Category: NBA

There go the Houston Rockets, doing that thing where they make us hope once again that they’ve figured things out.

If you think the Rockets have had a nightmare season, look at the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks dealt with Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors in the offseason, then again during the season, then again again during the season. It’s become a further nightmare because Giannis clearly does not want to “demand” a trade and ruin his reputation in Milwaukee. However, he’s basically done just that and holding the franchise hostage hasn’t benefitted anyone. Meanwhile, Bucks fans (understandably) love him to pieces and don’t want him traded even if the return was outstanding (it will not be). Because they expected Giannis back from injury, the Bucks went full-go while he was out, but they just weren’t good enough. That means that they’re probably not drafting in the top 6 this year even though that’s where the talent seems to be.

Giannis hasn’t played since March 15 despite his best efforts. The Bucks would love nothing more than to lose every game and move into ninth in the lottery odds. Unfortunately for them, they just played fellow tankers the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs didn’t have a starter shoot better than 33%. Yes, for real. Rockets murderer Max Christie shot 1-12. I really hate when guys always go off against the Rockets but turn into pumpkins for the other 78-80 games of the year.

Speaking of tanking and the lottery, I will be doing my annual “If the lottery is rigged, who wins” post for Friday’s preview. It should be a good time.

For tonight, suffice to say that both teams are on a back-to-back, and Milwaukee had to fly in after their game. Houston needs to get out to a good start because the Bucks want to lose this one. It could be a sloppy game overall, especially since Ime Udoka left his starters (and Reed Sheppard) at or past their normal minutes level against New York to prevent another collapse against the Knickerbockers. And it worked. So it’s clear that the Rockets viewed last night’s game as worth going all-in for and tonight’s game would be more up for grabs.

Also, Dorian Finney-Smith didn’t play last night. He’s missed the last two games as DNP-CD, and the previous two games he played a combined 13 minutes and 56 seconds. Methinks if this isn’t the game for DFS, then he might get DFA’d.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo: GTD

Bobby Portis: OUT

Kevin Porter Jr.: OUT

Gary Harris: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -16.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Friday night at home against the Utah Jazz

Well, Monday didn’t go as hoped for the Sixers. With cool shooting nights from their stars, while Tyler Herro led the way with 30 points for Miami who went on a 14-0 run in the last few minutes to take control, the Sixers lost to the Heat, 119-109.

It was an underwhelming performance and frustrating result. It cost the Sixers their tie breaker with the Heat, losing the season series 2-1, and helps keep the Sixers in seventh place in a tightly packed Eastern Conference.

Now, though, going on the road to face the Wizards on Wednedsay should give the Sixers an easy chance to pick up a key win as the East standings rapidly fall into place over the final games of the season.

The recovering Johni Broome remains the only player on the injury report for Philly. Meanwhile, as the Wizards deal with some injuries and do all they can to keep tanking, all the notable players who could have been worth keeping an eye on in this matchup are sidelined.

Along with Anthony Davis who’s been out for months, Washington’s key creators are absent. Trae Young remains out with low back pain and a right quad contusion, and rising talent Kyshawn George is out with a left elbow sprain. D’Angelo Russell (not with team), rookie backup center who started on Sunday Julian Reese (G League assignment) and Cam Whitmore (right shoulder deep vein thrombosis) are also out. On top of that, Tre Johnson (right foot sprain), Bilal Coulibaly (right retrocalcaneal bursitis) and Alex Sarr (left big toe capsulitis) are questionable.

Washington have been tanking hard for a while now, down at 14th in the East with their 17-58 record. They’ve kept it going since their big trade deadline deal too, swapping CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert for Trae Young. Their new star point guard has only appeared in five games due to injury, and they have a mere one win in their last 20 games.

In this stretch since Feb. 22., they’ve been in truly sensational tanking form with a net rating of -14.1 and rankings of 28th in both offensive and defensive rating.

As a depleted, bottom-three team at both ends of the floor, they really have no business competing with a Sixers team that finally has its Big 3 back in action and a healthy rotation.

If Joel Embiid can dominate against a smaller, weak frontcourt to improve on the 10-of-25 shooting night he had against Bam Adebayo and the Heat, and Paul George and Tyrese Maxey both warm up after going a combined 14-of-38 from the floor on Monday, that alone should make Wednesday’s game fairly light work.

Even when talented center Sarr has been active this season and showing his improving rim protection, the Wizards’ defense has still been poor. Opportunities for Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to fly downhill to the rim against a weak crop of perimeter defenders, and for Embiid to bully his way inside against backup bigs, should be plentiful.

More plays like Edgecombe’s awesome high-rise alley-oop against a scrambling Washington defense sure would be welcome to make things entertaining.

There’s clearly little left for these Wizards, but if he’s available, Sarr is at least one player to pay more attention to. He’s had a solid sophomore season, improving his efficiency and paint scoring while becoming a sharper defender and rim protector. Sarr’s numbers have climbed across the board to 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. However, he should remain no match for Embiid defensively and can’t do enough by himself as more of a play finisher to cover for all the lacking offensive creation.

There’s only seven games left for the Sixers and the packed Eastern Conference seems to be shifting daily. Let’s see if they can take care of business in one of their easiest games left (they also finish the season against the tanking Pacers then Bucks) against a Wizards squad that’s eager to lose.

And in the meantime, you can check out our Harrison Grimm’s look at the East playoff picture and who else you should be rooting for down the stretch to help secure the best possible seed for the Sixers. Right now, there’s just three wins between the fifth-seed Hawks (43-33) and 10-seed Hornets (40-36).

In the little of the regular season we have left, there’s a lot for most teams to play for.

Game Details

When: Wednesday, April 1, 7:00 PM ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Embiid ruled out for Sixers' matchup with Wizards  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — While the Sixers’ health picture has improved considerably over the last week, it’s not quite spotless.

The Sixers ruled Joel Embiid out with an illness late Wednesday morning ahead of their matchup with the Wizards. Rookie Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery) also remains sidelined.

Embiid had played in three straight games since returning from a 13-game absence with a right oblique strain. After posting 26 points on 10-for-25 shooting and seven rebounds Monday in the Sixers’ loss to the Heat, he told reporters in Miami he was sick, per Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin.

Embiid’s averaged 30.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 blocks over the last three games. He’s been aggressive offensively and shot especially well from three-point range, hitting 8 of 15 long-distance attempts. 

Backup big man Adem Bona had one of his best games this season when the Sixers visited the Wizards on Oct. 28, blocking five shots late in a comeback overtime win.

The Sixers entered Wednesday seventh in the Eastern Conference at 41-34, one game behind the sixth-seeded Raptors and one ahead of the eighth-seeded Magic. The Wizards are 17-58 and have lost 19 of their last 20 games. 

Embiid ruled out for Sixers' matchup with Wizards  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — While the Sixers’ health picture has improved considerably over the last week, it’s not quite spotless.

The Sixers ruled Joel Embiid out with an illness late Wednesday morning ahead of their matchup with the Wizards. Rookie Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery) also remains sidelined.

Embiid had played in three straight games since returning from a 13-game absence with a right oblique strain. After posting 26 points on 10-for-25 shooting and seven rebounds Monday in the Sixers’ loss to the Heat, he told reporters in Miami he was sick, per Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin.

Embiid’s averaged 30.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 blocks over the last three games. He’s been aggressive offensively and shot especially well from three-point range, hitting 8 of 15 long-distance attempts. 

Backup big man Adem Bona had one of his best games this season when the Sixers visited the Wizards on Oct. 28, blocking five shots late in a comeback overtime win.

The Sixers entered Wednesday seventh in the Eastern Conference at 41-34, one game behind the sixth-seeded Raptors and one ahead of the eighth-seeded Magic. The Wizards are 17-58 and have lost 19 of their last 20 games. 

The 2026 NBA Playoffs are less than two weeks away, with the SoFi Play-In Tournament tipping off on April 14 and the first round officially underway on April 18. The playoff picture is rapidly taking shape, with 20 teams already locked in and the remaining seeds still up for grabs as the regular season winds down.

With just nine games remaining, every contest carries playoff implications as teams battle for position in the standings. The Atlanta Hawks face a pivotal matchup Wednesday, April 1, against the Orlando Magic, a must-win if they want to hold onto a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference and avoid the Play-In Tournament altogether.

The San Antonio Spurs travel to Golden State for their fourth meeting of the season, riding the momentum of Victor Wembanyama’s historic performance, a season-high 41 points and 16 rebounds in a win against the Chicago Bulls that marked the third-fastest double-double recorded since 1997-98. San Antonio is firmly in the hunt for the top seed in the Western Conference, and with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder sitting atop the standings, every win from here on out could prove decisive heading into the postseason.

Here is the current brackets for the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament, and the NBA standings as of April 1:

NBA power rankings: Thunder, Spurs stay hot, but who took the No. 1 spot?

Tuesday night didn’t just belong to the Los Angeles Lakers. It belonged to the star-studded celebrities sitting underneath the bright lights of Crypto.com Arena, where basketball and Hollywood collided like two speeding convertibles driving down Mulholland Drive.

When you attend a Lakers game, you don’t just scan the floor, you scan the crowd for a who’s who of A-list athletes, actors and musicians. It’s a cornucopia of trend-setters and influencers.

Let’s start with the quarterbacks because a lot of them showed up to watch the Lake Show host the Cleveland Cavaliers. LA Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert sat alongside his girlfriend Madison Beer. 

Nearby sat Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, and next to him was former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson who’s expected to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft this month. 

Also expected to go in the first round of the draft is former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, he soaked in all the action as well. 

And when you’re playing the Cavaliers, the city of Cleveland has to be represented as well. Thankfully, former Guardians baseball player Kenny Lofton was also sitting courtside. 

Pro athletes from other spots sitting courtside at the Cavs vs. Lakers game tonight:

Kenny Lofton, WR Makai Lemon, and QB's Ty Simpson, Bryce Young, and Justin Herbert.

(Photos by Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/sLzqhljWmf

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 1, 2026

The world of music was well represented as well. In addition to Beer, the soundtrack of the game could have been performed by Halsey who stunned in a black top.

Donovan Mitchell’s fiancee Coco Jones was there too. 

Rock bands also wanted to bask in the energy of the game. Red Hot Chili Peppers trio—Anthony Kiedis, Flea, and Chad Smith—buzzed like a live amp. Weezer’s Scott Shriner and Brian Bell added their own alt-rock vibes. 

And right across the court was record executive Jimmy Iovine. 

Hollywood, naturally, didn’t miss curtain call. Vivica A. Fox and Ciarra Carter sat together. 

Nicholas Hoult and Damson Idris added the modern star power. Noah Centineo showed off his t-shirt, and Emmy-award winning director Ben Winston might have been looking at all of them thinking which actor he wanted to cast in his next show. 

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They all watched the Lakers finish off the month of March with a 127-113 win over the Cavaliers. They finished the month 15-2 and Luka Doncic scored a franchise-record 600 points over that span. 

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The art of tanking is nothing new for the NBA. Teams have been finding ways to lose games in an effort to improve their Draft position at least as far back as the early 1990s when the league implemented weighted odds favoring the worst teams. Prior to that, there was an outright coin flip between the worst Eastern and Western Conference teams, then an unweighted lottery where all non-Playoff teams had an equal chance at the first pick. More recently, the worst team had by far the best odds to win the lottery until the NBA attempted to course-correct. They flattened the odds for the three worst teams and expanded the lottery to determine the top four picks instead of only the top three.

Despite it all, teams find ways to lose games in hopes of getting a coveted pick high in the Draft. On February 12^th, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for conduct detrimental to the league. Both teams made questionable roster decisions in otherwise winnable games. With the incidents taking place relatively early in the season and social media jumping all over it, it was only a matter of time before the NBA took further action.

Shams Charania recently reported that the NBA has proposed three options to the Board of Governors to combat tanking.

We will take a look at each of the three proposals in turn over the coming days, but first, a commentary on the overall notion: There is no outright “fix” to the concept of tanking. So long as there is an incentive for a bad team to get something good as a result of being worse, the NBA is going to have teams racing to the bottom.

As of March 27th, 2026 when Charania broke the aforementioned news, there were ten teams in the NBA with fewer than 30 wins. That is one-third of the league. The Indiana Pacers were officially eliminated from Playoff contention on March 10 when they fell to 15-50 on the season in a loss to the Sacramento Kings, who themselves were eliminated the following night when they fell to 16-51 after a loss to the Charlotte Hornets. For perspective, that is two teams completely out of the mix with only about 80% of the season in the books to that point. By March 27, eight teams were eliminated from Playoff contention, with two others having virtually zero statistical probability of making the Play-In Tournament.

When you have that many teams made irrelevant a full month before the end of the regular season, most of whom knew where they were headed months earlier, you’re going to have a lot of franchises looking to lose. Most teams are not going to want to destroy their chances at a franchise-altering pick, simply to stumble through the Play In Tournament for the honor of getting annihilated by the top seed in the conference.

Ironically, as the league talks about curbing tanking for the sake of the game’s integrity, they are on the cusp of expansion with the likely addition of two new franchises. Surely this will only add to the number of teams with more incentive to lose than to win. It’s difficult to take the league’s tanking-related pearl-clutching seriously, as their desire for more teams and more revenue run contrary to competitiveness. Adding two new franchises means you’re adding 30-plus players to the NBA that wouldn’t otherwise be “good enough” to be there prior.

Regardless, the wheels of change are turning, so we’ll take a look at each of the three options and what they could mean for the Mavericks throughout the next few days.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Tuesday night in Orlando was supposed to feel like something. The Phoenix Suns were getting their soul back with Dillon Brooks returning after an 18-game absence. Instead, it left you with more questions than answers, especially for a team now flirting with the idea that hosting a Play-In game is no longer a guarantee.

It started from the jump. Phoenix came out too amped, too keyed up, playing with emotion but not control. The Orlando Magic lean into physicality. They like to get under your skin, and that is a lane the Suns are comfortable in as well. But a minute and a half in, the tone was already off. Technical fouls, jawing back and forth, energy spilling over in the wrong direction.

And here was the problem. Only one team backed it up.

Phoenix put themselves in foul trouble almost immediately, handing Orlando free points and easy rhythm. From there, the night became about chasing. Possession after possession, they were trying to climb out of a hole they had dug themselves.

Then came the fourth, and that is where things really went sideways. The Orlando Magic are big, long, and physical. That is their identity, and with Oso Ighodaro sitting on five fouls, the expectation was simple. Match size with size. Give yourself a presence inside. Instead, Jordan Ott went the other direction. No added length. No adjustment to what Orlando was throwing at them. No Khaman Maluach. No Ryan Dunn.

The Suns leaned all the way into small ball, and it backfired.

The offense stalled out completely. 17 points in the fourth, 29.2% shooting from the field, 20% from deep. Possessions got tight, spacing shrank, and nothing came easy. It turned into one of those stretches where every trip down the floor felt like a grind, and nothing broke loose.

And then there was Jalen Green. It was not his night through three quarters. He was 3-of-10 from the field, 0-of-5 from three, but when the offense needed something…anything…he stayed on the bench. The reasoning was sticking with the small lineup, riding what was out there.

But that is where it gets confusing. Green fits that mold. He is one of your primary shot creators, one of the few players who can generate offense when things bog down. And at $33 million, he is not someone you hide from those moments. You give him the opportunity to play through it, to find a rhythm, to create when nothing else is working.

That never came. And as the offense sputtered possession after possession, it left you wondering what could have been different if that choice had gone the other way.

There was no size inserted, so the advantage stayed exactly where Orlando wanted it: in the paint. It has been a recurring issue for the Phoenix Suns. The inability to consistently deter penetration and protect the rim. The frustrating part is the tools are there. They are young, they are developing, but they exist. And yet, night after night, teams are getting downhill, living in the paint, and dictating terms.

And then there is the irony of the final five minutes. Devin Booker was not the focal point in the way you would expect. The ball moved, the gravity was there, he drew attention, and he created opportunities for others. It looked like the version some have been asking for: less isolation, more distribution, more trust in the group.

And the result was empty.

Shots did not fall. Looks that were clean never dropped. And when the biggest possession arrived, it was Dillon Brooks with the ball in his hands. The result? A shot that sailed over the backboard.

I’m just gonna go ahead and put my face in my hands.

That is the tradeoff. You move away from your primary option, you trust the collective, and sometimes the collective does not deliver. It does not mean the idea is wrong, but it shows how thin the margin is when your best player is not the one taking the shot when it matters most.

As the season winds down, it feels like the questions are piling up instead of clearing out. Why was that the approach? Why match small against a team built on size? Why not give Jalen Green a chance late when the offense was starving for creation? Why does Khaman Maluach never see those closing minutes, especially in games that are screaming for rim protection? And why, when things tighten, does the offense feel like it narrows into a three-point dependency instead of something more layered?

The calendar is not waiting. These are games sitting right in front of you, games you have to take. The Orlando Magic handed over 25 turnovers, 25 extra opportunities, and Phoenix still could not capitalize. 20 turnovers of their own, 26 points allowed off of them, possessions slipping through their fingers over and over again. Then come the fouls. Some you can argue, some you cannot, but the reality is they put themselves in that position and paid for it.

And this is where it starts to matter. Because if you keep playing like this at the back end of the season, if you keep letting games like this get away, the Los Angeles Clippers are going to close that gap. And suddenly, you are not hosting a Play-In game, you are flying to Los Angeles, putting yourself in a tougher environment with everything on the line.

So the Suns leave Orlando, and it is far from the happiest place on earth. And for the fan base, it does not feel much better. It feels like a team still searching for answers at a time when they should be locking them in.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

That “36 points without a free throw” thing certainly didn’t hurt Booker’s case for earning his 18th Bright Side Baller of the season. He now has earned the Baller in 31% of his games played this season.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 76 against the Magic. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
34 points (8-of-16, 2-of-6 3PT), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 16-of-19 FT, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, -14 +/-

Royce O’Neale
14 points (4-of-8, 4-of-7 3PT), 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 block, -3 +/-

Collin Gillespie
11 points (4-of-8, 2-of-6 3PT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, +5 +/-

Rasheer Fleming
11 points (4-of-9, 1-of-5 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, +7 +/-

Grayson Allen
10 points (4-of-14, 2-of-10 3PT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, -5 +/-

Oso Ighodaro
5 points (2-of-2), 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 block, -6 +/-

Who gets it?

On March 31, the Houston Rockets put on one of their best performances of the year, defeating the New York Knicks 111–94 at home.

The Rockets set the tone from the beginning. Houston took control early in the second quarter and never gave it up, playing with confidence, speed, and accuracy. Against a Knicks defense that never quite found its footing, their ball movement was especially impressive, as they piled up assists and continuously produced excellent opportunities.

Kevin Durant, who skillfully coordinated the offense, was at the center of it all. In addition to finishing with 27 points, the seasoned forward frequently punished New York’s defensive rotations and double teams. He was by no means alone; Houston displayed a well-rounded offense, with several players scoring in double figures, including a potent bench contribution that kept the pressure on.

The Rockets were equally impressive on defense. Leading the perimeter attack, Amen Thompson successfully neutralized Jalen Brunson, who was limited to just 12 points due to ineffective shooting. Throughout the whole game, Houston’s switching and toughness threw off New York’s rhythm, causing turnovers and contested possessions that prevented any meaningful comeback attempt. It was a tough game for the Knicks. With 22 points, Karl-Anthony Towns led the club, but he was ineffective against Houston’s interior presence. Beyond that, New York’s offensive cohesiveness never developed; they fell behind early and lacked the ball security and shot-making skills necessary to make a significant challenge.

Houston’s poise and depth swiftly put an end to any momentum the Knicks managed, especially during short bursts in the second quarter. By the fourth quarter, the Rockets were comfortably ahead due to their disciplined play and timely scoring, making the result seem academic.

In a larger sense, the victory demonstrated Houston’s ongoing development under duress in addition to exacting revenge for a previous defeat to New York earlier in the season. As the postseason draws near, the Knicks’ defeat revealed persistent worries about facing top-tier competition.

On this particular night, however, the narrative was straightforward: Houston was more decisive, deeper, and sharper throughout.

The Houston Rockets are back in action Wednesday night at Toyota Center versus the Milwaukee Bucks. You can catch the game on NBA League Pass or Space City Home Network, and as always, be sure to check back at the Dream Shake for pre- and post-game content.

The tests kept coming in the month of March for the Lakers and they responded with the same resounding answer: We’re ready.

Yet, even though the Lakers posted a 15-2 record last month, even though they beat some of the best teams in the NBA, they still have another big test on the horizon that will further show whether they're ready.

The Lakers will meet the defending NBA champion Thunder in Oklahoma City Thursday night, and it will be the test of all tests because OKC is just as hot as L.A. and owns the best record in the NBA.

The Thunder have their own unstoppable force in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last season’s most valuable player who is in line to win it again this season, just as the Lakers have their own unstoppable force in Luka Doncic, another MVP candidate this season.

Oklahoma City produced a 14-1 record in March. The Thunder have a 60-16 record, tops in the league.

So for the Lakers, Thursday will be a measuring stick against the best the league has to offer.

“Yeah, 100%. I mean, I feel like we've been in a couple playoff games here recently," Lakers forward Jake LaRavia said. "This is obviously going to be another one, you know, best team in the West. So it's going to be a good test for us as we're nearing the playoffs. And, yeah, it's going to be the same thing. We have to be physical. We have to play defense collectively. We're gonna have to just play together as a team.”

The Lakers finished March with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and have won 13 of their past 14 games.

They had impressive victories over New York, Minnesota, Denver, at Houston twice, at Miami and at Orlando during March.

Read more:Luka Doncic matches Michael Jordan for the most magical March in NBA history

Now they get the Thunder.

“Obviously they are the defending champs,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. “They play at a high level. Obviously one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team, and we have an opportunity to go into OKC and battle them.”

The Thunder have one of the NBA’s best defenses. OKC holds teams to 107.6 points per game, second-best in the league, and 43.5% shooting, the best in the NBA.

Oklahoma City ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring (118.6) and fifth in shooting percentage (48.2).

So, yes, the Lakers will have their hands full.

“They're great on both sides of the ball,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “They're gonna make you work for things defensively because of how physical they are. And then, they just do a great job of driving. You really have to do your best to keep them outta the paint, have you to do your best to be square of the ball. … They just are really good at what they do. And they've been doing that now for five years. And they know all the nuances. They know all the tricks. They all know the timing of everything. They're just a tough team to guard.”

Lakers' ultimate teammate

The Lakers all view Marcus Smart as the ultimate teammate, a selfless member of their group and a true leader the team can count on for his willingness to compete on both sides of the basketball.

Smart and Deandre Ayton sit next to each other in the Lakers’ locker room and that has been a good thing for Ayton, who relies on Smart for his wisdom and guidance.

And even though Smart missed his fifth straight game Tuesday night against the Cavaliers with a right ankle contusion, Ayton and the Lakers still felt his presence.

“Yeah, I think there's a built-in level of respect and, in some ways, acceptance with Marcus because of how hard he competes and how much he gives every single time that he steps on the floor,” Redick said. “That's an easy way to build trust with your teammates — ... to play as hard as you possibly can every single night and do it with a competitive gusto. And that's what Smart does.

" I think for [Ayton,] he's just been a great calming voice for him throughout the year. ... Marcus has been there, throughout halftimes, huddles, on the court. ... It's really allowed D.A. to be more consistent as we've gotten towards the end of the season.”

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

Smart has been recognized for being such a great teammate.

The NBA announced on Tuesday that Smart is one of 12 finalists for the 2025-26 Twyman-Strokes Teammate of the Year Award. It’s an honor that recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on-and-off the court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players and commitment and dedication to his team.

“He’s like a brother’s keeper,” said Ayton, who had 18 points and nine rebounds against the Cavaliers. “He sees everything, just like [LeBron James] and [Austin Reaves] and Luka [Doncic]. But he’s definitely going to bring it up. He reminds me a little bit of [former Suns teammate] Jae Crowder, that guy who is always going to be the one saying the right thing at the right time. Just our enforcer, our pit bull and he’s the one that set the tone, really, and we all follow. He throw a punch, we all going to throw a punch. You got 1,000 punches, you know what I’m saying? That’s Marcus.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On Tuesday, a pair of the league’s citizenship awards were announced. Two members of the Silver & Black received nominations.

Harrison Barnes was nominated as an NBA Sportsmanship Award Finalist. The award is given to a player who most “exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court with ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity.”

He was nominated alongside former Spurs guard Derrick White, T. J. McConnell, Bam Adebayo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Al Horford.

Avery Johnson, David Robinson, and Steve Smith all won the award as members of the San Antonio Spurs.

Additionally, De’Aaron Fox was nominated for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.

This comes on the heels of receiving some high praise from Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.

The award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other players, and commitment and dedication to team.”

Fox is joined by nominees Desmond Bane, Jalen Brunson, Pay Connaughton, Jeff Green, Jrue Holiday, Deandre Jordan, Duncan Robinson, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Garrett Temple, and Jaylin Williams.

The NBA presents the winner with the Twyman–Stokes Trophy and gives a $25,000 donation to a charity of the recipient’s choice.

Spurs legend Tim Duncan won in in 2015.

Jrue Holiday has been awarded the honors three previous years.

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Your Atlanta Hawks are red-hot, having won 17 of 20 games since the All-Star Break.

In a season where the Hawks were supposed to contend for a top six place in the Eastern Conference, the team took a very circuitous route to get here. The team’s starting point guard and starting center at the beginning of the season are now elsewhere, and for a long time the Hawks found themselves floundering below .500 in the ninth and tenth spots in the standings.

But with this recent surge, they now find themselves fifth — a game and a half up on the Philadelphia 76ers in seventh and half a game above the Toronto Raptors.

The remaining six games for Atlanta are, in order, at Orlando, at Brooklyn, home against New York, at and home to Cleveland, and finish at Miami. That’s a tough slate.

So I ask you, loyal readers, would it be a disappointment if the Hawks slipped below sixth into the Play-In Tournament? The results of the poll will be posted later this week.

Draymond Green didn't want to play for Bucks if he was included in Giannis trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It appears Draymond Green dodged a bullet.

The Warriors forward, who, along with a handful of future draft picks, reportedly was included in Golden State’s trade offer to the Milwaukee Bucks for superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, ultimately stayed put past the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline with the only team he has known throughout his 14-year career.

However, that did not always appear to be the most likely outcome for Green before the Bucks eventually decided not to trade Antetokounmpo this season.

“This is probably it,” Green told ESPN’s Anthony Slater about what he told himself in the days leading up to the deadline. “And I got to be OK with that. You see so many people leave places bad and I just didn’t want that.”

“I’m a human being. There was a second of me [at the deadline] that felt like, ‘Damn, they really going to do that to me?'”

While Green initially might have been hurt by the possibility of being traded, he certainly understood why Golden State was willing to part with him, even if it resulted in him playing for a team that he, admittedly, had no interest in playing for.

“I understand this business probably [as] good as any player,” Green shared with ESPN. “I understand like, ‘Yo, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo. They not just about to trade me for a bag of peanuts.’ It would’ve almost been a point of pride.

“I’ll be honest though. I didn’t want to play for Milwaukee.”

Warriors superstar Steph Curry, who has accomplished so much in his illustrious NBA career alongside — and in part, because of Green –also understands why the franchise would have to part with his longtime teammate.

“I didn’t spend time on the conversation,” Curry told ESPN about the possibility of Green being traded. “But I guess Giannis is the only one that would’ve made sense. And I think, to his point, any team would’ve looked at that. But we never got there. I guess I’m the only one that is off the board, out of the conversation, but you have to be naïve to not understand the business side of it.”

Green and Curry will close out their 14th season together before the Warriors embark on an offseason that, once again, could result in a major roster shake-up.

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At this stage of the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament, if you do not know who Yaxel Lendeborg is, you're either lying or haven't been paying attention.

The same holds for the Michigan basketball star, is true for Arizona's Koa Peat, Illinois' Keaton Wagler and Connecticut's Terrian Reed. These four have been among the best players in March Madness, but have also proven themselves over the course of the season.

MORE: 2017 FBI probe sent coaches to prison, got others fired. This March Madness was a reunion

For either the Wolverines, Wildcats, Fighting Illini or the Huskies to win the 2026 national championship, they'll need their best players to shine in the biggest moments of the year when the quartet plays in the Final Four on Saturday, April 4, from Indianapolis.

However, just because a star has a big game, it does not mean these teams can easily be knocked off. Just ask Alabama and Labaron Philon. The Crimson Tide star matched a career-high of 35 points, but got little help from his supporting cast, causing Alabama to lose to Michigan in the Sweet 16.

All four stars will need help from a potential unsung hero for their team to win a national title. Here's a look at some potential candidates who could step up in that role:

Will two Big Ten teams face off with a national championship on the line? No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 1 Michigan are on opposite sides of the Final Four in 2026, and could guarantee the Big Ten the NCAA Tournament championship with wins in the national semifinals.

The Fighting Illini take on No. 2 Connecticut, while the Wolverines face fellow No. 1 seed Arizona, each on Saturday, April 4. The winners will move onto the national championship game on Monday, April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

REQUIRED READING: Final Four predictions: Who will advance to national championship game?

The last Big Ten school to win a national championship was Michigan State in 2000, Tom Izzo's fifth season at the helm. The Huskies, meanwhile, are looking for their third national championship in four seasons under Dan Hurley, who's quickly rising the all-time coaching ranks.

The Wildcats have won one national championship in their history, which came in 1997. They last made the Final Four in 2001, and are looking to get back to college basketball's mountaintop.

What does Artificial Intelligence think about the Final Four in 2026? Here's how AI predicted the two matchups to go:

AI predicts Final Four games

No. 3 Illinois vs No. 2 UConn

Microsoft Copilot is impressed with Illinois' offense, but also thinks UConn's veteran presence and ability to win games late is important.

"Best offense left in the tournament," Copilot said of Illinois. "Illinois brings elite scoring versatility, with multiple shooters and one of the nation’s best offensive rebound rates."

The AI was also complementary of true freshman Keaton Wagler, one of the top remaining players in the NCAA Tournament.

"Since their November loss to UConn, Wagler has become a top‑10 NBA prospect and a dominant scorer — far more impactful than in the first meeting," Copilot said.

On the other hand, Copilot acknowledges Tarris Reed Jr. could be a matchup problem for Illinois, and that UConn wears teams down defensively.

"He’s averaging dominant numbers inside and could force Illinois into foul trouble or defensive adjustments," Copilot said of Reed. "They just survived Duke on a last‑second 3 and have shown resilience in multiple close games."

Copilot actually predicts an upset, taking Illinois in a close one.

"Illinois’ offensive versatility, improved defense, and Wagler’s rise give them the edge in a matchup where UConn’s inconsistent perimeter shooting could finally catch up to them," Copilot said.

• Score prediction: Illinois 76, UConn 71

No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan

Copilot noted both teams' dominance in the Men's NCAA Tournament as reasons to be excited for the Final Four matchup between Michigan and Arizona, noting Michigan outscored its opponents by 90 points in March Madness to Arizona's 82 points.

Copilot also noted Michigan's balance, acknowledging the Wolverines rank No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 5 in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. It also is impressed by Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American who scored 27 points against Tennessee in the Elite Eight.

But Copilot likes Arizona's balance and interior scoring a bit more than Michigan.

"Their starting lineup is the deepest and most balanced in the Final Four," the AI said. "Analysts consistently note Arizona’s edge on the glass and at the rim will be key in a game this evenly matched."

Ultimately, Copilot is going with Arizona to take down mighty Michigan for a spot in the national championship.

"This is the heavyweight fight everyone expected, but Arizona’s superior rim finishing, rebounding edge, and deeper scoring options give them a slight advantage," Copilot predicts.

• Score prediction: Arizona 78, Michigan 74

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Final Four predictions: Who does AI pick to make March Madness championship?