Nov 2, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (right) against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
If the Phoenix Suns make the playoffs, it’s a near certainty they’ll face the Oklahoma City or the San Antonio Spurs. The team will most likely be the seventh or eighth seed in the Western Conference, depending on how they perform in the play-in tournament. There’s a slim chance they can surpass the Minnesota Timberwolves for the sixth seed, but it’s highly unlikely.
With the Thunder and Spurs being the most likely candidates for the team to play in the first round, we asked Suns fans who’d they rather play. The vote speaks loudly.
I am not surprised by the results one bit. The Thunder are the strong favorites to win the title again and come out of the Western Conference, and have given the Suns more trouble than the Spurs have this season. In four games against the Suns this year, Oklahoma City is 3-1 and handed Phoenix its worst loss in franchise history back in December. Additionally, the defending champions are the healthiest they’ve been all season, just in time for the playoffs with Jalen Williams back in the lineup, and they just walloped the streaking Los Angeles Lakers.
While the Spurs look to be no piece of cake, they’re inexperienced. Boasting the second-best record in the NBA and the second-shortest odds to win the West and the title, typically it takes teams at least one or two playoff up and downs to become formidable threats to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy, and the Spurs were not even in the play-in tournament last year, let alone the playoffs, with a mostly similar roster from a year ago. Their biggest additions from a season ago are bench players Luke Kornet and Dylan Harper Jr. Phoenix has also had better luck against the Spurs than the Thunder this year.
The two teams split their four matchups against each other, with the Suns winning the first two and the Spurs winning the final two. The last time the two teams played came just a few weeks ago, when Victor Webmanyama hit a game-winner in the final moments in San Antonio’s comeback win. Wembanyama is the strong favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year and one of the leaders in the MVP race. Phoenix held the All-Star to one of his worst games of the season back in November, when they limited him to his lowest scoring game of the season, when he scored nine points on 14 shots. The home team won every game in the season series.
With how terrific Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs have been, it would not be a surprise to see them soar during the playoffs; it’s just an unproven concept. Both Oklahoma City and San Antonio provide a challenge; they’re the two best teams in the league for a reason, but the Spurs are the unproven bunch.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 26: Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a three-point basket against Nolan Traore #88 of the Brooklyn Nets during the game at Barclays Center on February 26, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Spurs game in Denver did not go as expected. The Silver & Black blew a lead late in the fourth and lost their way in overtime.
Some silver lining to the gray cloud was Julian Champagnie’s six three-pointers. He ended the afternoon with eighteen points on 6 of 9 shooting beyond the arc.
With four home games remaining, Champagnie has the opportunity to crack 200 hits from downtown in one season. Following Keldon Johnson’s recent milestone — becoming the first played in Spurs history to hit 1,000 points coming off the bench — the Spurs as a whole look keyed up to head into the postseason strong.
In addition to his offense prowess, Champagnie’s rebounding is a strength of his defensive contributions. He’s double his rebounding from two seasons ago while only increasing his minutes by 50%.
Champagnie is a key component of the Spurs success this season. Head coach Mitch Johnson has entrusted the undrafted sharpshooter as a member of the starting line-up.
Originally designed around Victor Wembanyama, Harrison Barnes, Devin Vassell, Stephon Curry, and De’Aaron Fox, Champagnie earned the role as go-to starter as early season injuries sidelined Fox and then Castle. As New Year’s Eve approached, he started in place of Devin Vassell who was suffering a left adductor strain. And later, when Harrison Barnes’ left ankle caused him to miss his first games since December of 2021, Champagnie established himself in the starting line-up going forward.
Champagnie originally came to San Antonio in 2023 on a two-way contract, two days after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers on Valentine’s Day. That summer, he signed a friendly four-year/$12M contract. He’s got one more season before he is offered what is sure to be a big payday.
Hopefully the Spurs can put a ring on it and lock him down for a long, prosperous career in San Antonio.
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Joe Mazzulla wasn’t supposed to be the long-term answer.
A week before training camp in 2022, the Celtics’ future was clear and it was beautiful. They had just come off a Finals loss against the Warriors, the roster was intact, and the next few years of contention felt inevitable.
Then, the Ime Udoka situation forced everything sideways, and a 34-year-old assistant coach was suddenly running a contender with championship expectations and no runway to grow into the job.
That kind of transition usually leaves a scratch on an organization when you look back at their history. Even good teams wobble when the voice in the room changes overnight. Boston didn’t. In Mazzulla’s first year, they opened 18–4, carried over the same edge from the previous season, and kept stacking wins as if nothing had really changed. At the time, that steadiness felt temporary, like the roster was strong enough to carry the rookie coach while things settled.
A few years later, it’s clear that wasn’t what was happening.
An emergency replacement
Early on, the question followed Mazzulla everywhere: how much of the success was him, and how much of this was already built? It’s a fair question when you inherit a Finals team with two All-NBA wings entering their prime. Plenty of coaches could keep that group competitive. Far fewer can shape it into something more sustained and defined.
