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2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 19
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 7
Paul George – 6
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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The Sixers finished their road trip 3-2 after dropping the final matchup to the Trail Blazers 135-118.

The Sixers entered the night without Quentin Grimes (illness) and Jabari Walker (two-way days), and saw late scratches for both Dominick Barlow (illness) and Joel Embiid (right knee management).

Despite being thin on reinforcements, the Sixers played a very strong offensive first half and led Portland 65-64 at the break.

Unfortunately for anyone who stayed awake to see it, the Sixers took the floor in the third quarter with a visibly lowered desire to play strong basketball.

Whether it was the physical Suns matchup on Saturday, the fact its the last stop of a seven-day West Coast swing, or the insane shooting put on display by the Blazers, the Sixers intensity faded on offense and they slowed down considerably on the defensive end.

They were outscored 49-22 in the third and went down by 31 points at one point in the fourth quarter.

Therefore, our Bell Ringer nominees will be highlighting play from the first half — with one exception.

Tyrese Maxey: 30 points, 10-of-21 FG, 2-of-9 3PT, 8-of-8 FT, 4 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal

Maxey finished the first half with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, doing most of his work in the paint. In the first quarter, Maxey showed off his pace-changing ability with a midrange pull-up. A couple possessions later, he displayed a rare Euro-step around Donovan Clingan for an easy two. Later in the frame, Drummond found a cutting Maxey for an easy two, and finished a chaotic possession with a swift layup.

Gorgeous finish from Maxey pic.twitter.com/Hipel61LZR

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 10, 2026

At the end of the quarter, Maxey finished in transition off of a Oubre Jr. steal, and put down a ridiculous lefty scoop shot to tie things up at 29- 29. He played the entire first quarter.

Maxey leads all scorers with 13 and the Sixers withstood a red-hot start for the Blazers to take a 31-29 lead after one. pic.twitter.com/qUr3h16GtO

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 10, 2026

In the second, he got a floater to fall after receiving a nice pass from MarJon Beauchamp and was operating the offense by attracting extra defenders on drives.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 19 points, 6-of-13 FG, 3-of-5 3PT, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 1 assist

Oubre also finished the first half with 16 points and played the entire first quarter. His shooting continues to keep the Sixers afloat amidst Maxey’s three-point struggles.

His defensive impact should have been larger as the Sixers failed to convert on multiple turnovers in the first half, but nabbed four steals and a block before the break.

He was very aggressive with his drives, leading to multiple trips to the free throw line.

MarJon Beauchamp: 10 points, 3-of-7 FG, 1-of-2 3PT, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

Monday saw the first Sixers action for Beauchamp due to the suddenly thin depth, and made an instant impact with a beautiful wrap-around pass for a Drummond three.

Sharpshooter Drum off the nice feed from MarJon Beauchamp in his first game as a Sixer. pic.twitter.com/FsWDrGwDrv

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 10, 2026

Later in the frame he assisted on a Justin Edwards three and a cutting Maxey layup after grabbing an offensive rebound.

Our second half exception is for Beauchamp’s first points as a Sixer, which came in the third off a slick pass from Drummond as he was cutting from the top of the arc.

The game has gotten out of hand, but Beauchamp gets his first bucket as a Sixer pic.twitter.com/ujWz6v18w1

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 10, 2026

In the fourth quarter, he nailed his first three as a Sixer on the left wing despite a strong closeout from Vít
Krejčí, and forced a trio of steals that led to easy points.

In just 20 minutes, Beauchamp made the most of his opportunity and did not let the scoreboard dictate his effort, unlike some of his teammates.

LOS ANGELES — Lakers coach JJ Redick warned his team about the dangers of turning the ball over against the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

After struggling with ball security for half of Monday night’s matchup at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers cleaned things up.

But what the Lakers struggled with throughout was securing defensive rebounds against a Thunder team that thrives with capitalizing on any margins provided to them, leading to the Lakers falling to the Thunder 119-110 on the first night of their home back-to-back set. 

After struggling to take care of the ball, turning the ball 10 times for 20 Oklahoma City points that helped the Thunder take a game-best 14-point lead in the second quarter, the Lakers only turned the ball over five times in the second half for three Oklahoma City points. 

But the Lakers didn’t overcome the Thunder widening their margins on the offensive glass, with Oklahoma City scoring 24 second-chance points. 

LeBron James led the Lakers with 22 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, his third consecutive game with a points-assists double-double. 

Marcus Smart scored 19 points, while Austin Reaves had 16 points and seven assists off of the bench. 

What it means

The Lakers dropped to 32-20 in the loss, staying at the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings after having a chance to move up to No. 4.

Their three-game winning streak also ended.

The Lakers haven’t won more than three games in a row since late November. 

Turning point

When Cason Wallace grabbed the offensive rebound at the 5:04 mark in the fourth quarter that led to a Jalen Williams layup to put the Thunder up 102-99 with just over five minutes left.

