National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

In 11 regular season games with the Herd, Smith averaged 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals across 23.3 minutes per game. He shot 35.7 percent from the floor, 25.0 percent from 3-point range and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line. Smith had four double-figure scoring games, including a 17-point outing against the Noblesville Boom (Pacers) on Nov. 30 and a 14-point, seven-rebound, six-assist night against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets) on Dec. 22.

The Golden State Warriors are now at the center of that shift. Jimmy Butler III' s season-ending torn ACL comes just as Golden State had found momentum, winning 12 of its last 16 games and posting its best on-court plus-minus with Butler as the connective piece. His absence removes more than just scoring, stripping the team of structure, late-game decision-making and defensive stability.

SAN FRANCISCO De'Anthony Melton heaved the ball over Moses Moody's head and out of bounds, Brandin Podziemski had his pocket picked by Gradey Dick and the Warriors watched as a desperation attempt missed the rim as the shot clock expired. Inside Chase Center, where there were more empty seats than usual, the crowd groaned. Three consecutive possessions in the second quarter said it all in the Warriors' first game without Jimmy Butler.

Yeah, just good memories. Six years. A lot of good people, a lot of good players. Saw the whole gamut of seasons (in) six seasons," said Ott. "But yeah, it's good to be back. Just different in the other locker room, but another game, ready to go.

"To be able to see him sitting in that seat in Brooklyn while I'm in New York," Brown said about his longtime friend and mentee, "it's surreal."

How each Heat player finished in All-Star starter voting: Player Vote: Bam Adebayo - 36 Norman Powell - 20 Tyler Herro - 12 Jaime Jaquez Jr. - 8 Kel'el Ware - 7 Nikola Jovic - 6 Davion Mitchell - 5 Andrew Wiggins - 3 Simone Fontecchio - 1 Pelle Larsson - 1 Vladislav Goldin - 1 Dru Smith - 2 Keshad Johnson - 1 Jahmir Young - 1 Myron Gardner - 1 Kasparas Jakucionis - 0

Number two, the offense at times is far too predictable, and has easily been stalled by zone defenses. When the team is getting stops and running the floor things are fine. The defense has driven their hot starts against the Pacers and Clippers, but as both teams started making shots the Raptors had to face a set defense more and more with diminishing returns.

Despite her usual serving difficulties at the beginning and end of the match, Gauff completely outmatched her Uzbek challenger from the baseline with her supreme defensive skills and court sense, smartly choosing her moments to step inside the baseline and dictate. Afterwards, Gauff explained how her ambitions have helped her to manage the nerves that come with first round grand slam matches:

Quincy Guerrier nearly tipped the game into overtime with 0.2 seconds left on the clock.The Raptors 905 dropped their second game to the Capital City Go-Go, 101-99, on Saturday night, and now sit with a 10-2 record. It was a dramatic ending to what was an otherwise ugly slugfest. The game went longer than the previous one, and there were more personal fouls committed.

SAN FRANCISCO Steph Curry will be a starter for February's 15th's 2026 NBA All-Star game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the league announced on Monday morning. The Warriors' superstar joins Luka Doncic, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama in the West's starting lineup. It is Curry's 12th All-Star nod and 11th start, making him one of only 17 players to earn a dozen appearances in the game with a single franchise.