Category: Sports News

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid reported soreness in his right shin over the All-Star break and will miss the Philadelphia 76ers' game against Atlanta on Thursday night.

The Sixers said Embiid experienced the soreness while participating in a right knee injury management program over the break. Following a consultation with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.

Embiid will be evaluated again ahead of the Sixers' back-to-back road games, Saturday at New Orleans and Sunday at Minnesota.

Embiid averaged 26.6 points in 31 games this season for the Sixers and was free of the minutes restrictions that had plagued him over the last few seasons. He sat out three of the last five Sixers' games headed into the All-Star break with soreness in his right knee.

The Sixers have lost six of their last seven games in which Embiid doesn’t play.

The 7-foot center was limited to 19 games last year and 39 games the previous season. He had 40 points and 11 rebounds in a win last month over New Orleans on a night in which Paul George was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

Embiid has dealt with multiple injuries since even before he entered the NBA. He suffered a stress fracture in his right foot before he was drafted out of Kansas that cost him two years. From there, it was a bone bruise here, a meniscus tear there. A busted orbital bone. A sprained shoulder. Tendinitis. Torn ligaments. Even Bell’s palsy.

Even with all the injuries, the 76ers still signed Embiid in 2024 to a three-year, $193 million extension with a player option for the 2028-29 season that doesn’t kick in until next season.

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

Welcome to February Daily Topics at Golden State of Mind. A question (almost) every day this month to give the community a prompt to talk about!

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Well folks, it’s almost time. On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors will get back in action at the Chase Center, hosting the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals, though both teams look dramatically different four years later (including two of the players from that Celtics team now playing for the Warriors).

It marks the end of the All-Star break, and the start of the second half of the season … though this “half” is only 27 games, after 55 in the opening act.

I’ll admit that it’s not the most exciting return to action for the Warriors. With Jimmy Butler III out for the year with an ACL tear, Steph Curry fighting off lingering injuries, and the Jonathan Kuminga drama finally behind us, there aren’t a ton of intriguing stories for a Warriors team that would need a minor miracle to make a playoff run that outlasts the first round of the playoffs. The biggest story for the rest of the season is how Kristaps Porziņģis looks when he gets on the court … and if he can stay healthy.

Still, basketball is back in front of us, and that’s fun and exciting, and there’s much to talk about. So it seemed like a good time to do another mailbag, which we haven’t done in quite some time.

So drop your questions — no topic (within reason) is off limits — in the comment section below, and I’ll answer them all on Thursday ahead of the team’s return to action. And until then, enjoy one more night of peace before getting back to watching this fairly frustrating basketball team.

There’s a lot of smoke around a potential LeBron James return when his current deal with the Los Angeles Lakers ends at the conclusion of this season. James once again added fuel to the fire by having some nice things to say about the Cleveland Cavaliers in the most recent episode of the Mind the Game Podcast after their moves to acquire James Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis at the trade deadline.

First, LeBron was complimentary of the team going out and getting Harden.

“They felt like they needed another playmaker, someone that’s been there, kind of been in this situation before, and they added James, perennial All-Star who’s still putting up All-Star numbers,” James said. “He gives Donovan Mitchell another, like, ball handler guy who can make shots late in the game.”

LeBron seems like he has a lot of respect for Harden. Back in June 2024, Rich Paul said that his client would accept a paycut from the Lakers if it meant he could play with an established playmaker or big man. Harden was one of the players Paul listed.

Making the move to acquire Schroder and Ellis also received the king’s blessing.

“Those pickups that they got from Sac as well,” James said. “Schroder, a former teammate of mine, you know that’s going to compete every single night, and Keon Ellis, the guy’s going to compete, make shots. Like, those guys are going to be, I think, really, really good for that team, especially in the East, where it’s a lot of bulk.”

LeBron — like seemingly every man over 35 years-old in America — has a podcast. He talks about the NBA, and Cleveland’s moves at the deadline have been mostly praised. From that perspective, his doing so isn’t newsworthy.

At the same time, LeBron has been in this business for a long time. He knows that his words have meaning, and he sees all the noise about him returning to Cleveland. If he wanted to quiet that down, he’d avoid talking about his former team — especially on his podcast, where he presumably controls what gets released.

We’ll see what happens this summer. In the meantime, James believes the Cavs are better prepared for the playoffs now.

“You’ve got to have some dogs in there, so I think they added a lot.”

WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Arsenal blew a two-goal lead at last-place Wolves on Wednesday to give a huge boost to Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.

The league leader was held to a surprise 2-2 draw at Molineux, having led 2-0 in the second half.

