Category: NBA

NEW YORK (AP) — The men's NCAA tournament is averaging 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight, according to Nielsen. That is the tournament's best audience since 1993 and a 9% increase over last year.

UConn's last-second 73-72 victory over Duke in the East Region final averaged 13.4 million on CBS. The audience peaked at 18.9 million when Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left.

Friday's early window with Duke-St.John's on CBS and Michigan-Alabama on TBS/truTV averaged 14.2 million, the most-watched Friday regional early window since 1992.

The Final Four and title game will be on TBS, TNT and truTV.

The women's NCAA tournament on ESPN's networks and ABC is averaging 789,000 viewers through Saturday's Sweet 16 games. That is a 1% decrease from last year.

Ratings for Sunday and Monday's regional finals are expected to be available on Wednesday.

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

The Knicks (48*-27) face the Rockets (45-29) tonight at Toyota Center. New York needs wins to hold onto third place in the East, while Houston is jockeying for playoff positioning in the West. The national audience should enjoy a thriller tonight, with both teams rating in the top ten for offense and defense and motivated to play hard.

Tip off is 8 p.m. EST on NBC and MSG. This is your game thread. This is The Dream Shake. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Keep all limbs inside the vehicle and be respectful of your fellow passengers. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but NBA Cup Finals are just well-disguised scrimmages.

Steph Curry just might make it back, after all.

The Warriors superstar took his most significant step yet to returning from a knee issue that has kept him out since Jan. 30, participating in practice with the team Tuesday.

While it was a “very light” session, according to Steve Kerr, the coach said Curry was expected to take part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage immediately afterward — a first for the 38-year-old sharpshooter and probably a step that had to happen this week for there to be enough time for Curry to return this season.

“It’s a good step for him,” Kerr said.

The Warriors must see how Curry’s knee responds to the live, on-court action, ruling him out for a 26th consecutive game Wednesday against the Spurs. Kerr left open the possibility that Curry could play Thursday against the Cavaliers, but said that was “doubtful.”

“We’ve got to see how he responds to the scrimmage. And then we’ll just take it day-by-day,” Kerr said. “It’s scrimmage today. And we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. And we’ll go from there.”

---

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The development represented the most positive turn of events in a stop-and-go saga that Curry has described as “frustrating.”

He is dealing with inflammation and bone bruising in his right knee — commonly known as runner’s knee — that can be tricky to manage, according to doctors. The injury subsides with rest, but returning to action too quickly can cause it to flare up again.

That is why not only Curry’s return to practice, but how he feels the following day, is critical.

Curry had been progressing well enough for the Warriors to set up a scrimmage for him on their last road trip and fly the head of their medical staff, Rick Celebrini, to Atlanta. In just one example of the unpredictable nature of the injury, Curry wasn’t cleared and the scrimmage didn’t take place.

It seemed to be a step in the wrong direction for Curry, leading Kerr to acknowledge last week that there was “actually a conversation now” about whether there would be time left for him to come back this season. “We need to give him a runway if this is gonna work,” he said, “and we are running out of games.”

Golden State has seven games remaining starting Wednesday against the Spurs. Even if Curry wasn’t cleared to return until after the back-to-back, that would still give him five regular-season games to get ready for the Warriors’ inevitable date with the play-in tournament.

With wins against bad teams in three of their past four games, the Warriors improved to 9-16 over the course of Curry’s absence. They once hoped to avoid the play-in, or climb to the No. 7-8 matchup, but their fate has been sealed for some time. All the while, Curry has been determined to return.

Now, the payoff is that much closer.

The Detroit Pistons gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a good fight on Monday before falling in OT, and now they face a quick turnaround with a game today against the Toronto Raptors. Luckily, the Pistons are getting some reinforcements. Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Duncan Robinson are all listed as probable after being held out of the game against the Thunder. Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart remain out, and Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser are questionable tonight. The Raptors will be without Immanuel Quickley, and Brandon Ingram is listed as questionable.

These two teams faced off about two weeks ago, with an Ingram-led Raptors attack helping propel Toronto to a 119-108 victory. RJ Barrett chipped in 27 and Jakob Poeltl was a monster on the boards with 18. It was also the rare game where the Pistons were outscored in the paint.

Game Vitals

When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -3.5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (54-21)

Daniss Jenkins, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Toronto Raptors (42-32)

Jamal Shead, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

Jaxson Hayes pulled something off he’s done just a few times this season during Monday night’s home win over the Wizards.

And even though Hayes made it clear through his actions and words that he can do it more, the Lakers don’t need him to.

With three seconds left on the shot clock on a sideline out of bounds play midway through the fourth quarter, Hayes caught a pass from LeBron James with none of his teammates open to receive a pass and nothing but space in front of him. 

Instead of attempting to drive into the paint for a floater or one of his signature dunks, Hayes let it fly from beyond the 3-point arc.

And he made it, putting him at 3 for 3 on 3-pointers this season, with a celebration dance to follow. 

Hayes has attempted just 14 combined 3s with the Lakers over the last three seasons after taking 14 in his second season with the Pelicans, 57 in his third season and 29 in his fourth season before coming to Los Angeles. 

“Always,” Hayes responded when asked whether he works on his 3-pointers. “Always. At the end of the day, I’m an NBA player and I still work on other things too. I can’t just work on dunking all day, so I gotta work on some things.”

But for the Lakers, spacing and stretching out the floor isn’t necessary or the role they need from him.

They need Hayes’ activity near the rim, which was showcased with the three dunks and two putbacks he had against the Wizards.

Or the 2.2 offensive rebounds he’s averaged over the previous six games entering Tuesday’s home game against the Cavaliers. 

“Hopefully not,” coach JJ Redick quickly responded when asked about Hayes or starting center Deandre Ayton shooting more 3s. 

Redick added: “Even though Jaxson made one, it’s so important for those guys, for our team, for them to put pressure on the rim. They’ve done it in a number of ways. Done it in transition. Jaxson gets ahead of his guy early, [LeBron James] hits him, he gets a dunk. DA as a roller. Jaxson out of our 88 spacing always does a really good job just playing off LeBron or Luka [Doncic]. For us, we’re elite when we touch the paint and we don’t touch the paint enough. So, the emphasis is not for our bigs to pick-and-pops and shot 3s. But it’s to put pressure on the rim.”

In other words, the Lakers’ big man tandem of Ayton and Hayes are playing their roles, even if they’re capable of more.

And over the last few weeks, both have been exceptional in their roles, giving the Lakers nearly 48 minutes of quality big man play, which is a stark contrast to how they finished last season.

After trading for Doncic last February, with Maxi Kleber sidelined with a foot injury, Hayes was the lone big man getting regular rotation minutes, but still averaged just 21.8 minutes as the Lakers’ starting center post-All-Star break – just two more minutes than he’s averaged as the backup big post All-Star break this season.

The Lakers’ reliance on center-less lineups to close out last season worked, but left them vulnerable to bigger teams, a factor in why the Timberwolves beat them in five games in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

But this year is different.

Ayton buying into his role has been well-documented. And Hayes’ continued emergence gives the Lakers another big man option.

“I make sure I do whatever the team needs me to do. So I’m gonna screen and do a bunch of other things.”

But if he finds himself wide open for 3 again?

“It ain’t really my job,” Hayes said. “But if I get an open one, I’m definitely shooting.”

---

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Game 76. Second in as many nights.

Let’s do this!

ZENICA, Bosnia and Herzegovina (AP) — Four-time champion Italy has failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup.

Connecticut coach Dan Hurley went viral shortly after Braylon Mullins' heroic game-winning 3-pointer against Duke in the Elite Eight for appearing to headbutt official Roger Ayers in celebration of the shot.

