Houston’s radar expected Rockets. It found a UFO instead.
Alien activity ignited a Spurs rally in an epic Round 3 of the cross-state rivalry.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
National Shine: Wemby & Castle shine in Houston, Cavs top Lakers in LeBron’s emotional homecoming
East Streaks: Four straight dubs for the Hawks, Knicks & Hornets, and a new No. 2 in the East
Roundup: Steph climbs all-time scoring list (again), Wolves win, Pacers prevail, Magic end skid
Prime Doubleheader: Sarr leads Wiz vs. Bucks, SGA duels Ant in West Finals rematch
League Pass Spotlight: Stewart’s edge, Flagg & Knueppel’s first showdown and more
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Thursday delivers eight matchups, including a Prime doubleheader as the Bucks visit the Wizards (7 ET | Tap to Watch), before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder meet Anthony Edwards’ Wolves in a 2025 West Finals rematch (9:30 ET | Tap to Watch).
All-Star Friday 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. ON ESPN: SPURS RALLY IN HOUSTON, CAVS SPOIL LEBRON’S RETURN
Last night’s action wrapped with a showdown of two Texas-sized contenders looking to gain an edge, and a tale of two halves.
Spurs 111, Rockets 99: Victor Wembanyama (28 pts, 16 reb, 5 blk) led all scorers, fueling San Antonio’s dominant 4th quarter rally, scoring the first eight points in the final frame to put the Spurs ahead for good and get a 2-1 edge over Houston this season. | Recap
- Liftoff: Shooting over 41% from distance in the 1st half, Houston held a game-high 16-point lead with 3:22 until halftime
- Wind Shift: San Antonio ended that half on a 7-0 run, a sign of things to come after the intermission
- Closeout: The Spurs won the 2nd half 57-37, locking in defensively for a 27-13 4th quarter where Houston shot 4-of-23 and was held without a field goal for the first 6 minutes
- Alien Activated: Wemby surged for 17 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in that 2nd half takeover
“It comes down to stops,” Stephon Castle (16 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) said of the Spurs defense. “Our energy just went down the line, and it showed in the 2nd half.”
The win came in Wembanyama’s 150th career game, providing fresh context for some of his most other-worldly stats.
- The Wemby Line: Since his debut in 2023-24, there have been just 10 player performances of 25+ pts, 15+ reb and 5+ blk. Wembanyama claimed his fourth of those 10 last night
- Alien & Admiral: Victor has totaled 3,440 pts, 1,631 reb and 520 blk in his 150 games. The only other player to match these numbers since 1973-74 is fellow Spurs top pick David Robinson
“I’m trying to do things on the court that nobody does, so I have to work in a way nobody does,” Wemby told Inside The NBA after the game.
Amen Thompson (25 pts, 7 reb), Kevin Durant (24 pts, 6 ast) and Alperen Sengun (18 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) led the way for Houston.
LeBron James’ first game back in Cleveland in over a year opened with emotion.
It ended with an emphatic Cavs win.
Cavaliers 129, Lakers 99: A tribute video celebrating James’ time in The Land brought him to tears, but once the game tipped, Wednesday night belonged to the Cavs.
Donovan Mitchell (25 pts) and Jaylon Tyson (20 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) led the charge, as Cleveland used a 42-22 3rd quarter to balloon a 2-point halftime lead into a 30-point win over James (11 pts, 5 ast), Luka Dončić (29 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) and Los Angeles. | Recap
- Winning Ways: It’s the Cavs’ fifth straight dub, their longest win streak of the season. In that span, Mitchell has averaged 32.6 ppg, while Cleveland has allowed just 101.4 ppg
- “Our intensity level – on both ends of the floor,” said Mitchell on the key to the run. “And this guy [Tyson] has been phenomenal.”
- The Guy: Monday was Tyson’s 10th straight game in double figures, extending a career-best streak. During that run, he’s averaging 18.3 ppg and Cleveland is 8-2
- Full Circle: A late Bronny James jam (8 pts, 3-3 FG) drew a roar from the Cleveland crowd before he splashed two more 3s in the arena where he grew up watching his father play
- “It was pretty cool sitting over there and watching him continue to live out his dream,” said LeBron on Bronny postgame. “Super cool. My mom is here watching her son and her grandson … it’s so surreal.”
2. EAST STREAKS: HAWKS, KNICKS & HORNETS STAY WINNING
The Cavs aren’t the only East squad stacking wins.
Hawks 117, Celtics 106: Everything was falling for Nickeil Alexander-Walker (21 pts, 5 3s), including this wild left-handed 3, while Jalen Johnson did it all (19 pts, 14 reb, 7 ast) to beat Jaylen Brown (21 pts, 7 reb) and Boston, marking Atlanta’s fourth straight W. | Recap
- All Over: Through 45 games, Johnson leads the Hawks in points (1,030), rebounds (472) and assists (366)
- Special Season: Only three other players have tallied 1,000+ pts, 450+ reb and 350+ assists through the first 45 games of a season: Nikola Jokić (5x), Russell Westbrook (1x) and Oscar Robertson (4x)
Speaking of four straight…
Knicks 119, Raptors 92: In a top-4 East showdown, the Knicks used a 25-4 3rd-quarter surge to race past the Raptors for their fourth win in a row, fueled by Mikal Bridges (30 pts), OG Anunoby (26 pts, 5 ast, 6 stl) and Josh Hart (22 pts, 6 ast, 2 stl). | Recap
- Complete Effort: Karl-Anthony Towns was a monster on the glass (8 pts, 22 reb), while Jalen Brunson steadied the ship (13 pts, 4 ast)
- From 4 To 2: With the win and the Celtics’ loss, New York jumped both Toronto and Boston for 2nd place in the East
- East Crunch: Cleveland, in 5th place, is one game behind New York
And make it four straight for Charlotte, too.
Hornets 112, Grizzlies 97: Brandon Miller (26 pts, 4 3s) and Miles Bridges (20 pts, 8-11 FG) were feeling it, Moussa Diabaté dominated inside (18 pts, career-high 19 reb) and the Hornets never trailed in the 2nd half for their fourth straight win. | Recap
- Buzzing: It’s Charlotte’s 20th win of the season, eclipsing its win total from 2024-25 with 34 games left
3. ROUNDUP: STEPH RISING UP SCORING LIST; WOLVES, PACERS, MAGIC WIN
Steph Curry just keeps climbing.
Warriors 140, Jazz 124: Entering the night tied with Paul Pierce on the all-time scoring list, Curry took sole possession of 19th place with a game-high 27 points, while Moses Moody added 26 to power Golden State past Brice Sensabaugh (22 pts) and Utah. | Recap
- Automatic: Steph went 7-of-14 from the field while hitting four 3s. In Year 17, he leads the league with 4.5 treys a game, at a 39% clip
- On The Rise: Curry, who entered the all-time scoring list’s top 20 on Sunday, is posting 30.3 ppg over his last three outings, capped by two dubs
- Still In Awe: For Warriors coach Steve Kerr, it still hits the same: “He’s remarkable.”
- Young Jazz Flash: Keyonte George (7 reb, 7 ast) and rookie Ace Bailey (7 reb, 4 ast) each added 19 points for Utah
Wolves 118, Mavericks 105: Julius Randle (31 pts), Naz Reid (23 pts, 8 reb) and Anthony Edwards (20 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) combined for 74 points as Minnesota never trailed after the 1st quarter. P.J. Washington (21 pts, 7 reb) led all Dallas scorers as Cooper Flagg (ankle) sat out. | Recap
Pacers 113, Bulls 110: Aaron Nesmith (14 pts) scored the go-ahead bucket with 13.9 seconds left and blocked Coby White’s attempted response to secure Indy’s 4th-quarter comeback, fueled by 13 of Pascal Siakam’s team-high 20 points. | Recap | Fantastic Finish
Magic 133, Heat 124: After a back-and-forth 1st half, Orlando took off with a 40-20 3rd quarter, flipping a 9-point halftime deficit to an 11-point lead they’d never relinquish.
Paolo Banchero (31 pts, 12 reb) led the Magic, fueling the 3rd-quarter burst with 13 points in the period. | Recap
- Climate Control: The win snaps a four-game skid for Orlando as it sweeps the season series against Miami, 4-0
4. PRIME DOUBLEHEADER: THUNDER-WOLVES, WIZARDS-BUCKS
Something more than numbers distinguishes star players.
One signature trait? Rising to the occasion when their teams need them most
That much has been true for Anthony Edwards.
Tonight (9:30 ET, Prime), he can continue to build his stardom when the Timberwolves host the reigning champion Thunder.
- Big Stage: This marks Edwards’ ninth game this season against a top-six squad in the West. Overall, Minnesota has played in 13 such games against the West’s top-six teams
- Bigger Performer: The three-time All-Star has averaged 33.5 ppg in those situations, outdoing his career-high mark of 29.7 in 2025-26
Now, another star-studded team — and another bona fide star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — stands in his way
- Storm Breaker: In the Wolves’ two matchups against the Thunder this year, Ant posted 28.5 ppg while shooting 50% on 3s
- The Storm: SGA has posted 37.5 ppg and shot 53.3% from the field in their meetings this season, including a 40-piece on Nov. 26
- Back And Forth: Edwards holds the all-time edge in their head-to-head (10-8), but there’s been no consecutive wins for either side during the last eight
The action on Prime gets underway even earlier (7 ET) as the Wizards host the Bucks after Washington recently halted its nine-game skid
- Wall of Sarr: In his second season, former No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr has 2.2 blocks per game, trailing only Victor Wembanyama’s 2.7
- Sizzling: He’s scored 24+ points in three of his last four games and is fresh off a 29-point, 12-rebound, 6-block performance that powered Washington past Portland
- Strong Support: Fellow sophomore Kyshawn George owns 15.6 ppg compared to 8.7 in 2024-25, while 6th overall pick Tre Johnson ranks 2nd among rookies with a 39.8 3P% (min. 100 3PA)
5. LP SPOTLIGHT: DETROIT’S ANCHOR, FLAGG & KNUEPPEL COLLIDE
Top of the East. Top of John Schuhmann’s Power Rankings. Top defense since the New Year.
All three apply to the Pistons, whose defensive identity is anchored by Isaiah Stewart, a fearless shotblocker who epitomizes Detroit’s toughness, writes The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson:
Aside from Stewart’s advanced and traditional stats that illustrate how effective he is as a shot blocker, he has a distinguishing quality that’s a prerequisite for most elite shot blockers. It’s a key component in his desire to continue putting himself in a position to send shots away at the rim.
It all boils down to fearlessness in the paint. | Read More
Tonight on League Pass (9 ET), Stewart and Detroit look for a seventh win in eight games against Phoenix in a clash of elite defenses, as the Suns rank 5th in points allowed this season.
Another League Pass spotlight shines on Dallas, where Steve Aschburner’s Kia Rookie Ladder leaders are set to share the floor for the first time.
A Blue Devil reunion in Dallas. Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg, Duke teammates and the top two Ladder rung-holders, are scheduled to clash for the first time as young NBA stars when the Hornets face the Mavericks at American Airlines Center (8:30 ET, NBA League Pass). | Read More
Four more games tip off on League Pass, including KD’s Rockets looking to stay hot as they visit the Hawks (8 ET).
- Kings at 76ers (7 ET)
- Heat at Bulls (8 ET)
- Nets at Nuggets (9 ET)
