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Over four action-packed days, a 64-team bracket was quartered.

And with it, we’ve got 16 men’s college basketball teams whose dreams of a national championship get to live for at least a few more days.

With the Final Four and national championship pictures now much clearer than they were a week ago, how do the remaining teams stack up?

Sweet 16 predictions: Experts pick who will advance in March Madness bracket

Here’s a ranking of the Sweet 16 teams:

Re-Ranking Sweet 16 teams

16. Texas

The Longhorns fit the traditional mold of an underachieving power-conference team that gets some favorable matchups and starts to play up to its potential in the single-elimination crucible of the tournament. Their three wins in five days against NC State, BYU and Gonzaga may not be the end for them, either. Dailyn Swain is one of the best bucket-getters remaining in the field and seven-footer Matas Vokietaitis is averaging 18.3 points and 11 rebounds per game in the tournament.

Despite its placement on this list, this is the kind of team that could absolutely give Purdue problems.

15. Iowa

Ben McCollum wins wherever he goes, whether it’s four national championships at Division II Northwest Missouri State or 31 wins and a second-round trip in his lone season at Drake. Now, in his first season at Iowa, the Hawkeyes are off to their first Sweet 16 since 1999 after a 73-72 upset of Florida on Sunday. The win came despite star guard Bennett Stirtz missing all nine of his 3-point attempts, but Iowa got it done closer to the basket, making 19 of its 27 2-pointers against one of the country’s tallest teams.

Their next foe is a familiar one — a Nebraska team it went 1-1 against during the regular season.

14. Tennessee

While the performance of Rick Barnes teams in the tournament makes for an easy punchline, the Volunteers’ losses in the Elite Eight each of the past two seasons came against the eventual national runner-up. With a win over No. 3 seed Virginia on Sunday, they’ve overperformed their seed and, because of it, Tennessee’s now off to the Sweet 16 for the fourth-consecutive season, the first time in program history that’s ever happened.

13. Nebraska

The Cornhuskers shed the historical ignominy of being the only power-conference program without an NCAA Tournament win by blowing out Troy in a 4-versus-13 matchup before doubling that all-time tournament victories count two days later after surviving Vanderbilt and Tyler Tanner’s nearly miraculous, in-and-out heave.

Now, instead of having to face No. 1 seed and reigning national champion Florida, Fred Hoiberg’s team gets a more manageable Sweet 16 matchup in No. 9 seed Iowa in a game that won’t lack any intensity.

12. St. John’s

The Red Storm gave away a 13-point lead with seven minutes remaining only to get it back thanks to Dylan Darling’s buzzer-beating heroics. The Johnnies have some of the same offensive concerns that led to a surprisingly early ouster from last year’s tournament — namely, a lack of consistent outside shooting — but they’re one of the most tenacious and reliable teams defensively in the country and, maybe more importantly, have one of the greatest coaches in the sport’s history leading the way.

If there’s a number to make St. John’s fans optimistic heading into its game against Duke, it’s this: Rick Pitino is 12-1 in his career in the Sweet 16.

In-depth: Inside the buzzer-beater that led St. John's to first Sweet 16 since 1999

11. Alabama

Aden Holloway’s arrest cast significant doubt over the Crimson Tide entering the tournament, but Nate Oats’ team wiped much of that away with wins over Hofstra and Texas Tech by a combined 45 points. Alabama looked as offensively potent as ever in those victories, scoring 90 points in each game. Though Latrell Wrightsell did an excellent job helping make up for Holloway’s absence, the Tide will probably need their embattled No. 2 scorer available to knock off No. 1 seed Michigan in the Sweet 16.

10. Arkansas

The Razorbacks had to sweat it out a bit in the second round, but as High Point showed against Wisconsin, a victory against the Panthers, even as a power-conference program, can’t be taken for granted. The biggest reason for optimism for a deep Arkansas run was on full display in the first two games, with freshman superstar Darius Acuff Jr. scoring 60 combined points in first- and second-round wins. 

John Calipari has ridden talented freshman point guards on deep tournament runs, from Derrick Rose to John Wall to De'Aaron Fox. The Hogs have a tall task in the Sweet 16 against Arizona, but they just might have the top-line talent and athleticism to match up with the Wildcats.

9. Michigan State

It’s a familiar story for a Tom Izzo-coached team, with defense and rebounding helping push the Spartans into the Sweet 16 for the 17th time since 1998. Michigan State smoked North Dakota State by 25 and pulled away for an eight-point win against a shorthanded Louisville team in the second round. Jeremy Fears Jr. looked every bit like the All-American he is in those victories, dishing out a combined 27 assists, including 16 against the Cardinals to break a program NCAA Tournament single-game record previously held by Magic Johnson.

March Madness winners, losers: Big Ten dominance entering Sweet 16

8. UConn

Perhaps no player in the event had a more impressive opening week of the tournament than Tarris Reed Jr., who had 41 points and pulled down 40 rebounds in wins against Furman and UCLA. He’s the first player to go off for at least 40 points and 40 rebounds in the first week of the tournament since Tim Duncan all the way back in 1997.

We all know Dan Hurley’s program can get it done this time of year, even with a team the predictive metrics haven’t been quite as high on this season, at least compared to their fellow top-two seeds.

7. Purdue

The Boilermakers have been absolutely lethal in the second half of games so far in the tournament, outscoring No. 15 seed Queens 59-38 and No. 7 seed Miami 41-29 in the final 20 minutes of those matchups. While NCAA Division I career assists leader Braden Smith deservedly gets his fair share of attention, Trey Kaufman-Renn has been Matt Painter’s best player so far this tournament, with 44 combined points in his team’s opening two wins.

6. Iowa State

Things could have very well gotten dicey for the Cyclones with All-American forward Joshua Jefferson out with a sprained ankle for a second-round game against Kentucky. Instead, Iowa State bombarded the Wildcats’ high-priced roster, overcoming an early 18-6 deficit to outscore them 76-45 the rest of the way in an 82-63 blowout.

This is as good of a defensive team as there is in the sport and this squad may have some of the offensive firepower that has prevented it from advancing further in past tournaments. The question is now how quickly Jefferson can get back and how effective he can be.

5. Illinois

The Fighting Illini didn’t just beat their opening two opponents, but snatched their souls. After a 35-point drubbing of Penn, Illinois turned around and won by 21 against a VCU team that had won 17 of its previous 18 games, including an overtime victory two days earlier against North Carolina.

