Team of the week
The Los Angeles Lakers have been in the news all week thanks to the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade that we've been talking about so much, and the Mark Williams trade that we'll talk about below.
But the fact is that, with all this excitement, the team have been able to play without any pressure, and the result is striking: the Lakers have won nine of their last ten games!
This includes wins over the Eastern giants, the Knicks and the Celtics, plus two victories over the Warriors. Of course, LeBron James was the centre of attention as usual, with a mammoth triple-double against New York and another 42 points against Steph Curry's side.
And when LeBron went to rest, it was Austin Reaves who took over, scoring 45 points against the Pacers on Saturday night.
All this while Luka Magic's big debut is imminent. Admittedly, there are still problems to be ironed out, particularly inside, but this kind of momentum is always promising for the future. Let's hope the All-Star Break doesn't ruin everything...
Underperformers of the week
Not long ago, the Houston Rockets were comfortably installed in second place in the Western Conference. A combative starting five, the contribution of Amen Thompson off the bench, victories raining down - nothing seemed able to upset the balance dearly won by Ime Udoka. But then... nothing.
Six defeats in a row followed, including an apocalyptic one against the Nets (when they led by four points with 10 seconds left), along with culpable lapses against all the top teams in the West.
That bad run was interrupted last night against the Raptors, but although the Rockets won, they lost Alperen Sengun to injury. Given the Turk's importance to Houston's side, let's hope it's not too serious. Otherwise, any budding ambitions could well be nipped in the bud.
Player of the week
Anthony Edwards had a poor start to the season. Becoming the sole leader of the Minnesota Timberwolves following the unexpected trade of Karl-Anthony Towns, carrying the ambitions of a team that had failed to make the finals - it all seemed like a lot for one man. But it's clear that in 2025, the machine is up and running again.
As proof, he recorded 40 points two games in a row last week, including a peak of 49 against the Bulls, having already broken the 50 barrier in January. It's a big comeback from him one for his team.
The Wolves have won eight of their last ten games and are now back in the top six. The hardest part is staying there, of course, but at least 'Ant-Man' and Minnesota are looking scary again.
Play of the week
There was, of course, the late game between the Rockets and Nets mentioned above, but nothing beats the pleasure of a good old buzzer-beater. Especially a three-pointer, especially from the logo, and especially from one of this season's standout players.
Darius Garland is no stranger to the headlines in the Cleveland Cavaliers' magnificent season, especially when he scores baskets like this one!
Story of the week
The NBA's trade deadline was at 21:00 CET on Thursday. The day before, the Lakers - already spoiled by the arrival of Luka Doncic - treated themselves to a dessert in the form of Mark Williams.
The promising Charlotte Hornets pivot looked like the ideal pick'n'roll partner for the Slovenian and/or LeBron James. But with what happened next, it was not to be.
Two days later, American insiders announced the bad news: the trade had been cancelled as he had failed his medical. It was completely unexpected news that did not hinder the Lakers' momentum, as mentioned above, but did cast a shadow over what was to come.
It was an incident that made one man happy, with Jaxson Hayes' playing time having increased significantly of late. However, with not many candidates on the buyout market after the departure of their best defender, Los Angeles will have to use their imagination if they are to have any real chance of making the postseason.