Category: NBA

SAN FRANCISCO — One day was all it took for the Warriors to top their worst loss of the season.

After failing to pull out a win while the Jazz rested their best players in crunch time on Monday, the Warriors returned home Tuesday and once again proved incapable of beating a tanking team.

The Warriors were at the foul line with the lead in the final moments of regulation but still couldn’t finish off a 130-124 overtime loss to the lowly Bulls, who outscored them in 12-6 in the extra period.

“We just couldn’t close it out,” coach Steve Kerr said. “They were the better team in OT.”

Gui Santos, Kristaps Porzingis, LJ Cryer and Pat Spencer all scored 17 points to lead the Warriors, but Golden State had no answer for Matas Buzelis, who finished with 41 points on 16-of-28 shooting. Josh Giddey added 21 points, 17 assists and 13 rebounds for a triple-double.

Back-to-back losses to the Bulls and Jazz amounted to a serious case of whiplash after strong efforts from Golden State to beat the Rockets and threaten the Thunder on the road last week.

“Both very winnable games,” Kerr said. “Had the lead late tonight. Obviously one we should’ve had. But this is how the NBA is, especially when you’re beaten up. Games are going to be tight. You’ve got to finish. And we haven’t finished either of the past two nights.”

What it means

Kerr has been on the cusp of 600 wins since the Warriors beat the Rockets in Houston last week. He hasn’t been able to break through against two tanking teams.

Even with the beleaguered state of their roster, the Warriors’ past two losses will go down as two of their worst of the season. Two of the easiest games left on Golden State’s schedule just happened to line up as their only stretch this season with a home-road back-to-back.

No wonder the Warriors looked out of gas for most of the night.

The loss dropped Golden State below .500 for the first time since it was 14-15 on Dec. 20.

The Warriors (32-33) now sit a half game behind the Clippers (32-32), ninth in the Western Conference.

Turning point

Once again, the Warriors lost the game at the foul line.

After two dreadful performances from the stripe, the Warriors shot it far better against the Bulls, converting 16-of-18 attempts in regulation. But holding a 117-116 lead with 8 seconds left, LJ Cryer was only able to convert one of his two free throws.

“You make the free throw, probably a different outcome of the game,” said Cryer, who tied with Spencer for a team-best plus-18 off the bench.

On the other end, Draymond Green fouled Jalen Smith on a desperation attempt that sent him to the line with 1.4 seconds left. Smith sank both of his free throws to send the game to overtime.

“He got his hand on his body,” Kerr said. “It was a foul. I’m sure he’d like to have that one back. He just got his hand in the wrong spot.”

Playing their second game in two nights in as many cities, the Warriors were sluggish from the outset and the crowd inside Chase Center reciprocated with an atmosphere to match. But the lower bowl rose to its feet as Golden State erased a 13-point deficit.

When the Bulls forced overtime, fans streamed for the exits. They apparently already knew how this one was going to end.

MVP: Gary Payton II

The 6-foot-2 Payton was a constant presence around the basket and finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. The 11 rebounds led the Warriors, including a team-best three on the offensive glass, all of which Payton cleaned up for putback dunks.

Stat of the game: Zero

That is the number of minutes De’Anthony Melton played against the Bulls, despite the Warriors limiting his action Monday at Utah with the intent of him playing in the back-to-back.

Likewise, the Warriors sat both Porzingis and Al Horford against the Jazz so that both could play Tuesday against the Bulls. It’s no sure thing that either game hinged on the three players’ availability, but in the end, both ended in stinging losses.

Kerr said afterward that Melton tweaked his hamstring/groin late against the Jazz and had it act up overnight, preventing him from playing against Chicago.

Before the game, Kerr said he was hopeful Melton could establish that he was up to the task.

“We need him,” he said. “He’s obviously one of our best players.”

Up next

The Warriors host Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves on Friday in their last home game until March 25. They hit the road for five games, including two more sets of back-to-backs, beginning Sunday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The most important date for the Warriors this week, however, is Wednesday. That is when Steph Curry (knee), who missed his 15th straight game, is set to be re-evaluated.

According to Eric Pincus, the Utah Jazz are interested in Austin Reaves.

In this episode of the Jovan Buha podcast, you can listen to it. Pincus says:

“I’ve heard that the Utah Jazz like Austin Reaves. I don’t think that’s a shock, but I’ve heard that that’s one of the teams that’s interested in Austin Reaves,”

There have been rumblings here and there about this, but it’s the first time we’ve seen someone plugged in talk about it. If the Jazz are interested in Reaves, that probably means some sort of sign-and-trade. Utah will be over the cap, and even if they don’t sign many of their expiring deals, they’ll be adding Walker Kessler to their books alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. On top of that, we’re not far away from Keyonte George also being up for a contract, and you can bet he’s going to be earning a big payday as well. The question from this is, who do the Jazz trade to the Lakers if they want Austin Reaves? Is there a sign-and-trade possibility with Kessler now that Utah has Jaren Jackson?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Devin Carter scored 22 of his career-best 24 points in the fourth quarter to power the Sacramento Kings to a 114-109 comeback win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

Carter scored 13 straight points down the stretch for Sacramento, who trailed by as many as 20 points and were down by 10 heading into the final frame.

The Kings shot 46% from the field and 35% from deep, while the Pacers shot 41% and 30% respectively. Carter was 9 of 13 from the field and 3 for 4 from beyond the arc.

Maxime Raynaud's and-1 jumper with 16 seconds remaining finished off the win.

Raynaud had an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, the 15th of the season for the 7-foot-1 rookie. Russell Westbrook added 16 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan and Nique Clifford each scored 12 points.

Indiana led 59-42 at the half, but Sacramento took their first lead since the first quarter on Carter's 3-pointer with 4:16 remaining in regulation.

Aaron Nesmith led all scorers with 29 points, 24 of them in the first half. Obi Toppin scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Kam Jones had 14 points and nine assists.

Indiana extended its NBA-long losing streak to 10 games, and the game matched teams with the NBA’s two worst records.

Pascal Siakam (right knee sprain) and Andrew Nembhard (back and neck soreness) did not play. They are the Pacers' first and third-leading scorers, respectively.

The Kings had dropped their last three meetings against Indiana, including a 116-105 defeat on Dec. 8 in Indianapolis.

Up next

Pacers: Host Phoenix on Thursday night.

Kings: Host Charlotte on Wednesday night. ___

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

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Brandon Miller had 21 points and eight rebounds, LaMelo Ball had 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and the Charlotte Hornets overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-101 on Tuesday night.

Kon Knueppel added 15 points and five rebounds for the Hornets, who got back to .500 at 33-33. Ryan Kalkbrenner added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Hornets trailed 43-24 in the second quarter but edged ahead late by holding the Trail Blazers to 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Jerami Grant scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting for Portland. Deni Avdija had 22 points and Scoot Henderson scored 14 off the bench. Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan each had 11 points.

Portland controlled the first half and led Charlotte by nine going into halftime before a cold-shooting stretch and a series of late-game miscues.

Up next

Hornets: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

Trail Blazers: Host the Utah Jazz on Friday.

For three quarters Tuesday night, the San Antonio Spurs and the Boston Celtics looked like two teams unwilling to blink. Every Spurs run was answered. Every Boston basket seemed to come with a response. The crowd inside Frost Bank Center stayed on edge, sensing the game could tilt either way.

Then Victor Wembanyama tilted it.

The Spurs’ young superstar caught fire from beyond the arc and, when the game tightened in the fourth quarter, San Antonio delivered the final surge to secure a 125-116 win over the Celtics. It was the kind of performance that reminded everyone why Wembanyama is quickly becoming one of the most electrifying players in the NBA.

The night began with both teams trading baskets in a fast-paced opening quarter. Boston leaned on former Spur Derrick White, who quickly found his rhythm and kept the Celtics within striking distance. Meanwhile, San Antonio’s offense flowed through Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, who pushed the tempo and created opportunities for his teammates.

Neither side gained much separation. By halftime, the scoreboard reflected the back-and-forth nature of the game as the team’s went to the locker room even at 58 apiece. Boston’s perimeter shooting kept the pressure on, while the Spurs countered with crisp ball movement and timely shooting from Devin Vassell and the supporting cast.

The tension only grew in the third quarter.

White began to heat up for Boston, knocking down difficult shots and attacking the lane. But every time the Celtics appeared ready to take control, Wembanyama answered. The 7-foot-4 phenom drilled three-pointers with ease, stretching Boston’s defense farther and farther away from the rim.

Still, the game remained tight entering the final period. That’s when the Spurs made their move.

With the Celtics clinging within a possession early in the fourth quarter, San Antonio strung together the run that changed everything. Vassell knocked down a key three. Fox sliced into the lane for a layup. Wembanyama followed with another deep shot that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Suddenly, a close game had become a Spurs advantage that Boston couldn’t erase. The Celtics fought back behind White’s scoring, but San Antonio’s offense never cooled. Fox continued orchestrating the attack, Wembanyama kept stretching the defense, and the Spurs calmly knocked down free throws down the stretch.

By the final minutes, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

When the buzzer sounded, the Spurs walked away with a huge victory, another impressive win during what has become one of the team’s hottest stretches of the season.

And once again, it was Wembanyama at the center of it all, putting on a performance that felt as spectacular as it was decisive.

Game Notes

• It is still so amazing to see Jason Tatum back on the court playing good basketball after that devastating Achilles tear last season in the NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks. So happy to see him back. Tatum had his best scoring night since returning with 24 points on Tuesday night.
• Despite Jaylen Brown’s ejection, the Spurs got a huge win against a championship contender. Boston joins Detroit, Oklahoma City, and Denver among the league’s top teams that have been beat by San Antonio this season.
• Julian Champagnie is human after all, he had a poor shooting night and did not score, but his teammates came through in the clutch.
• The Spurs big three of De’Aaron Fox, Victor Wembanyama, and Stephon Castle combined for 82 of Spurs’ 125 points. Wemby led the way with 39 points and tied his career-high of eight three-pointers. Fox added 25 points, and Castle chipped in 18. If this is the version of the Spurs big three we’re going to get come playoff time, the entire NBA may be in trouble.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brooke Carlson scored 17 points, Madelyn Bragg added 15 and Colorado State pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Air Force 56-42 on Tuesday night for the Rams' first Mountain West Conference championship since 2016.

No. 3 seed Colorado State (27-7) took a 34-32 advantage into the final period and outscored Air Force 22-10. Carlson scored eight points, and Bragg and Kloe Froebe added five apiece in the fourth quarter.

Carlson shot just 4 of 15 from the floor but made 9 of 12 free throws. Bragg made 7 of 8 field goals. Froebe finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Milahnie Perry scored 14 points for No. 9 seed Air Force (16-18). Emily Adams added 12 points and Alexis Cortez chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Rams shot 4 of 8 from the floor and made 14 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter while the Falcons were 3-of-17 shooting overall.

The No. 9 seed Falcons entered as the lowest-seeded program to earn a spot in the title game. Air Force beat No. 8 seed Wyoming, top-seeded San Diego State and No. 5 seed Boise State.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Anthony Roy scored 24 points, Christian Coleman had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 14 seed Oklahoma State held on down the stretch for a 92-83 victory over No. 11 seed Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.

Jaylen Curry added 15 points for the Cowboys (19-13), who probably need to keep winning to make the NCAA Tournament field next week. Their next chance is Wednesday night against sixth-seeded TCU for a spot in the Big 12 quarterfinals.

Bangot Dak had 22 points and eight rebounds to lead Colorado (17-15), whose own NCAA hopes almost certainly vanished. Barrington Hargress added 18 points and nine assists, Isaiah Johnson had 14 points and Ian Inman finished with 11.

Colorado mostly controlled its game against Oklahoma State when the teams met earlier this season in Boulder.

The Cowboys mostly flipped that script in the Big 12 Tournament.

The Buffaloes had to make a couple of late buckets to get within 41-40 at halftime, and then had to keep fighting back from deficits throughout the second half. But every time Elijah Malone would bully his way for a bucket, or Johnson scored with a runner for the Buffs, Roy or Curry was there to answer with timely baskets for Oklahoma State.

The game was still tight until Vyctorius Miller made five consecutive free throws with about 6 minutes left. That turned a 68-62 lead into a 73-62 advantage, and allowed Oklahoma State to stay away from the Buffaloes the rest of the way.

Up next

Colorado: The Buffaloes wait to hear where they will be playing in the postseason.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys face No. 6 seed TCU in a Wednesday quarterfinal. They lost both of their games to TCU in the regular season, including a 95-92 overtime thriller.

___

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

Bam Adebayo scored a career-high and toppled some Miami Heat and NBA records along the way Tuesday night.

Adebayo scored 83 points on March 10 against the Washington Wizards. Yes, 83. That's the second-most points scored in an NBA game, passing late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 on Jan. 22, 2006.

Adebayo shot 20-of-43 from the field, including 7-of-22 from 3-point distance. He went to the free throw line a lot, shooting 36-of-43, both NBA records for free throws made and attempted by a single player in a game.

He played 42 minutes as the Heat blew out the Wizards 150-129. He more than doubled his previous career-high of 41 points.

Wilt Chamberlain has the highest single game total with his 100-point game against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.

Here's are the best scoring nights in NBA history:

1. Wilt Chamberlain, 100, March 2, 1962

Chamberlain played all 48 minutes against the Knicks in a 169-147 win, hitting 36 of his 63 field goal attempts. The usually shaking free throw shooter (51.1% for his career) hit 28 of his 32 free throw attempts in this one, a record for makes that Adrian Dantley tied in 1984 but had not been surpassed until Adebayo knocked down 36 from the line on Tuesday night.

2. Bam Adebayo, 83, March 10, 2026

Adebayo hit 20 of his 43 field goal attempts, including going 7-for-22 from 3. He made a record 36 free throws on 43 attempts.

Bam Adebayo points tonight: Heat star scores second-most points in NBA history

3. Kobe Bryant, 81, Jan. 22, 2006

Bryant's best game stood No. 2 in NBA history for 20 years. He hit 28 of his 46 field goals in a 122-104 win against the Raptors, including a 7-for-13 mark from 3-point range.

4. Wilt Chamberlain, 78, Dec. 8, 1961

Chamberlain scored 70 points or more six times in his career. As a member of the Philadelphia Warriors, Chamberlain had this 78-point game in a 151-147 loss to the Lakers.

T-5. Luka Doncic, 73, Jan. 26, 2024

Doncic scored 73 a couple seasons ago as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. He notched the scoring feat, a career-high for him, against the Atlanta Hawks. Revenge game? Maybe. Doncic was originally drafted by the Hawks with the third pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but was traded on Draft Day to Dallas.

Doncic and the Mavericks won that game 148-143. Doncic wasn't the only player in NBA history to finish a game with 73 points.

T-5. David Thompson, 73, April 9, 1978

David "Skywalker" Thompson was known for dunking on heads in highlights, but he was also one of the best scorers of his era. Do you homework, Gen-Z. On one particular night in April 1978, Thompson put up 73 points for the Denver Nuggets in a 139-137 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

T-5. Wilt Chamberlain, 73, twice

Chamberlain's basketball prowess was mythological. He had 73-point games in back-to-back seasons.

On Jan. 13, 1962, Chamberlain had 73 for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 135-117 win against the Chicago Packers. Same year, but the next season after the team relocated to San Francisco, Chamberlain did it again, scoring 73 on Nov. 16 against the Knicks in a 127-111, win.

9. Wilt Chamberlain, 72, Nov. 3, 1962

You get the picture about Chamberlain, but he's going to appear again in this list. On this particular date, he went for 72 in a 127-115 loss to the Lakers. Chamberlain shot 29-of-48 and went 14-of-18 at the free throw line. No 3s, of course.

T-10. Damian Lillard, 71, Feb. 26, 2023

Lillard showed the Houston Rockets what "Dame Time" meant, again. He's broken the hearts of Houstonians, whether in the regular season or postseason. This time it was a 71-point game that did it. Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers won 131-114.

Lillard made as many 3-point field goals, as 2s, with nine each. He added 14 free throws.

T-10. Donovan Mitchell, 71, Jan. 2, 2023

Mitchell scored 71 with the Cleveland Cavaliers a month and some change before Lillard's output. It also came with a win, as the Cavs downed the Chicago Bulls, 145-134. Mitchell shot 22-of-34, including 7-of-15 from distance. He shot 20-of-25 from free throw line, but the most surprising stat is that he still dished 11 assists.

Other 70-point scorers in NBA history

Although a rare feat, a few other players have hit the 70-point threshold in their careers ... and others were extremely close.

San Antonio Spurs big man David Robinson scored 71 points in the final regular season game to take the NBA scoring title on April 24, 1994 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Another 71-point game in NBA history came from Lakers all-time great Elgin Baylor on Nov. 15, 1960 in a 123-108 win against the Knicks.

Joel Embiid scored 70 points during the 2024 season against the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama. He hit his career-high a few days before Doncic scored his 73. Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers won 133-123 on Jan. 22. It was the 18-year anniversary of Bryant's 81-point game.

Devin Booker also scored 70 points in a game against the Boston Celtics, in a 130-120 loss on March 24, 2017. Chamberlain hit 70, again, on March 10, 1963 in a 163-148 loss to the Syracuse Nationals.

For what it's worth, Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan has a career-high of 69 points.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Most points in an NBA game: Where Bam Adebayo 83 points ranks

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 83 points, the second-best scoring effort in NBA history, to carry the Miami Heat to a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Adebayo had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 by halftime and 62 by the end of the third quarter. He finished 20 for 43 from the field, 36 for 43 from the foul line and 7 for 22 from 3-point range.

Adebayo’s free throw makes and attempts both set NBA records for a game. The record for attempts was 39 by Dwight Howard — who got to the line that many times on two occasions. The record for free throws made in a game was 28, set by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley.

Chamberlain got the 28 free throws on the night he scored 100 points in 1962 — the only game better than Adebayo in NBA history. Adebayo passed his basketball idol, Kobe Bryant, for the second-highest scoring game ever; Bryant’s career-best was 81.

LeBron James had the previous Heat single-game scoring mark; his 61-point effort against Charlotte happened on March 3, 2014. Denver’s Nikola Jokic had the previous season high in the NBA this season with 56.

Adebayo passed them both in the third quarter — and just kept going.

Simone Fontecchio scored 18 points for Miami (37-29), which has won six straight and moved a season-best eight games over .500. The Heat were without Norman Powell (groin), Tyler Herro (quadriceps), Nikola Jovic (back) and Andrew Wiggins (toe).

76ERS 139, GRIZZLIES 129

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cam Payne scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, rookie VJ Edgecombe added 21 points in his return to the lineup and Philadelphia rallied to beat Memphis.

Kelly Oubre Jr. had 31 points and 12 rebounds and Quentin Grimes scored 22 points for the 76ers, who were without All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Maxey will be sidelined for at least three weeks because of a tendon injury on the small finger of his right hand, the team announced before the game.

Edgecombe took over point guard duties for Maxey after missing three consecutive games with a lumbar contusion. He provided the game’s highlight, showing his back is OK, with a two-handed, leaping dunk midway through the second quarter.

Ty Jerome scored 26 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost five straight and 12 of 15.

HAWKS 124, MAVERICKS 112

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 29 points, Jalen Johnson had 27 and Atlanta won its seventh in a row, holding off the Dallas Mavericks 124-112 on Tuesday night.

The Hawks, who have the NBA’s longest active winning streak, led nearly the entire game but couldn’t pull away from the Mavericks until the final period.

Dallas tied the score at 97 on Khris Middleton’s step-back jumper with just over nine minutes remaining. Atlanta took control from there to hand Dallas its eighth straight loss.

Alexander-Walker hit two straight 3-pointers in the closing minutes to put the game away.

Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg was held to 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting, shadowed most of the night by the Hawks’ top defensive player, Dyson Daniels.

Daniels also had plenty of work at the offensive end with 14 points and 10 assists, reaching 1,000 field goals in his career. Onkeya Okongwu chipped in with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 21 points.

PISTONS 138, NETS 100

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Duren scored 26 points, Cade Cunningham had 21 points and 15 assists, and Detroit snapped a season-worst four-game skid, beating Brooklyn.

Duren shot 9 of 10 from the field and Cunningham was 8 of 10, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Duncan Robinson added 15 points and Marcus Sasser finished with 14 for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who never trailed.

Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points and Jalen Wilson added 14 for the Nets, who saw their two-game winning streak end.

Part of Detroit’s skid was an improbable loss to visiting Brooklyn on Saturday night in a game it led by 23 points midway through the third quarter. The Nets ended a 10-game skid with that victory.

SUNS 129, BUCKS 114

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Devin Booker scored 27 points, Jalen Green had 25 and Royce O’Neale 21 as Phoenix pulled away in the fourth quarter to win a shootout with Milwaukee.

Phoenix shot 53.9% and made a season-high 24 3-pointers on 51 attempts. Milwaukee shot 51.2% and went 16 of 38 from 3-point range.

In a game that featured 15 ties and 12 lead changes, O’Neale put the Suns ahead for good with a tiebreaking buzzer-beater from about 50 feet to end the third quarter. Phoenix then scored the first seven points of the final period to extend its lead to 107-97.

Phoenix stayed in front by at least seven points the rest of the way.

Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 33 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner each added 22 points. Ousmane Dieng 12 points and 10 rebounds.

ROCKETS 113, RAPTORS 99

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Amen Thompson scored 23 points as Houston beat Toronto.

Durant shot 12 of 16 from the field while adding seven rebounds. He scored 22 of his points in the first half.

Thompson eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in six games. He converted on 6 of his 10 field goal attempts while making 10 free throws.

Jabari Smith Jr. also added 23 points for the Rockets, who pulled into a tie for third place in the Western Conference standings. Alperen Sengun scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Houston shot 60% in the first quarter and outrebounded the Raptors 11-5, but with the help of six Rockets’ turnovers the game was tied at 29. The Rockets closed the first half on a 14-4 run to take a 58-49 halftime lead.

The Rockets shot 49% from the field for the game and outrebounded the Raptors 53-30, finishing with 22 second chance points to Toronto’s five.

RJ Barrett’s 25 points led the Raptors. Scottie Barnes scored 24 points, but Toronto made just 9 of 36 three-point attempts.

SPURS 125, CELTICS 116

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 39 points and 11 rebounds and San Antonio beat Boston to sweep a contentious two-game season series.

De’Aaron Fox had 25 points and Stephon Castle added 18 points in San Antonio’s fifth straight victory.

Derrick White had 34 points to lead Boston, which had won two straight. Jayson Tatum had 24 points in his third game since returning from a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered May 12.

Tatum’s fourth and final 3-pointer cut the Celtics’ deficit to 118-113 with 1:43 remaining, but Spurs Castle followed 18 seconds later with his own 3 to secure the victory.

The battle between the No. 2 teams in each conference was physical and chippy.

Boston All-Star Jaylen Brown was ejected after becoming incensed when no foul was called after he lost the ball out of bounds with 3:42 remaining in the first half.

Brown had to be restrained by teammates after official Tyler Ford assessed the first technical. Official Suyash Mehta assessed a second technical seconds later, resulting in an automatic ejection.

HORNETS 103, TRAIL BLAIZERS 101

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Brandon Miller had 21 points and eight rebounds, LaMelo Ball had 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and Charlotte overcame a 19-point deficit to beat Portland.

Kon Knueppel added 15 points and five rebounds for the Hornets, who got back to .500 at 33-33. Ryan Kalkbrenner added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Hornets trailed 43-24 in the second quarter but edged ahead late by holding the Trail Blazers to 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Jerami Grant scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting for Portland. Deni Avdija had 22 points and Scoot Henderson scored 14 off the bench. Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan each had 11 points.

KINGS 114, PACERS 109

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Devin Carter scored 22 of his career-best 24 points in the fourth quarter to power Sacramento to a comeback win over Indiana.

Carter scored 13 straight points down the stretch for Sacramento, who trailed by as many as 20 points and were down by 10 heading into the final frame.

The Kings shot 46% from the field and 35% from deep, while the Pacers shot 41% and 30% respectively. Carter was 9 of 13 from the field and 3 for 4 from beyond the arc.

Maxime Raynaud’s and-1 jumper with 16 seconds remaining finished off the win.

Raynaud had an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, the 15th of the season for the 7-foot-1 rookie. Russell Westbrook added 16 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan and Nique Clifford each scored 12 points.

LAKERS 120, TIMBERWOLVES 106

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 31 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in his seventh triple-double of the season, and Los Angeles overcame LeBron James’ latest injury absence to sweep its season series with Minnesota with a victory.

Austin Reaves scored 29 of his 31 points in a scorching second half for the Lakers, who pulled even with Minnesota for fourth place in the Western Conference standings after their third straight win over the team that knocked them out of the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Doncic secured the 89th triple-double of his career — seventh-most in NBA history — early in the fourth quarter. Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 12 rebounds in a strong effort with both of his backup big men sidelined.

James sat out for the third straight game with injuries for the Lakers, who have still won three straight and six of seven. He also missed the Lakers’ first two wins over Minnesota this season back in October.

The Lakers improved to 13-8 without the top scorer in NBA history in their lineup, including 10-2 when Doncic and Reaves both play without James.

Julius Randle scored 14 points and Anthony Edwards finished with 14 points on a 2-for-15 shooting night for Minnesota, which has lost two straight after a five-game winning streak. Four Timberwolves bench players scored in double figures in the opener of a four-game trip.

Not that it needs repeating, but the six-month, 82-game NBA regular season feels impossibly long. For every national TV nail-biter, or the performance art of Bam Adebayo sloshing his way to 83 points, there are five forgettable games and a road trip where the days all blend together, for both good and bad teams.

There are levels, of course. Rooting for Victor Wembanyama to continue playing extraterrestrial ball in March is still more exciting than rooting for a tanking team on the first day of the season, but 4,000 minutes of regular-season basketball numbs us all. For the Brooklyn Nets, that means a 40-point blowout is rather routine.

The Detroit Pistons visited Barclays Center on Tuesday evening — the second game of a back-to-back for Brooklyn — and the game was decided almost immediately…

Nets' defense has not shown up yet. Detroit has two threes, a free-throw, and 18 paint points pic.twitter.com/Ez7FXlMJiV

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 10, 2026

Plenty of stats to choose from, but here are just a couple: The Pistons outscored the Nets 64-24 in the paint. The Nets missed all 14 of their 3-point attempts in the first half.

It was inevitable that the East’s #1 seed would take revenge on Brooklyn, who, on Saturday, came back from 23 points down to secure a wild upset win. Particularly with Cade Cunningham, who put up 21/3/15 on 8-of-10 shooting with the ease of an offseason workout, back in the fold. The strange part was that this was the game Brooklyn tanked. Not Saturday’s visit to Detroit, not Monday’s smooth victory over a depleted Memphis Grizzlies squad, but a game against the best team in the conference.

Sure, Michael Porter Jr. played on Tuesday after resting the previous day, shooting 7-of-14 to score 19 points, but the two main heroes of Saturday’s comeback victory sat: Day’Ron Sharpe with a thumb injury, and Ziaire Williams with illness. But let’s not question the severity of those ailments; let’s instead look at the bench lineup Jordi Fernández deployed vs. Detroit…

The Nets' second unit tonight:

Ben Saraf
Jalen Wilson
Chaney Johnson
Josh Minott
Danny Wolf

Playing this rotation against the East's best team instead of the depleted Grizzlies during a tanking season is an interesting decision, to say the least.

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 11, 2026

The Nets are very bad, by design. Now 17-48, they will likely finish with the fourth-worst record in the league, if not higher. But do they know how to tank, and are they willing to get as shameless as some of the other bottom-dwellers? It appears the answer is no.

Anyway, the game. Despite the Pistons playing on cruise control for all 48 minutes, we did have some character in this one, some sign that the Nets were playing for something slightly more than fulfilling contractual obligations. Josh Minott played 21 minutes, his career-high as a Net, scoring nine points on eight shots, the most memorable of which was this poster…

REV IT UP JOSH MINOTT?!?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8lvLAPXXbN

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 11, 2026

In the span of 15 seconds in the second quarter, Nolan Traore committed a flagrant foul against Ron Holland, then Noah Clowney received a technical foul for another infraction against Holland…who in turn received a technical foul for flopping.

Among the real positives (of which, in a tanking season, there tend to be even as the blowout losses pile up) was Ben Saraf. The #26 overall pick put up 10/2/6 on 2-of-2 shooting and 6-of-6 from the line, and while Jordi Fernández admonished him for his two early turnovers, Saraf showed some of the ball-handling poise we’ve been waiting to see from him all season…

Saraf up to 10/2/6 with two turnovers. Not a ton of flashy plays but very consistently getting to two feet, making kick-outs: pic.twitter.com/5ROJnbNcbL

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 11, 2026

“Even though sometimes he’ll make a mistake, he’s got to go back, do it again, and learn,” said Fernández of the lefty point guard postgame.

Two-way player Chaney Johnson got his first extended run with the big-league club, playing 22 minutes and shooting 2-of-3, including a corner trey. Drake Powell, making his second consecutive start, hit a pair of triples in the third quarter as well as a nice floater off a drive. For a player just re-called from the G League, it certainly could have been worse, as he finished with 10/0/1 in his 23 minutes of play.

Jalen Wilson and Danny Wolf also reached double-digit points, while Nic Claxton shot just 0-of-2, overwhelmed by Jalen Duren and his game-high 26 points.

Postgame I projected my own feelings onto Wilson, who has been on three very bad Nets teams thus far in his career and experienced only a few stretches of sunlight, and asked him if he yearns for brighter days in the midst of such consistent losing.

The response: “I think my mindset and the team’s as well, from what we know, is just taking it game by game. Of course, we all want to win, but when we was starting out, you know, the next game we played, we had to start those habits. It’s not just going to come in the blink of an eye, and people aren’t just going to let us win the NBA. Everybody’s good. And we have to take advantage of the games we have now, this season. If we want to look forward, it has to start now.”

Now that’s a professional answer. Indeed, it does have to start now for the Brooklyn Nets. For the time being, that means continuing to rack up the losses.

It was 70º in Brooklyn today. Spring is almost here.

Final Score: Detroit Pistons 138, Brooklyn Nets 100

Milestone Watch

Were there any? Nope.

As for the standings and that rumor of tanking, nothing much changed: The Nets remain in fourth with the Wizards a half game ahead (behind?).

Injury Report

Three Nets made the injury report on Tuesday evening: Egor Dëmin, of course shut down with season-ending plantar fasciitis, Ziaire Williams, stricken with illness, and Day’Ron Sharpe, out with a left thumb sprain.

Pregame, Jordi Fernández said that there was no timeline for Sharpe to return from his thumb sprain, only “whatever time it takes for him to feel good to play again.”

Next Up

The Nets hit the road for two games against Eastern Conference opponents, beginning with the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Detroit Pistons 138, Brooklyn Nets 100 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Detroit Pistons 138, Brooklyn Nets 100 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Ben Saraf PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Pistons snap season-worst 4-game skid with 138-100 win over Nets – Adry Torres – AP
• Nets get back to tanking after getting blown out by elite Pistons – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Grading Egor Demin’s injury-shortened rookie season with Nets ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Michael Porter Jr. has become the face of the Nets — now comes the hard part ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Cade Cunningham returns, Pistons roll past Nets 138-100 to snap Brooklyn’s streak ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets keep fighting as win streak fuels fan frustration and locker-room pride ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets suffer disappointing 138-100 loss to Pistons to end back-to-back – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Myles Colvin scored 18 points and led seven Wake Forest teammates in double-figures scoring and the Demon Deacons went to overtime to beat Virginia Tech 95-89 Tuesday night in a first-round ACC Tournament contest.

The 13th-seeded Demon Deacons advance to play fifth-seeded Clemson on Wednesday. Virginia Tech entered the tournament as the 12th seed.

Sebastian Akins scored 14 points, Tre'Von Spillers and reserve Mekhi Mason 13 each, and Juke Harris and reserves Nate Calmese and Cooper Schwieger all scored 10 apiece.

Wake Forest (17-15) shot 51% (30 of 59) overcoming 36%-shooting (8 of 22) from 3-point range.

Ben Hammond scored 23 points, Jailen Bedford 17, reserve Jaden Schutt 15 and Tobi Lawal 12 while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds for the Hokies.

The Hokies (19-13) shot 41% (29 of 70) and despite the loss had a 45-28 lead in rebounding.

Colvin made a jump shot and a 3-pointer to start overtime for an 80-75 lead and Wake Forest went on to lead for the rest of overtime.

Lawal threw down a dunk with 1:25 left to get the Hokies within 86-85 before Akins countered with a three-point play and Virginia Tech never got closer.

Hammond made two foul shots with 47 seconds left in regulation to force a 75-all tie and neither team scored until overtime. Wake Forest led 38-34 at halftime.

___

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The emotions of winning in March were on full display in the Coastal Athletic Association on March 10.

As time wound down inside Washington, DC's CareFirstArena, the CBS Sports Network broadcast caught Hofstra men's basketball coach Speedy Claxton crying into the shoulders of one of his assistant coaches, as the three-seeded Pride defeated No. 4 Monmouth 75-69 in the CAA tournament championship game to punch their ticket to March Madness.

It marked the first NCAA Tournament appearance in over two decades for Claxton's alma mater and the first time he's led them to it in his five years at the helm of the program.

The duality of March...

The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. pic.twitter.com/JbZ3kDxKht

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 11, 2026

REQUIRED READING: March Madness automatic bids: Who is in NCAA Tournament bracket?

The first time Hofstra was included in the NCAA Tournament bracket came in the 1999-2000 season, when Claxton was a player for the Pride and Jay Wright was in his sixth season as a college basketball coach, before he became a two-time national championship coach at Villanova. That was also the first of back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the Pride.

Claxton played for Hofstra from 1996 to 2000 under Wright and remains the program's all-time leader in assists and steals. He now has them in the Big Dance. Talk about an awesome full-circle moment in March.

"I'm excited they get to share this moment with each other because this is going to last a lifetime. I won championships on a high school level, college level and professional level, and my collegiate championship meant the most to me," Claxton said on CBS Sports Network on the significance of the Pride's win.

Hofstra will play in the NCAA Tournament for the FIRST time since…

The guy on the right (Jay Wright) was head coach.

And the guy on the left (Speedy Claxton) is the current head coach taking the Pride back to the Big Dance for the 1st time since 2001.

Absolutely awesome. pic.twitter.com/liCQDsxu97

— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) March 11, 2026

The Pride looked to be on their way to a potential NCAA Tournament berth in 2020 after they won the CAA regular-season and tournament crowns, but the COVID-19 pandemic took that opportunity away as the NCAA Tournament was canceled that season.

To win the 2025-26 season CAA tournament championship, Hofstra also defeated William & Mary 91-62 in the quarterfinals and Towson 68-65 in the semifinals.

The Pride will now have to wait a few more days until Selection Sunday to learn who they will open their March Madness run against and where. The NCAA Tournament bracket will be released at 6 p.m. ET on March 15.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Speedy Claxton leads alma mater, Hofstra, back to March Madness

Another failed Dallas Mavericks (21-43) comeback attempt, another dollar. The Mavericks dropped their eighth straight game and their 18th in the team’s last 20, 124-112, against the Atlanta Hawks (33-31) at State Farm Arena on Tuesday.

Nickeal Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 29 points for the Hawks in the win, and Jalen Johnson added 25 more, including 10 points in the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson made five 3-pointers on his way to 21 points for the Mavs in the loss.

Here are five stats that tell the tale of Dallas’ latest comeback attempt that came up short in Atlanta.

40: First-quarter scoring by the Hawks

The Mavericks turned the ball over five times in the first quarter, with four of them coming in the game’s first 4:23. The Hawks sprinted out to an early 10-2 lead as a result and never looked back. They boat-raced the Mavericks throughout the rest of the first quarter, taking a 40-26 lead into the second. Atlanta shot 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field in the first.

The Dallas defense was nonexistent on several Atlanta drives to the hoop, including one late in the first by Nickeal Alexander-Walker, who waltzed past all five Dallas defenders on his way to the hoop for an easy score that put the Hawks up 40-24 with 25 seconds left in the frame. Onyaka Okongwu led Atlanta with nine points on 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range in the first quarter, while Brandon Williams matched him with nine off the bench for the Mavs on 3-of-3 shooting.

6-of-9: Dallas’ shooting start to second quarter

The Mavericks fought their way back to within four points of the lead in the first 5:30 of the second quarter. They shot 6-of-9 from the field to outscore Atlanta 13-5 to start the second. The Mavs extended that run to 17-5 before the Hawks responded.

The Hawks came into the game with the league’s No. 1 defensive rating (106.1) over the last month, but the Mavs bucked back to climb back in it after falling down by as many as 16 points in the first quarter. Max Christie finally nailed his first 3-pointer in five first-half attempts to cut the Hawks’ lead to four, 45-41, with 6:35 left in the second.

After Hawks head coach Quin Snyder called a timeout with 6:25 left in the second, Atlanta rattled off six straight quick points, including two transition baskets by Alexander-Walker, who seems to be a shoo-in for Most Improved Player this year. Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting as the Hawks took a 64-55 lead into the half.

1: Second-quarter shot attempt by Cooper Flagg

We thought we were done with this dilemma after Cooper Flagg’s explosive months of December and January, but the Mavs’ rookie star was nowhere to be found on the stat sheet in the second quarter. He got lost in an offense that more prominently featured the likes of Brandon Williams, Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley III.

Flagg grimaced a little on his way to the free-throw line after taking a foul from Jalen Johnson with 6:57 left in the second, but played through whatever ailed him after taking the contact. As noted above, the Hawks are a good defensive team, so maybe his second-quarter absence shouldn’t be that much of a concern, but Flagg needs to see the ball more in order to get out of the shooting funk he’s been in since returning to the lineup after missing eight games with a sprained left foot on Mar. 5 at the Orlando Magic. He came into the game shooting just 21-of-62 (33.9%) from the field in his three games back and shot 2-of-5 for six points in the first half on Tuesday.

Flagg’s funk continued in the second half as he missed his next five attempts, finishing with just 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds in the loss. Nine of those 14 points came too little, too late in the game’s waning minutes.

20-6: Mavs’ late third-quarter run

The Mavericks made several runs at the Atlanta lead, but none of them were potent enough to take hold of the lead. Klay Thompson and Khris Middleton keyed a 20-9 Mavs’ spurt late in the third quarter to get to within 93-89, after the Hawks’ lead had ballooned to 15 points midway through the frame.

Thompson scored 10 points in the third quarter, all of which came during that 20-9 run. Atlanta survived the run to take a 95-91 lead into the fourth. Dallas outscored the Hawks 38-31 in the third to close the gap.

18: Second-half scoring from Klay Thompson

Thompson scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half, shooting the lights out from deep as the Mavs tried desperately to win just their third game in their last 20. But it just wasn’t enough as the Mavericks rack up their frequent flyer miles on their current road trip.

Thompson canned 4-of-7 from deep in the second half as Dallas clawed its way back, but Atlanta had an answer for every Mavericks run down the stretch. After a quiet start to the game, Jalen Johnson was the answer for the Hawks late in the game, as he scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to kill the Mavs’ momentum. Johnson finished with 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win, while Thompson scored 21 for the Mavs in the loss.

San Antonio closed out Boston with a late 19-10 surge (including a 12-0 run) to secure its 16th win in 17. The second seeds in each conference treated the viewing audience to a bombardment of three-point makes in a first half where no team led by more than seven. While it wasn’t quite Bird / Wilkins from 1988, Victor Wembanyama (14) and Derrick White (19) countered each other with buckets-a-plenty throughout the third quarter. Celtics star Jaylen Brown was whistled for two technicals and tossed late in the first half for arguing with the referees. With the win San Antonio stayed comfortably ahead of the 3-6 seeds – 7.5 ahead of Houston / Minnesota, 8.5 ahead of Los Angeles, and 9 ahead of Denver (with Wolves and Lakers as the nightcap).

Wembanyama (39 points and 11 rebounds – eight triples) continued to withstand the aggression other teams’ frontline players throw at him, while De’Aaron Fox (25 points and 9 assists) and Stephon Castle (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists) matched the Celtics’ intensity to keep San Antonio toe-to-toe with the Celtics until that late flourish. Devin Vassell (14 points) came on late with timely shooting.

Despite pulling up gimpy at the end of the third, White (34 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds) carried Boston’s second half attack in this highly emotional contest. Jayson Tatum (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Ron Harper, Jr. – with a career high 22 – provided support in the glaring absence of Brown.

In a taut back-and-forth physical first 12 minutes, Boston and San Antonio treated this matchup with the requisite respect a late-season tilt deserved. Aside from a brief moment where the Spurs went up six, the teams were separated by fewer points for most of the period. Castle carried the Spurs early on, while Wembanyama was pelted in the face twice and smarting from the blows. Brown and White staked the Celtics to a lead with their 7-0 run. Castle and Brown were halted by their respective pair of fouls. Despite Boston’s barrage of threes they snuck out of the quarter only ahead two after Carter Bryant’s corner three.

As intense as the first quarter action, it was visibly heightened in the second. Ron Harper, Jr. had a succession of field goals spanning throughout the half and had a greater impact initially over his younger brother. Fox was able to find easy offense to keep the Spurs close. Late in the half, Brown (despite the consistent physicality throughout the half) meekly fell out of bounds and was tossed for arguing the phantom call with the crew chief and another referee. Julian Champagnie and Vassell were largely kept out of the scorebook; however San Antonio was able to get to halftime even with Boston 58-58.

San Antonio turned the 3-point shooting tables on Boston to start the third with a handful of makes from Fox, Wembanyama, and Castle. White tried to capably play the Brown role – putting up a 11 quick points. When the Spurs’ bench came in, Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson and helped get the Spurs back on top. Harper’s flurry of scores helped San Antonio nab its largest lead of the night late in the frame. Fittingly, Fox and Wembanyama’s scores completed the scoring for the Spurs and they went to the fourth up seven.

Observations

• Crunchtime Sequence of the Game: Vassell, after swishing a jumper in the lane, shot the gap at the other end to steal an errant pass and soared in for a transition lay-up to make it 115-105.
• I could not imagine what it’d be like to suffer an achilles tear and then have to come back because it’s related to my career (Tatum)… although I had hoped there’d be a longer pre-game recognition of what the Spurs had done (15-1 in the last month).
• Bam Adebayo (83) nearly matched both teams’ outputs for three periods tonight.
• Interesting to see Castle (Spurs’ future) and White (Spurs’ past) paired with each other from the tip.
• My brother in law called during the first period just to say this: ”They (San Antonio) make basketball fun again to watch!”
• Hugo Gonzalez is tailor-made to be a future Spur.
• The Celtics lead the lague with the most impressive bald shaves / facial hair combos (White, Brown, and Jordan Walsh)
• Castle Hills: Castle will need to limit the silly Karl-Anthony Towns-like reach-in fouls during the playoff rounds. His two early ones in the first forced him to the bench.
• Sequence of the Game #1: In the opening moments, and after Wembanyama swatted away a Queta shot, Castle hit from the wing at the other end.
• Sequence of the Game #2:. Early on in the second period, Fox hit a catch-and-shoot three, and then stripped White just across halfcourt and coasted in for a lay-up.
• Sequence of the Game #3: In a early third quarter runout, Vassell splayed out to the right wing – and perhaps thought that his teammates wouldn’t find him, but after Castle fed it to a trailing Wembanyama, the center lasered it out to Vassell – who hit the three.

Game Rundown

Boston thought they had a sly give-and-go action to get Queta a lay-up, but Wembanyama sniffed it out and erased it. The referees missed an obvious foul to the center’s face by Sam Hauser on a dribble drive. Vassell also got hit in the face on a loose ball by Brown, and thankfully that one was called. Fox’s pair of paint buckets put San Antonio up six and he seemed to be the only Spur that found steady success. The Celtics’ output after four minutes was just triples from White and Luka Garza. Brown then spearheaded a 7-0 run to get Boston on top. Taylor Schiermann also made contact to Luke Kornet’s face with a minute to go. Tatum saw some shots go down later in the quarter and Boston headed to the second up a pair.

Bryant’s second threed brought San Antonio within two to start the second. Fox’s personal 5-0 run momentarily put the Spurs back up. Bryant’s fadeaway in the paint(?!) was matched by White’s second lay-up of the stanza. Brown and Wembanyama matched each other with consecutive pairs of field goals. Brown doinked a dunk attempt that caromed all the way out past the 3-point line. The teams stayed glued to 51-47 for some time as the feistiness ratcheted up several levels. After Brown tried to sell a fou call by falling out of bounds, he spent an embarrassing amount of time protesting it and was teed up twice. Though the Spurs squandered several chances to tie or lead, Castle’s degree-of-difficulty banker tied things at 58.

The baskets again came furiously after the break, and Fox’s stepback three put the Spurs up six. White screamed like (Keldon) Johnson on several pull-ups to draw fouls. Vassell’s first field goal came 27 minutes into game action. White and Tatum helped the Celtics leapfrog San Antonio back into the lead. Harper’s first field goal came against his brother nearly 2 1/2 quarters in and then proceeded to add to his tally prodigiously. White nearly matched San Antonio’s output for the quarter by himself. Wembanyama’s stepback triple helped get the Spurs went to the fourth up 97-90.

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For the Celtics fan’s perspective, please visit Celtics Blog.

San Antonio’s continues its slate of games against Western Conference contenders Thursday night with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at 8:00 PM CDT.