NFL

Raiders sign S Isaiah Pola-Mao to two-year, $8.45 million contract

This pact is worth up to $8.45 million, so I guess that makes it look a little better for the Raiders? Maybe, but this is an overpay for a replacement-level safety. Pola-Mao managed to make 89 tackles last season, a respectable figure. The safety’s coverage, however, left much to be desired.

Grade: D+

NBA

Pistons 106, Clippers 97

Can anyone stop the Pistons? Well, besides, the Cavaliers, Celtics and Thunder, I’m not sure at this juncture. Detroit has been excellent of late, winning seven in a row to improve to 32-26. The fun run won’t last forever, but the Pistons have a rotation that works, spearheaded by star point guard Cade Cunningham. It’s going to be hard to leave the 23-year-old off an All-NBA Team, as he’s been an all-around offensive force for the upstart Pistons. Cunningham posted 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in this win.

I hate calling games scheduled losses, but if there ever was one, this contest would be it. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Clippers were sluggish and missing a few pieces, most notably Kawhi Leonard. That combination, along with facing a surging Pistons team, isn’t ideal. Of the Clippers that suited up, James Harden struggled the most, going just 5-of-22.

Nuggets 125, Pacers 116

Nearly every night offers an opportunity to marvel at Nikola Jokic. Last night, the center’s passing was highlighted, as Jokic recorded 19 assists. That’s an unfathomable total itself, but I never thought — prior to Jokic ascending to stardom — that I’d see a center register that many assists in a game. There were many beneficiaries in this tilt to Jokic’s dishes, including Aaron Gordon, who scored 25 points.

When the Nuggets are on, not many teams have a chance, and the 32-24 Pacers are in that category. Indiana didn’t play poorly at all in this contest, but its effort wasn’t enough. Getting outrebounded 46-32 didn’t help, though.

Bulls 142, 76ers 110

Chicago’s somewhat ravaged roster is presenting an opportunity for Josh Giddey to shine, and the 22-year-old is capitalizing. Giddey will always be miscast as a first option, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting up strong numbers of late. The impressive play continued for Giddey last night, as he posted 25 points, 16 rebounds and six assists.

The 76ers are a joke. It feels like every bad loss is rock bottom for Philadelphia, but then the team outdoes itself even more. The preseason contender is now 20-37, and it could get even worse! That outlook depends on the status of Joel Embiid. It would probably be in the franchise’s best interest to shut the 2023 MVP for the season, but organizations don’t always think rationally.

Wizards 107, Nets 99

This game — save for lottery odds — meant nothing, but I haven’t written about a catalog of games in a day in seemingly forever, so I’ll go ahead and share my thoughts.

Jordan Poole presents really the only offensive juice the 10-47 Wizards have, so he’s taken an onus to fire up shots this month. Good for him, I guess? Anyway, the guard had just 13 looks yesterday, but finished with 26 points. Efficiency!

I don’t understand the Nets, and in a strange way that’s a credit to head coach Jordi Fernandez. Brooklyn plays hard and has defied those that viewed the franchise as tanking following two midseason trades. Of course, this loss falls under the tanking presumption, but seven wins over 10 games can’t be ignored.

Hawks 98, Heat 86

A throwback score — surprisingly featuring the Hawks. Atlanta rosters capable defenders, so the team has the ability to stop opposing offenses. The problem, though, is that it rarely happens. Oh well. Dyson Daniels was particularly great on defense in this win, registering seven steals. The 21-year-old shouldn’t be in Defensive Player of the Year conversations, but he has a case as the best guard defender in the NBA.

Tyler Herro has been really good this season for Miami, so much so that the 26-30 Heat can’t survive bad games from the guard. Unfortunately, Herro posted one last night, shooting just 4-of-19 for 11 points. The good news is the Heat get another shot at the Hawks tomorrow night.

Timberwolves 131, Thunder 128

The Thunder completely blew this game. Outscored 41-19 in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City will now hit the road for three straight. In this contest, though, the Thunder had too many players struggle. Luguentz Dort was especially off his game, as the swing man shot just 2-of-10.

Jaden McDaniels is awesome. I don’t know where it came from, but the forward is having a phenomenal February. Capped by a 27-point performance yesterday, McDaniels is averaging north of 18 points per game this month. He’s also fully cemented himself as one of the better two-way talents in the game. The ascent of the 24-year-old takes a lot of pressure off Anthony Edwards.

NCAAB

Northern Illinois to join the Horizon League in 2026

The Huskies, of course, are also joining the Mountain West in 2026, but that’s just for football. Therefore, Northern Illinois needed to find a new basketball conference as a result of departing the MAC.

A move to the Horizon League makes sense, both in terms of geography and competitiveness. The Huskies should be more of a threat in their new conference, but that’s no guarantee. Northern Illinois is just 5-22 this season.

Utah fires head coach Craig Smith

This is an odd firing. The 15-12 Utes have slightly regressed from last season, but in totality, Smith hasn’t done a bad job in Salt Lake City. The Big 12 is a rugged league, so it won’t be easy for Utah to find success with Smith’s replacement. The Utes opting to make this move midseason was the wrong call.

Grade: C-

(15) Michigan 49, Nebraska 46

This was an ugly game if I’ve ever seen one. Michigan, though, has leaned on its defense all year, so it’s not a shocking result. On offense, the Wolverines’ starters weren’t even that bad, as the bench went just 2-of-15.

Ugh, Nebraska had a chance to strengthen its NCAA Tournament resume last night. A loss doesn’t kill the 17-11 Cornhuskers, but a missed opportunity is a missed opportunity — and boy, was this game one of them. I thought Connor Essegian’s go-ahead three-point attempt with seconds left was going in, but alas. Essegian had a rough night, going 1-of-5.

North Carolina 96, Florida State 85

The ACC isn’t exactly a behemoth, but 18-11 North Carolina is starting to stack wins. I’ll save judgement as to whether the Tar Heels belong in the tournament, as there are still several data points to sort themselves out for the bubble team. For now, though, North Carolina should be happy with this victory. The Tar Heels received myriad contributions up and down the roster, including 17 points from Seth Trimble off the bench.

McNeese 100, UT Rio Grande Valley 65

McNeese is so much better than everyone else in the Southland that sometimes it just takes one big run for the Cowboys to blow their opponent out of the water. The conference favorite had a few of those avalanches last night, thanks in part to Christian Shumate. The senior recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds in this victory.

Queens 72, West Georgia 57

Queens has quietly been a strong member of the Atlantic Sun since joining in 2023. The same hasn’t been true for 5-25 West Georgia in its first year in the league, but that can change. If the Wolves can get Shelton Williams-Dryden to return next season, the arrow will be pointing up. The guard tallied 30 points in this loss.

Lipscomb 95, Austin Peay 78

21-9 Lipscomb is already comfortably the best team in the Atlantic Sun, but the Bisons are at a whole different level when they shoot the lights out. Yesterday certainly qualified as a great shooting night for the program, as it shot 18-of-28 from deep, giving Austin Peay zero chance to win.

Norfolk State 69, Morgan State 60

It’s going to be a brutal ask for anyone to beat Norfolk State in the MEAC Tournament next month. The Spartans improved to 10-1 in league play with this victory, and possess an offense far better than all others in the conference.

Coppin State 72, Howard 61

Howard is not one of the worst teams in the country, but its certainly been playing like it lately. Last night was no different, as Bison suffered an embarrassing loss to 5-21 Coppin State.