Quiz of the week: I guessed my way to a rather decent 12/16.
Virgil van Dijk has hit out at ex-pro pundits in an interview with, er, Gary Neville, ahead of Sky’s broadcast of Liverpool v Manchester City.
For me personally, I can deal with it, but I’m a bit worried for the next generation. I feel like the ex-top players have a responsibility to the new generation. Criticism is absolutely normal and part of the game, and I think it should stay that way. But sometimes criticism also goes into being clickbait, saying things to provoke things, and without thinking about the repercussions for a mental side of players, and especially the younger generation, who are constantly on social media.
Ravaged Italy await a Scottish squad that has too often flattered to deceive while Ireland begin post-mortem after France humbling
If not now, then when? The stakes are never low in the Six Nations but for Scotland and Gregor Townsend the 2026 championship feels more loaded with significance than most.
Under the tutelage of the 52-year-old head coach, the many disappointments of recent campaigns have been met with an assurance that there is potential for success in this squad. Between now and mid-March would be a handy time to prove it.
Feb 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) defends against Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (52) during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Boston Celtics were down several key players on the second night of a back-to-back as they took on the Houston Rockets. Houston, who came into the game as the fourth seed in the West with a record of 31-18, was widely seen as the favorites given the absences of Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and the recently traded Anfernee Simons, whose replacement, Nikola Vucevic, was not yet officially a member of the Celtics despite the trade being agreed upon.
Taking on a top team on the back half of a back-to-back is hard enough, but doing so short handed would be asking too much of almost any team. The Celtics aren’t just any team, though. By the look of things this season, there’s no task too tall for them. They have too many young, talented, hard-working players to ever be out of a fight.
Luka Garza may just be the hardest working player in the league. It feels like he’s incapable of giving anything less than 100%. He was working all night against the Rockets, and put together one of the best performances of the game in the process.
Garza finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals, shooting 7-13, and hitting two threes enroute. He was also the third highest scorer for the game, outscoring every Rockets player. Yes, you read that right. On a night where Kevin Durant, who was the highest scorer for Houston, played 33 minutes, Luka Garza scored more points.
That was, in big part, thanks to some stellar defense by Ron Harper Jr., who held KD to 1-5 shooting while matched up as the primary defender. It doesn’t take away from Luka’s night, however. With his second three of the night, Garza knocked down his 32nd of the season. That’s twice as many as he made in his entire rookie season, which was also his career high for a season prior to this season. Not only that, but he’s shooting it at a 45.7% clip, by far a career high.
Garza has been a great find by Brad Stevens, and earned a big vote of confidence by the team. Prior to the start of the year, Luka probably would have been viewed as expendable, especially if you were told that Boston would be adding in Nikola Vucevic. As the trade deadline passed, the Celtics dumped several salaries to try to duck under the Luxury Tax, including the Simons – Vucevic swap. After that move, dumping four minimum salaries, converting the two-way guys to standard contracts, and signing players from the buyout market would have been enough to get under the tax.
Three minimum players ended up getting the axe, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman, and Josh Minott, all guys who couldn’t find a spot in the rotation. If Garza wasn’t playing well, he easily could have been the fourth. Instead, Brad and the rest of the front office decided to craft a complicated, but extremely clever plan with some tight margins to operate below the league mandated minimum roster size for, presumably, as long as possible, buying just enough time to find a prorated contract on the buyout market which will put them back in roster compliance while keeping them under the tax-line.
The point being, Luka has earned his respect with this team. His performance against Houston was 19th game in double figures this season, and one of many examples of the value he provides. Even with the addition of Nikola Vucevic, it seems like Joe Mazzulla will continue to lean on Garza in the big-man rotation. He’s very easily been one of the best stories of the season, and deserves every good thing that’s coming to him thanks to his own efforts.
That’s worth remembering. This is not the first time in the Rafael Stone era that there’s been widespread displeasure with Rafael Stone. It’s familiar territory for Houston Rockets fans.
Specifically, it happens on an annual basis at the NBA Trade Deadline.
To be sure, their recent thrashing at the hands of a Brown-less Celtics squad was aesthetically horrifying. Rockets fans would have done as well to throw on Terrifier.
