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The Washington Wizards play the Utah Jazz at 7 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena. Trae Young will make his Wizards debut. Chat about it in the comments below!
LONDON (AP) — Tottenham's Premier League survival hopes took another blow with a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Thursday.
Spurs — one of the richest teams in Europe and a founding member of the Premier League — is just one point above the relegation zone and without a domestic win in 2026.
“We know that the position we are in is not where we want to be. We need to figure out how to get out of it as soon as possible," said Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke. “There have been difficulties, but we aren’t in the position to make excuses. We need to do the job on the pitch.”
Spurs' latest defeat was the fifth in a row and the third under new coach Igor Tudor, who was tasked with the responsibility of turning the season around.
He watched as his team capitulated in front of a home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — conceding three goals in the first half, having taken the lead and then gone down to 10 men when Micky van de Ven was sent off.
Palace took full advantage by scoring three times in seven minutes before the break.
Ismaila Sarr struck twice — one from the penalty spot — with Jorgen Strand Larsen getting the other for the visitors.
That was after Solanke had given Spurs the lead in the 34th minute. Van de Ven was red-carded four minutes later for bringing down Sarr in the box and Palace took control.
“I am very disappointed, like the fans,” Tudor said. "We know what the moment is and we need to keep working and believe.
“But after this game I believe more than before because I saw something in the team and in the dressing room after the game. When we will be complete it will be good, I believe.”
The deepening crisis at Tottenham comes after winning the Europa League last season and advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League this term, where it faces Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 next week.
But its desperate league form has carried on from last year when it finished one place above the relegation zone — its lowest final position in the Premier League era.
Its plight also comes amid a tumultuous period when it has had seven managers in less than seven years.
Tottenham has spent only one season out of England's top flight since 1950 and has been an established member of the Premier League since the competition's inception in 1992.
It is a two-time English league champion and was a Champions League finalist in 2019.
It's near-63,000 capacity stadium is one of the most impressive in Europe and regularly hosts NFL games, as well as top music concerts.
Deloitte ranked Spurs ninth on its most recent rich list in January with revenues of $781 million. That placed Tottenham above giants like Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
With 21 games left, there is still much to be decided for the Lakers.
On the long road that is the NBA season, LA can see the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings is just a game-and-a-half away. However, the objects in their rearview are closer than they appear as they are also just two games ahead of the seventh-seed Suns, who are currently play-in-bound.
That means there’s little to no room for error. They will either arrive at their desired destination come mid-April or it’s going to be a bumpy ride with an ugly ending.
Buckle up, Lakers fans.
With the Lakers playing games against the Warriors, Pelicans and Kings, this week, they had an opportunity to stack wins. They accomplished that feat and played well.
But, forgive me if I’m not going to stand up and clap about the greatness of the 2025-26 Lakers.
After all, they played a Steph Curry-less Warriors, a Kings team with the worst record in the NBA, and a Pelicans side yet to win 20 games.
Still, sometimes, the most important thing to do is what’s expected of you. They didn’t disappoint this week, and now they are in a position to impress and prove they are a higher-level team than their record indicates.
It’s not always fun in Lakerland, but it’s never boring.
Even in victory, there are enough miserable, negative people to find darkness in the light. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that when Luka Dončić and head coach JJ Redick had an argument during the team’s win against the Warriors, it went viral.
Still, I was taken aback by how many people were obsessed with it. It was a topic on every show and podcast, big and small and before the Lakers played the Pelicans, Redick was asked about it multiple times.
His response was what I expected: to dismiss it as nothing out of the ordinary.
If this shocks people or is considered a problem, then every team in the NBA has massive issues. If the average fan heard how players talk when mics aren’t around or when they are comfortable, their jaws would drop to the floor.
Even from publicly available things, this is rather tame. It’s not Kobe Bryant yelling during practice, berating the general manager and insulting his teammates. And it certainly isn’t Draymond Green knocking out Jordan Poole.
This was just a heat-of-the-moment argument that was likely forgotten between the two of them in a matter of minutes.
