BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 10: Ben Saraf #77, Danny Wolf #2, Chaney Johnson #31 and Josh Minott #00 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the game against the Detroit Pistons on March 10, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Keith Smith, writing for Spotrac Thursday, reports that once again the Brooklyn Nets will be among the NBA leaders in cap space and spending power in 2026-27. They won’t have the $60 million they did this season, the most in the league, but Smith projects they’ll still be top three with around $46.9 million. That’s behind only the Chicago Bulls ($63.5 million) and the Los Angeles Lakers ($48.4 million.)
Smith puts the Bulls, Lakers and Nets in the top tier of his projections,
Big markets with enough cap space to chase a max player or to go after several players to fill out their roster. Of course, the Lakers are readymade contenders, while the Bulls and Nets are a lot further away.
Smith waited until the trade deadline passed to make the projections since with the exceptions of a few minor roster openings, including one held by the Nets, the financial pictures of all 30 teams are fairly well set.
The trade deadline saw a ton of massive movement, as several teams elected to go the pre-agency route. Those moves saw a lot of potential 2026 spending power evaporate around the NBA.
We’ll likely see a handful of veteran extensions that will get done before the end of the season. But, with most of the roster movement behind us for the time being, it’s time to look forward!
Specifically, Smith has this to say about Brooklyn:
The Nets are very likely to have significant cap space for a second straight summer. Some of this could go toward retaining their own free agents again (Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams both have pending team options), but Brooklyn will have lots of room to again act as a clearing house for unwanted salaries for tax and apron teams. Just send some draft picks or young talent with those undesirable deals. The Nets also don’t have control over their own pick for the 2027 draft.. That could signal a team that is ready to spend to move the roster forward. Look for a measured approach to spending, as opposed to an all-in one.
That of course is what most pundits both national and local expect the organization to do: move from a rebuild to what might be called a build, much like they did in 2018-19 under Sean Marks when a young Nets team won 42 games and finished with the sixth seed. That progress helped convince Kevin Durant and Kyrie to sign as free agents and James Harden to later seek a trade.
Last season, the Nets virtually exhausted their cap space, sending it out in a number of salary dumps. In doing so, they secured two first round picks, the Hawks unprotected 2025 pick (which became Drake Powell) and the Nuggets unprotected 2032 pick, a net of three second rounders, as well as Michael Porter Jr.; Terance Mann; Ochai Agbaji; Josh Minott, Heywood Highsmith; Kobe Bufkin and Hunter Tyson. The latter three were later released.
In addition to $6.3 million team options on Sharpe and Williams, the Nets also hold a $2.5 million team option on Minott. Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson are restricted free agents. Beyond that, Brooklyn presumably will have seven players — roughly half the roster — on rookie deals: Noah Clowney, the Flatbush Five plus whoever they take with their lottery pick.
There’s no rumors as to who the Nets might want to pursue although because of his relationship to Michael Porter Jr. and Denver’s cap crunch, there’s speculation that 6’8” forward Peyton Watson is a player Brooklyn might like.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 12: Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 12, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs played a valiant game tonight without their best player, but they could not hold on in the fourth under an onslaught of points from Jamal Murray, who scored 39, and Nikola Jokic who scored 31 with 12 assists and 20 rebounds. Stephon Castle had 30, De’Aaron Fox scored 27, and Harrison Barnes had a solid 20 point game in his first game back after an extended absence. The Spurs led by as much as 20 in the first half, but without Wembanyama to anchor the defense, the dynamic duo of Jokic and Murray took over the game in the second half and the Spurs just couldn’t hold them back long enough to eke out a win. It was an important win for Denver, as they are in a close race with all of the teams between third and seventh in the Western Conference within a couple of games. The Spurs still have a solid cushion over the team in third, and will have two more shots this year to face the Nuggets in the remaining 16 games of the season. It was a great win for Denver, and the Spurs will just have to move on to the next game against the Hornets on Saturday.
Observations
Victor was listed as questionable in the early injury reports, but his status was later updated to OUT, which is tough to take as a fan, but I’d rather see the big healthy for the playoffs than trying to play in every regular season game. I guess it’s time for a big Plumlee game.
Remember when Carter Bryant couldn’t hit a dunk, that seems like a million years ago. He’s turned from a guy who looked lost on the court to a guy who is a key contributor in just a couple of months. It’s just so fun to watch.
It’s good to see Harrison Barnes back in uniform. I don’t know if the Spurs are going to be able to bring him back next year, but I think he’s going to be important this year for the Spurs playoff run because of his experience. He might have more playoff experience than the rest of the team put together. I’ll look that up after the game.
Aaron Gordon was out for Denver, and started Spencer Jones in his place. They lose a lot of offense, but Jones is a very capable defender, and tonight he was hitting his shots.
The Spurs started out with hot shooting, but a couple of bad turnovers kept them from breaking open the game early, which turned out to be costly later as the Spurs could not build a big enough lead to hold on late in the game.
Jokic fouled Murray on a drive to the basket, and it was called as Castle’s second personal. Since fouls from your teammates are not considered a reason to get free throws, Mitch Johnson decided to challenge the call. However, the challenge was unsuccessful, and Castle got his second foul, based on touching Murray way before the actual contact that affected his shot.
The Spurs went on a 14-3 run in the three minutes of the first quarter and let 37-25 going into the second.
Plumlee looked pretty good in his first extended run in a Spurs uniform. He has quick hands and is a lot more athletic than you’d think by looking at him.
The Spurs took advantage of Jokic taking a rest early in the second and took a 20 point lead halfway through the quarter with Mason Plumlee dominating Jonas Valanciunas (never thought I’d ever type those words).
With Jokic back in the lineup for the second part of the second quarter, the Nuggets gnawed into the lead, cutting it to single digits with less than two minutes left. The Spur went on a last minute surge to lead by 16 at the half, leading 69-53.
The Spurs committed four early fouls in the third quarter as Jokic was distributing the ball as the Nuggets outscored the Silver and Black 11-4 out of the locker room. Mitch Johnson had to call a quick TO to regroup his squad.
Mitch got a tech early in the third working the refs, and I don’t mind that. Steph takes a ton of contact and he needs to make sure his guys get a fair whistle. It seemed to pay off just a moment later when they called Jokic for his first foul of the night, and later on when Castle was able to get the line on drives to the basket.
Adelman decided to follow Mitch’s lead with four minutes left in the quarter and earned his own tech. Smart move from the young coach, although he lost the challenge.
Jamal Murray was extremely active in the third with 16 points in the quarter, but the Spurs held on, leading 106-94 after three quarters.
Mason Plumlee took over at center to start the fourth, and made an immediate impact with an offensive rebound, while the Nuggets played small without Jokic, and got a couple of quick shots from Jones (isn’t he supposed to be a defensive specialist?) and Strawther for an 11-0 run to cut the Spurs lead to just one point, with Jokic off the court. A pair of clutch buckets from De’Aaron Fox in the paint blunted the Nuggets’ surge, and Adelman had to gather his team on the sidelines for a regroup, and they responded by continuing to go to Murray as they took over the game.
The Nuggets took their first lead at 121-119 with 4:38 left with a Murray triple, outscoring the Spurs 27-13 to that point in the quarter. They extended the lead to 128-119 with three minutes left in the game, as the Spurs offense fell apart. But these Spurs are resilient. They fought back, and brought the game to within a bucket as Castle had an open shot to tie it up. The shot missed, and the Spurs had to foul with 12 seconds left, leading to a 136-131 Denver victory.
The home stand finishes on Saturday afternoon with a game against the Charlotte Hornets, who have been really good since the start of the year. The Spurs will have to put up a good effort in that game, or they could get stung. The Silver and Black sometimes shows up out of sorts for these games with an early start, and the the Hornets could make them pay if they don’t wake up on time. It might be time to fire up Boris Diaw’s expresso machine in the locker room once again.
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 12: Taylor Hendricks #22 of the Memphis Grizzlies plays defense during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 12, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. 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 Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Someone was legally required to win the alleged basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks (22-44) and the Memphis Grizzlies (23-42) at the FedEx Forum on Thursday. Simply by being able to field a team of greater than eight glorified G-Leaguers, the Mavericks were that team, earning a win if only by default, 120-112, in the Home of the Blues.
The Mavericks built a double-digit lead early, which is notable because they came into Thursday’s game having only built a double-digit lead in 22 games this year, the second-worst mark in the league. Dallas tried to give it all back with a lazy third quarter, but beat the Grizzlies for the first time this year in the fourth and final meeting between the two teams.
Khris Middleton was a man on fire in the fourth to bring home the win that snapped the Mavericks’ eight-game losing streak. More on that below, as we’ve got five stats that tell the tale of Thursday’s feel-good(?) win for the Mavs.
Khris Middleton came in off the bench with 6:48 left in the first and hit his first 3-pointer of the game from the left corner just two possessions later, extending the Mavs’ lead to 14-9. He stepped back along the left wing for his second of the game two minutes later as part of a little 9-0 Dallas run to make it 20-9. His third came in the final minute of the first quarter from nearly the same spot and put the Mavericks ahead 32-17.
Middleton went 3-of-3 from distance in the first quarter to lead the Mavericks with nine points at the end of one. Dallas led 34-22 with one quarter in the books. Max Christie was the only other Maverick to make a 3-pointer in the first.
Middleton finished with 35 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 8-of-10 shooting from 3-point range in the win at Memphis.
5:58: Grizzlies’ second-quarter stretch without a field goal
The Mavericks held Memphis without a field goal for 5:58 of the second quarter, starting at the 8:28 mark. Already up 10, a 12-2 Dallas run fed the advantage and pushed the lead to 57-37 on Naji Marshall’s driving score with 4:38 remaining in the first half.
At one point, the hapless Grizzlies’ offense missed nine straight field goal attempts in the second. Memphis responded with its first signs of life of the game, a 14-3 run to pull within 61-50 on Taylor Hendricks’ first make of the game, a 3-pointer from near the top of the key with 1:38 left in the half.
The Mavericks led 65-54 at the break.
4: Consecutive double-doubles for Daniel Gafford
Daniel Gafford feasted inside against the smaller Memphis front line, racing to 17 points and eight rebounds in the first half. He finished with 22 and 14 in the win. His free throw with just under nine minutes to play broke his previous season-high mark, which came just five days ago in the Mavericks’ 122-92 loss at the Toronto Raptors.
The win over the Grizzlies was Gafford’s fourth straight double-double, a good sign after injuries and the absence of a certain Slovenian superstar in the lineup have pushed his production into the commode this season. He grabbed his 10th rebound with 9:30 remaining in the third quarter and consistently showed more lift to his game, albeit against a diminutive set of bigs opposite him.
3:56: Mavericks’ scoreless stretch late in the third
Marvin Bagley III drove for a score with 3:58 remaining in the third to put Dallas ahead 84-74, and the Mavericks did not hit another shot from the field for the rest of the quarter. They wouldn’t have scored any points at all were it not for a bail-out foul with Middleton in the air attempting a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining.
Middleton made 2-of-3 at the line for the Mavs’ first points in nearly four minutes to give Dallas a slim 86-84 lead going into the fourth. Memphis outscored the Mavericks 30-21 in the frame, as Dallas went 1-of-8 from deep after halftime.
Those two free throws were part of Middleton’s personal 11-0 run, as the trade deadline acquisition scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter. He nailed two more 3-pointers from the top of the key to extend the Mavs’ lead to 92-84 with 11:20 to play. Then, he was fouled on another 3-point attempt by Memphis rookie Javon Small the next time down.
His baseline jumper two possessions later gave him 13 straight points for the Mavericks and 24 for the game, singlehandedly pulling Dallas out of a tailspin in the process. His mid-range fadeaway with 8:15 left gave Middleton a new season-high 26 points, and he finished with 35.
When his seventh 3-pointer of the game fell despite a hand in his face from the left corner with two minutes to play, his 19 fourth-quarter points became the most of any Mavs player this year in the final frame. He hit his eighth the next time down for good measure to give him 22 in the fourth and 35 for the game. At 34 years of age, it was the highest scoring quarter of Middleton’s career. He hadn’t had a 30-point game in nearly three years.
He was, as they say, on one as Dallas went home with the 120-112 win.
The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player has surpassed Hall of Fame icon Wilt Chamberlain for consecutive games with at least 20 points scored, with 127. Gilgeous-Alexander set the mark Thursday, March 12 with a jumper from near the top of the key midway through the third quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game against the Boston Celtics, an eventual 104-102 Thunder victory.
Playing in front of his home crowd, the fans in attendance anticipated the record when Gilgeous-Alexander caught the ball before erupting in cheers when he swished it. The public address announcer at the Paycom Center announced the record, and a graphic on the Jumbotron commemorated the moment.
“None of the things I accomplish would matter if we weren’t winning,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the game. “I probably wouldn’t have the streak if we weren’t winning. I know that and I understand that. It’s why you play the game. I was crying when I was nine years old because I lost an (Ontario Basketball Association) championship. You don’t want to lose.
“The streak is the streak. The awards are the awards. But the thing I’m most proud of is winning.”
SGA HAS PASSED WILT FOR THE LONGEST 20+ POINT STREAK IN NBA HISTORY 🚨
He finished the game with 35 points on an extremely efficient 13-of-18 shooting night, adding 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals.
Gilgeous-Alexander got off to a somewhat slow start early in the first quarter, though he did finish the period with 10 points after he attacked the rim and got to the line. He shot 2-of-3 from the field in the period, converting 5-of-6 free throws in the first. He added 7 points in the second period as Oklahoma City tried to cut Boston’s lead before the end of the first half.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 4 points in the third quarter, as the Celtics continued to blitz him with double-teams to try to force the ball out of his hands. His 8 assists through three quarters led all players.
He came alive in the fourth, adding 14 points in the period to close out what was a tightly-contested, back-and-forth game. Gilgeous-Alexander scored six of Oklahoma City's final eight points to help put Boston away.
“I’ve reflected on it,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the game. “You get lost in the season and you take for granted what you’re watching every night, but No. 1: he’s surgical at his craft — no one is more precise with their craft than he is. And No. 2: the whole life of the streak has not prevented us from having a ton of team success and hasn’t prevented his teammates from having success, either. …
“And then, great father, great husband, great teammate. Treats everybody in the building, from top to bottom, with dignity. So, obviously, he’s a great basketball player. But he’s the kind of person you couldn’t be happier for.”
A four-time All-Star, Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, entered the night ranked second in the NBA in scoring with 31.7 points per game, trailing only Lakers guard Luka Dončić.
One of the more consistent players in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander tied Chamberlain on March 9 when the Thunder topped the Denver Nuggets. In that game, he dropped 35 points, 15 assists and 9 rebounds and laced the eventual game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds.
The record signals both Gilgeous-Alexander’s availability and steady production; the last time he failed to surpass 20 points in a game came early last season, on Oct. 30, 2024, when he scored 18 in a victory against the Spurs.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Chamberlain are the only two players in NBA history to have a 20-point scoring streak of at least 100 games. The following players on the list are Chamberlain again (92), Oscar Robertson (79), Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant (72) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (71).
Chamberlain, however, was pouring in the points during his best streak. Over those 126 games, he averaged 49.2 points per game. The streak began Oct. 19, 1961 and ended Jan. 19, 1963, after Chamberlain was ejected just four minutes into a game.
Another area where Gilgeous-Alexander has surpassed Chamberlain during their respective streaks is in the win-loss column. After Thursday night’s game against Boston, the Thunder have gone 103-24 in games when Gilgeous-Alexander reached at least 20 points; Chamberlain’s Warriors went just 66-60 during his streak.
CHICAGO (AP) — Donovan Dent had 12 points, 12 assists and a career-high 10 rebounds — the first triple-double in the history of the Big Ten Conference Tournament — to help sixth-seeded UCLA beat No. 14 seed Rutgers 72-59 on Thursday night in the third round.
Dent became the fifth player in program history to record a triple-double, joining Bill Walton, Toby Bailey, Jelani McCoy and Kyle Anderson.
UCLA (22-10) plays No. 11 and second-seeded Nebraska in the quarterfinals Friday.
Tyler Bilodeau led the Bruins with 21 points, Trent Perry scored 12 and Eric Dailey Jr. 10.
Dailey hit a jumper and then threw down a fast-break dunk before Bilodeau made a 3-pointer to spark a 14-2 run that made it 46-31 with 15:18 left in the game and UCLA led by at least nine the rest of the way.
Lino Mark led Rutgers (14-19) with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Tariq Francis, who set a the program record for points in a Big Ten Tournament game with 29 as the Scarlet Knights beat Minnesota 72-67 in the second round, finished with six points on 2-of-11 shooting against the Bruins.
The Dallas Mavericks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-112 Thursday night in Memphis, snapping the Mavericks eight-game losing streak.
Khris Middleton had a career night, with 35 points off the bench, 22 of those coming in the fourth quarter. It was the highest scoring quarter of Middleton’s career and nearly a Mavericks team record for points in a quarter, which Dirk Nowitzki holds with 29.
It was a very wild game, which is part for the course for this Mavericks team. Memphis was extremely interested in losing this game by any means necessary, dressing only eight players and their starting lineup featuring mostly G-League-tier players. GG Jackson, Jaylen Wells, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper were the only credible NBA players that played for the Grizzlies tonight, and Hendricks inexplicably came off the bench and only played 24 minutes, despite scoring 17 points. Memphis wanted to lose this game.
The Mavericks, to their credit (or discredit, depending on what side of the tanking coin you fall on), did what they always do: play hard as hell. Dallas opened up a double-digit lead in the first quarter, before extending it to 20 before halftime.
Turnovers and sloppy play doomed the Mavericks in the third, where Memphis actually tied the game late in the quarter before the Mavericks got some late free throws to take a lead into the fourth.
From there it was the Middleton show, and Dallas comfortably one what was once a nail-bitter. Here’s what we noticed.
Khris Middleton was insane
The numbers don’t do Middleton’s night justice, although the numbers themselves are great: 35 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and 8-of-10 from three. Middleton didn’t rack up a lot of assists, but that’s because he was letting it rip as soon as he had the ball, and you can’t blame him.
Middleton scored 16 of the Mavericks first 20 points of the fourth quarter. He started with catch-and-shoot threes, then worked the mid-range with some post-ups, and by then it was over: he started raining down heat-check threes and desperation, bail-out long twos at the end of the shot clock. The Grizzlies did nothing to disrupt his rhythm and once Middleton was locked in, the game felt done and dusted.
There will be a segment of the Mavericks fan base dismayed that a 34-year-old veteran that doesn’t figure into the Mavericks long-term plans costing the team a crucial tank loss, but who cares. Yes, it would be cooler if the Mavericks won games behind their youth, especially Cooper Flagg, but Dallas lost eight in a row before this. Middleton can have a career-game, as a treat.
Paint points, again
Dallas is a top-five team in scoring in the paint, and they did it again against Memphis. The Mavericks went 24-of-34 in the restricted area and 8-of-15 in the “floater range” (in the paint, outside the restricted area.
Daniel Gafford was the biggest reason, with a monster 22-point, 14-rebound effort. Gafford had six offensive rebounds, and the Mavericks as a team had a ridiculous 21 offensive rebounds. All those second opportunities led to some easy putbacks and paint finishes. Dallas’ size was a clear advantage all game.
Cooper Flagg is still rusty
Cooper Flagg hasn’t really had a good game yet since coming back from his foot injury that sidelined him for three weeks. He struggled again tonight with 13 points on 16 shots.
His jumper is kind of broken again. Flagg was a decent 6-of-11 in the paint, but missed every single jumper he took, going 0-for-5 on jumpers. He just doesn’t look the same before the injury and surely part of that is timing, conditioning, and natural rust from such a long layoff.
There’s nothing too much to fret here, Flagg is the future and is allowed to have a bad week of games. But it is a bummer when he was skyrocketing upward right before his injury. It feels like Flagg got knocked back into November 2025, and it’s like his development just hit rewind. That’s not the real story, and Flagg will be fine. These games have just been a bummer for him.
We’ve finally hit the home stretch. Brooklyn Nets games are feeling more and more like exhibitions. Players that are merely passing through see big minutes, only to be remembered by the most die-hard fans.
On Thursday afternoon, the Nets shut down Day’Ron Sharpe for the season. Sharpe, with a torn ligament in his thumb, joined #8 overall pick Egor Dëmin as the first Nets to skip ahead to the offseason. They may not be the last.
On Thursday night, the Nets faced the Atlanta Hawks, who won the previous matchup in Barclays Center on February 22. The Hawks had not lost a game since, beating up on a bunch of bad and/or injured teams for seven in a row. With Michael Porter Jr., Ziaire Williams, and Nolan Traore also missing action, the Hawks had a golden opportunity to make it eight.
The Nets played their part early on, starting three rookies next to Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney, who largely struggled…
couple rough turnovers for the rookies (last time I'll post about Saraf not getting to two feet), thought Jordi might sub em out pic.twitter.com/UmIByspfKe
Ben Saraf scored ten points for the second consecutive game, the first time in his career he’s done so, shooting 4-of-7 with four assists and five turnovers. Drake Powell and Danny Wolf combined to shoot 6-of-20 with five turnovers, occasionally dribbling into traffic without a plan, overwhelmed by Atlanta’s gaggle of feisty defenders. Much to Jordi Fernández’s dismay, the Nets turned it over 20 times.
So, a blowout with no bright spots, eh? Not quite. A second unit seemingly designed to maximize the tank…
The Nets' second unit tonight:
Tyson Etienne Terance Mann Jalen Wilson Chaney Johnson Josh Minott
…actually outperformed the starters. Fernández even expanded the rotation to 11 players, as E.J. Liddell earned 12 second-half minutes. That means all three two-way players touched the court — not to mention Josh Minott, who has spent some time with Long Island lately — and they all held their own.
Tyson Etienne fouled out but hit two 3-pointers, and his lineup kept the game close in the first half. Same for Chaney Johnson, who played hard and finished with a 3/3/3 statline. Liddell scored four points with six boards, but may have had the sequence of the night for Brooklyn…
Alas, it was Josh Minott who turned in the night’s most important performance. If the rest of his season is an audition — as Brooklyn has a team-option on his contract for next year — he certainly aced Thursday night. The 3-and-D wing was everywhere, doing more than just sitting in the corner and talking on defense.
Minott posted a ravishing 24/3/1/3/3 line, the 24 points a new career-high. He shot 4-of-7 from deep and took ten free-throws while bringing the athleticism and physicality that Brooklyn has long missed from their wings…
Josh Minott put up 24/3/1/3/3 today, a career-high in points while bringing defensive activity and general force/athleticism, the performance Nets fans have been waiting for: pic.twitter.com/rGGQqY6Lnz
Fernández made sure to point out that he thought Chaney Johnson was “awesome” defensively, before praising Minott: “It was great. He was aggressive, I mean, you see the line … a little bit more rebounding, maybe, because that’s where we struggle and he provides size.”
Thanks to a cold shooting night from Atlanta and the energy of the Brooklyn bench, the grabbed a lead in the fourth quarter. Somehow. Sure, they got killed on the glass (22-4 in second-chance points) and in the turnover department again, but they fought, and Atlanta seemed stunned.
Then it was tanking time. Claxton and Clowney did not return in the fourth quarter. Nor did Terance Mann. Nope; the most experience Net on the court for winning (losing) time was Minott, and even then, he was subbed out for a couple minutes midway through the quarter. The magic finally ran out. Atlanta used an 11-0 run to seal the deal, quickly shaking off the embarrassment of a potential nail-biting end to a contest against benchwarmers and two-way players.
The Nets, meanwhile, did what they’ve long been reluctant to do and got shameless with it. Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton (combined 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting) weren’t lighting the world on fire, but relegating them to cheerleader-status in the closing minutes certainly didn’t help Brooklyn’s chances of winning.
Jalen Johnson went right at his overmatched competition to score nine of his 21 points in the final frame while CJ McCollum played a supporting role, and the Hawks handled business. So did the Nets, for that matter.
Said Fernández: “I thought everybody played the right way, even though I put them in different spots … We had a group that was very physical right there, [Atlanta] got a little stagnant because we switched a little bit. So I thought that all that was very positive.”
It was. The Nets really went for the tank, and it worked. It wasn’t even that much of an eyesore Though Drake Powell shot just 4-of-13, it marked the first time he’s taken more than ten shots in a game, while Minott gave fans real hope that he indeed may be a steal. Will this behavior continue for the final 16 games? I can’t wait to find out.
Final Score: Atlanta Hawks 108, Brooklyn Nets 97
Milestone Watch
For Minott, three steals tied a season-high, accomplished with both Boston and Brooklyn. His 24 points, four triples, and eight free-throws are all career-highs.
Tankathon Standings
The Nets, sadly, did not gain any ground in the tank-off. The Washington Wizards took the Orlando Magic to overtime but did not pull off the upset on Thursday night, while the Indiana Pacers lost regular style. The Sacramento Kings were off. Here’s the standings, courtesy of Tankathon…
Next Up
<p>Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images</p><br>
Brooklyn wraps up their brief two-game road trip by visiting the Philadelphia 76ers. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.
Mar 11, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives to the basket against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first quarter at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Bucks battled, but were unable to extinguish the Miami Heat, losing 112-105 as the Heat won their seventh straight game. Despite not having Tyler Herro, the Heat pulled through because of Pelle Larson, who had a career-high 28 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 31 points were not enough.
A new starting lineup was rolled out for Milwaukee: Kevin Porter Jr. returned and started in place of Ryan Rollins. The Bucks began the game sluggishly on offense, unable to get any easy looks near the rim. Miami slowly extended its lead as the quarter progressed, while Milwaukee continued to struggle to generate any good offense, dribbling the ball excessively, which resulted in turnovers. Bobby Portis did his bit to come in and provide something on that end, but the Heat had an answer at every turn. Milwaukee trailed 31-21 after the first quarter
The second quarter was much better for Milwaukee, as they found their rhythm on both ends (the Heat went four minutes without a field goal). Bobby Portis hit some jumpers, and Taurean Prince scored his first points since returning from neck surgery. Giannis found a breakthrough too, throwing down some dunks and asserting his will. The Bucks’ three-ball was falling (primarily from Rollins and Turner), which helped them come back to tie the game at 51. However, Miami would end the final two minutes on an 8-0 run, taking a 59-51 lead into halftime.
Milwaukee continued its trend of starting the third quarter flat-footed as Miami scored a quick five points. The Bucks didn’t score a field goal for the first four and a half minutes—and 7 minutes of game time between the second and third quarters—before Giannis finally broke the drought. Milwaukee’s bench reduced the deficit somewhat, going on an 11-2 run in a three-minute stretch, but the Bucks still ended the third quarter trailing 85-77.
The bench (plus Giannis) continued to slowly chip away at the Heat’s lead to open the fourth. After not scoring for the first three quarters, Kyle Kuzma scored five straight points to get the visitors within just two points halfway through the fourth as the Bucks went on a 10-2 run, forcing a Miami timeout halfway through the frame. Milwaukee kept it close throughout the fourth quarter—getting back to that two-point margin later after a Jericho Sims and-one—but the Heat kept getting to the charity stripe and extending the lead. Still, the Bucks had a shot with less than a minute remaining to tie the game with a three; the problem was… it was Giannis who shot it (with heaps of time left on the shot clock, I might add). The Heat got the rebound, came down, and kicked it out to Pelle Larsson, who made his three. Game over.
Stat That Stood Out
The only reason the Bucks were even in this game was because of their bench. Milwaukee’s bench scored 56 points—led by Bobby Portis with 19—and outscored all the non-Giannis starters combined.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 12: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns shoots the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 12, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Green and Devin Booker dominated the Phoenix Suns’ 123-108 win over the Indiana Pacers. The two Suns guards combined to score 79 points on 28-for-44 shooting and 7-of-16 from three. It was a dazzling display from the midrange as both players found the space to operate against an overmatched Indiana backcourt and hit contested midrange shots all game long. This game type of game should not come as a surprise to Suns fans, the last time the Suns played the Pacers, both Booker and Dillon Brooks scored over 30 in another dominant win.
While it was against the worst team record-wise in the NBA, the Suns’ backcourt showed its ceiling as one of the best duos in the NBA when Green is hitting shots. They played well with each other, and when Jordan Ott staggered them at the beginning and ends of quarters. We have been waiting months for this kind of Booker scoring barrage, and it appears to be coming at just the right time for Phoenix, which is now one game behind the pack for a top-six spot in the Western Conference.
As for Green, he struggled out of the gates in his return from injury, but after playing against some of the lesser teams in the NBA, he seems to have found his groove in the Suns’ offense. He will not hit every midrange jump shot as he did against Indiana, but he is building chemistry with his teammates and taking steps every single game. He still makes infuriating passes that lead to turnovers, and the shot selection is always a concern, but his ascension over this Suns win streak has certainly changed the ceiling of what this Suns team can be if he continues to play at this level.
Top Performers
Suns
Devin Booker: 43 points, 14-of-31 field goals, 4-for-7 from 3, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists
Jalen Green: 36 points, 14-of-23 field goals, 3-for-9 from 3, 4 assists, and 3 steals
Royce O’Neale: 15 points on 5-of-8 from 3
Rasheer Fleming: 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and a team high +16
Pacers
Andrew Nembhard: 23 points, 6-for-7 field goals and 2-for-2 from 3
Jarace Walker: 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists
Ben Sheppard: 10 points, 4-of-5 field goals, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist
Jalen Slawson: 10 points, 3-of-9 field goals, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists
Game Flow
First Half
The Suns and Pacers both got off to fast starts; neither team missed a shot for the first four minutes of the game. As has been the pattern over the last few games, Jalen Green came out firing and scored 6 quick points and hit Royce O’Neale for two early 3-point shots. The two-man game between him and Ighodaro was clicking in the first quarter. After playing multiple seasons with a similar passing big in Alperen Sengun, it was only a matter of time before they started to figure things out.
Then it was the Devin Armani Booker show; he scored 15 points in the first quarter on a plethora of midrange shots and attacking the basket, even his misses practically hit the bottom of the basket before popping back out. Unfortunately, the Suns’ defensive intensity was lacking in the first quarter, and the Suns’ poor defense and mental lapses allowed Andrew Nembhard (11 first-quarter points) and the Pacers to have the game tied 36-36 after the first quarter.
The second quarter started with the Suns setting the tone on the defensive end. Ighodaro was everywhere during his early stint and engineered an 18-3 Suns run with a block on Zubac and a dunk on the other end. He and Green continued to play a lot of two-man offense with pick-and-rolls or dribble handoffs. Green had a nice drive to the rim, where he hit Rasheer Fleming for the dunk, who slot cut from the wing.
Green, while up and down, continues to show growth as a playmaker against the bottom teams in the NBA as he has gotten more reps with his teammates. The Suns led by as many as 14, up 58-44, and looked poised to crack this game wide open, but the Pacers responded. With Maluach and Jamaree Bouyea in to close the second quarter, Nembhard and Zubac closed the half strong. They hit closely contested shots for Indiana while turnovers and an out-of-rhythm Phoenix offense allowed Indiana to cut the deficit to six, with the Suns up 67-61 at halftime. Booker finished the half with 22 points, and Nembhard finished with 23 for Indiana.
Second Half
The Pacers were playing a little too well in the first half, so Rick Carlisle decided to take out Zubac and Nembhard in the third quarter. Without their two best players, the Suns jumped out to a 79-68 lead after back-to-back 3s from O’Neale and Booker. Again, the Suns were close to breaking the game open, but could not because of defensive breakdowns and the offense stalling out. Multiple times in the third quarter, Ighodaro let Huff drive right to the basket without any resistance, and Ben Sheppard got himself going for the Pacers, scoring multiple times in the third quarter.
Booker was trying to do it all for the Suns in the third quarter, forcing his way to the basket and foul-baiting. He did not get many calls, and the other Suns turned the ball over, resulting in easy baskets for Indiana to get back into it, down 83-79. Then the Suns went small with Fleming at the five and O’Neale, Booker, Goodwin, and Green, where the Suns exploded to end the quarter up 96-88 after a 3-point barrage from Booker to end the quarter, and some exceptional switching defense took the Pacers out of rhythm. The quarter was almost capped off by Green crossing up Jarace Walker and postering a poor Pacers defender, the dunk hit back rim and bounced out… oh so close.
The fourth quarter was more of the same for Phoenix. A Goodwin steal and score started the Suns off, but the Pacers quickly cut into the Suns’ lead to 98-92. Then it became the Jalen Green show. Green attacked hard off the dribble and got any Pacers defender on him sprinting back to the rim, then Green pulled back time and time again to hit the 15-foot midrange jumpers. Then the threes were falling as well as he hit one in the corner off movement from Gillespie, and another from Booker off of his gravity.
Defensively, the Suns made enough plays to keep Indiana at bay. Fleming emphatically blocked two shots in the quarter, resulting in the Suns’ fastbreaks the other way. The game was dominated by the two Suns guards, and the rest of the team filled in enough of the gaps to get the 123-108 win. While a blowout would have helped Phoenix on the second night of a back-to-back, the Green and Booker show was a joy to watch the entire game. Let’s hope the shots keep going in for the rest of the road trip.
Mar 12, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) drives against Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images
The Washington Wizards’ valiant comeback effort fell short on Thursday against the Orlando Magic in a 136-131 contest at Kia Center.
The Wizards got buried in a 19-point hole in the third quarter that made the game look like it was about to turn into a good, old-fashioned blowout. But Bilal Coulibaly led a furious fourth-quarter rally that got the Wizards to within a single possession.
With the Wizards trailing 123-120 in the closing seconds of regulation, the basketball gods blessed Bilal with a banker to send the game to overtime.
BILAL COULIBALY GAME TYING THREE TO SEND IT TO OVERTIME
Coulibaly finished with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, but it wasn’t enough as the Wizards could not get a stop in overtime.
Washington also allowed a career-high 26 points from second-year big man Tristan Da Silva. But on the bright side, at least our guys didn’t allow anyone to score 83 points this time around.
Sarr tallied 16 points and 5 blocks, while Tristan Vukcevic had himself an 11-11 double-double off the bench. Tre Johnson struggled with his shot, going 1-of-11 for just 3 points. Trae Young had 15 points and 6 assists in his 21 minutes of action.
The Wizards close out their four-game road trip on Saturday with a matchup against the Boston Celtics.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanayama will miss Thursday night's game against the Denver Nuggets due to right ankle soreness.
Wembanyama was questionable and ruled out after going through pre-game warmups.
The 7-foot-4 center from France went through his pre-game workout about 25 minutes earlier than normal. He walked off the court after shooting free throws and speaking to a member of the Spurs training staff.
San Antonio, which has won five straight and 16 of its last 17 games, is second in the Western Conference at 48-17. Denver (40-26) is fifth in the West.
Wembanyama was named the West's Player of the Week after leading the Spurs to a 4-0 record for the week ending March 8. He averaged 26 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 blocks.
Wembanyama must play in 13 of San Antonio's final 16 games for end-of-season award eligibility. The NBA requires players to play at least 20 minutes for 65 games during the 82-game regular season.
Wembanyama has played in 51 games this season. He is credited with a 52nd game after playing in the NBA Cup Final, which does not count toward the regular-season standings or statistics, but is part of the 65-game requirement.
Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, who missed five straight games with a left ankle injury will play Thursday. Barnes played in 364 consecutive games before sitting out.
TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews left Thursday night against Anaheim after a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.
Trying to make a move around Gudas in the slot in the second period, Matthew stook a direct blow to his left leg and crashed to the ice. The U.S. Olympic captain stayed down before being helped to the locker room.
Gudas, the bruising Czech defender whose hit ended Canadian captain Sidney Crosby’s Olympics in the quarterfinals, was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct.
Matthews snapped a 12-game goal drought earlier in the period on a power play. The center has 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games this season.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 02: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket between Olivier-Maxence Prosper #8 and Dante Exum #0 of the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 02, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Mavericks 144-101. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dallas hasn’t had much success in the win column this season, but Flagg is the real deal. He’s one of the most well-rounded prospects we’ve seen in recent seasons, as he’s a solid playmaker and a threat to score at all three levels, even though he has some room to grow with this three-point shot. Flagg is averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on .470/.299/.804 shooting splits.
As seen on Wednesday, the Cavs are a work in progress, especially defensively. We’ll see if the Cavs can clean up that end of the floor against a Mavs team that will be on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
Cavs injury report: Jarrett Allen – OUT (knee), Tyrese Proctor – OUT (quad), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Olivier Sarr – OUT (G League)
Mavs injury report for Thursday’s game vs. Grizzlies: Kyrie Irving – OUT (knee), Dereck LIvely II – OUT (foot), Klay Thompson – OUT (rest), Moussa Cisse – OUT (G League), John Poulakidas – OUT (G League), Tyler Smith – OUT (G League)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley
Mavs expected starting lineup: Naji Marshall, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford
Last year, on its way to the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and the program’s second Final Four appearance, Auburn became one of the most breathlessly discussed teams in men’s college basketball.
The Tigers’ star player, Johni Broome, was at the center of a season-long national player of the year debate with Duke’s Cooper Flagg. They had an exceptionally old roster, with five players in their rotation who were at least 21 years old, including one, 25-year-old Chad Baker-Mazara, who was old enough to run for a seat in Congress. At the head of the operation was coach Bruce Pearl, a man who, for all of his teams’ accomplishments, has been a subject of controversy for much of his career, going all the way back to his days as an assistant at Iowa in the late 1980s (you can Google “Bruce Pearl Deon Thomas”).
And, to think, the 2025-26 edition of the Tigers may be even more polarizing.
Even with Pearl enjoying retirement and his son, Steven, at the helm, Auburn has perhaps the most contentious resume for an at-large berth to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers have a power-conference pedigree, a talented roster and a handful of highly impressive wins, but they’re just 17-16 this season after falling 72-62 to Tennessee in the second round of the SEC tournament Thursday, March 12.
Its tournament case has touched on some of the rawest, most searing divides in college basketball — namely, whether the final at-large spots should go to middling power-conference teams or mid-major squads with gaudy records that fell short in their conference tournaments. It’s a split that has only gotten more pronounced as the NCAA mulls tournament expansion, raising questions about which kind of teams will end up getting those additional spots.
So what’s at the heart of the dispute over the Tigers? Let’s take a deeper look at their NCAA Tournament resume:
The SEC tournament loss to Tennessee was Auburn’s 16th defeat of the season, putting it only one game above .500 (mind you, the NIT used to require participants have at least a .500 record). If the Tigers are selected for the 68-team field, they’d have the most losses ever for an at-large team. No squad with more than 15 losses has ever made the cut for March Madness.
That record includes a 7-11 mark in SEC play during the regular season, which put it 12th in the 16-team conference. Though the conference was considered stronger and deeper last season, six SEC teams got into the 2025 NCAA Tournament with sub-.500 conference records, including two, Oklahoma and Texas, that were 6-12 in league competition.
Those subpar records for Auburn become even more glaring when compared to other teams fighting for the final at-large berths into the tournament — a group that includes, among others, 20-13 SMU, 20-12 Missouri, 21-11 UCF, 26-8 Santa Clara, 24-7 VCU and, of course, 31-1 Miami (Ohio).
Auburn’s March Madness resume metrics are solid
While win-loss records understandably are the most obvious way to measure a team, there are a slew of other metrics that are a part of the team sheet examined by the NCAA Tournament selection committee when trying to fill in the 68-team bracket.
Thankfully for Auburn, a number of those statistical barometers are much kinder to the Tigers.
As of early Thursday evening, Auburn is No. 38 in the NCAA’s NET rankings (though it will likely drop a spot or two when those are updated Friday morning), No. 39 on KenPom, No. 41 on Torvik, No. 26 on BPI and No. 45 on KPI (those final two, like the NET, haven’t been updated to reflect the Tennessee loss).
How can a team that narrowly avoided a losing record be well within the statistical range of a typical at-large team? Much of it comes back to the quality of the Tigers’ schedule.
Auburn has played 17 Quad 1 games this season, tied for the most of any Division I team. Though it hasn’t fared particularly well in those contests, with a 4-13 record, it has picked up a handful of notable wins. The Tigers beat No. 13 St. John’s in a neutral-site game on Nov. 26. It has home victories against No. 17 Arkansas and Kentucky. And, most impressively, it has a 76-67 road win over reigning national champion Florida, which is the Gators’ only home loss this season.
For all those numbers, the most important one to keep in mind heading into Selection Sunday may well be this one: 0.62. That was the Tigers’ Wins Above Bubble mark entering the day Thursday. It’s a metric NCAA senior vice president for basketball Dan Gavitt has said will be weighed heavily when trying to sift through bubble teams. That mark ranks Auburn No. 44, putting it behind, among others, No. 31 TCU, No. 33 Miami (Ohio), No. 35 Ohio State, No. 36 UCF, No. 37 Santa Clara, No. 40 Missouri and No. 42 VCU, though it also puts it ahead of No. 45 SMU, No. 46 Texas, No. 49 New Mexico, No. 51 Indiana and No. 53 Oklahoma.
Will Auburn make NCAA Tournament?
There’s nothing resembling a clear consensus on whether the Tigers will make the field, though they’re just outside of the field according to Bracket Matrix, which compiles and averages out dozens of mock brackets.
Here’s a look at where various outlets have Auburn:
There was a lot of reaction to Bam Adebayo’s historic, 83-point outburst earlier this week, with many ripping the Miami Heat and coach Erik Spoelstra for facilitating it, particularly in the fourth quarter.
When it came time to respond to that criticism, Spoelstra, for his part, said he didn’t care.
“I apologize to absolutely no one, period,” he told reporters Thursday, March 12 prior to Miami’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. “Going into the game, it’s a Tuesday night game, going against a team where they’re not playing for anything, where their organization is trying to lose — we’ve already lost a game in that kind of situation.
“We (had) players that were sitting out, and I spoke to Bam, as our best player and team captain, for him to be locked in and ready. And he sure was.”
On Feb. 9, the Heat had lost a game against the Jazz when Utah sat Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkić — three of their best players — for the entire fourth quarter.
It became apparent early on Tuesday, March 10 that Adebayo and the Heat were not looking to repeat that same mistake against the Wizards. In the first quarter, Adebayo scored 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. It set the franchise record for most points in a quarter, and was 10 points off of Adebayo’s previous career high for an entire game.
“Everything was at stake,” Spoelstra continued. “The way he played in the first quarter had nothing to do with what happened afterwards. It was about our opportunity. And as the leader of the team, he approached that opportunity appropriately.
“The fact that he was still in the game at the end. This is what our fans want to see, and this is what you really want to see happen in this league: for there to be some competitive storylines. And a brilliant, magical night appeared out of nowhere.”
Many critics of the performance pointed to the fourth quarter as an example of "unethical" basketball and a devolution of the game. At one point, when the Heat were up 27 points late in the quarter, they intentionally fouled Washington so that Adebayo would have more chances to score. Miami also fed Adebayo the ball, so that he could chase the mark for the second-most points scored in an NBA game, 81, previously held by Kobe Bryant.
Adebayo finished the game 20-of-43 and made 36 of his 43 free throw attempts, both of which are NBA records for a single game.
“Most of the people that made comments didn’t even watch the game,” Spoelstra added. “That’s unethical.”
Spoelstra said he and his staff rewatched the fourth quarter to see how the sequence played out.
“He had 70-plus, going back and forth, all that happened under 2 minutes,” Spoelstra said. “He was already 76 deep at that point. And damn right we’re going to go for it.
“I’ve seen people say: ‘You’ve got to be a purist.’ I’m a Darwinist in this league.”
There were also plenty of people, from opposing players or coaches, who expressed admiration for Adebayo’s achievement. One common takeaway from Adebayo’s performance was that it put a target on Miami’s back.
“It doesn’t take away anything from our organization, how we feel about Bam, how special that night was,” Spoelstra said. “Our fan base is electrified by this moment. This locker room has wanted something. …
“There’s going to be a buzz now. There will be a responsibility to that buzz. Good. I want there to be pressure on our team. I’m banking on that bringing out another level for our group.”
The Heat are 37-29 and in sixth place in the East.