Early in the season, the notion that Houston’s rebound-focused attack was “gimmicky” was controversial. Now, it’s axiomatic. Anyone should recognize that the Rockets are not going to win at the highest level with this strategy.
The basic recipe to totally shut down the Rockets:
1) Sag way off Thompson and Sengun 2) Press up tight on Durant 3) Victory https://t.co/pUkH82CFdR
There’s friend of the show (who I believe still reads these?), Andrew Soukup, with a succinct summary of the problem. A pair of non-shooters. For all the high-falutin’ conceptual stuff about dribble hand-offs, cuts from the high post, triangle offense, etc., the reality is that it’s difficult to build a high-powered, portable NBA offense with two non-shooters in the lineup.
So, the roster is flawed. That at least partly reflects on management. Yet, it would be an oversimplification to suggest that putting a flawed roster on the floor singularly characterizes a team’s general manager as “bad”.
Stone has done plenty well during his tenure.
Rockets have drafted well under Stone
Here’s a refrain I’ve heard several times recently:
“Four lottery picks, four whiffs”.
Firstly, Amen Thompson is not a whiff. That’s a consequence of fans overestimating the expected return on a fourth overall pick. He may not be “Russell Westbrook, Defensive Player of the Year model”, but he’s certainly not a whiff. Such an assessment of Reed Sheppard is also absurdly premature.
Otherwise, you can’t judge draft picks in a vacuum. They must be judged in the context of the draft itself.
It’s unfair to knock Stone for taking Jabari Smith Jr. with the third overall pick. The consensus could not have been firmer. There were three dudes in that draft, Bari was the third, and the Rockets had the third pick. All 30 GMs were making the same decision. Stone was not reasonably going to select Jalen Williams. He can’t be retroactively held to a standard of “shock the world or bust”. You’re locking him into a false dichotomy: either he’s a genius or he’s a bad general manager.
By the way, there’s almost nobody else in 2022 you’d rather have. Jaden Ivey just got traded for a Kevin Huerter sandwich with extra Mike Conley. Dyson Daniels is fun, but Houston doesn’t need a 12.7% three-point shooter in their backcourt. Tari Eason has been good…
Oh, wait.
How about 2024? If you wanted Matas Buzelis, gloat – but only a little bit. He’s still got a negative Box Plus/Minus (BPM). He’s racking up basic counting stats for the Bulls, if that counts as an accomplishment. That said, he’s certainly flashed potential, and if you think he’d have been a better choice than Reed Sheppard, you’re beginning to have a valid case. There’s nobody else I can say the same for. It seems unreasonable to come down on Stone because there’s one guy that he maybe (maybe) should have taken over Sheppard.
Then, there’s 2021: A Stone Odyssey. Not good. Bad.
A critical error. The cardinal sin of the rebuild. Evan Mobley was the choice.
I don’t want to hear “they wouldn’t have drafted Alperen Sengun”. OK – so they’d have compounded the error? Sengun and Mobley would be a great fit together.
On the subject of Sengun…
The Rockets had good lottery luck. Paradoxically, they also had bad lottery luck. Statistically, the balls bounced relatively well. In a vacuum, they got lucky.
Contextually, in the four years that the Rockets tanked, the only two lottery picks who’d have materially changed their fortunes were Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama. That is it. Paolo Banchero is a bad fit with Sengun, and he has not been as good as Sengun, so let us not utter his name again.
Mobley and Chet Holmgren are both excellent, but they’re ceiling raisers. It’d be nice to have either, but they wouldn’t fix this team’s systemic issues. For that matter, neither would Wembanyama, but he’s just so special that he’d change the team by virtue of being him.
Otherwise, you’re asking Stone to – well, draw blood from a stone. If anything, the fact that he walked away from the rebuild with Sengun in the fold is a testament to his drafting acumen.
So is Tari Eason. Give most NBA general managers everything Stone had. Most of them don’t walk away with Sengun and Eason. Other than drafting Green, Stone has made no discernible, significant mistakes that could be identified even without the use of hindsight, which is notoriously 20/20.
What about on the trade market?
Stone needs to make some signature trades
Stone’s approach to trading has been…meiserly?
