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In less than two weeks, the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament will already be underway in Dayton with the First Four.

So, buckle up.

The 68-team bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 15 on CBS, where the 1-seed line looks to be all but locked up with Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Connecticut. Less than a week ago, Purdue and Iowa State both looked to be in the mix for the 1-seed or a 2-seed, but recent losses have dropped them down to the 3-seed.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracket predictions: No. 1 seeds to First Four of NCAA tournament

The Boilermakers and Cyclones aren't the only ones who have seen their NCAA Tournament picture take a hit of late, as the bubble continues to move like a revolving door.

Conference tournaments have already started at the mid-major level, with the Horizon League the first to begin on Monday, Feb. 2. The first automatic bid to March Madness will be secured on Saturday, March 7 with the winner of the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Big East and power conference tournaments begin next week. Here's a look at the full 2026 NCAA Tournament schedule for men's college basketball:

When is Selection Sunday for March Madness?

Selection Sunday for the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is set for Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET, or immediately following the final championship game of the day. The unveiling of the 68-team bracket will take place after all conference tournament championship games are completed.

When does March Madness begin?

March Madness gets going on Tuesday, March 17 in Dayton, Ohio, at UD Arena with the First Four. The final 64-team bracket will then officially get underway with first-round games two days later on Thursday, March 19.

When is the Final Four?

The Final Four for the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament will take place over Saturday, April 4 and Monday, April 6 in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. The national semifinals will tip off at 6 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET on April 4, while the national championship will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on April 7.

Complete March Madness 2026 schedule

Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA men's tournament:

• First Four: March 17-18
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final Four: Saturday, April 4 (at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis)
• National championship game: Monday, April 6 (at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis)

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness schedule for 2026 men's NCAA Tournament

It is March and conference tournaments are around the corner.

In just over a week, it will be Selection Sunday for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, meaning college basketball fans are on the cusp of seeing the most exciting time of the sports calendar. Automatic bids for March Madness will start to be earned as soon as this weekend.

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

However, while some programs have already likely punched their ticket for the Big Dance as "locks" for the NCAA Tournament with resumes that cannot be denied, others are using this week and conference championship week as a last ditch effort to build their resumes.

Of course, nothing makes that sweeter than trying to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, while concluding your season against a bitter rival. Ask Kentucky fans, as they are still very much on the bubble, but will have to travel to Gainesville, Florida, for a matchup against the Gators.

Or Auburn fans, who have seen their team meltdown have to secure a spot in the Iron Bowl of basketball against Alabama.

Here's a look at the latest NCAA Tournament preview, including bubble teams and locks to reach March Madness:

March Madness bracket bubble watch tracker

March Madness locks

Based on games through Tuesday, March 3

• Big Ten (7): Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin
• Big 12 (6): Arizona, Iowa State, Houston, Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU
• ACC (6): Duke, Virginia, Louisville, North Carolina, Clemson and North Carolina State
• SEC (5): Florida, Vanderbilt Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas
• Big East (3): UConn, Villanova, St. John's
• Other (3): Gonzaga, Utah State, Saint Louis

Just as was the case a week ago, thirty teams entered play on Tuesday, March 2, with a 99.8% chance or better to reach the Tournament, according to Bart Torvik's "TourneyCast." While significant games were played in the last week, the locks did not see any new teams climb into this category.

Torvik's metrics are used in the NCAA's BPI equation, alongside third-party analyst Ken Pomeroy, also referenced as KenPom by college basketball fans.

NCAA Tournament likely ins

• Big 12 (1): UCF
• Big Ten (2): Indiana, UCLA
• ACC (2): SMU, Miami,
• SEC (4): Kentucky, Texas A&M, Texas, Georgia
• Big East (0): N/A
• Other (2): Saint Mary's, New Mexico

Entering the final week of the regular season, these are the teams that are "likely in" and have between a 70% and 98.9% chance to reach the NCAA Tournament, per Torvik.

NCAA Tournament bubble teams

• Big 12 (2): Texas Christian, Cincinnati
• Big Ten (3): Ohio State, Southern California
• ACC (1): Virginia Tech
• SEC (2): Missouri, Auburn
• Big East (0): N/A
• Other (6): LIU, Howard, Santa Clara, San Diego State, UMBC, Miami (Ohio)

The three teams that are headed in the wrong direction in their chances of making the NCAA Tournament are Auburn, USC and San Diego State. The Tigers are 1-7 their last eight games and USC's five-game losing streak puts them in more danger of missing the tournament now than they have been in previous weeks. Both likely need a deep run in their respective conference tournaments.

Meanwhile, Missouri and TCU are two teams that have helped their own cause over the last week to position themselves for a potential spot in the tournament.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket tracker: Who's in, out and on NCAA bubble

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers did just enough to get past the conference-leading Detroit Pistons113-109.

If you stop Cade Cunningham, you’ll stop the Pistons. Head coach Kenny Atkinson called defending Cunningham “the key to the game,” and understandably so.

Cunningham was effective as a playmaker with 14 assists, but was held to just 10 points on 4-16 shooting with five turnovers. This led to his team losing the minutes he was on the floor by 11.

Cleveland slowed Cunningham down without the services of Dean Wade, which makes it even more impressive. Jaylon Tyson and Keon Ellis stepped up in this matchup. They both were effective picking up in the backcourt and were physical at the point of attack. It also helped that the rest of the defense was able to sell out to make him uncomfortable.

Cleveland never allowed Cunningham to finish over just one defender in the paint. That led to most of their success on that end.

The Cavs’ defensive strategy was clear; they were only worried about stopping Cunningham.

“It’s hard for coaches because you got to pick your poison,” Atkinson said before the game. “Do you want Cade Cunningham shooting? Or do you want X, Y, or Z shooting?”

Atkinson didn’t name names before the game, but it was clear who “X, Y, and Z” were afterward.

The Cavs weren’t concerned about players like Ausar Thompson or Tobias Harris offensively when they were on the floor with Cunningham. They were willing to cheat off them as much as possible if it meant being able to send an extra body Cunningham’s way.

And on this night, it worked. Just look at this play below. The Cavs truly didn’t care if Thompson and Harris were open on the strongside. And with the game on the line, Cunningham didn’t either.

Conversely, the Cavs’ role players are what won them the game. Dennis Schroder once again provided key scoring off the bench, Craig Porter Jr. was effective on the glass, Ellis was everywhere defensively, and Thomas Bryant filled in well for Jarrett Allen — who left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury.

More than that, the guy Atkinson has called “the ultimate role player,” Jaylon Tyson, lived up to the billing. He provided great defense on Cunningham on one end, and outscored him on the other as he put up 22 points on 5-12 shooting from three.

It can’t be emphasized enough how much Tyson has bought into being a role player. He has the skills and talent of an on-ball creator, but isn’t asked to do that on a team with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. And instead of trying to force it, he’s become someone who does nearly all of their damage off the ball, in support of the stars around him.

That doesn’t sound like much, but Tyson’s willingness to shift his style of play this drastically from college a few years ago is a transition that not many in his position have easily made.

Many role players now in the league have been groomed to play in a certain mold, which likely isn’t in their long-term best interest. The often talked about three-and-D shooters are an archetype that skyrocket up draft boards or are coveted in free agency, but the ones who are actually the best in that role do much more than just play defense and shoot threes. Basketball will always reward the players who can do multiple things once the ball is in their hands.

Tyson can do that. He processes the game at a high level, coming up as more of a primary scorer. He can run pick-and-rolls, attack the second side, and make quick decisions out of the short roll. Layer in becoming a lethal catch-and-shoot threat, and you have the makings of an indispensable glue guy.

The most exciting part about Tyson is that buying into this role will help him in every context he will be placed in throughout his career. You don’t want to put a limit on someone of Tyson’s skills. It’s not inconceivable that he continues to grow as a scorer and becomes a first or second option on a team down the line. But even if he does develop that way, he will still need to play off of other varied teammates. With the skillset he’s cultivated, he can easily do that.

All the while, playing this way doesn’t put a cap on who he is. The Cavs haven’t tried to put Tyson into a box. They’ve allowed him to expand his game in ways that make sense for him and the team, and he’s continually taken advantage of it.

The Cavs are a tough matchup for the Pistons, even with just one of their two star guards back in the lineup.

Harden wasn’t great by his standards on Tuesday. He provided 18 points on 5-17 shooting and turned it over five times. The lack of ball security is uncharacteristic for him. But just having someone who could command defensive attention and run the pick-and-roll besides Schroder made a huge difference.

Detroit has continually struggled to contain Cleveland’s bigs. Allen had a major effect on this game before he left with a knee injury, and Evan Mobley was once again able to get where he wanted inside. This has been a trend throughout the four games this season.

The Cavaliers aren’t a finished product. Atkinson said after the game that this wasn’t “perfect by any means,” and he’s correct. They were forced to run some weird guard lineups, given they were down two of their three starting forwards for a chunk of this game. But this is the second time in a row they’ve outplayed the Pistons in drastically different ways. And both of those games came without the Cavs’ best player, Mitchell.

The Pistons are a good team, but so far, they haven’t been able to enforce their style of play against the Cavs. They weren’t able to change the game with their offensive rebounding and creating turnovers. And Cleveland has made it difficult for their best player.

There are real concerns about whether Detroit’s style can translate to the playoffs, specifically, in a potential series with the Cavs. You don’t want to read too much into regular-season games, but at the same time, there are plenty of reasons why the Cavs should feel confident if they met in the playoffs.

I get why the anonymous Cavalier said what they did.

It's put up or shut up time for teams on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, as the final week of the men's college basketball regular season arrives.

Those still uncertain of reaching March Madness are feeling the magnitude of the moment, as every result is heightened ahead of Selection Sunday. Most have just a few games left before conference tournaments begin, and one team is already in do-or-die mode.

Title contenders: Why these 11 teams could dominate March Madness

RedHawks' curious case: Why Miami Ohio should — and shouldn't — be in f it loses MAC

Here are the teams on the bubble in the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology, and what's ahead of them as they try to secure a spot in the bracket.

Texas A&M

• Record: 20-10 (10-7)
• NET Ranking: 43
• Quad 1 record: 5-6
• Projected seed: No. 11
• Quality wins: at Texas, at Georgia, vs. Kentucky
• Bad losses: at Oklahoma State

A team that started SEC play 7-1 is in trouble with a 3-6 record in its past nine games, although it did just beat Kentucky. What's really hurt Texas A&M is it doesn't have a major win as no victory came against a ranked foe. The Aggies don't have to feel entirely scared of their outlook, but it needs to beat LSU (March 7) and win one SEC tournament game to feel comfortable.

Auburn

• Record: 16-14 (7-10)
• NET Ranking: 38
• Quad 1 record: 5-11
• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)
• Quality wins: vs. St John's (neutral), vs. Arkansas, at Florida
• Bad losses: vs. Mississippi, at Mississippi State

The most polarizing team in the tournament conversation, Auburn is in the field thanks to a strong NET ranking and some major victories, even though it doesn't have a record of a March Madness contender. Projected to make the field, the Tigers can't afford more losses to squeak into the bracket. Regardless of what happens, they will be a major talking point.

Santa Clara

• Record: 24-7 (15-3)
• NET Ranking: 41
• Quad 1 record: 1-5
• Projected seed: No. 11 (First Four)
• Quality wins: vs. Saint Mary's
• Bad losses: vs. Loyola Chicago (neutral), vs. Arizona State (neutral)

The Broncos finished the regular season in third place of the West Coast Conference. Even though it has the dreaded Quad 4 loss, Santa Clara was able to get a win against co-conference champion Saint Mary's. It doesn't play until the WCC quarterfinals March 8, and it must win that game to feel confident. If it's able to beat the Gaels to advance to the title game, that could lock up a spot.

UCLA

• Record: 20-10 (12-7)
• NET Ranking: 39
• Quad 1 record: 4-8
• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)
• Quality wins: vs. Purdue, vs. Illinois, vs. Nebraska
• Bad losses: vs. California (neutral), vs. Indiana, at Minnesota

Just when UCLA was getting off of the bubble thanks to a big win against Illinois, the Bruins rejoined the group with a road loss at Minnesota. Luckily, they returned home for a major beatdown of Nebraska to push them back in comfortable territory. Now beat crosstown rival Southern California on March 7 to boost the Quad 1 record and UCLA is feeling good going into the Big Ten tournament.

