The dunk heard ‘round the world and a rally to remember.
It was an instant classic in Berlin, as Anthony Black and the Magic rose above the Grizz for a special win.
Keep reading for more from abroad, a night that kept the comebacks coming, and a first look at the latest Kia MVP Ladder’s new No. 1 – exclusive for Starting 5 readers.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Berlin Magic: A 20-point rally, a poster for the ages and an unforgettable homecoming
West’s Best: Chet anchors, Shai scores as Thunder go off late, and new-look Wemby edges Giannis
Keep Coming Back: Jimmy, Steph and the East’s elite kept the comeback magic going
Roundup: LeMelo outduels Luka, Klay splashes Mavs to season high, Blazers bounce back
Kia MVP Ladder: A new No. 1 on Powell’s latest rankings and two more risers in action on ESPN
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Six games tip off tonight, headlined by an ESPN doubleheader as Tyrese Maxey leads the Sixers against the Cavs (7 ET | Tap to Watch), before Anthony Edwards’ Wolves visit the Rockets (9:30 ET | Tap to Watch).
All-Star Friday Is Calling: Tickets for the 2026 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and Castrol Rising Stars are on sale now.
The fan-favorite events tip off Friday, Feb. 13, at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA. Use promo code NEWS26 to grab your tickets now.
1. THRILLER ABROAD: MAGIC STORM BACK IN BERLIN
The NBA Berlin Game 2026 was already special for Germany – and for three Orlando players returning home.
But with the Wagner brothers and Tristan da Silva back in their native country, and the German faithful buzzing, an early Grizzlies blitz suddenly silenced the crowd.
Then, Magic.
Magic 118, Grizzlies 111: After falling into a 20-point hole before the half, Orlando roared back with a 26-12 3rd quarter to set up an epic 4th, where the Magic led by 10, only for Memphis to reclaim a 3-point edge with 4:05 left.
That’s when it happened. With his team searching for a spark, Berlin product Franz Wagner lit the fuse. First with a game-tying 3, before a tip-in on the next possession to answer Jaren Jackson Jr’s floater.
Then, with the game tied at 107 and Berlin jumping, Anthony Black took flight and blew the top off Uber Arena with a jaw-dropping four-man poster to give Orlando the lead with 2:27 left.
Eighty-seven seconds later, Wagner delivered the dagger – a driving floater to stretch the lead to five before adding two more points at the line to seal a thrilling win. | Recap
- Hometown Hero: Wagner, who fought back to return for Berlin after missing the last 16 games (ankle), finished with 18 points. Thirteen came in the 4th
- Overseas, But Never Over: Moe Wagner (7 pts, 4 reb) and da Silva (8 pts, 4 reb, 4 stl) added 15 more, while Paolo Banchero (26 pts, 13 reb, 4 stl) and Black (21 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast) led the way, securing the Magic’s largest comeback this season
Beyond The Box Score: The Berlin Game didn’t just deliver a thriller – it captured why basketball is a universal connector, bringing together family, fans and hoopers from across the globe.
- Family Love: Moments after the final horn, Moe Wagner made a beeline for the stands – hugging his grandma, mom and dad after a win on home soil
- “Dunk Of The Year!”: Mark Phillips could barely believe Black’s poster in real time. Postgame, Phillips was still buzzing as he caught up with the man himself
- Straight Shook: Candace Parker, Michael Grady and the Prime broadcast booth’s reaction to Black’s slam says it all
- Dirk Reflects: Meanwhile, German legend Dirk Nowitzki took in all the scenes as a Prime analyst for the NBA’s first regular-season game in his home country
- Orlando To Berlin: To wrap the win, Moe and da Silva had one last request for Uber Arena: “play the song!”
Next Stop, London: Orlando and Memphis will run it back Sunday in the NBA London Game on Prime (Noon ET). The matchup offers another global stage – and another chance for moments that resonate beyond the floor.
For Franz, Friday was one of those moments.
- “It’s super special,” said Franz on the Berlin Game win. “Just being in the city the last few days and seeing all the spots where I grew up. Showing my teammates around … it was a memory I’ll never forget.”
2. WEST’S BEST: OKC, SPURS MOVE ON WITH MARQUEE WINS
As much as Opening Night’s Rockets-Thunder double OT thriller was a shootout, last night’s rematch was a defensive slugfest.
Thunder 111, Rockets 91: Up a bucket to start the 4th quarter, OKC stormed away, with the league’s top defense (105 DefRtg) holding Houston’s top-5 offense (119.2 OffRtg) to 16 points in the final frame and just seven 3s overall.
SGA (20 pts, 2 blk) and Chet Holmgren (18 pts, 9 reb, 4 blk) led the Thunder past Kevin Durant (19 pts, 7 reb, 3 stl) for a fifth straight win and a 2-0 mark against the Rockets this season. | Recap
- Champs Close Out: OKC started the 4th on a 20-8 run and held Houston scoreless for three minutes in the middle of the quarter
- Getting 20: After going without a point in the 1st, Shai reached 20 points with just over 3 minutes to play, extending the second-longest 20+ point game streak ever to 112
- “It doesn’t matter how many points you score if you give up just as many on the other end,” Holmgren said post-game of OKC’s defense. “I just try to win the game on both ends.”
“Chet is most definitely an All-Star,” SGA said. “His game translates to winning.
“From the moment he stepped foot on the floor with this basketball team, we’ve been No. 1 seed in the West. And that’s no coincidence.”
Returning home from OKC with one game lost to the Thunder in the standings and lots of hair lost to the barber, Wemby and the Spurs were ready for a fresh start.
Spurs 119, Bucks 101: Wembanyama edged Giannis (21 pts), scoring 22 points in 22 minutes, including 11 in a pivotal 3rd quarter that expanded a 13-point lead to 37, as the Spurs stopped a two-game skid. | Recap
- “He might be the toughest guy to guard in the league,” Wemby said of Giannis. “It’s got to be a team effort.”
- Mission: Accomplished for the Spurs, who held Giannis to 7 points on 3-7 shooting after the 1st quarter
- Backcourt Bunch: The Spurs’ guards trio of Stephon Castle (19 pts, 10 ast), De’Aaron Fox (18 pts) and Dylan Harper (13 pts, 5 ast) backed Wemby up with 50 points and 19 assists
San Antonio now has its best start (28-13) through the first half of a season since 2016-17
3. COMEBACKS CONTINUED: DUBS, PISTONS & C’S KEEP RALLY MAGIC GOING
Matching Orlando’s overseas tone, the comebacks continued stateside, with Golden State mounting its largest of the season.
Warriors 126, Knicks 113: Leading scorer Jimmy Butler (32 pts, 8 reb, 2 stl) combined for 59 with Steph (27 pts, 7 ast) as the Dubs erased a 17-point 1st-quarter deficit for their 10th W in the last 14 games. Moses Moody chipped in 21 points on seven 3s. | Recap
- “They came out with unbelievable energy,” Curry said of New York. “They were knocking shots down, but our identity showed up. With Jimmy leading the front, they brought us back and gave us life.”
- Proud Pau: Two-time NBA champ and Warriors’ mentor Pau Gasol is all of us reacting to this Steph splash
- Miles McBride (25 pts, 6 ast, 6 3s) matched his season high in scoring, and OG Anunoby (25 pts, 5 reb) matched him to lead the Knicks without Jalen Brunson (ankle)
- Tricks & A Tribute: Before the win, Steph wowed the crowd, debuted a new trick shot, and touched on Charlotte’s plan to retire his dad Dell’s #30 jersey
Facing Phoenix, Detroit dug deep for its biggest comeback since opening week.
Pistons 108, Suns 105: Detroit’s second-ranked defense (109.6 DefRtg) locked in for the 2nd half to help erase a 16-point deficit, holding Phoenix to 15 4th-quarter points and bouncing back for a fourth win in five games. Duncan Robinson (19 pts) led Detroit’s scoring spread. | Recap
- Few Clouds: Grayson Allen (33 pts, 5 reb, 3 blk, 7 3s) led the Suns without Devin Booker (ankle), who lost consecutive games for first time since Dec. 14
To beat the Heat, JB and Boston teed up a young addition’s best game in green.
Celtics 119, Heat 114: Anfernee Simons scored 18 of his season-high 39 points in the 4th quarter, where the Celtics completed a 23-7 run to erase a 19-point deficit and take their first lead since it was 4-3, as they outlast Miami and snap a two-game skid.
Boston gets by New York, courtesy of the Dubs’ comeback, for sole possession of 2nd place in the East, returning to where they finished last season. | Recap
- Anfernee’s History: Simons becomes the third player in Celtics history to record 35+ points and 5+ 3s off the bench, joining his teammate Payton Pritchard and Todd Day
- Green Leader: Jaylen Brown (27 pts, 7 reb) netted 15 points in the 3rd quarter to jumpstart Boston’s comeback run
- Heat Check: Norman Powell led Miami with 26 points, with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro adding 22 apiece
Thursday was just the second day this season to feature three or more 15+ point comebacks across the slate.
4. ROUNDUP: HOLLYWOOD HORNETS, HIGH-SCORING MAVS
Hornets 135, Lakers 117: LaMelo Ball (30 pts, 6 reb, 11 ast, 9 3s) ran wild as four high-scoring Hornets overpowered Luka and LeBron’s 68 combined points, sending the Lakers to a fourth loss in five games. | Recap
- Ball-in’: LaMelo surged in the 2nd half for 27 of his 30 points and eight of his season-high nine triples, as Charlotte withstood 19 1st-quarter points of Luka magic
- Hives’ Hundred: Brandon Miller (26 pts, 5 ast, 2 blk), Miles Bridges (25 pts, 8 reb, 5 3s) and Kon Knueppel (19 pts, 7 reb) backed Ball, with the four combining for 100 points
Mavericks 144, Jazz 122: Playing without Cooper Flagg (ankle), Dallas splashed a season’s best 144 points to silence Utah, with season highs from Klay Thompson (26 pts, 6 ast, 6 3s) in points, threes and assists. | Recap
- Splash Time, All-Time: Klay’s second triple shot him past Damian Lillard (2,804) for 4th on the all-time made 3-pointers list
- Back-To-Back Brice: Sensabaugh followed up Wednesday’s career-high 43 points with 27 to lead the Jazz
Blazers 117, Hawks 101: Shaedon Sharpe (24 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast) led the Blazers without Deni Avdija (back) and Jerami Grant added 16 points in his first game since Dec. 18 (calf) as Portland topped Onyeka Okongwu (26 pts, 9 reb, 3 stl, 5 3s) and Atlanta to win its sixth game in the last eight. | Recap
5. KIA MVP LADDER FIRST LOOK: A NEW NO. 1 & MORE RISERS ON ESPN
There’s a new name atop Shaun Powell’s Kia MVP Ladder – one that’s awfully familiar.
This week, the reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander climbs back to No. 1 for the first time since November, the latest reward for a season defined by nightly control, consistent buckets and wins that keep stacking up.
Powell breaks down the movement – and why Shai once again sets the standard in his MVP race:
For much of the season, he trailed in the Kia Race for the MVP behind the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić.
For the last few weeks of December, his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, looked ordinary, a far fall from their 24-1 start.
In such situations, a player can go with the flow — or reignite the show.
Gilgeous-Alexander awakened and chose greatness. And because of that, there’s a new No. 1 on the MVP ladder, and it’s the player who finished No. 1 on last year’s ladder. Read More >>.
Two more of Powell’s top-10 candidates take the national stage tonight on ESPN as Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey look to keep their cases climbing in marquee matchups.
Cavaliers at 76ers (7 ET): Philly’s just 2.5 games back of the 2nd-place Celtics in the East, with Maxey leading the charge. He continues to score at a career rate (30.5 ppg), ranking 3rd in the NBA, and he’s doing it while logging more minutes than anyone else (39.4 mpg).
- Backcourt Bout: Tonight, he’ll duel Donovan Mitchell for the second time in three days as Philly seeks a bounce-back win over Cleveland
Wolves at Rockets (9:30 ET): Minnesota is tied with OKC for the best record in the NBA since Thanksgiving (17-6), and Edwards has been feasting, posting 29.5 ppg while shooting 42.3% from 3 in that span.
- Ant vs. Idol: Tonight, he’ll face Kevin Durant, his favorite childhood player, as the Wolves look to stay rolling against the Rockets
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