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On the front-half of a back-to-back, the Boston Celtics faced off against a short-handed Phoenix Suns team, securing a commanding 97-81 victory. The Celtics weren’t at full-strength themselves, though, Jaylen Brown missing the game with a knee contusion. It was a night where the offense was dragging, but the defense picked up all the slack.

This was Boston’s 7^th time holding their opponent under 100 points in their last 12 games. It was also the second lowest point total that the Celtics allowed in a game this season, the lowest being a win over Milwaukee in a game which the Bucks only scored 79 points.

Everyone in Boston has been stepping up their intensity as of late, and the man who stepped up into JB’s spot in the starting lineup against Phoenix was a huge part of that. That man was Ron Harper Jr., who, as of now, is still on a two-way contract. This was only Ron’s 24^th game of his four-year career, and just his second start, both coming this year.

He certainly stepped up to the moment, bringing every bit of intensity the Celtics needed against a gritty team like Phoenix right from the tip. In the first quarter alone, Ron picked up four rebounds, all on the offensive glass. All of them were contested, too, but he simply outworked everyone else to wrangle in every loose ball.

Winning the possession game is an essential part of Joe Mazzula’s system for the Celtics, especially in games where they’re struggling offensively. As a team, Boston shot 40% from the floor against Phoenix, and 27.7% from three. Each and every rebound makes a difference in those circumstances, and Ron made that a point of emphasis in his own game.

Not only that, but he did an excellent job of “guarding his yard,” holding his matchups to just 3-12 shooting for the game. He also picked up a steal, and an emphatic chase-down block in what might have been the highlight of the night.

Jamaree Bouyea was running a 1-on-1 fastbreak for Phoenix, Baylor Scheierman the lone defender in front of the play. Baylor did an excellent job staying upright and not fouling to slow Bouyea down as he went up for a layup, and that gave Ron just enough time to catch up to the play and spike the shot against the backboard, igniting a fastbreak for Boston which resulted in a Hugo Gonzalez layup on the other end, and a Baylor-Ron dap up mid-play.

Ron finished the night with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. After the game, Coach Mazzulla was asked about what allowed him to trust Ron in these moments: ““He cares about the details. Obviously, the offensive stuff — he can make shots, he can think, he can play. But defensively, just competing, understanding the details, executing the game plan, taking pride in defense… He just loves basketball… Just another guy who — We can count on him… And he’s earning that.”

Sam Hauser shared some similar praise for Harper, saying “he makes the most of it, that’s for sure. He fits right in like nothing… And he’s a great player. He’s a great defender, and he helps us in a lot of different ways.”

Harper is still working towards a standard contract, which almost feels inevitable given his play as of late, along with the Celtics financial situation for this season. If he were to get a standard deal, he would come relatively cheap and help Boston stay under the Luxury Tax while bringing in a high-impact player. The Celtics won’t be making a standard signing for some time, though, as they try to wait as long as possible to make it a pro-rated deal that keeps some money off the books.

With Ron’s two-way status, he remains eligible to appear in all 23 of Boston’s remaining games this season, though he won’t be eligible for the playoffs unless he gets a standard deal. He’s been bringing excellent vibes both on and off the court, and would be a worthy addition to the roster, even if he doesn’t see much playing time.

Jayson Tatum’s return to the court is getting closer.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics star has progressed to full 5-on-5 scrimmage work in recent practices, marking a significant step in his recovery from a torn Achilles. Boston has held multiple workouts during its recent road swing, with Tatum steadily increasing his on-court activity in controlled settings.

“Right now, it’s about him continuing to put in the time, continuing to get his conditioning up, and that comes through a number of practices and scrimmages,” Charania said. “There are two elements right now at play. One is increasing the strength in both of his calves off of that Achilles tendon injury, and the big hurdle of all this is getting 100 percent there on the mental side — getting the confidence in his leg fully when he’s back.”

The shift to live action, even in practice, is one of the final hurdles in the rehab process. Conditioning, lateral movement and game-speed reps are difficult to simulate without full competition. Now, Tatum is getting those reps.

The Celtics have consistently emphasized that Tatum will dictate the pace of his return. There is still no official timetable, and neither the team nor Tatum has attached a target date to his debut. As Charania described it, the Celtics are allowing Tatum to control the timeline.

“The common theme that I’ve gotten around Jayson Tatum is he will be back on the floor when ‘JT feels like JT,’” Charania said. “The Celtics have continued to let him lead that process. He’s in the driver’s seat. They will take Jayson Tatum’s lead as far as when he feels like he’s ready and cleared.”

Boston has managed well in his absence, winning nine of its last 10 games and climbing near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The team has leaned heavily on its defense, rebounding, and depth development, with young wings and role players stepping into larger responsibilities.

Still, Tatum’s eventual return changes the equation. Selected to the All-NBA 1st Team each of the last four seasons, his scoring gravity, late-game shot creation and two-way versatility remain central to Boston’s ceiling.

For now, it’s a milestone. Full 5-on-5 participation is progress. The next phase will be sustaining that workload, building stamina and clearing the final medical and performance benchmarks.

There is no date circled publicly on the calendar. But we now know the Celtics are one step closer to getting their franchise cornerstone back on the floor.

The Golden State Warriors will not have Draymond Green available to play in Wednesday night’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. While Green had been listed as questionable earlier in the day, the team later announced that the four-time All-Star was downgraded. So, the Dubs will face the Grizzlies without Green, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, De’Anthony Melton, Kristaps Porzingis, or Seth Curry available for head coach Steve Kerr. Green has appeared in 48 games this season and is averaging 8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 41.0%/32.0%/70.7% shooting.

The Dubs should still have a fighting chance for victory despite the absences since they are facing a tanking Grizzlies squad that is arguably missing just as sizable a portion of its rotation. The Grizzlies injury report listed Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Cedric Coward, Brandon Clarke, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as out. Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson is also listed as questionable.

Despite Green’s pedigree, the Warriors have often looked far more fluid offensively with him on the sidelines this season. Green’s already limited offensive game has been even more diminished in his mid-30s and has empowered opposing defenses to focus attention elsewhere. With Draymond out, the Warriors will primarily rely on Al Horford and Quinten Post at the center position, two legitimate three-point shooting threats.

The date mattered. Of course it did.

On 2/24, inside the serene halls of Hoag Hospital, Vanessa Bryant stood in a place that once echoed with the first cries of her four daughters and unveiled something that now carries a different kind of sound — legacy.

The “Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Court” isn’t a basketball court dressed in purple and gold. It’s a welcome and departure space inside the Sue & Bill Gross Women’s Pavilion, where mothers cradle newborns and fathers hold the future in trembling hands.

It honors Kobe’s No. 24 and Gianna’s No. 2 — numbers stitched into basketball history and now etched into something more intimate: community care.

On 2/24, Vanessa Bryant unveiled the new Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Court at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, a date that honors both Kobe’s No. 24 and Gianna’s No. 2.

"Today on 2/24, we unveiled the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family court at Hoag Hospital in Newport… pic.twitter.com/1I6JGszZe7

— Complex (@Complex) February 25, 2026

Vanessa, steady and resolute, reminded everyone that Hoag will always hold a sacred place in her heart. This is where her daughters were born. Where nurses became extended family. Where life, not legend, took center stage.

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Through the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, the Bryant family has built courts across the country to empower young athletes.

Since the 2020 helicopter crash that claimed nine lives — including Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant — grief has never been far from Vanessa’s shadow. But neither has purpose.

There are critics who say public memorials risk becoming monuments to nostalgia. They miss the point. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s infrastructure for hope.

Families will pass through that court for decades, unaware of the full weight of the numbers 2 and 24. That’s the beauty of it.

Legacy doesn’t always need applause. Sometimes it just needs a doorway — and the courage to keep walking forward.

Hilary Knight doesn't want to let what she called a “distasteful joke” by President Donald Trump about the gold-medal winning U.S. women's Olympic hockey team get in the way of a historic performance by American women across all sports at the Milan Cortina Games.

“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts," Knight told ESPN on Wednesday. “And continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time.”

Knight, a two-time gold medalist whose 15 goals and 33 points in Olympic competition are the most by a U.S. hockey player at the Games, said she's not focusing on an offhand comment by Trump after the American men topped Canada for gold in overtime on Sunday.

Talking on a speakerphone in the postgame locker room, Trump extended an invitation to the White House to the men's team, then added, “We’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.” The president later joked that if he didn't extend the invitation, he would probably be impeached.

While the vast majority of the men's team flew to Washington on Tuesday and visited Trump in the White House before being guests at the State of the Union, many of the women's players were on the way back to their professional or college clubs.

USA Hockey, which said it was “honored” by the invitation, cited logistical issues as the major hurdle that prevented the women's team from stopping by the White House. The team was originally scheduled to fly commercially into New York on Monday, but was forced to reroute through Atlanta due to a snowstorm in the Northeast.

Several players were going to stick around New York for promotional purposes, even ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Those scheduled appearances had to be canceled because of flight changes.

Knight lamented that the video — which included several players laughing after Trump's comments — took on a life of its own and didn't convey the true nature of the relationship between the men's and women's teams.

“I think the guys were in a tough spot,” Knight said. "So I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”

Kelly Pannek, a forward on the women's team, told reporters, “the video is what it is" but added it was a “special feeling” spending time with the men's team after they won the first Olympic gold for the U.S. in 46 years. Pannek believes there is mutual respect and support on both sides of the relationship.

Goaltender Jeremy Swayman told reporters in Boston after returning to practice with the Bruins that the men “should have reacted differently” to Trump's remarks.

“To share that gold medal with them is something that we’re forever grateful for,” Swayman said. "And now that we’re home we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support we have from the USA and share this incredible gold medal.”

The earliest the U.S. women could make a visit would be in late spring after the conclusion of the Professional Women's Hockey League season.

Knight called the dustup a “really good learning point” and hopes that it will affect the way women are talked about both inside and outside of the sports world.

The U.S. won 12 gold medals in Milan Cortina, with women playing a hand in eight of them.

“Women aren’t less than," Knight said. "And their achievements shouldn’t be overshadowed by anything else other than how great they are.”

___

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

This is always good news to hear, but especially so after some recent reporting.

The Sixers released their injury report for their upcoming contest against the Miami Heat and it is relatively clean. Most notably Joel Embiid is listed as probable with right knee injury management and shin soreness after returning earlier this week against the Indiana Pacers.

After that return in Indy, a game in which Embiid dropped 27 points, he told the Inquirer’s Gina Mizell that he experienced what was basically a stress reaction in his right leg during his recovery process over the All-Star break. The full article from a reporter is well worth a read, but Embiid likened the feeling to an electric shock and said he had trouble walking.

Of course the team only specified “shin soreness” on every injury report, but that report being less than 100% accurate is just another Wednesday for these guys.

Having Embiid good to go will be crucial for this Eastern Conference bout at home. The Sixers are currently just 1.5 games up on the Miami Heat for that sixth and final playoff spot that avoids the Play-In tournament. Miami of course isn’t the only team they’re trying to fend off — the Sixers only a half game up on the Orlando Magic as well.

Miami’s injury report is littered with banged up rotation players, but most of them are listed as available. Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins will all play despite being listed with various ailments and Davion Mitchell is questionable with a head injury and an illness.

Remember the 1998 movie “Sliding Doors“? It represents how minor, coincidental or inconsequential actions can lead to major, life-changing consequences. The “what if …” or parallel universe phenomenon. 

Well, there are sliding door moments in sports history, too, and today’s is that Michael Jordan, not Kobe Bryant, could have been the original “Black Mamba.”

According to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, back in 2003, inside a sleek conference room at Nike headquarters, executives studied a braided, black industrial sleeve called Tech Flex. It looked like a snake. It felt like a snake. Someone typed “most badass black snake” into a search bar and found their answer: the black mamba. Lightning fast. Deadly. Precise. The perfect metaphor for Jordan as he prepared to launch the Air Jordan 19 sneaker.

There was just one problem that nobody knew about.

Jordan was afraid of snakes.

Not mildly uncomfortable. Not uneasy. Terrified. The kind of phobia that makes a competitor who never blinked in the Finals suddenly shift in his chair during a marketing pitch. He allowed one print ad — a black mamba coiled around the $165 sneaker in ESPN The Magazine — and then he shut it down. Reconcept. Move on. Kill it before it kills the brand.

And so the “Black Mamba” slithered into the archives of history, but only briefly before it was reborn. 

A year later, fate intervened in the dark glow of a television screen. “Kill Bill Vol. 2” flickered across the room as Bryant watched Darryl Hannah’s assassin introduce a venomous serpent as “Death Incarnate.”

Bryant, drowning in scandal, scrutiny and a Colorado courtroom, needed armor. He needed separation from the noise. He created the Black Mamba — not as a sneaker pitch but as a survival mechanism. 

Nike insiders insist Bryant never knew the moniker was once floated for Jordan. Different silos. Different eras. A coincidence so bizarre it feels scripted.

But imagine if Jordan had embraced it.

Imagine “Mamba Day” belonging to No. 23. Imagine sneakers textured in snakeskin before Bryant ever held one for that iconic SLAM cover.

Imagine “Mamba Mentality” attached to the man already nicknamed “Air Jordan.”

It wouldn’t have worked.

Jordan was a predator, yes — but he was myth built on flight, not venom. He soared. Jordan’s other nickname, “His Airness,” was apropos. 

Kobe Bryant was different. Yes, he studied Jordan on VHS tapes as a kid. Yes, he also could jump high and dunk with the best of them — just ask Dwight Howard. But when Kobe was in kill mode, he struck. Just like a deadly snake. 

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Branding is truth amplified. The Black Mamba was always destined for Bryant, his obsession, his willingness to become something darker to survive. 

Sometimes the best marketing campaigns are the ones that die in the room.

And sometimes, history waits for the right snake to strike.