Category: NBA

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With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back in action, the Oklahoma City Thunder have regained some of their swagger, and they’re big favorites tonight as they visit the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas has dropped 10 of its past 12 games and is dealing with an array of injuries, but my Thunder vs. Mavericks predictions point to both teams’ offenses showing up in this one.

Keep scrolling for my NBA picks and betting tips ahead of this March 1 battle.

Thunder vs Mavericks prediction

Thunder vs Mavericks best bet: Over 234 (-110)

While we may think of the Oklahoma City Thunder for its excellent defense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. also boast the league’s third-most prolific offense at 119.5 PPG, so I’m buying into a shootout.

The Over is 8-2 in the Thunder’s last 10 contests, and it’s 16-11 this year when OKC is a road favorite. Shai’s return shifts the visitors’ rotation back into more natural roles, and they’re facing a Dallas Mavericks squad that’s allowed 120+ points in eight of its past nine outings.

Sure, the Mavs’ injuries put a dent in their playmaking, but they’ve still hit the Over in three of their last four games.

Thunder vs Mavericks same-game parlay

SGA was back with a bang on Friday, with 36 points and nine dimes, and I’m jumping on this assists Over here. Going back pre-injury, that’s now four straight games where the MVP has eased past the O/U line.

The Mavs will need to play their part, too. Even though the offense can get clunky at times, Khris Middleton is averaging 15.2 PPG in his last five outings.

His veteran savvy will be key against this OKC defense.

Thunder vs Mavericks SGP

• Over 234
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 6.5 assists
• Khris Middleton Over 13.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Show the bigs some love

Get ready for some bruising collisions in the paint.

I’m loading up on rebounds and blocks Overs, with Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Daniel Gafford all capable of dominating the paint.

Thunder vs Mavericks SGP

• Chet Holmgren Over 9.5 rebounds
• Isaiah Hartenstein Over 8.5 rebounds
• Isaiah Hartenstein Over 0.5 blocks
• Daniel Gafford Over 1.5 blocks

Thunder vs Mavericks odds

• Spread: Thunder -16 | Mavericks +16
• Moneyline: Thunder -1205 | Mavericks +750
• Over/Under: Over 234 | Under 234

Thunder vs Mavericks betting trend to know

The Mavs are 13-26 ATS against Western Conference opponents this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Mavericks.

How to watch Thunder vs Mavericks

Thunder vs Mavericks latest injuries

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DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The Qatar soccer federation postponed all tournaments and matches until further notice on Sunday amid global tensions following the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.

The QFA did not specifically mention the strikes when it announced the postponements on X, adding only that “new dates for the resumption of competitions will be announced in due course.”

There are disruptions at Qatar’s Doha airport as the strikes on Iran affected flights across the Middle East and beyond. Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar closed their airspace on Saturday.

Iranian missiles could be seen being intercepted above Doha on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Earlier on Sunday, Asian soccer's governing body postponed continental club championship playoffs scheduled in the Middle East this week, saying AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 games will be rescheduled.

Formula 1 season approaching

The Formula 1 season is scheduled to start next Sunday in Melbourne, Australia, and then has races in Bahrain on April 12 and Saudi Arabia the following week. The season ends with back-to-back races in Qatar (Nov. 29) and Abu Dhabi (Dec. 6).

With Doha and Dubai traditionally acting as major stopover hubs, teams reportedly had to change their routes to reach Australia.

The U.S. has large military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

Bahrain said a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom, and three buildings were damaged in the capital, Manama.

British forces in Bahrain were within 200 metres of an Iranian missile strike, Britain's Defence Secretary, John Healey, said.

The 24-race F1 season was expected to start as planned.

Four years ago, Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot near the gleaming Saudi F1 track.

Youth basketball team stuck in Abu Dhabi

Monaco's under-18s basketball team is waiting inside an Abu Dhabi hotel until the airport reopens.

Monaco was taking part in a NextGen EuroLeague qualifying tournament in Abu Dhabi, which has now been canceled.

“EuroLeague got back to us to tell us that the airport is closed until 2 pm on Monday,” Monaco coach Mickaël Pivaud told sports daily L'Équipe. "We’re pretty settled in at the hotel, but we can’t leave. We went out for three seconds to get some fresh air earlier and it exploded right above us. We didn’t hang around and quickly went back inside.”

