Mar 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (24) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The Guardians offense remains completely invisible, and in the first inning last night, they lost 100% of their home run output.
Chase DeLauter fouled a ball off his foot and could not run to first base later in the AB. CJ Kayfus replaced him in the lineup and was an easy out for the 8 innings that followed.
Tanner Bibee was able to make his start as scheduled, but went just 4 innings because the team was rightly cautious in the steady light rain.
Shohei Ohtani was Bibee’s opponent, and did nothing special, but looking merely decent is enough when your’e facing Cleveland’s “offense.”
In addition to being bad at hitting, the Guardian position players are really bad at challenging balls and strikes. 0-for-2 yet again.
It’s a shame this organization is never going to figure hitting out. It would seemingly be impossible to always be this bad. Really depressing to watch. They just refuse to find a competent hitting coach. Every year we think “Well, they have to be better THIS year because it would be impossible to be worse”—and then they find a way to be worse. By xBA, 9 of the 10 batted balls most likely to be a hit were batted by Dodgers.
The Guards scored a meaningless run in the 9th. Dodgers 4, Guardians 1.
Around baseball
• The Tigers had a 5-0 lead after 3 and a 5-1 lead after 7. They gave up 6 runs in the 8th. This division looks terrible yet again.
• Aaron Civale picked up a win for the Sacramento A’s—their first W of the season.
• The Mariners, possibly getting ahead of a new CBA, locked up prospect Colt Emerson for 95M.
• FG hyped DeLauter earlier in the day before his injury.
Tampa, Florida: New York Yankees' George Lombard Jr. fielding a hit by the Minnesota Twins' Anthony Prato in the top of the 5th inning at George M Steinbrenner Field in Tampa FL on February 26, 2024. (Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Long-term deals for top prospects are all the rage. Yesterday morning, news broke of the Mariners and minor-league infielder Colt Emerson agreeing on an eight-year deal worth a minimum of $95 million, a record for player who has yet to make his MLB debut. This, just hours after reports emerged that the Brewers were nearing an eight-year, $50-million deal with infielder Cooper Pratt, who only made his Triple-A debut in the last week.
Of course, this pair of deals represents a longer trend toward extensions for players who either had yet to debut or only had a smattering of MLB service time. The Brewers themselves pulled the trick just two years ago with Jackson Chourio, while a multitude of other players, such as Corbin Carroll and Jacob Wilson, put pen to paper very early in their careers, if not quite as early as Emerson and Pratt. It forces one to wonder: should the Yankees be doing the same?
Extensions of any kind have been pretty rare under the Brian Cashman regime. Luis Severino’s four-year extension, signed in 2019, is one of the few cases of the Yankees extending a young player, and even that came well into Severino’s career and after a pair of campaigns that saw the right-hander earn Cy Young votes. The last major extension of any kind New York handed out was to Aaron Hicks, and, well, we all know how that one turned out (Aroldis Chapman’s 2019 contract technically counts too, though that was more a case of the Yankees tacking on an extra year to prevent the closer from opting out).
Zigging while everyone else is also zigging could be in the Yankees’ best interests. While the team has never been shy about signing free agents to long-term deals, opportunities to sign stars in free agency are slowly dwindling precisely because other teams are locking up their best young talent early. It stands to reason the Yankees could do the same, committing to their own young talent as a way to spend money that is becoming increasingly more difficult to spend on top players in free agency.
If the Yankees were to take this tack, who would you like to see them sign long term? A few years ago, Anthony Volpe seemed like a prime candidate, which serves as a good reminder that these early extensions, while largely pretty team-friendly, are not always a slam dunk for the organizations signing them. Still, there are a number of options on the farm.
When George Lombard Jr. starts to near the majors, perhaps the club should gauge his interest in signing long-term. Any numbers of pithing prospects, from Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodriguez, to Ben Hess and Bryce Cunningham, could be candidates as their call-ups grow closer. And, while he’s not a perfect example for this discussion given he’s exhausted his rookie eligibility, Cam Schlittler’s elite performance certainly entices one to sign him up for as long as reasonably possible.
What do you think? Should the Yankees be using this strategy, and who should they consider if they did?
Today on the site, Sam remembers Phil Niekro on what would have been his 87th birthday, and Josh discusses how MLB has run a few gimmicks into the ground. Later, John takes inspiration from the NBA’s controversial 65-game minimum rule to examine how many games MLB players typically need to play in order to be considered for major awards, and Maximo compares the discontent of the Yankees and Phillies fan bases.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 31: Justin Brazeau #16 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
I dubbed Monday’s Pens Points headline as “A season-defining back-to-back.” Forty-eight hours after that was published, the Penguins came out the other side of that B2B with two dominant regulation wins, beating the Islanders on Monday and the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday by a combined score of 13-4. [Recap]
Anthony Mantha delivered one of the Penguins’ most dominant individual performances of the season in Monday’s comeback win over the Islanders, highlighting his breakout, career-best year. His continued production has not only made him a key driver of Pittsburgh’s playoff push but also one of the league’s best value signings. [PensBurgh]
Minor transactional news: The Penguins reassigned rookie forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty to the AHL Penguins before both were promptly recalled again to the NHL roster on Tuesday. The moves were likely made for roster management purposes. Both players were healthy scratches for Tuesday’s game against Detroit. [Trib Live]
News and updates from around the NHL…
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president Keith Pelley said Tuesday the Toronto Maple Leafs are seeking a more data-driven leader to head hockey operations after moving on from now-former general manager Brad Treliving. I think I know a guy… [TSN]
Pelley added that Craig Berube’s future as Maple Leafs head coach will not be finalized until a new leader of hockey operations is hired. [TSN]
Former NHL forward Mikhail Grabovski has been charged with assault following an incident at a minor hockey game in Markham, Ontario. [Sportsnet]
The AHL’s board of governors unanimously approved the relocation of the New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, beginning with the 2026-27 season. [Sportsnet]
Boston fans know the team is in another golden age of contention.
But how long can it last?
The Celtics secured their fifth consecutive 50+ win season since 2021-22 with a 114-99 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night — the franchise’s 38th season with 50+ wins and its fourth time hitting that mark at least five seasons in a row (the most of any team in the league.)
That alone puts this run amongst some of the greatest prolonged stretches of contention in NBA history.
I mean, sure, the team hasn’t won 11 championships in 13 years like the Bill Russell Celtics or racked up 18 consecutive 50+ win seasons while winning five rings like the San Antonio Spurs.
Nevertheless, it is a rare accomplishment for NBA teams to win 50+ games in at least five straight seasons. Out of 30 teams in the league today, 14 have never done it (15 if you don’t count the Seattle Super Sonics’ history for the Oklahoma City Thunder.) That includes the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks — originally the Tri-Cities Blackhawks — despite being two of the league’s 11 founding franchises alongside the Celtics.
That includes historically bad teams like the Charlotte Hornets and the Washington Wizards, but it also features teams that have had dominant stretches over the years, like the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets.
Overall, at least five consecutive seasons of 50+ wins has only been accomplished 22 times throughout NBA history. Only 11 of those instances featured runs of more than five consecutive seasons and only four were runs of at least 10 straight seasons with 50+ wins.
The latter is topped by the Spurs’ aforementioned 18-season run from 1999-00 to 2016-17, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 12-year stretch from 1979-80 to 1990-91, and the Dallas Mavericks’ 11-season run from 2000-01 to 2010-11. Boston’s own 10-season run from 1958-59 to 1967-68 completes the list.
The Celtics also recorded nine consecutive seasons with 50+ wins under Larry Bird from 1979-80 to 1987-88, starting with 61 wins in Bird’s first season.
While it may be outlandish to say the team’s current five-season run could stretch on long enough to compete with the Spurs for the top spot, Boston’s own franchise record could very well be within reach of the current core.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been at the core of the team’s current five-season run of 50+ wins since it began in 2021-22, when the Jays led the Celtics to 51 wins and the Finals for the first time under Coach Ime Udoka.
Despite flaming out against the Warriors and losing Udoka to scandal, the run only ramped up the next year under the leadership of Coach Joe Mazzulla, who revamped the offense, unlocked Derrick White, and steered the team to 57 wins.
After falling one win short of another Finals trip, General Manager Brad Stevens used some of his managerial magic to acquire Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis. The newly assembled team then rattled off 64 wins and won the 2024 NBA Finals.
Boston again broke the 60-win threshold in 2024-25 with 61 wins, even though the Celtics struggled with injuries and diminished play in key roles over the year. The team then lost Tatum to a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the Eastern Conference Finals and offloaded Holiday, Porziņģis and Al Horford in the offseason. Boston even lost backup center Luke Kornet to the Spurs in free agency.
That’s where this run of 50+ win seasons probably should have ended. But, as we’ve seen this season, this team is simply too good for that.
In lieu of Tatum for 62 games and four of the 2024-25 team’s other top-nine players, Brown, Mazzulla, Pritchard and White still led the team to a 50+ win season. At the same time, Stevens brought the team below the second apron and repositioned it for future financial flexibility, all while maintaining every piece of the core.
And now, Tatum’s back — and dropping 32 points against a red-hot Hornets team on 52.2% shooting from the field and 50% from three-point range.
So, if the team didn’t fall short of 50 wins this year, when will it?
Well, it could be a while. Maybe even long enough to meet or surpass the team’s 9- and 10-season runs.
The two biggest pieces of the core, Brown and Tatum, are still only 29 and 28 years old, respectively. They both have three guaranteed years remaining on their contracts after this season ends. Derrick White, who many may consider to be the third core piece, is 31. He’s locked up for another two years and has a $34,844,000 player option for a third, at which point he’ll be 34 and may no longer field offers of more than $30 million per year from other teams.
Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser are both 28 years old. Pritchard’s contract extends through 2027-28 and Hauser’s through 2028-29.
If Stevens can find a way to lock up Neemias Queta when his current deal ends in 2026-27, the 26-year-old could be the Celtics’ starting center for years to come. That may be difficult, given Queta’s breakout this season and Boston’s delicate financial situation, but it should be possible since the team will have the Bird rights to re-sign him.
The team also features a deep bench full of young players who could prove vital to Boston’s future success. Baylor Scheierman, 25, Hugo González, 20, and Jordan Walsh, 22, have all shown their worth this season and could grow to become important complementary pieces.
Even Boston’s leadership is relatively young. Mazzulla is 37 years old and the youngest coach in the NBA. Stevens is 49 years old, which isn’t exactly young for the role, but young enough to foresee years to come with him at the helm. As made apparent this season, both remain at the top of their games.
In order to meet or surpass the franchise record for consecutive 50+ win seasons, the team needs to string along another five seasons following this one.
Age shouldn’t be a problem. While White will be 36 in another five years, Brown and Tatum should be 34 and 33, respectively. The Jays will have the rest of their athletic primes to pursue the record over the five seasons before that, then a couple more years of elite play to potentially surpass it before aging out of stardom. Mazzulla will be just about as old as the average NBA head coach by then.
Reaching 50 wins with the Jays in their primes shouldn’t be too much to expect, either. Hell, the Celtics only had one of them for the majority of this season and the team may still finish it with almost 60 wins (58 if they win out.) If Stevens can retain them when their contracts expire and maintain a decent roster around them, 50 wins should be within reach every year they remain at an elite level.
However, despite the team’s seemingly sturdy footing halfway through the trek to 10 consecutive seasons of 50+ wins, any Celtics fan who watched the 2007-08 season knows that, as Kevin Garnett screamed after winning the Finals, anything is possible — and not always in a good way.
There is a reason five consecutive seasons of 50+ wins has only occurred 22 times in all of NBA history. Between injuries, free agency, financial complications and the natural decline of aging players, teams need to be both well-piloted and outright lucky to make such a streak happen. For this team to match the franchise record, it would need to accomplish that rare feat twice in a row.
The biggest questions for the Celtics moving forward will be: 1) can Stevens continue to maintain a competitive roster while walking the veritable financial tightrope that is the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement? and 2) how much will Tatum’s Achilles injury impact his availability and effectiveness in future seasons?
In answering the first question, I think this year works as a perfect demonstration that Stevens is up for the task. He piloted the Celtics out of the second apron while maintaining a roster that can compete for a chip. Assuming Boston remains under the luxury tax next season, the repeater tax will reset and Stevens will be free to once again spend on a contending team.
As for the second question, only time will tell. Despite struggling with efficiency, Tatum has looked impressive since his return. He’s racked up rebounds at an even higher rate than he did before his injury and stepped right back into his role as floor general, using his ever-present gravity to lure help defenders before stringing a pass to an open man. On top of that, Tatum has had multiple stretches where he has caught fire from the field, dropping midrange shots and step-back threes reminiscent of his best days before the injury.
Nevertheless, Achilles injuries have notably impacted other players’ longevity over the years. Even Kevin Durant, the model of how to return from an Achilles injury, has averaged almost 16 fewer games played per season than he did before his return (not counting this year.) On a positive note, Durant has played 71 games so far this season and 75 in 2023-24. But, if Tatum misses more time moving forward, it will at the very least reduce the team’s margin of error for reaching 50 wins per season. If Brown suffers a long-term injury and Tatum can’t be his usual workhorse self, Boston’s 50+ win season streak would be at high risk of snapping.
Whether this Celtics core reaches the franchise record or not, their run of five consecutive 50+ seasons is already cemented in history amongst only 21 others, and fans should be happy to know that they may be watching one of the greatest prolonged stretches of contention in NBA history.
Who is and isn't a blue blood in college basketball is often a heated debate. By definition a blue blood is a program with elite lineage.
UConn's blood line of elite success didn't get going until the 1990s. The Huskies reached six Sweet 16s in the decade before breaking through in 1999 with the program's first national title.
The Huskies arrive at this week's Final Four looking to win a seventh national title (and third in four years). It's a run unmatched in modern history and winning at a level we haven't seen since the Wizard of Westwood.
If UConn wins the 2026 national championship, they would move into sole possession of third place on the NCAA's all-time title list, trailing only UCLA (11) and Kentucky (8).
Is UConn a blue blood or a new blood? How about both.
Members of the USA TODAY Sports staff debated for an hour. "It's an inexact science," they said. Challenge accepted. Using that 1999 season as the marker, we looked at which programs have been the most successful by devising a super scientific formula:
20 points for national title
10 points for Final Four
6 points for regular-season conference title
5 points for Sweet 16
-5 points for losing season
Here's how the math shook out:
10. Arizona (156 points)
10 Pac-12 regular season championships, 1 Big 12 title
14 Sweet 16s
2 Final Fours
0 national titles
0 losing seasons
709-250 (.739)
This might just be Arizona's first Final Four trip since 2001, but the Wildcats have been a model of consistency as one of the West's powerhouses.
9. Villanova (158 points)
8 Big East regular season championships
8 Sweet 16s
4 Final Fours
2 national titles
2 losing seasons
659-291 (.694)
Life without Jay Wright hasn't been great, but his run of two titles in three years (2016, 2018) and two more Final Fours land the Wildcats on this list.
8. Kentucky (185 points)
10 SEC regular season championships
14 Sweet 16s
4 Final Fours
1 national title
1 losing season
724-255 (.740)
A blue blood that still cracks this list. Kentucky fans will tell you they belong higher up on this list, but the numbers don't lie. Kentucky's eight national titles in program history are second-most in NCAA history, but the Wildcats have just one since 1999. In fact, UK hasn't been to a Final Four since 2015.
7. Florida (192 points)
7 SEC regular season championships
10 Sweet 16s
5 Final Fours
3 national titles
2 losing seasons
686-284 (.707)
Surprised to see Florida this low on the list, but sandwiched in between Billy Donovan and Todd Golden, the Mike White years were truly forgettable.
6. Gonzaga (234 points)
24 WCC regular season championships
14 Sweet 16s
2 Final Fours
0 losing seasons
801-163 (.831)
OK, so the 24 West Coast Conference titles are doing some heavy lifting here. But don't scoff at the 14 Sweet 16s. That's a remarkable run of steadiness, first as a Cinderella, then as a favorite. They played for the national title twice, losing to North Carolina in 2017 and Baylor in 2021. No one was won more (801) than the Zags.
5. Kansas (236 points)
11 Big 12 regular season championships
14 Sweet 16s
6 Final Fours
2 national titles
0 losing seasons
788-206 (.793)
No Sweet 16 appearances since winning the 2022 national title kept the Jayhawks from appearing higher on this list, that was actually the only Sweet 16 in the past seven tournaments for KU.
4. Michigan State (245 poins)
10 Big Ten regular season championships
17 Sweet 16s
8 Final Fours
1 national title
0 losing seasons
709-269 (.725)
The last Big Ten team to win a national title, Tom Izzo's staggering 17 Sweet 16s and eight Final Fours are a model of consistent excellence.
3. North Carolina (251 points)
11 ACC regular season championships
13 Sweet 16s
7 Final Fours
3 national titles
2 losing seasons
709-284 (.714)
Hubert Davis got the Tar Heels to a national championship game in Year 1, and then a Sweet 16 in 2024, but back-to-back first round losses didn't cut it at a school with much higher aspirations, as their spot on this list illustrates.
2. UConn (270 points)
5 Big East regular season championships
11 Sweet 16s
8 Final Fours
6 national titles
3 losing seasons
682-279 (.710)
Not even its six national titles could push UConn to the top of this list. Those three straight losing seasons (2017-19) were the anchor weighing the Huskies down. But also, a lack of conference titles cost them the top spot. If UConn wins this year's title, they'll take the crown.
Hate them all you want, Duke has earned its place atop college basketball. Twenty Sweet 16s! Now, the Blue Devils haven't won a national title since 2015, but they've been ranked No. 1 in seven of the past 10 seasons. Perhaps there should have been more March success, but the sheer volume of wins (nearly 800) is second only to Gonzaga.
Is Indiana still a blue blood?
Nah, the Hoosiers have bled out. Indiana has five national titles and eight Final Fours. But the last title was in 1987 and the last Final Four was in 2002. The program has had more coaches (four) than NCAA Tournament appearances (three) over the past 10 years. But hey, at least the football team is good now.
New blood or blue blood: Ranking college basketball's best teams
Based on our formula, calculating team success since 1999 (explained above).
The 23-year-old British No 1 also sat out Miami Open
Post-viral symptoms from illness stall comeback
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from next week’s Linz Open as she continues to recover full fitness. The British No 1 also pulled out of the Miami Open as she recovers from post-viral symptoms on the back of an illness she picked up in Romania in early February.
Having also opted to sit out Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Australia, Raducanu is now likely to focus on a possible return to the WTA Tour in Madrid that starts on 21 April.
Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) looks on after leaving the game during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
SNY | Phillip Martínez: The Yankees hoped to have left-hander Carlos Rodon back at some point in April, but those plans might have hit a snag. On Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone revealed that the southpaw, who had a 3.09 ERA and struck out 203 batters last year before encountering some elbow issues in the postseason that resulted in surgery, reported hamstring tightness in his most recent throwing session.
The team is unsure about the severity of the ailment, and making guesses about how long he will be sidelined would be premature. What we do know is that an April return is now unlikely.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: The ‘reverse framing’ strategy, believe it or not, might become a thing as we go deeper into the ABS era. The term basically means that catchers can make strikes look like balls as they try to lure opposing teams into wasting a challenge. The Yankees, as an organization, are excellent framers behind the plate, but Tanner Swanson, the team’s director of catching, doesn’t seem so open about trying psychological games just yet.
Swanson did say that he has “thought about these things, and we’ve had discussions around them,” but he isn’t quite ready for the risk that the strategy carries with it.
“A large majority of borderline calls still go unchallenged,” Swanson said. “To take a strike and try to turn it into a ball, you’re banking on either forcing the hitter to challenge it, or having to challenge it yourself.”
New York Yankees Stats on X: Giancarlo Stanton drove in a run in the first inning of Tuesday’s game in Seattle in the ugliest way you can think of: with a blooper near the right field line. It counts anyway, and it was the slugger’s 500th RBI in pinstripes. He became the seventh-fastest Yankee, in terms of games played, to reach the mark: it took him 745 games.
Foul Territory on X: Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden, now an analyst and writer, weighed in on the alleged trade proposal the Yankees made to the Pittsburgh Pirates last year involving Paul Skenes. He said that if the Bombers indeed put names such as Cam Schlittler, George Lombard Jr., Carlos Lagrange, and Spencer Jones on the table, the Bucs should have taken the deal.
“If I’m Pittsburgh and I got offered those four guys that I could control for six years and not have to pay any of them for three years, I have a better chance of winning with those four guys, and I have a better chance of winning longer with those four guys,” Bowden said.
You’re going to hear that idea this week, with the top two teams in college basketball, Arizona and Michigan, meeting in the semifinals instead of the national championship, while UConn faces Illinois in the other semifinal.
Like a lot of ideas, this one sounds good in the theory stage. Peel back the layers, though, and envision what reseeding the Final Four would mean in practice, and the idea loses footing.
Reseeding would require disrupting the original structure of the bracket.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and I’ll keep saying it as long as the NCAA has this tournament format: Leave the tournament alone.
I’ll say it once more for effect: Leave. The. Bracket. Alone.
Do not tweak. Do not tinker. Do not implement any harebrained ideas or add more mediocre teams or shuffle the assignments once the Final Four arrives.
The tournament is one thing the NCAA gets right. Take a bow, and enjoy it.
It’s not broken. Don’t fix it.
Still, it seems like such a simple adjustment, right? Now that the Final Four teams are set, just flip Arizona and Illinois and have the two 1-seeds on opposite seeds of the bracket.
And that’s when it hits you: The bracket. That beautiful creation is the star of this show. That's why you cannot simply reseed the Final Four. You’d disrupt all of those brackets people filled out the day after Selection Sunday, when they were supposed to be working but instead were researching that, yes, High Point over Wisconsin is the best possibility for a 12 vs. 5 upset. And that, yes, Arizona and Michigan will win their regions and meet in the semifinals.
They'll meet in the semifinals. Not the finals. That's what you wrote down on your bracket.
Don't complicate this: March Madness bracket is simple and beautiful
At its core, March Madness is entertainment, and part of the entertainment is everyone from your 10-year-old daughter to your 95-year-old grandpa fills out a bracket, for a shot at prize money or at least some bragging rights.
As much as we love the Cinderellas and the buzzer-beaters and the comebacks and the 40-foot swishes from the logo, we love the bracket itself every bit as much or more. We like highlighting our correct picks and seeing our predictions come true.
Anyone can understand how the bracket works, even if you don’t watch a single minute of basketball before March, even if you wouldn’t watch a single second of this tournament, if not to see how you bracket fares against your mother-in-law’s bracket.
The bracket’s beauty is in its simplicity of design. Sixteen teams in each quadrant, funneling into a Final Four. A team loses, and it's out. Win and advance. And as you fill it out, you decide which two teams you think will meet next.
Smart prognosticators kept writing down Arizona and Michigan until they reached the Final Four.
If the bracket got reseeded, how does that work for your bracket pool?
Everyone re-picks their Final Four two weeks into the tournament?
Forget it.
1-seeds can fall in Final Four, when we least expect it
Anyway, the moment we think we’ve figured out March Madness, we’re reminded this tournament isn’t so easy to figure out, even within a year when two 1-seeds meet in the Final Four.
The old-timers can tell us stories of the 1983 Final Four. That year, No. 1 Houston and No. 1 Louisville met in one semifinal. Phi Slama Jama vs. Doctors of Dunk.
In the other semifinal: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 6 North Carolina State.
The Houston-Louisville game on Saturday became the marquee attraction, and surely the winner would win it all, right?
Houston went for 94 points against Louisville. Two nights later came one of the biggest stunners in tournament history.
The Wolfpack, an O.G. Cinderella, stunned Houston in the finals, winning on a buzzer-beating dunk, and Jim Valvano went running onto the court looking for someone, anyone, to hug.
If you watched it, you’ll never forget it. If you didn’t, you’ve probably seen the highlight so many times you almost feel like you lived through it.
The idea of reseeding the Final Four goes back more than two decades. In 2004, Dick Vitale was hollering we needed to “Reseed the Final Four!” before Duke and UConn met in the semifinals, in a matchup of what appeared to be the two best teams remaining.
That year served two epic semifinals. Georgia Tech beat Oklahoma State to advance to the finals as a 3-seed. UConn rallied to beat Duke, because apparently no halftime lead is safe for the Blue Devils this deep into the tournament.
And, sure, two nights later, UConn had the championship in hand by halftime, but so what? Saturday’s games were great.
The reseeding topic resurfaced in earnest in 2018, when all-time underdog Loyola-Chicago reached the Final Four as an 11-seed and Sister Jean became the world’s most famous nun.
No. 3 Michigan faced Loyola in the semifinals, while No. 1 Villanova played fellow No. 1 Kansas. Villanova handled the Final Four just fine without reseeding, winning both games in blowouts.
As Dan Gavitt, senior vice president of basketball for the NCAA, pointed out that year, reseeding the bracket along the way would create a minefield for underdogs. Upset a top team, and a Cinderella's reward becomes getting another top seed moved from across the bracket into its path.
“My concern is that the very thing that makes the tournament so popular would be diminished in some way,” Gavitt told the AP in 2018, on the subject of reseeding.
Another way to say that: Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
In its current form, the bracket isn't broken. It's beautiful the way it is.
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 28: Baylor Scheierman #55, Anfernee Simons #4, Hugo Gonzalez #28 and Jordan Walsh #27 of the Boston Celtics look on during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
So many people deserve credit for the Celtics success in what was supposed to be a gap year in Boston. Despite the talent drain over the summer, Joe Mazzulla has again created a system custom fit for his roster and got his players to buy in. Jaylen Brown has had an MVP-level season as the team’s #1 option.
And not too much farther down the list is the development and performance of the Celtics bullpen of wings. Whether it’s starting or coming off the bench, impacting the game with their shooting or defending team’s best players, they’ve individually risen to the occasion and taken advantage of the opportunity and collectively, they’ve raised the ceiling of this Celtics team with Banner 19 in reach.
Hugo González – 28th pick Baylor Scheierman – 30th pick Jordan Walsh – 38th pick Sam Hauser – undrafted free agent
Sam Hauser has been the adult in the SF room. As a contributing member of the 2024 championship team, he’s started 43 of his 72 games. By his standards, he’s having a down year; it’s the first time since his junior year in college that he’s shot under 40% from behind the arc. However, he’s still a reliable floor spacer for the Jays and plus-defender.
When Jordan Walsh joined the starting lineup on November 12, that move launched a 16-5 run and really solidified Boston’s reputation as a true contender this season. His playing time started to dwindle at the start of the new year including a six-game stretch of DNP-CDs, but his effort never waned. Most recently when the Jays swapped off days during a back-to-back in Charlotte and Atlanta, Walsh filled in brilliantly and again flashed his defensive prowess against LaMelo Ball and Jalen Johnson.
Boston, MA – January 28 – Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) lets the ball get loose as Boston Celtics guards Jordan Walsh (27), Hugo Gonzalez (28) and Baylor Scheierman (55) surround during the second half of a NBA game at the Garden. (Photo By Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images). | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Baylor Scheierman has had the inverse regular season as Walsh. After playing sporadically in the first half of the year, it was Scheierman’s turn in the starting five. His shooting and instincts were as advertised coming out of Creighton as a finished product, but his strong positional defense is what has kept him on the floor.
Finally, Hugo Gonzalez, the now 20-year-old rookie, has been a sensation since coming over from Madrid. On one hand, you can see how being part of a professional program abroad has really shaped his game and prepared him to jump right in with the Celtics. On the other, there’s the energy injection and momentum-shifting plays that make him a regular Tommy Award winner. This isn’t even a bold prediction: Gonzo will swing a playoff game or two this spring.
So, while it’s hard to pick your favorite child, what Celtic wing has impressed you the most?
Calgary Flames (31-35-8, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (33-26-16, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Calgary Flames visit the Vegas Golden Knights looking to stop a three-game road slide.
Vegas has an 11-5-5 record in Pacific Division play and a 33-26-16 record overall. The Golden Knights have a 32-6-10 record when scoring at least three goals.
Calgary has a 31-35-8 record overall and a 12-7-3 record in Pacific Division games. The Flames are 22-7-3 when scoring at least three goals.
The teams play Thursday for the fourth time this season. The Flames won the previous matchup 6-3. Mikael Backlund scored two goals in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tomas Hertl has scored 24 goals with 31 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games.
Backlund has 16 goals and 24 assists for the Flames. Morgan Frost has scored four goals and added two assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 4-4-2, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.1 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Flames: 6-3-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.2 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body), Carter Hart: out (leg), Jonas Rondbjerg: out (lower body).
Flames: Samuel Honzek: out for season (upper body), Jonathan Huberdeau: out for season (hip), Jake Bean: out (undisclosed), Yan Kuznetsov: day to day (upper-body), Joel Hanley: out (upper-body), Connor Zary: day to day (upper body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Doncic is the NBA's leading points scorer this season [Getty Images]
Luka Doncic broke NBA great Kobe Bryant's 20-year record for the most points scored by a Los Angeles Lakers player in a calendar month as they overcame the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-113.
Doncic, who returned after a one-game suspension for picking up his 16th technical foul, scored 42 points to take his tally for March to 579 - beating Bryant's record of 578, which had stood since 2006.
"If you don't win, it doesn't really mean anything," said Doncic after the Lakers secured a 15th victory in 17 games.
"So the run that we've been on, it really means a lot. We've got to keep playing like that."
LeBron James scored 14 points for the Lakers against the Cavaliers as he also set an NBA record for the most combined regular season and play-off wins.
He achieved his 1,229th victory and surpassed the previous best set by centre Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
"He's great on both sides of the ball," said Lakers coach JJ Redick of James. "He's just doing a little bit of everything at a super-high level for us.
"Luka may get the headlines here and there, AR [Austin Reaves] may get a headline. But really it's been every single guy, and LeBron has led on that."
The Lakers, who are third in the Western Conference, had clinched a play-off spot and the Pacific Division title prior to their win as the Phoenix Suns were beaten 115-111 by the Orlando Magic.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for the rebound during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 31, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES – The Cavs coming to town as a top Eastern Conference team posed another tough challenge for the Lakers. As was true throughout March, however, the Lakers were up to the test.
They beat the Cavs 127-113 on Tuesday, and did so with great performances up and down the roster.
Luka Dončić, back from his suspension, was racking up points. Austin Reaves was attacking the paint and LeBron James gave everyone a glimpse of Showtime with highlight plays throughout the night.
While LA’s big three brought their best, so did their starting center, Deandre Ayton.
Ayton flirted with a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds and was a huge reason this game was put to bed early. He was aggressive offensively and a defensive force, neutralizing the Cavs’ frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
“He’s been playing great basketball for a long time now,” Luka said postgame. ”So we just need him to keep doing what he does and when he plays like that it helps us win.”
Ayton’s dominance really started during the second quarter.
With Cleveland trailing by two points entering the period, this contest seemed destined to be the tough game it was advertised to be on paper.Ayton stepped up to tip things in the Lakers’ favor.
His offensive onslaught began with a dunk off a LeBron pass. James then connected with Ayton again a few possessions later, this time with the center scoring from just inside the free throw line. Ayton followed that up with a tip dunk off a rare Luka miss, then scored on a floater that gave the Lakers a double-digit advantage.
No one in this contest was better on the glass than Ayton. He had a game-high nine rebounds,including a whopping six offensive boards. A statistic like offensive rebounding won’t typically be highlighted, but on this Lakers team, they understand how important it is to grab those boards and keep possession on misses.
“He’s a very unselfish player,” Rui Hachimura said. “We love him here. I think his presence, just being there, he’s 7’1”, long wingspan and all that, using his body to protect the rim, getting those offensive rebounds, whatever we missed. It’s been great.”
Scoring and rebounding are obvious ways to demonstrate Ayton’s impact, but his game was loud in small ways as well.
He was keeping his hands up on defense and deflecting passes in traffic. Arguably the best Lakers highlight of the night, a LeBron alley-oop, started with Ayton creating a turnover.
In the third, Ayton had a beautiful Gortat screen midway through the quarter, which opened up the driving lane for Luka to get an easy two points. Dončić acknowledged Ayton’s grunt work, pointing to him after the basket went in.
Thanks to Ayton’s focus on both ends of the court, the Cavs never threatened and the Lakers ended March with another win, firmly cementing themselves as the third seed in the West.
Ayton was brought to the Lakers to play in these high-leverage games and provide them with an elite offensive scorer with the size and strength to compete against the best big men in the NBA.
As one of the few Lakers with NBA Finals experience, Ayton knows what it takes to win. And if he keeps this level of play up, the biggest moments of this year for himself and the Lakers are yet to come.
“I miss this type of feeling, I’m not gonna lie,” Ayton said. “There’s a certain type of urgency out there where you and this guy been battling, the chemistry you guys made just being around each other on and off the court. It’s finally showing on the court and it’s contagious.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: LeBron James #23 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers smile during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 31, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Coming into March, the Lakers were floating adrift, fresh off three demoralizing losses to the Celtics, Magic and Suns and staring the toughest stretch of the season in the face.
The Lakers exit March having loudly declared they are a legitimate contender. According to Positive Residual, they had the second-most games and the 10th-hardest schedule in March.
They finished the month with a 15-2 record. The two losses coming to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Nuggets in Denver. Those were offset by a revenge win over Denver and victories over the Knicks, Wolves, Rockets and Cavs, all teams in the playoffs.
It’s on a short list for the best months the team has had since the 2019-20 season and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
It was a very loud 14 points for LeBron, who had one of the highlights of the month with his big alley-oop slam off Austin Reaves’ alley-oop. We’ve come a long way this season with Austin’s alley-oops, too.
LEBRON JUST TOOK FLIGHT ✈️
Reaves drops the over-the-head lob… James handles the rest.
One of Jake’s best games in months. It was great to see him knock down multiple threes. When he scores, it feels like such a huge boost because of everything else he does.
While his shooting left a lot to be desired and he had some perplexing turnovers — he really loved a wild behind-the-back pass tonight — it does feel like Austin is in a better rhtyhm and has a better feel for his role as the month comes to an end.
Luka caps off an incredible month of March with a fitting finale. Having him come in during a shaky fourth quarter and bludgeon a bunch of Cavs reserves to put the game to rest was a lot of fun, too.
Back-to-back solid games from Rui, who hopefully has found his shooting touch again. The lack of rebounding is a bit easier to swallow when Austin, Luka and Jake combine for 18. But you still want more.
Similarly, Hayes followed up his great game on Monday with a so-so one against the Cavs. The good news is the Lakers aren’t reliant on him to be good, a change from last year.
Bronny played more than the rest of the group, getting a rotation in the first half where he didn’t do much statistically but played really nice defense during that stretch.
JJ Redick
Another largely solid game from JJ. I specifically liked him throwing out a zone defense in the second half amidst their strong run in the third quarter. That being said, I thought he stuck with it a little too much once Cleveland figured it out.
But considering the Lakers won this game by 20, I think it was a small thing on a great night.
Grade: B+
Tuesday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Jarred Vanderbilt
Tuesday’s inactives: Chris Mañon, Nick Smith Jr., Marcus Smart
Los Angeles Lakers (50-26, third in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16, first in the Western Conference)
Oklahoma City; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles plays the Oklahoma City Thunder after Luka Doncic scored 42 points in the Lakers' 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Thunder have gone 37-9 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City is fourth in the NBA with 34.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Chet Holmgren averaging 7.0.
The Lakers are 30-16 in conference matchups. Los Angeles is sixth in the Western Conference scoring 116.8 points per game and is shooting 50.2%.
The Thunder score 118.6 points per game, 3.9 more points than the 114.7 the Lakers give up. The Lakers average 11.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer made shots on average than the 14.4 per game the Thunder give up.
The teams square off for the third time this season. The Thunder won the last meeting 119-110 on Feb. 10, with Jalen Williams scoring 23 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.6 points and 6.5 assists for the Thunder. Holmgren is averaging 14.0 points over the last 10 games.
Doncic is averaging 33.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.6 steals for the Lakers. Austin Reaves is averaging 19.9 points and 5.5 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 9-1, averaging 117.4 points, 45.8 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 9.4 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.1 points per game.
Lakers: 9-1, averaging 120.0 points, 41.3 rebounds, 25.0 assists, 9.5 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.9 points.
INJURIES: Thunder: Jalen Williams: day to day (injury management), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee), Isaiah Hartenstein: day to day (injury management).
Lakers: Marcus Smart: day to day (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 11: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs posts up against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Chase Center on February 11, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Everything has gone wrong for the Golden State Warriors this season. They resolved a bit of in-house drama with the Jonathon Kuminga trade, but they’ve been without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler since before the All Star break. Butler is out for the foreseeable future with a torn ACL, while Curry has been dealing with a knee ailment of his own and hasn’t played since the end of January. Without those two guys, Golden State’s already slim margin of competing with the league’s best becomes nonexistent. They’re going to play some extra basketball in the play-in thanks to an 11-game cushion between them and the 11th spot West team and Curry is expected to return soon, but no one is expecting them to make any serious noise as presently constructed.
The San Antonio Spurs meanwhile continue to roll along towards the end of the regular season. They’ve lost just 2 games since the beginning of February, solidifying themselves alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder as the two preeminent squads in the league as the playoffs approach. Tonight’s game is the first on their very last road trip of the regular season, a 3-game trek that starts in California and ends in Denver. They’re on the cusp of their first 60-win season since 2016-2017 and with the #1 seed very much still up for grabs, don’t expect them to ease up now.
San Antonio Spurs (54-18) at Golden State Warriors (36-39) April 1 2026 | 9:00 PM CT Watch: ESPN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: David Jones-Garcia, OUT
Warriors Injuries: Stephen Curry, knee (OUT), Jimmy Butler, knee (OUT), Moses Moody, knee (OUT), Al Horford, calf (OUT), Will Richard, knee (day to day), Quinten Post, foot (day to day)
What to watch for
San Antonio has the talent advantage at center every game by default this season thanks to employing Victor Wembanyama, but it’s even more glaring against Golden State. The Warriors’ only 7 footer on the roster is Krystaps Porzingis, and he was only acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in the Kuminga trade. With Quinten Post and veteran AL Horford both out, Porzingis has been receiving the lion’s share of available center minutes. Meanwhile Draymond Green, arguably still arguably Golden State’s best defensive player, has had a few viral moments matching up with Wemby since the Frenchman came into the league and can guard him effectively here and there. The way Wembanyama has been playing though these last few weeks, even those few moments might not matter.
That talent disparity at center also impacts Golden State’s rebounding, where they rank in the bottom half overall. Their 11.4 offensive rebounds a game actually rank 13th, a credit to head coach Steve Kerr’s small ball philosophy and all-hands-on-deck approach to rebounding in spite of their lack of traditional big men. While that can help generate more looks for their 3-point happy offense against many teams, it’s tough to see them having much success against a Spurs team that is big seemingly everywhere up and down the roster. San Antonio is holding teams to 10.4 offensive rebounds a game, the 4th fewest in the Association.
This season Golden State takes the most 3s in the NBA and makes the 2nd most of them, but their 36% mark is good enough for just 17th. That number has plummeted to 33% with Chef Curry out of the line-up, which would be the worst in the league below even the 34% the Sacremento Kings make. The Spurs, who are among the best in the NBA at guarding the line, should be able to limit a lot of the Golden State offense sans Curry thanks to their work in limiting 2nd chance opportunities on the boards and a wing rotation that’s as good as anyone defensively.
Rookie Dylan Harper is coming off the best month of his young NBA career. He shooting line of 59/54/86 in the month of March was something of a revelation, taking a lot of the flourishes that have been on display throughout the season and developing amazing consistency. San Antonio has a chance to do something truly special this spring, and Harper is showing how big a part of that he can be.
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