The Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Sunday, Feb. 8, that it was fining the Tar Heels $50,000 for fans storming the court at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, following Seth Trimble's game-winning shot.
"The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that the University of North Carolina has been fined for violation of the league’s event security policy at the conclusion of its men’s basketball game versus Duke University on February 7," the league wrote in a news release.
"The conference’s event security policy is designed to protect the safety and well-being of all student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans."
The fine is $50,000 for UNC, as it was the first offense for the program. The penalty increases to $100,000 for a second offense and is $200,000 for each subsequent offense within two years.
All fines for storming the court or rushing the field that are collected under the policy are directed to the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship Fund, which benefits ACC student-athletes pursuing graduate education.
In addition to the court storming, following the game, Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer alleged that members of his staff "got punched in the face."
"It's hard to talk about the game when I was most concerned for the safety of our players,” Scheyer said. “I don't wanna make it about that, but ... I got staff members that got punched in the face ... That's not what this game is about. That was a scary ending."
The University of North Carolina did not respond to USA TODAY Sports' request for comment on the claim from Scheyer.
Fans actually stormed the court on two separate occasions. Fans first rushed the court following Timble's 3-pointer, but the clock still showed 0.4 seconds remaining in the game. They rushed the court once again after the clock officially hit triple zeroes, however, it was treated as one incident by the conference.
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Jade Masogayo's three-point play with two seconds remaining lifted Colorado to a stunning 80-79 victory over No. 14 TCU on Sunday, denying the Horned Frogs a spot at the top of the Big 12 Conference.
TCU led 76-70 after a layup by Olivia Miles with about three minutes remaining. Colorado scored the next five points, then Miles made a free throw for a 77-75 lead with 50 seconds left. Masagayo made two tying free throws with 24 seconds left.
Masaqayo scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting plus 9 of 10 free throws. Desiree Wooten added 19 points, Logyn Greer 17 and Zyanna Walker 15 for the Buffaloes (16-8, 7-5 Big 12). Masagayo topped her previous best of 22 points against TCU last season.
Miles matched her season high with 31 points. Marta Suarez scored 20 and Hunter 17 for TCU (21-4, 9-3). With a win, TCU would have shared first place with 15th-ranked Baylor, which is 10-2 in the conference.
TCU took its first lead of the game, 37-34, on a 3-pointer by Suarez to open the third quarter. Colorado never led in the third but 10 points from Greer helped keep it close, 67-62 heading to the fourth quarter.
Wooten scored 10 points in the first quarter and Colorado led 28-20 after one. It was 34-all at halftime.
It's inarguable that young Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov has massive potential, but two years into his NHL career, the talented forward is not yet on the radar for a potential Team Russia Olympic squad.
Russia, of course, is banned from international competitions at all levels, which means no NHL players will be representing their nation at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Tampa Bay's superstar winger Nikita Kucherov said it best: it's not a best-on-best competition without Russia, but the reality is the reality.
The hockey powerhouse's exclusion has long raised questions of what their squad would look like if they were competing in the Olympics, and two Russian legends recently weighed in on the topic for themselves.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, iconic forward-turned-SKA St. Petersburg head coach Igor Larionov chose his roster, which came with a few surprises.
Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, Artemi Panarin, Alex Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin were among the obvious choices at forward, and Montreal Canadiens starlet Ivan Demidov managed to sneak in on the third line as well.
As for the fourth line, though? Players like Vasily Podkolzin, Ivan Barbashev, and Vasily Podkolzin all got in ahead of the Flyers' Michkov.
Larionov also opted for a "PK guy" in Ilya Mikheyev for roster depth, so Michkov wasn't particularly close to being considered.
But, Larionov isn't the only coach to omit Michkov from their hypothetical Olympic roster.
Former Russian national team head coach Ilya Vorobyov, a two-time Gagarin Cup-winning coach with an Olympic Gold Medal to his resume, didn't include Michkov, either.
Vorobyov, in his interview with MatchTV, had a number of roster overlaps with Larionov's team, though youngsters like Danila Yurov, Dmitri Voronkov, and Pavel Dorofeyev made his cut in addition to Demidov.
Vorobyov's explanation for Demidov likely tells us why Michkov wasn't on his team.
"He is a young boy, and just starting his career. The level of wingers in the Russian national team is very high," the sage bench boss said of Demidov.
"We need to look at who would have been eliminated due to injury, and what line Vanya would have ended up in. What would he have brought to those three? I really like Demidov as a player. He is the future young star of the national team. But the Olympics are a fleeting tournament, and there is no time for experiments. And we need not only those guys who score."
