Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook continues to climb the NBA all-time ranks and showcase why he's one of the greatest ever play the game.
Westbrook, 37, accomplished another scoring feat that very few have in NBA history.
The 18-year NBA veteran reached 27,000 career points during the Kings' 120-94 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on Monday, Feb. 9.
He reached the plateau after knocking down consecutive free throw attempts with 6:46 left in the third quarter.
Westbrook has averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game for the Kings in the 2025-26 season. He's appeared in 51 games. Not bad for someone who was a late signing prior to the beginning of the regular-season.
Westbrook became the second player to record at least 27,000 points, 10,000 assists, 8,000 rebounds, and record 2,000 steals in his career. The other player, LeBron James.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 9: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 9, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In a match-up missing two of the league’s best players, the Lakers fought valiantly against the Thunder before coming up short, falling 119-110.
After trailing by nine at the break, the Lakers, uncharacteristically, used a strong third quarter to get back into the game. However, Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams, returning from a 10-game absence due to injury, led OKC down the stretch to secure the win.
LA started the game well offensively, shooting 44% from the field. Everyone in the starting five scored. Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace were leading the Thunder with six points each.
The Lakers did play sloppily at times, committing three turnovers already leading to a tied game at the 4:14 mark.
Luke Kennard drained his first 3-pointer of the night. Austin Reaves scored five in a row, keeping LA steady with Oklahoma City. Isaiah Joe gave the Thunder a huge boost off the bench, knocking down three 3-pointers in the quarter.
OKC went on a 7-0 scoring run that was halted with a layup by Jaxson Hayes. Reaves ended the quarter with a dunk that made it a one-point deficit going into the second.
Newest Thunder Jared McCain started the second with a quick five points. Neither team had been able to build a big lead until OKC went on a 9-2 scoring run to go up by seven. Joe was now at 13 points off the bench for Oklahoma City.
At the 7:54 mark, the Lakers still had no player in double figures.
LA had called a timeout to restore order, but out of that break, they turned the ball over, leading to a dunk by Chet Holmgren on the other end. The Lakers now had eight turnovers in the half.
OKC unleashed an onslaught the purple and gold with a 14-0 run.
Marcus Smart gave the team some life by converting on a three-point play to halt the run. Reaves also knocked down his first triple of the game.
LeBron James went down the lane and hammed it on Holmgren, giving fans something to roar over. Los Angeles kept the deficit in single digits at nine going into halftime.
Jalen Williams started the third period with a reverse layup. Hachimura countered with a 3-pointer. The Lakers started another scoring run and cut the deficit to three. Smart and LaRavia knocked down triples that helped keep LA’s momentum going. The Lakers took the lead at the 7:24 mark.
Twenty-one of the first 29 points in the quarter came from LeBron and LaRavia.
With 4:11 left in the third, OKC had only put up 15 points. LeBron was now up to 18 points after ending the first half with eight points. Jaylin Williams was a spark and momentum shifter for the Thunder off the bench with eight points, six of which came from triples.
OKC regained the lead by one with 1:57 left.
It was a tight battle between the teams as time was winding down. Los Angeles had retaken the lead by one, but a 3-pointer by former Laker Alex Caruso put the Thunder up by two going into the fourth period.
Third quarter: Thunder 93, Lakers 91
LA outscored OKC 33-26 in the third. The Lakers led for most of the final 7 minutes of the frame until Alex Caruso's late 3. Austin Reaves has 14 points and 7 assists. LeBron has 18/4/6. Jake LaRavia has 14. LA shooting 54% vs. best defense.
Smart drained a 3-pointer to start the final frame for LA. Caruso scored five in a row to put OKC back in the lead. Smart responded with another triple of his own. The Lakers were battling hard and answering each Oklahoma attempt to regain momentum.
With 8:07 left, the Thunder were up by one.
Each team took turns with the lead back and forth. They were also doing quite a bit of cardio as they missed shots. LaRavia missed a few attempts from behind the arc, stopping any sort of momentum LA had.
Williams scored on a layup to stop the bleeding of both teams. OKC then put some cushion on their lead, going up by five. Trailing by eight with under three minutes left, the Lakers went on a 7-2 run with baskets from Hachimura, Smart and LeBron to cut the deficit to three.
The two sides traded baskets, though, with Chet Holmgren and Williams scoring on either side of a Rui layup to keep OKC up five.
