Category: NBA

The Knicks didn’t need Jalen Brunson. They had his podcast partner.

Josh Hart dropped 33 points — his most since joining the team three years ago — as the Brunson-less Knicks went on a scoring binge Tuesday to beat the Pacers 136-110 at the Garden.

Hart, who played just 26 minutes and sat the entire fourth quarter because it was a blowout, was nearly perfect while hitting all five of his 3s and shooting 12-for-13 overall.

Hart fell 11 points shy of his career high of 44, set in 2022 with the Trail Blazers. His previous best with the Knicks was 31.

“I just like the fact he took the right shots,” coach Mike Brown said. “He didn’t hesitate. …

“Just tried to give him confidence, let it fly, let it fly. And live with the results.”

Tuesday’s resounding victory — a fourth straight win for the Knicks (45-25) — was their first game in over two months without Brunson, who sat with a neck strain. The All-Star watched in street clothes as the offense took off without him.

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Jose Alvarado, making his first start with the franchise because of Brunson’s absence, rose to the occasion with 16 points and 10 assists. He entered the evening on a nine-game skid without hitting a 3-pointer, missing all 11 of his attempts during that stretch.

Then Alvarado hit three treys before halftime against the Pacers, finishing 4-for-7 from deep.

“It was a weight off my shoulders,” Alvarado said. “I wasn’t really focused on [my shooting slump], but obviously it was in the back of my mind, something that’s not who I am. I just trust the work.”

The Knicks scored 72 points in the first half, including 19 from Hart and 18 from OG Anunoby.

The lone inefficient shooter was again Mikal Bridges, whose night started inauspiciously — he twisted his ankle while badly missing a layup — and who had just four points at the break on 2-for-7 shooting.

Bridges finished with 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting.

It continued a slump for Bridges, whose confidence has looked shaken since the All-Star break.

But that didn’t matter Tuesday. The rest of the Knicks caught fire.

“It was special,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 22 points to go with 11 rebounds. “It’s a game obviously we’re missing JB. We all understood the importance of picking up the slack, and I thought all of us in this locker room, particularly Josh, did a great job of playing team basketball. It was great for all of us — obviously one person’s not gonna replace Jalen, but we all can collectively come together and try to play better basketball for each other with his absence.”

The Pacers (15-54) long ago committed to tanking and own the worst record in the league. They lost Tyrese Haliburton for the season, and their second-best player, Pascal Siakam, was out Tuesday because of a knee problem.

Still, Indiana has played harder against the Knicks this season, which is probably related to a rivalry built on consecutive head-to-head playoff series.

On Tuesday, the Pacers led by six early but were quickly overwhelmed by New York’s hot shooting.

Especially Hart’s. The turning point was a 15-2 run to end the half.

The Knicks never looked back.

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored 4:38 into overtime as the Montreal Canadiens edged the Boston Bruins 3-2 in a rivalry matchup Tuesday night.

Caufield tapped a pass from Nick Suzuki into the back of the net for his 40th of the season, becoming the first Canadien to reach the mark since Vincent Damphousse in 1993-94.

Suzuki and Josh Anderson also scored while Jakub Dobes made 26 saves for Montreal, which snapped a two-game losing skid.

Brendan Gallagher picked up an assist in his 900th NHL game, all for Montreal.

Pavel Zacha had both goals for Boston, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots.

The Canadiens sat third in the Atlantic Division and one point ahead of the Bruins — with one game in hand — heading into Tuesday’s games.

Zacha opened the scoring on the power play 2:22 into the first period when he shoveled home a backhand after Alexandre Carrier’s double-minor for high-sticking put the Canadiens on a four-minute penalty kill.

Suzuki replied at 10:30, casually deking to his backhand following a net-front pass from Juraj Slafkovsky to beat Swayman and tie the game.

Five minutes into the second period, Zacha tipped Viktor Arvidsson’s pass for his second of the night after defensive-zone confusion between Montreal’s Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen left the Bruins center all alone in front of the net. Anderson evened the score again at 13:15 in the second with a deflection on Hutson’s point shot.