Up to that point in the game, the Lakers and Thunder were looking to create separation after both teams went on runs to create significant leads.

But the Thunder’s advantage on the glass in that moment encapsulated a night-long trend of Oklahoma City winning around the margins.

The Lakers didn’t have another for the remainder of the game, trailing by at least three points for the final five minutes. 

MVP: Isaiah Joe

During a game in which both teams were missing their MVP candidates, the result was going to come down to which role players were going to step up.

Joe did that for the Thunder early with his 3-point shooting and cuts to the basket, helping the Thunder take a 31-30 lead after the first quarter and a 67-58 lead going into halftime. 

He scored nine points, all 3-pointers, in the first quarter and seven in the second. He finished the game with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting. 

Stat of the game: 10

That’s how many more second-chance points the Thunder scored than the Lakers, having a 24-14 advantage for the game.

Oklahoma City grabbed five more offensive rebounds than the Lakers, and were more successful with making those extra scoring opportunities count.

Up next

The Lakers will close out their back-to-back set when they host the Spurs on Tuesday night. 

The Spurs, who are No. 2 in the West standings, are on a four-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 12 games. 

In the eyes of Lakers coach JJ Redick, every team his group faces is a test. Still, many wondered if the Lakers’ litmus test would come from facing the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.

Even with All-Star and league most valuable player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out with a strained abdominal, the Thunder are still a problem for most of the league. And the Lakers had to play OKC with their own MVP candidate, Luka Doncic, sitting out for the second straight game with a left hamstring strain.

In the end, it came down to the Lakers not being able to hold off the champion Thunder in the decisive fourth quarter of a 119-110 loss at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers (32-19) had six players score in double figures, but the Thunder had seven.

The Lakers shot 50% from the field, but the Thunder shot 48.3% from the field and 42.4% from three-point range.

“I think when you play the best teams, and Oklahoma City is clearly, you know they're the best team, you have to have a really high level of effort, and you have to have a really high level of execution,” Redick said.

LeBron James had 22 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, Marcus Smart had 19 points, Austin Reaves 16 off the bench, Jake LaRavia 14 and Rui Hachimura and Jaxon Hayes both had 12 points.

“You want me to compare us to them?” James responded to a question about the gap between Lakers and Thunder. “That’s a championship team right there, we’re not. We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”

Reaves gave the Lakers a 99-98 lead on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter.

But the Thunder just kept coming back, taking a 109-101 lead by outscoring the Lakers 11-2.

The Lakers, too, kept fighting back, getting to within 113-110 on a Hachimura basket.

But Jalen Williams, who had 23 points in his return to the lineup, kept scoring for the Thunder, making a field goal, two free throws with 35.9 seconds left and two more with 20.9 seconds left that sealed the game.

“You're playing against the best team in the NBA, and they've got more depth there, as much depth as anybody,” Redick said. “They got just a bunch of guys that can hurt you.”

Reaves provided the fans with a big-time highlight, driving down the lane and throwing down a two-handed dunk on Jaylin Williams and Aaron Wiggins to end the first quarter.

But Reaves grew frustrated in the third quarter when a foul wasn’t called on one of his drives. He argued too much and was given a technical foul by referee Eric Dalen with two minutes and 13 seconds left in the third.

After the game, after Reaves had gone six-for-14 from the field but just one-for-five from three-point line, he lamented getting the tech.

Read more:Lakers center Jaxson Hayes to compete in slam dunk contest

“I think I just got frustrated when I didn't get the foul call,” Reaves said. “Got the tech, let that kind of get to me a little bit. But yeah, it was just thought it was obvious. I told Eric. He was the closest ref. If it was anybody else, I'd have said the same thing to em. I just didn't know how all three of them could miss that. So, I was just a little frustrated after that and couldn't get back in the flow.”

The Lakers had 20 turnovers the last time they played at Oklahoma City in a game L.A. got down by as much as 37 points before losing by 29.

So, one point of emphasis for the Lakers was taking care of the basketball.

They had 10 turnovers in the first half but just five in the second half.

The Lakers did not turn the ball over in the fourth quarter, but they shot just 38.1% from the field in the final 12 minutes, finding it difficult to score against the Thunder’s tough defense.

“Yeah, they play the game the right way,” Reaves said. “I would say 95% of the time they then make the right play, make the right read, like you said, and put stress on your defense rotations. I thought we did a pretty good job. They made a couple tough shots. That's why they're probably the best team in the league.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook continues to climb the NBA all-time ranks and showcase why he's one of the greatest ever play the game.

Westbrook, 37, accomplished another scoring feat that very few have in NBA history.

The 18-year NBA veteran reached 27,000 career points during the Kings' 120-94 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on Monday, Feb. 9.

