Category: NBA

It was the stoppable force meeting the movable object Monday night in Washington, D.C. The Golden State Warriors had lost five straight games and played without Al Horford and both Curry brothers. The Washington Wizards had lost 11 straight and was starting WNBA star Angel Reese’s brother and three players who weren’t alive yet when “Anchorman” was released.

But Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points against his old team, De’Anthony Melton scored 27, and Gui Santos scored 18 in 28 minutes in a foul-plagued effort as the Warriors won, 125-117. It was a welcome win for the slumping Warriors, who have four games left on a cross-country road trip that heads to Boston Wednesday.

Was it a sloppy game of basketball? Yes it was, as seen when Pat Spencer and Jamir Watkins traded no-look passes to no one in the first quarter.

Wizards vs Warriors is the WORST basketball you'll ever see 😭 pic.twitter.com/dMPpHwDkkX

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) March 16, 2026

I regret to inform our readers that both players were definitively Shaqtin’ A Fool on that play.

Porzingis was the star, shooting 8-for-13 and making 13 of 14 free throws. He added five rebounds, four assists, three blocks, two steals, and a partridge in a pear tree. KP’s prettiest basket came on a great pass from Gary Payton II, who had 15 points off the bench.

Gary's got eyes in the back of his head 👀

📺 @NBCSAuthenticpic.twitter.com/r6y58hoFcC

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 17, 2026

Melton remains one of the NBA’s best signings this year, putting up 20+ points for the third time in four games. He shot 12-for-17 for the game and delivered one of the Warriors’ best dunks of the season when he elevated for an emphatic dunk over Sharife Cooper.

DE'ANTHONY MELTON WITH THE POSTER‼️

📺 @NBCSAuthenticpic.twitter.com/ojRDieR0GC

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 17, 2026

Golden State took a 17-point lead early in the second quarter, after Bub Carrington was called for a technical foul. Six minutes later, Trae Young and rookies Tre Johnson and Will Riley had brought the Wizards to within two points, though two free throws from new Warrior Omer Yurtseven gave them a seven-point halftime lead.

The Warriors got a huge break in the third quarter after another Shaqtin-adjacent play from Spencer. Second-year guard Bub Carrington broke Spencer’s ankles and dropped him, before sinking a jumper. Carrington appeared to continue chirping at the other end, and Scott Foster ejected him.

🔥 Bub Carrington breaks Pat Spencer's ANKLES – Scott Foster Ejected bub because it was too cold 🥶 pic.twitter.com/PQVfrT858B

— DJACK (@DJACK_RipCity) March 17, 2026

It’s very rare that Scott Foster holds a grudge or makes an NBA game all about him instead of the players, so Carrington clearly said something bad like, “Say hi to your old friend Tim Donaghy” or “You were pretty unfair to Chris Paul.”

That was the story of the game: The Warriors took a big lead, the Wizards chipped away at it, but couldn’t quite catch up. The Dubs didn’t have the players to put away the Wizards, while the Wizards didn’t have the players, at all, especially with Young and the rookie Johnson staying on the bench for the whole final quarter.

The game wasn’t locked up until the Wizards started playing Porzingis like he was Bam Adebayo and sending him to the line every Warriors possession. The final dagger came when Brandin Podziemski (10 quiet points) rebounded a Porzingis miss and Gui Santos found Payton for a layup.

Young, Riley, and Bilal Coulibaly all scored 21 points for the Wizards, who seem like they could be a dangerous team soon, if their coach was actually trying to win. But Washington is more concerned with preserving their top-8 protected pick in June than winning games, even when you’d think you’d want a No. 6 overall pick like Johnson to play in fourth quarters in close games.

But unlike the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz in recent games, the Wizards simply refused to let the Warriors blow a win they effectively handed to them. Getting 65 bench points (versus 29 for the Wizards) went a long way, as did Santos’ four three-pointers and 16 energetic minutes from Malevy Leons (8 points, two offensive rebounds).

Leons with the heart and hustle 💪

📺 @NBCSAuthenticpic.twitter.com/l83b5ICHuq

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 17, 2026

Porzingis trade update:

Porzingis has now played the same number of games for the Warriors that Jonathan Kuminga has for the Atlanta Hawks.

Kuminga: 23.4 minutes, 14.6 PPG, 8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 TO

Porzingis: 21.6 minutes, 17.6 PPG, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2 blocks

The Hawks are 5-0 in Kuminga’s games. Golden State is 1-4 with Porzingis.

The Warriors remain a half-game ahead of the 10th-place Portland Trail Blazers and somehow only one game back of the Los Angeles Clippers. At this point in the season, the Warriors can’t take any games for granted or let any win pass without savoring it. Monday, they stopped a skid and grabbed a win that would have been awful to let slip away.

The Dallas Mavericks took on the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night to close out a seemingly endless road trip. The Pelicans dealt Dallas a 129-111 loss, resulting in a potentially meaningful impact on each team’s draft chances this offseason. With the loss, Dallas and New Orleans are now tied in the standings, but the Pelicans have a 3-1 season series advantage (or disadvantage) over the Mavs.

Let’s get to the grades!

Ryan Nembhard: C-

2 PTS / 4 REB / 6 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 25 MIN

A 1-for-8 shooting night drives Nembhard’s grade down despite a solid assist total and even a few rebounds. He didn’t have much playing time, but regardless, there was very little to write home about Monday night.

Max Christie: B+

12 PTS / 4 REB / 0 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 32 MIN

Christie may just be finding his form again, with the second night of a back-to-back looking much like the first night. Christie didn’t light up the box score, but he hit his shots (4-for-7 overall; 4-for-6 from deep) and even played a bit of defense in a solid game where Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg (rightfully) got a ton of touches, leaving him to make the most of what he could. Fewer three-point attempts and more drives or mid-range shots would have been nice, but you can’t argue with the results from deep in this one.

Naji Marshall: A+

32 PTS / 8 REB / 7 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 33 MIN

Although he wasn’t as blazing hot from the field as he was on Sunday, Marshall was by far the best player for the Mavs on Monday night and converted on half of his 24 shot attempts. He did just about everything right, and it’s a struggle to find anything to be unhappy about. Maybe no steals or blocks, but that is a nit-picky stretch. Marshall was just awesome across the board.

Cooper Flagg: B+

21 PTS / 7 REB / 8 AST / 2 STL / 1 BLK – 30 MIN

While not as dominant as Marshall was, Flagg had a great game in his own right. This is the second game in a row his turnover total was high (four), but his assist total was quite high as well. Once he refines that part of his game just a bit, he’s likely going to maintain those high-assist nights with low-turnover performances and it’s going to be amazing.

P.J. Washington: A-

18 PTS / 7 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 31 MIN

Washington has been showing glimpses of the player so many fell in love with. His grade drifts a bit high, in part because he re-established his baseline somewhat low of late. Monday night, he was 7-for-13, including 4-for-8 from deep, had zero turnovers, and committed only a single foul in a very nice complementary game.

