Category: Basketball

Yikes.

On Sunday night in downtown Minneapolis, the Minnesota Timberwolves got boat-raced yet again, this time against the Charlotte Hornets 122-108. It is the Wolves’ third straight loss, bringing their season record to 46-32.

The Wolves were again without Anthony Edwards, who scored just eight points on 3-15 shooting on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Edwards has now missed eight of the past ten Timberwolves outings as he deals with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome in his right knee.

Minnesota played well for large portions of the game. The Wolves were on fire from beyond the arc in the first half, as they shot 10-21 from deep, including four from Bones Hyland, who put one in at the halftime buzzer to give his team a five-point lead.

🚨 BIZZY BEATS HE BUZZER 🚨 pic.twitter.com/TiCMQJpN62

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 6, 2026

The game remained close until late in the third quarter when the wheels completely fell off the wagon for the Timberwolves. Down by one, Ayo Dosunmu fouled Coby White on a 3-pointer. White knocked down the first two free throws, but missed the third. The Wolves were unable to secure the rebound as the Hornets found White for another 3-pointer, which he knocked down for a five-point possession.

That five-point possession ended up being a microcosm of the entire night. The Wolves gave up a total of 16 offensive rebounds in the game and got double-upped 24-12 by the Hornets in second-chance points. The rebounding problem has been a trend of late for Minnesota, as they now rank 22nd in defensive rebound percentage since the All-Star Break.

That five-point possession ended up being the turning point in the game as Charlotte used it to propel them to a 15-0 run that put the game out of reach. The second half as a whole was a disaster for Minnesota, as after scoring the first two points with two Dosunmu free throws, they got outscored 47-21 to turn a modest seven-point lead into a 19-point deficit.

Each loss during this three-game losing streak for the Wolves has come, in part, because of a giant second-half run by their opponent. On Thursday, the Detroit Pistons outscored the Wolves 18-3 during the fourth quarter, on Friday, the 76ers had a 40-18 run in the third quarter, and now tonight the Hornets blitzed the Wolves down the stretch of the third quarter and into the fourth.

The Wolves are now 6-9 in their last 15 games, sporting the third-worst offense in the NBA during that stretch. While the Wolves have certainly dealt with injuries during that stretch, including Edwards, Dosunmu, and Jaden McDaniels missing multiple games, it is not a good sign that Minnesota has been so deficient on offense when a starter or two has been out of the lineup.

One major reason for the Wolves’ offensive struggles has been the play of Naz Reid. Tonight’s game was possibly Reid’s worst of the season as he scored just six points while missing 11 of his 14 shots. At the start of February, Reid was averaging 17.7 points per game, but has only scored 11.5 a game since. During that time, he is shooting a paltry 27.2 percent on 3-pointers.

“I’m not 100% sure about the shoulder, I think that’s a question you’re going to have to ask him.” Chris Finch said about Reid’s nagging shoulder injury that he’s dealt with most of the season. “Tonight, it was finishing at the rim to start. His first six shots were in and around the paint, tough shots he usually makes. He finally saw one go in and then the 3-point shot, I think he’s just rushing it a little bit, just trying to steer it in.”

Finch elaborated on the team’s struggles overall, saying, “It feels like we’re a million miles away from the team that we can be and that we are. We gotta get that back with our connectiveness and our spirit, and we gotta have some guys just play better.”

This weekend’s game has also brought a lot of clarity about what the Wolves’ seed and playoff opponent will be. The Timberwolves are now overwhelmingly likely to be the sixth seed for the second straight season, as three games separate them in the loss column from both the teams above and below them in the standings.

The Denver Nuggets have also caught up to tie the Los Angeles Lakers for the third seed. While the Lakers do have the tiebreaker, it seems unlikely they can keep pace with the Nuggets as both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves will miss the rest of the regular season, and possibly longer.

It appears it may be time to start mentally preparing for another playoff series between the Nuggets and Timberwolves.

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Up Next

The Timberwolves head back out on the road for another three-game road trip. It starts with a matchup against the Indiana Pacers, who have had an injury-riddled season with a record of 18-60 since losing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals a year ago. The game begins at 6:00 PM CT and airs on FanDuel Sports Network.

Highlights

CLEVELAND — It wasn’t pretty, but the Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to escape with a 117-108 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Thomas Bryant said something in the locker room before Sunday’s game that presumably got the team fired up. Although neither he, James Harden, nor Donovan Mitchell would reveal what that was.

“I’m not saying that.”

Whatever it was, it worked, at least for Bryant.

Bryant didn’t disappoint in his first start with the Cavs. He provided infectious energy on a night the team desperately needed it.

“That’s just how he plays,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “If we’re playing a pickup game tomorrow at our practice facility, he’s going to play the same. He’s going to talk, he’s going to yell and scream. … But it’s good to have a good game against your former team.”

Bryant agreed. He said it “felt good” to get the start and pour in 14 points on 6-9 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and two assists, with both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen missing the front end of a back-to-back due to rest.

“He gets us going every night,” Mitchell said. “There’s a level of consistency with him.”

The Cavs desperately needed that level of consistency, considering all the players they were missing. They rested Mobley (calf), Allen (knee), and Sam Merrill (hamstring) in addition to being without Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (toe). That’s five guys right there that are a part of your playoff rotations, which includes your starting front court and their depth.

It’s irresponsible to draw declarative conclusions from how this team looks when none of the five-man lineups — even this starting lineup — should be sharing the court in the postseason. And if the Cavs are forced to run out groups featuring Larry Nance Jr. and Nae’Qwan Tomlin because of injuries, they likely aren’t going to be reaching their postseason goals.

That said, it’s concerning that the Cavs are running into the same issues no matter who is on the court.

Indiana has one of the worst records in the league and has an incentive to make that record even worse, considering the convoluted protections on their first-round pick. That’s why they only dressed nine players for this game, and started two guys on two-way contracts.

Still, Indiana’s hustle and commitment to trying to play the right way defensively stood out. The Cavs were once again a step slow on that end, and the communication wasn’t crisp. This led to easy shots and defenders with their palms up in frustration after the ball went through the net.

It’d be easy to explain this away as the Cavs being down so many key players. However, this is something we’ve seen with this group for the last several weeks, no matter who’s in the lineup.

Cleveland locked in late defensively. They surrendered just 17 points in the fourth quarter, paving the way for what ended up being a mostly stress-free victory.

Atkinson attributed the turnaround to getting energy from a group captained by Nance, Tomlin, and Craig Porter Jr. “That was the group that shifted the momentum,” Atkinson said. “Larry and those young guys changed the complexion of the game.”

It also helped to get superstar performances from both Mitchell and Harden.

Mitchell was able to get into the lane at will in his 38-point outing. He went 14-18 (77.7%) on shots in the paint, which included going 10-12 (83.3%) at the rim.

The only thing that could stop him was turning his ankle late. Afterward, he insisted that he was fine. Hopefully for the Cavs sake, he is. They need him at this level if they want to meet their postseason goals.

Harden, conversely, made sure to keep the offense on track. This included quarterbacking the offense late to ensure it ran smoothly.

“He’ll take what [the defense] gives him,” Atkinson said about how Harden runs the offense in the clutch. “He’ll make the right play. That’s why our clutch rating is so good.”

This was only a clutch game briefly (games within five points in the final five minutes), but the Cavs’ offense was superb down the stretch. They scored 11 points in three minutes late that took things from a four-point game to a 1-point advantage, effectively ending the game.

This has been nothing new; the Cavs have the third-best offensive rating in the clutch (131.9) since Harden’s debut. That bodes well for a team that has previously struggled to close playoff games offensively.

Despite scoring 28 points and having seven assists, Atkinson was most impressed with Harden’s defense to the point that he remarked to his staff during the game that “he’s our best defender” this evening.

“I was thrilled with his defense tonight,” Atkinson said of Harden. “He’s sitting down, he’s guarding. … He’s so solid. He’s always in the right place. Got great hands, smart as heck. I’ll take that any day of the week. … He really knows his personnel, right? He knows who he’s got to close out too hard. He knows who he can back off of. He just manages the game defensively.”

As mentioned at the top, it’s difficult to take too much from this game. Despite injury scares to Mitchell (ankle) and Max Strus (wrist), the Cavs seemed to have escaped this game mostly unscathed. That’s what matters on a night like this when one more win ensures them home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, and there’s little to play for.

“The most important thing for us is getting healthy,” Harden said. “When we do that, we can figure everything else out.”

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg recorded his second consecutive impressive game and made history in the process.

Flagg scored 45 points in a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center on Sunday, April 5, becoming the first rookie to score 40 points in a game against LeBron James.

Flagg got off to a fast start, going 7-of-10 from the field for 19 points in the first quarter. He then finished the first half with 26 points.

James finished with a team-high 30 points as the Lakers continue to march toward the postseason without the services of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. While Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that will sideline him for the rest of the regular season, Reaves suffered an oblique injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks. Doncic's status for the postseason is not yet known.

In Sunday's game, Flagg and James made some history together. They are the first players in NBA history to score 20 or more points in the same game, with one player aged 40-plus and another a teenager, according to the NBA.

Coming off a career-high 51 points on April 3, Flagg is also the first rookie since Allen Iverson during the 1996-97 season to score 40 or more points in back-to-back games, according to the NBA. Flagg has four 40-plus point games this season and is averaging 20.8 points per game.

Here’s a breakdown of Flagg's performance against the Lakers on Sunday:

Cooper Flagg stats vs. Lakers

• Minutes played: 39
• Points: 45
• FG: 14-for-27
• 3PT: 2-for-4
• FT: 15-for-17
• Rebounds: 8
• Assists: 9
• Steals: 2
• Blocks: 1
• Turnovers: 2
• Fouls: 2

Mavericks vs. Lakers highlights

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg points: How did Dallas Mavericks rookie do vs. Lakers

The Lakers are as shorthanded as they can be, their dynamic starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injuries at a pivotal time of the season.

They're the offensive engines for a Lakers team battling for the No. 3 playoff seeding in a competitive Western Conference.

The 41-year-old LeBron James is now driving the Lakers, and despite falling just a rebound shy of a triple-double, he couldn't save the Lakers from a 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at American Airlines Center.

Read more:Lakers' Austin Reaves out for rest of regular season with oblique strain

James had 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds. Luke Kennard delivered his first career triple-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.

Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, coming off a 51-point performance against Orlando on Friday, finished with 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. He scored 19 points in the first quarter.

“Obviously, Cooper is in a zone over the last couple of games,” James said. “But [he] also has been playing consistent basketball all year so it’s great to see him from early in the season to where he is today.”

For the Lakers, finding ways to win without two of their best players will be their challenge over the final week of the season.

“We've got to have the commitment to do it on both ends and that's the reason that we've put ourselves in the position to be in the playoffs," Redick said, "because we became a really good offensive team and a really good defensive team."

Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be out the remainder of the regular season — maybe even longer.

Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, confirmed to The Times that his client will seek specialized treatment for his injury in Europe with the hopes of speeding up his recovery.

Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and will be out for the rest of the regular season, and likely into the playoffs. The time frame for Reaves' return is more like four-to-six weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak on the matter.

“I took my nap after practice and I woke up with that news and it was like another shot to the [head],” James said about Reaves' diagnosis. “It was a shot to the heart, obviously, and to the chest and to the mainframe with Luka, understanding that."

Even Marcus Smart, known for his competitiveness and defensive tenacity, missed his seventh straight game with right ankle soreness.

With Doncic and Reaves out, the Lakers lose a combined 56.8 points per game and 13.8 assists per game. Doncic is fourth in the NBA in assists, with 8.3 per game, and he’s second on the Lakers in rebounding, at 7.7 per game.

“We knew that Austin was likely going to be out for a little bit of time," Redick said. “Obviously, disappointed and devastated for him to have his regular season finish this way. ... Both those guys are going to try to come back and it's our job to extend the season so that they can come back.”

The Lakers have four regular-season games left, starting with Oklahoma City on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. They play at Golden State on Thursday before facing the Phoenix Suns in L.A. on Friday.

The Lakers are tied with the Denver Nuggets for third in the West at 50-28, although the Lakers own the tiebreaker. The NBA playoffs starts the weekend of April 18.

With that in mind, Redick was asked if he had an optimistic view of Doncic being back for the playoffs.

“I just know that he's gonna do everything he can to try to be back,” Redick said. “I talked to him Friday. I talked to him again yesterday. I talked to him again this morning. He's going to go through all the necessary things to be back at some point, and it's our job again to extend the season so both those guys can get back.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It's a full go for Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg and Connecticut's Solo Ball in the Men's NCAA Tournament national championship game on Monday night.

Both Lendeborg and Ball were left off their team's respective NCAA initial player availability reports that were released at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, per the NCAA's guidelines. There will be an additional player availability report released two hours before tomorrow night's tip-off inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Wolverines and the Huskies are set for an 8:50 p.m. ET tip-off on Monday. It's the first meeting between both since the 2015-16 season, when they met in the Bahamas for a multi-team event tournament in November.

REQUIRED READING: Michigan vs UConn prediction, spread: Who is favored to win national championship?

Lendeborg sustained an injury with just under nine minutes left in the first half of the semifinal game when he appeared to twist his ankle after stepping on the foot of Wildcats forward Motiejus Krivas while going to the basket for a layup. It'd later be known that Lendeborg suffered a sprained MCL of his left knee and an injured ankle.

Ball told reporters on Sunday in Indianapolis that he sustained what UConn coach Dan Hurley described as a "some type of foot sprain," his injury in the first half when he got tangled up with Tarris Reed Jr. on a ball screen. He was seen in a walking boot on Sunday.

"I'm doing everything I can to prepare for tomorrow," Ball said on Sunday to reporters.

Michigan is looking for its first men's basketball national title since 1989 on Monday, while UConn is looking to add to its blue blood status with a third national title in the last four seasons.

Here's a full look at both UConn and Michigan's initial injury report for Monday's national championship game:

Men's NCAA Tournament national championship game player availability report

Michigan

• LJ Carson (OUT)
• Winter Grady (OUT)

UConn

• No one mentioned

Michigan-UConn national championship time, TV channel

• Date: Monday, April 6
• Time: 8:50 p.m. ET
• TV channel: TBS | TNT | truTV
• Streaming options: March Madness Live app | Sling TV

Michigan and UConn will tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET on Monday, April 6 inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. TBS will broadcast Monday's national championship game. There will be simulcast broadcasts on TNT and truTV as well. Streaming options for the game include the March Madness Live app (with a TV login) and Sling TV.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yaxel Lendeborg, Solo Ball off Michigan-UConn injury report

No Luka Dončić, no Austin Reaves, no problem. Cooper Flagg took center stage on Sunday in a nationally televised game as the Dallas Mavericks (25-53) outlasted the Los Angeles Lakers (50-28) at American Airlines Center, 134-128. The Mavericks had lost 14 straight home games entering the contest but finally broke through the night they faced a Lakers team whose top two scorers were on the bench injured.

Flagg killed the Lakers for 45 points and this time added nine rebounds and eight assists to lead Dallas past the hobbled Lakers. LeBron James scored 30 points and dished 15 assists for LA in the loss and came up one rebound shy of another triple-double in the loss.

Flagg started the game right where he left off after Friday’s 51-point outburst, hitting three of his first four shot attempts, including his first two over Jake LaRavia. His First 3-pointer was a make from the left corner just 3:19 into the game to give the rookie seven points as the Mavericks jumped out to an early 14-7 lead. That 6-for-9 night from distance on Friday wasn’t just an aberration, apparently.

Flagg was fouled by Luke Kennard on his second 3-point attempt of the game and hit all three free throws. When he’s not hesitant, he’s beginning to see that good things happen for the Mavs. He scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first quarter, the most he’s scored in an opener this year on the most shot attempts he’s hoisted in an opener this year.

Klay Thompson nailed a 3-pointer near the top of the key with .7 seconds left in the first to give Dallas a 41-30 lead at the end of one. Dallas built a lead as large as 22 points early in the second quarter, going up 58-46 on Flagg’s fourth assist of the half for a Khris Middleton 3-pointer, but the Lakers outscored the Mavs 25-9 over the last eight-plus minutes of the second quarter to close it to 67-61 at halftime.

Dallas responded in the third quarter, behind 10 more points from Flagg and a late surge from Brandon Williams off the bench, and carried a 107-97 lead into the fourth. Los Angeles promptly cut that lead to five points, down 112-107 on LaRavia’s running dunk in transition on James’ 11th assist of the game with 8:45 left in the game.

Flagg is pissed

Flagg obviously did not appreciate the results of Friday’s ESPN straw poll among likely postseason award voters that saw Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel firmly in the lead in the Rookie of the Year race. He became the youngest player to eclipse the 50-point mark in an NBA game in a 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday and followed that up with 45 against the Lakers.

His aim with six games left in the regular season was clearly to take all choice out of the voters’ hands. We’re watching this Pokemon morph into something inevitable before our very eyes.

Flagg scored 19 points in the first quarter, giving him a combined 43 points in his last two quarters following his 24-point explosion in the fourth quarter on Friday against Orlando. After making just 2-of-6 from the field in the second, Flagg scored 10 points in the third to give him 36 points in the game.

Cooper 41pts!!! pic.twitter.com/k2dcZVldgQ

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) April 6, 2026

He drove past Jaxson Hayes on the Mavs’ first possession of the fourth for a bucket at the rim and a three-point play to put him at 39 points and give the Mavs a 112-100 advantage. He hit a turnaround jumper over Kennard with about four minutes to play to eclipse the 40-point mark for the second straight game — except on Sunday he added eight rebounds and nine assists to the stat line.

Gafford leaves with late injury

Gafford left the game and went straight to the locker room early in the fourth quarter after skying for a rebound over Rui Hachimura. He grabbed at his right shoulder as the Mavs played 4-on-5 basketball on the offensive end for one possession and was taken out of the game with 9:30 left to play.

The shoulder has bothered Gafford for the last couple of games. This season has been a rough one for Gafford, and it might be time to shelf him for the final four games of the season.

Williams and Washington show up late

Brandon Williams took off in the second half, helping the Mavs respond every time the Lakers made a run at the lead. He scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half with the Mavericks searching for offense down the stretch.

Still, the Lakers crept back within six points, down 121-115 with just over four minutes to play. Flagg was inserted back into the game and drew the defense to him, kicked it out to Washington waiting along the sideline and watched as Washington sank his third 3-pointer of the game to give the Mavs some much-needed breathing room late in the proceedings. It was Flagg’s ninth assist.

Washington finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, and Williams chipped in 13 with five assists off the bench in the win.

After a whirlwind weekend, the shorthanded Lakers gave it a go in Dallas but a huge start from the Mavs paved the way for them to pick up a 134-128 win.

Behind Cooper Flagg, who finished with 45 points, the Mavericks raced out to a lead as large as 22 points at 58-36 in the first 15 minutes of the game. While the Lakers got back into the game and got with a possession multiple times, they could never get over the hump.

With both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves out for the foreseeable future, the Lakers had a lot of figuring out to do and struggled at times throughout the day. Points off turnovers also crushed the Lakers as Dallas turned 12 LA turnovers into 21 points.

It was a very slow start offensively for the Lakers with possessions alternating between awkward misses and turnovers. The lone points through the opening nearly four minutes was a Rui Hachimura corner 3-pointer as LA trailed 10-3.

Back-to-back LeBron drives and finishes ignited the Lakers’ offense a bit, but Dallas immediately scored on each successive possession, forcing an early timeout from head coach JJ Redick with LA down 14-7.

LeBron and Rui were all the Lakers had offensively, carrying the Lakers back into the game at 22-21. Dallas responded with a Cooper Flagg-led run as he scored 19 first-quarter points. A Klay Thompson three at the first quarter buzzer gave Dallas a 41-30 lead heading into the second period.

Empty possessions from the Lakers to open the period allowed the Mavericks to continue punishing the Lakers, extending their lead to 48-30 before Redick called another timeout.

Flagg’s stepback 3-pointer out of the break extended Dallas’ run to 13-0 as the deficit reached 21 points. Even when LA scored, which they did on a pair of Hayes free throws, a LeBron turnaround and a Hayes layup, they were not getting any stops defensively to allow them to cut into the deficit.

Eventually, LA got a couple of those stops, leading to consecutive dunks from LeBron to cut the deficit to 14 and force the Mavs into a timeout. LeBron continued doing all he could, knocking down a three, extending a stretch in which he scored or assisted on the Lakers’ last 17 points.

LEBRON WITH TWO SLAMS IN JUST 18 SECONDS!

📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/EYHXeqeUyu

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 6, 2026

That run only ended because he checked out of the game, but Rui picked up the scoring burden with a baseline jumper. Redick was playing an extended rotation with Nick Smith Jr. coming in late in the second as the 11th player to see time for LA. The only active players who did not play in the first half were Adou Thiero and Dalton Knecht.

Late in the half, Luke Kennard knocked down a corner 3-pointer before LeBron converted on an and-one in transition, trimming the lead all the way down to six points heading into the half.

Via Mike Tirico on the NBC broadcast, this is the 1st time in NBA history that a teenager and a player over 40 have had 20 points apiece in the same NBA game. It happened in the first half.

LeBron (age 41) had 22 points on 9 of 11 FG's.
Cooper Flagg (19) had 26 on 9 of 16 FG's.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 6, 2026

Halftime: Mavs 67, Lakers 61

LA outscored DAL 25-9 over the final 8:38 of the first half. LeBron James scored or assisted on 18 of those points. He’s up to 22 points and 4 assists. Rui Hachimura has 14 pts. Luke Kennard has 7 asts. TOs and fast-break points have kept DAL ahead.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 6, 2026

A run featuring baskets from Kennard, Deandre Ayton, LaRavia and LeBron to open the third made it a two-point game. Flagg was not slowing down on the other end as he reached 30 points for the 10th time this season, keeping Dallas up by five.

PJ Washington, Naji Marshall and Daniel Gafford combined for Dallas’ next run to force another Lakers timeout.

Kennard secured his first career triple-double with a lob to Ayton, but it was the only basket amidst a Mavs’ run that extended the lead to double digits again. A LaRavia step-back 3-pointer to beat the shot clock buzzer cut it to six again, but Flagg had an and-one on the other end in response.

A lack of stops defensively made it a struggle for the Lakers once more, one that was exasperated by LeBron heading to the bench late in the period as the lead reached 11 again. LA survived as long as it could before bringing LeBron back, but LA could never mount a run as Dallas led 107-97 going into the fourth.

Third quarter: Mavs 107, Lakers 97

LA has hung around but not been able to get over the hump whenever they’ve been within a few points. LeBron has 25/5/9. Luke Kennard has his first career triple-double (11/12/10). Jaxson Hayes has provided a big boost with 15 pts off the bench.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 6, 2026

Hayes tipped in a basket to open the fourth, but back-to-back baskets from Dallas had the lead at 13 points. LA got to the line on consecutive trips to make it a seven-point game again and a no-look fastbreak dish from LeBron to LaRavia forced a Mavs timeout at 112-107.

Turnovers continued to be a killer for the Lakers as Dallas had turned them in 21 points, the last two coming off an errant Hayes pass that led to a Washington layup and a Lakers timeout with LA down nine points again.

A back-breaking sequence saw the Mavs get multiple second-chances before a Washington layup put them up 10. A pair of freebies from LaRavia and an and-one dunk from Hayes pulled LA back within five with just over four minutes remaining.

LA’s run was short-lived as Washington hit a corner 3-pointer and Flagg returned to the game for a turnaround jumper over Kennard to give him 41 points and put Dallas up 10 with 3:26 left, effectively icing the game. The Lakers’ offense struggled to find consistent baskets and fouls at the end of the game just delayed the inevitable as the Mavs picked up the win.

Key Player Stats

LeBron did all he could on the night, finishing with 30 points on 12-22 shooting with nine rebounds and 12 assists. Kennard notched his first career triple-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.

Rui’s hot start saw him finish with 21 points. Hayes had 23 points off the bench and Deandre Ayton tallied 13 points. LaRavia finished with 14 points.

The Lakers will host the Thunder on Tuesday with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. PT.

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

I was very tempted to tally every Jazzman tonight to a D or lower, but I had to remind myself who we’re dealing with. No one who is sane thought there was possibly a conceivable chance that the Jazz could have the hope of maybe winning this game by a long shot. The Jazz defense crumbled under OKC’s 24 triples on 53.3% efficiency. They withstood a crushing 146-111 defeat in the Thunder’s territory.

It was a one-sided battle that the Jazz knew they needed to give up. No more funny business. It was time for the most brutal psychological battle with the Sacramento Kings. The constant looming threat of falling out of the top-3 puts both teams at a deadlock, to lose out on the rest of the season or pray for what comes after. Or at least, that’s what it is in theory, because no one on this planet has any idea what the Kings are doing.

Despite the lack of excitement for what was displayed on the court Sunday night, I shall do my due diligence to rate these players fairly, who are mentally strong enough to consider playing, despite knowing that all their hopes of victory were pointless.

Brice Sensabaugh – A

I will never stop believing in Brice Sensabaugh, and 34-point nights while attempting to maintain a respectful score against an OKC juggernaut is going to help the case. He locked onto catch-and-shoot threes, attacking the basket when it was open. We shall forgive your defensive sins on Resurrection Sunday.

Kyle Filipowski – B+

There’s no doubt that Flip’s been on a heater, scoring 22.6 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game before tonight. This is no longer the same player who looked invisible out there on the floor. You could say he…flipped expectations. No? I’ll see myself out.

After a slow start, Filipowski stringed together his third double-double in four games. He battled against the 7-foot towers — Chet and Hartenstein — that await him inside the paint. It was some ugly efficiency, netting 8 of 20 shots and shooting 0 of 5 from beyond the arc, but I’m leaving this disaster with something.

Ace Bailey – B+

A quiet night for Ace Bailey, sporting 14 points, 2 assists and 3 stocks in 33 minutes. I am, however, going to bump him up an entire grade for this beautiful chase-down block.

Have a feeling we'll be seeing more of these chasedown blocks from Ace Bailey in the years to come… pic.twitter.com/uLyeCL72SH

— Eric Spyropoulos (@EricSpyroNBA) April 5, 2026

Cody Williams – D

I am now under the expectation that Cody Williams is a 20-point player, and I will not be convinced otherwise. When he doesn’t hit that benchmark, I won’t be so lenient. Only 8 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists on 3-11 shooting for the family member of Jalen Williams today.

When is the next time you’re going to see Cody first-option hoops? These are limited opportunities he has to take advantage of.

Oscar Tshiebwe – C+

There’s tanking. Then there’s the anomaly known as Oscar Tshiebwe. He put up a triple-single 4-4-2 in 20 minutes as a starter. I don’t blame him for what he could produce when matched up against the basketball equivalent of the Galactic Empire, but his time on the Jazz is dwindling.

SVIATOSLAV MYKHAILIUK – B+

Float like a butterfly, sting like a Svi. It was an explosive 11-point first half for him, but the basketball gods were not in Svi’s favor in the latter, shooting 2-7 from the field in the second half. Whether we see him in Utah’s final three games of the season is up in the air. But if this was it, it was an honor, Mr Mykhailuk.

Kennedy Chandler – C-

Chandler got the short end of the stick after his first single-digit performance back on Friday. His second 10-day contract tenure could not be going worse. 5 points and 5 assists in 20 minutes.

John Konchar – A

Konchar plays a simple, straightforward brand of basketball. Thus, I shall grade him based on his elite simplicity: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. He stuck to his strengths and is proving his worth for a roster spot next season.

Sacramento Kings – A+

None of what you just witnessed tonight would have been possible without the help from Sacramento, who are now tied for the fourth-best odds. Truly, thank you, Kings, for playing a 36-year-old DeMar DeRozan in an April game against the Pelicans.

Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 38 points and James Harden poured in 28 as the Cleveland Cavaliers let their star-studded backcourt carry the team past the Indiana Pacers 117-108. Obi Toppin and Micah Potter led the way for Indiana with 21 points each.

In what has become a tradition for the Cavs this season, they lallygagged their way through the first three quarters against an inferior opponent and relied on a huge fourth to win the game. The Cavs trailed by three points at the half, allowed the Pacers to put up 33 in the third, and then slammed the brakes in the fourth by allowing just 17 points en route to a nine-point victory.

The Cavs were without Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, instead relying on a front court of Max Strus and Thomas Bryant, who combined for 18 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists. Despite having a sizable portion of their rotation out due to injury, the Cavs were still double-digit favorites heading into the game, in large part because the Pacers are angling for a lottery pick and have no incentive to put their best lineups out there. And yet, despite this, the Cavs still had trouble putting them away.

Mitchell’s 38 points, six rebounds, and six assists qualify as another superstar effort. He played brilliantly, shot very efficiently (16-27 from the floor), and displayed what makes him one of the best overall players in the league.

WHAT A MOVE BY DONOVAN MITCHELL 😲 pic.twitter.com/vxILztyK9o

— NBA (@NBA) April 5, 2026

The issue though is that the Cavs once again should not need Mitchell to drop a near 40-piece to come back against a Pacers lineup that features all bench players. To make matters even scarier, Mitchell landed awkwardly after a three-point attempt in the fourth quarter and was walking a little gingerly after it, although he said he was fine afterward. Given that the Cavs are now just one game away from clinching home court in the first round of the playoffs, it would not be surprising to see Mitchell’s minutes (and the rest of the core four, for that matter) decrease to near zero.

Prior to tonight’s game, head coach Kenny Atkinson said the team is not set on having Max Strus as the team’s starting small forward going forward. And, after the performance he put up, that was probably the right decision. Strus was just 1-10 from the field and a team-low -8 in the +/- department. Atkinson said the team expects Jaylon Tyson back for the playoffs, which begin in 13 days, but it is concerning that he was also described as being “behind” Dean Wade in terms of recovery timeline. Both Tyson and Wade would be candidates to start at small forward.

The bench had an interesting game, with Craig Porter, Larry Nance Jr., and Dennis Schroder getting at least 20 minutes each. They combined to have a +/- of 27, but the counting stats are nothing flashy. Nance’s 22 minutes were the most for him in a single game since November 2nd, when he had 24 against the Atlanta Hawks.

With the Cavs all but locked into the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, setting up for a date with the Atlanta Hawks, the final few games may look different. To make things even more interesting, the Cavs will play those same Hawks twice in the final four games. However, the Cavs lead them by 3.5 games, and the odds favor Cleveland maintaining their positioning.

It is a quick turnaround for Cleveland, who head to Memphis for a game on Monday night against the Grizzlies. Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m EST.

The Utah Jazz lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a final score of 111-146 in a game that was never particularly close.

In a matchup of the Williams brothers, the older, more All-Star of the two, won handily. Jalen Williams finished with 15 points and 7 assists in only 26 minutes, whereas the younger Cody Williams finished with 8 points on 3-11 shooting.

The Thunder’s offensive onslaught featured a balanced attack from its scorers. Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Cason Wallace led the bench with 16 points. And the thunder received double-digit scoring from four others, including 11 from former Utah Ute Brandon Carlson.

Utah, down 43 at one point, was led by Brice Sensabaugh’s 34 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Interestingly, Svi Mykhailiuk, who was unshackled from the bench for the second time in nearly 20 games, took the opportunity to put up 16 shots, 14 of which were threes. Unfortunately for Mykhailiuk, only six of those attempts went in. Kyle Filipowski pitched in 20 points and 14 rebounds, albeit on 10-15 shooting from the field.

With this loss, the Jazz remain tied for fourth in the draft rankings. Utah continues their road-trip in New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Tuesday.

The San Antonio Spurs were handed their first loss in ten games by the Denver Nuggets. San Antonio looked stout against the former champions for most of the game, until costly mistakes down the stretch led to a 136-134 loss.

The clash between two of the league’s best players, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, made this a must-watch game. On a day with two Final Four games, it was the Spurs and Nuggets who put on the best basketball display. Both Wembanyama and Jokic put up monster stat lines, going at each other all game long. Jokic got tough shots to go over Wembanyama on his way to 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists. Wembanyama fought through double-teams and physicality to give the Spurs an edge, despite ultimately failing to leave Denver with the win.

It was a preview of what could be ahead for both teams. Denver will either need to secure the third seed or defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder to face San Antonio in the playoffs. The Nuggets are +210 to make the Western Conference Finals, and the Spurs are -170 on FanDuel.

As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.

Victor Wembanyama

40 minutes, 34 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 8-for-17 shooting, 2-for-6 threes +4

Wembanyama put up big stats and was a few inches away from hitting a game-winner at the end of regulation. If it weren’t for Wemby, the Spurs would not have been in the game. However, he made some mistakes late in the game that held the team back. He miscommunicated a switch with Julian Champagnie at the end of regulation, leading to a wide-open Aaron Gordon dunk. He made a similar error on the dagger floater from Jokic in overtime.

Offensively, it’s hard to blame much of the loss on Wembanyama. San Antonio’s late-game offense would likely be better if he got better looks than fadeaways off elbow isolation plays. He’s facing two to three defenders every time he touches the ball in the clutch. But critical defensive errors late in the game cost the team the victory. It’s a good lesson for him to learn in the long run, and he had a really good game overall. He’s deserving of an A grade.

Grade: A-

Stephon Castle

40 minutes, 20 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 turnovers, 6 fouls, 9-for-17 shooting, 0-for-4 threes, -10

Castle thrived offensively for most of the game. If one of his spot-up three-pointers falls, as they have been since the All-Star break, the result may have been different. He was incredibly active defensively, chasing Jamaal Murray around on the perimeter. He’s still struggling with turnovers, and when the jumper isn’t falling, teams don’t respect him from deep. The Nuggets actively played off him in clutch time on Saturday.

It would be nice to see Castle more involved in the offense late in the game. Can you trust him in the pick-and-roll late, given his turnover issues? Will teams just sag off him in actions, daring him to shoot? Maybe. But he’s been one of the team’s best offensive players all season. He should have some sets run for him late in games.

Grade: B

De’Aaron Fox

40 minutes, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 7-for-19 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, +7

Oof. Okay, here we go. Fox was not very good on Saturday, particularly at the end of the game. The two moments everyone will point to are the airball against Gordon late in the game and the botched lob into the missed five-footer. Gordon is a stout defender, and it’s tough to get a good look against him. I’m willing to give him a pass there. The lob looked to be a bit late, but Vassell deserves some blame there (more on that later). Missing the bunny immediately after is a tough break.

Fox’s role on the team is to be a secondary scorer and a steadying hand in the clutch. He has done that for most of the season. He did not do that against Denver. He didn’t hit shots, wasn’t effective defensively, and was even off handling the ball. They need Fox to be better in the playoffs if they want to make a deep run.

Grade: C–

Dylan Harper

20 minutes, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 5-for-7 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, -1

Harper was solid off the bench. He gave the Spurs a bit of a scoring punch off the bench, but not as much as he typically does. His heave three at the end of the game pumps his stats a bit. He made rookie mistakes, too, like shooting a three over Jokic rather than driving on him later in the game. He continues to struggle with guarding physically on the perimeter without fouling. There are some things to clean up here, but this was a pretty standard game for a rookie in a high-leverage situation.

Grade: B

Julian Champagnie

33 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 6-for-12 shooting, 6-for-9 threes, +2

The Spurs hit shots against Denver. Champagnie was a major part of that. He hit big-time threes when left open, including one to take the lead in overtime. He, of course, was a part of the defensive mistake alongside Wembanyama that led to the game-tying dunk. Ultimately, Champagnie’s job is to hit open shots, and he did that on Saturday. San Antonio will need more of that come playoff time.

Grade: B+

Luke Kornet

13 minutes, 0 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 foul, 0-for-1 shooting, -6

It was a fairly quiet game for Kornet. The Spurs needed Wembanyama in the game for long stretches to match up with Jokic. That meant a lot of Kornet on the bench. When he was in the game, he struggled. He got scored on inside and wasn’t an offensive difference maker. With Jokic playing so well, maybe a French Vanilla lineup would have given the Spurs two big bodies to throw at him. Perhaps Mitch Johnson is saving that look for the playoffs.

Grade: C

Devin Vassell

39 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 6-for-14 shooting, 3-for-8 threes, -10

Vassell hit shots against Denver, but was also involved in one of the toughest plays of the game. If he catches and finishes the lob from Fox, even if it wasn’t a perfect pass, the Spurs probably win the game. All things considered, he did about all you can ask from a role player in a high-stakes game, but that one mistake stands out.

Grade: B

Harrison Barnes

17 minutes, 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3-for-4 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, +2

Barnes also hit shots when the Spurs needed him to. He was frustrating to watch defensively. The Nuggets spammed corner threes when Barnes was in the game. It felt like he was slow to close out to the corner all game long.

Grade: B

Keldon Johnson

17 minutes, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 3-for-10 shooting, 0-for-6 threes, -3

Johnson was given a tough task on Saturday. He was the primary Jokic defender when Wembanyama was used as a defensive roamer. Jokic abused that matchup, as he should. Offensively, the Spurs really could have used a three or two from KJ. He missed some wide-open looks against Denver. Overall, it was an off game for Johnson.

Grade: C

Carter Bryant

5 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 foul, +5

Bryant played fairly well in his limited minutes. He played sound defense and didn’t make any major errors offensively. It’s hard to make much of an impact in five minutes, though.

Grade: B

Monday’s Inactives: Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller

With the Golden State Warriors all but locked into a play-in spot as the 10th seed, the likelihood that they will enter the playoffs outright is looking dimmer and dimmer, even with the return of Steph Curry to the lineup tonight against the Houston Rockets. Even if the Warriors survive the play-in gauntlet, they will find themselves facing the defending champions in a seven-game series that will more than likely knock them out and into an early vacation.

With that in mind, some have begun to look toward the offseason, with one question prevailing: Will the Warriors acquire a star to bolster their roster? SB Nation asked Warriors fans that very question; here’s how they responded:

Warriors fans are generally pessimistic that the Dubs will acquire a star this offseason. With Curry’s career winding down, the organization has hard decisions left to make: Will they go all in on with Curry while he still can provide high-level play as a main option? Or will they shift toward a rebuilding phase?

What do you think the Warriors will do? Head on over to https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba to voice your opinion.

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Indiana Pacers on Easter Sunday.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

38 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal

This was the Donovan Mitchell show. He set the tone immediately by attacking the paint on every other possession. Mitchell ended the game with a career-high 28 points in the paint, 38 points total before rolling his ankle in the closing minutes.

Let’s hope he’s okay.

Grade: A+

James Harden

28 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block

Harden stepped back and buried countless jumpers over the Pacers today. There aren’t many moves in the league that are more unguardable than that. Indiana looked hopeless trying to contain him — especially when Harden was using his gravity to create openings for his teammates.

He finished the game hitting 5-11 three-pointers, giving the Cavs enough offensive juice to get over the hump.

Grade: A

Keon Ellis

13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal

The Cavs needed Ellis to hit a few three-pointers today. He was the only Cavalier other than Harden to connect on 3+ three-pointers. That extra boost was needed, not only because the rest of the team struggled, but because Ellis himself hadn’t hit that many outside shots in a game since March 13.

Ellis had been shooting 8-32 from deep in his 10 games before this.

Grade: B+

Max Strus

4 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

Strus had a rough night. He was tangled up more than a few times and suffered an injury to his left wrist as a result. He shot 1-710 from the floor and bricked a dunk.

He avoids flunking this one because of his contributions elsewhere.

Grade: D+

Thomas Bryant

14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

This is why the Cavs signed Bryant in the summer. Gone are the days of having no viable option in the case of losing both Mobley and Allen to injury. Bryant stepped up and hung a double-double on his former team to help the Cavs win this game.

Can you rely on Bryant as the starting center in a playoff series? No. But eating innings in the regular season is nothing to scoff at. The Cavs have been needing this.

Grade: A+

Craig Porter

5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks

Porter’s been phased out of the rotation lately. This was his first time playing 20+ minutes in more than a month. I’d say he handled it well, attacking the glass and throwing a bullet pass to the corner for a Nae’Qwan Tomlin three-pointer. More on that later.

Grade: B+

Dennis Schroder

6 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds

Schroder can be erratic at times, but this was one of his more neutral games. He was a steady presence, shooting 2-6 from the floor but not sticking out at any point.

He matched Harden as a team-high plus-12, for whatever that’s worth.

Grade: C+

Larry Nance Jr

6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block

Nance hasn’t played nearly as big a role as I thought he would when the season began. That said, this was a solid showing from the veteran forward. He had some rough moments, but he also nailed a three-pointer and dunked all over the Pacers at one point.

His three steals, one of which came at a key point in the fourth quarter, helped the Cavs win this game on the margins.

Grade: B

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block

Tomlin hasn’t been able to stay on the court recently, as his lack of a three-point shot has buried him in the rotation. Well, he converted on a big one tonight in the fourth quarter. It was only his 22nd make on more than 100 attempts this season. But I’d argue it was his most impactful one.

Grade: C–

A shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers beat an even more depleted Indiana Pacers team. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

WINNER – Next Man Up

This was one of the larger injury reports you’ll see for an NBA game. That’s saying something in today’s age.

Cleveland wasn’t as banged up as the Pacers, who were missing more than half of their roster due to injury. But the Cavs were still knackered enough to be without five rotational players. That puts a strain on any team.

Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Jaylon Tyson, and Sam Merrill were all out today. That meant the Cavs would need a ‘next man up’ mentality to pull out this win, regardless of the opponent.

I can’t say it was perfect. Both the offense and defense struggled at various points. A few role players missed the mark and weren’t able to be super productive in their opportunities. But helpful contributions from Dennis Schroder, Craig Porter Jr., and Keon Ellis made up the difference. Even Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who is shooting 20.4% from deep this season, nailed a huge shot in the fourth quarter.

Thomas Bryant, who started as the lone big man in place of Allen and Mobley, put up 14 points and 10 rebounds on 6-9 shooting against his former team. His dunk at the end was a cherry on top.

Beggars can’t be choosers in these situations. Would you have liked to see the Cavs run up the score and obliterate an inferior opponent? Sure. Yet given the circumstances, this was a hard-fought win that was made possible by support from Cleveland’s deep reserves.

LOSER – Three-Point Defense

I don’t want to beat a dead horse. We’ll make this quick.

The Pacers opened this game by shooting 6-8 from downtown in the first five minutes. That’s… never going to be acceptable. The Cavs failed to set the tone in this game, and once a team gets rolling, it’s much harder to slow them down.

Per usual, it was a mixture of good shooting from the Pacers and poor defensive communication that led to Indiana’s hot start. But in this league, giving an inch often comes with your opponent taking a mile. Cleveland must do a better job of stopping this trend before it starts.

The Cavs eventually tightened up defensively and did enough to get this job done. It’s just worth mentioning that this has been a consistent issue for the team.

WINNER – Bagcourt

As mentioned, the Cavs were down key players for this game. That puts some onus on James Harden and Donovan Mitchell to carry even more weight than usual.

They handled that with ease.

Mitchell quickly made his presence felt by relentlessly attacking the paint. He finished with 38 points, 28 of which were in the paint, setting a new career-high for a single game.

The Cavs felt like they had an advantage inside, even without Mobley and Allen. That allowed Mitchell to knife into the lane and finish below the rim throughout the game. This is a skill that can be overlooked by Mitchell’s electric three-point shooting. He’s still one of the best below-the-rim finishers in basketball, and it’s always a treat when he makes an extra effort to attack the basket.

Harden took a different approach. He launched an aerial assault, bombarding the Pacers with step-back three-pointers and earning multiple trips to the line on jump-shot attempts. At one point, Harden had 21 points on just 9 field goal attempts. That’s pretty efficient.

In total, the two guards combined for 66 points and 13 assists on 24-44 shooting. With other stars across the league at risk of being ineligible for end-of-season awards, it’s possible the Cavs backcourt could both land All-NBA nods this year.

Dusty May will be the coach at Michigan beyond Monday's Men's NCAA Tournament championship game.

In a statement to Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel put speculation and rumors around May as North Carolina's potential next head coach to bed.

It had been reported by multiple outlets on April 5 that May, a reported top candidate in the Tar Heels' search, had told Michigan he was not looking to take a different job.

Yaxel Lendeborg injury update: Michigan star says he'll play in national championship

"We had a great conversation about his future at Michigan and my commitment to him, his staff and his team," Manuel told the Detroit Free Press on Sunday evening. "Thrilled to have him continuing to lead our men's basketball team and to have Anna [his wife] and his family remain in Ann Arbor.

"His focus and mine is on the game Monday night versus UConn."

May fielded multiple questions about his name being tossed into the North Carolina job search at the Final Four in Indianapolis, but never named the Tar Heels directly in his responses.

"After last year, I decided I'll never respond to any job speculation. I had already agreed to terms with Michigan, was 100% done, and I made the comment that I was flattered about a certain job opening because of my background, and that was misconstrued, so I just decided I'm never going to comment on any job that I don't have," May said on Friday, April 3 in a media availability.

REQUIRED READING: Can UConn beat Michigan? Huskies have a better chance than you think

"I think it's well documented how happy I am at Michigan. Obviously, my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. I love it at Michigan, but you'll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go, and then I'll comment on every job."

In two seasons under May, the Wolverines have quickly jumped back up to the top of the Big Ten standings. Last season, Michigan improved its win total by 19 games under May from a year prior and made it to the Sweet 16, where it lost to Auburn.

This year, the Wolverines have been one of the top programs in the country for much of the season. He led the program to the Big Ten outright regular season title and a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance for the fourth time in program history.

As noted by USA TODAY, May signed a new contract with Michigan in February 2025, just under a year after he became the Wolverines' next coach. His current deal is through the 2030 season, according to his contract obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

His base salary for the 2025-26 season was $4.6 million and will see an increase to $4.85 million next season if his current deal doesn't change, which seems likely to happen after the type of season the Wolverines have had.

Monday night's national championship game at 8:50 p.m. ET inside Lucas Oil Stadium against No. 2 UConn will be the first May has coached in, and the program's first since they lost to Villanova in 2018. The Wolverines cruised through their Final Four semifinal over No. 1 Arizona, even with Yaxel Lendeborg sustaining multiple injuries and playing through them.

Should the Wolverines win April 6, it will be the first men's basketball title for the Big Ten in over two decades, with the last one coming from their in-state rival, Michigan State, in 2000.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dusty May staying at Michigan, won't seek UNC basketball or other jobs