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Luka Doncic hugged Mark Cuban. He laughed and exchanged words with his former Dallas Mavericks teammates. 

He even accidentally started walking toward the Mavericks’ locker room at halftime before correcting himself and spinning around. 

Doncic was back home in Dallas, where he was drafted, grew into a superstar and thought he’d spend his entire career. 

Saturday marked his second time playing at American Airlines Center after the Mavericks stunningly dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline last Feb. Emotions went from being at a feverish pitch in his return last April to softening to nostalgia this time around. 

“I mean, obviously there’s always going to be emotions,” said Doncic, who had 33 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in the Lakers’ 116-110 win. “I was happy to be back here. I went to my house, I saw my cars. But obviously it’s always going to be emotions. I really appreciate how they cheered for me when I was introduced. It’s always going to be a special place for me.” 

During Doncic’s introductory news conference with the Lakers on Feb. 4, he walked onto the podium looking like a man who had been betrayed. He said the last 48 hours felt like a month, adding, “I thought I was going to spend my whole career there.”

Then came his return to Dallas in April. Doncic buried his face in a towel as tears streamed down his cheeks during the Mavericks’ video tribute for him. He responded with a 45-point, eight-rebound, six-assist and four-steal performance. 

Nine months later, Doncic has settled into the fact that he wears a purple and gold jersey. 

So have Mavericks fans, who went from holding a mock funeral outside American Airlines Center with a $3,000 casket to mourn Doncic’s departure to now paying their respects with a standing ovation as he was introduced and chanting MVP as he shot free throws in the second quarter. 

Ironically, Doncic torched the Mavericks on Saturday with one of the very things his former team criticized him for lacking: Defense. When the Lakers began clawing their way back from a 15-point fourth quarter deficit, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd strategized to have his team attack Doncic.

It backfired. 

“We counted after the game, he had six straight stops where they targeted him,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “Just a fantastic job from him. Then [he] makes the game-sealing defensive play with the charge on [Naji] Marshall.”

Things have come full circle for Doncic, who felt deeply slighted by the trade, but has responded to the criticism about him being out of shape and unwilling to play defense by entering this season in arguably the best shape of his career. 

He’s leading the league in scoring (33.4 points a game) and was the top vote-getter by fans for the All-Star Game. Kidd was asked Saturday if he wishes he could’ve done more to stop the trade.

“Luka’s moved on,” Kidd said. “And we’ve moved on. He’s playing extremely well. He’s leading the league in scoring. He has his team in the hunt. For that, we wish him the best. That’s the business of basketball, you’ve got to move forward.”

Doncic opened this season playing MVP-caliber basketball, leading the Lakers to a 15-4 record. Currently, the Lakers are in fifth place in the very crowded Western Conference with a record of 27-17, which is pretty impressive considering LeBron James missed the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica and Austin Reaves has missed the last month because of a calf strain. 

Meanwhile, ever since dealing Doncic for Anthony Davis, the Mavericks have been in a tailspin. Injuries to Davis and Kyrie Irving have derailed the franchise. Despite getting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick last year, Dallas is in 12th place in the West at 19-27. Nico Harrison, who orchestrated the Doncic trade, was fired as general manager in November.

Mavericks fans let it be known how much Doncic still means to them by commuting to the arena amid a severe winter storm that was expected to bring two to three inches of sleet to the area.

“That was really special,” Doncic said. “I didn’t know what to expect before because I know how the city gets when the weather is this bad. But I really appreciate a lot of people showing up.”

Doncic reciprocated the love, surprising 22 fans who supported him on social media with a suite, a pregame meet-and-greet and gift bags with his jersey and signature shoe. 

“That was something that was special for me to do,” Doncic said. “I see what a lot of them did on social media and after I got traded, how much support they gave me. Obviously, there’s a lot more fans than that, but I could only fit 22 of them.”

