HAINAN ISLAND, China (AP) — Mi Hyang Lee made only five pars Saturday in a wild and windy round at the Blue Bay LPGA that ended with a 1-under 71, good enough to seize control with a three-shot lead as the South Korean goes after her first LPGA win more than eight years.

Lee put together seven birdies at Jian Lake Blue Bay, offset by enough mistakes — six bogeys — to keep her from an even larger lead.

She was at 12-under 204, three shots ahead of Hye-Jin Choi (68) and Yu Liu of China (73).

Defending champion Rio Takeda of Japan made a charge to get into the mix by playing her final 11 holes in 6 under for a 67 that left her four shots out of the lead.

“Yeah, a lot of up and down,” Lee said of her round. “But still finished under par, so really looking forward to tomorrow.”

Her last LPGA win was the Women's Scottish Open in 2017.

Adding to the difficulty of the wind was a nagging shoulder injury that first surfaced last fall during an LPGA event in Ohio. She wanted to finish the year at the season-ending Tour Championship and had two months off to rest.

“This is my third week, so I think a little overdoing for my shoulder,” she said. “Last night I couldn't sleep without my medication. So hopefully, just one more day for tomorrow.”

Choi, the No. 15 player in the women's world ranking, shot 31 on the front nine to get back into the mix. She was closing in on Lee until taking a bogey on the par-4 17th, and then failing to make birdie on the par-5 closing hole.

“Back nine, it was not a really good situation compared to the front nine, but I made a lot of good saves,” Choi said. “Because of the wind, I couldn't hit my second shot near the pin.”

Lee wasn't the only player with a roller-coaster round. Liu began the back nine with a double bogey on No. 10, and two holes later made up for that by holing out for eagle on the par-4 12th.

Auston Kim had another rough Saturday. The American was in contention last week at the HSBC Women's World Championship until a 73 in the third round. She shot a 74 at Blue Bay that left her five shots behind.

Blue Bay LPGA is the third straight LPGA event on its first Asia swing of the season. A week after nine of the top 10 in the world played in Singapore, the China field had only one of the top 10. That was Ruoning Yin of China, a former Women's PGA champion. She shot 74 and was nine shots back.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The Lakers 128-117 winwon, Luka Doncic dominated and then the conversation moved forward, because even though a 128-117 win over the slumping Indiana Pacers on Friday counts all the same in the tight Western Conference standings, it doesn’t say as much about the Lakers as what comes next.

Buoyed by four recent wins over struggling teams, the Lakers are still searching for a statement victory to announce themselves as legitimate contenders in the crowded Western Conference. The Lakers (38-25) are comfortably in sixth place in the West, but just 3-11 against teams that are .600 or better.

Two of the wins came in the first two weeks of the season. The losses have been ugly: an average margin of 19.9 points per defeat.

Now with five of their next six games against teams that are .600 or better — starting with Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. contest against the New York Knicks — the Lakers get a chance to prove their potential to make a playoff run.

“You play teams that are playing winning basketball and [have] winning records, it definitely can build some confidence in the group,” guard Luke Kennard said Friday. “But I know even some of the close games we've lost just recently, I know we've done some really good things. … We know what we have in the locker room and in this group.”

Even a day and a win later, the Lakers were still ruing Thursday’s road loss in Denver. With a chance to jump to fifth place in the standings, they let the Nuggets (39-25) open the game on an 11-point run. Denver opened up a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

But unlike many of their other losses to playoff-contending teams, the Lakers answered Denver’s run. They cut it to one with 2:05 left before the Nuggets held on for the victory.

“That was a game that we’ve broken throughout the year, in games like that,” coach JJ Redick said. “And they made a number of runs that went to double digits and we just kept playing and had a chance. … I’m confident we’re going to find it. How we’re going to find it, that’s where it’s —”

Redick cut off his own thought as he searched for the words.

“You got to figure it out on a daily basis sometimes,” the coach concluded with a tight smile.

The Lakers figured it out Friday behind a dazzling 44-point performance from Doncic, who leads the NBA with 10 40-point games this season. The NBA’s leading scorer didn’t even play during the fourth quarter of the blowout.

Doncic’s brilliance was more than enough against the bottom-feeding Pacers, who, at 15-48, are playing more for lottery position than postseason hopes. But the Knicks (41-23) have won four of their last five games, including convincing wins over San Antonio and Denver. The only recent loss was a three-point defeat to Oklahoma City.

Lakers forward LeBron James is expected to be available for Sunday’s marquee game after injuring his elbow late in the loss to the Nuggets and missing Friday’s game. Centers Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) are day-to-day.

Led by Jalen Brunson’s 26.2 points and 6.5 assists per game, the Knicks have the NBA’s third-best offense. Conversely, the Lakers are 21st in defensive rating.

The Lakers emphasized the importance of team defense all season, but Marcus Smart is “the only one that consistently is just doing what he's supposed to do” on defense, Redick said Friday. Sometimes the former defensive player of the year is forced to overcompensate for his teammates’ mistakes.

Doncic’s defensive lapses are magnified, especially with the team’s recent inconsistencies. But Doncic’s oft-criticized defense has provided some bright spots, Redick said.

When he switches onto the ball, Doncic gives up the lowest number of points per possession among the Lakers' perimeter players, Redick said. He led the Lakers in rebounding Friday with nine boards, all defensive. Doncic had both of the team's blocks against the Pacers.

“He's shown that he can contain the basketball,” Redick said of Doncic’s defense. “He's obviously one of the best wing defensive rebounders in the NBA. He's able to generate steals and deflections. And, with some prodding, he's taking charges as well.”

Doncic has drawn 11 charges this season, the most for a single year in his NBA career.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

An interesting confluence of Brotherhood history as two things happened in Boston on Friday night: Jayson Tatum returned from his Achilles injury in just eight months, and New England native and Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg made his maiden trip to TD Garden, home of the Celtics.

Not surprisingly, Boston won – the Celtics are second in the East and have won twice as many games as the Mavericks.

Tatum, who is going to be on a minutes restriction for a while, got in for 27 and scored 15 points, along with grabbing 12 rebounds. He also had 7 assists. That’s pretty good for a guy who has been out for 3/4 of a year.

For his part, Flagg is also returning from an injury, albeit much more minor. Flagg injured his ankle just before the All-Star break and is in his second game since getting back (his first one was a 114-115 loss to Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter’s Orlando Magic).

He scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out 6 assists.

Both guys are going to take a little time to get their edge back, but it’ll likely happen for Flagg faster than Tatum.

However, it’s good to see both back on the court.

• Celtics-Mavs recap: Tatum flirts with triple-double in successful debut
• Question Marks: Jayson Tatum returns and Cooper Flagg comes home
• With Jayson Tatum back in the fold, these Celtics know their story is just beginning
• Cooper Flagg Gives Absolutely Clear Answer About Potentially Joining Celtics
• In shadow of Jayson Tatum’s return, Cooper Flagg still stands out in TD Garden homecoming
• Breakdown of Cooper Flagg’s first NBA game in Boston: How he fared against Celtics
• Cooper Flagg was the Maine story in Jayson Tatum’s return
• Cooper Flagg has ‘dream come true’ playing in Boston
• Second-half surge leads Celtics to victory in Jayson Tatum’s return game
• How Did Jayson Tatum Do in Celtics Return vs Mavericks?
• Mavericks’ Jason Kidd gets honest on Cooper Flagg playing vs. Jayson Tatum, Celtics

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Though the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is designed to produce a national champion, it’s just as effective at creating stars.

The stakes and pressure of a single-elimination tournament can turn once-anonymous figures who spent much of their careers toiling in obscurity into celebrities in an instant, with the fame from their one shining moment staying with them long after they’ve finished playing.

It’s not always players who are immortalized, either. There are coaches, of course, but also unsuspecting fans, student managers and even team chaplains.

March Madness bracketology: Latest NCAA tournament bubble predictions

The 2026 NCAA Tournament will tip off in just over a week, with 68 teams from across the country vying for a national championship — or, if not that, the chance to be remembered forever in the sport. Over three weeks of games, buzzers will be beaten, Goliaths will be toppled and cult heroes will be born.

As we prepare for the madness of this March, here’s a look back at some of the biggest NCAA Tournament legends over the past 30 years and what they’re up to now:

Biggest March Madness icons

Ali Farokhmanesh

Back then: Drained one of the biggest “no, no, yes!” shots in NCAA Tournament history, sinking a 3-pointer early in the shot clock rather than bleeding out the clock with a one-point lead and 35 seconds remaining in Northern Iowa’s 69-67 second-round win against No. 1 overall seed Kansas in 2010.

Now: After spending 11 seasons as an assistant at Nebraska, Drake and Colorado State, the 37-year-old Farokhmanesh is in his first season as Colorado State’s head coach. The Rams are 20-10 heading into their regular-season finale on Saturday, March 7.

Kris Jenkins

Back then: Jenkins delivered the exclamation point for maybe the most thrilling end to a national championship game in NCAA Tournament history, burying a 3-pointer as time expired to deliver Villanova a 77-74 victory over North Carolina in 2016. It was the Wildcats’ first national title since 1985.

Now: After a brief professional career overseas and in the G League, Jenkins returned to Villanova in February 2020 in a student-athlete development role. 

Bryce Drew

Back then: Drew hit one of the most famous buzzer-beaters ever in the NCAA Tournament, sinking a 3 following a great play off a full-court heave to lift No. 13 seed Valparaiso to a 70-69 upset over No. 4 seed Mississippi in 1998. He added 22 points in a second-round overtime win against Florida State, sending Valpo to its first and only Sweet 16 in program history.

Now: After playing six seasons in the NBA, he returned to Valparaiso, where he coached under his father, Homer, before succeeding him as head coach in 2011. He spent five seasons at Valpo before moving to Vanderbilt, where he was fired after three seasons. He’s currently in his sixth season as head coach at Grand Canyon, where he has gone 139-51.

Kevin Pittsnogle

Back then: The 6-foot-11, tattooed West Virginia native won the hearts of millions during the 2005 NCAA Tournament, when he led his home state university all the way to the Elite Eight behind his rare blend of size and outside shooting touch, as well as his unforgettable last name that became a verb for fans across the country. He returned to the Mountaineers the following year, averaging nearly 20 points per game and earning All-American honors.

Now: Pittsnogle bounced between jobs after a brief professional basketball career before earning his master’s degree in special education. He’s currently the principal at North Middle School in his hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia.

D.J. Burns

Back then: No player embodied NC State’s stunning run to the 2024 Final Four as a No. 11 seed more than Burns, the 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward with a portly frame but immaculate footwork and touch around the basket. His March magic was highlighted by a 29-point performance against Duke in the Elite Eight, which sent the Wolfpack to their first Final Four since 1983.

Now: Despite his March Madness heroics, Burns went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. He played last season with the Goyang Sono Skygunners in South Korea and is now in his first season with Bnei Herzliya in Israel.

God Shammgod

Back then: With one of the most unforgettable names in college basketball history, Shammgod piloted a Providence team that made the Elite Eight as a No. 10 seed in 1997. He’s perhaps most known today for “the Shammgod,” a dribbling maneuver that bears his name.

Now: Shammgod played professional basketball for 12 years, primarily overseas, and is in his first season as an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic. He was previously an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks from 2019-25.

Jack Gohlke

Back then: Only a year removed from playing Division III ball, Gohlke led No. 14 seed Oakland to a shocking 80-76 win over No. 3 seed Kentucky in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, scoring a season-high 32 points while making 10 of his 20 3s.

Now: Gohlke has been playing professionally since leaving Oakland and is currently in his first season with the Texas Legends, the G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.

Tyus Edney

Back then: Edney was the catalyst of UCLA’s national championship run in 1995, driving the length of the court in 4.8 seconds for a game-winning layup as time expired in a 75-74 victory against Missouri in the second round of the tournament. The 5-foot-10 point guard later averaged 21.5 points per game in the Elite Eight and Final Four.

Now: Following a 15-year professional career, Edney got into coaching, serving as an assistant at UCLA and San Diego. He’s in his second season as an assistant at Pepperdine.

Spike Albrecht and Luke Hancock

Back then: Albrecht and Hancock traded baskets in a frenetic first half between Michigan and Louisville in the 2013 national championship game, combining for 33 points in the first half of the Cardinals’ 82-76 victory. Hancock, who finished with 22 points for Louisville, was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

Now: Albrecht played three more seasons for Michigan before transferring to Purdue for his final college season. He later served as a graduate assistant at Purdue and, interestingly enough, Louisville. He’s now the director of franchise development with the REP’M Group. Though his Louisville team had its title vacated by the NCAA, Hancock and four of his teammates successfully had all of their records, including Hancock’s Final Four MOP, restored in 2019 in a lawsuit settlement. He currently works as an analyst for the ACC Network.

Doug Edert

Back then: Edert averaged only 9.5 points per game for a Saint Peter’s team that made the 2022 NCAA Tournament, but he quickly became one of the sport’s biggest stars that March, when the 6-foot-2 guard with the wispy mustache came off the bench to score 20 points in the No. 15 seed Peacocks’ first-round upset over No. 2 seed Kentucky. He later helped Saint Peter’s become the first No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight, where it fell to North Carolina.

Now: Edert transferred after the 2021-22 season and played his final two years of college ball at Bryant. He’s currently working as a basketball coach and trainer.

Steph Curry

Back then: Over a thrilling couple of weeks in March 2008, Curry went from being Dell Curry’s rail-thin son to one of the biggest, most recognizable stars in college basketball. The once-overlooked sharpshooter scored a combined 103 points while leading No. 10 seed Davidson to upset wins over Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin on its way to the Elite Eight, where it narrowly lost to eventual national champion Kansas in a matchup in which Curry had a game-high 25 points.

Now: Honestly not sure. Hopefully he still gets the chance to lace his sneakers up every now and then.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness legends: What happened to NCAA Tournament standouts?

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Someone in the Colorado State athletic department knew what they were doing.

After Ali Farokhmanesh held up a green-and-gold jersey with his name on the back of it, officially marking the start of his tenure as the Rams’ men’s basketball coach last March, he bent over and reached under the dais where he was set to speak to the crowd gathered inside Moby Arena, the school’s 60-year-old gym.

The self-professed crier emerged holding a box of Puffs tissues, drawing a laugh from the audience. His voice briefly cracked as he began to speak, but as the realization of a life-long goal swept over him, the tissues weren’t necessary.

REQUIRED READING: Does win at New Mexico impact postseason outlook for Colorado State?

“This is surreal,” Farokhmanesh said. “This is a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid.”

He’s likely not the only person who feels a certain way seeing him roam a college sideline.

With the start of the NCAA tournament looming, Farokhmanesh once again enters the national consciousness, with clips of his iconic game-sealing 3-pointer from Northern Iowa’s stunning upset of Kansas in 2010 airing on highlight reels that television networks play throughout March Madness. With a single, unforgettable shot, Farokhmanesh embodied the frantic magic of the NCAA tournament and became a college basketball folk hero, a six-foot-nothing white guy from a mid-major who took down one of the sport’s powerhouses.

Now, nearly two full decades removed from his one shining moment, Farokhmanesh is in his first season leading a Division I program, having been promoted to head coach at Colorado State shortly after Niko Medved left for Minnesota. The early results have been encouraging, with the Rams at 20-10 and riding an eight-game win streak heading into their regular-season finale on Saturday, March 7 against Boise State. 

In the role, he’s trying to carve out a legacy in the game beyond a play that still allows his lengthy Iranian last name to roll effortlessly off the tongue of any college basketball fan all these years later. The glory he once earned as a player is now something he’s working to get achieve as a coach.

“I’m proud of what happened. It obviously meant a lot to me,” Farokhmanesh said to USA TODAY Sports. “But it’s a completely different, new journey.”

Ali Farokhmanesh's March Madness game winner

As unlikely as Northern Iowa’s win over Kansas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament was, the path there for the game’s most consequential player was even more improbable.

Despite being a first-team all-state honoree in Iowa, Farokhmanesh came out of high school without a single scholarship offer from an NCAA or NAIA school, even after sending out letters and highlight tapes to nearly 150 Division I programs. Even Iowa, where his mother was the school’s volleyball coach at the time, didn’t show interest.

He ended up at the junior-college level, going from Indian Hills Community College to Kirkwood Community College, both in Iowa. At Kirkwood, his scoring (16.3 points per game) and shooting (47.3% from 3) grabbed the attention of many of the same programs that overlooked him two years earlier, including Northern Iowa, where he committed for his final two seasons of eligibility.

In his season at Kirkwood, he displayed a tireless drive to improve, forcing himself to make 400 shots a night. His routine was so intense that the screws in the shooting gun he used during his workouts wore out. Those habits carried over to Northern Iowa, where he started every game for a Panthers team that made the NCAA tournament in 2009.

“There wasn’t a day in the two years we had Ali with us as a player that he wasn’t in the gym before practice or after practice or in between classes or coming back at night,” Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson said to USA TODAY Sports. “It was one of those things that everybody knew. His teammates knew it. His coaches knew it. Our fans knew it.”

As a senior in 2009-10, the Panthers won a then-program-record 30 games and won the Missouri Valley Conference championship for the second-consecutive season. Farokhmanesh was one of the team’s most valuable contributors, averaging 9.7 points per game and making a team-high 77 3s (if his 152 career made 3s over two seasons were doubled to reflect a full, four-year college career, it would comfortably be a program record).

After a 69-66 win against UNLV in the first round — a game in which Farokhmanesh made the game-winning 3 with 4.9 seconds remaining to deliver the program its second-ever NCAA tournament victory — No. 9 seed Northern Iowa arrived at what many thought would be the end of the team’s road. 

Two years removed from a national championship, Kansas once again looked like the country’s best team, with a 33-2 record, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and a roster that featured five future NBA Draft lottery picks and five players who would earn consensus All-American honors at some point during their college careers.

Despite those odds, Northern Iowa got off to a hot start, leading by eight at halftime thanks to 11 points from Farokhmanesh. The Jayhawks stormed back in the second half, getting within a point, 63-62, with 42.8 seconds remaining after a Sherron Collins jumper. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Northern Iowa broke Kansas’ press, with Kwadzo Ahelegbe firing a pass up to Farokhmanesh, who caught the ball behind the 3-point line with only one Jayhawks player standing between him and the basket.

With a one-point lead and a seven-second difference between the shot and game clocks, Farokhmanesh could have easily held on to the ball, waited for some teammates to join him on that end of the court and bled precious seconds away as the Panthers continued their upset bid. 

For a split-second, he appeared content to do just that, holding the ball and getting ready to take a step to his right. His movement sent the lone Kansas defender retreating to the basket, leaving the career 37.5% 3-point shooter with an enormous cushion to fire. He squared his feet to the basket and did what would have been unimaginable for most players: pulling up for a shot that, if it went awry, would have given the Jayhawks the ball with a chance to win the game.

The big gamble came with an even bigger reward. The shot swished through the net to give the Panthers a four-point lead with 35 seconds left, icing a stunning 69-67 victory, sending Northern Iowa to the Sweet 16 and instantly turning Farokhmanesh into a March icon.

A shot of a triumphant Farokhmanesh leaning back and screaming to the rafters appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following week, with the headline “Divine Madness.” Media requests from across the country flooded in. The Panthers’ practices, which had been open throughout that season, had to be closed because so many people had showed up to watch them.

Through it all, Jacobson was impressed with how his team and its overnight celebrity of a shooting guard approached their newfound fame.

“There was a moment or two when we kind of looked around at each other like ‘Whoa, this is a big deal,’” Jacobson said. “But outside of those, for the three or four days between the Kansas win and the game against Michigan State, it was kind of business as usual.”

A 59-52 loss to Michigan State six days after the Kansas win marked the end of Farokhmanesh’s college playing career. His time in college basketball, though, was only just beginning.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bubble watch: Pressure builds in final week of regular season

Realizing the dream

Coaching can be something of a happy accident or a fallback plan for some in the basketball world, a way to stay connected to the game after their playing days come to a dreaded end.

For Farokhmanesh, it was always a life he envisioned for himself.

His parents, Cindy Fredrick and Mashallah Farokhmanesh, were college volleyball coaches, with Frederick serving as the head coach and Farokhmanesh as her assistant at stops at Weber State, Washington State, Iowa and UNLV. Though Ali Farokhmanesh eventually gravitated to basketball, he grew up around practice facilities and locker rooms. His heroes weren’t just global basketball superstars, but volleyball players. While his parents were at Washington State, Jason Gesser, the Cougars’ all-conference quarterback, was his babysitter. Ryan Leaf, who went on to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, came to his birthday party.

At Northern Iowa, he majored in finance and briefly thought of a career in that field, but those plans only bounced around in his head for so long.

“That lasted maybe like a month,” Farokhmanesh said. “Then it was basketball.”

He embarked on a professional career overseas, playing in Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. By the end of his fourth season, priorities started to change. He got married and had his first child. Even though he had a lucrative offer to keep playing, he knew he wanted to start his coaching career sooner rather than later.

He sent out his resume and mined his connections in the basketball world, looking for an all-important foot in the door. He found one at Nebraska, whose coach at the time, Tim Miles, was close with Jacobson. Farokhmanesh texted and called Miles about an open graduate assistant role. He eventually got a response while the Cornhuskers’ coach was on vacation.

“What happens is when you have too many Mai Tais in Cabo, you hire Ali Farokhmanesh by accident and it works out great for everybody involved,” Miles said, with a laugh, to USA TODAY Sports.

Two weeks after the conversation in 2014, Miles had Farokhmanesh come in to work out six players as he watched. He was hired on the spot.

“You’re always wondering about some former players that weren’t your former players, right?” Miles said. “Ali’s a hero at Northern Iowa. What’s he going to be like? Is he going to rest on his laurels, like, hey, I was a player, I’m going to come in and work with these guys and they should listen to me? What I noticed about Ali immediately was he invested in people. He wanted to get guys better. Even in his interview, he walked in and approached himself like a young coach who was eager to get in the gym, work with guys, pour into guys and help make them better. Anybody who ever meets Ali likes Ali. Maybe not Kansas fans, but everybody else. I immediately knew I wanted him on my staff.”

As much as Farokhmanesh embraced the role, it was an adjustment.

“That was probably the hardest thing about being a GA — it was hard to get past not looking at yourself as a player,” he said.

After three seasons at Nebraska, Farokhmanesh got his first opportunity as an assistant when Medved, a former assistant for Miles at Colorado State, hired the former Northern Iowa star to join his staff at Drake.

“He’d never been the point person on signing a player and this and that, but I’ve always just trusted my gut,” Medved said to USA TODAY Sports. “You could just tell. He had a great personality. He knows how to connect with people. If you can really connect with people, if you can teach people, if you love it…when you combine those three things, you’ve got a guy that’s really talented and is going to be successful. For me, it was a no-brainer.”

Medved orchestrated a 10-win improvement in his first and ultimately only season at Drake, after which he was hired at Colorado State and brought Farokhmanesh with him. 

There, he turned the Rams into one of the most consistent winners in the Mountain West Conference, winning at least 20 games in five of his final six seasons and leading Colorado State, which had just three NCAA tournament appearances in the 28 seasons before he was hired, to March Madness in three of his final four seasons. Along the way, the Rams were able to recruit, develop and retain future NBA players like David Roddy, Nique Clifford and Isaiah Stevens, even in the age of the transfer portal.

When Medved, a Minneapolis native, left for his alma mater the day after the Rams’ buzzer-beater loss to Maryland in the second round of the NCAA tournament last March, there wasn’t much of a question about who would succeed him. Within four days of Medved’s departure, Farokhmanesh was being introduced as Colorado State’s new coach.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracketology: NCAA Tournament projection has changes on bubble

Ali Farokhmanesh with Colorado State

Inside the same arena where he held up a box of tissues 10 months earlier, Farokhmanesh’s dream is now a reality.

With a whistle around his neck during an early February practice, the 37 year old is active, firing off passes to his players, crouching down in a defensive stance, providing one-on-one instruction and doing what he can to help reverse the fortunes of a team that had lost eight of its previous 11 games.

For as much as Farokhmanesh had envisioned getting to this point in his career, and for the 11 years of work he put in as an assistant, there’s something slightly unnerving seeing him like this, as a fully-formed adult with well-coiffed hair who drives his four kids around in his Toyota Sienna minivan rather than the triumphant 21 year old with onions the size of beach balls that he’s been immortalized as for nearly half his life. In some ways, he’s less a coach than a symbol of how much time has passed since that fateful shot and a reminder that, yes, you really are that old.

It’s a peculiar type of fame Farokhmanesh has navigated from the moment the ball passed through the net. 

In some ways, it’s inescapable, the kind of thing he’ll receive calls about every March from reporters asking him to relive one of the NCAA tournament’s most storied plays. While at Nebraska and, especially, in his lone season at Drake, Farokhmanesh was recognized most places where he went and was more famous than the men for whom he worked. He’s been able to have fun with it, too, like when the Omaha World Herald had him interview Kansas fans at the 2015 NCAA Tournament in Omaha about their worst March Madness memories, unaware of who they were speaking with. 

While the shot’s rarely something he’ll bring up unprompted, it’s still understandably a source of pride for him.

“We always joke with him…he didn’t talk about it, but if you walked into his office, the first picture you saw was the Sports Illustrated cover,” Medved said, with a laugh.

Over the past three or four years, as the shot fades further in the distance, Farokhmanesh said he started to be recognized more as a coach rather than a player. Around Fort Collins, particularly now, he’s much more likely to be asked about the Rams than his dagger against Kansas.

For his players, many of whom were toddlers when he graced that Sports Illustrated cover, it’s something their parents are much more likely to know about Farokhmanesh. If they seem a little too astonished to learn about their coach’s past, he won’t hesitate to challenge them to a shooting competition.

“Sometimes, they’ll bring it up later and they’re really surprised,” Farokhmanesh said. “I don’t know if I give off a vibe like I couldn’t play back in the day or something.”

Lest anyone forget Farokhmanesh could ball back in the day, his first Colorado State team is a pretty fitting reflection of its coach. Through their first 30 games, the Rams are making 39.6% of their 3s, the fifth-best mark among 365 Division I teams. They haven’t been shy about firing from deep, either, with 48.8% of their shot attempts this season coming from beyond the arc.

“I’ve always enjoyed teams that share the ball, that cut and move and play with pace,” Farokhmanesh said. “It’s what I grew up watching and loving to watch and playing in those types of systems. I’ve always been attracted to or lean toward skill over mostly anything else.”

Lately, it’s been a fruitful strategy. After its midseason lull, Colorado State has won eight games in a row, tying it for the sixth-longest active win streak in Division I. Its most recent victory, a road win against a New Mexico team on the NCAA tournament bubble, gave it at least 20 wins in a season for the sixth time in the past seven years. Though the Rams would almost certainly need to win the Mountain West tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament, it has been an unquestionably successful debut season for Farokhmanesh, especially after Colorado State lost six of its top seven scorers from last season.

If that early promise translates to sustained success as the Rams move on to the newly reconfigured Pac-12 next season, fans across the country will have a different reason to think about Farokhmanesh whenever the calendar turns to March.

“The story of him and the shot and all the stuff like that, that’s a big story,” Medved said. “That was a moment in time. But that’s only a small part of the story. At the end of the day, nobody makes it unless they can actually do the job and they’re caring and they work. His reputation now has nothing to do with that. His reputation now is because he’s a terrific coach.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former UNI March Madness legend Ali Farokhmanesh coach at Colorado State

Only one Saturday remains until all of men's college basketball moves onto conference tournament week.

NCAA tournament bubble teams are running out of chances to boost their resumes before Selection Sunday, with a few final spots potentially coming down to who performs the best in their conference tournament. Regardless, a number of teams will be sweating as the 68-team bracket is revealed on Sunday, March 15.

March Madness bracketology: Latest NCAA tournament bubble predictions

There's still plenty left to learn among NCAA tournament bubble teams, especially with a few bid stealers likely to appear throughout conference tournament week.

Here's a look at the latest winners and losers among NCAA Tournament bubble teams:

NCAA Tournament Bubble Winners

UCLA

UCLA moved out of the "Last Four in" category in USA TODAY Sports' latest bracketology update after its impressive 72-52 win over projected No. 3 seed Nebraska on March 3. The Bruins now have a pair of top-10 wins in their past four games, also taking down Illinois in overtime on Feb. 21.

UCLA is 10-10 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games but now has 20 wins on the season and a trio of impressive wins over Purdue, Illinois and now Nebraska. It also ranks No. 34 in KenPom and No. 36 in the NCAA's Net Rankings, which should be high enough to avoid being one of the final at-large teams in the field, for now.

UCLA is projected as a No. 10 seed in the latest update.

TCU

TCU has won seven of its last eight games, none of which is better than its upset over projected No. 3 seed Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs defeated the Red Raiders 73-65 on the road on March 3, earning their 20th win of the season.

TCU is projected as a No. 8 seed in USA TODAY Sports' latest update, and has some cushion heading into its regular season finale with massive stakes against Cincinnati, another bubble team. The Horned Frogs are in a good spot heading into the Big 12 tournament, where they'll look to cement their case with another win or two.

TCU is projected as a No. 8 seed, firmly in the field as of now.

Cincinnati

Cincinnati is still on the outside looking in, per USA TODAY Sports' projections, but it's among the hottest teams on the bubble right now, winning seven of its last eight games. The Bearcats also defeated Kansas during their streak and also won games against projected NCAA Tournament teams UCF and BYU.

Cincinnati could get another resume-booster in its regular season finale when it travels to face TCU, another bubble team amid a hot streak. A win could go a long way for its chances, especially if it can win a game or two at the Big 12 tournament.

Ohio State

Ohio State is coming off back-to-back wins, including its best win of the season over projected No. 3 seed Purdue. The Buckeyes are now 19-11 this season with two Quad 1 wins, good enough to put them at No. 32 in the NCAA Net's Rankings.

Ohio State seems pretty safe for an NCAA tournament right now and could defeat another bubble team in its regular season finale against Indiana.

NCAA Tournament Bubble Losers

Auburn

Auburn has an interesting NCAA Tournament case, as it's 16-14 on the year but has four Quad 1 wins. The Tigers haven't helped their case as of late, with losses in seven of their last eight games, three of which came against Mississippi State, Oklahoma and Ole Miss, all of which are projected to miss the big dance.

The Tigers end the regular season with a road game against Alabama, and a win could be a huge boost to their resume. A loss, and Auburn might have to win a game or two in the SEC tournament to earn a bid.

Auburn is currently projected as a Last Four In team, per USA TODAY Sports.

Indiana

While Indiana took care of business in its 77-47 win over Minnesota in its last outing, the Hoosiers are still clinging on to the bubble, most recently projected as a First Four Out team in USA TODAY Sports' latest projections.

Indiana has three wins over projected NCAA tournament teams this season in UCLA, Purdue and Wisconsin, but has otherwise struggled against higher-end teams. A road win over Ohio State in its regular season finale could be enough to vault Indiana into the NCAA Tournament, though.

New Mexico

The Mountain West might not put two teams in the NCAA tournament like previously projected, if New Mexico's latest struggles keep it out of an at-large bid.

The Lobos have lost two of their last three games to Nevada and Colorado State, two teams off the NCAA tournament radar. New Mexico is still No. 2 in the Mountain West standings behind Utah State, and the conference's best shot at putting two teams in the big dance would likely be if New Mexico wins the conference tournament and Utah State gets in as an at-large team.

Otherwise, New Mexico could be sweating on Selection Sunday, as it's currently projected as a Last Four In team.

SMU

SMU has lost three consecutive games to California, Stanford and Miami, putting itself in a tough situation heading into its regular season final against Florida State.

The Mustangs are 19-11 this season with four Quad 1 wins, also ranking No. 38 in the NCAA's Net Rankings. Those metrics still favor SMU, although it needs to stop the bleeding before needing some help at the ACC tournament.

SMU is still listed as a Last Four In team in USA TODAY Sports' latest projections, but it almost has to win against Florida State on March 7 to avoid chaos.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA tournament bubble winners, losers before regular season ends

The first three No. 1 seeds for the 2026 NCAA Tournament have all but been locked in.

The intrigue in the final weekend of the regular season heading into the conference tournaments is the competition between No. 4 Connecticut and No. 5 Florida for the final No. 1 seed. The Huskies do own the head-to-head win over the Gators, but perhaps no team is hotter than Florida, which is coming off back-to-back 30-point SEC wins.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bubble watch: Pressure builds in final week of regular season

And then of course there are the bubble teams, where the majority of the intrigue sits at this time of the year. Several other Power 4 conference teams — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC — enter the final weekend of the regular season with something to prove to get into the Big Dance.

Auburn and Southern California have fallen to the wrong end of the bubble near the end of the regular season. Meanwhile, Miami (Ohio) has kept its perfect season alive, yet is still very much on the bubble ― according to some analysts ― if it cannot pull off an Mid-American Conference tournament championship.

Here’s a look at the latest NCAA tournament bracket projection, which emcompasses games played through Wednesday, March 4:

March Madness bracket predictions

Last Four In

• Santa Clara**
• SMU**
• Indiana**
• New Mexico**

First Four Out

• Auburn
• San Diego State
• VCU
• California

No. 1 Seeds

• Duke (AQ — ACC)
• Arizona (AQ — Big 12)
• Michigan (AQ — Big Ten)
• UConn (AQ — Big East)

While the first three No. 1 seeds are all but locked in, Florida is pushing UConn for the final No. 1 seed, but the Huskies get the edge due to the head-to-head win on Dec. 9, 2025. However, the Gators winning the SEC might change the equation there.

No. 2 Seeds

• Florida (AQ — SEC)
• Illinois
• Houston
• Michigan State

Entering the weekend, Florida has won back-to-back SEC games be 30 points, albeit one of them was the lowly Mississippi State. Michigan State could have a chance to lock into a No. 2 seed with a regular season finale win over rival Michigan.

No. 3 Seeds

• Purdue
• Nebraska
• Iowa State
• Gonzaga (AQ — West Coast Conference)

Purdue still has a crack at a No. 2 seed, depending on its finish to the season, along with Michigan State's. The Boilermakers are just 6-6 in their last 12 games, but have enough talent to make trouble in the NCAA Tournament regardless of seeding.

Meanwhile, the Cyclones have lost ground in the chase for not only the No. 1 seed, but the No. 2 seed over the last couple of weeks of the season.

No. 4 Seeds

• Texas Tech
• Kansas
• Virginia
• Alabama

Alabama's recent loss to Georgia does hurt them a tad, but it helps that they'd still be ahead of a few 6 seeds that are SEC teams they have beaten. Texas Tech is a team that could make a move up the seedings with a good conference tournament, despite losing JT Toppin for the season.

No. 5 Seeds

• Vanderbilt
• Tennessee
• Arkansas
• St. John's

Vanderbilt's win over Ole Miss kept them in a good spot entering the final weekend. The Commodores end the season on Saturday against rival Tennessee. St. John's has a chance to help itself in seeding by winning the Big East Conference Tournament over UConn.

No. 6 Seeds

• North Carolina
• Louisville
• Wisconsin
• Kentucky

Kentucky's matchup against Florida to end the season could boost the Wildcats, or leave them on the bubble for some. However, they are likely in regardless of that game, but it is hard to gauge how the Wildcats will do in the postseason.

A 15-point win for Louisville over Syracuse stops its recent fall in the seedings.

No. 7 Seeds

• Miami
• Saint Mary's
• Utah State (AQ — Mountain West)
• Saint Louis (AQ — Atlantic 10)

Winners of three in a row and nine of their last 11 games, the Miami Hurricanes are a dangerous team getting hot at the right time.

No. 8 Seeds

• Brigham Young
• Georgia
• Villanova
• Clemson

BYU is in the tournament due to its 16-1 start to the season, but the Cougars are free falling in the seeding with nine losses in their last 13 games, including a three-game losing streak. Do not sleep on the Villanova Wildcats, who have lost more than half their games this season to UConn and St. John's.

No. 9 Seeds

• UCLA
• Iowa
• North Carolina State
• Missouri

The Bruins have picked up steam at the perfect time of the season. UCLA has wins over Nebraska and Illinois over the last couple of weeks and Mick Cronin's team has a resume that ranks inside the top 40. The Bruins went from a bubble team to securing a single-digit seed.

No. 10 Seeds

• Texas
• Texas A&M
• Central Florida
• Ohio State

No. 11 Seeds

• Miami (Ohio) (AQ — Mid-American)
• Cincinatti
• Santa Clara**
• Southern Methodist**
• Indiana**
• New Mexico**

The Lobos are still very much on the bubble following a loss to Colorado State on Wednesday, but currently still have an inside track to one of the final spots.

Indiana on the other hand picked up a much-needed blowout win over Minnesota to keep its chances alive for the NCAA Tournament.

Cincinnati has a Quad-1 win over BYU on it recent resume, as well as wins over Iowa State and Kansas. The Bearcats bypass the "last four in" and into the tournament in these projections. SMU is another team that has been on a free fall despite a strong start to the season.

No. 12 Seeds

• South Florida (AQ — American)
• Belmont (AQ — Missouri Valley)
• Yale (AQ — Ivy League)
• McNeese State (AQ — Southland)

No. 13 Seeds

• High Point (AQ — Big South)
• Hawaii (AQ — Big West)
• UNC Wilmington (AQ — Colonial Athletic Association)
• Sam Houston State (AQ — Conference USA)

No. 14 Seeds

• East Tennessee State (AQ — Southern)
• St. Thomas (AQ — Summit League)
• Austin Peay (AQ — Atlantic Sun)
• Utah Valley (AQ — Western Athletic)

No. 15 Seeds

• Northern Colorado (AQ — Big Sky)
• Navy (AQ — Patriot League)
• Merrimack (AQ — Metro Atlantic Athletic)
• Wright State (AQ — Horizon)

No. 16 Seeds

• Troy (AQ — Sun Belt)
• LIU (AQ — Northeast)
• Bethune-Cookman (AQ — Southwestern Atlantic)**
• Tennessee State (AQ — Ohio Valley)**
• Howard (AQ — Mid-Eastern Athletic)**
• UMBC (AQ — America East)**

** Denotes playing in First Four game

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket predictions: Who's in, out of NCAA tournament?

1. Jayson Tatum is Back

After 298 Days, Jayson Tatum is back playing with the Boston Celtics. TD Garden was buzzing hours before the game and once we heard his name in the starting lineup again, it felt like an ethereal experience. In his first game back Tatum played 27 minutes and finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists on 6-16 shooting from the field and 3-8 shooting from three.

Jayson Tatum gets a huge ovation front the TD Garden crowd in his introduction pic.twitter.com/U8z9TjwNrt

— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) March 7, 2026

Tatum started the game shooting 0-6 before scoring his first points of the season with a put-back dunk. The following possession, Tatum was able to fake, slide, and hit his patented side-step three to make the TD Garden go into a frenzy. He ended the first half with 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The second half saw Tatum trying to be more aggressive hunting his shot. He was able to cut through the defense to find his shots and make two tough catch-and-shoot threes over good contests from the Mavericks.

The most impressive part about Tatum’s return for me was his 7 assists. Even if the shot wasn’t falling, Tatum still looked to make the right play and his gravity alone allowed the Celtics to have a ton of wide open shots.

Postgame Tatum talked about being a step slow or a little too fast a few plays but that is expected coming off the injury. He described his return as “surreal” and said “This is a huge step. I’ve still got a long ways to go.” Tonight was a very special night but when Joe Mazzulla hugged him as he checked out for the final time, you knew that it was official: Jayson Tatum is back.

Jayson Tatum gets a huge standing ovation and a hug from Joe Mazzulla as his night is over:

27 Minutes
15 Points
12 Rebounds
7 Assists pic.twitter.com/wI0SxJa8os

— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) March 7, 2026

2. Jaylen Brown is Still Great

Leading up to this game, people were rehashing the age old debate between Jaylen Brown vs Jayson Tatum. They would ask “who’s team it was” or “who is the better player.” To quote the great Derrick White on his podcast: “As long as we win, I don’t care who 1A and 1B is” and guess what, the Celtics won.

This brings us to Jaylen Brown’s performance that looked pretty great alongside Jayson Tatum if you could believe it, finishing with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals on 9-17 shooting from the field and 2-5 from three. Brown looked absolutely fired up coming off a rough game against the Hornets and it looked like he fed off of the energy of the sold out TD Garden crowd.

This game gave me flashbacks to the 2024 NBA Finals, partly because they were playing the Mavericks, but really because of the aggression that Brown had when he drove to the basket. Whether he ended in a normal layup, a euro, or a dunk, Brown made it look effortless and it was a treat to watch.

3. Derrick White Hot Shooting Continues

Coming off a good game in the loss to the Hornets on Wednesday, Derrick White continued his hot shooting stretch as of late, finishing with 20 points on 8-16 shooting from the field. White did shoot 2-7 on threes but that wasn’t the part of his game that stood out. To me, it was the fact that he had Jaylen Brown like performance when it came to driving to the paint.

White had to be feeling the energy from the crowd because we saw him throw down two dunks in this game. On these dunks he did a great job when it came to driving hard to the basket and cutting. White has done a great job in the pick-and-roll this season but normally it ends with a pass to the roller. Instead, he decided to take the shots coming off the screen and was able to finish with a lot of easy baskets.

4. Monster Neemias Queta Game

Neemias Queta looked to have gotten injured in his last game against the Hornets, only playing 16 minutes and finishing with 2 points and 2 rebounds. Queta looked fine in this matchup against the Mavericks, finishing with a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds on 6-8 shooting.

We saw a glimpse of what the pick-and-roll looked like with Queta and Tatum where it looked like they have the potential to build some great chemistry. Neemias Queta is one of the best screeners in the game and when you pair that with an elite passer of Jayson Tatum’s caliber, it is going to make some beautiful basketball. He also did a great job when it came to finishing tough looks but Boston did a great job overall of finding open shots for Queta and it paid off big time.

5. Nikola Vucevic Injury

Midway through the first quarter, Nikola Vucevic hurt his hand after caught this pass. He looked to have hit his hand on the Mavericks defender and that is what caused the injury.

Looked like Vucevic hurt his finger on this post-up. pic.twitter.com/9Mu0LC3Uon

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) March 7, 2026

Later on during the game, Shams reported that Vucevic is expected to miss approximately one month with a fractured his right ring finger is expected to undergo a procedure on Saturday. This is a big loss to the Celtics in a few ways. One is the fact that they just won’t have his production available but the biggest thing is now he will have even less time to develop chemistry with Jayson Tatum. Vucevic is a veteran so I am sure he will be able to adapt but this is just a tough blow.

6. Luka Garza Stepped Up

To replace the production of Vucevic, Luka Garza stepped up in a big way. In 18 minutes off the bench, Garza finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks. On offense Garza did a great job of being open and ready to shoot. This resulted in many plays where Boston found him open and he was able to make something happen. On defense, he was great at protecting the rim and contesting shots.

I have faith that Garza will be able to do a great job filling in for Nikola Vucevic over the next month. He was playing some great basketball before the Celtics made the move for Vucevic and has continued to impress in his time since.

7. Back to Celtics Basketball

The Celtics loss to the Hornets on Wednesday felt like a complete anomaly to the brand of basketball that we are used to seeing. Boston not only lost the turnover battle but they also just looked sluggish which is uncharacteristic of this group. However, they bounced back in a big way against the Mavericks, going back to their brand of basketball.

Boston only turned the ball over 8 times and were able to force 10 against Dallas. The Celtics defense was also locked in, blocking 10 shots and forcing 6 steals. They also shot 47-99 (48%) from the field, showcasing an offense that was clicking on all cylinders. Jaylen Brown said post game against Charlotte to “flush” the loss and I would say they did a pretty good job of that in this win over Dallas.

8. Dominated the Paint

A huge part of the Celtics success in this game was their dominance in the paint. On the boards, they out-rebounded the Mavericks 58-45, with 14 of those coming as offensive rebounds.

Boston did a great job on the offensive side as well, winning the points in the paint battle 52-30. Underneath the basket, the Celtics shot 21-27 (77.8%), doing a great job of finishing after that was a point of emphasis in their loss against Charlotte. Overall, the Celtics just outmuscled the Mavericks tonight on both sides of the ball, leading to their victory.

9. Cooper Flagg Homecoming

Cooper Flagg born in Newport, Maine and was a huge Celtics fan. He said in an interview, “I’m excited. I know there’s going to be a lot of people showing up from Maine & showing support. I’m really excited just to be up there for the first time & play in that arena. It’s the only arena I went to as a little kid. I’m really excited to get an opportunity & I’m just blessed.” You could tell there were a lot of people from Maine in the building because he got a standing ovation from the TD Garden crowd, as a member of the road team.

Cooper Flagg was just introduced in the starting lineups. Not only was he the only Mavs player to not receive boos, he received a tremendous ovation from the fans here at TD Garden. pic.twitter.com/7gFfEnmz9Y

— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) March 7, 2026

This his first chance to play against his childhood team and he struggled, finishing with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 7-23 shooting from the field and 0-4 from three. Flagg had a scary fall early in the game but was able to play through it. Boston did a great job of slowing him down and forcing him to take tough shots after he dropped 36 points in their first matchup of the season on February 3rd.

Although it probably wasn’t his ideal first game in TD Garden, Flagg said post game that it was a “cool experience” to be back in the place that he grew up going to games and thinks it will be “incredibly fun” to come back to Boston for the rest of his career.

Cooper Flagg was asked if the experience of playing at TD Garden met his expectations and if he’d like to experience it “with the home crowd” as opposed to with the #Mavs:

“I love being a Maverick. That’s home and I don’t want anything else.” pic.twitter.com/okQuCz4bRq

— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) March 7, 2026

10. TD Garden was rocking

The hype for this game was at an all time high and the Celtics fans in the building brought the energy. From the first time Tatum ran out of the tunnel, the crowd went nuts. When they announced Tatum in the starting lineup the crowd went into a frenzy. Finally, any time Tatum touched the ball the crowd wanted to blow the roof off of the place.

This had the atmosphere of an NBA Finals game and being in the building to experience this historic night in Boston Celtics history was incredible. You could see the players feed off the energy and use it to go on some insurmountable runs like their 36-12 run from the 4:16 mark of the third quarter to the 5:12 mark of the fourth quarter.

Boston knows when a moment is a special and can get loud to a level that not many other cities around the NBA can. This is why Celtics fans are the best fans in the world.

This moment 🥹 pic.twitter.com/NjWQB1sap9

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 7, 2026

Victor Wembanyama enjoyed "one of the best wins" of his career as he helped the San Antonio Spurs make a 25-point comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The French star claimed 27 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs fought back from 75-50 down in the third quarter to win 116-112 on Friday.

The 22-year-old grabbed the go-ahead score with 16 seconds remaining to secure San Antonio's largest comeback of the season and their 14th win from 15 games.

Wembanyama said in a post-game on-court interview that he was "about to pass out. I've got zero left right now".

"That was one of the best wins," he added. "That was one of the best games, best parts of my career, my basketball life."

The Spurs improved to 46-17 and are now 2.5 games behind Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Slovenian star Luka Doncic scored 44 points as the Los Angeles Lakers won 128-117 at home to the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers were without LeBron James (elbow, foot) as Doncic scored his 10th 40-point haul of the season, breaking a tie with Minnesota's Anthony Edwards for the most this season.

London-born forward OG Anunoby scored a season-high 34 points as the New York Knicks won 142-103 at the Denver Nuggets.

Denver's star guard Jamal Murray missed the second half after rolling his left ankle when he stepped on team-mate Nikola Jokic's foot.

The Knicks remain third in the Eastern Conference behind the second-placed Boston Celtics, who won 120-100 at home to the Dallas Mavericks as Jayson Tatum played his first game of the season.

The six-time All Star scored 15 points from 27 minutes of action on his return after suffering a ruptured Achilles during last season's play-offs.

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