Bears

The NBA has officially announced the player pool for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Game, showcasing the league&rsquo;s top young talent as part of NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
The event, which is set for Friday, Feb. 13 at the Intuit Dome, will feature a mini-tournament format pitting future stars against each other in front of a global audience.&nbsp;
The 28-player pool consists of the brightest NBA rookies, sophomores, and G League standouts who will be drafted into four teams to compete in the Rising Stars showcase. Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches, while Austin Rivers will lead the G League squad.&nbsp;
Among the top young NBA talents included in the Rising Stars roster are:
<h3>Rookies</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sophomores</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kel&rsquo;el Ware (Miami Heat)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)</li>
</ul>
<h3>NBA G League Players</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Yanic Konan Niederh&auml;user (San Diego Clippers)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Format &amp; Details</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Rising Stars event will feature a four-team mini-tournament, with three teams made up of NBA rookies and sophomores and one team of G League standouts.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The draft to assign players to each roster will be televised live, with each honorary coach selecting their squad.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The tournament&rsquo;s semifinal games are played to 40 points, with the championship game played to 25 points, providing a fast-paced display of elite young talent.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Game promises to be a highlight of NBA All-Star Weekend, spotlighting the next generation of star talent &ndash; from high-impact rookies like Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe to emerging sophomores and G League standouts ready to stake their claim on the big stage.

The NBA has officially announced the player pool for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Game.

NBA reveals 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Game roster ahead of All-Star Weekend

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

The past two national champions will meet when Connecticut visits Kansas as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle next season.
The announcement Thursday of the fifth year in the scheduling alliance comes four days after the Huskies beat San Diego State for the NCAA Tournament title. Kansas, the 2022 champ, lost in the second round in a record 33rd consecutive tournament appearance.
The Huskies-Jayhawks meeting highlights the Dec. 1 slate of games. Houston visits Xavier in a meeting of Sweet 16 qualifiers while St. John&rsquo;s will be at West Virginia and Iowa State at DePaul.
The first two games are Nov. 30, with Texas Tech visiting Butler and Elite Eight participant Creighton going to Oklahoma State.
Texas, coming off its first Elite Eight trip since 2008, and Oklahoma are part of the schedule in their final Big 12 season before joining the Southeastern Conference.
The Red River rivals both play Dec. 5, with the Longhorns at Marquette and former coach Shaka Smart while the Sooners are home against Providence.
The other Dec. 5 games are Seton Hall at Baylor and Villanova at Elite Eight qualifier Kansas State. TCU is at Georgetown on Dec. 2.

The past two men's national champions will meet when Connecticut visits Kansas as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle next season.

UConn-Kansas highlights Big East-Big 12 slate next season

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Keyontae Johnson scored 25 points, Markquis Nowell added 14 points and 10 assists, and No. 14 Kansas State followed a long first-half slump with a big second-half run to beat ninth-ranked Baylor 75-65 on Tuesday night.
Cam Carter added 10 points for the Wildcats (21-7, 9-6 Big 12), who trailed 34-31 at the break before their 18-4 charge gave them control. They coasted from there to a school record-tying seventh win over a ranked team this season.
Keyonte George hit six 3-pointers and scored 23 points for Baylor (20-8, 9-6), which had won seven of its last eight against the Wildcats and three straight in Manhattan. LJ Cryer added four 3s and finished with 16 points.
The game was a rematch for Bears coach Scott Drew and Kansas State counterpart Jerome Tang, who spent 19 years on Drew&rsquo;s bench. And it was every bit as wild as the Wildcats&rsquo; 97-95 overtime win in early January.
NO. 8 TEXAS 72, NO. 23 IOWA STATE 54
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice and Tyrese Hunter each scored 15 points and Texas raced away from Iowa State with a big first half to keep the Longhorns at the top of the Big 12.
Texas (22-6, 11-4) is tied with No. 3 Kansas for first place with three games left in the regular season. The Longhorns haven&rsquo;t won even a share of the league crown since 2008.
Osun Ossunniyi scored 12 points to lead the Cyclones (17-10, 8-7), who beat Texas in their first matchup.
NO. 10 MARQUETTE 73, NO. 19 CREIGHTON 71
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Tyler Kolek&rsquo;s short jump shot gave Marquette the lead with 29 seconds left, and the Golden Eagles took a huge step toward the Big East regular-season title with a win over Creighton.
The Golden Eagles (22-6, 14-3) saw a 10-point lead with eight minutes left evaporate before Kolek came up big during a wild finish before a sellout crowd at CHI Health Center.
Kam Jones led Marquette with 19 points and Kolek and Oso Ighodaro added 18 apiece.
Baylor Scheierman had 18 points to lead the Bluejays (18-10, 12-5). Ryan Nembhard added 16.
NO. 25 TEXAS A&amp;M 68, NO. 11 TENNESSEE 63
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) &mdash; Wade Taylor IV scored 25 points, including four free throws down the stretch, and Texas A&amp;M extended its winning streak to six games.
Julius Marble added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Aggies (21-7, 13-2 Southeastern Conference), who haven&rsquo;t lost since Jan. 21.
It&rsquo;s the fourth loss in five games for the Volunteers (20-8, 9-6), with their only win in this stretch coming in a 68-59 victory over then-No. 1 Alabama on Wednesday.
Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler had 14 points each for Tennessee.
NO. 13 MIAMI 76, VIRGINIA TECH 70
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Norchad Omier had 17 points and 14 rebounds as Miami won its seventh straight.
Nigel Pack added 16 points for the Hurricanes (23-5, 14-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who placed five players in double figures. Isaiah Wong finished with 13 points and Jordan Miller had 11 for Miami, which shot just 42.2% (27 of 64) after leading the ACC at 48.7 percent coming into the game. The Hurricanes helped themselves with 14 offensive rebounds.
Sean Pedulla led Virginia Tech (16-12, 6-11) with 17 points. Hunter Cattoor finished with 15 points for the Hokies, who shot 46.7% (28 of 60).
VILLANOVA 64, NO. 16 XAVIER 63
CINCINNATI (AP) &mdash; Justin Moore scored 25 points to give Villanova its biggest victory under first-year head coach Kyle Neptune.
Cam Whitmore added 11 points for the Wildcats (14-14, 8-9 Big East) who dealt a big blow to the Musketeers&rsquo; Big East title hopes.
Souley Boum led Xavier (20-8, 12-5) with 17 points. Jerome Hunter added 14 and Jack Nunge scored 12.
MICHIGAN STATE 80, NO. 17 INDIANA 65
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Tyson Walker shook off a slow start to score 23 points and lifted Michigan State in its first home game since last week&rsquo;s shootings on campus that killed three students and hospitalized five students.
The Hoosiers (19-9, 10-7) relied heavily on Trayce Jackson-Davis, as usual, and he had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Michigan State&rsquo;s A.J. Hoggard had three turnovers early in the game, then didn&rsquo;t have another turnover and finished with 22 points and five assists. Joey Hauser and Malik Hall each scored 10 points for the Spartans (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten), who have won three of their last four games.
Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 16 and Trey Galloway had 11 points for the Hoosiers.
NO. 22 SAN DIEGO STATE 77, COLORADO STATE 58
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Jaedon LeDee scored 14 points and Matt Bradley scored 10 of his 13 in the first four minutes of the second half for San Diego State, which overwhelmed Colorado State for its fifth straight win.
Bradley, SDSU&rsquo;s leading scorer, appeared to hurt a finger on his left hand and was subbed out during a timeout with 7:47 left and the Aztecs leading 69-48. He returned with 4:55 to go but didn&rsquo;t play the final two minutes.
Micah Parrish added 12 and Lamont Butler and Darrion Trammell had 11 each for SDSU (22-5, 13-2 Mountain West), which solidified its lead in the conference race. The Aztecs have won nine of their last 10 games dating to an 82-76 overtime win at Colorado State on Jan. 18.
John Tonje scored 18 and Isaiah Rivera 15 for the Rams (12-16, 4-11), who have lost seven of nine.&nbsp;

A recap of Tuesday night's action in men's college hoops a battle of top-15 squads in a crucial Big 12 matchup.

No. 14 Kansas State beats No. 9 Baylor with big second half

There are many "what-if" scenarios throughout NBA history. It's always fun to discuss these hypotheticals that could've had an enormous impact on the NBA landscape. In order to discuss some of the best "what ifs" throughout NBA history, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
What is your favorite "what-if" scenario in NBA history?&nbsp;
Alex Kennedy: The first thing that pops into my head is, &ldquo;What if the Thunder&rsquo;s Big Three of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden had stayed together?&rdquo; How many championships would they have won? Would KD have remained in Oklahoma City? Sure, Westbrook and Harden may not have become the MVP-caliber players we know today, but that group definitely would&rsquo;ve been fun to watch in their collective prime. However, since that&rsquo;s one of the most obvious NBA-related what-ifs, I also want to bring up a lesser-known scenario. Entering the 2012 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans (who were the Hornets at the time) had the No. 1 pick and the No. 10 pick. Anthony Davis at No. 1 was a no-brainer, but they had a decision to make at No. 10. According to a source in New Orleans&rsquo; front office, the team&rsquo;s top option throughout the process was a guard from Weber State: Damian Lillard. Initially, due to his age and mid-major school, Lillard was being projected as a late-lottery pick, so he was a realistic target. The Pelicans loved the idea of landing their big man of the future and point guard of the future. They had zeroed in on Lillard, but once he shot lights out at the NBA Combine and started dominating pre-draft workouts, his stock started soaring. He eventually climbed all the way up to No. 6, where the Portland Trail Blazers selected him. New Orleans settled for a different scoring guard instead: Austin Rivers. In 2014, Lillard confirmed to <a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_705225d3-c9e0-525e-bde0-92505557c7a7.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NOLA.com</a> that he initially thought he&rsquo;d end up in New Orleans: "I knew they had the 10th pick in that draft. That was within the range I could have gone in. In my head, it was like, 'They're going to draft AD and I could be the point guard.' Me and him talked... That was definitely what I was thinking could happen at that time." If this happened, does AD stay in New Orleans long-term? Are they a perennial contender? We&rsquo;ll never know, but it&rsquo;s fun to imagine that incredible one-two punch.
Nekias Duncan: If the prompt was &ldquo;biggest,&rdquo; I&rsquo;d be inclined to bring up the health of one Tracy McGrady because it&rsquo;s a shame that he could never completely put it together. But that&rsquo;s depressing. I&rsquo;ll stick with McGrady, though: what if Doc Rivers doesn&rsquo;t botch the Tim Duncan meeting in 2000 &mdash; or schedules it at a different time, whatever &mdash; and we get a McGrady-Duncan-Grant Hill trio in Orlando? Having McGrady and Hill dazzle in the open floor while Duncan brings it home in the half-court seems like a formula for success.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Moke Hamilton: Probably gotta go with Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s game-winning three-pointer over Steph Curry in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Had he missed, the 73-win Warriors&rsquo; legacy would&rsquo;ve been completely different and LeBron James may have never left Cleveland. Could he leave without winning a title after writing the &ldquo;I&rsquo;m Coming Home&rdquo; piece in Sports Illustrated? If Kyrie still ended up leaving &mdash; and it stands to reason he would&rsquo;ve &mdash; could LeBron have been trapped in Cleveland? Hell, had the Warriors won that series, would Kevin Durant still have signed there? What if he stayed in Oklahoma City? I mean&hellip; there was so much fallout from that shot, so it&rsquo;s an easy answer for me, all things considered.
Spencer Davies: This may sound a little biased (and it probably is because this is the last season that I was a diehard fan), but I always think about the end of Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors in 2016. It was exciting as is, with the infamous sequence: The Block by LeBron James on Andre Iguodala, The Shot by Kyrie Irving over Stephen Curry and The Stop by Kevin Love against Curry to secure the Cavs&rsquo; first championship. But what if the basketball gods would&rsquo;ve allowed a fourth part of that chain of events: The Dunk. Or if you really want to describe it honestly, The Poster. As the Cavs were up 92-89 with 18.7 seconds left in the game, Irving received the inbound pass and took it up the right side of the court. He drew a defender and left the lane wide open for a diagonally-cutting LeBron, who rose up with the most purpose we&rsquo;d seen since his first stint with Cleveland. The moment was tailor-made for the history books, as Draymond Green attempted to contest LeBron&rsquo;s slam way too late and came within inches of being on the receiving end of an eternal highlight reel. Instead, LeBron took it inside with so much force that it ricocheted off the iron, and he ended up actually hurting his own wrist as a result. Had that dunk actually happened, it would&rsquo;ve been one of the best punctuations on a championship victory in NBA Finals history in an already unprecedented 3-1 series comeback. Somewhere in an alternate universe or different timeline, LeBron&rsquo;s title-winning exclamation point exists.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v95Dhj0AUyg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Ethan Fuller: Quiz your friends with this one: Who is believed to be the all-time leading scorer in pro basketball history? It&rsquo;s Oscar Schmidt, who racked up over 49,000 points between his Brazilian national team and club careers &mdash; but never played in the NBA. Schmidt is the all-time leading Olympic scorer with 1,093 points, and once scored 46 to help Brazil beat the United States in the 1987 Pan-American games. He was a 6-foot-8 forward and three-point marksman who averaged a ridiculous 42.0 points per game in the 1988 Olympics. Would he have been able to make the successful transition to the NBA? We&rsquo;ll never know, but it&rsquo;s worth shouting out one of basketball&rsquo;s underrated legends.
Check out some of our other NBA Roundtables including:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-former-player-would-fit-perfectly-in-todays-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Which player from a previous era would fit perfectly in today's NBA?</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-is-the-most-untouchable-player-in-the-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who is currently the most untouchable player in the NBA?</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-has-the-best-young-core" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Which NBA team has the best young core?</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-contract-is-the-biggest-bargain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Which NBA contract is the biggest bargain?</a>

What are the most interesting "what-ifs" in NBA history? BasketballNews.com's writers share their thoughts.

Roundtable: What is your favorite 'what-if' scenario in NBA history?

The NBA's top playoff seeds, Philadelphia and Utah, are on the brink of being eliminated.
The 76ers have blown leads of 18 and 26 points in back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Hawks, who now lead the Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-2. Atlanta, the No. 5 seed, can clinch the series at home on Friday night after storming back for an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-ec1ad1137276c4e61ebc246a4c51f59f">improbable 109-106 win</a> on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
&ldquo;Our backs are against the wall right now and we have to play like it,&rdquo; said Philadelphia's Tobias Harris.
Seth Curry said the 76ers should not have psychological scars from losing big leads in back-to-back losses.
&ldquo;It shouldn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re grown men over here. Watch the film and learn from it and bounce back.&rdquo;
Led by Trae Young, the Hawks are attempting to advance to a conference final for only the second time since moving to Atlanta in 1968. The Hawks were swept by Cleveland in the 2015 conference final. The Hawks won their only NBA championship in 1958, when the team was based in St. Louis.
Hawks coach Nate McMillan says he knows Friday night's game will be a new challenge.
&ldquo;I think you expect them to be certainly more aggressive,&rdquo; McMillan said Thursday of the 76ers. &ldquo;They are in a do-or-die situation. Their season ends if they don&rsquo;t win the game. We definitely expect them to come out with that sense of urgency and play aggressive and just really leave everything out on the floor. I will be challenging our guys to do the same.&rdquo;
The Jazz also facing a must-win game as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Despite playing without Kawhi Leonard, who was held out with a knee injury, the Los Angeles Clippers took a 3-2 lead in the semifinal series with a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-jazz-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-98eb2a83a60c5972d444d9fb47884d47">119-111 win</a> on Wednesday night. The Clippers can clinch the series at home on Friday night.
The Clippers, who moved to Los Angeles in 1984, have never played in the conference final. They are 0-5 in conference semifinal series in Los Angeles. The team also never played in a conference final as the San Diego Clippers (1978-84) or Buffalo Braves (1970-78).
The Clippers seemed to be on a path to continue their inglorious playoff history when they suffered what seemed to be a devastating injury to Leonard, who was averaging 30.4 points in the playoffs.
Instead, Paul George was dominant, scoring 37 points with 16 rebounds and five assists to give Los Angeles the series lead. He became the first player in Clippers history to have at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.
&ldquo;I thought this was our toughest matchup this postseason,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;This was our biggest game of our season, especially being down our best player.&rdquo;
76ERS AT HAWKS
Game 6, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The spotlight entering the series was on the Hawks' defensive challenge against 76ers center Joel Embiid. The Hawks still struggle to contain Embiid. Even so, perhaps the biggest difference-maker of the series has been Young, who had 39 points on Wednesday night, including 25 in the second half.
While Young sank 17 of 19 free throws, Philadelphia's Ben Simmons made only 4 of 14 and has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-nba-sports-f166a6bb9c86ff8be1c1af2e70d48cd6">made only 22 for 67</a> from the line this postseason. Simmons' glaring and unprecedented weakness has made him an easy foul target during Atlanta's comebacks.
The Hawks have reason to be confident despite splitting their first two home games against the 76ers. The Hawks are 22-3 at home since Feb. 21, including a streak of 13 consecutive wins.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Philadelphia's scoring balance. Embiid scored 39 points and Curry had 36. No other 76ers player had a field goal in the second half.
&ldquo;Those two guys had it going and that was the offense we went to right there,&rdquo; Harris said.
Curry had four of Philadelphia's modest total of only five field goals in the final period. Simmons attempted only four shots from the field in the game, making two. Harris made only 2 of 11 shots for only four points.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Embiid, who spent time in the locker room in the first half of Game 4, played 39 minutes on Wednesday night. His production again calmed concerns that a cartilage tear in his right knee would limit his effectiveness.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: The 76ers. A loss in the conference semifinals would be a huge disappointment for the coach Doc Rivers and the 76ers. Simmons could face a long offseason if he can't fix his free-throw woes.
Rivers said he wants Simmons to remain aggressive and not hesitate to drive to the basket, even if those plays lead to free throws.
Rivers said he's not happy if Simmons stops driving to the pain. &ldquo;But when you start struggling with your free throws, you tend not to drive,&rdquo; Rivers said.
Despite the back-to-back losses, the 76ers are favored by three points by <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/830.1/10107.3">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>.
JAZZ AT CLIPPERS
Game 6, 10 p.m. EDT, ESPN
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Clippers are showing their knack for rallying in a series. They beat Dallas in seven games after falling behind in the series 2-0 and then also lost the first two games to Utah.
George held the spotlight, but the Clippers enjoyed strong balance. Marcus Morris scored 25 points and Reggie Jackson added 22.
The Jazz are favored by two points by <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/830.1/10107.3">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>. The line certainly reflects the Clippers loss of Leonard in Game 4.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Terance Mann needs to repeat his solid performance. Filling in for Leonard, Mann made his first career start in a playoff game and had 13 points and two steals. He played 26 minutes.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Leonard will be held out again. The team says he has a sprained knee. His availability for a possible Game 7 remains unknown. Mike Conley (strained hamstring) missed his fifth straight game for the Jazz and has not been ruled out.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: The Jazz need their scoring leader, Donovan Mitchell, to reclaim his outside touch. Even with Bojan Bogdanovic scoring 32 points while making nine 3s, Utah still needed more offense as Mitchell made only 4 of 14 3s and scored only 21 points while playing on a sore right ankle. He averaged 41 points in two wins to open the series but has lacked his usual explosiveness the last three games while limited by the nagging injury.
The Jazz made only six field goals in the third period and played from behind the full final quarter.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The NBA's top playoff seeds, Philadelphia and Utah, are on the brink of being eliminated.

Top seeds Jazz, 76ers facing elimination games in semifinals

The Dallas Mavericks are poised to add another chapter to the Los Angeles Clippers' playoff misery.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-philadelphia-76ers-washington-wizards-nba-sports-703e395837b181e3ca2ff6daa737a5e2">With everyone in the NBA</a> focused on fan misconduct, the Clippers find themselves in a familiar position after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-dallas-mavericks-health-coronavirus-pandemic-nba-699937e10673b330f10829d20a53bf92">losing the first two games</a> at Staples Center.
Now, as the best-of-seven series shifts to the Lone Star State, the Mavericks can deliver a potentially decisive blow in Game 3 on Friday night.
No team has overcome a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs. The Clippers are hardly a candidate to break that trend, facing a first-round elimination for the fourth time in six years.
"We&rsquo;re nowhere yet," Dallas' Kristaps Porzingis said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a good step for where we want to go. But there&rsquo;s still more to do. We have to keep our heads in the right place and on to the next one.&rdquo;
Also Friday, the Atlanta Hawks get their first home playoff game since 2017 when they take on the Knicks after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-new-york-knicks-nba-sports-406e5cb2482b1c0f08665ff4e0169abf">splitting the first two contests</a> in New York, while the Brooklyn Nets look to go up 3-0 on the Celtics when the Eastern Conference series shifts to Boston.
The Hawks-Knicks series was marred by an ugly incident in Game 2 when <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1397766076839206914">a fan spit on Atlanta star Trae Young</a> while he was preparing to inbound the basketball in the fourth quarter of New York&rsquo;s 101-92 win.
&ldquo;&ldquo;It's unacceptable. I don't even understand it,&rdquo; Atlanta's John Collins said. &ldquo;You come to arena to watch a basketball game, where does it come into your mind to spit at someone? It's so disrespectful.&rdquo;
That wasn't the only misbehavior in the stands on Wednesday.
<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1397721494466215937">A fan dumped popcorn</a> on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook as he was leaving a game at Philadelphia with an ankle injury. In Utah, three fans were tossed from a game against Memphis.
The Jazz did not reveal specifics of the incident, but Grizzlies guard Ja Morant &mdash; who had family at the game &mdash; said the three people &ldquo;just went too far.&rdquo;
The Knicks, 76ers and Jazz issued apologies and banned those involved, while players across the league again raised concerns about their safety in a sport where fans sit right next to the court.
The issue is heightened even more as the coronavirus pandemic eases across the United States, prompting teams to open their arenas to the largest crowds of the season.
The NBA said that rules surrounding fan behavior will be &ldquo;vigorously enforced&rdquo; through the rest of the playoffs.
&ldquo;The return of more NBA fans to our arenas has brought great excitement and energy to the start of the playoffs, but it is critical that we all show respect for players, officials and our fellow fans,&rdquo; the league said.
The Clippers will be dealing with a large, boisterous crowd in Dallas, where more than 15,000 fans are expected for Game 3.
That doesn't bode well for Los Angeles, which parted with coach Doc Rivers after an upset loss to Denver in the second round of last years playoffs. With Tyronn Lue now on the sidelines, nothing much has changed for the Clippers.
The franchise, which started as the Boston Braves in 1970 and also had a stint in San Diego, has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs.
Friday&rsquo;s games:
KNICKS AT HAWKS
Series tied 1-1. Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT, ESPN.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Knicks rallied from a double-digit deficit in Game 2 thanks to a dominating performance on the boards. They outrebounded the Hawks 54-41, leading to a big edge in second-change points.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Knicks G Derrick Rose. The former MVP is averaging 21.5 points a game off the New York bench.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Both teams are healthy beyond long-term injuries.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Collins. The Hawks forward was held scoreless in Game 2, playing less than 15 minutes because of nagging foul trouble. He must do a better job coping with New York's physical play and gripes about the officiating.
NETS AT CELTICS
Brooklyn leads 2-0. Game 3, 8:30 p.m. EDT, ABC.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: Nets G Kyrie Irving will be playing in front of fans in Boston for the first time since leaving as a free agent in 2019 following two seasons. Alluding to the troubles in New York and Philadelphia, Irving said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just looking forward to competing with my teammates and hopefully we can just keep it strictly basketball, there&rsquo;s no belligerence or any racism going on, subtle racism and people yelling (stuff) from the crowd."
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Nets F Joe Harris. While Brooklyn's Big Three of Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden gets most of the attention, Harris is the league's most accurate 3-point shooter. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-state-wire-new-york-knicks-brooklyn-nets-boston-celtics-nba-d705e0d92d419307494180470346ff4d">He tied a franchise record</a> with seven 3s in Game 2.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Nets F Jeff Green will have to sit out at least 10 days with a bruised left foot.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Celtics F Jayson Tatum has missed 15 of his last 18 shots from the field and managed only nine points in Game 2 before a poke to the eye forced him to the sideline. His eye is doing much better &mdash; and Boston needs him to play much better to have any chance.
CLIPPERS AT MAVERCIKS
Dallas leads 2-0. Game 3, 9:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Clippers' franchise has never won a playoff series after losing the first two games.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Mavericks G Luka Doncic, as always. The All-Star averaged 35 points over the first two games.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Mavericks F Maxi Kleber has been bothered for weeks by sore right Achilles tendon. He managed to go 34 minutes in Game 2, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: The Clippers to come out with a much greater sense of urgency. Dallas got off to a strong start in each of the first two games, putting Los Angeles on its heels.
__
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Clippers will be dealing with a large, boisterous crowd in Dallas, where more than 15,000 fans are expected for Game 3.

Clippers look to avoid another playoff meltdown vs. Mavericks

In Los Angeles, there is an unquestioned, A-1 superstar in Leonard. His presence both instantly made the Clippers a title contender and also eventually ruffled the feathers of some teammates because of the preferential treatment showed to him from top to bottom.
Players like [Patrick] Beverley, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams &mdash; Clippers bedrocks before the arrival of Leonard and George &mdash; bristled when Leonard was permitted to take games off to manage his body and to live in San Diego, which often led to him being late for team flights, league sources said. The team also allowed Leonard to dictate to Rivers when he could be pulled from games, among other things. Lue was on Rivers&rsquo; bench for all of this, but the Clippers were Rivers&rsquo; show.
Source: <a href="https://theathletic.com/2141520/2020/10/15/in-tyronn-lue-the-clippers-found-a-familiar-coach-who-can-bring-needed-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Vardon and Jovan Buha of The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS: It was only a matter of time before a story came out about last season's Clippers, right? Such is the standard practice of when one door closes, another opens. Whether we find out that that Leonard's treatment was more preferential than others is true or not, we do know that Lue will have the task of checking everyone's ego at the door.

A few of the pre-Kawhi Leonard Clippers were reportedly bothered by his preferential treatment due to his superstardom.