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A victory for the Minnesota Timberwolves would push them above even, but the Golden State Warriors are definitely not making it easy for them. Minnesota currently holds a 2 to nothing lead.

On Sep. 9, 2020, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets 96-85 to build a 3-1 lead over the upstart No. 3 seed in their second-round playoff series. Ever since that moment, the Nuggets have owned the Clippers to a laughable degree. They've played 14 games in that span. The Nuggets have won 12 of them. On Sunday, Denver picked up its sixth straight victory over the Clippers, but this was perhaps the most heartbreaking one yet for their wayward rivals.

Damian Lillard became the eighth player in NBA history to top 70 points in a single game on Sunday when he dropped 71 in a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets. The performance is the latest in a string of gems from the Blazers guard. He entered Sunday's game averaging 37.6 points in his past 18 games. Now, that total is even higher. Lillard began the stretch by scoring 50 points in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he reached 60 in a win over the Utah Jazz late in January. With 71, he set a new career-high in points while lifting the Blazers to a critical win over the Rockets.

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Although the San Antonio Spurs were the underdogs at tipoff, they've since taken control of the game. Either team is in a position to win, but they lead against the Utah Jazz 3 to nothing.

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The New York Knicks can't call it a day yet, but they are winning as expected. They currently hold a 5 to nothing lead over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden has stepped up to provide financial and emotional support for one of the victims of the mass shooting at Michigan State University earlier this month that left three people dead and several others injured. 

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful for his team's 2021 NBA Finals rematch with the Phoenix Suns on Sunday due to a right quad contusion. Antetokounmpo suffered the injury in the first quarter of the Bucks' 128-99 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday night -- a result that gave Milwaukee the longest winning streak in the league this season at 13 games. 

The Sacramento Kings outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday in one of the wildest NBA games you will ever see. Double overtime. Final score: Kings 176, Clippers 175. 

You might have missed it since it wasn't nationally televised and didn't end until close to 2 a.m ET, but the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings engaged in one of the most entertaining -- and high-scoring -- games of the regular season on Friday night. The contest was a battle between the current third and fourth seeds in the Western Conference, with Sacramento leading L.A. by two games entering the evening, and the teams certainly played like there was postseason positioning on the line.

The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers resume their regular season schedules after the All-Star break on Thursday evening. The Warriors are 29-29 this season, with the Lakers coming out of the break with a 27-32 record. These teams have split their prior two regular season matchups, with the Lakers winning 109-103 when the two last played on Feb. 11. Stephen Curry (leg), Andrew Wiggins (personal) and Gary Payton II (adductor) are out for Golden State. LeBron James (foot) and Anthony Davis (foot) are listed as probable for LA.

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After a tough loss on the road their last time out, the Utah Jazz look much better today on their home court. They currently hold a 5-4 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Utah Jazz won the Rudy Gobert trade. That much has been clear since, well, the second it was finalized, and as the regular season has gone along, we've gotten numerous reminders. The latest came on Thursday night with Walker Kessler's big-time performance in the Jazz's 120-119 overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kevin Durant is expected to make his debut with the Phoenix Suns on March 1 against the Charlotte Hornets, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. Durant hasn't played since Jan. 8 after suffering an MCL sprain while he was still a member of the Brooklyn Nets. 

As the Atlanta Hawks prepare their search for a new head coach in the wake of firing Nate McMillan on Wednesday, the team is reportedly considering former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, per Marc Stein. Udoka was the head coach of the Celtics last season and was suspended by the franchise for the entire 2022-23 season in September for a reported inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.

The Altanta Hawks fired Nate McMillan on Tuesday, and it was a long time coming. After what was, with the benefit of hindsight, a matchup-friendly and ultimately deceiving run to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals, the Hawks, despite their talented roster that last summer came to include Dejounte Murray, have been one of the more disappointing teams in the league for going on two years now. 

The Chicago Bulls plan to sign veteran guard Patrick Beverley to a contract for the remainder of the season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Per Wojnarowski, the front office is hopeful that Beverley can bring some toughness to the team as they try to get back in the playoff picture.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo traveled to New York to undergo further testing on his injured right wrist on Monday, and the testing revealed a sprained ligament in the wrist, CBS Sports HQ's Bill Reiter confirmed. Antetokounmpo will undergo treatment on the wrist and will miss some games as he deals with the issue. However ,the injury doesn't seem like one that will put his season in jeopardy, which is obviously good news for Milwaukee. 

French phenom Victor Wembanyama is one of the most highly hyped prospects in recent memory, and he's widely expected to be the top overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James knows a thing or two about entering the NBA facing enormous expectations, as he was arguably the most hyped prospect of all time before he was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, and he recently shared some advice for Wembanyama. 

When the NBA announced that the two All-Star Game captains would be drafting their teams minutes before the game started, it created great anticipation around the event. Seeing who would be picked first, last, or how guys would react to which teams they were placed on had great potential for content. While there weren't any outrageous reactions, there was one highlight moment that everyone began talking about as soon as it happened.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo traveled to New York to undergo further testing on his injured right wrist on Monday, and the testing revealed a sprained ligament in the wrist, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Antetokounmpo will undergo treatment on the wrist and will miss some games as he deals with the issue. However ,the injury doesn't seem like one that will put his season in jeopardy, which is obviously good news for Milwaukee. 

G League call-up Mac McClung may have "saved" the NBA Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, but it now appears the NBA All-Star Game itself is in need of saving. Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron, 184-175, on Sunday in Salt Lake City in a game that more closely resembled a layup line or shooting practice than a competitive basketball game between the world's best athletes. The Elam Ending provided a bit of drama in the fourth quarter as Team LeBron attempted to erase a 19-point deficit, but the rest of the game lacked any sort of competitiveness or edge on the defensive end of the court. 

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has had an extremely well-decorated career, and he added some more hardware to his collection on Saturday night. Thanks to some elite sharpshooting over two rounds, Lillard won the 3-Point Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend in Utah. By finishing on top, Lillard became the first player in Trail Blazers history to win the contest. 

For the first time, the NBA invited a G-League player to the Slam Dunk Contest, and for the first time, a G-Leaguer is now the NBA Slam Dunk champion. Mac McClung, recently signed to a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, has spent this season playing for the Delaware Blue Coats, but when he faced off against three NBA players the league chose, he took them down and earned the trophy with four of the best dunks the contest has seen in years.

Mac McClung was regarded as a bit of an odd choice to headline the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night. The 24-year-old guard has played in only two NBA games, neither of which came this season. When his participation was announced, fans even mocked the league for failing to convince bigger stars to the once proud event.

NBA All-Star Weekend is officially off and running with the league's annual Celebrity All-Star Game being the opening event on Friday night in Salt Lake City. And, in the end, it wound up being a close game that provided a number of highlights...mainly from Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. 

"You can't be small and miss 3s," Jose Alvarado said to himself. The 6-foot-nothing guard had biffed a couple consecutively in a shooting drill with the Birmingham Squadron, the New Orleans Pelicans' G League affiliate, and this was simply unacceptable.

The NBA's top young talent was on full display during the Jordan Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend in Utah on Friday night. The format for the annual exhibition has shifted over the years in order to make the game more competitive, and this time around it featured four teams coached by prominent former NBA players -- Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Deron Williams served as coaches for the three teams comprised of NBA rookies and sophomores, while Jason Terry led a squad comprised entirely of G League players. 

Kevin Love is reportedly nearing a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers. When that becomes official, Love will be a free agent with no shortage of suitors. 

Over the last few seasons, young NBA talent has seemingly improved at astronomical rates. In their early 20s (and sometimes teens), players like Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, Trae Young, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Ja Morant have already become All-Stars and, in some cases, the leaders of championship contenders.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo exited Thursday's 112-100 win against the Chicago Bulls after suffering a sprained right wrist early in the second quarter. Antetokounmpo landed awkwardly after attempting to block the shot of Bulls guard Coby White, and after grabbing at his hand for a few moments he exited the game and headed straight back to the locker room.

There have been four Brooklyn Nets players this season to score at least 40 points this season: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Cameron Thomas and now Mikal Bridges. In a 116-105 win over the Miami Heat Wednesday night, Bridges dropped a career-high 45 points to show exactly why the Nets coveted him so much in the blockbuster deal that sent Durant to Phoenix. 

After being selected third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 NBA Draft, Joel Embiid spent the first two seasons of his career in their entirety on the sideline nursing a lingering foot injury. During that time, there were plenty who predicted that Embiid would become the next in a long line of big men whose promising careers were derailed by injury issues, and doubted that he would ever even play in a game -- let alone become a dominant two-way star that you can build a consistent contender around. 

The final member of the Cleveland Cavaliers' championship big three appears to be finally moving out of town. According to The Athletic, the Cavaliers and veteran forward Kevin Love are finalizing a contract buyout that will allow him to become a free agent prior to the league's March 1 deadline to sign with a team and be eligible to participate in the playoffs. 

Who's Playing

Washington @ Portland

Current Records: Washington 26-30; Portland 28-29

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The Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns are all tied up at 2. Nobody has stood out from the pack for the Kings offensively yet.

NBA All-Star weekend 2023 is now just a few days away. The Utah Jazz will play host to All-Star weekend for the first time since 1993. This year's festivities will run from Feb. 17-19, and All-Star Game rosters were unveiled in early February. But one of the most anticipated parts of the weekend is All-Star Saturday Night, which features classic events such as the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest.

This has not been the season that LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets had in mind. Multiple ankle injuries have limited Ball to just 32 games, while the Hornets have the fourth-worst record in the league at 16-43, even after a nice 144-138 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. 

Stephen Curry has been out since Feb. 4 with partial tears in two lower-leg ligaments. The next day, it was reported that Curry would be out for at least a few weeks. On Feb. 9, the Warriors put out a release that Curry would be reevaluated after the All-Star break. 

Despite being in just his third year, Anthony Edwards is one of the most confident players in the league. That quality typically shines through in off-court interviews and on the offensive end, but on Monday night, his belief in his defense helped save the game for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their 124-121 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

When the Lakers sent Russell Westbrook to Utah before the trade deadline, it was never expected that he would stay there. He hasn't officially been bought out by the Jazz yet, but the expectation is that he will be soon, and when that happens, the indication that he will join either the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat. 

Zion Williamson is expected to miss several weeks after the All-Star break with a hamstring strain, New Orleans Pelicans vice president David Griffin told reporters Sunday. Williamson has been sidelined with a hamstring strain since January and was expected to be re-evaluated during the All-Star break. However, it appears his return will be a little bit further down the line after aggravating it. 

After hitting a snag in a proposed trade that would reunite Gary Payton II with the Golden State Warriors, the deal will go through as planned, per The Athletic. The deal was in jeopardy Saturday night after it was reported that Payton's physical post-trade revealed a core muscle injury that could keep him out for up to three months.

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The experts predicted a victory for the Washington Wizards, but it's no sure thing at this point. They currently hold a 2 to nothing lead over the Indiana Pacers.

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Although the Charlotte Hornets were the underdogs at tipoff, they've since taken control of the game. Either team is in a position to win, but they lead against the Denver Nuggets 2 to nothing.

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It's a close one, but it looks like the Sacramento Kings' home crowd might be making the difference. Either squad is in a position to win, but they lead against the Dallas Mavericks 2 to nothing.

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The Memphis Grizzlies typically have all the answers at home, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are posing a tough problem. The Timberwolves currently hold a 3 to nothing lead.

A four-team trade that was in place before Thursday's deadline is in jeopardy due to a failed physical by Gary Payton II, according to a report from The Athletic. Payton was set to go back to the Golden State Warriors, where he won a championship last season, but the exam reportedly revealed a core muscle injury that could keep him out for up to three months.

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The Portland Trail Blazers need a victory to get to even, but right now it could go either way. They currently hold a 2 to nothing lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Newest Dallas Maverick Kyrie Irving could have anticipated many of the questions that would be thrown his way following his debut with his new franchise. What was it like playing with new teammates? How many plays did you learn before taking the court? How has your relationship with head coach Jason Kidd been so far?

The Phoenix Suns are landing superstar Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets for a bevy of players and draft picks in a stunning NBA trade deadline blockbuster, the team announced Thursday. The Suns will send Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap to Brooklyn for Durant and T.J. Warren. Durant had previously asked for a trade during the offseason, but at the time, the Nets did not find a deal for him. He eventually agreed to rejoin the team. The Suns, at that point, were Durant's preferred destination.

LeBron James didn't do it with a sky hook, but the moment was still incredible: With a 15-foot fadeaway in the closing seconds of the third quarter, LeBron became the NBA's all-time leading scorer on Tuesday. 

LeBron James has done it. After 20 years, three teams, four championships and 1,410 regular-season games, King James has passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,388 career points (and counting). Abdul-Jabbar was on hand at Crypto.com Arena to watch the 38-year-old James break his almost 39-year-old record, and fittingly, the new all-time leading scorer in NBA history broke the record in the same Los Angeles Lakers uniform that Abdul-Jabbar once wore.

LeBron James had chased this moment, and one man in particular, for the entirety of his career -- all this with the points piling up, the legacy debates intensifying, that sense of history growing heavier and heavier with every bucket that brought him closer to surpassing that revered and lofty number: 38,387.

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is set for Thursday (Feb. 9) at 3 p.m. ET. This means that trade season is here. Already, there has been one blockbuster -- Kyrie Irving is headed to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching. Teams now have three days to finalize their remaining business before the trade market is closed for the season at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 9. Some teams, like the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks, may look to get things done ahead of time, but others will be working the phones right up until the final minutes. 

Over the years, the Golden State Warriors have been more dependent on Stephen Curry than the whole "Strength in Numbers" mantra would suggest. Even during the Kevin Durant super years, there were two decidedly different Warriors teams: With and without Curry. 

The NBA filled the void left by the absence of NFL football on the Sunday before the Super Bowl, as the Brooklyn Nets traded Kyrie Irving just days after he requested that the organization find him a new home. He's on his way to the Dallas Mavericks, where he'll join forces with one of the league's leading MVP candidates, Luka Doncic. In exchange, the Nets will receive solid role players in Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, along with draft compensation.

The Dallas Mavericks made a major splash in trading for Kyrie Irving Sunday afternoon. Dallas sent Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Irving and Markieff Morris. Irving requested a trade from the Nets just a few days ago after he couldn't agree to a contract extension with the team, an issue that dated back to last summer when he was seeking a max contract extension from the Nets.

The Dallas Mavericks sent shockwaves around the league when they traded for Kyrie Irving Sunday afternoon. Many considered it a forgone conclusion that Irving would go to the Lakers given his prior championship experience playing with LeBron James. However, the Mavericks won out because the Brooklyn Nets viewed their package of Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks as a way to keep the team competitive this season, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, and all day news has been trickling out as to what sparked his latest beef with the organization. 

Kyrie Irving issued the Brooklyn Nets a trade demand on Friday, and Chris Haynes is reporting that his beef with the team -- at least his most recent one -- stems from a championship stipulation Brooklyn included in the contract extension it recently offered Irving. 

Three players have been suspended following Friday's fight between the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA announced Saturday. Mo Bamba has been suspended four games and Austin Rivers has been suspended three. They were the two principle figures in the fight, but Jalen Suggs was suspended one game for escalating the situation. 

Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game after striking Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell in the groin during Cleveland's 128-113 win over Memphis on Thursday night. The league announced the punishment on Friday, with Mitchell receiving a $20,00 fine for his role in the ensuing altercation.

The 2023 NBA All-Star Game reserves were announced Thursday night. Seven additional players from each conference joined the 10 starters to fill out the All-Star rosters, but of course we are all more interested in the guys who got snubbed than the ones who actually made the team. As for the latter, here are your 2022-23 NBA All-Stars.

Jalen Brunson got some bad news on Thursday. The catalyst behind New York's surprisingly successful season got snubbed for an All-Star berth when the reserves were announced, and while Brunson was likely happy to see teammate Julius Randle get the nod, his own case was seemingly stronger. Randle may be averaging more points, but Brunson has scored more efficiently and been a better playmaker. His presence has allowed Randle to play more like the All-Star he was in 2021, yet he was not recognized for his stellar season.

Tari Eason is a good offensive rebounder. He might even be a great one. Among rookies this season, he ranks third with 2.2 of them per game. Alperen Sengun is the only Rocket to pull in more of them thus far this year. But Eason only plays 19.4 minutes per game. He's started only three times in his career. If I were to tell you Eason had one of the greatest offensive rebounding games in the history of professional basketball, you'd probably scoff. But that's exactly what happened against the Thunder on Wednesday.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone will head up Team LeBron James at the NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City later this month. The coach with the best record in each conference leads the All-Star team that corresponds to their conference's top vote recipient from the fans. That means that Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla will lead Team Giannis antetokounmpo, and Malone, as of Wednesday's Memphis Grizzlies loss, has officially clinched the right to coach Team LeBron.

It was a relatively close first quarter, but ultimately, Jayson Tatum came out on top with an 18-16 lead over his Brooklyn Nets opponent -- as in all five of them who were on the floor Wednesday night. It was a shame for Brooklyn, then, that Tatum has teammates.

The Los Angles Lakers couldn't make a 3-pointer to save their life in the first half against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, finishing the first 24 minutes 3 of 17 from downtown. 

LeBron James may be on his way to the most famous record in NBA history as he chases Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring mark, but that doesn't mean he can't hit a few different milestones along the way. James entered this season ranked seventh all-time in assists. He quickly passed the man who recruited him to the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson, and that left him within striking distance of the top five.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been on the wrong end of some high-profile officiating miscues of late. The most recent was LeBron James clearly getting fouled by Jayson Tatum on a game-winning layup attempt against the Boston Celtics on Saturday (which the Last Two Minute Report confirmed the following day), only to have the refs swallow their whistle and allow the game to go into overtime, where the Lakers lost.