He reached the plateau after knocking down consecutive free throw attempts with 6:46 left in the third quarter.

Westbrook has averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game for the Kings in the 2025-26 season. He's appeared in 51 games. Not bad for someone who was a late signing prior to the beginning of the regular-season.

Westbrook became the second player to record at least 27,000 points, 10,000 assists, 8,000 rebounds, and record 2,000 steals in his career. The other player, LeBron James.

In a match-up missing two of the league’s best players, the Lakers fought valiantly against the Thunder before coming up short, falling 119-110.

After trailing by nine at the break, the Lakers, uncharacteristically, used a strong third quarter to get back into the game. However, Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams, returning from a 10-game absence due to injury, led OKC down the stretch to secure the win.

LA started the game well offensively, shooting 44% from the field. Everyone in the starting five scored. Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace were leading the Thunder with six points each.

The Lakers did play sloppily at times, committing three turnovers already leading to a tied game at the 4:14 mark.

Luke Kennard drained his first 3-pointer of the night. Austin Reaves scored five in a row, keeping LA steady with Oklahoma City. Isaiah Joe gave the Thunder a huge boost off the bench, knocking down three 3-pointers in the quarter. 

OKC went on a 7-0 scoring run that was halted with a layup by Jaxson Hayes. Reaves ended the quarter with a dunk that made it a one-point deficit going into the second. 

AUSTIN REAVES THROWS IT DOWN OVER TWO OKC DEFENDERS!!! pic.twitter.com/8jTS20gSwi

— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) February 10, 2026

Newest Thunder Jared McCain started the second with a quick five points. Neither team had been able to build a big lead until OKC went on a 9-2 scoring run to go up by seven. Joe was now at 13 points off the bench for Oklahoma City. 

At the 7:54 mark, the Lakers still had no player in double figures. 

LA had called a timeout to restore order, but out of that break, they turned the ball over, leading to a dunk by Chet Holmgren on the other end. The Lakers now had eight turnovers in the half. 

OKC unleashed an onslaught the purple and gold with a 14-0 run.

Marcus Smart gave the team some life by converting on a three-point play to halt the run. Reaves also knocked down his first triple of the game.

LeBron James went down the lane and hammed it on Holmgren, giving fans something to roar over. Los Angeles kept the deficit in single digits at nine going into halftime. 

LBJ came down the lane QUICK 😳 https://t.co/7lvcoqRv7dpic.twitter.com/cysPlq9B6R

— NBA (@NBA) February 10, 2026

Jalen Williams started the third period with a reverse layup. Hachimura countered with a 3-pointer. The Lakers started another scoring run and cut the deficit to three. Smart and LaRavia knocked down triples that helped keep LA’s momentum going. The Lakers took the lead at the 7:24 mark. 

Twenty-one of the first 29 points in the quarter came from LeBron and LaRavia. 

With 4:11 left in the third, OKC had only put up 15 points. LeBron was now up to 18 points after ending the first half with eight points. Jaylin Williams was a spark and momentum shifter for the Thunder off the bench with eight points, six of which came from triples. 

OKC regained the lead by one with 1:57 left. 

It was a tight battle between the teams as time was winding down. Los Angeles had retaken the lead by one, but a 3-pointer by former Laker Alex Caruso put the Thunder up by two going into the fourth period. 

Third quarter: Thunder 93, Lakers 91

LA outscored OKC 33-26 in the third. The Lakers led for most of the final 7 minutes of the frame until Alex Caruso's late 3. Austin Reaves has 14 points and 7 assists. LeBron has 18/4/6. Jake LaRavia has 14. LA shooting 54% vs. best defense.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 10, 2026

Smart drained a 3-pointer to start the final frame for LA. Caruso scored five in a row to put OKC back in the lead. Smart responded with another triple of his own. The Lakers were battling hard and answering each Oklahoma attempt to regain momentum. 

With 8:07 left, the Thunder were up by one. 

Each team took turns with the lead back and forth. They were also doing quite a bit of cardio as they missed shots. LaRavia missed a few attempts from behind the arc, stopping any sort of momentum LA had. 

Williams scored on a layup to stop the bleeding of both teams. OKC then put some cushion on their lead, going up by five. Trailing by eight with under three minutes left, the Lakers went on a 7-2 run with baskets from Hachimura, Smart and LeBron to cut the deficit to three.

The two sides traded baskets, though, with Chet Holmgren and Williams scoring on either side of a Rui layup to keep OKC up five.

An empty possession from the Lakers was the nail in the coffin as the Thunder iced the game away at the free throw line.

Key Player Stats

Reaves finished with 16 points and seven assists. LeBron ended with 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. Smart pitched in with 19 points on 4-7 shooting from three. 

Deandre Ayton notched six points and 10 rebounds. Kennard had seven points, shooting 60% from the field. Jaxson Hayes had 12 points with four rebounds. 

Hachimura scored 12 points with five rebounds. LaRavia ended with 14 points and four rebounds. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday at 7:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

In a battle between two shorthanded squads, the Golden State Warriors came back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 114-113 and improve to 29-25 on the season. They were undeniably aided by the Grizzlies clear desires to tank, but nevertheless, without Steph Curry, the Dubs found a way to win.

The Grizzlies jumped out to an early 17-7 lead as Golden State’s starting lineup struggled to find a rhythm offensively. Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford provided a much needed spark to get the Dubs rolling. By the end of the first quarter, both teams had scored 32 points.

Memphis would slowly begin pulling away, largely aided by a spree of Warriors turnovers (they finished the game with 23). Draymond Green scored 14 points, largely thanks to some strong outside shooting, but arguably gave up even more offensively through 7 turnovers. His season-long struggles to avoid throwing posessions away continued. Without Steph Curry on the floor to help bail him out, the mistakes were only magnified.

Former Warriors two-way guard Ty Jerome was leading the way, seeming to be playing with an extra chip on his shoulder. Perhaps Jerome remembers that Golden State opted to convert a different two-way player (Anthony Lamb) to an NBA contract instead of him back in the 2022-23 season. Jerome led the Grizzlies to a 16-point lead through three quarters and finished with a team-high 19 points, 7 assists, and a +15 plus/minus.

Yet, the Grizzlies are trying to fall down the standings after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline. While the commissioner’s office refuses to enforce anti-tanking rules, Memphis (emulating the Utah Jazz earlier in the day) sat their best players in the fourth quarter even as Golden State began stringing stops together.

The Warriors finally started getting consistent defensive stops in the fourth quarter, slowly cutting into Memphis’ lead. It’s worth noting that most of the comeback took place with Green on the bench.

Horford finished a layup to cut the deficit to 8 with less than five minutes remaining. Gui Santos nailed an open three on the following possession to cut it to five. Another stop turned into a layup by De’Anthony Melton in transition. Another stop was answered by a driving layup from Moses Moody. Podziemski immediately stole the Grizzlies’ in-bound pass after Moody’s make, but misse a layup that would’ve given Golden State a 114-113 lead.

Instead, both teams found themselves unable to score over the remaining two minutes until a final chaotic sequence.

Horford missed a shot in the post with 26 seconds left on the clock. After missing a tip-in attempt he managed to grab his own miss, but fell to the floor. As his upper body hovered above out of bounds he found Santos who was far enough behind the closest Grizzlies defenders to sneak to the hoop and make the go-ahead layup.

The Grizzlies had 19 seconds left to try and retake the lead, but ultimately missed a pair of shots.

Pat Spencer finished the game with 17 points and 7 assists. Moody quietly scored 15 points, doing most of his damage at the free-throw line. Santos continued his impressive run in the starting lineup, recording 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and a +11 plus/minus on 7-for-10 shooting from the field in 30 minutes of action. Podz added 16 points off the bench as well. However, the hero of the night was Horford.

With Green out of control, Horford was a stabilizing presence in the post. He filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and a game-high +24 plus/minus in 26 minutes. His final rebound and assist set up Santos for the game-winner.

What a game to showcase their depth after the trade deadline.

The shorthanded Sixers wrapped up their West Coast trip with a 135-118 blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night.

Tyrese Maxey carried as much of the load as he could, finishing with 30 and four assists shooting 10-of-21 from the floor. VJ Edgecombe struggled from the field and may have slightly banged up his hip, finishing with 11 points and six rebounds shooting 3-of-12 from the field.

Kelly Oubre Jr put up 19 going 6-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Toumani Camara had the shooting night of his life, knocking down 8-of-10 from three to go 10-of-12 from the field to tie Maxey as the game’s leading scorer with 30.

Joel Embiid was out with right knee injury management while Dominick Barlow and Quentin Grimes were both late scratches with an illness.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• Deni Avdija blew past his defender on the first possession of the game, and got the Sixers’ defense to completely collapse on him on his next three, all resulting in open kick-out threes. On the other end, the Sixers opened just as well, with Maxey and Trendon Watford both having early success off the dribble.
• Maxey has gotten open frequently cutting down the lane as of late, and his big man was able to hit him again in the first despite the absence of Embiid. There was one possession that the Blazers got a couple offensive rebounds, but Andre Drummond had four second-chance points early, even if a couple were putting back his own blocked shot.
• Now that the Sixers have gotten rid of their glut of guards, NBA on Prime Video analyst Kyle Lowry was the team’s eighth man in the rotation. The good thing is they were already being beaten off the dribble and were already flirting with zone looks. They rebounded though, ending the quarter on a 9-0 run that was started by an Adem Bona putback dunk and featured Oubre hitting the team’s first three of the night. Maxey also played the whole quarter and dropped 14 as the Sixers jumped out to two-point lead.

Maxey leads all scorers with 13 and the Sixers withstood a red-hot start for the Blazers to take a 31-29 lead after one. pic.twitter.com/qUr3h16GtO

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 10, 2026

Second Quarter

• Having one and a half other ball-handlers available was enough for Maxey to at least get a brief break. Watford opened it well with a push shot then Edgecombe got on the board with a trip to the line. Justin Edwards also got his first bucket knocking down a three, and got to the line on the ensuing fast break even if he got a little cute trying to do a reverse dunk.
• MarJon Beauchamp got his first minutes with the Sixers checking in early in the quarter. His first chance at action was cutting to the lane, connecting a Watford post-up to a Drummond three in the corner. A few possessions later he ripped the ball away from Vit Krejci but wasn’t able to come up with the steal. He picked up a second assist catching Maxey’s pass to beat a press and kick it up to Edwards, but missed his first shot attempt unable to connect with Maxey on a lob.

Sharpshooter Drum off the nice feed from MarJon Beauchamp in his first game as a Sixer. pic.twitter.com/FsWDrGwDrv

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 10, 2026

• Portland started the game hot from deep and continued to chuck ‘em up, shooting 42.9% from behind the arc in the first half. That allowed them to slowly eat into the lead and briefly retake it. After taking it back, Maxey nearly followed up an Oubre breakaway with one of his own, but got called for a cheap foul and the Sixers had to settle for a one-point lead at the break.

Third Quarter

• For as much as the Sixers held it off to finish the first half, the Blazers ripped off an 18-2 run to begin the second. It was a Maxey three that stopped the bleeding which was fitting, since the Blazers were nearing as many three-pointers made as the Sixers had attempted.
• There’s only so much a timeout could have done as Camara continued to shake free and bury threes coming out of it. When the Sixers were able to muster up some stops they didn’t look to have the firepower to make good on them. Maxey was the only Sixer to record a field goal for an eight-minute stretch, and he only put up six points himself in that time.
• The microphone screeching atop the basket the Blazers were shooting on was appropriate for this game. The Sixers turned the ball four times in a two-minute stretch as they fell completely off the rails. The best sign was Maxey checking out with two minutes left in the quarter just over 26 minutes played, no reason for him to return. Yes, the Sixers played poorly, but even Robert Williams III buried a couple threes on them as the Blazers extended their lead to 26.

Fourth Quarter

• The only thing more heinous than Maxey and Edgecombe still being in the game to start the fourth was Nick Nurse using a challenge to reverse a shooting fall called on Oubre. It did happen to be successful amidst a 12-2 run that would make Chris Paul proud.
• Maxey finally checked out just before the halfway point of the quarter, still somehow logging over 33 minutes on the night. Edgecombe stayed in a minute and half longer to also go over 33, despite favoring his hip after slipping and falling on it in the third quarter. It sure is a good thing they have a glut of guards to withstand a shorthanded night like this.
• Credit to Beauchamp for trying to absolutely posterize Yang Hansen, even if he had to settle for a trip to the line. It’s not a surprise that a guy fighting for his NBA career looked like he had the most legs out there, but he made some good hustle plays both when the Sixers were still in this game and when it was well out of hand.

SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors veteran superstar Stephen Curry missed the Monday, Feb. 9 game against the Memphis Grizzlies with right knee soreness as he felt pain in his right patellofemoral.

Curry's injury, a common overuse injury causing pain around or behind the kneecap, is expected to keep him out of action in the immediate future.

During a pregame press conference, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Curry would be out, missing upcoming games, including the 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

"He will not play against San Antonio, he will not play in the All-Star Game," Kerr said about Curry's timeline for return from injury.

Curry is averaging 27.2 points, which is the eighth most in the NBA for the 2025-26 season. He is shooting 47% from the field, 40% from deep and 93% from the free throw line. He's appeared in 39 games for Golden State this season.

BASKET-BRAWL: Massive fight erupts in Pistons vs. Hornets. Four players ejected

Who will replace Curry in 2026 NBA All-Star Game?

The NBA has not announced who will replace Curry in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

However, that hasn't stopped NBA experts and fans from providing their two cents on who should take Curry's place.

I would 100% pick Stephon Castle as an All-Star replacement.

He’s definitely earned it. https://t.co/ae5M5rKcVe

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) February 10, 2026

The Cleveland Cavaliers have completed their West Coast road trip with one more win over the Denver Nuggets. Let’s see who won and lost the night.

WINNER – Jarret Allen versus the Joker

Jarrett Allen is having an awesome 2026. It seems he’s fully recovered from the hand injuries that limited him earlier in the season and has recently taken flight as the Cavs find their wings.

And yet, we’re all familiar with one of the more common criticisms that Allen faces. He can play big against inferior opponents, but he folds when the lights are brightest.

Not tonight.

