NBA NewsSunday, Jan 18, 2026

Zion Williamson has moved into the top-10 in the NBA in PER with a mark of 24.5. Williamson had a PER of 29.0 in December over nine games after 20.0 in November. NBA PER (Week 11): 1. Nikola Jokic: 35.0 2. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 34.3 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 31.4 4. Victor Wembanyama: 27.4 5. Luka Doncic: 26.8 6. Kawhi Leonard: 26.7 7. Zion Williamson: 24.5 8. Jaylen Brown: 24.2 9. Donovan Mitchell: 23.6 10. Mark Williams: 23.4 11. Jalen Duren: 23.2 12. Anthony Edwards: 23.1 13. Tyrese Max...

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The Nuggets have been using Aaron Gordon off the bench since he returned from a hamstring strain to maximize the value of his limited minutes, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Coach David Adelman wants Gordon to be available to help close out games, so he’s playing him strategically the rest of the time. […]

Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson returned to the court Saturday after being sidelined for nearly a month, and he opened up about just how serious his concussion symptoms were in a conversation with Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. The player explained that the effects went far beyond typical discomfort and significantly impacted his daily […] The post Isaiah Jackson details severe concussion symptoms appeared first on TalkBasket.net .

The Portland Trail Blazers cruised to a 132-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday night at Moda Center. Shaedon Sharpe led Portland with 25 points, while Jerami Grant and Caleb Love each added 22, helping the Blazers win seven of their last nine games. The Lakers were without star guard Luka Doncic due to […] The post Trail Blazers dominate shorthanded Lakers appeared first on TalkBasket.net .

Drew Timme scored a career-high 21 points off the bench, but the Los Angeles Lakers fell 132-116 to the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday at Moda Center. “That’s the style that we want to play, you just want to play more physical, harder,” Timme said when asked about establishing a tone against Portland. “Sometimes it’s just […] The post Drew Timme reflects on career-high night despite Lakers’ loss to Trail Blazers appeared first on TalkBasket.net .

Billy Donovan believes accountability is central to helping Matas Buzelis continue to develop, and he values the young forward’s approach to handling mistakes, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicago Bulls head coach said his focus isn’t on results like shot-making, but on habits and decisions that translate to winning basketball. “I’m […] The post Billy Donovan likes how Matas Buzelis handles mistakes appeared first on TalkBasket.net .

The Chicago Bulls have been exploring ways to upgrade the center position and have viewed it as an area of need for an extended period, according to sources cited by Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Afseth reported Friday that Chicago has shown interest in Yves Missi, whose responsibilities with the New Orleans Pelicans have diminished during […] The post Bulls targeting young center upgrade appeared first on TalkBasket.net .

The Minnesota Timberwolves fell 126-123 to the San Antonio Spurs Saturday at Frost Bank Center, with veteran Mike Conley highlighting his team’s resilience. “This team fought hard. It was just really finding energy,” Conley said, describing how Minnesota struggled early but rallied in the second half. He explained the turnaround came in the third quarter. […] The post Mike Conley praises Timberwolves’ effort despite narrow loss to Spurs appeared first on TalkBasket.net .

After being removed from the rotation late last season, Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls responded by dedicating himself to improvement over the offseason, a move that has clearly paid off, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The 25-year-old now owns the strongest on/off impact numbers on the roster during the 2025/26 campaign, […] The post Jalen Smith boosts Bulls frontcourt appeared first on TalkBasket.net .

San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson highlighted his team’s offensive execution after Thursday’s 119-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Frost Bank Center. “I thought our offense was really clean and sharp tonight just in terms of execution, spacing, and most importantly, it felt like our best passing game… the basketball had energy, was […] The post Mitch Johnson praises Spurs’ sharp passing and defensive effort after win over Bucks appeared first on TalkBasket.net .

The Phoenix Suns defeated the New York Knicks 106-99 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, earning a crucial road win on their Eastern Conference trip. Suns head coach Jordan Ott highlighted the team’s defensive effort in the third and fourth quarters. “I just thought our defense overall…end of third into fourth was high level,” he […] The post Jordan Ott praises Suns’ depth and defensive intensity after win over Knicks appeared first on TalkBasket.net .