— Terry Rozier scored 31 points and Gordon Hayward added 23 as the Charlotte Hornets headed into the All-Star break with a 135-102 win over the skidding Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
Sixers star Joel Embiid did it all in stunning the Jazz and James Harden's return to Houston went as expected in an eventful night in the NBA.
A quiet trade deadline? Not if our insiders were running things. Here are the moves we think NBA teams should make this month.
Who are the league's best as we approach the All-Star break? See where all 30 teams stand now.
— Devin Booker scored 21 of his season-high 43 points in the third quarter to carry Phoenix in a 118-99 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, the 14th win for the Suns in their last 17 games.
— Bradley Beal scored 34 points, Russell Westbrook added 19 as part of his NBA-leading 10th triple-double, and the Washington Wizards used a 44-point third quarter to pull away for a 128-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley, who pleaded guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence as a result of an incident last September, has been suspended 12 games by the NBA.
The 12 game suspension for Malik Beasley will cost the guard $1.1M. The Timberwolves will receive a $550K credit toward the luxury tax. He is eligible to return on March 27 vs. Houston.
— Zach LaVine celebrated his first All-Star selection with 35 points against his original NBA team, helping the Chicago Bulls beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 133-126 in overtime Wednesday night.
The leadership of the National Basketball Coaches Association spoke out Wednesday about its "concern and level of disappointment" with the way the Minnesota Timberwolves went about their coaching change earlier this week.
— Giannis Antetokoumpo had 37 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Minnesota 139-112 on Tuesday to spoil Timberwolves coach Chris Finch’s debut.
Karl-Anthony Towns is supportive of the Wolves' hiring of new coach Chris Finch, but at the same time he wants to see more Black coaches get opportunities to become head coaches in the league.
Minnesota's decision to hire Raptors' Chris Finch left many disappointed
Chris Finch, introduced as the new coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, is inheriting a four-game losing streak and a last-place standing in the NBA at 7-24.
Streaking Brooklyn is closing in on Philly, while Phoenix is making a case it belongs among the West elite. See where all 30 teams stand now.
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 27 | 9 | .750 | - | L2 |
| Portland | 19 | 14 | .576 | 6.5 | W1 |
| Denver | 20 | 15 | .571 | 6.5 | W3 |
| Oklahoma City | 14 | 21 | .400 | 12.5 | L2 |
| Minnesota | 7 | 29 | .194 | 20 | L9 |
| RD(PK) | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(1) | Anthony Edwards | SG | Georgia |
| 1(17) | Aleksej Pokusevski | PF | |
| 2(3) | Daniel Oturu | C | Minnesota |
| YEAR | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 7 | 29 | .194 |
| 2019-20 | 19 | 45 | .297 |
| 2018-19 | 36 | 46 | .439 |
| 2017-18 | 47 | 35 | .573 |
| 2016-17 | 31 | 51 | .378 |