So, with Demidov in, and the likes of Ovechkin, Panarin, Kucherov, Kaprizov, Kirill Marchenko, and others occupying the wings, there was no room for Michkov.
Michkov, of course, was the captain of the Russia U20 and Russia 25 teams back in 2022-23 and dominated representing his country in the 2021 U18 World Junior Championships.
In that tournament, the now-21-year-old led all players in scoring with 16 points and broke the Russian single-tournament goals record with his 12 tallies.
Kucherov and Ilya Kovalchuk previously held Russia's goals record with 11 apiece.
Michkov has proven he can handle and produce in the international spotlight, but a frustrating sophomore season in the NHL under new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has seemingly left him with his fair share of doubters.
TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes had 25 points and 14 rebounds to help the Toronto Raptors beat the Indiana Pacers 122-104 on Sunday.
Barnes was 12 of 20 from the field and had six assists, four blocks and two steals in 33 minutes. Toronto won its second straight to move 10 games above .500 at 32-22.
RJ Barrett had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Sandro Mamukelashvili added 17 points. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 10 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes in his Toronto debut following a trade with Golden State.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 18 points, Jay Huff had 15 and Jarace Walker 13. Last in the Eastern Conference, the injury-ravaged Pacers have lost four straight to fall to 13-40.
Toronto rookie center Collin Murray-Boyles left with 3:47 left in the first quarter and did not return after he sprained his left thumb. He had two points in eight minutes.
Indiana swingman Johnny Furphy left after taking a bad fall in the third quarter. The Pacers said he was out with right leg soreness.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Avery Howell had a career-high 34 points and 14 rebounds — the 6-foot sophomore’s sixth double-double this season — and Sayvia Sellers scored 23 points to help No. 24 Washington beat Wisconsin 91-86 in overtime on Sunday.
Howell scored eight points in OT, including two of her career-high tying six 3-pointers. Elle Ladine finished with 16 points for Washington (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten). The Huskies had lost back-to-back games for just the second time this season.
Destiny Howell hit five 3-pointers and finished with 28 points for the Badgers. Gift Uchenna had 24 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Laci Steele added 10 points and Ronnie Porter tied her season high with 10 assists to go with eight points and six steals.
Destiny Howell made a 3-pointer and, after Brynn McGaughy hit two free throws on the other end, was fouled as she hit another and the and-1 free throw gave the Badgers a one-point lead with 1:09 to play. Avery Howell answered with a putback off a miss by McGaughy that made it 87-86 with 43 seconds left.
Wisconsin (13-11, 5-8), which has lost four straight, went 0 for 3 from the field — all 3-point shots by Destiny Howell — from there.
The Badgers closed the third quarter with an 11-0 run and scored eight — all by Uchenna — of the first 11 in the fourth to take a six-point lead with 6:09 left in regulation. The Huskies scored nine — five by Sellers and four by Howell — of the next 12 to make it 71-all with 3:40 remaining.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored a career-high 36 points and Iowa upped its winning streak to six games by handing Northwestern a seventh straight loss with a 76-70 victory over the Wildcats on Sunday.
Stirtz made made 12 of 20 shots and all eight of his free throws for the Hawkeyes (18-5, 8-4 Big Ten Conference). The senior guard hit 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Tavion Banks added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Nick Martinelli scored 21 on 6-for-19 shooting for the Wildcats (10-14, 2-11). Jake West sank four 3-pointers and scored 18. Tre Singleton had 10 points before fouling out.
West buried a 3-pointer to give Northwestern an 18-13 lead with 8:31 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats played with the lead until a three-point play by Stirtz tied it 30-all with 2:13 left. Stirtz added two free throw, Kael Combs hit a jumper and Banks scored the final five points in a 12-5 run to give Iowa a 39-35 advantage at halftime.
Combs had the first basket of the second half and Stirtz followed with a 3-pointer to push the lead to nine. Stirtz added another 3-pointer and the Hawkeyes took their first double-digit lead at 54-40 with 13 minutes left.
West answered with a 3-pointer to spark a 13-2 run and Northwestern pulled within 56-53 four minutes later. Stirtz hit a 3-pointer to keep Iowa in front and the Hawkeyes maintained a two-possession lead until West hit another 3 to cut it to 70-67 with two minutes left. Stirtz drove for a layup and Banks added two free throws to wrap it up.
Melendez’s deal also includes $500,000 worth of incentives, per Heyman.
The 27-year-old, once regarded as a top-100 prospect in baseball, has struggled to turn that promise into sustained major league production.
