Alperen Sengun Named To Second Straight All-Star Game
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has named Rockets center Alperen Sengun as an injury replacement for the 2026 All-Star game, the league announced today (via Twitter).
Sengun will replace Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Team World. The reigning MVP is dealing with an abdominal strain that will sideline him through the All-Star break.
It’s the second straight All-Star appearance for Sengun, who is in his fifth NBA season. The Turkish big man has made 44 appearances thus far in 2025/26, averaging 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 block in 34.0 minutes per game, with a shooting slash line of .496/.298/.693.
The All-Star game is technically a mini-tournament this year, not an individual game. Three teams will play each other once apiece in 12-minute games, with the top two teams from round-robin play advancing to the championship.
The full list of all the 2026 All-Stars and the teams they’re on can be found here. J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons), Mitch Johnson (Spurs) and Darko Rajakovic (Raptors) will coach the three teams.
SGA Sustains Abdominal Strain, Out At Least Five Games
Reigning MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander strained an abdominal muscle in Tuesday’s win over Orlando and will be reevaluated after the All-Star break, the Thunder announced today.
Oklahoma City plays five more games prior to the break, and the superstar guard will miss all of them due to the injury. The earliest Gilgeous-Alexander could return would be February 20 vs. Brooklyn.
Gilgeous-Alexander played 28 minutes in Tuesday’s blowout victory, recording 20 points, nine assists, five rebounds and two steals.
The 27-year-old Canadian has had another MVP-caliber season in 2025/26, averaging 31.8 points, 6.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals on an elite .554/.390/.892 shooting line in 49 games (33.3 minutes per contest).
Gilgeous-Alexander has only missed two games to this point, but that total will increase to at least seven due to the abdominal strain. Unless his absence extends well beyond the All-Star break, he’s not in danger of falling short of the 65-game requirement for award eligibility, though an All-Star replacement will presumably need to be named.
The defending champion Thunder are currently 40-11, the best record in the NBA. Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and impending addition Jared McCain are all candidates for more minutes with Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams (hamstring strain) both sidelined.
Team Rosters For All-Star Game Revealed
The rosters for the three-team 2026 All-Star Game were revealed by the NBA on Tuesday night (Twitter link).
The USA Stars, coached by the Pistons’ J.B. Bickerstaff, will be made up of the following eight players:
Scottie Barnes- Devin Booker
- Cade Cunningham
- Jalen Duren
- Anthony Edwards
- Chet Holmgren
- Jalen Johnson
- Tyrese Maxey
The USA Stripes, coached by the Spurs’ Mitch Johnson, will have the following roster:
- Jaylen Brown
- Jalen Brunson
- Stephen Curry
- Kevin Durant
- LeBron James
- Kawhi Leonard
- Donovan Mitchell
- Norman Powell
The World team, coached by the Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic, will feature these nine players:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Luka Doncic
- Deni Avdija
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Nikola Jokic
- Jamal Murray
- Pascal Siakam
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Victor Wembanyama
The U.S. All-Stars were assigned to teams based on age, with the younger group placed on USA Stars and the older group placed on USA Stripes. Team World is composed of international players.
The format for the Feb. 15 event consists of a round-robin mini-tournament with four 12-minute games. The matchups are as follows:
- Game 1: USA Stars vs. World
- Game 2: USA Stripes vs. winning team of Game 1
- Game 3: USA Stripes vs. losing team of Game 1
- Game 4: Championship (top two teams from round-robin play)
If all three teams finish 1-1 after the round-robin games, the first tiebreaker will be point differential across each team’s two games.
Luka Doncic, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of The Month
Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been named the NBA’s Player of the Month for the Western Conference, while Celtics wing Jaylen Brown has won the award in the East, the league announced today (Twitter link).
The Lakers were 9-6 in games Doncic played in January, and the All-Star guard increased his league-leading scoring average by racking up 34.0 points per game in those 15 outings. He posted a shooting line of .506/.392/.747 for the month while also contributing 9.1 assists, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per night.
Doncic had four 30-point triple-doubles in January, capped by a 37-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound outing in Washington to wrap up the month last Friday. It’s the sixth Player of the Month award of his career and his first since he became a Laker almost exactly one year ago.
Brown’s career year continued in January as he led the Celtics to a 9-5 record in the 14 games he played, averaging 29.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 4.6 APG. The 29-year-old matched a career high by scoring 50 points in a win over the Clippers on January 3, then had a 27-point triple-double in a double-overtime victory in Brooklyn on Jan. 23.
While his teammate Jayson Tatum has racked up five Player of the Month awards over the course of his career, this is the first time Brown has earned the honor.
Brown beat out fellow nominees Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell of the Heat, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Sixers center Joel Embiid, Hornets forward Brandon Miller, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, and Pacers forward Pascal Siakam for the January award, per the NBA (Twitter link).
The other Western Conference nominees were Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.
Dillon Brooks, Brandon Miller Earn Player Of Week Honors
Suns forward Dillon Brooks and Hornets forward Brandon Miller have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links).
Brooks led his team to a 3-1 record during the week of January 26 to February 1 while averaging 28.8 points per game on 54.5 percent shooting from three-point range. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists during those four contests, which included victories by double-digits over the Pistons and Cavaliers.
Miller averaged 26.3 points in just 29.8 minutes per game as the Hornets enjoyed a 4-0 week capped by a win over San Antonio The third-year wing shot 50 percent from three-point range, grabbed 5.8 rebounds per game, and made all 25 of his free throw attempts en route to his first ever Player of the Week award.
Besides being named Player of the Week for the first time in their respective careers, Brooks and Miller are each became the first player from his team to earn the honor this season.
Brooks beat out a handful of stars for the weekly awards. Luka Doncic (Lakers), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other Western Conference nominees.
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), OG Anunoby and Josh Hart (Knicks), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Joel Embiid (Sixers) and Aaron Nesmith (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.
Luka Doncic, Immanuel Quickley Named Players Of Week
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links). The award covers Week 14 of the season, from Jan. 19-25.
Doncic led his team to a 2-1 record last week by averaging 34.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.7 assists per contest. His best game came in Denver on Tuesday when he posted a 38-point triple-double in a road victory over the Nuggets. He also beat his former team in Dallas on Sunday en route to his second Player of the Week award of the season.
Quickley, who was named Player of the Week for the first time in his career, lifted the Raptors to four straight road victories by averaging 25.3 points on 61.1% shooting while contributing 6.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. He matched a career high by racking up 40 points (on 11-of-13 shooting) in Tuesday’s win over Golden State.
Quickley’s name has popped up in rumors recently, with Toronto reportedly gauging his trade value.
Saddiq Bey (Pelicans), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), James Harden (Clippers) and Naji Marshall (Mavericks) were the other Player of the Week nominees from the Western Conference.
Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell (Heat), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Jalen Johnson (Hawks), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and Coby White (Bulls) were also nominated for Eastern Conference recognition.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, the NBA announced today (Twitter links).
Oklahoma City had a 2-1 record during the week of January 12-18, with the reigning Most Valuable Player averaging 31.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Gilgeous-Alexander posted a shooting line of .547/.400/.912 as the Thunder outscored opponents by 43 points during his 103 minutes on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the first NBA player to be named the Player of the Week for the third time this season — he also earned the honor twice in November.
As for Adebayo, he posted averages of 27.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per night while shooting 65.5% from long range as the Heat won two of three games. This is the third time he has earned the award and first time since January 2024.
Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Luka Dončić (Lakers), James Harden (Clippers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the NBA.
Brandon Miller (Hornets), Norman Powell (Heat), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) and Nikola Vučević (Bulls) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.
Antetokounmpo, Curry Head List Of All-Star Starters
The NBA’s 2026 All-Star starters have been set, the league announced today (Twitter links). Here are the 10 players who earned those spots:
Eastern Conference
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
- Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)
Western Conference
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Luka Doncic (Lakers)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
This season’s All-Star Game will have a U.S. vs. World format. The round-robin event is scheduled to be played Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (the World team) will compete in a tournament featuring four 12-minute games. The three teams will each have a minimum of eight players.
How the teams will be divvied up is yet to be determined.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo has been selected as a starter for the 10th consecutive season. 2024 Finals MVP Brown will be making his fifth All-Star appearance, while Brunson will be making his third consecutive appearance.
This marks Cunningham’s second NBA All-Star selection and first as a starter. Cunningham is the first Pistons player to be named an Eastern Conference starter in the All-Star Game since Allen Iverson in 2009. It will also be Maxey’s second All-Star appearance and first as a starter.
This will be Curry’s 12th All-Star Game and 11th as a starter. Doncic will be making his sixth All-Star appearance.
This marks the fourth career All-Star appearance for reigning NBA MVP and Finals MVP Gilgeous-Alexander and his third consecutive season as an All-Star starter. Three-time MVP Jokic has been named an All-Star for the eighth consecutive year. Wembanyama is the first Spurs player to be named an All-Star starter since Kawhi Leonard in 2017.
Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the starters, while players and media accounted for 25% each. Wembanyama won a tiebreaker with the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards for a starting spot. The full voting results can be found through this NBA.com link.
Peyton Watson, Scottie Barnes Named Players Of Week
Nuggets wing Peyton Watson and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Watson led the depleted Nuggets to a 3-1 record during the week of January 5-11, posting averages of 24.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game while making 70% of his three-point attempts (14-of-20).
The fourth-year swingman entered Denver’s starting lineup in November due to injuries and is enjoying a career year ahead of his restricted free agency. This is the first Player of the Week award of his career.
The Raptors also had a 3-1 record last week with Barnes averaging 22.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists — he sat out the team’s loss to Boston on Friday due to a right knee sprain, so Toronto was 3-0 when he played.
Barnes’ best game of the week came in an overtime victory over Philadelphia on Sunday — he racked up 31 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, and was a +15 in a game the Raptors won by a single point.
It’s the second time Barnes has earned Player of the Week honors in his career.
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), Devin Booker (Suns), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other Western Conference nominees, while Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Joel Embiid (Sixers), Darius Garland (Cavaliers), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Andrew Nembhard (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.
Thunder Notes: Slump, Trade Deadline, Carlson, SGA
After looking practically invincible during the first 25 games of the season, the Thunder have hit a rough patch. They’ve split their last 12 games, including an ugly 124-97 loss to the Hornets on Monday. Head coach Mark Daigneault said these humbling outings could pay dividends.
“When you win the championship and you start the way we started, it comes with the territory,” he said, per Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press. “I think it gives you a unique opportunity to really improve through that. … It’s a competitive privilege to be a team that other teams are up to play for.”
Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says there’s no reason to panic.
“There’s a lot of games left in the season,” he said. “We’ve won big. We’ve lost big. Some nights are going to be bad. Some nights are going to be great. But regardless, you have to try to get better the next day. I think that’s what allows you to, I guess you can say, be resilient. It’s hard, obviously, but the best teams do it, and that’s who we’re trying to be.”
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- Even before the loss to Charlotte, guard Alex Caruso noticed how opponents approach them differently now that they have a championship under their belts. “Last year, I feel like we went to the regular season and we had to earn our respect through winning, because we hadn’t done anything yet,” he told Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. “That being said, a lot of teams probably didn’t show up with the same energy and same mindset that they do this year that’s coming off (us) winning the championship. A lot of times, I think we’re not playing our best, at least not to the level that these other teams are coming in with. The mindset, the execution. Maybe their will to win is a little higher than ours, which shouldn’t be the case.”
- Like pretty much every team in the league, the Thunder could use another perimeter shooter. However, ESPN’s Anthony Slater hears that the Thunder are not expected to be very active at the trade deadline. They don’t have any glaring rotation concerns, plus they have very little wiggle room financially — OKC’s team salary is about $1MM below the luxury tax line.
- Two-way player Branden Carlson produced a big game on Friday when he contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes against Golden State. The 26-year-old big man has impressed the coaching staff with his preparation, according to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “He’s always ready to play, and that’s the thing I respect most about him,” Daigneault said. “There are certain guys you’re just excited for when you can get them in the game because you feel like they deserve it. We’ve got a lot of those guys, but he’s certainly one of them.”
- SGA was chosen as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year. He told Chris Mannix of SI that he has a great appreciation for all the accolades he’s received. “Growing up you have goals and you write them down and you’re like, ‘I’m going to get this one day.’ But way more people do that and don’t achieve their goals than actually achieve them,” he said. “So it’s always like a ‘is this really my life?’ type of feeling. And I don’t know if that’ll ever go away.”