LA Clippers
fromLos Angeles Times
5 hours agoClippers end losing streak with win over the Pelicans
Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points as the Clippers defeated the Pelicans 137-117, ending a three-game losing streak without trailing at any point.
Brooklyn fell to the Boston Celtics 148-111 at TD Garden, dropping to 15-44 and tying its longest losing streak of the season at seven games, even with a clean injury report on the second night of a back-to-back. The Nets committed just 11 turnovers and shot 48.9%, but Boston shredded them from the perimeter, going 22-for-34 from deep with 39 assists on 52 made field goals.
The Lakers lost 113-110 after Austin Reaves missed a three-point attempt as time expired. Royce O'Neale's three-pointer with 0.9 of a second left sent the Lakers to their third consecutive loss. On the final play, Marcus Smart inbounded the ball and LeBron James and Maxi Kleber set a double-screen to get Reaves open.
Miami was in this game throughout until being outscored 39-24 in a fourth quarter collapse. They were unable to get the necessary defensive stops and the offense went completely cold down the stretch. The Heat now drop to 31-28 overall on the season and get farther behind of 1.5 games to avoiding the play-in picture.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, James Harden added 20 and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a 109-94 victory over the Knicks on Tuesday night. Jalen Brunson had 20 points and Mikal Bridges scored 18 for the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson pulled down 15 rebounds, one off a season high.
After starting off their season with a dismal 4-14 record, the Hornets have turned things around, going 23-17 since then. The play of rookies Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner has been a big part of that.
The Boston Celtics (37-19) are favored (-6.5) to build on a three-game win streak when they visit the Phoenix Suns (33-25) at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at PHX Arena. The game airs on NBCS-BOS, AZFamily, and Suns+. The matchup's point total is 210.5. When: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET Where: PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona TV: NBCS-BOS, AZFamily, and Suns+
The Cavaliers have a 15-26 record against the spread this season when favored by 3 points or more. The Knicks have a 2-3 record against the spread in games they were an underdog by 3 points or more this season. The two teams average a combined 7.7 more points per game, 237.2, than this game's total of 229.5 points.
PHOENIX -- Portland Trail Blazers All-Star guard Deni Avdija left Sunday's game against the Phoenix Suns because of a lower back injury and the team said he wouldn't return to the game. Avdija was listed as questionable coming into the game but decided to play. He lasted just one minute before leaving the court and going back to the locker room.
ATLANTA - Jalen Johnson had 26 points and 12 rebounds and the Hawks rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Brooklyn 115-104 on Sunday for the Nets fourth straight loss. CJ McCollum added 16 points and eight rebounds in his first start since joining the Hawks as part of a trade that sent Trae Young to the Wizards. Jock Landale had 17 points in 16 minutes off the bench, knocking down all three of his 3-point shots.
The Knicks enter this contest following a 108-106 victory against the Rockets on Saturday. The Bulls are coming off of a 126-110 loss to the Pistons in their last game on Saturday. In the win, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 25 points. Josh Giddey scored a team-leading 27 points for the Bulls in the loss.
The Milwaukee Bucks (24-30) will try to build on a three-game winning stretch when hosting the Toronto Raptors (33-23) at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at Fiserv Forum. The contest airs on FDSWI and TSN. The Raptors are coming off of a 110-101 victory over the Bulls in their most recent outing on Thursday. The Bucks enter this game following a 139-118 victory against the Pelicans on Friday.
In games this season they were favored by 3.5 points or more, the 76ers have an 11-6 record against the spread. The Pelicans have a 23-21-1 record against the spread this season when an underdog by 3.5 points or more. The 76ers and the Pelicans combine to average 0.1 more points per game than the total of 230.5 set for this matchup.
The Knicks have played 41 games with more than 216.5 points scored, their current matchup's point total, this season. The Rockets have played in 30 games this season (55.6% of chances) in which the teams combined to score more than 216.5 points. The Knicks and the Rockets combine to average 15.9 more points per game than the over/under of 216.5 set for this game.
The Lakers and their opponent have combined to score over 225.5 points, the current matchup's total, in 38 of 54 games this year. The Clippers have played in 23 games this season (41.8% of chances) in which the teams combined to score more than 225.5 points. The two teams average a combined 2.5 more points per game, 228, than this matchup's over/under of 225.5 points.
The NBA is back from the All-Star break and continues tonight with a full slate of action leading into the weekend. The Mavericks and Timberwolves will both be in action for the first time in over a week and will be looking to pick up a big win to kick off the home stretch of the season on a high note. Let's take a look at some odds, props, and more for tonight's Western Conference matchup.
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Commissioner Adam Silver informed the league's 30 general managers that the NBA intends to implement anti-tanking rule changes as soon as next season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The message wasn't subtle. Silver was described as forceful in stressing the need to safeguard competitive integrity, with league executives continuing a series of conversations that began months ago and have only intensified.
Boston Celtics Kristaps Porzingis made his Warriors debut against the Celtics, who traded him away for salary cap reasons in the offseason. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Jaylen Brown had 23 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for his third triple-double of the season, and the Boston Celtics rolled over a Golden State Warriors team playing without Stephen Curry, 121-110 on Thursday night.
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"To be honest, I've toyed with this and I've talked to some people," Brown said. "Maybe post part of my career, I'd love to partake in something like UFC or even boxing. I've talked to Dana White about some stuff, but we'll see as things go on. We'll see."
The Knicks and Pistons average 12.7 more points between them than the total of 222.5 for this matchup. New York and Detroit have seen its opponents average a combined 1.3 fewer points per game than the point total of 222.5 set for this outing. The Knicks' average total in matchups this season has been 230.4, 7.9 points higher than the total in this particular game. Detroit's games this year have averaged an over/under of 228.7 points, 6.2 more than the point total in this matchup.
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)