Category: NBA

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — RJ Godfrey had 11 points and eight rebounds and Clemson rode a red-hot first half to a 71-62 victory over Wake Forest on Wednesday night to reach the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

Fifth-seeded Clemson (23-9) launched 13 3-pointers in the first 12-plus minutes, making seven of them en route to a 29-18 lead. The Tigers finished the first half 9 for 18. Clemson's reserves did much of the damage, making 5 of 6 from deep, and the Tigers led 41-23 at halftime.

The only free throw attempts of the first half were two misses by Clemson's Nick Davidson with 5:42 remaining.

Clemson led 52-32 after 6 1/2 minutes of the second half before the Demon Deacons' Nate Calmese scored nine unanswered points on a 3-pointer, a three-point trip to the free-throw line, and another 3-pointer.

Clemson went back up by 16 with seven minutes remaining, but Wake Forest got within eight points while the Tigers were missing nine straight shots and Godfrey missed the front end of the 1-and-1 three times in a row. Ace Buckner ended the drought with a layup and the Tigers made six free throws in the final 64 seconds to finish it off.

Juke Harris led 13th-seeded Wake Forest (17-16) with 22 points. It was his 33rd consecutive game scoring in double digits, extending his school record. Calmese scored 20 points and Tre’Von Spillers had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Ten players played at least 10 minutes for Clemson and they all scored at least three points although Godfrey was the only one to reach double figures.

Up next

Clemson will play fourth-seeded North Carolina in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

___

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — David Punch scored 26 points, Tanner Toolson made a couple of big baskets down the stretch, and sixth-seeded TCU rallied for a 95-88 victory over No. 14 seed Oklahoma State in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.

Toolson finished with 19 points, and Xavier Edmonds had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Horned Frogs (22-10), who have now won nine of their last 10 games heading into a quarterfinal matchup with third-seeded and No. 14 Kansas on Thursday night.

Anthony Roy had 25 points and nine boards for the Cowboys (19-14). Christian Coleman had 15 points and Kanye Clary had 14.

The Horned Frogs swept the regular-season series from Oklahoma State, though neither of them was easy. They won 68-65 on the road on Jan. 20, then won 95-92 at home on Feb. 14 as part of their red-hot finish heading into the postseason.

In other words, the Cowboys were out for some revenge.

Jaylen Curry scored 10 first-half points to help them take a 46-43 lead, then Roy and Coleman went to work. They combined for 17 points while Oklahoma State scored on nine consecutive possessions early in the second half, and Roy's deep 3-pointer from the wing gave them a 67-57 lead and forced TCU coach Jamie Dixon to call timeout with 13 1/2 minutes left in the game.

It seemed to settle the Horned Frogs right down.

They chipped away at their deficit over the next few minutes, finally pulling ahead on Clary's 3-pointer with 5:40 to go. And while the Cowboys managed to answer a couple of times down floor, the Horned Frogs eventually started to pull away.

Punch's bucket made it 89-86 with 2:50 left, and Toolson's 3-pointer moments later doubled a lead they would never give up.

Up next

The Horned Frogs lost to the Jayhawks 104-100 in overtime on Jan. 6 in Allen Fieldhouse.

The Cowboys are longshots to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

___

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

SALT LAKE CITY — There’s something about Utah for Jordan Clarkson. 

Out of the Knicks rotation for most of the last seven weeks, the reserve guard returned to his old home and put on a show, scoring a season-high 27 points off the bench to help the Knicks recover from an 18-point deficit and avoid an ugly defeat to the tanktastic Jazz, 134-117. 

Clarkson, who spent 5 ½ seasons with the Jazz, got a video tribute at the Delta Center and proceeded to take the fans on a trip down memory lane, flashing the microwave scoring that won him the Sixth Man of the Year here in 2021. 

“I spent six years in this arena so the rims are pretty familiar to me,” Clarkson said. “It’s not the first time I’ve been hot in this arena. 

“Just being able to start the flame and keep it going.” 

Clarkson’s performance was necessary amid struggles from his backcourt teammates Wednesday, including another disappearing act from Mikal Bridges (five points, 27 minutes, 2-for-9 shooting, benched again in the fourth quarter) and early struggles from Jalen Brunson. 

Clarkson, 33, keyed the second-half spurt that turned the tables, and the Knicks (42-25) led for the entire fourth quarter while snapping a two-game losing streak. 

“For him to go out and perform the way he did, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” coach Mike Brown said. “And it goes to show he’s not just keeping his body right but his mind is in a good spot to go after coming in when you’re down [18 points] in the first half. So just to see that, you couldn’t ask for anything better. Especially from him, who is a veteran who hasn’t been playing or in the rotation and all of a sudden we need him.” 

Brown credited assistant Mo Cheeks with recommending playing time Wednesday for Clarkson. 

“Mo was the prophet,” Brown said. “He was right on target with it. We needed every single thing that Jordan brought to the table.” 

The first quarter, though, was a disaster for the Knicks. With Josh Hart out and nursing a sore knee, Landry Shamet stepped into the starting five and the Knicks were pummeled. 

They gave up 41 points in the first quarter, with Utah’s Brice Sensabaugh scoring 10 of them in just six minutes. The Knicks trailed by 15 after that opening period. 

The Knicks somewhat recovered in the second quarter behind Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 13 of his 21 points in that period. But the deficit was still nine at the break. 

Then Brunson woke up, Clarkson turned back the clock, and the Jazz returned to being terrible. Brunson scored 18 of his 28 points in the second half. Clarkson shot 10-for-15 in 26 minutes and five big offensive rebounds. 

---

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

---

“Really good comeback win,” Brown praised. 

The Jazz (20-46) this season have acted like a family that reached its health insurance deductible. Their players have started racking up medical procedures. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had a growth on his knee removed. Jusuf Nurkic repaired a deviated septum to address his sleeping problems. Walker Kessler had surgery on his shoulder in November. Lauri Markkanen missed his eighth straight game with a hip impingement. They were all out. 

Nobody in the Jazz’s starting lineup Wednesday was older than 22. Ace Bailey, the rookie, is only 19. But they were feisty and hitting their 3-pointers, connecting on 14-of-21 at halftime. 

Then the Jazz looked their age, especially on defense. The Knicks shot 52 percent on the night, racking up 37 assists compared to just 10 turnovers while scoring 78 points in the second half. 

Clarkson said the turnaround was preceded by a halftime message — first from the coaches, then from the players — to “get our s–t together.” 

The game began the easiest stretch of the season for the Knicks, with seven straight opponents currently carrying losing records. Those opponents had a combined winning percentage of 31 percent before Wednesday. 

Still, the Knicks needed to clean up their turnovers from the previous two games — losses to the Clippers and Lakers. 

And while it took them a half, they finally got going offensively. 

Thanks, in large part, to the former Utahn. 

“Clarkson kept us in the game when we were down and then definitely helped us get over the hump with the performance he had,” Brown said. 

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Desmond Bane had a 3-pointer and two free throws in the final 17.4 seconds to cap a 35-point night and help the Orlando Magic hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers 128-122 on Wednesday for their fifth straight victory.

Paolo Banchero added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Magic. Tristan da Silva scored nine of his 23 points in the fourth quarter.

James Harden had 30 points and eights assists for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell added 25 points, hitting a 3-pointer that brought the Cavaliers within two after Orlando led by 13 midway through the fourth quarter.

Bane countered with a 3-pointer as he was falling out of bounds with 17.4 seconds left, then added two free throws with eight seconds remaining.

Three 3-pointers by Keon Ellis, who finished with 20 points, keyed the late comeback of the Cavaliers.

Evan Mobley had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland. The Cavaliers have lost five of nine after winning seven straight.

PELICANS 122, RAPTORS 111

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 28 points, Dejounte Murray added 27 and New Orleans beat Toronto, spoiling Brandon Ingram’s return to the city where he played for six seasons.

Murray had his highest-scoring game since his return from a torn right Achilles tendon that sidelined him for more than a year. Zion Williamson added 19 points for the Pelicans, who have won seven of 10.

In his first game at New Orleans since he was traded to Toronto in February of last year, Ingram finished with 22 points. The 10-year veteran also surpassed 11,000 points for his career.

Immanuel Quickley scored 25 points for Toronto, which has lost six of eight. This defeat dropped the Raptors from fifth to seventh in the Eastern Conference, one-half game behind Orlando and Miami.

Murphy shot 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Both teams made 14 3-pointers, but New Orleans did it on 29 attempts (48.3%) and Toronto needed 44 (31.8%).

KNICKS 134, JAZZ 117

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, Jordan Clarkson had 27 and New York rallied to beat Utah to snap a two-game losing streak.

Brunson also had eight assists and three steals in a game the Knicks trailed 49-31 early in the second quarter. OG Anunoby added 22 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. New York made 17 3-pointers and shot 52% from the field.

Brice Sensabaugh led Utah with 29 points. Ace Bailey added 21, and Keyonte George had 14 points and five assists before leaving midway through the third quarter with a right hamstring injury.

Utah made 11 of its first 13 3-pointers to take the early lead. Brice Sensabaugh, Ace Bailey, and Kevin Love teamed for seven 3s in the first 14 minutes. The Jazz finished 18 of 36 from 3-point range.

The Knicks cut it to single digits before halftime, then took the lead with a 20-4 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. Clarkson punctuated the run with back-to-back baskets to put the Knicks up 101-94 less than a minute into the fourth.

NUGGETS 129, ROCKETS 93

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his 25th triple-double of the season, and Denver beat Houston in a Western Conference showdown.

Jamal Murray scored 30 points for Denver, which holds the tiebreaker over the Rockets after winning the season series 3-1. The Nuggets moved within a half-game of Houston in the bunched-up Western Conference standings.

It was the first time since mid-November Denver has won with its opening-night lineup together. The Nuggets had lost six of 10 out of the All-Star break as head coach David Adelman practices caution with workloads as players return to the lineup.

Jokic completed his 187th career triple-double with his 10th rebound with 4:14 left in the third. It is the 15th time this season he has secured a triple-double before the fourth quarter.

The Rockets, who finished 4 of 33 from behind the arc, were outscored 40-22 in the third. Kevin Durant finished with just 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, his fewest field goal attempts this season.

HORNETS 117, KINGS 109

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half and Charlotte beat Sacramento.

Miles Bridges had 26 points as Charlotte won at Sacramento for the first time in more than two years. Standout rookie Kon Knueppel added 24 points and Brandon Miller scored 20.

DeMar DeRozan scored 39 points for the Kings and moved past Hall of Famer Tim Duncan into 18th place on the NBA’s career scoring list with 26,505 points. Duncan, a 15-time All-Star, had 26,496 points in 19 seasons.

Ball shot 10 of 22 and made six 3-pointers. He had six rebounds and five assists.

The Hornets trailed much of the first half but began taking control in the third quarter. Bridges’ alley-oop pass to Miller gave Charlotte an 88-83 lead, and White’s three-point play early in the fourth made it 99-88.

After the Kings got within 108-100 with three minutes remaining, Bridges made a floater. Ball then hit his sixth 3-pointer of the night and added a pair of free throws to help Charlotte close it out.

Nique Clifford had 18 points and seven assists for the Kings, who were attempting to win their third straight for the first time since early January.

CLIPPERS 153, TIMBERWOLVES 128

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points and Los Angeles routed Minnesota, moving above .500 with their third straight victory and sixth in seven games.

Eighth in the Western Conference at 33-32 after opening 6-21, the Clippers had their highest points total of the season. They blew out Minnesota after beating New York on Monday night to open a five-game homestand.

Leonard was 15 of 20 from the the field, 6 of 9 on 3s and made 9 of 10 free throws. Los Angeles made 19 of 37 3s.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 22 points for Los Angeles. Clippers newcomer Darius Garland had 21, hitting five 3-pointers.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 36 points and Naz Reid had 18.

Minnesota dropped to sixth in the tight Western Conference, but only a half-game behind the third-place Lakers. The Timberwolves have lost three in a row after winning five straight. They lost to the Lakers on Tuesday night to open four-game trip.

This was supposed to be a get-right game. After losing twice in Los Angeles, the Knicks (42*-25) had a golden opportunity to flex their muscles against the Western Conference’s second-worst team, the Jazz (20-46). Instead, a poor defensive effort let Utah hit nearly everything from downtown in the first half (14 threes) and New York fell behind by as many as 18 points before intermission. After trailing 65-56 at halftime, the Knicks gradually came to life in a 40-point third quarter and finally pushed the lead to 22 in the fourth. Final score, 134-117.

The Delta Center gave a nice tribute to former Jazzman, Jordan Clarkson. Quoth Jslashnoel, “Clarkson’s professionalism is pretty awesome.” Mike Brown said in his presser that Mo Cheeks had suggested playing Clarkson more heavily tonight. Good advice, indeed, as J.C. recorded a season high 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting.

The game didn’t start great. The younger, springier Jazz jumped out to an early lead, causing Coach Brown to take a timeout before a full two minutes had passed. The ‘Bockers stood around while Brice Sensabaugh (29 PTS, 5 RBS) swished three triples and netted his team an 8-point lead. When Ace Bailey (who was listed on the early injury report) swished a corner three, Sensabaugh blindsided Jalen Brunson (28 PTS, 8 AST) with a flagrant-one foul. The Knicks scored four points as a result, but then they allowed yet another triple and a layup.

surgical with the dime 👨‍⚕️🪙 pic.twitter.com/yANR0EaDdW

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 12, 2026

After surrendering another—you guessed it—three-pointer to Bailey (21 PTS), New York found themselves down by 10.

Late in the half, the mouldering bones of Kevin Love (6 PTS, 6 RBS) rattled into the game. Guess what? He hit a three. The team with the league’s 22nd-ranked three-point shooting percentage made 9-of-11 from deep in the first quarter, including a leisurely buzzer-beater by Isaiah Collier for a 41-26 score.

Jordan Clarkson nice paint bucket pic.twitter.com/2UQytVOHnr

— Knicks Highlights (@KnicksClipss) March 12, 2026

During the break between quarters, the Knicks must have decided to let Elijah Harkless into the three-point party. As if in a practice shooting drill, Harkless lined up his shot and swished. Then Love drilled another. At the 10:30 mark, Mike Brown needed another timeout.

From there, the visitors went on a 13-3 run, powered by Karl-Anthony Towns (21 PTS, 7 RBS, 7 AST), Clarkson, and Mohamed Diawara (10 PTS). After taking a breather, Sensabaugh hit again from the corner because no one could have possibly guessed that they’d have a shooter waiting in the corner . . . and then he did it again. And then Keyonte George hit from the same spot. And then, down by 12, Brown needed another timeout.

Utah Jazz’s Brice Sensabaugh steals Mikal Bridges’ celebration…

Knicks down at the half. pic.twitter.com/HdIHvrfPwJ

— Knicks Fan TV 🏀🎥📺🏁 (@KnicksFanTv) March 12, 2026

In the final two minutes of the period, Bridges missed twice, Brunson missed twice—and turned the ball over—blowing multiple opportunities to narrow the score. Instead, they went into intermission behind, 65-56.

The Jazz had outshot the Knicks from the field (53% to 40%) and yard (67% to 35%). Rebounds were essentially even, and both teams had turned the ball over (Utah 10, Knicks 7), but the youngsters had run rings around the New Yorkers (21 fast-break points to 2). At the half, Sensabaugh led all scorers with 17 points. For the guests, Towns had 15 points but probably should have had more against a weak frontcourt.

give me some MO‼️ pic.twitter.com/5xnwsM7DLi

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 12, 2026

At halftime, Danny Ainge must have called the locker room to remind the Jazzies that they’re supposed to be tanking. In the third, the home team continued to score (George, Williams, and Kule Filipowski all got on the board), but they gave New York plenty of chances to catch up. Brunson did his part, with a three and a step-back jumper, and KAT added a layup. It wasn’t until later in the quarter that New York finally gained some momentum. Cap knocked down another three, a pull-up jumper, a late-quarter bucket, and a free throw, steadily chipping away at the deficit. OG Anunoby (22 PTS, 2 STL, 1 BLK) contributed at both ends (hitting a corner three, drawing fouls, and adding a block and a steal), Clarkson added six points, and Mitchell Robinson (13 RBS, 6 PTS) dominated the glass with a string of o-boards. With a steady push, our heroes climbed all the way back to cut the deficit to 96-94 by the break.

In the fourth frame, Clarkson continued to perform for his former fans. With a diet of dimes from Jose Alvarado (7 AST, 4 PTS, 2 STL), Jordan hit thrice from deep and twice at the rim for a new season high. Sensabaugh continued his strong night with a jumper and a floater, while New York stayed close with hustle plays: OG Anunoby’s transition dunk, Jose Alvarado’s runner, and a Mitchell Robinson alley-oop. Midway through the quarter, the Knicks finally put a lid on the game. KAT slammed an alley-oop dunk, Landry Shamet (7 PTS, 3-5 FG starting for an injured Josh Hart) hit a three, and Brunson added another from yard, capping a definitive run that pushed their lead to 22. Soon after, the benches were emptied, and when Clarkson checked out for the night, he received one more ovation from the crowd. Good stuff.

Up Next

The five-game road trip draws to a conclusion on Friday in Indiana. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but NBA Cup final wins self-destruct after opening.

The Jazz’s hot start wasn’t enough to overcome the Knicks. The season is almost over, stay strong Jazz nation! Hopefully all these losses will be worth it and Utah will finally jump in the lottery, but until then all we can do is watch the games and hope for the best.

Keyonte George –B+

Keyonte’s night ended early as he pulled his hamstring in the third quarter. He had a solid night moving the ball well and shooting efficiently. The Jazz should exercise extreme caution and sit him for the rest of the season.

Ace Bailey –A-

Bailey was a +3 in a 17 point loss while playing 36 minutes. He shot well from deep, going 5-10, and continues to be aggressive. He had an impressive finger roll layup that really illustrated his growth as a player. A few months ago he would have tried to pull up and take a jumper, or drive to the basket and try to throw it down. He continues to show just how high his potential is, and just how much of an athletic freak he is.

Brice Sensabaugh – A-

Sensabaugh did his best Jordan Clarkson impression tonight. He scored 29 on efficient shooting splits, and also added 5 boards and 5 assists. He had two particularly impressive assists to Cody. Hopefully this version of Brice becomes the new normal. If he can continue to play like this he will absolutely have a role on this Jazz team going forward.

Cody Williams –B

A very efficient shooting night for Cody, going 4/5 and making his lone 3-pointer. He also had a block. Cody had more ball handling duties tonight, and I thought he did a pretty good job handling it.

Kyle Filipowski –B+

Flip was aggressive and shot well tonight. He also did a good job getting his teammates involved, as he had 5 assists to go with his 7 rebounds and 15 points. He did get into foul trouble very early in the game which limited his effectiveness.

Kevin Love –B

I’m convinced that Kevin Love will be able to grab rebounds at an elite level until he’s 50. In just 10 minutes he grabbed 6 rebounds. Never change Kevin.

Isaiah Collier –C-

Collier missed a gimme layup on a fast break, and also had a tough shooting night, going 4-11. He did have 5 assists in just 19 minutes, but that’s pretty standard for Collier. We know what he can do when he is a starter, and it appears he will be going forward due to Keyonte’s injury, so I’m not worried about his performance tonight.

Oscar Tshiebwe – C-

It was a bit of a tough night for Tshiebwe as he only had one rebound and two points in —- minutes. I just don’t see a real role for him on the roster next year. The Jazz may be wise to consider giving some minutes to Mo Bamba to see what they have in him.

Andersson Garcia –B

Welcome to the NBA Andersson Garcia! Garcia had a ridiculous block and was hustling all night. He did miss two fairly easy layups but we can chalk that up to first game nerves. 6 points and 9 boards is a pretty impressive first outing. Hopefully we will see more for Garcia in the next few games.

Elijah Harkless –C

Rough shooting night for Harkless, but his defensive effort makes up for it. He plays with so much intensity and hustle that I think he has made a strong case for a roster spot, and maybe a few minutes a night next season. If he can become a more consistent shooter, watch out.

I can remember driving southbound on Utah’s I-15 as the music from my stereo was drowned out by the hum of an approaching vehicle that was clearly far more powerful than my humble, practical sedan. My jaw tumbled into my lap as a dark blur formed into a Lamborghini — and it was going to catch me.

Whoa, I said out loud. Who in the state of Utah is out here whipping a Lambo?

I thought I had gotten my answer as the roaring thunder rolled past me. Peering through the tinted windows, my eyeline caught the driver, but I simply couldn’t believe what the picture was struggling to communicate to my brain. Him? I had to get a closer look. Pressing down on the accelerator, I attempted to make up the gap for a second glance.

Sure enough, as I matched my speed to the rare sight, and inconspicuously (ish) stared over at the neighboring driver. My first impression was correct: that was Jordan Clarkson.

Clarkson made his first return to Utah since joining the New York Knicks this offseason. One of the final remaining artifacts of the pre-tanking Jazz, Clarkson stood out on the Jazz much like a Lamborghini in Central Utah. He’s stylish and flashy in a community that is largely conservative and muted. He was a firework in the night sky, and his tendency to stand out made him an instant fan-favorite. He spent six seasons with the Jazz — the longest stint of any one team in his career, and his return to the Salt Lake Valley was incredibly emotional.

JC got his ovation as he checked into the game for the first time, but now, as a competitor, his individual style arrived in direct opposition to the organization he had called home since 2019. He knows his way around the Delta Center floor and scooped in score after score in the Knicks’ win with 27 points on 10/15 shooting.

In fact, it was the Jazz who lit the flamethrower out of the gate, jumping far out ahead on 14-18 three-point shooting to open the night, pushing ahead to lead by 18 points in the second quarter.

It was all Jazz for the first half, keeping the visiting Knicks at bay until Keyonte George grabbed at his right hamstring. George knew his night was over the moment he felt a tug. Clutching at the back of his thigh and hobbling into the locker room, Keyonte wouldn’t return in this one.

The Jazz’s barricade had broken. As head coach Will Hardy remarked in the post-game press conference, “It was a tale of two halves.”

The Knicks finally wrestled the win out of their hosts’ possession once George left the game, leading at the end of the third quarter and outscoring the Jazz 38-23 in the fourth quarter to win comfortably, 134-117.

Tonight marked another arrival in Utah, as newly signed Andersson Garcia took the floor for the first time in the NBA. Garcia, claiming number 0 in Taylor Hendricks’ absence, was a critical player for the G-League Best Mexico City Capitanes. Will Hardy wasted no time giving Garcia NBA minutes, and he did well, scoring 6 points, collecting 9 rebounds (6 offensive), plus a steal and a block in 24 minutes.

Andersson Garcia, newly signed to a 10-day, gets 1st NBA bucket 🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/oWoasczSOC

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 12, 2026

Garcia was incredibly active on the offensive glass, scrapping and swinging as he cleaned up missed shots, batting out 50/50 balls against the New York frontcourt, and putting up his own second-chance attempts. He took no plays off at the defensive end and placed his fingerprints all over the box score despite apparently still figuring out where he fits in Will Hardy’s game plan.

Brice Sensabaugh led all scorers with 29 points on 6-11 three-point shooting. After the Jazz mostly cooled off in the second half, Ice Brice maintained the flame. The better team took control in the final frame and took off as crunch time approached. Utah falls to 20-45 with this loss, giving the Jazz the NBA’s fifth-worst record.

---

Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.

The predominant narrative surrounding the Toronto Raptors lately has been that they struggle against good teams while beating up on the bad ones. 

The good news from tonight is that the Raptors broke free from that pattern. The bad news? Well, you know the bad news.

The New Orleans Pelicans, who entered the game with a 21-45 record, handed the Raptors a 122-111 loss — their first loss to a sub-.500 team since January 16.

To put it bluntly, this was bad. Really, really bad. And as TSN’s Josh Lewenberg put it, the upstart 2013-14 Raptors vibes are starting to give way to darker, ultimately disappointing 2014-15 Raptors vibes.

The team is now 4-6 in their last 10 games. At 36-29, they find themselves in the East’s seventh seed, right back in the cursed play-in spot where they languished for a couple years before trading away/losing the Siakam/Anunoby/VanVleet core. 

Some of the Raptors’ weaknesses were on full display in this one. They shot just 14/44 from behind the arc, missing a bunch of great looks down the stretch that would’ve kept them in it. They also lost the size matchup, and were outrebounded 62-48. They turned the ball over 11 times, which is solid — but there were some bad, fully avoidable ones in the mix thanks to some sloppy play.

This game had plenty of bad moments. Notably, there was Yves Missi’s monster block leading to a Zion Williamson windmill dunk that had us lamenting the Keshad Johnson/Jase Richardson dunk contests. 

But perhaps the most disheartening moment of the loss was when Dejounte Murray punked Jamal Shead after he dropped him and hit a three to make it 119-101. Sure, the game was over by that point — but nobody other than Immanuel Quickley seemed remotely bothered by Murray taunting Shead so profusely. The Raptors have long been in desperate need of better shooters. But that moment accentuated the team’s need for some Dudes Who Are Nasty (that’s the scientific term).

DEJOUNTE MURRAY DROPPED JAMAL SHEAD, KNOCKED DOWN THE 3, AND STARTED TWEAKING

😭😭😭

pic.twitter.com/kjnIdkHgXm

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) March 12, 2026

This was not the return to New Orleans that Brandon Ingram had in mind. Ingram played a solid individual game, scoring 22 points along with six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Quickley was also carrying the team at times, and finished with 25 points on 8/14 shooting. 

But overall this was an underperformance.

Scottie Barnes was held to just nine points, and returned to his shooting slump with a ⅙ three-point shooting night. He made no field goals in the second half. 

The first half wasn’t great — you’d like to be beating the Pelicans — but the Raptors were down just 60-58 at the half. 

Then the Pelicans blew the doors off. They capitalized on a Raptors scoring drought to take an eventual 88-70 lead, picking up an Ingram frustration technical foul along the way. Despite getting their heads bashed in within a couple minutes of the quarter starting, Darko Rajakovic did not call a timeout until the 4:47 remaining mark, by which point the Raptors were down by 15. Rajakovic went with Jamison Battle to try and get some shooting on the floor, but it took another couple minutes to stop the bleeding.

It also took the Raptors a full three quarters to match Bam Adebayo’s scoring total last night (83). (2005-06 Raptors, you are relieved of your duties!)

Thanks to a couple timely Shead threes and some defensive stops, the Raptors had closed the gap to 93-83 by the end of the quarter. With a quick flurry out of the fourth quarter gate — a Quickley three and an RJ Barrett fastbreak layup — they brought the lead down to 93-88. It seemed that the Raptors had weathered the storm and would have essentially a whole quarter to make up the five-point deficit. 

But the jaws of defeat were strong. 

The Pelicans benefited from a great shooting night, going 14/29 (48%) from beyond the arc. Murray, of punking Shead fame, played a great game, scoring 27 points with five boards and six assists. Trey Murphy scored 27 points and went ⅝ from three — some of which were more open than you’d like, thanks to some lagging defensive rotations. Herb Jones dropped 16 and shot 4/6 from three. Yves Missi was more physical than Jakob Poeltl, picking up 10 rebounds and two blocks in just 19 minutes.

There aren’t many excuses for this performance. The Raptors were about as healthy as it gets, with only rookie Collin Murray-Boyles missing from the rotation. And yes, they were on the second night of a back-to-back on the road. But this game was on the schedule as one that the team ought to win. 

Instead, they were thoroughly embarrassed by one of the league’s worst teams — and now, the Raptors are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t stop what has been a bad Orlando Magic offense on Wednesday, which led to their 128-122 defeat.

The stats in the table below are taken from Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	128.4, 86th percentile	59%, 75th percentile	28%, 47th percentile	10.5%, 84th percentile	19.1, 42nd percentile
Magic	133.7, 92nd percentile	58.8%, 74th percentile	25%, 31st percentile	6.3%, 98th percentile	32.9, 92nd percentile

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• The Magic converted 21 of their 25 shots at the rim (84%, 92nd percentile). The Cavs had no answer for Orlando’s size. They desperately missed Jarrett Allen in this one.
• Orlando outscored Cleveland by 11 points at the free-throw line. The Magic were able to get to the free-throw line often, going 28-37 (75.7%). Meanwhile, the Cavs couldn’t get to the line and had trouble converting when they did, going 17-26 (65.4%).
• Evan Mobley went 2-7 from the charity stripe. He’s struggled with his free-throw shooting all season, as he came into this game converting 63.4% at the line. This is a sizeable dip from shooting 72.5% last season.
• The Magic turned it over just six times. You’re going to have a good offense if you get to the basket, the line, and keep possession of the ball.
• Orlando had their seventh-best offensive rating for a game this season (133.7). They did this without the benefit of shooting well from beyond the arc. They converted just 34.3% of their three-pointers.
• Desmond Bane scored 11 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter. His off-balance three with 18 seconds left ended Cleveland’s chance of a comeback.
• Donovan Mitchell struggled to find his shot in the fourth quarter, going 2-8 from the field in that frame. This wasn’t Mitchell’s most efficient game. He still scored 25 points, but he wasn’t able to establish the offensive rhythm we’re used to seeing.
• James Harden — who scored a team-high 30 points — took just two shots from the field in the fourth quarter. Harden has ceded the scoring burden to Mitchell, particularly in the clutch. However, on a night like this where he had it going, the Cavs needed him to call his own number more down the stretch.
• Keon Ellis went 5-8 from three. He did exactly what you wanted him to do offensively, as he finished with 20 points.
• Dennis Schroder provided 0 points. He’s struggled in his last three outings. He’s combined for just six points on 2-11 shooting in his previous three games combined.
• Jaylon Tyson struggled once again, providing just four points.
• Dean Wade was scoreless and registered a team-worst plus/minus of -10. He isn’t in there to score, but you’d like to see him take more than two shots. Wade also struggled to contain Paolo Banchero, who finished with 25 points.
• Cleveland converted 83.3% of their shots at the rim (91st percentile). This was a good outing for the offense despite the loss. They were able to spread Orlando’s formidable defense out and create lanes to attack the paint.

CHICAGO (AP) — Tariq Francis scored 29 points to lead No. 14 seed Rutgers over 11th-seeded Minnesota 72-67 on Wednesday night in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Rutgers (14-18) faces sixth-seeded UCLA on Thursday.

Jamichael Davis hit a 3-pointer with 6:47 to play that gave Rutgers the lead for good. It was part of a 17-5 run that pushed the Scarlet Knights' advantage to 64-57 with 1:53 remaining. Emmanuel Ogbole's dunk capped the surge, and the Scarlet Knights then shot 8 of 8 from the free-throw line to seal it.

Francis shot 9 of 16 from the floor and made five 3-pointers. Davis added 13 points and hit three 3s to go with six assists. Ogbole finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Harun Zrno also made two 3s to help Rutgers set a program record with 10 made 3-pointers in a conference tournament game.

Cade Tyson scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half for Minnesota (15-17). Bobby Durkin added 15 points and Grayson Grove 10.

Grove scored all 10 of his points in the first half for Minnesota, which shot 52% (12 of 23) for a 31-29 halftime lead. Francis made four 3s and scored 16 points for Rutgers.

Minnesota won at home in the regular-season matchup against Rutgers, 80-61.

Up next

Rutgers plays on Thursday against No. 6 seed UCLA, which beat the Scarlet Knights 98-66 on Feb. 3.

___

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

The Dallas Mavericks (21-44, seventh in Loser for Boozer race) play basketball once again on Thursday, which can be as encouraging or threatening as you choose to make it out to be.  This time out, the road trip continues in Memphis, where the Grizzlies (23-41, eighth in the Down for Darryn standings) await. Much like everyone else in contention for this race, the Mavs and Grizz are each riding extended losing streaks, with Dallas losing eight in a row and Memphis losing five in a row and eight of their last ten.

Someone is going to come away with a hard-fought loss tonight, while the other will be left looking in the rearview mirror to ensure they can still hold their position as we head down the final stretch. Feel the excitement, it’s consequential March basketball! Here’s a couple things to keep an eye on in and around this game.

Defensive indifference

The key for the Mavericks in this run has been the defense, which has been truly abhorrent. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Mavericks defensive rating is 24^th in the NBA since February 1^st, where they have been surrendering 121.1 points per 100 possessions. That has contributed to them having the 4^th worst net rating in that time, behind the likes of Indiana and Sacramento. For their part, Memphis ranks 26^th in defensive rating over the same period.

A potential deciding factor in this one is the offense. The Grizzlies have a top ten offensive rating since February 1^st, scoring 118.2 points per 100 possessions. The Mavericks are 28^th in that same time, scoring just 109.0 points per 100 possessions.

All eyes on New Orleans

Ah, the joys of not having your own pick. Because Joe Dumars foolishly traded away their first round pick this year for Derik Queen, the Pels are blissfully ignorant to the carnage going on around them.

In a world full of tankers, the Pelicans are trying their butts off. Good on them! After their win over Toronto on Wednesday, they have now pulled even with the Mavericks in the Dybantsa Derby.

Which, speaking of, if you’d like to read Jack and I’s conference tournament NBA Draft previews, now would be a good time! We hit on the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC. I might be biased, but these are a must read for any Mavericks fan leading up to the postseason.

Yes, this is a consequential game

Because of the depth of this draft class, these games for ping pong balls mean something. With these teams are right next to each other on the tank table, it’s an important result for both teams to get. Eighth place Memphis currently sits 2.5 games behind Dallas for seventh, but a Dallas win on Thursday would make that margin just 1.5 games with 16 still to go. More importantly, that would push the Mavericks two games back of Utah in the win column for fifth on the table, which is suddenly within sight.

However, flip the result and all of a sudden, Dallas has a 3.5 game buffer for their spot, which would be awfully hard to overcome. At the same time, they’d likely pull even with New Orleans and stay within a game of fifth in the table. It’s going to be a battle, but the Mavericks need a result on Thursday to ensure they hold their ground.

How to watch

Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT from the FedEx Forum in Memphis. KFAA Channel 29 and Mavs TV will have you covered locally. I would recommend bringing the heavy stuff to ensure you can get through all 48 minutes of this one.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ivan Demidov broke a tie with 7:20 left, Jacob Fowler made 32 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.

Demidov scored off Alex Newhook's rebound and Montreal held on a night after beating Toronto 3-1 at home.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Texier also scored for Montreal, with Demidov assisting on Slafkovsky's power-play goal in the first period.

Texier tied it at 2 on a wraparound with 2:31 left in the second.

Drake Batherson scored twice for Ottawa. Linus Ullmark stopped 20 shots.

Montreal’s Jake Evans played his 400th NHL game.

Up next

Canadiens: Host San Jose on Saturday night.

Senators: Host Anaheim on Saturday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 28 points, Dejounte Murray added 27 and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Toronto Raptors 122-111 on Wednesday night, spoiling Brandon Ingram's return to the city where he played for six seasons.

Murray had his highest-scoring game since his return from a torn right Achilles tendon that sidelined him for more than a year. Zion Williamson added 19 points for the Pelicans, who have won seven of 10.

In his first game at New Orleans since he was traded to Toronto in February of last year, Ingram finished with 22 points. The 10-year veteran also surpassed 11,000 points for his career.

Immanuel Quickley scored 25 points for Toronto, which has lost six of eight. This defeat dropped the Raptors from fifth to seventh in the Eastern Conference, one-half game behind Orlando and Miami.

Murphy shot 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Both teams made 14 3-pointers, but New Orleans did it on 29 attempts (48.3%) and Toronto needed 44 (31.8%).

The Pelicans led 60-58 at halftime and expanded their lead to 18 points in the third quarter. The Raptors got back within two early in the fourth, but New Orleans responded with an 8-0 run and Toronto never got closer than six the rest of the way. Murphy put it away when he hit a 3 with 2:19 left for a 116-101 lead.

During the first quarter, the Pelicans played a video tribute to Ingram, who averaged 17.6 points and made his first All-Star Game during his time in New Orleans.

Up next

Raptors: Host Phoenix on Friday.

Pelicans: At Houston on Friday.

___

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have enough tonight against the Orlando Magic.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

James Harden

30 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 turnovers

Harden was in full maestro mode tonight. He abused Orlando’s defense for 30 points on 11-16 shooting, showing no signs of trouble against Paolo Banchero. The Cavs maybe would have benefited from treating this like a retro-Rockets game from Harden. He was the only creator in the offense that felt consistently good.

With that said, I have to crush both Harden and Mitchell for their defense. The point of attack has been a massive weakness recently. It starts with the backcourt.

Grade: B

Donovan Mitchell

25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 turnovers

This is one of those games where I felt the stats were worse than they looked for Donovan. He had some great highlights, including a filthy windmill gather over Banchero. But he also galringly missed Evan Mobley under the basket at one point. And he attempted some shots that I can only describe as rushed. His 25 points came on 24 field goal attempts (granted, a few of them were taken in desperation at the end of the game).

As mentioned, both Mitchell and Harden take a hit for their defense tonight.

Grade: C-

Evan Mobley

18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks

The first quarter was a weird one for Mobley. He missed a few easy shots and got into early foul trouble. The fouls remained an issue, but he eventually found his touch. Still, it’s obvious how much the Cavs miss Jarrett Allen to help protect the paint. Mobley can only do so much on his own.

Grade: B

Jaylon Tyson

4 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists

Not a good one from Tyson. He shot 1-4 and only played 18 minutes. I think he should have gotten a longer leash, but he didn’t do anything in his minutes to make Kenny change his mind.

Grade: D

Dennis Schroder

0 points, 2 assists

Yikes. This might have been the worst game Schroder has played as a Cavalier. He picked up 4 fouls and shot 0-5 in just 18 minutes.

Grade: F

Sam Merrill

13 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds

Merrill wasn’t great at containing the point of attack defensively. He did, however, nail 2-5 three-point attempts while converting all of his attempts inside of two-point range.

Grade: B–

Keon Ellis

20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Ellis has scored 39 points across his last two games. He shot 5-8 from downtown tonight and delivered a barrage that nearly stole this from Orlando.

Grade: A+

Dean Wade

0 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block

A classic stinker from Wade. We’ve seen this type of game before, even if I maintain that Wade is an otherwise positive contributor more often than not. These nights still happen.

Grade: F

Thomas Bryant

12 points, 5 rebounds

Bryant gave the Cavs everything he could in 19 minutes. They needed him to contribute with Mobley in foul trouble and Allen on the bench. Can’t ask for much more.

Grade: A

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Orlando Magic 128-122 in a game that didn’t feel as close as it looked. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

LOSER – Foul Trouble

Do you like free throws?

If you answered yes, then the last two nights of NBA basketball must have been a dream. As for the rest of us, this is getting old.

I’m not here to complain about the whistle. Refs miss calls all the time, though, I will point out that Cleveland has had to (successfully) use both of their challenges more than a few times recently. Simply getting it right the first time would be preferable. Not T’ing up a player for being upset about the umpteeth incorrect call is even better.

And if you really want to do your job, maybe get a crucial out-of-bounds call right at the end of the game. There are a million cameras in the arena. We review countless plays each game. Why does Kenny Atkinson need a third challenge to get the correct call?

Now that’s out of my system, let’s talk about where the Cavs are at fault.

Protecting the paint starts with securing the perimeter. Free paths to the basket can put your helpside defense into awkward positions. Orlando’s runway drives to the rim took full advantage of this tonight. The Cavs couldn’t seal the gaps, and Evan Mobley was routinely tasked with having to clean things up. That resulted in four fouls to start the third quarter for Mobley.

Naturally, the game changes when your defensive anchor is in foul trouble. Not having Jarrett Allen makes it worse. The Magic continued to attack the paint, knowing that Mobley was at a disadvantage. And the game grew chippier as it went on.

WINNER – James Harden vs The Mismatch

Orlando opened this game with Paolo Banchero defending James Harden. It’s honorable for the opposing team’s best player to accept a defensive challenge like this. Was it a good idea? Probably not.

Harden didn’t appear bothered at all by Banchero. In fact, he actively hunted him in isolation. Harden accelerated around PB multiple times in the first half en route to 16 points on 6-9 shooting. We saw some classic drives to the basket and stepback jumpers from Harden along the way.

The Cavs’ offense never felt like it was fully rolling tonight. The Magic did a fine job of turning this game into a rock fight. Harden delivered the only moments that felt smooth. He felt little resistance getting around Banchero and was just as successful whenever he drew Wendell Carter Jr. onto the perimeter, too.

Harden finished with 30 points (11-16 shooting) and 8 assists.

Drawing and beating mismatches will prove valuable in the playoffs. We’ve known for a full decade that Harden thrives in those scenarios. It’s good to see it in Cleveland, even with a loss.

LOSER – Spacing

Okay, listen, you’re gonna have to bear with me on this. Because if it wasn’t for a late surge of three-point shooting from the Cavs, this category would have made perfect sense.

Before Cleveland’s near comeback in the final minutes, the Cavs had been shooting 12-35 from downtown. Not too shabby, but certainly not great.

Now let’s add more context.

Orlando made their goal pretty clear tonight. Pack the paint defensively and funnel to the ball to Cleveland’s role players. That put pressure on Dean Wade, Jaylon Tyson, Dennis Schroder, and even Evan Mobley to space the floor and make plays. They all combined to sh00t 0-5. That speaks for itself.

Other players did step up. In fact, it was Keon Ellis going ballistic in the final frame that snapped the Cavs back to life. Sam Merrill and James Harden were plenty efficient, as well. But if you focus on the players whom Orlando dared to beat them — you can see why the Magic had success.

Cleveland’s offense sputtered throughout the night. Sometimes, you just need a barrage of three-pointers to get you out of the ditch. That barrage came just a few minutes too late.