For Doncic, Dallas will always be the place where his professional career began, where he spent seven years, where he became one of the top players in the NBA. 

But now, instead of mourning the view in the rearview mirror, he’s able to look forward. 

And with the Lakers, he has a very bright future.

It would be stating the obvious to say the Lakers have missed Austin Reaves.

But what the last 1 ½ months have made clear is how much the Lakers missed Reaves.

A sentiment that would’ve been almost unfathomable nearly a year ago when the Lakers traded for Luka Dončić, and already had LeBron James on their roster, was there would be a variety of statistics that suggest Reaves is arguably just as impactful as his star teammates. 

Consider this: Reaves has the team’s best individual plus/minus (plus-2.5) and second-best individual net rating (3.3 points per 100 possessions, just behind Marcus Smart’s 3.6 net rating) among Lakers who’ve been on the floor for at least 300 minutes.

Statistically, the Lakers’ halfcourt offense has benefited the most this season when Reaves has been on the floor compared to any of his teammates — including Dončić, an MVP-caliber offensive savant in the prime of his career. 

But there are also the simple numbers that show how much the Lakers miss Reaves: he was playing at an All-NBA level, with averages of 27.8 points, 6.7 asists and 5.6 rebounds, before calf injuries limited him to just 37 minutes in two games since mid-December. 

And the Lakers have gone 10-10 since Reaves initially left the lineup, including the two games he played but was limited in, after starting the season 17-7.

“Certainly the thrust and the movement,” Coach JJ Redick said about what the Lakers have missed about Reaves. “And just the pace. He’s a violent basketball player. And we missed that. His defense, I thought the second half of last year, was really good. Having been with us now for two years, we miss his ability to consistently execute. And those are 36-39 minutes of consistent execution on the defensive end. He knows our stuff. He executes it well. His level of intent on that end is really good every night. 

Redick added: “We talked a lot earlier in the season about his leadership and he’s been very engaged during this stretch when he’s been out. He’s a connective tissue for us on the floor and we’re all looking forward to getting him back.”

Redick said before Saturday’s road win over the Dallas Mavericks that Reaves’ return to the floor should happen “sooner on this trip rather than later” — possibly as soon as Wednesday’s matchup against the Cavaliers.

And with the Lakers stepping up their playing over the last week, winning three of their last four games, there’s optimism around the team once he’s back in the lineup. 

“[We] need his dynamic,” Rui Hachimura said. “We had a great start the first 20 games and he was the biggest part of those games. We are excited for him to be back.”

The San Antonio Spurs try to sweep the regular season series with the visiting New Orleans Pelicans tonight.

All previous matchups have been close, which is why my Pelicans vs. Spurs predictions take the points with NOLA.

Find out more in my NBA picks for January 25.

Pelicans vs Spurs prediction

Pelicans vs Spurs best bet: Pelicans +11.5 (-105)

There’s not much question in my mind who wins: At 4-17, the New Orleans Pelicans are tied for the second-fewest road wins in the NBA and are dead last in the West (4-28) against teams with a winning record.

However, the San Antonio Spurs haven’t been a great bet against the spread of late, going just 2-4-0 in their last six.

While the Spurs have won all three games against the Pelicans this season, the largest margin of victory has been seven points, and NOLA is 3-0-0 against the spread.

Consider also the Pels are as healthy as they’ve been all season, so all those extra points are a nice gift for Sunday’s matchup.

Pelicans vs Spurs same-game parlay

Victor Wembanyama is coming off a 14-rebound game, the third straight double-digit rebound game and fourth in the last five. In the two games he’s played against NOLA this year, Wemby has had at least 11 rebounds in both.

De’Aaron Fox has only hit 19 points or more twice in his last seven games.

Pelicans vs Spurs SGP

• Pelicans +11.5
• Victor Wembanyama Over 10.5 rebounds
• De'Aaron Fox Under 18.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Big boy balling

Zion Williamson has scored at least 20 points in eight of 12 January matchups, including seven games over 20.5 points.

Stephon Castle has been working as the primary table-setter for San Antonio of late, but he’s hit nine dimes just twice in the last 10 games.

Pelicans vs Spurs SGP

• Pelicans +11.5
• Victor Wembanyama Over 10.5 rebounds
• De'Aaron Fox Under 18.5 points
• Zion Williamson Over 20.5 points
• Stephon Castle Under 8.5 assists

Pelicans vs Spurs odds

• Spread: Pelicans +11.5 | Spurs -11.5
• Moneyline: Pelicans +425 | Spurs -575
• Over/Under: Over 239.5 | Under 239.5

Pelicans vs Spurs betting trend to know

New Orleans has covered the spread in eight of its last nine games vs Southwest Division opponents. Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Spurs.

How to watch Pelicans vs Spurs

Pelicans vs Spurs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

1. Gamed by Kevin Huerter

In Game 3 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals, Derrick Rose hit a game-winning three at the buzzer to give the Bulls the win and a 2-1 lead in the series. Almost 11 years later, on the day that Rose is getting his #1 jersey retired by the Bulls organization, Kevin Huerter decided to give a fitting tribute, hitting a game winning three against the Celtics with 0.2 seconds remaining. Huerter isn’t the player I would have expected to hit a shot like that but it happened non the less. Josh Giddey made a pass to Coby White that got the Celtics defense out of rotation. Derrick White stepped up to Coby White, leaving Huerter wide open in the corner where he hit the game winner over a late contest by Neemias Queta.

2. Ridiculous Bulls shooting

Boston had a slow shooting night in this game, finishing 44-99 (44%) from the field and 15-47 (32%) from three. In some games this season, 15 threes is good enough to win these close games. However, this was not one of those nights as the Bulls had a ridiculous shooting night, finishing 43-85 (51%) from the field and 21-45 (47%) from three. It’s not very often you see the Celtics get out shot from beyond the arc but the Bulls just could not miss, having 8 of their 9 players hitting at least 2 threes.

3. Jaylen Brown Looked Like Michael Jordan

After playing 46 minutes against the Nets night before, Jaylen Brown bounced back immediately and put up an incredible performance against the Bulls. Brown finished with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists on 14-28 shooting. The Bulls were letting Brown get anywhere he wanted to on the court tonight and played a lot of one-on-one defense which is a bold strategy to say the least.

Brown started out the game hot, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and really set the tone for the Celtics. He started the scoring for Boston with a wide open three over Jalen Smith. His next basket saw him matchup with Matas Buzelis in the corner. Brown hit him with a jab step, drove, and shot a midrange jumper over him. He followed that up by attacking Buzelis again, this time for a layup. Finally, he finished his first quarter with a nice layup on the fast break off of a nice pass by Derrick White.

In the second quarter, Brown decided he want to show Chicago his best Michael Jordan impression, hitting 4 mid range jumpers. The first came after attacking Buzelis again, this time in transition. The next came after navigating a screen and getting around Coby White for a bucket. The third came one-on-one with Kevin Huerter as he walked him down and hit an And-1 jumper over him. The final one came in the final seconds of the second quarter where he walked down Coby White and hit a nice running jumper over him.

Brown continued to show out in the third quarter, hitting a three and a finger roll for his first two baskets but it was his third bucket that was beautiful. Brown got Jalen Smith one-on-one on the perimeter where he drove into the lane. With Smith draped over him, Brown faked, spun, and splashed a fadeaway jump shot that looked eerily similar to MJ.

Brown made some huge clutch shots in the fourth quarter that would have been the difference if the Celtics were able to win. He started his fourth quarter scoring with a great pass by Derrick White into Brown underneath the basket for an easy layup. Then at the 2:23 mark down by 4, Brown made a spinning run to the cup where he got fouled and flipped up a shot off of the top of the backboard with his left hand to make the bucket count. Finally, after the Bulls missed a dunk at the end of the game, Brown took the ball coast-to-coast for a tough left handed layup over Josh Giddey to tie the game with 14 seconds remaining. Overall, I liked everything Brown did in this game and he deserved a win.

4. Anfernee Simons Great Game

Boston needed a second scoring punch in this game and Anfernee Simons really stepped up for the Celtics in this game, finishing with 21 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals on 8-16 shooting from the field and 5-11 from three. I thought this was one of Simons’ best defensive games of the season. He did a solid job guarding and his 2 steals were pretty good as well.

His first steal came in the first quarter when Josh Giddey threw a lazy bounce pass that Simons picked off and it resulted in a wide open layup for Derrick White. His second steal came in a bigger spot in the fourth quarter. Giddey was trapped underneath the basket and threw a pass out to the three point line. Simons looked like a defensive back for the Patriots however, intercepting the pass and taking it the other way.

On the scoring front, I would say the second quarter was where Simons’ impact was felt the most. He scored 10 points and kept the Celtics offense in the game. Simons first bucket came when he blew by Kevin Huerter and finished a tough layup. The next came after Queta missed a three and Hauser grabbed an offensive rebound. Hauser found Simons wide open where he was able to knock it down. The third basket came where he blew by Matas Buzelis for a nice ringer roll. Finally, Brown found Simons wide open again for three and splashed it in Giddey’s face.

5. Derrick White Return Game

After a tough stretch, Derrick White missed the Celtics matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday due to rest. White came back for this game in Chicago and had another bad shooting night, scoring 15 points on 5-18 shooting and 3-11 from three. However, I wouldn’t call this a bad game for White overall because he did have 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and some big shots in the fourth quarter.

In his first basket of the fourth quarter, White slowed down his approach and splashed a three over Patrick Williams. White’s second basket of the fourth quarter was another three, this time over Josh Giddey, where once again he looked like he slowed down his mechanics. His last basket of the game was his biggest where after Hauser missed a three, White grabbed the offensive rebound and put back the layup to make it a two point game with 3:41 left.

6. Walsh/Gonzalez play to start 4Q

Down 88-85 going into the fourth quarter, the Celtics needed a spark to begin the fourth quarter and Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh answered the call. Starting with Gonzalez, at the 10:25 mark of the fourth quarter Hugo was able to replicate his game tying corner three against Brooklyn by hitting one over a late contest from Josh Giddey.

Later in the quarter, Hugo was matched up with Nikola Vucevic on the block. After playing some great defense to deny the Bulls from getting it to him earlier, Gonzalez reached around Vucevic and stole the pass.

This set up a play for Walsh at the 7:23 mark of the quarter. The Celtics were passing the ball around the perimeter. The ball ended up in the hands of White and Jordan Walsh made a beautiful cut from the wing to get a wide open layup.

Watching them play in the beginning of this quarter really made me wonder why Mazzulla didn’t use them more. I think he wanted a more offensive oriented lineup to close the game which I am fine with, but I thought the energy that Gonzalez and Walsh gave you to begin the quarter could have been used later in the game as well.

7. Amari Williams first NBA Start

After a great performance in the Celtics overtime win against the Nets, Amari Williams was given the nod for his first Career NBA start against the Bulls. Williams didn’t play a lot, finishing with 2 points, 2 rebounds and 1 block in 10 minutes of play but he showed some nice flashes.

In the third quarter, Williams showed off his defensive abilities once again. After making the game sealing block against the Nets on Friday, Amari was able to get his finger tips on this layup attempt by Coby White. It arguably could have been called a goal tend but I think it was still an incredible effort by Williams to make a play.

Later in the third quarter, Williams was able to finish a nice play on offense this time. After Simons missed a three, Derrick White grabbed the offensive rebound and made a nice touch pass to Williams where he finished off the play with a dunk.

I have really liked what I saw out of Amari Williams in the last two games he has played and showed an ability to still make an impact no matter what situation he is thrown in to. My dream scenario is that he can turn into the British version of 2022 Robert Williams but I will be patient for now.

8. Weird Paint Game

On the surface of this game, it looks like Boston had a great night. I covered the shooting disparity earlier but the other numbers just make this look like a weird loss. The Celtics did get out-rebounded 44-38 and allowed a ton of offensive rebounds that killed them in the fourth quarter. Chicago was able to bleed time and hit osme big shots to keep Boston at arms distance. However, Boston was able to dominate the paint battle as a whole, winning the points in the paint category 52-42. The Celtics were able to attack Jalen Smith and Nikola Vucevic inside to make a lot of easy baskets. This was just a weird feeling game overall because it felt like Boston did a solid job on the boards until very late.

9. Limited Turnovers

Coming into this game the Celtics were averaging 13.8 turnovers in their last 5 games. These turnovers were the main reasons as to why they lost to the Pistons on Monday and why the Pacers looked to stay in the game on Wednesday. However, they did only turn the ball over 8 times against the Nets on Friday and did an even better job of controlling the ball against the Bulls, only finishing with 6 turnovers on the night. It brings me back to this being a weird numbers game, forcing Chicago into 16 turnovers but still couldn’t get the win.

10. Incredible effort for 2nd game of a back-to-back

Although the Celtics took the loss in this game, I really can’t fault them for losing the way they did. Chicago had a hot shooting night and Boston was able to keep up with them. The Celtics didn’t get into Chicago until 4 AM this morning after playing a double overtime game against the Nets. Boston won’t use that as an excuse for the loss but I liked the way they played. They might have been a step slow but even fatigued, the Celtics put up a better fight in this game than I think any other team in the NBA would. It does feel a tad ironic that the game winner that Huerter made just happened to be in the same exact spot that Hugo Gonzalez made the three to force double overtime against the Nets. I guess that’s just basketball sometimes.

Before being welcomed by Chicago’s freezing nine-degree temperatures on Saturday, the Celtics had their work cut out for them.

There wasn’t much room for rest after Friday’s trip to the city that never sleeps. It took two overtime periods to overcome the Nets, leaving less than 24 hours to prepare to do it all over again against the Bulls. Fatigue predictably surfaced at various points throughout the night, especially considering the Celtics had four players — Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Anfernee Simons — log close to 40 minutes in Brooklyn.

However, the locker room isn’t giving itself a pass following Boston’s 114-111 loss in Chicago.

“Obviously, those things can play a factor, but we’re not gonna give ourselves any of those types of excuses,” Simons told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston.

Boston failed to defend the perimeter, as the Bulls connected on 21 3-pointers — a stark contrast from Chicago’s average of 14.6 made threes per game this season, and tied for the most allowed by the Celtics all year. That’s typically not an issue for coach Joe Mazzulla’s team, and it hasn’t been in recent seasons. Only nine times this season have the Bulls hit 20 or more threes in a game, making it a rare, albeit dangerous, occurrence that showed up against Boston at the worst possible time.

Chicago’s leader in made threes, Colby White, hit four of his five makes either off the dribble or by pulling up in transition. White challenged Boston’s ability to switch and fight through screens, and he wasn’t the only one. Matas Buzelis, Isaac Okoro, and Ayo Dosunmu were among the others who actively hunted 3-point makes in motion, too, either in transition or off the dribble. And several times, the Celtics found themselves either late or lost as the Bulls collected clean look after clean look, establishing a theme that stuck until the end.

It was clear that outshooting Chicago wouldn’t work as Boston finished 15 of 47 (31.9%), but luck really proved to forsake the Celtics once the closing seconds arrived.

The Bulls missed seven consecutive 3-point attempts in the final 5:09, bringing the game to a 111-111 tie with 24 seconds remaining. Odds suggested that another three wouldn’t be Chicago’s most favorable option, but it was the exact option that crumbled Boston’s defense — one final time. Kevin Huerter settled in the left corner — the same spot where Hugo González hit his clutch overtime three in Brooklyn — and sank the go-ahead basket, leaving Boston almost no time to respond.

In Brooklyn, it was an all-or-nothing three that gave the Celtics new life; in Chicago, the exact same look drained the life right out of them.

Boston went from the energized team refusing to come up short against the Nets to watching the Bulls play an UNO Reverse card, flipping the energy and drive in their favor.

The situation wasn’t a favorable one for Boston, and even though missing a doctor-recommended seven-plus hours of sleep might have factored in, the team couldn’t care less. The standards Mazzulla’s locker room holds itself to won’t change, no matter the circumstances. Blaming tiredness or the uncontrollable NBA schedule isn’t their forte — in fact, it’s the opposite. The Celtics have prided themselves on flipping the script all season, from the offseason to Jayson Tatum’s injury to questions about the organization’s priorities and intentions to compete.

The Celtics aren’t going to feel sorry for themselves, even if it were warranted.

“We know we came here to play a game, and we came here fully expecting to win, no matter the cost, no matter what obstacles we had to go through before the game — the night before, it doesn’t really matter,” Simons told reporters. “We’ve got to come together and win a ballgame. That’s the attitude we have. Even in our meeting today, we were like, ‘We don’t care about any circumstances we had to deal with. We just want to come in here and find a way to win.’”

The Spurs have gone 8-5 without Devin Vassell. Is Vassell’s absence the main reason for their recent (relative) struggles, or are there other important factors that have been overlooked?

Marilyn Dubinski: I wouldn’t say he is THE reason, but it was certainly a contributing factor.  A big problem for a while was all three guards (De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper) were all in a shooting slump at the same time, and they were missing that relief valve that they could pass out to, either to shoot a three or create his own shot. Vassell is one of a few players on the team who can do both, so hopefully his return will help unclog the offense when it gets bogged down, leading to more consistency.   

Mark Barrington: It’s definitely a factor, but there’s more going on. They miss having shot creators in the starting lineup, which results in a lot of Castle drives into a crowd at the basket. Steph is improving a bit on passing the ball out of a crowd, but he still ends up swallowed up at the hoop more often than he should be. I think the biggest factor is probably fatigue, which could also partially be due to Devin’s absence, but mostly because they haven’t had more than one day between games in January, except for two occasions near the beginning of the month and a few at the end.

Devon Birdsong: I think Vassell’s absence has simply brought focus to how thin the shooting on the roster is. In my opinion, their non-shooting guards become a much bigger issue with someone like Vassell out. I think it would be the same issue if Champagnie or Barnes were out for an extended stretch. I’m pretty confident that at least one of Castle and Harper will improve in that arena, but it has placed a lot of focus on the shooting that the Spurs need at other positions on the roster. Power-forward most of all. I think the addition of those two young guards may actually have been the kiss of death for poor Jeremy Sochan. The Spurs could have adjusted to his lack of shooting if those two could both shoot reliably from long-distance, but with all three of them in the fold, one is going to get left out, and by default, that’s probably Sochan. It’s not a commentary on his potential as much as it is an argument that the other two just have more potential than he does. Really tough break. 

Jesus Gomez: Several players having a slump at the same time played a part in some of the losses. The grueling schedule was also a factor, and the Spurs dropped games to the Rockets, Thunder, and Timberwolves in that stretch, all great teams. But Vassell has definitely been missed. He’s one of the few guys on the team whose shot defenses respect, so even when he doesn’t get touches, he’s helping on offense. Plus, he looked friskier on defense before his injury. The Spurs need all the shooting they can get, and every team can use a wing who can defend and create in a pinch. While he might not always do all that consistently, Vassell has a skill set that not many others on the roster have. 

The Spurs’ four regular starters with Champagnie in Vassell’s place have outscored opponents by a preposterous 21.6 points per 100 possessions, more than doubling the numbers of the four other starters plus Vassell. Should the Spurs consider bringing Vassell off the bench?

Dubinski: I don’t think the sample size of Vassell plus the other four main starters is large enough to take too seriously, considering the amount of time Wemby has missed or come off the bench.  I also don’t think we can sit here and claim Julian Champagnie is THAT much better of a defender than Vassell to the point that it’s worth benching him. None of this is to say Vassell has to start or Champagnie has to return to the bench, but I’m not ready to take this stat too seriously until we see more of the team completely healthy.  

Barrington: That’s a no from me. I definitely think they can bring Champagnie off the bench and find him minutes by staggering the minutes of the other starters. I’m a big fan of Harrison Barnes, but he would probably benefit from playing fewer minutes early in the game and saving his energy for crunch time, which would free up more Sam Penny* minutes. I don’t think it’s that significant who is in the starting lineup, so long as Julian plays 25 minutes or more, which is about how much the starters play. Keldon Johnson has been playing as many minutes as the starters, and I think that Julian has earned a similar spot in the rotation.

 * I watch the games with closed captioning turned on, and that’s how his name is spelled in the closed captions.

Birdsong: Taking into consideration his current slump, I think it’s actually Barnes who should probably go to the benchfor now. Champagnie’s been playing great defense, and he’s also been going off with regularity, and Vassell’s defense and shooting have also been important in that lineup. Both of them on the court would make up for any loss of Barnes. Realistically, though, Vassell is probably coming off the bench as the Spurs ease him in, because that’s just how they do things. I’d really like to see them stagger Castle more, so that you can get the occasional Fox-Vassell-Champagnie-Barnes-Wemby lineup, because I think that could be lethal, but I’ll be happy just to have another shooter back in the game. 

Gomez: Lineup numbers are tricky because the Spurs tend to play a lot of different units even when healthy and a lot more when not, so groups rarely get enough minutes to allow for definitive conclusions. I do think there’s something to the starters plus Champagnie, though. It adds more size, and Champagnie is a low-usage player who doesn’t need the ball, which fits the rest of the unit. Vassell off the bench could get opportunities to create while also bringing a steadying perimeter presence next to the Harper-Castle duo. But there’s just not enough evidence to suggest he should come off the bench permanently. We’ll know more as the games go by.  

Carter Bryant has been showing some signs of progress recently. Should the Spurs play him more minutes even with Vassell back, or should they continue to bring him along slowly in the small bench role he currently plays? 

Dubinski: He’s just now starting to look comfortable as an NBA player, but I was surprised it took them as long as it did to send him to the G League for some development, and then it was just for one game.  That being said, if he truly is turning a corner, there’s no reason to halt his progress.  What they’re doing now is fine, with about 10 min per game, but I also wouldn’t hesitate to pull him if he’s having an off night.

Barrington: I’m a big fan of Carter Bryant. I think they should play him until he gets tired every single game that remains in the regular season. You can see already how much he’s improved in limited minutes, and I think he’s going to be a really good player. The way you find out about that is by playing him. Of course, Coach Mitch needs to hold him accountable and pull him from the game for instruction when he makes mistakes, which could be quite often, but he’s growing by leaps and bounds, and I just want to watch him play. Even when he messes up, it’s fun to watch. When playoff time rolls around, the coaching staff could limit his minutes, but it all depends on how much he develops in the remaining half of the season. He has very little experience playing basketball at a high level, and he’s probably a year or two away from being anywhere near his potential, but he’s going to get there quicker if he can gain experience on the court.

Birdsong: The basketball IQ on that kid is high, which is hardly a surprise based on what the Spurs draft for, and I think he’s starting to acclimate quickly after adjusting to the speed and spacing of the pros, but I don’t think forcing more minutes is in the cards. He’s averaging 13 minutes over the last 5 games, and I think that’s the right amount, considering Harper is averaging 21 minutes. It looks like he’s soaking up some of the minutes that Olynyk and Sochan would be getting, and that’s the right call if you’re not going to play them, unless more size is needed. Barring an injury, I say let him get used to playing in those spurts. If Barnes or Champagnie goes down, though, I think he’s the one who should see the uptick in minutes (unless Sochan’s going to get some run). 

Gomez: I’ll admit Bryant has been better, but he’s gone from eliciting “why is Carter Bryant playing?” responses to being semi-competent in low minutes. It’s not meant to be too strong a criticism of him, since he’s extremely young and raw, with limited experience playing high-level basketball, as Mark pointed out. It was overly optimistic to expect him to be good as a rookie. The other problem is that even if the coaching staff wanted to expand his role, it would be tough to do so because the Spurs have a solid nine-man rotation when everyone is healthy. So who gets fewer minutes? There might be some spare if they bring Vassell along slowly, but I don’t see how they can give Bryant more playing time without making themselves worse.  

The Minnesota Timberwolves are still searching for the consistency of true contenders, and they’ll try to rebound tonight against the Golden State Warriors in a matchup rescheduled after yesterday's tragic events in Minneapolis.

Minnesota enters on a four-game losing streak, but my Warriors vs Timberwolves predictions signal a change of fortunes for the hosts against a Golden State team that could be without Steph Curry.

Read on for my NBA picks ahead of this January 25 contest.

Warriors vs Timberwolves prediction

Warriors vs Timberwolves best bet: Timberwolves -5.5 (-110)

Every time the Minnesota Timberwolves seem to be gathering momentum to take a crack at the Top 4 in the West, they seem to hit a rough patch.

But some uneven results this month can’t mask the talent on this roster, which is why I’m trusting Anthony Edwards & Co. to respond tonight.

Minnesota is 15-7 at home this season — in contrast to the Golden State Warriors' ugly 8-14 mark on the road — and has covered in the past five meetings between these teams. That dominance largely stems from a playoff series in May, but the T-Wolves also landed a 127-120 victory at Chase Center in December.

This line has climbed overnight, and it surely hints that Curry will sit out today with knee soreness before these teams collide again tomorrow night.

The Warriors’ injury report also features Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Jonatha Kuminga, and the visitors have lost back-to-back games since losing Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL.

Warriors vs Timberwolves same-game parlay

Julius Randle feasted against the Warriors in last year’s playoff series, averaging 25.2 ppg on 53% shooting. He was a difference-maker in Minnesota’s win over Golden State earlier this season, scoring 27 points.

I like this points prop Over, with Randle coming off a 30-point night on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls.

Whether Curry plays or not, the Warriors are going to lean on Brandin Podziemski as they try to fill the Butler void. He’s nailed this Over in three of his last four outings, and he dished 10 dimes in Dallas earlier this week.

Warriors vs Timberwolves SGP

• Timberwolves -7
• Julius Randle Over 22.5 points
• Brandin Podziemski Over 9.5 rebounds+assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Block party

Look for Jaden McDaniels to bring the heat defensively tonight, and he’s recorded a block in each of his last six games.

With the length to bother smaller guards, he’s averaging 1.2 blocks per game in January, and he should be a threat in this category against the Golden State backcourt.

Warriors vs Timberwolves SGP

• Timberwolves -7
• Julius Randle Over 22.5 points
• Brandin Podziemski Over 9.5 rebounds+assists
• Jaden McDaniels Over 0.5 blocks

Warriors vs Timberwolves odds

• Spread: Warriors +5.5 | Timberwolves -5.5
• Moneyline: Warriors +180 | Timberwolves -220
• Over/Under: Over 237.5 | Under 237.5

Warriors vs Timberwolves betting trend to know

The Over is 7-3 in Golden State’s last 10 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Timberwolves.

How to watch Warriors vs Timberwolves

Warriors vs Timberwolves latest injuries

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