historically hasn’t exactly been the league’s lucky charm.

This team should be looking more like the 2023-24 version, the one that flirted with the one seed all season and ended up grabbing the three. That positioning mattered. It gave them the Suns in Round 1, a matchup they handled with authority. It set up that heavyweight, seven-game slugfest with Nikola Jokic and Denver. It gave them control over their path. That’s the blueprint.

And here’s the good news: the three seed isn’t some fantasy. It’s 1.5 games away.

That’s it.

The Western Conference isn’t going to open a red carpet for Minnesota no matter which seed they grab. There’s no easy road. But the remaining schedule? It’s manageable. The Wolves have already fought most of their heavy battles. They’ve got one game left against OKC. One against Denver (the same Denver that’s beaten them three times, which should be circled in Sharpie). Two more with Houston, who suddenly look less like a juggernaut and more like a team dealing with internal chaos. Then single matchups with the Lakers and Suns, who the Wolves should take seriously after dropping their two previous games to both teams. Out East? Two games against the conference-leading Pistons and one against the Celtics.

That’s nine tough games out of the final 26.

Let’s be conservative. If you penciled those nine in as losses, which, by the way, you absolutely shouldn’t, that still leaves the possibility of going 17–9 down the stretch. That might be enough for the three seed on its own. If they split those marquee matchups instead of folding, suddenly you’re talking about a team with real momentum and real positioning leverage.

Because make no mistake: this isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about math. The three seed means home court in Round 1. It potentially means an inexperienced Spurs team in Round 2. It likely keeps you on the opposite side of the bracket from OKC and Denver until the Conference Finals.

There is no easy path out West. But there is a smarter path. And right now, the only thing standing between Minnesota and that path is… Minnesota.

We’ve seen the two versions of this team all year. The locked-in Wolves who swarmed OKC and looked like a championship-caliber machine. And the other Wolves, the ones who sleepwalk through first halves, play optional defense, settle for isolation hero ball, and try to flip the switch with six minutes left.

The maddening fourth-quarter meltdowns. The porous perimeter defense. The lazy closeouts. The careless turnovers that turn into transition layups the other way. The “we’ll turn it on when we have to” mentality that sometimes works and sometimes explodes in their faces.

That’s the real opponent.

The roster is more complete now. Ayo Dosunmu shores up the backcourt in a way the Wolves desperately needed. The core that’s gone to back-to-back Conference Finals is intact. Anthony Edwards is ascending into the league’s upper echelon. Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels. This is a team with legitimate depth and versatility.

There is no excuse.

Short of Nikola Jokic personally morphing into a basketball Thanos and snapping half of his opponents out of existence, there’s no reason Minnesota shouldn’t finish at least third. The schedule is favorable. The talent is there. The blueprint exists.

This is about character now.

It’s about whether they’re content being the fun team that can beat anybody on a Tuesday but can’t string together professional, focused basketball for two straight weeks. Or whether they want to be the team that squeezes every ounce of equity out of February and March so April becomes about execution, not survival.

At times this season, it’s felt like the Wolves have been waiting for the playoffs to start before taking things seriously. Like the regular season is some long pregame warmup. That’s a dangerous game in this conference. Two months from now, they’ll be lacing up for Game 1 of a playoff series. The tone for that series, and potentially the entire run, will be set by what happens over these final 26 games.

The three seed is sitting there. It’s not theoretical. It’s not some 10-game miracle streak away. It’s right in front of them. The only question is whether they want it badly enough to go grab it. Because if they don’t, and they end up fourth, fifth, or worse, they won’t be able to blame bad luck. They won’t be able to blame the bracket. They’ll only have to look in the mirror.

It’s time to lace up the work boots. Time to stop playing with their food. Time to treat every sleepy Tuesday in March like it matters.

Because it does.

The three seed isn’t going to chase Minnesota.

Minnesota has to chase it.