New Mexico

• Record: 22-7 (13-5)
• NET Ranking: 42
• Quad 1 record: 2-5
• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)
• Quality wins: at Virginia Commonwealth, vs. San Diego State
• Bad losses: at New Mexico State, vs. Boise State

The Lobos could really have used a win at Nevada to boost the Quad 1 record, but they responded emphatically to beat San Diego State at home in what was a major bubble battle, a key reason New Mexico is in the projected field. Now Eric Olen's team has to beat Colorado State (March 4), and a major test awaits in a trip to Utah State (March 7), where it can clinch a share of the regular season title.

Indiana

• Record: 17-12 (8-10)
• NET Ranking: 40
• Quad 1 record: 2-11
• Projected seed: First four out
• Quality wins: vs. Purdue, at UCLA
• Bad losses: at Minnesota, vs. Northwestern

After riding high to start February, the Hoosiers came crashing down with four straight losses. Yes, three of them came against top-15 teams, but the home defeat to Northwestern was inexcusable and really set them back. Now Indiana has to win its last two, which won't be easy; playing a sneaky Minnesota team (March 4) and then at Ohio State (March 7) in a massive bubble game.

San Diego State

• Record: 19-10 (13-6)
• NET Ranking: 44
• Quad 1 record: 2-6
• Projected seed: First four out
• Quality wins: vs. Utah State
• Bad losses: vs. Troy, vs. Grand Canyon (twice), at Colorado State

You can look at San Diego State's recent results with glass half full or glass half empty. Positive is it beat Mountain West leader Utah State and Boise State for two Quad 1 wins. The negative is it's the Aztecs' only wins in the past five games, with a really bad performance in the rematch with Boise State. SDSU remains in limbo, and it needs at least two more wins to creep back in the bracket projection.

Virginia Commonwealth

• Record: 23-7 (14-3)
• NET Ranking: 47
• Quad 1 record: 1-5
• Projected seed: First four out
• Quality wins: vs. South Florida (neutral)
• Bad losses: at George Mason

Getting a win over Saint Louis would've been a major boost for the Rams, but they were unable to cash-in on their second opportunity. After avenging a loss to George Mason, VCU gets an excellent chance to add a Quad 1 win in the regular season finale at Dayton (March 6), though it's far from done since it will have to put up a solid showing in the Atlantic 10 tournament.

California

• Record: 20-9 (8-8)
• NET Ranking: 63
• Quad 1 record: 4-4
• Projected seed: First four out
• Quality wins: vs. UCLA (neutral), vs. North Carolina, at Miami
• Bad losses: vs. Pittsburgh, at Kansas State, at Florida State, at Syracuse

All of the momentum Cal built was immediately eviscerated with a horrible double-digit Quad 3 home loss to Pittsburgh. The Golden Bears couldn't afford it as their NET ranking is already extremely high, and it now must win its last two games at Georgia Tech (March 4) and Wake Forest (March 7) before making considerable noise in the ACC tournament to move up the bubble.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bubble watch for final week of regular season

They’re calling the posts the “KD Files”. There’s no definitive proof that Kevin Durant is the man behind the X account @gethigher77 (display name: getoffmydickerson), but if he isn’t, somebody has done a phenomenal impersonation. In various screenshots splashed across the internet, getoffmydickerson took shots at Durant’s teammates, as the player himself has done before. There was also creative and amusing trash talk, something Durant has shown a talent for. Some of it crossed the line: the account made a reprehensible joke about supplying drones (Durant invests in the company Skydio, which has provided the Israel Defense Forces with weapons)and called Durant’s teammate Jabari Smith Jr “retarded”. When asked about @gethigher77, Durant said, “I’m not here to get into Twitter nonsense” – far from a denial that he was behind it, and in the eyes of many, confirmation that he was. We’ve got people writing in-depth proofs that the account is real.

Not that getoffmydickerson is Durant’s only problem. Shortly after the tweets blew up, Boardroom, which defines itself as a “sports, media, and entertainment brand” co-founded by Durant and his agent Rich Kleiman, laid off three of its staff writers, rationalizing the move as part of a pivot to video. (An aside: what’s the point of having career earnings of half a billion dollars if you’re not willing to invest some of it to protect your media company from financial headwinds?)

Related: Trae Young gets ejected before even making his Washington Wizards debut

On the court, things aren’t much better. Durant’s Houston Rockets – picked by two of four Guardian contributors to win the title this season – had a bright start but have fallen off in the last few months. The Rockets are on course for the playoffs, but any of the million NBA podcasts out there will tell you right now that they’re not a title contender.

That’s despite the fact that Durant has mostly played brilliantly. The day after the pixelstorm over his alleged burner account, he scored 35 points. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka plays his starters for almost the entire game – Durant, who is the oldest player in the rotation, has logged more minutes this season than all but two players in the league. When asked about his playing burden, the 37-year-old sounded more than happy with his responsibilities. “That’s what I get paid to do,” he said.

And that gets to the heart of what is intriguing about Durant. While his love for basketball is more evident and pure than most players’ – he’s the kind of guy you worry for in retirement – he’s struggled with elements of his career peripheral to the game. In 2016, he left his longtime team, the Thunder, for the already-stacked Warriors, and the move came right after Golden State had beaten Oklahoma City in the playoffs. The move is as infamous as any of Durant’s on-court heroics are famous, and it essentially ruined the balance of power in the league for three seasons, until Durant departed again, for the Brooklyn Nets. There was a charitable interpretation of Durant’s decision to join Golden State – simply that he took a better job, as Barry Petchesky argued on Deadspin in 2016 – that almost nobody bought into. “Everyone criticizing Durant for joining a dominant team would leap at the opportunity to do so in their own work life,” Petchesky wrote. “But athletes? I guess they owe you something.” You could apply the same logic to the burner scandal. Bad if true, for sure, but surely most of us crucifying Durant have also talked shit about our co-workers.

NBA fans demand that players win a championship to validate their greatness; you wonder how different the discourse around Luka Dončić this season would look if he had a title or two under his belt. Despite Durant winning the NBA finals with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, nabbing the Finals MVP both years, the work he did to earn those championships is generally regarded less highly than … well, just about any other star player’s contributions to a title-winning team. That’s not completely unfair, given that Durant joined the Warriors when they were fresh off a historically excellent 73-9 season. Still, finally landing the white whale only to be told you used the wrong weapon to do so will make a guy bitter. And giving yourself the best shot you can at a championship is understandable considering how much of it can come down to luck. Durant knows that himself: in 2021, he appeared to hit a game-winning three-pointer in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. It turned out he had his foot on the line. The Bucks won and went on to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Durant is honest about his bitterness, sometimes to a fault. A significant portion of Zach Baron’s 2017 GQ profile of Durant depicts the superstar’s anguish during the fallout of dissing his former Thunder teammates – “KD couldn’t win with those cats” – from his main social media account. The tone of getoffmydickerson’s posts is so consistent with things Durant has said before that it’s almost irrelevant to his reputation whether he said these things. Anyone who knew his history might have been jolted by the content of some of the messages from his alleged burner account, but they wouldn’t have been surprised that the account existed.

You get the sense that Durant wishes he could play basketball in a total vacuum sometimes, without media or narratives or maybe even fans. It’s for that reason that he’s the league’s most relatable superstar. That every NBA player doesn’t occasionally crack emotionally under the pressure of absurd, personal criticism that follows them online every day is a marvel. Fans say anything they want about players on social media, then remark at how absurd it is that those players seem to care about what other people say about them. A player with burner accounts, who lurks on Reddit, and who can’t tune out the noise? That seems like an entirely natural consequence of fame in the social media age.

One could look at Durant’s career and say that it hasn’t come together the way it was supposed to, with the phenomenal fortune in Golden State and disappointment everywhere else. (By our absurd championship-high expectations, of course.) I’d argue fans are lucky it happened this way. Such great players’ careers are rarely so honest in showing how hard it is to fulfil expectations.

LOS ANGELES — The last thing anyone would call this iteration of the Lakers is a good defensive team.

They have a defensive rating of 116 on the season, placing them 22nd in the NBA. Progress in this department has been minimal at best.

But against the Pelicans, the Lakers’ defense came up big.

Trailing by one entering the fourth and with their offense struggling, the Lakers needed their defense to help them flip this game.

The Lakers did just that as the Pelicans went 7-20 from the field in the final period and LA got the 110-101 victory. But it took a coalition of the willing for Los Angeles to shut down New Orleans.

With 7:24 left in the game, the Lakers were down seven and defensive stops were a necessity.

Zion Williams went barreling into the paint, more than willing to take on Jaxson Hayes. However, the Laker big not only held his ground but rejected the shot attempt, leading to free throws for LeBron James on the other end.

Jaxson with one of the biggest blocks at the rim in isolation against Zion. pic.twitter.com/2tQxJQNCU5

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) March 4, 2026

A couple of possessions later, Hayes once again got the better of Zion, drawing a charge. Then Hayes forced an airball from Murphy, leading to a 3-pointer from Austin Reaves to regain the lead.

The defensive showcase wasn’t over, though.

Hayes kept on successfully contesting Pelicans shots as Dončić and Reaves cleaned up the glass and Marcus Smart did everything but work the concession stand in the fourth quarter. He grabbed loose balls, forced turnovers and found a streaking LeBron for another highlight play for the King.

“I thought Smart was incredible tonight,” Redick said postgame. “Him and Jackson [Hayes] in the second half, when we got him back in the game defensively as well, really they helped us win the game. They changed the game.”

When it was all said and done, the Lakers went on a 14-0 run and entered clutch time with a one-possession lead.

They continued to execute on defense, forcing Zion to miss back-to-back shots. And, after a dazzling corner 3-pointer by Smart, who made the basket despite being tripped by Williams, it was clear that LA wasn’t going to lose this game.

It wasn’t a pretty game, and the Pelicans are far from a contender, but the Lakers using their defense to grind out a March win is an indicator that they may be beginning to progress in that department at the perfect time.

“I think we’ve made some strides defensively,” LeBron said. “We didn’t play much at all in zone tonight. We started the game out with it. We kind of went away from it. I thought the man-to-man defense was pretty good. Jaxson [Hayes] and Marcus [Smart] were great on that end and then everybody else trickled in as well.”

Things won’t get any easier for the purple and gold.

LA is set to play six of its next eight games against winning teams. With how tight the Western Conference standings are, their performance in these games could make or break their season.

But they now have another example they can point to which demonstrates that, when the will is there to shut down a team, they can do it.

“Nights like this can change the trajectory for teams and players,” Smart said. “Hopefully, this win and tonight in the way, the fashion that we won it, kicks our confidence up. And, we can keep this alive and going because the way we played tonight and the way we played over the last two games, it’s something that we know we’re capable of.“

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick says he and star player Luka Doncic have a "great relationship" despite a heated exchange between the pair that went viral.

The Lakers were on a three-game losing streak going into Saturday's game at the Golden State Warriors but were leading comfortably when Doncic was replaced late in the first quarter.

The Slovenian, 27, tried to avoid a fist bump from Redick as he walked to his seat on the bench, and the Lakers coach then followed Doncic down the sideline.

The pair exchanged words as Doncic took his seat before Redick turned to walk back towards half court.

As he did, Doncic got back to his feet and said more towards Redick while his team-mate Jarred Vanderbilt stood up, ostensibly to clap encouragement for the Lakers but also putting a barrier in front of Doncic, who sat back down moments later.

Speaking before Tuesday's 110-101 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Redick said: "I don't know why it went viral. It felt very normal to me.

"I didn't think much of it at the time, to be honest with you. I don't think Luka did either."

Doncic had claimed four points and three assists by that point, and returned on Saturday to finish with a game-high 26 points.

The six-time All-Star scored another game-high 27 points as the Lakers won a third straight game on Tuesday to stay sixth in the Western Conference standings.

"He and I have a great relationship," Redick added. "I really value our relationship. And I think those things happen. Not every game, but they happen very frequently.

"It's a competition. And there's two guys here who, in this case, are trying to win a basketball game and be on the same page about stuff."

The Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Chicago Bulls 116-108 on Tuesday while second-placed San Antonio Spurs thumped the Philadelphia 76ers 131-91.

The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons suffered a 113-109 loss at the Cleveland Cavaliers, for whom Jaylon Tyson scored 22 points and new signing James Harden added 18, while the third-placed New York Knicks took advantage with a 111-95 win at the Toronto Raptors.

• Antetokounmpo rusty on return as Celtics beat Bucks

The Lakers are securely at the point of the season where winning by any means necessary is the objective. After a pair of easy wins over the Warriors and Kings, they had to grit one out on Tuesday to knock off the Pelicans.

After a very unserious three quarters, the Lakers turned it up to a gear in the fourth that they haven’t reached often this season. Even if it was against the lowly Pelicans, it was a stretch of defensive play that should inspire some confidence in what this team can do moving forward.

As a result, a lot of these grades are going to be pretty funky in this one. How do you grade three bad quarters and one stellar final quarter? Surely, we can all come to the same conclusion and agree on these grades, right?

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.

LeBron James

33 minutes, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers, 2 fouls, 8-12 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-8 FT, +3

LeBron was decent in the first quarter, fantastic to start the second, then faded into the background most of the rest of the game. In short, it’s about the opposite of everyone else in this game.

Grade: A-

Marcus Smart

30 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 2 fouls, 3-9 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, +13

This was Smart’s most impactful game of the season. Even on a night when he was just 3-9 from the field, he was all over the place. Seven stocks, seven assists and a huge 3-pointer late in this one. It was just a peak Smart performance.

MARCUS 4 👌 #Lakers are on a 19-4 run!!! pic.twitter.com/SnlktWg7D9

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 4, 2026

Grade: A+

Deandre Ayton

25 minutes, 13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 6-8 FG, 1-1 FT, -7

While his center counterpart had a fantastic game in his own right, Ayton wasn’t bad. Especially relative to his recent performances, Ayton had a good showing. It wasn’t great, but it was a vast improvement.

Grade: B+

Austin Reaves

37 minutes, 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers, 3 fouls, 4-15 FG, 2-7 3PT, 5-5 FT, -1

Reaves was pretty much the embodiment of this game. For three quarters, he was a mixture of invisible and bad, an alarming trend over recent weeks. But come the fourth quarter, he knocked down a pair of threes, had a big stop on Zion Williamson that nearly tore his arm off.

Man, those three quarters were so bad, though.

Grade: C-

Luka Dončić

38 minutes, 27 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 7 turnovers, 2 fouls, 10-22 FG, 3-10 3PT, 4-5 FT, +1

As is often the case, Luka was at the center of much of the good and much of the bad. He had seven turnovers, was inefficient shooting the ball and still hit some huge shots down the stretch, including the game-sealing three.

Grade: B+

Rui Hachimura

19 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 foul, 0-4 FG, 0-4 3PT, 2-2 FT, -6

A very quiet game from Rui, who never looked like he had much of a rhythm and, as a result, didn’t factor into this one in the fourth, where he never played.

Grade: F

Luke Kennard

21 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 3-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 1-1 FT, +16

For as bad as Rui was, Luke stepped up in his place. The Lakers haven’t had that luxury this season, having multiple players off the bench who can provide a scoring punch. But Kennard has fit in seamlessly, to the point that he was closing the game and knocking down big shots.

Grade: B+

Jaxson Hayes

23 minutes, 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1 foul, 3-4 FG, 2-2 FT, +16

What a game from Hayes, and not in any way that would be expected. The box score isn’t going to do any sort of justice for him as it was his defense, shockingly, that stood out most. He was incredible on Zion down the stretch, as was the whole team, helping the Lakers get stop after stop.

Grade: A+

Jake LaRavia

15 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2-4 FG, 1-2 3PT, +10

Another solid LaRavia outing, albeit in short minutes. With Kennard and Rui — except on Tuesday — as the scoring options, LaRavia is more properly slotted into a role where his scoring feels more like a bonus than a necessity.

Grade: B-

JJ Redick

Redick did a good job of refocusing his group when it looked like things were really spiraling out of control through the first three quarters. The officials had taken center stage, but LA regrouped, put together one of their best defensive stretches of the season and did it with a lineup mixed with bench players and starters.

Grade: B+

Tuesday’s DNPs: Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, Jarred Vanderbilt

Tuesday’s inactives: Drew Timme, Nick Smith Jr., Chris Mañon

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Phoenix Suns got a much-needed win against a reeling Sacramento Kings team, 114-103. The Suns, now 35-26 this season, are one win away from matching their season win total from last season at 36. They did it the same way they have done it all season, winning on the margins and as a team.

The Suns had six players score in double figures, hit 19 3-pointers, outrebounded Sacramento 53-40, and scored 32 points in transition. The Suns were generating wide-open looks all night, and even when shots were not going down, they were relentless on the offensive glass and forcing the Kings into turnovers in the middle two quarters of basketball. Even when Maxime Reynaud scored 22 points, Precious Achiuwa scored 18, and Russell Westbrook scored 16, with all going on their own stretches of high-level play to keep the Kings alive, the Suns stuck with their game plan and walked out of Sacramento with a series sweep over the Kings.

The Suns countered each of these Kings’ individual performances with standout performances as well. Collin Gillespie showcased his shooting, going 5-for-8 from three, grabbing six rebounds, and tossing out nine assists. Oso Ighodaro had a double-double at halftime and finished the game with 14 points and 14 rebounds, with eight coming on the offensive boards. Rookie forward Rasheer Fleming continued to reward head coach Jordan Ott with stellar play when he went on his own individual 8-0 run in the third quarter and continues to look more comfortable on an NBA court. He finished with a career high of 8 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes of play.

While many of the Suns played well, Jalen Green needed his performance the most to get back on track after a dreadful month of February shooting from the field. He finished with a team-high 20 points and four steals. It was not all positive for Green, he had seven turnovers and one assist, but after a slow start in the first quarter, he was key to multiple Suns runs in the second and fourth quarters. The faster the Suns played, the more comfortable he looked driving to the basket and he found some semblance of a rhythm that he can hopefully take with him for the rest of the season.

Devin Booker’s first game back from injury was successful despite shooting 6-for-19 from the field and scoring 17 points; he made it through the game healthy and shook off the rust.

Game Flow

First Half

Collin Gillespie started the first quarter with a bang, knocking down back-to-back threes but the Kings controlled the first quarter with their defense. Jalen Green and Mark Williams both struggled largely in their first shift. Green drove on Russell Westbrook twice and got stripped twice, resulting in fastbreak layups on the other end for the Kings. Devin Booker stabilized the Suns’ offense, knocking down a corner 3-point shot and a midrange pull-up in his return to play. The Kings led 14-13 halfway through the quarter when the bench players checked into the game.

That’s when the Malik Monk heater happened.

Monk scored 11 points on 3-for-3 from long distance. One of his threes was a desperation banked three as the shot clock expired, the typical Malik Monk heater experience. Outside of Gillespie and Booker, the Suns struggled to score and played sloppily despite getting decent looks and matchups. The Kings led 30-22 after the first quarter.

The second quarter started all Suns with an emphatic 19-2 run to begin the period. Allen started the quarter with a deep 3-point hit to set the tone, and the Suns exploded from there. The ball moved on offense, and most importantly, the Suns got stops and pushed the ball in transition creating some highlight plays. Green knocked down his first three of the game in transition and capitalized with an emphatic alley oop dunk for the and-1.

JALEN GREEN IS A SKYWALKER 😤 pic.twitter.com/VGr91zkIpQ

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 4, 2026

Oso Ighodaro got in on the action as well, as the Suns forced another stop where he capped off a beautiful sequence with an alley-oop dunk. He had a double-double at halftime. It was the best Jalen Green has looked since returning from his injury, and the Suns led 41-32.

The Suns continued to score but could not get any stops as Precious Achiuwa dominated the Suns inside for 16 first-half points, and Westbrook hit multiple jumpers in a row to get the Kings back into the game and tie it at 48-48. For what felt like the first time all season, Booker was aggressive and confidence shooting behind the 3-point and hit not one, not two, but three pull-up 3-point jumpers to score 14 first half point points to give the Suns a 59-55 halftime lead. Hopefully, this is the month where the lid comes off the rim for Booker from long distance. Transition points were the difference in the first half, with Phoenix outscoring Sacramento 19-9.

Second Half

The back-and-forth continued in the third quarter, with Westbrook on his third 3-point shot of the game. Then Collin Gillespie and the Suns’ defense intensity and offensive flow took over the game. The game swung on one possession: despite O’Neale and Booker missing three wide-open 3-point shots, Gillespie battled for multiple offensive rebounds before knocking down a 3-point shot of his own. Then, after getting a stop, Gillespie hit another three in transition, and the proverbial dam broke.

The Suns continued to force the Kings into bad shots and turnovers, resulting in back-to-back O’Neale bombs from three to give the Suns a decisive 76-63 lead on an 11-0 run. The Kings did not back down, though, getting back to within six, down 79-73, but this time it was Rasheer Fleming who knocked down back-to-back triples and threw down to give the Suns a 14-point lead on his personal 8-0 run.

SHOW OFF THE BUNNIES ROOK 🐰

Rasheer with 8 straight points including this jam! pic.twitter.com/RT8QNSRqv2

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 4, 2026

The Suns dominated the rest of the quarter with their offensive rebounding, forcing turnovers, and shooting threes for a decisive 90-75 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Suns’ unit of Allen, Gillespie, Fleming, Ighodaro, and Ryan Dunn put the finishing touches on the Kings early in the fourth quarter. The Suns continued to flow offensively with precise movement and pace, resulting in open shots for Allen and Gillespie and open dunks at the rim for Ighodaro. When Green checked back into the game, he knocked down a 3-point shot and got to the rim as well. Ahead by as much as 20, the game was all but over until Ott checked Booker, O’Neale, and Williams back into the game, where turnovers and sloppy play from the Suns allowed the Kings to cut the Suns’ lead to 12, 108-96. The final nail in the coffin came on a Booker 3-point shot to put the Suns back up 112-96 with 3:10 left to end the game.

---

Up Next

The Suns return home to host the Chicago Bulls Thursday night at the Mortgage Matchup Center at 7 pm Arizona time.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jalen Green scored 20 points, Grayson Allen had 18 and the Phoenix Suns beat the NBA-worst Sacramento Kings 114-103 on Tuesday night to sweep the four-game season series.

Seventh in the West at 35-26, the Suns won their second straight and got back Devin Booker after the star guard missed four games because of a right hip injury. He scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half.

Collin Gillespie scored 17 points — hitting 5 of 8 3-pointers — and had nine assists and six rebounds. Oso Ighodaro added 14 points and 14 rebounds. Phoenix is without Dillon Brooks because of a fractured left hand.

The Suns used a 14-0 run in the third quarter to turn a 63-62 deficit into a 76-63 lead. Royce O’Neale capped the run with consecutive 3-pointers.

Maxime Raynaud had 22 points — on 10-of-12 shooting — and 10 rebounds for Sacramento in the opener of a five-game homestand. The Kings dropped to 14-49. They are 2-3 following a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak.

Precious Achiuwa added 18 points, DeMar DeRozan had 17 and Russell Westbrook 16. Kings forward Keegan Murray missed his third straight game because of ankle injury.

Phoenix led 59-55 at the half. Ighodaro had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the half, and Achiuwa had 16 points for Sacramento.

Up next

Suns: Host Chicago on Thursday night.

Kings: Host New Orleans on Thursday night.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The NBA player who had the league's second-longest active games played streak saw that spell snapped over the weirdest reason.

San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes had played in 364 consecutive games, trailing only New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges' longest active streak of 616 games. But on Tuesday, March 3, ahead of San Antonio's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson revealed that Barnes was a late addition to the injury report.

Per Johnson, Barnes woke up from a pregame nap with a sore left ankle.

“He’s with the medical staff now,” Johnson told reporters prior to the game. “Hoping it’s nothing serious, but I don’t have much information.”

Barnes was initially listed as questionable, though he would go on to miss the game to snap his streak. The Spurs dominated Philadelphia, winning by 40 points, 131-91. Eight different Spurs scored double figures and all but one of the 13 players who appeared in the game scored a point.

This marked the first time since Dec. 4, 2021 that Barnes missed a game, when he was a member of the Sacramento Kings.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nap injury halts Harrison Barnes' consecutive game streak

The Lakers were looking to stack wins and are not in position to judge an opponent by its win-loss record.

So, when the Lakers encountered a Pelicans team that arrived at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night with a 19-43 record, they knew they couldn’t afford to overlook New Orleans. Especially since the Pelicans had won four of their past five and because they have a talented core of young talent that includes Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray.

It took all five starters scoring in double figures and it took a strong defensive effort in the fourth quarter for the Lakers (37-24) to pull out a 110-101 win over a stubborn Pelicans team.

“Well, we knew we weren’t playing against their record tonight,” said LeBron James, who was one of the starters to score in double figures with 21 points to go along with seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. But he also had five turnovers.

“It’s the first time they’ve been whole in quite a while,” James, who was eight-for-12 from the field, continued. “And we know when they’ve been whole what kind of team they’ve been. So, we came in with that mindset, understanding what kind of team we were playing and they won their last four out of five before tonight, or something like that.

"But we didn’t come in with the notion that we were playing against their record. We came in with the notion that we were playing a very athletic team that’s been playing exceptional basketball of late.”

The Lakers have been a better team as of late as well, winning their third straight game after losing three straight.

They won this one over the Pelicans with just enough offense and some timely defense.

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. But he was just 10-for-22 from the field and three-for-10 from three-point range and he had seven turnovers.

"I think we responded in a good way,”: Doncic said. “Sometimes you got to win playing bad. That's what good teams do. I think that's what it is today. Obviously it wasn't our best game, but we managed to get a win."

Read more:Lakers are searching for some much-needed consistency

Austin Reaves had 15 points on four-for-15 shooting and two for seven on three-pointers, eight rebounds and five turnovers.

Reaves injured his arm late in the fourth quarter after stripping the basketball away from Williamson. But after a quick time out, Reeves returned to the game.

“I just hit my funny bone,” Reaves said. “Whole hand went numb, called a time out, kind of went away and was able to play.”

Deandre Ayton had 13 points and eight rebounds.

There also was the defense and energy Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes provided the Lakers.

Smart had 10 points, four steals and three blocks. He also was big on offense, drilling a three-pointer with 1:34 left for a 105-98 Lakers lead.

Hayes had eight points, six rebounds and two blocks.

“Jaxson was guarding Zion, which is not easy,” Doncic said. “So, I think he had some big, big plays for us. And obviously Smart has been the key to our wins (this season).”

The Lakers had 20 turnovers through three quarters, which didn’t help their cause.

They had just one in the fourth quarter and that came on a late-game 24-second violation when they were running out the clock.

The Lakers didn’t help themselves by losing their composure.

Doncic was given a technical foul in the second quarter. Luke Kennard received a technical foul in the third quarter and Ayton got a technical foul in the fourth quarter after being called for a foul blocking a shot by Williamson.

The Lakers had 12 blocks for the game and seven in the decisive fourth quarter.

They held the Pelicans to 35% shooting in the fourth and just 23 points.

“I think we’ve made some strides defensively,” James said. “I think we didn’t play much at all zone tonight. We started the game with it, we kind of went away from it. So, I thought our man-to-man defense was pretty good. I thought Jaxson and Marcus were great on that end and then everyone else kind of trickled in as well.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

In usual circumstances, the Lakers wouldn’t have played a competitive game against the Pelicans on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Because in most seasons, a team like the Pelicans, who entered the matchup with the league’s sixth-worst record, would be tanking with the hopes of falling in the standings to secure the best possible draft lottery odds. 

But this season hasn’t been typical, with the Pelicans, who won six of their last nine games entering Tuesday, still looking to be competitive in light of trading away their 2026 first-round pick during a highly-scrutinized transaction that moved them up in the 2025 draft to select rookie big man Derik Queen at No. 13. 

So the Lakers had to fight all the way to the end for the 110-101 victory over the Pelicans.

“We knew we weren’t playing against their record,” LeBron James said. “It’s the first time they’ve been whole in quite awhile. And we know when they’ve been whole what kind of team they’ve been. We didn’t come in with the notion that we were playing against their record. We came in with the notion that we were playing a very athletic team that’s been playing exceptional basketball of late.”

The Lakers came back from an eight-point deficit and closed the game on a 24-7 run to seal the victory.

“Frankly, that’s not a win we’ve had since probably November,” Coach JJ Redick said. “Where we’re down. A lot of those early wins when we started 15-4, we had a number of double-digit deficits in the second half, and just stuck with it and kept playing. It was a good win for our group to be able to do that again.

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. James had 21 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. 

What it means

The Lakers are on their third three-game winning streak since December. 

They moved to 37-24 on the season, getting closer to having an identical home record (18-12) as road record (19-12).

Turning point

When after falling behind 94-86, the Lakers ran Stack 2 against the Pelicans’ hedging defense to open up a dunk for Jaxson Hayes assisted by Doncic, which started the Lakers’ late run.

Biggest offensive possession of the game. Lakers go to their stack 2 formation.

Pels put two on the ball. Watch Luka extend the trap, fake the pass to AR and open the jam for Jaxson. pic.twitter.com/04I1bLgRPK

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) March 4, 2026

Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot for most of Tuesday (15 points on 4-of-15 shooting) made a 3-pointer with 5:04 left to give the Lakers a 96-94 lead. They led for the remainder of the game.

MVP: Marcus Smart

His 3-of-9 shooting doesn’t stand out.

But the veteran guard made the dagger 3-point to put the Lakers up 105-98 with 1:34 left. 

And he made multiple game-changing defensive plays that ignited the Lakers’ offense.

“Smart was incredible,” Redick said. “Him and Jaxson [Hayes] in the second half, when we got him back in the game defensively, they helped us win the game. They changed the game.”

Smart finished with 10 points, seven assists, four steals, three blocked shots and three rebounds, and had the best individual plus/minus among the starters.

Stat of the game: 22

That was the number of turnovers the Lakers committed against the Pelicans.

It was the 11th time they had at least 20 giveaways, with the Lakers entering Tuesday 4-6 in games they had at least 20 turnovers.

Notably, it was just the third time the Lakers had at least 20 turnovers in a game Doncic, LeBron and Reaves all played, with the last one being the Feb. 5 win over the 76ers that Doncic left at halftime during. 

The Dec. 1 loss to the Suns was the last time the Lakers had 20 turnovers in a game all three star players finished.

Up next

The Lakers will kick off their upcoming back-to-back in Denver when they play the Nuggets on Thursday night at Ball Arena.

They’ll close out the back-to-back on Friday against the Pacers at Crypto.com Arena, which will kick off a five-game homestand. 

The Lakers used a big fourth quarter run down the stretch to secure a third straight win, knocking off the Pelicans 110-101.

After falling behind by nearly double digits midway through the final frame, LA closed the game on a 24-7 run. They finished with 12 blocks, six of those coming in the fourth quarter.

Turnovers were a huge, huge issue through the first three quarters as they committed 20. However, they had just one in the fourth. New Orleans had 21 points off turnovers, but LA turned 18 Pelicans turnovers into 29 points.

The game began with teams exchanging 3-pointers. Trey Murphy III was off to a strong start for the Pelicans with nine points. LeBron James, meanwhile, led the Lakers with five points. Los Angeles was forced to call a timeout after falling behind by four. 

Out of the break, they missed a shot, which led to a layup by Zion Williamson on the other end. 

Austin Reaves’ struggles led to LA’s two turnovers early in the quarter. A quick 5-0 run put the Lakers within one with 4:32 left in the first. Former Lakers big man DeAndre Jordan was having a nice quarter for New Orleans with four points. 

At the end of the first, the purple and gold were down by two.

A fully healthy Pelicans team is giving the Lakers trouble. New Orleans is dominating inside the paint, outscoring LA 18-12. They lead 33-31 as we enter the second quarter. No Lakers have reached double figures so far.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) March 4, 2026

The second period began with Zion getting fouled and converting on both free throws. Marcus Smart connected with LeBron on the other end for a dunk. LA went on a 9-0 run, all thanks to LeBron, who now had 16 points.

After Deandre Ayton converted on a dunk, the Pelicans called a timeout. 

LUKA PASSING THROUGH THE ENTIRE DEFENSE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Si1jyoMVYB

— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2026

Out of the break, Saddiq Bey scored on a layup, but that was the only points for the Pelicans as Los Angeles’ run was up to 16-2. New Orleans suddenly woke up offensively, scoring seven straight points.

Murphy picked up his third foul, which forced him to the bench for the rest of the half. Ayton stopped the bleeding for LA with a dunk. 

Los Angeles picked up its defense, forcing the Pelicans into turnovers. New Orleans went on a three-minute scoring drought until Bey converted on a layup

Zion scored four more points, helping the Pelicans inch closer. A midrange jumper from Dončić, however, gave the Lakers a three-point lead at halftime. 

Luka Doncic's technical foul was his 14th of the season, meaning he's two more away from a suspension, with 21 games remaining after tonight.

His first technical since Jan. 20 in Denver. Luka picked up 13 technicals in 42 games. Just one over the last 15.

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 4, 2026

Zion opened the third by converting on a layup. Smart responded on the other end with a triple. LA picked up its defense once again. A steal by Smart led to a dunk on the other end by LeBron, giving them a seven-point lead.

Smart defending two on the corner. Gets the steal and lob to LeBron. pic.twitter.com/YAQnUGvzjj

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) March 4, 2026

Reaves was unfortunately still cold offensively, missing his first eight shot attempts.

New Orleans began to surge, scoring nine in a row to jump ahead by one. The Lakers called a timeout, then turned the ball over for the eighth time in the quarter immediately after, bringing their total for the game to 18. 

Luka scored on a midrange jumper to stop some of the bleeding.

Reaves finally got on the board with a much-needed layup. He then stole the ball on the other end and scored on another jumper. That momentum was cut short when the Pelicans pushed their lead to five.

Going into the fourth period, the Lakers were trailing by two. 

The Pelicans outscored LA 27-22 in the 3rd Q to take a 78-76 lead into the final period. The Lakers have been plagued by 20 turnovers on the evening.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 4, 2026

The final frame started with Jake LaRavia scoring on a layup after messing up their first possession. A free throw by LeBron put LA up by one.

Bey responded with a triple on the other end. Los Angeles had been battling back and forth, cutting the deficit down a few times. 

New Orleans eventually put some cushion on their lead, jumping ahead by eight, their largest advantage of the night. 

A massive 12-0 surge by the Lakers put them up by four with 4:29 left. After such a rough start, Reaves was now at 13 points and was a major catalyst for this scoring run, draining two 3-pointers. 

The Lakers extended their scoring run to 19-4 after a 3-pointer from Smart. All of LA’s starters were now in double figures. 

MARCUS 4 👌
Lakers are on a 19-4 run!!! pic.twitter.com/oqUHmEaGmt

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 4, 2026

Luka then drained a triple of his own, putting the team up by 10, a capper on a big win and big fourth. 

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. LeBron netted 21 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. Reaves had a slow offensive night with 15 points, most of that coming in the fourth. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished three dimes. 

Ayton scored 13 points with eight rebounds. Kennard had nine points off the bench. Jaxson Hayes pitched in with eight points and six rebounds. Smart notched 10 points with seven rebounds. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at 7:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Tahaad Pettiford scored 27 points and Kevin Overton scored 21 points and Auburn beat LSU 88-74 on Tuesday night to end its two-game losing streak.

While Pettiford finished three points shy of tying his career-high point total, he did tie career highs with six assists and four steals. KeyShawn Hall added 17 points and Elyjah Freeman 10 points for Auburn (16-14, 7-10 SEC).

Auburn shot 54% (31 of 57) including 42% (10 of 24) from 3-point range. Defensively, Auburn came up with 13 steals.

Mike Nwoko scored 19 points, Pablo Tamba and Jalen Reece each scored 12 and Marquel Sutton 10 for LSU (15-15, 3-14).

Tamba's layup with 4:50 remaining before halftime marked LSU's last lead. Pettiford made 1 of 2 foul shots to tie it at 27 and Hall followed with a layup. LSU's Nwoko threw down a dunk to tie it at 29 before Auburn went on a 12-5 run to close the half and led 41-34 at the break.

Overton's layup with 10:25 remaining put Auburn ahead 68-57 and the Tigers stayed ahead by double-digits the remainder.

Up Next

LSU: Concludes the regular season on Saturday hosting Texas A&M.

Auburn: Wraps up the regular season at 16th-ranked Alabama on Saturday.

___

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