Category: NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped a chippy game to the Orlando Magic 128-122 due to their inability to defend the paint and clutch shot-making from Desmond Bane.

The Magic have a bad offense. They can’t shoot from the outside and don’t have many playmakers. They do, however, have size, and that was an issue for a Cavs team that desperately missed Jarrett Allen, who sat out this game with a knee injury.

Orlando set the tone early, scoring 38 points in the first quarter while going 11-12 in the paint and attempting seven shots at the free-throw line. They were able to consistently outmuscle the Cavs’ smaller defenders, which became a theme for the entire evening.

The Cavs were able to take advantage of their smaller, faster lineup on the other end of the court at the beginning of the night, but they weren’t able to keep pace for 48 minutes.

The three-ball being average for most of the evening and leaving far too many points at the free-throw line (17-26, 34.3%) eventually did the offense in. After scoring 35 points in the first quarter, they were held to just 27 the next two, which wasn’t enough considering how poorly their own defense was playing.

The Cavaliers went into the second half tied, but lost their grip on the game at the start of the third quarter. Bane’s 12 points on 4-4 shooting in that frame had a lot to do with that. Orlando pushed its lead to 10 at the end of the third quarter.

The Magic carried that momentum into the fourth. They extended their advantage to 12 at the halfway point of the final frame, before the Cavs attempted a comeback that was far too late in the making.

Cleveland cut the deficit to two with threes on four-straight possessions to make it a two-point game with 39 seconds left. They needed one more stop to give themselves a chance to tie or take the lead, but Bane had other ideas. He hit a tough, off-balance triple with a hand in his face late in the shot clock to put the game away.

Earlier this week, Kenny Atkinson said he wanted to see the role players step up to claim a spot in the playoff rotation. Ellis seems to have taken that message to heart. He was the unquestioned best Cavalier on the defensive end and more than did his job offensively. Ellis poured in 20 points on 6-9 shooting with 12 of them coming in the fourth quarter.

James Harden led Cleveland in scoring with 30 points on an efficient 11-16 shooting with eight assists and four turnovers.

Donovan Mitchell wasn’t able to establish his usual rhythm and was inefficient in the clutch. He went just 2-8 from the field in the final quarter. Mitchell finished the game with 25 points on 9-24 shooting with five assists and three turnovers.

Evan Mobley had a solid night from the field, but being in foul trouble and not being able to convert from the free-throw line (2-7) kept him from being as effective as you’d like. He ended the evening with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists.

Bane led the Magic with a game-high 35 points on 12-19 shooting. Paolo Banchero provided 25 points in the victory.

The victory extends the Magic’s winning streak to five. The Cavs are now up 2-1 in the season series against Orlando. Their final meeting of the regular season will be Tuesday, March 24.

The Cavs are back in action on Friday when they head on the road to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Former Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge sued the university, its board of regents and its athletics director Wednesday for firing him in 2023 while the NCAA investigated allegations of in-person scouting and sign-stealing.

Partridge's lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Michigan argues that his “termination was wholly unjustified and without legitimate cause," saying that the school violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process.

“The University of Michigan unjustly terminated Partridge’s employment and spread false and damaging information regarding his professional conduct, tarnishing Partridge’s hard-earned reputation and inflicting irreparable harm on to his career and personal well-being,” the lawsuit said.

Michigan did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment. The Big Ten declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Partridge was fired from Michigan in November 2023 as the NCAA investigated allegations that former university staffer Connor Stalions purchased tickets to scout the school's opponents and sent people to those games to record teams signaling in their plays. In-person scouting is banned by the NCAA. Stalions resigned earlier that month.

In 2025, the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions determined that Stalions had orchestrated a scouting scheme for years. It also found recruiting violations and fined the school millions of dollars. Partridge was largely cleared of any wrongdoing.

But just after Partridge's firing, rumors swirled about why he was let go. He took to social media at the time to say that he had no knowledge of any scouting scheme and that he was fired for failing to abide by the school’s directive to avoid discussing the inquiry with “anyone associated with the program.”

“Additionally, at no point did I destroy any evidence related to the ongoing investigation,” he had said in an online post.

Partridge went on to serve as outside linebackers coach for the Seattle Seahawks, helping them clinch a Super Bowl win last month.

The lawsuit states that Partridge was told by the university that he was fired for telling a player that he should “get an attorney," despite being instructed not to communicate with the athletes during the investigation.

Partridge confirmed that he did say that to a player. But, he said in the lawsuit, the football staff was never told to stop communication with players, which would have caused the football program to “come to a screeching halt.”

“Partridge was a scapegoat who was wrongly fired simply because he told a player he had the right to have counsel,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also said that the school smeared his reputation, including when some athletics department employees and at least one Board of Regents member told a sportswriter that Partridge was fired for “destroying evidence." That information was then reported by several news organizations, including the AP, which cited reporting by Yahoo Sports that Partridge "allegedly tried to cover up evidence."

Partridge was fired just before the Wolverines became football national champions. One day after he was fired, the school and the Big Ten Conference agreed that then head coach Jim Harbaugh would serve the final two games of his three-game suspension in return for the conference ending its investigation into the sign-stealing allegations.

The lawsuit seeks damages to be determined at trial, along with clearing Partridge’s name and reputation.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Robert McCray V scored 30 points and Florida State continued its winning ways beating California 95-89 in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday.

The eighth-seeded Seminoles (18-14) advance to play top-seeded Duke on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

McCray finished shooting 10 of 17 — including a thunderous windmill dunk off a steal. Lajae Jones scored 15 points, Chauncey Wiggins 14 and reserve Kobe MaGee scored all of his 13 in the first half.

Dai Dai Ames scored 27 points, Chris Bell 17, Justin Pippen 15, John Camden 11 and Lee Dort grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds for ninth-seeded Cal (21-11).

Cal darted to a 9-2 lead before the Seminoles took control. Florida State went on a on a 13-4 run and took the lead for good on a MaGee 3-pointer with 12:13 before halftime.

Florida State shot 53% (18 of 34) including 7 of 14 — after missing its first five — from 3-point range in the first half. Cal shot 41% (11 of 27) including a paltry 27% (3 of 11) from past the arc in the first half.

The Seminoles led 46-32 at halftime and stretched their lead to 56-39 with 16:31 left.

Florida State has won 11 of its last 14 against conference foes since dropping its first five to start ACC play.

Cal has lost three of its last four and now sweats its potential NCAA Tournament berth fate.

Up next

Florida State: Advances to the quarterfinals.

Cal: Awaits Selection Sunday.

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The breeze from the Pacific Ocean drifted into the sun-drenched Manhattan Beach neighborhood of Lakers superstar Luka Doncic on Wednesday. 

The NBA’s leading scorer and the most talked-about man in basketball this week arrived at his $25 million home — that he bought from tennis champ Maria Sharapova in September — in a black Cadillac Escalade and appeared unbothered by the off-the-court storm swirling around his personal life. 

The California Post exclusively captured photos of Doncic arriving at his beachfront bachelor pad, stepping out in a black Lakers track suit, dark sunglasses shielding his eyes, and a black duffle bag. Flanked by personal security and his chief brand officer and business manager, Lara Beth Seager, the 27-year-old guard looked calm — almost serene — despite the drama with his ex-fiancée Anamaria Goltes.

Doncic’s Tuesday morning began with the NBA fining him $50,000 for what the league called an “inappropriate and unprofessional gesture” directed at a referee during the Lakers’ 110-97 win over the Knicks on Sunday. Hours later, another headline detonated across the sports world: Goltes, a Slovenian model and influencer, had filed a petition for child support and attorney fees in a Los Angeles court.

The legal filing ignited a custody battle over their two daughters — Gabriela, born in 2023, and Olivia, born in Slovenia last December.

Doncic confirmed the breakup in a statement to ESPN later in the afternoon.

“I love my daughters more than anything,” Doncic said. “I’ve been doing everything I can for them to be with me in the U.S. during the season, but that hasn’t been possible, so I recently made the tough decision to end my engagement.”

Behind the scenes, the situation has been complicated and emotional for the Lakers star. According to sources, Doncic was surprised by the California filing, noting that one daughter spent only three months in the state while the other has never been there.

The relationship between Doncic and Goltes stretches back nearly a decade. The pair met in their youth and began dating in 2016 before the Lakers star proposed in July 2023.

According to the court filing, Goltes moved back to Slovenia on May 5, 2025, and remained in Slovenia for the birth of Olivia last December. The fracture reportedly widened when Doncic arrived at Kranj Maternity Hospital on Dec. 6. 

According to a police report obtained by ESPN, officers responded to a dispute between Doncic and Goltes after a disagreement erupted about travel plans for their older daughter. Police later concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing, and Doncic left peacefully before returning to the United States.

Since then, the distance has grown colder.

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Doncic hasn’t seen his daughters since that trip and recently filed an interim injunction in Slovenian court seeking immediate contact with them.

Yet through all of it, he’s dominated on the court. 

Doncic leads the league with 32.5 points per game, and just hours after the child-support news broke Tuesday night, he poured in 31 points in the Lakers’ 120-106 victory over the Timberwolves.

Three straight wins. Helping the Lakers leapfrog into fourth place in the Western Conference.

And on Wednesday afternoon, as he disappeared behind the doors of his Manhattan Beach home, Doncic looked exactly like he has all season.

Unbothered.

Focused.

And still very much in control of the game that made him a global superstar — even if the one off the court has suddenly become far more complicated.

The Lakers did not practice Wednesday but will take the court again on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena against the Bulls.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Malik Dia scored 23 points, AJ Storr added 18 off the bench, and 15th-seeded Mississippi knocked off No. 10-seed Texas 76-66 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday night.

Mississippi, led by former Texas coach Chris Beard, put a dent in the Longhorns' NCAA Tournament aspirations. The Longhorns (18-14) were thought to be among the last handful of teams in consideration for an at-large bid. After losing five of their last six games, their hopes are fading.

Texas, which trailed by 11 points at halftime got eight points from Jordan Pope in the early minutes of the second half and it was his 3-pointer that had the Longhorns within 53-48 about seven minutes into the half.

Like they did for much of the second half, the Rebels (13-19) answered the Texas push with a rally of their own. Ilias Kamardine scored six points in a 7-0 run that had Ole Miss up by double digits again at 60-48. Texas chipped away over the next six minutes — mostly at the free throw line —and it was 66-63 with four minutes remaining.

Storr then scored eight points over the final 2 1/2 minutes while Texas only managed a free throw from Dailyn Swain and a dunk by Nic Codie.

Texas made 12 of 15 free throws in the second half, 21 of 25 for the game.

Kamardine scored 16 points and James Scott had 10 for Ole Miss.

Swain had 22 points and 12 rebounds for Texas. Pope scored 16 and Matas Vokietaitis added 10.

Up next

Ole Miss moves on to play seventh-seeded Georgia on Thursday. No. 2-seed Alabama awaits in the quarterfinals.

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Nasir Whitlock scored 18 points, Joshua Ingram and Edouard Benoit each added 15, and second-seeded Lehigh beat No. 4 seed Boston University 74-60 on Wednesday night to win the Patriot League Tournament and clinch its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2012.

Hank Alvey added 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks for Lehigh (18-16).

Ingram hit a 3-pointer and Whitlock followed with a step-back jumper to make it 13-12 and the Mountain Hawks led the rest of the way.

Ben Defty made 8 of 11 from the field and finished with 21 points and eight rebounds for BU (17-17). Michael McNair added 14 points, Chance Gladden 11 and Donte Tisinger Jr. 10.

Gladden hit a logo 3-pointer at the buzzer Sunday to help BU beat No. 1 seed Navy 73-72.

The Terriers won the 2020 conference tournament, but the ensuing NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID.

Up next

BU: Season complete.

Lehigh: Awaits its seeding and opponent for the NCAA Tournament.

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CHICAGO (AP) — Nick Martinelli scored 28 points, Jake West added 18 and 15th-seeded Northwestern knocked off No. 10-seed Indiana 74-61 on the second day of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday.

The Wildcats (15-18) trailed 37-36 at halftime then held cold-shooting Indiana to 24 points in the second half. Northwestern now has a seven-game winning streak against the Hoosiers (18-14).

Martinelli made 5 of 7 shots early in the second half while Indiana was mired in a 2-for-11 shooting slump, leading to a 57-47 Northwestern lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Jordan Clayton made one free throw for a 70-52 Wildcats lead with about 5 1/2 minutes left. Both teams limped home from there, with the Wildcats missing their last seven shots and Indiana making only 1 of 4 down the stretch.

At one point in the second half the Hoosiers went six minutes without making a shot and they went 3 for 15 from the field in the final 14-plus minutes.

Lamar Wilkerson scored 17 points and Tayton Conerway had 14 for Indiana. Tucker DeVries had eight rebounds and six assists but was only 2-for-9 shooting for six points.

Northwestern led only once in the first half, when Tyler Kropp's 3-pointer gave the Wildcats a 33-32 lead with 2:49 remaining before halftime. Nick Dorn responded with a 3 for Indiana and the Hoosiers went on to lead 37-36 at the break.

The Hoosiers have lost six of their last seven games.

Up next

Northwestern plays seventh-seeded Purdue on Thursday. No. 2 seed Nebraska awaits in the quarterfinals.

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UPDATE: LeBron James will play for the Lakers in their contest against the Bulls. He missed the last three games due to his right hip contusion and left foot arthritis.

Via Lakers: LeBron James, right hip contusion; left foot arthritis, has been upgraded to available for tonight’s game versus Chicago.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) March 13, 2026

With LeBron back, LA’s big three can continue working on building their chemistry and remaining undefeated during their current homestand.

Original story follows.

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UPDATE: While the Lakers will still be favored against the Bulls, their matchup has gotten much harder. They’ll be playing without two of their bigs, with Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber being downgraded to out. Marcus Smart will also be unavailable, due to a right hip contusion.

Via the Lakers: Jaxson Hayes, back soreness, Maxi Kleber, lumbar back strain, and Marcus Smart, right hip contusion, have been downgraded to out for tonight’s game versus Chicago.

LeBron James, right hip contusion; left foot arthritis, remains questionable.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) March 12, 2026

This means Deandre Ayton will be even more important as he will be the team’s lone traditional center. LeBron James remains questionable, so we’ll have to wait and see if he suits up for this one.

Original story follows.

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LeBron James’ return to the Lakers lineup is still up in the air heading into Thursday’s game against the Bulls.

On Wednesday’s injury report, LeBron is listed as questionable yet again. He is still listed with both a right hip contusion and left foot arthritis.

The addition to the injury report is Marcus Smart, who is listed as doubtful with a right hip contusion.

Lakers’ injury report vs. Chicago tomorrow. Marcus Smart has been added and is listed as doubtful: pic.twitter.com/Yqi26K3QDy

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 12, 2026

LeBron has missed the last three games after initially injuring his elbow against the Nuggets. However, it’s his foot that has kept him out of recent games. The hip contusion is an entirely new injury that only surfaced during his absence.

Jaxson Hayes was a very late scratch for Tuesday’s game against the Wolves but looks set to return to the lineup. Maxi Kleber, however, is still listed as questionable with a back strain. He has also been dealing with back soreness for multiple games.

Smart’s addition is entirely new. After injuries in recent years that limited his availability, he has played in 41 of the Lakers’ last 42 games. In short, injuries have not been nearly as much of an issue this season.

Thursday’s opponent in the Bulls have been one of the worst teams in the league since the trade deadline. They did not win a game in February and have just three wins since late January.

But taking anyone lightly in the NBA can result in a loss, something the Lakers have learned firsthand this year. Fortunately, it’s not been a trait they’ve had of late, so regardless of who is available, the Lakers should be able to still take care of business.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Arizona State is parting ways with longtime men's basketball head coach Bobby Hurley, athletics director Graham Rossini announced on Wednesday, March 11.

"Bobby Hurley has made incredible contributions to the sport of basketball, and that certainly includes many memorable moments during his time as our head coach," Rossini said in a statement. "While we will not be extending his contract, we are so grateful for the 11 years that Coach, Leslie, Cameron, Sydney, Bobby Jr., and he spent with us at ASU.

"We wish Coach well moving forward and we are thankful for his leadership while at ASU."

According to multiple reports, Hurley is expected to be placed on administrative leave until his contract expires in June. He leaves as the second-winningest coach in program history behind only Ned Wulk with a 185-167 record in 11 seasons.

The announcement comes just hours after the Sun Devils were eliminated from the Big 12 tournament in a 91-42 blowout loss to No. 7 Iowa State.

Arizona State had a promising start to the season after finishing runner-up at the Maui Invitational and losing a closely contested game against Gonzaga. They couldn't find consistency from then on, however.

That was evident in January, where a pair of crucial conference wins at home against Kansas State and Cincinnati sandwiched a stretch of key losses to Houston, West Virginia and Arizona, none of which was particularly close.

The Sun Devils finished the season with a 17-15 record and entered the Big 12 tournament as the last place seed.

"I don't have any regrets," Hurley told reporters after the game. "I laid it out on the line the best I could every night."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona State parting ways with men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Golden State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Golden State Warriors have a serious decision to make this offseason: should they re-sign Kristaps Porziņģis? The former All-Star has looked brilliant when on the court with the Dubs, following a deadline deal that sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks.

But staying on the court has been an issue. He’s appeared in just three games in his month-plus with the team, and has now had an issue suiting up every year for the last decade. The talent is tantalizing, and there’s no doubt that he’s an excellent fit with the team. But is he worth committing to beyond this year, especially if his All-Star talent drives up his price? Let us know how you feel!

NBA fans have been paying very close attention to this draft because of three names in particular: Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa, with the occasional Big Board having UNC’s Caleb Wilson thrown in the mix. Rightly so; all four of them have had incredible seasons, but juuuuuust outside of all of that hype there are a few guys who have had really great seasons in their own right.

Playing in the Big 12 (which is widely regarded as the third best basketball league in the world) is no small feat. Playing on a team in the Big 12 that has winning culture and finished 2nd in the Big 12 standings is also no small feat, but to do all of that AND lead that team in scoring as a true Freshman seems impossible… but here we are. Kingston Flemings has demonstrated that he does have the ability to be great at the next level, but will he? Let’s talk numbers.

Tale of the Tape

Team: Houston Cougars

Position: Guard

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 190 lbs

Counting Stats: 16.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 48.3/37.6/84.8 shooting splits

Hardware: First-Team All-Big 12, Big 12 All-Freshman Team

Triumphs

What cannot possibly be denied is his ability to put the ball in the hoop. He scored 27 against TCU, he scored 22 against a juggernaut in Iowa State, and he had a career high 42 against Texas Tech. He’s also a great facilitator as he was fifth in the Big 12 for assists per game and the ONLY Freshman in the Big 12 to average more than 5 a game.

His shooting percentages should be mentioned as well; not everyone can come in at 18/19 years old and shoot 37% from deep, albeit on limited attempts per game. His defensive metrics can’t be overlooked either: in the Big 12 he ranks 5th in Defensive Win Shares (2.3), 3rd in defensive box plus/minus (5.8), and 14th in defensive rating (97.4).

His other highly coveted skill is his ability to be THE engine of a team. He finished the Big 12 regular season with a Usage Percentage of 26.3% so he had the ball in his hands all the time. While constantly having the ball could lead to a high turnover rate, that isn’t the case with Flemings as he has a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio. He finished 16th in Big 12 Offensive Rating (124.3), 11th in Points Produced Per Game (16.8), and 7th in Offensive Box Plus/Minus (6.8). There is quite literally nothing that he can’t do on the basketball court. However…

Shortcomings

Flemings does have one fatal flaw in my opinion, and that is his consistency. While he does have the ability to go off for 40, he also has multiple single digit scoring games this year including 7 against Cincinnati in 30 minutes, 4 against Utah in 29 minutes, and a grotesque 1 point against Notre Dame in 22 minutes earlier in the year. His field goal percentage also fluctuates: for every 60% game on high shot volume, he has a 15% on similar attempts. For every hyper efficient game on limited attempts he also has a 0-4 night.

Something that I’m also concerned about is his frame at the pro level. He’s 6’4” which is a decent height, but with the NBA is shifting to taller ball handlers (or allowing your Center to be the playmaker in the case of Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun), the “smaller” guard is becoming more of a novelty. There are exceptions, obviously: Payton Pritchard is 6’1” and Steph Curry is 6’3” but the a huge difference between those two and Flemings is my other concern which is his weight. He’s listed at 190 lbs but he is a skinny 190. I do want to give credit where credit is due; he put on 10 lbs of muscle prior to the start of the season, so this is something that he is aware he needs to work on, but I think that early in his career his frame will hinder him from being as physical as he needs to be in the NBA.

Is He Worth The Pick?

I think that I approach drafts and draft picks a little differently than most. In my view scouting is both very difficult and kind of a crapshoot. I made a video over a year ago detailing how rare it is to find a superstar in any one draft. In my view the draft kind of goes like this…

Picks 1-3: You are expecting a future superstar

Picks 4-14: You are expecting a high production role player

Picks 15-60: You are PRAYING for a role player

There are obvious outliers in that framing as Giannis and Jokic come to mind, but for the most part if you can secure a lottery pick and they turn into a solid role player you have to count it as a win. When you don’t have a chance to select a consensus “top guy” in the draft you’re best suited to select a positional need.

I think that Kingston Flemings has the ability to be really good in this league one day. He can put the ball in the hoop, he is a more than capable defender, and he has shown the ability to be the engine for a team. For the Utah Jazz specifically? I’m not sure that the juice is worth the squeeze.

I don’t think that he’s a great roster fit for us at this stage in our development. Keyonte George is on track to win the Most Improved Player Award and his playmaking ability has taken a huge leap. Isaiah Collier, while mostly playing a backup role, has also shown great strides in his playmaking. With two above-average playmaking guards on the team I’m not sure that having another one would be super beneficial. Now, I’m higher on Collier than most (I even bought a Collier jersey to celebrate me becoming a contributor to this great site and community) so I’m willing to entertain the idea of moving on from Collier to get a guy like Flemings but if we end up with the 5th pick in the NBA Draft, and we truly feel like we need to get another do-it-all guard, I think that there is at least one better option at our disposal (be on the lookout for that piece soon).

We’re also in the middle of a contentious Tankathon against the Pacers, Wizards, Kings, Nets, and Pelicans right now, and I think that Flemings could benefit the most from going to a team like the Nets; a team that isn’t going to compete in the immediate future and can allow someone like Kingston the time and grace needed to adjust to the NBA game. After the moves the Jazz made this Trade Deadline Season it’s clear that the front office is tired of being at the bottom of the standings and they’re ready to start competing for potential Playoff spots. I’m not sure that we’ll be in the business of drafting a guard that will have this much of a learning curve at the start of their career.

If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. If we wake up in 6 years and Flemings is an All-Star already I’ll eat my words, but now that it seems like we’re trying to take steps forward instead of laterally I think that we’d be better off selecting someone else with that potential pick, selecting a truly needed archetype like a volume 3 point shooting wing, or to trade the pick and get even more assets as Trader Danny is prone to do.

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Where do you land on Flemings? How do you think Houston will do in March Madness? Sound off in the comments!

Be kind. Tell someone you love them.

The New York Knicks (41*-25) face the Utah Jazz (20-45) tonight at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Josh Hart is OUT for New York with left knee soreness, while Utah is missing Lauri Markkanen (hip), Walker Kessler (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic (nose), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee), and lists Keyonte George as questionable (illness).

Tip off is 9 p.m. EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is SLC Dunk. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Have fun. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but NBA Cup finals are temporary tattoos.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Ana Beatriz Passos scored 12 points, Ana Pinheiro and Hope Hassmann each added 11, and top-seeded Idaho beat No. 2 seed Montana State 60-57 on Wednesday night to win the Big Sky Conference Tournament and clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade

Idaho (29-5) won its first regular season conference title since 2019 and its first Big Sky Conference Tournament since 2016. Second-year coach Arthur Moreira — the first Brazilian head coach in Division I history — led the Vandals to a program record for single-season wins. Idaho won 28 games in the 1984-85 season.

Debora dos Santos grabbed 10 rebounds to go with nine points for the Vandals.

Taylee Chirrick made a layup, and Ella Johnson hit a 3-pointer — her only points of the game — to cut Montana State’s deficit to a point with 54 seconds left, but the Bobcats didn’t score again.

Hassmann made 2 of 6 from the free-throw line from there, and Lorena Barbosa blocked a potential tying 3-point shot by Johnson with about a second left.

Chirrick had 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting for the Bobcats (25-7), the 2025 Big Sky Conference Tournament champion.

The Bobcats scored seven of the first nine second-half points to tie it 38-all, but dos Santos responded with a layup before Kyra Gardner and Ella Uriarte made 3s as the Vandals led the rest of the way.

Montana State beat the Vandals 99-66 at home Jan. 10 and lost 73-70 at Idaho on Feb. 5.

Up next

Montana State: Hopes for a potential postseason invitation.

Idaho: Awaits seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

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LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Javohn Garcia scored a career-high 31 points and made five 3-pointers, and No. 2 seed McNeese beat top-seeded Stephen F. Austin 76-59 on Wednesday to claim the Southland Tournament championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

McNeese (28-5) became the first team in 10 years to reach and win three straight Southland Tournament title games since Stephen F. Austin did so from 2013–16.

Garcia finished 11 of 18 from the floor and grabbed five rebounds in 33 minutes — a day after playing 48 minutes in a triple-overtime win over UT Rio Grande Valley. Larry Johnson added 18 points and Tyshawn Archie had 17.

McNeese did not trail in the game, jumping out to a 29-20 lead behind five 3-pointers from Garcia. The Cowboys went into the break ahead 42-25.

Keon Thompson, the conference player of the year, led the Lumberjacks (28-5) with 18 points, while Kam Burton added 10. Stephen F. Austin shot 37% from the floor and 24% from behind the arc.

Up next

The Cowboys return to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history.

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The San Antonio Spurs have won 16 of their last 17 games, and are 2.5 games back from the Oklahoma City Thunder for first place in the Western Conference standings. With just 17 games remaining, the Spurs have the sixth-easiest schedule through the end of the season. The Thunder have the fourth-hardest remaining schedule.

What was once thought to be a season defined by ramping up for playoff contention could realistically end with the Spurs holding the league’s best record and number-one seed in the West. San Antonio has done it with shot-making all over the floor and elite defense on the other end. The Spurs have a +13.1 net rating, with a 122.1 offensive rating and 108.9 defensive rating in the last 17 games.

Over this stretch, they’ve gotten great performances from their role players. Keldon Johnson has had a major impact off the bench on both ends, Dylan Harper is coming into his own as a young guard, and Julian Champagnie has shone as a 3&D wing. Soon, the team will welcome Harrison Barnes back to the lineup and have even more shooting to surround their star big man, Victor Wembanyama.

But is the support cast’s stellar play enough to catch OKC? The Thunder are 9-1 in their last 10 games, winning six straight games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing MVP-level basketball while the team shows no signs of slowing down. Without any matchups with the Thunder on the schedule, San Antonio will rely on other teams to help them move up in the standings.

Will the Spurs get the number one seed? Which role player needs to stay hot as we head into April? Vote in the poll below and we’ll be back with responses next week.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Spurs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.