Bruins star winger David Pastrnak extended his point streak against Montreal to 14 games, tying Bobby Orr for the longest by a Bruins player against the Canadiens.

Up next

Bruins: Host Winnipeg on Thursday.

Canadiens: Visit Detroit on Thursday.

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

The past two playoffs, the Knicks lost to the Pacers despite Jalen Brunson’s heroics. Tonight the Knicks beat beat them 136-110 despite Brunson’s absence due to ankle and cervical owies.

Interviewed after the final buzzer, Josh Hart said he was able to have a big scoring night because Brunson wasn’t around to hog the ball. When you become just the fourth Knickerbocker* to score 30+ points shooting 90% or better, you can say whatever you want. 33 points on 12-of-13 shooting for Hart. For you Knick numerologists out there, that’s a holy trinity of digits: Patrick Ewing, Dick Barnett and Malik Rose. Amen y amen.

Hart was joshing, but the Knicks let many hands make light work of the captain’s absence. Six Knicks scored in double-figures with five dishing four or more dimes. It all added up to a Pleasantville-like frictionlessness: 38 assists to nine turnovers. If this were a video game, you’d have raised the difficulty level a few. Not that Indiana didn’t make it a game for most of the night; the fifth law of thermodynamics states the Pacers will always be more of a problem for the Knicks than it seems they should. For Knicks fans of almost any age, any win over any Pacers team goes down smooth.

That’s four straight wins for your favorite team’s favorite team. Russell Richardson’s got your recap a-comin’. Cleveland’s in a dogfight late with the Giannis-less Bucks. Go Giannis-less Bucks!

*Hart joins Walt Bellamy, Willis Reed and Bernard King

TORONTO (AP) — Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist on a pair of first-period power plays as the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Tuesday night.

Brayden Schenn scored his first goal since being acquired from St. Louis ahead of the trade deadline, and Emil Heineman also scored for the Islanders, who have won nine of 12.

Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for New York, and Mathew Barzal had three assists.

Steven Lorentz scored for Toronto. Joseph Woll stopped 31 shots.

The Leafs fell to 2-1-1 since losing captain Auston Matthews for the season to a knee injury — a run on the heels of an ugly 0-6-2 slide that all but cratered their playoff hopes.

New York's Matthew Schaefer picked up an assist to move within one point of becoming the fourth rookie defenseman in franchise history to reach 50 in a season. The 18-year-old is looking to join Stefan Persson (56 in 1977-78), Denis Potvin (54 in 1973-74) and Vladimir Malakhov (52 in 1992-93).

Schenn scored on the game's first power play at 4:15 of the first. Ritchie doubled New York's lead at 9:43, also with the man advantage.

Toronto entered Tuesday with the NHL’s third-best penalty kill at 83.5%. New York’s power play was 29th at 15.9%.

Up next

Islanders: Visit Ottawa on Thursday.

Maple Leafs: Host Carolina on Friday.

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

The Mavericks were 2-3 this past week and dropped to 13th place in the West. They lost by double-digits thrice, to Atlanta (124-112), Cleveland (138-105), and New Orleans (129-111), and beat Memphis (120-112) and Cleveland (130-120). Cooper Flagg led the team in scoring with 20 points per game. 

Grade: B

The Mavericks got clobbered in Dallas by the Cavaliers, but the other four games were valiant showings. They won two of them, including a huge bounce-back in Cleveland, and lost two in the late stages. With the loss to New Orleans, the Mavericks now own a share of the sixth-best odds for the number one pick (8.3 percent) and a 34.8 percent chance for a top-four selection. They are absolutely still trying, as much as a 23-win team can try, and the players have found ways to still get up for games as they did in Cleveland.

Daniel Gafford has looked great in the limited action that he has had. Despite playing just 52 minutes in two games, he tallied 36 points and 24 rebounds. Naji Marshall continues to defy modern basketball and had a near triple-double in New Orleans with 32 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Max Christie found his shot again and made almost 45 percent of the threes he took.

After playing eight-of-nine on the road, the Mavericks play three home games next week against the Hawks, Clippers, and Warriors.

Straight A’s: P.J. Washington

It only took three-or-so months, but Washington is playing good basketball like he was to begin the year. He has shot above 50 percent in two consecutive games for the first time since February 24, and just the second time since December 27. He made seven of his 12 threes in those games and was a big reason they beat the Cavaliers and got out to a hot start against the Pelicans. The better he plays, the better it is for Dallas going into the offseason. They need some confidence that he can be a piece if they decide to keep him, or evidence that he’s still a valuable asset if they decide a trade is necessary.

Currently Failing: The Unction

Tired legs win out this time of year, and that is certainly the case with the older players on the Mavericks. Klay Thompson played in just two of the five games this past week due to rest, and Khris Middleton shot 33 percent on his shots inside the arc. When Thompson last played, he shot 0-of-5 on threes in 16 minutes. Let’s hope the Mavericks have enough oxygen to get these two safely to April.

Extra Credit: Ethically Tanking

One of the main points of contention in NBA circles, and one that Adam Silver claims will be addressed this offseason, is tanking. What the Jazz have done this year, like resting starters for entire fourth quarters of close games, is egregious. Not new, but particularly egregious. And with Dallas only owning their pick this season before they lose control through 2030, there has been a running dialogue in Mavericks chats and forums about how they should be doing even more to lose. I vehemently disagree. 

What the Jazz, and other teams through the years, have done damages culture. Telling key players they cannot finish winnable games in hopes the team gets a better chance to draft their replacement doesn’t leave a good feeling throughout the organization. It is grimy and underhanded, and, like we saw not even a year ago, there is karma involved in these things.

Much more important than losing a few games for a percentage point is learning how to win and committing to a winning culture. The Mavericks already have their franchise cornerstone. If all of these guys were not a part of the future, then maybe I would have a different opinion. But Cooper Flagg will be here. Max Christie will be here. Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington will likely be here. The Mavericks are 4-16 in their last 20 games; they don’t need to do any more losing. The few and far between wins are what are keeping these guys from caving to any sort of losing habits. Winning is fun, and that is how it should be. If guys are healthy, they should play and play to win. If they do their part, the chips will fall exactly where they need to be.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Charlie Coyle had a goal and three assists, Danton Heinen scored his 100th career goal and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Mason Marchment, Denton Mateychuk and Mathieu Olivier also scored for Columbus, which has gotten points in a season-high 10-straight games (6-0-4). Cole Sillinger and Adam Fantilli each added two assist, and Jet Greaves stopped 27 shots.

Andrei Svechnikov scored and Brandon Bussi made 25 saves for the Hurricanes.

Marchment scored on a power play 5:25 into the first period, and the Blue Jackets have scored in the opening 10 minutes in 13 of their last 20 games. Coyle added another power-play goal in the final minute of the first.

Svechnikov scored his 25th goal of the season with 5:55 left in the second period before Heinen and Mateychuk scored 34 seconds apart.

Olivier capped the scoring 7:38 into the third period.

Up next

Hurricanes: Host Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Blue Jackets: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday.

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

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 113-108 Tuesday night for their 10th straight win.

Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder and Ajay Mitchell had 16 points, five of them during a mid-fourth quarter run that put the Thunder ahead to stay.

Paolo Banchero had 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Orlando. Jalen Suggs added 14 points for the Magic, who lost on a second straight night after a seven-game win streak of their own.

Gilgeous-Alexander's record 129th game scoring 20 or more points was accomplished on 14 for 27 shooting and 9 of 11 free throws. He hit 3 of 5 3-point shots, the final one giving the Thunder a 102-96 lead with 3:11 remaining.

His streak of 20-plus point road games, also an NBA record, reached 61 games.

Holmgren scored on three dunks and a midrange jumper while Oklahoma City opened the second quarter on a 19-5 spurt to lead 45-27, the largest lead of the game.

Jevon Carter started Orlando's response with back-to-back 3-pointers, and Banchero opened the third quarter with a scoring burst to put the Magic up by seven points.

Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench when Mitchell scored inside to lift the Thunder to a 91-90 lead with 8:05 left. He followed with a three-point play and Isaiah Joe added a 3-pointer.