There’s not one deal you can point to and call egregiously bad. It’s just that most of his deals have been in the vein of hey, I’ll give you a non-rotational player for an even worse non-rotational player and a heavily protected second. Stone has made a bevy of moves that you wouldn’t notice whether he made them or not.
He has made one noticeable move. You know the one. How does it look now?
Well, let’s see. The Rockets have practically the same Win Percentage (63.3%) now that they finished last season with (63.4%). Yet, that’s not a fair evaluation of the deal. Last year’s Rockets had Fred VanVleet.
The concept behind the Durant deal was always sound. Opponents were always going to sag off of Sengun and Thompson, as described above, and dare a shot maker to make shots. So, trading one of the worst shot makers in the NBA (sorry, residual Green Gangers) for one of the best ought to build on what was already a formidable squad. Even without VanVleet, that might be bearing out:
If not for the loss of Dillon Brooks.
There was no way to flip Green for Durant without including Brooks (or VanVleet). The money has to money. But the Rockets undeniably miss Brooks. They miss his point of attack defense, his (2024-25) floor spacing, and his tertiary shot creation. They miss his cultural impact.
There should be no referendum on Green. This team was not “better with Green than they are with Durant”. They were better with Green, VanVleet, Brooks, and Steven Adams than they are with Durant. At some point, the raw, aggregate net rating of so many players outweighs even a (post-prime, but still) Durant.
Circling back to the thesis: Stone didn’t injure VanVleet or Adams. He didn’t invent the CBA that required him to include Brooks in that deal. He was never going to let Brooks be the deterrent if he wanted Kevin Durant.
So, Stone’s draft record speaks for itself. The totality of his trade activity seems more positive than negative. Here, we have a defensible GM who’s put a deeply flawed contender on the floor.
How do we square that?
Rockets are a work in progress
The Rockets hold a lot of chips. So, by definition, they’re not all in.
Most of the key rotation players are young. They have a surplus of draft capital. Those are the chips; they aren’t on the table. Analogously, they checked on a small raise by giving up Jalen Green and Khaman Maluach.
So until they’re “all in”, the roster should be treated as an unfinished product. Hypothetically, say the Rockets replace Durant with a lesser version of a shot-creating wing in the draft. Suppose they do the same with any veteran on the roster and otherwise run this exact rotation until the core is in their 30s.
OK. Now, the criticisms are fair.
For now, it’s OK if the roster is flawed. If Stone were to trade either Amen or Sengun and picks for Antetokounmpo this summer, he’d better follow that up by acquiring players who complement Antetokounmpo. The roster can no longer be fundamentally flawed. The Rockets will be all-in.
With the trade deadline passed, the NBA world shifts their focus to the buyout market when teams waive players and they subsequently sign with teams trying to make a playoff push. These players historically never really make an impact on teams that go on to win the title, but it is fun to see where some recognizable names go and people like to talk about it.
The Celtics made four deadline deals, only bringing one standard contract player back in all four trades. They did also receive two-way player John Tonje from the Jazz.
While they did convert rookie big man Amari Williams from a two-way to a standard deal, they still are left with just 12 rostered players and need to have 14 players on the roster.
They can have less than 14 on the roster for 14 days in a row and 28 days total. Look for them to take advantage of that, especially with the All-Star break coming up.
Yet, even though they have the roster spots, they don’t have the money available under the luxury tax to be aggressive in the buyout market.
After the deadline, the Celtics are $842,292 under the tax — not enough to sign anyone on the buyout market. They have to get creative when filling out the rest of their roster.
67 days remain in the season.
The Celtics have three open standard-contract roster spots. Boston must fill at least two for at least 39 of the remaining 67 days.
By my count, Boston can squeeze in 90 "player-days" and dodge the luxury tax.
The easiest way for the Celtics to maneuver around the rules is to sign players to 10-day contracts.
For the Celtics rest-of-season roster:
I'd expect some 10 Day contracts to happen, timed around keeping 14 players on standard contracts. Then, when they have enough room, a rest-of-season signing.
They didn't go to all this effort to get under the tax to go back over it.
You never know, but I would put to bed your Cam Thomas dreams, if you have those (I personally do not). I would love Khris Middleton if he is bought out by the Mavericks, but I also doubt that will happen as well.
If you are looking for a big buyout name, you likely won’t find one. In fact, I’d take a look at the Maine Celtics roster because I think that is where the Celtics could be signing players from to fill out the roster. One name that is on there that you might recognize is Keon Johnson, who was a 2021 first round pick and has four years of NBA experience.
Yes, it is fun to imagine big names like Cam Thomas, Khris Middleton, Lonzo Ball or Mike Conley making their way to the Celtics and playing a role for this team. However, Boston’s luxury tax situation probably does not allow for that so I would temper your expectations.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 03: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after making a three-point basket during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on February 03, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — In the NBA world, it feels like an eternity since Austin Reaves burst out of the gate to open the season. The conversations were about his All-NBA candidacy with an All-Star appearance seemingly a given.
However, a pair of calf injuries means that nearly two months had passed since Reaves had his last truly special game this season…until Thursday
Midway through the third quarter against the Sixers, it looked like the Lakers were on their way to another disappointing home loss. They trailed by double figures and with Luka Dončić ruledout for the rest of the game, where the production was going to come from was a mystery.
That’s when Reaves went to work.
With less than four minutes left in the quarter, Reaves overwhelmed the Sixers. He started by drilling a running pull-up 3-pointer, then he drove inside and converted on a layup, followed by an assist to Jake LaRavia.
In a span of 64 seconds, the game went from creeping toward a blowout loss to a tight contest.
Reaves saved his best for the last quarter. He drilled a 32-foot 3-pointer to beat the shot clock. Then he converted a tightly contested stepback three and, suddenly, Crypto.com Arena was his stage and everyone inside his audience.
Fans were in a raucous. Reaves was grinning from ear to ear, high-fiving teammates and celebrating whilereminding Lakers fans why they fell in love with him in the first place.
“He was unbelievable tonight,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the win. “I know he made threes tonight and hit a couple that were pretty incredible, but his drives and his thrust, [he] got to the free throw line…got in the paint and made plays and scored at the rim. It was really great to see.”
The result wasn’t secured until the closing seconds, but the Lakers held on and beat the Sixers 119-115. Considering the deficit, Luka’s absence and his limited availability, it was one of the best performances of the season by Reaves.
Philly treated Reaves like a superstar. They played as physically as the refs allowed. He was double-teamed all game long and was guarded full-court during crunch time.
It didn’t make much of a difference.
Reaves still ended the game scoring 35 points off the bench, the most by any Laker reserve this season. He went 12-17 from the field and made five 3-pointers, the same amount the Sixers converted as a team.
While the numbers were impressive, his willingness to do whatever it took to win stood out the most.
Reaves was applying pressure on the rim, leading to trips to the line and putting Sixers players in foul trouble. He continued to sacrifice his body in an attempt to draw charges and shift the momentum in LA’s favor. For many players, this would be a career night, but for Reaves, it was another day at the office.
“Winning’s the main thing,” Reaves said. “Regardless of stats, at the end of the day, did you win or lose is how I look at the game. There’s not many moral victories.
“You can go have a great game and lose and I’m not going to say nobody really cares because there’s people out there that just look at the stats. But people that actually know basketball and appreciate the right things in basketball, care about winning basketball. And that’s what I’ve kind of prided myself on playing my whole career is trying to play the right way and have fun on the court.”
There’s still plenty the Lakers have to fix. The Sixers dominated for long stretches. LA’s defense was as resistant as a turnstile. And the Lakers’ starting center, Deandre Ayton, watched the entire fourth quarter like the rest of us.
Still, Reaves was spectacular. While basketball players’ careers have peaks and valleys, Reaves has had a projection chart that all Fortune 500 companies would envy with steady growth each year and no sign of plateauing.
“Anybody in this league that’s surprised about AR and his ability,” Marcus Smart said, “it’s a shame,”
Thursday was a reminder of just how special those abilities are.
Marnus Labuschagne returned fire toward Sam Elliott on Friday after he was given a send-off amid the 17-wicket Sheffield Shield carnage at the MCG on day one.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 05: Pat Spencer #61 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after hitting a three pointer against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The shorthanded Golden State Warriors pulled off quite a win on Thursday night. Despite playing without Steph Curry, they ended the game on a 22-5 run to steal a 101-97 victory from the Phoenix Suns. It was satisfying and emotional, to say the least, given that the trade deadline had just passed. The beat reporters could hear the celebration from outside the locker room, with Steve Kerr saying it “felt like we won a championship.”
So let’s grade the players who pulled off the feel-good win. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Thursday’s games, league-average TS was 57.9%.
Moody had a slightly easier task than he usually has when facing the Suns, as Devin Booker was out with an injury. But even though he wasn’t having to guard an All-Star, Moody still found a way to strongly influence the game with his defense. It wasn’t a good offensive game, but the defense and rebounding were special … and his amazing hustle play in the final seconds just might have clinched the game. That play bumps him up a half-grade.
Grade: A- Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.
Jimmy Butler III is out for the year with an injury and Jonathan Kuminga has been traded. As a result, we’re going to see a lot of Santos. And if this game is any indication, that’s a pretty exciting thing. He was everywhere on the court. Absolutely everywhere.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.
This wasn’t Dray’s best game, but you could see in his energy and on his face that he was deeply relieved to still be on the team. It’s been a long career for Green, and this was his first time being on the block at the trade deadline … something he said he hopes to never experience again. He was pretty happy to defer to teammates in this game, and it worked out well. Awesome defense.
Spencer played his final game on a two-way contract, and will certainly be rewarded with a guaranteed deal now that the Warriors have cleared both cap and roster space. He celebrated by scoring a career-high, while running the offense well and making huge plays.
Under normal circumstances, he would get a good grade, brought down a little by the turnovers. But because of the situation, he gets a perfect one.
Grade: A+ for performance and feels Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.
Melton is playing out of his mind at the moment, and I’m so glad he stayed on the team through the deadline. That not only means that we get to watch him play this year, but that the Warriors likely think they can retain him next season, too.
The Warriors ended the game on the run of all runs, and I’d argue that Melton was the biggest reason for it. The stats may not be great (other than the plus/minus), but trust your eyes here: Melton was quite arguably the biggest reason they won.
Grade: A Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.
Just a sensational game from GPII in every area of the game. Despite usually being the smallest player on the court, he was second in the entire game in rebounds, behind only Phoenix center Mark Williams … and in less than 20 minutes of action! That included the biggest rebound of the game, on Dillon Brooks’ go-ahead three attempt in the waning seconds. His defense was as good as we’ve come to expect, and he had one of the best offensive games of his career. Safe to say, they don’t win that game without Payton.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.
Podz was awful in this game, but you can’t really blame him. He was so ill that he took himself out of the contest, which is saying something for someone who is such a gamer. He was sick enough that Kerr said his status is in doubt for Saturday.
Grade: Feel better! Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.
It has been abundantly clear lately why the Warriors were so excited to bring in Horford this offseason. And I’m guessing they’re hoping like heck that he picks up his player option for next year.
I’m guessing we see Richard get a bigger role as the season goes on, and I’m excited to watch that. His defense in this game was just … stunning, really. To quote Bob Fitzgerald, how did this guy fall to the second round? An absolute baller.
The Los Angeles Kings (23-19-14) barely had time to breathe tonight at T-Mobile Arena before the Vegas Golden Knights (27-16-14) had already put the game out of reach.
Vegas already had four goals scored in the first period by the 5-minute mark of this game, riding their explosive start to a 4-1 victory over the Kings. Adin Hill made 32 saves, while Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel, and Pavel Dorofoyev each notched a goal, which powered the Kings' offense.
Back-to-back losses for the Kings before entering the break are up there with their ugliest performances all season long after playing two crucial Western Conference opponents for a chance to move up in the Pacific Division.
The game turned quickly and painfully for Los Angeles.
Eichel opened the scoring at the 11:38 mark, followed by three other Golden Knights forwards scoring in a span of five minutes, extending their lead 4-0 just like that, with still more than 6 minutes remaining in the first period.
By the time, the Trevor Moore scored the lone goal for Los Angeles, the damage was already done and very difficult to dig out of.
Vegas was the more engaged team tonight and looked more focused on the ice, holding the Kings at bay in all three zones during a sloppy opening period that set the tone for the night.
More bad news for the Kings, Andre Kuzmenko exited the game in the first period after taking a shot to the side of the head after going to the front of the net, but was able to skate to the locker room with assistance.
