Category: NBA

Given some of the great escapes they’ve had over the last 10 days, the Lakers were certainly due for the defeat that came on Monday against the Pistons.

That’s not to say Monday didn’t bring some positives with it and signs of the growth this team has had in recent weeks and months. Think back to the last meeting against the Pistons, which came at a time when the Lakers were at potentially their lowest point of the season.

Detroit came into Crypto.com Arena and, frankly, punked the Lakers. On Monday, that same physicality certainly impacted the game, but it didn’t knock the Lakers off the tracks as it did three months ago.

To a similar point, this was also a team that, at many points early in the year, would let go of the rope. As things started to slip away in the second period, a Lakers team from December or January would have let things spiral and the starters would be on the bench in a blowout in the fourth.

Now, this is a team that keeps fighting. They not only got themselves back into the game on Monday but had chances to tie or win the game in the final seconds.

By definition, moral victories come with a bittersweet taste. But the Lakers should be able to take some away from Monday’s streak-snapping defeat.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Jake LaRavia

29 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 4 fouls, 3-4 FG, 1-2 3PT, -5

The Lakers didn’t have many options to put in the starting lineup with both Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura out, so I get turning to LaRavia, someone who has started earlier this season. However, it was a rough outing for him, particularly defensively.

Grade: C-

LeBron James

39 minutes, 12 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-10 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-3 FT, -8

While LeBron is not one to really have a go at the officials — even if he’s not afraid for an initial complaint — I think he’s well within his rights to pick up a technical. There were a half-dozen plays on Monday where he had a legitimate claim for a foul that went by without a whistle.

Grade: B-

Deandre Ayton

27 minutes, 13 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 5-6 FG, 3-4 FT, -6

Both Lakers centers were solid on Monday. Ayton knocked down some clutch free throws late as well.

Grade: A-

Austin Reaves

40 minutes, 24 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 7-15 FG, 2-6 3PT, 8-9 FT, -5

The bulk of Reaves’ scoring came in the third period. His only bucket in the fourth was a clutch one inside the final minute. Still, it’s hard to fault him for going 5-7 from the field for 16 points in a half.

Grade: A-

Luka Dončić

39 minutes, 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 11-29 FG, 3-13 3PT, 7-8 FT, +7

Specific to this type of article, Luka can have some really funky games. In the first quarter, he had 17 points on 5-11 shooting. Over the next three quarters, he had 15 points on 6-18 shooting. On top of that, he had one field in the fourth and missed two shots in the last 30 seconds.

As good as he was to start, it tailed off pretty badly in the end. If anything, it looks like he’s tired, an understandable excuse at this point on the road trip.

Grade: C+

Luke Kennard

28 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1-5 FG, 1-5 3PT, 3-3 FT, +7

Kennard’s only make came in the first quarter, but he did draw a big shooting foul in the fourth. He also had a nice drive and dish that led to Ayton getting fouled and going to the line in the final minute.

Grade: B

Jarred Vanderbilt

15 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 fouls, 2-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, -2

Even if there weren’t injuries, this was a game that would have called for Vando. He had a respectable run and his energy was a plus.

Grade: B

Jaxson Hayes

21 minutes, 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 5-5 FG, 1-2 FT, +1

Like Ayton, Hayes had a strong game, particularly defensively with six stocks. He was so good on that end that I can excuse a couple of miscues offensively.

Grade: A-

Adou Thiero, Maxi Kleber

Thiero got a brief run in the first half that was a bit chaotic, as you’d expect. I would have liked to see a second stint, but I get why he didn’t in a tight second half.

Maxi made a cameo he did in Phoenix earlier this year by coming in for the final play and setting a hell of a screen. If LeBron’s inbound pass wasn’t tipped, it would have been an open look.

JJ Redick

There’s probably a conversation to be had about the minutes the Lakers’ stars are playing. Austin has logged at least 38 minutes in the last nine games. Luka has played 37 minutes in eight of the last nine. LeBron’s minutes are a bit lower, but still safely north of 34 minutes on a nightly basis.

These next three games would be a really good time to cut down on those minutes before the run to the postseason.

Monday’s DNPs: Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Drew Timme

Monday’s inactives: Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Nick Smith Jr., Chris Mañon

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Dallas Mavericks lost again at home in overtime, this time to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, 137-131. Moses Moody led the Warriors with 23 points. Cooper Flagg scored a game high 32 points but also turned the ball over seven times.

Fans in the American Airlines Center were treated to a display of high-caliber offense from both teams in the opening period. Dallas came out attacking early, while Golden State looked dead on arrival. Following a quick timeout, the Warriors rattled off a run that put them past the Mavericks, only for Cooper Flagg to lead the Mavericks to another run to take the lead. Both teams had flames coming off them from three-point range, with Dallas hitting eight of 10 in the frame and the Warriors hitting eight of 13 . That slight shooting advantage carried Golden State to a 34-31 lead after 12 minutes of action.

Dallas took firm control in the second quarter, despite both teams still shooting lights out from everywhere. Turnovers bit the Warriors. Their complicated offense might result in good looks, but it also results in lots of turnovers and Dallas took full advantage, building up a 15-point lead late in the period. Golden State chipped the lead down to six points only to embarass themselves in the final minute, allowing Dallas to chip in two more buckets and carry a 73-63 lead into the half.

A reversal of fortune occred for the Mavericks in the third quarter. After managing to keep the Warriors at bay for most of the period, the Warriors tranferred their turnover bug to Dallas midway through the third. After being up 89-78 with 5:30 to go in the period, Dallas gave up a 20-9 run to Golden State and the game was tied 98 all heading into the final quarter.

Cooper Flagg started the final frame in disasterous fashion: three turnovers in a row. Dallas gave up 11 points in quick succession and the Mavericks looked on the ropes with nearly 11 minutes of game to go. The two teams would exchange buckets throughout the frame. After Kristaps Porzingis scored a basket to make it 122-114 with four minutes left, Dallas head coach Jason Kidd called a timeout (perhaps to admonish Flagg for bypassing an open three). The next possession Flagg buried a three, the Warriors turned it over bringing it up the court, and Max Christie scored a lay up making it a three point game. A pair of Flagg free throws with 1:43 left would bring Dallas within two. Max Christie would tie it at 126 with an awesome three following Porzingis splitting a trip to the line. Neither team could capitalize so the game went to overtime.

The Warriors jumped out to a quick seven point lead in overtime and just like the overtime against the Clippers, Dallas seemed out of gas. The Mavericks, being the Mavericks we all know, of course didn’t die outright, and cut the lead enough to make the game exciting. Sadly, Moses Moody went down very late after a clean steal and looked to suffer a major knee injury.

Cooper’s got to shoot these open threes

This is a minor quibble, but it has to be said: Cooper’s got to take what the defense gives him a few more times per game. I get that Flagg probably didn’t regularly shoot threes in games until last season at Duke. If you followed his games, he didn’t shoot the ball well, then after the new year during his freshman season, all of a sudden he was outstanding from distance. The transition to NBA threes hasn’t been easy, but his shot looks good.

Defense are sagging off and he has to make them pay. He shot 2 of 4 tonight and passed up a few open looks by either moving the ball, dribbling into long twos, or driving when there wasn’t space.

It probably feels bizarre, being urged to take a shot at volume that hasn’t been part of your diet for your entire life. But he has to start. He will make them. I believe that.

Neither team could hold on to the ball or protect their own basket after turnovers

These two teams combined for 47 turnovers and 59 points conceded off of turnovers. It was exciting to watch but pretty sloppy and embarassing if you like cleaner basketball.

Hope Moses Moody is okay

I don’t remember seeing an injury that gruesome in open court before. The camera lingered on his knee for too long and I don’t suggest seeking that out. Here’s to hoping he’s okay.

Golden State's Moses Moody was carted off late in overtime against Dallas with what appeared to be a serious knee injury after his left leg buckled when he went up for a shot with nobody around him.

Moody, who missed the previous 10 games with a sprained right wrist, had just stolen the ball from Mavericks rookie standout Cooper Flagg and was dribbling all alone, planted his left leg to go up for the shot and instead lost the ball as he crumpled to the court with 58 seconds remaining in the extra period.

Play continued at the Dallas end until the ball went out of bounds. After the whistle, Warriors coach Steve Kerr put his hands to his face as the Mavericks' home arena went silent.

The Warriors led 136-131 when Moody was injured, and only one more point was scored in a victory that extended Dallas' home losing streak to 12 games.

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

An awful and heartbreaking scene unfolded on Monday night, as the Golden State Warriors wrapped up a six-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks. Late in overtime, Warriors forward Moses Moody leaked out ahead of the defense for an uncontested transition opportunity. As he planted to leap for a dunk, his legs gave out on him. He was blocked by the rim on the way up, and landed on the court in a heap, grasping at his knee.

Play continued until a dead ball on the other end of the court, but Moody was still down under Golden State’s basket. As the cameras panned so fans could see Moody, it immediately became clear that something was horribly wrong with his knee, with a bone protruding at a gruesome and unnatural angle. Recognizing the severity, cameras immediately cut away from Moody, and the national broadcast went to a break.

When the broadcast returned, Moody had his leg in an air brace, and was being taken off the court in a stretcher, while his teammates and opponents embraced him, and the otherwise deadly-silent crowd applauded.

It was a hard scene to watch, and there’s no doubting that it was a serious injury that Moody sustained. The only hope now is that it’s something like a dislocation, where the leg can be stabilized and popped back into place, and that he didn’t suffer structural damage that will cost him a significant amount of time.

Prior to Moody’s injury, the game was stopped multiple times so that wet spots on the court could be wiped up. It’s unclear if that had any impact on his fall and subsequent injury.

Needless to say, it’s always heartbreaking to see a player suffer a serious injury, but doubly so in Moody’s case: this was his first game back after 10 games on the sidelines with a wrist injury. It seems highly unlikely that Moody will play again this year, but that’s both putting the cart in front of the horse, and doesn’t feel very important right now. For now, we all cross our fingers and hold our breaths, and hope for the best for Moses.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks requested waivers on guard Cam Thomas and converted forward/center Pete Nance, who had been on a two-way deal, to a multi-year standard NBA contract.

Nance, 26, entered Monday night’s game with the Los Angeles Clippers having averaged 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 12.1 minutes in 37 games while playing on a two-way deal.

The 24-year-old Thomas signed with the Bucks on Feb. 8 after the Brooklyn Nets had waived him.

Thomas scored 34 points in a 116-108 victory at Orlando in his Bucks debut and had 27 points in a 139-118 win at New Orleans nine days later, but his role eventually decreased. He didn’t play at all in back-to-back games with Indiana and Cleveland last week.

This move continues what’s been a difficult season for Thomas, who had scored 22.5 points per game in 2023-24 and 24 points per game in 2024-25 while playing for Brooklyn.

Thomas was averaging 15.6 points in 24 games with Brooklyn this season before the Nets waived him. He averaged 10.7 points and 16.6 minutes in 18 games with Milwaukee.

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

Look, you probably watched this game on a Monday afternoon because of the four-day gap between March Madness’ Round of 32 and the Sweet 16. I don’t blame you — probably scrolling between the mediocre options on League Pass and settling for a tranquil Jazz-Raptors experience.

Utah’s swift 126-116 loss against Philadelphia two nights ago was only to uphold the parity going on in the Eastern Conference. Toronto, Atlanta and Philly all stood with 39 wins each between the 5th-7th seed. 8th-9th seeded Orlando and Miami weren’t too far behind with 38 wins of their own. The point is, the Utah Jazz would pretty much dominate the Eastern Conference if teams were judged based on how good they look on the eye test.

And Utah tyrannizes that field so much that they had to send Cody Williams to a sunny beach—I mean, to rehab because of his cruel sore shoulder. Totally. Can’t have him pulling anything. That meant the Jazz only had eight active players on the floor, minus Svi Mykhailiuk and Kevin Love. who can’t seem to find playing time because they might infect their teammates with oldness. Toronto faired off much better, listing Ingram, Quickley and Poeltl out, considering they just finished a 22-point lashing against Phoenix last night it’s probably for the best.

And spoiler alert: they maintained their end of the bargain with a plain and simple 143-125 blowout loss at home — nothin’ too fancy. An unorthodox, but welcome sight. Sometimes you need one of these if you want to compete with the big dogs like Sacramento, Indiana or Washington.

Will I ever get sick of the overachieving first quarter Jazz? No. No I will not. Known volume shooter, John Konchar, opened the gates with 8 points on a perfect 2-2 for the Jazz, which is ,fun fact, is a first quarter career-high for Jitty! No? Just me celebrating? That was apart of Utah’s highest 5-point lead before Toronto erased the deficit on an 8-0 run — Jazz missing all their shots and turning over the ball. The Raptors closed Q1 ahead 31-25 after shooting 57% from the field and logging 11 assists on 12 made shots. Kennedy Chandler chipped in 3 points, 2 assists and 2 steals with 5 minutes he recorded in that quarter.

Utah endured a gruelling shooting drought through the second quarter. They were a flat 0-4 from beyond the arc and shot 6-14 from the field. Though Ace Bailey did pour in 7 points in the second quarter, adding to his 13-point total, Toronto was outmatching them on nearly every aspect on the floor. Probably the best news Jazz fans have had all month after having to hold their breath until the final moments against supposedly legitimate Playoff teams. The Jazz did have an edge on the glass with a 27-21 advantage, including 4 offensive rebounds, but weren’t able to generate a single second-chance point. Ace wrapped things up with a highlight I can only describe as a grown man’s jam.

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ✈️♠️ pic.twitter.com/pLrfqq7smu

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 24, 2026

Nasty stuff.

Jazz couldn’t put a stop to the apparent real Greek Freak, Sandro Mamukelashvili. The Jazz were punished by his 15 halftime points, a career-high 4 steals and 1 block in 15 minutes. Jamal Shead was by far the best passer on the floor with 8 assists, who should count himself lucky he never had to run into Isaiah Collier.

The third quarter was pretty much what put the final nail in the coffin. Toronto outscored Utah 18-3 through four minutes, and left the Jazz in a 24-point hole. Maybe a possible comeback if you were any middling team against the 2022 Quin Snyder Jazz, but impossible for anyone else. They finished the quarter with 117 team points, which would probably send anyone circa-1992 into a coma. That was, in fact, a franchise-high for the Raptors for points up to the end of the third quarter, along with a record 38 assists. On Utah’s end, that tallied to giving up 49 points in a single quarter. Woof.

Toronto put the Jazz to sleep by outscoring them 13-13 in the final 12 minutes. The Raptors had four players finish with over 20 points, and six players with double-digits. Utah gave up 25 fastbreak points, and the 15 turnovers they had generated into 25 points off turnovers. It was by far one of the worst defensive lapses the Jazz have had all year. Though Utah did have an unorthodox 16-3 advantage near the end, which made this game a tad more appetizing. You should take this game for what it was, which was filler that will become lost media a year from now.

A swift glance suggests it’s a typical tank loss. A punishing double-digit deficit, half of the rotation sitting on the sidelines…an Ace Bailey 37-ball?!

I’m no longer going to sit here as Ace Bailey remains nicknameless. No, Ace doesn’t count. Neither does ‘SGA’. Or ‘JT’. From now on, he needs something more fitting — ‘His Airiousness’ shall suffice. All rights and revenue belong to the Kato Parina Corporation. The rookie has been going off on a March heater, and tonight was no different. He finished with 37 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks on 11-19 shooting. Though most of his performances beforehand came along with efficient shooting performances, this one was an outlier.

I have to say it: whoever’s in charge of Utah’s 10-day contract scouting department should be given a raise. Kennedy Chandler, in just 26 minutes, recorded 13 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals on 4-10 shooting. I know who I’d rather have compared to 10-day Markelle Fultz’s 2 points and 5 assists debut for the Toronto Raptors. I’m leaving here with something.

Up Next

All of their suffering has led up to this: they’ll hold a marquee matchup against the Washington Wizards at the Delta Center, March 25th, at 6:00 PM MST.

Zion Williamson is slimmer and healthier for his trip to MSG.

The “freak of nature,” as Josh Hart called Williamson, appeared in 45 of the past 46 games before Tuesday night’s showdown against the Knicks. It’s a noteworthy accomplishment for a player whose path toward superstardom was derailed by injuries and DNPs.

“Extremely talented,” Hart, who was teammates with Williamson for 1 ½ seasons in New Orleans, told The Post. “When he’s locked in and he’s focused, he’s one of probably 15 or 20 top players in the league, if not better.”

After years of being hyped by the NBA and scheduled for national broadcasts, Williamson, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, has largely been away from the spotlight this season.

He was also on a minutes restriction earlier this season and his per game averages — 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 59.8 percent shooting, 29.7 minutes — won’t garner any postseason awards.

But Williamson’s still a show and a problem the Knicks will have to deal with.

“He’s a freak of nature. I say that with all due respect,” Hart said. “He’s obviously extremely explosive, the way he’s able to maneuver and contort his body, and he has a great touch around the rim. That’s going to be a challenge for us. We got to make sure we’re just solid. Don’t swipe down. Don’t smack down. And try to make him finish.”

The Pelicans (25-47) are disappointing this season but are surging lately with 12 wins in their past 19 games. Unlike the Knicks’ past three opponents — the Pacers, Nets and Wizards — the Pelicans aren’t tanking. They have no incentive to lose after trading their 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks.

So the Knicks are facing a motivated team and a motivated athletic bulldozer in Williamson, who has only twice previously played at MSG as a pro — a win in 2024 and a loss in 2021.

“I think what’s really impressive is that first burst but also his second jump,” Hart said. “When I first saw him, the way he shoots the ball around the rim, you’d think he has no touch. But he has an amazing touch. And the ones where he doesn’t, he has a quick enough second jump where he’s able to get the rebound and sometimes before guys even get off the ground.”

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Landry Shamet was ruled out for a second straight game and there’s now an official injury designation.

According to the Knicks, Shamet, who banged his knee in Friday’s victory over the Nets, has a tibial plateau contusion. The good news is the injury is nothing major, a league source said, and the guard is not expected to miss much time.

Shamet watched Sunday’s win over the Wizards in street clothes, when his injury designation was right knee soreness.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Sahith Theegala picked the right time to find a fairway, setting up a two-putt birdie on the final hole Monday night to flip the match and give Los Angeles a 6-5 victory over Jupiter Links and a 1-0 lead in the TGL finals.

Match 2 is Tuesday night at the SoFi Center, followed immediately by Match 3, if necessary.

LA was without Collin Morikawa, who suffered a back injury at The Players Championship.

Tiger Woods heads the Jupiter team but has sat out all year as he recovers from back surgery last fall. Jupiter had been using Akshay Bhatia as an alternate, but Bhatia is playing the Hero Indian Open this week in New Delhi on the European tour.

That put Kevin Kisner — who has been in the broadcast booth for NBC during the Florida swing on the PGA Tour — in the lineup for Jupiter for only the second time since Feb. 2.

Theegala twice hit tee shots out of play, and hit another drive into a bunker that kept LA from reaching the green in two on a par 5. He also missed a 3-foot putt that cost his team a point. But he wound up hitting a winner.

Jupiter led 5-4 going to the par-5 closing hole and LA threw the hammer, meaning the hole was worth two points. Theegala ripped his drive into the fairway to set up a second shot to 35 feet. Kisner found the rough off the tee, the rough on his second shot and a wedge came up short of the green. His birdie chip from 20 feet to tie the hole — and win the match — narrowly missed.

Jupiter had taken a 3-2 lead after alternate shot involving all three players through nine holes.

LA won the first two holes of singles for the lead, only for Kisner to hit driver onto the green at No. 12 after Theegala had gone into a hazard. That tied the match at 4.

Jupiter regained the lead at 5-4 when Justin Rose three-putted from long range. Tom Kim hit his tee shot on a par 3 to 6 feet and Jupiter threw the hammer. LA accepted, meaning if it lost the hole it would lose the match. Tommy Fleetwood responded with a tee shot to 4 feet for matching birdies.

That sent it to the 15th and final hole, and Theegala's length — and accuracy — was the difference.

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

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki had another rough spring training start Monday night.

Sasaki issued six walks while allowing five runs in two-plus innings against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. He threw 66 pitches, 32 for strikes.

The Japanese right-hander has a 15.58 ERA over four exhibition starts for the defending World Series champions. He has walked 15 in 8 2/3 innings, raising questions about his preparedness for the beginning of the regular season.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers when they host Arizona in their opener on Thursday night.

Sasaki failed to get an out in the first. He hit Zach Neto with a 3-0 fastball before Mike Trout reached on a fielder's choice. Sasaki then walked three consecutive batters before he was replaced by Ronan Kopp.

The 24-year-old Sasaki returned for the start of the second. He hit Neto again and walked Trout before escaping the jam on a pair of grounders.

He issued a leadoff walk to Yoán Moncada in the third before striking out Jo Adell and Josh Lowe. Logan O'Hoppe then lined to second for the final out of the inning.

Sasaki was replaced by Ben Casparius after he walked Adam Frazier leading off the fourth. Frazier ended up scoring on Nolan Schanuel's sacrifice fly.

Sasaki signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January 2025, receiving a $6.5 million signing bonus because he was under age 25 and subject to international signing bonus pool rules. He had spent the previous four seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.

Sidelined for much of last season because of a right shoulder impingement, Sasaki went 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in eight starts and two relief appearances.

He returned in September and became a key piece of the bullpen during the postseason, giving up just one earned run over 10 2/3 innings and earning three saves to help the Dodgers win their second straight championship.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The mound visit Carter Baumler received from Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wasn't to take the rookie right-hander out of his last spring training game, but rather to let him know he made the opening day roster.

Schumaker came out of the dugout after Baumler retired the first two Kansas City Royals batters in the fifth inning Monday night. Texas catcher Danny Jansen and all four infielders were also on the mound when the new Rangers manager told the 24-year-old reliever he will start the season in the Texas bullpen.

“I wasn’t expecting it. I was like, why is he coming out here? And he got on the mound and told me I made the team,” Baumler said during an in-game TV interview on the Rangers Sports Network. “I mean, honestly, I thought I was like getting taken out of the game. ... Obviously, whenever the manager comes out, you’re usually done.”

Jansen patted his catcher's mitt on Baumler's chest and the infielders offered their congratulations. Baumler, looking to make his major league debut after never pitching above Double-A, had a big smile on his face but composed himself to strike out Isaac Collins swinging on a 96.8 mph fastball to end the inning.

In his eight spring training games, Baumler allowed one earned run and struck out 10 over 9 1/3 innings.

Baumler hugged Schumaker when he got back to the dugout after the third out, then was greeted by high-fives from teammates.

Baumler was selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2020 amateur draft out of high school in Iowa and had Tommy John surgery soon after that. He pitched in the Orioles organization from 2022-25, but was left off their 40-man roster last fall. He was scooped up by Pittsburgh in the first round of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December and traded to Texas the same day.

“A few years ago I never would have expected this,” Baumler said. “Looking back ... I’m glad I kept my head down and kept hammering away.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points, Jalen Williams added 18 in his return to the lineup and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their 12th game in a row Monday night with a 123-103 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers.

Jared McCain had 13 points for the Thunder in his first game in Philadelphia since last month’s trade. The defending NBA champions improved to 57-15, the best record in the league.

VJ Edgecombe scored 35 points for the 76ers, who played without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George. Philadelphia began the day as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament but was just a half-game back of fifth-place Toronto.

Williams was back in the lineup after missing 16 games with a right hamstring strain.

PACERS 128, MAGIC 126

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 37 points and blocked Paolo Banchero’s attempted layup in the final seconds to help Indiana end their franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a win over Orlando.

Banchero scored 39 points for the Magic, who have lost five straight.

Banchero drove to the basket with a chance to tie the game after Orlando won a jump ball with 6.4 seconds left. But 7-foot-1 Jay Huff and the 6-9 Siakam were under the basket, and Banchero could not get the shot over them.

Jarace Walker had 20 points for the Pacers, and Aaron Nemith added 19. Andrew Nembhard, who hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining for Indiana’s final points, finished with 13 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds.

PISTONS 113, LAKERS 110

DETROIT (AP) — Daniss Jenkins scored a career-high 30 points, including six in the final 34 seconds, and Detroit ended Los Angeles' nine-game winning streak.

The Pistons overcame 32 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from Austin Reaves to win their fourth straight and seventh in eight games. Jalen Duren added 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Doncic was cleared to play Sunday after the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season, which triggers a one-game suspension.

LeBron James went scoreless in the first half, but finished with 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

SPURS 136, HEAT 111

MIAMI (AP) — MIAMI (AP) — Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points as San Antonio beat Miami Heat for their sixth straight win.

Wembanyama added 15 rebounds and five blocks for the Spurs. Keldon Johnson scored 21 points while adding six rebounds. Dylan Harper went 9 of 14 from the field (3 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 21 points.

Norman Powell led the Heat with 21 points. Tyler Herro had 18 points.

HAWKS 146, GRIZZLIES 107

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and eight Atlanta players scored in double figures as the Hawks routed Memphis.

Atlanta outscored the Grizzlies in the first three quarters and had an insurmountable 41-point advantage at 116-75 after three periods. The Hawks led by 10 points (32-22) after one and 25 points (71-46) at halftime on the way to their 11th straight home win and 13th victory in 14 games. Atlanta kept its lead around 40 points through most of the final period, which was won by the Grizzlies 32-30.

Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga scored 16 points apiece, CJ McCollum had 15 and Dyson Daniels 12. Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each added 11 as the Hawks shot 49 for 92 (53%) from the field overall and 25 of 54 (46%) from 3-point range.

Atlanta (40-32) had its highest point total of the season. The Hawks entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Toronto, which was playing at Utah later Monday.

GG Jackson scored 26 points, Tyler Burton added 20, Ty Jerome finished with 17 and Walter Clayton Jr. 16 for Memphis, which shot 33% (14 for 43) from 3-point distance.

BULLS 132, ROCKETS 124

CHICAGO (AP) — Matas Buzelis’ layup in the final seconds put Chicago ahead to stay and Collin Sexton came off the bench to score 25 points as Chicago beat Houston Rockets.

Houston’s loss, combined with San Antonio’s 136-111 win over Miami, allowed the Spurs (54-18) to clinch the Southwest Division.

The Bulls (29-42) led by as many as 22 points after scoring a season-high 41 points in the first quarter. But, Chicago trailed by four points late and needed Buzelis’ basket with 10.2 seconds remaining to move ahead to stay and post their first win over Houston in the teams’ last five games.

Kevin Durant fueled the Rockets’ (43-28) comeback by scoring 15 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter. Durant was 15 of 23 from the field, marking the ninth straight game he shot 50% or better, which is the third-longest streak of his career.

The Spurs are showing no signs of slowing down as the regular season nears its end. They went into Miami and dominated en route to an easy 136-111 win, their sixth victory in a row. Victor Wembanyama impacted the game on both ends in a way that few players have this season to help put the slumping Heat away early, finishing with an impressive stat line that somehow doesn’t represent how great his performance was.

Before the Spurs ran away with it, there was an entertaining opening quarter, in which both teams seemed to be sticking to their plan. Wembanyama walled off the paint, leading the Heat to rely on jumpers and their normal breakneck pace to avoid half-court offense, while the Spurs tried to get into the paint by using Wemby’s gravity to open up shots near the rim or open threes. The intensity was there from two squads that are known for playing hard. The differences were made at the edges. San Antonio dominated the glass, which helped them survive a zone defense that baffled them at times, and Miami got points in transition. It was a close, physical, occasionally sloppy but always entertaining first 12 minutes that ended with the Silver and Black up eight.

After that, the Spurs completely took over. While Wembanyama had a huge impact in the first quarter, mostly by deterring and changing shots and making the defense focus on him while his teammates feasted, he didn’t get the stats to show for it. It changed to start the second, as he blocked a couple of shots that allowed the Silver and Black to push the pace, finished a couple of dunks, and found Carter Bryant for an alley-oop dunk. Miami did its best to stick around, but the lead reached double digits, and there was no counter run. The Spurs did well to survive the minutes without Wembanyama and Fox on the floor, as the second unit vastly outplayed the Heat’s subs, and once Wemby returned, San Antonio found itself up 20 points. It was an impressive effort against a well-coached team that tried different lineup approaches to no avail.

The 18-point lead the Spurs had heading into the break was a nice buffer, but a slow start on offense opened the window for Miami to get back into it. The problem for the home team is that they had no way of scoring on an active San Antonio defense that had Wembanyama contesting everything close to him, and his teammates flying around to close out on jumpers. The Heat started the second half missing their first nine shots, the Silver and Black got their offense back on track, and the lead got to 30 midway through the third. The second unit wasn’t as good as it had been early, but it still found ways to get enough stops and buckets to prevent a run. The difference between the two teams was as big on Monday as the box score showed, as the visitors headed into the fourth up 27 and looking like they had an extra gear they could access if needed.

The Heat just didn’t have it in them to even attempt a fake comeback, which is understandable considering their recent struggles and San Antonio’s relentless play even while up big. There were some strange and sloppy moments in garbage time, mostly because Wembanyama seemed to be looking for new ways to torture Miami, but the Spurs largely took care of business, making sure the win was secured before emptying the bench.

Game notes

• Wembanyama is reaching a new level. Ever since he understood that he doesn’t need the ball to make an impact on offense, he’s been as good as anyone, considering his defensive dominance. Wemby had four assists, but his mere presence got others open consistently. The threes weren’t falling, he made some wild drives, and he was still the best player on the floor by a huge margin. A true superstar.
• The Spurs were at full strength and showed how deep they are. Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie, two starters, had quiet scoring games, and it didn’t matter, as the team had scored over 100 points by the end of the third quarter. Miami is in a bad stretch, especially defensively, but that’s still impressive.
• De’Aaron Fox was solid, as usual, but the young guards were impressive. Stephon Castle had more free-throw attempts than field goal attempts, showing once again that it’s hard to keep him from getting to his spots without fouling. With Castle playing, Harper went back to the bench but scored over 20 for his second game in a row, bullying his way to the rim and hitting three three-pointers. All three guards had six assists. The three-headed monster is a problem.
• Keldon Johnson completely outplayed fellow Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jaime Jaquez Jr. Keldon finished with 21 points and six rebounds while Jaquez really struggled to score. The Heat’s forward did have six assists, but some of those came after drives in which he refused to challenge Wembanyama. One game shouldn’t determine who gets an award, but hopefully the voters were paying attention.
• Is Harrison Barnes slowly getting back to being a helpful player? The veteran forward is shooting 42 percent from three since the All-Star break, and the Spurs are outscoring opponents with him on the floor. He had 13 points after going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and pitched in four rebounds. Carter Bryant, who had a highlight block, is there to step in for a few minutes if HB regresses, but having both as viable options would be ideal.

Play of the game

Some Wembanyama plays are demoralizing. Myron Gardner here runs back, reads that the alley-oop is coming, gets to Wemby to try to at least foul him and make him miss, but still ends up in a poster. Brutal.

🗣️ YEAH VIC!

📺 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SWpic.twitter.com/0E4pkFaZNQ

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) March 24, 2026

Next game: at Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday

The three-game road trip continues with a visit to the Grizzlies, currently on a three-game losing streak and already thinking about next season. If the Spurs play with the appropriate fear, the win streak should reach seven.

The Atlanta Hawks delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Monday night, rolling past the Memphis Grizzlies 146-107 behind a balanced offensive attack and relentless pace at State Farm Arena.

Atlanta (40-32) seized control early and never let up, outscoring Memphis in every quarter but the fourth while shooting efficiently and spreading the scoring load across the roster. The Hawks led by double digits before halftime and blew the game open with a 45-point third quarter that turned a comfortable lead into a rout.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker paced Atlanta with 26 points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while adding six assists. Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga each contributed 16 points, combining for 10 rebounds and providing energy on both ends.

Veteran guard CJ McCollum orchestrated the offense with nine assists to go along with 15 points, helping Atlanta rack up a high assist total and maintain constant ball movement. The Hawks finished with multiple players in double figures, including Dyson Daniels (12 points), Corey Kispert (11), and Zaccharie Risacher (11 points, eight rebounds).

Atlanta’s depth proved overwhelming. The bench unit kept the pressure on throughout, with strong contributions from Jock Landale (11 points), Keaton Wallace (nine), and others as the Hawks shot over 50 percent from the field and knocked down 3-pointers at a high clip.

Memphis (24-47) was led by GG Jackson’s 26 points, while Tyler Burton added 20 and Ty Jerome chipped in 17. However, the Grizzlies struggled defensively and could not keep pace with Atlanta’s scoring bursts, particularly in the second and third quarters.

The Hawks built a 32-22 lead after one quarter and extended it to 71-46 by halftime. Their 45-point third quarter effectively ended any chance of a Memphis comeback, pushing the margin beyond 30 points.

Atlanta’s performance showcased its offensive ceiling crisp passing, efficient shooting and contributions from throughout the lineup while also highlighting improved defensive activity, forcing turnovers and limiting Memphis’ rhythm.

LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Luke Kennard and Bronny James stood alongside Lakers’ assistant coaches and trainers on a golf course on Sunday. 

They were engaged in some friendly competition under the blazing Orlando sun. 

All season, James has talked about golf as his happy place. Reaves’ hand-eye coordination has become legendary around the Lakers’ locker room. Doncic is relatively new to the sport, but apparently is picking it up quickly. And Kennard was hanging out with his teammates hours after they had screamed, jumped and picked him up in celebration of his game-winning shot against the Magic in their 105-104 win on Saturday. 

Things are good in Laker Land, even though LA fell to the Pistons on Monday, 113-110. 

Yes, Detroit snapped the Lakers’ nine-game winning streak. Yes, the Pistons’ suffocating second-rated defense in the league held them to 27.6% shooting from beyond the 3-point line. 

But the Lakers once again showed heart, forcing a nail biter. They clawed their way back from a 16-point deficit with a 20-8 run in the third quarter to tie the score at 87-87 with 32.9 seconds left in the period. 

Then, in the fourth quarter, they went on a 7-0 run to once again knot the game at 105-105 with 2:39 left. The Lakers even took the lead after Reaves made a five-foot floater with 30 seconds remaining, 110-109. But Daniss Jenkins, who had a career-high 30 points, answered with a jumper and a pair of free throws down the stretch.

With the Pistons up 113-110 and 0.3 seconds remaining, Doncic couldn’t get a clean look at the basket and attempted a heavily-contested game-tying 3, but he missed.

But none of that really matters. 

The vibes around the Lakers are good right now, a stark turnaround from where they were just a short time ago. This loss won’t impact that. 

Some pundits are going to point to the Lakers’ loss to the Pistons as proof they can’t hang with the most elite teams in the league. The Pistons are in first place in the Eastern Conference and they were without their star guard Cade Cunningham, who was sidelined for his third straight game because of a partially collapsed lung. 

The next few weeks will tell if that narrative has any merit, considering two of the Lakers’ next 10 games are against the Thunder, who are atop the Western Conference and are favored to win the championship. 

But the Lakers’ loss to the Pistons should be a question mark, not a red flag, especially since they’ve recently beaten multiple contenders, including the Rockets, Nuggets, Knicks and Timberwolves. 

The Lakers believe in themselves. They believe in each other. Over their winning streak, there were so many times when they could’ve dropped the rope, but instead they showed a deep trust in each other, coming closer together. 

There was Kennard’s game-winner against the Magic. There was Reaves’ incredible purposely missed free throw and made field goal as time expired against the Nuggets, followed by Doncic’s game-winner in overtime. 

There was James’ 30-point performance on 13-for-14 shooting against the Rockets, followed by his 19-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist triple-double against the Heat. Oh, and over the Lakers’ winning streak, Doncic averaged 40 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.6 steals a game, including 51-point and 60-point performances. 

There’s a winning vibe around the Lakers. 

It’s a far cry from where things were just a short time ago. One moment in particular stands out as the nadir of the season: When the Lakers lost to the Thunder on Feb. 9, 119-110. Reaves was slumped in his chair as he talked to reporters. James sounded and looked exhausted. “That’s a championship team right there,” he said. “We’re not.”

Things felt off. 

Over the last few months, there were a lot of tough moments. James was forced to answer questions about his relationship with Lakers’ governor Jeanie Buss after an ESPN story claimed she was frustrated with him for a myriad of reasons, and even “privately mused” about trading him. 

There were weeks on end in which Doncic, James and Reaves had to field questions about the dysfunctional Big Three, who had only played 11 games together before the All-Star break and looked disjointed when they shared the court. 

There was the narrative that Doncic wasn’t a winner. And the narrative that the Lakers were better without James after LA won three in a row with him sidelined earlier this month, improving to 10-2 when Reaves and Doncic shared the court without him.

During all of that drama, retirement seemed like a real possibility for James. Doncic seemed unhappy. The Lakers’ locker room felt tense. 

Now, things couldn’t be more different. 

How could James retire when the Lakers are contenders? Doncic has skyrocketed to the top of the MVP conversation. The Lakers’ locker room is fun. 

One loss to the Pistons isn’t going to change that. 

It may have let out a little air from the tire. But the tire was so well-inflated over the last few weeks that the car isn’t going to feel a thing. 

The Lakers’ loss to the Pistons was greatly overshadowed by all of their winning moments over the last nine games. By their newfound trust in each other. 

By their time on the golf course, which made all of the recent negativity surrounding them seem like a long-lost nightmare under the Florida sun.  

After having a relatively long stretch in which their entire rotation was available, the Lakers took the floor in Detroit on Monday without a starter in Marcus Smart and key reserve Rui Hachimura.

Both were listed as questionable in the initial injury report. Prior to the team’s loss to the Pistons, head coach JJ Redick provided updates on both, starting with Rui’s right calf soreness.

JJ Redick says Rui Hachimura was hit in his right calf in the Miami game and it tightened up on him in the Orlando game. He had a MRI that came back clean. He is day to day, per Redick.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 23, 2026

Ironically, Rui missed the last game against the Pistons with right calf soreness in late December. It was, however, a short-term injury that Rui returned from in about a week. However, it does show that there’s a bit of a history with this injury.

As for Smart, he has taken a beat recently and while he was listed on the injury report with right ankle soreness, he was also dealing with a hip injury.

Redick added that Marcus Smart is dealing with a right hip issue from the Orlando game as well as the right ankle from the collision with Goga Bitadze. Redick said Smart is also day to day. https://t.co/HW2u9cgdmi

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 23, 2026

The collision in question was one of the most absurd calls of the season for the Lakers in which a fairly innocuous coming together with Goga Bitadze ended with Smart receiving a technical foul.

The refs just gave Marcus Smart a tech foul for this play.

Unbelievable call pic.twitter.com/K0SiBAw9yp

— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) March 22, 2026

That was just part of a chaotic night for Bitadze, but that is a topic for another article already written.

Given his injury history and the beating he takes on a game-to-game basis, having him sit out for a night or two to heal up isn’t the worst thing. Especially given the Lakers’ upcoming schedule, which includes games against Pacers, Wizards and Nets, sneaking in some rest for players wouldn’t be a bad strategy.

As for Rui and Smart, it appears neither injury is serious. The Lakers should be able to welcome them back soon and potentially in their road trip finale on Wednesday in Indiana.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.