LA’s big three is fully healthy, but is it working? Last week, one of the topics in my journal was the offense’s struggles.
LeBron and Luka have had some good games this week, but Austin Reaves did not. He has struggled to score against any opponent. Over the past five games, he’s been held under 20 points in every contest, well below his average of 23.8 per game.
So what’s the problem?
Is it just a poor shooting slump? Is it having trouble getting integrated with LeBron being back on the floor? Or is there a bigger issue?
Are teams getting more physical with him and is Reaves’ inability to get to the paint and finish through contact becoming an issue again? During the playoffs last year, we saw Reaves get bullied by the Wolves, which led to a poor series.
A rough week won’t erase a career that’s had a positive trajectory, nor will it eradicate what’s so far been a great year for Reaves. But I’m perked up a bit, especially since this is a contract season and we’re about to enter the most important part of the year.
From the outside looking in, it’s easy to say a player should accept whatever role they are given. But how would you react at your workplace if you were asked to minimize yourself for the betterment of others?
That’s what Hayes did in LA by returning on a one-year deal and getting demoted from starter to backup.
Not only did he take this in stride, but he’s responded by having a great season. His performance against the Pelicans was a prime example.
Hayes started on the bench but, after outplaying Deandre Ayton, Redick decided to stick with him down the stretch of the close game. That confidence in Hayes was rewarded as he stymied Zion Williamson, getting multiple stops on him down the stretch.
The Lakers won and Hayes was a big reason why. This isn’t the first time Hayes has stepped up and helped LA win a game, and it certainly won’t be his last.
The Hayes redemption arc was not something I thought we’d see, but I’m glad the basketball gods added it to the script.
While most of the year has seen Lakers lineups in the negative, this week has been positive.
The seven most used fine-man lineups all won their shifts, led by the starting lineup at +14, the second-highest plus-minus. The best lineup featured Reaves, Hayes, Dončić, Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard, which played for 13 minutes and was a +20.
It’s great to see the starters winning their minutes as well as this new lineup with Hayes and Kennard working so well.
Hopefully, that continues as LA begins facing some tougher opponents.
If I were to call Luka one thing, it’d be consistent. No matter what, he is going to produce.
In Sunday’s home win against the Kings, Luka had 28 points, five rebounds and nine assists in 29 minutes. It marked his 35th game this season, recording 25+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists, most in the NBA.
There is plenty left to figure out regarding how to make the Lakers one of the best teams in the league, but what’s clear is that Luka is a great No. 1 option to start that with.
Basketball is fun. The Play of the Week is a reminder of this as Dončić adds another ridiculous make to his ever-expanding highlight reel.
Luka begins by quickly driving hard towards the rim. He tries to come to a hard stop, but begins to slip while also handling the ball behind his back.
This slip could’ve led to a turnover. But somehow, Luka quickly got back up and recovered. The play looked like something you’d see on the playground or in an AND1 mixtape.
Once Luka was back on his feet, he quickly got a shot up and drilled it. On the Spectrum broadcast, Billy Mac had the perfect call for this play.
“If this goes in…It goes in! That’s some magic from Luka!”
Luka can always be Player of the Week, but he gets it this time since he was the most consistent Laker and a big reason why they have won three straight games.
He averaged 30.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists, leading the Lakers in all three categories.
Yeah, that’ll get it done.
While this week was better for LA’s big three, overall, there is work left to do. Law Murray broke down the stats for the trio in his latest piece for The Athletic.
In 297 minutes, the Lakers have outscored opponents by only three points with Dončić, James, and Reaves together. There have been eight games in which L.A. has outscored opponents during the trio’s shared minutes, eight in which the Lakers have been outscored and one in which they played to a draw.
One of the more disappointing aspects of the Dončić-James-Reaves combo has been the offense. The Lakers have scored only 109.2 points per 100 possessions this season with their three best players on the floor, a figure that would rank below every NBA team except the gap-year Indiana Pacers.
Alex Regla always provides thoughtful critiques of the Lakers for the site, and he laid out why this upcoming stretch will decide who the Lakers truly are.
