Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Saturday night marked Jayson Tatum’s fourth game back since returning from a ruptured right Achilles tendon. His transition from five-on-five team scrimmages to rejoining the Boston Celtics’ starting lineup was swift, and coach Joe Mazzulla hopes that doesn’t get taken for granted.

Coming back from a nearly 10-month recovery isn’t something that produces immediate results like those Tatum provided before surgery. Yet, Mazzulla already sees the impact Tatum is having.

“I think sometimes these guys get judged by just the points, and some of that is their responsibility,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media.

Tatum played 32 minutes in Saturday’s 111-100 win over the Washington Wizards — his most since coming back. He got off to a slow start, missing his first five shots, including three layups. He went into halftime having shot only 2-of-8 with eight points, before finishing with 20 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. The scoring was modest by his standards, but as Mazzulla pointed out, focusing only on points does a disservice to all the other ways Tatum has helped the Celtics.

“He’s rebounding, he’s boxing out, he’s making the right play, getting to space, and doing all the things that impact winning,” Mazzulla told reporters. “So I think that’s more important than anything else.”

More than half of Tatum’s assists went to center Neemias Queta. Using the attention he drew from Washington’s defense, Tatum helped fuel Queta’s career-best first-half start. Queta scored 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting by halftime to keep pressure on the Wizards, courtesy of Tatum’s playmaking.

“He’s giving the game exactly what it needs,” Mazzulla added.

The euro step 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/9o04tjtABo

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 14, 2026

The missed layups, which kept Tatum from finishing with 28 points instead of 20, are typical for a player returning from an injury of his severity. It’s been almost a year since he last played NBA basketball, which is vastly different from drills or five-on-five scrimmages.

But little by little, as he logs more minutes, Tatum feels his comfort returning.

“Compared to the first game, I feel a lot more relaxed,” Tatum told reporters, per CLNS Media. “Obviously, the first game was such a big moment. I think now I’m finding more and more moments where I’m feeling more confident, more explosive. Whether it’s driving or a closeout or reacting to something, it’s just more and more moments each game where I find plays where — maybe it’s not a big play that people notice — but it’s something that I noticed, and it gave me confidence.”

Eight days ago, during Tatum’s return game against the Dallas Mavericks, he missed a one-handed dunk from just two feet away. In the third quarter against Washington, Tatum euro-stepped past Tre Johnson in transition for a slick two-handed dunk.

The difference reflects what he’s working toward, and each game brings him closer to where he wants to be.

With 15 games left in Boston’s regular season and five weeks until the playoffs, Tatum is committed to the plan. The Celtics, now 44-23 after defeating the Wizards, remain a major threat in the Eastern Conference. Having Tatum back in the mix, whether as a scorer, a rebounder, or a facilitator, only makes Boston even stronger moving forward.

“I knew that my minutes would go up a little bit this week, and that’s just the progression,” Tatum told reporters. “I was playing 27 minutes the first three games. They go up a little bit for a week or so to see how you respond. But obviously I’ve been responding really well and feeling great the next day and after the games, and we go from there.”

Tatum added: “Since May 13, nobody’s done more calf raises than me.”

For the time being, Tatum is embracing everything that comes with his return — even the not-so-fun parts. During Boston’s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, Tatum hit the deck after getting shoved by Victor Wembanyama in the third quarter. He didn’t think much of it, chalking it up as part of the game.

“You’ve got to enjoy all aspects of coming back to play, not just the fun parts,” Tatum told reporters. “Like getting knocked on your ass and falling is a part of being in the NBA. When (Wembanyama) pushed me, it knocked me off balance, but I laid there for a second like, ‘All right, I’m fine.’ It’s just moments like that where it’s been a while since something like that has happened. So, it is a good feeling of like, ‘I’m back.’”

SHANGHAI (AP) — Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli wins Formula 1's Chinese Grand Prix.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Pakistan won the coin toss and elected to field in the third and final one-day international against Bangladesh on Sunday.

Bangladesh won the first game by eight wickets before Pakistan leveled the series with a 128-run win by the DLS Method in the rain-affected second ODI.

Pakistan gave debuts to Ghazi Ghori and Saad Masood in place of the injured Hussain Talat and Shamyl Hussain, who was left out after failing in the first two games. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed also returned to the team and replaced fast bowler Mohammad Wasim.

Bangladesh retained the same side for the third successive game, keeping faith in its three-man pace attack — Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana and Mustafizur Rahman.

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Bangladesh: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman.

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Saad Masood, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf.

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

The last MMBets post went 4-for-4. I celebrated while writing this in the dark of the ‘ol home office with a bowl of Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone ice cream, which was outstanding. In other news, my left SI joint spent the day reminding me that barometric pressure is a real and personal enemy. Life is good and also painful.

Alright, let’s do this. The Dallas Mavericks (22-45) travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers (41-26) Sunday at 2:30 PM CST in the back half of a home-and-home, after Cleveland routed Dallas 138-105 on Friday—a game that felt about as close as the score suggests. Cooper Flagg had a monster third quarter, and Naji Marshall showed signs of life. Everyone else was a supporting character in a Cavs highlight reel.

Cleveland will be without Jarrett Allen (right knee tendonitis, out) despite earlier reports suggesting his return—the official injury report filed at 2:30 AM puts that to rest. Klay Thompson is doubtful (rest). For Dallas, Gafford and Cisse remain doubtful, and PJ Washington is questionable with a left ankle.

Let’s scan the lines in search of value:

🏀 Fixture: Dallas Mavericks (22-45) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) 📍 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — Cleveland, OH 🕑 2:30 PM CST, Sunday, March 15, 2026 📺 NBA TV / KFAA Channel 29 / MAVS TV

📊 DraftKings Snapshot (as of 3:00 AM CST) Spread: CLE -16.5 (-112) | DAL +16.5 (-108) Total: 236.5 (O -115 / U -105) Moneyline: CLE -1600 | DAL +900

📉 Game Side Lean: Dallas +16.5

Sixteen and a half points is a canyon, and the Mavericks are a team that usually plays too hard to fall into those this season. Granted, they lost by 33 on Friday, but let’s gently set that aside and say the quiet part out loud: this spread is too big.

This is a roster with no quit—no tanking by committee, no mailing it in—just a group of guys playing out the string with something to prove on a nightly basis even when Tankathon wisdom might suggest otherwise. Cleveland, meanwhile, will be without Allen, and is juggling a playoff rotation with Strus working back from a Jones fracture. The Cavs are the better team. They may win by 20. But 16.5 asks a lot of a team that may have one eye on seeding and another on rest, and Dallas has enough scrappers to make the final margin uncomfortable. Back door cover is a real conversation here. Keep it light on this one.

🔮 Total Lean: Under 236.5

This number feels high for a game missing this much frontcourt. Allen out means the Cavs will again be missing an efficient Harden pick-and-roll partner, and the Dallas interior—already a wreck—slows possessions down by necessity rather than design. Friday’s game finished at 243 combined with everything clicking for Cleveland in a blowout. In a closer, messier game with more bodies on the injury report, the pace comes down. Under 236.5 has value.

🎯 Player Props We Like

Naji Marshall Over 24.5 PRA (+103) Marshall had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in 27 minutes Friday—27 PRA and a clear signal that the usage and confidence are back. You don’t wait three more games to confirm a player has returned to form; by then the books have already adjusted. Marshall is Dallas’s most versatile wing with the ball in his hands, and against a Cleveland defense that may be running a looser rotation with playoff positioning in mind, 24.5 is a number he’s capable of clearing. The plus money makes this an easy look.

Dean Wade Over 5.5 Points (+105) Wade has been one of the steadier quiet contributors in Cleveland’s home rotation, consistently clearing this number at Rocket Mortgage when he gets his minutes. This is the kind of low-floor prop that doesn’t make the highlight reel but cashes quietly while you’re watching something else. With Strus limited and the wing rotation stretched, Wade sees a clean path to his usual run. Plus money on a number he clears almost by accident. We’ll take it.

💡 Summary: Dallas +16.5 for a team too stubborn to lose ugly twice in a row. Under 236.5 with the frontcourt carnage on both sides. Marshall returning to form at plus money, and Dean Wade doing Dean Wade things at home. Let’s see if the Caramel Cone was the good kind of harbinger. Dark Cherry Truffle is also a solid pick. Go Mavs. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to sleep dreaming of a shocking Mavs win, an SI joint hat will calm down and ice cream that never expands the waist line. Go Mavs.

Some facts are irrefutable. Take the fact that I’m typing on a keyboard, and you, in response, are reading these words (thanks for doing that, by the way). Nobody denies such claims, because, well, there’s no benefit to arguing with a bulletproof truth. In stating such a rock-solid fact, the world stabilizes

Some truths of the world can be compared to the complexion of a slice of Swiss cheese. Facts that are largely true, save for a few rare exceptions. For example, gravity will always draw items to the ground. That is, of course, unless that thing is filled with helium, or is copping some Air Jordans (it’s gotta be the shoes!). Here’s my favorite Swiss cheese truth: The Sacramento Kings are always terrible at basketball.

We all hold the Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac Kings of the early 2000s in high regard, of course, but aside from some minor blips on the chart, Sacramento has been one of the most consistently awful organizations in all of professional basketball.

We all celebrated when De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis dragged their organization from its prolonged postseason drought (I support the Seattle Mariners. Believe that I can empathize). We all roared with glee as the fanbase chanted “Light the beam!“ But when the Kings committed organizational suicide by dealing De’Aaron Fox for the distinguished honor of reconstructing the failed DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine-era Chicago Bulls (a team which has also suffered a relatively humiliating history outside of the Jordan years. Must be the shoes), we all just laughed.

The Kings will do what the Kings have done. Time is a circle; welcome back to the beginning.

Predicting Sacramento to miss the playoffs wasn’t difficult, but with the amount of veterans they loaded onto the depth chart, it’s clear that the front office had no intention of leading the tank race back in October. But here we are in the middle of March, and a purple emblem stands in the top 3 of Tankathon.com.

Look, I’ve been incredibly critical during this article, and I haven’t even mentioned the Utah Jazz yet, who are technically supposed to be the subject of this preview, but I have a little bit of sugar to spread on top of Sacramento’s dumpster stack. The Kings are winning basketball games these days — that’s right, basketball’s fraudulent royalty has descended from their throne atop the Great Tank Race and are now slumming it with the commoners.

Winners in 5 of their last 10 games, SacTown may be doing irreparable damage to their lottery odds, but Russell Westbrook (Utah Jazz legend) posted a triple-double in their recent win over the Clippers. They still carry a 17-51 record, which is the worst mark in the Western Conference.

Enter, stage left: The second-worst record in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz. Utah (20-47) is still 3.5 games ahead of their adversary, but stands with a great deal of lottery gold to gobble should they fall to the home Kings on Sunday night. But keep this in mind: Utah beat Sacramento by nearly 30 points in their last meeting.

But the Jazz are positively hobbled, now without Keyonte George, Kyle Filipowski, Jusuf NurkicLauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, John Konchar, and even Ace Bailey, who left the last game on concussion protocol after taking a gnarly elbow to the face.

Sacramento, though similarly hobbled, will essentially face off against the SLC Stars on Sunday.

The Kings are led by proud veterans unwilling to let losing become their identity. Utah is wheeling out whoever can play without losing the function of a vital appendage. With a sudden shot of momentum, this game is Sacramento’s to lose, which is why they are favored despite boasting an inferior record.

How to watch Utah Jazz vs Sacramento Kings

Date: Sunday, March 15, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM MT
Location: Golden One Center, Sacramento, California
Channel: Jazz+, KJZZ
Odds: SAC -2.5

LeBron James praised the "generational" talent of team-mate Luka Doncic after the Slovenian hit an overtime winner as the Los Angeles Lakers came from behind to beat the Denver Nuggets 127-125.

Doncic, 27, finished with 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his eighth triple-double of the season as the Lakers secured their fifth consecutive victory.

The six-time NBA all-star hit a step-back jump shot with 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock to hand his side the victory.

"Just a big-time shot by a generational player," James said of his team-mate.

"He's just a big-time player, man. It's going to be just the first of many game winners like that for him in a Lakers uniform."

Austin Reaves hit a team-high 32 points, Marcus Smart added 21 points and five steals, while James, 41, contributed 17 points in 40 minutes as the Lakers moved up to third in the Western Conference.

James dived full length on the floor to prevent Denver getting an offensive rebound with 54.3 seconds remaining - a play Lakers coach JJ Redick said he had never previously seen in James' 23-year professional career.

"I think all of us have heard it from our coaches when we were little: the first man to the floor usually gets the ball," said James.

"So, that's just my little league coach kind of in my head at that moment, understanding the significance of it."

Lakers coach Redick was pleased with his side's collective performance.

"We still have got a long way to go, but we are certainly optimistic with how we handled this stretch of games," Redick said.

• Heated Doncic interaction 'very normal' - Redick

SYDNEY (AP) — Toko Koga headed in two goals as Japan routed Philippines 7-0 on Sunday to advance to the Women’s Asian Cup semifinals and secure a spot in next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

The 20-year-old Tottenham defender scored in first-half stoppage time and again in the 76th minute as Japan improved its tally to 24 goals and none conceded so far in the 2026 championship.

Japan will play 2022 runner-up South Korea on Wednesday for a spot in next weekend's final.

“It’s always nice to score a lot of goals and for the players to show what they can do, but it’s not going to help us against Korea,” Japan coach Nils Nielsen said. “I knew we scored a lot, but for the semifinal, (earlier goals) can’t help us.

“We will be ready to play South Korea.”

Four years ago, Japan lost on penalties to eventual champion China in the semifinals, ending its title defense.

All the semifinalists in Australia qualify automatically for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The losing quarterfinalists go into playoffs for two more guaranteed places in Brazil.

Slow start, big finish

Japan completely dominated possession and field position but wasn't able to score for 45 minutes against a determined Philippines defense anchored by goalkeeper Nina Meollo.

Once the first goal went in — Mina Tanaka's header from point-blank range after a scrappy scramble in the goalmouth — it started a flow for the top-ranked team in the tournament.

Three minutes later, Koga jumped to meet a corner from Honoko Hayashi and angled it into the back of the net to give Japan a 2-0 halftime lead.

The Japanese scored twice in three minutes midway through the second half to lead 4-0, with Remina Chiba sliding in with a right-foot shot from the edge of the box in the 65th from Aoba Fujino’s long, floating cross and Manaka Matsukubo scoring in the 67th.

Koga scored again with a close-range header to make it 5-0 before substitutes Momoko Tanikawa and Riko Ueki added further goals in the last four minutes of regulation.

“Obviously it’s tough to take but you’re playing probably the best team in Asia … probably one of the top five teams in the world,” Philippines coach Mark Torcaso said. “Our girls showed a lot of determination in that first half. We had a lot of younger players out there in the first half, and they got some really good exposure and experience, so I’m really proud of that.

“But we’ve got another game to worry about to get to a World Cup, to play Uzbekistan, so we'll just turn the page over and we’ll focus on the next one now.”

Japan, the 2014 and 2018 champion, scored a tournament-leading 17 goals in the group stage.

China beat Taiwan 2-0 in extra time in a Saturday quarterfinal set against geopolitical tensions to move into a semifinal against host Sam Kerr 's Australia, which beat North Korea 2-1 on Friday night.

Iran's exit

The last of the quarterfinals was played hours after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced another three members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who accepted refugee visas to stay in Australia have decided to return Iran.

Initially, six players and a support staff member accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia before the rest of the Iranian contingent flew from Sydney to Malaysia on March 9. So far, four of those have elected to rejoin the Iran squad which has temporarily remained in Kuala Lumpur.

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

SHANGHAI (AP) — He’s been defined by being Lewis Hamilton’s successor and George Russell’s teammate. Now Kimi Antonelli is a Formula 1 race-winner in his own right, and the second-youngest in history.

The 19-year-old Italian pulled clear of an entertaining battle between Russell and the two Ferraris to take a commanding win at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday and share the podium with his teammate and Hamilton, the seven-time champion he replaced last year.

It's a vindication of the gamble Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff took in picking the youngster, who'd joined Mercedes' junior program aged just 11, to replace an all-time great when Hamilton moved to Ferrari for 2025. There were plenty of doubters when Antonelli crashed 10 minutes into his practice debut in 2024.

“Many said it was just too early last year, and obviously we asked ourselves that question, whether it was too much to throw him into this pressure cooker," Wolff told Sky Sport Germany.

"One year with ups and downs and he’s young. We have to forgive him these mistakes, and now he’s in the second Grand Prix (of 2026) and brings it home ruthlessly. It’s good.”

The 19-year-old Italian was the youngest pole-position starter and briefly lost the lead to Hamilton at the start but retook it soon after and was in control the rest of the way.

“We did it! We did it!” Antonelli shouted to his team over the radio amid laughs and whoops, and he was holding back tears amid celebrations and a TV interview soon after.

It was another 1-2 finish for Mercedes to start the season as Russell came through a battle with both Ferraris to finish second. Hamilton was third for his long-awaited first Grand Prix podium finish for Ferrari.

The only driver younger than Antonelli to win a Grand Prix was Max Verstappen, who was 18 when he took his first victory in 2016. He's the first Italian to win since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006.

Russell bests Ferraris in thriller

The new regulations again produced a dramatic fight for position between Mercedes and the fast-starting Ferraris as Russell fought his way past Charles Leclerc and Hamilton in a multi-lap battle with numerous changes of position. That allowed Antonelli to build his lead at the front.

Even after Russell had pulled away to secure second place, teammates Leclerc and Hamilton kept up their own fight for third. “This is quite a fun battle," Leclerc exclaimed over the radio.

Leclerc was fourth with Oliver Bearman fifth for Haas, Pierre Gasly sixth for Alpine and Liam Lawson seventh for Racing Bulls. Isack Hadjar recovered from an early spin to place eighth for Red Bull, ahead of Carlos Sainz, Jr. in ninth for Williams, while Franco Colapinto was 10th for Alpine to score his first point since 2024.

Max Verstappen was running sixth when his car lost power and he had to limp back to the pits in another blow for the four-time champion, who has been a leading critic of F1’s new cars.

Double disaster for McLaren

Formula 1 champion Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri were both unable to start after encountering technical problems minutes before the race began.

Piastri was due to start fifth and Norris sixth for Sunday's race. Norris was in his car in the pits but didn't leave for the grid, before Piastri was then withdrawn from the grid.

McLaren said it found “two different electrical problems on the power unit side” after an investigation. It's the second time Piastri has failed to start in 2026 after he crashed before the start of last week's race in Australia. Only 18 of 22 cars took the start, with Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto and Williams' Alex Albon also unable to make it, before both Aston Martin cars and Verstappen hit trouble in the race too.

F1 is racing hours after it announced next month's races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not go ahead because of the war in the Middle East.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

PARADISE, Nev. (AP) — Dominique Daniels Jr. hit three 3-pointers in the final two minutes and finished with 23 points on Saturday night to help No. 2 seed Cal Baptist beat top-seeded Utah Valley 63-61 to win the final Western Athletic Conference Tournament and clinch the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

Cal Baptist (25-8), which began the transition from Division II in 2018 and became eligible for the postseason in the 2022-23 season, extended its program record (D-I era) for single-season wins. The Lancers have won six games in a row.

Utah Valley (25-8), which has won back-to-back conference regular-season titles and four of the last six, had its seven-game win streak snapped.

Daniels, who finished 7-of-25 shooting, hit back-to-back 3s that tied it 60-all with 1:16 to play. Jackson Holcombe grabbed an offensive rebound, was fouled and made 1-of-2 free throws with 39 seconds left, but Daniel hit a pull-up 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down that gave Cal Baptist a two-point lead with 14.6 seconds remaining.

Isaac Davis missed a potential tying alley-oop dunk with three seconds left.

Holcombe led the Wolverines with 18 points and Davis scored 12. Trevan Leonhardt had 10 rebounds and eight assists to go with six points while consistently harassing Daniels defensively.

Bradey Henige had 11 points for the Lancers and Jonathan Griman had 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting before he fouled out with about 5 1/2 minutes left.

Utah Valley won the season series, 2-1, with both wins coming on its home floor. Daniels had a program-record 47 points in Cal Baptist's 78-71 home win over the Wolverines on Jan. 24.

Both programs are joining the Big West Conference beginning next season, when the WAC will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference.

Up next

Cal Baptist: Awaits its seeding and first-round opponent for the NCAA Tournament.

Utah Valley: Clinched an automatic invite to the NIT.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand has won the toss Sunday and chosen to bat in the first of five Twenty20 internationals against South Africa, beginning only a week after New Zealand's loss to India in the T20 World Cup final.

Eight members of the New Zealand World Cup squad including Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman are unavailable while preparing for the Indian Premier League or Pakistan Super League.

New Zealand beat South Africa by nine wickets in the World Cup semifinals after previously losing to the Proteas in group play.

Australia-born batter Nick Kelly will make his T20 debut for New Zealand after previously playing in three one-day internationals against Pakistan last year. Tom Latham, Tim Robinson, Bevon Jacobs and Zak Foulkes rejoin the New Zealand team along with Ben Sears who was a traveling reserve at the World Cup.

Connor Esterhuizen will make his debut for South Africa along Dian Forrester and Jordan Hermann who joins brother Rubin Hermann in the Proteas lineup.

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New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner (captain), Jimmy Neesham, Cole McConchie, Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears.

South Africa: Connor Esterhuizen, Jordan Hermann, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (captain), Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman.

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

LOS ANGELES — During the 2020s, beating the Nuggets has become a tough task.

The Lakers have experienced this firsthand over the years, with a Western Conference Finals loss to Denver in 2023, a first-round playoff exit against them in 2024 and even painful regular season losses such as their defeat during Kobe Bryant’s statue unveiling.

So, on Saturday against Denver, with the season series on the line, it’s no surprise that the Nuggets pushed the Lakers to the brink, forcing them to play their first overtime game of the year.

However, this time the Lakers proved that the past isn’t always an indicator of the future, and they got the better of their Western Conference rival, winning 127-125.

LA’s margin for error was slim, and they needed everyone to bring their A-game.

Austin Reaves needed to miss a free throw on purpose and score off the rebound to extend the game to overtime. Luka Dončić was chucking up shots and knocked down the game-winning basket. And LeBron James, at 41 years old, was fully extending his body, diving on the ground trying to gain possession for his team late in the fourth.

Those three, however, are always asked to do more. It’s part of the pecking order.

A player who did everything in their job description and then some for LA was Marcus Smart.

He scored 21 points, his third-highest scoring total of the season. He had a plus-minus of +16, the best on the team, and five steals, tied with Nikola Jokić for the most in the game.

Smart is a player known for his defensive prowess, but it was his offensive output that made him one of the heroes on Saturday night.

In overtime, with the Lakers down by one with under a minute to go, Dončić and Smart worked the two-man game around the perimeter and Dončić delivered a behind-the-back bounce pass to Smart.

With zero hesitation, Smart gathered himself and knocked it down to put the Lakers in front.

MARCUS SMART SINKS THE GO-AHEAD 3!

A PERFECT BEHIND-THE-BACK PASS BY LUKA 😲

LAKERS UP 1 WITH 30.0 TO PLAY IN OT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/XyD6FCGXF1

— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2026

“He was great tonight,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “They go up, I can’t remember the exact score, but we had two timeouts in overtime and we elected to go two-for-one, and he hits the three. Those two guys, Luka and him, executed that to perfection, and we ended up getting the last shot, which was the difference in the game because we executed the two.”

Smart had excuses readily available to pass up that shot. Just a week ago, he had a couple of opportunities to help the Lakers beat the Nuggets in Denver, but he missed on some open looks from beyond the arc.

Losing a close contest while missing looks the opponent wanted you to have would make plenty of other players hesitant to take the same shot against that team in a rematch, but Smart isn’t most people.

“It felt good for my teammates to believe in me,” Smart said. “Especially after playing this team a couple of weeks ago, and having some looks to put us up, or tie a game and they not falling. Could’ve easily fell into that trap where we’re like, not again, and I wouldn’t blame Luka or those guys to not trust me, but I think it speaks to our team, speaks to me, speaks to those guys, and how willing they are to trust each other and trust us.”

While the three was the biggest play Smart had, he was an irritant that Denver couldn’t shake all night long. He was disrupting the Nuggets’ shooters, applying intense ball pressure and getting the Lakers out in transition.

Marcus Smart with the heads-up play off the jump ball for the Lakers lead 🤯pic.twitter.com/km9f0sTy1F

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 15, 2026

Smart’s play won’t regularly make a highlight reel, but his impact is loud and felt on every team he’s ever played for. He is a role player of the highest caliber, the type of guard every playoff team desires on its roster. No task is too small, and no shot on the floor is too big for him to take.

How far the Lakers will go this year is still up in the air, but one thing that’s all but certain is that Smart will be on the floor when that gets decided.

“I’ve been doing this for 12 years, and I pride myself on it,” Smart said. “And it doesn’t always work in my favor, but at least I know, when I leave that court, I left it all on the court. And that’s all I can ask for. So for me, this is a normal day. My teammates needed me to, in a sense, do my job, and I’m gonna go out there every night and try to do my job.”
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets delivered a heavyweight fight worthy of the national spotlight Saturday night, a 127–125 overtime thriller that swung wildly like a pendulum in a storm. The Lakers led by 17. The Nuggets clawed back and briefly seized a seven-point advantage late. Then chaos took over.

Austin Reaves missed a free throw with five seconds left, chased down the rebound like a man refusing to let the moment escape him, and tied the game with a desperate layup.

AUSTIN REAVES GRABS THE BOARD OFF HIS OWN MISSED FREE THROW AND TIES THE GAME

WE ARE GOING TO OT! pic.twitter.com/aPZAJkEpxM

— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2026

Overtime followed, where punches were traded possession after possession until Luka Doncic slipped along the baseline and buried the dagger that sent the arena into delirium.

LUKA HITS THE GO-AHEAD JUMPER TO WIN IT FOR THE LAKERS IN OT pic.twitter.com/CIkuCBvExv

— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2026

But the hardwood wasn’t the only stage glowing under the lights.

Crypto.com Arena was a who’s who of celebrities from across the sports, music, and entertainment world. 

Eddie Murphy sat courtside cheering on the Lakers.

Eddie Murphy in the house for DEN/LAL pic.twitter.com/4yH5bbDHTl

— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2026

Tennis legend Maria Sharapova was nearby watching the drama unfold. 

@MariaSharapova courtside for @Nuggets/@Lakers in LA! #NBACelebRowpic.twitter.com/3hEtoh7reK

— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2026

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Atlanta Falcons star Bijan Robinson enjoyed watching the same competitive fire between opponents that translates across all of sports. 

Joe Burrow & Bijan Robinson in the building for @nuggets/@Lakers on ABC! #NBACelebRowpic.twitter.com/r32CfBhNjc

— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2026

Ted Lasso himself, Jason Sudeikis sat next to his daughter and smiled through the chaos.

Ted Lasso himself, actor Jason Sudekis and his daughter are sitting courtside for Nuggets and Lakers tonight pic.twitter.com/xf2zfwElvN

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) March 15, 2026

Lakers regulars, Andy Garcia and Flea–the rock-and-roll pulse of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers- also enjoyed the action courtside. 

Flea, as always, is courtside for the Nuggets and Lakers today pic.twitter.com/NhngUU2CSg

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) March 15, 2026

Even the king of internet memes, The Rizzler was there with his family.

The Rizzler and his family is courtside tonight for Nuggets and Lakers pic.twitter.com/g9sdYGqBxc

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) March 15, 2026

Despite all the celebrities in attendance, when Doncic’s game-winner splashed through the net, the phones dropped. The celebrities stood. And the building roared.

For a brief moment, fame, fortune and followers didn’t matter.

Basketball did.

And on nights like this, in a city that turns everything into theater, the NBA delivered the best show in town.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Bobby McMann had two goals and an assist in his Kraken debut and Seattle beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Saturday night to end a four-game losing streak and move within a point of the final wild card in the West.

McMann went from Toronto to Seattle at the trade deadline, but was delayed because of a visa issue that was resolved Friday.

His new linemates also had three-point nights, with Matty Beniers finishing with a goal and two assists, and Jordan Eberle added three assists.

Jared McCann and Jamie Oleksiak added goals for the Kraken, and Brandon Montour had two assists. Philipp Grubauer stopped 32 shots.

Evander Kane and Marco Rossi scored for NHL-worst Vancouver. Nikita Tolopilo made 28 saves. The Canucks have five games left on an eight-game homestand.

McMann scored on a power play at the end of the first period and added his second early in the third. Seattle got him for a a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft and a conditional second-round selection in 2027.

Up next

Kraken: Host Florida on Sunday night.

Canucks: Host Florida on Tuesday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mathieu Choiniere scored twice — the 27-year-old's second career multi-goal game in MLS — and Hugo Lloris had his fourth consecutive shutout on Saturday night to help Los Angeles FC beat St. Louis City 2-0.

Loris finished with four saves for LAFC (4-0-0), which has outscored its opponents 8-0 this season. The 39-year-old Lloris, who had 12 clean sheets in each of his first two seasons with the club, joined Roman Bürki (St. Louis, 2025) as the only players in MLS history with four consecutive shutouts to open a season.

Choiniere, in his ninth MLS season, went into the game with 12 goals in 132 career appearance.

Choiniere intercepted a pass near midfield, raced to the top of the penalty arc and slipped a rolling shot inside the left post to open the scoring in the 73rd minute. Then, in the 81st, Choiniere ripped a shot from near the right corner of the penalty box that skipped between the legs of defender Timo Baumgartl and bent inside the left post to make it 2-0.

Bürki had three saves for St. Louis (0-3-1).

LAFC's Denis Bouanga hit the crossbar with a shot in the opening moments and Nate Ordaz had his shot from the center of the area bounce off the right post.

Players for both teams wore black armbands with “IL” in white lettering to honor Ilona Löwen, the wife of St. Louis City's Eduard Löwen, who died Monday following a two-year battle with brain cancer. Eduard Löwen, who signed with St. Louis as a designated player in 2022, has not played this season.

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