Center Isaiah Hartenstein played his third straight scoreless game for the Thunder, finishing with seven rebounds and eight assists in 16 minutes.

Up next

Thunder: Play at Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

Magic: Play at Charlotte on Thursday night.

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

BOSTON (AP) — Daryl Watts scored her eighth goal of the season with 11:01 left in the third period, Raygan Kirk recorded her second straight shutout, and the Toronto Sceptres beat the Boston Fleet 2-0 on Tuesday night.

Toronto (8-1-5-8) leads the PWHL with 14 points (4-0-2-0) in six games since the Olympic break — the team’s longest point streak of the season.

Boston (9-5-2-4), which sits atop the PWHL standings with 39 points, lost a home game for the first time this season. The Fleet were playing at home for the first time in 48 days.

Watts, who won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2018 with Boston College, cut to the left to create some separation and snuck it through the pads of goaltender Aerin Frankel to open the scoring. Watts also scored two goals in Toronto’s last game at Agganis Arena on March 26, 2025, a 4-2 win over the Fleet.

Blayre Turnbull added an empty netter with 26.5 seconds left after Boston pulled Frankel at 1:20. Turnbull is riding a four-game point streak with three goals and an assist to set a career high with 12 points.

Kirk made 26 saves for the first shutout win on the road in team history. Kirk also stopped 32 shots to shut out the Seattle Torrent 2-0 on Sunday.

Up next

Toronto has more than a week off before hosting Boston on March 27.

The Fleet host Seattle on Saturday and Vancouver on Tuesday before a rematch with the Sceptres.

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

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jalen Duren had 36 points and 12 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, who lost fellow All-Star Cade Cunningham to back spasms in the first half of a 130-117 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Cunningham was hurt early in the first quarter while diving for a loose ball. He played for a few more minutes before being taken out at the 6:40 mark, and the team said during the second quarter he would not return.

Reserve Daniss Jenkins added 15 points for the Pistons, who have won four of five and sent the Wizards to their 13th straight loss. The teams meet again on Thursday; should Detroit prevail, Washington would equal its 14-game skid from early this season that sent it to a 1-15 start.

Bub Carrington scored a season-high 30 points for the injury-depleted Wizards, who had little-used veteran Anthony Gill in the starting lineup. Rookie Will Riley added 21 points and Justin Champagnie scored 18.

The Wizards have been surprisingly tough against the Pistons this season, with a victory at Detroit on Feb. 5 and an overtime loss in November. Washington kept this one within double digits before Duren gave the Pistons a 78-67 lead midway through the third quarter.

Detroit extended its advantage to 22 points late in the period.

Up next

The teams conclude their season series Thursday at Washington.

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

The Knicks pushed their winning streak to four with a 136-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. 

Here are some takeaways...

- Jalen Brunson was forced to sit out this one for the first time since Jan. 17 due to a neck issue. Jose Alvarado slid into the starting lineup for the first time as a Knick in his place, and he immediately provided a spark on offense, knocking down his first two shots from behind the arc. 

Alvarado wasn't the only Knick feeling it in the early going, as OG Anunoby led the way with 15 first-quarter points. Anunoby scored 25 the last time these two teams matched up, and he drilled six of his first nine shots on the night to help New York carry a four-point advantage after 12. 

- Mitchell Robinson came into the night listed as questionable with a back injury, but he was cleared to play and showed no ill-effects as he pulled in an offensive rebound early in the second quarter and then found a cutting Karl-Anthony Towns for a lay-in plus the foul.

The Pacers remained red-hot, though, and were able to open a slim lead of their own. 

- New York tightened things up defensively over the final minutes of the half, and back-to-back threes from Josh Hart helped push the lead back up to eight heading into the break. Hart was four-for-four from three over the first two quarters, leading all scorers with 19 points. 

Both teams combined for 136 first-half points on 59 percent shooting from the field and 11 threes apiece. 

- The second half started the same way the first ended, as Hart immediately knocked down his fifth three of the night. Towns and Anunoby found their way to the 20-point mark early in the third as well, and the Knicks quickly opened up their largest lead of the night at the time (17).

Indiana was able to cut the gap back down to as many as 10, but the Hart heroics continued, as he stretched out to a game-leading and new Knicks career-high 33 points with just one miss on 13 shots when the third quarter came to a close. 

- With things getting back out of reach early in the fourth, Robinson was having his way with the Pacers down low. He slammed down an alley-oop from Tyler Kolek then reeled in another offensive board and got the putback to push him into double-figures, as well. 

- Mohamed Diawara, Pacome Dadiet, Kevin McCullar Jr, and a now green-haired Jeremy Sochan played the final minutes of the game with the Knicks leading by 20+ points. 

- Hart didn't score again, finishing with 33 points. Anunoby had 26 points and eight boards, Towns 22 and 11, and Alvarado put together a 16-point and 10-assist double-double in his first start as a Knick. Big Mitch Robinson had eight points and eight rebounds off the bench, and Jordan Clarkson stayed hot with 10 more points. 

New York shot 54 percent from the field, turned the ball over just nine times, and dished out a season-high 38 assists.

Game MVP: Josh Hart

Hart didn't score in the fourth, but still led all scorers with the highest-point total (33) in his Knicks career. 

Highlights

OG Anunoby with 3 straight buckets! pic.twitter.com/15ft9vEBGE

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 17, 2026

Josh Hart with a triple to end the half! pic.twitter.com/LKaPMsAuQg

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 18, 2026

What's next

The Knicks head to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Washington Wizards lost to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, 130-117 at Capital One Arena.

Washington started out decently in this game and raced to a quick 9 point lead though it ended up being a 32-all tie. However, the Pistons, who are leading the NBA’s Eastern Conference, are the more talented team. They quickly took over and had control the rest of the way. Though Washington shot 16-of-37 from the three point line, better than Detroit’s numbers, they were outrebounded 50-35.

Jalen Duren was a main part of the Pistons’ charge tonight. He scored 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead all scorers. For the Wizards, Bub Carrington scored 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting, so this was a performance that was nice to see despite the result.

The Wizards will face the Pistons again on Thursday at home. Tip off at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.

The first domino in the 2026 NBA Playoffs has fallen.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, the team with the best record in the NBA, became the first squad to clinch a postseason berth Tuesday, March 17 with its 113-108 victory over the Orlando Magic. This marks Oklahoma City’s third consecutive trip to the postseason.

The reigning NBA champions, the Thunder have led the Western Conference wire-to-wire since the start of the season and now sit atop the standings with a 54-15 record, which is 3.5 games ahead of the challenging San Antonio Spurs.

TIMBERWOLVES: Issue surprising Anthony Edwards injury update

NBA STORYLINES: 5 big things to watch as regular season hits stretch run

Oklahoma City, however, has its sight on bigger prizes, as the Thunder have the chance to become the first team to repeat as NBA champions since the Golden State Warriors did so in 2018.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has carried Oklahoma City this season in the face of several injuries to its other key stars. Forward Jalen Williams, a first-time All-Star last season, has played just 26 of a possible 69 games and continues to be sidelined by a right hamstring strain. Gilgeous-Alexander is once again the odds-on favorite to win MVP and ranks second in the NBA in scoring, entering Tuesday night averaging 31.6 points per game.

In the team’s playoff-clinching game against the Magic, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points on 14-of-27 shooting and added two assists with five rebounds.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: OKC Thunder clinch 2026 NBA playoff berth with win vs Orlando Magic

Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale were part of truTV's broadcast crew for the second game of Tuesday's First Four in the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament.

Prior to tip-off of NC State vs. Texas, Barkley joined the studio crew that included Jalen Rose, Bruce Pearl and Jamal Mashburn.

Barkley was asked about his favorite for this year's March Madness, which devolved into a stream of consciousness.

March Madness bold predictions: Best upset picks, Final Four sleeper

"This is the Arizona ass-kicking Invitational, and we're accepting all challenges," Barkley said.

