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The Los Angeles Lakers’ winning streak reached eight games after a 134-126 win against the Miami Heat on Thursday. The Lakers also improved to 3-0 on their current road trip, and the win was capped off by a 60-point explosion from Luka Doncic. But amid Doncic’s big game, LeBron James left his mark on the Lakers’ win with a triple double, according to Melissa Rohlin of the California Post, prompting head coach JJ Redick to drop the mic with three words.

“He’s a psychopath,” Redick said after the Lakers’ win against the Heat.

LeBron James finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, giving him his second triple-double of the season. Also impressive was the fact that the Lakers were playing the second night of a back-to-back, a game that James was initially listed as questionable to play in.

He shot 8 of 12 from the field and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line in 38 minutes of play. James had another incredible performance in the Lakers’ win against the Houston Rockets last night, when he dropped 30 points while missing only one shot (13 of 14).

Earlier this season, when James returned to the Lakers’ lineup after missing the first 14 games of the season due to a nerve injury, he was missing both games of a back-to-back set. But that’s where he’s been for most of the season since the New Year as the Lakers continue to battle for playoff position in the Western Conference.

James was selected for his 22nd consecutive All-Star appearance, however, his streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA team finishes ended as he did not reach the league’s 65-game mandate to be eligible for postseason honors.

After the win against the Heat, the Lakers improved to 45–25, two full games ahead of the No. 4 Minnesota Timberwolves. The team will visit the Orlando Magic on Saturday before concluding their road trip with games against the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers.

The San Antonio Spurs are on the rise again as Victor Wembanyama continues to lead the way. Wembley has become the centerpiece of this San Antonio team that is now headed to the NBA playoffs. Under Mitch Johnson, the Spurs improved to 50–18 after a 119–115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. He keeps raising expectations with every performance. The streak reached two games. The message felt more intense. This team is no longer rebuilding. is increasing.

This moment is weighty. The Spurs have missed the postseason every year since 2019–20. Now, they are one of the biggest stories in the league. Wembanyama made that clear after the game, as shared by Spurs beat writer Jeff Garcia. “Meaning development. It’s still not enough. I want to reach at least 60 to balance out my rookie season,” he said. The words landed like a challenge. Fifty wins matter. But for Vembanyama it is only an outpost.

Victor Wembanyama demands more as Spurs hopes rise

Vembanyama is not just producing. Instead, he is setting the standard. Their focus has shifted beyond numbers to culture. Via Jeff Garcia He said, “A big thing for me is to hold everybody that works with me to that standard. I’m talking to everybody… I have to surround myself with the best people possible and hold them to that standard.” As a result, that tone has shaped the locker room.

Meanwhile, Mitch Johnson has provided structure in his first full season since Gregg Popovich moved into a front office role with the Spurs. As a result, the system looks much clearer. Roles feel defined. And belief is real.

Plus, history adds context. The Spurs last reached 60 wins in 2016–17 and finished 61–21 before losing in the conference finals. At the time, that mark felt like the standard. For some time it seemed a distant thing. However, now it seems possible again.

So far, the Spurs have already taken a big step forward. However, Vembanyama is looking ahead. If this team is already at 50 wins, what will happen when they reach their ceiling in the NBA Playoffs under the bright lights?

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been in a state of struggle lately, having lost four of their last five games following Sunday’s big loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a particularly bad game for big man Rudy Gobert, who was .23 and scored only two points in the loss.

However, despite that setback, Gobert remains arguably the second most important player on Minnesota’s roster behind Anthony Edwards due to his continued defensive excellence.

Recently, the Frenchman got 100% real on whether he envisions retirement in the near future, and what he hopes to accomplish before it’s all said and done.

“I think it’s still a long way off. Yeah, I think it’s still a long way away,” Gobert said, according to Prime Video Sports France on YouTube. “…For now, I’m really focused on the present moment. To be an NBA champion, that’s a goal – yes, champion. Best defender in history, four times.”

Gobert is actually already one of the best defenders in league history, having played a host of elite saves during his tenure with both the Minnesota and Utah Jazz. His offensive skills, or lack thereof, have caused headaches for both fans throughout his career, but that still doesn’t diminish how incredibly important a player he has been to many successful teams.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves will have to do some soul-searching if they want to realize Gobert’s championship dreams, as the team has now lost four of its last five games, and all four losses have come in unexpected ways.

Minnesota’s offense has been sporadic during the skid, and it’s safe to say that Gobert likely isn’t the solution to that problem.

The Timberwolves next face off against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday evening.

After watching San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama turn in another impressive performance in a 115-102 win against the Charlotte Hornets, Keldon Johnson had an announcement about his teammate. With all the hype about Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point game, Metta World Peace believes Wembanyama can score 101. The veteran defender would probably agree with one of Wembley’s teammates.

Johnson labeled Vembanyama best and most valuable player In the NBA, per NBA Prime.

“The best player in the world. The MVP. If anyone else has anything to say, come to me.”

“The best player in the world. The MVP. If anyone else has anything to say, come to me.” ???

Keldon Johnson botching the Wembley interview is everything 😆 pic.twitter.com/bKL4NamFnY

– NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) 14 March 2026

Vembanayama led the Spurs with 32 points on 13-for-24 shooting, including 5-10 from deep, 12 rebounds, eight assists, four blocks and two steals. Keldon Johnson’s 13 points led the Spurs’ bench, and De’Aaron Fox added 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

While Wembanyama is a favorite to win this year’s Defensive Player of the Year, he is behind Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic for MVP.

Victor Wembanyama’s MVP, DPOY dreams after Spurs win

Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama discusses the MVP and DPOY awards after Saturday’s win against the Hornets. Making his goals clear, Vembanyama Expected to win both awards for the 2025-26 season, he said during his postgame interview with NBA on Prime.

“Right now I’m taking great care of my body because I want to win MVP and DPOY as well. So I’m just trying to stay in good spirits from now until the end of the season.”

Wembley:

“Right now I’m taking a lot of care of my body because I want to win MVP and DPOY as well. So I’m just trying to keep my spirits up from now until the end of the season.” pic.twitter.com/0otDre8gp1

– Oh no, he didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) 14 March 2026

The Spurs will face the Clippers on Monday.

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers continued to move forward and won their fourth consecutive game with a 142-130 victory against the Chicago Bulls. The story of the night was Luka Doncic who dropped a career-best 51 points for the Lakers in the win. After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick commented that Doncic’s recent games were not being discussed enough.

“He’s playing as good as any other player in the NBA right now, and I think that’s probably not being talked about,” Redick said during his postgame press conference. “But I’m going to talk about it.”

Once Luka Doncic reached 51 points, at the end of the fourth quarter, the Lakers committed an intentional foul to take him out of the game. He finished just one assist shy of a triple double with 10 rebounds and nine assists. He shot 17 of 31 from the field, 9 of 14 from the 3-point line, and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line.

Early in the game, Doncic talked some trash with Bulls young gun Matas Buzelis, a conversation that seemed to infuriate him. For Redick, one of the most impressive things about Doncic is his ability to stay focused between these little one-on-one battles.

Luca has words for Matas Buzelis after stepback trey

Doncic is one technical away from automatic suspension.pic.twitter.com/cMpQDODafo

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 13 March 2026

“It’s a unique quality. It’s not just the fact that he reacts to any kind of rude behavior or trash talk, but that he can broadcast it,” Redick said. “He can channel that while also doing all the other things that need to be done. That’s obviously reflected in his defensive rebounding, his assists, his steals. Another game where he gets a high assist number with low turnovers.”

Over the last 10 games, Doncic has 22, 41, 26, 28, 27, 27, 44, 35, 31 and now 51 points. The Lakers have gone 7-3 in that span with a few wins against very good teams in the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves. As the Lakers have climbed up to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings, Doncic has begun to garner MVP buzz again.

This season, he leads the league in scoring (32.5 points), field goal attempts (22.0), 3-pointers attempted (3.8), 3-pointers attempted (10.4) and free-throw attempts (10.2). He is shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 77.4 percent from the free-throw line.

The Lakers have just one home game remaining, with another big test with the Denver Nuggets coming to town on Saturday. They then took the field for six games before returning home to conclude the month.

The Golden State Warriors are going through a tough phase at the moment and have lost three of their last four matches. However, they have also come up against some top teams, with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and most recently the Oklahoma City Thunder all testing Golden State.

To make things even worse, a plethora of injuries have left the Warriors that is Draymond Green having to lead the defense against some of the best players in the league. And well, the 36-year-old Warriors veteran considers it a ‘badge of honour’.

“I’m a very arrogant person. I can’t go out there and commit murder.”

Draymond Green on accepting the challenge of guarding Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in consecutive games at the age of 36. pic.twitter.com/OWov1JaSRg

-Joseph Dycus (@joseph_dycus) 8 March 2026

“Think our coaching staff realizes that I have a lot of energy when I get stuff like that. Because, like I said, if coach calls on me to guard Kawhi, to guard KD, to guard Shea, that’s a badge of honor. I mean, I’m 36 years old, three games in a row, that’s a badge of honor,” Drummond said in a post on X by Warriors reporter Joseph Dykes. Explained accordingly.

Green said it was ‘amazing’ to be tasked by Steve Kerr with protecting these players at this point in his career, and it energized him greatly. This is also evident from the fact that the four-time champion leaves everything behind whenever he is on the court.

Against the Thunder, he was not only the defensive lynchpin, but also the Warriors’ third-highest scorer with 16 points.

“And so, then I have to take that responsibility and make sure we don’t have to help each other. And yet, I’m a very proud person. I can’t go out there and commit murder. That’s what happens when you’re playing against great players like that. But, at the same time, for me, I just can’t lay down. I can’t go out there and feel like it’s easy,” Green said.

And while there have been critics who have questioned his over-the-top playing style, Green’s commitment is unmatched, and perhaps the biggest reason why he has been a consistent winner with the Warriors for over a decade.

ATLANTA – At the end of a close game, sometimes you just need your star player to take the lead. Jalen Johnson, who has been a star for the Atlanta Hawks all year, came on late in the fourth quarter to lead his team to a 125-116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

It started with a three-pointer midway through the fourth that gave the Hawks their largest lead of the game, eight points. Down the stretch, he drove past Kelly Oubre Jr. and dunked over him and Dominic Barlow.

Jalen taking over in the fourth 💥 pic.twitter.com/Yq3bMvDKC1

– Atlanta HaWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) 8 March 2026

With less than two minutes left, Adem Bona became his next victim, as he went behind him and got to the rim to complete a one-handed dunk.

Jalen Johnson y’all pic.twitter.com/UbOitpTQPm

– Atlanta HaWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) 8 March 2026

After every one of those shots, he made sure to let the crowd – and the 76ers – know that he kicked it up a notch. The younger generation can call it aura farming. Some people would even say that he was locked in that part. As for Johnson, he says this is nothing new for him, and it led to him finishing with 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

“I feel like I’m always off,” Johnson told reporters after the game. “Obviously, when the pace is up, you come in and you’re running. There are a lot more emotions going on than at the beginning of the game. So maybe the emotional part of it feels more like a trap.”

Johnson has shown what he can do in these moments at the end of games. Whether it’s hitting a clutch jump shot, making the perfect pass, or outrunning the opposition, he knows how to break down defenses using his skills.

“He’s making the right play, and sometimes the right play is hitting Dyson a little bit [Daniels]. Sometimes it’s just coming to the rim. And sometimes when people are messing with you it takes your jumper. I think he did all those things, and he did them really skillfully. I think it’s one of his best games,” Quin Snyder said.

Even his colleagues were impressed by his work.

“It was amazing,” Nichelle Alexander-Walker said. “Just aggression, he played with determination. Going downhill, didn’t calm down. It was very timely and at a time when we needed it. He just kept rolling, and we were all behind him.”

The Hawks didn’t get off to a good start and had to prepare to get to that point. They surrendered 73 points and committed 19 turnovers in the first half. The second half was completely different, as they held the 76ers to 43 points and turned the ball over 10 times.

“It was about taking people out of their rhythm,” Alexander-Walker said. “We’ve worked up to this point to become a better team competitively and just defensively. I thought we took a step back in the first half, but then we made up for it quickly, and we were able to adjust right away.”

“It was a good halftime,” Johnson said. “Guys talked, and we knew we’d eventually get on our run. We came out of the gate, and we came out aggressive and swinging. We laid the tone in those first few minutes of the third quarter for how the rest of the game was going to be.”

Once the Hawks found their rhythm in the fourth, the ball was passed to Johnson and out of the way. Unfortunately, the 76ers didn’t get the memo.

“I just knew what to expect from them, being an aggressive defensive team, and I tried to match that as best I could and let things fall in there,” Johnson said.

With this win, the Hawks have won six games in a row, and have an opportunity to extend that streak next week with the Dallas Mavericks.

LOS ANGELES – Luka Doncic picked up his 15th technical foul of the season amid more interaction with the referees during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-113 loss against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. Another technical foul and Doncic would automatically receive a one-game suspension. But amid their interactions on the court, Lakers head coach JJ Redick believes Doncic’s competitive fire is second to none.

Before the Lakers’ game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, JJ Redick explained how he will go to battle with Doncic every night.

“He’s a special type of player, a special type of person and a special type of competitor,” Redick said during his pregame press conference. “I’d prefer someone who’s going out every night and trying to kill, rather than someone who you literally have to revive with a defibrillator every other day. I’d take Luca all day.”

Doncic’s latest interaction with the referee resulted in a technical foul that was somewhat puzzling. Jamal Murray hit a 3-point shot in transition, and one of the officials immediately called a technical foul on Doncic, despite him not even looking the referee’s way as he walked back onto the court.

Doncic was incredibly heartbroken by what happened, and was not given a full explanation until after the game via the pool report. Crew chief Ed Malloy explained that the technical foul on Doncic actually occurred before the game, but officials called for the defense not to stop the transition play for the technical foul. The argument was that Doncic had used profanity toward officials earlier in the play.

The Lakers have 19 games remaining in the regular season after Friday’s matchup against the Pacers. Teams will definitely have to be aware of Doncic’s technical fouls and reactions during the final stretch of the year. Once the playoffs arrive, the technical foul count is reset, but suspensions begin early with seven.

Doncic is in the running for the MVP award this season, his first full year with the Lakers. Coming into Friday’s game, he had appeared in 50 games averaging just over 35 minutes per game. He is averaging a league-leading 32.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from the 3-point line and 77 percent from the free-throw line.

Doncic is also leading the NBA in 3-point shot attempts (3.7), 3-point shot attempts (10.2) and free-throw attempts (10.3).

After a 115-113 win in overtime against the Houston Rockets, it was no surprise that Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green had a lot to say after the game. Coach Steve Kerr praised the Warriors’ key players in Thursday’s win against the Rockets before Green took the stage for postgame media availability.

According to Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle, Green reflected on the importance of defeating the Rockets and winning on the road in an area with which he is very familiar.

“It’s always satisfying to win here. We’ve had great success in this building,” Green said. “In this situation, one million people are out [including star guard and Rockets tormentor Stephen Curry]…Three two-way guys playing actual minutes. And to come here and get a win, they are playing with all they have. This is one that sounds a little better than most.”

Green, who spent most of the night defending Rockets All-Star and former teammate, Kevin Durant, tallied 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting, eight assists, five rebounds and one steal. Playing without the Warriors’ All-Star Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski led six Warriors players in double figures with 26 points.

Green said, “When I let Kevin get to his place tonight, I can contest all I want; you can’t do anything.” “I just try to… get them up a little bit earlier so they don’t get caught up in the situation… If you just let them ride the rhythm and don’t make them earn the right to get into that rhythm, they’ll give you 50.”

Durant finished with 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting, six rebounds, three assists, four steals and one block. The Warriors have defeated the Rockets five times in 10 postseason appearances, including last year’s best-of-7 series, 4-3, in the opening round of the playoffs.

“Any time you can get an opportunity to go against guys like that, I’m always excited for it, because it’s special,” Green said. “How many more times do we have to do this?”

Following the Rockets’ 104–100 win against the Warriors in November, the Warriors tied their regular season series 1–1.

Steve Kerr praises Warriors’ leaders in win against Rockets

The Warriors have had some success without Stephen Curry, winning half of their last six games, including a 133-112 win against the Grizzlies and Thursday’s overtime win against the Rockets. After the game, coach Steve Kerr told Draymond Green turned the clock back In many aspects of the game, and according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, he gave credit to Brandin Podziemski.

” Vintage Drummond. Defense, leadership, force, passing.” “I thought that was Brandin’s (Podziemski) best game of the year,” Kerr said.

Steve Kerr after Houston’s win: ” Vintage Drummond. Defense, leadership, force, passing.”

“I thought that was Brandin (Podziemski’s) best game of the year.” pic.twitter.com/21oYsHOMy3

– Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) 6 March 2026

The Warriors will face the Thunder on Saturday at the Paycom Center.

Jamal Murray is tired of the narrative. For years, the Denver Nuggets point guard has been labeled as the “Laker Killer”, a player who only finds his highest gear when the purple and gold are on the other side of the court. After Denver’s 120-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, Murray decided he’d heard enough of over-the-top praise.

When reporter Ryan Blackburn asked if he played with more intensity against Los Angeles, Murray offered a three-word reality check that doubled as a cold-blooded mic drop: “I had 45 last game.”

The math certainly checks out. Just three nights earlier, Murray torched the Utah Jazz for 45 points in a tough 128–125 win. His point was simple: He’s not hunting the Lakers; He’s just hunting buckets, no matter who is standing in front of him. Whether it’s a divisive opponent or a dungeon dweller, the flamethrower keeps burning.

Against the Lakers at Ball Arena, Jamal Murray remained hot, especially during an impressive opening period. He dropped 20 of his 28 points in the first half, helping the Nuggets take a 16–3 lead, which they never relinquished.

While the Lakers kept things interesting for long periods of time, Denver’s star duo proved too difficult to handle. Nikola Jokic complemented Murray with a huge triple-double whenever Los Angeles threatened a comeback, steadying the ship by posting 28 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.

Despite losing the effort, the night was historic for the visitors. LeBron James officially broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for career field goals with his 15,838th bucket in the first quarter. James finished with 16 points before being sidelined briefly with an elbow injury, while Luka Doncic led the Lakers’ scoring effort with 27 points.

Despite the star power on the other side, the story remains Denver’s steady dominance. The Nuggets moved to 39-24, providing some much-needed relief in a crowded Western Conference playoff race. For Jamal Murray, it was just another day at the office, and if you think he’s only doing this because it’s the Lakers, he has 45 reasons from Monday night to prove you wrong.

On Monday evening, the Los Angeles Clippers moved closer to the .500 mark with a convincing win over the Golden State Warriors after outscoring the Dubs by 15 points in the fourth quarter. This game marked the Clippers debut of point guard Darius Garland, who came off the bench and scored 12 points with two assists in 23 minutes of action.

After the game, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had high praise for the performance the young guard brought to the table.

“Number one, just competitive nature…we’re looking for him to get involved, get him some shots, push the transition pace for us, and just get everybody involved and call sets so we don’t get stagnant at times. I think he’s capable of doing that. He’s an All-Star player. I’m just looking forward to playing more basketball with him,” Leonard said, according to former Joe Lynn on Twitter.

Garland was brought to the Clippers after the team surprisingly traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers shortly before the deadline.

The 26-year-old has been a two-time All-Star in the NBA, although injury concerns have unfortunately become a major part of the story of his career in recent years, and Los Angeles will hope those concerns subside for the rest of this season and beyond.

While he may not be as adept at making plays as Harden, Garland is still a capable distributor capable of creating his own offense off the dribble, as well as a solid catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the arc.

All of these tools make him a good fit next to Leonard in Los Angeles, even if the team further depleted their roster at the deadline by sending Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers.

The Clippers next face Indiana on Wednesday evening.

The Los Angeles Lakers were so in control of Sunday night’s contest against the Sacramento Kings that it looked like Luka Doncic had to pull out a few tricks from the deepest recesses of his bag to entertain himself and the fans at Crypto.com Arena. With less than four minutes left in the third quarter, Doncic nailed an improbable three-pointer after a move that belongs more in streetball than in a professional basketball setting.

Doncic found himself pinned down by Kings defender Daquan Plowden and tried to hightail it to the basket. But as soon as he saw Plowden off balance, Doncic tried to step back for a three-pointer. Even he couldn’t match his speed and eventually slipped, but he still had control over the basketball. He then proceeded to dribble behind the line perform an inclined triple drill On the competition of Plowden.

“I did it on purpose. And the -1 mixtape? That’s what they were saying on the bench,” Doncic said in his postgame presser, via Khobi Price of the California Post.

Luka Doncic: “I did it on purpose. And 1 mixtape? That’s what they were saying on the bench.” https://t.co/mgJ6yaREa3 pic.twitter.com/rML58vYimu

– Khobi Price (@khobi_price) 2 March 2026

Doncic may have said he did it intentionally in jest, but it’s hard not to take him seriously at this point. After all, the Lakers were toying with the Kings all night, and that shot only proves that they were far ahead of them on the night.

Luka Doncic, Lakers bring good vibes

The Lakers have been a little inconsistent lately, and considering Deandre Ayton isn’t very happy with his role for the team, the vibes haven’t been too spotty. But this win over the Kings at least helped boost the morale of the entire team, and Doncic’s And-1 mixtape-esque shot served to further unify the team.

The Lakers will look to continue their winning ways on Tuesday when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans at home.

The league-leading Detroit Pistons narrowly escaped with a 122-119 overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena. The three-hour, 22-minute marathon featured weak leads, significant disqualifications and an awkward 18-minute delay in the third quarter when a power surge caused the arena’s scoreboard horn to sound continuously.

However, the most hilarious moment came when Kenny Atkinson was caught swearing on the touchline after a call was not favorable to his team.

“He pushed out of himself on that end, come on baby!” According to a clip on X by Bleacher Report, he was heard yelling at the referee.

The Cavs were in control with a nine-point lead with less than four minutes left on the clock. However, he allowed the Pistons to get back into the game despite Cade Cunningham fouling out about two minutes early.

The Cavs committed a costly turnover and allowed the Pistons to take the lead with 4.7 seconds on the clock with a defensive error. Guard Jaylon Tyson intentionally attempted to foul Pistons reserve Dennis Jenkins near halfcourt to block a game-tying three-point attempt.

Instead, he committed a three-shot foul, resulting in the free throw being converted and forcing overtime. The Pistons quickly took a six-point lead in OT, but the Cavaliers once again got back to within one point behind a Tyson 3-pointer and a Dennis Schroder layup.

After a successful Coach’s challenge by Detroit, Tobias Harris hit a clutch turnaround jumper with 21 seconds remaining, giving the Pistons a three-point cushion. Cleveland had one final opportunity to force double-overtime, but Mobley’s buzzer-beating 3-point attempt clinched the victory.

For the Pistons, Jalen Duren led his team by producing 33 points and 16 rebounds with Cunningham adding 25 points and 10 rebounds with seven assists.

Jarrett Allen top-scored for Cleveland, continuing his great form with 25 points and nine rebounds, missing the double-double for only the second time in the last 10 games. Evan Mobley scored 23 points while Sam Merrill also added 20 points.

Regardless, the Cavs were close to a win despite the absence of both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden and will next play the Brooklyn Nets.

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third straight loss after a 113-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. The game ended much like the team’s loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday due to poor execution late in the game. When asked after the game where the Lakers’ frustration lay, Austin Reaves summed it up in just two words, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

“Very high,” Reeves said during his postgame media session.

The difference between the Magic game and Thursday night was that the Lakers took the shot they wanted late in the game. Against the Magic, Luka Doncic was freed by a Deandre Ayton screen to take the potential game-winner. In a shocking moment, he passed the ball to LeBron James, who was hurried off the field.

Trailing by three against the Suns and trying to send the game into overtime, Austin Reaves ran through a series of screens to free himself in the corner for an open three. Marcus Smart found it, but his shot was a little poor.

Like the Magic game, the Lakers blew a double-digit lead in the second half, only to see the Suns come back and take the lead. When the game gets closer, all the little things add up. According to Khobi Price of the California Post, for Reaves, there were too many mistakes for the Lakers on the margin that could have changed the outcome if they had been better.

“Control the controllable things. There were some plays tonight where I thought if we were better, it could swing the game,” Reeves said. “Every possession matters. It sounds like a cliché because there are so many of them, but it can swing the game in any direction throughout the game. One little play, one little mistake can fire up a crowd, fire up a team, whatever it is. Control those possessions.”

Against the Suns, Reeves finished with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. It was only his third game in the starting lineup since being put on a minutes restriction following his return from a calf injury.

The Lakers’ mini road trip concludes with a visit to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. The team will then return home on Sunday evening for a second consecutive night in town with the Sacramento Kings.

This past weekend, the Los Angeles Lakers honored the great Pat Riley with a statue outside the Crypto.com Arena. But during the festivities, one of the biggest sound bites to come from the program was Riley’s suggestion that NBA coaches should wear suits and ties to games. Well, count Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka as one person who isn’t a fan of the idea.

Before the Rockets’ game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Ime Udoka said NBA coaches vote on whether or not they should wear suits and the overwhelming majority say no. During Udoka’s days as an assistant coach in the NBA, he used to wear suits.

“No, thank you,” said Udoka. “I enjoyed it at the time, but the Covid year obviously changed that. For comfortable packing, less thinking, I think about all of the above. They vote on coaches every year and I think 87 per cent of people say no. About five say yes and the others don’t care.”

Udoka got his start in coaching in 2012 as an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs. He was a part of the Spurs staff until 2019 when he joined the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2019–20 season. He spent another season in 2020–21 as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets before getting his first head coaching job with the Boston Celtics ahead of the 2021–22 season.

Udoka led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first year as head coach, ultimately losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games. He was let go from the Celtics in 2023 after serving a season-long suspension for violating team policies. He became the head coach of the Rockets ahead of the 2023–24 season.

On Sunday evening, the NBA All-Star Game took place from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, home of the Clippers. Although he was voted in as the starter, Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry was unable to participate in the festivities due to his recovery from a knee injury, although that didn’t stop him from hitting a spectacular trick shot before the game started.

Curry is approaching the age of 38, but is one of the best players in the NBA today, and recently, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal had some high praise for the future Hall of Famer.

In a segment done with overtime, O’Neal was given photos of several NBA legends and asked to speak about when he saw a better player than Curry. Despite seeing pictures of several all-time greats, O’Neal did not speak during the entire segment, including none other than himself.

Finally, the big man ended it by saying, “Steph is the GOAT,” according to Overtime on Instagram.

O’Neal has long been known as one of Curry’s most vocal supporters across the NBA media landscape, a stark contrast to his frequent criticisms of big men in the league today.

In a vacuum, it makes sense that O’Neal would be impressed by Curry’s ability to shoot the ball from long range, given his struggles to hit shots from outside the paint, and one also has to appreciate the longevity of Curry, who is playing at a level somewhat equivalent to his prime as he approaches 20 years in the NBA.

Meanwhile, the Warriors shook things up a bit at the recent NBA trade deadline by trading for Atlanta Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis, but it remains to be seen if that will be enough to propel them out of the West into contender status.

The Warriors next play against the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Recently, the NBA world was stunned to learn that famous point guard Chris Paul will be retiring from the game in the middle of the 2o25-26 season. The news came after Starr was released by the Toronto Raptors, ending any possibility of a retirement tour he had hoped to do.

Now, Paul is reflecting on his Hall of Fame career, specifically his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, while taking a ride in a Waymo self-driving car via JD Dyer.

According to “When I think about legacy, I always say if people remember me for what I did on the basketball court, that means I didn’t do much.”

Paul actually spent the prime years of his career with the Clippers during the 2010s, although he also spent several stints with the New Orleans Hornets before that. Paul rejoined the Clippers ahead of the 2025-26 season, but was surprisingly released from the team a few months ago reportedly due to friction between him and head coach Ty Lue.

Paul previously announced that the 2025-26 season would be his last, paving the way for a Kobe Bryant-esque retirement tour, but that ended with his sudden dismissal from the Clippers.

Although his career obviously didn’t end the way he would have hoped, it will never take away from Paul’s standing as one of the greatest point guards of his generation, elevating every team he joined and coming close to winning a championship with the 2021 Phoenix Suns.

This is probably a guarantee that he will be in the Hall of Fame in his first year of being eligible.