Sitting just outside the Play-In picture, the Dallas Mavericks could be on the move 🆙.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Jordan Miller, Larry Hughes, and Keita Bates-Diop! 🎉

Game Recaps

Flagg, Mavericks overtake Warriors in 123-115 Rivalry Week win

Steph Curry (38 PTS, 8-15 3PT) gave it his all last night, but it was his former Splash Brother that saw the win at the end of the day.

Klay hit a few threes in 23 minutes off the bench for Dallas, but the real playmakers in the Mavs’ eight-point win over the Warriors last night were Cooper Flagg (21 PTS, 11 REB) and Naji Marshall (30 PTS, 9 AST, 7 REB), the latter of which tied his season-high scoring total after only missing two shots all night. Max Christie (21 PTS) hit five threes for the Mavericks, who sit just outside the Western Conference postseason picture.

Aside from Steph’s great night, De’Anthony Melton (22 PTS) was the Warriors’ highest scorer, helping keep the Warriors in it off the bench. Golden State and Dallas went back and forth capturing and recapturing five-point leads the entire game, but the Mavs didn’t look back after grabbing the lead a few minutes into the 4Q.

That’s four in a row for Dallas—the longest current win streak in the NBA! Next up: Luka.

Knicks set team record with 54-point margin, beat Nets 120-66

What a way to end a four-game skid!

The Knicks beat their crosstown rivals by 54 points on Wednesday, good for a New York franchise record for most lopsided victory. Jalen Brunson (20 PTS) and Karl-Anthony Towns (14 PTS, 8 REB) led the show, but this was a top-to-bottom effort that saw 13 players get on the board for New York.

The game was historic for the Knicks, but also (sadly) for the Nets. It was the lowest point total for an NBA team in almost a decade, going back to 2016 when the Mavericks put up 64 points in a losing effort to the Grizzlies… who only scored 80! Michael Porter Jr. (12 PTS, 6 REB) led the team in scoring, and Ziaire Williams (11 PTS) was the only other Net in double figures—Brooklyn shot 29.1% from the field throughout the game, including 11-40 from the three-point line.

By the end, the Nets had (obviously) become disheartened enough to barely muster 10 points in the final frame. Sometimes, to Enjoy Basketball, you’ve gotta learn to laugh at the crazy moments.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• Even without Jokic in the mix, a career-high 35 PTS from Peyton Watson last night was enough for the Nuggets to take down Washington 107-97. Led by Kyshawn George (20 PTS, 12 RB, 7 AST), the Wizards got 13+ from all five of George, Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, and Will Riley in the losing effort.

• In a battle of two Texas teams, Alperen Sengun (20 PTS, 13 REB, 9 AST) and the Rockets rallied all the way back from down 16 to the Spurs and won 111-106 after being down by 15+ for virtually the entire second and third quarters. Julian Champagnie had a standout performance for San Antonio, but 0-7 from three from Wemby (14 PTS, 10 REB) made it difficult for the Spurs to keep up with Amen Thompson (16 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST) and Reed Sheppard (21 PTS, 4-10 3PM).

• The Wolves’ defense shined in the first half, but the Bulls got the last laugh with a 120-115 win up in Minnesota—on a good shooting day for Naz Reid (20 PTS, 6 REB, 4 3PM) and the Wolves, Chicago outdid them (17-39 3PT, 43.6%) and was able to pull away with the help of Josh Giddey (21 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST) off the bench in his return from injury.

• Have a day, Immanuel Quickley! The Raptors guard delivered with a 40-point performance that helped Toronto take down Golden State 145-127 in a rematch of the 2019 NBA Finals for Rivalry Week. Buddy Hield (25 PTS) and Jonathan Kuminga (20 PTS) were some of the lone bright spots during a tough day for Warriors fans.

• In Jalen Green’s return from injury (12 PTS), Devin Booker (27 PTS) and the Suns grabbed control of their back-and-forth game against Philadelphia after halftime and cruised to a 116-110 win after that. V.J. Edgecombe had 25 PTS to lead the Sixers, but other than Kelly Oubre (21 PTS, 5-10 3PM), Philly just couldn’t get their three-point shooting going (rest of team 6-24 3PM).

Top Five Friday

After looking at the 2025-26 Most Improved Player race last week, let’s examine the Sixth Man of the Year field, starting with the favorites!

1. Naz Reid (MIN)

The 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year might be adding another trophy to his case.

After taking it all home two years ago and placing 5th last year, Reid is halfway through another incredible season off the bench. He’s become a slightly more aggressive three-point shooter, making him a more efficient scorer inside the arc. Voter fatigue has historically mattered a little less with 6MOTY than with other awards, with Lou Williams notably taking home three Sixth Man awards in five seasons, and Minnesota's competitiveness in the West helps Reid’s case.

2. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (MIA)

Primarily a bench player since the Heat selected him with the 18th pick in the 2023 draft, Jaquez has fully developed into the go-to guy on Miami’s second unit with Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, and Pelle Larsson rotating ahead of him. He’s taken a nice efficiency jump since his sophomore campaign, which, combined with his more aggressive shot-making, has led him to average career highs across the board on offense.

3. Keldon Johnson (SAS)

Johnson started 204 games for the Spurs from 2021 to 2023, but he’s taken on a bench role over the past few years and has seen a huge jump in efficiency because of it—his field-goal and three-point percentages this season are both highs since his rookie year. With the bevy of young talent on this Spurs team, there’s no shame in adapting to a smaller role, especially if the results are like what we’re seeing in San Antonio.

4. Ajay Mitchell (OKC)

Just a sophomore player in the league, Mitchell is the latest “how did OKC get him too” breakout player for the Thunder. He’s only started in 9 of their 43 games so far, but Mitchell is averaging 14 PPG as a great playmaker for OKC’s second unit.

Mitchell left the Thunder’s rivalry week matchup against the Bucks with a hip injury—here’s hoping he makes it back with enough time left in the season to stay in the running!

5. Anfernee Simons (BOS)

After starting in all 178 games he played during his last three seasons in Portland, Simons hasn’t started a single game in his first season in Boston. What he has done, though, is become a more efficient shooter playing around 24 minutes a night off the bench. With the 26-year-old guard playing on the last year of the extension he signed with the Blazers in 2022, this could be an opportunity for Simons to not only get some hardware but also secure another long-term deal.

Honorable mentions: Anthony Black, Reed Sheppard, Collin Gillespie, Jaylon Tyson, Isaiah Stewart

Three in the Key

Signing Off

Happy Friday, Enjoyers. Stay warm this weekend! We’ll catch up with you on Monday.

Austin Zeglis