Teenage debutant Tom Edozie scored in the fourth minute of added time to complete Wolves' comeback.

“There was a big difference in how we played in the first half and the second half. We dropped our standards and we got punished for it,” Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka told the BBC.

The draw means Arsenal has dropped points in back-to-back games and leaves it just five ahead of second-place City, having played a game more.

With the top two still to play each other at City's Etihad Stadium, the title race is too close to call.

“(It's) time to focus on ourselves, improve our standards and improve our performances and it is in our control,” Saka said.

Arsenal has led the way for the majority of the season and one bookmaker paid out on Mikel Arteta's team winning the title after it opened up a nine-point lead earlier this month.

But Wednesday's result was the latest sign that it is feeling the pressure, having finished runner-up in each of the last three seasons. It has won just two of its last seven league games.

Having blown a lead against Brentford last week, it was even worse at a Wolves team that has won just one game all season.

Victory looked all but secured after Saka gave Arsenal the lead with a header in the fifth minute and Piero Hincapie ran through to blast in the second in the 56th.

But Wolves' fightback began with Hugo Bueno's curling shot into the top corner in the 61st.

The 19-year-old Edozie was sent on as a substitute in the 84th and his effort earned the home team only its 10th point of a campaign that looks certain to end in relegation. While it did little for Wolves' chances of survival, it may have had a major impact at the top of the standings.

“Incredibly disappointed that we gave two points away,” Arteta said. "I think we need to fault ourselves and give credit to Wolves. But what we did in the second half was nowhere near our standards that we have to play in order to win a game in the Premier League.

“When you don’t perform you can get punished, and we got punished and we have to accept the hits because that can happen when you are on top."

Arsenal plays Tottenham on Sunday. Its lead could be cut to two points before it kicks off if City wins against Newcastle on Saturday.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Well, that’s not going to help start the second half on the right foot.

The Sixers have ruled Joel Embiid out for their first game back out of the All-Star break against the Atlanta Hawks with shin soreness. While he hasn’t been ruled out for any further games, the team has released a short update.

“While participating in a right knee injury management program during the All-Star break, Joel Embiid reported soreness in his right shin,” the team’s release said. “Following a consultation with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.

“He will be OUT of tomorrow’s night game vs. Atlanta and will be reevaluated ahead of the team’s back-to-back this weekend. Further updates will be provided later this week.”

Joel Embiid reported soreness in his right shin. Following consultation with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.

He’s OUT tomorrow, reevaluated ahead of the back-to-back this weekend, per Sixers.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) February 18, 2026

So it would appear this shin soreness popped up in his right leg. That one hasn’t been plagued by injuries or required a number of surgeries, but it has caused Embiid problems as of late. He missed the last two games before the break with right knee soreness.

It’s especially unfortunate because the Sixers have really needed him on the court as of late, losing six of their last seven games without him in the lineup. Those last two games before the break were especially bad blowout losses, including a 49-point drubbing at home against the New York Knicks.

For more on how the Sixers front court depth can hold up behind Embiid, this very blog covered the topic earlier as a part of a second-half preview.

At least the rest of the Sixers’ injury report is clean, with only Johni Broome and MarJon Beauchamp doubtful on G-League assignments. That means Quentin Grimes is good to return — he missed the last two games before the break as well with an illness.

Former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have headlined the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year race for much of the season. In recent weeks, however, the perceived gap between the two has appeared to widen, with Flagg averaging 27.3 points per game to open February and strengthening his case as the class’s best player. Yet, scoring averages alone rarely capture a player’s true impact. Using FTN’s new NBA StatsHub, let’s take a closer look at how this year’s rookie class is actually impacting games – separating shot volume and counting stats from measurable value added.

The Top Rookies of 2025-2026

Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

FGOE: +0.7%PTOE: +0.0Team Record: 19-35 Cooper Flagg, this past summer’s No. 1 overall pick, is priced at -750 betting odds to win NBA Rookie of the Year coming out of the All-Star break. However, a closer look at NBA StatsHub metrics makes it difficult to argue that he has been the league’s most impactful rookie to date. Flagg’s +0.7% Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation ranks 122nd out of 224 players averaging at least 20 minutes per game this season. He also ranks 139th in Points Over Expectation, suggesting that his scoring production has been more volume-driven than efficiency-driven. The on/off data supports that conclusion. Dallas has been 3.1 points better per 100 possessions with Flagg off the floor this year. While he has provided a modest offensive boost (+1.9 offensive rating), he ranks last on the team in defensive rating among players with at least 200 minutes played. It’s not difficult to see Flagg’s long-term upside, but his overall impact on a 19-35 Dallas team has been less impressive than his surface-level stats indicate.

Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets

FGOE: +6.1%PTOE: +2.2Team Record: 26-29

A month ago, we examined the league’s most underrated scorers using Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation and came away wondering if Kon Knueppel could be the NBA’s next superstar. Since then, his production has only strengthened that case. Over the past month, he’s averaged 18.4 points per game while shooting 47.1% from the floor, including 41.7% from 3-point territory. He’s also converted 92.5% of his free throw attempts during that stretch – ranking ninth in the NBA among players with at least seven games played and 3.0 free throw attempts per game. Charlotte’s team success further validates Knueppel’s positive impact. Charlotte finished 19-63 last season, posting the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and the fourth-worst point differential in the league. This year, the Hornets have already surpassed that win total and remain firmly entrenched in the playoff conversation with fewer than 30 games remaining. Like many rookies, Knueppel has experienced defensive growing pains. However, his +6.1% FGOE and positive Points Over Expectation suggest that his scoring impact is not simply the product of opportunity. His ability to convert difficult shots efficiently has been a central factor in Charlotte outperforming their preseason expectations.

VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers

FGOE: -3.5%PTOE: -0.8Team Record: 30-24 VJ Edgecombe pulled into the All-Star break averaging the third-most points per game (14.9) and fourth-most assists per game (4.1) in this year’s rookie class. However, his efficiency looks more like what we would expect from a traditional rookie 42.3% shooting overall and 35.2% from 3-point territory. His relative offensive inefficiency is captured in NBA StatsHub’s advanced metrics, too, with his -3.5% Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation and -0.8 Points Over Expectation both lagging significantly behind Flagg and Knueppel. Similar to other players in their first year, Edgecombe has struggled defensively – ranking fourth worst on the 76ers in defensive rating among players to log at least 500 minutes this season. Nevertheless, the upside for Edgecombe is undeniable. He was named Rising Stars MVP after a dominant performance at NBA All-Star Weekend and will look to parlay that into a strong second-half as he looks to help Philadelphia improve their playoff position during the home stretch of the regular season.

The Takeaway

The gap between perception and production is where FTN’s NBA StatsHub proves most valuable. For years, rookie evaluation leaned heavily on scoring averages and traditional box score metrics. Now, with tools like Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation and Points Over Expectation, we can better distinguish between volume-driven production and true value creation. This year’s rookie class is filled with impact players. But when isolating sustainable shot-making and measurable offensive value, Kon Knueppel stands out — even if the betting markets don’t agree.

The Sacramento Kings are losing another one of their key players for the rest of the season.

Star center Domantas Sabonis underwent season-ending surgery on Wednesday morning to repair a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, according to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. The Kings confirmed Sabonis' surgery was successful.

Sabonis had originally torn his meniscus in November and rehabbed it before returning to the court last month, but it was ultimately decided that surgery was the best option.

The news comes just after it was reported that the Kings' leading scorer Zach Lavine had surgery on his right hand after the All-Star break; he will also miss the rest of the season.

Both Sabonis and Lavine had been at the center of trade rumors as the Kings look to rebuild, but the deadline passed with both of them staying put for now. Sacramento's 12-44 record is currently the worst in the league.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Domantas Sabonis injury update: Kings star out for season after surgery

BODO, Norway (AP) — Champions League runner-up Inter Milan became the latest scalp claimed by Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League, losing 3-1 away in the first leg of their playoff on Wednesday.

The Norwegian outsider has been the surprise story of this season’s competition after beating Manchester City at home and Atletico Madrid away to make the playoffs.

The club is located north of the Arctic Circle — which is farther north than any team in Champions League history.

Serie A leader Inter was seeking a seventh straight win in all competitions but fell behind in the 20th minute when midfielder Sondre Brunstad Fet netted with a neat finish.

Although burly striker Pio Esposito equalized with an opportunist finish 10 minutes later, the home side picked off Inter with two goals in quick succession in the second half.

Both were similar, with quick passing and unselfish assists.

For the second goal, forward Kasper Høgh rolled the ball for Jens Petter Hauge to launch a powerful shot into the top corner in the 61st.

The winger, who once had a brief spell in Serie A with AC Milan, jumped and kicked the corner flag in celebration.

The fans at the 8,000-capacity Aspmyra Stadion were cheering again three minutes later when Høgh scored the third goal after being teed up by Ole Didrik Blomberg.

The return leg is next Tuesday. ___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer