https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/det.png

Pistons

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

After a long four-month offseason, the 2023-24 NBA season officially kicks off on October 24. Preseason action is currently underway, with teams evaluating their roster and getting ready for the start of the regular season.
There were a few roster rule changes of note this offseason that were introduced as part of the new CBA. Now, each team can sign up to three two-way players (up from two) who are able to play up to 50 games with their NBA team and spend the rest of their season in the G League. Also, offseason rosters were originally limited to 20 players but have since increased to 21.&nbsp;
Each team needs to be at 15 standard contracts prior to the start of the season, which means a few players on guaranteed deals will have to be cut prior to the season. While some teams have a pretty set roster, others (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) will be forced to part ways with talented players to reach their roster limit.&nbsp;
Looking at the Atlantic Division, let's see how each team&rsquo;s lineup is shaping up and what questions they may need to answer before the start of the season.
(This is part one of a six-part series, with more divisional previews coming soon).
<h1>BOSTON CELTICS</h1>
Outside of the top-six players, who will be the most reliable depth option?
After acquiring Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics may have the best top-six of any team in the league. While we can add the Holiday trade to their list of aggressive offseason transactions, their depth has taken somewhat of a step back.&nbsp;
They will have to replace four rotation players from last year&rsquo;s Conference Finals team with a few players who don&rsquo;t have much experience in playoff situations. Three players who should definitely see more minutes are Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet. Pritchard has played well on both ends of the floor when given an opportunity, notably shooting 40% from three-point range over his first three seasons. The Celtics rewarded him with a team-friendly extension that should see him take up about 5% of the salary cap over the next four years. Hauser has also been a stellar three-point shooter, knocking down 42% since coming into the league.&nbsp;
The frontcourt is probably the most notable weakness on the team&rsquo;s depth chart. Joe Mazzulla has expressed confidence that <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/10/7/23907608/boston-celtics-depth-sam-hauser-luke-kornet-payton-pritchard-joe-mazzulla-blake-griffin-bus-one-boys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kornet should be successful on both ends of the floor and will be their go-to backup center to start the season.</a> The preseason will be important in determining who else (i.e. Oshae Brissett, Jordan Walsh, Svi Mykhailiuk, etc.) may stand out for Mazzulla and get an opportunity for playing time behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Celtics have the least amount of players on guaranteed contracts in the league (10). However, their roster for opening night is likely set unless they want to open up flexibility to sign other veteran players or buyout candidates later this season. If they choose to cut someone, it would very likely be a player on a non-guaranteed deal. Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton each have a partial $200,000 guarantee that increases to over $1,000,000 if they make the roster. Kornet, Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens all have non-guaranteed contracts.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 19 players (10 guaranteed, 2 partially guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 1 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jrue Holiday, G/F Jaylen Brown, F Jayson Tatum, F/C Al Horford, F/C Kristaps Porzingis
Projected Rotation Players: G Derrick White, G Payton Pritchard, C Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed), F Sam Hauser, F Oshae Brissett
Projected Reserves: F Jordan Walsh, G/F Svi Mykhailiuk ($200K guaranteed), F Wenyen Gabriel (non-guaranteed), G Dalano Banton ($200K guaranteed), F Lamar Stevens (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-Way Players: C Neemias Queta, G JD Davison, G Jay Scrubb (Injured)
Projected Roster Cuts: G DJ Steward (Exhibit-10)
<h1>BROOKLYN NETS</h1>
What is Ben Simmons' role?
Ben Simmons has only played 42 games since being acquired by the Nets in February 2022, dealing with physical and psychological hurdles that have made him somewhat of an afterthought. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has expressed confidence that Simmons is now 100% healthy and ready to contribute again at a high level.&nbsp;
He seems to be penciled in as the team&rsquo;s starting point guard, starting in the Nets&rsquo; first preseason game. Though it was just a small 14-minute sample size, Simmons looked a lot like his former All-Star self. Having not played since February 15, he looked athletic, aggressive and confident before sitting out the second half.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He attacked the rim, I think he played with pace, looked pretty natural out there getting up and down the floor, communicating with guys into the flow of the game,&rdquo; Vaughn said, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/ben-simmons-passes-eye-test-in-nets-preseason-opener/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising his $38-million man</a>. &ldquo;Really good to see.&rdquo;
Vaughn has some options when it comes to starting lineups where he could go smaller, with a backcourt of Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie, or decide to start Dorian Finney-Smith and use Mikal Bridges as a big two-guard.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
Darius Bazley, Harry Giles and Trendon Watford are all on non-guaranteed deals and are vying for the final two roster spots. The Nets also have an open two-way spot, which I believe they could potentially use on a player like <a href="https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/mens-basketball/kennedy-chandler-starring-in-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League standout</a> and former Memphis Grizzlies second-rounder Kennedy Chandler.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 18 players (13 guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 2 two-way)
Projected Starters: G/F Ben Simmons, G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Mikal Bridges, F Cameron Johnson, C Nicolas Claxton
Projected Rotation Players: F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Royce O&rsquo;Neale, G Cameron Thomas, G Dennis Smith Jr., C Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe
Projected Reserves: G/F Lonnie Walker IV, C Noah Clowney, F Dariq Whitehead, F Darius Bazley (Non-Guaranteed), C Harry Giles (Non-Guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: G Armoni Brooks, F Jalen Wilson, G Kennedy Chandler* (Projected Signing)
Projected Roster Cuts: F Trendon Watford (Non-Guaranteed)
<h1>NEW YORK KNICKS</h1>
Who will be the first option off the bench?
New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has his fair share of options to headline his second unit. In his third year, Immanuel Quickley had his best season to date, finishing as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award behind Malcolm Brogdon. Quickley was the primary scorer for the second unit, but he shouldn&rsquo;t have to carry the entire load on offense with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo.&nbsp;
DiVincenzo impressed last season with the Golden State Warriors as a reliable bench shooter and should spot minutes for Quentin Grimes and R.J. Barrett when offensive pushes are needed. Josh Hart could also be the team&rsquo;s sixth man, just like he was during the Knicks&rsquo; playoff run. After being traded from Portland, Hart averaged 30 minutes per game despite coming off the bench most of the time. It is worth noting the Knicks-Villanova connection between Hart, DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson, who should fit seamlessly together on the floor thanks to their pre-existing chemistry. While unlikely to be the first off the bench, Isaiah Hartenstein also deserves mention since he has been one of the league&rsquo;s better backup centers and could see more time if Mitchell Robinson gets in foul trouble. In terms of rotation issues, Thibodeau should see this as a good problem to have regardless of who he brings off the bench first.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Knicks have three spots up for grabs between Ryan Arcidiacono, DaQuan Jeffries, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr. All are on non-guaranteed deals that won&rsquo;t be fully guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date on January 10.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (12 guaranteed, 4 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jalen Brunson, G Quentin Grimes, G/F R.J. Barrett, F Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson
Projected Rotation Players: G Josh Hart, G Immanuel Quickley, G Donte DiVincenzo, C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Miles McBride
Projected Reserves: G Evan Fournier, C Jericho Sims, F Isaiah Roby (non-guaranteed), G Ryan Arcidiacono (non-guaranteed), G/F DaQuan Jeffries (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: F/C Nathan Knight, G/F Dylan Windler, F Jaylen Martin
Projected Roster Cuts: G Duane Washington Jr. (non-guaranteed), G Charlie Brown Jr. (Exhibit-10), F Jacob Toppin (Exhibit-10)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/embiid332.jpg" alt="" width="672" height="440" />
<h1>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h1>
Will Tyrese Maxey become more of a creator and how can that adjust the rotation?
The Sixers&rsquo; ceiling is contingent on how much Tyrese Maxey can improve this season. Maxey hasn&rsquo;t needed to be the team&rsquo;s primary distributor since James Harden joined the team, allowing him to blossom into a reliable 20-PPG scorer. Regardless of whether Harden&rsquo;s trade situation is resolved, Maxey will need to become a better creator and distributor if he wants to take his game to the next level. Prior to Harden&rsquo;s arrival, Maxey had an impressive 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio despite his small frame and risk-averse tendencies.&nbsp;
Interestingly, team president Daryl Morey has held off on giving Maxey an extension this offseason, electing to wait until next summer to pay his budding young guard. Maxey will likely demand near max-level money that could harm Philly&rsquo;s flexibility to go after star players next offseason. If he can improve his ball-handling and distribution tendencies, the Sixers&rsquo; offense should benefit tremendously, helping the offensive output of players like P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed and easing the reliance on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Patrick Beverley.
Roster Decisions
Two players will likely be fighting for the Sixers&rsquo; final roster spot. The team re-signed veteran Danny Green, who played for the team from 2020 to 2022, to a non-guaranteed deal. They also brought over young big Filip Petrusev, who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2021. Petrusev signed a multi-year deal that was partially guaranteed for $559,782 this season and non-guaranteed next year. Although unlikely, the 76ers could also elect to waive Montrezl Harrell despite his deal being fully guaranteed, as he should miss this season with a torn ACL.
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (14 guaranteed, 1 partially Guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Tyrese Maxey, G James Harden, F P.J. Tucker, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Projected Rotation Players: G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, G Patrick Beverley, F/C Paul Reed, F/G Kelly Oubre Jr., F Danuel House
Projected Reserves: C Mo Bamba, F Furkan Korkmaz, G Jaden Springer, G/F Danny Green (non-guaranteed), C Montrezl Harrell (injured)
Projected Two-way Players: G Terquavion Smith, G Ricky Council IV, F Azuolas Tubelis
Projected Roster Cuts: F/C Filip Petrusev ($559,782 guaranteed), G David Duke Jr. (Exhibit-10), G Javonte Smart (Exhibit-10)
<h1>TORONTO RAPTORS</h1>
What style does Darko Rajakovic bring to Toronto and who will benefit the most?
New coach Darko Rajakovic inherits an interesting Raptors team with plenty of talent, but they may be facing a crossroads in terms of how successful they can be as a group. Rajakovic is in his first NBA head coaching gig after three seasons as an assistant with the Grizzlies and is known around the league as a pick-and-roll guru.&nbsp;
The idea of the Raptors being a primary pick-and-roll team became less appealing when they were unable to retain Fred VanVleet in free agency, replacing him with a less reliable shooter in Dennis Schr&ouml;der. Instead, Rajakovic will likely rely on Schr&ouml;der and his newly paid center Jakob Poeltl for more ball movement and playmaking. Rajakovic compared Poeltl to Domantas Sabonis before the Raptors&rsquo; preseason win over the Sacramento Kings on October 9 and could use him in a similar role. If Poeltl can be 70% of what Sabonis was last season, it can be a huge boost to an inconsistent offense.
Roster Decisions
The Raptors have 15 players on guaranteed deals going into the season, but also carry Jeff Dowtin Jr. on a non-guaranteed deal. Dowtin played on a two-way contract with Toronto last season, appearing in 25 games. With the roster full, Dowtin is unlikely to make the regular-season roster but he has still <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-praise-jeff-dowtin-jr-as-roster-decisions-await" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressed the coaching staff this preseason</a>. If any player is in danger of losing their roster spot to Dowtin, it would likely be former first-round pick Malachi Flynn. Dowtin&rsquo;s deal becomes guaranteed for $900,000 on October 21, four days before the team&rsquo;s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I would expect the Raptors to make a decision on Dowtin before then.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (15 guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Dennis Schr&ouml;der, F/G Scottie Barnes, F OG Anunoby, F Pascal Siakam, C Jakob Poeltl
Projected Rotation Players: G Gary Trent Jr., F Precious Achiuwa, F/C Chris Boucher, F Jalen McDaniels, G/F Gradey Dick
Projected Reserves: F Thaddeus Young, G Malachi Flynn, F Otto Porter Jr., C Christian Koloko, G/F Garrett Temple
Projected Two-way Players: G/F Ron Harper Jr., G Markquis Nowell, G Javon Freeman-Liberty
Projected Roster Cuts: G Jeff Dowtin (non-guaranteed), F Mouhamadou Gueye (Exhibit-10), C Makur Maker (Exhibit-10)
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Blake Stern previews the Atlantic Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and a burning question entering the season.

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

When the new league year began on July 1, NBA teams were quick to sign free agents and start negotiating extensions with some of their younger players.&nbsp;
Players who were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are signed to rookie-scale contracts, which are eligible to be extended on the first day (July 1) of the fourth and final year of their deal. This past offseason, the vast majority of players eligible for rookie-scale extensions were picked in the first round in 2020. Teams have until the day before the start of the 2023-24 regular season (which begins on October 24) to agree to an extension, or else those players will hit restricted free agency next summer.&nbsp;
Out of the 30 first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, 27 were eligible for rookie-scale extensions. In addition, the Orlando Magic&rsquo;s Chuma Okeke also became eligible for a rookie-scale extension because he signed his rookie deal in 2020, a year after he was drafted due to injury. So far this offseason, five players have signed extensions, with four of them receiving maximum contracts.&nbsp;
Those who received the max signed what&rsquo;s called a Designated Rookie Extension, which has a starting salary at 25% of the 2024-25 salary cap (projected at $37,405,750) with 8% raises over five years (for a total contract value of $216,953,350). However, via the &ldquo;Derrick Rose rule,&rdquo; if any of the players who signed one of these extensions is a member of any of the 2023-24 All-NBA teams, their starting salary will be set at 30% of the 2024-25 salary cap (projected at $44,886,900) with 8% raises over five years (for a total contract value of $260,344,020). These players include Minnesota&rsquo;s Anthony Edwards, Charlotte&rsquo;s LaMelo Ball, Indiana&rsquo;s Tyrese Haliburton and Memphis&rsquo; Desmond Bane. However, Bane&rsquo;s extension doesn&rsquo;t contain the &ldquo;Rose Rule&rdquo; language, so he can&rsquo;t receive a starting salary raise even if he earns an All-NBA nod.
There is also a new wrinkle in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that changed the rules in regards to rookie-scale extensions, allowing teams to offer all players an extension up to five years. Previously, only players who were offered maximum contracts could agree to an extension up to five years. So far, no team has given out a five-year non-max extension.
The only player who has signed a non-max rookie extension this offseason is Detroit&rsquo;s Isaiah Stewart. Stewart, the No. 16 pick in 2020, has been a starter for the rebuilding Pistons over the past few years. The tough, defensive big man agreed to a four-year, $64 million extension with $60 million guaranteed, $4 million in potential performance bonuses and a team option in the final season. Stewart&rsquo;s extension could serve as a potential benchmark for other big man extension candidates like Toronto&rsquo;s Precious Achiuwa and Atlanta&rsquo;s Onyeka Okongwu.
With 21 first-round picks (and Okeke) still awaiting a potential extension, let&rsquo;s take a look at who is most likely to receive an extension and what their deals might look like.
LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED
Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls): Williams has been a steady force for the Bulls amid the team&rsquo;s struggles to consistently play winning basketball. The former Florida State forward has improved his shooting each year of his career but has yet to really break out as a primary scoring option for Chicago. Williams is just 22 years old and still has a lot of potential, so he should command an extension similar to what Atlanta&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Andre Hunter received last summer.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $90,000,000, no options
Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks): Okongwu has been slotted as the Hawks&rsquo; center of the future for a few years now and has mostly looked the part backing up Clint Capela. Atlanta has a very crowded cap sheet, especially after extending Dejounte Murray. It is possible they could look to move Capela soon in order to free up cap space and give the starting center job to Okongwu. As mentioned above, look for Okongwu to ask for slightly above what Detroit gave Isaiah Stewart.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $72,000,000, could earn up to $80,000,000 with incentives, no options
Devin Vassell (San Antonio Spurs): The Spurs should try to lock up some of their reliable young pieces as they begin the Victor Wembanyama era. Similar to what San Antonio did with Keldon Johnson, they&rsquo;ll likely look to give Vassell a long-term value deal. They also could take advantage of the new CBA rules, keeping the former No. 11 pick under contract through 2029.
Extension Prediction: Five years, $110,000,000, no options
Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks): Green has quietly been developing very nicely with the Mavericks and could fight for a spot in the starting lineup this fall. The Australian native has shown real potential as a 3-and-D wing and could command the full mid-level exception if he reaches the open market next summer. Dallas shouldn&rsquo;t (and most likely won&rsquo;t) let that happen.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $65,000,000, no options
Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks): Quickley is coming off his best season as a pro that saw him finish as runner-up for the NBA&rsquo;s Sixth Man of the Year award. A scoring machine, the former Kentucky guard would likely start for a good chunk of NBA teams, but will likely have to be the backup as long as Jalen Brunson is in New York. The Knicks would certainly love to keep Quickley, but look for them to wait all the way up to the October 23 deadline to pay him in order to maintain trade flexibility.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $88,000,000, could earn up to $92,000,000 with incentives, no options
Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves): McDaniels is certainly viewed as a core piece by the Timberwolves&rsquo; brass as they fought hard to keep him out of the Rudy Gobert trade, sacrificing more draft capital instead. The Washington product has been a versatile, two-way player since arriving in Minnesota and is an ideal wing next to Anthony Edwards. He should be paid accordingly.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $100,000,000, no options, declining annual salary
LIKELY TO REACH RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY
James Wiseman (Detroit Pistons): Wiseman has been better on both sides of the ball since being traded to Detroit last February, but his game still needs to be developed further if the Pistons are to seriously invest in him.
Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers): Cleveland has been looking for a permanent solution at their starting small-forward position for some time now, resulting in them paying Caris LeVert and signing Max Strus. Okoro hasn&rsquo;t shown he can be the Cavs&rsquo; long-term solution.
Obi Toppin (Indiana Pacers): If Toppin had stayed in New York, there&rsquo;s no way he would have been extended. Now in Indiana, the former Naismith National Player of the Year should get a chance to start and improve his stock going into next summer.
Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards): Avdija is a pretty good young player outside of his shooting struggles. With a new regime in Washington, Avdija may be a trade candidate if new president Michael Winger doesn&rsquo;t see him as a part of the team&rsquo;s long-term plan.
Aaron Nesmith (Indiana Pacers): A starter for the Pacers last year, Nesmith may be buried on the depth chart with the additions of Toppin and rookie Jarace Walker. He hasn&rsquo;t made enough of an impact to warrant an extension.
Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic): Anthony has been a solid bench contributor for Orlando since being drafted out of North Carolina. However, the Magic backcourt is extremely crowded with the addition of rookie Anthony Black, making them unlikely to prioritize securing a deal with Anthony.
Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder): Poku is coming off a fractured leg that kept him out for the back half of last season. He needs to show that he can be a long-term piece if he wishes to stay with the Thunder.
Saddiq Bey (Atlanta Hawks): Bey is certainly talented enough to warrant an extension, fitting into the starting five seamlessly after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. However, the team may have to choose between extending Bey or Okongwu in order to manage their already-very-full salary cap sheet.&nbsp;
Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors): The Raptors have already committed to a center in Jakob Poeltl this offseason. Achiuwa hasn&rsquo;t shown enough to break through outside of his bench role to warrant an extension.
Zeke Nnaji (Denver Nuggets): Despite not being a regular member of the rotation, Nnaji has shown he is a capable backup option to Nikola Jokic when he&rsquo;s on the floor. While an extension isn&rsquo;t in the cards, the Nuggets should look to retain him.
Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics): Boston would probably love to keep Pritchard on a team-friendly deal, as he has been a reliable insurance option for them since coming into the league. The former Oregon guard will more than likely want to test the free-agency market to see if he can possibly find a path to more playing time elsewhere.
LIKELY TO NOT RECEIVE A QUALIFYING OFFER, BECOME AN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT NEXT SUMMER
Killian Hayes (Detroit Pistons): Hayes has not lived up to his top-10 pick billing and has fallen out of Pistons general manager Troy Weaver&rsquo;s long-term outlook. Detroit could extend him a qualifying offer next summer, but he likely won&rsquo;t receive much interest on the open market.
Kira Lewis Jr. (New Orleans Pelicans): Lewis has been relegated to a reserve while suffering through multiple injuries through his first three years in the NBA. The Pelicans have made it known league-wide that he is available for trade.
Chuma Okeke (Orlando Magic): Okeke has struggled with his all-around game for the better part of the last two years and is unlikely to be retained by Orlando going forward.
Malachi Flynn (Toronto Raptors): Flynn hasn&rsquo;t taken advantage of the many opportunities he&rsquo;s had to be a part of the Raptors&rsquo; rotation as the backup point guard. He may see some run this year, but the Raptors may have seen enough to move on this summer.
THE TYRESE MAXEY WILD CARD
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers): Maxey is the wild card of the rookie-extension candidates, as Sixers general manager Daryl Morey has said that the team will hold off on extending the 22-year-old shooting guard in order to maintain trade and cap flexibility going into next summer. Maxey has blossomed into a core member of the 76ers going forward and would likely receive close to, if not the full, max rookie extension. With no end in sight to the James Harden debacle, the Sixers may want to secure their young prize before their situation could turn worse.

Blake Stern takes a look at which players are most likely to receive a rookie-scale extension prior to the October 23 deadline.

Checking in on the NBA's rookie-scale extension candidates

On Saturday, the Enemies and Triplets will battle for the BIG3 championship at The O2 Arena in London.
The Enemies feature Nick Young (the team's captain), Isaiah Austin (co-captain), Elijah Stewart (co-captain), Quincy Miller and Jordan Crawford, with Gilbert Arenas serving as the team's coach.
The Triplets have many familar faces, including Joe Johnson (the team's captain), Jeremy Pargo (co-captain), Larry Sanders, Jamario Moon, Damien Wilkins and Mo Charlo, with Lisa Leslie as their coach.
The Enemies earned a spot in the championship game by defeating three-time champions Trilogy, 50-37. All-Star standout Jordan Crawford led the way with 27 points. This is the Enemies' first-ever championship appearance.
The Triplets won the BIG3 championship back in 2019 and hope to earn their second title this weekend. They advanced to the title game after beating the Ghost Ballers, 50-45. The driving force behind their deep postseason run is back-to-back MVP Joe Johnson (who has a shot at winning a third-straight MVP award).
Prior to the championship matchup, the BIG3 All-Star game will also take place this weekend at The O2 Arena. The game will feature the following All-Stars: Michael Beasley, Jodie Meeks, Jordan Crawford, Mike Taylor, Donte Green, Glen Rice, Earl Clark, Ryan Carter, Joe Johnson, Jeremy Pargo, Leandro Barbosa, Gerald Green, Elijah Stewart, Royce White, Frank Nitty and Jason Richardson.
Both the All-Star game and championship game will be broadcast live on CBS. The All-Star game tips off at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the championship game at 2 p.m. ET.&nbsp;
This is the sixth season of Ice Cube's three-on-three league, and the BIG3 has experienced significant growth in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/big3-basketball-viewership-keeps-growing-as-sixth-season-continues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viewership</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/big3-sees-surge-in-tv-ratings-attendance-to-start-sixth-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attendance</a> numbers this year.

On Saturday at The O2 Arena in London, the Enemies will battle the Triplets for the BIG3 title.

Enemies to face Triplets in BIG3 championship at London's O2 Arena

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/detroit-pistons-victor-wembanyama-61017c01ae34bd536f9a512ab060570c">Detroit Pistons</a>&nbsp;made a bold move in their latest attempt to become relevant in the NBA again.
Detroit reached an agreement to hire former Phoenix Suns coach&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-monty-williams-fired-53f33c2c3c8d69af7449cbfbf931bc0a">Monty Williams</a>, according to two people familiar with the situation.
One of the people, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced, told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that Williams agreed to a six-year contract.
Phoenix fired Williams two-plus weeks ago, two years after reaching the NBA Finals and a year after he won the league&rsquo;s coach of the year honors.
The 51-year-old Williams won 63% of his games over four regular seasons with the Suns, but they were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals two years in a row after losing to Milwaukee in the 2021 NBA Finals.
The Pistons would be thrilled to approach that level of success anytime soon under Williams.
Detroit won an NBA-low 17 games last season, losing 30% or fewer games for the fourth straight season under Dwane Casey, who stepped down as coach with one year left on his contract to take a role in the front office.
The Pistons did not have good fortune in the draft lottery, landing the No. 5 pick overall for the second straight year and missing out on an opportunity to draft 7-foot-3 French pro&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/victor-wembanyama-summer-league-nba-2023-b6b0339c0eaa94d7e48c3ec319ea36df">Victor Wembanyama, a 19-year-old supertalent expected to be the first overall pick of the San Antonio Spurs</a>.
Detroit, a three-time NBA championship franchise, has earned a spot in the playoffs just twice in 14 years. The Pistons have not won a postseason game since 2008, when they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight time during a remarkable run that included winning the 2004 NBA title and falling a game short of repeating as champions.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the No. 5 and No. 13 pick overall last summer, did provide hope for the future with their play last season. Cade Cunningam, the No. 1 pick overall in 2021, had his second season stunted by shin surgery after playing in just 12 games.
Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged a career-high 21.6 points, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley are expected to be back.
The young team, with some experienced players in the rotation, will have a proven leader on the bench.
Williams is 367-336 in nine seasons as an NBA head coach with a 29-27 postseason record. He had a five-year stint with the New Orleans Pelicans, who fired him in 2015 with a 173-221 record and two playoff appearances.
While Williams was an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, his wife, Ingrid, died from injuries sustained from&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/e64ac4c2322b468caf67e16fe46aa21a">a car crash</a>&nbsp;in which she was hit head-on by an SUV that crossed the center line after losing control.

The Detroit Pistons made a bold move in their latest attempt to become relevant in the NBA again: hiring coach Monty Williams.

Pistons reach agreement to hire former Suns coach Monty Williams

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; The Detroit Pistons, coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, are searching for a coach and hoping their new leader has Victor Wembanyama in the lineup.
Detroit closed its fourth straight season &mdash; and 12th in 14 years &mdash; without a postseason appearance on Sunday with a lopsided loss at Chicago.
After finishing an NBA-worst 17-65, Dwane Casey announced he was stepping down with one year left on his coaching contract to accept a role in the Troy Weaver-led front office.
Casey was hired by the Pistons in 2018, when he was named the NBA Coach of the Year after his seventh season in Toronto. He led them to a .500 record in his first season and a playoff berth that ended with a first-round exit.
The team&rsquo;s latest rebuilding effort crumbled due to moves that didn&rsquo;t pan out, including trading for Blake Griffin, and injuries that kept key players such as Cade Cunningham off the court to hurt Casey&rsquo;s chances of having success.
&ldquo;We are grateful for his steady hand as head coach during these important development years, and we are excited to have his wisdom and experience in the front office as we enter the next phase,&rdquo; team owner Tom Gores said. &ldquo;Dwane joined us as an experienced and successful coach ready to lead a veteran team, but when we made adjustments as an organization to rebuild around a younger core he fully embraced the decision.&rdquo;
Detroit desperately hopes its painful season will pave the way for Wembanyama to bring his talents to a franchise aiming to eventually add to its three NBA titles.
&ldquo;It was something our organization had to go through,&rdquo; Casey said last week. &ldquo;It was painful. It was ugly.&rdquo;
The Pistons, by only one game, beat their franchise-worst record from the 1979-80 season when Dick Vitale was fired 12 games into the season. Their miserable season, though, won&rsquo;t give them a big advantage in the draft lottery.
Detroit, San Antonio and Houston each will have a 14% chance of picking first &mdash; and selecting a 7-foot-3 French phenomenon. Whether Wembanyama or another talented player joins the Pistons, they need an influx of talent.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the No. 5 and No. 13 pick overall last summer, did provide hope for the future with their play.
Ivey, an electric guard, averaged 16-plus points and more than five assists to rank among rookie leaders. The 19-year-old Duren, who started the season as the NBA&rsquo;s youngest player, averaged about nine points, nine rebounds and one block a game.
Cunningham, the No. 1 pick overall in 2021, had his second season stunted by shin surgery after playing in just 12 games.
&ldquo;Cade going down was a blessing in disguise for Ivey,&rdquo; Casey said last week, referring to the transition to point guard that the former Purdue star was forced to make.
Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged a career-high 21.6 points, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley are expected to be back to give the young team some experienced players in the rotation.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still excited about what we got here,&rdquo; Bagley said. &ldquo;We got guys that care and are not OK with losing and that in itself is a sign of a team that can be great.&rdquo;

“It was something our organization had to go through,” Dwane Casey said last week. “It was painful. It was ugly.”

Pistons search for coach, hope to draft Victor Wembanyama

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 27 points and Terry Rozier had 21 points and nine assists as the Charlotte Hornets beat Detroit 113-103 on Thursday night and extended the Pistons&rsquo; losing streak to 10 games.
&ldquo;I thought we did a good job of following the game plan and staying disciplined,&rdquo; said Oubre, who is averaging 20.8 points in eight games since returning from a hand injury. &ldquo;I stayed around the team 24/7 when I was hurt so I would be ready to go when I came back.&rdquo;
P.J. Washington added 20 points and Nick Richards had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets, who won their second straight game and for the seventh time in 10 games.
&ldquo;Our guys are working hard and they are finally getting some results,&rdquo; Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. &ldquo;We were really active tonight and we had great rim protection.&rdquo;
Cory Joseph scored 17 points and James Wiseman had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s super tough to be playing from behind every night,&rdquo; Wiseman said. &ldquo;We need to find a way to come out with better energy to get over this hump.&rdquo;
Detroit played without four of the five starters from its season-opening win over the Orlando Magic. Cade Cunningham (leg), Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) and Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) are injured, while Saddiq Bey was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Rookie Jaden Ivey is the only player to start both games.
&ldquo;I thought our approach was disappointing tonight,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if it is just all the games we&rsquo;ve played in a short time, but I didn&rsquo;t feel like we came out with the kind of energy we needed.&rdquo;
The Hornets finished the first half with an 8-0 run and held a 59-50 lead. Charlotte used a 13-5 run at the start of the third quarter and increased the margin to 17 points.
Joseph scored 14 points in the quarter, helping Detroit close within 93-83 heading to the fourth. But the Hornets extended their lead to as many as 18 points in the sloppy closing period.
&ldquo;I thought that was the key stretch of the game,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;They had it down to 10, but we got it to 18 early in the fourth and took away their momentum.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Charlotte beat the Pistons 117-106 at home on Feb. 27, and split the season series 2-2. The Hornets have won eight of their last 11 games against Detroit.
Pistons: Detroit announced before the game that Stewart is suffering from a right shoulder impingement and will be evaluated again in three to four weeks. Stewart is second on the team in blocks and rebounds.
INJURY UPDATE
Charlotte center Mark Williams didn&rsquo;t play in the second half due to a thumb injury.
&ldquo;He went back to the locker room after he did it, but he came back to try to play,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;He just wasn&rsquo;t able to catch the ball. Hopefully, it won&rsquo;t be anything serious.&rdquo;
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
The Pistons honored the 2003 WNBA champion Detroit Shock at halftime. The Shock, who also won titles in 2006 and 2008, moved to Tulsa after the 2009 season and are now the Dallas Wings.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect this to happen, because the franchise has been gone for a while now,&rdquo; said Shock forward Swin Cash-Canal, who was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. &ldquo;But they called and said they wanted to do it for Women&rsquo;s History Month, and we appreciate it. They have done a top-notch job of this.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
Pistons: Host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday and on Monday.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 27 points as the Hornets beat Detroit 113-103 on Thursday night, extending the Pistons’ losing streak to 10 games.

Oubre, Rozier help Hornets deal Pistons 10th straight loss

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Darius Garland had 21 points and seven assists, Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers led by 35 points in a 114-90 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.
Evan Mobley had 16 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots, Jarrett Allen scored 15 points and Caris LeVert had 11. The Cavaliers are fourth in the Eastern Conference with 16 games left.
All-Star starter Mitchell, who sprained a finger on his left hand in the third quarter, and Garland only played 24 minutes apiece as the Cavaliers swept the four-game season series with Detroit. The Pistons were held below 95 points in each.
Cleveland is 40-26 and leads surging New York by 1 1/2 games for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Marvin Bagley III had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Detroit. The Pistons have the second-worst record in the NBA at 15-49 and are 0-11 in the Central Division. They have lost seven straight overall and seven in a row on the road.
Detroit played without four starters in center Jalen Duran (bilateral ankle soreness), forwards Bojan Bogdanovic (bilateral Achilles soreness) and Isaiah Stewart (right hip soreness) and guard Cade Cunningham (left tibia stress fracture).
Neither team led by double-digits until Mobley made a floater to open the third quarter, putting Cleveland up 56-45.
Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s 3-pointer early in the fourth gave the Cavaliers their largest advantage at 102-67.
Pistons rookie Buddy Boeheim &mdash; the son of Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim &mdash; scored his first NBA points on a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. He only played one minute without taking a shot in his one previous game.
CHANGE OF SCENERY
Pistons center James Wiseman has seen his playing time double since being acquired in a Feb. 9 trade with Golden State. The second overall pick in the 2020 draft averaged 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 24.7 minutes over his first five games with Detroit. &ldquo;I love him, I think he&rsquo;s a sponge,&rdquo; coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s just raw and we have an opportunity to be patient with him, which Golden State didn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pistons: Duren is averaging an NBA rookie-high 8.7 rebounds. The Memphis product has missed four straight games. &hellip; F Isaiah Livers (left ankle sprain) returned from a one-game absence. &hellip; F Eugene Omoruyi, who made two starts and played in 23 games with Oklahoma City this season, signed a 10-day contract.
Cavaliers: Mitchell and C Jarrett Allen both appeared in their 400th NBA games, while F Isaac Okoro played in his 200th. &hellip; Garland committed four fouls in the first half. &hellip; G Sam Merrill signed a 10-day contract to fill the roster spot that was held by F Kevin Love before his release. Merrill was averaging 16.4 points with the Cleveland Charge of the G League, setting a team record with 10 3-pointers against Greensboro on Feb. 22.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Host Portland on Monday night.
Cavaliers: Host Boston on Monday night.

Darius Garland had 21 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers led by 35 points in a 114-90 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.

Darius Garland scores 21 points, Cavaliers rout Pistons 114-90

The Brooklyn Nets are bolstering their frontcourt depth by signing Nerlens Noel for the reason of the season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Free agent center Nerlens Noel is signing a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeLangberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeorgeLangberg</a> tells ESPN. After completing buyout with Pistons, Noel joins a Nets team needing some size off the bench.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1632006501287055360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Noel, 28, only appeared in 14 games for the Detroit Pistons this season, with his last appearance coming on February 8 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He found himself buried in a frontcourt rotation featuring younger bigs like Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley and most recently James Wiseman.
Due to the roster crunch, Noel posted career-lows in minutes (10.9), points (2.3), rebounds (2.6), blocks (0.6) and two-point percentage (39.3% on 2.0 attempts).&nbsp;
There's still an element of event creation to Noel's game, particularly on the defensive end. In a three-start stretch in mid January, Noel accumulated seven blocks and five steals (12 "stocks") in 61 minutes. He remains rangy, able to play higher up against ball screens and disrupt things with his quick hands and length.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/4eic7j" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Nets hope that Noel can help add some stability to their center room without having to tone down their activity. They may just be searching for more reliable backup center play, period.&nbsp;
The Day'Ron Sharpe minutes have been uneven, particularly since the All-Star break. The Nets have experimented with lineups featuring Ben Simmons as the backup 5. Not only has that alignment failed to work, Simmons has missed the last five games (and counting) with knee and back issues.&nbsp;

The Brooklyn Nets are bolstering their frontcourt depth by signing Nerlens Noel for the reason of the season.

Brooklyn Nets to sign center Nerlens Noel

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; The Celtics got back their offensive and defensive spark plugs. Together, they gave Boston the jolt it needed to head into the All-Star break on track to accomplish all its goals this season.
Jayson Tatum scored 38 points, including 24 in the third quarter, and the Celtics rolled to a 127-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
Malcolm Brogdon had 25 points off the bench, and Al Horford added 11 points and seven rebounds for Boston. Derrick White finished with 11 points and six assists.
Reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart contributed nine points, seven rebounds, six assists and six steals in his first game back after missing nine with a sprained right ankle.
&ldquo;We missed a lot,&rdquo; Celtics interim coach Joe Mazzulla said of Smart&rsquo;s absence. &ldquo;We missed his joy. He brought a level of joy into the game.&rdquo;
The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics (42-17) enter the break with five wins in their last six games. They have a one-game lead over second-place Milwaukee, which has won 11 straight and plays its final game before All-Star Weekend on Thursday at Chicago.
Tatum said he likes the way Boston is trending as it rests before trying to complete a run back to the NBA Finals in the second half.
&ldquo;All things considered, everything that we&rsquo;ve went through this season as a team with coaching changes and guys getting injured, missing games and being in and out of the lineup. ... Overall, it&rsquo;s been a hell of a start,&rdquo; Tatum said.
Detroit trimmed a 19-point deficit to five late in the third quarter. But Tatum scored 24 points in the period to give the Celtics an eight-point cushion entering the fourth. Boston then got its lead back up to 19 with 4:29 to play.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 28 points and five rebounds. Isaiah Stewart added 14 points. Detroit has lost five of six.
The Celtics&rsquo; lead in the East was cut to a half-game after they lost in overtime Tuesday at Milwaukee while playing without Tatum (illness), Jaylen Brown (facial fracture), Smart and Horford (right knee swelling).
Wednesday brought the return of Smart, Tatum and Horford. White also played despite dealing with a hole in his right eardrum from a hit he took against the Bucks.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-70 apnews_article_midarticle_2" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
The extra personnel helped the Celtics jump out to an 18-point lead in the first half, overwhelming a Pistons team that turned the ball over nine times in the opening 24 minutes. Four of those came off steals by Smart.
Third-year big man James Wiseman finally debuted for the Pistons following the four-team trade that sent him from Golden State to Detroit. The deal was initially held up by the part that sent Gary Payton II from Portland to the Warriors after concerns arose surrounding Payton&rsquo;s health following offseason surgery.
Wiseman checked in for the first time at the 3:29 mark of the first quarter, playing alongside Killian Hayes, Alec Burks, Isaiah Livers and Bogdanovic.
Wiseman finished with 11 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Outscored the Celtics 38-31 in the third quarter. &hellip; Finished with 14 turnovers, leading to 15 points for Boston.
Celtics: Robert Williams (left ankle soreness), Jaylen Brown (facial fracture), Mike Muscala (right ankle management) and Mfionda Kabengele (personal reasons) all sat out. ... Boston went 21 of 45 from behind the 3-point line (47%). &hellip; Led 66-51 at halftime.
</div>

Jayson Tatum scored 38 points, and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 127-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Tatum’s 38 points help Celtics roll past Pistons 127-109

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Deandre Ayton had 31 points and 16 rebounds to help&nbsp;the Phoenix Suns&nbsp;beat the Detroit Pistons 116-100 on Saturday night.
The surging Sungs have won eight of 10 games, including&nbsp;a victory at Boston&nbsp;on Friday night, and have help on the way with Devin Booker nearing his return. The three-time All-Star guard has been out since Christmas with a groin injury, but dunked in warmups in another sign that he&rsquo;s close to coming back.
Phoenix started each half strong, leading 13-3 in the opening minutes and scoring the first eight points after halftime, to take and keep control against Detroit.
Chris Paul had 14 assists for a balanced offense that didn&rsquo;t need him to make shots, finishing 0 for 7 and without a field goal for the first time since March 18, 2017, when he helped the Los Angeles Clippers beat Cleveland by 30 points.
Mikal Bridges scored 24 points, Cameron Johnson had 20 points and Torrey Craig added 14 points for Phoenix.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points for the Pistons, who are vying with Houston to have the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and a shot to select&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-draft-c99e5e378f68d962e5843963e7cb8602" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7-foot-3 French phenom Victor Wembanyama</a>.
Detroit reserve Saddiq Bey had 25 points, Isaiah Stewart had 17 points and nine rebounds while rookie Jaden Ivey added 13 points and six assists.
TIP-INS
Suns:&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-phoenix-suns-college-football-nba-sports-f455a8e3b437a07aa4684c7dd3adb16b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Incoming team owner Mat Ishbia</a>, who lives in suburban Detroit, was courtside in his usual seats near the visitors&rsquo; bench at Little Caesars Arena with his three children wearing Suns gear. The former Michigan State walk-on guard agreed to purchase the Suns and Phoenix Mercury for $4 billion in December, and sale is still in the process of being completed.
Pistons: Stewart missed all five of his 3-pointers in the first half, extending his streak without a make beyond the arc to 18 shots over seven-plus games. The power forward made all three of his 3-point attempts in the third quarter to end the drought.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Brooklyn on Tuesday night in middle of five-game trip.
Pistons: Host Boston on Monday night.

Deandre Ayton had 31 points and 16 rebounds to help the Phoenix Suns beat the Detroit Pistons 116-100 on Saturday night.

Deandre Ayton has 31 points and 16 rebounds, Suns beat Pistons

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; LeBron James will soon be the NBA&rsquo;s top scorer, though that was never his focus.
He&rsquo;s also one of the game&rsquo;s leading passers, and combining the two &mdash; possibly better than anyone ever &mdash; is what really makes him proud.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t get to this point in my career by thinking about records or how many points I have, whatever the case might be,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;I just play the game the right way. I approach the game every night only trying to be a triple threat by scoring, rebounding, assisting, defending, and may the chips fall where they may.&rdquo;
James moved within 89 points of breaking the career scoring record and climbed into fourth place on the assists list, finishing with his first triple-double of the season in his return to Madison Square Garden as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks 129-123 in overtime Tuesday night.
James had 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, with the points giving him 38,299 for his career. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the leader with 38,387.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-62 apnews_article_midarticle_1" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">But James&rsquo; game has always been about more than scoring, as he proved again Tuesday. He fed Dennis Schroder for a 3-pointer that snapped a 118-all tie with 3:13 remaining, grabbed his 10th rebound later in the extra period and then powered to the basket for a 127-121 lead with 19 seconds to go.</div>
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-62 apnews_article_midarticle_1" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle"> &ldquo;He&rsquo;s just doing it all,&rdquo; Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what great players do. That&rsquo;s what all-time greats do, and he&rsquo;s right up there at the top of the list with all of them.&rdquo;</div>
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-62 apnews_article_midarticle_1" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
James had earlier moved ahead of Mark Jackson and then Steve Nash into fourth place on the assists list during his first game at Madison Square Garden in three years.
Anthony Davis added 27 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who had dropped two straight to open their trip. Both James and Davis had sat out their loss Monday in Brooklyn.
Jalen Brunson scored 37 points and Julius Randle had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who were 7 for 34 from 3-point range and dropped their second straight.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re scoring plenty, that&rsquo;s not our issue,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;So we&rsquo;ve got to shore up our defense.&rdquo;
James was fuming following his last game, the&rsquo; Lakers loss in overtime in Boston on Saturday, after which referees said they missed a foul on his drive to the basket to end regulation.
He then sat out Monday with what Ham said was left foot soreness, though the Lakers had listed the injury as an ankle. They listed him as questionable to play in the morning, then upgraded James to available after he moved well during a pregame workout.
He certainly didn&rsquo;t want to miss this one after being hurt two years ago and suspended last season for striking Detroit&rsquo;s Isaiah Stewart in the face. His last game here was Jan. 22, 2000, when he was days away from passing Kobe Bryant into third place on the career scoring list.
Now the only one left to catch is Abdul-Jabbar, which could happen in the next 10 days. James said getting closer doesn&rsquo;t make it feel any heavier.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going anywhere, I&rsquo;m going to be in this league for at least a few more years,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So I&rsquo;m going to do it, so it&rsquo;s not heavy at all.&rdquo;
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-62 apnews_article_midarticle_3" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
The game was tied at 90 before James fed Troy Brown Jr. for a 3-pointer with his eighth assist, then set up Thomas Bryant for a dunk that moved him ahead of Jackson and then Nash into fourth place for assists. He has 10,338 assists.
James has always called MSG one of his favorite places to play and this visit draw a sellout crowd that included celebrities such as Michael J. Fox, Michael B. Jordan, Emma Stone and Chris Rock. Fans filled seats in the lower sections of the arena just to watch James warm up, but he struggled to give them one of his vintage performances once the game began.
He threw up an airball in the second quarter as part of his 2-for-8 start, but made his final two shots of the half, then threw a pass that Schroder heaved in from halfcourt to beat the buzzer and cut it to 53-52 at halftime.
Recently acquired Rui Hachimura had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, while Russell Westbrook added 17 points and eight assists, with three of them in OT.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-62 apnews_article_midarticle_4" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
TIP-INS
Lakers: Patrick Beverley was out with left knee soreness. Ham said the guard has had some tough defensive matchups lately and they were just being careful in giving him a rest.
Knicks: Second-year G Quentin Grimes was chosen Tuesday to take part in the Rising Stars at All-Star weekend. ... The Knicks missed 13 or their first 15 shots as the Lakers took a 15-5 lead.
</div>
</div>
</div>

LeBron James put up his first triple-double of the season as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks 129-123 in overtime.

James has triple-double, leads Lakers past Knicks in OT

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; LeBron James has climbed into fourth place on the NBA&rsquo;s assists list as he closes in on becoming the league&rsquo;s career scoring leader.
James passed both Mark Jackson (10,334) and Steve Nash (10,335) in the fourth quarter of the Lakers&rsquo; 129-123 overtime victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. His 10,336th assist came on Thomas Bryant&rsquo;s dunk with a little more than 9 1/2 minutes remaining.
He finished with 11 assists and now has 10,338.
James came into the game 117 points from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA&rsquo;s career scoring record. He is now 89 from that after scoring 28.
It was James&rsquo; first game at Madison Square Garden since January 2020. He missed one game because of injury and then was suspended last season after striking Detroit&rsquo;s Isaiah Stewart in the face.

LeBron James has climbed into fourth place on the NBA’s assists list as he closes in on becoming the league’s career scoring leader.

LeBron James climbs to fourth place on NBA’s career assists list

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Saddiq Bey scored 25 points and the Detroit Pistons won in Brooklyn for the first time in nearly five years, beating the Nets 130-122 on Thursday night.
Alec Burks added 20 for the Pistons, who snapped a four-game losing streak. They were playing for the first time since giving up 150 points in a loss to Milwaukee on Monday, when they were down 49-24 after one quarter.
&ldquo;We just knew we had to start off better than that and just play better throughout the four quarters,&rdquo; said Bey, who added nine rebounds. &ldquo;So I think we were very eager just to nip that one in the bud and just keep going.&rdquo;
The Pistons took advantage of a short-handed Nets team playing the second night of a back-to-back to win at Barclays Center for the first time since April 1, 2018, ending a six-game skid. They had lost seven in a row overall to the Nets.
Kyrie Irving scored 40 points for the Nets, tying his career high and the Nets NBA record with five straight games of 30 or more. Nic Claxton added a career-best 27 and Edmond Sumner had 24.
But the Nets, who lost 137-133 in Philadelphia on Wednesday, ran out of gas in the second half, falling into a hole by allowing the Pistons to score 43 points on 65% shooting in the third quarter.
&ldquo;They have a tendency to come out in the third quarter and try to win that. We came out and we were flat,&rdquo; Irving said. &ldquo;When you do that and you are reacting to everything, every possession, it makes it difficult.&rdquo;
The Nets lost Ben Simmons to left knee soreness in the period after he played 20 scoreless minutes.
The Pistons closed well in the third, pushing a five-point lead with 2 1/2 minutes to play into a 101-90 advantage headed to the fourth. Bey scored 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the period.
&ldquo;We had a big third quarter,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;The third quarter was at one time our nemesis coming out of the locker room. I think we&rsquo;re graduating, we&rsquo;re growing into being a competitive team out of the locker room.&rdquo;
Irving tried to rally the Nets but the Pistons never let them get too close. He also scored 30 or more points in five straight games in March 2019 with the Celtics, and joined Kevin Durant, Stephon Marbury and John Williamson as the only Nets players to do it since the franchise joined the NBA.
Jalen Duren scored 17 points and Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes each had 16 for the Pistons, who led 30-27 after one. The Nets inched ahead 59-58 at the half.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Isaiah Stewart returned after missing Monday&rsquo;s game with a sore left shoulder and had 11 points. ... Bojan Bogdanovic was held to 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting after scoring 20 or more in a career-best 10 straight games.
Nets: Seth Curry sat out with right knee soreness after scoring 32 points Wednesday, his best as a Net. ... The Nets returned home from a five-game trip and began a stretch where they play eight of nine at home. The Nets, who entered with a league-low 20 home games, leave New York just one more time in their 11 remaining games before the All-Star break, with one of their two road games at the Knicks.
ALL-STARS
With Durant and Irving selected, the Nets were the only team with two All-Star starters. They are the only Nets to be selected to start multiple NBA All-Star games, and Durant joined Jason Kidd (2002-04) and Vince Carter (2005-07) as the only ones to be selected to three in a row.

Saddiq Bey scored 25 points and the Detroit Pistons won in Brooklyn for the first time in nearly five years, beating the Nets 130-122.

Pistons beat Nets, first win in Brooklyn in almost 5 years

PARIS (AP) &mdash; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-las-vegas-6f4ac3d44f624ef36ddb00e314cf0401">Victor Wembanyama was sitting courtside,</a> the 19-year-old French phenom and presumed No. 1 NBA draft pick watching some of the players he&rsquo;ll go up against next season.
And a guy with a French surname put on quite a show.
Zach LaVine &mdash; who said his great-grandfather was French &mdash; scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls never trailed in a 126-108 win over the Detroit Pistons at the NBA Paris Game on Thursday.
&ldquo;Maybe the air up here was good for me,&rdquo; LaVine said.
DeMar DeRozan added 26 points for the Bulls, and Nikola Vucevic finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 25 points. Killian Hayes, the only French player on either roster, scored four points for Detroit on 2-of-13 shooting, but had a game-high eight assists.
Hamidou Diallo had 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting for Detroit, while Saddiq Bey and Jaden Ivey each scored 16 for the Pistons.
&ldquo;It was a bit frustrating to not be the winners tonight," Hayes said.
It was the capper to several days of celebrating the NBA in France, after both teams took part in clinics, touristy events like visits to the Eiffel Tower, some upscale dinners and even a private show for the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-rodney-mcgruder-268c20ad7406e6f162bc0dc0f5a3a410">Pistons at the Paris Opera House</a>.
And while the game counted &mdash; Chicago (21-24) stayed in 10th in the Eastern Conference and what would be the last play-in spot with the win, while Detroit fell to 12-36, the second-worst mark in the NBA &mdash; it also was no mundane middle-of-the-season regular-season matchup.
The celebrity list included NBA greats like Magic Johnson, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Tony Parker; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-richard-hamilton-8002bc599b1b4e27789f6624d61de0cc">a Bulls legend and native French son in Joakim Noah;</a> the rising star that everybody can&rsquo;t stop talking about in Wembanyama; WNBA players like Gabby Williams; even Grammy winners and Formula 1 drivers.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to quite compare this to All-Star,&rdquo; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-france-government-africa-efc212a60bce5820d7673a54fd4bea5b">NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said,</a> &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s the closest thing to a European All-Star Game that we have.&rdquo;
It was also a celebration of the continued strength of the international footprint on today&rsquo;s NBA game. When the Bulls and Michael Jordan &mdash; along with B.J. Armstrong, then a Bulls guard, now an NBA agent who was at the game Thursday &mdash; played in Paris during the preseason in 1997, about 1 of every 14 NBA players was born outside the U.S.
Now, that&rsquo;s about 1 in 4.
&ldquo;It is special because we&rsquo;re representing not only Detroit, but the NBA,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;And we&rsquo;re trying to put the brand in a good place &mdash; in a place where basketball is taking off.&rdquo;
<a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1616197195878830089?s=20&amp;t=gIeSQODhSY64TYUk1bgQew">Wembanyama and his family</a> made their way to courtside seats about 15 minutes before tip-off, immediately attracting a huge crowd. When the camera found him and he was shown to the French fans on the big in-arena screens in the second quarter, he clapped and smiled, as did his mother seated one row back over his right shoulder &mdash; as the crowd positively roared in delight.
Both teams are flying home Friday.
&ldquo;It's great for people here in Paris to get an up-close look at the NBA," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;It makes you realize that the sport is followed so closely around the world. It was amazing. The place was sold out."
TIP-INS
Bulls: Derrick Jones Jr. had 12 points for Chicago, <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1616196916945031181?s=20&amp;t=gIeSQODhSY64TYUk1bgQew">including four highlight-reel dunks</a> &mdash; no surprise for a former NBA dunk champion. ... Ayo Dosunmu scored 13 for the Bulls. ... Chicago shot 54%.
Pistons: Jalen Duren had an imperfect start to the trip &mdash; he misplaced his passport &mdash; then got that settled and had a perfect shooting game, 4-for-4 from the field on his way to a 11-point, 12-rebound effort. ... Isaiah Stewart grabbed 11 rebounds.
GLOBAL GAME
The NBA has teams in the U.S. and Canada, of course, and this game in France pushed the list of nations where the league has played or practiced this season to seven.
Mexico played host to a game between San Antonio and Miami last month. The Heat also had training camp in the Bahamas, and the league went to two other countries for preseason games &mdash; Golden State and Washington played twice in Japan, while Milwaukee and Atlanta played twice in the United Arab Emirates.
ROAD TRIP
It was a &ldquo;home&rdquo; game for the Pistons, even though Paris is about 4,000 miles from Detroit. As the home team, the Pistons got to bring a slew of staffers on the trip &mdash; including some game operations workers and members of the stat crew that works at the scoring table.
James Capers, Karl Lane and Natalie Sago got sent to officiate the game. All three referees had games Saturday in the U.S., then traveled to Paris.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Atlanta on Monday.
Pistons: Host Milwaukee on Monday.

Zach LaVine scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls never trailed in a 126-108 win over the Detroit Pistons.

LaVine scores 30, Bulls defeat Pistons 126-108 in Paris

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle had 42 points and 15 rebounds as the New York Knicks extended their winning streak against the Detroit Pistons to 11 games with a 117-104 victory Sunday.
Detroit hasn't beat the Knicks since Nov. 6, 2019, the end of its eight-game winning streak over New York.
Jalen Brunson added 27 points for the Knicks and Immanuel Quickley added 17.
Jaden Ivey had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Pistons and Saddiq Bey added 21 points.
New York led by seven at halftime and increased the margin to 90-80 on Randle's buzzer-beating tip at the end of the third.
The Knicks started the fourth with a 10-2 run, including five from Quickley to go up 100-82 with 9:43 left.
Detroit cut the deficit to 105-98 on Isaiah Livers' 3-pointer, but the game was delayed for several minutes by a malfunctioning shot clock. Randle's 3-pointer put the margin back to double figures, and he answered Bey's basket with one of his own.
Randle helped the Knicks clinch the game from the line.
The Knicks led by as many as 20 in the first half, taking advantage of Isaiah Stewart's foul trouble, but Bey and Kevin Knox II helped Detroit cut the deficit to 62-55 at halftime.
TIP INS
Knicks: New York had 11 offensive rebounds to Detroit's four in the first half. ... Quickley scored 17 of New York's 20 bench points. ... The Knicks swept the four-game season series by an average of 19 points.
Pistons: Detroit got Stewart back from a shoulder issue but played without starters Jalen Duren (ankle) and Bojan Bogdanovic (non-COVID illness), along with long-term absentees Cade Cunningham (leg fracture) and Marvin Bagley III (broken hand).
&nbsp;

Julius Randle had 42 points and 15 rebounds as the New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 117-104.

Randle's 42 leads Knicks to 11th straight win over Pistons

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to look around the league and guage the trade market. One player the team has been linked to for months is Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic.&nbsp;
In an <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2023/01/13/nba-trade-deadline-teams-to-watch-lakers-wizards-jazz-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article discussing the trade market, Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated</a> mentions that "the Lakers and Pistons have discussed a deal that would include both Bogdanović and Nerlens Noel".
The Pistons have shown reluctance to move Bogdanovic unless they get at least an unprotected first-round pick. The 33-year-old is having a banner year, averaging 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists shooing 48.7% from the field and 41.5% from three-point range.
Noel has been out of the Pistons rotation with the team giving playing time to young centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. The Lakers have been looking for another big man and recently worked out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-to-work-out-former-allstar-demarcus-cousins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DeMarcus Cousins</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/center-meyers-leonard-to-work-out-for-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meyers Leonard</a>.
While previous talks between the teams had the Lakers including Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn in a deal, the numbers wouldn't work with Noel's $9.24M salary unless LA also included three players on minimum contract.&nbsp;
The team could instead send Russell Westbrook and his $47.1M salary in a deal but the Pistons would have to add more players to match salaries.

The Lakers have reportedly spoken to the Pistons about a trade for both sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic and Nerlens Noel.

Lakers, Pistons have talked Bogdanovic, Noel deal

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Jonas Valanciunas scored 13 of his 33 points in the first quarter and the New Orleans Pelicans went on to beat the Detroit Pistons 116-110 on Friday night.
New Orleans' CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III each had 19 points and Naji Marshall added 17. The Pelicans played without a trio of injured players: Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones.
Detroit was short-handed, too, missing Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren, Marvin Bagley III and Cade Cunningham.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 14 of his 22 points in the first quarter and made a jumper with 3:17 left to pull the Pistons within three points.
Detroit was called for a second delay of game violation coming out of a timeout, giving the Pelicans a free throw that Murphy made and Valanciunas made a shot in the lane to give them a six-point lead.
Saddiq Bey had 20 points for Detroit, Jaden Ivey had 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists, reserve Hamidou Diallo scored a season-high 19 points before fouling out and Killian Hayes had 17 points.
The 7-foot Valanciunas took advantage of Detroit&rsquo;s thin and short frontcourt, making 12 of 15 shots and grabbing 16 rebounds.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Williamson, who is out with a strained right hamstring, has missed 14 games this season and played in 29 games. He signed a five-year, $193 million extension that has the potential to be worth as much as $231 million after missing all of last season with a foot injury and being limited to 85 games over his first two seasons. ... Ingram (toe) and Jones (back) were also out of the starting lineup.
PISTONS: Stewart (shoulder) was ruled out after the team's shootaround. .. Cunningham atttended his first game since having shin surgery last month.

Jonas Valanciunas scored 13 of his 33 points in the first quarter and the Pelicans went on to beat the Pistons 116-110.

Valanciunas scores 33 points, Pelicans beat Pistons 116-110

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Saddiq Bey scored 31 points and the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-118 on Wednesday night.
Bojan Bogdanovic added 27 points for the shorthanded Pistons, who were down 10-0 in the first three minutes. Four other players had at least 13 points.
Anthony Edwards scored 20 for Minnesota, which had won four straight since a 116-104 loss to Detroit on New Year's Eve. D'Angelo Russell added 19 and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The Pistons were without three rotation post players: Marvin Bagley III (hand), Jalen Duran (ankle) and Isaiah Stewart (shoulder). That left Nerlens Noel, who had played in only nine of Detroit's first 45 games, as the starting center against Gobert.
Minnesota was also missing a key big man in Karl-Anthony Towns (calf).
Edwards missed the third quarter with hip soreness and Russell picked up two fouls early in the period, sending him to the bench with four. Without them, Minnesota struggled at both ends of the floor, allowing the Pistons to take a 94-81 lead with three minutes left in the period.
The Pistons outscored Minnesota 36-23 in the third to take a 101-87 lead. Edwards returned for the fourth, scoring 15 points, but Detroit was never threatened.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Taurean Prince had nine points in 27 minutes despite limping off the floor in the first half after stepping on Noel's foot and rolling his ankle.
Pistons: Detroit pulled away in the second half with a lineup that had 6-foot-7 Kevin Knox II at center against the 7-foot-1 Gobert.
&nbsp;

Saddiq Bey scored 31 points and the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-118.

Bey, Bogdanovic lead shorthanded Pistons past Timberwolves

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid says if he can walk, he can play.
With an injured left foot feeling better, Embiid got to put the hurt on the Detroit Pistons.
Embiid rocked braids and had 36 points and 11 rebounds, James Harden added a second straight triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers routed the Pistons 147-116 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;We didn't want to mess around,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;I wanted to make sure that we were all together and on the same page that it was going to be a three-quarter game.&rdquo;
Harden did his part and finished with 16 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds &mdash; in three quarters.
Embiid returned from a three-game absence with a sore left foot with a new look. But it was the same dominant performance out of last season&rsquo;s NBA scoring champion. Embiid is chasing a second straight scoring crown &mdash; his 33.5 average entering the game was just a tick behind Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic&rsquo;s 34.0 average &mdash; and he&rsquo;s trying to pass Wilt Chamberlain (33.5; 1965-66) for highest season-scoring average in team history.
Embiid might even set the marks in braids.
&ldquo;Just wanted to change things up," he said, laughing.
Two days after Harden also had a triple-double in the 76ers&rsquo; victory at Detroit, the Sixers raced to a 24-point lead in the first half. The Pistons have the worst record in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers have done their part in putting Detroit there. The 76ers beat the Pistons 123-111 on Sunday.
This was only seventh time all season their regular lineup of Embiid, Harden, Tyrese Maxey, PJ Tucker and Tobias Harris started the game. The Sixers won for the 13th time in 16 games.
&ldquo;It's a lineup that we're still evaluating defensively,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Clearly, it's a good offensive lineup. We just haven't seen it a lot. We've had no &lsquo;in-a-rows&rsquo; where they played six, seven, eight, nine in a row.&rdquo;
Saddiq Bey, Jaden Ivey and Rodney McGruder each scored 17 points for the Pistons.
Harden got his triple-double in only <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1613004896894156800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">26 minutes, 2 seconds of playing time</a>, his fastest time at securing that feat.
Maxey hit a 3 for a 38-29 lead in front of the Pistons bench and coach Dwane Casey tossed his hands in the air and called for a timeout.
Whatever was drawn up, it didn&rsquo;t work: Philadelphia came out of the timeout and scored the next 10 points. The 76ers scored 42 points in the third and sat their starters in the fourth.
Some of the final numbers came straight out of a bad pickup game in the park.
The Sixers needed only 11 3-pointers to reach their fifth-highest total since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger. The 76ers scored a whopping 82 points in the paint and shot 61% overall from the floor.
Maxey scored 16 points. Harris had 14 points and was a plus-40 in 27 minutes.
&ldquo;We know how dominant we are. We know how great we can be,&rdquo; Harris said.
GROWING PAINS
The Pistons have won just 11 games in yet another difficult season under Casey.
&ldquo;I can see the growth on a daily, game-to-game basis. but then I have to come in and explain to everybody why we didn&rsquo;t win. and that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s tough,&rdquo; Casey said. "The easy part, the fun part is the daily, in the laboratory, coaching, teaching, film sessions, watching guys grow, listen to questions.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pistons: Isaiah Stewart (left shoulder soreness) was a late scratch. Former 76er Nerlens Noel got the start.
76ers: Harden leads the NBA with five games of at least 15 assists. It&rsquo;s the most for any 76er since Mo Cheeks had five in 1987-88.
&nbsp;

Joel Embiid had 36 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers routed the Detroit Pistons 147-116.