___

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It’s probably a few years too late, but the Chicago Bulls have finally picked a direction, and they bring an 11-game losing run into today’s matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Chicago has dropped the last three battles against this division rival, and my Bucks vs. Bulls predictions favor a gritty Milwaukee squad that’s refused to throw in the towel without Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Get the lowdown on the best NBA picks for Sunday, March 1. 

Bucks vs Bulls prediction

Bucks vs Bulls best bet: Bucks -3.5 (-110)

The Milwaukee Bucks are still outside the play-in spots, but the supporting cast has rallied impressively lately. The Bucks are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games, and they’ve covered the spread in each of those victories.

But this pick is equally about the Chicago Bulls' miserable form. With a growing injury report and an eye on the draft, the Bulls are 1-9 ATS in their past 10 outings. 

Milwaukee leads the season series 3-0, with all of those wins coming by a margin of 9+ points, and I’m laying the points with the visitors, who’ve picked up three straight Ws on their travels.

Bucks vs Bulls same-game parlay

The Bucks’ path to a road win starts with Ryan Rollins, who’s excelling in the lead guard role. Rollins averaged 20.9 PPG in February on 50% shooting, including a 21-point effort against Chicago. 

He also made his 3-pointers at a 50% clip last month, and he’s ended up with 3+ made triples in eight of his past 13 contests. There will be openings to attack against a Bulls defense that’s allowed 120+ points in three of its last four outings.

Bulls vs Bucks SGP

• Bucks -3.5
• Rollins Over 19.5 points
• Rollins Over 2.5 threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: P for perfection

Doc Rivers will gladly accept offense from any source as Milwaukee tries to paper over Giannis’ absence. Kevin Porter Jr. averaged 8.1 APG last month, but his rebound tallies are more erratic, while Bobby Portis has finished with double-digit points in five of his last six games.

Bucks vs Bulls SGP

• Porter Jr. Under 5.5 rebounds
• Porter Jr. Over 7.5 assists
• Portis Over 10.5 points
• Porstin Over 5.5 rebounds

Bucks vs Bulls odds

• Spread: Bucks -3 | Bulls +3
• Moneyline: Bucks -155 | Bulls +130
• Over/Under: Over 229 | Under 229

Bucks vs Bulls betting trend to know

The Bulls are 16-26 SU against the East this year. Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs Bulls.

How to watch Bucks vs Bulls

Bucks vs Bulls latest injuries

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Two teams in play-in position in their respective conferences clash Sunday, when the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Atlanta Hawks.
 
Despite likely missing their best player, my Trail Blazers vs. Hawks predictions and NBA picks believe Portland can keep it close in Atlanta on March 1. 

Trail Blazers vs Hawks prediction

Trail Blazers vs Hawks best bet: Trail Blazers +5.5 (-105)

The Portland Trail Blazers will be playing the second night of a back-to-back after getting crushed Saturday night in Charlotte. 
 
All-star Deni Avdija (back) missed that one, and his status is still undetermined. Shaedon Sharpe (calf) is also out. 
 
However, Portland is one of the best cover teams playing on consecutive nights, going 8-4-0 against the spread this season.
 
The Atlanta Hawks have won three straight, but they’ve been against bottom-feeding Washington (twice) and Brooklyn. This will be a level-up game.
 
They’re just 1-4-0 ATS in the last five vs. Portland, and both Nickeil Alexander-Walker (foot) and Jalen Johnson (hip) are both questionable.

Trail Blazers vs Hawks same-game parlay

Jrue Holiday led the Blazers in scoring against the Hornets, going for 25. But he’s been silent against Atlanta of late, going for 16 points or less in five straight games vs the Hawks.
 
CJ McCollum must love playing his former team: he’s gone for 20+ points in six straight games against Portland.

Trail Blazers vs Hawks SGP

• Trail Blazers +5.5
• Holiday Under 17.5 points
• McCollum Over 18.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Blazing a trail

Donovan Clingan is third in the NBA in rebounding at 11.5 per game. He’s grabbed at least 13 boards in six of his last 10 games overall. He just missed the Over in his last game against Atlanta on Jan 26.
 
And Dyson Daniels has only hit 11 triples all year, but after making a three last game, he has a chance for his fourth set of made threes in back-to-back games.

Trail Blazers vs Hawks SGP

• Trail Blazers +5.5
• Holiday Under 17.5 points
• McCollum Over 18.5 points
• Clingan Over 12.5 rebounds
• Daniels Over 0.5 threes

Trail Blazers vs Hawks odds

• Spread: Trail Blazers +5.5 | Hawks -5.5
• Moneyline: Trail Blazers +190 | Hawks -230
• Over/Under: Over 236.5 | Under 236.5

Trail Blazers vs Hawks betting trend to know

The favorites have won each of the Trail Blazers' last 13 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Hawks.

How to watch Trail Blazers vs Hawks

Trail Blazers vs Hawks latest injuries

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The Milwaukee Bucks leave home briefly to take on the struggling Chicago Bulls in the Windy City this afternoon. The Bucks have won each of the three matchups this season, with this one wrapping up the season series. On its face, this game looks like a gimme for Milwaukee, but Chicago is on a huge losing streak and thus will probably come out with extra juice.

Where We’re At

After winning eight of 10, the Bucks were brought back down to earth in their last game against the Knicks, losing by nearly 30 points. Milwaukee’s offence—which had been keeping them afloat—failed to fire against New York, leaving them dead in the water. They have been shooting the cover off the ball, with the highest effective field goal percentage in the NBA over the past 10 games, but they still need their defence to turn up—we’ll see if that happens today.

The Bulls… well, things have gone downhill fast (though that seems to be the goal). This team lost 11 straight games in February, the worst month in franchise history. The front office finally decided to bite the bullet and trade away franchise cornerstones Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline for a bunch of seconds, hitting the eject button on this season in the process. How much higher will they be able to get in the lottery with so few games left? Probably not much, but hey, at least they’ve chosen a direction?

Injury Report

For the Bucks, Giannis (calf) and Taurean Prince (neck) are both out.

For the Bulls, the following players are out: Zach Collins, Noa Essengue, Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons, Jalen Smith, and Patrick Williams.

Player To Watch

After a mixed bag of games, I’m watching for what Ousmane Dieng can do today. Theoretically, this game should provide him a runway to explore more on offence than he’s been doing. In particular, I’m watching his free throw attempts. Dieng has taken a total of 10 free throws in eight games with the team. The criticism of him in OKC was that he didn’t play with enough force and aggression, and that hasn’t really changed with the Bucks—let’s hope it does today.

How To Watch

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 2:30 p.m. CST.

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The Detroit Pistons hit the road for an NBA Eastern Conference clash with the Orlando Magic.

Detroit is a huge road favorite, but my Pistons vs. Magic predictions expect Orlando to battle hard and to cover the spread tonight at Kia Center. 

Read on for my NBA picks for Sunday, March 1. 

Pistons vs Magic prediction

Pistons vs Magic best bet: Magic +5.5 (-109)

The Orlando Magic have won the last five home meetings against the Detroit Pistons and are 17–10 SU at Kia Center this season. 

Both teams rank bottom 10 in pace over their last 10 games, which means fewer possessions and fewer chances to build a large lead. 

Detroit remains elite defensively, but Orlando ranks 12th in defensive efficiency over that same span and has the size to compete inside. 

In a slower-paced game, getting five points at home carries real weight, and I am in on the Magic covering the still-inflated spread.  

Pistons vs Magic same-game parlay

Desmond Bane is averaging nearly 29 points per game over his last five outings. With Franz Wagener out, expect the versatile-scoring Bane to once again take the offensive lead and clear his prop.

Cade Cunningham has dished 56 assists in his past five games. The slower pace and the Magic defense will thwart any chance of him dropping 11 or more dimes tonight. 

Pistons vs Magic SGP

• Magic +5.5
• Bane Over 19.5 points
• Cunningham Under 10.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: A magical Under

Tonight’s matchup projects as a slow, physical grind. Both defenses have been effective, and with each team ranking in the bottom 10 in pace over the last 10 games, possessions should be limited. 

In a half-court battle where clean looks are harder to find, scoring opportunities will be at a premium. That sets up well for the Under to be part of the card.

Pistons vs Magic SGP

• Magic +5.5
• Bane Over 19.5 points
• Cunningham Under 10.5 assists
• Under 221.5

Pistons vs Magic odds

• Spread: Pistons -6.5 | Magic +5.5
• Moneyline: Pistons -240 | Magic +195
• Over/Under: Over 220.5 | Under 220.5

Pistons vs Magic betting trend to know

Orlando is 7-3 ATS across their previous 10 meetings with Detroit. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Magic.

How to watch Pistons vs Magic

Pistons vs Magic latest injuries

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ROME (AP) — AC Milan needed two late goals to secure a 2-0 win at Cremonese in Serie A on Sunday and bounce back from its second loss of the season.

Strahinja Pavlovic scored in the 90th and Rafael Leão added another five minutes into stoppage time for Milan, which had wasted a series of chances earlier on.

Second-place Milan moved back within 10 points of Italian league leader Inter Milan entering next weekend’s derby.

Milan’s only losses this season came against Cremonese in its opener in August and at home against Parma last weekend.

Pavlovic’s goal came following a corner, and a VAR review that confirmed the ball went in off his shoulder instead of his arm.

Then Leão finished off a counterattack.

Later, fourth-place Roma was hosting sixth-place Juventus in a key matchup for the Champions League places.

___

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

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The Minnesota Timberwolves look to complete a perfect three-game road trip in Denver – but they’ll have to do it against a team seeking a 4-game series sweep against them this season.
 
Offense won’t be a problem in this one, so my Timberwolves vs. Nuggets prediction and top NBA picks are targeting the Over Sunday, March 1. 

Timberwolves vs Nuggets prediction

Timberwolves vs Nuggets best bet: Over 237.5 (-110)

The Denver Nuggets enter this one as the NBA’s highest-scoring team, putting up 120.5 points per game, and they’ll be a little surly after getting dumped by the OKC Thunder in OT last time out.
 
The Minnesota Timberwolves — the fifth-highest scoring team in the league — haven’t played since dumping the Clippers on Thursday, giving them a few days off to prepare for that mile-high altitude.
 
These teams have cashed the Over in three of the last four games they’ve played each other. 
 
The Nuggets have hit the Over in four of their last five, while the T-Wolves have topped it in four of six.

Timberwolves vs Nuggets same-game parlay

Anthony Edwards is averaging 33.3 points in four games out of the all-star break, cracking the 30-point plateau three times. He’s also averaging 35 points in two meetings against the Nuggets this year.
 
Nikola Jokic has been a stat stuffer, and his work on the glass is getting plus odds Sunday. The line is a hefty 13.5 rebounds, a number he’s topped eight times in his last 10 games.

Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP

• Over 237.5 points
• Edwards Over 29.5 points
• Jokic Over 13.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: No joking around

Let’s stick with the Nuggets’ big man to round out the SGP. He’s the team leader in assists at 10.5 per game, and he’s doled out at least 11 four of the last seven against Minny, missing the Over by a single assist in two other contests.
 
Jokic has gone for 29+ points in three of his last four, and has topped this total in six of his last 10 against the T-Wolves.

Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP

• Over 237.5 points
• Edwards Over 29.5 points
• Jokic Over 13.5 rebounds
• Jokic Over 10.5 assists
• Jokic Over 28.5 points

Timberwolves vs Nuggets odds

• Spread: Timberwolves +3 | Nuggets -3
• Moneyline: Timberwolves +125 | Nuggets -150
• Over/Under: Over 237.5 | Under 237.5

Timberwolves vs Nuggets betting trend to know

Minnesota is 0-4-0 ATS in its last four games, all as the betting favorite. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Nuggets.

How to watch Timberwolves vs Nuggets

Timberwolves vs Nuggets latest injuries

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Conference heavyweights collide on Sunday afternoon as the New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden.

San Antonio has won 11 straight, but my Spurs vs Knicks predictions expect the home team to snap that win streak behind a strong performance from Jalen Brunson.

Here are my best free NBA picks for this powerhouse showdown on Sunday, March 1.

Spurs vs Knicks prediction

Spurs vs Knicks best bet: Knicks moneyline (+100)

The San Antonio Spurs’ 11-game, fool’s gold win streak will be snapped today as they face their toughest matchup of the last month. San Antonio delivered a big win over the Detroit Pistons, but otherwise, their recent wins have come against shorthanded squads and lottery-bound teams. 

The New York Knicks are healthy aside from Miles McBride’s absence, and they get home-court advantage after three games on the road.

The Knicks are 22-8 straight up and a league-best 19-11 ATS at home. New York has won and covered in its only game as the home underdog.

Spurs vs Knicks same-game parlay

The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks hit the Over in both head-to-head matchups this season, and with both squads mostly healthy, I expect plenty of points once again. The Spurs have hit the Over in seven of their last 10 games overall, and the team is 9-8 to the Over as the road favorite.

Jalen Brunson has averaged 27.8 points per game at home, and he's scored 27+ in 14 of 28 at Madison Square Garden. He's scored 20, 33, 40, and 42 in his last four home games, and he delivered a 29-point performance in his last matchup with the Spurs. He'll have no issues clearing this scoring line in a primetime matchup at home.

Spurs vs Knicks SGP

• Knicks moneyline
• Over 227.5
• Brunson Over 26.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Knicks come up big

Mitchell Robinson has grabbed 8+ rebounds in 25 of 43 games overall, including 13 of 23 at home. He's corralled 9.1 boards per game at MSG, and he should see additional run in this one to counter the size of Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet.

Spurs vs Knicks SGP

• Knicks moneyline
• Over 227.5
• Brunson Over 26.5 points
• Robinson Over 7.5 rebounds

Spurs vs Knicks odds

• Spread: Spurs -1.5 | Knicks +1.5
• Moneyline: Spurs -120 | Knicks +100
• Over/Under: Over 227.5 | Under 227.5

Spurs vs Knicks betting trend to know

The New York Knicks have covered the Spread in 22 of their last 35 games at home (+8.80 Units / 23% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Knicks.

How to watch Spurs vs Knicks

Spurs vs Knicks latest injuries

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The NBA offers a robust 11-game Sunday slate, with exciting NBA matchups to target throughout the day.

I’ve scoured the NBA odds board and found three solid NBA player assist props that would make Jon Metler proud. 

Read on for my NBA picks for Sunday, March 1.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Julian Strawther	Over 1.5 assists	+102
Taylor Hendricks	Over 1.5 assists	+180
Lu Dort	Over 1.5 assists	+140

Prop #1: Julian Strawther Over 1.5 assists

+102 at bet365

Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther offers value on his plus-money assist prop when he and the Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Strawther recorded two assists in limited minutes against Oklahoma City and has finished with at least two assists in seven of his 11 February games. 

With a high game total and an up-tempo projected pace, extra possessions should create more secondary playmaking chances that I expect Strawther to take full advantage of. 

• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABC

Prop #2: Taylor Hendricks Over 1.5 assists

+180 at bet365

Taylor Hendricks has made an immediate impact since joining the Memphis Grizzlies. 

The former UCF standout is averaging more than 25 minutes per game and contributing across the stat sheet, including at least two assists in six of his last eight outings. 

Memphis prefers to push the pace, and the Indiana Pacers play even faster, which should increase possession volume. In a fast-paced matchup with expanded minutes, Hendricks should clear his modest assist total.

• Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network Indiana, FanDuel Sports Network 

Prop #3: Luguentz Dort Over 1.5 assists

+140 at bet365

We’ll close the night in Dallas with Luguentz Dort at plus money on his assist prop. 

Dort consistently logs 25+ minutes and has quietly become a capable secondary playmaker. He is surrounded by high-efficiency scorers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder face a Dallas Mavericks defense allowing 30 assists per game over its last 10 contests. 

Dallas also plays at an above-average pace, increasing the amount of game possessions. With opportunity and matchup aligned, Dort offers strong value to clear his assist total for the fifth time in six games.

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network, Oklahoma KFAA-TV

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

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In what was apparently a joint decision, the Dallas Mavericks have waived former Duke point guard Tyus Jones.

For the Mavericks, it opens up a path to sign rookie Ryan Nembhard. The Gonzaga product was on a two-way and has exceeded expectations.

As for Jones, he would like to be on a playoff team. If things go well, he’ll end up on a solid team with reasonable postseason prospects. He’s a very reliable point guard and was a superb backup earlier in his career.

He’s been in the NBA for 11 years now and at some point, everyone ages out. When he does, he’s someone who you’d think would have a future in coaching. His basketball IQ is off the charts.

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• Mavericks just ditched the one player 76ers need but cannot sign anyway
• Mavericks Cut Piece of Anthony Davis Trade, Sign Standout Undrafted Rookie

It was a rocky February for the Phoenix Suns. Going 4-7 in February, the team had their worst month of the season, with their most losses in a month all year. They never lost more than two games in a row, but lost two-straight three different times. With a win against the Los Angeles Lakers during their last game of February, the team has kept itself in solid shape to be a top-six seed.

With their second and final six-game road trip of the season, Phoenix will be spending a lot of time away from the Mortgage Matchup Center in March, but look to have an easier schedule than they did in February.

Here’s a look at the team’s schedule for the next month:

Staying Out West

• Tuesday, March 3rd @ Sacramento Kings (On NBC/Peacock)
• Thursday, March 5th vs Chicago Bulls
• Friday, March 6th vs New Orleans Pelicans
• Sunday, March 8th vs Charlotte Hornets (On Peacock)

Phoenix will stay mostly at home to start March. Before they play three-straight in Phoenix, they’ll finish up their season series against the Sacramento Kings, whom they’ve beaten three times already. According to reports, Devin Booker could be back for the contest.

The Suns will get their first looks at the Bulls and Hornets. After a strong start, Chicago has simmered down and is looking towards getting a high lottery pick in this upcoming draft, while Charlotte has been one of the most surprising teams of the season. Rookie Kon Kneuppel is putting up historic numbers for a first-year player.

The last time the Suns and Pelicans played in Phoenix, Grayson Allen had a career game, scoring 42 and hitting a franchise 10-threes.

A Mostly Midwest Road Trip

• Tuesday, March 10th @ Milwaukee Bucks
• Thursday, March 12th @ Indiana Pacers
• Friday, March 13th @ Toronto Raptors
• Monday, March 16th @ Boston Celtics
• Tuesday, March 17th @ Minnesota Timberwolves
• Thursday, March 19th @ San Antonio Spurs

Phoenix’s six-game road trip is its second and final six-game road trip of the season. During the first one, the Suns went 3-3. They’ll get their first look at Toronto and Milwaukee, but all other opponents will be their final time playing them this year.

Milwaukee and Indiana look to be the easiest games, and the schedule looks to get tougher as the trip goes on. Phoenix struggled mightily against the Celtics earlier this week, scoring just 81 points, and the Spurs beat them 121-94 last week.

Look for Jordan Goodwin and Haywood Highsmith to return from injury around this time. Highsmith has not played yet for the Suns as he’s been recovering from meniscus surgery, while Goodwin has been sidelined for about a week now with a calf strain.

Phoenix has already won the season series with Minnesota, but another win against them could prove to be huge for the end of season standings, with the teams a few games apart.

Returning Home

• Saturday, March 21 vs Milwaukee Bucks(NBA TV)
• Sunday, March 22nd vs Toronto Raptors
• Tuesday, March 24th vs Denver Nuggets(NBC Peacock)
• Saturday, March 28th vs Utah Jazz(NBA TV)
• Monday, March 30th @ Memphis Grizzlies
• Tuesday, March 31st @ Orlando Magic

After a long road trip, the Suns will end the month with four of six games at home, all finishing up their season series against their opponents. Less than two weeks after playing the Bucks and Raptors on the road, Phoenix will host them, including in a matchup that will be nationally televised on NBA TV against Milwaukee.

Phoenix’s matchup against Denver will be its last chance to beat the Nuggets this season. In their two games against each other, Denver dominated Phoenix. The two could very well end up playing against each other in the first round of the playoffs.

When the Suns head east to end the month, it will be the start of a four-game road trip for some of their final road games of the season.

Expect an update on Dillon Brooks and his left hand around this time. The timeline was 4-6 weeks, and these games are around the middle of the timeline.

Definitely a busy schedule. 16 games in 31 days. But it is a manageable one for the Phoenix in March, with opportunities to play new opponents, get revenge on some, and finish some season series.

Of the 136 votes cast last month to predict the Suns’ record, only one voter selected the correct answer of 4-7. 16 games in March. Where do the Suns land?

PERTH, Australia (AP) — The scene was set for a hometown star and Sam Kerr delivered for Australia — again — with the only goal in a 1-0 win over Philippines in the Women’s Asian Cup tournament opener on Sunday.

The Chelsea striker scored with a header from the edge of the box in the 14th minute following a cross from Clare Wheeler on the right and a header back across goal from Caitlin Foord.

It was the 32-year-old Kerr's 70th goal for Australia and a welcome return from a long-term knee injury that has prevented her from playing for the Matildas since the 2023 World Cup.

The crowd of 44,379 was a record for the tournament and something of a tribute to Kerr, who was raised in Perth.

The Australians went into the tournament hoping to relive the atmosphere generated during the Women's World Cup on home soil almost three years ago, when the Matildas shattered audience records on the way to the semifinals.

It wasn't all one-way, though. Australia had 85% of possession, had 15 shots on goal and completed 674 passes to 118 for Philippines, but wasn't able to break down the defense.

Hayley Raso appeared to give Australia a 2-0 lead when she found the back of the net on the half-hour but it was disallowed for offside following a VAR review.

Goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel was heavily involved for Philippines, helping limit the margin against the team considered a strong favorite to top a group also containing 2022 runner-up South Korea and Iran.

Kerr played the full game and Australia also had a positive return from Mary Fowler, who went on in the 68th minute in a long-awaited return from injury for the Matildas.

“I think I’m just finding my confidence again,” Kerr said in a post-game TV interview. "I guess that’s for other people to judge, but I feel like I’m still my normal self.

“I’ve just got to get more touches in, around the box.”

Australia hasn't won the continental title since 2010, losing the finals to Japan in 2014 and ‘18 and eliminated in the semifinals four years ago. This is Kerr’s fifth Asian Cup campaign and she's determined to win it again.

“Today was a good start and there’s lots of belief within the team,” Kerr said. “But, as you see today, there’s a lot of quality teams in the Asian Cup.”

Iran's involvement

Iran opens Monday against South Korea. At a scheduled pregame news conference Sunday on the Gold Coast in Queensland state, Iran head coach Marziyeh Jafari declined to comment on the military strikes or death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“I don’t think we should talk about these matters at all right now,” Jafari said in comments translated to English. “There’s a team here for a very important competition that matters to these women and I think those should be the questions.”

Iran captain Zahra Ghanbari said her squad was in Australia with the target of qualifying for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

“The mindset of all our players and our team is that, God willing, we can get out of our group," she said. "Our entire focus is on getting to the World Cup and achieving great success there.”

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

SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) — Sofia Goggia won her second super-G of the season Sunday and regained a commanding lead in the race to the World Cup discipline title.

The Olympic downhill bronze medallist extended her advantage in the super-G standings to 84 points over Alice Robinson of New Zealand and 116 over Emma Aicher of Germany in third, with two events left.

A race win is worth 100 points.

“I'm still not thinking about it,” said Goggia, who bounced back in impressive style, a day after the Italian had her lead reduced to just 20 points following a sixth-place finish in another super-G.

“I’m really thinking day by day, race by race. It was a solid run today, I got back the points I lost yesterday," she added.

With a trademark gutsy run, Goggia beat Saturday’s winner Aicher by 0.24 seconds and third-placed Kajsa Vickhoff Lie of Norway by 0.31.

Robinson finished 0.94 seconds behind in seventh.

“It was a really similar race to yesterday. But we decided to adopt a different strategy to get into the central pitch, and it paid off,” Goggia said.

Goggia and Robinson set up their duel for the super-G title early in the season when they won the first two races, but neither added another win until the Italian's victory Sunday.

Goggia now has nine career wins in super-G but is chasing her first season title in the discipline, having won the crystal globe in downhill four times, most recently in 2023.

“I still haven’t won in downhill yet (this season), and this is maybe a bit strange for everyone, because I have been doing so many podiums in downhill in my career,” said Goggia, who was the 2018 Olympic downhill champion.

“I have a really solid feeling with the super-G, so I’m happy with it. Now it’s important to stay really focused for the next ones in which we play for everything.”

Olympic super-G champion Federica Brignone came nearly a second behind her Italian teammate in eighth, improving from her 15th-place finish in Saturday’s race when she was more than two seconds off the pace.

Brignone returned from a broken left leg just before the Milan Cortina Games and then won gold in super-G and giant slalom.

Mary Bocock earned her career-best result leading the U.S. ski team in 11th, one position ahead of her teammate Keely Cashman.

Olympic downhill champion Breezy Johnson was nearly three seconds off the pace in 30th.

Aicher’s seventh podium result of the season saw the German close in on second-ranked Camille Rast in the overall standings. The Swiss skier has 963 points while Aicher is on 914.

Mikaela Shiffrin leads with 1,133 points as the American aims for her sixth overall title. She hasn’t competed in speed races this season except for one super-G start last December.

Shiffrin is expected back in action for a GS and slalom in Sweden on March 14-15.

The World Cup continues with two downhills and a super-G in Italy next weekend.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

The Wizards keep doing the improbable this season. Last night, for example, they shot 47.1% from three, were +15 on the scoreboard from deep (16 made threes to Toronto’s 9), and lost by nine. Once again, it wasn’t that close.

Bright side: the Wizards need to keep on losing, and at least they made the Raptors work for the victory.

The Wizards were committed to securing the important loss. Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly — both of whom played pretty well — sat for the entire fourth quarter. No one played particularly badly. The least productive was Tre Johnson, though I thought he was okay. If he’d played his usual full set of minutes, I suspect he’d have picked up a few assists, and the impact of the turnovers would have moderated.

This is not to say the Wizards played well. Their defense was a joke (and not a funny one, except perhaps to the Raptors), and their offensive production seemed more a case of Toronto “not respecting the game plan,” as an assistant coach told the Toronto sideline reporter at halftime.

Here are the current standings in The 2026 NBA Race to the Bottom:

1. Sacramento Kings | 14-47 | .230
2. Indiana Pacers | 15-45 | .250
3. Brooklyn Nets | 15-44 | .254
4. Washington Wizards | 16-43 | .271
5. New Orleans Pelicans | 18-42 | .300
6. Utah Jazz | 18-41 | .305

It’s going to be a tight race.

Thoughts & Observations

• The Wizards were awful defensively, but Tristan Vukcevic had one defensive possession in the first quarter I thought was excellent. Brandon Ingram drove from the wing, and Vukcevic made a great rotation, got there early and forced a kickout pass. Naturally, the Raptors scored on the play anyway, but hey…that rotation!
• Another nice defensive moment: Toronto secured the ball off a Wizards miss and made a good outlet pass that seemed to set up a transition opportunity. Sharife Cooper picked up the ball handler and forced him to turn, shutting down the fast break and turning it into a halfcourt possession. Naturally, the Raptors scored on the possession.
• #SoWizards moment on Washington’s first offensive possession: Coulibaly spotted Bub Carrington come open on a baseline cut and made an excellent pass. The problem? Carrington was just clearing the side and wasn’t looking. The pass sailed out of bounds.
• #SoWizards defensive moment: Washington had four players involved in defending a two-man pick-and-roll. Somehow, the play ended in an easy layup AND an and-one for roll man Sandro Mamukelashvili.
• Tidbit from the Toronto broadcast: Washington’s loss to Atlanta was their ninth of the season by 30 or more points. That’s the most in the NBA this season, and the most in Washington’s franchise history.
• For some reason, the Wizards started the second half once again by running a postup for Carrington. Once again, it failed. I guess maybe they think this is some kind of player development thing. Maybe? I don’t really see the point — Carrington plays small, doesn’t play with the toughness and physicality to be successful on this sort of play.
• If you want to see a well-run fastbreak, check out the Toronto possession that ended at 5:36 of the third quarter. Immanuel Quickley pushed to the middle, forced defenders to commit, and hit a trailer for a dunk. Excellent bsasketball.
• Toronto burned a few possessions late that (barely) got their offensive rating below 140 for the game. Their 139 offensive rating is the best against the Wizards this season — topping the 133 posted by…the Toronto Raptors the day after Christmas.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.