NBA roundup: Cavs nip Bucks, remain undefeated
Wed Nov 6 12:13pm ET
Field Level Media
Darius Garland sank a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and set up Jarrett Allen for a layup with 12.2 seconds remaining for the clincher as the Cleveland Cavaliers downed the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 116-114 on Monday.
The Cavaliers equaled a franchise record set in 1976-77 with their eighth straight win to start the season. Cleveland beat the Bucks 114-113 on Saturday when Donovan Mitchell sank a shot with 0.3 seconds left.
Garland finished 39 points to lead the Cavs, with Evan Mobley adding 17 and Jarrett Allen going for 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Milwaukee, which played without star Giannis Antetokounmpo (adductor), lost its sixth game in a row since a season-opening win. Damian Lillard scored 36 points and AJ Green had 21 off the bench for the Bucks.
Kings 111, Heat 110
Domantas Sabonis swished a short put-back in the lane with 0.7 seconds left as Sacramento defeated host Miami.
De'Aaron Fox, whose miss was rebounded by Sabonis, led the Kings with 28 points and DeMar DeRozan added 26. Sabonis had 16 points and game highs in rebounds (16) and assists (seven).
Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro each scored 27 points for the Heat while Bam Adebayo contributed 16 points and nine boards.
Suns 118, 76ers 116
Kevin Durant scored 15 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, including the decisive driving basket with 24 seconds left, as Phoenix rallied for a victory over visiting Philadelphia.
Durant shot 14-for-20 and had six assists for the Suns, who own a five-game winning streak. Durant's heroics capped a game-ending 14-3 run for Phoenix. Tyrese Maxey made six 3-pointers and scored 32 points to lead Philadelphia, which has lost five of six games to start the season.
Former Clippers star Paul George made his 76ers debut and scored 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting. George, who missed a tying 23-foot attempt with 3.4 seconds left, sat out the 76ers' first five games due to a left knee injury.
Clippers 113, Spurs 104
Norman Powell scored 23 points and Amir Coffey added 21 while leading a second-half rally as Los Angeles pulled out a victory over San Antonio for its first win at its new arena in Inglewood, Calif.
Ivica Zubac produced 17 points and 13 rebounds and James Harden added 17 points after a slow start as the Clippers came out on top for the first time in five tries at the $2 billion Intuit Dome.
Victor Wembanyama amassed 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocked shots as the Spurs lost without head coach Gregg Popovich, who is not with the team because of an undisclosed illness. San Antonio led by 26 at the end of the first quarter but couldn't hold on.
Thunder 102, Magic 86
Jalen Williams scored 23 points to help Oklahoma City remain undefeated with a win over visiting Orlando. The 7-0 record marks the Thunder's best start since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.
The Thunder led from wire-to-wire and Orlando never drew closer than 10 points after the first quarter.
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't attempt a shot until nearly nine minutes into the game but still made an early impact with seven first-quarter assists, a career high for a quarter. He finished with 21 points. Franz Wagner paced the Magic with 22 points.
Celtics 123, Hawks 93
Jayson Tatum posted 28 points and nine assists as Boston breezed host Atlanta, which also lost star guard Trae Young to a rib injury.
Derrick White added 21 while Payton Pritchard scored 18 points off the bench as the Celtics won their third straight.
The injury-riddled Hawks, who lost their fifth game in six tries, were led by Jalen Johnson's 20 points and 11 rebounds. Young, who came in averaging 27 points per game, was limited to a career-low two points on 1-for-10 shooting from the field, including 0-for-6 from 3-point land. He played 23 minutes, leaving in the third quarter with a right rib sprain.
Pistons 115, Lakers 103
Jaden Ivey had 26 points and host Detroit surprised Los Angeles, snapping a seven-game losing streak against the Lakers.
Cade Cunningham notched 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the Pistons. Tim Hardaway Jr. supplied 19 points, and Tobias Harris had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 37 points and nine rebounds. LeBron James had 20 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, and Austin Reaves added 17 points.
Warriors 125, Wizards 112
Stephen Curry returned from a three-game absence to score 24 points, new sidekick Buddy Hield provided 20 points and Golden State remained unbeaten on the road with a victory over Washington.
Curry, who sprained his left ankle on Oct. 27 against the Los Angeles Clippers, was 4 of 9 from 3-point range, and Hield went 3-for-8 from deep, helping the Warriors improve to 4-0 on the road.
Jordan Poole scored 24 points and Kyshawn George added 20 but the Wizards lost their second straight game.
Rockets 109, Knicks 97
Alperen Sengun posted a double-double, Fred VanVleet added 19 points and Houston held off a second-half charge from visiting New York.
Sengun paired 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting with 14 rebounds and five assists. Jalen Green had 15 points for the Rockets, who finished with a 62-38 advantage on points in the paint.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points and eight assists. OG Anunoby hit 5 of 6 3-pointers and totaled 21 points while Karl-Anthony Towns produced 17 points and 19 rebounds.
Timberwolves 114, Hornets 93
Naz Reid came off the bench to score 25 points and grab nine rebounds, and Minnesota cruised past Charlotte in Minneapolis.
Anthony Edwards added 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting overall and 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVincenzo scored 14 points off the bench.
LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting. Three Charlotte players, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Tre Mann, scored 10 points apiece.
Jazz 135, Bulls 126
Keyonte George matched his career high with 33 points and John Collins had 28 points and 13 rebounds as visiting Utah topped Chicago for its first victory of the season.
Outscored by 112 points during a six-game losing streak to open the campaign, the Jazz led by as many as 15 against the Bulls, who made a push in the third quarter but couldn't complete the comeback.
Coby White led Chicago with 28 points on 6-of-9 3-point shooting, Ayo Dosunmu added 25 points and Nikola Vucevic had a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Nets 106, Grizzlies 104
Dorian Finney-Smith hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:13 left as Brooklyn outlasted visiting Memphis for its third win in four games.
Finney-Smith scored all 17 of his points in the second half and hit a season-high five 3-pointers. Cameron Johnson and Dennis Schroder each scored a team-high 20 points for the Nets.
Ja Morant had several highlight-reel plays and scored 25 points for the Grizzlies, who had won two straight. Rookie Zach Edey matched Morant's point total to set a career high and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Trail Blazers 118, Pelicans 100
Deandre Ayton had a double-double, Dalano Banton scored all 20 of his points in the fourth quarter and the visiting Trail Blazers pulled away to a victory against the Pelicans.
Ayton finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds, Anfernee Simons scored 24 and Jerami Grant and Toumani Camara had 16 each for Portland.
Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans' leading scorer and the only one of its top five scorers healthy enough to play, had 27 points, Brandon Boston Jr. scored 20.
Nuggets 121, Raptors 119
Nikola Jokic amassed 28 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, Russell Westbrook scored 21 points and host Denver rallied to beat Toronto.
Michael Porter Jr. added 19 points for Denver, which played without Jamal Murray and lost Aaron Gordon to a right calf strain in the first quarter.
Gradey Dick scored 26 points and Jakob Poeltl had 24 points before fouling out for Toronto. RJ Barrett added 16 points and 10 assists but missed a 3-point attempt at the horn that would have won the game.
Pacers 134, Mavericks 127
Myles Turner made five 3-pointers and finished with season highs of 30 points and 11 rebounds as Indiana beat host Dallas.
Tyrese Haliburton had a season-high 25 points and 12 assists for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam scored 23 points.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 34 points, seven rebounds and a season-high 15 assists. Kyrie Irving scored 27 points, and Naji Marshall added 20.
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- Mavs F Cooper Flagg (foot) out through All-Star break
- F Jeremy Sochan waived by Spurs, becomes free agent
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Towns, joined by former Knick Allan Houston, won the 2026 NBA All-Star Shooting Stars event Saturday, outscoring Team Cameron in the final round. The Knicks trio closed with 47 points after posting 31 in the opener to advance. While the exhibition carries no fantasy weight, both stars enter the second half in strong form. Brunson is averaging 26.6 points, 3.0 threes, 4.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.0 steals in 36.6 minutes over his last five games, while Towns has posted 19.4 points and 12.4 rebounds in 28.8 minutes. Their usage keeps Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart in complementary roles.
Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson won the 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, defeating Carter Bryant in the final round. The second-year forward advanced with 92.8 points in the opening round and sealed the title with 97.4 in the finale, edging Bryant despite a 50-point dunk from his opponent. The trophy boosts Johnson's profile, but his fantasy outlook remains unchanged. He is averaging 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 7.6 minutes across 21 games and is not a viable option outside deep formats, with Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins handling steady frontcourt roles.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (Achilles) captured his third career 3-Point Contest crown Saturday, edging Devin Booker in the final round of the 2026 event. The 35-year-old posted 27 points in the opening round and 29 in the championship heat, drilling seven of his final 10 attempts, including a deep logo make. Lillard remains sidelined while rehabbing a torn left Achilles and is targeting a return for the 2026-27 season. His absence continues to stabilize usage for Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson, keeping both firmly rostered in standard leagues.
Phoenix Suns forward Haywood Highsmith agreed to a multiyear contract Saturday, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. The 29-year-old wing is healthy after undergoing knee surgery in August and most recently averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists across 24.6 minutes in 74 games with Miami last season. Highsmith profiles as a defensive-minded depth option behind Royce O'Neale and Dillon Brooks. His arrival could trim a few bench minutes from Amir Coffey or Ryan Dunn, but he remains off the fantasy radar outside deep formats.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (hamstring) will start Sunday's All-Star Game but is expected to play limited minutes in the opening matchup only. The 26-year-old missed the Lakers' final four games before the break with a mild left hamstring strain, though his participation signals progress ahead of Friday's meeting with the Clippers. Doncic averaged 26.0 points, 3.6 threes, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 28.4 minutes over his last five contests. Fantasy managers should anticipate a full workload next week, trimming short-term upside for Austin Reaves and LeBron James.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) stated he feels ready to play. "I feel good. I feel 100 percent," reported the two-time MVP while speaking to the media during All-Star festivities on Saturday. "I'm ready to go. I feel like I can play a game today." Antetokounmpo acknowledged that he still has some "boxes" to check as it relates to working his way back from multiple right calf injuries. However, once players return from vacation, he'll be able to ramp up his activity level. The 31-year-old continues to put up MVP-caliber numbers, averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 boards, 5.6 assists, and a career-high 39.5% shooting from downtown in 30 appearances this season. At this rate, it's realistic to assume he'll be back on the floor before the end of February, barring a setback. In the meantime, Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins are expected to do most of the heavy lifting offensively. Ousmane Dieng, producing a double-double with six assists and four blocks in Thursday's win over OKC, also figures to remain in line for more action.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Riley Minix to a two-way contract on Friday, according to Michael Scotto. Minix began the season on a two-way deal with the San Antonio Spurs. He made three appearances with the team before being waived in December. The Cavs have decided to give the 25-year-old a chance after he posted impressive numbers in the G-League. Minix averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 32.3 minutes in the G-League. He probably won't see much time in Cleveland, but is depth in case injuries start to pile up. For now, Minix isn't someone to bother rostering in fantasy formats.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (hamstring) is on track to play during Sunday's All-Star Game, according to Marc Stein. He's expected to play a short stint in the game after missing the final four games ahead of the break due to a lingering hamstring injury. Doncic reportedly looked good during a recent workout and should be available for his exhibition, barring any setbacks. His role is unlikely to be significant, but basketball fans will be happy to see Doncic involved in any capacity. The fact that he's almost certainly going to play on Sunday should mean that Doncic will play during the first game after the break.
According to Chris Haynes, Toronto Raptors guard Chris Paul has announced his retirement from the NBA after 21 seasons. Paul was waived by the organization after being acquired during the trade deadline. The veteran guard already announced that he's retiring after the season, but he has decided to step away now after being released. Paul was hopeful to retire as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, but that didn't work out as planned. He'll finish his career as a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA point guard, and with nine All-NBA defensive team honors. He'll certainly be a Hall of Famer and will be missed from the game of basketball.
According to Chris Haynes, Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (hand) will undergo season-ending surgery on his finger. LaVine missed the last three games before the All-Star break due to this issue. It appears to be more serious than they expected, and now LaVine won't suit up during the second half of the season. In 39 games, LaVine averaged 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. He has a player option worth nearly $50 million for the 2026-2027 campaign. It's almost guaranteed that LaVine will accept that option, but the Kings might attempt to trade him in the off-season. In the meantime, Nique Clifford should remain in the starting five for the rest of the season. The rookie guard has been inconsistent as a scoring option, but is worth rostering in certain formats with LaVine no longer in the picture.
Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Dallas and is considered day to day after imaging showed no structural damage. He has now missed two straight contests. In his absence on Thursday, Jaxson Hayes started and delivered 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block in 34 minutes, making him the clear streaming option if Ayton remains sidelined. Jarred Vanderbilt can chip in rebounds and defensive stats, but he is a fringe add. Ayton remains a hold in all formats.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James delivered 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in 35 minutes in Thursday's 124-104 win over Dallas, becoming the oldest player to record a triple-double. With Luka Doncic (hamstring) sidelined and Austin Reaves still ramping up, James has steadied the offense and kept the Lakers' role players slotted cleanly. Doncic's eventual return could trim James' usage slightly, but the 41-year-old remains a must-start given his current playmaking spike. Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and Luke Kennard are the most likely to lose touches.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (hamstring) is expected to return Feb. 20 against the Clippers. Coach JJ Redick indicated Thursday that Doncic is trending in the right direction, with the team taking a cautious approach given the soft-tissue nature of the injury. Doncic has missed the last four games. His return would reclaim a 37.7 percent usage role, trimming minutes for Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart, and Luke Kennard. LeBron James and Austin Reaves could see slight usage dips, though both remain strong fantasy plays once Doncic is active.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (elbow) is ramping up, but the team still is not sure he will be ready to play coming out of the All-Star break, general manager Zach Kleiman said Friday. Morant has been sidelined since Jan. 21 with a UCL sprain and is due for a recheck soon. In the meantime, Ty Jerome is the best streamer after logging 19 points and seven assists in 21 minutes Tuesday. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cam Spencer round out the minutes, with steals and assists as their main appeal.
Utah Jazz forward/center Oscar Tshiebwe (concussion) will not return to Thursday's loss to Portland after entering the league's concussion protocol. The two-way big logged five minutes before exiting and has appeared in just three games this season. With Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) out for the year and Jusuf Nurkic (rest) questionable, Utah's frontcourt is thin. Kyle Filipowski stepped up with 15 points, nine rebounds, and six steals in 29 minutes and profiles as the primary beneficiary. Kevin Love could reenter the rotation if Tshiebwe misses time, but Filipowski is the clear fantasy add.
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Naji Marshall (foot) has been ruled out for the remainder of Thursday's game against the Lakers. Marshall produced 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting with two rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 29 minutes before exiting. He was already dealing with the foot issue entering the game, which raises concern about a potential aggravation. If he misses time, P.J. Washington should absorb more frontcourt responsibility, while Caleb Martin (ankle) could see an expanded role if cleared.
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) will not return to Thursday's game against the Lakers. He finished with two points, six rebounds, and one block in 28 minutes before being ruled out late in a 124-104 loss. Dallas is already thin in the frontcourt, so any missed time would tighten the rotation. Marvin Bagley III logged 20 minutes and has produced 16 points and 12 rebounds in one of his last three games, giving him short-term streaming appeal. P.J. Washington could also absorb more small-ball center minutes if needed.
Lakers' F LeBron James recorded a triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 124-104 win over the Mavericks on Thursday, Feb. 12.
Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (knee) has been downgraded to out for Thursday's game against the Jazz. Williams logged five points, five rebounds, and two blocks in 12 minutes Wednesday and remains on a light workload when active. His absence solidifies Donovan Clingan's role as the primary center and could open a few backup minutes for Yang Hansen. Hansen has totaled six points and five rebounds across his last five appearances, limiting him to emergency depth in deep leagues.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (back) has been downgraded to out for Thursday's game against the Jazz. Avdija logged 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists in 27 minutes Wednesday but struggled to 21 percent shooting on 14 attempts. His absence opens usage on the wing, with Vit Krejci a clear beneficiary after posting 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 20 minutes. Sidy Cissoko could also see an expanded run. Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant should shoulder more offensive responsibility, while Avdija remains a hold if this proves short-term.
