Donovan Mitchell scored 36 points, Darius Garland added 29 and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers took control in the second half and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 124-117

HIS INSTAGRAM HANDLE, @easymoneysniper, sums up the essence of Kevin Durant 's scoring ability. His teammates, even the fellow future Hall of Famers, have always been in awe of how uniquely smooth, simple and pure Durant makes getting buckets look.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson had 20 points and six assists for the Knicks, who scored 143 points for the second straight game and won their fourth straight. New York (31-16) won for the 16th time in its past 22 games.

According to "The Truth" and KG, that's because of the lack of young rising American players in the league today. "That's why I'm saying we're in trouble come the 2028 Olympics. We are in trouble," Pierce said.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant commented on the Brooklyn Nets’ rebuild and future, per comments picked up before the teams’ game on Wednesday night by NBA insider Michael Scotto. Durant said: “I want to see this franchise do well

The NFL and Associated Press unveiled the finalists for year-end awards on Thursday, and among them are Kevin O'Connell for Coach of the Year, Brian Flores for Assistant Coach of the Year and Sam Darnold for Comeback Player of the Year.

Kevin Durant is proud of what he believed the Nets were building in Brooklyn before “dysfunction” brought it quickly crashing down. He, Kyrie Irving and James Harden played just 16 games together and their tenure became better known for the chaos off the court than the brilliant basketball they delivered on it.

Now that they’ve finally started a rebuild two years later, Kevin Durant has watched from afar and said he can see the Nets heading in the right direction.

Minnesota Timberwolves HC Chris Finch was on one on Wednesday. The fifth-year veteran coach earned his first-ever career ejection in a game that saw the Timberwolves defeat the Phoenix Suns 121-113.

The Wolves leading scorer joins the league’s best at the All-Star “tournament” on Feb. 16 in San Francisco.

BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota seeks to build upon its five-game win streak with a victory against Washington. The Timberwolves have gone 12-10 in home games. Minnesota averages 111.2 points and has outscored opponents by 3.3 points per game.