HOUSTON -- Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said he has "no hard feelings" toward Amen Thompson after the Houston Rockets forward was ejected for pulling him down from behind by his head and neck Tuesday night.

The Bucks were down by two with about 4 minutes left when Thompson committed the foul as Antetokounmpo went up for a shot in the lane. The play was reviewed and determined to be a flagrant foul 2, and Thompson was ejected.

Houston went on to a 100-97 victory, ending Milwaukee's four-game winning streak.

"At the end of the day like you don't want to have a league that's soft," Antetokounmpo said when asked about the play. "I love guys that play hard. I love guys that they're great competitors."

"I'm one of those guys. Sometimes your competitive nature gets in the way [of] making the best decision, the best judgment at the time. And I feel like he wanted to make it a hard foul, but he grabbed my neck. But there's no hard feelings."

Thompson didn't speak to reporters after the game.

Both Houston coach Ime Udoka and Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers agreed that Thompson should have been ejected for the foul.

Crew chief Tony Brothers explained the decision to eject Thompson to a pool reporter after the game.

"Because the contact to the head was both unnecessary and excessive and by rule that's a flagrant foul penalty two," he said.

It's the second ejection this season for Thompson, who was also tossed in a December game against the Miami Heat after throwing guard Tyler Herro to the court. That incident triggered an altercation between the teams that led to the ejections of six players and staff members.

Thompson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, was suspended two games for his actions in that skirmish.

Ja Morant had 29 points and eight assists, his final one a feed to Jaylen Wells for a dunk with 9.1 seconds left in overtime, and the Memphis Grizzlies closed the extra period with a 7-0 run to beat the Phoenix Suns 151-148 on Tuesday night.

The 299 combined points were the most in an NBA game this season, according to ESPN Research. The game was close throughout, with 22 ties and 22 lead changes. Phoenix had the biggest lead (10 points) in the third quarter.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points for the Grizzlies before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Desmond Bane had 25 points and nine assists as Memphis moved into a tie for second place in the Western Conference with idle Denver.

Phoenix had five players score at least 20 points for the first time since Nov. 10, 1990. Devin Booker had 28 points and 10 assists before fouling out, Kevin Durant scored 26, Bradley Beal had 24 points and a season-high 11 assists, Bol Bol had a season-high 23 points and Grayson Allen scored 21.

Morant had shot 2-of-14 from the field through three quarters before scoring 15 in the fourth, including Memphis' final 11 points. The Grizzlies star finished a career-worst 1-for-12 from distance, but his lone 3-point make cut the Suns' lead to one with 9.2 seconds to go. He followed that up with a floater with 1.4 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 137-137.

"I know every shot I take won't go in but that don't mean, you know, once you miss one you stop taking them," Morant said after the game. "Just continuing to shoot the ball. Shot it with confidence."

Durant's jumper with 1:17 left in overtime put the Suns ahead 148-144. Santi Aldama responded with a 3-pointer for Memphis, and the Grizzlies took the lead on Brandon Clark's tip-in with 37.6 seconds left. Durant missed a pair of 3-point attempts in the final four seconds.

The Suns have lost six of their past seven games, dropping them to a season-worst four games under .500 and more than two games back of the Sacramento Kings for the last play-in spot in the Western Conference.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- After Luka Doncic led the Lakers to a 107-99 win over his former team Tuesday -- becoming only the third player to record a triple-double against every NBA franchise in the process -- the star guard's tone during his postgame news conference wasn't triumphant.

No, Doncic sounded more relieved than anything.

"It was just a lot of emotions and not much sleep," he said of the game coming only 3 weeks after he was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers. "I can't even explain [it]. It was a different game. ... Sometimes I don't know what I was doing.

"And I'm just glad it's over, honestly."

Doncic, who had 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists to join teammate LeBron James and Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook as the only players to put up a triple-double against all 30 teams, didn't dominate Dallas. He shot 6-for-17 from the field (1-for-7 from 3), and it was James who scored 16 of his 27 points on 7-for-9 shooting in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

But Doncic got through a night that had been looming since Dallas traded him, an emotional hurdle as he processed being around not only his former teammates, with whom he has maintained friendships, but also the Mavericks' brass in general manager Nico Harrison and coach Jason Kidd.

"It definitely will help me," Doncic said of putting the game behind him. "It's definitely going to help in the long [run]."

Harrison stood on the sideline at midcourt during pregame warmups, although Doncic said he didn't notice him.

He certainly saw the Mavericks' bench, directing several shouts and stare-downs after making plays for his new team.

"Obviously there's a lot of emotion that goes in when you give so much to a franchise and you sacrifice for a franchise and you have that type of love and respect for a franchise -- throughout all the journeys," James said of Doncic. "They went to the Finals, all that stuff. He's grown from being an 18-, 19-year-old kid to now a 25-year-old man with a family. ... And when you move on or they move on from you, it's very emotional, obviously. It's very taxing.

"It's probably a lot of things that were going on in his head that probably didn't even involve the game itself. And with that said, I thought he handled it tremendously."

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who led all scorers with 35 points, said the matchup was "awkward as s---" after facing off against the same player he teamed with to take Dallas to the Finals last season.

"But," Irving added, "at the same time, it was fun. We got a chance to feel like we were in practice all over again going at each other. That was a good reflection point. And then just seeing the crowd cheer for him and just get him going ... it was fun competing."

Doncic called Irving his "hermano" and said their relationship goes "way beyond basketball."

The teams will play again in Dallas on April 9. Returning to his former home will bring different challenges for Doncic, emotional and otherwise. The Mavericks are hoping Anthony Davis, sent from Los Angeles to Dallas in the deal, will have recovered from the left adductor strain he sustained after the trade and can play.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said there was no use avoiding the circumstances the schedule presents. As strange as Tuesday was for Doncic, the Lakers players had to deal with the conflicting emotions of seeing Davis back in the building and receiving a standing ovation in the first quarter when Los Angeles played a tribute video for him and then striving to send him away with a loss. The same went for having to match up with Max Christie, also part of the trade. He had 10 points and six assists for Dallas and played with the same effort and athleticism that used to be on the Lakers' side.

"You kind of just got to embrace it," Redick said. "It's just a little weird. It just naturally is. ... It's healthy, actually, just to acknowledge it and embrace it. And then you play the game, and then you never have to do that again."

Or at least the next time Doncic and the Lakers must play the Mavericks, they will have had more time to establish a new normal.

"The closure is going to take a while, I think," Doncic said. "It's not ideal. But like I said, I'm glad this game is over. There was a lot of emotions. But we go little by little, and every day is better."

ESPN's Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.

With just over six weeks left in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, most teams are now focusing on the postseason while others are cutting their losses and zeroing in on the upcoming draft and offseason.

Coming out of the All-Star break, teams and players should be well rested for the remainder of the schedule.

A race for the No. 4 seed between the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons has heated up in the East, as all three teams are collectively a game apart from one another. The fight for a play-in spot remains contentious between the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat.

In the West, things have been hot all season, as the Oklahoma City Thunder have established their spot at the top while the rest of the conference has been neck-and-neck in the standings. The Nos. 6 through 9 teams are all separated by one game or less.

This week, we asked our NBA insiders to break down the most important stretch of games for all 30 teams. Whether it's a last-ditch effort for a postseason push, or a tank for the top of the lottery, which games should we circle on our calendars in the coming weeks?

Here are this week's updated Power Rankings for all 30 teams.

Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk and Chris Herring) think teams belong this season.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 30 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 13 | Nov. 20 | Nov. 27 | Dec. 4 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 25 | Jan. 1 | Jan. 8 | Jan. 15 | Jan. 22 | Jan. 29 | Feb. 5 | Feb. 12

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTA | WAS

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

• 2024-25 record: 48-10

• Previous ranking: 2

• Next games: @ BOS (Feb. 28), vs. POR (Mar. 2), @ CHI (Mar. 4)

The biggest game remaining for the Cavs comes Friday in Boston, where they'll hope to tie the season series at two apiece against the defending champs. The Cavaliers' toughest stretch, however, comes in their last three games of the regular season: a back-to-back in Indiana and New York, followed by the home finale against the Pacers. Indiana beat Cleveland at home last month, but the Cavs have already beaten the Knicks by double digits twice this season. -- Dave McMenamin

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

• 2024-25 record: 46-11

• Previous ranking: 1

• Next games: @ BKN (Feb. 26), @ ATL (Feb. 28), @ SA (Mar. 2), vs. HOU (Mar. 3)

A possible Western Conference finals preview followed by an NBA Finals tee-up? The Thunder have a back-to-back with Denver on March 9-10 before facing Boston on March 12. If those teams want an early look at how to contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they may want to study how Minnesota's trapping strategy against the MVP candidate played a significant role in its massive comeback win Monday. Despite the loss, it was Gilgeous-Alexander's 20th 35-point performance of the season. According to ESPN Research, he joins Kevin Durant as the only players in franchise history with 20 or more 35-point performances in multiple seasons. -- Tim MacMahon

3. Boston Celtics

• 2024-25 record: 42-16

• Previous ranking: 3

• Next games: @ DET (Feb. 26), vs. CLE (Feb. 28), vs. DEN (Mar. 2)

There are three games left across the final few weeks of Boston's regular season that should be highlighted, and all are at TD Garden: Friday against the Cavaliers, Sunday against the Nuggets and March 12 against the Thunder -- meetings against what appear to be the biggest oppositions to their title defense. -- Tim Bontemps

4. Denver Nuggets

• 2024-25 record: 38-20

• Previous ranking: 4

• Next games: @ MIL (Feb. 27), @ DET (Feb. 28), @ BOS (Mar. 2)

The Nuggets, who have won 10 of their past 11, are looking more and more like Western Conference contenders. But there are two games on the remaining schedule that could go a long way toward boosting the Nuggets' status and determining the MVP race. Denver plays a back-to-back at Oklahoma City on March 9 and 10. If Denver can sweep, the Nuggets could put a dent in the Thunder's stellar season and create a ton of intrigue heading into the playoffs. It could also be enough to sway MVP voters when it comes to Nikola Jokic and OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. -- Ohm Youngmisuk

5. Memphis Grizzlies

• 2024-25 record: 38-20

• Previous ranking: 5

• Next games: vs. NYK (Feb. 28), vs. SA (Mar. 1), vs. ATL (Mar. 3)

The Grizzlies started the Eastern Conference portion of their five-game road trip coming out of the All-Star break losing two of three, including Sunday at Cleveland. The time off might have been the most beneficial for point guard Ja Morant, who has been in and out of the lineup because of injuries but has now played in four consecutive games. Fresh off his second All-Star appearance, Jaren Jackson Jr. is oozing confidence along with surprising rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey. Memphis will look to ride this momentum as it hits a fairly difficult portion of the schedule in late March with four straight road games that include matchups against the Clippers and Oklahoma City. -- Michael Wright

6. New York Knicks

• 2024-25 record: 37-20

• Previous ranking: 6

• Next games: vs. PHI (Feb. 26), @ MEM (Feb. 28), @ MIA (Mar. 2), vs. GS (Mar. 4)

Despite owning the league's fifth-best record, the Knicks are currently 0-7 against the top teams in the league: the Cavs, Thunder and Celtics. Five of those defeats weren't truly competitive, either. New York has three games left against the Cavs and Celtics collectively; all three fall between April 2 and 11. The Knicks will be eager to illustrate they are a title contender, despite what they've shown in their highest-profile games so far. -- Chris Herring

7. Los Angeles Lakers

• 2024-25 record: 35-21

• Previous ranking: 7

• Next games: vs. MIN (Feb. 27), vs. LAC (Feb. 28), vs. LAC (Mar. 2)

For obvious reasons, the return of Luka Doncic to Dallas on April 9 is the box office event still awaiting the Lakers on their schedule for the third of four regular-season matchups against the Mavericks. But the six-game stretch in eight days from March 13 through March 20 is more consequential. It starts with a road back-to-back in Milwaukee, followed by a matchup in Denver. Then a home back-to-back against Phoenix and San Antonio and another back-to-back against Denver and Milwaukee. LeBron James highlighted the stretch on his Instagram account with the caption: "This is INSANE!!!!!" -- McMenamin

8. Houston Rockets

• 2024-25 record: 36-22

• Previous ranking: 8

• Next games: vs. SA (Feb. 26), vs. SAC (Mar. 1), @ OKC (Mar. 3), @ IND (Mar. 4)

The Rockets dropped seven of nine games going into the All-Star break, and it didn't get any easier for them coming out. Still, Houston defeated Minnesota on Friday with Jabari Smith Jr. back in the lineup after missing 22 games because of a broken bone in his left hand, before losing the next night at Utah. Injured point guard Fred VanVleet has missed nine consecutive games because of a sore ankle, and coach Ime Udoka estimates the veteran is at approximately 80%. There's a chance VanVleet might return during Houston's upcoming three-game homestand. However, the back-to-back outings in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers on April 9 and 11 is the most important stretch of games for a Houston squad that sits at No. 5 in the West. -- Wright

9. Indiana Pacers

• 2024-25 record: 32-24

• Previous ranking: 10

• Next games: vs. TOR (Feb. 26), @ MIA (Feb. 28), vs. CHI (Mar. 2), vs. HOU (Mar. 4)

The Pacers eliminated the Bucks in the postseason last year and are slated to face Milwaukee in the first round again in the No. 4 versus No. 5 matchup if the standings hold. Indiana currently has home-court advantage but will face Milwaukee twice in a three-game stretch on March 11 and 15 that could decide which team will ultimately get to start the series at home. -- Jamal Collier

10. Milwaukee Bucks

• 2024-25 record: 32-25

• Previous ranking: 12

• Next games: vs. DEN (Feb. 27), @ DAL (Mar. 1), @ ATL (Mar. 4)

The Bucks will begin a four-game stretch on March 9 that could define their path toward the playoffs. Three of those four games are at home, beginning with the East-leading Cavs and a chance for Milwaukee to win its first game against the top three seeds in the conference (so far it is 0-9). Then, the Bucks will play the Pacers in two of the next three games, with a matchup against the Lakers in between. But those games against Indiana will be key, especially considering where the two teams stand in the East right now. -- Collier

11. Minnesota Timberwolves

• 2024-25 record: 32-27

• Previous ranking: 9

• Next games: @ LAL (Feb. 27), @ UTA (Feb. 28), @ PHX (Mar. 2), vs. PHI (Mar. 4)

The good news for Minnesota: It has one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league, with only Toronto facing teams with a lower winning percentage to end the season. If the Wolves want to escape the play-in tournament and make the playoffs as a top-six seed, it should take advantage of the lighter schedule, particularly during one stretch from March 14-21: five games, only one against a team over .500 (at home against Indiana) and three games (Pelicans twice and Utah) against teams heading for the top of the lottery. If the Wolves are clicking, it should be a chance for a winning streak to end the regular season strong. -- Collier

12. LA Clippers

• 2024-25 record: 31-26

• Previous ranking: 11

• Next games: @ CHI (Feb. 26), @ LAL (Feb. 28), @ LAL (Mar. 2), @ PHX (Mar. 4)

The Clippers' grip on the sixth spot in the West is slipping as they are in the midst of eight consecutive games away from Intuit Dome. But their final six games could determine whether the Clippers have to endure the play-in. That stretch starts on April 4 with two back-to-back home games against Dallas, who could have a healthy Anthony Davis back. Kawhi Leonard will likely have to sit out one of those games, as the Clippers will have to manage him closely to prep for the playoffs. After that, the Clippers host San Antonio and Houston before finishing the regular season at Sacramento and Golden State -- two other teams that will challenge for the sixth spot. -- Youngmisuk

13. Detroit Pistons

• 2024-25 record: 32-26

• Previous ranking: 14

• Next games: vs. BOS (Feb. 26), vs. DEN (Feb. 28), vs. BKN (Mar. 1), @ UTA (Mar. 3)

Forget merely making the playoffs. With the Pistons having used a seven-game winning streak to open up a 3.5-game lead over the Magic for the sixth seed in the East, they can now turn their attention up in the standings. Detroit is only a game back of the Pacers and Bucks for fourth, which would mean home-court advantage in the first round. If the Pistons can stay that close, finishing the season with a home-and-home set against Milwaukee will give them a potential two-game swing. -- Kevin Pelton

14. Golden State Warriors

• 2024-25 record: 31-27

• Previous ranking: 15

• Next games: @ ORL (Feb. 27), @ PHI (Mar. 1), @ CHA (Mar. 3), @ NYK (Mar. 4)

The rejuvenated Warriors have their eyes set on the sixth seed and a five-game stretch against other Western Conference contenders could determine their ability to avoid the play-in. The challenge starts on April 1 against Memphis. After that, Golden State finishes a daunting six-game road trip in Los Angeles where they will face the new-look duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James. The Warriors return home to face Denver and Houston before visiting a Phoenix team that has been teetering on the play-in line and will have some extra motivation. The Warriors then finish the regular season against the Clippers, who are clinging to the No. 6 spot in the standings. -- Youngmisuk

15. Dallas Mavericks

• 2024-25 record: 31-28

• Previous ranking: 13

• Next games: vs. CHA (Feb. 27), vs. MIL (Mar. 1), vs. SAC (Mar. 3)

Big men Anthony Davis (adductor strain) and Dereck Lively II (stress fracture in ankle) joined the team on the California road trip and have progressed to getting in some work on the court. The Mavs' hope is that Davis and Lively will return in time for the tandem to get several games together at the end of the regular season, sources told ESPN. They'll be needed in their back-to-back against the Clippers that starts on April 4 and will definitely want Davis back when Luka and the Lakers come to town on April 9. -- MacMahon

16. Sacramento Kings

• 2024-25 record: 29-28

• Previous ranking: 16

• Next games: @ UTA (Feb. 26), @ HOU (Mar. 1), @ DAL (Mar. 3)

After a 24-point home loss to the Warriors on Friday, the Kings now find themselves chasing their West rivals in the race for play-in positioning. Sacramento can still make up ground and secure the season series tiebreaker when the two teams play on March 13 at the Chase Center. The stakes are significant. The Kings are currently 10th in the West, and the No. 10 seed has yet to advance to the playoffs in the four years of the play-in tournament. -- Kevin Pelton

17. Orlando Magic

• 2024-25 record: 29-31

• Previous ranking: 19

• Next games: vs. GS (Feb. 27), vs. TOR (Mar. 2), vs. TOR (Mar. 4)

A pair of games against the Hawks in the season's final week could be key to determining play-in positioning for the Magic. Orlando currently sits seventh, just ahead of Southeast Division rivals Atlanta and the Heat. Staying in seventh would mean the Magic don't have to travel for the play-in tournament and could advance as the No. 7 seed by winning the opening game at home. Orlando also visits Miami on March 19 with the head-to-head tiebreaker on the line. -- Kevin Pelton

18. Phoenix Suns

• 2024-25 record: 27-31

• Previous ranking: 17

• Next games: vs. NO (Feb. 27), vs. NO (Feb. 28), vs. MIN (Mar. 2), vs. LAC (Mar. 4)

When you've lost nine of 11 games in February, like the Suns have, every game matters when it comes to staying afloat in the Western Conference playoff picture. That said, the Suns' six-game stretch from March 2 to March 12 against six Western foes ahead of them in the standings could make or break their season: home against Minnesota and the Clippers, followed by road games in Denver, Dallas, Memphis and Houston. -- McMenamin

19. Miami Heat

• 2024-25 record: 26-30

• Previous ranking: 18

• Next games: vs. ATL (Feb. 26), vs. IND (Feb. 28), vs. NYK (Mar. 2), vs. WAS (Mar. 3)

The final four games of the season are against the 76ers, Bulls, Pelicans and Wizards -- all of which, by then, should be wins. For a Heat team currently in the play-in and hoping to avoid giving up two future unprotected first-round picks (which happens if they don't make the playoffs), that could be a pivotal stretch in trying to get into the 7-8 play-in game, and thus getting two chances at extending their postseason. -- Bontemps

20. Atlanta Hawks

• 2024-25 record: 27-31

• Previous ranking: 20

• Next games: @ MIA (Feb. 26), vs. OKC (Feb. 28), @ MEM (Mar. 3), vs. MIL (Mar. 4)

For an Atlanta team that has been teetering in the play-in for most of the season, upcoming games against Orlando on April 8 and 10 will matter the most. These matchups could help determine which club gets home-court advantage for the East's No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game. The winner of that game will likely get a first-round matchup with reigning champion Boston. -- Herring

21. San Antonio Spurs

• 2024-25 record: 24-32

• Previous ranking: 21

• Next games: @ HOU (Feb. 26), @ MEM (Mar. 1), vs. OKC (Mar. 2), vs. BKN (Mar. 4)

San Antonio received a brief respite in the ongoing Rodeo Road Trip with a back-to-back set against Detroit and Phoenix in Austin that produced a 1-1 record. The road trip continued Sunday with four straight road games, which ends Saturday in Memphis. New addition De'Aaron Fox won't play in front of the home crowd in San Antonio until a Sunday matchup with Oklahoma City. With franchise superstar Victor Wembanyama out for the season, the Spurs continue to tweak schematics on both ends of the floor. By the onset of a three-game road trip against the Clippers, Warriors and Suns, the Spurs will have a good idea of where they stand, which in turn will likely determine whether they'll compete for the postseason or position themselves in the lottery. -- Wright

22. Portland Trail Blazers

• 2024-25 record: 25-33

• Previous ranking: 22

• Next games: @ WAS (Feb. 26), @ BKN (Feb. 28), @ CLE (Mar. 2), @ PHI (Mar. 3)

Getting into the play-in mix in the West remains a long shot for the Blazers, who are 4.5 games out of 10th. If Portland is going to stay alive, that means taking care of business against the weaker opponents on a six-game road trip that starts Wednesday against the Wizards. The Blazers face the league's top three teams (Boston, Cleveland and Oklahoma City) during the trip, but also have three chances to fatten up against lottery-bound Washington, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Dropping any of those games would be costly to Portland's play-in hopes. -- Kevin Pelton

23. Chicago Bulls

• 2024-25 record: 23-35

• Previous ranking: 24

• Next games: vs. LAC (Feb. 26), vs. TOR (Feb. 28), @ IND (Mar. 2), vs. CLE (Mar. 4)

The Bulls may have just played their most important game of the season on Monday night, a 142-110 victory over the fading 76ers. The win snapped a six-game losing streak, but for the so-called rebuilding Bulls, it simultaneously increased their lead over the Sixers for the No. 10 seed for the final play-in spot and decreased Chicago's odds of securing a higher draft pick. The Bulls, Nets and Sixers are all loosely in the mix for the No. 10 seed, and Chicago has one game remaining against Brooklyn on March 13. -- Collier

24. Brooklyn Nets

• 2024-25 record: 21-36

• Previous ranking: 25

• Next games: vs. OKC (Feb. 26), vs. POR (Feb. 28), @ DET (Mar. 1), @ SA (Mar. 4)

With 21 wins, Brooklyn has played too well -- and ultimately won too much -- to be in a position to land the best odds for the draft lottery. If the Nets want to maximize their chances at this stage, they'll potentially take their foot off the pedal for their March 26 and April 6 matchups with Toronto, who has the NBA's fifth-worst mark. Currently, the Raptors have a 10.5% chance at the top pick, whereas the Nets, the seventh-worst club, have a 7.5% chance. -- Herring

25. Philadelphia 76ers

• 2024-25 record: 20-37

• Previous ranking: 23

• Next games: @ NYK (Feb. 26), vs. GS (Mar. 1), vs. POR (Mar. 3), @ MIN (Mar. 4)

Philadelphia's final game of the regular season is at home against the Bulls, and based on where both teams are in the standings, it's plausible that game could decide the 10th spot in the East. However, given the recent news about Joel Embiid's knee, it might be better for the 76ers to take a cautious approach to how they play the rest of the regular season. -- Bontemps

26. Toronto Raptors

• 2024-25 record: 18-40

• Previous ranking: 26

• Next games: @ IND (Feb. 26), @ CHI (Feb. 28), @ ORL (Mar. 2), @ ORL (Mar. 4)

From March 7-16, Toronto will play six games against the Wizards (twice), Jazz (twice), 76ers and Trail Blazers. That stretch will help determine whether the Raptors are going to be locked into a top-five lottery spot or move farther down the list over the coming weeks against a soft schedule. -- Bontemps

27. Charlotte Hornets

• 2024-25 record: 14-43

• Previous ranking: 27

• Next games: @ DAL (Feb. 27), vs. WAS (Mar. 1), vs. GS (Mar. 3)

Look no further than the March 30 and 31 games versus New Orleans and Utah, respectively. Charlotte has the league's fourth-worst record, while the Pelicans and Jazz are tied for the second-worst mark. This means the Hornets' odds for the top pick (12.5%) are slightly below the 14% that Washington, Utah and New Orleans would have as the three worst clubs if things remain the way they are. -- Herring

28. Utah Jazz

• 2024-25 record: 14-43

• Previous ranking: 28

• Next games: vs. SAC (Feb. 26), vs. MIN (Feb. 28), vs. NO (Mar. 2), vs. DET (Mar. 3)

Rookie Kyle Filipowski, the No. 32 pick, is in the midst of the best stretch of his young career. Filipowski has averaged 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds over his past four games, shooting 62.9% from the floor. He has had his first two 20-point double-doubles during that span. The Jazz will look to get Filipowski some help in this upcoming draft, but in order to do that, they'll need to strategically play the rest of the regular season. Especially against the Pelicans on March 2 and the Wizards on March 5 -- all three teams are tied for the best odds for the No. 1 spot in the lottery (14%). -- MacMahon

29. New Orleans Pelicans

• 2024-25 record: 15-43

• Previous ranking: 29

• Next games: @ PHX (Feb. 27), @ PHX (Feb. 28), @ UTA (Mar. 2), @ LAL (Mar. 4)

Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin views trade deadline additions Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk as experienced players with high hoop IQs who complement franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson. As for Williamson, he's currently the lightest he has been (264 pounds) since the Pelicans drafted him. With the season virtually a bust, it's unknown what impact Brown and Olynyk might make in the next couple of months, but given this team's rash of injuries, reinforcements are welcomed. A four-game stretch starting Thursday that features two games against the Suns and one against the Lakers will help to provide a clearer picture of how the Pels need to continue to build around Williamson. -- Wright

30. Washington Wizards

• 2024-25 record: 10-47

• Previous ranking: 30

• Next games: vs. POR (Feb. 26), @ CHA (Mar. 1), @ MIA (Mar. 3)

Washington is currently alone at the bottom of the standings as it hopes to land the top pick in the upcoming draft. The three teams with the worst records at the end of the season will have a 14% chance at the pick. So anything less than one of the three worst records for Washington this season would be a significant downturn in their already lost season. With that in mind, three games remain this season that the Wizards would be better off losing: at Charlotte on Saturday, against Utah on March 5 and at Utah on March 19. -- Youngmisuk

The Washington Nationals are bringing back closer Kyle Finnegan on a one-year, $6 million contract, sources told ESPN.

Finnegan, 33, saved 38 games for the Nationals last season and was a National League All-Star selection. The right-hander gets a modest raise from his $5.1 million salary in 2024, as the Nationals saved money by non-tendering him in December and then re-signing him.

Finnegan was expected to earn approximately $8 million had he remained eligible for arbitration.

The five-year veteran has played his entire career with Washington, earning 66 of his 88 career saves since becoming their main closer in 2023. He earned his first All-Star nod after saving 25 games with a 2.45 ERA over the first half of the 2024 season. Finnegan's second half wasn't quite as lofty, however, as he went 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA.

Finnegan joins newcomers Lucas Sims and Jorge Lopez in the bullpen as Washington attempts to take major steps in its rebuilding plan after winning the World Series in 2019.

NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Dodgers owe $1.051 billion in deferred pay to eight players from 2028 to '46 following Tanner Scott's $72 million, four-year contract and Teoscar Hernandez's $66 million, three-year deal.

Los Angeles' high payment point is $100.95 million in both 2038 and '39, according to details obtained by The Associated Press.

Major League Baseball proposed during collective bargaining on June 21, 2021, to put an end to the practice, but the players' association rejected the change.

"The Dodgers have gone out and done everything possible, always within the rules that currently exist, to put the best possible team on the field and that's a great thing for the game. That type of competitive spirit is what people want to see," commissioner Rob Manfred said last week.

"By the same token," he added, "it's clear that we have fans in some markets that are concerned about the ability of the team in their market to compete with the financial resources of the Dodgers. And I think if we've been consistent on one point it is we try to listen to our fans on topics like this and I have heard people on this, believe me, I get a lot of emails about it."

Scott's contract includes $21 million in deferred money and Hernández's $23.5 million.

Hernández is owed a total of $32 million in deferred pay from the team. He already was due $8.5 million as part of his $23.5 million, one-year deal for 2024, to be paid in 10 equal installments each July 1 from 2030 to '39.

Los Angeles also owes deferred payments to two-way star Shohei Ohtani ($680 million from 2034 to '43), outfielder/infielder Mookie Betts ($115 million in salaries from 2033 to '44 and the final $5 million of his signing bonus payable from 2033 to '35), left-hander Blake Snell ($66 million from 2035 to '46), first baseman Freddie Freeman ($57 million from 2028 to '40), catcher Will Smith ($50 million from 2034 to '43) and utilityman Tommy Edman ($25 million from 2037 to '44).

"It's just how you account for it," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said when Snell was introduced. "We're not going to wake up in 2035 and [say]: 'Oh my god, that's right. We have this money due.' We'll plan for it along the way."

The Dodgers' deferred obligations total $4 million each in 2028 and '29, $7.2 million annually from 2030 to '32, $17.2 million in 2033, $90.2 million in 2034, $98.95 million a year from 2035 to '37, $100.95 million in 2038 and '39, $98.75 million in 2040, $93.75 million annually from 2041 to '43, $20.75 million in 2044 and $7.25 million a year in 2045 and '46.

Los Angeles must fund the deferred money in an amount equal to its present-day value by the second July 1 following the season in which it is earned, according to MLB's CBA.

Hernández received a $23 million signing bonus payable Feb. 1 as part of the deal announced by the World Series champions on Jan. 3.

His agreement includes salaries of $10 million this year, $12 million in 2026 and $14.5 million in 2027. The Dodgers will defer $7.5 million from this year and $8 million in each in 2026 and '27, and that $23.5 million will be paid in 10 equal installments each Dec. 1 from 2030 to '39.

Scott's deferred money is due in a dozen $1.75 million payments each Dec. 1 from 2035 to '46.

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Bryce Harper's love for the Phillie Phanatic runs skin deep. Literally.

The Philadelphia Phillies star arrived at spring training sporting a tattoo on his right arm of the team's iconic mascot zooming around on an all-terrain vehicle.

Harper worked with Utah-based tattoo artist Hannah Matthews on the fine-line design. Matthews featured her session with Harper on her Instagram page and included a close-up of Harper's latest ink, located on the outside of his right arm just above the wrist.

Bryce Harper loves Philly so much that he got a Phanatic tattoo

(via andyoutattoo/IG) pic.twitter.com/Ihxh4dqhIk

MLB (@MLB) February 21, 2025

The two-time National League MVP and eight-time All-Star has regularly yucked it up with the Phanatic since signing with the Phillies in 2019. Harper has sported cleats and a headband featuring the large, furry green bird-type creature and wielded a Phanatic-themed bat while facing the New York Mets in London last summer.

Harper told MLB.com he had wanted to do something to honor the Phanatic for a while.

"I just love Philly," Harper said. "I love the Phanatic. It's just fun."

The placement of the tattoo is intentional. Harper told MLB.com the idea is the Phanatic will be following the flight of the ball when it leaves the left-handed Harper's bat.

"People can kind of see that as I swing," Harper said. "Him driving off my arm, I thought it looked pretty cool."

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Veteran starter Max Scherzer made his debut with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, but it was also his first appearance on the mound in Major League Baseball's automated ball-strike system era.

He's not a fan of it.

In fact, in a two-inning appearance in which Scherzer looked quite sharp against the St. Louis Cardinals, he came up on the short end of two robot challenges that turned strikes into balls.

"I'm a little skeptical on this," Scherzer told The Athletic after a performance in which he struck out four Cardinals in two innings. "I get what we're trying to do here, but I think major league umpires are really good. They're really good. So what are we actually changing here? We know there are going to be strikes that are changed to balls, and balls that are changed to strikes. ... So we're going to basically be even. So are we actually going to improve the game? Are the umpires really that bad? I don't think so."

The ABS system is being tested during major league spring training after years of experiments in the minors. It has been the topic of several postgame news conferences, and Tuesday was no different.

"Can we just play baseball?" Scherzer said. "We're humans. Can we just be judged by humans? Do we really need to disrupt the game? I think humans are defined by humans."

A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer, 40, has never been shy about expressing his opinion. And as he expressed some emotion on the mound as the calls were reversed, the tone of his news conference wasn't much of a surprise.

"I'm skeptical of it," Scherzer reiterated. "I get what we're trying to do, but I'm skeptical of what the results will actually be."

As far as his overall effort, the former ace was pleased. He finished with 34 pitches, including 20 strikes, as the Blue Jays posted a 3-2 win. Scherzer surrendered a leadoff triple to Victor Scott II starting the game but settled down, retiring his final six batters.

"I'm just trying to get sped up to game speed," Scherzer said. "You can throw as many bullpens as you want in the world, but that's not real. You need to get out there and face hitters. There's a game speed. I need to get back to game speed with mechanics, how everything works, where you want to deliver the ball and where you want to get the ball to -- at actual game speed. That's the ramp-up process of spring training.

"I'm not saying this is good, bad, this or that. No. This is about coming out, checking a box, executing, being healthy and getting out of here."

Scherzer also told MLB.com that this is exactly where he needs to be for a "normal" spring. And Blue Jays manager John Schneider, in his postgame media availability, concurred, telling reporters that Scherzer "felt great."

Scherzer was 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA last year for the Texas Rangers. He started the season on the injured list while recovering from lower back surgery and was on the IL from Aug. 2 to Sept. 13 because of shoulder fatigue. He didn't pitch after Sept. 14 because of a left hamstring strain. He signed a one-year, $15.5 million deal with Toronto earlier this month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Inside the batting cages at the Boston Red Sox's spring training complex, where the future of hitting is playing out in real time, the best trio of position prospects in a generation blossomed.

Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Meyer have spent hundreds of hours in the building, rotating around its 10 tunnels, though their best work always seems to happen in Cage 4, right inside the main entrance. When they walk through the door, underneath a sign with a Ted Williams quote in big, capital letters -- "WE'RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO DO TWO THINGS ... WE'RE GOING TO HIT IT HARD AND WE'RE GOING TO HIT IT IN THE AIR" -- they enter a hitting laboratory. Every cage is equipped with a HitTrax that gives them real-time batted-ball data. Trash cans house an array of training bats -- overweight and underweight, long and short, skinny. A Trajekt robot, capable of replicating every pitch thrown in the major leagues over the past half-decade, is joined by a dozen other standard pitching machines. Exit velocity leaderboards dot the walls.

Here, Campbell, Anthony and Mayer are in the middle of everything, appropriate for what their future holds. They're learning modern hitting philosophy, applying it in an array of competitions that aim to turn their tools into skills, jamming to Bachata and Reggaeton and rap and rock, talking immense amounts of trash. On a small desk inside Cage 4 sit two binders outlining the Red Sox's hitting philosophy: one in English and one in Spanish. These binders outline what the organization's hitting coaches refer to as its Core Four tenets: swing decisions, bat speed, bat-to-ball skill and ball flight.

As pitchers have leveraged baseball's sabermetric revolution into designer offerings and a sportwide velocity jump, hitting has fallen behind. Batting average and weighted on-base average (a metric that measures productivity at the plate) are at low points over the past half-century. Pitchers regularly flummox hitters. The Red Sox believe they can bridge the gap. And the new big three -- a nickname that was originally given to Mayer, Anthony and Kyle Teel, the catching prospect at the heart of the trade that brought ace Garrett Crochet to Boston over the winter -- are the philosophy's beta test.

"The training environment is the biggest thing with us," said Anthony, a 20-year-old outfielder. "We push each other so much, and it's always that competitive -- friendly, but competitive -- environment we set in the cage. We talk crap to each other. We really try to get the best out of each other and really beat each other in training. And I think it makes us better when we take the field."

There, their results are undeniable. Mayer, 22, is a smooth-fielding, left-handed-hitting shortstop who fell to the Red Sox with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 draft, weathered injuries and saw his exit velocity spike and strikeout rate dip last year. Anthony, who signed for a well-over-slot $2.5 million bonus after Boston chose him with the 79^th pick in the 2022 draft, is widely regarded as the best hitting prospect in the minor leagues. The 22-year-old Campbell, a fourth-round pick in 2023 as a draft-eligible redshirt freshman, was a revelation last season, the consensus Minor League Player of the Year who went from unheralded to a prospect coveted even more than Anthony by some teams despite an unorthodox swing.

All three will be in the major leagues sooner than later -- for Campbell, perhaps by Opening Day. They'll bring with them a shared experience they believe will transfer to the big leagues. When they eventually face Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, they'll have a sense of what to expect, not just because they stood in against him on the Trajekt but because coaches took his best fastballs (100 mph at the top of the zone), added an extra half-foot of rise to them and challenged the kids to hit it.

"You want to be surrounded with the best," Anthony said, "because it makes you want to become the best."

IN SEPTEMBER 2023, after the minor league season ended, the Red Sox gathered their minor league prospects at their spring training complex for a two-month offseason camp. Boston's staff assesses every hitter to form an action plan, and Campbell's was clear. He made excellent swing decisions and had elite bat-to-ball ability, both of which manifested themselves as he hit .376 with 29 walks and 17 strikeouts over 217 plate appearances in his lone season at Georgia Tech. While the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Campbell swung the bat hard, the Red Sox saw room for improvement. Ball flight represented the biggest area of need after his average launch angle during 22 postdraft pro games was just 2 degrees.

Inside the complex's cafeteria one day in camp, Campbell was surveying his options when Red Sox hitting coordinator John Soteropulos meandered by. Soteropulos had joined the team after three years as a hitting coach at Driveline Baseball, the Seattle-based think tank where philosophies have pervaded the game over the past decade. Soteropulos noticed shepherd's pie on the cafeteria's menu and alerted Campbell.

"You need to eat that," Soteropulos said. "It's got bat speed in it."

"I hope it has ball flight, too," Campbell said.

While Mayer entered the MLB ecosystem as a top prospect and Anthony a tooled-up could-be star, Campbell was different. Taken with the compensatory pick the Red Sox received when longtime shortstop Xander Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres, Campbell signed for less than $500,000. His swing was janky. He needed work. Soteropulos, director of hitting and fellow Driveline alum Jason Ochart and assistant farm director Chris Stasio were empowered by Red Sox management to implement their new systems in hopes of extracting the best version of later-round picks like Campbell -- and if it worked, he would represent the proof of concept.

From the moment he arrived in the organization, Campbell impressed the staff with his desire to learn. And challenging players beyond the perfunctory repetitions hitters take -- the same soft flips in the batting cage, the same 60 mph batting practice before every game -- is at the heart of Boston's philosophy.

Professional baseball players, the thinking goes, are elite problem solvers. Giving them complex problems drives them to adapt. If they train in environments that don't take them outside of their comfort zone, improvement is negligible. Challenging hitters, whether with the Trajekt or with machine balls that fly only when struck on the sweet spot or with slim bats that emphasize barrel control or hundreds of other ways, forces that adaptation. And it's those changes that take a nonexistent or atrophied skill and give it heft.

"I really wanted to go to a team that could develop me into a great player and that will take the time to help me because I feel like I'm really coachable and I listen," Campbell said. "I just need the right information. And if I don't know what I'm doing, it's hard for me to correct and change things."

Over those two months, the Red Sox didn't overhaul Campbell's swing as much as they found the best version of it. Thirty years ago, Coop DeRenne, a professor at the University of Hawaii, ran a study on overload and underload training that showed it significantly improved bat speed. The industry has mostly ignored its findings, but Driveline embraced them and brought them to the Red Sox. Campbell trained two days a week with bats that were 20% heavier and 20% lighter than standard 31-ounce bats. Though he whipped his bat through the zone with a preternatural ability to stay on plane -- the angle of the bat meeting the angle at which the pitch arrived at home plate -- delivering the barrel with greater force reinforced a tenet Red Sox coaches preach repeatedly: "The bats do the work for you."

The bigger challenge was adulterating Campbell's swing to hit the ball in the air. Williams, who wanted to be known as the greatest hitter who ever lived, long advocated for ball flight because he understood a hard-hit ground ball is typically a single while balls struck in the air produce the vast majority of extra-base hits. Pulling the ball in the air is particularly important. The longer a bat takes to make contact, the more speed it generates. Meeting a ball in front -- which typically allows a hitter to pull -- maximizes the capacity for damage.

Rather than overhaul Campbell's swing, the Red Sox preferred to let his natural athleticism guide him toward a solution. Instead of moving his hand position or getting rid of his toe-tap, Campbell altered where he wanted to strike the ball, reminding himself with every rep to do something counterintuitive: Swing under it.

"For me, it's just a feeling," Campbell said. "You got to know where your barrel is at all times. It was in an odd spot because I was trying to get more elevation on the ball than normal. So I feel like I have to swing under the ball to hit it in the air. And I really was on plane because I've been so on top of it all these years."

Campbell's barrel aptitude improved by taking reps with a fungo bat or a slim 37-inch bat (3 to 4 inches longer than the standard bat), which forced him to meet the ball farther in front of the plate. The skills learned in doing so eventually meld with a hitter's' regular bats, and variations of drills -- offsetting standard pitching machines to the side, mixed-pitch Trajekt sessions -- allow them to be applied in new, challenging environments. In the cages in Ft. Myers, coaches pitted Campbell and his fellow prospects against one another to see who could hit the ball hardest or most consistently. Winners gloated -- "Marcelo talks s--- 25/8," Anthony said -- and those who didn't win returned the next day intent on revenge.

When last winter's offseason sessions ended, the Red Sox were hopeful they would translate into a breakout season for Campbell. Even they could not have predicted what transpired over the ensuing months. Campbell said he came into 2024 hoping to hit five home runs -- one more than in his lone college season. He started the season at High-A Greenville and hit his fifth home run May 9. Less than a month later, with three more home runs on the ledger, he ascended to Double-A, where he spent two months and whacked eight more homers. He was promoted to Triple-A for the final month and added another four, finishing the season hitting .330/.439/.558 with 20 home runs, 24 stolen bases, 74 walks and 103 strikeouts in 517 plate appearances.

"I remember the first time I saw him hit, I was like, 'The hell is this?' " Mayer said. "He's in the cage with the weirdest swing I've ever seen, and he's got his long bat, and I'm like, 'What?' Next thing I know, he's hitting .380."

When Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story first saw Campbell on a rehabilitation assignment in Triple-A, he was taken by his ability "to self-organize and learn how to solve problems."

"He has a special talent for moving the bat," Story said. "His bat speed is just violent. When you hear it, you're like, oh, s---."

"It's controlled violence," Campbell said. "You got to make sure you see the ball. And then whenever you make a decision to swing, you got to put your fastest, hardest, best swing on it and make sure you stay somewhat under control while that ball is going on so you can hit the ball as well as possible.

"Every swing really can't be the same. The way pitches move and how good everybody is nowadays, if you take the same swing every time and only can hit certain pitches, that's a mistake. You've got to be able to adjust to different things, different pitches, different locations."

DURING THE FIRST week of this year's spring training, before the full Boston squad reported, Red Sox Hall of Famer Dwight Evans stood outside of Cage 4 and admired what he was seeing. Evans spent two seasons as a hitting coach, in 1994 with Colorado and 2002 with the Red Sox, and he recognizes baseball's evolution. The game changes, and even if all the technology isn't his cup of tea, he isn't going to argue with the results.

In Campbell, Mayer and Anthony, he doesn't see prospects. Without an at-bat to their names in MLB, they remind Evans -- who spent 20 seasons in the major leagues, 19 with Boston -- of his peers.

"It's almost like they've been around 10 years in the big leagues," Evans said. "They just have it. They know what they're trying to do."

The Red Sox believe this is just the beginning for Campbell, Mayer and Anthony and that their approach to hitting will create a pipeline of prospects to join a core that includes the trio alongside All-Stars Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, Alex Bregman and Story, and the young and talented Triston Casas and Ceddanne Rafaela. Buy-in at all levels is paramount, and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, assistant general manager Paul Toboni and farm director Brian Abraham are leaning into the work done by Ochart, Soteropulos and Stasio. Breslow hired Kyle Boddy, who founded Driveline, as a special adviser. Five other former Driveline employees dot the player development, baseball science and major league staffs, and Stasio was promoted over the winter to director of major league development, a new role in which he will apply the development philosophies to the big league club and maintain the continuity for prospects who ascend to Fenway Park.

Campbell is in line to be the first -- of many, the Red Sox hope -- to crack the big league roster. He's in competition for the second-base job this spring, a testament to the organization's belief in him. If he wins it, Bregman will play third and Devers -- who has received MVP votes five of the past six years and signed a franchise-record $313.5 million contract -- will move to designated hitter, a role he said unequivocally he doesn't want to play.

The Red Sox see Campbell as worth the potential drama. Perhaps it's a function of five playoff-free seasons in six years since their 2018 World Series title, but it's likely simpler: Campbell is too good to keep down. Mayer and Anthony won't be far behind. The competition fostered in Cage 4 -- and the work ethic it demands -- isn't going anywhere.

Even before Campbell's arrival, Mayer and Anthony had grown close through late-night, postgame hitting sessions. Both have beautiful left-handed swings, more traditional than Campbell's in which he waggles the bat, pointing it almost directly toward the sky at the swing's launch point. Starting from a better place than Campbell hasn't kept either from reaping the benefits of Boston's program.

"I don't know if I'm hitting the ball harder because it's necessarily bat speed or because I'm working in the gym, but both together could only help," Mayer said. "So over the years, I feel like I'm hitting it harder, I'm moving the bat quicker. I have a better understanding of my swing. So all those things tie in and play a big role and lead to success."

Knowing which prospects will find major league success is impossible, though in an era defined by objective data, the misses aren't nearly as frequent. There was no bat-speed data when Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Wil Myers were all top-10 prospects for Kansas City in 2010. Trajekt was a dream machine when Arizona had Justin Upton, Chris Young and Carlos Gonzalez in 2007. Exit velocity was the domain of rocket ships in 2004 when Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy were coming through the Milwaukee system.

It's a whole new baseball world, and it is on full display in Cage 4, where Campbell, Mayer and Anthony have spent so much time working with their instructors that they joke that Soteropulos might as well sleep there.

"It's pretty cool to think about how many spring trainings we've been in there," Anthony said. "Looking back at it and being on the big league side, just appreciating guys like John and guys on the minor league side that take so much time out of their days to get us better."

For all the struggles hitters around baseball have faced, the Red Sox believe in their system -- and in this first generation that will serve as a litmus test to its efficacy.

"I'm committed to the game," Campbell said. "I want to be the best player I can be every day. I want to bring whatever I can to Boston. Once I knew they drafted me, I was like, 'That's the team I'm going to debut with. That's the team I'm going to play with. I want to play with the team for a long time.' I just knew that I'm going to give all I have to this team that took a chance on me. I'm going to make sure it's worth it for them and me."

WASHINGTON -- It took 57 games for the Washington Wizards to hold a team under 100 points this season.

Of course, Marcus Smart wasn't around for most of those.

Smart and the Wizards held Brooklyn to 12 points in the fourth quarter of their 107-99 victory over the Nets on Monday night. Washington was the only team in the NBA that hadn't kept an opponent in double digits this season, but the Wizards finally did it in Smart's second game with them.

"It took everybody," Smart said. "That Brooklyn team as we all know, they don't back down from nobody. They're going to come out and test you on both ends."

The 2022-23 Utah Jazz went the whole season without holding an opponent under 100, according to Sportradar. They were the first team that failed to hold a team under 100 since the 1990-91 Denver Nuggets. Denver also needed until game No. 74 to do it in 1986-87.

The Wizards acquired Smart from Memphis in a recent trade that moved him from one of the top teams in the Western Conference standings to the league-worst Wizards. He was the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year with Boston, but he hasn't played much since being dealt to the Grizzlies in June 2023.

Smart has been dealing with an injury to his right index finger recently, but he made his debut for the Wizards last week and played again Monday. He scored 10 points in 21:38 against Brooklyn.

"There is some people that kind of probably slept -- I haven't played in a couple years consistently, and they probably forgot about me -- which is cool. I'm used to it," Smart said. "I still do what I do."

Brooklyn took a 97-96 lead on Trendon Watford's layup with 4:45 remaining. Then the Nets didn't score again until a couple of free throws with 13 seconds left.

Washington won despite 23 turnovers. Brooklyn committed 18 of its own.

"We weathered the storm," Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. "We didn't play a perfect game. We scored 40 points in the second half. We struggled to score at times. We're still learning chemistry with the new guys. But that didn't stop us from staying competitive and staying with the game. We really won the game tonight with our defense."