Running away with an OT win… and into the Kia MVP Ladder’s Top 5.
Tyrese Maxey separated himself on an action-packed Thursday.
Read on for more Maxey in a first look at Shaun Powell’s MVP Ladder, Thursday’s dominant duos and a nail-biting Battle for L.A.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Dominant Duos: Maxey & Embiid ace OT, 50+ from Wemby & Fox, Murray backs Watson’s career-high
AWS Rivals Week: Kawhi, Clips outlast Luka & LeBron’s late run, Mavs overpower Curry’s 38
Roundup: Bulls rally past Ant, Blazers beat the Heat, Hornets spoil Magic homecoming
Kia MVP Ladder: Maxey’s work in OT win promotes him to Top-5 in exclusive first look
On Prime: Rivals Week doubleheader features Thompson twins’ tussle and Nuggets visiting Giannis
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Schedule Note: Saturday’s game between the Wizards and Hornets in Charlotte will move up to a noon ET tip time due to the severe winter storm warning effecting the East coast.
An AWS Rivals Week doubleheader tips off tonight on Prime as the Rockets visit the Pistons (7 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Bucks host the Nuggets (9:30 ET | Tap to Watch).
All-Star Awaits: Tickets for the 2026 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and Castrol Rising Stars are available now.
The action tips off Friday, Feb. 13, at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA. Use promo code NEWS26 to grab tickets now.
1. DUOS DOMINATE: MAXEY & EMBIID IN OT, WEMBY & FOX, NUGGETS NEW NORM
In a week dedicated to the NBA’s buzziest rivalries, the City of Brotherly Love may have birthed a new one Thursday night.
Sixers 128, Rockets 122 (OT): Tyrese Maxey’s performance (36 pts, 10 ast, 3 stl) and Joel Embiid’s triple-double (32 pts, 15 reb, 10 ast) led Philly on a comeback charge and OT takeover, outdueling Kevin Durant (36 pts, 5 3s) to end Houston’s three-game win streak. | Recap
- Rockets’ Run: In a back-and-forth game where neither team led by double-digits, Houston turned the tables with a 26-8 run across the 3rd and 4th quarters, capped by three Reed Sheppard (14 pts) triples
- Sixers’ Response: Philly closed the 4th on a 16-6 run with 11 points poured in by Maxey to force the extra frame. In OT, Philly outscored Houston, 13-7, with six more from Tyrese
- “It was like a playoff atmosphere,” Maxey said postgame. “The game was physical, we had to play through some adversity… did a good job winning.”
Exactly two years to the day since his 70-point game, Embiid was in rare form with his ninth career triple-double.
- Revisiting History: Joel logged his first 30+ point, 15+ rebound game since that 70-point masterpiece in 2024
- Big Names: This was his third-ever 30/15/10 game, passing Charles Barkley for second-most in Sixers’ history. Wilt Chamberlain (15x) has the franchise record
- “He’s going out there fighting his tail off,” Maxey said of Embiid. “He’s healthy, he’s doing all the right things.”
As for Maxey, read on to Section 5 to find more rewarding reaction to his MVP-like play.
Spurs 126, Jazz 109: De’Aaron Fox (31 pts, 5 ast, 6 3s) led all scorers and combined with Wemby (26 pts, 14 reb, 5 blk) for 57 points, as the Spurs never trailed by more than a possession to best Ace Bailey (25 pts), Jusuf Nurkić (17 pts, 11 reb, 14 ast) and Utah. | Recap
- Top 3: Wemby moved into 3rd place in Spurs’ history with his 43rd career five-block game and trails only David Robinson (214) and Tim Duncan (124)
- Pistol Performance: Nurkić collected his second straight triple-double, joining Pete Maravich as the only players in Jazz history to post consecutive triple-doubles
Nuggets 107, Wizards 97: Peyton Watson’s career-high 35 points (8 reb, 6 3s) and 24 more from Jamal Murray lifted the Nuggets past Kyshawn George (20 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast) and the Wizards to start a three-game road trip with the team’s 30th win of the season. | Recap
- Career-Best Stretch: Watson reached the 30-point mark for the fourth time in his career, and third time since Nikola Jokić’s injury on Dec. 29. Denver is 4-0 in those games
2. AWS RIVALS WEEK: BIG NAMES BATTLE FOR LA, MAVS ANSWER STEPH’S SURGE
AWS Rivals Week rolled into LA for the nightcap, where the league’s leading scorer (Luka) led his team against a rival tied for the most wins in 2026 (the Clippers, 9) in a cross-town battle.
Clippers 112, Lakers 104: Kawhi Leonard (knee) returned with a team-high 24 points and John Collins (13 pts) thrilled the South LA crowd with a dagger 3 in the final minute as the Clippers outlasted Luka (32 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast), LeBron (23 pts, 6 ast) and the Lakers’ comeback attempt. | Recap
- Never Out: Down by 26 points in the 3rd quarter, the Lakers used a 40-19 run — led by Dončić (10 pts) and James (9 pts) — to get within two midway through the 4th
- Final Push: The Clippers responded with a game-deciding 10-0 burst to stay at least a possession ahead the rest of the way
- “We got up 20-something and we knew they were gonna make a run,” James Harden (18 pts, 7 reb, 10 ast) said. “We get more confident. The feeling has always been there, we just continue to grow.”
Over the last 17 games, the Clippers have leapt into Playoff contention with a league-best 14-3 record and the fourth-best offensive and net ratings.
- “We’re coming in with a mindset of trying to stop [opponents],” said Kawhi. “We can get out in transition on the offensive end and get easy baskets.”
From Splash Brothers to rivals, Klay Thomspon (two 3s) welcomed Steph and the Dubs to Dallas.
Mavericks 123, Warriors 115: Naji Marshall (30 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast), Cooper Flagg (21 pts, 11 reb), and Max Christie (21 pts, 5 3s) powered the Mavs to a season’s best fourth straight win despite Steph Curry’s 38-point, eight-triple performance. | Recap
- The Spark: Marshall matched season-highs in scoring and assists, netting 11 points in a pivotal 4th quarter where Dallas hit 11-17 from the field
- Lockdown: Dallas limited the rest of Golden State’s scoring in the 4th, holding the team to 26 points, which was matched by Marshall, Flagg (8 pts) and Christie (7 pts)
- Steph Shines: Curry put the Warriors in control in the 2nd half, with a 13-point 3rd quarter to take the lead, and a 12-point 4th
3. ROUNDUP: BULLS RALLY, BLAZERS STAY HOT, HORNETS CRASH HOMECOMING
Bulls 120, Wolves 115: Coby White (22 pts) and a fresh Josh Giddey (21 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) led Chicago’s seven double-figure scorers on two key rallies, withstanding Minnesota’s 13-0 4th-quarter run and 50 combined points from Julius Randle (30 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) and Anthony Edwards (20 pts). | Recap
Blazers 127, Heat 110: Shaedon Sharpe (27 pts, 7 reb, 4 stl, 5 3s) kept the Blazers rolling, never trailing Bam Adebayo (32 pts, 10 reb) and the Heat by more than five. Portland has won 11 of its last 14 and is over .500 for the first time since Nov. 13. | Recap
- Progress Year: Portland is over .500 through 45 games for the first time since 2020-’21
- Avdija Exits: Deni Avdija added 20 points, but left two minutes into the 3rd quarter due to a back injury
Hornets 124, Magic 97: Brandon Miller (20 pts) led eight double-digit scoring Hornets past Paolo Banchero (23 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast) and the Magic, in Orlando’s first action since its NBA Global Games European tour. | Recap
4. AWS RIVALS WEEK ON PRIME: BROTHERS BATTLE, NUGGETS VISIT GIANNIS
It’s one thing to string together wins. It’s another to do it against the league’s elite.
The Pistons and Rockets have done both.
Since their first meeting on Oct. 24 – a Pistons victory in Houston – both teams have excelled against the NBA’s top teams. Ahead of tonight’s rematch (7 ET, Prime), John Schuhmann lays out why they’re each built for big games:
The Pistons have the best record in the top 16, which includes a 7-1 mark since Nov. 29. They’re 4-1 within the top four in the East, taking three out of four against the Celtics and beating the Knicks by 31 points in their only meeting…
The Rockets are 13-4 against other teams that are currently over .500 … They’re 7-3 on the road against other winning teams, tied with the Nuggets (7-4) for the most road wins within the group. | Read More
Thompson Twins Collide: The matchup also features a special sibling showdown as Houston’s Amen Thompson faces his twin brother, Ausar, with bragging rights on the line.
- “That’s my little bro,” Ausar said Wednesday on facing Amen. “He’s older than me, but I weigh more, so I’m going to introduce him to the weight room.”
On Dec. 29, the Nuggets led the league in scoring, owning the 3rd-best record in the West behind another Kia MVP-caliber season from Nikola Jokić.
Then he went down with a hyper-extended left knee, leaving Denver without its superstar for at least four weeks.
Twenty-five days later, the Nuggets still pace the league in scoring, with four different players averaging double figures in that span – a collective response that’s kept Denver rolling.
- The Catalyst? Jamal Murray (28.2 pts, 8.4 ast), who joins Luka Dončić as the only players posting 28 & 8 since Dec. 30
- The X-Factor? Peyton Watson, whose scoring average has jumped from 10.7 ppg to 23.1 since losing Jokić, combining for 51.3 ppg with Murray
- The Response: Denver held a 1-game lead for 3rd out West when Jokić was injured. Since then, it has gone 8-5, and its 3rd-place lead is at 2.5 games
Tonight (9:30 ET, Prime), the Nuggets will look to grow that lead, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks stand in their way.
Six more games tip off on League Pass, including a 2025 Finals rematch as the Thunder host the Pacers (8 ET).
- Kings at Cavaliers (7:30 ET)
- Suns at Hawks (7:30 ET)
- Celtics at Nets (7:30 ET)
- Pelicans at Grizzlies (8 ET)
- Raptors at Blazers (10 ET)
5. KIA MVP LADDER FIRST LOOK: RAPID RESULTS FOR MAXEY
Every Friday, NBA.com’s Shaun Powell brings a new edition of his Kia MVP Ladder — tracking the twists and turns of the MVP race all season long.
Today, fresh off Thursday’s statement overtime victory over KD’s Rockets, Tyrese Maxey zooms into the Top 5 for the first time this season.
Read more from Powell on the Ladder’s reshuffling — with a first look exclusive for Starting 5 readers:
Maxey’s case: He’s perhaps the most underrated two-way player in the league.
He’s third in the NBA in scoring and minutes per game while ranking second in steals per game. He’s also top-15 in assists, a freshly-named All-Star Game starter, and squarely in the running for an All-NBA spot. He’s also been a fixture on the MVP Ladder, now cracking the top five at No. 5.
In Thursday’s win vs. Houston, Maxey had 17 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He also produced a few key steals in the stretch run and had 10 assists. While Embiid was also impressive with a 32-point triple-double, the former MVP yielded to Maxey on a handful of crucial late possessions, even setting screens for Maxey. | Read more