The Lakers will go head-to-head with the clubs they’re currently sandwiched between in Minnesota and Phoenix. Additionally, they also have two pivotal matchups remaining against Houston, Denver and Oklahoma City each.
Given how bunched up everyone still is, tiebreakers will likely play a big role in determining the final playoff bracket.
For example, despite still having one game remaining against Phoenix, the Lakers have already lost the season series to the Suns, a result of the two sides playing an extra time this season during the NBA Cup knockout rounds. Conversely, thanks to their two early-season wins against Minnesota, the Lakers have notched the season series over the Timberwolves. Tiebreakers against Houston and Denver are still up for grabs.
It may sound like hyperbole, but this is why the Lakers’ entire season could come down to how they fare in these eight games.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Delaney Gibb had 19 points, eight assists and four steals to lead BYU to a 70-52 win over rival Utah in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday.
The ninth-seeded Cougars (22-10) won their fifth straight game and beat the eighth-seeded Utes (19-12) for the third time this season to advance to play top seed and No. 10-ranked TCU in a Friday quarterfinal.
Gibb made four 3-pointers as did Brinley Cannon, who scored 12 points. Lara Rohkohl scored all 12 of her points in the second half, including nine in a pivotal third quarter, and had eight rebounds.
Lani White scored 20 points, the only Ute in double figures.
Down 11 early in the third quarter, BYU shot 53% and outscored Utah 24-7 in the period to lead 51-43 after scoring the final 15 points.
Gibb's 3-pointer gave BYU a 12-point edge early in the fourth quarter while the Utes went scoreless for over five minutes. She heaved up another 3 to beat the shot clock for a 16-point edge with 1:18 remaining.
Cannon made three 3-pointers and BYU was 6 of 12 from the arc in the first quarter when it took a 22-17 lead. But the in the second quarter, the Cougars missed all six from the arc and were 2 of 12 overall. Utah took advantage, scoring 13 straight points and outscoring the Cougars 19-5 when White scored 11 of her 16 first-half points for a 36-27 lead.
Neither team reached 40% shooting but BYU made 11 of 30 from the arc and turned 19 turnovers into 18 points.
BYU lost at home to TCU 72-48 on Dec. 31.
Utah awaits its postseason fate.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jaloni Cambridge had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Chance Gray added 18 points, and No. 11 Ohio State eased past Indiana 83-59 on Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Ohio State (25-6), a No. 5 seed, advances to play 19th-ranked Minnesota in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Buckeyes secured their fifth straight season with 25-plus wins.
Cambridge and Gray combined for 10 of Ohio State's points during a 12-0 run to take the first double-digit lead of the game at 24-14. The Buckeyes' lead did not drop below eight points the rest of the half and Gray's 3-pointer with 20 seconds left made it 36-24 at the break.
Ohio State added a 10-0 run early in the third quarter for a 17-point advantage. The Buckeyes led by as many as 30 points, 81-51, with three minutes remaining in the game.
Kennedy Cambridge had 14 points and Elsa Lemmilä grabbed 13 rebounds to go with six points, five assists and three blocks for Ohio State. Gray made four of Ohio State’s 10 3-pointers — a game after the Buckeyes sank a program-record 18 3s in an 87-68 win against then-No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday.
Maya Makalusky led Indiana (18-14) with 21 points and five 3-pointers. Shay Ciezki added 12 points and Nevaeh Caffey scored 10.
Ohio State: Looks to even the season series with Minnesota after a 74-61 loss on Feb. 18.
Indiana finished the regular season with a 6-12 record in Big Ten play.
___
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Who: Phoenix Suns (35-26) vs. Chicago Bulls (25-37)
When: 7:00 pm Arizona Time
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center — Phoenix, Arizona
Watch: Arizona’s Family
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Phoenix Suns return home tonight looking to keep the momentum rolling after their recent win over the Sacramento Kings.
