Tottenham Hotspur’s Luka Vuckovic has refused to talk about his future after this season.

Last summer, the Croatia international arrived at the club after Spurs agreed a £12 million move [€13.9m] Deal with Hajduk Split in September 2023.

Before joining the Premier League team, he had loan spells at Radomiak Radom and KVC Westerlo. In late August, Tottenham let the defender join Hamburg SV on a season-long loan deal.

The temporary move to the Bundesliga has helped the centre-back continue his rise, and the statistics support it.

Last season, he played 2,971 minutes in 36 matches for the Belgian club and scored seven goals. This came from an xG [expected goals] Of 3.56. He has 1,980 minutes in 22 matches for Hamburg so far, scoring five goals at a 3.96 xG.

The defensive performance of Tottenham players has also improved compared to last season. The stats below are per game and the first is for Hamburg and the second is his stats from Westerlo.

• Intercept: 1.1 – 0.8
• Tackle: 0.7 – 0.8
• Dribble past: 0.2 – 0.4
• Clearance: 8.7 – 5.6

The 19-year-old received six yellow cards and one red card for Jupiler Pro League side and has only five yellow cards with Hamburg.

Vuckovic is attracting interest

Hamburg have signed him on loan with no purchase clause. Therefore, he will have to return to the north London club after this season, where his contract is till 2030.

It is no surprise that the young player’s rapid development is attracting the interest of several top clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Earlier this week, Vuckovic’s Agent Pini Zahavi said A decision on his future will be made at the end of this season.

“I can provide an update in exactly two months,” He said.

image Now I have spoken to the Croatian about his future at Tottenham, who are struggling in the Premier League. Spurs are 16th in the table, one point ahead of 18th-placed West Ham United.

When asked if he would return if Tottenham were relegated from the Championship, he said: “I can’t and won’t say anything about it or about the future in general. I’m their player and my contract is until 2030.”

Vuckovic has already won five man of the match awards this season. His continued rise has brought him media attention in England, Germany, Croatia and across Europe.

When asked how he keeps his feet on the ground, he talked about supporting Tottenham.

“I try not to think too much about it and not read too much on social media. I also have a psychologist employed by Tottenham. She helps me a lot. Of course, it used to be in person, but now it’s over the phone. She gives me good advice on how to deal with certain things. For example, how to react to unexpected events, “ Vuckovic explained.

Why should Tottenham keep him?

The club’s immediate focus is to ensure they remain in the Premier League. Decisions on the Croatian’s short- and medium-term future need to be clarified in the summer.

This will be done upon his return to London, following a successful loan spell with the Bundesliga side.

Vuckovic’s contract expires in 2030 and Igor Tudor’s [contract until the end of this season] The successor must decide on his Tottenham future.

Spurs may regret letting him leave in the summer, especially permanently. Given his development so far and his potential, Tottenham should do everything they can to keep him.

He could come through on another loan to Hamburg, at least until the winter window. The defender has repeatedly said that he wants to play with his brother, who is also at HSV. Mario is serving a doping ban until the end of this year, and another small loan will fulfill the family’s wish.

The Denver Nuggets’ 136-131 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night wasn’t just another regular season win. At one point, Denver was down by 20 points, and things were looking bleak. Plus, the Nuggets were playing for the second night in a row, so coming back against a team like the Spurs was going to be a tough task. But Denver’s response in the fourth quarter spoke volumes about the team’s resiliency.

For Jamal Murray, that’s what made the comeback so important. He would lead a rally in which the Nuggets outscored the Spurs 34–12 in the fourth.

“These are the games you live for,” Murray said after the game. “Maybe not the playoffs, but these wins mean a lot. It says a lot about your character on the road as a group to deal with adversity. … But it’s amazing to see this group come away with a win.”

Murray would have a tough first half, where he could only score nine points. However, he would score 30 points in the second half, including 16 points in the fourth quarter. His step-back three-pointer with less than five minutes remaining gave Denver its first lead, and he hit four crucial free throws to seal the win.

The adversity Murray mentioned extends beyond Thursday’s game. Throughout the season, the Nuggets battled persistent injuries, causing their starting lineup to play only a few games together. Despite Aaron Gordon being out for hamstring maintenance, Denver was still able to accomplish this.

With the win, Denver improved to 41–26 and moved into a three-way tie for third place in the Western Conference. On Saturday they face the Los Angeles Lakers, who themselves are fighting for a spot in this final stretch of the regular season.

The Boston Celtics lost their favorite player early against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday at Frost Bank Center when Jaylen Brown was assessed back-to-back technical fouls in the second quarter, leading to his automatic ejection.

Brown was trying to attack the lane when Stephen Cassel appeared to push him out of bounds. However, the referee did not blow the whistle, prompting Brown to complain strongly.

The Celtics were leading 51-49 when the 29-year-old Brown was thrown.

Moments later, he took to express your frustration.

“it S*** to be mine Talking about,” Brown wrote.

Jaylen Brown’s latest ex post after ejection

(via @FCHWPO) https://t.co/yfkAq4pGd3 pic.twitter.com/xnTnwwBjdL

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

He finished with eight points, two rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 15 minutes.

This was an unfortunate incident, especially for fans who were excited to see stars from both teams compete. Without Brown, the Celtics were further handicapped, as they were already playing without Peyton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic due to a neck injury and finger injury, respectively.

The Celtics ran out of steam in the fourth quarter and lost 125–116. Spurs recorded their ninth consecutive win at home.

Derrick White had 34 points, five rebounds and seven assists to lead Boston, while Jayson Tatum added 24 points, five rebounds and two steals.

Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with a game-high 39 points and 11 rebounds on top of three assists and two blocks.

Before the game, Brown announced on his livestream that he was the NBA’s best two-way player, although he joked that Wambanyama did not count because “he’s a foreigner.”

Some would argue that officials robbed fans of an even more exciting matchup between the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs. In the second quarter, Celtics star Jaylen Brown was ejected from a 125–116 loss to the Spurs after being whistled for two quick technical fouls. Brown was angry at the no-call, where he felt he was fouled out of bounds by Stephen Cassel.

Brown confronted crew chief Tyler Ford and was even pointing his finger at him. Ford then drew a technical foul on the Celtics star, angering Brown even more. Even though his teammates were trying to calm him down, his rant could not be contained, and it reached the point where umpire Suyyash Mehta felt as if ejection was required, courtesy of his second technicality.

After the game, Ford explained the Crew’s decision to take the Celtics star out of the game early.

“(The first technical was) for aggressively gesturing and using profanity and outrage without a call,” Ford said in the pool report, via NBA insider Brett Siegel for ClutchPoints. “(The second technical was called because) he aggressively approached a game official, pointing and using profanity.”

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown can’t let emotions get the better of him

Many will debate whether Brown was correct on the play he blew the gasket. Still, as one of the Celtics’ stars and go-to options, Brown can’t afford to allow a no-call that literally takes him to the point of no return.

Superstars have responsibilities in the NBA, and Brown needs to know not to let his emotions get the better of him. Thankfully for the Celtics, this is a regular season game, but come playoff time, that may never happen.

Brown finished with eight points and seven assists in 15 minutes, before exiting the game.

On Tuesday night, two of the NBA’s best teams faced off when the Boston Celtics visited the San Antonio Spurs. As expected, both teams brought their A-game, with the game tied 58-58 at the half. However, the odds may have been in the Spurs’ favor, especially when Jaylen Brown received an early trip to the locker room after picking up two technical fouls in quick succession in the second quarter.

With less than four minutes remaining in the period, Brown took the rock with a right elbow while navigating Stephen Cassel’s defense. However, the Celtics star proceeded to turn the ball over after losing space on the sideline. Enraged, Brown confronted crew chief Tyler Ford in animated fashion, yelling and pointing at him to try to make his case that, in fact, he was pushed by the Spurs second-year student.

After this, Ford gave Brown a technical briefing and blew the whistle on him. But the Celtics star did not create a ruckus to the point where umpire Suyyash Mehta felt that a technical glitch There wasn’t enough of that.

Jaylen Brown has been ejected after being assessed a double technical foul for his reaction to the no-call.

Dishonesty or not? 🤔
pic.twitter.com/1SzvGD4edW

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

Before exiting the game, Brown had eight points, seven assists and one steal in 15 minutes of play. The Celtics will now be without Brown for the final 27 minutes of the contest, pushing Jayson Tatum into unquestioned first option duties.

Celtics look to continue punching up the weight class

Throughout the season, the Celtics have surprised the NBA world. Even without Tatum and after gutting the roster for luxury tax reasons, the Celtics remain one of the best teams in the league. So while losing Brown to ejection certainly hurts, this kind of adversity is nothing the team hasn’t seen in the past.

The Spurs are now clear favorites for the remaining games, but no one should be surprised if the Celtics pick up an emphatic win on the road.

Fans will get a possible preview of the NBA Finals when the Boston Celtics visit the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday at Frost Bank Center. However, the Celtics could be handicapped after Peyton Pritchard was added to the injury report.

Boston is coming off a string of wins, including an impressive 109-98 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday at Rocket Arena. But it won’t be easy against Spurs, who are looking to extend their eight-match winning streak at home.

*Watch NBA Games Live with fuboTV (Free Trial)*

Peyton Pritchard vs. Spurs injury status

According to the NBA injury report, Pritchard is listed as questionable due to neck strain.

If he sits out, the Celtics will need to find another reliable scorer. The 28-year-old guard is averaging a career-high 16.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 32.5 minutes off the bench.

But as the Celtics have proven all year, they have enough depth to cover for any absences. The team is already without Nikola Vucevic, who is out for at least three weeks with a finger injury.