Marvin Bagley: A-

9 PTS / 9 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 19 MIN

Bagley has largely won me over at this point (if not many games ago). He was 4-for-7, including hitting his only three-point attempt and sniffed a double-double in under 20 minutes. Even better, six of his nine boards were on the offensive end. This was an efficient game where Bagley, like Christie, made the most of his minutes and touches.

Khris Middleton: C-

6 PTS / 4 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 18 MIN

It’s not immediately clear what happened with Middleton Monday night, but it wasn’t exactly pretty. He did a little bit here and there, but was only 2-for-9 in a game where he just never got comfortable.

Final Thoughts

The Mavericks have lost three of four matchups with the Pelicans, with whom they are now tied in the standings. The Pelicans are trending in the opposite direction as Dallas over the past few weeks, so the Mavs may just secure a lower place in the standings when all is said and done. While this obviously isn’t the goal, the silver lining to a tough season is a potentially better draft pick come summertime.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks lost 129-111 to the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night in New Orleans. This was the Mavericks fourth game in five nights, a rarity in the modern NBA, and the team certainly looked sluggish.

New Orleans waxed the Mavericks from about midway through the first quarter and never truly looked back. The Pelicans had a double-digit lead for most of the game and were never threatened after taking a six point lead at the end of the first quarter.

Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 27 points on only 13 shot attempts. Naji Marshall led the Mavericks and all scorers with 32 points. The Mavericks will now take on the red-shot Atlanta Hawks next, winners of 10 straight games.

Here are the numbers we noticed.

68: Pelicans points in the paint

The easiest number to look at after a blowout is how much paint points did the team give up, and Dallas didn’t disappoint there: the Pelicans nearly notched 70 points in the paint and rampaged toward the basket with ease all night.

Dallas started PJ Washington at center for the second straight game and this time got punished for it. The Cavaliers basically had just Evan Mobley as the only threatening big on Sunday, and couldn’t do much to punish the Mavericks small ball lineup. New Orleans plays a ton of bigs — Williamson, Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic, and rookie Derik Queen. All four of those guys had positive impacts on the game, with Williamson shooting a nearly perfect 11-of-13 from the floor.

New Orleans as a team shot 29-of-41 from the restricted area. The makes and attempts are really bad for the Mavericks there, and they had zero juice on the their second back-to-back in five days.

2: Cooper Flagg free throw attempts

Cooper Flagg is getting a rookie whistle, which is going to drive Mavericks fans nuts, but it’s OK. It happens. Tonight’s game was particularly egregious though: Flagg shot 17 shots in the paint and only had two free throw attempts to show for it.

The highlight (or really lowlight) was in the second half when Flagg got the rim, got his shot blocked, but the Pelicans player in his follow through came down across Flagg’s face and whacked him in the head. I get it, NBA players are allowed to commit felonies as long as they get the ball first, but this was silly. Even if it’s not a shooting foul it felt like it should have been *something*, and it was just an a bad moment.

It’s annoying that this really only gets solved with Flagg not being a rookie anymore, and that doesn’t change for seven or so more months. Sigh.

39: Fastbreak points for the Mavericks

This was a wickedly fast game, both teams got up and down the floor a bunch. It’s not very often you’ll see a team score nearly 40 points in transition and get blown out.

This was just such an weird game. I don’t have much more to say about this stat other than it caught my eye. It’s hard to score 39 transition points and lose, and not only lose, but lose by a lot!

In their first meeting of the season on Christmas Day, Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers were “punked” by the Houston Rockets and vowed not to let it happen again.

On Monday, the Lakers displayed their toug to hness in a 100-92 win over the Rockets at Toyota Center.

Even when they missed 14 comsecutive shots at one point in the fourth quarter, the Lakers showed their resilience with a gritty defensive effort that kept them in the game. The Lakers scored only 17 points in the fourth, but they held the Rockets to just 12 points en route to their sixth consecutive win.

Read more:How Austin Reaves pulled off a perfect game-tying missed free throw in Lakers' win

“They're a really good basketball team and they make you either play hard and match their physicality, and how they muck the game up, or you can lay down,” Redick said. “And we didn't lay down tonight. Had a deficit there in the third quarter. Our guys just kept playing.”

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 36 points, six rebounds and four assists. LeBron James scored 18 points and Austin Reaves had 15 points.

But three big baskets from Deandre Ayton (seven points, 11 rebounds) and a big three-pointer by Marcus Smart (11 points) helped the Lakers open their six-game trip with a win.

Sitting third in the Western Conference, the Lakers (43-25) will take a 1½-game lead over the Rockets (41-26) into their rematch on Wednesday night.

“Obviously, we have another one on Wednesday, but it was a very important game," said Doncic, who shot 14 for 27 from the field. We've been playing very good. Our defense has been pretty good, so just gotta continue that way.”

The Lakers threw double teams at Houston's Kevin Durant all game, limiting him to 18 points and forcing him into seven of the Rockets' 24 turnovers.

Durant shot only 16 times yet made eight. He was one for three in the fourth quarter and had just as many turnovers as points (two) in the final 12 minutes. One of those turnovers was on an eight-second violation.

“He’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen play," James said. "Obviously you got to try to show him different looks, try to keep him off-balanced and when he shoots, hope he misses. So, I thought we did a good job of having a game plan but also just switching up our pitches.

"You can’t show a great like that too many of the same coverages throughout the whole game. He’ll get a feel for it."

Doncic got off to what has become his typical first-quarter starts, scoring 16 points on seven-for-10 shooting. But Houston took a 58-51 lead at halftime after taking control of the boards in the second quarter. The Rockets turned six offensive rebounds into 13 points.

Read more:LeBron James' adaptability a key in victory over the Bulls

The Lakers also had a hard time scoring, shooting only 32% from the field and 13% (one for eight) from three-point range in the quarter.

After trailing by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, the Lakers surged and took an 83-80 lead heading into the fourth. After what happened in L.A. back in December, the Lakers were determined not to let Houston run away with the game.

After taking an 85-80 lead, the Lakers struggled to find consistent offense until Ayton checked back into the game with 4:52 left. Ayton scored on a tip shot to give the Lakers an 89-88 lead, then scored off a pair of offensive rebounds in the final 90 seconds to help keep the Lakers ahead for good. He finished with six points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter.

“He was amazing,” James said. “I mean, just the fact that he was sitting over there for as long as he did and stayed locked in on the game and came in and finished the game. He was able to get a tip-dunk, a couple of jump hooks around the rim, and a couple of rebounds. He helped us finish the game.”

Note: Lakers backup center Maxi Kleber did not play as he continues to recover from a lumbar back strain. "He's basically been shut down for five days to sort of heal,” Redick said. “He's not with us right now, and we hope he's able to join us later on in the trip."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

HOUSTON — It wasn’t the prettiest game.

And both teams seemingly showed the effects of a late start. 

But at this point of the season, winning is what matters most, and that’s exactly what the Lakers did in their 100-92 victory over the Rockets at Toyota Center.

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 36 points, six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. 

LeBron James had 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Marcus Smart finished with 11 points, shooting 3-of-7 on 3-pointers. 

Austin Reaves struggled with his shot (5 of 18) but finished with 15 points, five assists and four steals.

What it means

The Lakers improved to 43-25 on the season, not only maintaining their No. 3 spot in the Western Conference standings, but giving themselves a cushion.

They also pulled off their fourth straight win over a team with a .600-or-better  winning percentage.

Turning point

When Tari Eason was called for goaltending on Deandre Ayton with 3:16 left in the game. 

The score not only put the Lakers up 89-88, but it was technically their first made basket in eight minutes of game action. 

The Lakers closed out the game on a 13-4 run.

MVP: Luka Doncic

Doncic had his sixth game scoring at least 30 points. 

Stat of the game: 15

That’s how many offensive reboudnds the Rockets grabbed. 

The Rockets scored 23 second-chance points off of those extra opportunities, their biggest advantage over the Lakers, who scored 11 second-chance points.

But the Lakers scored seven more points from the three throw line. 

Up next

The Lakers will play the Rockets again on Wednesday at Toyota Center for the second matchup of their six-game trip.

HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 36 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 100-92 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night in the opener of a two-game series between teams fighting for Western Conference playoff position.

Los Angeles moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Houston for third in the West standings. There were 13 lead changes in a game that had a playoff atmosphere, but the Lakers ultimately won their sixth straight.

LeBron James found Marcus Smart for a corner 3-pointer that put Los Angeles up 94-90 with 2 minutes remaining. James finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Doncic hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the fading minutes of the third quarter to give the Lakers an 83-80 lead after trailing 57-51 at halftime. Doncic was 4 for 12 on 3s in the game and needs 11 more to match D’Angelo Russell’s franchise record of 226 in a season.

Doncic had his sixth straight game with 30 or more points but fell just short of his 12th 40-point game this season. He went 14 for 27 from the field.

Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 22 points. Amen Thompson had 19 and Kevin Durant added 18 for the Rockets, who committed 24 turnovers compared with just 12 for Los Angeles.

Houston was without Alperen Sengun, who was dealing with lower back pain. Sengun is averaging 20.2 points, second only to Durant for the Rockets.

The Rockets took the first meeting between the two teams this season, 119-96, in Los Angeles on Dec. 25.

Up next

The teams meet again in Houston on Wednesday.

___

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

The Lakers survived an ugly, ugly fourth quarter of basketball to come away with a sixth straight win, knocking off the Rockets on the road, 100-92.

An absolute rock fight broke out between the two teams in the fourth as they combined for just 12 points in the first eight minutes of the period. The Lakers eventually found offense, opening up a multiple-possession lead that proved enough.

In the end, some big baskets from Deandre Ayton and a strong defensive showing in the fourth proved enough to come away with yet another big win against a fellow playoff contender.

The game began with Clint Capela splitting a pair of free throws. LeBron James and Luka Dončić were leading the Lakers early with four and nine points, respectively. Jabari Smith Jr. started well for Houston with four points. 

Both teams were shooting 60% from the field. The Rockets missed two 3-pointers, while LA made one. 

Los Angeles went on a run that put them ahead by two at the 6:40 mark. Luka entered double figures with 14 points. 

Fresh of his Player of the Week honor, Luka Dončić is hot early in Houston, hitting 6 of his first 8 shots, including 2 3's, for 14 of LA's 22 points in a 3-point lead.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 17, 2026

Kevin Durant started cooking with eight points. Rui Hachimura provided a nice spark off the bench with four points. At the 2:16 mark, the Lakers were up by three. The purple and gold allowed Reed Sheppard to score a fast five points, cutting the lead to just one for LA.

The Lakers were shooting nearly 70% for the quarter, but missed a pair of good looks in the final minute, and allowed 2 offensive boards on one trip, leading to an open 3 for Houston.

LA's lead is 29-28 after 12 minutes.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 17, 2026

Austin Reaves opened the second period with a layup for Los Angeles. Smith Jr. responded on the other end with a triple. Reaves converted on another layup, giving him six points. After Jake LaRavia scored on a layup, Houston called a timeout. 

Out of the break, Dorian Finney-Smith drained a 3-pointer. 

In the battle of the bigs, Capela was winning so far with six points and three rebounds. Deandre Ayton had zero points with three rebounds and a steal. LaRavia and Reaves were both fouled a few times, converting on six free throws combined. 

At the 7:25 mark, LA was up by four. 

Houston jumped ahead after scoring four in a row. The Lakers retook the lead after Luka converted on a midrange jumper. Both teams started going back and forth, taking the lead. The Rockets were up by three with 2:45 left in the half. 

At halftime, the Lakers were down by six. 

The Lakers allowed the final 5 points of the 1st Q, and then the final 4 of the 2nd Q, with Houston taking a 57-51 lead into the half.

Rockets were +6 on the glass.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 17, 2026

Amen Thompson started the third period with a layup for Houston. Smart responded on the other end with a layup himself, pushing his point total to eight. The Rockets were shooting 60% in the quarter, while LA was shooting 44%. LeBron had five of Los Angeles’ 10 in the quarter. 

Luka began heating up, scoring a quick five points. 

Over a two-minute span, the Lakers put together an 11-2 scoring run that gave them a one-point lead. The run had expanded to 23-7 until Houston surged for four in a row to stop some of the bleeding. 

Lakers are on a 23-7 run to go up 80-74, capped by another 3 from Dončić, who's up to 31 points in his 29 minutes.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 17, 2026

Heading into the fourth, Los Angeles was up by three. 

The final frame started with both teams turning the ball over. LeBron then dunked on the other end off an assist from Reaves. Houston responded to make it a two-point game. LA started missing their shots, but their aggressive defense kept them in the lead and forced 20 turnovers for the Rockets. 

Houston tied the game at the 6:52 mark.

The 23-5 margin in second-chance points was hurting the Lakers. The Rockets were on an 8-0 run. LeBron converted on free throws to cut the deficit to one for Los Angeles. Reaves had 15 points, but was a brutal 0-7 from behind the arc. 

Durant picked up his sixth turnover. 

After a rough seven-minute scoring drought for the Lakers, Ayton scored on a layup that was deemed a goaltend by Tari Eason. Luka then converted on a jumper to give LA a three-point lead. 

With 2:14 left, Los Angeles was nursing a one-point lead. 

Smart knocked down a big-time triple to put LA up by four. Ayton then ignited for two clutch buckets, pushing Los Angeles’ lead to eight with 43 seconds left. Reaves stole the ball and threw an assist to LeBron for a dunk that sealed the win. 

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 36 points, six rebounds and four assists. LeBron ended with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Reaves scored 15 points with three rebounds, five assists and four steals. 

Smart notched 11 points. LaRavia pitched in with seven points and three steals. Hachimura had six points with three rebounds. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at 6:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

With the Nets hosting Portland — and rising Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija taking on Nets rookies Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf — Monday marked the first time three Israelis ever faced off in the NBA. 

“Yeah, it’s special,” said Nets coach Jordi Fernández. “When other countries outside the US and Europe can be represented with three players here, it means the world, and it’s a special day that everybody has to enjoy. And I think they are already. …I don’t know Deni, but I’m sure he’s excited to play. I know Ben and Danny are. 

“And that’s good. It’s one of the two times that we’ll see this and hopefully for many years, see how these guys grow. Obviously Deni, a career year and how much better he has gotten. And then our two young guys, they’re getting better. And I want to see this matchup over the years and how interesting, how cool it is to see them play against each other.” 

Wolf started a third straight game with Michael Porter Jr. out. 

He came into Monday averaging 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds over his prior ten games before Portland. 

---

Porter missed a third straight game with a sprained right ankle Monday vs. Portland, but has resumed on-court work and appears to be close to a return. 

“Yeah, I’m not qualified to talk about grades [on his sprain], but I can share that he did form shooting in the last game that we played, and [Monday] is going to be his first workout,” Fernández said before Brooklyn hosted the Trail Blazers. “So let’s see how he feels after it. He’s getting better, and then we’ll assess.” 

Porter has sat out four of the past five games. 

With 14 games left in the regular season, the Nets host the reigning champion Thunder on Wednesday. 

Backup center Day’Ron Sharpe (left thumb UCL tear) and rookie lottery pick Egor Dëmin (left plantar fascia injury management) have both already been ruled out for the season. Veteran Terance Mann missed Monday’s tilt with left Achilles soreness and Noah Clowney was simply rested. 

Saraf was available after having been listed as questionable with a left calf contusion. 

The Nets started rookies Wolf, Nolan Traore and Drake Powell, along with Ziaire Williams and Nic Claxton. 

---

Portland’s Damian Lillard and Shaedon Sharpe were both out. Chinese rookie Hansen Yang was with the G-League Remix.

There’ve been rumors going back to trade deadline about how the Nets plan to move beyond their deep rebuild next season, but Brian Lewis writes more in detail on the team’s plan, quoting sources knowledgeable about things.

Multiple league sources told The Post that the idea remains the same: The Nets intend to flip the switch and try to compete as soon as next season.

Just how aggressive their rebuild is, and exactly what it looks like, is going to be determined by four or five touch points over the next 18 months.

A year and a half timeframe would mean big decisions in the 2026 Draft and free agency as well as the 2027 Draft and free agency.

Each of said “touch points” will determine just how fast the Nets move as they accelerate in their rebuild must as they did in Sean Marks first rebuild between 2016 and 2019, going from 21 to 28 to 42 wins and with a mostly homegrown cast attract two of the NBA’s top stars and lay the groundwork for the addition of James Harden.

How the Nets rookies develop, what kind of lottery luck they get, what happens in the upcoming playoffs, if a star becomes available and free agency will all play roles in shaping how Brooklyn’s rebuild goes.

“Yes, it’s all of the above,” one source told The Post. “There’s going to be like five touch points where you go OK, where’s the team.”

This draft is loaded, and the Nets will be in the lottery; the 2027 free agent class could be stacked, and they’ll have flexibility. Whether they become aggressive this summer, next summer or the trade deadline in-between remains unclear. 

What’s crystal clear is they expect to compete sooner rather than later.  Think months, not years.

Lewis enumerates the Nets current situation including development of the Nets five first round rookies in 2025 and their lottery pick in June. (Brooklyn currently has three picks in the 2026 lottery, currently the third best odds at the top pick as well as picks at Nos. 33 and 44, putting them second in Tankathon’s draft power rankings.)

But one of the more intriguing aspects of Lewis’ intelligence dump is how they believe that the playoffs will determine how some of the league’s top stars react to various playoff scenarios.

Even though the Nets are nowhere near the playoffs, the postseason will shape their offseason. Underachieving can elicit breakups, and make stars available.

Sources told The Post that Brooklyn was interested in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell before entering their tank. If either became available — and the former is largely expected to — could the Nets circle back?

“They’ll have conversations [about stars],” one league source told The Post. “They already had conversations; they just weren’t quite the right time.”

Of course, Sean Marks & co. thought that those two superstars, specifically, would consider the Nets before but were wrong. Indeed, the Nets failure to pair Mitchell with his friend Mikal Bridges was one consideration in their willingness to trade Bridges to the Knicks and get their lottery picks back in 2025 and 2026.

Also, Lewis notes that beyond circumstances, there’s timing. As Lewis notes, the Nets may very well have to swap first round picks with the Rockets in 2027 which will put an end to tanking. Moreover, the 2027 draft is seen as mediocre at best. So, in the meantime, it will be about development and evaluation.

“Our wins are not just the ones you see in the standings, and we’ve had that clear from the beginning,” Lewis quotes Jordi Fernández. “I know at times it may sound foreign for other people, but we have a plan. We know what we’re doing, and we’re confident that we’re going to be good for a long time. It’s just [that] it’s a process.”

CHICAGO (AP) — Josh Giddey had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for his fourth triple-double in five games, and the Chicago Bulls blew out Memphis 132-107 on Monday night to hand the depleted Grizzlies their eighth straight loss.

Giddey is third in the NBA with 12 triple-doubles this season, trailing Nikola Jokic (27) of the Denver Nuggets and Jalen Johnson (13) of the Atlanta Hawks. Giddey is averaging 17.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists, all career highs. The fifth-year guard has been limited to 46 games this season by hamstring and ankle injuries.

Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 29 points, including five 3-pointers. The second-year forward, who was the 11th pick in the 2024 draft, has logged three of the four highest-scoring totals of his career in just the last three weeks.

Tre Jones added 17 points and Rob Dillingham had 15 off the bench for the Bulls, who started a four-game homestand by winning for just the fifth time in their last 23 games. The Bulls, who are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and six games out of the last play-in spot, outscored the Grizzlies 71-50 in the second half.

Cedric Coward led the Grizzlies with 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting, and Jaylen Wells and Taylor Hendricks each added 16 points. The Grizzlies, who have shelved standout Zach Edey for the remainder of the season and not had star Ja Morant play for nearly two months, were also without starters Ty Jerome (bruised shoulder) and G.G. Jackson (sore foot). Memphis is 3-15 in its last 18 games.

Up next

Memphis hosts Denver on Wednesday.

Chicago hosts Toronto on Wednesday.

___

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

The Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak on Monday night, getting a much-needed 125-117 win over the Washington Wizards. It was an entertaining game, with the Warriors at times flirting with turning it into a blowout, and at other times risking blowing a lead and suffering another gut-wrenching loss.

But in the end, it was the first win in 11 days for the shorthanded Dubs. So let’s grade the players who got the job done. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that individual.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Monday’s games, league-average TS was 58.0%.

Will Richard

32 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 0-for-6 shooting, 0-for-4 threes, 0.0% TS, -2

Well … Steve Kerr ripped into Richard during Sunday’s loss for a turnover, and the rookie responded by playing 32 minutes without a single turnover. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good game for him. He seemed out of rhythm, and couldn’t by a bucket. Still, not turning the ball over while playing the level of perimeter defense he plays means he was an asset, even in a down game. But hard to get a good grade when you’re a non-factor on one end of the court.

Grade: C-

Gui Santos

28 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 4-for-6 threes, 90.0% TS, +20

There was one big weakness in Santos’ game on Monday: he repeatedly got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. That meant he had to go to the bench early in the second quarter with a third foul, and it meant that one of the best players on the team played a few seconds shy of 28 minutes.

But other than that? Near perfection. While the team struggled to shoot from deep, Santos drained three after three when the Dubs needed it most. He shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc … his teammates? 5-for-26. His defense was strong, his energy was infectious, and he always had a big play up his sleeve … when he was on the court, at least.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Draymond Green

29 minutes, 5 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 2-for-8 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 31.3% TS, -8

Green did some good stuff in this game and some bad stuff in this game. His defense wasn’t as good as it’s been in recent weeks, and he had some truly careless turnovers. He also had a masterful game boxing out, set strong screens, and had some great playmaking. A lot of key stuff, but it didn’t feel like he was one of their most impactful players.

Grade: B-
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds and assists, worst plus/minus on the team.

Brandin Podziemski

28 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-for-11 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 39.2% TS, +8

Podz had a hard time getting his offense going in this one. I wouldn’t say he was forcing things, per se, but things weren’t easy, even though he got a lot of shots off. He also took a violent forearm to the face and seemed a little woozy, so hopefully he’s OK. As usual, he had some nice plays doing the small things, but ultimately the offense wasn’t there.

Grade: C

De’Anthony Melton

30 minutes, 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 12-for-17 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 3-for-3 free throws, 73.7% TS, +10

A sensational showing by Melton. He didn’t play during the team’s loss on Monday to the New York Knicks, and in the first quarter, he was fittingly the only Warriors player who seemed to have his full legs. He brought much-needed energy until his teammates could catch up, and then he started to take over in the third quarter when the rest of the offense stagnated. He scored in double figures in that frame, which included a tantalizing poster dunk.

Hopefully Steph Curry can get back on the court soon, because I desperately want to see him playing alongside this version of Melton.

Grade: A

Gary Payton II

24 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 1-for-3 free throws, 66.3% TS, -6

GPII had an absurd game cutting without the ball. It seemed every time he was on the court, he made a remarkable backdoor cut and finished at the rim. He also played strong defense on Trae Young, and was a huge factor on the glass, as usual. He’s really been finding a groove lately.

Grade: A-

Pat Spencer

22 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3-for-9 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 50.6% TS, +2

A so-so game from Pat. Like Podziemski, he had a hard time getting separation and easy looks. But he also kept the offense rolling, with some really nice passes that got the offense into motion. He’s not always flashy, but he’s a good quarterback.

Grade: B

Kristaps Porziņģis

26 minutes, 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 8-for-13 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 13-for-14 free throws, 78.3% TS, +7

This is the type of game that makes it abundantly clear why the Warriors traded for Porziņģis, and why I expect them to re-sign him this offseason. He was nothing short of a star, in every phase of the game. He scored more than a point per minute, and had five stocks while barely playing half the game. Washington’s defense was completely helpless against him, and was forced to foul, foul, and foul some more (you can see how Bam Adebayo did it, can’t you?). When the Warriors needed a bucket, they fed Porziņģis, and he was able to get them one. That’s something that has been sorely missing. He set massive screens, controlled the paint on defense, and looked like the only player that the Wizards had no game plan for. His best game as a Warrior, without a doubt.

Grade: A++
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

Malevy Leons

16 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 80.0% TS, +2

A really solid game for Leons, who was the only one of the Warriors two-way players to get significant run in this game. He held his own on defense, and showed a lot of fight, hustle, and athleticism in his scoring, which included climbing the ladder for a highlight reel alley-oop.

Grade: A

Nate Williams

3 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, +6

Just a short burst of minutes for Williams in this game. There will be more minutes for him in some other contests, especially given how frequently everyone on this team gets hurt.

Grade: Incomplete

Ömer Yurtseven

2 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 1 foul, 2-for-2 free throws, 113.6% TS, +1

And just a brief cameo for Yurtseven as well, in his second game with the team.

Grade: Incomplete

Monday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Al Horford, Moses Moody, Quinten Post

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points, De’Anthony Melton added 27 and the Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak with a 125-117 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night, earning coach Steve Kerr his 600th career victory.

Golden State is without Stephen Curry (right knee) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL), and Seth Curry (left groin) and Al Horford (left calf strain) were also out Monday. The Warriors are almost assured of ending up in the play-in round in the Western Conference, but it matters where among that foursome you finish, and they were able to end their skid against the lowly Wizards.

Washington has dropped 12 in a row, but the Wizards still haven’t taken over last place in the East because Indiana has lost 13 straight.

The Warriors rested Draymond Green, Porzingis and Melton in Sunday’s loss at New York, and those three were able to help them on the second night of this back-to-back. Golden State led by 17 in the second quarter before the Wizards fought back to within two. It was 64-57 at the half.

Golden State led by 15 early in the fourth before the Wizards made one more push. They could draw no closer than five.

Trae Young scored 21 points in 21 minutes for Washington.

HAWKS 124, MAGIC 112

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a career-high 41 points, Jalen Johnson had his 13th triple-double of the season and Atlanta rolled past the Magic, extending their winning streak to 10 games and snapping Orlando’s at seven.

The Hawks improved to 38-31 and reclaimed eighth place in the Eastern Conference, bumping Philadelphia back to ninth.

Johnson had 24 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists in his second straight triple-double. Dyson Daniels added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Alexander-Walker scored 24 points in the first half, helping Atlanta to a 67-50 lead at halftime. Alexander-Walker’s previous career high was 38 points against the Spurs earlier this season.

The Hawks kept momentum rolling after the intermission, scoring 23 points in the first 5:12 of the third quarter to extend their lead to 29 points. The Hawks totaled 37 points in the period and led 104-83 at the start of the fourth.

Orlando cut the deficit to 12 points with 3 1/2 minutes remaining before Atlanta put the game back out of reach.

Paolo Banchero had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. Desmond Bane also added 18 points.

TRAIL BLAZERS 114, NETS 95

NEW YORK (AP) — Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara each scored 18 points, and Portland coasted to a victory over Brooklyn.

Donovan Clingan finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds and reserve Scoot Henderson had 16 points for the Blazers, who never trailed and led by as many as 31.

Nic Claxton had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the short-handed Nets, who have lost four consecutive games and 14 of 16. Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) missed his third straight game and Noah Clowney (rest) was held out.

CELTICS 120, SUNS 112

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 18 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter and Jayson Tatum scored 21 in his fifth game back from an Achilles tendon injury to help Boston beat Phoenix.

Devin Booker scored 40 for the Suns, who have lost back-to-back games after snapping a four-game winning streak. Jalen Green scored 21 for Phoenix.

Derrick White, who was presented with February’s Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month Award before the game, had 21 points for Boston, and Payton Pritchard scored 19.

PELICANS 129, MAVERICKS 111

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 27 points and New Orleans defeated injury-depleted Dallas.

Saddiq Bey had 23 points, while Jeremiah Fears and Trey Murphy III each added 17 to help the Pelicans win for the eighth time in 12 games.

Naji Marshall scored 32 points for the Mavs against his former team. Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, the top pick in the 2025 draft, had 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

BULLS 132, GRIZZLIES 107

CHICAGO (AP) — Josh Giddey had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for his fourth triple-double in five games, and Chicago blew out Memphis to hand the depleted Grizzlies their eighth straight loss.

Giddey is third in the NBA with 12 triple-doubles this season, trailing Nikola Jokic (27) of the Denver Nuggets and Jalen Johnson (13) of the Atlanta Hawks. Giddey is averaging 17.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists, all career highs. The fifth-year guard has been limited to 46 games this season by hamstring and ankle injuries.

Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 29 points, including five 3-pointers. The second-year forward, who was the 11th pick in the 2024 draft, has logged three of the four highest-scoring totals of his career in just the last three weeks.

Tre Jones added 17 points and Rob Dillingham had 15 off the bench for the Bulls, who started a four-game homestand by winning for just the fifth time in their last 23 games. The Bulls, who are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and six games out of the last play-in spot, outscored the Grizzlies 71-50 in the second half.

Cedric Coward led the Grizzlies with 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting, and Jaylen Wells and Taylor Hendricks each added 16 points. The Grizzlies, who have shelved standout Zach Edey for the remainder of the season and not had star Ja Morant play for nearly two months, were also without starters Ty Jerome (bruised shoulder) and G.G. Jackson (sore foot). Memphis is 3-15 in its last 18 games.

LAKERS 100, ROCKETS 92

HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 36 points to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Houston in the opener of a two-game series between teams fighting for Western Conference playoff position.

Los Angeles moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Houston for third in the West standings. There were 13 lead changes in a game that had a playoff atmosphere, but the Lakers ultimately won their sixth straight.

LeBron James found Marcus Smart for a corner 3-pointer that put Los Angeles up 94-90 with 2 minutes remaining. James finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Doncic hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the fading minutes of the third quarter to give the Lakers an 83-80 lead after trailing 57-51 at halftime. Doncic was 4 for 12 on 3s in the game and needs 11 more to match D’Angelo Russell’s franchise record of 226 in a season.

Doncic had his sixth straight game with 30 or more points but fell just short of his 12th 40-point game this season. He went 14 for 27 from the field.

Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 22 points. Amen Thompson had 19 and Kevin Durant added 18 for the Rockets, who committed 24 turnovers compared with just 12 for Los Angeles.

SPURS 119, CLIPPERS 115

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and San Antonio overcame an early 14-point deficit before blowing most of a 24-point lead and recovering to hold off Los Angeles.

Stephon Castle had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lead the Spurs (50-18), who reached 50 wins for the first time since 2016-17 and trail the first-place Thunder by three games in the West. Devin Vassell added 20 points.

Fighting to secure a spot for the play-in tournament, the Clippers’ second straight loss dropped them back to .500 with Kawhi Leonard watching from the bench. The NBA’s sixth-leading scorer sat out with a sprained left knee.

Darius Garland led six Clippers in double figures with 25 points and 10 assists. Jordan Miller had 22 points off the bench, which outscored the Spurs’ reserves 57-30.

The Dallas Mavericks leaned further into the tank on Monday night, falling 129-111 to the New Orleans Pelicans in a game that never truly felt competitive down the stretch. Dallas showed brief life early, but couldn’t sustain it as the Pelicans controlled the pace and physicality for most of the night. Naji Marshall led the Mavericks with 32 points, continuing his strong stretch, while Cooper Flagg added 21 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in another all-around performance. For New Orleans, Zion Williamson dominated with 27 points on highly efficient shooting, and Trey Murphy III chipped in 17 points as the Pelicans generated consistent offense and pulled away comfortably.

The Mavericks opened with good early energy, getting contributions across the board as P.J. Washington knocked down multiple threes and Cooper Flagg immediately impacted the game as both a scorer and playmaker, helping Dallas briefly grab control. Flagg was especially active early, finishing in transition and creating for others, while Marvin Bagley added efficient scoring with a three and a lob to keep the offense flowing. But that rhythm didn’t last, as the Pelicans—led by Zion Williamson’s relentless rim pressure and a scoring burst from Saddiq Bey—flipped the game by attacking the paint and getting to the line. Dallas’ offense stalled late in the first with missed shots and turnovers, while New Orleans consistently generated clean looks, shot 57.1% compared to Dallas’ 41.7%, and took control of the glass, leading to a 32-26 deficit.

The Mavericks tried to stabilize things in the second quarter, with Naji Marshall finishing inside and Max Christie knocking down a three to briefly spark the offense, but that push quickly faded. Zion continued to live at the rim while Trey Murphy III added timely shot-making, and New Orleans kept forcing Dallas into tough, late-clock looks. As the quarter went on, the Mavericks’ offense completely unraveled, with missed layups, blocked shots, and empty possessions piling up while the Pelicans generated second chances and free throws to extend the lead. Even when Dallas showed small flashes late, every run was immediately answered, and the execution gap remained clear. By halftime, it was 67-54, with the Mavericks still unable to find any consistent rhythm on either end.

The third quarter opened with Dallas trying to make a push, as P.J. Washington knocked down a three and Naji Marshall followed with a pull-up and transition finishes, briefly trimming the deficit to around 89-76 and giving the Mavericks some life. Marshall stayed aggressive early, scoring on multiple possessions and even setting up Washington, as Dallas showed a short stretch of rhythm. Still, that window closed quickly as Zion Williamson got downhill for layups and free throws while Trey Murphy III added a reverse finish and helped generate turnovers into easy points. Midway through the quarter, it fully unraveled—after a Washington dunk cut it to 96-82, Dallas had chances to build momentum but came up empty on a missed Washington three, a blocked Marshall layup, and a bad turnover from Derrick Queen, all in a short stretch. New Orleans immediately capitalized with a Matković three, Murphy layup, and Johnson finish, pushing the lead right back out and erasing any progress, and from there the Mavericks couldn’t convert stops into offense as missed jumpers and empty possessions piled up. By the end of the quarter, it had turned into an 86-103 deficit, and the fourth never offered any real energy or comeback window.

It quickly shifted into an extended run for the two-way and end-of-rotation guys, with Dallas opening on mostly empty possessions, including missed threes from Ryan Nembhard, while New Orleans calmly added points at the line through Jordan Hawkins. The Mavericks had a few scattered moments, like an A.J. Johnson alley-oop to Nembhard, but nothing that resembled a real run as stalled possessions continued. New Orleans didn’t need to do much, simply maintaining control with a Matković three and free throws from Saddiq Bey to keep the margin comfortable, and from there it fully turned into garbage-time basketball with both teams trading misses and turnovers. Dallas never seriously threatened, and it quietly closed as a 129-111 final, a finish that felt more like a formality than a comeback opportunity.