MJ Melendez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Mets. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Melendez is coming off a nightmare 2025, hitting just .083 with one home run in 23 MLB games while spending most of the season with the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate.
He was far more productive in the minors, slashing .261/.323/.490 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
From 2022–24, Melendez hit at least 16 homers and appeared in at least 128 games in each season for Kansas City, though he never posted a wRC+ higher than 97.
Drafted by the Royals in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft (52nd overall), Melendez’s power from the left side made him an enticing prospect.
A former top 100 prospect, Melendez spent most of 2025 in Triple-A. Getty Images
He led all of minor league baseball with 41 home runs in 2021 and was ranked by MLB.com as Kansas City’s second-best prospect ahead of 2022, behind Bobby Witt Jr.
Originally drafted as a catcher, the Royals shifted Melendez – who made his MLB debut in 2022 – to play left field exclusively the following year due to a logjam of backstops, including Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin, on the roster – and to relieve some pressure.
“Taking a little bit off his mind from a preparation standpoint, because these catchers put a lot of work into getting ready for a game,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com in May 2023. “Taking that off his mind right now and focusing on the bat, we think [it] will pay dividends. It’s something we thought we should do at this point.
“It’s not a move because he hasn’t done well defensively. We think there’s been a lot of improvement. But he’s a big part of our offense. If we can jumpstart him that way — plus we have Freddy, who we believe in as well, it gives him a chance to get some experience at this level.”
Melendez has experience at catcher, first base and both corner outfield spots, giving the Mets added flexibility — particularly in left field, where top prospect Carson Benge is expected to compete for playing time.
Ousmane Dembélé struck twice as Paris Saint-Germain blew away bitter rivals Marseille on Sunday, reclaiming top spot in Ligue 1 with a crushing 5-0 victory at the Parc des Princes.
Dembélé opened the scoring after just 12 minutes and added a second before half-time as PSG delivered a real statement of intent going into the crucial months of the season.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 8: Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards blocks the shot of Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat during the game on February 8, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The best thing about the Wizards blowout loss to the Miami Heat is that it’s over. Miami weathered an early stretch of hot shooting from Washington — and a cold streak of its own. When the teams reverted to something closer to their norms, the Heat gave Washington the bum’s rush. The game was into garbage time by halftime.
I have little good to say about the Wizards after this one. I mean, they got curb-stomped by a team starting someone named (and I’m not making this up) Myron Gardner.
Justin Champagnie drives against the Miami Heat. | NBAE via Getty Images
In fairness, Gardner wasn’t bad. Basketball-Reference claims he attended Georgetown (the one in DC) after first playing for South Plains College (a community college in Texas), and that he also played for Little Rock.
Here are the few Wizards positives:
Justin Champagnie was decent — 3 offensive rebounds and 7 total in 25 minutes.
Alex Sarr tried on the defensive end but was truly on an island all afternoon. He finished with 12 rebounds…and five fouls as he tried to cover for his missing in action teammates.
Coulibaly also tried on the defensive end. He committed four fouls.
Solid game from Jamir Watkins, who scored 12 points, hit a three, and had 7 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks.
The Wizards committed just 12 fouls in the game. Sarr had five. Coulibaly had four. No one else had more than one. Perhaps this is because a prerequisite for committing a foul is being near the offensive player.
For example, when he wanted to throw down a poster dunk on an offensive rebound, Bam Adebayo had to do it over teammate Kel’el Ware. No Wizards were in the vicinity.
Washington lost in every meaningful way. They got outshot, out-rebounded, committed more turnovers, and made fewer free throws. They got lit up by Kasparas Jakucionis. They got outscored by 41 points in Adabayo’s 28 minutes.That’s a complete drubbing.
This was Washington’s eighth loss of the season by 30 or more points. One of those was a 45-point beatdown by the Boston Celtics.
They have eight more losses by 20 or more points, including a 29-point drubbing by Boston. They have three more defeats by 19 points.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
HEAT
WIZARDS
LGAVG
eFG%
57.2%
48.4%
54.3%
OREB%
39.6%
20.4%
26.1%
TOV%
15.2%
18.0%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.125
0.118
0.208
PACE
106
99.5
ORTG
125
96
115.5
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard hasn’t played all season long due to sitting out with a torn Achilles. Despite that, he plans to participate in the 2026 All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The NBA announced its participants in the 2026 State Farm 3-Point Contest on Feb. 8 and one of the participants is Lillard.
Lillard, 35, suffered his injury when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.
Lillard, who is a nine-time All-Star, isn’t a stranger to three-point competitions. He won the contest twice in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024.
