The Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to defeat the Brooklyn Nets106-102, but it was far from a perfect game. Let’s get into why.

First, the Cavs struggled to keep control of the ball. They turned it over 17 times, which accounted for 17.9% of their offensive possessions (21st percentile). That would be concerning on its own, it coming against the 27th-ranked defense that is also in the bottom half of the league in forcing turnovers, makes it even more worrisome.

The Cavs are at their best when they get their bigs involved offensively, especially Jarrett Allen. Opponents know this as well and are packing the paint anytime one of Cleveland’s bigs is rolling or available for a pass inside. This led to more than a few of their turnovers on Sunday afternoon.

Additionally, James Harden wasn’t as sharp as he usually is with the ball. He’s responsible for five of Cleveland’s giveaways. Some of these were uncharacteristically sloppy. This could also be a byproduct of playing through a broken thumb.

Opponents know that the Cavs want to get the bigs involved and that Harden isn’t 100%. This will make them more susceptible to turnovers, even against a poor defense like Brooklyn’s. Cleveland will need to be better in this area if they want to avenge Friday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

Speaking of things that also went wrong on Friday, the Cavs — once again — nearly blew this game late.

They were up seven with a minute and a half left against a bad Nets team, and then proceeded to shoot themselves in the foot. The Cavs allowed the Nets to score on four of their final five possessions, committed two turnovers, and missed two crucial free throws of their own.

The combination of poor clutch defense and not effectively closing the game out at the line is also what did them in against Detroit. Evan Mobley’s big offensive rebound after a Dennis Schröder missed free-throw saved them from being in the same situation they were in then.

A better team than Brooklyn might’ve taken advantage. These late situations are where they miss Donovan Mitchell — who sat out his third straight game with a groin injury — most.

There were still good things to take from this game, particularly how Harden opens up the offense with his passing.

Harden wasn’t perfect, but the way he’s a threat to get the ball to everyone on the court unlocks the offense in a way few in the league can for their team.

Harden has the unique ability to both make every pass and see every opening as if he’s watching everything unfold in slow motion above the action.

This play is a good example of that.

I’m not sure if Harden ever actually sees Sam Merrill on this pass. What he does know is that there’s two defenders on the ball, and two down low taking away the inside pass, and the opposite wing is covered up as well. By process of elimination, the corner must be open, which is where he riffles the pass too.

Merrill was actually drifting away from the corner when he caught it, but the velocity of the pass gives him enough time to set his feet and square his shoulders for the on-balance three.

Harden seems to make his best passes to Merrill.

This also illustrates how Harden just reads and reacts to everything so quickly. He keeps the decision tree open as long as possible, and if the defense gives a better opportunity to one of his teammates, Harden is going to get the ball to them even if he’s already going up with his own shot.

There aren’t many players who can make passes like this.

Harden contributed a team-high 22 points in the win, but did so on just nine attempts from the field. He did a great job of getting to the line, as he took 12 free throws, which ties his most in a game in a Cavs uniform. Overall, he came into this game attempting over four fewer free-throw attempts in Cleveland than he did with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Most of the fouls he drew came from attacks off-the-dribble. That’s notable because if there were something he’d be hesitant to do coming back from a broken thumb, it’d be driving to the hoop.

Even though he did on Sunday, Harden hasn’t really looked to score since coming to Cleveland. With the Clippers, he was averaging 17.5 shot attempts per game. So far with Cleveland, he’s only taken 17 or more shots once in the eight games he’s played with the Cavs.

Throughout his career, Harden’s shot attempts have mostly reflected the context and offense he was in. In his prime with the Houston Rockets, he routinely averaged over 18 shots a game. When he’s playing off another star player, he’s adjusted his shot attempts down. This was most recently seen when he took under 15 shots a game alongside Joel Embiid when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harden has mostly tried to set up his teammates in Cleveland. That’s what the situation has called for. And he’s done an excellent job of doing that so far. It’ll be interesting to see if that changes on Tuesday assuming Mitchell will still be out of the lineup.

The Cavs need Donovan Mitchell to play at a faster pace.

Harden’s deliberate style has helped the offense, but it’s done so most when he’s paired with Mitchell’s frenetic energy.

Mitchell has been a one-man break starter this season as the Cavs have gotten out in transition 1.9% more (90th percentile) when he’s on the court compared to when he’s off.

The Cavs were missing this on Sunday. They played at one of their slowest paces of the year, with only 95 possessions. They weren’t able to get anything easy in the open court and mostly relied on Harden and others to create in the half-court. It was good enough to get the win, but it wasn’t their best overall offensive process.

Mitchell and Harden’s opposite styles have blended nicely. That is more apparent when only one of them is on the court.

Keon Ellis has great hands, even if he has a broken finger. He finished with five blocks and three steals in this game. It’s nearly unheard of for a guard at his size to get his hands on the ball with such frequency.

Just look at some of these blocks and steals. I don’t think I’ve seen someone with this combination of size, closing speed, and hands. And he also never gives up on a player and has seemingly endless energy. He’s a complete game-changer on that end.

In another life, Ellis would’ve made for a great free safety.

Evan Mobley is turning the corner. He has now strung together two good games, which is encouraging given how disjointed things looked offensively for him when he first came back from the calf strain after the All-Star break.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned on Friday that it typically takes Mobley time to find his groove after he returns from an injury. I wouldn’t say he’s found it yet, but the team did play its best basketball with him as they outscored Brooklyn by 24 when he was on the court.

Things are trending in the right direction.

Allen has continued his aggressive play.

He tied Mobley for the most shot attempts on the team (12), which is exactly what you want to see.

The Cavs have continually challenged Allen to be more involved offensively. He was when Harden was out for two games, and that carried over on Sunday when he returned to the floor. The offense will continue to be at its best when he’s involved like this.

The USC men's basketball team is losing one of its most key players at one of the most critical points of the season.

Chad Baker-Mazara, a sixth-year graduate student, is no longer with the program, the team announced in a statement Sunday afternoon.

No further details were provided by the team, but Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times reported that "it wasn’t any one incident, but an accumulation of issues that led to Baker-Mazara’s departure."

Baker-Mazara put up 14 first-half points in USC's 82-67 loss to Nebraska on Saturday but exited the game just three minutes into the second half after he fell hard on the baseline while trying to chase down Nebraska's Pryce Sandfort. He briefly went into the locker room and did not re-enter the game.

"He said he couldn’t go," head coach Eric Musselman told reporters after the game.

USC was Baker-Mazara's fifth team in six years. He began his college career at Duquesne before transferring to San Diego State a year later and earning Mountain West sixth man of the year honors. From there, Baker-Mazara spent a year in junior college at Northwest Florida State before landing at Auburn, where he played two seasons and had a prominent role in their Final Four run in the 2024-25 season. He re-entered the portal shortly thereafter and ended up at USC.

Baker-Mazara started 22 of 26 games for the Trojans this season and has been their leading scorer after Rice went down with a season-ending right shoulder injury just six games into the season. He averaged 18.6 points on 44.4% shooting (38.3% from three), 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists — all career-highs.

The Trojans have been one of the teams on bubble watch for March. They're currently one of the first four out in USA TODAY Sports' latest bracketology, but they've lost five straight games, including a critical Quad 1 matchup against rival UCLA last Tuesday.

They'll finish out the regular season this week with a road game against Washington on Wednesday before returning home for one more clash against the Bruins on Saturday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chad Baker-Mazara leaves USC Trojans men's basketball program

The Cleveland Cavaliers narrowly took down the Brooklyn Nets. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

LOSER – Playing down to your opponent

I understand that Sunday afternoon games can lead to weird outcomes. But, seriously? A dog fight with the Brooklyn Nets?

It’s one thing when multiple key players are in street clothes. I was willing to take the moral victory against Milwaukee and Detroit. But this Cavalier squad is simply too talented to struggle against the Nets. Especially when James Harden, albeit playing with a broken finger, is back on the floor.

I don’t want to take too much away from Brooklyn. They executed their gameplan and played superb defense for most of the game. It’s just that Cleveland has enough tools in their box to overcome anything the Nets could throw at it. Not being able to counter something as redundant as trapping Harden is a huge disappointment for the Cavs.

Much of this comes down to energy and focus. Two issues that have plagued the Cavaliers at their worst this season. I’m not going to crush them for a Sunday game in March. But these things will need to be cleaned up as we enter the home stretch of the season.

WINNER – The James Harden Whistle

This was a nice change of pace.

Harden recently ended a game with zero free-throw attempts for just the fifth time since 2021. Naturally, we began to wonder if that was a sign of trouble. Could Harden’s favorable calls be neutralized by being in the Wine and Gold?

That wasn’t the case in Brooklyn.

While some of the officiating was questionable, Harden earned 12 free throw attempts. He missed four of them, which was out of character, but maybe he’s just getting used to actually taking them again. Let’s hope his free-throw rate starts to normalize moving forward.

Harden finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. It wasn’t a perfect game, but the Cavs needed his creation tonight.

WINNER – Evan Mobley

The Cavs have a few things on their to-do list before the season ends. Integrating Harden and the other newcomers is at the top of the list. But getting Mobley into a consistent groove might be the most important task.

Mobley’s had a bumpy season. He struggled early, then began to put things together before suffering multiple calf strains. These setbacks have muddied what was otherwise looking like a return to form for Mobley.

We’ve seen him dominant off the dribble in specific games. He’s remarkably light on his feet for a seven-footer, and his explosive leaping ability allows him to finish over anyone when he’s playing with aggression. Getting that assertive version of Mobley has always been the challenge.

Tonight was a small glimpse of that. Mobley had success scoring in the paint against Brooklyn, punishing mismatches and filling the gaps for easy buckets. His 6-12 shooting was complemented by 10 free throw attempts, a sign that he’s putting his head down and drawing contact by being aggressive.

Mobley also collected 13 rebounds, including the game-sealing offensive board.

The Cavs will want to build on this performance and keep Mobley as a focal point of their offense moving into the final stretch of the regular season.

WINNER – Keon Ellis

Five blocks and three steals speak for themselves. That type of defensive production is hard to find, and I remain perplexed that the Sacramento Kings couldn’t see the value in it.

Ellis is fitting in perfectly with the Cavs. You can’t overstate how useful it is to have a point-of-attack deterrent at your disposal. Unleashing chaos on the opponent is what Ellis does in his sleep. He shrinks the floor with his rangy athleticism and superb instincts. Today was just another example of how talented he is as a defender.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Sara Hjalmarsson and Laura Messier scored in a 57-second span in the first period, Raygan Kirk made 25 saves and the Toronto Sceptres beat the Vancouver Goldeneyes 2-1 on Sunday.

Hjalmarsson opened the scoring at 7:10, taking a pass from Claire Dalton and firing a shot from the low hash mark. Messier quickly doubled the lead with her first PWHL goal, with Dalton getting her second assist.

Toronto improved to 6-1-3-8, following its 5-2 victory in Seattle on Friday night in its return from the Olympic break.

Izzy Daniel scored for the Goldeneyes (5-1-2-9) at 9:07 of the third. Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 22 shots for Vancouver.

Up next

Sceptres: Host Montreal on Tuesday night.

Goldeneyes: Host Boston on Tuesday, March 10.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Michael Misa scored 1:40 into overtime, and the San Jose Sharks topped the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Sunday for their second straight win.

Misa scored for the second straight game when he drove down the slot before beating Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. It was the fourth goal of the season for the No. 2 overall pick in last year's NHL draft.

Will Smith also scored for San Jose, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 27 shots. The Sharks had lost five in a row before Saturday's 5-4 victory over Edmonton.

Morgan Barron scored for Winnipeg, and Hellebuyck finished with 31 saves. The Jets lost for fourth time in five games.

Barron put Winnipeg in front when he beat Nedeljkovic from the left circle 2:44 into the first. It was Barron's first goal since Dec. 21 and No. 8 on the season.

Smith tied it at 1 with his 18th goal 1:47 into the third. Macklin Celebrini picked up his team-high 54th assist on the play.

Hellebuyck and the Jets lost their second straight in overtime after falling 5-4 at Anaheim on Friday night in the goalie’s first game since backstopping the United States to Olympic gold.

Up next

Both teams are at home on Tuesday night. The Jets face the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Sharks take on the Montreal Canadiens.

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

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Tayvon Gray scored in the ninth minute of stoppage time to help New York City FC beat the Philadelphia Union 2-1 on Sunday.

Hannes Wolf scored in the 36th minute to give NYCFC (1-0-1) a 1-0 lead.

Olwethu Makhanya was shown his second yellow card in the second minute of stoppage time and the Union played a man down the rest of the way.

Agustin Ojeda, from the left corner of the 18-yard box, flicked an arcing cross to the back post where Gray skipped a header back inside the front post to cap the scoring.

Wolf, who had a career-high 11 goals in 2025, scored his first of the season to give NYCFC a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute. On the counter-attack, Nicolás Fernández had his shot from the left corner of the 6-yard box parried by goalkeeper Andre Blake, but Wolf slammed home the first-touch putback.

The Union's Stas Korzeniowski drew a penalty, conceded by Thiago Martins, and Indiana Vassilev converted from the spot to make it 1-1 in the 89th.

Blake finished with eight saves for Philadelphia (0-2-0), which won the 2025 Supporter's Shield.

Matt Freese had three saves, which included a kick-stop of a shot by Agustín Anello in the 60th minute and a diving parry that denied Nathan Harriel in the 81st.

Ojeda cut back to evade Union defender Frankie Westfield, but his shot from the center of the area banged off the right post.

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Brooklyn Nets 106-102. It shouldn’t have been this close, but a win is a win.

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

James Harden

22 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 turnovers

Harden will be playing through a broken finger on his non-dominant hand for the foreseeable future. If these are the results, we can’t complain too much.

I don’t think this was Harden’s sharpest game. He turned it over five times and maybe held onto the ball longer than he should have. Still, he was the engine to the offense and helped get them across the finish line on an otherwise sloppy day.

Grade: B

Jarrett Allen

20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

February is over. March is here. And Jarrett Allen is still balling.

These games are becoming too regular. Cleveland is 11-2 this season when Allen scores 20+ points. He shot 7-12 from the floor tonight.

Grade: A-

Evan Mobley

17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

Mobley’s starting to settle back into a groove. He was strong off the bounce in this game and has put together two quality performances in a row. His offensive rebound late in the game sealed the deal.

Grade: A–

Jaylon Tyson

9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 turnovers

Tyson can be hard to grade sometimes. He struggled to generate offense when Harden was being trapped (3-7 shooting and 3 turnovers). But when the game called on him, he nailed a huge three-pointer in the fourth quarter.

Grade: C+

Dennis Schroder

12 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound

Schroder’s playing through a sprained ankle, but you wouldn’t be able to tell watching him. He’s still lightning quick, dashing into the paint, and he converted a ridiculous layup high off the glass in this one.

Grade: B–

Sam Merrill

15 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists

It felt like Merill couldn’t miss tonight. He sank 4-of-6 three-point attempts and finished as a +20.

Grade: A

Keon Ellis

4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks, 3 steals

Ellis returned from a broken finger and didn’t miss a beat. He was disruptive as ever, deflecting passes and ruining Brooklyn’s possessions. Eight stocks is absurd stuff.

Grade: A+

Craig Porter Jr.

3 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers

Every time Porter hits a three-pointer, I wonder why he doesn’t shoot them with more confidence. His hesitant trigger can make it difficult to keep him on the floor. Playing him at power forward makes it borderline impossible.

Grade: D

Thomas Bryant

4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Bryant wasn’t as impactful tonight. Still, he’s a steady presence off the bench.

Grade: B

Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey will undergo a second surgery on his left ankle, the team announced Sunday, March 1.

Edey initially underwent surgery in June to stabilize a stress reaction in his ankle and didn't make his season debut until Nov. 15, but he has dealt with lingering discomfort that has limited him to playing just 11 games.

"Based on the unanimous opinion of consulting expert physicians, Edey’s lateral ligaments remain stable post-surgery with ongoing discomfort and talar bone stress being driven by progressive laxity of the deltoid (medial) ligaments," the Grizzlies said in the statement. "The upcoming procedure will reinforce the medial ligament complex and accelerate bone healing."

The Grizzlies added that this surgery is meant to address the discomfort and talar bone stress in his ankle. He is expected to make a full recovery, and the team said a timeline will be provided following his surgery. But his 2025-26 season is likely done, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

In his 11 games played this season, Edey averaged 13.6 points,11.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. He has not played in a game since Dec. 7.

Edey, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after a memorable run in that year's NCAA tournament, averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds as a rookie for the Grizzlies in 2024-25. He also missed 12 games early in his rookie season due to a left ankle sprain.

The Grizzlies also announced that Brandon Clarke, who has been sidelined since Dec. 20 with a right calf strain, will need further rehab "before advancing to the next step" in his return to the court. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zach Edey injury update: Grizzlies center to get second ankle surgery

NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden scored 22 points in his return to the lineup with a broken thumb and the Cleveland Cavaliers snapped a two-game skid with a 106-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Harden missed two games after fracturing his thumb earlier in the week. He bounced back and shot 5 for 9 from the field, 4 for 7 from 3-point distance and 8 for 12 from the line, with nine rebounds and eight assists. He was injured Tuesday night in a 109-94 home victory over New York. X-rays Wednesday showed a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx. The 17-year veteran was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to Cleveland on Feb. 4.

Jarrett Allen scored 20 points and Evan Mobley added 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Cavaliers improved to 12-1 in their last 13 games against the Nets. Sam Merrill finished with 15 points and Dennis Schroder had 10.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting, and Danny Wolf added 23 points and nine rebounds for Brooklyn, which lost its eighth straight game and for the 11th time in 13 games. Nolan Traore contributed 17 points and Grant Nelson 11 as the Nets slipped to 15-45 overall.

The Nets led 56-42 at halftime, helped by 50% (21 for 42) shooting from the field.

The Cavaliers rallied in the second half and led by eight points with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before Brooklyn rallied.

Brooklyn closed within three points (102-99) on a basket by Traore with 28.6 seconds left and within a point (102-101) following two free throws by Wolf with 9.2 seconds showing. Schroder made a pair of free throws and Wolf hit 1 of 2, giving the Cavs a two-point lead with 5.9 seconds left. Schroder and Mobley added free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.

Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell was sidelined for a third straight game due to a groin injury. Dean Wade also sat out due to a sprained ankle.

Up next

Cavaliers: Host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

Nets: At the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

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

It wasn’t pretty by any stretch, but the Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to end their brief two-game losing streak. They defeated the Brooklyn Nets 106-102 thanks to strong performances from James Harden and Jarrett Allen.

Cleveland got off to a good start. They exerted their sizeable talent advantage early on as they opened up an 11-point advantage midway through the first quarter. It seemed like they were going to run away with this, but they couldn’t maintain the focus to do so.

Turnovers allowed the Nets to get back into the game. Cleveland coughed it up 11 times in the first half, slowing any momentum their offense had gathered. Brooklyn wasn’t able to capitalize as they only registered seven points off turnovers in the first half. The turnovers did allow them to slow down Cleveland’s offense.

The Cavs were held to just 46 points in the first half, allowing the Nets to take a six-point advantage into the break.

Cleveland’s offense came back to life in the third quarter, thanks to 12 points and two assists from Harden in that frame. The defense tightened up as well, as they outscored Brooklyn 28-23 in that frame to head into the fourth quarter down just one.

This continued into the fourth quarter as the Cavs methodically wore the Nets down and had some timely shooting from Sam Merrill.

Evan Mobley had a strong start to the fourth with a hybrid bench lineup that helped the Cavs maintain their momentum and retake the lead. Cleveland gradually extended their lead to nine once the majority of its starters reentered the game.

However, that didn’t last. Cleveland once again struggled to close the game. They were up seven with a minute and a half left, but let the Nets cut the deficit to one thanks to more missed free throws and an eight-second violation. It was a fitting end for what was a sloppy game.

Harden performed well in his first game back in the lineup after breaking his thumb in last Tuesday’s win over the New York Knicks. He appeared able to make his normal passes and didn’t seem like he had trouble dribbling, which is something head coach Kenny Atkinson said he was struggling to do as recently as Friday.

Harden led Cleveland in scoring and assists as he poured in 22 points on 5-9 shooting to go along with eight assists and nine boards.

Harden wasn’t the only Cavalier to return to the lineup after breaking a finger. Keon Ellis also played his first game since doing so in Wednesday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, and looked like his usual self, earning his way into the closing lineup. He was active defensively, coming up with five blocks and three steals while contributing four points in the victory.

Brooklyn did their best to keep Allen out of the paint. They swarmed him every time he got the ball, which led to a somewhat inefficient scoring night by his standards as he went 7-12 from the field. However, an inefficient scoring night from Allen is still more efficient than most of the league.

The Cavs are at their best when Allen is heavily involved in the offense. That was the case once again as he provided 20 points and six rebounds in the victory.

Mobley’s stat sheet doesn’t jump off the page, but the Cavs played their best basketball when he was on the floor. Cleveland outscored Brooklyn by 24 when he was playing, as he finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds, including four big offensive rebounds, in the victory. This was his second strong game in a row after struggling to find his place in his first few games back from injury.

Merrill hit several timely threes as he went 4-6 from beyond the arc en route to 15 points.

The Nets were led by 26 points from Michael Porter Jr. on 10-17 shooting. Danny Wolf provided 23 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

It was an ugly game, but the Cavs did enough to win. That’s what matters, given the injuries they’ve had to play through and the fact that this was their seventh game in 11 days.

The Cavaliers will look to avenge Friday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons as they welcome them to town on Tuesday. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

After one of the most efficient offensive performances in NBA history on Friday against Brooklyn, Boston is in a groove with five wins in its last six. The Sixers arrive without their anchor, Joel Embiid, while whispers of Jayson Tatum’s return will have to wait. The spotlight points back at Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey, and with a 2-1 series lead in Philadelphia’s favor, here are three questions that could decide if Boston evens things out on their home floor.

Can Boston carry Friday’s efficiency into a tighter matchup?

Friday bordered on absurd. Boston shot 66.7% from the field and 64.7% from three, finishing with the highest effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage in a single game in NBA history. They made 22 threes on 34 attempts and assisted on 38 baskets. It was a precise, collective takedown, and now comes the follow-up.

Philadelphia defends more effectively than Brooklyn, and they’ve been a bit of a thorn in Boston’s side this season. In the three prior meetings, the Sixers held the Celtics to 30.2% from three while hitting 38.7% of their own. Those games were decided by a possession or two, with Philly holding a +2 point differential across the series.

That was a different Boston team, though. Since the November 11th loss to the Sixers, the Celtics have climbed from 12th in net rating to second, and now carry the NBA’s second best offense and seventh-ranked defense. The architecture of this team has changed. They’ve built enough of a defensive infrastructure to stay in control without needing an explosive shooting night.

The wildcard tonight is Scheierman, listed as questionable after fracturing his thumb. He’s carved out a starting role, establishing himself as a useful connective piece, averaging over 25 minutes per night in the last 10 games. His presence or absence changes the rotation. If he can’t go, Mazzulla will need to redistribute minutes among his backup wings. It’s possible Ron Harper Jr. gets another opportunity, along with elevated minutes for Walsh and Gonzalez.

It’s worth noting how different this roster looks from the last time these teams met. Minott and Simons are gone. Vucevic slid above Garza into the backup center role. Walsh, Gonzalez, and Scheierman weren’t even solidified rotation players yet in those matchups — now they’re core contributors. The Celtics have cycled through roles and rotations all year and kept winning. If Scheierman is sidelined or limited, it’s just the latest version of that.

Boston doesn’t have to replicate Friday’s win over Brooklyn. They just need to execute and be good enough defensively that the offense doesn’t have to be historic to win.

Without Embiid, do the Sixers have enough?

Embiid’s absence removes the Sixers’ most reliable half-court solution, and they haven’t been the same team when he sits. With Embiid on the floor, Philadelphia carries a 121.3 offensive rating. Without him, it plummets to 113.9. That’s a significant drop, especially when facing a team that’s found a great defensive balance like Boston.

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With the big man out and Paul George still serving his suspension, the offense falls solely on Maxey’s shoulders. That’s not unfamiliar territory for him — he’s been Philadelphia’s leading scorer all season. He’ll push tempo and hunt early advantages, testing Boston’s point-of-attack defense. The question is how much the supporting cast can take off his plate.

Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre are the most proven supporting options, but VJ Edgecombe is the name to watch. He torched Boston in the season opener, and his explosive downhill style could cause problems if he gets comfortable. If he and Grimes get going, Philly could have enough juice on the perimeter to stick around. If not, Maxey will likely have too much on his shoulders to keep pace.

With Derrick White as the defensive anchor, and Gonzalez and Walsh behind him, Mazzulla has length and versatility to cycle through matchups against the Sixers ball-handlers without sacrificing much on the other end. The Sixers will have to work hard to generate good looks, and without Embiid to bail them out when a possession breaks down, Boston could run away with it if their offense breaks the trend against Philly.

Can Jaylen Brown Outduel Tyrese Maxey?

Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey are both averaging 29.1 points per game, tied for fourth in the league. Both are carrying their offenses without their co-star, and have been the driving force behind their team’s success.

In the three meetings this season, Maxey has averaged 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists against Boston. Brown sits at 27, 5, and 5. Maxey has gotten the better of it, and his team has the narrow edge to show for it. Tonight is another opportunity for Brown to leave his mark with a primetime national TV showdown.

Brown’s February wasn’t quite as masterful as his elite December and January stretch, but he’s still stacking consistently strong games. Friday was another example — 28 points on 12 shots, four threes, nine assists, while never forcing the issue. He’s operating within the offense and still being its engine, creating a version of himself that helps elevate Boston’s supporting cast, while stile leaving room to take over.

Maxey presents a different kind of challenge. He’s smaller but relentless, and gets to his top gear quicker than almost any guard in the league. He can fill it up fast, and tilts momentum in just a short stretch of possessions. Boston will likely turn to White as the primary defender, but Maxey has historically found ways to put pressure on the Celtics defense.

This is a game that could turn on which primary option controls the flow, but Boston’s supporting cast is stronger, and if Brown and Maxey’s clash ends roughly equal, the Celtics should come out on top.

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ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Dani Carnegie scored 26 points, Mia Woolfolk had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 23 Georgia defeated Florida 71-58 in a regular-season finale on Sunday.

Carnegie scored the first eight points of the game to get the Bulldogs rolling. They led 16-7 with under two minutes left in the quarter before the Gators made their only field goal of the first quarter. Florida attempted only six shots in the first but made seven of 10 free throws. Georgia led 18-9 after one.

Emilija Dakic hit two 3-pointers to get Florida going in the second quarter and the Gators eventually tied it at 23 with four minutes remaining in the half. Carnegie and Riley Theuerkauf then scored five points each in Georgia's 12-0 run for a 35-23 halftime lead.

A 13-0 run in which Savannah Henderson drained two 3-pointers and Carnegie hit another gave Georgia a 54-30 lead. The Bulldogs led 54-33 heading to the fourth.

Carnegie scored six points and Woolfolk had seven in the fourth quarter and the Bulldogs (22-8, 8-8 SEC) were never threatened.

Nyadieng Yiech had 14 points and Jade Weathersby grabbed 11 rebounds for Florida (17-14, 5-11).

Georgia has engineered the best single-season turnaround in program history. After finishing 13-19 a season ago, the Bulldogs are 22-8 -- nine-win improvement from 2024-25.

Up next

The conference tournament runs Wednesday through Sunday at Greenville, South Carolina.

___

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An absolutely, unequivocally, monstrously disastrous—which still might be putting it mildly—second half by the Milwaukee Bucks snapped the Chicago Bulls’ 11-game losing streak Sunday afternoon at the United Center. The Bucks scored eight points in the fourth quarter. Eight. It’s the first win for Chicago since January 31. They went 0-for-February, for crying out loud! Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 18, and Collin Sexton had 22 for the victors.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

Myles Turner opened the game with back-to-back catch-and-shoot triples, propelling an early 8-0 Bucks run. Chicago tied the game midway through the period and were briefly in front, but Ryan Rollins and Cam Thomas splashed consecutive threes to stake Milwaukee ahead again. The Bulls knotted it up again twice inside the three minutes, though AJ Green and Cam Thomas answered each time to avoid falling behind. After one, the visitors led 32-30. Chicago took 21 shots in the first, and 18 came from deep.

Both sides mostly traded buckets in the opening two minutes before a 17-0 Milwaukee run gave them their largest margin yet at 16, forcing a Billy Donovan timeout at the 6:34 mark. All five of the Bucks’ field goals during that three-and-a-half-minute stretch were assisted. In the ensuing two minutes, the Bulls reduced their deficit to 10 thanks in part to two Bucks turnovers and a Bulls offensive rebound. Doc Rivers reassembled his starting lineup, and they suffered a couple similar miscues as Chicago cut it to seven… before a fast-break three from Green, plus the foul. He’d hit another in the final minute, part of an 11-2 Bucks run that cemented their 66-51 halftime edge.

After coughing the ball up seven times in the first half, the Bucks had six turnovers in the third’s opening five minutes. Chicago capitalized, whittling Milwaukee’s advantage to eight before Rivers finally called a timeout at 7:12. The starters kept bleeding points, and a couple missed layups by Kevin Porter Jr.—who got T’d up as he was subbed out—didn’t help, making it a one-point game inside five minutes, all part of a 22-7 Bulls run. A sloppy game at that: the Bulls made a number of gaffes too. Bobby Portis scored 11 in the next three-ish minutes, helping them rebuild an eight-point lead. But poor defense in the final minute made it 89-87 Bucks entering the fourth, a 36-23 quarter in Chicago’s favor.

Matas Buzelis immediately evened the score, and Collin Sexton’s jumper gave the Bulls their first lead since the clock read 10:57 back in the second. That was part of a 16-0 Chicago run spanning the quarter break, punctuated by Buzelis posterizing Ports at the rim, and Doc called his second timeout of the fourth exactly a minute after the first. The Bulls’ run extended to 27-0—twenty-seven to zero—before a KPJ free throw finally gave the Bucks their first points in 7:32 of gameplay. More stinky defense and shot selection put Chicago up 19 before Doc waived the white flag as Gary Trent Jr. and Gary Harris came to the scorers’ table with under five minutes to go. The Bulls kept mopping the floor with the Bucks, finishing the game on a 39-8 run going back to the final minute of the third.

Stat That Stood Out

There are several ways to go here, but we’re going with Milwaukee’s utter ineptitude shooting the ball in the second half: 10/47 from the floor. “Good” for 21.3%.

The question has been raised throughout the season. Should the Houston Rockets have made last offseason’s trade for Kevin Durant?

Those who say no will likely reference Houston’s eerily similar winning clip to last season. To that point, the Rockets have gone 37-22 through 59 games in 2025-26. One year ago, they had the same record at the same point. 

Which has been used to make the argument that the Rockets didn’t get better with Durant.

However, that actually undersells the point. Especially considering what all has happened to the Rockets, from a roster standpoint. 

Their infrastructure has been shaken, due to injury. Fred VanVleet, Houston’s lone table-setter over the last two seasons, hasn’t played. 

(Which we’ve heard endlessly, I know).

Houston has struggled to get into their sets. The pick-and-roll action (which seems to be the only offensive gameplan in Ime Udoka’s toolbelt) has been rather..meh. Amen Thompson has the will to fill that void but he doesn’t have the know-how.

Alperen Sengun has missed a handful of games (and has faded defensively). Tari Eason has missed 22 games.

Steven Adams’ loss might be the most pivotal across the league this season.

Jabari Smith Jr. has been very inconsistent throughout the season. Durant has been the only constant. 

Even at 37-years-old. He ranks third in minutes per game and fourth in total minutes played.

He’s also bailed the Rockets out in a litany of offensive possessions, hitting shots with an insanely high degree of difficulty. 

And has even had to take on a playmaking role (which hasn’t always been pretty, I agree).

But imagine if Houston didn’t make that trade. Jalen Green has missed most of the season. 

When he has played, he’s flashed the same inconsistencies and/or hot-and-cold propensity. Dillon Brooks has certainly been missed this season, but he’s also benefited from having an ample amount of freedom to let it fly and chuck. He’s taking 17.4 shots per game, which is a career-high. 

Yet and still, his efficiency has been….meh. 50.7 percent effective shooting (which is worse than either of his two seasons in Houston), and 54.7 true shooting (which is also worse than either of his two seasons with the Rockets, but almost identical to his first season with the Rockets in 2023-24).

Brooks wouldn’t have been able to replace (or even match) the production that we’ve seen from Durant this season. 

This trade was a no-brainer. Even upon revisiting it.

Houston would be a lottery team without Adams, VanVleet, and Durant. And if you were to undo the trade and place Green back on the roster this season, they would’ve been without him too. 

It’s also worth noting that Houston spent years seeking a closer, even with Green on the roster. Because he didn’t prove capable of being a consistent closer.

So even if they didn’t make the deal for Durant (which carried a lower than usual asking price), they would’ve still likely moved those pieces for someone else, eventually. 

The bright lights of Madison Square Garden have a way of exposing every flaw. On Sunday afternoon, they illuminated one in particular for the San Antonio Spurs: when the offense stalls, everything else can unravel with it.

San Antonio opened the game with energy against the New York Knicks, building a double-digit lead behind sharp ball movement and early defensive intensity. For a brief stretch, the Spurs looked poised to dictate tempo on the road. They pushed the pace, forced tough shots, and found clean looks in transition.

Then the mud set in.

What began as a promising first quarter dissolved into a prolonged drought. The Knicks answered with a punishing run that flipped the scoreboard and the tone of the game. San Antonio’s offense grew stagnant, possessions ended with forced jumpers late in the shot clock, and turnovers fueled New York’s transition attack. By the time the dust settled, the Spurs had been buried under a decisive 29-4 surge that spanned the end of the first quarter and the start of the second.

It was the kind of stretch that changes everything, that saw rotations tighten, confidence waver, and the margin for error disappear.

“We have to understand the delicacy of every possession,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “I think that run led us to be very hesitant, very unsure. The best version of us is fast-paced, space. Ball movement and body movement. So, I give them (Knicks) a lot of credit for that.”

The Spurs managed just 41 points by halftime, their rhythm nowhere to be found. Shots that had fallen early began to clang off the rim. Entry passes were deflected. Dribble drives were swallowed up by a physical Knicks defense. Every small mistake seemed to be worse than the last.

Victor Wembanyama did his best to lead the Spurs to victory, scoring 25 points on 47 percent shooting to go along with 13 rebounds and four blocks. Devin Vassell continued his hot run as of late, adding 18 points to help Wemby in the scoring column.

“For some reason, we were hesitant,” Wembanyama said. For myself, I was hesitant on threes for some reason. We had some dumb live-ball turnovers, and we gave them life. We should have been better during that run in the first quarter. That was the game.”

When the second half began, San Antonio searched for a spark. There were flashes: a quick scoring burst, a defensive stop that hinted at momentum, but each flicker was quickly extinguished. New York responded to every mini-run with poised execution, whether through second-chance opportunities on the glass or a made perimeter shot.

The Spurs’ struggles were not limited to one area. Rebounding lapses extended possessions. Turnovers handed the Knicks easy points. Defensive rotations arrived a step late. And when the offense fails to generate quality looks, even solid defensive stretches can feel wasted.

By the fourth quarter, the outcome had taken shape. The Knicks, fueled by the Garden crowd, continued to apply pressure, stretching the lead beyond reach. San Antonio’s bench saw extended minutes as the final margin swelled to 25.

Losses in March often reveal more than they conceal. For a young Spurs squad, Sunday was a reminder of how quickly control can slip away against a disciplined opponent on its home floor.

The Garden can amplify triumph, but it can just as easily magnify shortcomings. On this day, the Spurs were left searching for answers in a defeat that underscored the work still ahead.

“Games like this can test your poise and compsure,” Johnson said. “There’s things to improve upon and things to learn from this. We have to understand that this is what it is going to feel like.”

Game Notes

• As good as Wembanyama was on Sunday, he caught the turnover bug. He gave the ball away seven times on the afternoon, the most on the team. As a unit, San Antonio turned the ball over 21 times. I don’t care who you’re playing, it is very hard to win against anyone like that.
• The Spurs’ guard trio had a rough afternoon. De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle combined to score 28 points on 11-30 shooting from the floor.
• Mikal Bridges just loves playing against the Spurs, scoring 25 points on 59 percent shooting. He also added five triples to pace the Knicks.
• I’m not kidding when I said I had to Google Mohamed Diawara. He had a solid outing for the Knicks and if he can perform like that, the Knicks have a nice bench unit in the postseason.