Another Good Loss

This loss matters more than it looks because Dallas is stuck in one of the most volatile spots on the lottery board, where every single result swings real odds. Right now, the Mavericks are sitting around 6th–7th in the lottery standings, tightly packed with teams like the Pelicans and Grizzlies, and even one win or loss can flip that order. From the Tankathon data, that difference is massive around this range; you’re talking roughly 8% odds at No. 1, but if you slide just a couple spots, those odds drop quickly, while your chances of falling out of the top tier increase.

That’s what makes games like this so important. The Pelicans are in a unique spot where they don’t even control their pick, so they have no real incentive to lose, which creates an opportunity for Dallas to pass them in the standings if they keep losing. At the same time, Memphis is right behind them, meaning the Mavericks are essentially in a three-team tug-of-war where every result reshuffles positioning.

So this isn’t just another late-season loss; it’s a direct movement in a crowded lottery race. Instead of risking a meaningless win and dropping a spot, Dallas stays in range of jumping higher, which matters because worse records mean more ping-pong ball combinations and better chances at a top-four pick. As the season winds down, this is the reality: the difference between the 5th and 8th lottery slot could be the difference between landing a franchise player or missing that tier entirely, which is why losses like this quietly carry real long-term weight.

Another Fun Flagg Game

Cooper Flagg was once again one of the few bright spots for Dallas, continuing what has quietly been a really strong stretch of basketball over the past week. He finished tonight with 21 points on 10-of-21 shooting, along with 8 assists and 7 rebounds, consistently creating offense even as the team around him struggled to find rhythm. What stood out wasn’t just the scoring, but how involved he was in everything, initiating sets, pushing in transition, and making the right reads when the defense collapsed. Over his last five games, Flagg has been steadily productive, putting up 27, 25, 13, 14, and 17 points, while maintaining solid efficiency and contributing across the board as a rebounder and playmaker.

More importantly, his impact goes beyond the box score. Even in losses like this, he’s been the one stabilizing presence, keeping possessions alive, generating looks for others, and showing flashes of control that you don’t usually see from a young player. The scoring has been consistent, the playmaking is trending up, and the all-around production is becoming the norm rather than the exception. As the Mavericks lean further into development down the stretch, Flagg isn’t just putting up numbers; he’s starting to look like the clear centerpiece of everything they’re building.

The Suns came into this game needing a very important win to get them back on track. With this six-game road trip underway, the team would look to sneak a win to make it 3-1 on the road back out West. That said, you cannot always get what you want, and Phoenix ran into a strong Celtic team. Even with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum available for Boston, it was not as big a blowout as it was at home.

Devin Booker tried his hardest to keep this team afloat, visiting the arena where he dropped his career high. Veen, though he was shy of that number, did have a big part in this offense’s success, as he had 40 points. Jaylen Brown was the major difference-maker for Boston, scoring 41 points, the highest in the game.

Game Flow

First Half

This one got off to the right start the Suns wanted to, after the disappointing loss to Toronto the other night. The team came out guns blazing with a Royce O’Neale three-pointer, one that has become very valuable for this team as of late. What also helps the Suns is their three-point percentage. As of the start, they are 4/6 from three. Big shots from Collin Gillespie and Green have kept this team in front early on. Not to mention that Green already had a very nice slam as well.

JALEN GREEN WITH AUTHORITY pic.twitter.com/NtIxMJsqYi

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) March 16, 2026

Boston is not slacking, though, as they bring the pressure and try to match the Suns’ shot-making and physicality. Big makes by Jayson Tatum have kept the fans on their feet and excited for the contest ahead.

Well, that short-lived leave decimated quickly as the Suns, who were up as much as seven, allowed the Celtics to get back into this one and tie it up. With them now picking up the intensity defensively, they pressured the Suns and forced some turnovers to tie it up.

As we all know, this game is just a back-and-forth of runs, and that is what happened early on. After that, though, both teams went to work trying to steal the lead from one another. Luckily for Phoenix, though, they were able to have the lead by one, 32-31, after the first.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, they got a three-point barrage to start the second quarter as Derrick White could not miss. He went 3/3 from three-point land, forcing them to reevaluate how they would attack this quarter.

This eventually leveled out for the Suns, who tried to crawl back into this one and had opportunities to do so. Boston just kept on making shots. Remember how I said the Suns were shooting great? Well, now they are shooting worse than Boston, sadly.

Jalen Green, though, has made it known he is here in Boston, taking command and trying to bring this offense back together. It may not be as beautiful a three-point barrage as the last game, but he is finding his spots to get in rhythm.

The Celtics, though, also found their rhythm and started to change the tune for Phoenix. The Suns ended the second quarter with a great run from Devin Booker, who started to get into his bag, but the Suns were now down four, 65-61, at halftime. They were led by Booker, who had 19 points on 7/11 shooting from the field. Not only has he been making some big shots, but he has four assists, a rebound, and a dunk to show for his performance so far.

Second Half

To start the second half, the Suns looked to go back to the man who closed out the first, Devin Booker. He found his shots going in as he started attacking the basket, looking for calls, and hitting threes. He had eight straight to open up the quarter for the team.

That being said, the Suns had some defensive issues as the Celtics hunted mismatches with both Brown and Tatum out there. Some easy baskets for that duo, then made this a nine-point game for the Celtics. We saw in this quarter that, at times, the offense was stagnant, as Devin Booker scored 23 straight points for the team.

Booker had 23 straight points before Green's FTs.

Suns down 83-75. #Suns

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 17, 2026

This doesn’t help when Grayson Allen is dealing with an injury after colliding with another player’s knee earlier on. He is still playing, but is not as much of a focal point of the offense now. The Suns are still trying to get Jalen Green involved and find some confidence from behind the arc. They are now shooting 32% from three compared to Boston’s 45%, which sees them still down 6.

This third quarter would not be the worst for Phoenix, though, as they continued to fight in this one. Jordan Goodwin finally got on the board after already generating some nice opportunities with his rebounds. This then put the Suns ahead heading into the fourth, down five, 91-86. Even with some great shotmaking from Booker, who now has 35, they still find themselves behind.

To start the fourth quarter, we saw a lot of similar play from Phoenix early on. Some stagnant guard play was evident, as they tried to create opportunities by drawing fouls while driving to the basket or firing relentless threes. It also doesn’t help when Boston is making those threes in return, and the crowd is answering.

That being said, Boston did make it a contest of its own halfway through, as they went back down to only two points. Some big shots from Jalen Green and another great sequence from Haywood Highsmith kept them alive in this one. Highsmith is now 4/4 from three-point land and has kept the Suns in this one on both ends of the floor.

He was a major factor in this swing as he and Goodwin coming into this game helped shift the Suns defensively. They were able to claw back alive and put themselves back in the lead with a Dunk from Oso Ighodaro. That being said. The Celtics were not going to shy away from this one, as Jaylen Brown continued to pour it on for Boston and helped them take back the lead. He had 41 for the Celtics, and even though Booker had 40 points, it was just not enough.

A valiant effort from this group against a top team that matches up against them well. Even though they lost, there were many positives from this game. Like Booker being explosive on offense, Highsmith fitting into the rotation, and some good intangibles from the rookies.

Up Next

The Suns gear up for another game on the road and back-to-back, taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow!

The Brooklyn Nets lost another game on Monday night, this time at home to the Portland Trail Blazers. Trailing by over 20 points in the first half and then by 31 in the third quarter, the outcome was never really in doubt, save for a wonky fourth quarter where the visitors — who played in Philadelphia the night before — briefly forgot how to play basketball, shooting half their lead in the foot.

The Nets started three rookies next to Ziaire Williams and Nic Claxton, and though little can be gleaned from the veterans in a very March game such as this, this size discrepancy between Claxton and 7’2” Blazers center Donovan Clingan was my big takeaway. That’s not exactly why the Nets were immediately down big — the Blazers shot 5-of-8 from three to open the quarter — but they also grabbed five o-boards (Clingan had three) to Brooklyn’s one. Clingan had multiple plays where he contested the rim before also preventing the Nets from getting on the glass, another solemn reminder of Claxton’s long-term limitations.

That said, Claxton did have his dunk of the year in this one, off an alley-oop…

🤯 CLAX ATTACK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TEcEo1x2Bb

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 17, 2026

…and finished with a 12-and-11 double-double, doing some damage while Clingan sat on the bench with foul trouble before predictably sitting out the fourth quarter.

Just as in Philadelphia, though, Brooklyn’s bench impressed more than the starters, and may have deserved to close this one even if the Nets were earnestly trying to win. Ben Saraf (the only Nets first-round rookie who didn’t start) scored ten of his 15 points in the final frame, saving what had previously been an uninspiring night. With an NBA-record three Israelis (Saraf, Deni Avdija, and Danny Wolf via naturalization) playing in this one, Saraf got plenty of crowd support in this one.

“It was great. I was waiting for this game a long time.” said Saraf postgame.

Wolf had a particularly rough start offensively in this one and finished with 8/5/4 on 3-of-9 shooting, while the All-Star Advija didn’t have his best game either, putting up 18/6/5 on 4-of-13 shooting and plenty of trips to the line. No matter, the Blazers didn’t need a heroic effort from any one player, shooting 51% from the floor and 42% from three in this one. If they hadn’t turned it over six times in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, they might’ve secured an even bigger win.

Credit, however, to the feisty Nets. Tyson Etienne also scored 15 points, one off his career-high. Playing without a true back-up five, E.J. Liddell and Chaney Johnson took turns screening and playing the DHO game, and it was the 6’7” Johnson that stood out. He hit a couple pick-and-pop threes, he crashed the glass with aplomb, and finished with 17/9/1 on 6-of-8 shooting, including five o-boards and two 3-pointers in a career night.

Fernández heaped praise on the two-way player, postgame: “He plays bigger than what he is. His length, you know, he may get overlooked, but he can guard almost everybody. He is super active, super athletic. He can shoot the three, like, he does everything well, and he doesn’t try to do too much, and I think that always helps. You see that every time he’s on the court, it’s positive … these games are not wasted. These games are for us to see, you know, how these guys take advantage of their minutes, how much better they can get.”

Career night for Nets' two-way Chaney Johnson moonlighting as a back-up 5

17 points, five o-boards, four dunk attempts, 6 FTs: pic.twitter.com/CH8wqoToHE

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 17, 2026

“I try my best to play as hard as I can,” said Johnson. “So I mean, you know, the 5 is lot of pick-and-pops, pick-and-roll, short rolls, trying to get everybody else involved.”

Sadly, this may not be the bright spot Nets fans are hoping for in these low-stakes spring games. Drake Powell and Nolan Traore combined to shoot just 2-of-14 in this one. Powell missed rim on his first two 3-pointers, while Traore was overwhelmed dealing with Clingan inside.

On Traore, Fernández said, “He looks exhausted, and more than physically, mentally. And [this is] something that is good for him to go through it and understand how much, like, stronger he needs to get, and understand what it is to play almost every other night, and all those things, right?”

Right indeed, though a process that will certainly test Nets’ fans patience. We should all be used to that by now, right? Only 14 games left.

Final Score: Portland Trail Blazers 114, Brooklyn Nets 95

Milestone Watch

• Chaney Johnson scored a total of 18 points in his first four NBA appearances before scoring 17 in this one. The highlight of his young career, by any definition.
• As previously mentioned, 15 points mark Tyson Etienne’s season-high, one off his career-high.
• Nic Claxton recorded his 11th double-double of the season and the 87th of his career, passing Sam Bowie for the eighth-most in Nets franchise history.
• In addition to his 15 points, Ben Saraf recorded four steals. He is the first Nets rookie with 4+ steals in a game since David Duke Jr. on 2/8/22 vs. BOS.
• It was the 11th time the Nets lost a game wire-to-wire, worst in the NBA.
• It was also the 11th time that Nets have gone down by 30 points in a game this season, the most since 1995-96.

Tankathon Update

The Washington Wizards lost their 12th straight on Monday, while the Pacers are on a baker’s dozen. Yeesh. However, the Sacramento Kings have caught fire, winning two straight and three-of-four. So…

Injury Report

The Brooklyn Nets were short-handed on Monday night, but not too short-handed given the circumstances. In addition to Egor Dëmin and Day’Ron Sharpe, whose seasons are already over, Noah Clowney missed the game with rest, Terance Mann with left achilles soreness, and Michael Porter Jr. with an ankle sprain.

It was MPJ’s third straight absence with the ankle sprain, and though Brooklyn has not revealed how severe the injury, Jordi Fernández discussed his leading scorer’s health pregame: “Yeah, not qualified to talk about grades [of sprains], but I can share with you that he did form shooting last game that we played, and today is going to be his first workout. So let’s see how he feels after. It’s getting better, and then we’ll assess.”

Next Up

The MVP is in town. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City visit Barclays Center as the Nets continue their homestand. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday evening.

• Boxscore: Portland Trail Blazers 114, Brooklyn Nets 95 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Portland Trail Blazers 114, Brooklyn Nets 95 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Frank Isola on Ben Saraf and Deni Avdija (Video) – YES Network
• Ben Traore PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Chaney Johnson PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Avdija and Camara each score 18 as the Trail Blazers coast past the Nets, 114-95 – Adry Torres – AP
• Nets, Blazers make ‘special’ history with three Israelis playing in same game – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Shorthanded Nets sputter early, Trail Blazers cruise to 114-95 win ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets rookies Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf get their first NBA shot at Blazers’ Deni Avdija as Israelis share the stage at Barclays ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets lose to Trail Blazers 114-95 despite Chaney Johnson’s 17 points – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY