Category: NBA

After the Boston Celtics’ recent loss to the Denver Nuggets, this year’s Celtics team no longer qualifies for Phil Jackson’s benchmark for true championship contenders. According to Jackson, hitting the magical mark of securing 40 wins before 20 losses ensures you are among the league’s elite. The 2025-2026 Celtics are 39-20 after their win against the Brooklyn Nets, so the question becomes: does missing Jackson’s mythical contender benchmark signal the end of the Celtics’ championship hopes?

The 40/20 rule has held up remarkably well over the years. Since the NBA added the three-point line in the 1979-80 season, only four teams have won an NBA championship without meeting this benchmark. We will examine if there was anything special or unique about those teams a bit later.

I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t believe there is anything magical or especially insightful about the rule Jackson came up with. Having a record of 40/19 or better means that a team is on pace for at least 56 wins. NBA teams that win at least 55 games are incredibly good. It’s essentially another way of saying that unless a team is a top-3 seed, they are incredibly unlikely to win a championship. A top-3 seed has won 77 of the last 79 NBA championships. That’s not because the top-3 seeds are given special powers; it’s because the best teams are almost always top-3 seeds. The same goes for winning 40 games before 19 losses. 

Next, it’s time to address the ridiculous flaw in thinking that winning 40 games before 20 losses is any different from winning 40 games before 21 losses. Logically there is no difference between winning 39 games before 19 losses, or winning 41 games before 22 losses. A one or two game difference in a 60-game sample does not, or at least should not, spell the end of a team’s season. That’s the logical, rational argument when discussing the 40/20 rule. On the other hand, there are those who believe in the Basketball Gods, and reaching 40/20 is a rock-solid prerequisite for winning the title. 

I like to think of myself as Basketball God agnostic. I believe in a higher power; for example, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown needed to experience Steph Curry levitating to a higher plane in the 2022 NBA Finals to unlock more powerful versions of themselves. But I can’t believe something as small as a single win or loss in February determines who wins the NBA championship.

There have been plenty of teams that have missed the 40/20 mark and made it to the NBA Finals. In fact, all four past NBA Finals losers have failed to reach 40 wins before 20 losses. The ’25 Indiana Pacers, the ’24 Dallas Mavericks, the ’23 Miami Heat, and the ’22 Boston Celtics. There are countless more examples over the past 45 years. Drilling down to these recent examples, did these teams lose because of a mystical 40/20 rule, or because they simply weren’t good enough? The ’25 Indiana Pacers made it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals and were tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder 16-16 when Tyrese Haliburton ruptured his Achilles tendon. The Pacers, in my opinion, could have easily won that game if Haliburton had not gone down. The ’24 Dallas Mavericks never stood a chance and were a good example of a team going on a late run, and not quite being a bulletproof title contender. The ’23 Miami Heat are a good example of the Basketball Gods not being real. If they were, they would never have allowed Caleb Martin to shoot 50% from three for an entire Eastern Conference series against the Boston Celtics. That Miami Heat team is another example that supports the 40/20 rule. The ’22 Boston Celtics provide another interesting case. Another team that got hot late in the season and missed 40/20 because it didn’t build its championship profile from the start of the season. However, that Celtics team was up 2-1 in the NBA Finals, with a lead in the 4th quarter of Game 4. I firmly believe that if Robert Williams hadn’t torn his meniscus in March of that season, the Celtics would have won the title. The team was never the same after Rob’s injury. Did the Celtics lose because they didn’t hit 40/20? Or because Robert Williams’ knees couldn’t hold up? The answer is in the eye of the beholder. 

History says the best the 2025-2026 Boston Celtics can do this season is win the Eastern Conference. This feels like a good moment to take a second to appreciate the season the 2025-2026 Celtics have given their fans. Many analysts (myself included) expected the Celtics to be a sub-.500 team. Fast forward to 59 games through the regular season, and the Celtics are the second seed in the Eastern Conference, are on pace for 54 wins, and currently hold the third best point differential in the entire league. Even the most optimistic predictions did not anticipate this season. 

There have been four teams that have been exceptions to the 40/20 rule since 1980. The 95’ Houston Rockets, the 04’ Detroit Pistons, the 06’ Miami Heat, the 21’ Milwaukee Bucks. Taking a closer look at these four teams, a common thread emerges that could also apply to this year’s Celtics. The 95’ Rockets traded for Clyde Drexler at the trade deadline. The 04’ Pistons traded for Rasheed Wallace at the trade deadline. The 06’ Heat traded for Derek Anderson at the trade deadline. If you just asked yourself who Derek Anderson is, that makes sense, as he didn’t play a second in the 2006 NBA Finals. The 21’ Bucks traded for PJ Tucker at the trade deadline, who played 29.6 minutes per game for the Bucks in the playoffs on the way to the championship. Three of the four teams made significant acquisitions halfway through the season to bolster their title chances. Two of the teams traded for All-Star-level talents. If the 2025-2026 Boston Celtics get Jayson Tatum back, they will be getting back an All-Star-level talent. 

As currently constructed, I don’t believe the Boston Celtics can win a championship this season. It has nothing to do with the 40/20 rule and more to do with them not having a gear necessary to take down several high level opponents in the playoffs. While this year’s Celtics team has been objectively awesome, they have struggled against the league’s elite. The Celtics are currently 5-10 against the top 10 teams in point differential. If Jayson Tatum can return, even in a diminished form, to the player we saw in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, then winning the championship is very much on the table for this year’s Celtics team. They have already proven they are in the fringe contender range. Adding a player who can elevate every aspect of their team’s profile would thrust them into true contender status. 

Lastly — and most importantly — if Red Auerbach heard someone say the 2025–26 Celtics can’t win the title because of something Phil Jackson came up with more than a decade ago, we all know exactly what Red would say to that.

DELHI, India (AP) — George Linde put in an all-round show as South Africa beat Zimbabwe by five wickets in their final Super 8 clash at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

All-rounder Linde – brought in for today’s game to rest Keshav Maharaj – picked up 1-22 in three overs and then scored a crucial 30 not out off 21 balls batting at No. 7 as South Africa topped Group 1 and continued its unbeaten run to the semifinals.

Dewald Brevis hit 42 off 18 balls with four sixes, while Tristan Stubbs anchored the innings home with 21 not out off 24 balls, as South Africa finished with 154-5 in 17.5 overs.

Earlier, Zimbabwe opted to bat and put up 153-7 (20 overs) thanks to skipper Sikandar Raza scoring 73 off 43 balls.

The Proteas, the 2024 runners-up, have now reached the semis after winning all three Super 8 games. They beat India, West Indies and now Zimbabwe, after finishing unbeaten in the so-called group of death — Group D — in round one, also featuring New Zealand and Afghanistan.

Zimbabwe has been eliminated with three losses after making its first appearance in round two at the T20 World Cups.

England and New Zealand qualified for the semis from Group 2, with Pakistan and co-hosts Sri Lanka eliminated.

South Africa unbeaten as Zimbabwe impresses in final game

Raza rescued his side after the top-order stumbled to leave Zimbabwe down to 28-2 in 4.3 overs. He put on 38 off 23 balls with Dion Myers, even as the Proteas struck back in the middle overs.

Linde got the breakthrough, with Myers caught for 11. Raza, though, scored 50 off 29 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes.

Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch (2-40) hit the middle order to reduce Zimbabwe to 87-5 but Raza found an able partner in Clive Madande. They put on 39 off 29 balls, before Kwena Maphaka finally accounted for Raza.

Madande’s 26 not out helped Zimbabwe cross 150.

South Africa too started poorly as Raza struck twice with his off-spin bowling counterpart Aiden Markram out for four, while Quinton de Kock was out caught for a two-ball duck.

Ryan Burl held a terrific catch in the deep to dismiss Ryan Rickelton (31) who put on 29 off 18 balls with Brevis.

The crucial partnership was 50 off 25 balls for the fourth wicket – Brevis and David Miller (22) did the job again for the Proteas.

But Zimbabwe just wouldn’t relent as Raza struck a third time to remove Brevis, while Blessing Muzarabani sent back Miller as South Africa was down to 101-5 in 10.4 overs.

Stubbs-Linde resisted with an unbeaten 53 off 43 balls to see their side home with 13 balls to spare.

India wins toss, fields vs West Indies

Co-host and defending champion India takes on West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday evening to decide the other semifinalist from this group – a virtual quarterfinal in the final Super 8 game of the tournament.

India opted to field after winning the toss at the Eden Gardens.

___

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Before the Madness begins, we need to crown conference champions and NCAA Tournament automatic bids are up for grabs.

Here's a list of the men's basketball conference tournament schedules:

Bracketology: NCAA Tournament last four in, first four out

March Madness predictions: 13 teams who can win NCAA tournament

Men's college basketball conference tournament dates, schedule

Listed by start date.

• Horizon: March 2-10 (Indianapolis)
• Sun Belt: March 3-9 (Pensacola, Fla.)
• Patriot: March 3-11 (on campus)
• OVC: March 4-7 (Evansville, Ind.)
• ASUN: March 4-8 (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Big South: March 4-8 (Johnson City, Tenn.)
• Summit: March 4-8 (Sioux Falls, SD)
• NEC: March 4-10 (on campus)
• MVC: March 5-8 (St. Louis)
• MAAC: March 5-10 (Atlantic City, NJ)
• WCC: March 5-10 (Las Vegas)
• SoCon: March 6-9 (Asheville, NC)
• CAA: March 6-10 (Washington DC)
• Big Sky: March 7-11 (Boise)
• America East: March 7-14 (on campus)
• Mountain West: March 7-14 (Las Vegas)
• Southland: March 8-12 (Lake Charles, La.)
• SWAC: March 9-14 (Atlanta)
• ACC: March 10-14 (Charlotte)
• Big 12: March 10-14 (Kansas City)
• Conference USA: March 10-14 (Huntsville, Ala.)
• Big Ten: March 10-15 (Chicago)
• Big East: March 11-14 (New York City)
• Big West: March 11-14 (Henderson, NV)
• MAC: March 11-14 (Cleveland)
• MEAC: March 11-14 (Norfolk, Va.)
• WAC: March 11-14 (Las Vegas)
• American: March 11-15 (Birmingham)
• Atlantic 10: March 11-15 (Pittsburgh)
• SEC: March 11-15 (Nashville)
• Ivy: March 14-15 (Ithaca, NY)

When is Selection Sunday 2026?

The 68-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be unveiled on 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 15.

When does March Madness start? 

The first men’s game of the 2026 NCAA tournament will be on March 17 with the start of the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

March Madness 2026 schedule 

The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will transpire over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.

Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

• First Four: March 17-18
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
• National championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA men's basketball conference tournament schedule, dates, locations

As basketball fans, when our team loses, we suffer. Imagine being the head coach.

Former NBA head coach David Fizdale — the creator of “Take That For Data” meme — recently visited with Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams on Fan Duel TV’s Run It Back. Anyone aware of Fizdale knows he does not shy away from controversial statements. This visit was no exception.

Fiz revisited the “Take That For Data” and “Not Gonna Rook Us” comments he made as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies after a playoff loss to the Spurs. He added to his conspiracy that the Spurs were favored by the refs adding “I’m not calling out the refs officially, but I did a podcast with a guy and he said two of the refs went to San Diego State. I know a guy on that team that shot 19 free throws that went to San Diego State” referring to Kawhi Leonard.

He doubled down on his contempt for the Spurs as he reminisced about the air condition going out during Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals, believing the air condition going out was done on purpose. He also revealed that at some point when the Heat played in San Antonio, a snake was discovered in the visitor’s locker room.

See the entire interview here, Spurs related topics begin just after the two-minute point.

Fizdale started his coaching career as an assistant for his alma mater, the University of San Diego. Between 2003-2016 he serves as an NBA assistant for Warriors, Hawks, and Heat, the latter being where he picked up two rings.

In his first year as head coach, he and the Memphis Grizzlies met the Spurs in the playoffs where he unleashed his now infamous rant.

Fizdale went to the Knicks for a year before returning to assisting for the Lakers and eventually the Suns.

This season he did not sign on with anyone and currently resides in Southern California, which you might be able to tell from the video chat.

---

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

SYDNEY (AP) — The United States showed its mastery of light conditions by winning the Sydney leg of the SailGP series Sunday, beating Britain and Spain in a three boat final.

Racing took place in winds of between 8 and 15 knots (9 to 17 mph) and the United States looked in its element, clearly beating Britain for its first win of the season.

Driver Taylor Canfield positioned the United States at the top end of the starting line in the final and, while Britain crossed slightly ahead, the USA was faster and had a better angle. Britain was just ahead at the first mark but the United States again had better speed and took a lead which it didn't concede for the rest of the race.

Britain split away on the second leg, looking for better wind. But the tactic didn't work and the United States positioned itself well to cement its advantage.

First win in two seasons

While the United States achieved a best speed of the day of around 41 knots, it only managed to stay on its foils for 22 percent of the finals. The win was its first in two seasons, since Cadiz in season four.

SailGP features 13 identical 50 foot catamarans which rise out of the water on foils and can attain high speeds. In the previous event of the series in Auckland, New Zealand strong winds saw boats achieve speeds of around 100kmh (60mph).

Only 11 boats were able to contest the Sydney event. France and New Zealand are still undergoing repairs after colliding in Auckland in a crash which sent a crewperson from both teams to hospital. New Zealand sailor Louis Sinclair suffered compund fractures to both legs and French strategist Manon Audinet suffered chest injuries.

Britain won the first of three fleet races Sunday. The United States won the second race and Denmark won the third.

The British team won the first event of the sixth SailGP season in Perth, Australia and Australia's Flying Roos won the Auckland event.

After three events, Britain leads the overall standings with 29 points from Australia with 25 and the USA with 20.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Just like Willie Nelson, the Spurs are back on the road again, as their partitioned Rodeo Road trip comes to an end. They have only two opponents left before getting a lengthy home-stand, and the New York Knicks are the first team on the docket.

Technically, the Spurs are 1-0 versus the Knickerbockers, but remembering the sting of the NBA Cup Final, I think it’s safe to say that Spurs fans know better than that. Both games have had razor-thin margins, as the Knicks have served as a foil to Wemby and Company since Christmas of 2024.

One of the reasons for this is that the Knicks have size, and are consequently one of the better rebounding teams in the league (6th), which negates one of San Antonio’s advantages (3rd) over most opponents, especially as the Knicks are particularly good at offensive rebounding (5th), which is a big part of why they’re 6th in league in 2nd chance scoring.

This has been a common theme for squads that have been able to trouble the Spurs, and they’ve really cracked down on giving the opposition easy points and second chances, which is why they now rank 3rd in the league in preventing 2nd chance scoring, and in preventing opponents from scoring off of turnovers.

That the Knicks (4th) and the Spurs (5th) are also now both in the top 5 for limiting their own turnovers further confirms that neither team is likely to gain an advantage in this area.

The two teams also carry an almost identical net rating (San Antonio 4th, Knicks 5th), with the Knicks showcasing the better offense (3rd in offensive rating) and the Spurs continuing to display the superior defense (3rd in defensive rating).

So, it appears that difference will once again come down to suffocating the Knicks on the perimeter, as the Knicks rank 23rd in points in the paint, and the Spurs rank 2nd in preventing points in the paint.

And while much of modern NBA success is predicated on three-point conversion, the Knicks are a particularly nasty group of sharpshooters, ranking 4th in three-pointers made and three-point percentage, despite ranking 9th in attempts.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns adds a particularly nasty wrinkle on the defensive end, as arguably the premier stretch-five in the league, with a career percentage from 3 just decimals away from forty percent.

Towns getting hot from outside completely alters the way teams defend the Knicks, and could end up pulling Wemby away from the rim he so zealously protects from interior violation.

That being said, these are not the Spurs that the Knicks faced in the NBA Cup. They’re hotter than any team in the league right now, riding a 10-game winning streak after thumping the East-leading Pistons along the way, and they’re no longer in the prolonged shooting slump of January.

Over the last 10 games, the Spurs lead the league in scoring, +/-, offensive rating, defensive rating, net rating, assist-to-turnover ratio, True-Shooting Percentage, Limiting Free Throws, and are 2nd in Points in the Paint, FG%, and Effective FG%.

With the exception of some free-throw issues against the Toronto Raptors, they are quite literally playing their best basketball.

The Knicks, on the other hand, have been yo-yo-ing back and forth over the same stretch, as their offense seems to be experiencing a bit of the drop-off (12th) that ailed the Spurs earlier in the year, and they’ve been passed in the standings by the Jayson Tatum-less Boston Celtics.

It’s sure to be a packed house with Wemby back in the Garden (maybe he’ll get a game or two of chess in first), and both teams are still chasing teams ahead of them in the standings for the all-important playoff seeding.

If it’s anything like the last several meetings between these squads, it should be quite the show. And with minimal injuries, we should get close to the best version of both rosters.

But if I absolutely had to bet on it, I’d be sure to bet on the Spurs. There’s something brewing there.

San Antonio Spurs(43-16) vs New York Knicks (38-22)

March 1st, 2026 | 12:00 PM CT

Watch: ABC| Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Mason Plumlee – Out (Conditioning)

Knicks Injuries: Miles McBride – Out (Abdominal injury)

SINGAPORE (AP) — Australian Hannah Green has won the HSBC Women’s World Championship for a second time, holding off a fast-finishing American Auston Kim to claim a one-stroke victory on Sunday.

Green, the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner, closed with a 69, after an erratic back-nine with three birdies and three bogeys nearly opened the door for Kim.

Green tapped in for bogey at the last and a 14-under four-round total of 274 at the par-72 Sentosa Golf Club and give her another title in Singapore after also winning here in 2024.

Kim had the equal-best round of the day with a 67 on the back off six birdies and an eagle, but bogeys at the second and especially at the par-3 15th ended her charge at 13-under 275, and one shot behind a faltering Green.

Minjee Lee, who had been co-leader with Green coming into Sunday's final round, mixed three birdies with three bogeys for a frustrating even final round 72 and was tied for third with Angel Yin (71) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (68) of France at 11-under 277.

Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul, who won last week’s tournament in her native Thailand, shot 73 Sunday and was 2-under 287 and tied for 31st. She was one shot behind defending champion Lydia Ko, who had a 72.

The 72-player, no-cut tournament was the second of three stops on the LPGA’s early year Asian swing, with the final one next week at Hainan Island, China.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rugby league's bid to crack into the U.S. sports market returned to Las Vegas on Saturday with its mission to convert Americans to this rugged brand of football drawing almost 50,000 fans to Allegiant stadium.

It's the third consecutive year Australia's National Rugby League has showcased the gritty sport in the entertainment capital.

How many locals showed up among the thousands of traveling fans from Australia and England on a day that saw three matches was not immediately clear, but the showcase delivered on the entertainment stakes capped by a cliffhanger between two historic rivals.

The NRL has committed until 2028 to play regular season matches in Las Vegas as part of a strategic plan to broaden an international audience for the sport and increase its sports betting revenue by playing Prime Time in the entertainment capital.

Australia has been courting the US market since 1987 when it played a State of Origin match between New South Wales and Queensland in Long Beach.

Bulldogs in derby win

A field goal in the second period of ‘golden point’ extra time by Canterbury Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton decided a brutally physical encounter against the St. George-Illawarra Dragons.

Tied at 14-14 at the end of regulation and with both teams missing chances in the first period of extra time, Crichton stepped up from 20 meters (yards) to nervelessly slot home his kick to give the Bulldogs a dramatic victory.

Crichton had earlier played in winger Jacob Kiraz for Canterbury's second try after Jacob Preston had opened the scoring for Canterbury.

The Dragons twice leveled the match with a rare try by prop Emre Guler, while Setu Tu scored acrobatically in the corner for a try on his NRL debut.

Dragons half Kyle Flanagan kicked a penalty goal in the final minutes of regulation to tie the game and force extra time.

Knights upset Cowboys

Earlier, the Newcastle Knights stunned the North Queensland Cowboys 28-18 in the NRL season opener.

The match was in the balance at 22-18 in the last 10 minutes, before Braidon Burns was penalized for a high hit on Knights star Kalyn Ponga and was sent to the sin bin by referee Ashley Klein.

Newcastle, which finished bottom of the NRL standings last season, seized on the extra man advantage with prop forward Trey Mooney barging over to seal the win.

Newcastle raced to a 12-0 lead with tries from Greg Marzhew and Fletcher Sharpe, before the Cowboys rallied after Heilum Luki and Murray Taulagi scored to level at 12-12 at half time.

Bradman Best and Dominic Young scored a quickfire double for the Knights after the break before Taulagi's second try narrowed the deficit.

Leeds thump Hull KR

Maika Sivo scored four tries as the Leeds Rhinos thumped Hull KR 56-8 in the first match at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday featuring two English clubs.

The Rhinos stormed to a 28-0 halftime lead. Converted tries to Brodie Croft, Keenan Palasia, Ryan Hall and a double to Sivo set the tone.

Leeds maintained momentum in the second half with former Parramatta Eel Sivo scoring twice more, while Croft added a second try and Cooper Jenkins crashed over twice.

Hull's only reply came through Joe Burgess, a lone consolation after their World Club Challenge win over the Brisbane Broncos last week.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Portland Trail Blazers (29-32, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (30-31, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Sunday, 6 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawks -5.5; over/under is 237.5

BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta will try to keep its three-game home win streak alive when the Hawks take on Portland.

The Hawks have gone 13-16 in home games. Atlanta averages 30.3 assists per game to lead the Eastern Conference, paced by Jalen Johnson with 7.9.

The Trail Blazers are 13-17 on the road. Portland has a 6-4 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Hawks average 117.1 points per game, 1.0 fewer point than the 118.1 the Trail Blazers give up. The Trail Blazers' 45.1% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.2 percentage points lower than the Hawks have allowed to their opponents (47.3%).

The teams play for the second time this season. In the last matchup on Jan. 16 the Trail Blazers won 117-101 led by 24 points from Shaedon Sharpe, while Onyeka Okongwu scored 26 points for the Hawks.

TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is averaging 23 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Hawks. CJ McCollum is averaging 19.3 points over the last 10 games.

Toumani Camara is scoring 13.0 points per game and averaging 5.3 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Jerami Grant is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 116.4 points, 48.1 rebounds, 28.7 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.1 points per game.

Trail Blazers: 6-4, averaging 116.6 points, 45.8 rebounds, 27.0 assists, 8.1 steals and 6.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.9 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Nickeil Alexander-Walker: day to day (foot), Jalen Johnson: day to day (hip).

Trail Blazers: Deni Avdija: day to day (back), Shaedon Sharpe: out (calf), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Sacramento Kings (14-47, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (35-24, sixth in the Western Conference)

Los Angeles; Sunday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lakers -13.5; over/under is 231.5

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles plays Sacramento in a matchup of Western Conference teams.

The Lakers are 24-15 in conference games. Los Angeles is eighth in the Western Conference at limiting opponent scoring, allowing only 115.6 points while holding opponents to 48.6% shooting.

The Kings are 10-31 in conference matchups. Sacramento is 11-21 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 13.8 turnovers per game.

The Lakers average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.3 fewer makes per game than the Kings allow (13.1). The Lakers average 110.4 points per game, 5.2 fewer points than the 115.6 the Lakers allow.

The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Kings won 124-112 in the last matchup on Jan. 13.

TOP PERFORMERS: Luka Doncic is averaging 32.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.6 assists for the Lakers. Austin Reaves is averaging 17.9 points over the last 10 games.

DeMar DeRozan is averaging 18.4 points and 3.9 assists for the Kings. Nique Clifford is averaging 1.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 5-5, averaging 112.8 points, 39.4 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.3 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.0 points per game.

Kings: 2-8, averaging 111.5 points, 43.9 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 9.3 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.9 points.

INJURIES: Lakers: Rui Hachimura: day to day (illness).

Kings: Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Dylan Cardwell: out (ankle), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Jurian Dixon and reserve Jovan Jester Jr. both scored 13 points to help UC Irvine hold off UC Santa Barbara 64-60 on Saturday night.

Dixon added six rebounds and Jester grabbed four boards with four steals for the Anteaters (20-10, 13-5 Big West Conference). Andre Henry added 12 points off the bench.

Colin Smith had 16 points and six rebounds to pace the Gauchos (18-12, 11-8). Zion Sensley added 14 points and Aidan Mahaney scored 12.

UC Irvine led 32-23 at halftime.

___

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

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored a career-high 42 points and Tyrin Jones made a go-ahead layup with 12 seconds left in overtime to rally UNLV to an 85-83 victory over Nevada on Saturday night.

Gibbs-Lawhorn made 14 of 22 shots with eight 3-pointers and all six of his free throws for the Rebels (15-14, 10-8 Mountain West Conference). Jacob Bannarbie added 15 points and six rebounds, while Jones scored 12 off the bench.

Vaughn Weems scored a career-high 30 for the Wolf Pack (19-10, 11-7). Tayshawn Comer scored 15 but made only 3 of 12 shots, while Elijah Price added 10 points.

Weems had 12 points in the first half to help Nevada take a 37-35 lead into halftime. Gibbs-Lawhorn had 19 points in the second half and his 3-pointer with 37 seconds left tied it 74-all and forced OT.

___

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

SAN FRANCISCO — If they hadn’t already, the Warriors can probably kiss any hopes they had of avoiding the play-in tournament goodbye.

Golden State looked listless, lackadaisical and downright lost at times Saturday night against the team it would have to chase down to secure anything higher than the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.

The Warriors quickly fell into a double-digit hole against the Lakers and never recovered in a lopsided 129-101 loss. In front of a national television audience, they fell behind by as many as 32 points — 17 just in the first quarter — and never cut the deficit to single digits.

The loss means the Warriors trail the Lakers by 4.5 games with 22 to play and would need to win their final meeting April 9 just to even the season series at two games apiece.

“It’s a lot. It’s a lot to make up in 22 games,” coach Steve Kerr acknowledged.

Steph Curry (knee) missed his 10th consecutive game, Kristaps Porzingis (illness) was ruled out shortly before tipoff and what was left of the Warriors’ starting five crumbled against the Lakers’ Big 3.

LeBron James (22 points, nine assists, seven rebounds), Luka Doncic (26 points, eight assists, six rebounds) and Austin Reaves (18 points) had all checked out for the final time by the midpoint of the fourth quarter and still individually bested the Warriors’ top scorer, Gui Santos (14).

Rookie Will Richard added to the Warriors’ injury woes, rolling his ankle and leaving the game in the second quarter.

Only more miles will be required to be put on the Warriors’ aging and ailing group the further they fall in the standings. As the No. 8 seed as it currently stands, they would need to either beat the seventh-seeded Suns on the road or prevail in a second play-in contest against the Trail Blazers or Clippers, who have the Nos. 9 and 10 spots all but locked down.

After the loss, the Warriors trail the Suns by three games for the No. 7 seed with a 2.5-game cushion on the Blazers in the No. 9 spot.

“We don’t even talk about it,” Kerr said. “That’s not anything that is worth discussing because we just have to try to go out there and win and see what happens.”

The Warriors emerged from the play-in last season to upset the Rockets in the first round. But the veteran group said the pedal-to-the-metal final two months of the season, including the play-in win, caught up to them as Curry went down injured and they lost to the Timberwolves in five games the following round.

Making matters more complicated, Golden State is already without Jimmy Butler for the rest of the season and is unsure when Curry will be cleared to return. The team is set to provide an update on his right knee Sunday, but Curry reportedly suffered a setback over the All-Star break and the ailment commonly known as runner’s knee already has a varying timetable.

In an interview with ESPN during the game, Curry said he expects it is “going to be a little longer” before he is cleared to return. Golden State hosts the Clippers on Monday.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealander Daniel Hillier held off a late charge from Australian Lucas Herbert Sunday to defend his overnight lead and to win the 105th New Zealand Open by two shots.

Hillier also overcame strong winds and cold conditions to post a final round 67 for a 22-under four-round total of 262 at the par-72 Millbrook Resort. Herbert shot 67, finishing 20 under at 264.

The winner of the New Zealand Open receives automatic entry to The Open Championship but as Hillier already has qualified that prize passes to Herbert who will now play at Royal Birkdale from July 16.

Hillier, who was married earlier this week, led by one shot at 18 under coming into the final round. He made birdie, birdie, par, eagle, birdie to finish his third round and to seize the outright lead.

Hillier turned at 20-under Sunday, a shot ahead of Herbert who had just birdied the 10th hole. Hillier bogeyed the 10th and again saw his lead cut to one shot, but made birdies at the 11th and 12th holes to reestablish his lead.

Herbert had a chance to chip in on the par-three final hole to put pressure on the leader but his shot from off the green slid past the hole. Hillier was able to make par and was showered by champagne on the 18th green.

He became the first New Zealander since 2017 to win his national open.

“This is the second-best day of my life after my wedding earlier in the week,” Hillier said. "It was a lot more stressful coming down the stretch.

“This has been the absolute best week of my life. To break the Kiwi drought was very special. I've been dreaming of this a long time. I knew I had the game to do it but it was just a matter of not getting ahead of myself.”

Five-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Na of the United States shot a final round 72 to finish in a tie for 19th place.

Na has spent the last four years on the LIV tour but has decided to return to traditional tours in 2026 and made the New Zealand Open the first tournament on his return.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf