Top Stories

• Luka is a Laker and AD is a Maverick

• Celtics come back from down 26

• Spurs trade for De’Aaron Fox, Kings get Zach Lavine

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Games of the day

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

Jayson Tatum scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and the Boston Celtics rallied from a 26-point deficit to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-110. Tatum added 11 assists and seven rebounds. Jaylen Brown scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds and six assists. Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points and Derrick White added 17. Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points in the first half to help put the 76ers up by 23 at the break. Maxey finished with 34 points, his fifth straight 30-point game and 14th consecutive game of 28 or more. Kelly Oubre had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Philadelphia, Guerschon Yabusele scored 21 points and Ricky Council IV added 11 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 37 points and the Memphis Grizzlies continued their recent domination of Milwaukee with a 132-119 victory over the Bucks. Memphis has won its last seven meetings with the Bucks, who last beat the Grizzlies 126-114 in Milwaukee in 2022. The Grizzlies won this one without Ja Morant, who missed a second straight game due to a sore right shoulder. Jackson briefly went to the locker room late in the first quarter after taking an elbow to the face from Ryan Rollins on the Bucks guard’s drive attempt. Jackson returned at the start of the second quarter and shot 7 of 13 from 3-point range. Milwaukee lost for the fourth time in five games despite getting 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton added 20 points. Santi Aldama scored 23 points and Desmond Bane added 22 for the Grizzlies, who have won eight of nine. Zach Edey had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Scotty Pippen Jr. had 9 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.

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League News

Around the League

• The Mavericks announced late Saturday night that they have traded Kia NBA MVP candidate Dončić to the Lakers in exchange for 10-time All-Star Davis, reserve guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick. The three-team deal, in which Los Angeles acquires veteran forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, also includes Utah getting Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-rounder from both the Mavs and Lakers. Strangely enough, Dallas approached LA with this offer, and Doncic didn’t even ask for a trade. This is the biggest blockbuster trade of the modern era, and there was no lead up or rumors about it until it happened. Even with that all-time trade happening, the NBA wasn’t finished yet. Sunday evening, reports came out that the Kings are trading guard De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs in a 3-team deal also involving Bulls guard Zach LaVine. The Spurs made that happen without giving up much of their stash of draft picks or the keys to their young core, the players like rookie Stephon Castle, Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson. The Spurs also held on to veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, both of which are in their first year with San Antonio. Lavine goes to Sacramento, where he’ll be reunited with former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan and is set to play alongside a perennial All-NBA candidate in Domantas Sabonis. With us still being 3 days away from the deadline, we’re still waiting on Jimmy Butler to get moved (assuming Miami actually decides to try and change the roster for once) and some other names like Nikola Vucevic and Brandon Ingram are possible to be moved as well. Regardless of what happens now, this will go down as one of the craziest trade deadlines in NBA history.

• Injury Updates: James Wiseman tore his achilles and will be out indefinitely. Taylor Hendricks (leg and ankle) suffered a fractured fibia and dislocated ankle and will be out for the season. Isaiah Jackson (achilles) will be out for the season. Chet Holmgren (hip) suffered a fracture and will be out 5-6 weeks. DeAnthony Melton (ACL) underwent surgery and will be out for the season. Grant Williams (ACL) suffered a tear and will be out for the season. Luka Doncic (calf) will be out at least 2 weeks. Larry Nance Jr (hand) will be out indefinitely after surgery. Jared McCain (torn meniscus) will be out for the season. Brandon Miller (wrist) will be out for the season. Donte DiVincenzo (toe) will be out indefinitely. Jalen Johnson (shoulder) will be out for the season. Dejounte Murray (achilles) will be out for the season. We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

• Trade Updates: The Miami Heat traded Thomas Bryant to Indiana for a 2nd round pick. The Brooklyn Nets traded Dennis Schroder for DeAnthony Melton. The Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell to the Nets for Dorian Finney Smith. Phoenix traded Josh Okogie for Nick Richards. Dallas traded Luka Doncic and Maxi Kleber for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. The Kings traded De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs and received Zach Lavine from Chicago in a 3 team trade.

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NBA MVP Ladder

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Season stats: 32.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6 assists

His case: Gilgeous-Alexander is fresh off a pair of 50-point games and is the only player to post multiple 50-point games this season. For such a high-volume shooter, his efficiency is impressive (52.8%).

Remember: he’s among the steals leaders and helps inspire OKC’s opportunistic defense. Plus, he has worked much of the season without the aid of a talented big man Chet Holmgren.

2. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Season stats: 29.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.1 assists

His case: He’s averaging a triple-double and remains among the league leaders in those three statistical categories. As the season progresses, his staying power will prove a strong argument for him to rise to No. 1. It’s close between him and Gilgeous-Alexander.

Strange thing, though: Denver has lost three straight despite “The Joker’s” dominance. He’ll need his team to perform better to strengthen his case.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Season stats: 31.7 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists

His case: “The Greek Freak” and his high-level consistency rolls on. His three most recent games captured the essence of his season: 39 points and 12 rebounds against the Blazers, 35-18 against the Jazz and 36-13 against the Clippers.

The Bucks lost two of those games, although that certainly wasn’t Antetokounmpo’s fault. What Milwaukee does, or doesn’t do, at the trade deadline could determine its East seeding.

4. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Season stats: 24.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists

His case: Towns has been steady all season and wears the unofficial title as Best Center In The East, partly because of his stellar play and, to be fair, partly because former Kia MVP Joel Embiid has struggled with injuries and absences.

Towns and the Knicks managed to handle Jokić and the Nuggets on Wednesday.

5. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Season stats: 26.7 points, 9 rebounds, 5.4 assists

His case: Tatum remains one of the premier players in the league, all while doing so for an elite team. That said, his play of late has also reflected that of the Celtics as both appear to have hit a wall.

Tatum is averaging 24 points, eight rebounds and 5.4 assists in January, a bit of a decline from previous months. He’ll need to elevate his play to remain in the top five.

The Next 5:

6. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
7. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
8. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
9. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
10. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets

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Fantasy Leaders

Big Vuc upping his trade value for the Bulls

Overtime Thoughts