DALLAS (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 24 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 22, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Dallas Mavericks 135-120 on Wednesday night for their 11th straight win.
Dyson Daniels had 19 points on 9 for 13 shooting and Jalen Johnson scored 17 points with 11 rebounds for the Hawks, who at 38-31 are in the middle of the race for a play-in playoff spot.
Atlanta hasn’t won at least 11 in a row since winning a franchise-record 19 straight during the 2014-2015 season. Their current streak is tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in club history.
Daniel Gafford came off the bench to lead the Mavericks with 24, P.J. Washington had 23 and Cooper Flagg added 17.
The Mavericks have now lost 11 of their last 13 and appear destined for the draft lottery at 23-47.
Atlanta's Onyeka Okongwo scored the first 10 points of the game and the Hawks never trailed. The score was 67-56 by halftime.
The Mavericks turned the ball over 18 times, seven more times than the Hawks.
Jonathan Kuminga hit a 75-foot basket in the win, the longest basket by a Hawk in the play-by-play era and the sixth-longest among all players in the play-by-play era since 1997-98, according to Elias Sports. The previous longest made basket by a Hawk was a 63-foot bucket by Jason Terry on Jan. 5, 2000.
Up next
Hawks: At Houston on Friday night.
Mavericks: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
Plantar fasciitis has ended Egor Dëmin’s rookie season.
A successful procedure has the Nets guard already looking toward the offseason.
“Everything went well, and now it’s just the process of rehab and getting back on the court as soon as the season ends, as we planned,” Dëmin, 20, said in his first comments since being shut down. “Hopefully everything’s going to go in the right direction and I’ll be able to get back to work as soon as I can.”
Neither Dëmin nor Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernández would specify exactly what procedure the Russian guard underwent on his left foot, other than to say it was successful.
“Cortisone is typically the first line of injection treatment, but sometimes people utilize alternative types of injections like platelets [PRP] or stem cells or amniotic tissue injections,” Dr. Andrew Brief of the Ridgewood Orthopedic Group told The Post about the plethora of non-surgical options available to Dëmin.
“PRP most likely is in the treatment algorithm if someone hasn’t responded to everything else.”
Dëmin, who was Brooklyn’s first lottery pick in 15 years, has been dealing with the issue since last offseason, and it has cropped up on and off during his rookie campaign.
“[The procedure] was successful. I’m not qualified to explain exactly what it was, but it was to make his plantar fasciitis better and find the best way for him to take the next step and get stronger,” Fernández said before his tanking Nets suffered a 121-92 blowout loss to the defending champion Thunder at Barclays Center. “So it went well, and he’ll be ready to go at some point in the offseason, which is great because then you have all this time to work, get better and go into summer league.
Egor Dëmin, who is out for the season with a left foot injury, poses for a picture during the Nets’ 121-92 blowout loss to the defending champion Thunder on March 18, 2026 at Barclays Center. NBAE via Getty Images
“Yeah, [summer league is the goal]. But right now, what we’re doing is — what’s the next step? Right now he’s not on the court, so I don’t think we’ll have any timeline; but that’s the idea, yeah, at some point.”
Dëmin averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds in a solid rookie campaign, the first Net since 2019 picked for the Rising Stars at All-Star Weekend.
He set an NBA rookie record by hitting a 3-pointer in 34 straight games. But eventually the plantar fasciitis took its toll.
“I just really want to play basketball. And sometimes for athletes, when you know you can run, that’s enough for you to just go and play, right?” Dëmin said. “And I don’t want to say people would let me go and play with injury; that’s not what I’m saying. It’s just about me trying my best to recover as fast as I can.
“And in the season, it’s pretty hard for me, being a rookie, being in the process of that many games for the first time. I did feel it at some point. Going to the All-Star, I’m like, ‘OK, it’s a privilege to be in All-Star Weekend.’ But I’m like, ‘OK, that’s another two days of some sort of work.’ So it’s just been a long season even though I didn’t finish it. So that’s a factor, not just for my foot, but for anybody in anything.
Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) during the second quarter. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Yeah, I’m taking this … I don’t want to say time off, but this time being off the court with a positive approach where I’ve really tried to take advantage of it, where I can have more time in the lifting room without worrying about being sore and not being able to play the same as I could. So I’m just trying to kill as much as I can right now [since] it’s not going to affect my game because I’m not playing. So there’s a lot of advantage from not playing, even though I really like basketball and I’d prefer to be [playing]. But everything is happening for a reason and I believe in it, and I’m trying to be intentional with whatever I have in front of me.”
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ayo Dosunmu scored 23 points and had nine rebounds in his second straight start in place of the injured Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves took charge in the second quarter to cruise past the Utah Jazz 147-111 on Wednesday night.
Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Julius Randle also scored 21 points and had eight assists for the Timberwolves, who have won two in a row without their All-Star guard.
Minnesota announced Tuesday that Edwards will miss one to two weeks with right knee inflammation before being re-evaluated. The Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 116-104 behind 32 points from Randle.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 41 points, two off his career high, to lead the Jazz, who have lost four in a row and 12 of their last 14.
Ace Bailey added 17 points for Utah, which went 0-3 on its road trip. Walker Kessler (shoulder), Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) and Jusuf Nurkic (face) remained sidelined.
The game was tight early, with eight lead changes and three ties before the Timberwolves took control. With Utah leading 28-27, Bones Hyland made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:22 left in the opening quarter — the start of an 8-0 run by Minnesota.
The Timberwolves led 72-58 at halftime and ran away in the second half while building a lead as much as 38 points in the fourth quarter.
Minnesota won three of its four matchups this season with Utah.
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 18: CJ McCollum #3 of the Atlanta Hawks shoots as Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center on March 18, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Hawks looked to keep rolling in the Lone Star State, with a pair of games at the Mavericks and the Rockets on Friday. No change to the usual starting lineup for tonight.
Onyeka Okongwu came out of the gates and scored the game’s first 10 points all by himself. Here was a montage of those buckets:
But the Hawks’ early edge was short-lived, as the Mavericks crushed the Hawks on the offensive boards early on. That propelled them to pulling roughly even with Atlanta by midway through the quarter.
With the bench unit it, Jonathan Kuminga shook off a rough two games to give the Hawks some offensive punch. This corner three came from good ball movement via Jock Landale:
Atlanta’s bench put together an immediate 7-0 run in the following quarter to open up a 14-point lead, with plays like this from Zaccharie Risacher to CJ McCollum acting as catalysts:
Atlanta tightened the screws defensively and on the rebounding front in the second quarter to protect their lead. The bench handed things off back off to the starting unit to take them home in the first half.
After some scrappy play to close the half, the Hawks led 67-56. Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu were tied for the scoring lead by the halfway point at 10.
CJ McCollum turned on the scoring faucet in the next period, getting his early and often. Jalen Johnson chipped in to create his opportunity:
Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Johnson paired up once again to provide a two-headed offensive punch in the third quarter. Kuminga got to his spots over and over, and Dallas had no one to contend with his downhill pressure.
Kuminga even hit maybe the shot of the year in the entire NBA with this insane heave (pass?) at the end of the period:
After 36 minutes, the good guys had the advantage, 101-82.
The fourth quarter was fairly routine, with the Mavericks never cutting the lead down to single digits. The Hawks calmly salted away their 11th straight win, 135-120, to move to 38-31.
CJ McCollum was the Hawks’ highest scorer with 24, Jonathan Kuminga put in 16 points from off the bench, and Jalen Johnson finished an assist shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds.
The streak is tied for the third longest in the entire NBA this season.
The Hawks now aim for third place on their own with a matchup against the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Mar 18, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) shoots as Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Dallas Mavericks 135-to-120.
This game started on the wrong foot, and the Mavericks never quite found their level. If you blinked (or spent the first couple of minutes looking at your phone), you might’ve missed the Hawks starting the game by opening up a 10-to-0 lead within the game’s first two minutes. The Mavericks woke up a little at that point and worked their way back into it, but that was how things went all night — Atlanta would surge ahead, and Dallas would get just close enough that you didn’t want to turn the game off, but the Mavs were never threatening to win this one.
Daniel Gafford had a big game, scoring a season-high 24 on nine-of-10 shooting and four offensive boards.
For Atlanta, CJ McCollum led the way with an efficient 22 points on eight-of-12 shooting.
Just you wait
There are few things less productive as a sports fan than complaining about refs, and that’s not even necessarily the aim here, but Cooper Flagg’s whistle has nowhere to go but up.
As a rookie, Flagg has been damn-near stoic when it comes to showing visible frustration on the floor, but after a n0-call on a layup in the first quarter left Coop bleeding from the forearm, he did have an extended conversation with the nearest referee, showing off the wound like a courtroom prosecutor bringing the juror’s attention to “Exhibit A.”
He’s a rookie. Sure, the same rules should apply equally to every player all the time, but in the real world, it’s just a matter of fact that guys need to earn their lumps. Cooper is certainly doing that this year. His hesitation to let it fly from deep and instead drive to the cup as often as possible almost seems purposeful. Like he wants to make sure he pays enough dues this season so that next year, his whistle will be undeniable.
Big ups, big guy
Daniel Gafford, a guy who started the year vying for minutes with Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively, has been charged with shouldering the vast majority of the minutes at center. He’s played through some injuries and logged a bunch of minutes, but he’s still able to deliver solid performances in games like tonight.
He ended up with 24 points on a nine-of-10 shooting, plus a nearly perfect six-for-seven from the line and eight total boards.
Ideally, he’s a guy who could come off the bench (which he actually did tonight, as the Mavs started a wacky forward-heavy lineup with Flagg, Naji Marshall, and PJ Washington all starting) and play a hyper-efficient game around the basket with a top-tier facilitator. That’s still in the cards in the near future, but while we’re still in the present, his steadying presence as Dallas’ premiere Big is commendable.
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 23 of his 32 points in the first half and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 120-99 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
Jayson Tatum added 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who have won three straight.
It was Tatum’s fifth time scoring at least 20 points in the six games he’s played since making his season debut following Achilles tendon surgery. It also marked his third double-double.
Golden State cut a 21-point third-quarter deficit to 11 early in the fourth, but Boston responded with a 17-6 run to push the lead back to 22 with just more than five minutes to play.
Gary Payton II and Pat Spencer both had 14 points to lead the Warriors, who have lost six of seven. They are 6-13 since star guard Stephen Curry was sidelined with a right knee injury. Draymond Green and Gui Santos scored 13 apiece.
Kristaps Porzingis, who played for the first time in TD Garden since winning a championship with Boston to cap the 2023-24 season, finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
THUNDER 121, NETS 92
NEW YORK (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points and Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn for their 10th straight win.
Gilgeous-Alexander was 8 of 9 from the field and was subbed out with 4:28 remaining in the third quarter with the Thunder leading by 38. The reigning NBA MVP extended his NBA-record of 62 consecutive road games with at least 20 points.
Jared McCain had 26 points and Aaron Wiggins finished 17 for the Thunder, who led by as many as 42 and never trailed in the second game of a back-to-back.
Jalen Wilson had 15 points off the bench and rookie Nolan Traore was the lone starter in double figures with 13 for the Nets, who have lost their last five games and 15 of 17. Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) missed his fourth straight game.
Oklahoma City shot 53% from the field and 40% from long distance to improve to a league-best 25-8 on the road.
TRAIL BLAZERS 127, PACERS 119
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 23 of his 32 points in the first half Wednesday night and Donovan Clingan added a career-high 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help Portland hold off hard-charging Indiana.
Portland won the for the third time in four games as the 10th-seeded Trail Blazers close in on clinching a Western Conference play-in spot in what figures to be a wide-open postseason.
Avdija also had 11 rebounds for Portland, which matched its highest-scoring half of the season with 79 points in the first two quarters. Clingan was 3 of 5 on 3-pointers and had two blocks.
Ivica Zubac led the injury-riddled Pacers with 18 points. Jalen Slawson had 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
RAPTORS 139, BULLS 109
CHICAGO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 23 points, Brandon Ingram had 18 and Toronto pounded Chicago for their third consecutive win.
Toronto shot 57% (48 for 84) from the field and put seven players in double figures in the opener of a five-game trip. Scottie Barnes had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Ja’Kobe Walter also scored 18.
The Raptors led by as many as 38 while completing a sweep of their three-game season series against the Bulls.
Matas Buzelis scored 19 points for Chicago, which lost for the third time in four games. Collin Sexton had 14 in his return from a left leg injury.
Bulls guard Josh Giddey was held to nine points, three assists and no rebounds. The 23-year-old Giddey had been on a tear, posting five triple-doubles while averaging 19 points, 12 assists and 11.7 rebounds over his previous seven games.
PELICANS 124, CLIPPERS 109
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 25 points, Trey Murphy added 23 and New Orleans overcame an early 18-point hole to beat Los Angeles.
Dejounte Murray had 17 points and 11 assists, while Zion Williamson and rookie Derrick Queen each scored 14 for the Pelicans, who received a standing ovation as the final seconds wound down on their sixth straight victory at home and ninth win in their past 13 games overall
Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and John Collins added 18 for the Clippers, who dropped a game below .500 (34-35), but maintained a tenuous hold on the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Portland.
Bey hit five of 10 3-point shots to help New Orleans go 16 of 37 (43.2%) from deep. The Pelicans also made 20 of 21 free throws, with Queen making all nine of his.
Pelicans rookie guard Jeremiah Fears chipped in 11 points off the bench.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 18: Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz goes up for a shot against Donte DiVincenzo #0 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center on March 18, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves are truly an epiphany in basketball. Before tonight the Wolves had lost four of their last six games. Despite being one of the most marketable and successful teams in their history, the regular season has always seemed like a red herring for what they actually are.
Case in point them being 12th in offensive rating, 11th in defensive rating and 11th in net rating.
Utah on the other hand, seem like they’re always a Will Hardy temper tantrum away from a blowout win against any opponent. There was no sarcasm in that sentence — Utah always happens to find themselves in a close finish against their opponents during this post-ASG period.
But alas, the Jazz were all business tonight for Tanking and Co™. A calm and orthodox 147-111 loss was what Jazz fans were treated to on the last leg of their West Coast road trip. Wolves had a grip on Utah all game, a combination of turnovers, poor interior defense and an Ayo Dosunmu takeover all played a part.
With only a single glance at the injury report, the Jazz were ready to make their report in Minnesota just for league formalities. There was no intention to play the game of basketball.
Minus Anthony Edwards with right knee inflammation, the Wolves were in full-force in their push over the 5th-seeded Nuggets to battle it out in an excruciatingly difficult matchup against the powerhouse Jazz. There was intention to play the game of basketball.
UPDATED Minnesota @Timberwolves Status Report in advance of tonight’s game vs. Utah Jazz:
AVAILABLE Clark- Right Calf Soreness
OUT Edwards- Right Knee Inflammation Freeman- Two-Way Phillips- G League Assignment Reid- Right Ankle Sprain Zikarsky- Two-Way https://t.co/rlfJnn96LX
Utah came out of the gates with the hot hand; every Jazz fan across the globe pinched the bridge of their nose as they were probably expecting Utah to fight tooth and nail for an agonising and close loss. Perfectly normal for the Jazz to knock down 3-4 of their three-pointers in the first two minutes. Additionally, it is completely normal for the Wolves to shoot 4-5 from the field during the same period.
Hardy has his business outfit on. No intentions of losing this one, using the services of Kevin Love and John Konchar — don’t worry Svi, you’ll get to play someday.
It was all Wolves from that point on. Minnesota went on a 20-5 run between the 3:02 and 6:38 mark in the first quarter, led by Julius Randle’s 16 points and 4 steals at the half. Old friend Rudy Gobert poured in 12 points and 11 rebounds on a perfect 6-6 from the field.
They held a 26-7 advantage in fastbreak points despite the Jazz not having that far of a disadvantage in fastbreak possessions. Wolves generated 8 steals while committing 9 turnovers, while Utah collected 10 turnovers.
On the brighter side of the St. Paddy’s Day rainbow, it was none other than ‘Ice Brice’ Sensabaugh to record 23 points and 3 boards on 10-17 shooting on a chilling 35-degree day in Minneapolis. Ace Bailey scored 12 on 4-7 three-point shooting.
The Timberwolves then took away our small pot of gold; a further 21-9 run in the third quarter was enough to put the cork back on the lid. They shot 80% from the floor during that period whilst hitting 4 triples. Gobert scored seven points, Utah recorded an additional four turnovers, totalling to 18 turnovers for the Jazz through three quarters.
On yet another 11-3 run by Minnesota in the final frame, Ayo Dosunmu scored or assisted in 8 points as Utah turned it over three times. And right on cue, it was none other than Jinglin’ Joe Ingles to make an appearance on the basketball court once the Jazz were down by 38. Hold up, and he had back-to-back buckets? Well, that makes this night just a tad more bearable, as if it were bearable at all beforehand.
I will say this, if there was a listing of players who could break the absurd 83-point night by ███ ███████, I’d guarantee Brice isn’t too far down the list. When he has the hot hand, everything is going down in flames. The former Buckeye recorded his second 40+ point performance this season, finishing with 41 points, 4 boards on 17-31 shooting.
Hardy had high praise for Ace Bailey before tonight, calling him “incredibly unselfish. For somebody that was as highly touted as he was… He doesn’t carry himself where he thinks he’s not getting enough…”
And tonight he responded with calm 17 points, 2 boards and 2 assists on 6-13 shooting. Nothing too flashy, but he’s dialled in his three-point shooting compared to how he fared earlier in the season. Over the last five games, he’s shot 20-42 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.
Up Next
Utah is back home on their turf in Salt Lake City to welcome the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night, March 19th, at 5 PM MST.
Darryn Peterson, by nature, isn't a terribly public person. That's not a bad thing — Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and others have had Hall of Fame NBA careers while taking extra steps to maintain their privacy.
However, that limited communication can become an issue when the waters get rough — and they were rough for Peterson this season at Kansas. He's missed 11 games — some to a sprained ankle, others because of a couple of illnesses — and then there were the early exits that drew a lot of attention. Multiple times, Peterson checked himself out of games because of cramping concerns, including against BYU and the other potential No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa — Peterson was dominant in the first half but left early in the third quarter. He has yo-yo'ed in and out of the lineup all season.
Peterson nor his family talked about any of it. They were private. The problem is, the Internet abhors a vacuum. So do media talking heads. That empty space gets filled with speculation and commentary from people on the outside looking in. In this case, it led people to question Peterson: If availability is the best ability, should NBA teams trust him? Does he love the game?
NBA teams are not worried.
The scouts and team officials NBC Sports has spoken with in recent weeks about Peterson still remember the guy who was clearly the top player in an elite class coming into this season. Those same executives acknowledge that, for stretches of the season, he has not looked as explosive as he did a year ago, but to a man, they said, "We want to see the medicals" (he will undergo a full medical workup at the NBA Draft Combine). Teams are being patient until then, with an expectation that this is not a long-term issue. Many said in the games where Peterson has looked healthy, he has looked like the No. 1 pick.
Peterson has the chance to answer those questions and his critics on the court in the NCAA Tournament, which starts Friday for Kansas against Cal Baptist.
Peterson also answered questions about all of it speaking to the media about his season.
The cramping issues started a week after Kansas coach Bill Self's "boot camp" before traditional practices began at Kansas (a week of intense conditioning Self does every year). Peterson was fine throughout camp, but a week later at a traditional practice, he suffered intense full-body cramps for 45 minutes. The pain was intense, he was taken to the hospital and given two IV bags of fluid. His quote, via CJ Moore of The Athletic, was telling.
"It was a traumatic experience," Peterson said.
After that, when he would start to feel cramping during games, he would take himself out to prevent what he had experienced before. The cramping, the injuries and illnesses have slowed Peterson this season, something he admitted to The Athletic.
"I'm still getting in shape," Peterson said. "I haven't played as many minutes, so you probably tell that by the shots that I'm missing. A lot of easy shots that I usually make, I miss now. I've missed a lot of games, so people have a lot more games than me, so I'm still adjusting."
"Everything that's going on with Darryn not playing well and not shooting it well during this time, it is definitely leaning people into AJ at one is a real conversation," the scout said. "AJ, what he's been doing at his size, is different. But all this stuff that now is being made public that we knew, a lot of people in the media had said he doesn't love the game, he's not competitive and that other bulls***, we knew was all crap. But who goes No. 1 is a conversation now."
Peterson can start to change that conversation with how he plays in the NCAA Tournament, which, for the Jayhawks, begins Friday when Kansas faces California Baptist in San Diego.
For teams, the medical and individual workouts will matter more. They know Peterson's game and his potential. It would be nice to see it on college basketball's biggest stage, however.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Grace Zumwinkle and Kelly Pannek scored 11 seconds apart during a four-goal first period and the Minnesota Frost routed the Ottawa Charge 5-0 on Wednesday night.
Minnesota (10-3-3-4) has won four straight games — the last three by scoring at least four goals. The Frost sit tied atop the league standing with the Boston Fleet at 39 points apiece.
Taylor Heise opened the scoring 27 seconds into the game — the second fastest goal in the PWHL this season — when she angled a shot from the corner that deflected off the stick and skate of goaltender Gwyneth Philips. Heise has goals in four straight games — the longest goal streak of the PWHL season.
Zumwinkle scored her ninth goal of the season and Pannek added her first goal of the game for a 3-0 lead to chase Philips. Pannek added her 11th goal of the season — to tie the league lead — late in the second period to cap the scoring.
Kaitlyn O’Donohoe scored her first PWHL goal — in her 16th game with Minnesota — by knocking in her own rebound.
Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney recorded the fifth shutout of her career — first this season — for her 20th career win.
Kendra Woodland made her PWHL debut in relief of Philips.
Ottawa (5-6-1-9) has alternated wins and losses in its last 10 games. The Charge had won two straight games against the Frost, most recently 5-2 on Jan. 3.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jack Hughes and Connor Brown each had goal and two assists to help the New Jersey Devils beat the New York Rangers 6-3 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.
The Devils are 10 points behind Boston and Detroit for the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots. They opened a five-game trip after going 5-2 on a homestand.
Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt each had a goal an assist for New Jersey, and Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier also scored. Jacob Markstrom made 14 saves.
Vladislav Gavrikov, Mika Zibanejad and Conor Sheary scored for New York. Jonathan Quick stopped 33 shots.
Last in the East, the Rangers have lost two straight after winning four in a row.
Brown gave New Jersey a 3-2 lead on a power play with 8:24 left in the second period, beating Quick with a quick shot from the slot off a pass from Hughes.
Meier made it 4-2 at 6:29 of the third with his 19th of the season, and Sheary countered for New York at 9:41.
Hughes restored the two-goal margin with 6:55 left, firing in a wrist shot for the U.S. Olympic star's 18th of the season. Bratt capped the scoring with 3:38 to go, with Hughes picking up his 36th assist on the play.
Zibanejad tied it at 2 at 19 seconds of the second period with his 28th goal. He beat Markstrom from the high slot on the Rangers' third shot of the game.
New Jersey led 2-1 after outshooting New York 17-2 in the first. Gavrikov scored for the Devils with 4:40 left, Hischier batted in his 24th on a power play with 3:46 to go, and Gritsyuk gave New Jersey the lead with 44 seconds remaining.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 18: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 18, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors had their work cut out for them on Wednesday night. They headed to New England for their third consecutive road game. They were facing a Boston Celtics squad that was one of the best in the NBA even before recently welcoming Jayson Tatum back into the fold. And, despite being a little healthier than in recent games, they were still at a distinct health disadvantage.
All of which left them at a distinct talent disadvantage. And while the Dubs put up a fight, that gap in available talent showed itself on the scoreboard, where the Warriors lost 120-99.
It started out with some electricity. On the very first defensive possession of the game, Kristaps Porziņģis had two emphatic blocks back-to-back, and followed it up by getting fouled on the other end. It looked like he might be set for a high-impact revenge game, as the Warriors were facing one of his former teams for the third straight game.
That didn’t happen. Porziņģis missed both free throws, and had a fairly nondescript game overall, and the Celtics quickly took control of the contest. It was a wild and hectic pace for the first six or so minutes, with the teams flying up and down the court and exchanging fun offensive possessions. But soon Boston’s stars — Tatum and Jaylen Brown — started to take over. And as their offense became automatic, Golden State’s faltered. Boston turned it into a double-digit game in the blink of an eye, and Brown capped a nearly perfect quarter — he had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting — by sinking a tough shot with just 0.3 seconds remaining. The Celtics lead 36-23 after one.
They responded well to start the second quarter, forcing turnovers and converting them into points in the opening possessions. They were finally playing good defense, and they were scoring, too … for a while, at least. They stayed aggressive, and got into the bonus early, but the offense completely fell apart, and just couldn’t do anything. Meanwhile, Tatum started finding his groove in what was one of his best games since returning earlier this month from an Achilles tear.
The Warriors quickly lost contact with the Celtics, and were suddenly down 20 points. But late in the quarter the Dubs showed life, and started to figure out their offense. They cut into the deficit a little bit, and trailed 63-50 at the break.
For a brief moment in the third, it seemed like the Warriors might make things interesting. They came out of halftime firing, scoring the first six points while playing excellent defense. But they were never able to fully close the gap. They were sticking with the Celtics, but the deficit remained in the 10-point range. Boston wasn’t running away with it, but Golden State wasn’t getting particularly close.
Yet again, the Celtics found their rhythm late in the quarter. One moment you thought the Dubs might make a game of it; the next, they were down 21.
They had one final run in them, and no one can accuse the Warriors of not playing hard. Between the end of the third and the start of the fourth, the Warriors went on a 9-0 run to start to steal the momentum. That cut the lead to nine points, but what followed effectively ended the game for the Dubs. They immediately got sloppy, while the Celtics heated up from beyond the arc. Boston quickly answered with eight unanswered points, and from there, it was never competitive again, as the two teams coasted to the finish line in opposite directions.
Gary Payton II and Pat Spencer came off the bench to lead the Warriors with 14 points apiece, with GPII adding six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Draymond Green and Gui Santos each had 13 points and five rebounds, with Green adding five assists as well. Porziņģis (11 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks) and Brandin Podziemski (10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal) each had decent lines, though both players shot very poorly (Porziņģis was 4-for-13 from the field and 1-for-4 from the free throw line, while Podziemski was 1-for-8 from the field and 7-for-10 from the charity stripe).
It was a very different story for the Celtics, where the star power was on full display. Brown continued his superstar season, finishing with 32 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Tatum notched a double-double, with 24 points and 10 boards. As a whole, the Celtics shot much better than the Warriors, especially from deep: they made 35.9% of their triples (14-for-39), while the Dubs shot just 23.3% (10-for-43).
With the loss, the Warriors fell to 33-36. They’ll look to get back in the win column on Friday, when they visit the Detroit Pistons at 4:30 p.m. PT in the fourth stop on their six-city road trip.
Before the Brooklyn Nets’ contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, rookie Egor Dëmin spoke to the media. It marked his first public comment since being ruled out for the remainder of the season with plantar fasciitis, a decision the Nets announced on March 9.
Dëmin had played in two back-to-backs in the weeks leading up to the announcement, which seemed like a major step in his recovery, considering that he had been battling this left-foot injury since the spring of 2025. Alas, Brooklyn put the kibosh on his rookie season after 52 appearances citing “increased plantar fasciitis in his left foot.”
That same day, Jordi Fernández revealed that Dëmin would be undergoing a “non-surgical procedure” to begin the recovery process. On Wednesday, both Fernández and Dëmin declined to reveal the exact procedure. Likely options include a stem-cell injection, a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection, or potentially a cortisone injection, though the latter is generally regarded as a more short-term-focused solution.
Dëmin did say that the procedure was successful, and that everything “went well,” while awkwardly skirting right around the details: “I don’t think it’s something that we’re trying to focus on right now. And, you know, the details isn’t the important part. I think the important part is what’s following that, right? And how we get my recovery the best way possible.”
In Brooklyn’s March 9 announcement, they said Dëmin was “expected to return to basketball activity early in the offseason and be a full participant in the summer development program,” though when asked about potentially playing in Las Vegas Summer League, the teenager wasn’t ready to give a firm answer: “I think it’s a little too far, yet, to really talk about it.”
Dëmin did, however, open up about his now-complete rookie season. He started 45 of his 52 games, and most importantly, shot 38.5% from three on high volume after shooting 27.3% from deep in his lone season at BYU. Not just that, but he made big ones too, shooting 8-of-17 in clutch situations. No doubt it’s a small sample, but try to tell any Nets fan/player/coach that Dëmin isn’t a real shooter…
The numbers, though, aren’t what Dëmin is taking away from his first NBA go-round: “Being a rookie who has an opportunity to start as a starting point guard, right, which is even probably more responsibility than later on, when Nolan would get on the court and I started playing more of a wing. I think that’s something that gave me a lot, just from a standpoint of learning and growing as a player, as a vocal … trying to be a leader and all that.”
Now, Dëmin’s summer of reflection, and yes, weight-lifting, begins early. This is a stark departure from the previous few summers for the young Russian, hopping from Real Madrid to BYU to the NBA. Dëmin’s situation is now stable, or “safe,” as he put it. The whirlwind of his prep-to-pro journey has slowed all the way down to the monotonous grind of rehab.
“It’s pretty interesting, because it makes me think about these past years,” said Dëmin. “And then, I didn’t really have that much of a complete summer for all this time, basically, only probably one before I went to BYU … I think, you know, it feels safe, I would say. I just, I know exactly where I’m going to be. I know exactly what I’m going to be doing, and I know exactly what type of timing throughout the summer I’m going to have, right? So it kind of gives me confidence in my development, and that’s why I think this summer is probably one of the most important summers in my life.”
Unsurprisingly, it hasn’t been easy for Dëmin to sit idly by and watch from the sidelines: “I just really want to play basketball. Sometimes, I feel like for athletes, when you know that you can run, it’s enough for you to just go and play. I don’t want to — I don’t want to say that people would let me go and play with injury, like, that’s not what I’m saying — It’s just about, you know, me trying to recover as best as I can, right? In the season, it’s pretty hard for me being a rookie, as I said before, by just being in the process of that many games for the first time.
Plantar fasciitis is (clearly) no joke, particularly during the interminable 82-game schedule. Nets fans may recall the one time Joe Johnson was profoundly unclutch, as he averaged under 15 points per game on 48.6% true shooting in the 2013 playoff loss to the Chicago Bulls while dealing with the injury — but at least, this way, Dëmin does get a head start on his summer.
Like his player, Fernández wouldn’t commit to a summer league appearance (in four-and-a-half months) for the #8 overall pick, but reading between the tea leaves, it seems that that’s the initial expectation. Fernández even let this slip, speaking about Dëmin: “You got all this time to work and better and go into summer league.”
Egor Dëmin may need to hit the weight room this summer. But for a guy whose selection at #8 overall drew wrath from fans and analysts alike, he gave Nets fans plenty to cheer for in his rookie season. Maybe because it’s a fanbase starved for rookie talent, maybe because Dëmin is a great, honest quote, or that there’s little more exciting in basketball that tough shot-making…
tough night vs OKC but Egor's shooting season is crazy
thinks about going to get the handoff, split-second decision to C&S instead, cashes it pic.twitter.com/xAE46P9XnM
Jaylen Brown throws down a dunk against the Warriors on Wednesday. | David Butler II-Imagn Images
In the first quarter Wednesday night, Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown looked like he was playing at the park, rather than in an NBA arena.
Brown got to his spot with ease over and over again, racking up 19 points to help Boston jump out to an early lead against the Warriors. He kept it rolling from there, finishing with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, moving into 10th place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list in the process.
Jayson Tatum added 24 points and 10 boards for the Celtics, who coasted to a 120-99 victory at TD Garden. The win is Boston’s third in a row and eighth in its last 11 games, with a matchup at Memphis on the horizon Friday night.
19 points in just the first quarter for Jaylen Brown 🔥
The Celtics (46-23) bolted out to a 36-23 edge through one quarter, leaning on a steady diet of Tatum and Brown to pull ahead. Tatum swished a 3 and found Sam Hauser in the corner for a triple of his own, and Brown shot 8 of 9 in the quarter without much difficulty. Together, Tatum and Brown scored or assisted on all 36 of Boston’s points.
Old friend Kristaps Porzingis (11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) kept the Warriors (33-36) afloat, swatting a shot on one end and draining a 3 on the other. He then peered up at the Jumbotron as the Celtics gave him a well-deserved tribute video between quarters.
The second quarter was even, as Gui Santos and Pat Spencer did their part for Golden State. Luka Garza (15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals), Payton Pritchard (19 points, 7 assists) and Derrick White (11 points, 6 rebounds) all did their part as the Celtics took a 63-50 edge into halftime.
Boston held Golden State to 39 percent from the floor and 25 percent from 3 before the break, rotating and recovering well to prevent the Warriors from generating easy looks.
The Warriors sliced it to 63-56 early in the third, then Brown hit a jumper and Tatum swerved into the lane for two to push it back to 13. Pritchard and Garza worked in tandem to create some separation again, with Pritchard hunting mismatches and hitting his signature fallaways.
Boston extended the margin to 89-73 through three, despite Porzingis’ best efforts to keep Golden State afloat. Baylor Scheierman swished a transition 3 and White added an and-one early in the fourth, then Brown provided the exclamation point with an and-one in the final minutes to elicit another M-V-P chant.
On a night with Robert Parish in the house, the Celtics played stellar defense, holding the Warriors to 23-percent shooting from distance. They didn’t let an inferior opponent hang around and pulled away multiple times to leave no doubt.
The Warriors did all they could, but with Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and other old friend Al Horford sidelined, the Celtics simply had too much firepower. It never got out of hand, but it also never felt like the Warriors would break through.
Tatum and Brown are back doing their thing, and the Celtics are playing like a team capable of making a deep playoff run.
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Britt Prince scored 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting, Nebraska opened the third quarter with a 17-0 run, and the Cornhuskers beat Richmond 75-56 on Wednesday night at the NCAA First Four.
No. 11 seed Nebraska (19-12) plays sixth-seeded Baylor on Friday in the Round of 64. Coach Amy Williams, in her ninth season with the program, has led the Cornhuskers to five of their 18 NCAA Tournament appearances and two of their 10 wins, which includes a 61-59 first-round win over Texas A&M in 2024.
Prince came around a screen, was fouled on a pull-up jumper from the free-throw line and converted the three-point play to open the second half. Her 3-pointer with 4:42 left in the third quarter capped a 17-0 run that made it 51-32.
Seventh-year coach Aaron Roussell has led Richmond (26-8) to 26-plus wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance in each of the past three seasons. The Spiders made their sixth tournament appearance and earned their second consecutive at-large bid.
Maggie Doogan — who was named Atlantic 10 player of the year for the second consecutive season — was 8-of-13 shooting and had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Spiders. The 6-foot-2 senior averaged 28.5 points in two tournament games last season, which includes a 30-point, 15-rebound performance that helped Richmond beat Georgia Tech 74-49 in the Round of 64 — the program’s first win in the NCAA Tournament.
Richmond shot 40% overall and made just 4 of 23 (17%) from behind the arc. The Spiders went into the game ranked No. 2 nationally in 3-pointers per game (10.5), No. 9 in 3-point percentage (.370) and No. 24 in field-goal percentage (.458).
Up next
The Cornhuskers seek the program's 11th NCAA Tournament win Friday against Baylor.
ATLANTA (AP) — Virginia won the first two relays at the women’s swimming and diving championships Wednesday night to begin its quest for a sixth straight NCAA title.
The Cavaliers won two of the three events to take the team lead with 100 points. Texas is second with 89, and Louisville and Stanford are tied at 59.
Virginia won the 200-yard medley relay for the fifth consecutive championships — with Sara Curtis, Emma Weber and Bryn Greenwaldt getting their first career NCAA titles. The Cavaliers finished in a time of 1:31.67 as the program now owns the 10 fastest times in the event.
Virginia also took the 800-freestyle relay in a time of 6:45.21 to set a NCAA championship meet record.
Texas sophomore Jillian Cox defended her title in the 1650 freestyle with a pool-record time of 15:32.26 after chasing down California freshman Claire Weinstein, who came in at 15:36.52. Virginia sophomore Katie Grimes took bronze at 15:42.65.
There are five swimming finals and a diving final on Thursday at the McAuley Aquatic Center.
