Top Stories

• Clippers plan to rebrand team

• Raptors beat Pacers

• Josh Hart wins it for the Knicks

• Heat beat Kings in thriller

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Games of the day

Last Night’s Top Games! (link to the box scores of every game from yesterday)

Scottie Barnes battled against Ben Mathurin in a game where both players posted arguably the best games of their young careers. Barnes had a 21/12/12 triple double with 5 blocks, while Mathurin had 34/9/5 on 11-15 shooting. Tyrese Haliburton had a stinker of a game, with only 9 points and 5 assists. Indiana needs to figure out the pecking order of their offense, as once it comes playoff time it’s no longer the time to be figuring things out. If the playoffs started today, they’d be a play-in team, and no team that’s gone all in to contend wants to be stuck there.

Josh Hart won the game for the Knicks on a shot he never should’ve gotten to take. With the Knicks down 1, Jalen Brunson missed a shot, NY got the offensive rebound, and Ausar Thompson stole the ball and while attempting to get out on the break, was crashed into by Donte DiVincenzo. No foul was called (it clearly should’ve been one) and the Knicks got the ball back, finding Hart under the rim to score the game winning and-1. After the game, Monty Williams was so mad about the no call that he walked out of his postgame presser, calling it “the worst call of the season”.

Bam Adebayo put the team on his back while Jimmy serves his suspension, and he had a little help from standout rookie Jaime Jaquez. Bam had 28/10/7, dominating a Kings team with little inside defense. Jaquez added 26 points on an efficient 12-17 shooting to put Sacramento away.

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League News

Around the League

• Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell have been named Players of The Week for Week 16.

• The LA Clippers have unveiled their new brand look, establishing a set of marks that blend the team’s past, present, and focus on the future in a familiar but elevated colorway of naval blue, ember red, and Pacific blue. The refreshed look includes a modernized version of the classic Clippers script that will adorn the front of the Icon and Association Edition jerseys next season. The new primary logo features a Clippers “C” that surrounds the points of a compass and an oncoming ship with basketball seams on the hull, a nod to the organization’s maritime roots and a symbol of its direction. The team will wear uniforms and merchandise displaying the new logo and colors in the 2024-25 NBA season as the Clippers begin play in their new home, Intuit Dome. Click here to view the new gear.

• Injury Updates: Trae Young (hand) had surgery and will be re-evaluated in 4 weeks. Dyson Daniels (meniscus) will be re-evaluated in 3 weeks. OG Anunoby (elbow) will miss 2+ weeks. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) will miss “several weeks”. Joel Embiid (torn meniscus) will be out for 1-2 months. Julius Randle (shoulder) will be out 2-3 weeks. Desmond Bane (ankle) will miss 3-5 weeks. Marcus Smart (finger) will be out 3 weeks. Gabe Vincent (knee) will be out at least 3 more weeks. Mitchell Robinson (ankle) underwent surgery and will be out 2-5 weeks. Patrick Williams (foot) had surgery and will be out for the season. Zach LaVine (foot) underwent surgery and will be out for the season. Robert Williams underwent knee surgery and will be out for the season. Ja Morant had surgery on a torn labrum and will miss the rest of the season. We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

Front Office Moves

• The Free Agent market is still deep with vets like Nerlens Noel, DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, Tyreke Evans, Austin Rivers, Montrezl Harrell (he’ll be out for a few months), and John Wall ready to contribute to winning or to mentor young guys. Joe Harris, Victor Oladipo, and Killian Hayes were all cut or waived by their teams and are available to be signed. There are a few younger names on the market, like Kai Jones (yikes), Kevin Porter Jr (yikes again), Sharife Cooper, and Darius Bazley.

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NBA MVP Race

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: No. 1

Season stats: 26.1 ppg, 12 rpg, 8.9 apg

His case: They’ll say the sky is falling in Denver with the club mired in just its second three-game losing streak of the season. Against Sabonis and the Kings last Wednesday, Jokic snapped a 15-game run of games with 20 points or more.

The two-time MVP failed to post a double-double for just the ninth time this season while finishing 0-of-6 from 3-point range. Jokic needed the break.

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week’s ranking: No. 2

Season stats: 31.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6.5 apg

His case: The first-time All-Star starter owns the MVP momentum going into the break having spoiled Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando jersey retirement night last Tuesday with a 32-point effort in a 127-113 Oklahoma City victory.

The 25-year-old reeled off 13 points during a dominant five-minute stretch in the third quarter of that game. Second in the league in points per game, Gilgeous-Alexander ranks No. 1 in steals (115) and is just 14 points from passing Giannis Antetokounmpo (1,662) for the league lead in total points.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week’s ranking: No. 3

Season stats: 31.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 6.4 apg

His case: Antetokounmpo goes into All-Star break tracking toward becoming the first player in NBA history to average 30-plus points on 60% shooting in a season. But overall, the two-time MVP and the team need this time away to work on getting everyone on the same page.

Milwaukee’s 113-110 loss at Memphis last Thursday demonstrated the choppy waters the Bucks continue to navigate in the wake of the firing of first-year coach Adrian Griffin and the hiring of Doc Rivers.

4. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Last week’s ranking: No. 4

Season stats: 34.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 9.5 apg

His case: Named Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Mavericks to a 4-0 week in which he averaged nearly a triple-double, Doncic led his team to two more victories going into the break.

Circle the calendar for what should be a fun matchup coming out of the break on last night against Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns, followed by a four-game road trip.

5. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last week’s ranking: No. 5

Season stats: 27.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.8 apg

His case: Kawhi Leonard is breathing down Tatum’s neck for this spot. But the 25-year-old lit up Brooklyn for 31 of his 41 points last Tuesday in the first half, dialing up his third 40-point game of the season and 25th of his career.

Tatum torched the Nets again the next night, combining with Derrick White for 47 points in a game that all of Boston’s starters sat in the fourth quarter.

The next five

T-6. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers (Last week’s ranking: No. 6)
T-6. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings (Last week’s ranking: No. 7)
8. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (Last week’s ranking: No. 9)
9. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns (Last week’s ranking: No. 8)
10. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (Last week’s ranking: No. 10)

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Fantasy Leaders

Ben Mathurin makes his Top 3 debut

Overtime Thoughts

Hoopgrids

Hoopgrids is a daily basketball trivia game. You cross match each category to find a player that fits both. The rarer the player, the lower the score. The goal is to get the lowest rarity score possible.