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NBA Roundup: Jalen Duren scores 33 as Pistons beat Cavaliers in OT

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DETROIT — Jalen Duren had 33 points and 16 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons outlasted the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 122-119 on Friday night in a game that was delayed for 18 minutes in the third quarter because of a blaring horn.

During a timeout with Detroit up 65-64, a power surge caused the overhead scoreboard to malfunction, with the horn remaining on after signaling the teams to return to the floor. Eventually, the scoreboard was shut down to stop the horn and a manual airhorn was used when play resumed.

Cade Cunningham had 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for East-leading Detroit before fouling out.

Cleveland — which will host Detroit on Tuesday night — led by nine points with 2:44 left in regulation, and Cunningham fouled out with 1:56 to play, but the Pistons outscored the Cavaliers 16-7 to force overtime.

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With Cleveland up 114-111 with 4.7 seconds left in regulation, Jaylon Tyson tried to intentionally foul Daniss Jenkins near halfcourt, but Jenkins was able to shoot and draw three free throws that he made.

In overtime, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown had 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and Boston rolled past Brooklyn.

Nikola Vucevic finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double since joining the Celtics. Payton Pritchard added 22 points for Boston, which has won five of six since returning from the All-Star break.

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The Celtics shot a season-high 66.7% from the field and connected on 22 3-pointers. They also got 77 points from their bench.

Michael Porter Jr. finished with 18 points for Brooklyn, which has lost seven straight games.

The Celtics took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Nets 43-26. Brooklyn managed only seven points over the final 6:23 of the period.

Boston shot 15 of 19 from the field with 12 assists in the pivotal quarter and connected 5 of 7 attempts from the 3-point line

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Boston’s lead grew to as many as 41 points in the fourth.

MILWAUKEE — Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and OG Anunoby added 24 as New York routed Milwaukee.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Landry Shamet added 15 points, Josh Hart finished with 12 and Mikal Bridges and Mohamed Diawara each had 10 for the Knicks, who shot 21 for 42 from 3-point distance.

Myles Turner had 18 of his 19 points in the first half, Kyle Kuzma scored 17, Bobby Portis 14 and Ryan Rollins 13 to pace the Bucks. Milwaukee had won eight of 10 coming in and was playing its fifth game in eight days, including four in a row at home. Kevin Porter Jr. chipped 11 points and 10 assists.

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The Bucks entered the game as one of the hottest offensive team in the league, but it was the Knicks who controlled play early.

New York jumped out to a 38-30 lead after one quarter fueled by 22 points from Brunson, the most by a New York player in any quarter this season. Brunson made 9 of 10 shots, including all three 3-pointers he attempted.

GRIZZLIES 124, MAVERICKS 105

DALLAS — Cam Spencer scored 25 points off the bench and Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Memphis to a victory over Dallas.

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Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points and Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson each had 12 to help Memphis snap a three-game skid.

The Grizzlies, who had lost seven of their previous eight, led the entire game and won despite being short-handed with star guard Ja Morant out for a 16th consecutive game with an injured left elbow, and Zach Edey (ankle) and Cedric Coward (knee) also sidelined.

Taj Gibson, signed by Memphis on Thursday to help deal with the absences, wasn’t active.

Brandon Williams scored 16 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Mavericks, who have lost seven straight at home. Daniel Gafford added 14 points, Dwight Powell had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Max Christie also scored 13 points.

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Rookie Cooper Flagg missed his sixth straight game with a sprained foot.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points in his return after missing nine games with an abdominal strain and Oklahoma City defeated Denver in overtime in a testy matchup that featured multiple technical fouls and an ejection.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, didn’t play in overtime, but the Thunder still pulled through in the extra period.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who got into an altercation with Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort in the fourth quarter, had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists. Dort was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul.

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Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, listed as questionable with an illness before the game, led the Nuggets with 39 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander started and drew loud applause when his name was announced in pregame introductions. His first basket came on a driving layup two minutes into the game.

The teams are very familiar with each other — the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 4-3 in the Western Conference semifinals last year. The Thunder won the first two meetings this season and they play twice more.

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Tempers flare between Nuggets, Thunder as Dort is ejected after fouling Jokic

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Tempers flared in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma City’s 127-121 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night and resulted in the ejection of the Thunder’s Lu Dort.

Dort fouled Denver’s Nikola Jokic in the midst of a tight game and Jokic got in Dort’s face. A scrum ensued and Jokic and Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams were called for offsetting technical fouls. Dort was issued a Flagrant 2 and ejected.

The matchup was physical from the start.

Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was called for an early technical when he threw the ball at Jokic, who made high contact with him after play had stopped. Denver’s bench was called for a technical in the third quarter, and there was plenty of trash talking and shoving throughout.

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Benfica suspends five supporters following Champions League incidents

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Benfica say they have suspended five supporters for behaviour “of a racist nature” during the first leg of their Champions League knockout play-off against Real Madrid this month.

Play in Lisbon was suspended for 10 minutes after Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr told the referee that he had been racially abused by Benfica’s Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni, who denies the claims.

“Benfica informed that it has suspended the memberships of five members following the initiation of disciplinary proceedings that led to the application of the maximum sanction stipulated in club’s statutes, which is expulsion,” the Portuguese club said in a statement.

“An internal investigation initiated after the match between Benfica and Real Madrid, held on 17 February, and the adoption of inappropriate behaviour in the stands, of a racist nature, incompatible with the values and principles that govern the club.

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“Benfica reaffirms that it does not tolerate any form of discrimination or racism and will continue to act firmly when behaviours undermine the values of the club.”

Vinicius had put the visitors ahead in the game but was booked for an excessive celebration in front of Benfica supporters.

Television footage showed some fans appearing to make racist gestures aimed at the player.

After an exchange with Prestianni he ran over to the referee, gesturing in the direction of the Argentina player before walking off the pitch, followed by his team-mates.

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When play resumed, an object was thrown from the crowd that struck Vinicius on the arm as he prepared to take a corner.

Speaking after the game, Benfica manager Jose Mourinho said Vinicius had acted disrespectfully and incited the crowd.

Those comments were criticised by former Real midfielder Clarence Seedorf among others.

Prestianni was handed a provisional one-match ban by Uefa and missed Wednesday’s return leg, which Real won 2-1 to go through 3-1 on aggregate.

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Vinicius, who scored again at the Bernabeu, was booed by the away supporters.

On Thursday, Benfica issued a statement denying a claim that Prestianni had told the squad or club officials that he had uttered a racist insult to Vinicius.

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2025-26 Feb Updates for NBA Players from Schools in West

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  By Aidin Ebrahimi, SuperWest Sports


We’re now done with the wild and exciting 2026 NBA trade deadline and are getting closer and closer to the playoffs.

And there were some pretty significant trade moves.

The Warriors finally traded Jonathan Kuminga for Kristaps Porziņģis. Anthony Davis was shockingly traded for the second year in a row.

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He will now be a part of an exciting duo with Trae Young, which looks set to take off next year, and Chris Paul was finally traded and announced his retirement.

But we’ve heard enough about those guys. How are the league’s former players from schools in the West doing?

As always, I’m back with my monthly SuperWest report, covering the top veterans, rookies, and everyone else in between.

Here are my selections and summaries for February.

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LA’s Big Moves

James Harden (Cleveland Cavaliers, Arizona State)

The Los Angeles Clippers had a nightmare 6-21 start to the 2025-26 season.

And their unusually disrespectful treatment of the retiring franchise legend Chris Paul turned them into one of the NBA’s biggest laughingstocks.

However, they went on a huge run and were near a .500 record before deciding to make moves for their future at the trade deadline.

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They traded away James Harden to the Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, while also trading Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and a second-round pick.

Considering the Clippers had pretty much no draft capital before these moves (thanks to the Paul George and James Harden trades), they did a solid job acquiring some assets while still staying competitive as a play-in team.

Meanwhile, the Cavs have gone all-in and feel like adding Harden can help them make it out of the East. “The Beard” is playing some of the most efficient basketball of his career right now.

In his first seven games as a Cavalier, he has gone 6-1 while putting up 18.9 points and 8.0 assists per game with a true shooting percentage of 65.9, by far the highest mark of his career since his final season in Oklahoma City as a 22-year-old.

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James Harden
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Harden is only taking 12.4 shots per game, which is once again lower than any of his seasons since his 2011-12 season in OKC.

His three-point efficiency has skyrocketed, as he’s currently shooting 48.8% from deep in Cleveland, up 12.5% from his career average.

Unfortunately, he did pick up a right thumb injury, which won’t keep him out for long due to Harden being left-handed, though it’s still something to look out for.

With Donovan Mitchell as the team’s undisputed top option, Harden won’t have to carry a massive offensive load anymore, which can help him play efficient basketball and fight his playoff demons as he searches for his first championship.

Harden’s role in Cleveland is that of a floor general, and he has already helped his teammates reach a new level.

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“Bringing James on has given us a renewed confidence,” said Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson. “I felt like we were kind of missing that edge, that belief. I feel like we’re regaining that. A lot of it has to do with who we added in the trade.”

Bennedict Mathurin (Los Angeles Clippers, Arizona)

Darius Garland still hasn’t made his debut for the Clippers, but he hopes to make a similar impact as Bennedict Mathurin when he does.

Bennedict MathurinMathurin started the year off as the Pacers’ “tank commander”, but that role quickly faded away as the team began to wonder about his long-term fit once Tyrese Haliburton returns in 2026-27.

A thumb injury that caused him to miss 11 games didn’t help either, and the Pacers eventually decided to move on from Mathurin instead of discussing a contract extension in the offseason.

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The talented scorer has found new life in LA, as he has put up 28.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his last three games while shooting 48.1% from the field.

While they’re no longer contenders, with Mathurin, Garland, and the ageless wonder that is Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers will still be competitive and can cause serious problems for contenders in the postseason.


Rookie Report

Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets, BYU)

After a very successful stretch of play in January, Egor Dёmin capped the month off with a then-career high performance against the Utah Jazz.

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He scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while making six of his 12 three-pointers. That was his 34th consecutive game with a three-pointer, which set a rookie record.

“There’s a reason why we drafted him,” Nets HC Jordi Fernández said. “We believed that [his] shooting was NBA shooting and he’s proven it from the beginning.”

Egor Demin
Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images

Dёmin’s record-breaking streak ended in the following game, as he went 0-4 from deep against the first-seeded Pistons.

However, he bounced back quickly, as he set a new career-high with a 26-point performance against the Magic just two days later.

With Cam Thomas’ departure, the Nets have handed the keys to their franchise to Dёmin, and everyone in the organization is intrigued by his potential.

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“You see the confidence growing on him,” Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe said. “Who knows what Egor can be in the next couple of years?”

Lawson Lovering (Memphis Grizzlies, Colorado/Utah)

It’s always nice to see someone finally achieve their lifelong dream.

Lawson LoveringLawson Lovering, a 7’0 center who played college basketball for the Colorado Buffaloes and the Utah Utes, went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, but that didn’t stop him from chasing his dream of playing in the NBA.

Lovering played for the Grizzlies in the Summer League and was signed to their G-League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. After a few months with the Hustle, Lovering was finally called up by the injury-riddled Grizzlies.

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On February 11, Lovering became just the second player from Wyoming to play in an NBA game since the NBA-ABA merger.

In their next game, Lovering was named a starter and put up a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to help the Grizzlies beat the Jazz.

Lovering has returned to the Hustle since then, but it’s not far-fetched to assume he’ll get more NBA opportunities this season.


Playing for a Winner

Nikola Vučević (Boston Celtics, USC)

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Nikola Vučević has quietly carved out a nice career for himself. He passed the 17,250-point mark this year, which now means he’s officially a top-100 scorer in NBA history.

He will surpass $200 million in career earnings this season, has made two All-Star teams, and is third on the Magic’s all-time scoring list.

Nikola Vučević
AP Photo via ESPN

However, Vučević has never played for a true contender, as he has never won a playoff series that he actually played in (he did not play in Philadelphia’s infamous upset series victory over Chicago in 2012).

That could all change this year, as his new team, the Boston Celtics, are currently on a roll in a relatively weak Eastern Conference.

Vučević hasn’t been asked to do much in Boston, averaging just 24.0 minutes per night while the team has gone 5-2 in the seven games since his arrival.

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Top Veterans

Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns, Oregon)

Dillon Brooks broke his hand in the Suns’ double overtime win over the Magic on February 21 and Dillon Brookscould miss time until April, which is a shame since he was playing some of the best basketball of his life.

In the 10 games before his injury, Brooks averaged 25.0 points per contest while shooting 46.0% from the field. This stretch included a career night against the Pistons, as he scored 40 points to help the Suns to an upset win.

The Suns have been one of the biggest surprises of this season, but they need Brooks to return as soon as possible if they want to stay alive in the West’s playoff race.

Jrue Holiday (Portland Trail Blazers, UCLA)

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Irue Holiday is aging like a fine wine. The former all-star is one of my favorite players of all time, Jrue Holidayand he’s currently helping a young Trail Blazers squad fight for a playoff spot.

Some feared that his game would drop off following a 27-game absence due to a calf injury, but the 35-year-old is still putting up great numbers.

Over his last eight games, Holiday has averaged 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 51.4% from the floor and 44.9% from deep.

His true shooting percentage of 64.8 ranks third amongst all players with at least 100 shots during that span, which has helped the Blazers to a 5-3 record.

Aidin Ebrahimi
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Group, teams, and how to watch

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Day 3 of the Free Fire Max India Cup (FFMIC) 2026 Spring Group Stage Week 1 will take place on February 28, with teams from Group C set to face off in six matches. Those from Groups A and B have already finished all six of their matches over the past two days.

Week 1 of the Group Stage features 48 teams, divided into four groups of 12 each. The top nine from each group will advance to Week 2, while the remaining squads will be eliminated from the competition.

The top 38 teams from the FFC Mode and four squads from the City Qualifiers earned their spots in the Group Stage. An additional six received direct entry based on their performances in the previous edition of the tournament.


Participating teams on Day 3 of FFMIC 2026 Spring Group Stage Week 1

Here are the teams playing on Day 3 of FFMIC 2026 Spring Group Stage Week 1:

  1. Gods Reign Pros
  2. Team Hind
  3. EC Esports
  4. Mjxownlegacy
  5. Reganverse
  6. R2V X Singh Gaming
  7. NG Silver Eagle
  8. NXT Esports
  9. RNX Esports
  10. Zutsu Esports
  11. K9 Esports
  12. Meta Ninza

Gods Reign acquired the NG Pros roster ahead of FFMIC 2026. The squad, which finished third in the previous edition of the tournament, boasts experienced players such as Badal, Manu, Anubhav, Struggle, and Cropse.

Team Hind has also impressed with outstanding performances in the past. A strong run in FFMIC 2025 earned the team a direct spot in the Group Stage.

K9 Esports is a new entrant in Free Fire Max esports. The team delivered excellent performances in the FFC Mode, earning a place in the Group Stage.

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Meta Ninza emerged victorious in the Ahmedabad City Qualifier on February 8, claiming the only spot available for the Group Stage via the event.


How to watch

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Teams from Group C will compete in six matches across six maps. Fans can watch all the action live on the official YouTube channel of Free Fire Max India Esports from 5:30 pm onwards.