Basketball

The Lunar Owls remain the only undefeated team in Unrivaled thanks in large part to Napheesa Collier.

The Minnesota Lynx star set a league record with 38 points while leading the Lunar Owls to an 85-81 comeback win over the Mist on Saturday night.

Collier recorded her league-high points total on 16-of-27 shooting while adding 15 rebounds.

Her Unrivaled success is following her dominant WNBA campaign last season, during which Collier was named Defensive Player of the Year while finishing as MVP runner-up to A'ja Wilson.

Despite Collier's dominance, the Lunar Owls faced a late deficit that threatened to hand the team its first loss of the season on Saturday.

After the Mist claimed an early advantage thanks to strong performances from Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot, Aaliyah Edwards capped the third quarter off with a basket that gave the underdogs an eight-point lead.

But the Mist couldn't answer Collier's relentless offense and Allisha Gray's accuracy from deep as the Lunar Owls recovered the lead in the fourth quarter.

Shakira Austin then sealed the Lunar Owls' comeback with a game-winning shot.

The Lunar Owls improve to 8-0 and remain the league's only team yet to concede a loss. The 4-2 Laces sit in second place as the only other Unrivaled club with a winning record.

The Mist, led by Breanna Stewart's 23-point performance, fall to 2-6 and now wait in last place behind the 2-4 Vinyl and 2-5 Phantom.

Unrivaled play continues next week with the debut of the league's inaugural 1-on-1 tournament. The first round of the in-season competition begins Monday, Feb. 10.

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd says it's been "weird" to play without Luka Dončić since the guard's trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Although Dončić had not played for the Mavs since Dec. 25, the star remained with the team until the Feb. 1 deal that saw him and Anthony Davis swap places.

"Everybody wants to talk about the trade. Yeah, it's different. We gotta keep pushing forward," Kidd said Saturday. "It was weird, but understanding logistics of basketball, it happens. You've got to play the game."

The Mavericks defeated the Houston Rockets 116-105 Saturday in Davis' debut with the team. Davis left the win early with a lower-body injury.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said in his initial press conference after the Dončić trade that Kidd had not found out about the deal until it happened.

"But J-Kidd and I are aligned, and we talk about archetypes, and we talk about the culture that we want to create, so I know the kind of players that he likes without actually talking to him," Harrison said.

Kidd, who was sitting beside Harrison, said he agreed they were aligned while adding he had been "blessed" to spend three and a half seasons coaching Dončić.

"Luka, when I first came here, excited about the opportunity to coach an upcoming star who became a mega-star, and I was just blessed to have that opportunity to coach him," Kidd said. "But when you look at the vision of the team, and what Nico wants to build, I truly support that."

The Mavs are 2-2 since the trade, including consecutive victories over the defending champion Boston Celtics and the skidding Rockets.

Davis' injury raises some concern as to whether the Mavericks can build on that momentum going forward. He went down with an apparent non-contact injury in the third quarter and did not return to the game.

Dončić is meanwhile expected to make his Lakers debut on Monday. LeBron James has been sidelined this weekend with an ankle injury, but if he is able to return, the two stars could play together against the Indiana Pacers.

Kidd and Dončić could be reunited later this month when the Mavs travel to Los Angeles for Feb. 25 road game.

Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski is hitting the court for the 2025 NBA Rising Stars Game at All-Star weekend in San Francisco.

The league announced that the second-year Warrior will serve as an injury replacement for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace. Podziemski will be on Team T, which is being coached by Warriors icon Tim Hardaway.

Wallace is missing the game due to a right shoulder strain.

Podziemski is averaging 9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 38 games for Golden State so far this season. He has served in a bench role, making 10 starts and averaging 24.7 minutes per night.

Team T will consist of Podziemski, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, Gradey Dick, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr.

The other teams consisting of NBA players will be coached by Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond. The G-League representatives will be coached by Jeremy Lin.

The four teams will square off in a bracket-style tournament, with the winner advancing to the new All-Star Game tournament on Sunday.

The 2025 NBA Rising Stars Challenge is set for Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET.

Ben Simmons reportedly intends to sign a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers following his contract buyout with the Brooklyn Nets.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Simmons will land with the Clippers once he clears waivers.

Simmons was originally owed $40.34 million this season thanks to the expiring five-year, $177 million deal he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019.

Through 33 appearances this season, Simmons is averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists while playing 25 minutes a night.

Simmons, who attempts 5.2 shots per game and doesn't take any from deep, will provide limited shooting for his new team, although his defensive abilities and open-floor playmaking could make him a solid bench addition.

How impactful his signing will be could depend on his health. Simmons appeared in 33 of the Nets' first 51 games as his career-long injury issues continued into the 2024-25 campaign.

When Charania reported Friday that Simmons and the Nets were working toward a buyout, he added that he expected Simmons to "try to join a contender" like the Clippers or Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Athletic's Joe Vardon, Law Murray, and Jenna West reported Simmons was also meeting with the Houston Rockets.

Simmons ultimately signed with the Clippers, who are fighting to stay out of the play-in tournament and hang on to one of the six guaranteed playoff spots in the West.

In order to give James Harden and Kawhi Leonard their best shot at a playoff run this spring, the Clippers spent the trade deadline adding depth pieces like Bogdan Bogdanović.

Having both Bogdanović and Simmons coming off the bench could decrease how much the Clippers have to rely on Harden, and that could be key to keeping him healthy down the stretch.

The Clippers got themselves in potential playoff position this season by running one of the NBA's top two defenses. Getting Simmons in the rotation could help the Clips remain one of the toughest defensive matchups in the league as they gear up for a potential playoff run.

Jimmy Butler's debut with the Golden State Warriors will come against a familiar foe.

The team announced that Butler will make his first appearance for the Warriors on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls. Butler spent the first six seasons of his career in the Windy City.

Golden State acquired Butler Wednesday night from the Miami Heat in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a first-round pick, while Dennis Schröder went to the Utah Jazz and was ultimately rerouted to the Detroit Pistons. As part of the agreement, Butler landed a two-year, $111 million extension with the Warriors.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss Saturday's matinee against the Indiana Pacers with left ankle soreness, the team announced.

Luka Dončić, who is nearing the end of his calf injury rehab, is also out on Saturday but is eyeing Monday against the Utah Jazz for his Lakers debut, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

James has largely been durable this season, appearing in 46 of the Lakers' 49 games to date.

At 40 years old, LeBron is still producing at an elite level, averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds and nearly one steal per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field.

Given that he's listed with ankle soreness rather than a more serious ailment, James figures to be in line to return Monday when Dončić is expected to hit the floor at Crypto.com Arena for the first time as a member of the Purple and Gold.

Chet Holmgren made a welcome return to the Oklahoma City Thunder lineup on Friday night.

The 22-year-old had four points, five rebounds, four blocks, two steals and an assist in 22 minutes as the Thunder cruised to a 121-109 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

It was Holmgren's first game since November after he suffered a pelvic fracture. Following the game, Holmgren expressed how happy he was to return and how he looks forward to further progress.

"It's amazing," Holmgren said, per ESPN. "I missed it for a long time, and I worked really hard to be able to get back out there. So I'm happy and excited and look forward to continue to try and help us win and keep improving."

Holmgren is in his second true season after he missed the 2022-23 season due to a foot injury. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 2023-24, finishing second in the bid for Rookie of the Year, helping the Thunder earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

He was averaging 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in 10 games prior to suffering the pelvic fracture and will hope to regain that form as he returns. Oklahoma City is currently 41-9 and has a 6.5-game lead for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Rose BC won its second consecutive Unrivaled game on Friday night, defeating Mist BC by the final score of 71-63.

Rose BC maintained a double-digit advantage for most of the contest, but Mist BC cut the deficit to six points late in the fourth quarter. Azura Stevens eventually connected on a putback layup to reach the winning score of 71 and end the game, though.

Angel Reese recorded a double-double in the win, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds. She shot 4-10 from the field and hit all three of her free-throw attempts, picking up one assist and one steal.

Reese spearheaded an impressive performance on the glass from Rose BC, securing 43 total rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds. Mist BC pulled down just 30 rebounds and five offensive rebounds.

Fans were impressed with Reese's performance.

Stevens scored 15 points in seven minutes, while Kahleah Cooper put up a team-high 21 points while shooting 47.6 percent from the field.

Mist BC struggled from behind the arc, connecting on just one of 10 three-point attempts as a team.

Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart scored 12 points on 5-11 shooting and racked up four blocks in 12 minutes, but it wasn't enough for Mist BC to emerge victorious.

Rose BC now sits at No. 3 in the Unrivaled standings with a 3-4 record following the win.

The Lunar Owls remained undefeated through seven Unrivaled games, taking down Phantom BC by the final score of 94-76 on Friday night.

While the Lunar Owls held a one-point advantage at halftime and briefly trailed near the start of the third quarter, they built a double-digit lead before the end of the period and didn't look back.

It was a balanced scoring effort from the Lunar Owls, with four players recording at least 18 points.

Napheesa Collier, the top scorer in Unrivaled action, finished with 20 points and six rebounds to go along with three assists. She hit eight of her 14 field-goal attempts, which included the game-winning push shot for the Lunar Owls.

The 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year also picked up two steals.

Fans were amazed by Collier's performance.

Allisha Gray scored a team-high 23 points for the Lunar Owls, while Skylar Diggins-Smith chipped in with 18 points and seven assists on 7-11 shooting.

For Phantom BC, Sabrina Ionescu scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds. While Ionescu shot 5-11 from the field, she was only able to connect on one of her four attempts from behind the arc.

The loss dropped Phantom BC to No. 6 in the Unrivaled standings at 2-5, while the Lunar Owls improved to 7-0 and maintained their top spot.

A Dallas local appears to have captured a photo of the conversation during which Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison first discussed trading Luka Dončić with Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.

Dallas news station WFAA shared the image in a Friday report.

The photo was taken by Dallas resident Asad Munir on January 7 at Ascension Coffee in a Dallas hotel lobby, according to credit card statements and metadata reviewed by WFAA.

The photographer is a Lakers fan who told WFAA reporters Jason Trahan, Paul Livengood and Matt Howerton he took the photo because he recognized Pelinka, although he didn't know at the time who Harrison was.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon previously reported Harrison invited Pelinka to that same coffee shop in order to "begin" trade talks.

Those talks culminated one month later in the three-team trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers and brought Anthony Davis to Dallas.

Harrison also mentioned the coffee shop meeting in his first press conference following the Dončić trade.

"It started out as a coffee, that was more, 'Hey, would you ever?' 'I don't know, would I? Let me think,'" Harrison said. "And then it built upon that, and we kept it between us. We had to. We had to keep it tight."

Harrison was not present at the Friday press conference during which Davis was introduced to Mavericks fans.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Friday on NBA Today that Harrison has received "death threats" and "racial epithets" since the trade.

The Mavericks are set to play at American Airlines Center for the first time since the trade with a Saturday afternoon contest against the Houston Rockets. Harrison will not be sitting in the stands at the game, according to MacMahon.

Davis, who said Friday he sees his job as giving fans "hope and reassurance on why Nico brought me here," is set to make his Mavericks debut against the Rockets.

The Lakers are meanwhile "targeting" Monday's home game against the Utah Jazz for Dončić's first game in Los Angeles, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Thursday. Dončić's return will mark his first time playing since he was injured in his final game with the Mavericks on Christmas Day.