No. 1 Arizona have suffered their second consecutive defeat after JT Toppin’s 31-point haul inspired Texas Tech to a 78-75 overtime victory in Tucson.
The 16th-ranked Red Raiders rallied late in regulation before surging ahead in the extra period to secure only the third win against a top-ranked opponent in their school’s history.
For the hosts, the result marks a sudden and stark downturn in fortunes.
Tommy Lloyd’s side had been imperious with a 23-0 record before succumbing to Kansas on Monday, and have now lost twice in the span of five days.
Late collapse proves costly
The Wildcats appeared to have weathered the storm, holding a solid seven-point advantage with just under four minutes remaining in regulation time.
However, the visitors refused to capitulate, mounting a furious 9-0 run to stun the McKale Center crowd.
Donovan Atwell’s corner three-pointer briefly gave Texas Tech the lead with 25 seconds on the clock, placing immense pressure on the top seeds.
While Ivan Kharchenkov managed to salvage a tie from the free-throw line to force overtime, the momentum had decisively shifted.
Toppin takes control
Once the extra period began, Toppin asserted his dominance in the paint.
The preseason All-American scored four baskets following the restart, utilising an array of tip-ins and low-post moves to dismantle the Arizona defence.
He finished the contest shooting 13-of-22 from the floor, adding 13 rebounds to secure the 47th double-double of his collegiate career.
He was ably supported by Christian Anderson, who contributed 19 points largely thanks to six successful efforts from beyond the arc.
Injury woes mount for Arizona
Compounding the frustration of the scoreline, the Wildcats were forced to navigate the second half without key personnel.
Star freshman Koa Peat was ruled out with a lower-body injury after managing just two points in the opening half.
With backup guard Dwayne Aristode also unavailable due to illness, Lloyd was effectively reduced to a six-man rotation against a physical Texas Tech outfit.
Tobe Awaka offered resistance with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Red Raiders from leaving with a statement victory.
Damian Lillard has marked his return to the court by winning the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest, tying Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for the most titles in history despite missing the entire season through injury.
Dame Time strikes in Los Angeles
The Portland Trail Blazers star stepped onto the court having not played a single minute of competitive basketball this campaign.
Yet the rust was non-existent as he posted a final round score of 29.
That total was enough to edge out Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel.
It marks the third time the sharpshooter has claimed the trophy in the last four years.
Joining the immortals
This latest triumph cements Lillard’s legacy as one of the greatest shooters the league has ever seen.
By securing his third crown, he joins Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird and former Chicago Bulls specialist Craig Hodges at the top of the all-time leaderboard.
No other player has managed to win the event, which began in 1986, on three separate occasions.
A turbulent road to recovery
The 35-year-old’s victory is all the more remarkable given his recent fitness struggles.
Lillard suffered a torn left Achilles while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks during their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers last April.
Following surgery in May, his time in Milwaukee came to an abrupt end.
The Bucks waived him via the stretch provision in July, paving the way for an emotional reunion with Portland.
He signed a three-year, $42m contract to return to the franchise where he spent his first 11 seasons, though rehabilitation has kept him sidelined until now.
History repeats itself
Winning the shootout without playing a regular-season game is a statistically rare anomaly.
Lillard becomes only the second player in NBA history to compete in the event after being injured for the entire season leading up to the All-Star break.
He follows in the footsteps of Denver Nuggets guard Voshon Lenard.
Lenard won the competition in 2004 and returned to defend his title in 2005 while still recovering from an opening-night Achilles tear.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has warned franchises that he is considering stripping teams of draft picks to combat a tanking problem he describes as the worst in recent memory.
The league chief issued the stark threat while speaking ahead of the All-Star Saturday events in Inglewood, California.
Silver admitted that current deterrents are failing to stop overt losing strategies.
He confirmed that “every possible remedy” is now on the table to address the integrity of the sport.
Analytics driving the issue
The warning follows substantial fines handed out to the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers this week for violating league policies.
Silver believes the rise of data-driven management has shifted the landscape significantly since the league’s earlier eras.
“In the old days it was just sort of an understanding among partners in terms of behavior,” Silver explained.
“I think what we’re seeing is modern analytics where it’s so clear that the incentives are misaligned.”
The commissioner was direct when asked if the deliberate underperformance of teams had reached a new low.
“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,” he said.
“Which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines but to my statement that we’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season.”
Rethinking the draft lottery
The 62-year-old executive revealed he recently discussed the evolution of the sport with 97-year-old Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy.
That conversation has reinforced Silver’s belief that the 75-year-old structure of the draft may need a radical overhaul.
He questioned whether the current lottery system accurately reflects team ability or simply rewards manipulation.
“If teams are manipulating their performance in order to get higher draft picks even in a lottery, then the question becomes… are they really the worst-performing teams?” asked Silver.
“It’s not clear to me, for example, that the 30th performing team is that much measurably worse than the 22nd performing team, particularly if you have incentive to perform poorly.”
Fans before franchises
The association is currently grappling with a conflict between franchise strategy and the entertainment product.
Silver acknowledged the conundrum but insisted his priority must remain with the paying public.
“It’s part of my job to remind everybody… I understand what your short-term interests may be, but we’d better not lose sight of our fans here,” he said.
“We’d better not lose sight of the people who support this league day in and day out.”
Chris Paul has announced his immediate retirement from the NBA, calling time on an illustrious 21-year career just hours after being waived by the Toronto Raptors.
The 40-year-old confirmed his decision in a social media post on Friday, fulfilling a previous pledge to step away at the conclusion of his 21st campaign.
“This is it! After 21 years I’m stepping away from basketball.”Chris Paul via Instagram
A statistical titan leaves the floor
Widely regarded as one of the greatest floor generals in history, the “Point God” leaves the game with a staggering resume.
Paul is a 12-time All-Star, an 11-time All-NBA selection, and was named to the league’s prestigious 75th Anniversary Team.
The 2006 Rookie of the Year also earned nine All-Defensive team nods, cementing his status as a dominant two-way force for two decades.
Turbulent final chapter
The end of the road for the future Hall of Famer came amidst a flurry of transactional drama involving two franchises.
He was released by the Toronto Raptors on Friday, having only recently arrived via a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers on 4 February.
Toronto did not require the veteran guard to report for duty, initially seeking to move him on to a contender before the trade deadline passed.
His departure from Los Angeles followed reports of a fractured relationship with Clippers head coach Ty Lue.
The pair reportedly stopped speaking for several weeks prior to the trade, leading to an abrupt agreement to part ways in early December.
Despite the chaotic finish, the playmaker told People.com he was “at peace” with the separation.
Paul appeared in just 16 games during his final season, averaging career lows of 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game.
LeBron James has become the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, posting 28 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to guide the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The four-time champion secured the feat at 41 years and 44 days old, finally eclipsing the previous benchmark set by Karl Malone in 2003.
James grabbed his 10th rebound with just over two minutes remaining in the contest before receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd.
This latest milestone marks the 123rd triple-double of his illustrious career, ranking him fifth on the all-time list.
Chasing the Mailman
Karl Malone, famously known as ‘The Mailman’, had held the distinction for over two decades after recording a triple-double at 40 years and 127 days.
Remarkably, the former Utah Jazz legend also achieved his record while wearing a Lakers jersey during his final season.
James has been knocking on the door of history throughout the past year, recording the next 15 oldest triple-doubles on the statistical list.
However, the record had eluded the league’s all-time top scorer until the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break.
It was his first triple-double since February 2025, a date synonymous with the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis.
Stepping up without Doncic
With current NBA scoring leader Doncic sidelined due to a hamstring strain, the onus was on the veteran forward to orchestrate the offence.
James responded immediately, tallying 14 points and six assists in the opening quarter alone.
By half-time, the 22-time All-Star had already amassed 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds.
Despite missing 18 games this season through injury, he remains the driving force for a Lakers side in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
James entered the contest averaging 21.8 points per game, proving his longevity remains unmatched in professional basketball.
Nikola Topic has made his long-awaited NBA debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder, stepping onto the court against the Milwaukee Bucks following his recovery from testicular cancer.
A rapturous reception
The Serbian guard entered proceedings late in the first quarter to a standing ovation from the home crowd in Oklahoma City.
It marked the end of a gruelling road to recovery for the 19-year-old, who was selected as the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Topic missed the entirety of the previous campaign due to a serious knee injury sustained prior to his selection by the franchise.
His introduction to the league was further delayed when doctors diagnosed him with testicular cancer during the preseason.
Road to recovery
Following a medical procedure in October, the playmaker underwent chemotherapy and began the arduous process of rebuilding his match fitness.
The highly-rated prospect wasted little time making his mark on the game after finally checking in.
He drained a jump shot from near the free-throw line early in the second quarter to secure his first points in the association.
His return to the senior setup follows a promising warm-up stint with the Oklahoma City Blue earlier this week.
Representing the Thunder’s G League affiliate on Monday, the rookie tallied seven points and seven assists in a 137-135 overtime victory over the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
North Carolina standout Caleb Wilson is facing an indefinite spell on the sidelines after fracturing his left hand during the Tar Heels’ defeat at Miami.
The university confirmed that the projected top-five 2026 NBA draft pick has no set timetable for a return following the diagnosis.
Wilson initially played through the pain during Tuesday’s 75-66 loss to the Hurricanes after in-game X-rays returned negative results.
However, subsequent imaging back in Chapel Hill uncovered the extent of the damage.
A devastating loss for the Tar Heels
“The evaluation process is ongoing to determine the timetable for Wilson’s return,” a school statement confirmed on Thursday.
The loss of the 6-foot-10 freshman is a seismic blow to UNC’s campaign, given their entire system hinges on his elite production.
Currently averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, the teenager boasts a usage rate of 28.5, ranking him in the 97th percentile nationally.
Without their offensive focal point, the Tar Heels face a daunting challenge to maintain an attack that currently ranks second for efficiency in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
All-American dreams on hold
Before the injury, the versatile forward was firmly on track for All-American honours and is currently ranked fourth on ESPN’s Big Board for upcoming NBA prospects.
He struggled to find his rhythm during the physical encounter in Florida, finishing with a season-low 12 points in 26 minutes.
That performance marked the lowest output of a stellar debut season in which he has scored in double figures in all 24 appearances to set a new school record.
Fresh from derby glory
The setback comes just days after the rising star orchestrated a 71-68 victory over arch-rivals Duke, scoring 23 points in a heated contest.
That emotional win ended a drought against the Blue Devils stretching back to the 2023-24 season.
While fans stormed the court in celebration on Saturday, the mood in Chapel Hill has now shifted significantly as the team awaits further medical updates.
Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the rest of the campaign after opting for surgery to remove a growth in his left knee.
Rare condition discovered
The franchise confirmed the significant setback on Thursday, just weeks after acquiring the 26-year-old in a trade.
Jackson will undergo the necessary procedure during the upcoming All-Star break to address the issue.
The specific problem – pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) – was initially flagged during an MRI scan as part of his physical examination following his move from the Memphis Grizzlies on 3 February.
Immediate impact halted
This diagnosis brings a premature end to the two-time All-Star’s debut season in Salt Lake City.
The former Defensive Player of the Year had made a promising start to life with his new team.
In his first three appearances for the Jazz, the defensive specialist averaged 22.3 points and 4.3 rebounds despite playing restricted minutes.
Statistical breakdown
Before the trade, the 6ft 10in forward had been a key figure for Memphis.
Over the course of the current season, he has averaged 19.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
His absence leaves a significant void in the Utah frontcourt as they look to navigate the remainder of the NBA schedule.