Despite returning in the second period, Kuzmenko remained on the bench and didn't return for the rest of the night.
Forward Andrei Kuzmenko will not return to tonight's game due to an upper-body injury.
Despite the loss, the Kings had something to celebrate tonight after Anze Kopitar reached a major milestone, recording the 1,300th point of his NHL career with his assist to Moore's goal. Kopitar became the 39th skater in league history, and just the eighth born outside North America to hit the mark.
Captain Anze Kopitar recorded his 1,300th career point (446-854=1,300) with his assist on Trevor Moore’s goal in the first period tonight in Vegas. Kopitar is the 39th skater in NHL history to record 1,300 points and the eighth player born outside of North America to reach this… pic.twitter.com/FhBSUhK8h3
From that point on, both teams remained scoreless after that hot start from the Golden Knights in the first period, which seemed to demoralize the Kings early on. Despite outshooting Vegas 33-22, the Kings once again were awful on the power play, going 0/5, had turnover problems again, and, for the second straight game, the defense allowed four goals.
Tonight's loss puts the Kings 10 games under .500, and with 60 points in 56 games, Los Angeles has little room for nights like this moving forward, as chasing a wild-card spot is becoming increasingly unlikely with each loss.
Slow starts and clawing back just to lose in overtime or a shootout has become an ongoing trend for Los Angeles, and Thursday's first period may have been the most damaging example yet.
The Kings' next game will be on Wednesday, Feb. 25, against the Vegas Golden at 7:00 P.M. PT in Crypto.com Arena, which will start their six-game home stand after coming out of the Winter Olympics. We will most likely see Artemi Panarin make his Los Angeles Kings debut in this game, and the Kings will need to get as many reinforcements back as possible if they want a chance to at least make the playoffs at this point.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
BOTTOM LINE: New York visits the Detroit Pistons after Jalen Brunson scored 42 points in the Knicks' 134-127 overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets.
The Pistons are 23-7 in Eastern Conference games. Detroit is the top team in the Eastern Conference with 57.3 points in the paint led by Jalen Duren averaging 13.4.
The Knicks are 22-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. New York has a 14-14 record against opponents above .500.
The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.9 fewer makes per game than the Knicks give up (13.9). The Knicks are shooting 47.2% from the field, 2.9% higher than the 44.3% the Pistons' opponents have shot this season.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Pistons won 121-90 in the last meeting on Jan. 6. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 29 points, and Brunson led the Knicks with 25 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cunningham is averaging 25.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pistons. Duren is averaging 17.6 points and 9.7 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Brunson is averaging 27.4 points and 6.1 assists for the Knicks. OG Anunoby is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 7-3, averaging 116.6 points, 43.0 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 11.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.3 points per game.
Knicks: 8-2, averaging 115.5 points, 49.4 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.9 points.
INJURIES: Pistons: Dario Saric: day to day (not injury related), Jalen Duren: day to day (knee), Tobias Harris: day to day (hip).
Knicks: OG Anunoby: day to day (toe), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (eye), Josh Hart: day to day (undisclosed), Miles McBride: out (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Houston Rockets (31-19, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-12, first in the Western Conference)
Oklahoma City; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Houston hits the road against Oklahoma City looking to prolong its three-game road winning streak.
The Thunder are 30-8 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City averages 120.2 points and has outscored opponents by 12.3 points per game.
The Rockets have gone 17-15 against Western Conference opponents. Houston scores 115.2 points while outscoring opponents by 5.1 points per game.
The Thunder make 48.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.9 percentage points higher than the Rockets have allowed to their opponents (45.9%). The Rockets are shooting 47.2% from the field, 4.0% higher than the 43.2% the Thunder's opponents have shot this season.
The teams square off for the third time this season. The Thunder won the last matchup 111-91 on Jan. 16. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points to help lead the Thunder to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Chet Holmgren is averaging 17.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and two blocks for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Kevin Durant is averaging 26 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun is averaging 18.5 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 5-5, averaging 116.3 points, 43.0 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.5 points per game.
Rockets: 6-4, averaging 107.6 points, 48.1 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 10.2 steals and 6.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.8 points.