An empty possession from the Lakers was the nail in the coffin as the Thunder iced the game away at the free throw line.
Key Player Stats
Reaves finished with 16 points and seven assists. LeBron ended with 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. Smart pitched in with 19 points on 4-7 shooting from three.
Deandre Ayton notched six points and 10 rebounds. Kennard had seven points, shooting 60% from the field. Jaxson Hayes had 12 points with four rebounds.
Hachimura scored 12 points with five rebounds. LaRavia ended with 14 points and four rebounds.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday at 7:30 PM PT.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 9: Gui Santos #15 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 9, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In a battle between two shorthanded squads, the Golden State Warriors came back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 114-113 and improve to 29-25 on the season. They were undeniably aided by the Grizzlies clear desires to tank, but nevertheless, without Steph Curry, the Dubs found a way to win.
The Grizzlies jumped out to an early 17-7 lead as Golden State’s starting lineup struggled to find a rhythm offensively. Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford provided a much needed spark to get the Dubs rolling. By the end of the first quarter, both teams had scored 32 points.
Memphis would slowly begin pulling away, largely aided by a spree of Warriors turnovers (they finished the game with 23). Draymond Green scored 14 points, largely thanks to some strong outside shooting, but arguably gave up even more offensively through 7 turnovers. His season-long struggles to avoid throwing posessions away continued. Without Steph Curry on the floor to help bail him out, the mistakes were only magnified.
Former Warriors two-way guard Ty Jerome was leading the way, seeming to be playing with an extra chip on his shoulder. Perhaps Jerome remembers that Golden State opted to convert a different two-way player (Anthony Lamb) to an NBA contract instead of him back in the 2022-23 season. Jerome led the Grizzlies to a 16-point lead through three quarters and finished with a team-high 19 points, 7 assists, and a +15 plus/minus.
Yet, the Grizzlies are trying to fall down the standings after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline. While the commissioner’s office refuses to enforce anti-tanking rules, Memphis (emulating the Utah Jazz earlier in the day) sat their best players in the fourth quarter even as Golden State began stringing stops together.
The Warriors finally started getting consistent defensive stops in the fourth quarter, slowly cutting into Memphis’ lead. It’s worth noting that most of the comeback took place with Green on the bench.
Horford finished a layup to cut the deficit to 8 with less than five minutes remaining. Gui Santos nailed an open three on the following possession to cut it to five. Another stop turned into a layup by De’Anthony Melton in transition. Another stop was answered by a driving layup from Moses Moody. Podziemski immediately stole the Grizzlies’ in-bound pass after Moody’s make, but misse a layup that would’ve given Golden State a 114-113 lead.
Instead, both teams found themselves unable to score over the remaining two minutes until a final chaotic sequence.
Horford missed a shot in the post with 26 seconds left on the clock. After missing a tip-in attempt he managed to grab his own miss, but fell to the floor. As his upper body hovered above out of bounds he found Santos who was far enough behind the closest Grizzlies defenders to sneak to the hoop and make the go-ahead layup.
The Grizzlies had 19 seconds left to try and retake the lead, but ultimately missed a pair of shots.
Pat Spencer finished the game with 17 points and 7 assists. Moody quietly scored 15 points, doing most of his damage at the free-throw line. Santos continued his impressive run in the starting lineup, recording 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and a +11 plus/minus on 7-for-10 shooting from the field in 30 minutes of action. Podz added 16 points off the bench as well. However, the hero of the night was Horford.
With Green out of control, Horford was a stabilizing presence in the post. He filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and a game-high +24 plus/minus in 26 minutes. His final rebound and assist set up Santos for the game-winner.
PORTLAND, OR - FEBRUARY 9: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers catches the ball during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 9, 2026 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. 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 Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
What a game to showcase their depth after the trade deadline.
The shorthanded Sixers wrapped up their West Coast trip with a 135-118 blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night.
Tyrese Maxey carried as much of the load as he could, finishing with 30 and four assists shooting 10-of-21 from the floor. VJ Edgecombe struggled from the field and may have slightly banged up his hip, finishing with 11 points and six rebounds shooting 3-of-12 from the field.
Kelly Oubre Jr put up 19 going 6-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Toumani Camara had the shooting night of his life, knocking down 8-of-10 from three to go 10-of-12 from the field to tie Maxey as the game’s leading scorer with 30.
