Pacers' Oshae Brissett: Scores 17 points in return

LeBron James and Michael Jordan are the two greatest players in NBA history, but when compared strictly as scorers, Jordan is almost inarguably the superior talent. Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game across 15 NBA seasons compared to "only" 27.2 for James in his 20. At his peak, Jordan averaged over 37 points per game. James has a career-high of 31.4. James is the better passer and rebounder of the two. Defensively, it's a toss up. But if you need a bucket, you'd take Jordan without thinking twice.

New owner of the Phoenix Suns, Mat Ishbia, was recently given complete control of the team after buying both the Suns and WNBA's Mercury from Robert Sarver. The timing couldn't be more ideal for the Suns, with just two days to go before the trade deadline, allowing the new team owner to be involved in the process. Though the Suns haven't made any moves yet, there's one rumor that's been circulating about a potential front office hire.

Bill Self described Monday night's showdown with Texas as something close to a must-win game as it pertains to Kansas' goal of winning at least a share of the Big 12 title for the 17th time in 20 seasons under its Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame coach. Right from the jump, the Jayhawks played like it with an obvious sense of urgency.

NEW YORK -- Spencer Dinwiddie didn't say exactly how he found out he was returning to the Brooklyn Nets, where he played from 2016 until 2021, but he said he was reading the tea leaves. It was "not like a secret or anything" that the Dallas Mavericks wanted to add star talent, and usually "that involves picks and that involves a player or two or three that people find valuable around the league." Once Kyrie Irving demanded a trade, Dinwiddie's agent stayed on top of things. And Dinwiddie said he understood what the Nets needed.

Over the years, the Golden State Warriors have been more dependent on Stephen Curry than the whole "Strength in Numbers" mantra would suggest. Even during the Kevin Durant super years, there were two decidedly different Warriors teams: With and without Curry. Well, they're going to be without Curry for these...

WNBA star Candace Parker will be the first female in-game color commentator to call the NBA All-Star game during the 72nd edition of the event later this month. The game will take place in Salt Lake City's Vivint Arena on Feb. 19. "I'm a fan first and foremost of the...

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching. Teams now have three days to finalize their remaining business before the trade market is closed for the season at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 9. Some teams, like the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks, may look to get things done ahead of time, but others will be working the phones right up until the final minutes.

A new bracket is up, and again there is a change on the top line. Texas jumped both Kansas and Arizona to take over the third overall seed on the strength of a win at Kansas State on Saturday. The Longhorns are at Kansas on Monday night, so more change could be in the offing.

LeBron James has reportedly wanted the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire Kyrie Irving since the offseason. When Irving requested a trade on Friday, James not so subtly hinted at his interest in reuniting with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate by tweeting the eyes emoji, which Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy quickly copied in the replies. But when the dust settled, Irving became a member of the Dallas Mavericks rather than the Lakers, and in an interview Monday with Michael Wilbon, the four-time MVP didn't attempt to hide his displeasure.

Brown (illness) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Pistons, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports. Brown was a late addition to the injury report Monday afternoon and will ultimately be sidelined versus Detroit due to an illness. In his absence, Malcolm Brogdon, Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams figure to garner increased roles, though Jayson Tatum will presumably dominate the playmaking opportunities when he's on the court.

Booker will miss Thursday's game versus the Hawks to manage a left groin injury, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports. Booker returned to action Tuesday after more than a month on the sidelines and displayed some rust, knocking down only six of his 15 shot attempts and going just 2-of-8 from beyond the arc. He'll take a night off to rest up in the first game of a back-to-back set Thursday but seems likely to retake the floor Friday at Indiana.

Brown is questionable for Monday's game against the Pistons due to a non-COVID-19-related illness. Brown was a late addition to Monday's injury report, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to play against Detroit. He's been dominant since returning from a three-game absence in mid-January, averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 38.9 minutes per game over his last seven appearances. If he's sidelined Monday, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon will likely handle increased roles for Boston.

Looney isn't starting Monday's game against the Thunder, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. Looney will return to a bench role after starting Golden State's last two matchups. Jonathan Kuminga draws the start at power forward, and Draymond Green moves to center with Looney set to operate as a reserve Monday evening.

The Portland Trail Blazers got stomped by the Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 127-108 on Monday. That's nothing new for a Portland team that has rarely sniffed true contention over the past decade. During the Damian Lillard era, the Blazers have finished above .500 against teams with a record of .500 or better only once, during the 2018-19 season, which also happens to be the last time this team won a playoff series.

Two days after the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks escaped a persistent now-No. 4 UConn team with an 81-77 win, Dawn Staley responded to some comments made by Geno Auriemma regarding the physicality of the game. On her radio call-in show, the South Carolina head coach said that when her team is succeeding, they are "called something other than players that are locked in."

PHOENIX — This is the clash of cultures, a running team that finished in the top 5 in the league in rushing against a passing game with a quarterback who is the NFL MVP this season, a passer so good that he is playing in his third Super Bowl in four years at the tender NFL age of 27.

After nearly 40 years, the NBA has a new all-time leading scorer, as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league's most prolific scorer ever Tuesday night. James' ability to produce points consistently at a high level for two decades is unparalleled, and one of the most impressive accomplishments in the history of the game. It also got us thinking: Who could be next to climb this high in the scoring record books?

LeBron James needed 20 years to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, but that doesn't mean he's not thinking ahead to what he might accomplish moving forward. After the game, the Los Angeles Lakers forward revealed that he plans to play a few more seasons. In itself, that's hardly surprising. James has always said that he plans to finish his career playing alongside his son Bronny, who won't be eligible to join the NBA until the fall of 2024. But notably, James didn't exactly specify that he planned to play those final few years for the Lakers. In fact, he slyly pointed in another direction. He wants to keep competing for championships, and he thinks he can do it anywhere.

Barkov -- who is dealing with a hand injury -- will likely be a game-time decision against the Sharks on Thursday, Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now reports. Barkov was originally expected to be ready to play Thursday but he's been unable to practice with the team for the past two days. Prior to the All-Star break, the Finnish center was rolling on an 11-game point streak during which he racked up five goals and 12 assists, including six power-play points.

Good morning to everyone but especially to... It's nice to get a little bit of help from your friends. Two days after Jalen Wilson scored nearly half of his team's points in a blowout loss, No. 9 Kansas used a much more balanced effort to earn a huge, 88-80 win over No. 5 Texas.