The Scoop: Harden grew more and more comfortable as the game progressed, and he hit a couple of clutch buckets down the stretch when the Cavaliers completed a comeback. The partnership between Harden and Donovan Mitchell may only get better as both spend more time on the court together, but this game offered a glimpse of what they might achieve. They combined for 58 points and 12 assists.

 The Scoop: With Onyeka Okongwu (mouth) returning from injury, Landale shifted back to the bench. Coming off what was an inspiring debut for the Hawks, Landale was unable to repeat his heroics from two nights earlier. Assuming Okongwu remains relatively healthy moving forward, Landale is likely to be a fringe 12-team asset at best. In many situations, he could even find himself serving as nothing more than a situational streamer.

 The Scoop: Embiid was questionable to play Saturday due to right knee injury management, but the star center not only suited up, he also led the Sixers in scoring while ending just one board shy of a double-double. Embiid has been on a tear of late and has reached the 30-point mark in four of his last five appearances, establishing himself as the Sixers' go-to weapon on offense ahead of Tyrese Maxey when he's fully healthy.

 The Scoop: James had an impressive performance across the board, leading the Lakers in scoring while ending just three boards shy of posting a triple-double. The veteran forward has enjoyed an uptick in usage rate with Luka Doncic (hamstring) sidelined, and that trend should continue if the star guard is out for Monday's matchup against the Thunder.

 The Scoop: Bufkin was a steady contributor for the South Bay Lakers in the G League, and the guard has been rewarded with a two-year deal to fill the Lakers' open 15th roster spot. The second year of the deal is a team option for 2026-27. Bufkin will add wing depth for the Lakers but isn't expected to have a sizable role in the rotation.

 The Scoop: Howard was a non-factor yet again, continuing what has been another frustrating campaign. Despite providing Orlando with a much-needed perimeter threat, Howard simply hasn't been able to carve out a meaningful role for himself. In 32 appearances this season, he has averaged just 4.8 points and 0.9 three-pointers in 10.6 minutes per game.

 The Scoop: Nurkic returned from a two-game absence due to illness/rest, moving straight into the starting lineup alongside the newly acquired Jaren Jackson. Utah opted to run with a sizeable lineup, an encouraging sign for anyone rostering Nurkic. With that said, we have already started to see some questionable absences, a situation that could get worse as the season progresses. For now, managers will have to hold Nurkic or try to pass him off while he is still relatively active.

 The Scoop: Facing the team that made him the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant let his younger teammates take the lead in terms of usage and shot volume -- he was fifth among Houston's starters in FG attempts -- but he still reached 20 points for the seventh time in his last nine games. Over that stretch, Durant is averaging 26.1 points, 4.8 boards, 3.6 assists, 2.8 threes and 1.2 steals.

 The Scoop: It was Clowney's best scoring effort since Jan. 16, when he struck for 23 points against the Bulls. The third-year forward scored just six points total in his first two February games after returning from a lower-back issue, but Saturday's performance suggests he's nearly back to 100 percent.

 The Scoop: Making his second straight start for the shorthanded Wizards, Champagnie produced a new season scoring high thanks to an impressive performance at the free-throw line while just missing his fourth double-double of the campaign. The fifth-year forward has scored in double digits in six of his last 11 games (four starts), averaging 10.4 points, 6.0 boards, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 threes in 23.1 minutes a contest over that stretch.