Victor Wembanyama.
37 points in one half. Fully unreal.
After an Alien domination, Wemby’s back at it tonight as the Spurs visit the Warriors (10 ET, ESPN) to cap a stacked 14-game slate.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Tuesday Highlights: Indy tops NY in OT duel, Wemby goes wild, KD hits milestone, Suns dub
Tonight On ESPN: Knicks face another rival, Wemby eyes a California encore
Kia Rookie Ladder: Coop, Kon and more Castrol Rising Stars surging into Friday’s showcase
Kia Shooting Stars: A fast-paced shooting contest featuring All-Stars, legends and family ties
AT&T Slam Dunk: Meet the dunkers ahead of one of All-Star’s most anticipated events
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Fourteen games tip off tonight, highlighted by an ESPN doubleheader: the Knicks visit the Sixers (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch), followed by the Warriors hosting the Spurs (10 ET | Tap to Watch).
Two Days ‘Til All-Star: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles is just two sleeps away. Follow along in the NBA App for all the latest All-Star buzz.
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Friday, Feb. 13: Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game at Kia Forum (7 ET, ESPN) & Castrol Rising Stars at Intuit Dome (9 ET, Peacock) – secure your tickets here using promo code NEWS26
Saturday, Feb. 14: NBA All-Star Saturday at Intuit Dome (5 ET, NBC & Peacock)
Sunday, Feb. 15: The 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome (5 ET, NBC & Peacock)
Ingram Named All-Star: Toronto’s Brandon Ingram will replace the injured Steph Curry (knee) on USA Stripes in Sunday’s All-Star Game.
1. OT THRILLER AT MSG, WEMBY DOMINATES, ROCKETS & SUNS WIN
The last time the Pacers and Knicks needed overtime at Madison Square Garden, Tyrese Haliburton did this, stunning New York in an improbable rally to swing the East Finals.
Nine months later, the two teams are in different spots. But for 48-plus minutes on Tuesday, back in the Garden and back in OT, Indy reminded its rival that it’s still here.
Pacers 137, Knicks 134 (OT): In a back-and-forth marathon that featured a season-high 39 lead changes, Pascal Siakam’s pull-up jumper put Indiana up 3 with 12 seconds remaining.
But New York clawed back at the line, where Karl-Anthony Towns forced OT by hitting a pair of game-tying free throws with 0.2 ticks left.
The swings only intensified. The Pacers opened OT with an 11-2 run, before the Knicks countered with an 8-0 burst to reignite the Garden, capped by a Jalen Brunson 3 to cut the lead to 1 in the final seconds.
But Indy never wavered, as Quenton Jackson sealed it at the stripe on the ensuing possession to secure a road win that epitomized the Pacers’ resilience. | Recap
“This was a really important game for us,” said Rick Carlisle postgame. “With the season that we’ve had, the environment, the opponent – our guys just had a great collective spirit, and a collective will.”
Pure Pacers: Eight Indy players finished in double figures, led by Siakam (30 pts, 6 reb), Andrew Nembhard (24 pts, 10 ast) and Jackson (19 pts)
Pure Hoops: The 39 lead changes were the most in a Pacers game in the play-by-play era, and Indy’s 9-point lead in OT was the largest of the night
Pure Heart: The win snaps a four-game skid for Indiana, handing New York just its second loss in 11 games
Pure Buckets: Jalen Brunson powered the Knicks with 40 points and 8 dimes, while Josh Hart added a triple-double (15 pts, 11 reb, 11 ast)
Victor Wembanyama invaded Los Angeles last night with one of the most dominant Spurs scoring displays in nearly 30 years.
Spurs 136, Lakers 108: Erupting to reach the 40-point mark for the sixth time in his three seasons, Wemby did enough damage in the 1st half to help San Antonio build a 29-point lead it would never relinquish, improving to 5-0 in February. | Recap
Quick Takeover: Wemby (12 reb, 4 3s, 13-20 FG, 26:06) joined Patrick Ewing and Rik Smits as the only players to ever post 40/10 in 27 minutes or less
“You have to have this greed to want more every time,” Wemby said of his offensive attack…
“At all times – it doesn’t matter who’s on the court – there’s somebody who’s going to want to stop you from doing what you do out there.”
Wemby’s Wild 1st: Victor scored 17 consecutive points during the game’s first 5 minutes on the way to a 25-point quarter (8-9 FG, 3 3s)
It’s the most points for any Spurs player in any quarter since 1997-98
Wemby added 12 points in the 2nd for 37 points before halftime – the highest-scoring half in the Spurs’ play-by-play era and highest-scoring 1st half this season.
Rare First 24: Victor is just the 13th player since 1997-98 with a 37+ point 1st half
The Spurs’ 84 1st-half points were the franchise’s second-most ever since 1997-98 (87 pts in 2021)
As KD continues to climb a mountain of milestones, the Rockets are working their way up the West standings.
Rockets 102, Clippers 95: Kevin Durant scored a game-high 26 points, backed up by Alperen Sengun (22 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast), to outduel Kawhi Leonard (24 pts, 8 reb) and lift Houston to its fifth win in the last seven games and sole possession of 3rd place out West. | Recap
A Career of 20s: KD collected his 1,000th 20+ point game, just the fourth ever to amass that many, joining LeBron, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Suns 120, Mavericks 111: Naji Marshall dropped 31, while Cooper Flagg stayed red-hot (27 pts, 5 reb), but Phoenix’s 36-16 1st-quarter blitz proved too much to overcome, with Dillon Brooks (23 pts) and Devin Booker (19 pts, 6 ast) guiding the Suns to a near wire-to-wire win. | Recap
2. TONIGHT ON ESPN: KNICKS-76ERS, SPURS-WARRIORS
Rivalries underline some of the league’s all-time greatest moments.
The Knicks and 76ers add yet another installment to their 78-year history tonight (7:30 ET, ESPN) as a pair of East contenders. New York sits in 3rd place, while 6th-place Philly is just 3.5 games behind.
Head To Head: In the regular season, the 76ers hold the all-time advantage 266-213, but the Knicks have dominated since 2023-24, winning eight of the last 11
Empire State Of Mind: New York has won nine of 11 games since Jan. 21 while posting a league-best DefRtg of 102.8 in that time
But Philly holds the head-to-head over New York this season, winning two of their three meetings by an average of 10 ppg.
Big Man, Big Numbers: Joel Embiid is averaging 32 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in two games vs. New York this season
Maxey-mum Power: In three games against the Knicks this season, Tyrese Maxey is averaging 29.3 ppg while shooting 53.6% from 3
The second leg of ESPN’s doubleheader (10 ET) features the Spurs at the Warriors. Victor Wembanyama will be in action for San Antonio as he inches closer to his second All-Star Game.
He’ll represent Team World on Sunday, nearly two years removed from leading France to silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He’s the young leader of a French hoops revolution, writes NBA.com’s Shaun Powell:
The league has recognized the richness of international basketball and is using it to revamp the All-Star Game. This year, for the first time, it will be USA All-Stars vs. World All-Stars, with the twin purpose of inspiring competition and saluting globalization.
France will be represented in the All-Star Game by Wembanyama, but multiple others might follow in the ensuing years. | Read More
The Warriors, meanwhile, have found new ways to win without Steph Curry (knee). They’ve responded with 5+ double-figure scorers in all four games of his absence, including seven on Monday to beat Memphis.
3. KIA ROOKIE LADDER: CASTROL RISING STARS SURGE INTO 2026 ALL-STAR
As Friday’s Castrol Rising Stars event nears (9 ET, Peacock), the NBA’s top rookies are playing their best ball, making their mark across the league.
That was evident in the Rising Stars Draft, where the first four picks – Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe and Derik Queen – were all rookies, standing out in a field that featured the league’s top sophomores.
In his latest Kia Rookie Ladder, Steve Aschburner takes a closer look at Flagg and Knueppel, former teammates who have surged to the forefront of a stacked rookie class poised to shine on All-Star weekend:
Dallas’ Cooper Flagg and Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel have been friendly rivals this season, both in pursuing early NBA success and in chasing the top two spots on the Kia Rookie Ladder.
…Their seasons are hardly symmetrical, however. | Read More
Tonight on League Pass, Knueppel takes center stage as Charlotte hosts Atlanta (7 ET), with the Hornets seeking their 10th win in 11 games.
The rookie showcase continues with Queen (No. 4 on the Kia Rookie Ladder) and Jeremiah Fears leading NOLA against Miami (8 ET, LP), followed by Cedric Coward (No. 6) and Memphis visiting Denver (9 ET, LP).
4. ALL-STAR SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT: KIA SHOOTING STARS
All-Star Saturday is just three days away, and the Kia Shooting Stars competition returns with a unique mix of current players, NBA legends and personal connections – from All-Star teammates to family ties – at Intuit Dome (5 ET, NBC & Peacock).
The Format Is Fast: Four three-person teams – each made up of two NBA players and one NBA legend – compete in a two-round, timed shooting contest.
Round 1: All four teams shoot, rotating through seven designated spots around the floor
On The Clock: Teams have 1:10 to score as many points as possible, with all three players shooting at each location in a set order
The Swing Shot: The final shooting location is a long-range 3 worth four points, with teams able to attempt as many shots as possible before time expires
For The Title: The top two teams advance to the championship round, where the team with the highest score wins it all
The Rosters Run Deep: With all three players in the rotation, teamwork is essential – and this year’s squads feature special connections ranging from college pipelines to a father-son trio.
Team All-Star: All-Stars Scottie Barnes and Chet Holmgren, both elite two-way threats, are joined by Rip Hamilton, a three-time All-Star and one of the game’s best off-ball and mid-range scorers.
Team Knicks: Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are the first Knicks teammates to earn All-Star nods in back-to-back seasons since Dave DeBusschere and Walt Frazier in the 1970s.
They’re now joined by former Knicks All-Star and current executive Allan Houston, uniting New York hoops past and present.
Team Cameron: From Cameron Indoor to the bright lights of All-Star Saturday, breakout All-Star Jalen Johnson and rookie Rising Star Kon Knueppel are joined by fellow Duke alum and 14-year NBA vet Corey Maggette.
Team Harper: While Team Cameron shared a college campus, Team Harper shared a home. Five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. teams up with his sons, Spurs rookie Dylan Harper and G League standout Ron Harper Jr., to bring a rare father-sons squad to the All-Star stage.
5. ALL-STAR SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT: AT&T SLAM DUNK LINEUP
We’re just days away from one of the most anticipated events on the NBA calendar: All-Star Saturday’s AT&T Slam Dunk contest.
Let’s take a closer look at the metrics each of these four first-time competitors brings to the throw-down for the dunk throne this weekend.
Meet Carter Bryant: San Antonio’s 14th overall pick in the 2025 Draft has the hops to hang with the best, with the fourth-highest Max Vertical Leap (39.50”) at the 2025 Draft Combine.
Power Rookie: Carter’s best Dunk Score this season has a Power rating of 92.2
Packing The Power: Hayes is the only player with three of the 25 highest Power score dunks this season
More Than Oomph: Hayes also ranks in the top 5 in Hangtime and Style points – for his in-game between-the-legs slam
Meet Keshad Johnson: The 6-foot-6 Heat forward has been known for his long-distance dunks since making a splash in the 2024 NBA Summer League.
Air Keshad: Johnson’s in-game flight against Dallas on Nov. 24 is the 15th greatest distance (9.8 ft) traveled on a dunk this season
Meet Jase Richardson: The Magic rookie wasn’t yet born when his dad won back-to-back Slam Dunk contests in 2002 and ’03. He’ll try to make the duo the first father-son pair to both win the event.
“I feel like I have some stuff that people wouldn’t expect out of me,” Jase said earlier this week. “Especially for my height and my size.”
On Tuesday, the NBA named a judging panel of former Slam Dunk champions for Saturday’s contest, including Hall of Famers Dominique Wilkins and Dwight Howard, along with Nate Robinson and Brent Barry.
NBA ID members will vote for the fifth judging score for each dunk, which will be presented live by NBA ID Member Reps: Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, Druski, or Dude Perfect’s Tyler Toney. Voting for the Member Rep is now open.
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