Cade Cunningham's Statement Game And The Bucks Are Getting Hot

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This is NBA Brain Food, the hoops blog written by super fans that live and die with their team's every game. This is the Eastern Conference blog. Catch up on the Western Conference here.

1) Detroit Pistons (41-13, 1st in the East) via Adam M

- The Pistons complete the season sweep in Madison Square Garden last night with a 15 point win. They sit with a 5.5 game gap in the East

- Cade Cunningham had his best performance of his career in MSG. Finishing with 42 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds 

- Last night the Pistons remained short both Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. The game was Duren’s last game of his suspension, while Stew won’t return until March 3rd

- Coming up the Pistons have a massive week. Starting with battling former Piston, Jaden Ivey in Chicago. After that, they have Spurs, Thunder, and Cavaliers. A true test to start the end of the season push

- A betting trend to look at is Cade Cunningham MVP. Tough to not make a case the way he has been playing, and has a real shot to finish as the best player on the best team. Cunningham is +800 on Draft Kings, which holds real value

2) Boston Celtics (36-19, 2nd in the East) via Dan F

- The Celtics returned to action last night, securing a win over the Curry-less Warriors. This was a great start to post all-star break as the Celtics embark on a four game west coast stretch all against teams with a winning record.
- Only one game since our last check so let’s get updated on some other stuff going on in Celtics land. Yesterday the Celtics signed Dalano Banton and John Tonje to 10-day contracts, filling their requirement to not carry less than 14 players for more than 14 straight days or 28 days total.
- Jaylen Brown was shut down by Beverly Hills PD during all star weekend after attempting to hold a public panel featuring other streamers and leadership figures to discuss culture and leadership among other things. JB aired out his grievances on Twitter clearly pissed about the whole situation, with the Beverly Hills PD later issuing an apology via Twitter to Brown. This carried over into the win last night, post game Brown shared with reporters “I wasn’t even thinking about the game tonight. I was pissed. I was still pissed”. This energy fueled JB to secure his third triple double of the season.
- The Jayson Tatum return debate continues to heat up. During the All-Star game, NBC released a trailer to an upcoming documentary showcasing Tatum’s return to the court which sent Celtics Twitter into an absolute speculation frenzy. It still has yet to be confirmed if JT will return to play this season, but with all of the factors coming into play these past few weeks (including a practice with the Maine Celtics) it’s hard to not start trying to pin point a return date. I’ll end this weeks wrap up with my official prediction, Jayson Tatum will return to action on March 1st against the 76ers at home. The league should be terrified.

t-3) New York Knicks (35-21, tied for 3rd in the East) via Steven Cheah

- The Knicks suffered a pretty devastating loss to the Pistons last night at home getting swept 3-0 in the season series. This was their closest loss to Detroit as their average margin of defeat to the Pistons this season is 28 points. 

- The worst part about that is that they've all been this calendar year.

- Detroit was also missing BOTH bigs that play real minutes last night in Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. 

- The Knicks need to figure out their Karl-Anthony Towns problem. He hasn't been as effective as last season and do they move back to the two bigs lineup with KAT and Mitchell Robinson starting? The team really started to gel with Josh Hart in the starting lineup, but is he took weak of a shooter to keep defenses honest?

- Jose Alvarado has fit right in, especially while Deuce McBride has been out with an injury.

- Jeremy Sochan played 9 minutes last night as he gets integrated with the orange and blue

t-3) Cleveland Cavaliers (35-21, tied for 3rd in the East) via Joe R

- The Cavs are rolling! Last night Cleveland beat the Nets 112-84. All around solid performance from everyone. Cavs had 7 players scoring double digits in the win.
- Currently tied with the Knicks for the 3 seed, I’m confident it’ll be ours soon.  Over the last 15 games the Cavs have won 13 of them. Currently on a 6 game win streak as well.
- James Harden…. well this has been insanely fun so far. Him and Donovan seem to mesh perfectly together. The entire team’s energy is just so different. Jarrett Allen looks like an entirely different player over the last 5 games. The addition of Dennis Schroeder and Keon Ellis have went well so far.
- Cavs play the wizards tonight in Cleveland. Hopefully they can make it 7 in a row. After that, Cavs have a big game on Sunday at 1pm vs OKC. Cleveland might just be peaking and turning the corner at the perfect time. Watch out!!

5) Toronto Raptors (33-23, 5th in the East) via Shay

- The Toronto Raptors sitting 5th in the East and just four games back of the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic makes the 40-1 division price intriguing. Is it likely? No. Is it mispriced enough to justify a small sprinkle? Possibly. With roughly a third of the season left, four games can disappear quickly if Boston cools off or hits a short injury stretch. Division markets tend to assume stability at the top — and that’s where value can quietly exist. At 40-1, you’re not betting probability — you’re betting volatility. If Toronto cuts it to 2–3 games inside the final 10, that ticket gains serious hedge potential.

- Side note: if you’re looking for a bigger long-shot narrative play, keep an eye on Cade Cunningham in the MVP market. If his team keeps climbing and his usage and efficiency hold late, voter momentum can shift quickly. Not a favorite — but in wide-open years, storylines matter.

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6) Philadelphia 76ers (30-25, 6th in the East) via Devin C

- As we head into the post–All-Star playoff push, the Sixers once again find themselves completely dependent on Joel Embiid’s health. Since December 12th, the 76ers are 14–8 when Embiid plays—good enough to project to a 52‑win season, which would place them third in the East behind Boston and Detroit based on current winning percentages. Over that same stretch, without Embiid, they’re just 3–7.

- It’s also important to note that many of those games have been played without Paul George, who is still serving his 25‑game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy. Even so, the results highlight a bigger issue: this team is not built to function when Embiid is off the floor. Relying on Maxey and VJ alone simply isn’t enough.

- The lack of consistent wing scoring puts an enormous burden on Maxey. Opponents can comfortably assign their best—often bigger—wing defender to him and dare the rest of the roster to beat them. So far, they haven’t been able to.

- While I still believe the Sixers can be dangerous in May with a healthy Embiid and Paul George, it feels like yet another season spent in health purgatory for a team still searching for a true identity.

7) Orlando Magic (29-25, 7th in the East) via Mason M

- Magic came out of the All Star break a little slow in 1st quarter going 6/17 from the field (35%) which for this Magic team has become a common trend. Luckily with this trend the 2nd quarter has been huge for the Magic which was extremely true for this game out scoring the Kings 46-27 shooting 13/17 (76%) from the field including 8/11 from 3 (72%)

- Paolo Banchero had a strong start to the “2nd half” of the season. Scoring 30 vs the Kings shooting just under 50% from the field but also going 5/7 from 3. Paolo will need to be the player he has been during his 2 playoff series. In Postseason Paolo’s two playoff series he’s avg 28 pts 8.5 Rebs and 4.5 asst. If the Magic can get that Paolo they will be a very strong contender the rest of the season

- Anthony Black continues to impress adding another 20 point night 8/13 from the field including 4/6 from 3. If Anthony Black is able to shoot around 50% from 3 he will be posting 20-25 points a night. He continues to be unstoppable in iso situations. AB is able to get to the rim vs any player on the court being able to add a consistent 3 point shot will have him playing at an All NBA level at the end of season

- Magic signed Jevon Carter around the end of the trade deadline. Magic were looking for a guard that could be a consistent outside shooter and provide depth at the guard position with Suggs battling injuries and Bane having to move the SF role with Franz Wagner being out. In Carter’s first game with the Magic he scored 14 pts including going 3/5 from 3.

- Mo Wagner continues to be a huge spark off the bench as the back up Center. Getting fully healthy and now averaging double digit minutes the last 6 games (15 minutes a game) Mo has averaged 12 points a game in just 15 minutes a game which has been key to those 2nd quarter comebacks after slow 1st quarters

- Unfortunately Franz Wagner is out indefinitely having soreness in his ankle adding more rehabilitation time. The Magic said they will be reevaluating Franz March 11th so his earliest return would be March 11th vs the Cavs or 12th vs the Wizards. At this point the Magic are being very cautious with this injury believing the team they have is good enough to make the playoffs and a healthy Franz will be much more valuable for a playoff run than a race to the playoffs

- Magic continue to struggle vs opposing teams PGs allowing 26.9 ppg to the position and 47.8% FG. However Desmond Bane moving to the SF position has made the Magic a top 5 team vs opposing SFs

- MAGIC PARLAY OF THE DAY #DKpartner 2/21 vs Suns Bane O17.5pts AB O14.5pts Paolo O19.5 pts Collin Gillespie O7.5pts Jalen Green U20.5pts

8) Miami Heat (29-27, 8th in the East) via Nicky Smokes

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- Where do I begin? Miami Heat fans have seen this movie a thousand times. Another trade deadline passed, no moves were made. 

- Tyler Herro hurt as usual and we’re sitting here in prime position for another play-in game. 

- This team sold me the world earlier this season and wasted no time throwing it back in all of our faces. 

- This team has no chance of winning a championship and it would be in their best interest to not make the play-in. Maybe then and only then will Sleepy Pat Riley wake up.

9) Atlanta Hawks (27-30, 9th in the East) via Josh W

- Hawks come out strong with a big W against the Sixers. 

- Jalen Johnson has a double double with 31 points and 10 rebounds, also adding 5 assists. Cj McCollum comes off the bench with 23 points and 5 assists. 

- Hawks have no room for error going into the final stretch of the season as they sit in the 10 spot only a few games ahead of the 11 spot Bulls. 

10) Charlotte Hornets (26-30, 10th in the East) via Jake L

- The Hornets lost last night to the Rockets. Brandon Miller and Lamelo took 36 of the teams 84 shots (43%), and only made 10 of them. That’s 10-36 or 28% shooting, which is terrible and won’t lead to many wins the rest of the season.

- Kon needs to get more shots. He’s one of the best shooters in the league, he shouldn’t be getting similar shot attempts as Grant Williams.

- Too many turnovers. 16 turnovers, or 4 turnovers a quarter, is too many for an NBA game. If it was Austin Peay playing, than 16 turnovers would make sense, not an NBA team contending for the playoffs.

- Lamelo is the head of the snake. The team goes as he goes. That scares me a lot the rest of the season. As most of you have seen, he’s as careless with the basketball as he is driving a car. However, when he locks in, he gets this team playing like one of the best in the league (yeah, I said it). It’ll be very interesting to see if Charles Lee and his staff can find a way to get the team back into the form they were in before the All Star break.

11) Milwaukee Bucks (23-30, 11th in the East) via Colin B

- For the first time in months, I'm excited to watch the Milwaukee Bucks. As we move into the final stretch of the season, the Bucks have won 5 of their last 6 and sit 1.5 games out of a Play-In spot. With 29 regular season games and a middling strength of schedule remaining, there remains hope that the Bucks could still make the playoffs for a 10th straight season. 

- A huge part of this recent turnaround has been the roster additions. In the last few weeks, the Bucks rotation has been revamped. F Pete Nance, on a two-way contract, broke into the rotation in mid-January, and has brought efficient scoring and playmaking. F Ousmane Dieng joined the team via trade on February 4, and now that he is getting consistent minutes, has become a big contributor, including leading the team in scoring the last game out. Finally, G Cam Thomas, an elite scorer and shotmaker, joined the team on February 8 after being waived by Brooklyn, and has brought his usual offensive firepower to the Bucks, filling in as a 6th man nicely. These additions have been critical especially considering that guys like Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, and now former Buck Cole Anthony have been massive disappointments this year.

- The team currently has two key injuries. Giannis remains out with his calf injury but he is likely to return to play within the next couple of weeks, so there is optimism there. However, starting C Myles Turner missed the last game before the All-Star break with a calf strain of his own. While it was believed that Turner would heal over the break, he remains out for tonight's game against the Pelicans, with fans beginning to wonder whether the injury is worse than initially thought.

- This week the Bucks play the Pelicans in New Orleans (2/20) before returning to Milwaukee for a four game homestand against the Toronto Raptors (2/22), Miami Heat (2/24), Cleveland Cavaliers (2/25) and New York Knicks (2/27).

12) Chicago Bulls (24-32, 12th in the East) via Anthony T

- Embrace the tank is what most Bulls fans can hope for at this point. 

- So for this final third of the season I expect the Bulls to be in a position to help their lottery chances. 

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- Bulls also need a complete shakeup at head coach and the front office in the office. 

- With the Bears possibly playing in Hammond many will wonder why couldn’t it be the Bulls.

t-13) Brooklyn Nets (15-39, tied for 13th in the East) via Justin S

- The Nets came out of the Allstar break and got run off the floor by the James Harden Cavs… a nice 28 point reminder of where things stand. 

- The remainder of the season will be about prioritizing identity over wins. Jordi Fernandez is trying to build structure and habits on both ends.. even if the losses pile up which makes sense for the long term vision but the short term outlook is bleak. The league is in the middle of an all time tanking epidemic so blatant that the NBA proposed changes to the draft lottery to curb it (makes playing fantasy basketball even more annoying than it already was). 

- I’d be surprised if the Nets don’t shut down Michael Porter Jr. sooner than later and really step on the gas in this race to the bottom. Knowing this team once had the league’s best defensive efficiency in December and a winning record for the month is somewhat frustrating. 

- I’m not asking for wins, as draft position is the goal, but I know it’s in there so I would like to watch some competitive basketball and sign’s of visible growth from the system Jordi is putting in place.

t-13th) Washington Wizards (15-39, tied for 13th in the East) via Rob G

- The Wizards successfully won the tank off and lost to the Pacers on 2/19. My thoughts for the rest of the season are that the Wizards are going to lose a lot of games. 

- Trae Young is beginning to ramp up his workouts in the field so that will be exciting whenever he joins the team. 

- AD will most likely be out for the rest of the year. 

- The NBA has announced that they are going to implement anti-tanking rules for next year. 

- Hopefully 2025 will be the last season the Wizards will have to tank and we will be competent in the near future. 

15) Indiana Pacers (15-41, 15th in the East) via Ryan S

- The Pacers are making news recently with a lot of tanking allegations. All of a sudden the NBA cares about teams sitting players that can play. Shams reported that Adam Silvers informed the leagues GMs that they plan to make anti tanking rules changes for next season. One of the possible rules is that teams can’t pick top-4 the year after making the finals. If implemented now (which it won’t be), the Pacers 1st round pick would likely go to the Clippers. Unless the Pacers won enough games to get out of the draft lottery. 

- Last weekend, Siakam played in two games for Team World at the All-Star Game. He finished with 10 points (5/7 shooting), 4 rebounds and 2 assists across 18 minutes of play. Both games were unfortunately losses but it was nice to see him be recognized as a 4x All-Star. 

- The Pacers played a game last night against the Wizards and took an L (105-112). Jarace Walker was playing with confidence as the facilitator, scoring 19 points shooting 5/15 from the floor (1/7 from 3). He added 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 turnovers. He had a smile on his face all night as he made a couple highlight plays. It will be interesting to see how the league responds to this game as McConnell, Zubac, Toppin, Siakam (personal reasons) and Jackson all did not play. Nesmith and Jones both left early with injuries.