The Oakland native has played 13 seasons in the NBA. Throughout his career, Lillard made a name for himself as one of the best shooters, especially in the clutch, where he developed his signature “Dame Time”.
Lillard is currently No. 5 all-time in three-pointers made with 2,804, sitting behind Klay Thompson, Ray Allen, James Harden, and Stephen Curry.
The 2026 State Farm 3-Point Contest for NBA All-Star Weekend is happening Feb. 14. All-Star Saturday night, which features the three-point shootout, shooting stars event and slam dunk contest. It will start at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) on NBC and Peacock.
Here are the participants competing in the three-point contest:
Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel, 42.8% 3-pt FG, 174 3-pt made in 2025-26 season
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell,3.7 3-pt made per game in 2025-26 season, 1,798 career 3-pt made
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray,43.2% 3-pt FG, 156 3-pt made in 2025-26 season
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey,38.% 3-pt FG, 169 3-pt made in 2025-26 season
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker,2018 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest winner
Cleveland basketball’s latest chapter has already gotten off to an explosive start.
James Harden made his Cavaliers debut Saturday night in Sacramento, but he took a backseat during his postgame interview after it got humorously crashed by hip-hop sensation Travis Scott.
Harden and his All-Star teammate Donovan Mitchell, speaking with Cavs sideline reporter Serena Winters after a 132–126 win over the Kings, broke out into hysterics as the animated Scott ran across the court, snatched the microphone, and went berserk.
“We goin’ to the yard!” Scott yelled before quickly darting off. “What are we doing? DM, JH — what the f–k?!”
Travis Scott crashed James Harden's interview after Harden's first W with the Cavs pic.twitter.com/kA8T9O7Gow
The since-viral clip seemingly captured an early bonding moment between the All-Star guards, following Cleveland’s acquisition of Harden ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for Darius Garland.
The former MVP scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 23 points and eight assists in his first game wearing Wine and Gold, helping the Cavs avoid an upset at Golden 1 Center.
Travis Scott crashed James Harden’s postgame interview following the former MVP’s Cavaliers debut on Saturday night. X / @SportsCenterJames Harden made his Cavaliers debut on Saturday night against the Kings. NBAE via Getty Images
Mitchell led the charge with 35 points.
Scott, a Houston native, has a longstanding friendship with the former Rockets star.
Harden, 36, guest-starred in Scott’s music video for his 2016 track“way back,” which name-drops the shooting guard on the song’s hook.
Travis Scott attended James Harden’s Cavaliers debut on Saturday night. Getty Images
The music video has since been unlisted, potentially due to Scott’s sponsorship deal with Nike and Harden’s affiliation with Adidas.
The Cavaliers (32–21) sit at fourth place in the Eastern Conference, hoping the addition of Harden can lift the squad into title contention.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after a play against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on January 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
To the surprise of no one, the latest Laker injury update involves a day-to-day designation.
On Saturday, Deandre Ayton was a very late scratch for the Lakers with a knee injury. Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber stepped up in his place, helping the team to a victory over the Warriors.
After the game, head coach JJ Redick was asked about Ayton and his injury and you’ll never believe what the team considers him.
“He went out for his shooting stretch and just didn’t feel completely comfortable with it,” Redick said. “I don’t think there’s any reason to believe it’s anything but day-to-day.”
However, is it really that sustainable for Kleber to keep playing like this? I’d go as far as to say that it’s day-to-day whether he can keep being this impactful.
Adding to that is the fact the next two games are coming against perhaps the two best teams in the league in the Spurs and the Thunder and the team really needs to be back to full strength. Even if Ayton is in a bit of a slump of late, the best version of the Lakers includes him playing at a high level and if the Lakers are going to win either of these next two games, they need to play a high level.
Hopefully that day-to-day designation results in him playing on Monday.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 8: Kasparas Jakucionis #25 of the Miami Heat plays defense during the game against the Washington Wizards on February 8, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards lost to the Miami Heat on Sunday, 132-101 at home. The loss has the Wizards falling to 14-38 for the season while the Heat improved to 28-26.
This game started with the Wizards racing to a lead that was large as 9 points in the first quarter. But the Heat were able to go on a run of their own and finished with a 37-33 lead on Washington. From there it was all Heat all the time.
The Heat made 21-of-47 three pointers today with Kasparas Jakucionis scoring a co-team high 22 points and making 6-of-6 threes while Bam Adebayo also scored 22 points. Miami also out-rebounded Washington 60-42.
For Washington, Tristan Vukcevic led with 14 points. Alex Sarr had a double double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.
The Wizards’ next game is on Wednesday when they are on the road to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then and enjoy the Super Bowl tonight.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -FEBRUARY 7: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs drives for two against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at Frost Bank Center on February 7, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Anyone who has watched the NBA for a few years knows not to overreact to career nights. It’s immensely fun to watch someone perform at or near the peak of their abilities, but it often doesn’t mean much. Those outlier games are often a combination of opportunity, circumstances, and a little luck.
Recently, the Jazz’s backup point guard, Isaiah Collier, dropped 22 dimes on the Pacers. Only John Stockton has had more in a game for the franchise. Does that mean Collier is as good as Stockton? Obviously not. He just got to play all 48 minutes for a shorthanded team, and it’s unlikely he will ever log 20 helpers again in his career, while Stockton has several such performances despite playing in a slow-paced era. It’s still impressive. It was fun. It shows that Collier can be a prolific playmaker given the opportunity. But extrapolating that night and projecting stardom for him would be as silly as believing Julian Champagnie’s 11 three-pointers in a game means he’s the second coming of Reggie Miller. Cautious optimism after career nights is warranted, but sometimes Corey Brewer will drop 51 before returning to his normal career path.
The point here is that Stephon Castle’s 40-12-12 historic triple-double doesn’t need to be assigned special meaning. It can just be enjoyed for what it was: an electrifying performance from one of the league’s best young players. For fringe guys or role players, career nights can be used as a reminder that they can produce more in better circumstances. They can even, often retroactively, serve as signs that there was more to their game than originally thought. Sandro Mamukelashvili’s explosion against the Knicks late last season might have shown that he was ready to make the leap as a shooter we’ve seen from him in Toronto. But Castle doesn’t need to prove anything. He showed star potential as a rookie and has produced like one as a sophomore. If he had finished with, say, a 25-7-8 stat line, the Spurs and their fans should have been just as excited about his future.
With the Castles of the NBA world, it’s the little things, the boring stuff that arguably matters more. The basketball nerds among us will remember the windmill dunk, but also how the Mavericks tried putting their center on him to start the game and then played off of him, daring him to shoot, and how he made them pay by both making threes and, more encouragingly, making quick decisions like stepping into a mid-range jumper or trying a pitch pass and then screen for one of his teammates. The highlights will show him skying for a monster putback dunk, but not necessarily the consistent defensive effort and intensity he displayed all game, a trait that could make him one of the premier two-way forces in the league.
Castle did Castle things against the Mavericks, the kind of spectacular, winning plays he’s made routinely this season. He just did more of it, and in a way that made a random February game one of the most fun Spurs viewing experiences of the last few years. It’s incredibly entertaining to witness amazing performances as they happen and completely fine to feel giddy about them as we rewatch the highlights the next day. But fortunately, Stephon Castle has done enough already that he doesn’t need the help of any arbitrary statistical performance to give anyone a reason to be optimistic or show he could be a legitimate star, likely sooner rather than later.
Takeaways
Carter Bryant could have been the main character of this one had Castle not made history. The rookie shot with confidence, skyed for rebounds, and emphatically swatted shots, continuing to show that the game is slowing down for him. His length and athleticism have always been impressive, but he looks more and more like he belongs on the floor. Those minutes Mitch Johnson force-fed him while he was looking lost seem to be paying off, so credit where credit is due.
Now that Johnson and Bryant have received their praise, let’s get to the important stuff: Bald Watch. De’Aaron Fox said three weeks ago that if Bryant missed three more dunks the rest of the season, he’d have to shave his head. I don’t think he had missed any since then, until last night. At the end of the third quarter, Wemby threw him a lob, and he couldn’t finish it. Only two more to go, Carter! And you better hope your teammates are not counting any that might happen in the Dunk Contest.
The Spurs are not as committed to attacking without using screens as last year’s Grizzlies and this year’s Heat, but they often go entire possessions with isolations or drives and kicks that often turn into other drives and kicks. When it doesn’t work, it looks like everyone is playing hero ball. When it does, as it did with the Mavericks, it makes them incredibly hard to defend, especially when the guards can consistently touch the paint.
After the last game against the Mavericks, Marilyn Dubinski pointed out how the Spurs seem to let games become a lot closer than they need to, saying “Don’t get me wrong: I love a team that knows how to tighten the strings and put things together on both ends when the game is on the line, which will be very important in the playoffs, but I would also happily accept a blowout win here or there, just for my own sanity.” A lot of fans can agree with that sentiment and will be happy with Saturday’s performance. San Antonio led by as much as 28, and there was no poor stretch that let the Mavericks get back into it in the second half. More of this, please.