Brad Underwood’s team is No. 2 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, and has the right combination of length, skill and shooting to get to the program’s first Final Four in 21 years.

4. Duke

Of all the remaining No. 1 seeds, the Blue Devils looked the shakiest in the tournament’s first week. They trailed No. 16 seed Siena by 13 early in the second half before gutting out a 71-65 win and were tied with No. 9 seed TCU with 14 minutes remaining before pulling away for a 23-point victory in the second round.

The tournament’s No. 1 overall seed will need to get through two hall-of-fame coaches (or, in Dan Hurley’s case, eventual hall-of-fame coaches) just to make the Final Four. For now, Duke’s biggest question is how it can continue to survive and advance with point guard Caleb Foster still sidelined.

3. Houston

The Cougars advanced to the Sweet 16 even more effortlessly than any of the No. 1 seeds, beating Idaho and Texas A&M by 31 points apiece while limiting those teams to 104 combined points. 

Under Kelvin Sampson, Houston has annually been among the country’s best teams defensively, but with superstar freshman Kingston Flemings, this squad might just have that extra offensive jolt that could allow the Cougars to earn their long-awaited first national championship. And if that’s not enough, their path to the Final Four now goes through their hometown, with Sweet 16 and (potentially) Elite Eight games in Houston.

2. Michigan

The Wolverines’ typically stout defense looked surprisingly porous in the first round, giving up 80 points to No. 16 seed Howard, but they fared much better 48 hours later in a 23-point romp over a dynamic Saint Louis team in which college basketball cult hero Robbie Avila was effectively neutralized. Michigan has one of the country’s best players in Yaxel Lendeborg and a group of players surrounding him that would feel insulting to refer to as a supporting cast.

Even with guard L.J. Cason out for the season, Dusty May’s squad has everything you need to win a title.

1. Arizona

The Wildcats were one of the most dominant teams during the regular season and showed few, if any, signs of slowing down in their first two tournament games. They ensured LIU never got the chance to get their fins up in a 34-point beatdown in the first round before pulling away to win by 12 against a Utah State team that was woefully under-seeded as a No. 9 seed.

Until it actually happens, there will be lingering questions about whether Tommy Lloyd can get Arizona to a Final Four and a national championship, but this squad looks more than well-equipped to break through and reach those heights.

Sweet 16 schedule, tip times, dates

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

• 7:10 p.m.: No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 11 Texas (West), CBS
• 7:30 p.m.: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Iowa (South), TBS/truTV
• 9:45 p.m.: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 4 Arkansas (West), CBS
• 10:05 p.m.: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Illinois (South), TBS/truTV

FRIDAY, MARCH 27

• 7:10 p.m.: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 St. John's (East), CBS
• 7:35 p.m.: No 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan (Midwest), TBS/truTV
• 9:45 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State (East), CBS
• 10:10 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee (Midwest), TBS/truTV

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sweet 16 re-seed: Ranking the teams left in Men's March Madness

For 68 men’s college basketball programs, March comes with the opportunity to compete for a national championship in front of millions of fans on the biggest, grandest stage that their sport has to offer.

For dozens of others outside of the NCAA tournament field, and even some in it, March is a time to dream of better days that might be ahead in the not-so-distant future.

The annual college basketball coaching carousel is a time for hope, with programs across the country looking for the x-and-o maestro or ace recruiter who can help them compete for NCAA tournament appearances, conference titles and maybe just maybe Final Fours and national championships.

REQUIRED READING: If North Carolina fires Hubert Davis, here are six candidates to consider

It doesn’t always work out that way, of course. For as many schools that find their savior, there are many more than find themselves in the same position of looking for a new coach only a handful of years later.

As hires are made, they’re dissected by fans and media across the country who try to assess whether or not they’ll work. It’s an imprecise exercise. In the past 10 years alone, there are universally praised hires like Archie Miller at Indiana and Chris Mack at Louisville who didn’t pan out and were gone within four years. Conversely, there are other, more unproven commodities like Tommy Lloyd at Arizona and Jon Scheyer at Duke who had never previously been Division I head coaches, but who now lead teams that are No. 1 seeds in this year’s NCAA tournament.

All of this is a longwinded way of saying what you’re about to read could turn out to be hilariously wrong.

As the coaching carousel starts to settle, USA TODAY Sports has graded hires from college basketball’s five major conferences.

Sweet 16 predictions: Experts pick who will advance in March Madness bracket

College basketball coaching hire grades

This will be updated to include hires as they occur.

Jerrod Calhoun, Cincinnati: A-

A Cincinnati program that has been shut out of the NCAA tournament every year since Mick Cronin left for UCLA in 2019 may have finally found the right person to lead it back to prominence.

Calhoun checks off virtually every quality the Bearcats could have hoped to fulfill. He has ties to the area, as an Ohio native and a Cincinnati graduate. He has ties to the program’s glorious recent past, having worked as an assistant under Bob Huggins. Most importantly, he’s been a winner everywhere he’s been. He went 124-38 and finished as national runner-up once in five seasons at Division II Fairmont State. He put up a respectable 118-106 record at Youngstown State, one of the more difficult jobs in the Horizon League. Most recently, he guided Utah State to a 55-15 mark in two seasons, which included two NCAA tournament berths.

There’s no guarantee he’ll thrive with the Bearcats — in a league as deep and difficult as the Big 12, that’s impossible — but on paper, he makes all the sense in the world for a historically decorated program that’s dying for a winner.

Randy Bennett, Arizona State: A-

For all of their inherent advantages — an enormous and famously fun school in one of the country’s biggest cities — the Sun Devils have been a basketball afterthought for much of their recent history, having not earned better than a No. 10 seed in the NCAA tournament since 2009 when James Harden was suiting up for them.

With Bennett, there’s reason to believe better days should be ahead. Bennett completely transformed Saint Mary’s, leading a program with three all-time NCAA tournament appearances at the time of his hiring in 2001 to the Big Dance 12 times in his final 22 seasons there. He did so with a distinct and consistent identity, with plodding, tough-minded teams built around strong defenses and international players.

The question becomes how transferrable is that blueprint from the West Coast Conference to the Big 12, especially at a school with so little historical success, but Bennett’s fully capable of doing what so many haven’t in Tempe.

Bryan Hodgson, Providence: B+

Hodgson’s resume is relatively thin, which is the only reason this grad isn’t higher, but it’s quite impressive.

The 38-year-old western New York native learned for eight seasons as an assistant under one of the country’s best coaches in Nate Oats and has implemented Oats’ fast-paced, 3-point-heavy system to great success at Arkansas State and South Florida, where he went 70-37 in three seasons and showed an eye for overlooked talent like eventual American Conference player of the year Izaiyah Nelson.

There’s some risk with this hire, but the upside, particularly with what projects to be a large NIL war chest for the Friars, is immense.

Alan Huss, Creighton: B+

This hire wasn’t exactly a surprise, as Huss was tabbed as Creighton’s associate head coach and coach-in-waiting last year. With Greg McDermott’s retirement this month, he officially takes over at his alma mater.

Huss is as familiar with Creighton as anyone, having played at the school and later coached there under McDermott for six seasons as the Bluejays were regularly among the best teams in the Big East. He thrived for two seasons at High Point, taking over a program that went 14-17 the season before he took over and guiding it to a 56-15 mark while coaching some of the top offenses in the country.

Moving on from a long-tenured coach like McDermott is never easy, but this is a transition that, at least on paper, should work out.

Casey Alexander, Kansas State: B

Alexander never technically made the NCAA tournament at Belmont – his 2020 team qualified before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the event – but he did about everything else you realistically could. He went 166-60 and won at least 20 games in each of his seven seasons at his alma mater. He ran a beautiful, modern offense. Perhaps most importantly for a school like Kansas State, he was a masterful player evaluator, signing the previously unheralded likes of Wil Richard, Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Cade Tyson before they transferred to power-conference schools.

He inherited a much better situation from Rick Byrd at Belmont than he will taking over for Jerome Tang at Kansas, and the geographic fit isn’t seamless for someone who’s spent his entire career in the southeast, but this is an understandable move.

Gerry McNamara, Syracuse: B-

The program hiring a successful former player to be its head coach has been a well-traveled path in college basketball the past 15 years, one that has been unsuccessful more often than not.

There’s reason to believe McNamara could be different, though. Unlike some of those other hires like Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin, he has previous college head-coaching experience, having taken over a Siena program that was 4-28 the season before he arrived and leading it to 23 wins and an NCAA tournament berth only two years later. He’s spent all but five of the past 24 years of his life at the school in some capacity, making him intimately familiar with some of the challenges it presents. If nothing else, his status as a beloved former player should help the Orange in their NIL efforts.

Syracuse has been largely an afterthought the past five years and reportedly lagged behind many of their ACC competitors with what they paid for their roster, but with McNamara, there’s at least potential for a better way forward.

Scott Cross, Georgia Tech: C+

Cross has been one of the more underrated coaches in the sport for the past 15 years and his firing at UT Arlington in 2018 stands as one of the most baffling college basketball coaching moves this century. He has a strong overall record, 350-260 across 19 seasons in Division I, and just led Troy to five straight 20-win seasons and back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.

If anything, this grade’s more of a reflection of Georgia Tech, which has inherent, sometimes unavoidable obstacles and which has one NCAA tournament berth since 2010. Cross has shown he can do more with less and he’ll need to if he’s going to turn the Yellow Jackets into a steady winner in an improving ACC.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball coaching hires: Grading the moves in 2026 carousel

ST. LOUIS – Matt Painter did exactly what you’d expect Matt Painter to do Sunday, when asked about becoming the fourth coach in Big Ten history to reach 500 career wins with his school.

He talked about his players.

“The one thing that gets lost at Purdue, because we don’t sign McDonald’s All Americans, is that our players are really good,” he said. “These guys have put in — I know coaches talk about it — but they've put in so much in all areas to be the best that they can be. And that's how you end up getting a lot of victories, because you have really good players that are committed.”

Voice of reason: On Miami (Ohio) schedule, Matt Painter is right — and the right person to say it

March Madness bracket hot takes: From Sweet 16 upsets to Final Four predictions

It was typical for Painter, whose thoughtful humility has underpinned so much of his success at Purdue. He’s become one of the most-respected voices of his sport, commanding that respect with both his results and his measured, considered positions on the game to which he’s devoted his life.

But whatever the merits of those talented and accomplished players (and there are, of course, many), they all share one throughline whose excellence speaks for itself, no matter how much he might try to deflect it.

As he joins Tom Izzo, Bob Knight and Gene Keady in that exclusive foursome, it’s time to acknowledge Matt Painter is a modern-day Big Ten legend.

Painter can parry all he wants. His work speaks for itself.

In addition to being just one of four coaches with 500 career wins leading a Big Ten program, he’s also one of six with double-digit NCAA appearances. His 17 match Keady, his mentor and former coach.

Painter is fifth — behind Knight, Izzo, Bo Ryan and Thad Matta — in career win percentage among coaches with at least 10 post-war seasons in the conference. He will almost certainly pass Keady in wins (and probably Tournament appearances) next season, and he’s on pace to pass Knight in about seven years. Possibly six.

He’s right about his players, of course. Braden Smith’s seizure of the all-time NCAA assist record this weekend is just the latest such accomplishment for a Painter-coached Boilermaker.

Two of the top four scorers in program history played for Painter, including all-time leading scorer Zach Edey. In total he counts five former players in the program’s top 11.

Three of Purdue’s top five and six of its top 10 all-time leading rebounders played on Painter teams. The Boilermakers’ all-time assist leader, of course, plays for Painter right now. His former charges have a monopoly on all sorts of single-season and career marks scattered throughout Purdue’s record book.

“When you go through and you recruit, you’re nor drafting people. They’ve got to say yes, too,” Painter said. “Learning how to pivot when you don’t get maybe your top guy, or the guy that you think, and just keep working toward getting the guys that have that high competitive spirit, that are about winning, that have a high skill level. It’s their passion.”

Here, attempting to praise his players, Painter in a roundabout way did the same for himself. Because great players don’t get there without great coaches, and if you lined those players up, probably to a man they’d tell you Painter is the central reason for their success.

Critics will point to the lack of a national championship. Dismissing for a moment that Painter has plenty of time to win his, that one line item alone does not make or break a resume. No one would reasonably argue Kevin Ollie has a better resume than Ryan, Matta, Keady or a host of others, simply because of a ring.

Painter is also plenty accomplished in the postseason.

Five times named Big Ten coach of the year, he’s won the conference tournament three times, including this month. He’s reached the second weekend of the Big Dance nine times. This year marks his second run of three-straight Sweet 16 appearances, something Keady and Knight each only managed once.

All of which also misses the fundamental point of this exercise. We’re not here to argue where Painter fits in the pantheon of Big Ten coaches. Time and score will sort that for us.

This is simply to say something that might be obvious to some — might be obvious to many — but still should be said out loud: Painter has entered that elite class. He is one of the true greats of a conference hardly short of them.

Maybe none of this needed written. Maybe you, the reader, already recognized Painter fit here.

But so much of our modern discourse has become an exercise in propping up by tearing down. Picking out the GOAT (an acronym my 8-year-old son claims he invented) by way of pushing aside everyone else.

We don’t appreciate greatness enough in its time. We don’t feat it properly until it has passed us by.

Greatness delivers annually in West Lafayette. Right now, and year on year. Matt Painter is one of the truly great Big Ten men’s basketball coaches of all time. If he won’t say it, we’ll do it for him.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Purdue's Matt Painter is a Big Ten legend, championship ring or not

Picking NCAA Tournament brackets are hard. Usually they end up in the trash can by the end of the first weekend.

Iowa's upset over Florida wiped out a large portion of the field. And Tennessee's win over No. 3 Virginia in the second round claimed the final last perfect bracket of the more than 35 million submitted in the major online challenges, including USA TODAY's.

So keep that in mind when taking a look at how our staff fared through March Madness' first two rounds.

March Madness bracket hot takes: From Sweet 16 upsets to Final Four predictions

Sweet 16 predictions: Experts pick who will advance in March Madness bracket

Grading our March Madness bracket predictions: Our best, worst picks

Blake Toppmeyer (full bracket)

• Round 1: 23 of 32
• Round 2: 11 of 16
• Sweet 16: Has 11 teams left
• Elite Eight: Has 5 teams left
• Final Four: Has all 4 teams left
• Champion: Arizona

Worst pick: He had BYU going to the Elite Eight. The Cougars didn't get out of the first round. We get it, AJ Dybantsa is really good. But he needed help.

Best pick: Called the VCU upset of North Carolina.

Matt Hayes (full bracket)

• Round 1: 24 of 32
• Round 2: 13 of 16
• Sweet 16: 13 teams left
• Elite Eight: Has 7 left
• Final Four: Has 3 left
• Champion: Arizona

Worst pick: Hurt most by Florida's second round exit. Matt had the Gators reaching the Final Four.

Worst pick II: Took a chance on McNeese as a sleeper Sweet 16 pick. The Cowboys lost to Vanderbilt in the first round.

Best pick: Had the High Point upset of Wisconsin.

Jordan Mendoza (full bracket)

• Round 1: 23 of 32
• Round 2: 9 of 16
• Sweet 16: Has 9 teams left
• Elite Eight: Has 6 left
• Final Four: Has 3 left
• Champion: Arizona

Worst pick: Picked Wisconsin to reach the Sweet 16. Badgers lost to High Point, so this was Jordan's low point.

Worst pick II: Took a chance on Akron as a sleeper Sweet 16 pick. Texas Tech zipped that up by 20.

Worst pick III: Swear we're not picking on Jordan, but he lost three Sweet 16 teams in the first round. He was a believer in AJ Dybantsa and BYU.

Paul Myerberg (full bracket)

• Round 1: 25 of 32
• Round 2: 13 of 16
• Sweet 16: Has 13 teams left
• Elite Eight: Has 7 teams left
• Final Four: Has all 4 teams
• Champion: St. John's

Brent Schrotenboer (full bracket)

• Round 1: 25 of 32
• Round 2: 11 of 16
• Sweet 16: Has 11 teams left
• Elite Eight: Has 6 teams left
• Final Four: has 3 teams left
• Champion: Florida

Worst pick: Lost his champion in the second round. Gator baited.

Worst pick II: Had UNC going to the Sweet 16. That looked good until Tar Heels blew 19-point lead in first round loss to VCU.

Worst pick III: Took a chance on Texas Tech. Shot himself in the foot.

John Brice (full bracket)

• Round 1: 26 of 32
• Round 2: 12 of 16
• Sweet 16: Has 12 left
• Elite Eight: Has 6 left
• Final Four: Has all four left
• Champion: Arizona

Best pick: The entire East Region. He got it all right.

Worst pick: Gonzaga to the Elite Eight. Not the first to be stung by the Zags.

Craig Meyer (full bracket)

• Round 1: 30 of 32
• Round 2: 13 of 16
• Sweet 16: Has 13 teams left
• Elite Eight: Has 7 teams left
• Final Four: Has 3 teams left
• Champion: Florida

Best pick: The entire top half of the bracket. Got every pick right so far in the East and West regions. That includes the High Point upset and Texas making the Sweet 16.

Worst pick: Craig was doing so well. But then the Gators bit him in the butt.

Eddie Timanus (full bracket)

• Round 1: 23 of 32
• Round 2: 9 of 16
• Sweet 16: Has 9 teams left
• Elite Eight: Has 7 teams left
• Final Four: Has 3 left
• Champion: Arizona

Worst pick: Had Wisconsin going to the Sweet 16. Tough break. Nearly every other Big Ten team made it.

Matt Glenesk (full bracket)

• Round 1: 24 of 32
• Round 2: 11 of 16
• Sweet 16: Has 11 teams left
• Elite Eight: Has 6 left
• Final Four: Has 3 left
• Champion: Florida

Worst pick: Florida winning it all? Ugh.

Worst pick II: Had Miami (Fla.) going to the Elite Eight. This Floridian got burned twice by Sunshine State.

Sweet 16 schedule, game tip times, dates

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

• 7:10 p.m.: No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 11 Texas (West), CBS
• 7:30 p.m.: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Iowa (South), TBS/truTV
• 9:45 p.m.: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 4 Arkansas (West), CBS
• 10:05 p.m.: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Illinois (South), TBS/truTV

FRIDAY, MARCH 27

• 7:10 p.m.: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 St. John's (East), CBS
• 7:35 p.m.: No 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan (Midwest), TBS/truTV
• 9:45 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State (East), CBS
• 10:10 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee (Midwest), TBS/truTV

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grading our March Madness bracket predictions: Our best, worst NCAA picks

The Dallas Mavericks lost 137-131 to the Golden State Warriors in an overtime thriller Monday night in Dallas. Cooper Flagg led all scorers with 32 points but a balanced Warriors attack and sloppy Mavericks miscues prevented the Mavericks from a feel-good win.

Dallas nearly blew the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Golden State 42-29 and taking a 15-point lead at one point. After halftime it was all Warriors, and a frantic comeback late in the fourth left Dallas with a chance to win on the final possession, only for Naji Marshall to miss a wide-open potential game-winning three. In overtime it was all Warriors.

Here are the numbers to know.

15: Combined turnovers for Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd continues to experiment with Cooper Flagg at point, and yet again the Mavericks ball handling woes bit them. Dallas actually shot the ball when when they got up a shot, the problem was they didn’t get up a shot enough — the team had 23 turnovers, with Flagg and Marshall responsible for 15 of them, Marshall having eight, Flagg having seven.

Those two were the perimeter players that touched the ball the most, and for them to cough the ball up so frequently really stalled the Mavericks out in the third quarter, which ignited the Warriors rally. Kidd throwing Flagg into the deep end of the pool, and it was frankly uncomfortable to watch Flagg sink a bit in the second half, when the Warriors full-court pressure forced multiple turnovers.

It’s a shame because Flagg did such a good job scoring, but the ball control was a major issue.

23-8: Warriors 2nd chance points advantage

Dallas shot nearly 60 percent from the field and 55 percent from three on 36 three point attempts. How did they lose? Well besides turnovers, the Mavericks gave up 17 offensive rebounds, good for 23 second-chance points from the Warriors.

No one on the Mavericks did well on the boards. Starting center Daniel Gafford only had five defensive rebounds in 32 minutes. Mavericks forwards PJ Washington and Cooper Flagg each had three defensive boards. So that’s 11 combined defensive rebounds from the Mavericks starting front court, so to speak (even if Flagg is running point). That’s just not good enough, and it cost Dallas.

8: Warriors in double digits

The Warriors are a very unique team, in which their offense is truly more than the sum of its parts — lots of cutting, lots of off-ball action, less isolations and direct pick and roll. It’s a fun system, tailored made to take advantage of Steph Curry’s almost limitless on-floor gravity off the ball. Even without Curry, like the Warriors were tonight, it can be impressive.

Golden State had eight players with 10 or more points, led by Moses Moody with 23 points. The one that jumped out the most, however, was Gary Payton II and his 17 points on perfect 8-of-8 shooting. Payton seemed to make the right play at the right time throughout the second half, including a giant corner three late in the game, along with two steals.

Payton is fun to watch when being utilized well — he was basically rim-running as a guard, and it threw the Mavericks offense off on multiple occasions.

What looked like the exclamation point on an incredible overtime performance from Moses Moody turned into a horrific injury. After the 23-year-old scary collapse, it barely matters that the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 137-131.

Moody had 23 points and sank four three-pointers in the win, turning up his intensity in the extra period. Moody hit a three, threw a beautiful pass to Gary Payton II for a layup, played solid defense and with just over a minute to go, stole the ball from Cooper Flagg. But what looked like an uncontested layup turned tragic when Moody’s left knee simply gave out as he tried to jump.

Moses Moody had to be carted off after appearing to suffer a leg injury on this play pic.twitter.com/qKgi0Y8RUZ

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 24, 2026

It’s hard to speculate about his specific injury, but it looked awful. The arena went silent, Steve Kerr covered his face, and Moody himself looked horrified, before he was wheeled off the court on a stretcher.

Warriors announcer Kelenna Azubuike said it reminded him of his own leg injury in 2009, when he ruptured his patella less than three minutes into a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, a game best known for Brandon Jennings hanging 55 points on the Warriors in his seventh NBA appearance. The injury and botched surgeries that followed effectively ended Azubuike’s career.

Moody is still only 23 years old despite being in his 5th NBA season, two years younger than Azubuike is. Regardless of the future, we can safely expect that Moody’s season is over. He was one of the Warriors’ best players this season, improving his scoring and rebounding, while making more than 40% of his threes. He averaged 15.9 points in February, capably stepping up his offensive contributions with Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler out.

The Warriors ended up in overtime thanks to a very nice second-half comeback and a very rough final four minutes of regulation, where the Warriors and Mavs took turns topping each other’s ridiculous turnovers. Naji Marshall duped Pat Spencer by sneaking in for a “Grand Theft Alvarado” steal, only to give the ball back a few minutes later by both traveling and double dribbling on the same play. Marshall also missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer with no Warrior within 10 feet of him.

Naji Marshall misses the open 3 and the Warriors can't convert the lob in the final seconds, sending the game to overtime!

📺 Peacock and NBCSN pic.twitter.com/YQ8ZfJ7dxv

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) March 24, 2026

The Warriors had eight players score in double figures despite De’Anthony Melton missing all six of his shots and committing seven turnovers. Melton ended up scoreless after missing three shots in the game’s first three minutes and basically deciding he didn’t have the range, though he still had three steals and six assists.

GPII shot 8-for-8 from the floor and scored 17 points,

Flagg scored 32 points and handed out nine assists in an impressive performance, though he may be only the second-best rookie Caucasian forward from Duke University this season. Though he hit a lot of big shots, the Warriors managed to force some turnovers late. Flagg finished with seven TOs, Marshall with 8. Center Daniel Gafford also shot 8-for-8 from the floor, Max Christie hit some big threes, and our old friend Klay Thompson sank five threes, once making Draymond Green wince after his shot fell, unhappy to be on the other side of one of those heaters.

Yessirrrrr 🫡

📺: @peacockpic.twitter.com/MyQM0mnmLn

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 24, 2026

The rookies were on fire from three-point range Monday. Will Richard was a perfect 4-for-4 from distance and LJ Cryer shot 4-for-6, crucial on a night where Gui Santos, Green, and Melton combined to go 0-for-13 behind the arc. Kristaps Porzingis gave another tantalizing glimpse at his potential in the offense, scoring 22 points, grabbing seven boards, and getting five assists, while playing 29 minutes.

There were positive moments up and down the roster Monday night, with some usual Warriors red flags: 24 turnovers, inexplicably leaving three-point shooters open to help off-ball, and mental lapses at the end of quarters.

For conspiracy theorists, the Mavericks were having an unusual amount of trouble wiping off sweat and keeping the floor dry. The end of the game really dragged because the Mavericks were sending out a three-man team to wipe floors at every stoppage of play, who seemed confused about what equipment to even use — towels, mops, and P.J. Washington’s shoe were all tried — and why they couldn’t keep the floor dry. Bob Fitzgerald couldn’t believe how much more competent the Detroit Pistons’ army-like crew of sweat fighters from earlier in the road trip.

Moody didn’t appear to slip; it looked like his knee buckled. But it’s hard not to see the desperate toweling efforts as foreshadowing the freak accident that would come minutes later.

Get well, Moses Moody. This season’s list of casualties to continues to grow. The Warriors are one win away from clinching a play-in spot. What a world.

The Golden State Warriors can't catch a break this season when it comes to the injury bug.

After receiving news that Stephen Curry has made "good progress," the Warriors seemingly lose another player to injury.

Moses Moody went down with a gruesome, apparent knee injury during the Warriors' 137-131 overtime win against the Dallas Mavericks.

Moody got a clean steal, poking the ball away from Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg with 1:15 remaining in the overtime period.

Moody was all alone on a fast break when he exploded to the rim for a dunk. It appeared his knee gave out on him, which caused him to land awkwardly. He never attempted the shot.

Moody stayed down and was carried off of the court on a stretcher. He received a MRI at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game.

"I saw his leg buckle and saw him go down in a heap in pain," Kerr said. "We don't know what it is, but it sure looked bad, and it's just hoping for the best. You know, whatever the best case scenario is that's what we're all hoping for. But it looked bad."

Moody missed the Warriors' previous 10 games with a sprained right wrist. He ended the game against the Mavericks with 23 points on 8-of-20 shooting, including four made 3s. He also added three steals and two blocks.

"He was brilliant, by the way, played so well defensively, changed the game for us, or, you know, with his ball pressure, and knocked down big shots," Kerr said. "So great to finally have him back, you know, after he missed whatever it was eight or 10 games and then for that to happen, like I said, we're just praying that it's not too serious, but it sure looked serious."

Social media reactions to Moody's injury

Players reacted and consoled Moody on the court as he was taken off. Many others took to social media to react to Moody's injury. Please be advised that some of the following images are graphic.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody has non-contact knee injury

Normally the Rockets scoring 124 in regulation time would signal a win. Normally, though, the team wouldn’t give up 41 points in the first quarter, while only scoring 21 points themselves. That’s truly awful offense AND defense. The deficit would grow to over 22 points, but the Rockets, to their credit, did in fact come back in this one, and take the lead in the fourth quarter*.

This game, though, definitely had a “Make or Miss” aspect to it. The Bulls shot 38 three pointers and made 19 of them for a robust 50% average. The Rockets shot 41 three pointers (Wow!) and made 11 of them (Wow…) for a less than robust 27%. The Bulls shot 28 free throws and made 23 of them for 82%. The Rockets shot 24 free throws and made 15 of them, for 63%. Those are the kind of numbers that will rarely get it done on either end of the court. And yet the Rockets almost did get it done. If not for a late flurry of made three pointers by the Bulls the Rockets might well have won this one.

That we’re talking about the Rockets valiantly coming back from way behind to the 28-42 Bulls is a bit sad, but the Bulls do have a solid offense. Though they’re not a good team, the Bulls offense is second in the NBA in pace, and averages 116 points per game, two points per game better than the Rockets 114. They’re much better with Josh Giddey in their lineup as well, as he’s missed around 25 games this season, and is probably their best player. They won’t make their usual play in game assignment with Atlanta and Miami, but that’s likely due to the aforementioned absence of Josh Giddey, rather than a steep fall from mediocrity. All this to say, the Bulls aren’t terrible and are at least a good to decent offense.

The game ended up wasting very good efforts from Alperen Sengun, who scored 33pts on an impeccable 16-19 shooting, including 1-3 from three point range, along with 13 rebounds and 10 assists to two turnovers, as well as two steals and a block. The past few games have seen a return to Alpie looking more like the All Star and often dominant player. Some of this might be a return to health, and some other factors might play into it as well, to be covered elsewhere.

Amen Thompson, due to Reed Sheppard starting again, played off ball, and spent much of his time as a pure downhill attacker, without point guard responsibilities, and in the dunker’s spot, where he’s simply a terror. He scored 23 on 8-12 shooting, went 7-9 from the free throw line, mostly from attacking into contact, added 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. This was one of the best looking overall Thompson games I’ve seen in a while.

Kevin Durant, also largely freed of initiating the offense from the exact same place, the exact same way, every time, scored a mere 40 points, going 15-23, 5-10 from three, adding 7 rebounds, 5 assists (to 4 turnovers) and nearly won the game with clutch makes down the stretch, before being called for a real, but ticky tack, push off on an inbounds play late, when the Rockets still had a chance to comeback.

On the negative side in terms of scoring were Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith. The two combined to score 19 points in 70 minutes. Reed was 5-17 shooting overall, and an uncharacteristic 3-14 from three point range. He added 5 rebounds, 6 assists, but had 4 turnovers, as well as 4 stocks (2 each). It wasn’t an awful game from Reed, and I think his presence with the starters has helped enable some of the great games we’ve seen recently from Sengun, Amen and KD. But he’s still a raw PG, and the learning curve remains steep.

Jabari was just not good tonight. He didn’t score until late in the game, and was 2-10, 1-7 from three point range, and only managed 5 rebounds. Worse still was Tari Eason, whose slump has turned into a full on collapse. I hope it’s a health issue, as he’s shooting 31% for the month of March, and about 8% from three point range, on 33 attempts. Yes, eight percent.

The near unplayability of both Tari and Dorian Finney-Smith is really hurting the Rockets. JaeSean Tate made a return tonight, and the Rockets need him. Why Josh Okogie got only 3 minutes tonight, despite the clear ineffectiveness of Eason and DFS in 20 minutes combined is another Ime Mystery. Josh is shooting 40% from three this season, and is a good defender. The Rockets bench contributed next to nothing.

The season is winding down, and every win is crucial for playoff position. The Rockets needed to get it done tonight, and almost doesn’t do that, despite the comeback being a lot of fun to watch. There might be something happening with the offense, but with 11 games left, it had better happen quickly.

The Rockets head to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves, who have also been slumping lately. That win would get them the tiebreaker with the Wolves.

*The Rockets own a commanding lead over the entire NBA with 16 blown fourth quarter leads as of tonight. That’s more than several teams combined totals! With 11 games remaining there’s still a chance of catching the record 22 blown 4th quarter leads held by the immortal 2010 Sacramento Kings. It would take a kind of reverse miracle, fortunately. Still, august company you’re keeping there, Rockets and Ime.

Jordi Fernández was a big fan of the Brooklyn Nets’ performance against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday evening, a hard-fought game that resulted in a 126-122 Kings victory.

The head coach described it as “very positive,” and it was easy to see why. Ben Saraf turned in a career-best performance as did Malachi Smith, Ziaire Williams handled more on-ball opportunities well, and the team only turned it over seven times. Aside from Danny Wolf’s gnarly ankle sprain, the only uneasy moment was how close the Nets actually came to winning: about two inches of wingspan that Drake Powell doesn’t have. Alas, Brooklyn lost, taking a huge step to securing (at least) the 3rd-best NBA Draft Lottery odds.

The second half of their back-to-back went much differently. Sunday’s game was always going to be a nail-biter. Meanwhile, Monday night’s game tipped off at 10:10 p.m. ET, and the game did not end until after 12:30 thanks to a whistle parade Nic Claxton returned from a one-game rest absence, but Drake Powell and Terance Mann joined Wolf and Noah Clowney on the injury report, in addition to the MPJ/Sharpe/Dëmin trio nursing long-term injuries back on the East Coast.

Infomercial breaks between quarters would have been appropriate.

Pregame, Fernández emphasized the importance of handling Portland’s ball pressure on offense and protecting the paint on defense. I thought the team played fairly hard given the rough scheduling circumstances — Fernández disagreed — but they did not execute in either of these areas. The Nets committed 22 turnovers in this one, though the Blazers committed 24 themselves. In any case, the footage is not headed to Springfield.

Similarly, Brooklyn couldn’t protect their paint, though with the absence of every non-Clax big on the roster, they trotted out some small lineups. There were even some shining moments early on, like Nolan Traore blocking Donovan Clingan in help…

Nolan has made a ton of impressive plays at the rim this season but this is near the top. Fantastic anticipation/hands: pic.twitter.com/Jpg597XIYb

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 24, 2026

But the Blazers took 40 free-throws, led by Deni Avdija taking a dozen. The hosts also shot 25-of-37 in the paint, whereas Brooklyn once again could not score against the 7’2” Clingan in drop coverage. Nic Claxton shot just 4-of-10 for his ten points, while Traore took the bagel — 0-of-9 on the evening with a couple tough shots over Cling Kong. The Nets shot just 20-of-44 in the paint, though Chaney Johnson did provide one major highlight…

CHANEY JOHNSON WITH AUTHORITY pic.twitter.com/2lz9SM0y0l

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 24, 2026

Johnson was one of seven Nets who reached double-digits on the evening, though his five turnovers put a damper on the box score. His lack of size at the center position finally came to a head, outside of that one transition dunk.

It wasn’t too surprising that Brooklyn struggled to score on the interior; what really turned the game into a blowout was the 3-point shooting disparity. Tyson Etienne got hot in the fourth quarter, actually leading the team in scoring with 18, while Josh Minott shot 2-of-4 from deep and Williams’ only make was a 4-point play, but as a team, the Nets shot just 8-of-29 from three.

On the other side, Camara made nine by himself. Yes, Toumani Camara scored a career-high 35 points, shot 9-of-11 from deep, and by garbage time, he was really feeling himself, taking heat-checks from the logo and tween-tween pull-ups…

9/11 from 3 tonight. What a performance from Toumani Camara. 👏🎬 pic.twitter.com/iUhYoCQngX

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 24, 2026

“I was feeling like Damian Lillard,” said the man of the hour. He was looking like it too. His opponent was not. The Nets did not shoot well from two or three; they turned it over a ton.

When Fernández got asked where the game went “off track,” he did not mince words: “At every level. We got outplayed. We lost every single quarter. So, no excuse of any kind. The second-chance, the free-throws, the points off turnovers ended up being even, but we lost the possession game. We lost the physicality part of it, the effort, everything.”

And there you have it. Jalen Wilson reached double-figures in his first start of the season, as did Claxton, and Ziaire Williams scored another 16 points on just seven FGAs, but this was not a memorable evening. After two equally exciting but very different games against the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings, we were due for this. These end-of-season exercises in futility weren’t all going to be easy on the eyes.

Final Score: Portland Trail Blazers 134, Brooklyn Nets 99

Tankathon Update

The Indiana Pacers beat the Orlando Magic thanks to a game-saving block by Pascal Siakam on Monday night. They have 16 wins, as do the Washington Wizards. The Brooklyn Nets have 17 wins. The Nets play each of those teams one more time this season.

Which means that Brooklyn controls its own tanking destiny. Well, at least before a coin flip. (Teams that finish with the same end-of-season record are subject to a coin flip to determine how many precious ping pong balls they get.)

Here’s an updated look at the standings, courtesy of Tankathon…

Next Up

The Brooklyn Nets continue their West Coast road trip by visiting the Golden State Warriors. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Toumani Camara had career highs of nine 3-pointers and 35 points to help Portland beat the Brooklyn Nets 134-99 on Monday night, the Trail Blazers’ largest margin of victory this season.

The Nets have lost eight straight and 18 of the last 20. Brooklyn (17-55) is a game behind Indiana (16-56) and a half-game behind Washington (16-55) for the best draft lottery odds.

Camara made 10 of 12 shots from the field.

Deni Avdija scored 18 points and Scoot Henderson had 13 points, five assists and four steals for the Trail Blazers. Donovan Clingan finished with 15 rebounds, seven points and seven blocks.

Camara, who was featured on commemorative glassware as part of a Trail Blazers’ giveaway, banked in his first 3-pointer off the glass and hit his first eight 3-point shots, going 9 for 11 from distance.

Tyson Etienne led the Nets with 18 points, Ziaire Williams added 16 and Josh Minott 15.

Murray converted a three-point play with 4:48 left in the first quarter that gave the Trail Blazers the lead for good and sparked a 13-2 run that made it 28-18.

Ben Saraf converted two free throws that made it a three-point game with 4.7 seconds left, but Jrue Holiday answered with a layup three seconds later and Portland scored 11 of the first 12 points in the second quarter.

The Nets trailed by at least nine points the rest of the way.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Toumani Camara had career highs of nine three-pointers and 35 points to help Portland beat the Brooklyn Nets 134-99 on Monday night, the Trail Blazers’ largest margin of victory this season.

The Nets have lost eight straight and 18 of the last 20. Brooklyn (17-55) is a game behind Indiana (16-56) and a half-game behind Washington (16-55) for the best draft lottery odds.

Camara made 10 of 12 shots from the field. Deni Avdija scored 18 points and Scoot Henderson had 13 points, five assists and four steals for the Trail Blazers. Donovan Clingan finished with 15 rebounds, seven points and seven blocks.

Camara, who was featured on commemorative glassware as part of a Trail Blazers’ giveaway, banked in his first three-pointer off the glass and hit his first eight three-point shots, going 9 for 11 from distance.

Tyson Etienne led the Nets with 18 points, Ziaire Williams added 16 and Josh Minott 15.

Murray converted a three-point play with 4:48 left in the first quarter that gave the Trail Blazers the lead for good and sparked a 13-2 run that made it 28-18. Ben Saraf converted two free throws that made it a three-point game with 4.7 seconds left, but Jrue Holiday answered with a layup three seconds later and Portland scored 11 of the first 12 points in the second quarter. The Nets trailed by at least nine points the rest of the way.

Robert Williams III (knee-injury management) did not play and Jerami Grant (foot soreness) missed his second consecutive game for the Trail Blazers.

Danny Wolf (ankle), Drake Powell (knee-injury management), Terance Mann (rest), and Noah Clowney (right wrist sprain) did not play for the Nets. Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring) missed his seventh straight game.

Up next

Nets: At Golden State on Wednesday.

Trail Blazers: Host Milwaukee on Wednesday.

According to the Utah Jazz, they’ve signed Bez Mbang to a second 10-day contract.

We have signed guard Bez Mbeng to a second 10-day contract.

Details 📰👇https://t.co/oTwEc7SWUY

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 23, 2026

Mbeng has been a fun story for the Jazz as he’s provided nice defense and great energy while he’s been on the floor. We’ll see if he continues to get 10-day contracts but it wouldn’t be surprising, he’s fit in well with what the Jazz are doing and brings a defense-first mindset the team needs.

This does make you think that Utah wants him in their system. I wouldn’t be surprised if this means Utah has him on the upcoming summer league team and maybe at training camp. If Mbeng can improve his game enough, he might be able to earn a potential two-way contract next season. Whatever happens, you can tell that Mbeng is playing his heart out and is realizing a dram of playing in the NBA. What would be even more cool is that he plays his way into a contract. We’ll see if that eventually happens but this is a good first step towards that.

Down Giannis, Kevin Porter Jr., Kyle Kuzma, and Cam Thomas (who was waived), the Milwaukee Bucks got their asses handed to them by the LA Clippers in a 129-96 blowout. Gary Trent Jr. led the Bucks with 20 points on 6/10 from deep, while Kawhi Leonard dominated for the Clippers with 28 points.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

Both teams got off to a rocky start from a shooting standpoint, but it was Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard who threw the first punch, combining for the Clippers’ first nine points, grabbing a four-point edge over the Bucks after about four minutes. Then LA went cold for a stretch, allowing the Bucks to stay close via Ryan Rollins’ driving and Myles Turner’s shooting. Bobby Portis checked in and provided his usual spark, but it was the Clippers’ bench crew of Kris Dunn, Jordan Miller, Kobe Sanders, and Isaiah Jackson who sparked the home team to a 28-24 edge after one.

LA punched Milwaukee in the mouth to open the second, going on an 8-4 run as Doc called for a timeout just 1:31 into the period. Kobe Sanders benefited multiple times from the Bucks failing to match up in transition, bombing away for his third three of the night to put LA up 39-30. The Bucks kept the Clippers from extending their lead by more than about 10 for a good amount of time, but the talent of Garland and Leonard proved too much to handle, and the home team ballooned its advantage to 16 halfway through the period. For one, the Bucks couldn’t score, but also, they were back to their high-turnover ways, giving it away nine times in the second quarter alone. Like a boa constrictor, LA continued to squeeze the life out of Milwaukee to end the quarter, increasing their lead to 24 off the back of more Leonard dominance. Clips up 71-47 at half.  

Well, if the wheels hadn’t fallen off already for Milwaukee, they did in the third, losing the quarter 37-20. The first eight minutes were dominated by old friend Brook Lopez, who nailed four triples (each followed by his signature celebration) along with a fadeaway jumper. Kawhi continued to cook, getting up to 28 points before he was done for the night. For reference, the Bucks began the quarter shooting 1/11 from the floor; they also shot their first free throw at the 3:59 mark (on a technical foul, no less) since the first quarter. Before long, we had Andre Jackson Jr. minutes, which meant garbage time had started early. LA up 108-67 after three.

TyTy Washington Jr., another old friend, was a beneficiary of garbage-time minutes as the Clippers increased their lead to 45 in short order to open the final frame. There were some nice finishes from Ousmane Dieng, some nice passes by AJax, and some nice threes by Gary Trent Jr. to finish the game. However, nothing else to write home about other than that. Before long, Thanasis checked in for his customary run around, and that was it. A good old-fashioned butt-whooping in a year to forget.

Stat That Stood Out

Milwaukee’s turnover-itis returned, giving the ball away 22 times.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Toumani Camara had career highs of nine 3-pointers and 35 points to help Portland beat the Brooklyn Nets 134-99 on Monday night, the Trail Blazers' largest margin of victory this season.

The Nets have lost eight straight and 18 of the last 20. Brooklyn (17-55) is a game behind Indiana (16-56) and a half-game behind Washington (16-55) for the best draft lottery odds.

Camara made 10 of 12 shots from the field. Deni Avdija scored 18 points and Scoot Henderson had 13 points, five assists and four steals for the Trail Blazers. Donovan Clingan finished with 15 rebounds, seven points and seven blocks.

Camara, who was featured on commemorative glassware as part of a Trail Blazers' giveaway, banked in his first 3-pointer off the glass and hit his first eight 3-point shots, going 9 for 11 from distance.

Tyson Etienne led the Nets with 18 points, Ziaire Williams added 16 and Josh Minott 15.

Murray converted a three-point play with 4:48 left in the first quarter that gave the Trail Blazers the lead for good and sparked a 13-2 run that made it 28-18. Ben Saraf converted two free throws that made it a three-point game with 4.7 seconds left, but Jrue Holiday answered with a layup three seconds later and Portland scored 11 of the first 12 points in the second quarter. The Nets trailed by at least nine points the rest of the way.

Robert Williams III (knee-injury management) did not play and Jerami Grant (foot soreness) missed his second consecutive game for the Trail Blazers.

Danny Wolf (ankle), Drake Powell (knee-injury management), Terance Mann (rest), and Noah Clowney (right wrist sprain) did not play for the Nets. Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring) missed his seventh straight game.

Up next

Nets: At Golden State on Wednesday.

Trail Blazers: Host Milwaukee on Wednesday.

___

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