That’s where Mazzulla has separated himself. The Celtics play with a level of clarity that reflects a coach who knows exactly what he wants each game to look like. Offensively, the system is built on quick decisions and spacing that stretches defenses until something gives. The three-point volume gets a lot of the attention, but the real story is how those shots are created. The ball rarely sticks. Actions flow into each other. Role players are involved by design.
You see it in players like Payton Pritchard stepping into larger responsibilities, whether that’s as a starter or off the bench. You see it in how Jaylen Brown’s usage shifts depending on who’s available. The system holds up through the constant roster changes that come with an NBA season. When Jayson Tatum missed extended time, the Celtics stayed organized offensively and avoided drifting into isolation-heavy stretches. When he returned, the structure didn’t need to be rebuilt.
That kind of continuity points to a system that has been intentionally constructed. So how did he do it in such a short period of time?
“Give the game what it needs”
Defensively, the identity has always been deliberate, even if it shows up in less obvious ways. Boston prioritizes protecting the paint and controlling possessions, even if it means living with certain perimeter looks. The help is aggressive. Rotations are early and often. The goal is to shape the game into something predictable and repeatable over long stretches.
That approach requires discipline across the roster, especially when lineups change or when less experienced players are on the floor. It also requires buy-in. Players have to trust the tradeoffs possession after possession, even when the results don’t always look clean in the moment.
What’s interesting is how different this feels from the versions of the Celtics we’ve seen under previous coaches.
Under Brad Stevens, the emphasis was also on structure and execution, but maybe even more so than Mazzulla. Everything was precise, often methodical, and built to minimize mistakes. Under Ime Udoka, the identity shifted toward physicality and accountability. That group defended with force, leaned into toughness, and played with an edge that carried them to the Finals.
Mazzulla has taken pieces of both and made the team his own. The structure of Brad is still there, as is the defensive edge of Udoka, but the games (and results) are better than they’ve ever been. There’s more trust in players to make the next read, to take the next shot, to keep the possession moving without overthinking it.
That’s where “give the game what it needs” shows up. It’s not about running a perfect possession every time, but instead recognizing what’s available and acting on it quickly. Sometimes that means a quick three. Other times it means one more pass or trusting a role player to make the right play in a big moment (see Xavier Tillman in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals).
Opposing coaches have pointed out how clearly Boston plays to its strengths and how consistent the approach is on both ends. That level of execution typically develops over time. In Boston’s case, it came from a coach stepping into a volatile situation and establishing structure quickly, then giving it room to breathe.
There’s also growth that’s easy to overlook. Mazzulla’s first playoff run had moments where things unraveled, and some of the criticism at the time was fair. Since then, the adjustments have improved. So while the learning curve has been steep, he’s handled it just about as well as you could have asked.
“Nobody cares”
At some point, the context around how Joe Mazzulla got here starts to fade into the background. What replaces it is the résumé, and it’s already difficult to wrap your head around. A championship. The highest winning percentage the league has ever seen. Year after year of 50-plus wins. A team that hasn’t drifted, hasn’t fractured, hasn’t taken a step back at a time when most contenders eventually do.
What’s almost as impressive as the results is the environment he’s maintained. Two superstars entering their primes, in a league where that usually comes with questions about timelines, pressure, and whether something else might be out there for them. Instead, the Celtics, top to bottom, have stayed aligned. The expectations have risen, and the response has been nothing but steadiness. That part doesn’t show up in a statistic, but it might be the most impressive thing he’s done to date.
All of that from a coach who, a few years ago, was an assistant from Rhode Island who had never held a head coaching job, outside of a stop at Fairmont State.
But the thing is that we, Celtics fans around the world, care. Deeply. Not about the award or the optics, though Celtics fans agree that his name should be on the shortlist for COTY candidates. It’s that the Celtics were thrown into massive uncertainty and ended up with a coach who has kept them at the center of the league, defined how they play, and helped push them over the line.
There wasn’t a plan for this. How could there have been? It was a moment that could have gone a lot of different ways, most of which you’d expect to go badly.
Boston, MA - November 8: Boston Celtics SF Jayson Tatum high fives C Neemias Queta after Tatum's dunk brought the Celtics within a point of the Brooklyn Nets in the third quarter. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
We’re back! And Jayson Tatum might be…like…ALL the way back. Welcome to the Celtics’ Top-5 Highest IQ Plays of the Week!
Sure, we love the high-flying dunks and the deep, off-the-dribble step-back threes, but this is a place for the under-the-radar plays that might not get the credit they deserve. The plays that get the basketball sickos and nerds out of their chairs. The plays that even YOU could make in your weekly rec league game.
Each week, the plays will be ranked from five to one—one being the smartest—and will only be taken from games that occurred within the past week. For this week, games from March 29th to April 4th are considered. The Celtics went 3-1 this week, with wins over the Hornets, Heat, and Bucks but a loss to the Hawks.
Every basketball coach talks about pass fakes, but it’s rare to find a player who uses them as effectively as Baylor Scheierman. On this play, the lefty throws his entire body into the fake and doesn’t immediately get rid of the ball, which is the perfect read on this play. With LaMelo having to guard two players and Gonzalez being the other three-point shooting option, Scheierman makes the ideal play in real time. Sometimes the simplest plays are the most effective.
Tatum has very quickly reintegrated himself into NBA basketball. But he might have somehow come back a better passer than he was before. I absolutely love his vision on this play—seeing both defenders converging on him and Kon lurking in the passing lane—and throwing a perfect lead pass to Queta for the dunk. Perhaps it’s because he had time off to watch his teammates and see the game in a different way, or perhaps the Celtics just have a better offense than they did last year, but Tatum looks like he’s leveled up as a passer.
Wondering about that aforementioned improved Celtics offense? This is it in a nutshell. More flare screens, Spain pick-and-roll, passing and off-ball movement, and all of it happening earlier in the shot clock. Here, Hauser runs completely perpendicular to the ball-handler in an unconventional flare cut that results in a wide open shot on the wing thanks to Garza’s crushing screen and White’s heady passing. Plays like these have been a staple of Boston’s offense this season.
Payton Pritchard does his best Ja-Marr Chase impression on this play, getting rid of the ball and then shifting Pelle Larson into his own basket before peeling away and setting his feet for the jumper. I love that Payton cuts behind Larson, thus making it impossible for his fake cut to be seen or reacted to effectively. So smart.
1. Smart hustle
NEW STORY: I wrote 1,000 words on my favorite play of the year: a Derrick White sprint.
“I told JT — that’ll go in my Hall of Very Good nomination.”
Derrick White makes a play here that very few other players would. Right after he throws the beautiful lob to Brown, he hauls his behind back to the defensive end of the floor and essentially blocks Larson’s buzzer-beater attempt. Special hustle from the Celtics’ highest IQ player and one of the smartest players in the entire NBA.
Nikola Jokic outshone fellow Most Valuable Player contender Victor Wembanyama with a game-high 40 points as the Denver Nuggets ended the San Antonio Spurs' 11-match winning streak.
Serb Jokic, a three-time winner of the NBA's MVP award, starred as Denver recorded their eighth straight win with a 136-134 triumph in overtime.
Wembanyama led San Antonio with 34 points but the Frenchman's team squandered a 107-96 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Both players are among the leading names to claim this season's coveted individual award, given to the best performer during the regular season, and were full of praise for the other after the match.
Jokic said of Wembanyama to ESPN: "I think the first time I played against him, I told you guys he's going to change the league. He's going to change basketball.
"I still think that. And I think he has an opportunity, a chance to be the most unique basketball player to ever play the game."
Reflecting on defeat, Wembanyama said: "I think it was an amazing game. One of the most fun games. I wish we could have closed it out.
"It was a real test against a team that's playing for something right now. They've got the best offensive player in the world."
Both teams have already clinched a place in the post-season play-offs, which begin on 18 April.
But while San Antonio are assured of a top-two seeding in the Western Conference - they trail reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder - Denver's final placing within the top six is still to be decided.
The Thunder can move closer to a third straight Western Conference title against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seeks back-to-back MVP crowns.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic could be out of MVP contention after the NBA's leading scorer was ruled out for the rest of the regular season with a hamstring injury on Friday.
SAN FRANCISCO – As Stephen Curry was spending his days rehabbing in the wake of his season-altering runner’s knee diagnosis, one goal stayed atop his mind. Get right and return to the Warriors while the season still has an iota of consequence.
It does, and Curry is expected to make his highly anticipated return Sunday night against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center.
“It’s pretty simple. He’s healthy,” coach Steve Kerr said Saturday after practice. “If you’re healthy, you play. You have a lot to play for. We’re going to be in to play-in (tournament). Get a chance to get to the playoffs. Why else do we do this?”
But as Curry was approaching the late stages of rehab and the Warriors were falling apart like soggy cardboard, debate raged over the benefit of his return: Should Steph come back to a team that can only dream of a robust playoff run?
Only if he is fully healthy. Only if he has a strong desire to play. Not unless he believes there is significance in achieving goals that matter to him.
Those in the “no” camp, who have given up on the season and concluded Curry should embrace self-preservation and wrap his right knee in ice until September, might not understand that he is repulsed by the idea of surrender.
For Curry, getting on the court when healthy is as natural as brushing his teeth.
“I love playing basketball,” said Curry, who last appeared in a game on Jan. 30. “That’s what I get paid to do. If I’m healthy enough to play and it’s safe to go out there and test it in live action, all the work that I put in will hopefully pay off.
“Our season has been different than we expected. But the fact that we know there is something to still play for gives all of us a lot of confidence down the stretch to try to make something out of it. I want to be a part of that.”
This season has been different than expected is an understatement. After bumbling through the first two months, they finally found their rhythm, going 12-4 over a 16-game stretch as the calendar turned to 2026. They were generating momentum when disaster struck. Jimmy Butler III, Robin to Curry’s Batman, went down with a season-ending torn right ACL. The forlorn look that crept across Curry’s face in that instant spoke volumes. It was as if he had seen the entire season flash before his eyes.
Golden State lost three of its next five games and was hit with another disaster in the sixth, when Curry limped off the court and missed the next 27 games.
The Warriors are 11-21 since Butler was sidelined, 9-18 since he was joined by Curry. Smacked with a spate of other aches and injuries, they descended from eighth place to ninth and then to 10th in the Western Conference. That’s enough to earn the final berth in the NBA play-in tournament, the last chair in the waiting room to the playoffs.
Curry didn’t give up as a teenager when college basketball’s power conferences ignored him. He waved no white flag when his ankles tried to derail his NBA career. He didn’t slink away because his frame wasn’t built to prosper in the best league on the planet. He turned the doubters into believers, the naysayers into cheerleaders.
You think the Warriors are done? Maybe they are. You think Curry is wasting his time and risking further harm? He’s been there, heard that and still is the league’s only unanimous MVP and basketball’s latest change agent.
Your danger is his mountain to climb. Outside skepticism is fuel for his heart.
“What we’re trying to do (is) be the best team for that first play-in game,” Curry said. “Whoever we play, whether it’s Portland or the Clippers, to be able to embrace that challenge, win one game and then have to go do it again. That’s pretty straightforward.”
Kerr knows this but adds another element to support the player behind his fabulous coaching record, while also buttressing his own side of the debate.
“Steph is the most joyful athlete I’ve ever seen,” Kerr said, clearing his throat. “He loves to play, loves to compete, loves to work. And that joy is infectious. It’s infectious not only with his teammates, but with our fans. The question about why Steph is coming back cuts to the core of what our business is about. We want our fans to be really excited to come watch beautiful basketball. And nobody represents that more than Steph.
“He wouldn’t be coming back if he wasn’t healthy. But he’s healthy, so he’s going to play. We want to bring joy to (Chase Center). We want to bring joy to our fans. And that’s what this is about. It’s about winning, yes, but it’s about people really enjoying coming to the building and watching our team play. It’s the most important thing, and they go hand in hand.
“These last 12 years have really shown that we’ve been able to play a really entertaining style and win championships. Frankly, Steph is responsible for more of that than anyone. One of the greatest players of all time, but he’s the greatest face of a franchise in any sport that I’ve ever seen.”
Kerr rests his case. Curry already made his case, testifying on his own behalf. He wants to ride. He needs to ride. Let him.
Mar 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) is fouled by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during overtime at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Of course Stephen Curry is coming back for this game.
Not that it matters, of course. The Houston Rockets have lost multiple games against the Golden State Warriors over the past couple of seasons in which Curry didn’t play. Houston lost earlier this year at Toyota Center. In the one game Curry did play, Reed Sheppard had his coming out party and Houston came back and won without Kevin Durant. Maybe that’s the key? Whichever team is missing its best player wins?
Tonight starts Houston’s final road trip of the season. They will head to Phoenix to take on the Suns on Tuesday. Earlier this season when Houston went on the road to play the Warriors and Suns, Durant missed both games due to personal reasons. So it’s only fitting that Houston is playing both teams again on the same trip. The Phoenix game will be more emotional since KD’s time with the Suns ended poorly compared to his time in the Bay Area.
The Warriors are all but guaranteed to be the 10 seed in the West. Mathematically they still have a shot at 9 or even 8, but that would require something pretty extreme. In reality, they are going to need to win two road games in the play-in to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. As I mentioned in the Jazz preview, this isn’t the worst year to end up in the lottery, and if they do you know the league will make sure they’re rewarded (if the lottery is rigged).
This is going to be a tough game. That building is going to be loud.
BOTTOM LINE: Washington travels to Brooklyn looking to break its four-game road losing streak.
The Nets are 12-34 in Eastern Conference games. Brooklyn is the worst team in the league with just 39.5 rebounds per game led by Nic Claxton averaging 6.9.
The Wizards are 11-36 against Eastern Conference opponents. Washington is 8-47 in games decided by 10 points or more.
The Nets' 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.4 fewer made shots on average than the 13.6 per game the Wizards allow. The Wizards' 46.2% shooting percentage from the field this season is 3.3 percentage points lower than the Nets have given up to their opponents (49.5%).
The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Nets won the last meeting 127-113 on Feb. 7, with Michael Porter Jr. scoring 23 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Noah Clowney is averaging 12.3 points for the Nets. Josh Minott is averaging 9.6 points over the last 10 games.
Bilal Coulibaly is shooting 41.6% and averaging 11.4 points for the Wizards. Jaden Hardy is averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nets: 1-9, averaging 101.4 points, 35.1 rebounds, 23.2 assists, 10.0 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points per game.
Wizards: 1-9, averaging 115.1 points, 37.4 rebounds, 25.0 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 131.3 points.
INJURIES: Nets: Ziaire Williams: out (foot), Noah Clowney: day to day (ankle), Nic Claxton: out (hand), Danny Wolf: out for season (ankle), Egor Demin: out for season (foot), Day'Ron Sharpe: out for season (thumb), Michael Porter Jr.: out for season (hamstring), Terance Mann: day to day (achilles), Ben Saraf: day to day (back).
Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (knee), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Kyshawn George: out for season (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
New York Knicks (50-28, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (45-33, fifth in the Eastern Conference)
Atlanta; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta will look to keep its four-game win streak going when the Hawks take on New York.
The Hawks are 26-22 in conference play. Atlanta ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 18.4 fast break points per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 4.1.
The Knicks are 32-16 in Eastern Conference play. New York has an 8-4 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Hawks' 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Knicks allow. The Knicks are shooting 47.6% from the field, 0.4% higher than the 47.2% the Hawks' opponents have shot this season.
The teams play for the third time this season. The Hawks won the last matchup 111-99 on Jan. 3. Onyeka Okongwu scored 23 points to help lead the Hawks to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 20.6 points and 3.7 assists for the Hawks. CJ McCollum is averaging 19.7 points over the last 10 games.
Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson is averaging 18.9 points and 6.4 assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 8-2, averaging 124.0 points, 42.6 rebounds, 30.2 assists, 10.2 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.5 points per game.
Knicks: 7-3, averaging 116.8 points, 44.3 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.9 points.
INJURIES: Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
INDIANAPOLIS — Yaxel Lendeborg kept it together, barely, as he limped away from the court in the first half.
He'd worked so hard. Come so far. And now he feared it was all over, his hopes for a national championship ruined by an injured left knee and once-again throbbing ankle.
"As soon as I got in the tent, I started crying," Lendeborg said, his left knee heavily wrapped. "... I definitely felt like I did all this for nothing in the moment. I definitely had to calm down for a little bit, speak with myself, get out of my thoughts.
"The training staff, they were being very nice to me, just being genuine, assuring me that I'm going to be OK."
OK? If Lendeborg isn't the best player in the country, he is for sure the toughest.
As his Michigan teammates got up a couple last shots before halftime ended, Lendeborg returned to the court with a trainer. He walked on his tip toes. He ran the width of the court. He hopped on both feet. And when the second half began, Lendeborg was on the floor with the rest of Michigan's starters.
Despite spraining his left MCL and aggravating the ankle injury he suffered in the Big Ten tournament, Lendeborg would play nine minutes in the second half. He made two 3-pointers in an 80-second span and grabbed two rebounds as Michigan routed fellow No.1 seed Arizona, 91-73.
At one point, Lendeborg had more points (11) than minutes played (10).
"We know what type of guy Yaxel is. If he can play, he's going to play," Elliott Cadeau said. "He told us when he got on the court, he was going to give it his all."
As for the national title game on Monday, April 6, Lendeborg laughed when asked if he would play. So long as he can walk, he said, he's playing.
"(The trainers) say they've got my back," he said. "They're going to make me feel good and we're going to spend a lot of time together tomorrow and Monday before the game."
Michigan has scary depth — of the eight players in its main rotation, all but two had nine or more points against Arizona — but Lendeborg is what transforms the Wolverines from a good team into a great one. He was the Big Ten player of the year and a first-team All-American. He also was on the Big Ten's all-defensive team.
A 6-foot-9 guard, Lendeborg is the basketball equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. He can score around the basket and make 3s from the logo. He can get rebounds and run the offense. He can shut down guards and big men.
He's unselfish, too. If Michigan needs him to score, he'll do it. If one of his teammates is on a heater, he's happy to help make their spotlight.
"Yax is about winning. And from day one, he's always just been one of the guys," Michigan coach Dusty May said. "When you have a first-team All-American potential player of the year that just wants to be one of the dudes, it helps everyone else fall in line and just accept their role."
So, too, when they see Lendeborg playing through the pain to make sure Michigan extended its season for one more game. The game that's been their goal since last summer.
Lendeborg had to take a seat after picking up two fouls in the first 90 seconds of the game. He came back in after sitting for about almost six minutes and quickly made a 3-pointer. But with 8:51 left in the first half, Lendeborg and Motiejus Krivas collided and Lendeborg stepped on Krivas' foot.
The pain, and the fear, was immediate.
"I tried my best to get up as quickly as possible to try to not dwell with the pain, try to walk it off," Lendeborg said. "It didn't get walked off."
Lendeborg made his free throws and then headed back to the locker room. When he returned to the Michigan bench six minutes later, he had a towel on his head and looked downcast. He didn't stay on the bench for long, returning to the locker room to get more treatment.
Though Michigan had things under control without Lendeborg, thanks in large part to Aday Mara's career night, Lendeborg knew he wanted to play in the second half. He owed it to his teammates.
More importantly, he wanted to prove to himself he could play before the title game.
"I told them I was going to stay to the 3-point line and not go into paint," he said, smiling. "I want to get a feel for the rim and try as best as I can because I want to play Monday. So those two shots going in were big-time for me and my confidence."
Lendeborg wasn't at 100% in the second half. Nowhere close. He won't be Monday, either. But nothing is going to stop him from playing.
Not when there's only 40 minutes standing between him and a national title.
"Watching the game back here in the locker room, it's like, man, we can really do this," Lendeborg said. "This is what we talked about all year, and we're really one step away from getting that goal."
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
No. 1 seed Michigan vs. No. 1 seed Arizona. Two of the most dominant teams of the season meeting in the Final Four. Unstoppable force vs. immovable object. A box office attraction that billed heavyweights duking it out in what could be one of the all-time games in tournament history.
“No one's been able to do that to us all year,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd. “It was an impressive performance.”
It wasn’t one of the largest blowouts in Final Four history, but the 18-point differential doesn’t fully grasp how much of a beatdown this was. The Wolverines blitzed Arizona out of the game with a 10-1 run to open the game and never looked back in the wire-to-wire win.
“We came out, and we really knew how high the stakes were,” said Michigan guard Trey McKenney.
It took just less than 10 minutes for Michigan to hand Arizona its largest deficit of the season at 14 points, stunning the Wildcats. When Yaxel Lendeborg suffered an injury, Arizona cut the deficit and it felt like we had a game. Then the depth of Michigan flexed its muscle to show it’s far more than the Big Ten player of the year.
For as ugly as the first half was for Arizona, it had a knack for being a second half team. Before Saturday, the Wildcats were 6-0 when they trailed at halftime. Sure, the 16-point deficit was quite large, but Arizona had shown all season it was never out of games. Plus, Michigan didn't shoot the ball that great. There was a chance to come back.
Instead, it only got worse.
Michigan gave a dose of deja vu out of the break, once again unleashing a full assault while Arizona was already clinging onto the ropes. The only drama left was how much more Lendeborg would play.
The lead only ballooned from there, with the Wolverines up by as much as 29 points. The Maize and Blue inside Lucas Oil Stadium were already celebrating by singing “Mr. Brightside” midway through the second half. It made the final 10 minutes just a formality, the game already well decided and Arizona just trying to not make it as ugly as it was.
In the end, it was a disastrous showing for Arizona.
“Michigan just did a great job, and we weren't able to kind of catch up,” said Arizona guard Jaden Bradley.
So how did it happen? Despite the physicality and size Arizona brought to Indianapolis, Michigan coach Dusty May felt his team matched up extremely well to the Wildcats. The interior battle was going to be a key point, and the size of Michigan’s bigs made it tough for Arizona to drive downhill in the paint.
If Michigan could establish a hold inside early and make some perimeter shots, it was going to quickly force Arizona into an uncomfortable position, and the plan unfolded to near perfection.
“Once they get on a good start, (May) kind of really knows how to control the game,” Lloyd said. “When you're controlling the game and you're running your actions and you're getting some open shots or semi-open shots, you knock them down, it makes it really tough to come back, and that's what they were able to do.”
The Wildcats were ninth in the country in shooting percentage, and it shot a season-worst 36.6% from the field. One of the best fast break teams just had two points on breakaways. Michigan’s 91 points was the most Arizona allowed this season, and the 47.8% shooting percentage was the third-best an opponent had against the Wildcats this season.
All of it resulted in a sudden end to one of the best seasons Arizona has had in decades. When it finally broke the spell that cast a 25-year Final Four drought, it felt like these weren’t the same old Wildcats, and this one had a real good shot of winning it all.
Instead, their season ends in another March disappointment. It does sting to have another disappointing March Madness ending. It doesn’t take away it’s still a season worth celebrating in Tucson, and the game said a lot more about Michigan than it did Arizona, with the Wolverines becoming the first team to score at least 90 points in five straight NCAA Tournament games.
“Michigan gets all the credit today. I mean, it wasn't our night, but it probably had a lot to do with them,” Lloyd said.
If anything, it showed Connecticut another weapon of mass destruction is on the way, and it better be prepared – or Michigan will drop it again.
INDIANAPOLIS — For a moment there, Michigan looked in trouble.
All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg picked up his first foul 72 seconds into the Final Four matchup against Arizona and then was whistled for another just five seconds later, sending the senior to the bench.
Worse yet, Lendeborg began favoring his left leg after landing awkwardly with nine minutes left in the half, which forced him to enter the locker room for treatment. After returning to the Michigan bench with five minutes left in the first half, Lendeborg was again escorted through the tunnel. He ended up playing a season-low 14 minutes, though he poured in 11 points in this limited duty.
“I had to calm down a little, speak to myself, get out of my thoughts,” Lendeborg said of the injury. “I didn’t feel like I was going to be OK. I was definitely really worried.”
Losing your star and your leader early in the national semifinals would be a doomsday scenario for nearly anyone in college basketball — just not these Wolverines.
Even without Lendeborg making his usual impact, the Wolverines rolled to an impressive 91-73 win against the Wildcats and will meet Connecticut in Monday night’s championship game.
The win is proof of a key point about this team: Michigan is more than the sum of its parts, with a powerful supporting cast that more than overcame Lendeborg’s absence and could clearly do the same if he’s limited against the Huskies.
“We’re an unselfish team,” forward Joe Tschetter said. “It can be anybody’s night on any night. That’s what we’ve showed all year.”
Five players scored in double figures. Six of the seven players who logged the most-significant minutes outside of garbage time scored at least nine points. The Wolverines assisted on 22 of their 33 made field goals. They forced 14 turnovers. A lengthy and aggressive defense held Arizona in check from start to finish, stymieing what was one of the nation’s top-scoring offenses.
“With our depth, it allows us to be able to pick up where he left off, especially being able to plug in other guys in different areas,” guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “And everyone feels comfortable in that.”
Taking on a beefier role, center Aday Mara scored a career-best 26 points while making 11 of his 16 attempts. Forward Morez Johnson Jr. had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Point guard Elliot Cadeau had 13 points, 10 assists and 4 steals. Despite dealing with foul trouble of his own, guard Trey McKenney had 16 points and was a team-best plus-22 across his 27 minutes of playing time off the bench.
“That shows how much versatility we have in this group,” said Lendeborg. “Aday's been dominating all year. So I'm super happy that he did his thing today, tonight. Trey had a big game, man. We talked about this a lot. We spent a lot of time together, so I'm really happy for the (freshman). As long as we continue to keep playing team basketball, we should be in good shape.”
On the defensive end, Mara keyed a suffocating effort that held Arizona to a season-worst 36.6% shooting and forced 14 turnovers, leading to 19 second-chance points.
“Aday was sensational,” coach Dusty May said. “He was at the rim, catching lobs. He was a force down low. He was a pressure release up top. I mean, he's such a smart basketball player.”
Teammates didn’t realize the extent of Lendeborg’s injury until halftime; for one, Gayle thought he’d just been taken out because of his foul trouble and remained out of the rotation as Michigan built a double-digit lead.
Clued into the situation in the locker room, the Wolverines rallied around their senior leader: Let’s do this for Yaxel, Gayle said to the team.
But when Michigan exited for the second half with a 16-point lead, there was Lendeborg back on the court, in the lineup despite the double-digit advantage and the possibility that he could further aggravate his injury — causing him to not only miss the championship game but also potentially damage his NBA draft stock.
He drilled a 3-pointer to push Michigan’s edge to 53-32 with 17:47 to play, and then added another a minute later. That put the Wolverines in front 56-34 and sent a pro-Michigan crowd at Lucas Oil Arena into a frenzy.
“I think it just shows the guy who Yaxel is,” McKenney said. “I mean, he just wants to put it all on the floor for Michigan, and he wants to give the fans what they came here for. I'm just really grateful to have him as a teammate. He's one of the best players in the country and he showed that tonight. But he's selfless as well.”
Lendeborg would be removed from the game with 13:30 to play but asked to be reinserted about six minutes later after Arizona had gone on a 15-4 run. When he was taken out with 5:19 left, Michigan had an 86-64 lead and was on cruise control into Monday’s final.
“I felt like they were making sort of a run and I wanted to kind of neutralize it,” he said. “I wanted to be the guy who helps out. I didn’t want to sit out when my teammates needed me.”
Whether Lendeborg plays against Connecticut will be the dominant storyline heading into the championship game. “I want to play on Monday,” he said.
Even if Lendeborg is available, there will be questions about his ability to produce on one healthy leg against an opponent that’s allowing just 65 points per game in this tournament and held Illinois to just 19 of 56 shooting from the field in a 71-62 win.
But few teams — maybe the Huskies in 2024, but not many others — will enter the championship with this much confidence. Facing a fellow No. 1 seed with an equal amount of NBA talent and an equally explosive offense, the Lendeborg-less Wolverines advanced out of the national semifinals with ease.
“This game was very indicative of how this group has played throughout the season, unselfish basketball,” May said. “A connected group who defends, gets out in transition and then shares the basketball.”
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The Lakers (50-27) are back in action on Easter Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks (24-53) on the road.
L.A. looks to sweep the four-game season series against Dallas this season.
And just like that, the state of the Lakers feels more bleak than ever. With the playoffs beginning in less than two weeks, a championship now feels more out of reach for Los Angeles than ever before. Now, they’re left having to figure out what to do in the midst of all of this instead of gearing up for the most crucial time of the year.
The Lakers will have to do that starting Sunday when they face a lottery-bound Mavericks team that’s currently on a three-game losing streak. While it’s tempting to say that it’s just the Mavs and that this game is pretty much meaningless for them, it’s hard to do so knowing that the purple and gold’s faith now relies on 41-year-old LeBron James.
For as incredible as James still is, the superstar can’t carry this team by himself and without Dončić and Reaves, it’s hard to picture how this Lakers team can be competitive.
That said, they’re going to have to try and that means practicing the next man up mentality. Can Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Deandre Ayton and the rest step up? They obviously won’t be able to fill the void that Dončić and Reaves left but at the very least, it would be nice to see if they can help keep this team competitive.
Note that the Mavericks may be in the middle of a three-game losing streak but their rookie Cooper Flagg is still playing at a high level. Flagg is coming off a 51-point performance and is surrounded with quality role players like Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Brandon Williams and Daniel Gafford. So this one isn’t by any means going to be a walk in the park.
For the first time ever this season, it feels as if the Lakers are very much the underdogs without two of their best players. On Sunday, we’ll get a first look at how they’ll be until the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Sigh.
Let’s see if there’s anything still worth being hopeful about for the purple and gold on Easter Sunday.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain), Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) and Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) are out.
Jared Vanderbilt (right calf soreness) is also listed on the report as questionable.
As for the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), Caleb Martin (right plantar fascia) are out.
Marvin Bagley III (left shoulder impingement) is probable while Tyler Smith (low back spasms) is questionable.
A game that was expected to be a thriller between two of the best teams in the country was far from it, as Michigan blitzed the Wildcats right out of the gate. Arizona couldn't ever really recover as Michigan relentlessly built a lead that ballooned to 30 points at one point.
It's not often you see lopsided games on the biggest stage in college basketball, but it has happened before. But does Michigan's victory rank among the biggest Final Four blowouts in history?
Here's what to know:
Biggest Final Four blowouts
Here are the biggest blowouts in men's Final Four history:
Note: List begins when tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1951.
1. 44 points: Villanova (95) vs. Oklahoma (51), 2016 Final Four
2. 36 points: Princeton (118) vs. Wichita St. (82), 1965 third place game
T-3. 34 points: Cincinnati (80) vs. Oregon St. (46), NSF, 1963 Final Four
T-3. 34 points: Michigan St. (101) vs. Penn (67), 1979 Final Four
5. 33 points: Kansas (94) vs. Marquette (61), 2003 Final Four
6. 32 points: UCLA (101) vs. Houston (69), 1968 Final Four
7. 30 points: UNLV (103) vs. Duke (73), 1990 Final Four
8. 27 points: Purdue (92) vs. North Carolina (65), 1969 Final Four
T-9. 26 points: Kansas (79) vs. Washington (53), 1953 Final Four
T-9. 26 points: Ohio State (95) vs. St. Joseph’s (69), 1961 Final Four
INDIANAPOLIS — A Final Four matchup of high-scoring offenses was instead decided by Michigan’s defense, which held Arizona in check and delivered a 91-73 win to send the Wolverines to Monday night’s national championship game.
Michigan won despite the extended absence of All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who battled foul trouble and an apparent lower-body injury and played a season-low 14 minutes. He still managed to score 11 points on 3 of 4 shooting.
Without Lendeborg serving as the focal point, the Wolverines leaned on center Aday Mara, who had a career-best 26 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks. Point guard Elliot Cadeau had 13 points and 10 assists while guard Trey McKenney added 16 points while hitting 6 of 9 attempts.
Arizona was led by forward Koa Peat's 16 points, though the freshman made just 6 of 18 shots from the field. Overall, Arizona shot 36.6% and committed 14 turnovers. The Wildcats came into the semifinal ranked 11th with an average of 86.5 points per game.
Thanks to a suffocating style that unsettled Arizona’s tempo, Michigan took a 26-10 midway lead through the opening half despite losing Lendeborg, who picked up two quick fouls and then limped off the court later in the half to have his ankle re-taped.
After returning to the Wolverines’ bench with about five minutes to go, Lendeborg was escorted back to the locker room and didn’t return until entering the lineup to open the second half.
The Wildcats finally gained their footing with a 13-2 spurt to make it 28-23 with 6:43 to play until halftime. Michigan answered with a quick 7-2 run of its own and pushed the lead to as many as 18 points before heading into the break ahead 48-32.
The 48 points were the most in the first half of a national semifinal since North Carolina had 49 against Villanova in 2009.
Both teams went into halftime with foul issues. Morez Johnson jr., Mara and McKenney also had two fouls for the Wolverines. Arizona guard Jaden Bradley picked up three fouls, limiting him to just 11 minutes in the first half, while star freshman Brayden Burries had two fouls and was 0 of 5 from the field.
The Wolverines kept their foot down coming out of the break, pushing the lead to 53-32 on a Lendeborg 3-pointer with 17:47 to play. That edge grew to 23 points at 64-41 on a Mara dunk with 14 minutes left and then ballooned to 27 points under two minutes later.
Michigan would continue to control the flow of the game on both ends, answering every brief Arizona run with a key bucket while forcing the Wildcats into increasingly difficult looks thanks to its lengthy frontcourt.
After the Wolverines went in front 77-47 with 10:31 to play, the only question left in this matchup asked they'd become the first team to score 100 points in the Final Four since Michigan State in 1979.
While they came up short of the century mark, the Wolverines’ 91 points were the program’s most in a semifinal since beating Princeton 94-76 in 1965.
Michigan is chasing the program’s second national title. The Wolverines previously reached the title game in 1965, 1976, 1989, 1992-93, 2013 and 2018, winning it all in 1989.
