Category: NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers went 1-1 last week, looking strong against the Detroit Pistons and floundering for the first half against the Boston Celtics. Not the most consistent week from the team; however, Evan Mobley was the most consistent presence in both those games. Seeing him reassimilate into the team after an extended absence was a pleasant surprise, as historically his ramp-ups have been on the slower end.

Average player grade last week: A-

Stats last week: 21 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 bpg, 40% 3P%

Standout performance: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks in loss to the Celtics on 3/8/2026.

Mobley’s performance against the Celtics really secured his award this week. Playing only two games plays a major part in this decision. He had back-to-back games where his aggression looked to be trending upwards.

One of the biggest issues Mobley and the Cavaliers have struggled with is putting and keeping their proverbial foot on the pedal. Mobley has a reputation for getting the first few touches to start a game, then fading for sometimes whole quarters at a time.

Based on his games against the Pistons and Celtics, that version of Mobley appears to have been put to rest. He is playing a lot freer both on and off the ball. Understandably, the mental hurdle of not wanting to reaggravate these soft tissue injuries can linger in the back of one’s mind. However, it is both a hindrance to the Cavaliers’ offense and Mobley’s continued ascension when he is skittish and apprehensive. Mobley’s greatest trait is his basketball IQ and ability to see the floor better than most bigs in the league.

When Mobley is able to fly from end to end and show his mobility at his size as he did against Boston, he is frankly unfair for most to defend. When Mobley can fly off the roll, or even as we saw against Detroit, he is at his best.

With the inclusion of James Harden in the offense, someone who sets up bigs arguably better than anyone else in the league, it will be fascinating if this version of Mobley we saw last week is more of who we will see going forward.

Mobley has touched on what Harden brings not only to the team but also to his own game. Hopefully, the playstyle that Harden brings means that this version of Mobley is more permanent. As time goes on in the dwindling regular season, the minutes shared between this pairing are critical. Not only to their chemistry as a duo, but to the postseason success of the Cavaliers.

If there is a common thread in every off-season’s “solution” for the Cavaliers, it is for Evan Mobley to take another step and mature as a play finisher. His development as a player is always dictating the Cavaliers’ true ceiling. If this week was any indication for Mobley, then it appears we are looking to head in the right direction.

Evan Mobley, your award is in the mail.

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The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder will take the floor at Paycom Center tonight following a chippy matchup two weeks ago that saw Nikola Jokic make some crazy faces and Lu Dort get ejected.

The rematch could have just as much playoff energy, and our NBA player prop projections help you find the best NBA picks on the board. For more, check out our full Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions.

Nuggets vs Thunder computer picks for March 9

Nuggets	Thunder
Johnson o9.5 points  -125	Williams u7.5 rebounds  -115
Braun u11.5 points  +100	Williams u10.5 points  -130
Braun u1.5 threes  -170	Wallace u3.5 rebounds  -120

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Nuggets computer picks

Cam Johnson Over 9.5 points (-125)

Projection: 11.8 points

Cam Johnson is coming off a 10-point showing against the Knicks and went Over this number in five of eight games in February, including an 18-point night against the Clippers.

The Thunder defense is stout, but Johnson is one of the best shooters in the NBA, currently hitting 40.5% of his threes on the season.

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Christian Braun Under 11.5 points (+100)

Projection: 10.6 points

Christian Braun is logging big minutes, but that hasn't always meant scoring production. He's coming off a game against the Knicks where he scored just seven points and shot 2-for-7 from the field.

He did score 23 points against OKC last time out, but that was an outlier for two reasons: he played 45 minutes (the game went to overtime) and took a season-high 10 threes (made three).

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Christian Braun Under 1.5 threes (-170)

Projection: 1.1 threes

Along the same line of thinking, Braun has gone Over this number just once in four games since going 3-for-10 against OKC on Feb. 27, and it's not for a lack of trying. He's 4-for-15 in those four games.

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Thunder computer picks

Jaylin Williams Under 7.5 rebounds (-110)

Projection: 6.5 rebounds

This number is inflated because Jaylin Williams has had some huge rebounding games lately (14, 16, and 11 in three of last six games), and Isaiah Hartenstein is sidelined once again.

Still, if you take those three big games out, Williams has gone Under this number in every game but one since Feb. 4. Not to mention, he's up against Nikola Jokic tonight.

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Jaylin Williams Under 10.5 points (-125)

Projection: 8.9 points

Injuries to OKC's big men have helped his scoring totals, but so has shooting nearly 44% from three since the start of February. Even if the minutes stay up, that mark is unsustainable.

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Cason Wallace Under 3.5 rebounds (-120)

Projection: 3.1 rebounds

Cason Wallace is coming off a zero-rebound effort against the Warriors and needed nearly 36 minutes of action to snag four rebounds against the Nuggets on Feb. 27. He won't see that many minutes tonight.

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How to watch Nuggets vs Thunder tonight

Location	Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Date	Monday, March 9, 2026
Tip-off	7:30 p.m. ET
TV	Peacock

Not intended for use in MA.
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The Memphis Grizzlies head to Brooklyn tonight to face the Brooklyn Nets, with tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Memphis has found some success on the road lately, and I’m eyeing them to grab a victory in my Grizzlies vs Nets predictions. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Monday, March 9. 

Grizzlies vs Nets prediction

Grizzlies vs Nets best bet: Grizzlies -1.5 (-105)

The Memphis Grizzlies are in the midst of a three-game losing skid, but two of those losses came at home. The Grizzlies have won two of their last three away from FedExForum, easily covering the spread against the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers. 

The Grizz have an 11-19 record on the road, and the Brooklyn Nets are just 8-22 at home. They’ve lost by a minimum of four points in each of their last four games at the Barclays Center. 

Memphis has also won two in a row against the Nets, covering tonight’s spread in both matchups.

Grizzlies vs Nets same-game parlay

Jaylen Wells has been a clear bright spot in a rather disappointing campaign for the Grizzlies. 

The youngster has cashed the Over in three of his last four appearances, and Wells dropped 24 points against the Portland Trail Blazers last week. He’s also hit the Over in two of his previous three road outings.

Oliver-Maxence Prosper isn’t exactly a sniper from downtown, but for the amount he shoots the three, the clip is impressive. He’s draining 0.9 triples on 2.1 attempts per game for a 40% clip. 

Grizzlies vs Nets SGP

• Grizzlies -1.5
• Jaylen Wells Over 16.5 points
• Oliver-Maxence Prosper Over 1.5 threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: Memphis made

Memphis has cashed this Over in two straight, and Brooklyn is 27th in defensive rating. 

Grizzlies vs Nets SGP

• Grizzlies -1.5
• Jaylen Wells Over 16.5 points
• Oliver-Maxence Prosper Over 1.5 threes
• Grizzlies team total Over 111.5

Grizzlies vs Nets odds

• Spread: Grizzlies -1.5 (-105) | Nets +1.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: Grizzlies -120 | Nets +100
• Over/Under: Over 222.5 | Under 222.5

Grizzlies vs Nets betting trend to know

The Memphis Grizzlies have hit the team total Over in 30 of their last 45 games (+12.60 Units / 24% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Grizzlies vs. Nets.

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Who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft? AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer?

A lot of the draft experts were split heading into the college basketball season and they still aren't quite certain with the NCAA Tournament right around the corner. The same apparently goes for AI.

After USA TODAY Sports initially queried Microsoft Copilot for its version of a 2026 NBA mock draft for the first round based on information and analysis currently available on the internet last month, we followed up now that March Madness is almost here. There were some variations, most notably at the top of the draft, and it's perhaps a reflection of the uncertainty surrounding Peterson's availability at Kansas this college basketball season.

The decision between Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer is likely to define this year's class, and could depend on which team is picking No. 1. That, of course, remains somewhat nebulous due to the varying odds offered by the NBA draft lottery system and the number of teams tanking this season in order to best position themselves in what's considered a deep draft class. For the purposes of this mock draft, team selections are based on NBA regular-season records as of March 9, 2026 and account for relevant trades, pick swaps and stipulations.

Here's Microsoft Copilot's 2026 NBA mock draft, version 2.0, as curated by USA TODAY Sports:

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The sunny California weather offers a stark contrast to the current state of the New York Knicks.

New York is coming off a bad loss to the Lakers on Sunday and now faces the Los Angeles Clippers in the second of back-to-back road outings.

To escape La-La Land with at least one win, the Knicks need a gritty effort from power forward Josh Hart. 

My Knicks vs. Clippers predictions and NBA picks have Hart digging in and doing what he can to get New York back on track on Monday, March 9.

Knicks vs Clippers prediction

Knicks vs Clippers best bet: Josh Hart Over 10.5 points (+100)

Josh Hart was limited to 22 minutes in Sunday's one-sided loss to the Lakers, finishing with just eight points on 4-for-8 shooting.

Hart is an engine for this New York Knicks offense, especially in tight turnarounds. His energy on the boards and dribble-drive attack lead to high-percentage looks. 

Hart also bounces back from poor performances, averaging 13.5 points over his last 11 games following a sub-10-point effort.

Projections all sit north of 11 points with a ceiling closer to 12 vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, with Hart logging his normal workload and perhaps more minutes, with Mitchell Robinson doubtful.

Knicks vs Clippers same-game parlay

The Knicks are 15-8 SU coming off a loss and have held their own against Western Conference competition, with a 15-9 straight-up mark in non-conference games.

Hart is forecasted for 11+ points and should see more minutes than he did in Sunday's loss with Robinson sitting out. Over the past 11 games in which Hart failed to score double digits, he’s bounced back with 11 or more points in eight of those following contests.

Brook Lopez presents a problem inside for a Knicks frontcourt running a little thin. Some models have Lopez going for 11 points tonight.

Knicks vs Clippers SGP

• Knicks moneyline
• Josh Hart Over 10.5 points
• Brook Lopez Over 8.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Hart Attack

The Knicks bounce back from yesterday's bad offensive effort, and Hart beats strong, not only topping his points total, but picking up the slack on the glass with projections as high as 7.6 rebounds.

Knicks vs Clippers SGP

• Knicks -2.5
• Over 220.5
• Josh Hart Over 10.5 points
• Josh Hart Over 6.5 rebounds

Knicks vs Clippers odds

• Spread: Knicks -2.5 (-105) | Clippers +2.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: Knicks -135 | Clippers +115
• Over/Under: Over 220.5 (-110) | Under 220.5 (-110)

Knicks vs Clippers betting trend to know

The L.A. Clippers are 15-9 Over/Under vs. Eastern Conference foes, including 7-4 O/U in non-conference home games. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Clippers.

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CLEVELAND – Neither Cleveland nor Boston fans want to hear that their seasons just started, that 2025-26 only recently began, that the games didn’t really count until March. That nothing in the first four months of the campaign mattered, that basketball only begins when Jayson Tatum is healthy, or when Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are on the court at the same time.

Fans battled through too much winter – and 2025-26 was an award-winning winter – to buy that. Celtic corps committed to Anfernee Simons and his slashing slice of impermanence. Cavalier faithful recognized and acknowledged Darius Garland’s on/off splits before moving on, maybe keeping the jersey, there were plenty of Darius’ No. 10 floating around the Cavs’ arena on Sunday.

Even more freshly-spun James Harden jerseys, but not nearly enough of James in the box score: 6-16 shooting, 19 points in Cleveland’s 109-98 home defeat. Ten assists for Harden in his first game with Mitchell in a dozen days. Also, far too many murmurs online over what the postseason Cavaliers will look like in matinee performances, James rolling right out of the hotel he moved into last month.

Cavs fans don’t want to read about Cleveland coalescing down the stretch, that was what 2025-26 was supposed to be for, with Garland and Mitchell, Max Strus and DeAndre Hunter and Lonzo Ball. Instead, Cleveland boasts a completely different bench, with trade deadline acquisitions Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroeder buttressing potent holdovers Craig Porter Jr. and Most Improved Player candidate Jaylon Tyson. Center Thomas Bryant is out there to remind fans from his five other NBA teams why Thomas Bryant is out there with the Cavaliers, and not out there with any of those five previous teams.

It goes. It lost on Sunday, but the Cavs (fourth in the East, seventh in point differential, 8-2 fielding Harden) rested Mitchell for a dog day February/March fortnight, girding his groin for spring. When every other NBA superstar was out playing the Nets for the third time this season, Mitchell sat in street clothes and spectacles and watched his Cavaliers. His Cavaliers out there with Thomas Bryant.

Mitchell owns a championship core if he could ever get it on the court at the same time: Jarrett Allen missed his second straight game on Sunday with knee soreness, his 13th sit of the season after working all 82 in 2024-25. Cleveland won’t budge from the No. 4 seed before the season ends, all that means is Spider requires stealing a second round Game 2 in Detroit. And no better time to beat Boston for the first time this season than Game 1 of the Eastern finals.

Boston fans will laugh at this, and that’s fine, I’ll pretend they’re laughing at an old ‘Cheers’ joke and not my arguments for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Like the time Carla talked Sam out of trying out for the Red Sox not because she was his friend but mostly so she could snare a couple of Sox hunks inside Sam’s spring training dorm. Or when the whole bar ate sorghum, happily. Or when Woody made that amazing drink but couldn’t remember what went in it.

Boston fans don’t want to recognize that they wasted winter watching an incomplete team because Boston wasn’t, not when the Celtics are second in the East, second-best point differential in the NBA even without Jayson Tatum. The Celtics weren’t even supposed to clock in this season, may clock out with a champagne shower, goggles materializing from storage.

Sunday was whiplash, dragging an early seven-point Cleveland advantage to a 26-point Boston lead. Jayson Tatum working the closest an NBA team can get to a back-to-back (Boston worked in Cleveland 42 hours after tipping victoriously over Dallas, in Boston) and looking every bit the unruffled top NBA pitchman, 20 points in 27 minutes against Cleveland, 15-12-7 assists in 27 minutes versus the Mavs.

The Cavaliers enjoyed the opposite itinerary, the longest stretch of days off allowed, last working March 3 and in Ohio. Plenty of time for practice, plenty of space for growth. Couldn’t blame the layoff for Sunday’s snore, either, it wasn’t the emergence of March bloomery or the urge to spring forward that got in the way of Cleveland playing defense on Sunday.

While the Cavs obsessed over what went wrong on the other end, the Boston offense hummed with all the 2025-26 hallmarks: Jaylen Brown probing, Payton Pritchard crossing goofballs over, Baylor Scheierman tossing Cliff Hagen-styled lefty looks into the goal, Sam Hauser leaking, always leaking, splashing 5-10 three-pointers in a contest where Cleveland missed 20 of its first 22 from deep. Where Cleveland feints, then considers, Boston rolls and counters.

It scans: Cleveland is all new faces. Even Celtic breakouts Neemias Queta and Scheierman worked in Boston’s system as deep reserves in previous seasons. It makes sense when Jayson Tatum blends with the teammates he hasn’t worked with since May, he’s blended so successfully with each of them before. Save for rookie Hugh Gonzalez (several Larry Bird jerseys in Sunday’s Cleveland but even more Hugh Gonzalez jerseys, which makes sense, Larry’s last game was in “Cleveland“) and (capable Nikola Vucevic replacement) Luka Garza.

Cleveland, like Richfield, isn’t Cleveland yet. Not without Jarrett Allen, James Harden’s new video game, the piece to make the paint mightier. Allen was a crucial worry in previous postseasons but not with this crew, not with Harden. The Cavaliers boast the postseason luxury of keeping either Mitchell or Harden on the floor at all times, a stagger to sock the opposition’s jaw. All of this, admittedly, relies on James Harden showing up in the playoffs.

Boston’s potential championship return is no gimmick or novelty. The NBA’s second-best point differential boasts an MVP candidate, Jaylen Brown turning over from Pippen into Jordan in a single possession, then it added whatever Jayson Tatum makes of this comeback crusade.

Detroit is injured, New York unwritten, Boston was in business even if Tatum remained sidelined through October. The only thing to trip the Celtics might be Jayson Tatum confusing NBA games with intense one-on-one workouts while refamiliarizing himself with NBA protocol. Not turning the ball over by stepping in-bounds while in-bounding it, calling for the ball back after a miss, walking off the court to find a water fountain after making a three, little things like that.

The NBA had all this time to take our licks at the Celtics, this is the best we could come up with. Couldn’t even keep them in third place during a season where the Patriots made the Super Bowl. Boston avoids luxury taxes, and everyone got an extra biscuit when Tatum’s 20 field goal attempts per game took 62 games off. Luka Garza took two biscuits but that’s OK, he’s hungry, his shot diet is buttery.

Boston remains a problem. The only Eastern team that can stop them would be a surprise. Cleveland is capable, could be that surprise, but the Celtics demand so much. To surprise Boston four playoff times in seven playoff tries is to shock.

Kelly Dwyer writes about the NBA at kdonhoops.com

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The most recent matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets was the game that launched a thousand memes.

Denver star Nikola Jokic didn’t take kindly to a cheap shot from OKC’s Lu Dort, sparking a scuffle. In the ensuing melee, Jokic shot Dort a crazed look usually reserved for cartoon villains and women who ask to speak to the manager. The internet took it from there.

These Western Conference foes clash again tonight, with our Nuggets vs. Thunder predictions expecting The Joker to exact some form of revenge. My NBA picks like Jokic to beat up a thinning Oklahoma City frontcourt on the boards.

Nuggets vs Thunder prediction

Nuggets vs Thunder best bet: Nikola Jokic Over 12.5 rebounds (-110)

Nikola Jokic grabbed 17 rebounds in that overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 27. He battled OKC’s twin towers of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein in that meeting, but the Thunder could be missing that size tonight.

Hartenstein is sidelined with a calf injury, and Holmgren is overcoming illness, leaving him questionable. Along with backup center Branden Carlson’s absence, 6-foot-9 Jaylin Williams is the lone big man left to fight Jokic on the glass.

Jokic has averaged 20.6 rebounding chances per game since the All-Star break (fifth most), and projections range from 11.9 to 13.3 boards.

Nuggets vs Thunder same-game parlay

The Denver Nuggets have had some trouble away from home recently. They’re 3-5 SU and 4-4 ATS as a visitor since the start of February. OKC is 26-6 as a host so far this season. 

Game models call for less than 230 combined points in a heated Western war that will have a postseason-like intensity to it, especially after the fireworks of their last matchup.

Jokic’s rebounding chances are sitting north of 20 boards per game, and OKC is a bad rebounding team even at full strength. The Thunder are 25th in rebound rate and allow a lot of offensive rebounds.

Nuggets vs Thunder SGP

• Thunder moneyline
• Under 231.5
• Nikola Jokic Over 12.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Why So Serious?

Lu Dort and Jokic decide to leave the fighting on the scoreboard, with OKC’s forward projected to reach double digits and Joker’s forecasts flirting with 27 points.

Nuggets vs Thunder SGP

• Nuggets +7
• Nikola Jokic Over 26.5 points
• Nikola Jokic Over 12.5 rebounds
• Lu Dort Over 9.5 points

Nuggets vs Thunder odds

• Spread: Nuggets +7 | Thunder -7
• Moneyline: Nuggets +240 | Thunder -300
• Over/Under: Over 231.5 | Under 231.5

Nuggets vs Thunder betting trend to know

The Nuggets are 6-11 SU but 10-7 ATS against OKC over the last three years. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Thunder.

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The Golden State Warriors have lost three of their last four games, but they’ll look to get back on track when they face the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center tonight.

Both teams have hit the Over often this season, and my Warriors vs. Jazz predictions and NBA picks expect another high-scoring affair in Salt Lake City.

Warriors vs Jazz prediction

Warriors vs Jazz best bet: Over 226.5 (-110)

Strong defense certainly hasn’t been a hallmark of the Utah Jazz this season, as the team ranks dead last in defensive rating. Utah is 37-27 to the Over, including an NBA-high 22-10 at home. Utah has hit the Over in three of its last five at the Delta Center.

This Golden State Warriors defense has been better than Utah’s, but the Warriors are 36-27 to the Over and 12-5 as the road favorite.

The Warriors have hit the Over in seven of their last 10 games, and the teams have gone Over in three of their last four head-to-head matchups.

Warriors vs Jazz same-game parlay

The Jazz are 34-30 ATS, and they've covered in 17 of 32 home games. Conversely, the Warriors are just 28-34-1 ATS. The visiting team is 14-17 ATS on the road and 6-11 as the road favorite. Both teams are shorthanded, but I'll give the edge to the home team.

With all of Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, and Jusuf Nurkic sidelined, Kyle Filipowski is the go-to guy in Utah's frontcourt. As a starter, the big man has averaged 13 points and 8.5 boards, and across his last nine games since rejoining the starting five, he's averaged 14.7 points and 8.4 rebounds.

Filipowski has scored 12+ in eight of his last nine, and he's grabbed 9+ rebounds four times in that span, including three straight appearances. He's got plenty of opportunity, and he'll face a Warriors frontcourt that will once again be missing Kristaps Porzingis.

Warriors vs Jazz SGP

• Over 227
• Jazz +6
• Kyle Filipowski Over 11.5 points
• Kyle Filipowski Over 8.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Can't stop Kyle and Keyonte!

Keyonte George is averaging a career-best 24 points per game this season, and he's been Utah's most consistent — and electric — scoring option. Across his last three, George has averaged 29.3 points and hit the Over on this line twice. Strong play from him and Kyle Filipowski will keep Utah competitive tonight.

Warriors vs Jazz SGP

• Over 227
• Jazz +6
• Kyle Filipowski Over 11.5 points
• Kyle Filipowski Over 8.5 rebounds
• Keyonte George Over 23.5 points

Warriors vs Jazz odds

• Spread: Warriors -6 | Jazz +6
• Moneyline: Warriors -245 | Jazz +200
• Over/Under: Over 226.5 | Under 226.5

Warriors vs Jazz betting trend to know

The Jazz have gone Over the total in 25 of their last 35 home games for +14.0 units and a 36% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Jazz.

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During a January game in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks did something that should have never happened: they didn’t defend their teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns, 30, the Knicks’s second best player, was being subjected to aggressive intimidation by Warriors defensive stalwart Draymond Green, as Green is accustomed to doing to an opposing forward. In the middle of the fourth quarter, Towns drove on Green who tried to take a charge, then proceeded to trip him when he was on the ground as Towns rose up for a layup. Earlier in the game, Green had walked over to Mike Brown, the head coach of the Knicks, and exchanged pleasantries. After the game, they laughed heartily even though the Knicks lost a game that they were a better fourth quarter away from winning. Green said on his podcast that Knicks coaches chirped him throughout the game but it all felt too friendly; the spirit of friendly competition remains a good rule of law, but Green’s an antagonizer who needs to be pushed back. Furthermore, it was not the first time that Green had provoked Towns. A season ago, he called him soft, then claimed that Towns was ducking him when he missed the game against the Warriors in March. The hell with fraternizing when the opposition is attempting to punk one of our star players: if the game was competitive, then the soul of the cordial association with Green during and after the game was a corrupt comedy.

There wasn’t nearly enough of a defense of Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns, or “KAT”, as he known as, is in the midst of his second season with the Knicks. The deft shot-making that he possessed in his first season hasn’t always been there during his second season. It is easy to forget — with his struggles this season and the general criticisms about his body language and toughness that are often thrown Towns’s way — that his shot making in the fourth game of the first round against the Pistons gave the Knicks some breathing room in the form of a 3-1 series lead. Even if Brunson doesn’t do his sixth game heroics, they would have still had a seventh game at Madison Square Garden because of Towns’s clutch shots. Where Brunson is the team leader, the politician with everyone in his back pocket, the backcourt stalwart that is reminiscent of the great scoring guards of this generation, Towns is a luxurious weapon. 

Towns is an earnest star. His instincts lead him to show emotion on the court, emotion that allows for the most traditional kinds of men to question his mental toughness. For instance, when Towns was told by Shaquille O’Neal that it would take a formidable one-two punch with Brunson for the Knicks to finally hoist the trophy the fans have been longing to see, Towns pushed back with some of his trademark humility and kindness. “I said you were playing soft… It’s high aspirations, of course there are going to talk about Brunson, but it’s you and your play, you have to be dominant… You played in the paint tonight, that’s the way you have to play”, explained Shaq. Shaq is from a different time, where the center was supposed to play behind the basket and although he played against Dirk Nowitzki in his prime, nor was it like athletic specimens such as Kevin Garnett or Patrick Ewing played as restrictedly as Shaq played, he believes that a big man belongs in the paint. Towns pushed back with slight vigor. “We win a championship, we can talk about anybody, as long as all we get a ring. The main goal is to win, it don’t matter who gets the credit.” Whatever one takes from this conversation, it showed who Towns is compared to the some of the legends that he grew up with. There’s such a toxic masculinity, a sense of selfish responsibility in Shaq that is catered to the ideas of 1990’s America, a guy’s guy persona that sits right next to his inability to stay out of commercials on our television screen. If receiving credit was a woman, Shaq would marry it after the first date. 

Towns is much different than that. He grew up in the Obama era, where players team up in free agency together, played for John Calipari at Kentucky, where freshmen used to hone their skills in Lexington without haggle. He is the son of Jackie Towns, who passed away during COVID, and Karl Towns Sr. When Mrs. Towns was alive, you could find her cheering on Karl at the games. Everyone in the NBA has supportive parents, the trope of the no-father Black men is ridiculous, but the outward love that Towns has for his parents is apparent. The best version of Towns’s personality exists when he recollects his close relationship with his mom, and the toll that her death has taken on him and how he has fought to keep his emotions at bay whenever he thinks about her. He is an emotionally intelligent, genuine person in the sea of what is sometimes braggarts and wooden personalities. Whatever one makes of Towns’s gentleness at times, his babyish complaints to the referees and his three point launches, there is nothing cynical in him. Towns is much maligned because he does not perform the unadulterated masculinity, the traditional sense of duty and honor that some of the greatest NBA legends have performed. Not since Chris Bosh has there been a big man that is teased for not being as performatively macho as someone like Shaq is.

Sometimes Towns’s emotions on the court get the best of him, though. In the midst of being human, he can be annoying. He can be overly sensitive to contact, he can complain about the previous call when he should block it away and move on to the next possession. His lift is not the same as it was the year before and my mind immediately wonders whether Towns has an injury he doesn’t want anyone to know about it. In the year of 2025-2026, I am reminded of Sensei Sergio from One Battle After Another, who tells Leonardo DiCaprio’s Bob Ferguson, “Ocean Waves, Bob, Ocean Waves.” Whenever Towns is sulking, or conversing with Mike Brown over a play or two on offense and defense, Sensei saying “ocean waves” is what I keep thinking about. Macho men like Jimmy Butler were trying to teach him that, but they forget to uplift the sensitive Towns first, before being tough on him. Towns’s methods of receiving communication is the method of a younger millennial: with kindness and collaboration. Furthermore, it is not as if being on the block would miraculously change the Knicks’s team. Towns is best used as a pick and pop player, a forward in space, a matchup nightmare for teams that put undersized players on him, and a shot maker that can hit three that no man his size should be able to hit. Other than the great Dirk Nowitzki, he is the best shooting big man of all-time, although, at 36.8%, his percentage this season has creeped down from what they were last season.

In 2024-2025, Towns’s task was score when Brunson was not on the court, take over games when Brunson was not quite there. He did that against the Pacers in the comeback third game of the Eastern Conference Finals, when Towns had a monster second half. He looked unstoppable. Knicks fans can’t expect that every time but we have seen a dominant player before and are waiting for it to come out this season. Shaq, in his twisted, selfish, slightly toxic way is absolutely correct: this team will go nowhere without Towns and he needs to take the responsibility like he knows that he can. He knows that more than he lets on even though he wants to play the role of good teammate. One can understand that it is a team sport while taking the responsibility for the hopes of a championship contending team. This is the world that the big man before him made, and although his talents are different than them, it is fine to follow in their footsteps. He knows that. As he says to Shaq after the pushback, “Legend, I agree with you”, even though to call Towns soft is to mischaracterize his style of play. Watching him defend himself alone against Green was torturous. One got the sense that he was tired of this bully attempting to literally bully him and wanted a teammate to get in Green’s face so Green would dumb his fake tough guy persona down. It must be tiring to go to war with no one next to you but the pleasant OG Anunoby. It’s just basketball, of course, but it did not inspire the tough New York kid that is inside of me. I felt for Towns after that game. He needed his brothers to tell the neighborhood bully to go away.

The Knicks know that an opposing player dissing Towns publicly and on the court can’t happen anymore. Leon Rose traded for the pest Jose Alvarado, a tough kid from Brooklyn who if he ever backed down a day in his life would not be in the NBA. Jeremy Schoen will be good for a few technical fouls come April and May. Towns’s affinity for avoiding corny macho behaviors is what makes him an unique talent but the events of Green and the Shaq interview shows that the league wants him to perform those things as if they are going to help him make shots. They won’t but the complaining to the referees adds fuel to the fire, adds to the lore that he is someone who you can disorientate. All Knick fans want is a title, or at least a trip there, a chance at surprising someone in Oklahoma City, San Antonio, or Denver, and if Towns can play like he did last postseason, the Knicks can make it there. He will be a legend in this city and beyond if he does that, no matter how Shaq and the one-step-away-from-being-part-of-the-manosphere dudes think he should play like. However, hope is not something that is myth. It is earned. The Towns that I saw last season is needed. 

Down Giannis, Kyle Kuzma, and Kevin Porter Jr., the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Orlando Magic 130-91 in yet another blowout. Without the aforementioned creators, the Bucks just didn’t have enough juice to go with the Magic, who have now taken the season series 2-1. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Myles Turner

23 minutes, 3 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1/6 FG, 1/3 3P, -27

Another invisible Turner game. For what it’s worth, big, athletic teams like the Magic would appear to play against Myles’ strengths, and that played out last night. He was only able to get three triples up and six shots overall. Posting up is usually not a go-to for him, but especially not against that team. There was also next to no resistance on defence as he played sparingly yet again.

Grade: D

Ryan Rollins

22 minutes, 15 points, 1 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 3 steals, 5 turnovers, 5/12 FG, 3/7 3P, -14

Ryan really felt the burden of being one of the only playmakers available last night, reflected in his five giveaways. The Magic were physical with him, succeeding in getting him off his game. I did feel like he got a raw deal on a few no-calls, though. Doc actually admitted postgame that too much was placed on Rollins’ shoulders:

“It was too much on [Ryan], honestly. Ous was the other ball-handler tonight. We just didn’t have a lot to start. We did run our stuff; didn’t run it well. They were up pressuring us… taking us out of stuff… It’s one thing to have injuries. It’s another when you have injuries to everybody who facilitates your offence. Puts you in a tough spot.”

Grade: D+

AJ Green

28 minutes, 4 points, 2 turnovers, 1/8 FG, 1/8 3P, -30

The rough AJ stretch continued last night. He was no match for their physicality and had a dreadful night shooting, a major trend of late.

Grade: D-

Ousmane Dieng

24 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 turnovers, 1/7 FG, 0/2 3P, -29

Dieng did have a nice stretch in the second quarter, racking up four of his five dimes in the period (including a nice lob to Sims), but his shot escaped him for the game. I’ve referenced other guys who struggle with physicality; well, Ousmane might be the worst offender. The Magic neutralised him pretty well because of his lack of strength, heavily restricting his freedom with the ball (specifically his ability to come tight off screens).

Grade: D+

Bobby Portis

28 minutes, 18 points, 10 rebounds, 7/11 FG, 4/5 3P, -7

BP was the one of the only shining lights last night. He was aggressive in seeking shots and, due to his recent form, was able to pump-and-go to the rack once or twice.

Grade: B+

Cam Thomas

20 minutes, 17 points, 6 assists, 7/12 FG, 2/4 3P, -3

A better night for CT, who finally got some shots to fall amid a rough stretch. That said, I was more impressed with his six assists than anything else. On two chances where he could reasonably have shot it in the second quarter, he made the right play, hitting BP and AJ for triples.

Grade: B+

Jericho Sims

25 minutes, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 5/5 FG, -30

I liked Jericho’s game. He scored eight of his 10 points in the first half, but all were dunks in which he made himself available and assertively flew to the rim with no messabout. Sims also continues to make a real difference by pursuing offensive boards. Finally, he stuck with the Magic’s guards and bigs on switches, forcing a good amount of tough shots from the likes of Bane and Banchero.

Grade: B+

Pete Nance

22 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 4 fouls, 3/5 FG, -17

A solid game from Nance, who did most of his damage in the final frame with hustle and smart play. That said, he made an intelligent play in the first quarter, cutting from the short corner after Bobby caught it on the short roll, receiving the ball for the dunk. Gets in the right spots.

Grade: B

Doc Rivers

I thought Doc did a decent job coaching with the players available. Tough to battle that team without a creator like KPJ, who was huge in helping them get a win the last time these teams played. Maybe he should have given some of AJ’s minutes to Cam—given AJ’s struggles and Cam’s ability to get hot and score off the bounce—but I get not doing that, given CT has been off himself.

Grade: C

DNP-CD: Gary Harris

Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Andre Jackson Jr.,

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Cormac Ryan

Bonus Bucks Bits

• I suspect the coaches are deliberately putting Ousmane Dieng one pass away from the guy running pick-and-roll, so that if/when the defence blitzes the ballhandler, Dieng is the release valve and can use his size and passing instincts to hit the open man as the defence recovers. He took advantage of this more against the Jazz than the Magic, but look for it in the coming games.
• This was the second game in a row in which Gary Trent Jr. has been a part of the rotation.
• Thanasis got on the court with over nine minutes left in the fourth, which is to say garbage time started early.
• AJax made a nice lookaway pass to Nance in the final minutes.
• The Magic were also on the second game of a back-to-back, but they played at midday the day before and thus would’ve arrived in Milwaukee at a decent time.
• Orlando shot 14/33 from three (42.4%).
• Paolo Banchero, who’s had a poor season relative to expectations, went 12/16 and 3/6 from three. He is shooting 46.5% from the floor and 31.0% from deep this season.
• Former Buck Jevon Carter has been a part of the Magic’s rotation after getting picked up by Orlando at the deadline following his being waived by the Bulls.

Up Next

The Bucks are back at Fiserv tomorrow night against the Phoenix Suns. Catch the action at 7:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

I’ll be honest, even feigning the tiniest bit of optimism about some of these games is now becoming extremely difficult.

The Philadelphia 76ers begin their second of three back-to-backs in March on Monday with a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Sixers will be wildly shorthanded, to say the least — the end of 2024-25 season-level shorthanded.

Tyrese Maxey, truly the very last bit of paper clips and string holding this mess of a team together, will miss at least both games of the back-to-back after being diagnosed with a right fifth finger (pinky) sprain suffered in the final moments of Philly’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

The team announced the diagnosis on Sunday, adding that Maxey would be undergoing further testing and would reevaluated after the back-to-back.

The news comes as the team was already struggling along without the help of Joel Embiid (right oblique strain) as well as Paul George (suspension), who both remain sidelined for Monday. As of Sunday evening, VJ Edgecombe is questionable after missing the Sixers’ last two contests due to a back contusion suffered from a hard fall in a game against the San Antonio Spurs last week.

So, the Sixers will be without their top three scorers and may even be missing their fourth.

Not that there’s any optimal time for that, but this really isn’t the time if the team still has some sort of playoff contention ideas in their minds. Philadelphia have fallen to eighth in the Eastern Conference at 34-29, and the tumble may only accelerate. The Sixers are just a game and a half ahead of the Atlanta Hawks in ninth and three ahead of the Charlotte Hornets in 10th — both teams with some real positive momentum behind them that could see them jump Philadelphia sooner rather than later if the Sixers aren’t careful.

It gets to a point where you run out of things to say about this Sixers team, I’ll be honest. I’m running out of contingencies like “if they can just do this in this game” or “if they can just survive these few games” or “if they can just wait until this player gets healthy.” There comes a point when even I, someone employed to write words about these games, am simply at a loss for them.

So let’s talk about Cleveland.

The Cavaliers are coming into Monday night’s contest on the second leg of a back-to-back, having fallen to Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon. Even considering that loss, though, Cleveland is playing great basketball. They’ve won 16 of their last 22 contests, with two of those victories being consecutive wins against the Sixers on Jan. 14 and 16. And both of those came against a full-strength Philadelphia squad — Embiid, George, Edgecombe and Maxey all played.

And you can bet they’ll be looking to use this golden opportunity to get themselves back in the win column on Monday against the hospital Sixers. The Cavs currently sit at fourth in the Eastern Conference, just a game and a half back from the New York Knicks for third and four games behind the Celtics in second. They are another squad looking to actually ascend in the East, in comparison to the Sixers who seem to be trying to plummet as quickly as possible.

Coming in on the end of a back-to-back, the Cavaliers’ injury report is not due to be available until Monday afternoon. That being said, Cleveland’s only major absence on Sunday was Jarrett Allen, who missed the matchup with Boston after having to exit early from the Cavaliers’ win over the Detroit Pistons last Tuesday with a knee injury. The veteran center had been playing his best basketball of the season recently too, averaging 22.1 points and 11.1 rebounds across 12 games prior to the one he exited early. Allen is also shooting 63.6% from the floor across 51 contests.

He’s far from the only one playing good ball in Cleveland right now, though. Donovan Mitchell continues to lead the Cavaliers averaging a career-best 28.6 points in 56 games this season. Former Sixer James Harden, traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Cavaliers at the beginning of February, has played 10 games for Cleveland so far, averaging 19.1 points shooting 54.8% from long range (on 6.5 attempts per outing) and 8.1 assists in that stint. Evan Mobley is also chipping in 17.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

So, coming into this Monday matchup a bit stronger than the Sixers, I’d say.

Could we see a miracle? Of course, I suppose… but it would have to be one of borderline-biblical proportions for the available Sixers lineup take down the Cavs right now.

Philadelphia — what’s left of them — tip off against Cleveland at 7 p.m. ET.

Game Details

When: Monday, March 9, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: RocketArena, Cleveland, OH
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

SYDNEY (AP) — Defending champion China edged North Korea 2-1 in a physical, high-energy game Monday to take top spot in Group B in the Women’s Asian Cup.

The result sent North Korea into a quarterfinal Friday against Australia in Perth, where the hosts and 2023 World Cup semifinalists opened the tournament with a win over Philippines.

China and North Korea were already assured of quarterfinal spots with two wins apiece ahead of their showdown at Western Sydney Stadium. Uzbekistan finished third in the group with a 4-0 win over Bangladesh in Perth, also securing a spot in the knockout stage.

Playing in its first Women's Asian Cup tournament since losing the 2010 final to Australia, North Korea only needed a draw against China to top the group. And they took the lead when Kim Kyong Yong finished off a counter-attacking goal in the 32nd minute, the first shot on goal in the game.

The lead was short-lived, though, with China equalizing two minutes later with Chen Qiaozhu's stunning strike through traffic from the edge of the area.

China went ahead in a tense finish to the first half, when Wang Shuang’s goal was awarded after a VAR review deep in stoppage time.

The VAR decision to overturn the assistant referee’s offside call upset the North Korean players and led to coach Ri Song Ho being yellow carded by referee Thi Ly Le as his team protested on the sideline. The North Korean players didn't return to the pitch before halftime was called.

Both teams had chances in the second half, with North Korea goalkeeper Yu Son Gum making a full-length diving save to Wang's powerful left-foot shot in the 78th, and then 19-year-old Choe Il Son appearing to equalize two minutes later before being ruled offside after a VAR review.

In Perth, Dildora Nozimova scored twice in six minutes for Uzbekistan, her first just two minutes after entering the game as a substitute on the hour.

State of play

The top two teams in each of the three groups advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams.

In Group A, South Korea edged Australia for top spot on goal difference after the 3-3 draw in Sydney on Sunday night. The South Koreans will play the third-place team from either Group B or Group C in the quarterfinals. Philippines still has a narrow chance of advancing after placing third, finishing with a win over Iran. That put Iran women’s team out of contention, and facing the prospect of a return to country at war.

In Group C, two-time champion Japan leads with six points ahead of its last group match against Vietnam, which is tied with Taiwan for second spot on three points. Taiwan finishes the group stage against India.

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