INJURIES: Thunder: Luguentz Dort: day to day (knee), Ajay Mitchell: day to day (abdominal), Nikola Topic: out (groin), Alex Caruso: day to day (injury management), Jalen Williams: out (thigh), Isaiah Hartenstein: day to day (eye), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: out (abdominal), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate: day to day (wrist), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Tari Eason: day to day (injury management), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Denver Nuggets (33-19, third in the Western Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (24-28, 11th in the Eastern Conference)
Chicago; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Denver looks to end its three-game losing streak with a victory over Chicago.
The Bulls have gone 15-11 in home games. Chicago is third in the NBA with 34.9 defensive rebounds per game led by Josh Giddey averaging 7.4.
The Nuggets are 19-9 on the road. Denver is 14-13 against opponents over .500.
The Bulls score 117.0 points per game, 0.8 more points than the 116.2 the Nuggets allow. The Nuggets average 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 fewer makes per game than the Bulls allow.
The teams play for the second time this season. The Bulls won the last meeting 130-127 on Nov. 18. Giddey scored 21 points to help lead the Bulls to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Matas Buzelis is averaging 15 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Bulls. Jalen Smith is averaging 10.7 points over the last 10 games.
Nikola Jokic is averaging 29.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 10.5 assists for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray is averaging 22.2 points and 6.9 assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 4-6, averaging 115.1 points, 43.9 rebounds, 28.9 assists, 6.3 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.0 points per game.
Nuggets: 4-6, averaging 109.8 points, 41.9 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 7.1 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.2 points.
INJURIES: Bulls: Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Tre Jones: day to day (hamstring), Zach Collins: out (toe), Collin Sexton: day to day (not injury related), Josh Giddey: day to day (hamstring).
Nuggets: Cameron Johnson: out (knee), Spencer Jones: day to day (head), Tamar Bates: out (foot), Aaron Gordon: out (hamstring), Peyton Watson: day to day (hamstring).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Utah Jazz (16-36, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (26-24, seventh in the Eastern Conference)
Orlando, Florida; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The Orlando Magic host the Utah Jazz in non-conference action.
The Magic are 16-9 on their home court. Orlando is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 16.1 fast break points per game led by Franz Wagner averaging 3.9.
The Jazz are 6-19 on the road. Utah ranks seventh in the Western Conference with 43.8 rebounds per game led by Jusuf Nurkic averaging 10.2.
The Magic average 115.0 points per game, 11.8 fewer points than the 126.8 the Jazz allow. The Jazz average 118.3 points per game, 2.8 more than the 115.5 the Magic give up.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Magic won 128-127 in overtime in the last matchup on Dec. 21.
TOP PERFORMERS: Desmond Bane is averaging 19.2 points and 4.3 assists for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 23.8 points over the last 10 games.
Nurkic is averaging 11.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Jazz. Ace Bailey is averaging 15.9 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 4-6, averaging 110.3 points, 39.7 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.6 points per game.
Jazz: 2-8, averaging 113.8 points, 41.8 rebounds, 29.8 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.2 points.
INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: day to day (ankle), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).
Jazz: Kevin Love: day to day (illness), Keyonte George: day to day (ankle), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), John Konchar: day to day (neck), Vince Williams Jr.: day to day (not injury related), Jaren Jackson Jr.: day to day (not injury related).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Charlotte Hornets (24-28, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (26-27, ninth in the Eastern Conference)
Atlanta; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte seeks to keep its eight-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Atlanta.
The Hawks are 5-3 against the rest of their division. Atlanta has a 6-6 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Hornets are 6-4 against the rest of their division. Charlotte is 1-6 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Hawks average 14.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Hornets give up. The Hornets average 15.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Hawks give up.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Hornets won 133-126 in the last matchup on Dec. 19. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 28 points, and Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 43 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is averaging 23.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Ball is shooting 40.5% and averaging 19.1 points for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 115.7 points, 45.4 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.8 points per game.
Hornets: 9-1, averaging 112.7 points, 48.9 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.4 points.
INJURIES: Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu: day to day (dental), Jonathan Kuminga: day to day (knee), N'Faly Dante: out for season (knee).
Hornets: Coby White: out (calf), Tidjane Salaun: day to day (illness), KJ Simpson: day to day (hip), Xavier Tillman: out (personal).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