Allen accepted the challenge of going toe-to-toe with Nikola Jokic tonight in a starting lineup that featured him as the only Cavalier over the height of 6’6”. Not having Evan Mobley to aid him in this battle could have been a deal breaker. But Allen held his own, and arguably, outmatched Jokic when push came to shove.

Listen, no one is going to stop Jokic from getting his numbers. He put up a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists despite a phenomenal effort from Allen. But Jokic also turned it over 6 times and shot just 6-12 from the field. Believe it or not, that’s an underwhelming game from Joker.

Look at it this way. Allen matched Jokic with 22 points of his own and brought down 13 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double. He held his ground defensively and burned Jokic in the pick-and-roll offensively.

So, next time you see someone twee that Allen never has big games in important matchups, remind them of this one.

WINNER – James Harden’s Inauguration

What a way to start your Cavalier career, huh?

Harden hasn’t lit up an opponent for 40 points or anything yet. But he has put together two quality performances where he plays hero in the closing minutes. He combined with Donovan Mitchell to score 32 points in the fourth quarter of their comeback victory against the Kings on Saturday. And tonight, Harden buried the game-tying jumper before Mitchell won it at the free-throw line a possession later.

This has been as seamless an inauguration as you can ask for. Details can always be polished. But Harden’s made an immediate impact and delivered on back-to-back wins for his squad. In addition to his clutch scoring, Harden chipped in 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks tonight.

Every Cavs fan should be feeling a surge of excitement that this guy is on our side now.

LOSER – Too Many Guards

If there’s one thing to nitpick from this game, it’s some of Kenny Aktinson’s lineups.

Now, let’s be fair. The Cavs are thin at the wing and have been for years. De’Andre Hunter is gone, and Dean Wade is injured. Without Evan Mobley to at least play the four, you quickly run out of options taller than 6’5” on this roster.

That doesn’t mean I have to be happy with some of the results.

Lineups featuring Craig Porter Jr, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis aren’t a recipe for success. Adding Harden or Mitchell to that mix doesn’t make it much better. The Cavs have too many cooks in the kitchen, and their lack of size was a huge issue in this game.

Even in the starting lineup, Tyson and Merrill are being asked to fight above their weight class.

I can’t pretend that Larry Nance Jr. has given us a great sample size this season. But, I would be surprised if he doesn’t get some opportunities soon if the Cavs continue to have no playable wings other than Nae’Qwan Tomlin.

WINNER – The Road Trip

The Cavs started this road trip with a bummer. They lost Evan Mobley to another calf strain just days before it began — and then they officially started the trip by getting run off the floor by the Phoenix Suns. With a couple of difficult opponents ahead, it felt like this was the type of stretch you simply hope to survive.

Instead, this team dominated.

They beat the Trail Blazers behind a career night from Allen. Then they decimated the Clippers a day after making a seismic trade for Harden. Cleveland won a thriller in Sacramento in Harden’s first game, and then finally, took down a bona fide contender in the Nuggets.

This 4-1 stretch is the defining moment of the season so far. This team has turned a corner, posting the league’s best win percentage since December 29th and finding another gear with Harden now on the roster. Things can change quickly in the NBA, so this is the appropriate time to stop and reflect on the success the Cavs just had.

Michael Porter Jr. was sidelined Monday with tendinitis in the same right knee in which he suffered an MCL sprain earlier this season.

Coach Jordi Fernández downplayed any concerns before the Nets defeated the Bulls, 123-115.

“It’s the same knee, but it’s unrelated. Tendonitis is something athletes deal with in different parts of the body,” said Fernández. “It’s good for him to take this game, see how he feels and get him back feeling great. That’s the most important thing. Nothing to be concerned about. A lot of guys deal with it, but it’s good that Mike can focus on his body right now.”

Brooklyn came into the Bulls tilt 13-28 with Porter in the lineup, but just 1-9 when he didn’t suit up.

“You guys know what he brings, shot-making and points and all that,” Fernández said. “But it is what it is. We won in Utah without him. There have been other games where we competed at a high level — Utah at home we were up nine in the fourth on the second night of a back-to-back and the game was well played, we just couldn’t close. Memphis, we were up eight with three minutes to go without Mike too.

“Do we miss him? Yes. But the team can still do its job, play the right way, get the right shots, defend and all those things. The standards stay the same with or without Michael. Obviously we love having him, but it doesn’t change the intentions.”

Egor Dëmin was also out against Chicago, but the rookie was simply being rested.

All three two-ways were with G-League Long Island.

Nets newcomers Ochai Agbaji and Josh Minott, both acquired at the trade deadline, were available vs. the Bulls.

Meanwhile, big man Zach Collins, rookie forward Noa Essengue, point guard Josh Giddey, Tre Jones and Jalen Smith were all out for Chicago.

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Cam Thomas — waived by Brooklyn at the trade deadline — cleared waivers Sunday and signed with the Bucks.

“Happy that everybody is embracing me. Everybody’s happy that I’m here, everybody wanted me,” Thomas said in his first availability in Milwaukee on Monday. “Front office told me that they always wanted me, always called about me, been trying to get me here for years.”

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder prospect Nikola Topic has made his NBA G League debut after recovering from a major knee injury and undergoing cancer treatment.

Topic had seven points and seven assists in 16 minutes for the Oklahoma City Blue in their 137-135 overtime victory over the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Monday night.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised Topic in Los Angeles before defending NBA champion Oklahoma City faced the Lakers.

“We’re all just collectively thrilled that he’s back playing basketball,” Daigneault said. “I know he’s missed it a great deal, and this is just so good for him mentally to get his feet back underneath him.”

The G League game was another remarkable step forward for Topic, who has barely played basketball since the Thunder made him the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Oklahoma City chose the Serbian guard even though he had torn a ligament in his knee two months earlier, and the injury sidelined him for his entire first season in North America.

Topic played for Oklahoma City in summer league games last year and appeared again in the Thunder's preseason, but was subsequently diagnosed with testicular cancer. He underwent chemotherapy before working his way back into playing shape again.

“Great accomplishment,” Daigneault said. “Just can’t say enough about him as a guy, his mental toughness, maturity, resilience. ... He hasn’t played a lot of basketball over the last two years, and he comes off a one-year rehab and immediately has a surprising diagnosis and goes through chemotherapy, three rounds of it. So for him to work himself back onto the court is just an unbelievable accomplishment, and we’re incredibly happy for him.”

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off one of their most encouraging wins of the season, downing the Denver Nuggets 119-117.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

32 points, 10 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Mitchell came out guns blazing in this game. He scored 13 points in the first quarter and entered halftime with 18 overall. Mitchell converted some absurd and-one’s along the way.

Denver adjusted in the second half, blitzing Mitchell and forcing the ball out of his hands. That helped him rack up 10 assists. And, Mitchell was still able to finish the game with 32 points, including the game-winning free throws with less than a second on the clock.

Grade: A+

James Harden

22 points, 7 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks

This was a slightly more aggressive version of Harden than the one we saw in his debut. He made more of an effort to get into the paint, going to his floater to account for his three-point struggles (2-7 shooting).

Those struggles went away when it mattered most.

Harden buried the 9-1-1 triple to tie the game with under a minute to play. His patented step-back jumper is something we’ve seen countless times in other jerseys. But, if you ask me, it looks so much sweeter in a Cavalier uniform.

Additional credit for his 10 rebounds. The Cavs had a difficult time cleaning the glass tonight, so Harden’s efforts made a difference. And no — that’s not a typo. Harden actually had 3 blocks tonight.

Grade: A+

Jarrett Allen

22 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist

Allen was the hero of this road trip. He put in the work each night, scoring a career-high 40 points earlier in the trip and then capping it off by battling Nikola Jokic for a win. Allen defended Jokic as well as you can reasonably expect, and punished him for being too slow on the other end. This was a monster stretch of games from Allen.

Grade: A+++

Jaylon Tyson

16 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Tyson looked better than he did in Sacramento. His off-ball movement earned Tyson some quality shot attempts, and he shot efficiently from downtown, going 4-9 from the three-point line.

It’s been said before, but Tyson’s confidence is something to rave about. He has zero fear of the moment, and canned a catch-and-shoot three-pointer off a Harden kickout late in the fourth quarter. That type of stuff will earn a Hall of Famer’s trust very quickly.

Grade: B+

Keon Ellis

2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Ellis converted a wild layup in transition that probably should have been an and-one. He was also fine enough on defense despite some of Cleveland’s blown coverages. Other than that, it was a hectic game that Ellis never really found his place in.

Grade: C-

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

6 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists

Tomlin’s inexperience can hold him back at times. The Cavs could have used tighter rotations and better positional awareness from him tonight. A few rebounds would have gone a long way.

I’ll give Qwan credit for nailing two three-pointers, though.

Grade: D+

Dennis Schroder

5 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

I like what Schroder provides for this team. Pesky defense and on-ball creation. But those skills will look better when he isn’t playing in three-guard lineups. This game wasn’t built for Schroder’s strengths.

Grade: C-

Sam Merrill

9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

The Cavs’ lack of size is putting a heavy strain on Merrill right now. He’s too small to defend opposing forwards, and he doesn’t have enough backline help to support him when he’s defending the perimeter.

Thankfully, Merrill was able to get going from downtown. His three triples made a difference and gave Cleveland enough fuel to get to the finish line.

Grade: C

Craig Porter Jr.

0 points, 1 rebound, 9 minutes

Porter just isn’t in a position for success right now. He’s in lineups featuring one, two, or sometimes three other ball-handling guards. The results haven’t been surprising. Porter isn’t a good enough floor spacer or defender to thrive in that type of lineup.

Grade: D-

Thomas Bryant

5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Bryant offered crucial support for Allen in this one. Defending Jokic is no easy task. Bryant’s physicality was important for limiting Jokic as much as humanly possible tonight.

Grade: B+

Less than two minutes into the first quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves second leg of their home back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks, Donte DiVincenzo sank his first field goal – a wing three off of an assist from Jaden McDaniels.

On most nights, a pretty routine start for the Wolves guard and an ordinary thing that happens within the flow of the offense.

But coming off of Sunday’s embarrassing blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, a game in which DiVincenzo didn’t record a field goal, it was an omen for a team that badly needed a positive one.

One assist shy of their season-high 37 on Monday night, it was a concerted effort to come out of the gate and move the ball. Especially in the first quarter, there was an extremely low amount of one-and-no-pass possessions.

Jaden McDaniels cutting dunk, assisted by Rudy Gobert pic.twitter.com/GjlkAvlLap

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) February 10, 2026

“Quick decision making and a lot of mixed-action basketball,” coach Chris Finch attributed to an intentional start to the game. “Julius and Ant were really great in that…they led the way.”

Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards recognition feels notable. A Hawks team missing two key pieces descended upon Target Center on Monday night, and on the tail end of a back-to-back, has embodied what the Wolves have struggled to come up with the energy for as of late.

An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tonight's game at Minnesota:

Dyson Daniels (right ankle inflammation): Questionable
Jalen Johnson (left knee inflammation): Questionable

Jonathan Kuminga (left knee bone bruise): Out pic.twitter.com/gxMV6JCYLE

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 9, 2026

It’s been a lackluster effort from the Wolves’ top two over the last few games, specifically, and Monday felt like a return to normalcy and a simultaneous pull out of a hole.

“It felt great…the ball was moving,” said Rudy Gobert after the game. “I thought our focus was there.”

The reflection of the ball movement was in the box score. A 45 percent 3-point mark at the half, towering over the 33 percent halftime mark on Sunday; a much more iso-heavy game in which one-and-no-pass possessions were the norm.

The fruits of the labor were apparent. 70 points in the paint for Minnesota ballooned to Atlanta’s 42, and seven of the nine players who checked in scored in double digits.

“It was a return to our concepts and our free-flowing stuff,” Finch said. “We just have to commit to it.”

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A Familiar Face Returns

Monday night marked the first time Nickeil Alexander-Walker was back at Target Center in another uniform.

A fan favorite and cheered for by everyone, he returned as the leader of a team he’s been on for less than a season. The hallmark of player development, Alexander-Walker’s tenure in Minnesota went from DNP to major contributor to back-to-back Western Conference Finals teams. His welcome from fans reflected his contributions.

Nickeil received a standing ovation in his return to Minnesota ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HQpZYQWPnV

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 10, 2026

While the game wasn’t close, I think it also served as a reflection of just how much this team has missed Nickeil this season. His willing on-ball defense, spot up shooting, and ability to seamlessly fill gaps is something has sorely missed, and fair to wager that it has cost them some of the games that have so many fans pulling their hair out.

“He deserves all of the love that he is getting…I’m really proud of him,” Rudy Gobert said, who was both in Utah with Alexander-Walker and Minnesota. “He got his opportunity, and I was there to witness it. I think he is still getting better every day, and I am happy that he got this opportunity.”

So who fills that role moving forward? While he’s not the same player, Tim Connelly’s latest acquisition in Ayo Dosunmu has to be the answer.

A willing defender and the main source of offensive pace in his second game in the trees, Dosunmu finished his night with 21 points off the bench. He spent a lot of his time attacking the paint and showing off his switchability on the perimeter.

Ayo Dosunmu explosive transition driving layup pic.twitter.com/ObliQTUIIx

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) February 10, 2026

While Nickeil may have brought other things to the game that Dosunmu does not, it’s clear that his downhill nature is an important element to this team that is only brought consistently by Anthony Edwards. Pair that with his fellow bench mob member Bones Hyland’s ability to push pace alongside him, and an identity seems to be forming with the second unit.

“I think [running in transition] is one of my strengths, and I’m excited about that,” Dosunmu said afterwards. “The city has embraced me, and my teammates have done a great job of putting me in positions to succeed.”

While he admitted that he still has a ways to go to get fully up to speed, the transition has been seamless. Another game and a full All-Star break should be a nice remedy to that moving forward.

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Up Next

The Timberwolves will keep the homestand rolling and welcome the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night in their last game before the All-Star break.

The Blazers have played well over their last three games, and their All-Star Deni Avdija presents a foul-drawing challenge for a Wolves defense that can get their physicality impacted by a heavy whistle.

Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM CT

Highlights