The Bulls, meanwhile, are limping into the finish line this season. They just had an 11-game losing streak snapped recently, and have lost 12 of their last 13 games. Key injuries, along with shipping out several starters and overhauling the team’s outlook, have them looking towards the future. They did just play the Thunder competitively in their last game, only losing by eight points, but of course, SGA did not suit up in that one.
For the Suns, the story of the past few weeks has been resilience. Phoenix has managed to stay in the thick of the Western Conference playoff picture despite a wave of injuries that has forced head coach Jordan Ott to rely on depth, creativity, and a constantly shifting rotation.
Phoenix enters as 10.5-point favorites in this one as they aim for their third straight victory and 36th win of the season.
Phoenix
Chicago
Live by the three, die by the three.
This Suns team will continue to let it fly from deep. Devin Booker’s return will help with spacing, so it’s no surprise to see that immediate benefit for Grayson Allen, Collin Gillespie, and even Jalen Green the other night in the win vs. Sacramento.
Khaman, Man!
It’s time to unleash Man Man. With Mark Williams out tonight, this will serve as a perfect opportunity for the Suns’ rookie big man to play in meaningful minutes. It’s fitting that it will come against his former teammate Nick Richards, who is now on the Bulls.
Small ball will be the theme from the Chicago side, as the Bulls don’t have a traditional center playing heavy minutes outside of Nick Richards and a bit of Leonard Miller. This feels like the perfect Oso game.
The Suns will wait on the injury report, but if Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis are both available, that’s where most of Phoenix’s defense focus should be. Containing those two will be the key to avoiding an upset.
SHOW UP!
Do not take anything for granted. The NBA can humble you quickly. Despite being the heavy favorites and the Bulls limping into this one, Phoenix needs to take care of business and not take Chicago lightly. The Suns have done a great job of playing hard, no matter the opponent, so this shouldn’t be an issue.
Offensive Flow
The Suns need quality reps with Devin Booker and Jalen Green playing side-by-side. In the last contest vs. the Kings, they combined for 37 points on 35 shots. That has to improve. Efficiency and playing off one another come with reps and building chemistry, something they haven’t had a ton of time to do. I’d like to see 45+ points combined in a much more efficient manner while cutting the turnovers down.
Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen looked sharp last game, scoring 35 points on 25 shots. When this entire group of guards can all click in the same game, it’s going to be a scary sight. Heck, even if three of them shoot well, it’s going to be difficult to beat this team.
Bench Production
For the Bulls, Collin Sexton and Nick Richards have become significant pieces for them of late, along with Rob Dillingham. We’ll see how the injury report potentially shuffles things, but the Suns have Grayson Allen leading the second unit. The question is, who else will step up? Being down Mark Williams, Dillon Brooks, and Jordan Goodwin tests the Suns’ depth. The rookies will look to put their stamp on this one, as we’re likely to see double-figure minutes from both Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach in this one.
This feels like the game where the guards figure it out. I think Phoenix takes care of business and scores a lot of points in the process.
Suns 127, Bulls 111
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Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers will take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, March 5.
It will be just the second game between the two Western Conference teams, but the game will carry significant weight. A win for the Lakers would move them ahead of the Nuggets for the fifth seed in the conference standings.
The Lakers enter the game in sixth place with a 37-24 overall record. Doncic had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in L.A.'s 110-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, March 3. LeBron James added 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers.
The Nuggets have a 38-24 record on the season after finishing 5-5 in their past five games. Jokic had 22 points and 12 rebounds in Denver's 128-125 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday, March 2. Jamal Murray had a huge impact, scoring 46 points and dishing out eight assists.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to watch Lakers vs Nuggets live stream and TV info
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo had 28 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals, Cassandre Prosper added 12 points and No. 5 seed Notre Dame beat 12th-seeded Miami 69-54 on Thursday in the second round of the ACC Tournament.
Notre Dame (21-9), which received 26 votes in the latest AP poll, moves on to play No. 4 seed NC State in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Fighting Irish have won six consecutive games and eight of the last nine, including downing then-No. 10 Louisville at home on Sunday.
Notre Dame led by 18 points entering the fourth quarter before Miami scored the opening 10 to get within 58-50. Gisela Sanchez made Notre Dame's first field goal of the fourth with 4:21 left for an 11-point lead and the Hurricanes missed their next four field goals.
Notre Dame's lead did not drop below 10 points over the final four minutes of the game.
Hidalgo, who was named ACC player of the year and ACC defensive player of the year on Tuesday, went 12 of 22 from the field to help Notre Dame shoot 46%. Iyana Moore added 11 points and Malaya Cowles grabbed 12 rebounds.
Gal Raviv scored 15 points and Ahnay Adams added 13 for Miami (17-14). Ra Shaya Kyle, averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game, had 11 points, 15 rebounds and nine turnovers.
Miami, which defeating 13th-seeded Stanford 83-76 in overtime on Wednesday to begin the tournament, hopes to receive a postseason invite.
Notre Dame looks for its second victory against NC State this season after a 79-67 contest on Feb. 15.
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The Dallas Mavericks have been without Cooper Flagg for eight-straight games, making for some lousy viewing experiences of late. There is a good chance Flagg returns for tonight’s tip-off against the Orlando Magic, but that’s not the only reason you should be interested in seeing how this one plays out.
On Wednesday, we took a look at the remaining schedule and which games are of most interest the rest of the way, but the game against the Magic didn’t garner much attention. When viewed alongside another game on the NBA schedule, tonight’s outcome could mean much more to the Mavericks than meets the eye. The New Orleans Pelicans are set to face the Sacramento Kings, with the outcome of both games having meaningful impact on Draft positioning this offseason.
Dallas (21-40) currently sits in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Mavs are riding a four-game losing streak and have lost eight of their last ten games. Orlando (32-28) is the Eastern Conference 7th seed, in a veritable tie with the Miami Heat (33-29). Trending better than Dallas, the Magic have won six of ten and enter the night having won their last game.
The Mavericks are an abysmal 7-20 on the road so far this season and will be without a number of rotation players even if Flagg does return. Meanwhile, the Magic have every incentive to hit the gas and hold their ever so slight edge over the Heat who will play the Brooklyn Nets tonight for a likely win.
New Orleans (19-44) is currently the 13th seed in the West, right behind Dallas. They have been playing better of late, getting wins in six of their last ten games. The Kings (14-49) hold the dubious distinction of having the worst record in the league and like Dallas, have only won two of their last ten games.
The Pelicans are just slightly worse on the road than even Dallas, going 8-23 away from home to this point. Still, it seems they will have a hard time falling to the Kings who have fully embraced the tank and again, hold the league’s worst record.
The best-case scenario is a matter of perspective. Assuming you see the value in Dallas picking up better draft positioning, a Mavericks loss and Pelicans win would draw them a bit closer to the sixth best place in the “Tank Standings.”
In a normal scenario, the loss column is what matters as teams jockey for better position and a higher seed. For Dallas, the inverse is true with the win column taking on added importance as they seek better draft positioning. If Dallas takes the L and New Orleans gets a W, the Mavs will only be separated by a single game from the Pelicans. I’m personally not one to outright root for the Mavericks to lose games, but with only 21 games remaining in a difficult season, tonight could play a huge part in how things shake out in the upcoming Draft Lottery.
Jordan Brodess will have his latest Draft Lottery watch to round out the week, so be sure to check that out with the latest updates after tonight’s games are in the books.
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 Golden State Warriors begin a three-game road trip Thursday night with a matchup against the Houston Rockets. The game is set for 4:30 PM PT in Houston and can be watched on Prime Video and NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State enters tonight’s matchup on a two-game losing streak following Monday’s 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors started off strong, jumping out to a 31-19 lead in the first quarter and building a cushion that reached as many as 17 points. But the Clippers slowly worked their way back before taking full control after halftime, outscoring the Warriors 72-45 over the final two quarters.
Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 23 points for Los Angeles. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 22 points, while two-way wing Nate Williams provided a surprising spark off the bench with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
One of the main storylines heading into Thursday’s matchup is the availability of Kristaps Porzingis. The Warriors’ newly acquired big man has appeared in just one game for Golden State while missing the past five with an illness. Porzingis has already been ruled out for tonight’s game, but he did travel with the team unlike the previous road trip, offering hope that he could return at some point during this stretch.
Without Porzingis, Stephen Curry, and now Moses Moody — who is also out after injuring his shoulder against the Clippers — generating offense will be a challenge for Golden State. That task becomes even tougher considering their opponent is a Rockets team that ranks fifth in the NBA with a defensive rating of 111.7 and features athletic young wings like Amen Thompson.
That puts additional pressure on Podziemski to carry the scoring load. The third-year guard is averaging 12.4 points per game this season and is the only Warrior to appear in all 61 games. He has scored 16 points or more in four of the team’s last five games and will likely need another strong performance for the Warriors to have a chance in this one.
Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!
Warriors: Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, Draymond Green, Al Horford
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
Who: Golden State Warriors (31 – 30) vs. Los Angeles Rockets (38 – 22)
When: Thursday, March 5th, at 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
TV and Streaming: Prime Video and NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nastja Claessens had 14 points, eight rebounds and a key block in the closing seconds and Kansas State ended the game on a 21-0 run to beat No. 21 Texas Tech on Thursday in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.
Kansas State (17-16), the No. 12 seed, advances to the quarterfinals against No. 4 seed Oklahoma State on Friday. The Wildcats opened the tournament by breaking an 18-year Big 12 women’s tournament record and tied the school record by sinking 17 3-pointers in a 91-66 victory over Cincinnati.
Kansas State trailed 51-37 with 7:43 left in the fourth quarter after Texas Tech's 10-0 run spanning the third-quarter break. But the Lady Raiders would not score against, missing 13 straight shots and not attempting a free throw in the fourth.
Tess Heal put Kansas State ahead 54-51 with 52.7 seconds left on a driving layup. Texas Tech grabbed an offensive rebound after a missed 3-pointer, but Claessens blocked the putback attempt and secured the ball before calling a timeout with 36.1 left.
Taryn Sides sealed it by making two free throws and Heal added two free throws with 19.2 seconds left.
Sides finished with 13 points, Aniya Foy added 12 and Heal had 10 for Kansas State, which did not have a double-digit scorer until the fourth quarter. The Wildcats were just 5 of 25 from 3-point range and shot 34% overall.
Snudda Collins was the lone double-digit scorer for the fifth-seeded Texas Tech (25-7) with 14 points. The Lady Raiders were 16 of 56 from the field (29%).
Earlier this year, Texas Tech's undefeated season came to an end at 19-0 on Jan. 17 after a 65-59 loss to Kansas State.
Kansas State beat Oklahoma State 70-61 in the only regular-season meeting on Feb. 10.
Texas Tech is hoping to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Elle Ladine scored a season-high 25 points, Avery Howell added 18 points and nine rebounds and Washington defeated USC 76-64 in the second round of Big Ten Tournament on Thursday.
The eighth-seeded Huskies (22-9) will take on top seed and second-ranked UCLA in a Friday quarterfinal.
Hannah Stines scored 12 points, Brynn McGaughy added 10 and Yulia Grabovskaia collected 10 rebounds for Washington. Leading scorer Sayvia Sellers (19.2) dealt with four fouls and had just four points on free throws in 28 minutes. Other Huskies filled the scoring gap with Washington shooting 50% and dominating the boards 44-27 in outscoring the Trojans 40-14 in the paint.
Londynn Jones scored 19 points, Kennedy Smith added 14 and Laura Williams had 13 rebounds to go with nine points for the Trojans (17-13).
Big Ten freshman of the year Jazzy Davidson, who leads the Trojans in scoring, rebounding and assists, scored eight points on 2-of-13 shooting over 29 minutes. Davidson, who appeared to hurt her shoulder early on, sat out the final seven minutes.
The Huskies led by double figures throughout the second half and by as many as 23. They shot 67% in the third quarter with Ladine scoring eight points to lead 56-36. USC got as close as 10 with two minutes left in the game.
After a first quarter when the teams combined for just 14 points, Ladine scored 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the second including the last six points for a 32-20 halftime edge.
USC won a home meeting with Washington 59-50 in the regular season.
Washington lost at UCLA 82-67 on Feb. 19.
USC waits to see where it will land in the NCAA Tournament field.
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297 days: Tatum's return a reminder of Celtics' improbable journey originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
What a difference 297 days makes.
It’s easy to forget now, both with Jayson Tatum’s impending return sending a jolt of energy through New England, and the way the Boston Celtics have so greatly outkicked outsider expectations throughout his nine-month absence. But it didn’t feel like things could get much worse for Celtics fans back on May 12.
Tatum was in the midst of one of his finest postseason performances before the Achilles rupture that shrouded his future in uncertainty. The Celtics were headed for a 3-1 series deficit against the Knicks, and the reality quickly sunk in that their hopes of repeating as NBA champions had been effectively dashed.
Worse yet, a very uncertain summer awaited knowing the second apron was about to tear apart the beloved core of the 2024 title team.
So it almost feels like a miracle that, 297 days later, Tatum is about to be back on the floor for a new-look Celtics team with legitimate title potential. Even as Tatum navigated the final stages of his rehab and put himself in position to rejoin the team, the reality didn’t hit us until the Celtics shipped out the injury report heard ‘round the world on Thursday that upgraded Tatum to questionable for Friday’s game against the Mavericks.
How utterly improbable that these Celtics have already vaulted from the depths of May despair to a ceiling-less future in such a short period of time.
We don’t suspect Brad Stevens or Joe Mazzulla ever sat around feeling sorry for themselves back in May. Stevens dove headfirst into a roster overhaul that culminated with the Celtics shedding $350+ million in roster costs that delivered Boston below the luxury tax at February’s trade deadline.
Still, the Celtics thrived. Mazzulla famously phoned Derrick White on his birthday during the offseason and declared, “Everybody thinks we’re going to suck. I love it,” then hung up. Mazzulla has pushed every right button and accelerated the development of the team’s youngest players while entrenching the Celtics as the No. 2 seed in the East.
All the questions that surrounded this team — even beyond Tatum’s health status — have been answered this season.
Jaylen Brown became the 1A focal point and thrust himself into MVP conversation, carrying the Celtics at times with his two-way prowess. Neemias Queta deserves consideration as the NBA’s Most Improved Player while elevating from fourth-string center to starting big man with one of the league’s best net ratings this season.
Boston’s entire gaggle of young wings has thrived in various spots with Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and rookie Hugo Gonzalez all proving capable of being rotation presences on Boston’s next title-contending team.
Which, as Tatum returns to the floor, might just be this squad.
The Celtics are now the favorites to win an Eastern Conference that already felt wide open without him. Detroit, Cleveland, and New York all present unique challenges, but Boston is the least flawed and most playoff-experienced group of the bunch, especially if Tatum gets back closer to the All-NBA presence he was before his injury.
Even if it’s not this year, the Celtics are set up incredibly well for the future. Nearly the entire core will return next season, and staying below the tax for one more year might allow the team to splurge big in the summer of 2027, all while still being a contender before that point.
In the infancy of Tatum’s return, expectations should be tempered. There will be rust. And even with his familiarity with much of this core, Tatum must develop chemistry with a new-look roster. Those who fret about the reintegration process are not without merit, based on the somewhat unprecedented nature of adding a previously top-five player to a title-chasing team in March.
But they do seem to ignore the fact that Brown and Tatum have always figured out how to bring the best out of each other. And they have stacked up plenty of playoff success because of it. Why would this foray be any different if Tatum can get back to his old ways?
Still, nine months ago, pundits were suggesting a “gap year.” Everyone was wondering if Tatum might not return to the TD Garden floor until October 2026. The idea that Boston would be where they are at this very moment seemed pure fantasy.
Instead, it’s reality.