"Listen, Michigan has a great team. I love coach (Dusty) May, I think that (LJ Cason) injury might hurt them a little bit. I think the injuries are going to hurt Duke. Now you could have gone back and forth between UConn and Florida, who is at No. 1 seed.

"Obviously I think St. John's got screwed a little bit in the seeding," Barkley added.

"And I'm going to make one thing perfectly clear: Miami Ohio got screwed, too. They should be a higher seed. They went 31-0, and I know my man Bruce Pearl, who I love, disagrees with me. I'm not a big proponent of strength of schedule. It's not their fault everyone in their conference sucks. They only played the schedule they were dealt. They should be in the main draw. And I don't usually root for teams other than Auburn to be honest with you, but I'm rooting for Miami Ohio to advance in this tournament."

Miami plays in Wednesday's First Four against SMU.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charles Barkley rooting for Miami Ohio, says RedHawks got 'screwed'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, a two-time All-Star who is among the leaders in the NBA MVP race, left Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards with back spasms.

The Detroit News reported that Cunningham was injured early in the first quarter while diving for a loose ball. He played for a few more minutes before being taken out at the 6:40 mark.

The team said during the second quarter he would not return.

Cunningham is averaging 25 points, 10 assists and 5.6 rebounds this season. He had six points and two rebounds in 5 minutes, 20 seconds on Tuesday night before leaving the game.

Cunningham has played in 61 games this season. A player must appear in 65 games to qualify for major postseason awards like MVP and All-NBA teams.

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

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Authorities found 2.1 pounds of marijuana in Alabama basketball star Aden Holloway's apartment when they arrested him Monday, according to court records released Tuesday — just below the 2.2-pound threshold for a drug trafficking charge.

Holloway, the No. 2 scorer for the fourth-seeded Crimson Tide, has been suspended indefinitely and is away from the team as it prepares to play Hofstra on Friday in the NCAA Tournament. Among the charges is a count of first-degree marijuana possession, not for personal use, which is a Class C felony and carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000.

Holloway's attorney, Jason Neff, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. But he told ESPN that there is no proof his client was selling the drugs.

Neff told the outlet that it could take 18 months for the case to make its way through the Alabama courts, a process that would jeopardize Holloway's college and possible NBA career.

“He has no criminal history,” Neff said. “If he were to plead out or even go to trial, the judge could give him probation. It is a felony. For a 21-year-old man trying to get through college and get to the NBA, a felony issue could be a major issue long term.”

Agents with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force said they knocked on the door of an apartment in Tuscaloosa and were met by Holloway, according to a statement by the arresting officer. After entering the residence, they found “loose marijuana” and a vacuum-sealed bag of the drug in the living room, the statement said.

In Holloway’s bedroom, agents say they found more marijuana in a backpack in the closet and also in a suitcase, and a rolling tray with marijuana on it under in the bed. In a spare bedroom, they found a box of marijuana in the closet, according to the court records.

“Holloway stated that he wanted to remain silent, but then stated that he only smokes,” according to the officer’s statement.

The total weight of marijuana found in the apartment was 964 grams, “which is approximately 2.1 pounds,” it states. More than 2.2 pounds can result in a drug trafficking charge under Alabama law.

Holloway was also charged with failure to affix a tax stamp and was released from jail on a $5,000 bond shortly after his arrest. The university said in a statement that he was "removed from campus pending further investigation by the UA Office of Student Conduct.”

Coach Nate Oats said Monday during his weekly radio show that the Crimson Tide were preparing to play without Holloway in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Tampa, Florida. Alabama is the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region.

“We’ve got standards in our program and ways we’ve held our guys accountable,” Oats said.

“We’re certainly disappointed in his behavior,” the coach added “That being said, we still love him. He’s still our guy and we’re helping him get the help that he needs and we’re going to help him in any way that we can.”

Holloway is in his second season at Alabama. He is averaging 16.8 points per game and leads the Crimson Tide in 3-point shooting, hitting 43.1% from behind the arc. Holloway has started 27 of 28 games that he’s played this season. Without him, Alabama (23-9) will be down to nine scholarship players in the NCAA Tournament, where it is a No. 4 seed.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball