Jonathan Kuminga was trying to throw a first court pass to teammate Jock Landale at the end of the third quarter in the Atlanta Hawks vs. Dallas Mavericks game on Wednesday night when something amazing happened: he accidentally hit one of the longest shots in NBA history.
Kuminga couldn’t believe it, and immediately put his hands on his head in shock. Landale instinctively held his arms close to his chest so that no one could accuse him of interfering with the ball. The Hawks are living right at the moment — their 135-120 win over Dallas was their 11th straight victory — and this shot proves it.
You need to see every angle of Kuminga’s shot. Fortunately, this video that the Hawks — or excuse me, the HaWWWWWWWWWWWs — tweeted during the win has them all. This is the eighth longest shot in NBA history, and Kuminga didn’t even mean to hit it. Unbelievable.
The Hawks got Kuminga at the trade deadline. I liked the move better for the Golden State Warriors at the time with the addition of Kristaps Porzingis, but it’s clear Kuminga really just needed a change of scenery. Kuminga had 16 points and five rebounds off the bench in the win. His numbers are a little better so far in Atlanta in similar minutes, and it will be fascinating to see if he’s part of their long-term plans this summer.
Either way, Kuminga already has a legendary moment as a Hawk. Atlanta may never lose again if they’re making shots like this.
We really needed more proof, huh? Well, now we have it.
Miami (Ohio) belongs.
Not just in the First Four, but in the 64-team bracket most of us consider to be the real tournament.
The selection committee put Miami on the doorstep. Good enough. The RedHawks moved SMU out of the way and busted down the door en route to the first round.
In winning a First Four game, 89-79, with blistering shooting, Miami served more proof – seriously, why did anyone think we needed more proof? – that the best midmajor teams belong in the NCAA Tournament, even if they don’t win their conference tournament.
Miami poured in the points and buried one 3-pointer after another, one night after Texas and N.C. State piled up bricks. As Miami’s fans reveled in the stands after the latest deep bomb, it occurred to me that this was the most entertaining the First Four has ever been in 15 years of its existence in Dayton, Ohio.
Bruce Pearl pretends he 'expected' this performance from Miami (Ohio)
And all Bruce Pearl could do was chuckle like a cartoon character at halftime, with a silly grin on his face, after Miami drilled 10 first-half 3-pointers.
“This is kind of what we expected to see,” Pearl said.
Sure you did, Bruce.
Some of us might have expected this, but you didn’t. At least, Pearl acted as if he didn’t think much of Miami as he shilled for Auburn, which employs Pearl and his son.
Using his TNT-provided stage as a pulpit for propaganda, Pearl repeatedly trashed Miami leading up to the Tournament, shamelessly feigning that an Auburn team (coached by Pearl’s son, I’m sure that’s a coincidence) that barely finished above .500 would make a worthy tournament pick, while pretending Miami might finish last in the Big East.
That was a bigger load of bull even than anything Pearl’s ever told the NCAA.
Pearl couldn’t possibly have believed half the hogwash he served. He’s a lot of things, but he’s no idiot.
Still, Pearl’s relentless scrutiny of Miami kicked a hornet’s nest. More loons came out of the woodwork to question whether a 31-1 team deserved a bid, or whether it should go to a 12th-place team from a Power conference amid a woefully weak bubble.
Well, now Miami’s 32-1, after lighting up a Power Four opponent that couldn’t duck them.
Miami (Ohio) continues legacy of midmajor upsets in March Madness
And, we shouldn’t be surprised. We’ve seen this repeatedly, and not just from Miami. The best midmajors belong – of course they do. They don’t always prevail, but they win often enough in these games that nobody could have possibly believed Pearl’s nonsense that a Division I team with 30-plus victories would finish last in a Big East that’s not very good.
Miami answered all the naysayers, so emphatically that there’s really only one question left: How far can it go?
Consider No. 6 Tennessee on upset alert.
Who can forget VCU, in 2011, going from First Four to Final Four?
Wally Szczerbiak, anyone? The RedHawks of Wally World reached the Sweet 16 in 1999 as a 10-seed.
Or, how about Manhattan? The Jaspers were the last-team-in to what was then a 64-team bracket in 1995. Fran Fraschilla’s team, seeded No. 13, toppled Oklahoma.
“The tournament selection committee (is) not as dumb as people think,” Fraschillatold reporters afterward, adding that “it is nice to show people we deserve to be here and can play with anyone.”
The best midmajors keep proving that, too, even as their credentials are questioned.
Power Four teams hesitate to play teams like Miami in the regular season, and the little guy’s strength of schedule suffers, even as wins pile up. But, there’s no ducking the Miamis of the world in March, at least so long as the selection committee keeps recognizing that winning nearly all of your games warrants a bid, no matter what the bobbleheads say.
The late Billy Packer just about lost it on Selection Sunday in 2006 when George Mason slipped in as an at-large 11-seed. After George Mason rattled off four straight wins to reach the Final Four, in one of the greatest Cinderella stories ever, Patriots fans chanted Packer’s name.
And in the second half of this game, a pro-Miami crowd going bananas in the stands chanted, “Let’s go RedHawks! Let’s go RedHawks!”
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Kaemyn Bekemeier had 22 points and 13 rebounds on Wednesday night, Lainie Douglas added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Missouri State beat Stephen F. Austin 85-75 at the women's First Four.
No. 16 seed Missouri State (23-12), which has won at least one game in each of its last four NCAA Tournament appearances, plays top-seeded Texas in the Round of 64 on Friday.
Missouri State shot 48% (33 of 69) and outrebounded SFA 50-30 to overcome 19 turnovers, which the Ladyjacks converted into 22 points.
Stephen F. Austin (25-10) has lost eight consecutive NCAA Tournament games since a 73-72 first-round win over Xavier in 2000.
Missouri State used a 9-0 run to take the lead for good late in the first half. Angel Scott capped the spurt with a 3-pointer that made it 45-37 with 1:55 to go in the second quarter.
Ashlyn Traylor-Walker scored 23 points and Aziyah Farrier had 13 points and nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals for SFA. Harmanie Dominguez hit three 3-pointers and finished with nine points. Dominguez extended her program record for single-season 3s made to 100 — third most in Division I this season.
Maiesha Washington scored 18 points, Kendal Brueggen had 13 points and nine rebounds and Faith Lee added 10 points for the Lady Bears.
Scott, who finished with three points, played two seasons for the Ladyjacks, helping them advance to the 2022 NCAA Tournament and the 2023 WNIT.
The Lady Bears are in the Big Dance for the 18th time and first since 2022, when they beat Florida State 61-50 in the First Four before losing 63-56 to Ohio State in the Round of 64.
Up next
Missouri State will try Friday to snap third-ranked Texas' seven-game win streak.
The Fenway Sports Group, which is a business partner of LeBron James, is not expected to pursue the potential NBA Las Vegas expansion team, according to a report by The Athletic.
Las Vegas and Seattle are expected to be serious contenders for new NBA expansion teams.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the league will hold a vote at the board of governors meeting next week regarding the addition of new expansion teams in those respective cities. If approved, the league would target the start of the 2028-29 season as the first year of play for the new teams.
James had stated publicly for the past decade that he would be interested in joining the likes of Michael Jordan as a former player who became an NBA owner. In more recent years, he has especially expressed interest in owning a team in Las Vegas.
But with Fenway Sports Group "no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will pursue a team," The Athletic reported, citing a source.
The 22-time All-Star is currently playing his 23rd season and has not publicly decided on his future. He signed a multi-year contract with the Lakers in 2024 and is in the final year of that deal.
James began his partnership with FSG in 2021, making him a part-owner of several organizations, including the Boston Red Sox and the Liverpool Football Club.
DALLAS (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 24 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 22, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Dallas Mavericks 135-120 on Wednesday night for their 11th straight win.
Dyson Daniels had 19 points on 9 for 13 shooting and Jalen Johnson scored 17 points with 11 rebounds for the Hawks, who at 38-31 are in the middle of the race for a play-in playoff spot.
Atlanta hasn’t won at least 11 in a row since winning a franchise-record 19 straight during the 2014-2015 season. Their current streak is tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in club history.
Daniel Gafford came off the bench to lead the Mavericks with 24, P.J. Washington had 23 and Cooper Flagg added 17.
The Mavericks have now lost 11 of their last 13 and appear destined for the draft lottery at 23-47.
Atlanta's Onyeka Okongwo scored the first 10 points of the game and the Hawks never trailed. The score was 67-56 by halftime.
The Mavericks turned the ball over 18 times, seven more times than the Hawks.
Jonathan Kuminga hit a 75-foot basket in the win, the longest basket by a Hawk in the play-by-play era and the sixth-longest among all players in the play-by-play era since 1997-98, according to Elias Sports. The previous longest made basket by a Hawk was a 63-foot bucket by Jason Terry on Jan. 5, 2000.
Up next
Hawks: At Houston on Friday night.
Mavericks: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ayo Dosunmu scored 23 points and had nine rebounds in his second straight start in place of the injured Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves took charge in the second quarter to cruise past the Utah Jazz 147-111 on Wednesday night.
Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Julius Randle also scored 21 points and had eight assists for the Timberwolves, who have won two in a row without their All-Star guard.
Minnesota announced Tuesday that Edwards will miss one to two weeks with right knee inflammation before being re-evaluated. The Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 116-104 behind 32 points from Randle.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 41 points, two off his career high, to lead the Jazz, who have lost four in a row and 12 of their last 14.
Ace Bailey added 17 points for Utah, which went 0-3 on its road trip. Walker Kessler (shoulder), Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) and Jusuf Nurkic (face) remained sidelined.
The game was tight early, with eight lead changes and three ties before the Timberwolves took control. With Utah leading 28-27, Bones Hyland made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:22 left in the opening quarter — the start of an 8-0 run by Minnesota.
The Timberwolves led 72-58 at halftime and ran away in the second half while building a lead as much as 38 points in the fourth quarter.
Minnesota won three of its four matchups this season with Utah.
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 23 of his 32 points in the first half and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 120-99 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
Jayson Tatum added 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who have won three straight.
It was Tatum’s fifth time scoring at least 20 points in the six games he’s played since making his season debut following Achilles tendon surgery. It also marked his third double-double.
Golden State cut a 21-point third-quarter deficit to 11 early in the fourth, but Boston responded with a 17-6 run to push the lead back to 22 with just more than five minutes to play.
Gary Payton II and Pat Spencer both had 14 points to lead the Warriors, who have lost six of seven. They are 6-13 since star guard Stephen Curry was sidelined with a right knee injury. Draymond Green and Gui Santos scored 13 apiece.
Kristaps Porzingis, who played for the first time in TD Garden since winning a championship with Boston to cap the 2023-24 season, finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
THUNDER 121, NETS 92
NEW YORK (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points and Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn for their 10th straight win.
Gilgeous-Alexander was 8 of 9 from the field and was subbed out with 4:28 remaining in the third quarter with the Thunder leading by 38. The reigning NBA MVP extended his NBA-record of 62 consecutive road games with at least 20 points.
Jared McCain had 26 points and Aaron Wiggins finished 17 for the Thunder, who led by as many as 42 and never trailed in the second game of a back-to-back.
Jalen Wilson had 15 points off the bench and rookie Nolan Traore was the lone starter in double figures with 13 for the Nets, who have lost their last five games and 15 of 17. Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) missed his fourth straight game.
Oklahoma City shot 53% from the field and 40% from long distance to improve to a league-best 25-8 on the road.
TRAIL BLAZERS 127, PACERS 119
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 23 of his 32 points in the first half Wednesday night and Donovan Clingan added a career-high 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help Portland hold off hard-charging Indiana.
Portland won the for the third time in four games as the 10th-seeded Trail Blazers close in on clinching a Western Conference play-in spot in what figures to be a wide-open postseason.
Avdija also had 11 rebounds for Portland, which matched its highest-scoring half of the season with 79 points in the first two quarters. Clingan was 3 of 5 on 3-pointers and had two blocks.
Ivica Zubac led the injury-riddled Pacers with 18 points. Jalen Slawson had 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
RAPTORS 139, BULLS 109
CHICAGO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 23 points, Brandon Ingram had 18 and Toronto pounded Chicago for their third consecutive win.
Toronto shot 57% (48 for 84) from the field and put seven players in double figures in the opener of a five-game trip. Scottie Barnes had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Ja’Kobe Walter also scored 18.
The Raptors led by as many as 38 while completing a sweep of their three-game season series against the Bulls.
Matas Buzelis scored 19 points for Chicago, which lost for the third time in four games. Collin Sexton had 14 in his return from a left leg injury.
Bulls guard Josh Giddey was held to nine points, three assists and no rebounds. The 23-year-old Giddey had been on a tear, posting five triple-doubles while averaging 19 points, 12 assists and 11.7 rebounds over his previous seven games.
PELICANS 124, CLIPPERS 109
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 25 points, Trey Murphy added 23 and New Orleans overcame an early 18-point hole to beat Los Angeles.
Dejounte Murray had 17 points and 11 assists, while Zion Williamson and rookie Derrick Queen each scored 14 for the Pelicans, who received a standing ovation as the final seconds wound down on their sixth straight victory at home and ninth win in their past 13 games overall
Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and John Collins added 18 for the Clippers, who dropped a game below .500 (34-35), but maintained a tenuous hold on the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Portland.
Bey hit five of 10 3-point shots to help New Orleans go 16 of 37 (43.2%) from deep. The Pelicans also made 20 of 21 free throws, with Queen making all nine of his.
Pelicans rookie guard Jeremiah Fears chipped in 11 points off the bench.
Darryn Peterson, by nature, isn't a terribly public person. That's not a bad thing — Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and others have had Hall of Fame NBA careers while taking extra steps to maintain their privacy.
However, that limited communication can become an issue when the waters get rough — and they were rough for Peterson this season at Kansas. He's missed 11 games — some to a sprained ankle, others because of a couple of illnesses — and then there were the early exits that drew a lot of attention. Multiple times, Peterson checked himself out of games because of cramping concerns, including against BYU and the other potential No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa — Peterson was dominant in the first half but left early in the third quarter. He has yo-yo'ed in and out of the lineup all season.
Peterson nor his family talked about any of it. They were private. The problem is, the Internet abhors a vacuum. So do media talking heads. That empty space gets filled with speculation and commentary from people on the outside looking in. In this case, it led people to question Peterson: If availability is the best ability, should NBA teams trust him? Does he love the game?
NBA teams are not worried.
The scouts and team officials NBC Sports has spoken with in recent weeks about Peterson still remember the guy who was clearly the top player in an elite class coming into this season. Those same executives acknowledge that, for stretches of the season, he has not looked as explosive as he did a year ago, but to a man, they said, "We want to see the medicals" (he will undergo a full medical workup at the NBA Draft Combine). Teams are being patient until then, with an expectation that this is not a long-term issue. Many said in the games where Peterson has looked healthy, he has looked like the No. 1 pick.
Peterson has the chance to answer those questions and his critics on the court in the NCAA Tournament, which starts Friday for Kansas against Cal Baptist.
Peterson also answered questions about all of it speaking to the media about his season.
The cramping issues started a week after Kansas coach Bill Self's "boot camp" before traditional practices began at Kansas (a week of intense conditioning Self does every year). Peterson was fine throughout camp, but a week later at a traditional practice, he suffered intense full-body cramps for 45 minutes. The pain was intense, he was taken to the hospital and given two IV bags of fluid. His quote, via CJ Moore of The Athletic, was telling.
"It was a traumatic experience," Peterson said.
After that, when he would start to feel cramping during games, he would take himself out to prevent what he had experienced before. The cramping, the injuries and illnesses have slowed Peterson this season, something he admitted to The Athletic.
"I'm still getting in shape," Peterson said. "I haven't played as many minutes, so you probably tell that by the shots that I'm missing. A lot of easy shots that I usually make, I miss now. I've missed a lot of games, so people have a lot more games than me, so I'm still adjusting."
"Everything that's going on with Darryn not playing well and not shooting it well during this time, it is definitely leaning people into AJ at one is a real conversation," the scout said. "AJ, what he's been doing at his size, is different. But all this stuff that now is being made public that we knew, a lot of people in the media had said he doesn't love the game, he's not competitive and that other bulls***, we knew was all crap. But who goes No. 1 is a conversation now."
Peterson can start to change that conversation with how he plays in the NCAA Tournament, which, for the Jayhawks, begins Friday when Kansas faces California Baptist in San Diego.
For teams, the medical and individual workouts will matter more. They know Peterson's game and his potential. It would be nice to see it on college basketball's biggest stage, however.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Grace Zumwinkle and Kelly Pannek scored 11 seconds apart during a four-goal first period and the Minnesota Frost routed the Ottawa Charge 5-0 on Wednesday night.
Minnesota (10-3-3-4) has won four straight games — the last three by scoring at least four goals. The Frost sit tied atop the league standing with the Boston Fleet at 39 points apiece.
Taylor Heise opened the scoring 27 seconds into the game — the second fastest goal in the PWHL this season — when she angled a shot from the corner that deflected off the stick and skate of goaltender Gwyneth Philips. Heise has goals in four straight games — the longest goal streak of the PWHL season.
Zumwinkle scored her ninth goal of the season and Pannek added her first goal of the game for a 3-0 lead to chase Philips. Pannek added her 11th goal of the season — to tie the league lead — late in the second period to cap the scoring.
Kaitlyn O’Donohoe scored her first PWHL goal — in her 16th game with Minnesota — by knocking in her own rebound.
Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney recorded the fifth shutout of her career — first this season — for her 20th career win.
Kendra Woodland made her PWHL debut in relief of Philips.
Ottawa (5-6-1-9) has alternated wins and losses in its last 10 games. The Charge had won two straight games against the Frost, most recently 5-2 on Jan. 3.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jack Hughes and Connor Brown each had goal and two assists to help the New Jersey Devils beat the New York Rangers 6-3 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.
The Devils are 10 points behind Boston and Detroit for the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots. They opened a five-game trip after going 5-2 on a homestand.
Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt each had a goal an assist for New Jersey, and Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier also scored. Jacob Markstrom made 14 saves.
Vladislav Gavrikov, Mika Zibanejad and Conor Sheary scored for New York. Jonathan Quick stopped 33 shots.
Last in the East, the Rangers have lost two straight after winning four in a row.
Brown gave New Jersey a 3-2 lead on a power play with 8:24 left in the second period, beating Quick with a quick shot from the slot off a pass from Hughes.
Meier made it 4-2 at 6:29 of the third with his 19th of the season, and Sheary countered for New York at 9:41.
Hughes restored the two-goal margin with 6:55 left, firing in a wrist shot for the U.S. Olympic star's 18th of the season. Bratt capped the scoring with 3:38 to go, with Hughes picking up his 36th assist on the play.
Zibanejad tied it at 2 at 19 seconds of the second period with his 28th goal. He beat Markstrom from the high slot on the Rangers' third shot of the game.
New Jersey led 2-1 after outshooting New York 17-2 in the first. Gavrikov scored for the Devils with 4:40 left, Hischier batted in his 24th on a power play with 3:46 to go, and Gritsyuk gave New Jersey the lead with 44 seconds remaining.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 18: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 18, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors had their work cut out for them on Wednesday night. They headed to New England for their third consecutive road game. They were facing a Boston Celtics squad that was one of the best in the NBA even before recently welcoming Jayson Tatum back into the fold. And, despite being a little healthier than in recent games, they were still at a distinct health disadvantage.
All of which left them at a distinct talent disadvantage. And while the Dubs put up a fight, that gap in available talent showed itself on the scoreboard, where the Warriors lost 120-99.
It started out with some electricity. On the very first defensive possession of the game, Kristaps Porziņģis had two emphatic blocks back-to-back, and followed it up by getting fouled on the other end. It looked like he might be set for a high-impact revenge game, as the Warriors were facing one of his former teams for the third straight game.
That didn’t happen. Porziņģis missed both free throws, and had a fairly nondescript game overall, and the Celtics quickly took control of the contest. It was a wild and hectic pace for the first six or so minutes, with the teams flying up and down the court and exchanging fun offensive possessions. But soon Boston’s stars — Tatum and Jaylen Brown — started to take over. And as their offense became automatic, Golden State’s faltered. Boston turned it into a double-digit game in the blink of an eye, and Brown capped a nearly perfect quarter — he had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting — by sinking a tough shot with just 0.3 seconds remaining. The Celtics lead 36-23 after one.
They responded well to start the second quarter, forcing turnovers and converting them into points in the opening possessions. They were finally playing good defense, and they were scoring, too … for a while, at least. They stayed aggressive, and got into the bonus early, but the offense completely fell apart, and just couldn’t do anything. Meanwhile, Tatum started finding his groove in what was one of his best games since returning earlier this month from an Achilles tear.
The Warriors quickly lost contact with the Celtics, and were suddenly down 20 points. But late in the quarter the Dubs showed life, and started to figure out their offense. They cut into the deficit a little bit, and trailed 63-50 at the break.
For a brief moment in the third, it seemed like the Warriors might make things interesting. They came out of halftime firing, scoring the first six points while playing excellent defense. But they were never able to fully close the gap. They were sticking with the Celtics, but the deficit remained in the 10-point range. Boston wasn’t running away with it, but Golden State wasn’t getting particularly close.
Yet again, the Celtics found their rhythm late in the quarter. One moment you thought the Dubs might make a game of it; the next, they were down 21.
They had one final run in them, and no one can accuse the Warriors of not playing hard. Between the end of the third and the start of the fourth, the Warriors went on a 9-0 run to start to steal the momentum. That cut the lead to nine points, but what followed effectively ended the game for the Dubs. They immediately got sloppy, while the Celtics heated up from beyond the arc. Boston quickly answered with eight unanswered points, and from there, it was never competitive again, as the two teams coasted to the finish line in opposite directions.
Gary Payton II and Pat Spencer came off the bench to lead the Warriors with 14 points apiece, with GPII adding six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Draymond Green and Gui Santos each had 13 points and five rebounds, with Green adding five assists as well. Porziņģis (11 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks) and Brandin Podziemski (10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal) each had decent lines, though both players shot very poorly (Porziņģis was 4-for-13 from the field and 1-for-4 from the free throw line, while Podziemski was 1-for-8 from the field and 7-for-10 from the charity stripe).
It was a very different story for the Celtics, where the star power was on full display. Brown continued his superstar season, finishing with 32 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Tatum notched a double-double, with 24 points and 10 boards. As a whole, the Celtics shot much better than the Warriors, especially from deep: they made 35.9% of their triples (14-for-39), while the Dubs shot just 23.3% (10-for-43).
With the loss, the Warriors fell to 33-36. They’ll look to get back in the win column on Friday, when they visit the Detroit Pistons at 4:30 p.m. PT in the fourth stop on their six-city road trip.
Before the Brooklyn Nets’ contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, rookie Egor Dëmin spoke to the media. It marked his first public comment since being ruled out for the remainder of the season with plantar fasciitis, a decision the Nets announced on March 9.
Dëmin had played in two back-to-backs in the weeks leading up to the announcement, which seemed like a major step in his recovery, considering that he had been battling this left-foot injury since the spring of 2025. Alas, Brooklyn put the kibosh on his rookie season after 52 appearances citing “increased plantar fasciitis in his left foot.”
That same day, Jordi Fernández revealed that Dëmin would be undergoing a “non-surgical procedure” to begin the recovery process. On Wednesday, both Fernández and Dëmin declined to reveal the exact procedure. Likely options include a stem-cell injection, a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection, or potentially a cortisone injection, though the latter is generally regarded as a more short-term-focused solution.
Dëmin did say that the procedure was successful, and that everything “went well,” while awkwardly skirting right around the details: “I don’t think it’s something that we’re trying to focus on right now. And, you know, the details isn’t the important part. I think the important part is what’s following that, right? And how we get my recovery the best way possible.”
In Brooklyn’s March 9 announcement, they said Dëmin was “expected to return to basketball activity early in the offseason and be a full participant in the summer development program,” though when asked about potentially playing in Las Vegas Summer League, the teenager wasn’t ready to give a firm answer: “I think it’s a little too far, yet, to really talk about it.”
Dëmin did, however, open up about his now-complete rookie season. He started 45 of his 52 games, and most importantly, shot 38.5% from three on high volume after shooting 27.3% from deep in his lone season at BYU. Not just that, but he made big ones too, shooting 8-of-17 in clutch situations. No doubt it’s a small sample, but try to tell any Nets fan/player/coach that Dëmin isn’t a real shooter…
The numbers, though, aren’t what Dëmin is taking away from his first NBA go-round: “Being a rookie who has an opportunity to start as a starting point guard, right, which is even probably more responsibility than later on, when Nolan would get on the court and I started playing more of a wing. I think that’s something that gave me a lot, just from a standpoint of learning and growing as a player, as a vocal … trying to be a leader and all that.”
Now, Dëmin’s summer of reflection, and yes, weight-lifting, begins early. This is a stark departure from the previous few summers for the young Russian, hopping from Real Madrid to BYU to the NBA. Dëmin’s situation is now stable, or “safe,” as he put it. The whirlwind of his prep-to-pro journey has slowed all the way down to the monotonous grind of rehab.
“It’s pretty interesting, because it makes me think about these past years,” said Dëmin. “And then, I didn’t really have that much of a complete summer for all this time, basically, only probably one before I went to BYU … I think, you know, it feels safe, I would say. I just, I know exactly where I’m going to be. I know exactly what I’m going to be doing, and I know exactly what type of timing throughout the summer I’m going to have, right? So it kind of gives me confidence in my development, and that’s why I think this summer is probably one of the most important summers in my life.”
Unsurprisingly, it hasn’t been easy for Dëmin to sit idly by and watch from the sidelines: “I just really want to play basketball. Sometimes, I feel like for athletes, when you know that you can run, it’s enough for you to just go and play. I don’t want to — I don’t want to say that people would let me go and play with injury, like, that’s not what I’m saying — It’s just about, you know, me trying to recover as best as I can, right? In the season, it’s pretty hard for me being a rookie, as I said before, by just being in the process of that many games for the first time.
Plantar fasciitis is (clearly) no joke, particularly during the interminable 82-game schedule. Nets fans may recall the one time Joe Johnson was profoundly unclutch, as he averaged under 15 points per game on 48.6% true shooting in the 2013 playoff loss to the Chicago Bulls while dealing with the injury — but at least, this way, Dëmin does get a head start on his summer.
Like his player, Fernández wouldn’t commit to a summer league appearance (in four-and-a-half months) for the #8 overall pick, but reading between the tea leaves, it seems that that’s the initial expectation. Fernández even let this slip, speaking about Dëmin: “You got all this time to work and better and go into summer league.”
Egor Dëmin may need to hit the weight room this summer. But for a guy whose selection at #8 overall drew wrath from fans and analysts alike, he gave Nets fans plenty to cheer for in his rookie season. Maybe because it’s a fanbase starved for rookie talent, maybe because Dëmin is a great, honest quote, or that there’s little more exciting in basketball that tough shot-making…
tough night vs OKC but Egor's shooting season is crazy
thinks about going to get the handoff, split-second decision to C&S instead, cashes it pic.twitter.com/xAE46P9XnM
Jaylen Brown throws down a dunk against the Warriors on Wednesday. | David Butler II-Imagn Images
In the first quarter Wednesday night, Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown looked like he was playing at the park, rather than in an NBA arena.
Brown got to his spot with ease over and over again, racking up 19 points to help Boston jump out to an early lead against the Warriors. He kept it rolling from there, finishing with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, moving into 10th place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list in the process.
Jayson Tatum added 24 points and 10 boards for the Celtics, who coasted to a 120-99 victory at TD Garden. The win is Boston’s third in a row and eighth in its last 11 games, with a matchup at Memphis on the horizon Friday night.
19 points in just the first quarter for Jaylen Brown 🔥
The Celtics (46-23) bolted out to a 36-23 edge through one quarter, leaning on a steady diet of Tatum and Brown to pull ahead. Tatum swished a 3 and found Sam Hauser in the corner for a triple of his own, and Brown shot 8 of 9 in the quarter without much difficulty. Together, Tatum and Brown scored or assisted on all 36 of Boston’s points.
Old friend Kristaps Porzingis (11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) kept the Warriors (33-36) afloat, swatting a shot on one end and draining a 3 on the other. He then peered up at the Jumbotron as the Celtics gave him a well-deserved tribute video between quarters.
The second quarter was even, as Gui Santos and Pat Spencer did their part for Golden State. Luka Garza (15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals), Payton Pritchard (19 points, 7 assists) and Derrick White (11 points, 6 rebounds) all did their part as the Celtics took a 63-50 edge into halftime.
Boston held Golden State to 39 percent from the floor and 25 percent from 3 before the break, rotating and recovering well to prevent the Warriors from generating easy looks.
The Warriors sliced it to 63-56 early in the third, then Brown hit a jumper and Tatum swerved into the lane for two to push it back to 13. Pritchard and Garza worked in tandem to create some separation again, with Pritchard hunting mismatches and hitting his signature fallaways.
Boston extended the margin to 89-73 through three, despite Porzingis’ best efforts to keep Golden State afloat. Baylor Scheierman swished a transition 3 and White added an and-one early in the fourth, then Brown provided the exclamation point with an and-one in the final minutes to elicit another M-V-P chant.
On a night with Robert Parish in the house, the Celtics played stellar defense, holding the Warriors to 23-percent shooting from distance. They didn’t let an inferior opponent hang around and pulled away multiple times to leave no doubt.
The Warriors did all they could, but with Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and other old friend Al Horford sidelined, the Celtics simply had too much firepower. It never got out of hand, but it also never felt like the Warriors would break through.
Tatum and Brown are back doing their thing, and the Celtics are playing like a team capable of making a deep playoff run.
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Britt Prince scored 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting, Nebraska opened the third quarter with a 17-0 run, and the Cornhuskers beat Richmond 75-56 on Wednesday night at the NCAA First Four.
No. 11 seed Nebraska (19-12) plays sixth-seeded Baylor on Friday in the Round of 64. Coach Amy Williams, in her ninth season with the program, has led the Cornhuskers to five of their 18 NCAA Tournament appearances and two of their 10 wins, which includes a 61-59 first-round win over Texas A&M in 2024.
Prince came around a screen, was fouled on a pull-up jumper from the free-throw line and converted the three-point play to open the second half. Her 3-pointer with 4:42 left in the third quarter capped a 17-0 run that made it 51-32.
Seventh-year coach Aaron Roussell has led Richmond (26-8) to 26-plus wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance in each of the past three seasons. The Spiders made their sixth tournament appearance and earned their second consecutive at-large bid.
Maggie Doogan — who was named Atlantic 10 player of the year for the second consecutive season — was 8-of-13 shooting and had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Spiders. The 6-foot-2 senior averaged 28.5 points in two tournament games last season, which includes a 30-point, 15-rebound performance that helped Richmond beat Georgia Tech 74-49 in the Round of 64 — the program’s first win in the NCAA Tournament.
Richmond shot 40% overall and made just 4 of 23 (17%) from behind the arc. The Spiders went into the game ranked No. 2 nationally in 3-pointers per game (10.5), No. 9 in 3-point percentage (.370) and No. 24 in field-goal percentage (.458).
Up next
The Cornhuskers seek the program's 11th NCAA Tournament win Friday against Baylor.
ATLANTA (AP) — Virginia won the first two relays at the women’s swimming and diving championships Wednesday night to begin its quest for a sixth straight NCAA title.
The Cavaliers won two of the three events to take the team lead with 100 points. Texas is second with 89, and Louisville and Stanford are tied at 59.
Virginia won the 200-yard medley relay for the fifth consecutive championships — with Sara Curtis, Emma Weber and Bryn Greenwaldt getting their first career NCAA titles. The Cavaliers finished in a time of 1:31.67 as the program now owns the 10 fastest times in the event.
Virginia also took the 800-freestyle relay in a time of 6:45.21 to set a NCAA championship meet record.
Texas sophomore Jillian Cox defended her title in the 1650 freestyle with a pool-record time of 15:32.26 after chasing down California freshman Claire Weinstein, who came in at 15:36.52. Virginia sophomore Katie Grimes took bronze at 15:42.65.
There are five swimming finals and a diving final on Thursday at the McAuley Aquatic Center.