Of course, there’s also the return of Jayson Tatum, who hasn’t been anything impressive in his two games since recovering from an Achilles injury. He is expected to compete against Spurs.

If Pritchard is sidelined, Baylor Scheuerman, Hugo Gonzalez and Ron Harper Jr. could see his minutes stolen.

Boston is 22-11 on the road, while San Antonio is 24-6 at home. Both teams have been performing brilliantly recently, with the Celtics going 8-2 in their last 10 games and the Spurs having lost only once in their last 10 games.

They will battle at 8 PM ET.

The LA Clippers came into Friday night’s clash against the San Antonio Spurs having won three games in a row and were looking for a big win against the second seed in the Western Conference. With another game on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Clippers needed a big win.

Unfortunately, just the opposite happened.

The Clippers dominated the Spurs in the first half and led 69–49 at halftime. They took their largest lead, 75–50, with a little over nine minutes left in the game and LA looked to be headed for an easy second half.

But San Antonio came roaring back behind Julian Champagnie, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. Champagnie recorded 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor in the third quarter, cutting the Clippers’ 25-point lead to 11 entering the fourth quarter.

The Spurs then started the fourth quarter with an 18-5 run and took a 99-97 lead over the Clippers. Both teams exchanged buckets until the final seconds, when the Clippers had a costly turnover inbounding the ball with 14.9 seconds remaining.

Nevertheless, Julien Champaign missed two free throws for a three-point lead, giving the Clippers a chance to win, only for San Antonio to secure an offensive rebound and send Stephen Cassel to the free throw line to put the Clippers up by three points.

Cassel made the first free throw to put the Spurs up by two, but missed the second free throw, giving the Clippers their last chance to go the length of the court to tie at the buzzer or win. Well, that’s what would have happened had they been able to grab a defensive rebound. Cassel came up with the loose ball rebound and scored at the rim to give the Spurs a four-point lead with 1.4 seconds remaining.

The Clippers lost to the Spurs 116–112, a game in which their key players played heavy minutes – Kawhi Leonard at 37, Brook Lopez at 34, Derrick Jones Jr. at 34 – in the first night of a back-to-back set with the visiting Giants.

Clippers in Friday’s game Perfect 108-0 record Leading by 20 or more points at halftime. In doing so, L.A. lost its first game in franchise history, according to Clippers radio host Adam Osland.

The Clippers were 108–0 when up by 20 at halftime.

Were

– Adam Oslund (@followAdamA) 7 March 2026

Additionally, ESPN’s Michael Wright reported that the Clippers’ 25-point lead was the largest increased lead in franchise history in the play-by-play era.

Return of 25 points. This was the Clippers’ largest lead in the play-by-play era.

– Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) 7 March 2026

The 25-point lead is tied for the largest lead of the season with the Rockets blowing a 25-point lead against the Pelicans on December 18, 2025. Strangely, the largest blown lead was last season, 26 points, when the Clippers came back from being down 26 points to defeat the San Antonio Spurs.

In fact, the top two biggest comeback/burst leads each year since the 2020-21 season have involved either the LA Clippers or San Antonio Spurs.

Been digging around and found some interesting stats…

The Clippers took a 25-point lead against the Spurs last night, which is equivalent to the largest lead of this 2025-26 regular season.

Last season, the Spurs blew a 26-point lead against the Clippers, which was tied…

-Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) 7 March 2026

The Clippers will have a chance to erase the sour taste left from this game in less than 24 hours when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies at 5pm PST. Meanwhile, the Spurs will take Saturday off before returning to action against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night at 5 p.m. PST.

Although he left the Alamo City on strained terms, Kawhi Leonard has largely been a supporter of the San Antonio Spurs since the 2018 trade that sent him to the Toronto Raptors. After a 116–112 loss, in which his Los Angeles Clippers blew a 25-point lead, Clough didn’t hesitate in praising the organization he helped win an NBA title in 2014.

After their first meeting of the season, ClutchPoints asked Leonard if he thought the young Spurs were ahead of schedule.

“Obviously, probably no one thought they’d be this good so quickly. But, they have great individual players, a great coaching staff. The organization has always known how to win basketball here. So, they’re putting everything together,” the seven-time NBA All-Star responded.

Los Angeles’ leading scorer then fouled out his Spurs counterpart.

“This team; the league is young. So it’s all about speed and run and if you have a shooter at the five, like Wembey or anybody who can shoot threes and block shots, your chances of winning are even greater.”

“…Probably no one thought they’d become so good so quickly… They have great individual players, great coaching staff. The organization always knows how to win…
They’re just putting it all together…”⬇️

-Talked to the poet about what he thinks #spurs are ahead of schedule#porvida pic.twitter.com/IYX2uDbPBa

– Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) 7 March 2026

Victor Wembanyama scored 27 in just 22 minutes, but the 2023 first overall draft pick wasn’t the only standout spurt to earn praise from the 34-year-old star.

“[Stephon] Cassel is playing very well, had a great rookie year and has taken a step forward this year and gotten better. I like what he’s doing on the court. He is getting better. “It’s fun to go out there and compete against younger guys, giving us some advantages here and there,” Leonard said of San Antonio’s star guard.

“When you’re trying to win a game, you’ve got to play on both ends of the floor,” the two-time NBA champion said.

Leonard finished with a game-high 30 points for a Clippers team that advanced from play-in contention in the Silver and Black.

“You never know. Nobody can say if they are ahead of schedule or not, you just have to see how it all plays out,” the former Spur concluded from ClutchPoints about the team finishing second in the Western Conference.

“We’ve been steady, but you’ve got to give the Spurs credit,” Leonard added. “They’re a great defensive team, they have some great individual defenders. Wembey is unbelievable and he made us miss shots.”

Kawhi Leonard downplays constant ridicule from Spurs fans

Leonard, once considered the next face of a proud franchise, was essentially forced out of San Antonio when he requested a trade following a lengthy controversy centered on an injury that led to a strained relationship. Since then, the 2011 first-round pick has often been criticized when he won Finals MVP in 2014.

Leonard said the boo birds don’t bother him.

“As soon as the game starts, you hear that. But after a while, you hear the cheers and I get a lot of love whenever I walk around town. So, like I said before, it’s a competitive fan base, so they’re not going to be on the court cheering for you to score. But after the game, it’s all love.”

Some, perhaps many, fans in San Antonio would not agree. However one thing is certain. Leonard doesn’t mind showing these Spurs love.

Cristiano Giuntoli’s recent appearance at Tottenham Hotspur was a ‘clear indication’ that Spurs are ‘seriously exploring’ the possibility of appointing him.

This is according to Il Giornale, relayed by napoli magazine. The Italian newspaper reports that Giuntoli is set to return to football after leaving Juventus last summer.

The 54-year-old has been out of work since leaving Juventus last year after serving as sporting director for two years. He has also previously been sporting director of Napoli from 2015–2023 and sporting director of Carpi between 2009 and 2015.

Il Giornale now reports that he is ready to return to work and ‘seize the spotlight’. The fact that he has now been spotted at Tottenham in London is a ‘clear indication’ that Spurs are seriously exploring the possibility of hiring him.

football free agent director

While reports said he was only at the game against Crystal Palace to support Igor Tudor, whom he appointed at Juventus, the Italian newspaper says otherwise.

As far as he is concerned, he is a serious candidate to fill Spurs’ vacant sporting director role. However, if they were to move up, they would have to do so before Roma.

The road to the Italian capital is becoming increasingly concrete. There has recently been internal discord between manager Gian Piero Gasperini and his sporting director Frederic Massara.

That could lead to a reshuffle and Giuntoli’s ‘deep respect’ could provide motivation to get a deal done. So Tottenham need to be careful. Maybe that’s why the Italian was already in London this week.

paratisy loss

The question is whether Tottenham want another Italian sporting director after the high-impact but chaotic reign of Fabio Paratici.

Although he modernized the team with several big successful signings, he also had a lot of high cost, low impact signings. And the current squad, which includes many of the signings, is now fighting against demotion.

In fact, some would argue that Paratici’s time in charge is part of the reason why Tottenham currently find themselves in this position.

These wounds could worsen in the coming months, perhaps leading to another Italian like Giuntoli not being considered.

It’s fair to say the Dane is keeping a close eye on Tottenham Hotspur following the departure of Thomas Frank in January.

The nation was thrilled when Frank was given the ‘big job’ last summer following his success at Brentford. They were certainly supportive of him and, often, one of his biggest champions.

Well, now that he’s been fired, he’s keeping an even closer eye on proceedings. And Francis Dickoh has spotted something that should leave Spurs fans very concerned. TipsBladet released its comments today.

He, like most of us, was watching the clash between Tottenham and Crystal Palace on Thursday evening. Igor Tudor’s team went into that game knowing that defeat could be devastating.

Crystal Palace disaster

And this proved to be true, as a 3–1 defeat and the departure of Micky van de Ven pushed them to the brink. Spurs are now one point outside the relegation zone, without a win in 11 and with no signs of improvement under Tudor.

What’s even more worrying is that people around them are picking points. West Ham won to close the gap this week, while Nottingham Forest picked up an unexpected point against Manchester City.

With five defeats in their last five, Spurs are unlikely to get similar results any time soon. Palace’s defeat certainly did not send any positive signals. And Dicko believes this is what should concern them most.

“The defeat to Crystal Palace was a low point for Tottenham,” He said.

“The team collapsed, and this is worrying when the club has already made changes to the coaching staff. One might fear that Tottenham have not yet reached rock bottom, with the threat of relegation looming.

“The clubs around Tottenham are looking confident. And in the game, it’s looking like other teams are dying with their boots on and are competitive. Tottenham are in a different place right now.”

tottenham needs to fight

The statistics certainly don’t look great for Tottenham. While they are bottom of the form table, West Ham have lost only one of their last five. Forest have two draws and three defeats from five.

However, his future will likely be determined by Tottenham’s clash with Nottingham Forest later this month. After this they will also face Leeds, who are two points ahead of 15.^thIn early May.

Considering his current form, this could prove to be a big decider. Of course, they are still in a fight at that time. Tudor must help them find that fight first.

The San Antonio Spurs are currently doing things that shouldn’t be possible. On Friday night, the Silver and Black erased a massive 25-point deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 116-112, convincing the NBA world that a championship run is not just a dream, it is hope.

It appeared as if the Clippers were playing on the ice, but they were caught in the clutch. Despite San Antonio gifting them three missed free throws late in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles couldn’t muster a single defensive rebound to save their lives. The collapse was historic, the second-largest comeback in the Spurs’ play-by-play era.

pic.twitter.com/fr3wPPMAmy

– Marquis Swinton (@SwishDish720) 7 March 2026

What did we do to deserve this?pic.twitter.com/etHW3NNGQ3

– Spurs Culture (@SpursCulture) 7 March 2026

These spurs will kill me man😭 pic.twitter.com/DBJKYU28ZT

– Bala (@BalaPattySZN) 7 March 2026

good game poetry pic.twitter.com/EgtGW3GFjH

– Spurs Culture (@SpursCulture) 7 March 2026

Harrison Barnes will never take a nap again https://t.co/jwtPYdqfnX

– Spurs Culture (@SpursCulture) 7 March 2026

“Tonight was a great example of why the Spurs are the best team in the NBA right now,” one fan posted on X.

Victor Wembanyama led the way with 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in just 22 minutes of action. However, the most iconic moment belonged to rookie Stefan Cassel. During the game, Castle missed a free throw, grabbed his own rebound and sealed the win. “What an exciting finish in San Antonio!” another fan commented. “Castle missed the free throw… grabbed his own rebound… and sealed the win!”

Wemby started crying after Spurs win 😭
pic.twitter.com/tfRyJr71iU

– Logion Noops (@LogionNoops) 7 March 2026

Spurs win!! Carter Bryant is special!! pic.twitter.com/eY7w8PeSEu

– PJ Hoops (@RealPjHoops) 7 March 2026

you can’t beat my spurs lfgpic.twitter.com/aWk9zwbUqa

– CLAN THE SPURS FAN (@ClanTheSpursFan) 7 March 2026

Spurs defense man.

Carter is flying everywhere.

Victor dominates the paint.

Steiff is the Nels POA in Primary.

Spurs were down 25 and are now up 2.

This is Spurs basketball. pic.twitter.com/MFAOcoCLq5

– Eric Salinas (@EricSal_7) 7 March 2026

Wembley is so sick that he is crying at the regular season victory in March. pic.twitter.com/FDSnfZCdNX

– 🥽 (@spursbeliever) 7 March 2026

The patience displayed by Vembanyama and Spurs is causing many skeptics to reconsider their stance. As another supporter said, “25-point comeback and people still try to say he’s overrated…the league is in trouble.” If San Antonio can find a way to win games like this while their superstar looks like he’s “about to pass out,” the rest of the league is in for a really long postseason.

Tottenham Hotspur are banking on Luka Vuckovic amid Barcelona’s plans to bring him to La Liga.

is according to gameWhich covers when Barça will consider signing a Tottenham player in the summer.

The 19-year-old has been on loan at Hamburg SV since last summer and has impressed for the Bundesliga team.

His performances have been impressing the German club, and their fans dream of keeping him beyond this season.

The Tottenham-owned player also wants to continue playing alongside his brother Mario. He is in Hamburg and serving a doping ban until November.

Earlier today, Sports Witness news broadcast from germany Hansi Flick wants a new centre-back in the summer. Vuckovic is a substitute and Barcelona have had their first talks with his agent.

Barcelona’s plans for the Tottenham man

Sport relays this and provides its information on the possibility of the defender joining the Catalan club.

Pau Cubarci and Eric Garcia are both currently untouchables for Flick and Barça. The futures of Gerard Martin and Ronald Araújo need to be clarified, and if one of them is to leave, a new centre-back needs to come in.

In that case the Croatia international could be an option. The newspaper says the Spanish giants have lined themselves up with his agent Pini Zahavi.

It is worth noting that the representative has a ‘very close’ relationship with Barca president Joan Laporta and has a good relationship with the club. He also represents Fick and Robert Lewandowski.

Despite the close relationship with the agent, Sport say it is ‘not easy’ for the Blaugrana to move Vuckovic away from Tottenham. This is because the north London club are planning to rely on the central defender for the future.

However, Spurs’ ‘project is not progressing well, and the player also has doubts about joining a team’ which immediately sent him out on loan. Tottenham are now 16th in the table, one point above 18th-placed West Ham United.

Vuckovic’s contract and value

The Croatian has a contract with the Premier League team until 2030. The report suggests that Spurs paid €11m and he is now valued at €40m.

Sport may have taken this figure transfer marketThis has increased by €22m since Hamburg joined.

If Tottenham do sell Vuckovic, the fee they would ask would almost certainly be much more than €40m. Spurs are unlikely to sell a young talent with huge potential at a reasonable price.

The Detroit Pistons entered Thursday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs looking to make another statement. But things aren’t going according to plan, and not on the scoreboard, either.

Pistons guard Aussie Thompson left the game in the first quarter due to an ankle injury. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, his return is questionable.

Aussie Thompson has headed back to the Pistons locker room due to an apparent ankle injury.

Hope he is okpic.twitter.com/SBZ7FZ3McT

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 6 March 2026

Ausar had a strong start defensively for Detroit, blocking Victor Wembanyama’s shot on the opening possession. But after some time the situation became worse.

On the move to the tin, Thompson twisted my right ankle. He would head to Detroit’s locker room shortly thereafter. Thompson had played only two minutes in the Clash of the Titans, before leaving the game.

The Pistons began Thursday night’s game 45–15, on top of the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Spurs are just 1.5 games behind Detroit in the hunt for the NBA’s best record, and second in the West.

Thompson has had a major impact on the Pistons’ success this season, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He entered the game averaging 1.9 steals per game, which ranked fourth in the NBA. However, his offensive game is still a work in progress. The former fifth overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft is averaging just 10.4 points per game while shooting just 57% from the charity stripe.

Detroit remained competitive immediately after Thompson’s injury. But as the first quarter wore on, the Spurs and Vembanyama imposed their will.

Wembley scored a game-high 12 points in the opening frame, as the Spurs took a 15-point lead.

There has been no update yet on Thompson’s condition.

Although there isn’t much to like about the Philadelphia 76ers’ overall loss to the San Antonio Spurs, one of the very minor bright spots was the play of former two-way contract forward Jabari Walker, who scored 20 points off the bench in just 19 minutes of action.

Picking up the slack for a team without Joel Embiid, Paul George and, for a portion of the game, VJ Edgecombe, who was ejected from the game after a hard foul from Carter Bryant in the second quarter, Walker did the job for a 76ers team that desperately needed it. Any To score a bucket or two, hitting two of his five shots from beyond the arc and seven of his ten total shots from the field, along with four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

The only 76ers player to finish a game with a positive plus/minus, Walker was asked about his surprisingly huge game after the contest and explained that he would love to get back on the court and Build on the momentum they created.

Walker declared, “100% if it were up to me, I wouldn’t want to sleep and would be right back there right now.” “So I’m just separating the days with eight hours of rest and then think of it as a continuation. Obviously, it’s a different team, but the mentality doesn’t change. Just let the days blend together and make it to tomorrow.”

A proven striver who worked his way up to a standard NBA contract after starting the season on a two-way deal. Walker’s 20-point performance was by far a season-high, with his next best game coming against the Milwaukee Bucks in December.

Will Walker be able to step up this game and become the 76ers’ new sixth man as Quentin Grimes has gone down offensively? maybe notBut gosh, if he could do that, it would pay massive dividends for a team that is in desperate need of at least one bench player who can score regularly.

“Mentalities don’t change.”

Jabari Walker is ready to get back out there as he finished Tuesday night’s game with 20 points and 6 rebounds. | @fultonbank pic.twitter.com/bktERperoS

– NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) 4 March 2026

To say that the Philadelphia 76ers’ NBC “Throwback Night” showdown against the San Antonio Spurs did not go as planned would be an understatement.

Taking the court to Joel Embiid, Paul George and eventually VJ Edgecombe, who exited at halftime after a hard fall from fellow rookie Carter Bryant, the 76ers trailed the Spurs by 38 seconds in the game and never recovered, losing 78–53 at halftime and finishing with a certified blowout 131–91.

What happened? How did the 76ers, even with a depleted personnel, allow a game against a potential NBA Finals opponent to get so far away from them? Well, Nick Nurse tried to break it up, even if he didn’t realize it.

“I thought we were doing a good job of finding shots. I thought it was taking some time, and I kept saying that in the timeouts. The open shots aren’t coming as fast as they did last night, but they’re still there, you just have to be a little more patient and keep kicking out,” Nurse explained.

“And I thought, for the most part, I mean, obviously, he blocked some guys inside from our bigs. But I thought, other than that, we were doing a good job out there for a while. And then we just couldn’t; they made a lot of turnovers. Really, defensively the second quarter was really bad. Obviously, they were really rolling, hitting a lot of threes, getting to the rim. There was no resistance defensively.”

On offense, the 76ers were borderline destructive, with Tyrese Maxey outscoring the rest of Philadelphia’s starters 21–10, while only two other players, Jabari Walker and Cam Payne, managed to reach double figures. Sure, Embiid, PG13, and, for half of the game, Edgecombe, weren’t available, but when rotation players like Quentin Grimes, Dominic Barlow, Trendon Watford, Adem Bona, and Justin Edwards combined for just 26 points, the 76ers aren’t going to win many, if any, games, even if they lock in and play elite defense.

Nick Nurse discusses the impact of Victor Wembanyama and what went wrong in Tuesday night’s defeat to Spurs. | @kia pic.twitter.com/6G1OqhprvL

– NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) 4 March 2026

The NBA decided to move back completely to Tuesday night’s broadcast of the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers clash. NBC decided to use the aesthetic and sound of their old NBA broadcasts, and they had veteran commentators on the call including former head coaches Doug Collins and Mike Fratello, as well as play-by-play maestro Bob Costas.

Although the game, in the end, was not very competitive anyway, it at least created a sense of novelty that millions of fans connected with. There is nothing more nostalgic than listening to the old NBA on NBC theme while watching the broadcast team use retro graphics, as this has made many fans feel as if they are more in touch with their inner child than ever before.

The NBA on NBC is airing a rerun of tonight’s game between the Spurs and Sixers in Philly.

Bob Costas, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello are on the call. pic.twitter.com/XwWtt9I979

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 4 March 2026

“Loved the old school NBA graphics on NBC tonight. Also, Mike Fratello may be the most underappreciated analyst of my time. Dude is always hilarious,” wrote X user @jimmytraina.

@21stCenturyTim said, “The throwback NBC score bug is beautiful. Memo to every network, every game: This is all we need.”

The throwback NBC score bug is pretty cute.
Memos for every network, every game: That’s all we need. pic.twitter.com/HjMFA9sdJ9

– Tim Roberts (@21stCenturyTim) 4 March 2026

@GershOnline added, “NBC has completely recreated the graphics package from the original NBA on NBC. It’s throwback telecast artistry.”

NBC has completely acquired the graphics package from the original NBA on NBC.

This is throwback telecast artistry. pic.twitter.com/Zy1fM2UFGR

– Gershon Rabinowitz (@GershOnline) 4 March 2026

Fans mock 76ers for blowout vs. Spurs on NBC Throwback Night

The 76ers were missing Joel Embiid and Paul George in Tuesday night’s contest against the Spurs, and they also lost VJ Edgecombe to an injury during the game. Still, they couldn’t hold a candle to the Spurs, as San Antonio, at the time of writing, led by nearly 50 points – much to the dismay of fans.

“The Sixers should never have been allowed on national TV,” @kukblue1 wrote.

@TommyUndersSGS said, “I’m so glad they decided to air the Sixers game tonight on NBC. Keeping it nice and close.. only under 40.”

“NBC launched some old school NBA on NBC talent like Bob Costas, Mike Fratello, Doug Collins and Jim Gray for a Throwback Tuesday experience for the Spurs and Sixers to totally suck the game out. Thanks for coming to work today Philly ???,” @kensgotbs continued.

The Philadelphia 76ers were dealt a major blow on Tuesday, as VJ Edgecombe was ruled out for the rest of the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Edgecombe was trying to beat the clock at the end of the first half when Carter Bryant hacked him from behind as he was attempting a three-pointer. The high flying novice screamed in pain as he fell hard on the floor.

The 76ers later announced that Edgecombe would not return. back pain.

Following this contest from Carter Bryant, VJ Edgecombe suffered a heavy collapse until the end of the first half.

The Sixers announced that he would not return to the game due to lower back pain.
pic.twitter.com/iW4cPCLjaK

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 4 March 2026

He finished with six points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks in 20 minutes.

The 76ers are taking a cautious approach with the 20-year-old Edgecombe. They don’t want to risk sending him back, especially when they are already down by a huge margin.

Despite his gun-ho style, which is vulnerable to physical impact, Edgecombe has remained relatively healthy and has played in only four games so far.

The former Baylor standout has been a big contributor for the Sixers since being selected as the No. 3 overall pick. Given his lack of size, there were concerns about whether his game could translate to the NBA. Well, he has proven the critics wrong by using his speed, agility, and athleticism as a quality contributor.

He averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals, while also providing stunning highlights on both ends.

At the time of writing, the 76ers are being destroyed by the Spurs, 111-64, in the third quarter.

The NBA’s 2025-26 season has been surrounded by controversy, from one hot-button topic to the next, including the latest in which San Antonio Spurs veteran Luke Kornet condemned the Atlanta Hawks’ upcoming “Magic City Night” promotion. Cornette doubled down on his criticism of the Hawks’ plans, leading to an open letter asking the NBA to intervene in Atlanta’s scheduled promotion for their upcoming home game on March 16 against the Orlando Magic.

Cornette says the Hawks honoring a strip club by calling it “the city’s iconic cultural institution” is inconsistent with the values ​​of all NBA players, and the association should not have approved it.

“The NBA must be willing to protect and respect women, many of whom work diligently every day to make it the best basketball league in the world,” Kornett wrote in his personal blog. “We must foster an environment that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers and partners we know and love.

“Allowing this night to proceed without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, especially given our society’s complicity with the potential objectification and abuse of women. Regardless of how a woman finds her way into the adult entertainment industry, many in the field experience abuse, harassment and violence to which they should never have been subjected.”

For the NBA, a league already mired in ethics concerns tied to its enthusiastic support of sports gambling, Cornette’s points are valid, given the negative connotations associated with the adult entertainment business. While the association’s effort to embrace the culture of the area, the Magic City, has been considered one of the foundations of Atlanta’s hip-hop music scene for the past two decades, the Hawks may have gone too far with their latest promotion.

Kornet’s latest campaign adds up to a difficult season for the NBA, given that the league has bigger issues to deal with technically. After Jonte Porter was banned from the NBA for life in April 2024 for violating league gambling policies, Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat was arrested in connection with an illegal gambling scheme.

Former Portland Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was also named in the federal investigation, which involved sports betting and rigged, high-stakes poker games. Former Detroit Pistons forward Malik Beasley was at the center of a separate investigation for alleged improper gambling on games during the 2023-24 season.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has generally been open to thinking outside the box, which has inspired league front offices to do the same in order to rebuild their rosters and compete for championships. Teams deliberately sitting their best players to increase their chances of receiving a high selection in the upcoming draft has emerged as one of the most controversial topics in sports.

The NBA has considered taking intense measures in response to teams intentionally sitting their players to improve their chances of losing. Changes included expanding the lottery to include all play-in tournament teams, determining lottery odds based on team performance over two years, and freezing draft lottery odds at the time limit to discourage intentional losing at the end of the regular season.

Luke Cornet addresses open letter ahead of Spurs matchup

Spurs veteran center Luke Kornet knows it’s rare for an NBA player to speak out about the Hawks’ promotion. Nevertheless, Cornette feels passionately about the topic and has not backed down since his initial blog post.

Cornette was forced to do so after learning of the Hawks’ “Magic City Night” promotion a week earlier. To declarehe said, according to ABC 6’s Jason Dumas.

“I feel like it doesn’t really represent what I know about myself and a lot of other N.B.A. [players] thought. So, I just want to make sure that part of the discussion is expressed. It comes with people like criticism and things like that – that’s part of the process as to why people are hesitant to do it, but I think really trying to start and enable conversation,” Cornet said during the Spurs shootaround on Tuesday.

“It’s important to help make sure that everyone in the league is willing to be represented, and there’s an environment that you want.”

Luke Cornette caused some stir nationally when he urged the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their “Magic City Night”, saying it was disrespectful to women.

I asked him about it after the shooting in Philly. Says he has not spoken to the league since his statement. pic.twitter.com/eTwFuZGAGQ

-Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) 3 March 2026

The Cornets have reached the league, but no changes have been made regarding the upcoming event. When asked by a reporter if he had spoken to anyone from the Hawks organization, he said, no.

Still, it’s another bad look for the NBA amid a season filled with bad publicity, ranging from allegations that the Clippers circumvented the salary cap to sports gambling investigations to issues stemming from teams intentionally tanking; It feels like one issue after another is coming to the fore during the 2025-26 campaign.

Victor Wembanyama and Spurs have been performing highly this season. They are firmly in the Western Conference playoff race, sitting at the second seed in the conference, and within striking distance of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top seed. But the Knicks were able to figure out how to cool down a hot San Antonio squad.

It appears that teams will choose to get physical with Wembanyama to take him off his game, as the Pistons attempted to show in their loss last Monday. This time, it appeared that the Knicks were able to crack the winning formula with their aggressive defensive coverage and Wembanyama recognized this in postgame comments received by Hector Ledesma.

“I think they had some physicality, but not what we’ve seen… For some reason, we were a little hesitant… I was especially hesitant on threes… I was holding the ball too much… We gave them a breather. We should have been better, especially in the first quarter. That was the game.”

Wembanyama made it clear that the Knicks gameplan impressed him and it was something he was aware of.

“They’re a good basketball team, but they’re not like the worst team. They’re not an ugly team to watch, but they’ve made our game ugly.”

Still, Vembanyama doesn’t think the team is going backward.

“I don’t see any downside. I think it’s good for us to see such adversity. We want to play the best teams. This is a top-seeded playoff team – experience. They know what it’s like, and they gave us a good performance today.”

NEW YORK – The New York Knicks used every possible first-round pick to build their team, putting pressure on Walt Perine and his scouting department to make the most of any remaining opportunities in the draft. On Sunday, Mohamed Diarra, the 51st overall pick in 2025 and the only Knicks rookie, scored 14 points in 14:55 of the game to help defeat the San Antonio Spurs on prime-time television.

New York’s scoring efforts were led by Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson, who have generally played well against the Spurs throughout their Knicks tenures. Karl-Anthony Towns had a huge breakout season with his 14 points, leading New York to 54 points. That was 13 more than San Antonio.

No bench player on either team took more than eight shots or scored more than eight points. Except for Diawara, who attempted 14 shots in roughly the same number of minutes played. 13 of those came from behind the 3-point arc, leading head coach Mike Brown to praise the rookie’s apparently unmatched confidence.

Brown told media members after the Knicks’ win, “The first thing I would say is Mo is not afraid. I’ve told you guys this before, for a young guy, I’ve thrown him in games, in starts, on national TV.” “He doesn’t even take a look. He can start three games in a row, then he can’t start the fourth game. He doesn’t take a look. He’s the most confident young guy I’ve been around. And he’s got a chance to become — not good, really good.”

It looks like Diarra has the edge over Jeremy Sochan for a playoff spot

Former Spur Jeremy Sochan played just two minutes against his old team. Brown told reporters when he signed that efforts to integrate and evaluate the 22-year-old could impact Diarra’s playing time. The coach was staying true to his methodical approach and trying to understand his options ahead of the most lucrative games of the year.

In recent games, including the Knicks’ last three games, Diawara has come off the bench earlier than expected and played more of a role. Asked by ClutchPoints about trends, Brown said players need to prepare for whatever opportunities they get amid the adjustment.

“What you said is true,” Brown told ClutchPoints. “He and Jeremy are 9th and 10th, 10th and 9th right now. They both just have to prepare themselves because their number could be called at any time.”

The Browns are in no rush to finalize their playoff rotation. He will explore as many options as possible before the probability of error decreases. But if Diarra continues to play with the same aggression and composure on both ends of the ball, Brown’s decision may already have been made for him.

On Sunday afternoon, the New York Knicks picked up one of their most impressive wins of the season with a home demolition of the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs came into this game riding an 11-game winning streak, but the Knicks defense quickly extinguished that flame, which was on full display in this game.

After the game, head coach Mike Brown got 100% real about his team destroying the Spurs.

“I thought our weak-side defense was really good,” Brown said, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic on X, formerly Twitter, who noted that Brown “admitted to the Spurs missing shots that they were making, but Brown thought the defense was on a string and the on-ball defense was really good.”

In fact, the Spurs missed countless open looks on Sunday afternoon, which played a big role in the Knicks’ defensive success against them. Still, for the most part, New York did a solid job of clogging up the paint against superstar Victor Wembanyama while homing in on San Antonio’s outside shooters.

Meanwhile, the Knicks also overcame their aggressive start and finished with a solid output on that side of the ball.

Brown said, “At the end of the day, it was great to get 48 3s. With Wembley in the paint, you’ve got to shoot the ball.”

Overall, defense has been one of the major reasons many skeptics have cited why they don’t take the Knicks seriously as a title contender, with New York’s best two players – Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns – both clearly negative on that side of the ball.

However, Towns and Brunson both held up against the Spurs’ explosive offensive attack on Sunday, resulting in the Knicks’ victory.

The Knicks will next take the field against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday evening.

The New York Knicks ended the San Antonio Spurs’ 11-game winning streak, winning 114-89 on Sunday. The win improves New York to 38–22 on the season, 6.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons for the top record in the East. SNY’s Ian Begley says the much-maligned trade acquisition was key to victory.

Begley reported, “Mikel Bridges’ team-high 25 points and game-high five steals helped NYK defeat the Spurs, snapping SAS’ 11-game winning streak. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this one of the most impressive wins of this Knick season; six players scored at least 10 points and the team’s defense remained strong all afternoon.”

Spurs’ 11-game winning streak ends against Knicks pic.twitter.com/3mOHMNss95

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 1 March 2026

While the Spurs had won 11 consecutive games, Madison Square Garden has been a home of horrors for them. They have lost six consecutive games in Manhattan, with their last win coming in November 2019. Of course, this does not include the NBA Cup Finals, which the Knicks won in Las Vegas.

Bridges led the way for the Knicks on both ends of the floor, finishing with a team-high 25 points in addition to his defensive talent. Jalen Brunson was right behind him with 24 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart both posted double-doubles. Defensively, Victor Wembanyama was held to 25 points on 1 of 7 shooting from three-point range.

The Knicks have now won four of their last five games, keeping pace with the top teams in the Eastern Conference. But with tough games ahead, Toronto’s journey will begin with a brutal stretch. Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and both Los Angeles clubs are at stake in the next five matches.

The Knicks are looking to make their fourth consecutive playoff appearance in the Jalen Brunson era. New coach Mike Brown has gone through some ups and downs this season, but should start March off on the right foot with a big win.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are doing a solid job of sticking with their injury absences, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, it came to a halt.

Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs earned their tenth consecutive win with a comeback victory over the Toronto Raptors, despite a relatively quiet game from superstar Victor Wembanyama.

With that win, the Spurs moved to within just two games of Oklahoma City for the number two seed in the Western Conference, a feat that seemed impossible when the Thunder got off to a blazing 24–1 start to the regular season.

X, formerly of ClutchPoints, said on Twitter, “The Thunder have just suffered their 15th loss, which is already more than last season. It’s a sharp turnaround for a team that started the year 24-1.”

Of course, injuries are a big part of the reason the Thunder have slipped up a bit, but even before Gilgeous-Alexander went down with an abdominal strain, Oklahoma City was already showing some signs of slipping, with the team losing four of the five regular season matchups it played against San Antonio this season.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are 5.5 games ahead of the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets for second place, meaning it’s highly likely that San Antonio and Oklahoma City will be the top two seeds in the West when all is said and done.

Many are already anticipating a Western Conference Finals showdown between the two teams, rekindling the rivalry between the teams from the days when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook wore Thunder jerseys, while Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard suited up for the Spurs in the mid-2010s.

Thankfully for the Thunder, they won’t see the Spurs again this season until a potential playoff matchup, if that happens.

The Toronto Raptors have to be very concerned that they can’t buy a win against a top-10 opponent in the NBA. Their troubles against the best teams in the league continued on Wednesday, as they let a very winnable game against the San Antonio Spurs slip through their fingers with a choke job in the fourth quarter, as they ultimately lost 110-107 at home.

The Raptors are now 4-15 against teams with top-10 records, and this could be their most crushing defeat yet. Most of their losses against tough opposition were not very close, as their opponent had their way against Toronto. But this was a game in which they led by double figures in the fourth, but allowed the Spurs to attack them in the final frame, with even Victor Wembanyama struggling with his shot all night.

A possible reason for the Raptors’ poor performance in the end was Scottie Barnes being less than 100 percent healthy. A multipositional destroyer who can play against smaller defenders, Barnes was reportedly playing “on one leg” and he was “playing through pain” as head coach Darko Rajakovic told TSN’s Josh Levenberg after the game.

This is a concern with 23 games left in the season amid the Raptors’ battle for position in the East, as they will need a healthy Barnes to be a threat, as without him, they could be completely disappointing against the best teams in the league.

Scottie Barnes is the Raptors’ best player

A lot was said about the Raptors’ acquisition of Brandon Ingram and how he has given Toronto a legitimate weapon to rely on in crunch time. While Ingram has been very good, people shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking of him as the Raptors’ best player, as that honor still belongs to Barnes.

Barnes can legitimately defend one through five, and while his offensive game isn’t great on the perimeter, his two-way play is incredible. According to PBP stats, his net rating is plus-6.1, which is the best in the team.

No team in the NBA this season has blown more double-digit leads in the fourth quarter than the Toronto Raptors, a trend that reared its ugly head in a 110-107 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic was furious over a non-call in the first half, which came before Toronto gave up a 15-point lead in the final frame. Losing against the league’s better teams has also been a consistent trend.

According to Josh Levenberg of TSN Sports, the Raptors have lost 15 times against the NBA’s top teams.

“The Raptors are 4-15 against top-10 teams. Last night, Darko lamented the lack of focus to close out those games, but he’s going to have to wear that down,” Levenberg reported. “They were in control, up by 12 when they started the fourth without Barnes and Ingram (vs. Wembey). With that went a 7-0 run and gave up momentum. Unforced error.”

The Raptors’ lead was cut to 10 in the fourth quarter. The Spurs immediately made it a game. Devin Vassell’s 21 points led six Spurs players into double figures, including De’Aaron Fox (20 points) and Dylan Harper, who had 15 points off the bench.

Brandon Ingram (20 points) and Immanuel Quickley combined for 40 points on 15 of 34 attempts. The Spurs held the Raptors to 17 points in the final frame.

Scotty Barnes’ injury hurts Raptors’ momentum

Raptors All-Star Scottie Barnes has been hampered by a foot injury, according to reports. As fans were looking for answers after the game, as TSN’s Josh Levenberg reported, Barnes playing through pain was reportedly one of many obstacles the Raptors faced during the second half of their loss to the Spurs.

Barnes was reportedly playing “on one leg” and he was “playing through the pain”, as head coach Darko Rajakovic told TSN’s Josh Levenberg after the game.

With 23 games left in the season, the Raptors’ recent struggles are a new development as they battle for position in the Eastern Conference.

The game became increasingly intense in the first half, as the Toronto Raptors hosted the San Antonio Spurs at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.

After a stoppage in the second quarter, the Raptors raced to the other end to try to get a quick bucket. The ball went to Brandon Ingram, who attempted a three-pointer from the top of the key. Stephen Cassel, who was late coming back on defense, challenged Ingram’s shot.

While it appeared Cassel struck Ingram’s arm, no foul was called.

This enraged Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic, as shown in video shared by Raptors reporter Omar Osman. Rajakovic was whistled technical glitch.

Darko Rajkovic is absolutely furious over a non-call, and he faces a technical foul. https://t.co/o09eWDLgIw pic.twitter.com/C2u7ITlBD2

– Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) 26 February 2026

Rajakovic, 47, was absolutely furious at the referee, but he was probably also lighting a fire under his players.

It seemed to work, as the Raptors took a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

Rajakovic has quickly won over fans with his intense approach on the court. But besides that, he can be quite goofy, as proven by his habit of running into the locker room screaming.

Rajakovic’s energetic aura has been praised by his players, including Ingram.

“He brings energy every day. He’s the leader of our team. He makes sure we bring it in practice, in games, in shootouts. He makes sure we have it every time we step on the basketball floor,” Ingram said in a report by John Chidley-Hill of The Canadian Press in November.

The Raptors are looking to bounce back from Tuesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Although the Pistons deployed a defensive gameplan based on physicality to slow down Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs emerged victorious 114–103 in their Monday matchup. Although Vembanyama had 21 points, he was only 6-16 from the field. But, Vembanyama still proved effective in other areas of the game, grabbing 17 rebounds and six blocks.

In postgame comments obtained by Omari Sankofa II, Pistons star Cade Cunningham admitted that his team could not adjust to the intensity that Wembanyama brought to the defensive side of the floor.

“We couldn’t figure out Wemby early. We changed a lot of our shots, changed our approach and had opportunities where we found things and did things we wanted to do. He changed a lot of shots and couldn’t figure out his early.”

Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff explained his approach to attacking the Wembanyama-led defense, saying, “You have to go through him, you can’t go around him.” (Duren) did a great job late where he was passing to him. “He’s very smart, very talented…if you allow him to play in space, you have to become more familiar with him.”

Jalen Duren punched Wembley, also committed foulpic.twitter.com/L0xLWKoM9o

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 24 February 2026

Jalen Duren finished the game with 25 points, including a thrilling poster dunk over Victor Wembanyama that went viral on social media. But Duren didn’t get much help offensively, especially as Cunningham finished the game with 16 points and was 5-26 from the field.

But Bickerstaff saw the loss in a broader perspective, noting that San Antonio allowed 18 three-pointers, which ultimately put the game out of reach.

“They moved the ball well, they attacked the rebounds to get those looks. Some of them had mistakes, we gave up strong side corner 3s that we don’t normally do… Credit to them. They played a strong game.”

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing Palmeiras striker Flaco Lopez as he continues to perform well for the Brazilian club.

This is according to journalist Diego Firmino. He told that Tottenham has this player on their radar before the summer transfer window.

According to their information, Palmeiras are expecting an offer of €40-45m for the 25-year-old after the World Cup. It is unclear whether the move will come from Tottenham or elsewhere.

According to Firmino they are not the only Premier League team to show interest. He further added that Fulham and West Ham are also aware of him.

Fulham and West Ham

It’s something that Sports Witness covered last year. In August, reports said Fulham were looking at López as a possible successor to Rodrigo Muniz.

His interest moved forward again in December when West Ham were also brought into the mix. Despite both sides targeting strikers to strengthen their squads, neither side ended up making a move in the January transfer window.

Now, according to Firmino, Tottenham are also showing interest. Any summer move will be postponed until they have secured their Premier League status.

Given that this is far from the case, and they have an interim manager in Igor Tudor, Lopez is probably just another name on the list.

atlético madrid competition for tottenham

The striker has impressed for Palmeiras since joining in 2022 on a €9.5m deal. Since then he has scored 62 goals and 18 assists in 189 games for the club. This was followed by 22 goals and five assists in 599 appearances for CA Lanús.

The Premier League trio aren’t the only team interested, as Firmino says Atletico Madrid are also monitoring the Argentine.

They have a deep and active relationship with Argentina, with seven Albiceleste players in their current squad and also Diego Simeone on the touchline.

If he ever makes a concrete move it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him provide competition to Fulham, West Ham and Tottenham.

The San Antonio Spurs were well represented at All-Star Weekend. Victor Wembanyama was voted as the starter for the All-Star Game. Stephen Castle and Dylan Harper competed in the Rising Stars competition, with Harper also being a part of the returning Shooting Stars event. And rookie Carter Bryant, who has recently started playing regularly with the Spurs, was one of the headliners of the slam dunk contest.

Bryant was selected late as a replacement for the Rising Stars Tournament due to an injury to Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward. He was impressive during his first All-Star Weekend appearance, showing some of the defensive ability that the Spurs knew they were getting when they drafted him.

In the first Rising Stars game as part of Team Vince, Bryant finished with four points, one rebound and one blocked shot in a little over five minutes. In the second game, as Team Vince won the Rising Stars championship, Bryant finished with five points, one rebound and one steal, while shooting a perfect 2-of-2, including 1-of-1 from 3-point range.

For Bryant, being able to participate in All-Star Weekend as a rookie was a testament to the hard work he has put in since being drafted.

“On my side, I feel like the work I’ve put in is being seen and my teammates have held me to a standard that’s allowed me to perform a certain way,” Bryant told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “Obviously with injuries, it took something for that to happen, but I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I’ve performed well enough this season, whether it’s the last few games, to get a chance to play in the Rising Stars game. It’s an honor.”

Not only was Carter Bryant given the opportunity to participate in the NBA’s premier weekend, but it was a homecoming for the Spurs rookie. His father D’Sean has been a longtime prominent figure in the Southern California basketball scene, having played in college at Long Beach State before moving into coaching high school basketball.

Bryant grew up in Southern California and played his senior year of high school at local powerhouse Corona Centennial. He also played for his father at Fountain Valley and Sage Hill, two other local high schools. One of the greatest things for him about attending All-Star Weekend was the presence of his family.

Bryant said, “Growing up, All-Star Weekend is everything to a kid, especially when you love the game. The best players in basketball get together and make things happen.” “But for it to be in my hometown, and to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed of, I’m so happy. Just being able to be with my family, being able to have my loved ones supporting me, it means everything.”

And as a local kid, it was former Los Angeles Lakers superstar, the late Kobe Bryant, who provided him with his favorite All-Star memory.

Bryant said, “I would say the one that really stood out was Kobe’s last All-Star Game. Being a Southern California kid, being a kid growing up with Kobe, when he got to the All-Star Game in Toronto last year.” “That whole weekend in general, from the dunk contest to the All-Star Game, having the iconic moments in that whole thing, it was dope.”

Carter Bryant’s having a party with the Spurs

The Rising Stars Game was not the only event Carter Bryant attended during All-Star Weekend. He was also selected for the Slam Dunk Contest. He made it to the final round of the competition where he ultimately lost to Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat.

Although Bryant did not win the dunk contest, he had a good performance overall. He explained how the event has served as a rising party for young players in the past. As he begins his rookie year with the Spurs, he feels like his All-Star Weekend participation could be a springboard for his own career.

“I think the one thing that’s been missing over the years is the swagger and confidence that a lot of the great guys had that originally did it. … It was kind of a coming out party for a lot of guys. A lot of young guys came in, they were really young players, but they wanted to do the dunk contest,” Bryant said, “kind of bringing that energy back to the dunk contest, having confidence in myself that I’m confident in the work that I do. I have a God-given ability because of my athletic talent and being able to display it.”

It was just before the All-Star break when Bryant got his first real opportunity in the Spurs rotation. Selected 14th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, he played consistently during the first few months of the regular season, but did not receive consistent playing time until February.

In the six games played just before the break, he scored in double figures three times, including a career-high 16 points in a blowout win against the Los Angeles Lakers. During that time, Bryant showed signs of being a reliable 3-point shooter. He shot a combined 44 percent from distance, a huge increase from his season average of 32.9 percent.

As far as what it takes to succeed in the NBA, one thing he has learned is patience.

Bryant said, “Patience is everything. I would say that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned. Understanding that not everything is going to be on your terms, what a great lesson that’s been.” “Having good vets and a great coaching staff, being able to sit down with a lot of the guys on the coaching staff… even in the video room, talking to the training staff about how to properly take care of my body. They’ve seen guys who have done this for a long time and had a chance to play 20 years.”

Bryant added, “That’s the ultimate goal, to play a long time and be a great player.” “Being able to pick those brains and not dwell in those moments when you feel like you can’t do anything right.”

But in addition to his offensive abilities, the defensive end of the court has been an area where Bryant has shined in his rookie season. When it comes to the Spurs’ regular rotation players, Bryant is top-10 on the team in defensive rating, according to Statmuse.

Offense in the NBA sometimes comes and goes, and the number of shots and opportunities players get often varies from game to game. But the defensive end of the court, is something that cannot be compromised. Defensively the effort and energy must always be there, no matter how many shots the player attempts.

This is a part of Bryant’s game that he is 100 percent confident he can make an immediate impact on.

Bryant said, “I don’t think you can put anybody in front of me that I can’t compete with. I embrace the competition. That’s what I grew up on. I grew up watching Kobe. I grew up watching those guys attack each other every night.” “When I grew up watching NBA basketball there were no buddy-buddy guys. It’s just the mentality, I’m trying to bring the understanding that every night is an opportunity to show what you’re made of.”

At the time of the All-Star break, the Spurs were in second place in the Western Conference standings, and were being mentioned among potential title contenders. As it stands, they are 40-16 in the West, have won eight straight games and are only two and a half games behind the No. 1 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

Players always have goals they want to achieve during the season, especially young players who are experiencing the NBA for the first time. But not Bryant. For him, all personal things will come in time. Right now, it is about maximizing his potential to help the team win.

Bryant said, “Making the playoffs, and with the talent that we have and the team that we have, we’re capable of making the finals. I think we’re there. I think we have a lot of guys that really work to their potential, and I think we have a good balance of vets and young guys.” “We all go to work understanding what the chances are for us as a team. I think that’s the thing for me, I’m not worried about any individual things.”

Bryant added, “Things like this come with time and come with winning.” “Winning is the first priority.”

There aren’t many people at Tottenham Hotspur who will fondly remember the magic of Jose Mourinho. But Troy Parrott certainly does.

It can be said that his latest comments at Voetbal International make some sense. He has nothing but positive things to say about Mourinho’s time at Tottenham.

Sport Witness has already covered the comments This week from Striker. He explained how he chose Tottenham over Everton, Celtic and others at the start of his career.

tottenham chance

Parrott joined Tottenham’s academy from Irish club Belvedere in 2017 at the age of 15. At that time he was compared to Robbie Keane and Harry Kane.

Instead, he would struggle to establish himself in the first team, and would make only four senior appearances for Spurs in all competitions before leaving permanently.

However, there was one manager who showed confidence in him. That was Jose Mourinho.

He handed the youngster his Premier League debut during a 5–0 win over Burnley in December 2019. They then gave him three more presentations for a total of four.

mourinho support

It means the Portuguese boss was a big part of the 24-year-old’s career. This is something they would be happy to accept.

“It was very special to work with one of the best trainers in the world,” he said.

“Mourinho talked to me a lot, which made me feel a hundred times better. A manager with his status can easily only focus on the basic players. But he is not like that.

“Mourinho also made time for the youth reserves. I saw that he wanted to help me with my development. I see it with a very good feeling.”

Of course, Tottenham fans are unlikely to share positive sentiments about Mourinho’s time at their club.

They see it as a failed experiment that ended the club’s progressive era under Mauricio Pochettino without delivering the silverware it was designed to bring.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs looking to sign Edmund Tapsoba from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

at least that’s it Africa Foot Are reporting. Their headline states that Tottenham are ‘in the battle’ with Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid for the centre-back.

Last year, Sports Witness Covered Claims Newcastle United want to sign him at the start of this season. This has been mentioned once again in the latest report.

Tottenham in the mix for Edmund Tapsoba

Fast forward to February and now a latest report from Africa Foot has included interests from Tottenham, Inter Milan and Atletico.

These three clubs are in the Champions League, with Igor Tudor’s team already through to the next round.

Both the Nerazzurri and Diego Simeone must defeat FK Bodø/Glimt and Club Brugge respectively in the play-offs to qualify for the last 16.

It has been claimed that these three clubs are closely monitoring the international situation of Burkina Faso.

Bayer Leverkusen set price for centre-back

The Italian club have been pursuing the defender for over two years but have so far been unable to make progress as Bayer Leverkusen’s asking price put them off.

Africa Foot claim that Los Rojiblancos, for their part, see the 27-year-old as a ‘complete and decisive defender’.

Tapsoba’s contract is until 2028 and he can change clubs after this season. The report says Bayer Leverkusen needs at least €40m to get its sale approved. This indicates that the German club would be in favor of his exit in the next window.

Inter Milan’s reluctance to meet Bayer Leverkusen’s high demand leaves Spurs to battle with Atlético for Tapsoba’s signature.

Tudor has Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Kevin Denso and Radu Dragusin as centre-backs. Ben Davies, who is contracted until June, could also operate in the center of defence.

Both Romero and Dragusin could leave the Spurs after this season. Given this possibility, Tottenham may consider signing a new centre-back for next season.

Heading into their most recent game, there were two Western Conference teams that the San Antonio Spurs had yet to beat this season. One is the Los Angeles Clippers, with whom Devin Vassell and company have yet to play. The other was the Phoenix Suns.

“We’re 0-2 against them, so we owe them a favor,” Vassell said before their meeting in Austin, Texas.

The Spurs entered the post-All-Star portion of the NBA year with the second-best record in the West. They are actually closer to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who started the season 24-1, than they are to the team behind them in the standings. And while San Antonio has defeated the defending champions four times in 2025-2026, they have yet to beat a Phoenix team that is also in the playoff picture.

“To be honest, I’m excited for this match,” Vassell said ahead of their latest meeting.

“…They’re still a very good team. We’re 0-2 against them. So we owe it to them. Excited for this game, to be honest”⬇️

-Devin Vassell tonight vs. Suns vs. Dillon Brooks in Austin

Phoenix is ​​the only West team #spurs Have played, but have not been able to beat this season#porvida #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/yeQ6k4OpCg

– Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) 19 February 2026

While the Spurs entered the match healthy, the Suns did not. Guard Dillon Brooks was out due to a league-imposed suspension. Adding insult to injury – or in this case the other way around – star guard Devin Booker exited the Spurs’ 121-94 win with hip soreness.

“We know the type of energy, defense and intensity [Dillon Brooks] “They’re still a really good team.”

Spurs want to beat Suns for the first time

San Antonio’s first loss this season actually came in Phoenix. At 5–0 for the first time in franchise history, the Spurs were already without De’Aaron Fox when they lost Dylan Harper to injury in the second quarter. The Suns took a seven-point lead after the first quarter and never really looked back, outscoring the visitors in the second and even third quarters before the fourth quarter, which largely consisted of substitute players, en route to a 130–118 result.

The Spurs lost again three nights later (at the Los Angeles Lakers), but they bounced back by winning three consecutive nights. This helped determine the standing of the Silver and Black’s season so far.

Just three weeks later on November 23, the Spurs found themselves in Arizona again. Still without Harper, who will return shortly after with a calf strain, head coach Mitch Johnson recalled Fox. But they were missing both Victor Vembanyama and Stephen Castle. Spurs’ two young stars had suffered injuries in consecutive games a week earlier. Led by Brooks’ 25 and Booker’s 24 points, the Suns won 111–102.

This led to their latest meeting. Although part of the Rodeo road trip, the games against the Suns and Sacramento Kings are a slight departure from the team’s annual tradition, as part of Spurs Sports & Entertainment made an agreement with the city of Austin and the University of Texas to play two home games in the state capital.

The win against Phoenix marked San Antonio’s seventh consecutive win, extending their longest actual winning streak of the season, the previous eight-game winning streak also included a defeat of the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup Finals.

The Clippers are the only Western team that the Spurs have not defeated. His first shot in LA will come on March 6.

The Phoenix Suns may not have gotten the start they wanted toward the end of the season, but Jalen Green may have been a ray of hope in Thursday’s 121-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

He scored 26 points in 26 minutes, but it was not the point total that stood out. This was his confidence. After Green battled a hamstring injury for most of the season, the All-Star break was the perfect time to settle things down.

He also talked about using the break to get his physical condition back to 100%. Following the loss, Green stated via Duane Rankin of AZCentral that he felt he was in control of where he was.

“I feel good. It’s the first time I’ve felt this good all season,” Green said after the game.

Having Jalen Green at 100% does wonders for the Suns

His availability has been the biggest question throughout the season. In the small sample size, Green offers something that no one else on the Suns can provide.

Lethal scoring, unmatched athleticism and underrated playmaking ability. At just 24, he appears to be just scratching the surface of his potential.

Playing with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks certainly helps him too, but Green has his own unique style of play.

No one on the team can really attack downhill like he can and put pressure on the basket. Despite “missing” some of his usual looks, the fact that he is attacking the paint with confidence is a huge positive.

With Booker missing part of Thursday’s game due to right hip soreness, Green may be the one carrying the responsibility to put the team on his back and carry him into the season finale.

Speculation regarding Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers is beginning to resonate in familiar territory as the franchise approaches a pivotal offseason.

In the latest episode of Clutch Scoops, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel drew a comparison between Leonard’s current situation and the circumstances that led to him being traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors in 2018.

Siegel said, “I think if he’s still on the Clippers roster in the summer and his contract isn’t voided. He’ll be in the last year of his deal.” “I believe it’s worth $50.3 million dollars and no matter how old he is, as long as he’s healthy, it will be looked at like another scenario from when the Spurs traded him to the Toronto Raptors. He’s in the final year of his contract. He can still be a big part of a championship team.”

The 34-year-old Leonard has averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game in 41 games this season. He is shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three-point range and a career-high 91.2 percent from the free-throw line in 32.8 minutes per contest.

The Clippers were active at the trade deadline as they recalibrated their roster around Leonard. Los Angeles traded Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Benedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a protected 2026 first-round pick, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and a future second-round selection.

. @TomerAzarly And @BrettSiegelNBA Live to talk NBA All-Stars, tanking problems + some early NBA offseason intel! https://t.co/duIKN4TFxL

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 19 February 2026

Clippers reshape roster at deadline as Kawhi Leonard’s offseason future is in jeopardy

In a separate move earlier in the trade cycle, the Clippers dealt James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland, signaling a broader shift toward reshaping their core while maintaining offensive firepower.

Siegel said that from a front office perspective, exploring a Leonard trade this summer could more closely align with the Clippers’ long-term vision.

“From a front office standpoint and if you’re looking at it through the lens of the Clippers’ future, it probably makes more sense to trade him in the offseason,” Siegel said.

Los Angeles entered Thursday at 26-28, tied for 10th in the Western Conference after bouncing back from a 6-21 start. The Clippers return to action following All-Star festivities when they host the Denver Nuggets at 7:30 pm PT.

With Leonard potentially entering the final year of his deal this summer, league observers will be monitoring whether the Clippers follow a similar path to the Spurs’ 2018 decision — a move that ultimately reshaped the championship landscape.

Tottenham Hotspur could demand around €65m for Lucas Bergvall, with moves to Liverpool and Chelsea linked.

This is according to Football Direct. Swedish newspaper covered the Tottenham midfielder Today. He also has comments from the sporting director of Djurgårdens IF, Boss Andersen, on the midfielder.

Bergvall has been impressing since leaving the Swedish side for Tottenham in a €20m deal in July 2024. Spurs defeated Barcelona with his signature at that time.

The deal for the 18-year-old was a record-breaking deal for Djurgården and also the most expensive in Allsvenskan history.

tottenham rising star

Many observers consider the 20-year-old to be one of Europe’s rising stars, and he has already proven worthy of that status at Tottenham. In fact, despite his struggles, his performance has generated interest.

Reports in England last week revealed that both Liverpool and Chelsea made inquiries for him, but they were rejected by Tottenham. Sport Witness again covered a report He insisted that Tottenham have no intention of selling the young player.

However, it seems that it has a price. According to Football Direct, Bergvall is valued at ‘more than 700 million kronor’. At the current exchange rate this is equivalent to €65.59m.

Of course, such a figure would not be an issue for Chelsea or Liverpool. The Blues have paid €65m for a player nine times, which the Reds have done seven times so far. Indeed, three arrivals at Anfield last summer cost more than that.

For Tottenham, this would be the third biggest sale after the deals that sold Gareth Bale to Real Madrid and Harry Kane to Bayern Munich. If Bergvall continues to develop like he has, they will likely demand more.

attractive tottenham section

This is all good news for Djurgårdens, who included various clauses in his deal with Spurs to get it as high as possible.

They have made approximately €15.94m of the €20m initially agreed. And Anderson is no longer surprised by getting such a huge amount.

“It’s not surprising,” he said.

“It’s clear he’s a topic of conversation for coaches at big clubs. It’s incredible to see what’s happening to him and the journey he’s been on that started at Djurgården.

“To go from Allsvenskan to the Premier League as he has done and the way he has done it – it’s great. It’s also noticeable that he is enjoying himself and enjoying himself.”

Earlier this week, sports witness Juventus’ interest in Tottenham defender Destiny Udogi has been covered.

Calciomercato IT were convinced that the left-back is being eyed as a replacement for Andrea Cambiaso, who has struggled this season.

It was believed that the Juve player had lovers hiding around him. His exit will create space for the Tottenham player, who has developed since arriving from Udinese in 2022.

There was uncertainty about Spurs’ stance and ability to match Juve’s asking price. Now more information is coming to light.

Juventus can spend big on Tottenham player

alljuve Now report on the Italy international, who is currently injured but has played 13 times in the Premier League this season.

The outlet says the Tottenham player is being considered as a target in Turin according to information from club sources. Udogi could become a key option for the Bianconeri in the summer.

The deal is likely to be complicated due to the player’s contract at the London club. His deal expires in 2030 and despite this, Juve are preparing a significant financial investment to bring Udogi back to Italy. They are not intimidated about the price tag by Tottenham, with Cambiasso’s exit likely to finance the transfer.

It is believed that the 23-year-old will be a ‘hot’ name in Turin for the next few weeks. He is seen as the ideal solution to the left’s problems.

Injuries are derailing Tottenham’s progress

Due to muscle and knee injuries, Udogi has seen his playing time decline this season. Even last season under Anze Postecoglou, he suffered a hamstring injury which kept him out for a few months.

Although he has improved as a player, it remains to be seen if he can take the next step at Tottenham. The instability at the London club isn’t helping, as they now have their third manager in 12 months in Igor Tudor.

The Phoenix Suns were hoping to get off to a great start to the second half of the season, but those plans hit a major roadblock Thursday night.

Devin Booker, the heartbeat of the Suns’ offense, fouled out early during a high-stakes Western Conference showdown against the San Antonio Spurs. The team later confirmed that the five-time All-Star would not return due to a sore right hip, leaving a large void in the lineup.

The Phoenix Suns guard was trying to find his rhythm after the All-Star break before his night was cut short due to injury. Booker checked out, playing only 9 minutes, finishing with five points and 1 rebound. He struggled to find his stroke from deep, going 0-of-2 from beyond the arc, but he was active at the rim and the charity stripe to keep the Suns competitive early.

After the break, the Suns (32-24) are locked in a tight race to avoid the play-in tournament. Facing a red-hot San Antonio Spurs team that entered the night with a seven-game winning streak, the Suns already suffered a loss due to Dillon Brooks’ one-game suspension.

With Booker sidelined, the onus falls on Jalen Green and Mark Williams. The Spurs took full advantage of Booker’s absence, fueled by impressive performances from Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Devin Vassell, who all posted 20+ points in the third quarter. The Spurs lead 89-63 heading into the third quarter at the Moody Center.

Attention has now turned to the severity of Booker’s hip issue. He has already dealt with managing a right ankle injury throughout February, and any extended absence of the Suns’ leading scorer, who averages 25.2 points per game, could be devastating to their seeding hopes.

The Sons are back in action soon, and Wally will be holding his breath for an update on his superstar’s status.

Former San Antonio Spurs power forward Jeremy Sochan has yet to make his debut for the New York Knicks. However, he has a lot to say about his former home, recently revealing that he would not have seen eye to eye with Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson over some issues.

The 22-year-old revealed that he wanted a bigger role in the team, something that might be due to the Spurs’ deep roster.

Reflecting on what happened in San Antonio: “There’s no real opportunity in my opinion. It is what it is. It’s a deep team. Maybe I didn’t get one-on-one with the coach. I’m just fortunate to have somewhere to grow.”

– James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) 18 February 2026

“There’s no real opportunity in my opinion. It is what it is. It’s a deep team. Maybe I didn’t get one-on-one with the coach. I’m just fortunate to have somewhere to grow,” he said, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

While his desire for more minutes was acknowledged even by Johnson himself, this move appears to be the best solution for all parties involved.

“We were all well aware of his desire to be in the rotation and given more opportunities, especially recently. We wanted to do the right thing for him and make sure he has that opportunity before the year is out,” Johnson said, per Yahoo Sports.

The Spurs’ rotation tightened amid roster changes and internal development priorities, causing Sochan’s minutes to drop to just 12.8 per game during the 2025–26 campaign. His exit also depletes San Antonio’s 2022 first-round class, as none of the three selections from that draft remain with the franchise (Blake Wesley and Malachi Branham).

While Sochan averaged only 4.1 points and 2.6 assists during the 12.8 minutes per game he spent on the court, his defensive versatility and effort were never questioned. Sochan was simply on a team that needed more from him in terms of floor spacing and offensive ability, and last season he didn’t get the minutes he needed to prove his worth alongside Victor Wembanyama.

He, the 22-year-old, will be hoping to change the Knicks for the better.

Amid all the groaning about the increasingly lackluster NBA All-Star Game, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama displayed an intense competitive fire that resonated with the players on the court and those watching at home. He bravely led a shorthanded and injury-limited Team World, posting 34 points and three blocks in a total of 20 minutes. Although the 7-foot-5 Frenchman was on the losing side, he presented himself as someone who is expected to eventually become the face of the league.

Vembanyama addressed fans’ All-Star-Game apathy by energizing the proceedings. Exhibition competition will always have its flaws, but for the first time in ages, the conversation around it isn’t overwhelmingly negative. And that is a big reason for this. The 22-year-old decided to give fans a better product. It’s exactly the proactive approach Silver and company want to see from the game’s top players.

Vembanyama’s efforts only reinforce the notion that he will soon become an NBA trailblazer. However, he is not campaigning for this privilege/responsibility. The 2024 All-Defensive First-Team selection firmly believes that such change can only happen naturally, free from media provocation or his own promotion.

According to HoopsHype, Wembanyama told reporters when asked about players’ reluctance to publicly stake a claim for the title of future face of the NBA, “I see what you’re trying to tell me, too.” “But I think it’s something that should be natural. Social media, the NBA can promote whoever they want, but at the end of the day it’s going to be the best players – and the ones people want.

“Becoming the face of the league is not something that can be manufactured – maybe only to a certain extent. It’s just going to be the best player. So becoming the face of the league will be a byproduct of their basketball level.”

Victor Vembanyama is not shying away from the subject. The two-time All-Star is confident he will one day take over this role. But he is not going to issue any public petition. His performance on the court makes a pretty compelling case in itself.

The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 24.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.7 blocks while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from 3-point range this season. If he can stay healthy and lead the Spurs to a deep playoff run, the NBA will no longer have to worry about finding a new leading man.

When the San Antonio Spurs selected Carter Bryant with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the consensus was that he was a raw prospect who would need at least a few years to develop before becoming a reliable contributor. The organization took the risk, in part, because of his attractive athletic talent. This feature was put on display during the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Bryant stunned fans inside the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome on All-Star Saturday and scored 50 across the board after an East Bay slam in the second period. The 20-year-old forward fell short in the finals against Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson, but still put in a great performance in his native California.

Carter Bryant all 50!

Carter Bryant went high for this dunk

pic.twitter.com/BJ6aNtTBnS

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 15 February 2026

Bryant jumped off the floor and performed what might have been the best dunk of the night. Unfortunately, he missed a sure chance of winning the competition and was forced to settle for second place. The former Arizona talent can still take great pride in posting a perfect score.

Bryant still has a lot to learn, but he’s already making remarkable progress in his first NBA season. The 2024 McDonald’s All-American is enjoying a promising February, averaging 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 44.0 percent from 3-point range in just 16.7 minutes per contest. One can only learn a lot from a six-game sample size, but the young player is quickly earning the trust of his teammates and the coaching staff.

He should also earn more fans after his viral jam. Keep an eye on Carter Bryant.