Despite backlash, a team spokesperson told The Post that the event celebrating the famed Atlanta-area strip club will go on as planned.
Last week, the franchise announced the promotional night, which will take place during a March 16 game against the Magic, billing the event as a tribute to a “cultural institution,” with appearances from Atlanta-based rapper T.I., city-themed merchandise and the venue’s iconic lemon pepper chicken wings.
Luke Kornet reacts during the Knicks’ blowout win over the Spurs at the Garden on March 1, 2026.. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But not everyone in the NBA is on board with celebrating the adult entertainment club.
The Spurs’ Luke Kornet asked for the night to be canceled in a post on Medium, arguing in part that the promotion is disrespectful to women.
“The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.”
Warriors big man Al Horford agreed, co-signing his former teammate with the Celtics’ appeal by writing “Well said Luke,” on X.
Draymond Green, who shares a locker room with Horford, had a different take, saying on his self-titled podcast that the goings-on at Magic City are “a form of art.”
General view during Joseline’s Cabaret Tour at Magic City Kitchen on January 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. WireImage
“I think to point out that they have esteem issues because that’s the line of work they chose, I actually think it is less protective of women because you’re condemning something. It’s actually an art,” Green said. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but if you see it in action, it’s actually a form of art that some choose to indulge in and some choose not to indulge in.
“But to say that because a woman decides that that’s the art that they want to partake in and that the customer wants to take in, I think is reflective of society’s thoughts and how they once view things.”
With the event going on, Magic City manager JuJu Barney assured those on Kornet’s side of the controversy that those involved are going to keep it family friendly.
“There will be no nudity whatsoever, at all,” Barney told TMZ.
“There will be no signs of nudity, there will be no nudity at all. It’s strictly just wings and music and people having a good time.”
The New York Knicks (40*-23) hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-19) at Madison Square Garden tonight in a tight, uneven game played with tired legs. Both teams were on the second night of back-to-backs, and the fatigue showed at the end of this workout. The Thunder controlled the first half behind Chet Holmgren’s hot shooting, but the Knicks surged back after halftime with help from their bench and Karl-Anthony Towns’ work on the glass. The game swung repeatedly in the final quarter, and although New York had chances late, their last two looks failed to fall and the Okies escaped with the narrow win, 103-100.
From the jump, both teams applied defensive heat and produced a combined 11 turnovers in the first quarter. The Thunder distributed the ball well and created clean looks for themselves. Holmgren (28 PTS, 8 RBS, 6-11 3PT) was one beneficiary, scoring 14 points in the first frame, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26 PTS, 8 RBS) scored nine points before sitting with two fouls. Both players converted from all areas of the court.
New York’s starters started slowly, missing pull-ups, drives, and threes. Midway through the frame, they watched their guests rip off 12 unanswered points (featuring more Holmgren) and push their lead to 10. Gradually, New York came back, thanks to some bench help. Ariel Hukporti blocked Holmgren to force a shot-clock violation, Landry Shamet (14 PTS, 5-9 3PT) added two buckets, and Rookie Mohamed Diawara (9 PTS) drilled threes on the run and from the corner (he’s 16-of-20 from that spot this season per the broadcast) before stripping Jared McCain. 3 & Diawara, anyone?
With momentum, Jalen Brunson (16 PTS, 15 AST) finally got a bucket, and OG Anunoby (16 PTS, 3 STL, 2 BLK) added another three at the buzzer to cut the score to 25-23.
Diawara kicked off the second quarter with his third triple to seize a lead, but the Tornados quickly reclaimed control. Holmgren tipped in a put-back and then stretched the floor with spicy perimeter shooting. Alex Caruso and Jaylin Williams added threes during a Thunder run that nudged the lead to 33–28.
Towns played a great game on both ends. He kept the Knicks within reach with interior scoring—a tip-in and a driving layup—but the Okies found more open looks, and Lu Dort (16 PTS) added a pair of threes midway through the quarter, pushing the margin to eight.
SGA continued to avoid foul trouble thanks to a favorable whistle. His counterpart Brunson continued to drag, shooting 1-of-8 through the half. What J.B. and Josh Hart (10 PTS, 12 RBS) failed to do scoring-wise, they made up for with dimes and rebounds, respectively.
Towns and Mikal Bridges (15 PTS) trimmed the deficit briefly, but team blunders held them back. On multiple fast breaks, New York blew contested layups and lost the rebound. Meanwhile, Holmgren kept hitting those damn threes—including a deep pull-up in the final seconds. When Hart made a running jumper at the buzzer, that bucket finished off the Knicks’ lowest scoring first-half of the season. Thunder took a 50-40 score into the locker room. (Their lowest first-half total of the season is 46.)
Through the half, Oklahoma City outshot the Knicks from the field (46% to 36%) and deep (43% to 25%). Holmgren led all scorers with 22 points after hitting a career-high six three-pointers. KAT and Diawara had nine apiece.
Out of intermission, Oklahoma City pushed their lead to 15, fueled by Gilgeous-Alexander’s transition dunk and Dort’s outside shooting. From there, New York slowly chipped away behind Towns’ excellent rebounding and paint work, while Brunson steered the offense, securing another double-digit assist performance.
In the first few minutes of the third quarter, Josh Hart—who was afflicted by back spasms at the start of the season—retreated to the locker room, massaging his lower back. Hart returned to the sideline with a wrap around his midsection. A little later, Brunson walked gingerly back to the locker room, only to return later in the period.
Once again, the bench came to the rescue, with fearless play from Jose Alvarado and Shamet on a scoring tear. The latter posted 11 points in the quarter, and his defense was solid, too. With three minutes left in the quarter, Landry drew a foul on Williams—just after Brunson swished two three-pointers to knot the score at 72. Through the final minute, Anunoby had two steals (converting one into a pick-six); Jeremy Sochan came on to neutralize Shai and did, forcing a jump ball (which he won); and Bridges added a three-pointer with two seconds left. After New York doubled their halftime total, they took an 80-77 score into the final frame.
To start the fourth quarter, coach Mike Brown went with his starters. The unusual move worked, briefly, as the Knicks jumped out to a short-lived four-point lead. Hart was clearly hindered by the back; however, unable to jump for loose balls. By the middle fo the frame, the visitors had come back to take a five-point lead. Rather than letting go of the rope, the Knicks steadied themselves through KAT’s rebounding and Brunson’s playmaking. The play got sloppy, misses piling up on both ends, and OKC coach Mark Daigneault won two challenges to erase Knicks’ points.
With three minutes left and the Knicks trailing by six, Towns collected his sixth foul and sent SGA to the line. The Thunder’s Cason Wallace stole the ball from Brunson on their next possession (Wallace’s fourth theft tonight), and the air came out of the building.
Remember those two banged-up Knicks from earlier? Teetering on the edge of collapse, the Roommates teamed up to mount a valiant comeback. Hart—who must have been in agony—hit two free throws to cut the differential to four with 1:30 left. SGA answered a triple. Hart scored at the rim on another Brunson assist. At the other end, Brunson drew his third charge of the night, causing Dort to foul out. Five-point game. 51 seconds left.
On the next possession, Brunson juked SGA and hit a spinning jumper from the elbow. 103-100. 41 seconds. At the other end, Holmgren missed a seven-footer, which Hart rebounded. 16 seconds to go. Out of a timeout, Cap missed from the corner, and Anunoby missed as the clock expired. Ball game.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20, 2026 : Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) gestures after scoring against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
After getting benched in the Lakers’ playoff series last year, most assumed Jaxson Hayes’ playing days in LA were done.
He put on 20 pounds to give himself some more strength, and it’s paid off. Hayes is having a productive year for the Lakers, averaging 6.7 points per game while shooting a career-best 77% from the field. He’s accomplished this while also embracing a backup role.
It seems Hayes is willing to do whatever it takes to win, and he displayed that in the team’s victory over the Pelicans. Hayes ended up closing out the game, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick picking him over his other center option, Deandre Ayton.
During Redick’s postgame media availability, he made sure Hayes got the recognition he deserved.
“Jaxson’s had a really good season,” Redick said. “I know I played with him his first two years. He’s a better basketball player. He’s gotten better. He’s making touch shots around the rim. He’s making great pocket decisions. He’s a good basketball player that, frankly, he consistently injects energy into the group when he runs the floor, blocks a shot or gets those dunks.”
It would’ve been completely understandable if Hayes didn’t return to LA. And even more relatable if he just came here to do what he’s always done and focus on playing well enough to earn another contract elsewhere.
Instead, Hayes pushed to get better and be a true team player. He has taken advantage of every opportunity and thanks to his play, there have been a handful of close games where he was one of the five players on the floor helping the Lakers win.
Hayes is setting an example of selflessness and the ways it can benefit the individual as well as the team. This is a very good season for Hayes so far, and perhaps he’s even making a case to be LA’s starting center.
Regardless of his role, what’s known now is that he’s a player the Lakers can trust. He has entrenched himself as a member of the rotation and, come playoff time, if he keeps playing like this, he’ll remain on the floor as an impactful player for Los Angeles.
Tomas Hertl scored his 24th goal of the season at the 2:11 mark of overtime Wednesday night to lift the Golden Knights to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
After taking an early 1-0 lead, on Reilly Smith's goal just 1:50 into the game, the Red Wings scored three unanswered goals to end the opening period to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
After a scoreless second period, the Knights began their comeback with goals by Ivan Barbashev midway through the third period and Mitch Marner with 3:24 left in the regulation.
Goaltender Adin Hill stopped 23 shots to earn the win. PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
This is a developing story. Please check back for the full story.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 21: Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of Team Japan reacts during Game 2 of the Championship Round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic against Team USA on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/WBCI/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 04: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies during the fourth inning of the MLB exhibition game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 04, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, the Colorado Rockies took a positive shellacking at the hands of Team USA, losing 14-4.
ATLANTA (AP) — Dai Dai Ames scored 18 points and Lee Dort scored 16 points and California beat Georgia Tech 79-65 on Wednesday night for the Bears' fourth win in the last five games.
John Camden added 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Chris Bell scored 10 for Cal. The Bears overcame 21% shooting (5 of 24) from 3-point range with the help of a 57.5% (23 of 40) inside the arc.
Kowacie Reeves Jr. scored 19 points on the strength of 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc, Akai Fleming scored 16 points and Jaeden Mustaf 10 for the Yellow Jackets (11-19, 2-15 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lamar Washington distributed 10 assists with just a single turnover and had three steals for Georgia Tech.
Cal outscored the Yellow Jackets 20-7 between 15:40 remaining in the game to 8:46 left and led 62-48. Georgia Tech led 36-32 at halftime.
The last time the Bears (21-9, 9-8) posted a 20-win regular season was 2015-16, when the Bears won 22 games before postseason play. That was also the last time the Bears earned an NCAA Tournament berth in a season which Cal finished 23-6 overall.
Up Next
California: Ends the regular season at Wake Forest on Saturday.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets concludes the regular season at Clemson on Saturday.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 4: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Utah Jazz on March 4, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Well, they may lose as bad as tanking teams, but at least they can still beat tanking teams.
The Sixers escaped with a 106-102 win over the Utah Jazz Wednesday night.
They are now 34-28, still a game up on the Orlando Magic for the sixth seed but tied in the loss column.
Despite some rough plays down the stretch, Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 25 points and six assists shooting 8-of-22 from the floor. Jabari Walker, hustling his ass off, put up 20 for the second straight night finishing with 22 points shooting 7-of-12 from the field along with 10 rebounds. Keyonte George led all scorers with 30.
The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (oblique strain), Paul George (suspension), VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion) and Kelly Oubre Jr. who missed his second straight game with an illness.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
Maxey made his first shot of the game, knocking down a three off the catch, but that didn’t exactly set the tone for the Sixers’ offense. Plenty of isos resulted in just one and-1 for Dominick Barlow, a play he banged up his shoulder on. Trendon Watford threw up an ugly shot that missed the rim on top of a bad turnover trying to get a skip pass to the corner.
A sign of how ugly this one was Utah’s starting center Kyle Filipowski had to sit with three fouls less than six minutes into the game. While neither offense looked good, the Sixers’ bigs found ways to be productive. Both Watford and Barlow did a good job using their length to protect the rim, Watford picking up two blocks in the first. Barlow was also making good reads playing out of the high post against Utah’s zone.
Justin Edwards being one of the first subs to check in wasn’t surprising given the injury report, but Tyrese Martin being the other was. Martin missed his only shot attempt of the quarter and threw a bad cross-court pass that turned into a pick-6. Edwards though hit his first corner three and found Walker for another. The Sixers had turned things around to shoot 40% from the field and from three, but Cody Williams sinking a three of his own at the buzzer cut their lead to seven.
It was good to see Walker build off his 20-point performance in garbage time. It’s easy to notice when he has the hot hand from three, but the hustle plays he makes for this team are desperately needed at the moment. Plays like hanging on island and forcing a stop against the smaller Isaiah Collier, or drawing a foul trying to grab an offensive rebound.
Both offenses stalled again after the Walker heater. Quentin Grimes didn’t exactly snap into a rhythm right away, but the layups he was able to cobble together, mostly in transition, were enough to briefly extend the Sixers’ lead. He clearly felt more and more comfortable with each one, taking advantage of an open drive to throw one down over Oscar Tshiebwe.
Upon returning to the game Maxey capped off a solid individual half. The opponent is what it is but he did a good job of navigating longer, taller defenders while also drawing contact. His last two attempts from deep were no good though as the Sixers as a team couldn’t close the half well. That was in part due to more struggles from Andre Drummond, who was surrendering rebounds to Mo Bamba and Ace Bailey on one end and getting called for illegal screens on the other. After George split a pair at the line the Sixers went into the break up by five.
Third Quarter
Maxey’s floater to open the second half didn’t fool anyone — this was still the third quarter Sixers. Utah responded with a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the night. He had been fairly bottled up in the first half but George started to spring loose moving off the ball and converted on his open looks.
Stops continued to come at a premium for the Sixers, but at least they found consistent offense for a couple possessions with Watford successfully backing down Filipowski. The backcourt got oddly passive during this stretch — Maxey went over five minutes in between shot attempts.
After the first half he had, it was pretty insane that Walker wasn’t out there to start the second. He immediately grabbed a putback basket when he did finally check back in, a rare sign of energy. It’s surprising how rigid Nick Nurse has been here given his reputation in Toronto. On top of not riding the hot hand in Walker, Tyrese Martin checked back in at the same point he did in the first half despite a rough first shift. Martin at least had a better go of it this time, getting to the basket once for a layup and hitting Drummond with a dump off. Another lob to Bamba though kept the Jazz in front by one entering the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
The decision to go back to Martin did age well despite this blog’s criticisms. He nailed two more threes to start the fourth, but those were the only points the Sixers were able to muster up in the brief minutes Maxey sat.
A rotation decision that was even more questionable and did not pay off was sending Kyle Lowry out for his second half shift as well. This team just has too many limited offensive players at the moment to play a guard that hardly looks at the basket.
Perhaps the Sixers were so surprised the Jazz put George back in the game they went into some sort of shock. Why else would they help off of him when he’s one pass away while he’s as scorching hot as he was? In all seriousness, it’s fine if the Sixers lost a game here and there due to their play style, but their style doesn’t make a ton of sense and they’ve lost more games than that because of it. Leaving NBA players open to shoot is and has not been a viable strategy in some time.
A challenge that swung possession back to the Sixers after another George three was exactly what they needed, and somehow they took advantage of the momentum. Maxey tried to turn the pace and kept going to the basket quickly. He actually missed more often than not but putbacks from Grimes and Adem Bona helped tie the game. After working their way to tie it back up, Maxey lost the ball and Collier quickly took it the other way to put the Jazz back up by two.
Grimes was able to knife his way through Utah’s zone and tie the game back up again with a layup. They finally caught a break on the other end with George missing a rushed three. Grimes drove again on the following possession and drew a foul, converting both to put the Sixers up with 16 seconds remaining. The ensuing Jazz possession ended with an open kickout to Filipowski but it missed. Fittingly it was Walker who secured the rebound and nail two free throws to ice the game.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — John Mobley Jr. scored 28 points and Bruce Thornton added 18 in Ohio State's 94-62 win over Penn State on Wednesday night.
Three other Buckeye scorers were in double digits— Devin Royal and Amare Bynum both finished with 14 and Christoph Tilly with 10.
Ohio State (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) never trailed, scoring the first points of the game and extending their lead with a 13-0 run in the first half to double digits. The Buckeyes shot 62% (18 of 29) in the first half and took a 45-21 lead heading into halftime. They finished the game shooting 67% from the field (34 of 51) and 70% from 3-point range (16 of 23).
Penn State (12-18, 3-16) was led in scoring by Freddie Dilione V and Ivan Juric, with 15 each. Dominick Stewart added 11.
Up next
Ohio State: Hosts Indiana for the final game of the regular season on Saturday.
Penn State: Visits Rutgers for the final game of the regular season on Sunday.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 4: Brandon Miller #24 of the Charlotte Hornets dunks the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 4, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Boston Celtics hosted the Charlotte Hornets for their first meeting of the season on Wednesday night at TD Garden. Boston was flat-footed to start the game, and they struggled all night to keep pace with the young Hornets. It was a tough shooting night for the home team throughout; they hit just 10 three-pointers compared to the Hornets 19. The C’s dropped their 21st game of the season to a good young Charlotte team, 118-89.
Jaylen Brown missed the Milwaukee Bucks game due to illness, and center Neemias Queta was rested, but both returned to action against the Hornets. The pair were joined in the starting lineup by Sam Hauser, Derrick White, and Baylor Scheierman. The Hornets came into the game on the second night of a back-to-back with Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate.
Diabate had the game’s first points on a loud dunk; Ball cut through the key and had an easy layup as the Celtics were slow to get into the game. Boston missed their first eight shots as they started the game down by 8. White’s floater three and a half minutes into the game was the C’s first score.
Brown laced a three-pointer for his fifth point of the game. White followed up with a triple of his own as the Celtics got the Hornet lead back to 5 points, 13-18, midway through the first quarter. Hugo Gonzalez entered the game and had an immediate corner crash hustle rebound. Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic were also the first C’s into the game for Boston.
Gonzalez had a terrific defensive start to the game; in one sequence, he draped himself over Coby White and contested his shot, forcing a miss. The rookie then came back to the other end and skied into a forest of taller bodies to retrieve an offensive rebound.
Boston had a rough shooting start to the game, posting just 30% from the field through the first 12 minutes. On the flipside, Charlotte went 60% from the field over the same time frame. Charlotte led by 12 points as they were clearly the more aggressive team throughout the first quarter, 23-35 Hornets. Charlotte had 12 points in the paint in the opening quarter, and Boston posted 5 turnovers as the home team was completely outplayed.
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 4: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 4, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Knueppel hit a catch-and-shoot triple off a Ball dish to start the second quarter. As Boston fell further behind, Joe Mazzulla wasting no time calling a timeout. Baylor Scheierman finally got the C’s on the board for the second quarter, but Celtics fans were deflated at the effort on display to start the game.
Queta was locked out of sorts early in the first quarter, as trainers were filmed looking at his knee while he was on the bench. The big man returned and had a great effort block on Ball’s shot attempt in the key. JB burst into action with a strong one-handed power dunk over Diabate. Scheierman laced a triple in front of the Hornets bench, so Charles Lee immediately calling a timeout as Boston had a sliver of momentum for the first time in the game, 32-49.
White reentered the game and nailed a pair of buckets; he had 17 points in the first half, but Boston was still down big as Miller, Kneuppel, Ball, and White were in attack mode all half, working the angles expertly on offense. Charlotte was super-hot shooting the ball all half; they had 12 threes compared to Boston’s 7. The visitors went up by 21 points at the halftime break, 43-64. Vucevic, Hauser, and Pritchard were scoreless for Boston, combining for 0-13 from the field.
White was super aggressive to start the third quarter; he put the team on his back, scoring 10 of the team’s first 13 points of the third quarter. Boston had the Charlotte lead back to 14 points with eight minutes to go in the third. Miller calmly sunk a mid-range jumper as the Hornets answered back. Scheierman got into the lane with rookie Knueppel on his hip and drilled a jumper over his outstretched frame.
Coby White was immense for the Hornets as they weathered the Boston runs; he hit his second three of the game, a deep, tough shot in rhythm, stretching the Hornet lead back to 18 points. That quickly went back out to 24 points as Boston floundered.
Boston went on a late 8-0 run in the third quarter, but Knueppel drilled his fifth triple of the night to go back up 67-85. Brown was frustrated late in the quarter and was whistled for a tech after driving and getting contact on the arm. It was a frustrating game after three quarters, Hornets up 68-91, Boston shooting it poorly with 35 percent from the field.
The fourth quarter was more of the same; Charlotte was in complete control all night. Boston had no answers defensively; the Hornets deftly carved the C’s up, and Brown and White went to the bench with 5 minutes to go in the game.
White was the only Celtic who really came to play all evening; he had 29 points, 3 triples, and was perfect 8-8 from the line. Brown had 20 points (36% FG), 11 boards, and 7 assists in a frustrating performance; no other Celtic player even reached double figures.
Boston next hosts the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. Cooper Flagg has missed the Mavs’ last 8 games with a foot injury.
BIRMINGHAM, AL FEBRUARY 19: Malachi Smith #18 of the Long Island Nets drives to the basket during the game against the Birmingham Squadron on February 19, 2026 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. 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 GettyImages License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mercedes Oliver/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Long Island had a very tall task before them Wednesday morning in Greensboro, as they had to match up with the G League’s best team, the Swarm, which is having as successful season as their parent, the Charlotte Hornets. Long Island entered this game winning three of their last five games, whereas Greensboro had won their last eight games. On the backs of Drake Powell and Malachi Smith, who combined for 51 points, Long Island snapped Greensboro’s winning streak, coming out with the win, 116-111.
When the Brooklyn Nets assigned Powell to Long Island earlier in the week, they did so with hopes of getting him minutes and time with the Long Island head coach, Mfon Udofia. Powell oozes potential, as Fernandez has said. but he was also in need of a stint in the G League to get him back on track. Following his 13-point performance on Sunday, Powell got all of that and then some on Thursday, as he finished with 21 points.
Powell had an electric shooting performance, hitting just over 56%, connecting on nine of his 16 tries. He also continued to improve his long ball shot, shooting three of five for 60%. Powell scored the first eight points of the game for Long Island, and that was only the beginning of it…
Powell’s impressive day didn’t stop in the score column. He also hauled in three rebounds, two of which were offensively, which was second on the team, and tallied two assists. He also had one block.
Alongside Powell’s 21 points, Malachi Smith picked up 30 points of his own. Smith flirted with his career-high on Sunday, just failed to match his 31-point career-high from earlier in the season. Still, the 6’4” 26-year-old couldn’t unhappy with this performance. Smith connected on nine of his 13 tries for 69%. He also shot the ball 75% from deep and 100% from the foul line on six tries.
To go along with his big shooting day, Smith also had six rebounds and six assists. Smith continues to show why he may be considered one of Long Island’s best all-around players. Not only does he shine as a scorer, but he also has shown his ability to be a playmaker, hauling in many rebounds and finding his teammates for great looks. Smith is everything you’d hope a point guard would be…. other than consistency in holding on to the ball. He had only one turnover Wednesday. Two days ago, he had seven.
Once again, Long Island had all three of the Brooklyn two-way players available which also marked the deadline for two-way contracts to be signed. It looks like there will be no changes for Brooklyn in terms of their three two-ways, as they will now more than likely finish the season with Chaney Johnson, EJ Liddell, and Tyson Etienne occupying those spots…
Johnson continues to be playing his best basketball of the season as of late, as he once again made a massive impact off the bench. Johnson had 17 points, connecting on eight of his 11 tries, including one-for-three from deep. Johnson once again proved to be a multi-faceted big man, hauling in seven rebounds, which was second on the team, and tallying four assists, which was also second on the team. The 23-year-old 6’8” forward also had two steals.
Liddell once again got the start on Thursday and showed exactly why that is. Liddell finished with 17 points, tied for third on the team. Liddell shot the ball a fair amount, connecting on seven of his 17 tries. However, he didn’t have his best game from deep as he only connected on one of his seven shots. Liddell also had nine rebounds, which led the team, and one assist.
The third two-way player on hand, Etienne, was lights out when it mattered the most. He connected on four of his nine shots, including going three-for-eight from deep. He finished with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal. It was an uncharacteristically quiet game for Etienne, but don’t let the stats fool you; he absolutely hit his shots when he needed to.
The Nets are now 17-11, fourth in the East, with six games left. G League Playoffs begin March 31.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (17-11) return to the court on Friday night, March 6th, for a rematch with Terrell Brown Jr. and the NBA G League’s best team, the 19-7 Greensboro Swarm. The game tips off at 6:30 p.m. EST and can be watched on the NBA G League official website.
The Knicks faced the Western Conference-leading Thunder on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden in a matchup of two of the NBA's best.
Here are the takeaways...
- The Knicks went cold offensively to start the fourth quarter, mustering just six points in the first 5:27 while falling into a 92-86 hole as the Thunder went on a 15-6 run to open the frame.
New York also committed five fouls early in the fourth, putting them over the limit with over half of the frame remaining -- something that helped do them in.
OG Anunoby's drive and stuff brought New York within 94-91 with about 4:30 remaining, but they got no closer the rest of the way.
Trailing, 103-100, and with the shot clock turned off, the Knicks had a chance to tie things as time expired. But Jalen Brunson and Anunoby both missed three-pointers that would've sent the game to overtime.
The officiating that seemed to be one-sided in favor of the Thunder in the first half was also dubious in the fourth. On one questionable call, Karl-Anthony Towns -- who had 17 points and 17 rebounds -- fouled out with around three minutes remaining. Towns had recently been whistled for a foul that was only called upon review -- discovered by the officials on a challenge by OKC on an out-of-bounds call.
- Despite losing Josh Hart (back) for the third quarter and being without Brunsonfor a chunk of it as well after he went to the locker room, the Knicks remained in the thick of things. After falling behind a game-high 15, New York drew to within three points with under four minutes remaining in the frame -- due in part to strong play by Landry Shamet and Mikal Bridges.
The Knicks evened things up with about three minutes remaining in the third, when Brunson's three-pointer took a circuitous route off before dropping through to make it 72-72. He nailed another three soon after to knot things up at 75-all. Bridges punctuated the third quarter, draining a corner three as time expired to put the Knicks up, 80-77.
New York scored 40 points in the third after managing just 40 in the first two quarters combined.
After a slow start offensively, Brunson was a catalyst in the frame, with 11 points and three assists as the Knicks mounted their comeback.
- The Knicks trailed, 50-40, at halftime. New York shot just 36 percent from the field in the first half, with Oklahoma City shooting at a 46 percent clip. The Thunder shot 43 percent from three while the Knicks were ice cold, shooting just 25 percent.
None of the Knicks scored in double figures in the first half, as Townsand Mohamed Diawara led the way with nine each.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got into early foul trouble, being forced to the bench at the 7:36 mark of the first quarter after a blocking foul. But Chet Holmgren picked up the slack. He was a menace from behind the arc early on, pacing the Thunder early as he drilled four shots from long distance in the first eight minutes, putting the Knicks in a 20-10 hole. Holmgren led all players with 22 first-half points, including back-to-back threes in the final minute.
- Brunsongot off to an extremely slow start scoring-wise, with his first bucket not coming until there were 30 seconds left in the first quarter. Brunson was held scoreless in the second quarter after sitting for the first five-plus minutes, though he did dish out seven assists in the first half.
- Head coach Mike Brown got hit with a technical foul (his first of the season) with a few minutes left in the first quarter. He was hot after the previous Thunder possession, where SGA appeared to get away with a charge (and avoided his third foul) while running over Brunson -- who was set and not in the restricted area.
In addition to the seemingly-blown call that benefited SGA and led Brown to blow his top, the Knicks were the recipients of several questionable whistles in the first half on either clear play-ons or ticky-tack calls, leaving the MSG crowd groaning.
- The Knicks shook up their five-man group early, turning to a lineup of Brunson, Hart, Shamet, Diawara, and Ariel Hukporti midway through the first quarter with New York down seven. Diawara gave the Knicks an immediate spark, nailing his first two shots -- both from downtown.
- New York was without center Mitchell Robinson, whose workload has been managed carefully this season -- he has yet to play both ends of a back-to-back. Robinson played 20 minutes during Tuesday night's win over the Raptors in Toronto, pulling down 10 rebounds and notching a pair of steals.
Highlights
Mike Brown gets a technical foul after this no-call on a collision between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Friday at 9 p.m.
The game is the start of a three-game West Coast swing, in which New York will also play the Lakers and Clippers.
Following those three contests, the Knicks wrap up their five-game road trip with matchups against the Jazz and Pacers before returning to The Garden to face the Warriors on March 15.
As the last-place Rangers continue to consider selling off additional pieces ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, there will be a slew of young players left behind looking to establish full-time roles for the future.
One rookie who seemingly has already done that during this lost season for the team has been third-line center Noah Laba, who has been a mainstay in the lineup since making the roster out of his first NHL training camp.
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“Obviously, it was huge to make it out of camp, super proud of that, and I’m just trying to continue to progress and not be satisfied and continue to become a better player,” the 22-year-old Laba said after practice Wednesday in Tarrytown. “I just need to continue to work on all aspects of the game as well as try to chip in more offensively, as much as I can, and just overall help the team.”
The 6-foot-3 Laba, a fourth-round draft pick in 2022 before spending three seasons playing at Colorado College, has totaled six goals and 10 assists in 57 games for the Blueshirts after making 11 appearances for AHL Hartford last spring.
But the Michigan native also has been a regular contributor on the penalty-killing unit, while averaging 13:21 of ice time per game.
“I just think Lobs is very similar to [rookie winger] Gabe [Perreault] in just the fact that with every NHL game that he gets under his belt, he’s practicing with NHL players at an NHL pace, and I think that experience, in and of itself, is invaluable to helping a player grow and develop,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said. “Lobs is going through that process very much like Gabe is.
“As coaches, we try to cast them in a role that we think sets them up for success, where you can play to your strengths. We’re trying to help him grow and get better in different aspects of his game.”
Rookie Noah Laba has been a mainstay on the Rangers’ third line this season. NHLI via Getty Images
Sullivan credited assistant coach and former NHL forward Joe Sacco with working one-on-one “a fair amount” with Laba this season on the nuances of his role.
“We think he’s growing in every aspect,” Sullivan said. “He’s doing a better job hanging onto pucks in the offensive zone. We think he’s doing a better job on the penalty kill. He’s winning faceoffs. He’s got a better understanding of how we’re trying to defend.
“And he’s big and strong. I think the one element that jumps out at me, that he’s really brought to our team is, just his overall speed. Lobs can really skate and in today’s game, speed is a competitive advantage. The game’s not getting slower, it’s getting faster.”
Artemi Panarin already was moved before the Olympic break, with Vincent Trocheck also potentially among those to be dealt before Friday’s deadline.
Laba believes the young players on the roster — such as Perreault, who scored twice in Monday’s game against Columbus, and others — can be part of the turnaround.
“For sure, I think the older guys have done a great job of mentoring us and continuing to pump belief into us,” Laba said. “So they’ve been huge, and we’re seeing a ton of growth in the younger guys.
“I think we just try to focus on our game and what we can put on the ice. All that other external stuff is in reality not in our control, so I think we’ve done a good job of staying internal and trying to focus on our game.”
A lot could be said about the game the other day between the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets: Jokic’s antics, the officiating, or the absolute battle we saw between Jamal Murray and Keyonte George. Something else entirely caught my eye, though. When I saw it at first I was beyond perplexed, but as I gave the situation time to breathe, I became less perplexed and more astonished.
Will Hardy, that beautiful genius that he his, throws Elijah Harkless into the game to guard the three time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. While at face value that decision could seem utterly insane, but let’s take it a step further and look at the Tale of the Tape:
Height
Harkless: 6’3” / Jokic: 6’11”
Weight
Harkless: 195 / Jokic: 284
Wingspan
Harkless: 6’7” / Jokic: 7’3”
NBA Games Logged
Harkless: 22 / Jokic: 791
Contract
Harkless: 2-Way / Jokic: A BIG one
By literally every single metric this should not have been a fair contest for our boy. I do understand the logic behind it; Jokic has struggled with being defended by smaller guards in the past so coaches could very easily try to gameplan for him that way. The smaller guards that he struggles against aren’t exactly scrubs, though. Alex Caruso, Jrue Holiday, and Lu Dort are All-Defensive caliber players. You can’t just throw anyone out there and expect them to slow Jokic down, but Hardy gave Elijah Harkless a shot. Did he deliver? You tell me.
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft he had to scratch and claw his way to the league. The growth was steady and game by game, minute by minute, it seemed like he was ready to take that next step. His first year (2023-2024) he averaged 11.6 PPG in 22 minutes for the Clippers G-League team. The next year he takes a HUGE jump to nearly 27 PPG in 31 minutes for the San Diego Clippers and our Salt Lake City Stars. Then this year he was poised to do the same and in just 5 regular season games for the Stars he averaged 25.8 PPG on 47/32/95 shooting splits in just 25 minutes. After finding his way in the G-League he proved that he had reached the zenith of his abilities that could be shown at that level.
According to Two-Way Talents (a great database to keep tabs on every 2-way contracted player in the NBA) Harkless is listed as a 5-Star prospect. Being a 5-Star anything is obviously very good but it is also a prime area to end up in No Man’s Land. For the longest time he was too good for the G-League (hasn’t played for the Stars in over 6 weeks) but not quite good enough to play for the Jazz on a consistent basis. That is, until the recent game against the Houston Rockets.
He didn’t score that game, and we did lose 125-105, but he picked up 2 steals and 4 assists in 14 minutes of play. The next game against the Pelicans he played 20 minutes, scored 11 points, 6 assists, and had a career high 4 steals. The next game, also against the Pelicans, he played 28 minutes, scored 14 points, picked up 5 assists, and 1 steal. That brings us to the game against the Nuggets, and while going 0/5 from the field isn’t ideal, continuing to show your playmaking chops (3 assists) and your defense is very encouraging.
When the team has a record of… well, let’s not talk about the record, actually. When your team is in the middle of a rebuilding phase I think that it’s vital to:
a) collect talent
b) give that talent reps
and c) see what roles that talent could fulfill in the future
Most championship level teams have guys who fall into certain categories and don’t stray too far from that categorization. Let’s take the Oklahoma City Thunder for example. The have their “guy” in SGA, a versatile wing in Jalen Williams, a defensive anchor in Chet Holmgren, a bruiser big in Isaiah Hartenstein, an older vet to help you win games in Alex Caruso, and then of course you have the defensive and three point role players to fill out the roster like Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, Jaren McCain, and Cason Wallace.
Now let’s cross reference that with our team (assuming everyone is still on the roster next season).
The Guy: Keyonte George / our first round draft pick this year
Versatile wing: Ace Bailey (?), Brice Sensabaugh
Defensive anchor: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Bruiser Big: Walker Kessler
Older Vet: Lauri Markkanen
Role Players: Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier, Cody Williams, and now potentially Elijah Harkless
Now, I am in no way saying that this team could replicate what the Thunder have done over the last couple of years. All I’m saying is that if we hope to replicate their success we need to start fulfilling roles with particular archetypes of players.
All of this is obviously predicated on if Elijah Harkless can keep this level of production up. We don’t have a huge sample size but I’d have to imagine that we’ll see pretty heavy rotational minutes from him for the remainder of the year. What we do have right now are some pretty impressive advanced stats to go off of. According to databallr we can already see that he’s a very active defender: he averages 21 shots contested per 100 possessions which is in the 80th percentile, 3.7 steals per 100 possessions which is in the 95th percentile, 8.1 deflections per 100 possessions which is in the 96th (!) percentile, and even more bonkers than that is that he has a 6.3% stop percentage (steals + offensive fouls drawn + blocked shots recovered by the defense) and a relative forced turnover amount (steals + offensive fouls drawn) of 4.1 per 100 possessions which is in the 99th and 100th percentile respectively.
Advanced stats are certainly not the be-all/end-all that a lot of people on NBA Twitter would have you believe. I think that they have their place, and that place is to give you a glimpse into what a player could be if given the opportunity. I, personally, am more concerned with the eye test and Elijah passes that test as well.
To borrow a phrase, he just has that dawg in him. Most guys in his situation do. People who don’t get drafted, have to play YEARS in the G-League, and also have to claw their way onto a losing team’s rotation aren’t guys who are just goofing off. They’re dedicated, they’re hungry, and they’re out to prove a point. His defensive tenacity is something that you can’t teach; it is very much something that has to be a part of your soul. I wouldn’t ever want to put these kinds of expectations on a player so young in their career, but these last couple of games have me believing in a very high ceiling for Harkless.
Do I think he’ll be a perineal All-Star? No. Do I think he’ll be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate? No. Do I think he could be one of the most effective defenders in the league, though? The limited game tape is kind of pointing me in that direction. If we’re choosing the believe in the future of this team (like we all should) then I think we should also believe in the future that Harkless could have for us. Every contending team needs a “willing to die on this floor” defender. Every contending team needs a guy who isn’t afraid to clamp up the best in the world. Every contending team needs a Jalen Suggs, a Jrue Holiday, an Alex Caruso, or a Lu Dort. I think there’s a chance that we very well may have found ours in Elijah Harkless.
Am I a prisoner of the moment? Did I actually underestimate Harkless and what he could be for this team? Or did I get it just right? Sound off in the comments and let me know what you think the ceiling and the floor could be for him and a player and the team as a whole next year.
PORT ST. LUCIE — It was mostly quiet, with not many people in the makeshift stands, for Nolan McLean’s latest outing, a minor league game on a back field behind Clover Park.
And there weren’t too many familiar faces in the opposing lineup through the right-hander’s four innings Wednesday.
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But that didn’t make the start any less important for McLean, who emerged as one of the most promising Mets pitchers last season and early this spring before he was sidelined by vertigo-like symptoms that were caused by a viral infection in his inner ear.
The symptoms are now gone. After exiting the game, his focus shifted to the WBC.
He’s expected to leave to meet Team USA as soon as Thursday and is slated to pitch March 10 against Team Italy, and if the U.S. advances to the final of the tournament March 17, McLean will get the ball then, as well.
“That’s a great honor,’’ McLean said of Team USA manager Mark DeRosa naming him the potential starter for the tournament finale. “But there’s a lot of baseball to be played [and] a lot of really good teams out there. My job is to go out there, compete against Italy, do the best I can and be a good teammate for the rest of the games. Then, hope we make the finals and I get the ball.”
Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) comes off after the fourth inning against the Houston Astros during Spring Training at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Mets are no doubt relieved McLean was back on the mound Wednesday, after the 24-year-old was struck by symptoms that included dizziness and a loss of appetite for much of last week before they began to dissipate over the weekend.
During Wednesday’s outing, which lasted about 55 pitches, he showed no effects of the issues he dealt with that led to his delay in getting to the WBC.
McLean said he felt “pretty good, almost too loose, at times,’’ while on the mound.
“Which I guess is a good thing,’’ McLean added. “I felt a little erratic, but I think I was just fired up to get out there. It’s hard to explain. I like feeling a little tightness and soreness — I don’t know what you want to call it — when I’m out there.”
Carlos Mendoza noted McLean’s velocity was up, which was another positive sign.
The results were promising and now McLean appears set to take the next step in his development as a top-tier pitcher, joining a pitching staff that includes not just Mets teammate Clay Holmes, but aces like Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes and Logan Webb.
“I’m excited to pick their brains,’’ McLean said. “We’ve got a bunch of Cy Youngs in that building. I’m excited to learn from them and see how they do everything and watch from afar.”
He’ll first have to make sure he bounces back fine Thursday and meet with the training staff, but McLean was encouraged.
“I had no symptoms out there throwing, which I think was the ultimate test,’’ McLean said.
Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) throws in the first inning against the Houston Astros during Spring Training at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in West Palm Beach, FL. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
If all goes according to plan, his teammates in Port St. Lucie will be paying attention to how McLean pitches on the big stage, and prospect Carson Benge has little doubt he’ll succeed.
“I feel like he just goes out there and has fun,” said Benge, who played with McLean at Oklahoma State. “He doesn’t care who’s out there or who he’s going up against. That’s all you can do.”
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