Hurley's action raised debate on whether the two-time national championship-winning coach could've received a potentially game-altering technical foul. On Tuesday, March 31, Hurley said it was all in good fun after noting he and Ayers have a good on-court relationship.

REQUIRED READING: Did Dan Hurley deserve a technical after game-winning shot for going face-to-face with ref?

"Really at that point in the game we had it won," Hurley said on "The Triple Option" podcast. "And (Ayers is) an easy guy to work with during the game that I thought he was coming over to chest bump me to celebrate the shot. Because it's not like that for me with him.

"My experience with him has been — we haven't won every game, I haven't agreed with every call — so that was, in no way, me and a ref that I had been at their throat the whole game. Other points in the game where I had my arm around him walking out of a timeout, we were cracking jokes and laughing with that situation. ... That was more like the emotion of the shot and this is a cool-(expletive) ref."

Turns out @dhurley15 wasn’t worried about getting a technical at all.

You won’t want to miss this week’s episode 🤝
Subscribe now: https://t.co/kRwZLYmtaLpic.twitter.com/yaSLwjVkJJ

— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) March 31, 2026

Hurley also clarified that Ayers — who commonly officiates UConn games as a Big East referee — was coming up to tell him there was 0.3 seconds left on the game clock. It's clear Hurley felt comfortable with the gesture given their background, and it's not a surprise given the coach's tendency to be fiery on the sidelines — especially with officials.

Hurley then brought up UConn's loss to Marquette in the regular season finale, in which he was fined $25,000 by the Big East after he received a double-technical ejection for appearing to bump into the referee. He noted that situation was much different than the Elite Eight game.

"When I was on my man's neck, screaming into his neck," Hurley said. "That was a guy coming right up to the line and losing his mind.

Seth Greenberg, appearing on ESPN, relayed on March 30 that Ayers was similarly unbothered by the interaction with Hurley:

"I talked to Roger today," Greenberg said. "He said, 'What are you talking about?' He literally didn't know what I was talking about. He said, 'Nothing happened.' The ball went in. I was running back. They were celebrating. … That was social media trying to create something out of nothing because of Dan Hurley's 'allegedly' reputation."

REQUIRED READING: 'It was heartbreaking': Former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski laments Elite 8 loss

Hurley and "The Triple Option" crew, comprising former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and host Rob Stone, all laughed at the situation in the clip, clearing the air on a situation that became controversial in the aftermath of Duke's 73-72 win over top-seeded Duke. The Blue Devils' play-by-play announcer even called for a technical foul on a UConn player who allegedly left the bench and stepped on the court after Mullins' shot.

Two-time Final Four participant Sam Dekker, an NBA first-round pick out of Wisconsin, said there should've been a technical foul called on Hurley. At least, that was before Hurley explained what was happening.

"I have no bias here," Dekker wrote on X. "This is a tech 10/10 times. For multiple reasons … it would have lost the game for his team and he would have tried to fight the officials like he did nothing wrong. I just don’t understand it at all. Also, referees need to grow a spine in instances like this."

Regardless, UConn moved on to the Final Four with the instant-classic win and will face No. 3 seed Illinois for a spot in the national championship game against the winner of No. 1 seeds Arizona or Michigan.

All bets are off in UConn's remaining games with Hurley and those officials, though.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dan Hurley says he thought ref wanted to 'chest bump me' to celebrate UConn shot

The Chicago Bulls announced Monday that they have waived guard Jaden Ivey for "conduct detrimental to the team," soon after the former first-round draft pick made anti-gay comments on Instagram Live.

The move came less than two months after Chicago acquired Ivey from the Detroit Pistons. In recent days, the fourth-year player has posted several videos on Instagram in which he speaks at length about his religious beliefs.

Ivey recorded another such video Monday soon after learning of his release by Chicago. In it, he held firm to his convictions and predicted he would have trouble landing another NBA job because of them.

Background

The Pistons selected Ivey at No. 5 overall in the 2022 draft. He was a starter for much of his first two-plus seasons before being hampered by multiple injuries. In 218 games for Detroit, Ivey averaged 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and four assists in 27.9 minutes a game.

Chicago acquired Ivey and his expiring contract in a three-team trade on Feb. 3. He played in four games for the Bulls leading into the All-Star break, but was a healthy scratch for their Feb. 19 game against the Toronto Raptors.

After the game, Ivey told reporters that "the old Jalen is dead."

Read more:Lamar Odom's past is a 'cesspool of trauma,' he says: 'I don't know what made me relevant now'

“I’m alive in Christ" he said. "No matter what the basketball setting is, I’m born again with the Holy Spirit, been saved by Jesus Christ. No matter how many DNPs I don’t get to play, no matter how many points I score, those things are temporary things. ...

"Jesus is not going to say on Judgment Day, ‘How many points did you score today?’ … Jesus is not going to say, “Feb. 19, why didn’t you play, Jaden?’ He’s gonna say, ‘What did you do for my kingdom? Do you believe in my name? Did you love me? Did you keep my commandments? Did you repent of your sin? Are you free from sin?’ And there’s only freedom in Jesus Christ.”

Ivey has not played since. The Bulls announced on Feb. 21 that he would be sidelined for at least two weeks because of soreness in his left knee. On Thursday, the team announced that Ivey would miss the remainder of the season because of injuries.

What he said

The Bulls did not elaborate, but the announcement that Ivey would be waived came soon after one of his videos on Instagram Live .

“They proclaim Pride Month in the NBA. They proclaim it," Ivey said in the video. "They show it to the world. They say, 'Come join us for Pride,' for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness. They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Unrighteousness. So how is it that one can’t speak righteousness? How are they to say that this man is crazy?”

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a source within the Bulls organization said the decision to dismiss Ivey didn't stem from one incident but rather from an accumulation of posts and comments that started in February.

Read more:How Luka Doncic's season stacks up against the NBA's other MVP contenders

After the Bulls announced the move, Ivey returned to Instagram Live and recorded another lengthy video.

"All I'm preaching is about Jesus Christ and they waived me, right? They say I'm crazy, right? I'm psycho," Ivey said. "…God let these things happen for a reason. His will be done. May His will be done. Not my will. My will is done.

"When I came into the league, all I wanted to do was win championships and get millions of bucks, get that next contract, get them cars. That's all I wanted when I came into the league — until the Lord showed me. What good is it to gain the world and forfeit your soul?"

He added: "That's why everybody around me turning their back on me, because of my faith in Him, in the Son of God. That’s why — I didn't get myself waived. I was in the gym today. I was rehabbing, I was lifting, doing what was required of me in my job, doing whatever they said to do. …

Read more:Swanson: Bronny James has proven he deserves to be a Laker — with or without LeBron

"I could’ve quit on my own, but they kicked me out. And I’m sure every NBA team gonna say the same thing, ‘We don’t want him, he’s too religious for us.’ But I bless you all in Jesus’ name."

On Tuesday, Ivey posted another video in which he seemed to address the aftermath of his previous comments.

"Those who are around me, those who are my family members [are] betraying [me] because of what I spoke — the truth," Ivey said. "Betraying me. Saying that I’m losing my mind. Saying that I’m crazy. Saying that I don’t know the truth. These are my own family members who love me. My blood. Those who raised me, saying that I don’t know the truth. ‘Man, he’s psycho. He’s this, he’s that.' Those are my own household.

"All because of the gospel. All because I said the truth, that unrighteousness will not be let into God’s kingdom. That’s the truth."

What others are saying

Bulls coach Billy Donovan addressed the situation with reporters before his team's game Monday in San Antonio.

“I don’t want to get into what he put out there, but certainly, I hope for him he’s OK," Donovan said of Ivey. "I’ve had conversations with Jaden, and he’s been always about rehabbing his knee and trying to get on the court and wanting to play. But I think organizationally, there are certain standards we want to have as an organization and try to live up to those each and every day.”

He added: “We have people from all different walks of life that are working in the building and players from all different walks of life, right? So the first thing is, everybody comes with their own personal experiences. … We’ve got to all be professional. I think there’s got to be a high level of respect for one another, and we’ve got to help each other and then be accountable to those standards.”

Read more:Plaschke: 'Yeaaaaaah!' A child’s cheer inspires surging Lakers

Bulls guard Josh Giddey said Monday: "Obviously, the whole thing is kind of unfortunate in a way. I hope he gets the help he needs, whatever he’s going through or not going through. I do really hope he gets help. It’s not going to be with the Bulls anymore, but wherever it is, I hope he gets it.’’

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson appeared to show his support for Ivey on his Instagram Story. He posted a graphic referencing Ivey's situation along with a quote from the New Testament.

"'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven,'” Henderson wrote. "Matthew 5:10."

Asked about Henderson's post on Tuesday, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he wants his players "to be able to express what they believe in their heart and in their mind, but also want to make sure that they’re educated."

"And we want to be inclusive," Vrabel added. "Everything we want to do [is] to provide an environment for people to want to feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs. And then also, we represent the team. And we represent the organization.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Some of the first names to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2026 class are starting to leak out, and the early wave includes some of the game’s legends.

According to ESPN, former Suns and Knicks forward and center Amar'e Stoudemire, former Los Angeles Sparks icon Candace Parker, former Sky and Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne and longtime NBA coach Doc Rivers, currently with the Milwaukee Bucks, are among the first four members to be enshrined.

The Hall has not issued any statement concerning the induction of the four and did not initially respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY Sports.

Stoudemire, a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection, was the 2002-03 NBA Rookie of the Year, beating out Yao Ming, Caron Butler and Manu Ginóbili for the honor. He played for four teams across 14 seasons, adding stops with the Heat and Mavericks later in his career.

Parker, a current analyst for Amazon Prime and Turner, was a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time league Most Valuable Player. She is also a three-time WNBA champion and was the anchor for the Sparks with her two-way dominance. In 2021, in honor of the league’s 25th season, the WNBA released the W25, a list of the greatest and most influential players in the league’s history. Parker was named to that list.

So was Delle Donne, who had been the only player in history to be named WNBA MVP with two different teams, before Breanna Stewart joined her in 2023. A five-time All-WNBA selection and seven-time All-Star, Delle Donne won a WNBA Finals championship in 2019 as a member of the Mystics. She led the league in scoring in 2015, with 23.4 points per game.

Rivers has been tied to the NBA since 1984, when he entered the league as a point guard for the Atlanta Hawks. A one-time All-Star, in 1988, Rivers found success as a head coach, where he currently ranks sixth on the all-time list for victories, with 1,191, which is 19 behind Pat Riley. As a coach, Rivers has two NBA Finals appearances, with one championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. That team, led by Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, toppled the Lakers in the Finals in six games. Rivers has coached for five teams across 27 seasons and also has stops with the Magic, Clippers and 76ers. This season, amid injuries and a roster in the middle of transition, the Bucks are just 29-45 and have been officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Other finalists who are up for induction include six-time All-Star Blake Griffin, three-time All-Star Kevin Johnson, six-time WNBA All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw and former official Joey Crawford.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will announce the full Class of 2026 Saturday, April 4, and enshrinement weekend is set to begin Aug. 14.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who made Basketball Hall of Fame? Some members of 2026 class leaked

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The Milwaukee Bucks host the Dallas Mavericks in NBA action tonight. 

These are two of the worst teams in the league, but there are a few reasons why my Mavericks vs. Bucks predictions favor the home side.

I explain with my best free NBA picks on Tuesday, March 31. 

Mavericks vs Bucks prediction

Mavericks vs Bucks best bet: Bucks moneyline (+110)

Both squads have been terrible lately, with the Dallas Mavericks winning just three of their last 18 games and the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks going 3-14 in their previous 17. The Bucks are last in the NBA in net rating (-17.3) since the start of March, while Dallas is 28th (-11.5).

That said, the Mavs are on the road and could be tired after losing by 30 points to Minnesota last night. 

Meanwhile, the Bucks enjoyed a day off after losing at home to the Clippers on Sunday. They should also have Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, and Ryan Rollins back in the lineup after they missed the previous contest.

They are three of Milwaukee's Top 6 scorers this season (with another being the still-sidelined Antetokounmpo), so having that trio active will boost the Bucks' chances of winning.

That's enough for me to back them at plus money against a Dallas squad that has Cooper Flagg and not much else.

Mavericks vs Bucks same-game parlay

Since both teams have nothing to play for, we've seen little effort from them on the defensive end of the floor. That has me backing a couple of player props in this SGP.

Daniel Gafford has stepped up as the Mavs' No. 2 scoring option and has logged 24+ points and rebounds in seven of his last eight games.

Meanwhile, Rollins has knocked down more than 2.5 threes in six of his last eight games. He'll torch a Dallas squad that is allowing 14.3 threes per game at 38.6% clip since the start of February.

Mavericks vs Bucks SGP

• Bucks moneyline
• Daniel Gafford Over 22.5 points + rebounds
• Ryan Rollins Over 2.5 threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: Planting his Flagg

Flagg is coming off a night against Minnesota, where he went just 5-for-19 from the field. That said, the Rookie of the Year favorite should bounce back against a Milwaukee squad that is second-last in the league in defensive rating since the All-Star break. 

Flagg has dropped 5+ dimes in 12 of 14 games this month, and he also makes plays on the defensive end. He has logged 2+ steals in five of his last seven games while blocking at least one shot in six of his previous eight contests.

Mavericks vs Bucks SGP

• Cooper Flagg Over 24.5 points
• Cooper Flagg Over 4.5 assists
• Cooper Flagg Over 1.5 steals
• Cooper Flagg Over 0.5 blocks

Mavericks vs Bucks odds

• Spread: Mavericks -2 (-110) | Bucks +2 (-110)
• Moneyline: Mavericks -130 | Bucks +110
• Over/Under: Over 230 (-110) | Under 230 (-110)

How to watch Mavericks vs Bucks

Mavericks vs Bucks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Okay Dub Nation, I see you. Sitting on the stool in the corner of the ring, spitting out blood as the trainers press an ice pack over your swollen eye sockets from watching a rough and tumble month of Golden State Warriors basketball.

The Dubs went 5-10 in March, Steph Curry’s birthday month. Curry and Jimmy Butler didn’t play a single second. The team’s net rating was -5.9, the kind of number that belongs to rebuilds.

And yet. Maybe there’s a chance in here buried under the losses and life lessons. Golden State spent the month caught between two truths: too good to tank and too hurt to compete. If there’s one thing March taught us, it’s that there’s something about this team that is exciting and tragic at the same time.

The Win That Made You Believe

Warriors celebrate maybe their most impressive win this season. They beat the Rockets in Houston despite missing Butler, Curry, Porzingis. Three two-way guys in the rotation. Podziemski 26 points. Draymond/Horford great defensively vs Durant/Sengun. pic.twitter.com/nFw7F9LBEF

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 6, 2026

March 5th in Houston. The Warriors were missing seven players, including every name that appears on a marquee. What showed up instead was a ragtag collection of role players, former G-Leaguers, and aging veterans who apparently missed the memo that the game was supposed to be meaningless.

De’Anthony Melton scored 10 points in the first seven minutes. Al Horford, age 39, won the overtime tip and scored a post-up hook shot. LJ Cryer hit threes. Gui Santos played 41 minutes, finished plus-20, and put Kevin Durant on the floor with a spin move.

Brandin Podziemski went 3-for-3 in overtime and reached a season-high 26 points. And KD, one of the greatest players alive and a forever legend in Golden State, bricked two consecutive free throws to give Golden State the game.

Final score: 115-113. The Warriors owned the Rockets franchise one more time without a single star. That was the argument for this team. For one night, every player on that floor had something to prove, and together they proved it.

The Win That That Didn’t Feel Like One

Steve Kerr postgame on Moses Moody:

"I just saw his leg buckle and I saw him go down in a heap in pain. We don't know what it is, but it sure looked bad and just hoping for the best. Whatever the best case scenario is, that's what we're all hoping for, but it looked bad . . . Mo… pic.twitter.com/bWYeXs4eLN

— Chef (@CurryForGame) March 24, 2026

Eighteen days later, same state, different city, different kind of Texas night entirely.

Moses Moody stole the ball from Cooper Flagg with 1:13 left in overtime. He got out in space with the dunk coming into view. And we know Moody can elevate. This time, unfortunately he planted his foot, and the floor gave out beneath a season that had finally started to mean something. Torn patellar tendon. Season over.

Original Splash Bro Klay Thompson was on the other side in a Mavericks uniform. He watched that basketball inheritance collapse in real time. Nobody felt like celebrating the overtime win. The Warriors needed a big victory, but at what cost? I wonder if they’d rather have the loss if it meant preserving Moody’s future.

This is what March 2026 was. A month where the Warriors were simultaneously too good to tank and too hurt to compete. Steph has now missed over two dozen consecutive games. Butler has been gone since January. Horford went down with a calf strain. Moody, who was the living proof that the Two-Timeline strategy could actually work, is watching the rest of this season from a treatment table. A month where the best version of this roster kept flashing, and the injury report kept taking it away.

April Starts Against San Antonio

The Warriors open April against the Spurs. The one with Victor Wembanyama, the version of the future this season was supposed to hold off. They are going into that game without Steph, without Jimmy, without Moses, and with a net rating that politely suggests the process is still very much in progress. Another Texas team, another test, and another day of wondering if the glass is half full or half empty on this season.

March presented two true things simultaneously. The Warriors can still be beautiful when the ball moves and the right people show up hungry. And it also whispered that this season is not going to end in triumph. Both are hella real and define Warriors basketball in 2026.

Goodbye March, you were tough on the team.

Rapper J. Cole has long been an NBA sicko. In 2018, he hopped on 21 Savage’s track ‘a lot’ and immediately shouted out Markelle Fultz and Dennis Smith Jr. However, there is no NBA player he loves like Steph Curry — who also hails from his native North Carolina.

On Carmelo Anthony’s 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, Cole spoke extensively about his love for Steph.

“I love basketball — it’s an even playing field,” Cole said. “Of course, you’re going to get athletically gifted people, but that’s why I love Steph so much. Compared to the average NBA player — 6’6″, 6’7″, freak of nature — he doesn’t fit that bill. He’s more of a regular size in the league.”

Cole sees Curry as an emblem of working with what you’ve got and using your own unique skillset to grow and become the best version of yourself.

“I stand next to Steph and I’m like, ‘Damn, this dude my height,'” Cole said. “He’s not little, but he maxed out his ability. If I work harder than everybody else, I can max my abilities out, and then I got a fair shot.”

Cole, 41, has pretty famously always wanted to be an NBA player, trying out for the Draft in 2020 and going pro briefly between 2021 and 2022 in the Basketball Africa League and the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

“That’s what I love about basketball,” Cole said. “I can measure my growth. I can see it. I can watch how bad I was or how regular I was, and how much better I’ve gotten in this one area. And I feel like I need that in my life. My music is the same way. My writing is the same way. My rap is the same passion — I want to push myself. Basketball gives me something measurable.”