Joel Embiid was out with right knee injury management while Dominick Barlow and Quentin Grimes were both late scratches with an illness.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
Deni Avdija blew past his defender on the first possession of the game, and got the Sixers’ defense to completely collapse on him on his next three, all resulting in open kick-out threes. On the other end, the Sixers opened just as well, with Maxey and Trendon Watford both having early success off the dribble.
Maxey has gotten open frequently cutting down the lane as of late, and his big man was able to hit him again in the first despite the absence of Embiid. There was one possession that the Blazers got a couple offensive rebounds, but Andre Drummond had four second-chance points early, even if a couple were putting back his own blocked shot.
Now that the Sixers have gotten rid of their glut of guards, NBA on Prime Video analyst Kyle Lowry was the team’s eighth man in the rotation. The good thing is they were already being beaten off the dribble and were already flirting with zone looks. They rebounded though, ending the quarter on a 9-0 run that was started by an Adem Bona putback dunk and featured Oubre hitting the team’s first three of the night. Maxey also played the whole quarter and dropped 14 as the Sixers jumped out to two-point lead.
Maxey leads all scorers with 13 and the Sixers withstood a red-hot start for the Blazers to take a 31-29 lead after one. pic.twitter.com/qUr3h16GtO
Having one and a half other ball-handlers available was enough for Maxey to at least get a brief break. Watford opened it well with a push shot then Edgecombe got on the board with a trip to the line. Justin Edwards also got his first bucket knocking down a three, and got to the line on the ensuing fast break even if he got a little cute trying to do a reverse dunk.
MarJon Beauchamp got his first minutes with the Sixers checking in early in the quarter. His first chance at action was cutting to the lane, connecting a Watford post-up to a Drummond three in the corner. A few possessions later he ripped the ball away from Vit Krejci but wasn’t able to come up with the steal. He picked up a second assist catching Maxey’s pass to beat a press and kick it up to Edwards, but missed his first shot attempt unable to connect with Maxey on a lob.
Sharpshooter Drum off the nice feed from MarJon Beauchamp in his first game as a Sixer. pic.twitter.com/FsWDrGwDrv
Portland started the game hot from deep and continued to chuck ‘em up, shooting 42.9% from behind the arc in the first half. That allowed them to slowly eat into the lead and briefly retake it. After taking it back, Maxey nearly followed up an Oubre breakaway with one of his own, but got called for a cheap foul and the Sixers had to settle for a one-point lead at the break.
Third Quarter
For as much as the Sixers held it off to finish the first half, the Blazers ripped off an 18-2 run to begin the second. It was a Maxey three that stopped the bleeding which was fitting, since the Blazers were nearing as many three-pointers made as the Sixers had attempted.
There’s only so much a timeout could have done as Camara continued to shake free and bury threes coming out of it. When the Sixers were able to muster up some stops they didn’t look to have the firepower to make good on them. Maxey was the only Sixer to record a field goal for an eight-minute stretch, and he only put up six points himself in that time.
The microphone screeching atop the basket the Blazers were shooting on was appropriate for this game. The Sixers turned the ball four times in a two-minute stretch as they fell completely off the rails. The best sign was Maxey checking out with two minutes left in the quarter just over 26 minutes played, no reason for him to return. Yes, the Sixers played poorly, but even Robert Williams III buried a couple threes on them as the Blazers extended their lead to 26.
Fourth Quarter
The only thing more heinous than Maxey and Edgecombe still being in the game to start the fourth was Nick Nurse using a challenge to reverse a shooting fall called on Oubre. It did happen to be successful amidst a 12-2 run that would make Chris Paul proud.
Maxey finally checked out just before the halfway point of the quarter, still somehow logging over 33 minutes on the night. Edgecombe stayed in a minute and half longer to also go over 33, despite favoring his hip after slipping and falling on it in the third quarter. It sure is a good thing they have a glut of guards to withstand a shorthanded night like this.
Credit to Beauchamp for trying to absolutely posterize Yang Hansen, even if he had to settle for a trip to the line. It’s not a surprise that a guy fighting for his NBA career looked like he had the most legs out there, but he made some good hustle plays both when the Sixers were still in this game and when it was well out of hand.
Curry's injury, a common overuse injury causing pain around or behind the kneecap, is expected to keep him out of action in the immediate future.
During a pregame press conference, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Curry would be out, missing upcoming games, including the 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
"He will not play against San Antonio, he will not play in the All-Star Game," Kerr said about Curry's timeline for return from injury.
Curry is averaging 27.2 points, which is the eighth most in the NBA for the 2025-26 season. He is shooting 47% from the field, 40% from deep and 93% from the free throw line. He's appeared in 39 games for Golden State this season.
Feb 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) secures the ball in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have completed their West Coast road trip with one more win over the Denver Nuggets. Let’s see who won and lost the night.
WINNER – Jarret Allen versus the Joker
Jarrett Allen is having an awesome 2026. It seems he’s fully recovered from the hand injuries that limited him earlier in the season and has recently taken flight as the Cavs find their wings.
And yet, we’re all familiar with one of the more common criticisms that Allen faces. He can play big against inferior opponents, but he folds when the lights are brightest.
Not tonight.
Allen accepted the challenge of going toe-to-toe with Nikola Jokic tonight in a starting lineup that featured him as the only Cavalier over the height of 6’6”. Not having Evan Mobley to aid him in this battle could have been a deal breaker. But Allen held his own, and arguably, outmatched Jokic when push came to shove.
Listen, no one is going to stop Jokic from getting his numbers. He put up a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists despite a phenomenal effort from Allen. But Jokic also turned it over 6 times and shot just 6-12 from the field. Believe it or not, that’s an underwhelming game from Joker.
Look at it this way. Allen matched Jokic with 22 points of his own and brought down 13 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double. He held his ground defensively and burned Jokic in the pick-and-roll offensively.
So, next time you see someone twee that Allen never has big games in important matchups, remind them of this one.
WINNER – James Harden’s Inauguration
What a way to start your Cavalier career, huh?
Harden hasn’t lit up an opponent for 40 points or anything yet. But he has put together two quality performances where he plays hero in the closing minutes. He combined with Donovan Mitchell to score 32 points in the fourth quarter of their comeback victory against the Kings on Saturday. And tonight, Harden buried the game-tying jumper before Mitchell won it at the free-throw line a possession later.
This has been as seamless an inauguration as you can ask for. Details can always be polished. But Harden’s made an immediate impact and delivered on back-to-back wins for his squad. In addition to his clutch scoring, Harden chipped in 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks tonight.
Every Cavs fan should be feeling a surge of excitement that this guy is on our side now.
LOSER – Too Many Guards
If there’s one thing to nitpick from this game, it’s some of Kenny Aktinson’s lineups.
Now, let’s be fair. The Cavs are thin at the wing and have been for years. De’Andre Hunter is gone, and Dean Wade is injured. Without Evan Mobley to at least play the four, you quickly run out of options taller than 6’5” on this roster.
That doesn’t mean I have to be happy with some of the results.
Lineups featuring Craig Porter Jr, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis aren’t a recipe for success. Adding Harden or Mitchell to that mix doesn’t make it much better. The Cavs have too many cooks in the kitchen, and their lack of size was a huge issue in this game.
Even in the starting lineup, Tyson and Merrill are being asked to fight above their weight class.
I can’t pretend that Larry Nance Jr. has given us a great sample size this season. But, I would be surprised if he doesn’t get some opportunities soon if the Cavs continue to have no playable wings other than Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
WINNER – The Road Trip
The Cavs started this road trip with a bummer. They lost Evan Mobley to another calf strain just days before it began — and then they officially started the trip by getting run off the floor by the Phoenix Suns. With a couple of difficult opponents ahead, it felt like this was the type of stretch you simply hope to survive.
Instead, this team dominated.
They beat the Trail Blazers behind a career night from Allen. Then they decimated the Clippers a day after making a seismic trade for Harden. Cleveland won a thriller in Sacramento in Harden’s first game, and then finally, took down a bona fide contender in the Nuggets.
This 4-1 stretch is the defining moment of the season so far. This team has turned a corner, posting the league’s best win percentage since December 29th and finding another gear with Harden now on the roster. Things can change quickly in the NBA, so this is the appropriate time to stop and reflect on the success the Cavs just had.
“It’s the same knee, but it’s unrelated. Tendonitis is something athletes deal with in different parts of the body,” said Fernández. “It’s good for him to take this game, see how he feels and get him back feeling great. That’s the most important thing. Nothing to be concerned about. A lot of guys deal with it, but it’s good that Mike can focus on his body right now.”
Brooklyn came into the Bulls tilt 13-28 with Porter in the lineup, but just 1-9 when he didn’t suit up.
“You guys know what he brings, shot-making and points and all that,” Fernández said. “But it is what it is. We won in Utah without him. There have been other games where we competed at a high level — Utah at home we were up nine in the fourth on the second night of a back-to-back and the game was well played, we just couldn’t close. Memphis, we were up eight with three minutes to go without Mike too.
Michael Porter Jr. is pictured during the Nets’ Feb. 9 win over the Bulls. Getty Images
“Do we miss him? Yes. But the team can still do its job, play the right way, get the right shots, defend and all those things. The standards stay the same with or without Michael. Obviously we love having him, but it doesn’t change the intentions.”
Egor Dëmin was also out against Chicago, but the rookie was simply being rested.
All three two-ways were with G-League Long Island.
“Happy that everybody is embracing me. Everybody’s happy that I’m here, everybody wanted me,” Thomas said in his first availability in Milwaukee on Monday. “Front office told me that they always wanted me, always called about me, been trying to get me here for years.”
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder prospect Nikola Topic has made his NBA G League debut after recovering from a major knee injury and undergoing cancer treatment.
Topic had seven points and seven assists in 16 minutes for the Oklahoma City Blue in their 137-135 overtime victory over the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Monday night.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised Topic in Los Angeles before defending NBA champion Oklahoma City faced the Lakers.
“We’re all just collectively thrilled that he’s back playing basketball,” Daigneault said. “I know he’s missed it a great deal, and this is just so good for him mentally to get his feet back underneath him.”
The G League game was another remarkable step forward for Topic, who has barely played basketball since the Thunder made him the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Oklahoma City chose the Serbian guard even though he had torn a ligament in his knee two months earlier, and the injury sidelined him for his entire first season in North America.
Topic played for Oklahoma City in summer league games last year and appeared again in the Thunder's preseason, but was subsequently diagnosed with testicular cancer. He underwent chemotherapy before working his way back into playing shape again.
“Great accomplishment,” Daigneault said. “Just can’t say enough about him as a guy, his mental toughness, maturity, resilience. ... He hasn’t played a lot of basketball over the last two years, and he comes off a one-year rehab and immediately has a surprising diagnosis and goes through chemotherapy, three rounds of it. So for him to work himself back onto the court is just an unbelievable accomplishment, and we’re incredibly happy for him.”
DENVER , CO - FEBRUARY 9: James Harden (1) of the Cleveland Cavaliers stretches his shoulder after hitting a clutch three pointer as Donovan Mitchell (45) smiles during the fourth quarter of the Cavs' 119-117 win over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Monday, February 9, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off one of their most encouraging wins of the season, downing the Denver Nuggets 119-117.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Mitchell came out guns blazing in this game. He scored 13 points in the first quarter and entered halftime with 18 overall. Mitchell converted some absurd and-one’s along the way.
Denver adjusted in the second half, blitzing Mitchell and forcing the ball out of his hands. That helped him rack up 10 assists. And, Mitchell was still able to finish the game with 32 points, including the game-winning free throws with less than a second on the clock.
Grade: A+
James Harden
22 points, 7 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks
This was a slightly more aggressive version of Harden than the one we saw in his debut. He made more of an effort to get into the paint, going to his floater to account for his three-point struggles (2-7 shooting).
Those struggles went away when it mattered most.
Harden buried the 9-1-1 triple to tie the game with under a minute to play. His patented step-back jumper is something we’ve seen countless times in other jerseys. But, if you ask me, it looks so much sweeter in a Cavalier uniform.
Additional credit for his 10 rebounds. The Cavs had a difficult time cleaning the glass tonight, so Harden’s efforts made a difference. And no — that’s not a typo. Harden actually had 3 blocks tonight.
Grade: A+
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Allen was the hero of this road trip. He put in the work each night, scoring a career-high 40 points earlier in the trip and then capping it off by battling Nikola Jokic for a win. Allen defended Jokic as well as you can reasonably expect, and punished him for being too slow on the other end. This was a monster stretch of games from Allen.
Grade: A+++
Jaylon Tyson
16 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds
Tyson looked better than he did in Sacramento. His off-ball movement earned Tyson some quality shot attempts, and he shot efficiently from downtown, going 4-9 from the three-point line.
It’s been said before, but Tyson’s confidence is something to rave about. He has zero fear of the moment, and canned a catch-and-shoot three-pointer off a Harden kickout late in the fourth quarter. That type of stuff will earn a Hall of Famer’s trust very quickly.
Ellis converted a wild layup in transition that probably should have been an and-one. He was also fine enough on defense despite some of Cleveland’s blown coverages. Other than that, it was a hectic game that Ellis never really found his place in.
Grade: C-
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
6 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
Tomlin’s inexperience can hold him back at times. The Cavs could have used tighter rotations and better positional awareness from him tonight. A few rebounds would have gone a long way.
I’ll give Qwan credit for nailing two three-pointers, though.
Grade: D+
Dennis Schroder
5 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
I like what Schroder provides for this team. Pesky defense and on-ball creation. But those skills will look better when he isn’t playing in three-guard lineups. This game wasn’t built for Schroder’s strengths.
Grade: C-
Sam Merrill
9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
The Cavs’ lack of size is putting a heavy strain on Merrill right now. He’s too small to defend opposing forwards, and he doesn’t have enough backline help to support him when he’s defending the perimeter.
Thankfully, Merrill was able to get going from downtown. His three triples made a difference and gave Cleveland enough fuel to get to the finish line.
Grade: C
Craig Porter Jr.
0 points, 1 rebound, 9 minutes
Porter just isn’t in a position for success right now. He’s in lineups featuring one, two, or sometimes three other ball-handling guards. The results haven’t been surprising. Porter isn’t a good enough floor spacer or defender to thrive in that type of lineup.
Grade: D-
Thomas Bryant
5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Bryant offered crucial support for Allen in this one. Defending Jokic is no easy task. Bryant’s physicality was important for limiting Jokic as much as humanly possible tonight.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 9: Corey Kispert #24 of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 9, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Less than two minutes into the first quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves second leg of their home back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks, Donte DiVincenzo sank his first field goal – a wing three off of an assist from Jaden McDaniels.
On most nights, a pretty routine start for the Wolves guard and an ordinary thing that happens within the flow of the offense.
But coming off of Sunday’s embarrassing blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, a game in which DiVincenzo didn’t record a field goal, it was an omen for a team that badly needed a positive one.
One assist shy of their season-high 37 on Monday night, it was a concerted effort to come out of the gate and move the ball. Especially in the first quarter, there was an extremely low amount of one-and-no-pass possessions.
“Quick decision making and a lot of mixed-action basketball,” coach Chris Finch attributed to an intentional start to the game. “Julius and Ant were really great in that…they led the way.”
Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards recognition feels notable. A Hawks team missing two key pieces descended upon Target Center on Monday night, and on the tail end of a back-to-back, has embodied what the Wolves have struggled to come up with the energy for as of late.
An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tonight's game at Minnesota:
It’s been a lackluster effort from the Wolves’ top two over the last few games, specifically, and Monday felt like a return to normalcy and a simultaneous pull out of a hole.
“It felt great…the ball was moving,” said Rudy Gobert after the game. “I thought our focus was there.”
The reflection of the ball movement was in the box score. A 45 percent 3-point mark at the half, towering over the 33 percent halftime mark on Sunday; a much more iso-heavy game in which one-and-no-pass possessions were the norm.
The fruits of the labor were apparent. 70 points in the paint for Minnesota ballooned to Atlanta’s 42, and seven of the nine players who checked in scored in double digits.
“It was a return to our concepts and our free-flowing stuff,” Finch said. “We just have to commit to it.”
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 9: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks swap jerseys after the game on February 9, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A Familiar Face Returns
Monday night marked the first time Nickeil Alexander-Walker was back at Target Center in another uniform.
A fan favorite and cheered for by everyone, he returned as the leader of a team he’s been on for less than a season. The hallmark of player development, Alexander-Walker’s tenure in Minnesota went from DNP to major contributor to back-to-back Western Conference Finals teams. His welcome from fans reflected his contributions.
While the game wasn’t close, I think it also served as a reflection of just how much this team has missed Nickeil this season. His willing on-ball defense, spot up shooting, and ability to seamlessly fill gaps is something has sorely missed, and fair to wager that it has cost them some of the games that have so many fans pulling their hair out.
“He deserves all of the love that he is getting…I’m really proud of him,” Rudy Gobert said, who was both in Utah with Alexander-Walker and Minnesota. “He got his opportunity, and I was there to witness it. I think he is still getting better every day, and I am happy that he got this opportunity.”
So who fills that role moving forward? While he’s not the same player, Tim Connelly’s latest acquisition in Ayo Dosunmu has to be the answer.
A willing defender and the main source of offensive pace in his second game in the trees, Dosunmu finished his night with 21 points off the bench. He spent a lot of his time attacking the paint and showing off his switchability on the perimeter.
While Nickeil may have brought other things to the game that Dosunmu does not, it’s clear that his downhill nature is an important element to this team that is only brought consistently by Anthony Edwards. Pair that with his fellow bench mob member Bones Hyland’s ability to push pace alongside him, and an identity seems to be forming with the second unit.
“I think [running in transition] is one of my strengths, and I’m excited about that,” Dosunmu said afterwards. “The city has embraced me, and my teammates have done a great job of putting me in positions to succeed.”
While he admitted that he still has a ways to go to get fully up to speed, the transition has been seamless. Another game and a full All-Star break should be a nice remedy to that moving forward.
Up Next
The Timberwolves will keep the homestand rolling and welcome the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night in their last game before the All-Star break.
The Blazers have played well over their last three games, and their All-Star Deni Avdija presents a foul-drawing challenge for a Wolves defense that can get their physicality impacted by a heavy whistle.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Justice Carlton scored 17 points and No. 4 Texas overcame poor second-half offense to defeat No. 18 Kentucky 64-53 on Monday night.
The Longhorns (23-2, 8-2 SEC) improved to 9-2 against AP Top 25 teams while winning their 40th straight home game, the longest streak in the nation. But this one was in doubt until the final few minutes.
Kentucky (18-7, 5-6) trailed by 14 before the midway point in the third quarter, but found itself down by just one point after a basket by Clara Strack with 6:23 remaining in the game. Texas responded with four free throws by Kyla Oldacre and a 3-pointer by Carlton with 3:54 left for a 56-50 lead after Madison Booker grabbed the rebound of a missed 3 by Jordan Lee.
Texas made six straight free throws in the final 1:25 to secure the win. Lee scored 13, the only Longhorns player other than Carlton in double figures.
Asia Boone led Kentucky with 16 points and Strack added 14. The Wildcats shot just 39% from the field and committed a season-high 23 turnovers.
After getting outscored in the first half of their last four games, the Commodores (23-2, 9-2 Southeastern) scored 59 points on their way to a 19-point halftime lead.
Oklahoma (17-6, 5-5) took its only lead when Payton Verhulst hit a 3-pointer just eight seconds into the game. Justine Pissott answered with a 3 that sparked a 12-2 run and Vanderbilt never again trailed. The Commodore took their biggest lead at 51-25 when Blakes converted a three-point play with 6:17 left in the second quarter.
Aubrey Galvan had a career high 30 points, 17 in the first half. Her previous high was 20 in Vanderbilt’s 72-69 win over No. 7 Michigan on Jan. 19.
Pissott had 16 points and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda had 13 points and nine rebounds for Vanderbilt.
This is the third “home and stay home” series for the Houston Rockets this season. They’re 1-3 so far, with each of those games coming on the road (at Utah and at Portland). Tonight and tomorrow, they take on the new-look Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers traded James Harden for Darius Garland and decided to start tear things down when they traded Ivica Zubac to the Pacers (Indy is going to be really fun next season).
LA still has Kawhi Leonard and John Collins, both of whom lit up Houston when the teams played back in December. Since then, the Clips have the best record in the NBA. Ty Lue is a good coach and LA is just a few games back of being in 8th place in the West and having the inside track on making the playoffs.
The Athletic | Keith Law ($): Several publications have George Lombard Jr. as the Yankees’ top-ranked prospect and Keith Law agrees in his 2026 installation of the Yankees’ top prospect rankings. The 21-year-old shortstop was ranked at second last year and 98th overall, and moves to the front of the queue with Jasson Domínguez’s graduation from prospect status, as well as to 24th overall in baseball. Law believes that Lombard was promoted to Double-A too quickly last season, which likely explains his contact issues against velocity. Law calls him a ‘definite shortstop’ and was impressed by his excellent bat speed and knowledge of the strike zone.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: On Monday, the Yankees acquired utility infielder Max Schuemann from the Athletics for right-handed pitching prospect Luis Burgos. Schuemann struggled mightily at the plate in 2025 — .568 OPS, 62 wRC+ in 213 PAs — but is a wizard with the glove, racking up +8 Outs Above Average between mostly second, third, and shortstop. The 28-year-old is expected to provide competition for Amed Rosario and Oswaldo Cabrera for one of the spots on the bench. You can read a more complete breakdown on Schuemann and Burgos here.
MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: In order to make room on the 40-man roster for Schuemann, the Yankees designated Yanquiel Fernandez for assignment. The move comes just five days after they claimed the outfielder off waivers from the Rockies. The 23-year-old logged a .613 OPS and 55 wRC+ with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 52 games and 147 PAs in his debut season after appearing at the back end of several Top-100 prospect rankings. The Yankees can place him on waivers or trade him over the next five days, and can outright him to the minors if he passes through waivers.
FanGraphs | Ben Clemens: Operation Run it Back entered its latest phase with the Yankees recenlt announcing the re-signing of Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $4 million contract. The former NL MVP is entering his age-38 season and has been a roughly league average player at the plate the last two seasons, making up for the loss of power with a significant reduction in strikeouts. He’s being brought back likely with the understanding that he will be used in a platoon role at first base after posting a 169 wRC+ against lefties in 2025. His signing is a double-edged sword for the surging Ben Rice — on one hand it frees up Rice to backup at catcher on days when a lefty is on the mound but on the other hand, given the Yankees view Rice as their future first baseman — and already one of their best hitters — it might benefit them to get Rice as much playing time as possible at first. Clemens speculates that part of the motivation for Goldy to stick around is to build his Hall of Fame case — he’s 28 home runs from 400 and 210 hits from 2,500 — as well as to hunt the World Series ring that has eluded him.
Kansas — without potential top NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson for the 11th time this season — trailed by three at halftime and found themselves down by as many as 11 at the 17-minute mark. They responded with a 9-2 run over the next two minutes to come within three points of Arizona before taking the lead on a Flory Bidunga layup with nine minutes to go.
"KANSAS HAS KNOCKED OFF UNBEATEN ARIZONA! NO. 1 GOES DOWN INSIDE ALLEN FIELDHOUSE! NO DARRYN PETERSON, NO PROBLEM FOR THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS!"
Bidunga led the Jayhawks in both scoring (23 points) and rebounds (11). The sophomore big man also had a critical block with 17 seconds left in the game on Koa Peat's layup attempt to protect a three-point lead. Tre White sealed the win by draining a pair of free throws in the final five seconds.
Feb 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers ended their five-game Western Conference roadtrip with a bang. They overcame a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to beat a strong Denver Nuggets team 119-117 thanks to their dynamic backcourt.
The Donovan Mitchell and James Harden pairing couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.
The Cavs were kept at arm’s length for most of the game. They never let the Nuggets get out in front by more than 11, but it also never felt like they really had a chance of getting into the game.
That changed down the stretch.
Cleveland’s half-court offense feels inevitable. There’s only so much you can do when you have two guards who require that much attention. There’s just too many holes to plug, and eventually, the defense is going to break.
That’s what happened late. Jarrett Allen found himself wide open for back-to-back crucial baskets to make it a one-point game with just over a minute left.
Harden then hit an impossible step-back three with 32 seconds left to tie the game for the first time in the fourth.
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Mitchell has been the primary scoring engine in their first two games. He poured in 32 points on 11-23 shooting to go along with 10 assists.
Harden, on the other hand, has been the orchestrator of the offense. He’s continually found ways to generate open looks for his teammates, which includes feeding Allen early and often.
This group hasn’t had someone with the playmaking capabilities of Harden. His ability to draw as many defenders into him and then deliver on-time and on-target passes is truly unbelievable.
Harden’s facilitating doesn’t come at the expense of generating good looks for himself. He provided 22 points on 7-16 shooting to go along with 10 huge rebounds and seven assists.
Even though the offense was impressive, Harden’s defense was just as important. He did an excellent job of double-teaming Nikola Jokic and providing help defense when needed. This led to a crucial Jokic turnover on Denver’s third-to-last possession.
Allen continues to be the biggest beneficiary of Harden’s playmaking. He provided 22 points on 10-16 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds.
Allen did a good job of staying in front of Nikola Jokic and containing him the best he could. Unfortunately for Cleveland, containing Jokic still meant he finished with a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists. He also committed seven costly turnovers.
Julian Strawther and Christian Bruan provided 20 points each.
The Cavs return home to take on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. It will be their last game before the All-Star break. Tip-off is at 7 PM.
