#nba

#nba

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Lakers forward LeBron James, center, shoots as Dallas Mavericks forward Daniel Gafford defends during the first half on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, left, shoots as Lakers center Jaxson Hayes defends during the first half on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

If you thought Sprite was just sitting on the sidelines, think again. The iconic beverage brand is making a major statement in the basketball world with a brand-new collection of limited-edition cans that celebrate both NBA teams and the rising stars of Unrivaled women's basketball. This isn't just another marketing play: it's a full-court press that honors local fandom, basketball culture, and the athletes pushing the game forward.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A fight broke out between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets in the third quarter of Monday night's game, and four players were ejected. Charlotte's Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges were tossed, along with Detroit's Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Duren had the ball and was driving toward the basket with just over seven minutes left in the third period when he was fouled by Diabate.

The Blazers hit a rough patch at the end of January, into February. Perhaps this past weekend's return of sophomore phenom Scoot Henderson will bring about a welcome change. That, and Deni Avdija unplugging for a week to heal his ailing back, completely ignorant to any glowing endorsements received from genocidal world leaders (god this has been a rugged season to be a Blazer fan).

Monday's over/under for Murphy is 22.5 points. That's 0.3 more than his season average of 22.2. He has averaged 0.3 more rebounds per game (5.8) than his prop bet total in Monday's game (5.5). Murphy has averaged 3.7 assists per game this year, 0.8 less than his prop bet on Monday (4.5). Murphy has averaged 3.2 made three-pointers per game, 0.3 less than his over/under in Monday's game (3.5).

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Houston Rockets star center Alperen Sengun expressed remorse for repeatedly calling a female referee "a b----" earlier this week, saying that he apologized immediately after the game. The incident, which resulted in Sengun's ejection in Wednesday's 114-93 loss to the Boston Celtics, went viral online in the following days with enhanced audio making his insult to Jenna Reneau clear.

The NBA announced on Saturday morning that rookie Jase Richardson and second-year pro Keshad Johnson will join Jaxson Hayes and Carter Bryant in the competition next Saturday. Richardson, the son of former Warrior Jason Richardson, will look to have the same kind of success as his pops in the hallowed event as a rookie for the Magic. The elder Richardson won back-to-back dunk contests in the early-2000s, but is best known for being a part of the iconic We Believe Warriors.

Jalen Suggs had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double, Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Paolo Banchero added 22 to lead the Orlando Magic to a 118-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. Playing 29 minutes in his seventh game after missing eight games with a right knee injury, Suggs also blocked four shots and had three steals. Egor Demin led the Nets with a career-high 26 points, shooting 6 of 10 from 3-point range.

LaMelo Ball is for once an aptonym, Brandon Miller is playing like Paul George (laudatory) instead of playing like Paul George (derogatory), and Kon Knueppel is going nuts from three. It's all working, for what feels like the first time in a decade. So this week on Nothing But Respect, we invited on Mother Jones editor Jacob Rosenberg, because he's a smart, hilarious person and also a Hornets fan.

The increase is being largely driven by the Gen Z population, as basketball is now the 6th most popular sport among the 18-24 year old demographic. Despite there being major continental competitions across Europe like the EuroLeague and EuroCup, basketball is a sleeping giant that is awakening in the UK. This movement is likely to cause a massive shift in the sport's associated betting markets as well, but the big question of whether basketball can break into the mainstream remains.

Michael Porter Jr. and the Brooklyn Nets (13-35) battle the Los Angeles Lakers (29-19) on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at Barclays Center. The game will start at 7:30 p.m. ET on YES and SportsNet LA. The Lakers are coming off of a 112-100 loss to the Knicks in their most recent game on Sunday. The Nets lost their last outing 130-77 against the Pistons on Sunday.

But while the public gets caught up in the storylines, smart money is focused on the value. By activating the latest DraftKings promo code, new users can exploit this high-profile matchup with a massive leverage play: place a wager of just $5 on this East-West clash, and if your read is correct and the bet wins, you secure $300 in bonus bets.

That doesn't mean that the Raptors cannot be a part of the chaos surrounding Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, however. Just as Barnes and Giannis are similar, so the ideal center to put next to them is a similar archetype, a 3-point bombing, rim-protecting 5 who allows non-shooting, playmaking 4s to maximize their impact. The Bucks have such a player in Myles Turner, and the Raptors need such a player.