National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

With Gonzaga down double-digits to underdog Seattle on Jan. 2, the veteran did not waver. He helped the Bulldogs claw back in the second half, making a game-saving block on the perimeter to force overtime before finishing with 19 points.

Before this season tipped off, it would have seemed equally unlikely that this late-January edition of Power Rankings would feature Nebraska in the top five or Miami (Ohio) at all. And yet, that's where things stand after two of the three remaining unbeatens survived another week without a loss. Looking purely at efficiency-based metrics, which tend to be more predictive than résumé-based metrics, neither team fits the bill on paper.

Kyshawn George has become one of the great draft picks for the Washington Wizards over the course of the team's rebuild, Landing in Washington No. 24 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Miami product has developed into one of the most versatile prospects on the team up to this point of the season. From a rookie season filled with flashes to a major leap throughout his sophomore campaign,

"I was definitely hyped," Allen told ESPN. "I had Paul Pierce in my ear telling me, 'Get ready! You stick me every day [in practice]. You should be ready. Let's go! That's Kobe Bryant!'" The No. 25 pick in the 2004 draft was trying to soak everything in and get himself in the right frame of mind for the 54th game of his young NBA career.

"We're not playing hard," Antetokounmpo said. "We aren't doing the right thing. We're not playing to win. We're not playing together. Our chemistry's not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own. "At times, I feel like when we're down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it's not going to work."

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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.

Los Angeles Lakers star had one of his most impactful games of the season to propel his side to a comeback win against Denver Nuggets. Luka Doncic bagged a 38-point triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers staged a second-half rally to claim a 115-107 road victory over the Denver Nuggets in Colorado on Tuesday. The Lakers looked to be in trouble after an explosive first half from Denver, who surged into a 71-57 lead at the break thanks to 26 points from Jamal Murray.

The first time chants of "Let's go, La-kers" rang out in Ball Arena, Denver's rowdy home crowd booed the unwelcome slogan into silence. Minutes later when the game ended, there weren't enough home fans left to quiet the purple and gold faithful. The Lakers overcame a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to notch one of their most significant wins of the season, taking down the Denver Nuggets 115-107 on Tuesday. Luka Doncic recorded his fifth triple-double of the season with 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while LeBron James had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

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