Category: Basketball

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No. 2 Michigan remains unbeaten in 89-61 rout of Villanova

Elliot Cadeau scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half to help Michigan build a 30-point lead, and the second-ranked Wolverines coasted to an 89-61 win over Villanova on Tuesday night. The unbeaten Wolverines (9-0) are the only team since at least the 1995-96 season to win six straight games by at least 25 points with at least two of those victories against ranked opponents, according to Sportradar. Michigan entered the game as the first team since Duke in 2009-10 to have a victory margin of 35-plus points in five straight wins, including two against ranked teams, according to Sportradar.

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Knicks set for NBA Cup Semifinal meeting with Magic after win over Raptors

The Knicks are officially heading to Las Vegas. 

New York booked their ticket to the NBA Cup Semifinals with their road win over the Raptors on Tuesday night.

Jalen Brunson led the way with 35 points, and the squad used a strong defensive second quarter to open a double-digit advantage that they never looked back from. 

The Knicks will now face the Magic on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. with a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line. 

Orlando beat the Miami Heat, 117-108, in the first Quarterfinals matchup Tuesday night. 

New York has made it out of the group stage in all three years of the NBA Cup's existence, but this will be their first time advancing to Vegas for the final four.

They were routed by the Bucks two years ago and fell to Trae Young and the Hawks last year. 

Standing in their way now is a pesky Magic squad, whom they have lost to twice in three tries this season. 

That lone victory, though, came with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined this past weekend. 

“This locker room is ecstatic,” Towns said. “It’s an opportunity to represent our city, represent our team over in Vegas -- the Cup brings out a competitive edge in all of us in this league, and we’re just happy we have a chance to go out there and compete against the best of them.”

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Knicks use complete team effort to cruise past Raptors in NBA Cup Quarterfinals

The Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors 117-101 on Tuesday night in their NBA Cup Quarterfinals matchup.

New York has booked a trip to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup Semifinals for the first time.  

Here are some takeaways...

- Both teams came into this Quarterfinal matchup shorthanded -- the Knicks were without Miles McBride as he undergoes further testing on his ankle injury, and Toronto was without former Knicks RJ Barrett (knee) and Immanuel Quickley (illness).

- You wanted high-flying NBA Cup action? You got it. Both teams had their scoring touch going early in this one, shooting a combined 61 percent from the field in a back-and-forth opening frame that ended with Toronto leading by four.

Jalen Brunson was once again leading the charge offensively for New York, knocking down all but two of his nine shots for a season-high 20 points over the first 12 minutes. Brandon Ingram did a nice job of matching him for the Raptors, putting up 17 points of his own on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting from the field.   

- The Knicks kept their hot scoring going and stepped up defensively to take things over in the second. Karl-Anthony Towns' monstrous jam helped them open the first double-digit lead of the game, and they outscored Toronto 34-13 to lead by 17 points heading into the halftime break. 

Brunson still had just two misses on 12 attempts and Towns chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds. 

- New York kept things rolling coming out of the locker room with Josh Hart leading the charge, putting up the team's first nine points of the third quarter. Hart quietly had a terrific first half, and his surge raised his total to 18 points on the night on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from three over his first 19 minutes of action. 

The Raptors found their footing and put together a mini run, but still trailed by 15 heading into the final frame. 

- New York's offense continued rolling, and Hart's fourth three of the night made it a 20-point game early in the fourth. Toronto showed some fight down the stretch, but the Knicks ultimately never looked back, as they booked their ticket to the Semifinals with the 16-point victory. 

Brunson finished with a game-high 35 points, Hart had a season-high 21, Mikal Bridges chipped in 15, Towns piled up 14 and 17 boards, Anunoby had 13 against his former team, and Jordan Clarkson bounced back with 12 off the bench. 

- The Knicks have now won 10 consecutive games against the Raptors, stretching back to Dec. 2023.  

- New York pushed their winning streak to four, and they are 8-1 over their last nine games.  

Game MVP: Brunson

The captain was terrific offensively, pacing New York's offense and leading all scorers. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks head to Vegas for their Semifinal meeting with the Magic on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

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Lamar Wilkerson dazzles with career-high 44, Indiana rolls past Penn State 113-72

Lamar Wilkerson racked up a career-high 44 points as Indiana reached the century mark for the fourth time this season in their 113-72 win over Penn State on Tuesday. Wilkerson was an efficient 16-for-22 from the field, 10-for-15 from deep, and made each of his two free throws. A senior transfer from Sam Houston, Wilkerson's 10 threes set a single-game Indiana record, and his 44 points set a single-game record at Indiana's Assembly Hall.

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Wright hits winning 3 at buzzer and Dybantsa scores 28 as No. 10 BYU rallies past Clemson 67-64

Robert Wright III made a 3-pointer as time expired after AJ Dybantsa scored 22 of his season-high 28 points in the second half, and No. 10 BYU stormed back from a 22-point deficit to beat Clemson 67-64 on Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic. The Cougars (8-1) lost a six-point lead in the final 70 seconds but completed the comeback when Wright took an inbounds pass from Mihailo Boskovic and sank a long 3 from the right side. After trailing by 21 at halftime and 44-22 with 18 1/2 minutes remaining, BYU pulled off the largest second-half comeback in school history.

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No. 2 Michigan routs Villanova 89-61, remaining unbeaten with 6th straight win by 25-plus points

Elliot Cadeau scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half to help Michigan build a 30-point lead, and the second-ranked Wolverines coasted to an 89-61 win over Villanova on Tuesday night. The unbeaten Wolverines (9-0) are the only team since at least the 1995-96 season to win six straight games by at least 25 points with at least two of those victories against ranked opponents, according to Sportradar. Michigan entered the game as the first team since Duke in 2009-10 to have a victory margin of 35-plus points in five straight wins, including two against ranked teams, according to Sportradar.

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Steve Kerr reveals how Steph Curry's return will impact Pat Spencer's minutes

Steve Kerr reveals how Steph Curry's return will impact Pat Spencer's minutes  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Does Steph Curry’s impending return from injury signal the end of Pat Spencer Mania? Not quite, according to Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

During an interview on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” on Tuesday, Kerr explained that he actually envisions a rotation that could place Curry and Spencer on the floor together.

“I’m actually kind of looking forward to get getting them on the court together. That can be fun,” Kerr said. 

Spencer has long been appreciated by Dub Nation for his contributions to Golden State, but the 29-year-old was thrust into the national spotlight after stepping up in a major way during the Warriors’ recent three-game road trip.

Spencer recorded double-figure scoring performances in all three games, while displaying a competitive fire that caught the eye of basketball fans across the NBA.

In Curry’s absence, Spencer has started the last two games for the Warriors — both impressive road wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls, respectively.

Spencer averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds in those two starts, while shooting an impressive 13 of 22 from the field, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.

While Curry rightly regains his place in the starting lineup upon his return, Kerr insisted that Spencer isn’t going to lose all of his minutes and that the rotations will be heavily matchup dependent.

“Well, we’ll have to find out [what Spencer’s role is when Curry returns]. I mean, I’m not going to take away all of his minutes,” Kerr explained. “I can tell you that I’m definitely going to play him with Steph some, and we’ll see. Some of it will depend on matchups, how well we can hold up defensively, the three guys we put with [Spencer and Curry]. All of that has to be determined. But the way Pat is playing, the way he’s impacting winning, the way he’s impacting the competitive spirit of the team, I have to keep playing him. I mean, we’re winning, and he’s a huge part of that.”

While Spencer’s run isn’t quite on the level of a “Linsanity” yet, one of Golden State’s coaches compared the 29-year-old to former Warriors guard and New York Knicks star (for a moment in time) Jeremy Lin, who gained international fame for an incredible run in February 2012.

“Well, one of our coaches mentioned Jeremy Lin the other night [as a comp for Spencer],” Kerr said. “I couldn’t really think of any others, but, yeah, it’s not unprecedented, I’m sure, but it’s just a wonderful story. I mean, anytime you get a guy who has put in the work like Pat has and has the story, the journey that Pat has, I mean, you can’t help but pull for the guy.

“But it only really becomes a great story when the guy is legit. There are guys who are flashes in the pan, but Pat’s legit, you can see it out there. You can see the competitive desire, the fight, the intelligence, his ability to run, pick-and-roll. This guy’s a real player, and he’s finally getting his opportunity, and he’s making the most of it.”

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Steve Kerr shares Draymond Green update as Warriors star nurses foot injury

Steve Kerr shares Draymond Green update as Warriors star nurses foot injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors expect to have star point guard Steph Curry back for their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, but it remains unclear if his teammate Draymond Green will be back on the floor at Chase Center.

Green has missed Golden State’s last two games with a right foot injury, which sidelined him in the second quarter of the team’s 99-98 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia last Thursday. The veteran power forward is making strides toward a return, however, as Warriors coach Steve Kerr told 95.7 The Game on Tuesday.

“He’s scheduled to practice [Wednesday], and with the scrimmage [Thursday], we’ll have a much better feel afterwards for how close he is,” Kerr told the “Willard & Dibs” show. “But I don’t have an answer yet as to whether he’ll play on Friday, but I’m excited to get him back and pair him with De’Anthony [Melton].”

Green sustained the injury with just under five minutes remaining in the first half Thursday when 76ers forward Dominick Barlow rolled onto the Warriors forward’s leg. He limped to the Warriors’ locker room and when the second half began, center Trayce Jackson-Davis replaced him in the lineup.

Green has yet to play much with Melton, who made his 2025-26 NBA season debut in the Warriors’ loss to the 76ers after undergoing ACL surgery in December 2024. The defensive-minded duo sharing the court together again excites Kerr, as does Curry’s return from a five-game absence due to a quad contusion.

“You can see the defensive capabilities,” Kerr said of Melton and Green. “And by the way I think we’re up to fourth or fifth in the league in defensive rating. So [Melton has] contributed to that the last few games, and we are doing better as a team just containing the ball and helping. So that part’s really exciting. And as we get our full complement of players, you get Steph back, it gives us a chance to put our best foot forward.”

With a core of older players, there certainly will be lulls where the Warriors aren’t at full strength. But the possibilities when they’re firing on all cylinders are endless, and Green’s looming return — plus recent contributions from younger, under-the-radar players such as Pat Spencer — certainly will help.

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Agent Rich Paul says LeBron James will finish season with Lakers

Since returning from the sciatica that cost him the start of the season, LeBron James has blended in perfectly with the 17-6 Lakers, a guy with an all-around game willing to do whatever the team needs on any given night. Most recently, in Philadelphia, that was drop 29 points on the 76ers when Luka Doncic was out.

While the fit works, this is the first time in his career LeBron is on a team not constructed around him, where he is asked to fill a role more than be the star everyone else orbits around. Combine that with LeBron being a free agent after this season, and there has been some online speculation about a trade — despite the fact LeBron has a no-trade clause and has said nothing about waiving it.

Rich Paul, LeBron's agent, shot down any trade rumors fast on the “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul” podcast (produced by The Ringer).

Kellerman: "Is LeBron, realistically, a guy who could not be on the Lakers at the end of this year?"

Paul: "No."

Kellerman: "He will be on the Lakers at the end of this year?"

Paul: "Yeah. Where's he going to go?"

Constructing a LeBron James trade creates many of the same obstacles as trading Giannis Antetokounmpo (and explains why he is more likely to be traded during the offseason). LeBron makes $52.6 million this season. In a world of tax aprons, how many teams can take on that large a contract for what would be the No. 2 or 3 player on a championship-caliber team? Beyond that, the teams LeBron might want to join — Cleveland, New York, Golden State — are all up against the tax aprons, with restrictions on what they can do (none can take back more money than they send out) and little room to maneuver.

LeBron was never going to be traded during the season, and he knew that when he picked up his player option.

Paul also said during the interview that he did not believe the Lakers, as currently constructed, are contenders in the West and wouldn't even make the Western Conference Finals.

This summer, when LeBron is a free agent, things will be different. The conventional wisdom around the league is that LeBron wants to play one more season — a grand farewell tour — and it's not likely to be with the Lakers. How much of a salary discount he is willing to take to get where he wants to go, or how the Lakers could work with him on a sign-and-trade, remains to be seen, but that is when the action will be. Not at the trade deadline.