Category: NBA

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Heat rally late, pull away to beat 76ers

MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 30 points, Bam Adebayo finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, and the Miami Heat used a 14-0 run in the final moments to rally past the Philadelphia 76ers 119-109 on Monday night.

Pelle Larsson added 20 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for Miami (40-36), which kept some realistic hope of getting out of the play-in tournament range — or at least getting into one of the top two spots and therefore assuring itself two chances of making the playoffs — alive with the win. The Heat are ninth in the Eastern Conference, in a virtual tie with No. 8 Orlando.

Joel Embiid scored 26 points for Philadelphia, which got a 23-point, nine-assist, seven-rebound night from Tyrese Maxey. Paul George added 19 points for the 76ers, who remained seventh in the East.

VJ Edgecombe had 13 points and five assists for Philadelphia, on a night where many from the Bahamas — his homeland — made the short trip to Miami and waved flags in the arena whenever he did something right.

HAWKS 112, CELTICS 102

ATLANTA (AP) — Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson each scored 20 points, and three days after losing to the Celtics on the road, the Hawks responded with a win over Boston. It was Atlanta’s 13th consecutive home win.

Okongwu (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Johnson each had double-doubles. It was Johnson’s (20 points, 12 rebounds) 45th of the season.

A tightly contested first half with 10 ties and nine lead changes ended at 54-all as Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit a 27-foot 3-pointer to seal the first half. Atlanta carried that momentum into the third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 36-22 to take a 14-point lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

The Celtics climbed back from a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to come within eight points in the last two minutes. Johnson and Alexander-Walker helped put the game out of reach with four made free throws in the final minute.

Boston’s lineup looked different this time around, with Jaylen Brown returning after a two-game absence and Jayson Tatum on the bench with injury management. Tatum scored 26 points during the teams’ Friday meeting.

Brown had a team high 29 points and 10 rebounds. Luka Garza had 20 points and nine rebounds.

SUNS 131, GRIZZLIES 105

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Devin Booker scored 36 points on 16-of-24 shooting, Jalen Green added 21 points, and Phoenix beat Memphis.

Collin Gillespie had 11 points — all in the fourth quarter — and 10 assists for the Suns. Oso Ighodaro and Rasheer Fleming also scored 11 points.

Booker banked in a straight-away 3-pointer at the buzzer in the third quarter to give Phoenix a two-point lead. GG Jackson threw down a dunk to open the fourth that made it 91-all, but Fleming grabbed an offensive rebound and his putback with 11:14 left in the game gave Phoenix the lead for good.

Ighodaro followed with a dunk and Gillespie added a 3-pointer and a jumper before Jordan Goodwin stole a pass and fed Ryan Dunn for a fast-break dunk that capped an 11-0 run. Goodwin and Fleming made 3s 21 seconds apart that made it 108-95 with 6:59 remaining, and the Grizzlies trailed by double digits the rest of the way.

Tyler Burton led Memphis with 17 points and Cam Spencer scored 16. Jackson and Jahmai Mashack each added 14 points.

SPURS 129, BULLS 114

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had a season-high 41 points and 16 rebounds while collecting the fastest double-double in NBA history, and San Antonio won their ninth straight, defeating Chicago.

Wembanyama had 10 points and 10 rebounds in his first 8 minutes, 31 seconds on the court, collecting his 10th rebound 1:55 into the second quarter. Jim Washington of the St. Louis Hawks had a double-double in nine minutes against the New York Knicks on March 6, 1966.

Wembanyama punctuated his season-high with a driving, one-handed dunk for his final points midway through the fourth quarter. He was 17 for 27 from the field and 3 for 6 on 3-pointers in scoring at least 30 points for the 14th time this season.

Stephon Castle added 21 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for San Antonio, which has has won nine consecutive games.

Bulls point guard Tre Jones had 23 points in his first game in San Antonio since being traded to Chicago as part of the deal that brought De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs. Leonard Miller added 21 points and Collin Sexton had 20 as the Bulls lost their fourth straight.

TIMBERWOLVES 124, MAVERICKS 94

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas native Julius Randle scored 24 points, Anthony Edwards had 17 points off the bench in his return following a six-game absence, and Minnesota beat Dallas.

Edwards was announced as a starter but was late to the court and replaced in the lineup by Mike Conley. Edwards checked in after 2:01 elapsed.

Edwards went in needing to play in every remaining Wolves game to meet the NBA’s 65-game minimum for eligibility for all-NBA consideration.

Ayo Dosunmu had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double since being acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline.

The Timberwolves (46-29) moved into sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of idle Houston.

Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo hit 5 of 9 behind the arc and finished with 15 points.

Daniel Gafford scored 21 points to lead the lottery-bound Mavericks (24-51), who have lost their last 13 home games.

CAVALIERS 122, JAZZ 113

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell each scored 34 points and Cleveland used a late fourth-quarter surge to beat Utah.

Mobley set a season-high for points, including eight dunks, and also had 16 rebounds and three blocks. The 7-footer capped the decisive 14-1 run with a three-point play that made it 117-106 with 3:14 remaining.

James Harden had 13 points and 14 assists for the Cavaliers, who have won five straight road games and six of their last seven overall.

Cody Williams scored 26 points, Kyle Filipowski had 20 and Ace Bailey added 19 for Utah. The Jazz have lost six straight and 10 of their last 11.

LAKERS 120, WIZARDS 101

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, Austin Reaves added 19 points and nine assists, and Los Angeles rolled to a win over Washington.

It was James’ 1,228th career victory, including the playoffs, to tie Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most in NBA history.

With Luka Doncic serving a one-game suspension after getting called for his 16th technical foul of the season against Brooklyn on Friday, an energized James led the Lakers to their 12th win in the past 13 games, attacking the rim from the start including throwing down two emphatic two-handed dunks set up by Reaves in the first quarter.

Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes each had 19 points off the bench, Deandre Ayton chipped in with 12, and the Lakers improved to 7-6 without Doncic in the lineup this season.

Los Angeles would have clinched a playoff berth and the Pacific Division title with the win and a Phoenix loss, but the Suns’ 131-105 victory over Memphis delayed the formality of securing a fourth straight trip to the postseason.

Will Riley led the Wizards with 20 points and Justin Champagnie had 18 as they lost for the 19th time in 20 games.

THUNDER 114, PISTONS 110, OT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points and Oklahoma City defeated Detroit in overtime.

The reigning league MVP, and strong candidate to repeat, made 12 of 19 field goals and 21 of 25 free throws. He extended his NBA record for consecutive games with at least 20 points to 136.

The Thunder became the first team in the league to win 60 games this season, and it’s the first time Oklahoma City has won at least that many in back-to-back seasons. The Thunder’s 15th win in 16 games kept them two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs atop the Western Conference standings.

Oklahoma City, which defeated the New York Knicks on Sunday night, looked sluggish against the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who were missing four of their five regular starters. Cade Cunningham remained out with a collapsed lung. All-Star Jalen Duren was out with a right knee injury and Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson were out with right hip injuries. Isaiah Stewart, a key reserve, missed the game with a left calf strain.

Detroit had won five of six without Cunningham, and they hung tough on Monday. Paul Reed had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Javonte Green scored 19 points and Kevin Huerter added 17 for the Pistons.

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Randle scores 24, Edwards adds 17 in return from injury, as Wolves rout Mavericks 124-94

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas native Julius Randle scored 24 points, Anthony Edwards had 17 points off the bench in his return following a six-game absence, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 124-94 on Monday night.

Edwards was announced as a starter but was late to the court and replaced in the lineup by Mike Conley. Edwards checked in after 2:01 elapsed.

Edwards went in needing to play in every remaining Wolves game to meet the NBA’s 65-game minimum for eligibility for all-NBA consideration.

Ayo Dosunmu had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double since being acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline.

The Timberwolves (46-29) moved into sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of idle Houston.

Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo hit 5 of 9 behind the arc and finished with 15 points.

Daniel Gafford scored 21 points to lead the lottery-bound Mavericks (24-51), who have lost their last 13 home games.

Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg scored 12 points on 5-of-19 shooting after starting 1 for 10.

The Mavericks’ home losing streak is their longest at the 25-year old American Airlines Center. It’s their longest since dropping their first 19 games at since-demolished Reunion Arena to begin the 1993-94 season.

Minnesota used a 19-2 run to open a 23-10 lead late in the first quarter and never again trailed. The Wolves led by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter.

Up Next

Timberwolves: Visit Detroit on Thursday.

Mavericks: Visit Milwaukee on Tuesday.

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AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Devin Booker scores 36 on 16-of-24 shooting, Suns beat Grizzlies 131-105

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Devin Booker scored 36 points on 16-of-24 shooting, Jalen Green added 21 points, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Memphis Grizzlies 131-105 on Monday night.

Collin Gillespie had 11 points — all in the fourth quarter — and 10 assists for the Suns. Oso Ighodaro and Rasheer Fleming also scored 11 points.

Booker banked in a straight-away 3-pointer at the buzzer in the third quarter to give Phoenix a two-point lead. GG Jackson threw down a dunk to open the fourth that made it 91-all, but Fleming grabbed an offensive rebound and his putback with 11:14 left in the game gave Phoenix the lead for good.

Ighodaro followed with a dunk and Gillespie added a 3-pointer and a jumper before Jordan Goodwin stole a pass and fed Ryan Dunn for a fast-break dunk that capped an 11-0 run. Goodwin and Fleming made 3s 21 seconds apart that made it 108-95 with 6:59 remaining, and the Grizzlies trailed by double digits the rest of the way.

Tyler Burton led Memphis with 17 points and Cam Spencer scored 16. Jackson and Jahmai Mashack each added 14 points.

Phoenix shot 50.5% (55 of 109) and hit 17 3-pointers.

Up next

Suns: Visits Orlando on Tuesday.

Grizzlies: Hosts New York on Wednesday.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

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San Antonio vs. Chicago, Final Score: Spurs and Wemby rein in Bulls 129-114

Wembanyama stood head and shoulders above the Chicago frontline tonight in San Antonio’s home victory
Mar 30, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) rebounds in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

In a first half characterized by alternating runs — somtimes back-to-back — from Chicago (29-46) and San Antonio (57-18), it was the Spurs that pulled away behind a 35-19 second quarter — specifically the dominance of superstar Victor Wembanyama and stellar guards — Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. The Spurs held a 31-18 rebound edge through the first 24 minutes of action, and managed to build on that disparity well into the second half (41-23 after three and 55-35 total).

San Antonio was led by Wembanyama (41 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and Castle (19 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds). Julian Champagnie (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) worked through a sluggish start, and Keldon Johnson (15 points) and Harper (13 points and 6 rebounds) were crucial during that second quarter push.

Former Spur Tre Jones (23 points and 3 assists) performed well enough for Chicago in the loss. Leonard Miller (21 points and 7 rebounds) had an outsized impact offenisvely for the Bulls, while Collin Sexton (20 points) played like he was competing with Rob Dillingham for playing time.

Wembanyama figured in on nearly every consequential play for the first 6+ minutes of action — putting up 10 points, 5 rebounds, and a block for measure. Starting with Jones’ steal and reverse, Chicago spread its production out among the starters, and shot better from distance to stake itself to leads throughout the stanza. Jones took advantage of his familiarity with the rims to lead the Bulls in scoring, but San Antonio still went to the second period up 29-28.

Despite a brief halting of the offensive momentum to start the second, both teams — particularly Castle for San Antonio and Miller for Chicago — resumed the scoring pace. San Antonio was able to build its lead by cutting down the amount of open shots conceded and walling off driving lanes. After seeing two triples go down, Castle leveraged the threat of his outside shot to find San Antonio’s bigs deep in the paint, and the Spurs benefitted from entering the foul bonus to pad their advantage. Though an old Spur (Jones) scored last for Chicago, it was the brightest Spur (Wembanyama) that hit a three to send the Spurs to halftime up 64-47.

Though they looked like one YouTube video repeating the same dunk, Wembanyama strung together an impressive solo reel of dunks at the start of the third period, and San Antonio ran their lead up to 25. Meanwhile, Jones seemed like the only starter able to counter the Spurs meaningfully. Jones kickstarted a 10-0 run late in the frame, and yet Chicago could only draw within 19. San Antonio went to the fourth up 20.

Observations

  • George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin.
  • The Bulls and Hornets were the only NBA teams that could pull off the pinstripe look.
  • Wow – a nightcap of Thunder and Pistons!
  • The gentleman next to me on my flight Saturday (wearing a University of Arizona cap) gushed about Carter Bryant for the better part of the four hour trip. Apparently he was very happy as an alum to see the line of Wildcat players coming to San Antonio continue.
  • Devin’s Deeds: Well into garbage time, Vassell clanked a fadeaway jumper, and in folllowing him back downcourt, he never gave up on the play and managed to swat away Buzelis’ floater (that was called for goaltending).
  • Harrison Barnes WITH headband – 0 for 2 from three. #pobrecito
  • Sequence of the Game #1: Some dogged defense later in the first half led to a Barnes steal, and Wembanyama spotted a streaking Castle down the right side for a slam off of two feet that Dominique Wilkins would have been proud of.
  • Sequence of the Game #2: Though we’ve long been accustomed to Wembanyama’s greatness around the rim, the NBC broadcast team did a great job of affirming the unselifhness involved in San Antonio’s wings setting him up. (That rookie season of futile attempts to find Wembanyama seems like a distant memory).

Game Rundown

After the Bulls’ second basket at the rim in 72 seconds, Coach Johnson called a Pop-like timeout. San Antonio started the first couple of possessions with Wembanyama on the right block, but the forward succeeded four times from three different spots straightaway in the painted area. Chicago had a moderately easy time getting buckets on drives and held a slight advantage on several occasions. Successive triples from Isaac Okoro and Sexton put the Bulls up three, but those were immediately matched by a lightning fast seven point burst from Harper. Despite a very poor outside shooting start, San Antonio — starting with Harper’s scoring and ending with a Keldon Johnson three — left it up one.

Aside from Barnes’ first three points and an awkward Giddey floater, there was a scoring drought spanning the first three minutes of the second period. Then the floodgates shot open, as Miller got to double digits scoring with some sneaky hot shooting, while Giddey found his groove, as well. Champagnie saw a floater and a corner three go down, while Castle saw his first three go down, too. Castle’s catch-and-shoot three seconds later gave the Spurs their biggest lead (eight) to that point. San Antonio played its best two-way minutes to end the half, as the Bulls found themselves forcing things more noticeably. Aside from a Johnson score, Wembanyama and Castle carried the rest of San Antonio’s production to lead by 17 at the break.

Wembanyama’s personal 12-point burst in the third put the Bulls on the ropes, while Vassell encouragingly hit his first three during that barrage, too. Seconds after his re-entry, Miler hit yet another three for Chicago. Harper put up two quick scores on his own, and the comfortable 20+ point cushion allowed for the Spurs to try out different line-ups.

For the Bulls fan’s perspective, please visit Blog A Bull.

San Antonio takes on Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night at 9:00 PM CDT on ESPN.

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Tuesday's Time Schedule

All Times EDT

Tuesday, March 31

MLB

Texas at Baltimore, 6:35 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Miami, 6:40 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 6:40 p.m.

Washington at Philadelphia, 6:40 p.m.

Colorado at Toronto, 7:07 p.m.

Athletics at Atlanta, 7:15 p.m.

L.A. Angels at Chicago Cubs, 7:40 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Milwaukee, 7:40 p.m.

N.Y. Mets at St. Louis, 7:45 p.m.

Boston at Houston, 8:10 p.m.

Detroit at Arizona, 9:40 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.

San Francisco at San Diego, 9:40 p.m.

Cleveland at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.

NBA

Phoenix at Orlando, 7 p.m.

Charlotte at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

New York at Houston, 8 p.m.

Toronto at Detroit, 8 p.m.

Cleveland at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

Portland at L.A. Clippers, 11 p.m.

NHL

Dallas at Boston, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Montreal at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

N.Y. Islanders at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

New Jersey at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Ottawa at Florida, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia at Washington, 7 p.m.

Carolina at Columbus, 7:30 p.m.

Winnipeg at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.

Seattle at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

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Dubón, Olson and Yastrzemski help Braves earn 4-0 shutout over the Athletics

ATLANTA (AP) — The Braves scored three runs in the first inning off a double from Matt Olson and a single from Mauricio Dubón in a 4-0 win over the Athletics on Monday night.

Mike Yastrzemski came in to relieve left fielder Eli White and hit a line drive triple to right field in the eighth inning. Dubón followed with a single to send him home.

Dubón, a two-time (2023, '25) Gold Glove-winning shortstop, came to the Braves in the offseason from a trade with the Astros.

Bryce Elder (1-0) pitched six innings and gave up five hits with five strikeouts and a walk.

Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers both went 0 for 4 for the Athletics. Brent Rooker went 2 for 4, but grounded to Dubón to start a double play that ended the eighth inning.

In the ninth, Jacob Wilson was thrown out at second on a ground ball by Lawrence Butler, who was originally ruled safe at first. The call was challenged and then overturned, resulting in a double play. Max Muncy hit an infield fly that Olson caught to end the game.

Jacob Lopez (0-1) pitched four innings for the A's. He gave up five hits, had five walks, three earned runs and no strikeouts.

Up next

Atlanta's Jose Suarez takes the mound against Aaron Civale as the series continues Tuesday.

___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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Game Recap: Suns take care of business in Memphis, 131-105

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 30: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns dunks the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 30, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Phoenix Suns started slow, but turned it up a notch in the 4th quarter to pull away and secure a road win in Memphis. It didn’t come without a fight from Memphis in the opening 36 minutes of play.

Devin Booker and Jalen Green paced the Suns early, and Collin Gillespie broke out of a shooting slump for a big fourth quarter. Booker poured in 36 points on 16-24 shooting. Green added 21 points on 9-18 shooting, and both star guards were able to stay under 25 minutes played. The rookies both looked great.

The Suns outscored the Grizzlies by 24 points in the final quarter on 60% shooting along with 6 threes to pull away for good.

Phoenix now holds a 3.0 game lead over the Clippers for the 7th seed in the West with seven games left to play. Tonight was win number 42 on the season.

Game Flow

First Half

Memphis jumped out ahead 13-9 early in the opening quarter. Phoenix took a 19-18 lead after a Jalen Green three, which took us to the first timeout of the evening. The ball was moving well early on.

Devin Booker poured in 12 points in the first 7 minutes of the period. The ball movement was sharp after the break and led to a 28-19 Phoenix lead.

We got some early Khaman Maluach minutes again, and he made his impact on the glass and drew multiple trips to the line.

After the opening 12 minutes of play, the Suns led 34-31. The Suns allowed 16 points in the paint in the quarter. Devin Booker led all scorers with 12. Jalen Green chipped in with 8.

Things got sloppy. The Grizzlies jumped out to a 12-7 advantage in the second quarter to take a two-point lead, which prompted a Jordan Ott timeout to talk things over.

The Grizzlies showed they were not going to back down without a fight, as you’d expect from (most) professional sports teams. Phoenix wasn’t able to pull away despite strong offensive outputs from both Booker and Green.

At halftime, Phoenix led 65-61. The Suns won the second quarter by just one point, 31-30. Booker and Green combined for 42 points on 24 shots. Memphis got some serious bench production, with 24 of its 61 points coming from the second unit.

Suns rookie big man Khaman Maluach had a career-high 10 rebounds at the half.

Second Half

The second half started with a continuation of the back-and-forth affair we saw in the opening two quarters.

Every time it looked like the Suns were going to pull away, this scrappy, young Memphis squad found a way to answer back. Memphis was matching the Suns’ physicality all night long, as they stormed in front to take an 86-83 lead.

Devin Booker continued to pour it in, hitting a 30-ball well before the 4th quarter even began.

A Jordan Goodwin triple evened things up at 86 apiece. Rasheer Fleming followed that up with a vicious transition dunk, but as they did all night long, Memphis responded with a three-pointer the very next possession to retake the lead.

Phoenix took a two-point lead (91-89) into the 4th quarter after this ATO was executed to perfection.

The Suns started to pour it on in the 4th, as the intensity went up a notch and it helped that the shots were falling. A 19-6 run gave Phoenix some breathing room, leading 110-95 in a flash.

Rasheer Fleming had 7 quick points along with Collin Gillespie’s five points to open the quarter, including a three-pointer that busted him out of his shooting slump. Look at the rook fly!

Phoenix won the final quarter 40 to 16. Everything was clicking for them on both ends of the floor, and they were able to give the starters some much-needed rest ahead of the second of their back-to-back set in Orlando tomorrow night.

Up Next

The Suns are back on the road tomorrow night in Orlando against the Magic.

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Leiter and Burger lead the Rangers to a 5-2 victory over the Orioles

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jack Leiter struck out eight in six strong innings and Jake Burger drove in two runs to lead the Texas Rangers to a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.

Leiter (1-0) had a stretch of five straight strikeouts and appeared to have a sixth for the second out in the fifth, but Colton Cowser won an ABS challenge on a called third strike and turned it into a base hit. Blaze Alexander singled and Gunnar Henderson had a two-out single to cut it to 4-2 before Leiter struck out Pete Alonso to end the inning with runners at the corners.

Leiter allowed five hits and a walk in leading Texas to its third straight win. Jakob Junis and Jalen Beeks each pitched a scoreless inning before Tyler Alexander struck out two in the ninth for his second save.

Brandon Nimmo singled leading off the game against Chris Bassitt (0-1) — making his first start for the Orioles — before scoring on a fielder's choice by Burger for a 1-0 lead.

Henderson hit his first home run of the season to tie it in the first.

Kyle Higashioka walked following a leadoff double by Evan Carter in the second, and Nimmo singled for a 2-1 lead. Burger had an RBI single and Joc Pederson added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.

Burger doubled and scored on a one-out single by Josh Smith in the ninth off Tyler Wells.

The 37-year-old Bassitt needed 60 pitches to get through the first two innings. He was done after 4 1/3 innings and 100 pitches, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks.

Up next

Orioles RHP Zach Eflin will make his first start of the season Tuesday. The Rangers hadn't announced a scheduled starter.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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Knicks officially clinch Eastern Conference top-six seed in 2026 NBA Playoffs

The Knicks are officially the third Eastern Conference team to clinch a spot in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

While Monday was an off day for New York, they were able to lock up their spot with the 76ers’ loss to the Heat. 

This marks the fourth consecutive year they are headed to the postseason. 

Regardless of how the final few games of the regular season play out, the Knicks can now finish no worse than the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

They currently sit in third, 2.0 games behind the Celtics and 1.5 up on the No. 4 seed Cavaliers with seven games left.

Both Boston and the top-seeded Pistons have also already locked up their spots in the postseason. 

New York has once again been led by captain Jalen Brunson in their first year under head coach Mike Brown. 

Brunson performed well enough to land his third consecutive All-Star appearance, averaging 26.7 points and 6.7 assists while shooting 46.3 percent from the field on the season.

He'll look to get the Knicks over the hump after their Eastern Conference Finals exit at the hands of the Pacers. 

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Celtics lose 112-102 battle against soaring Hawks

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 30: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celticsdrives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 30, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Atlanta Hawks tied the season series 2-2 in their final game against the Boston Celtics with a 112-102 Monday-night win at the State Farm Arena, continuing the team’s 13-game winning streak at home.

The Celtics beat the Hawks 109-102 without Jaylen Brown three nights ago in Boston, but struggled to score against or stop Atlanta — which has won 16 of its last 18 games — on Monday without Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta, both of whom sat out the night.

After playing last night in the win over the Charlotte Hornets, Tatum sat out the second night of the back-to-back for right Achilles repair management. Queta was inactive due to a right thumb strain.

The Celtics were also missing Nikola Vučević, who continues to recover from a fracture in his right ring finger, and Ron Harper Jr., who suffered a right ankle sprain against the Hornets.

On the other hand, Brown and Derrick White returned to the lineup after missing last night’s game with left Achilles tendonitis and a right knee contusion, respectively.

Boston started White, Brown, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Luka Garza.

Atlanta started CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.

The Hawks’ only inactive player was Jock Landale, who sat out with an illness.

The start of the first quarter was all about Luka Garza. Garza scored 8 of the Celtics’ first 12 points with a handful of impressive plays, including a spin move from the free throw line to get a finger roll layup at the rim.

However, when Coach Joe Mazzulla pulled Garza about six minutes in for Amari Williams at center, it then became the Payton Pritchard show. Pritchard hit 3-5 from the field, with two three-pointers, one of which bounced high off the rim and fell back in.

Jaylen Brown struggled to find his own shot in the first quarter. He had a few early feeds to his teammates, but shot 2-7 from the floor, finishing the quarter with 6 points.

On the other end of the court, the Hawks did what they do best and forced 7 turnovers off the Celtics, converting on most of those takes. Johnson finished the quarter with 7 points and Zaccharie Risacher hit a pair of 3s for 6 points.

By the time the quarter ended, the Celtics were up 30-29, with Garza and Pritchard tied for the scoring lead at 8 points apiece.

The Hawks started the second quarter with three quick buckets to go up 36-30, while the Celtics did not score for almost 2:30 minutes.

Pritchard broke the seal with a short pullup jumper at 9:32 and Garza, who started the quarter, hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to bring the game to 35-36.

With about 8 minutes left to go in the quarter, Mazzulla subbed in Charles Bassey, who immediately made an impact with his defense and energy. He tapped in a rebound for a couple points and got a couple blocks in a row, then bothered a third shot on the next play.

Brown’s struggles continued into the second quarter, and he appeared frustrated with a lack of calls from the referees. He finished the half with 6 points — 0 in the second quarter — on 2-9 shooting from the field and 4 turnovers. He still contributed with 5 rebounds and 6 assists, but his own scoring game was rough as he was blanketed by Daniels from the jump.

Derrick White also struggled offensively to start the game, shooting 3-9 from the field and 1-4 from three-point range, but also chipped in with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block.

By the half, both teams were tied 54-54, with Garza and Pritchard still leading the pack with 13 points apiece. On the Hawks side, Dyson Daniels had 11 points and 3 steals, Jalen Johnson had 10 points, and team had racked up 10 steals as a whole.

Maybe Brown got through to the refs over the halftime break because he got a couple fouls calls to go his way early in the third quarter. That may have boosted his confidence, as he then hit a slick midrange shot to put the Celtics up 59-58, but he continued to struggle against Daniels and was 4-18 from the field by the end of the period.

Garza’s contributions continued in the third. He hit his second three-pointer about 4 minutes into the quarter to get to 16 points on 6-6 shooting, then made an impressive effort play a play or two later, where he saved the ball and got it to Brown for a bucket.

Pritchard also chipped in with another three-pointer, but the Hawks went on a 16-5 run over about four minutes in the third quarter and took the game’s first double-digit lead, 79-68, near the end of the period on an easy under-the-rim basket by Jonathan Kuminga.

The Celtics battled back with a few buckets, including a nice Hugo Gonzalez three-pointer, but Daniels hit a second three-pointer (he went 2-2 through the third quarter despite shooting 15% from three-point range for the season) to put the Hawks up 90-76 by the end of the quarter.

Daniels finished the quarter with 18 points, leading all players in points on 8-9 shooting from the field.

The Hawks’ barrage continued with a CJ McCollum three-pointer and floater in the first couple minutes into the fourth quarter to put Atlanta up 95-77, and their defense did not let up.

With about 8 minutes to go in the game, the Hawks were up 101-80 and the Celtics could get nothing to fall. Brown was 5-21 from the field, White was 3-12, Jordan Walsh was 1-4 and Baylor Scheierman was 1-3. Garza even missed his first shot of the night, ruining his perfect evening.

When the Celtics broke through the Hawks defense with a Scheierman three-pointer and a putback layup by Garza, Atlanta called a timeout with 5:45 minutes to go in the game.

That failed to stop Boston’s mini-run, as Brown got a thunderous dunk shortly after to extend it to a 7-0 run. Garza then got a cutting layup on the next play to get to 20 points for the night and bring the Celtics back to within 12 of the Hawks, at 89-101.

Johnson hit a jumper, but Walsh hit a 26-footer on an assist from Brown, then Brown hit a pullup three-pointer to cut the lead to 8 points, 95-103.

Brown hit another three-pointer shortly after to keep the game interesting, but it was just about over by the time he missed his next attempt with 1:37 to go.

The game was sealed when Walsh fouled Alexander-Walker on a three-point attempt, allowing the Hawks to extend the lead back up to 11 points with less than a minute to go.

Over the course of the game, the Celtics turned the ball over 14 times and shot 41.2% from the field. The Hawks solidly outshot Boston, hitting 46.7% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range.

A late burst from Jaylen Brown got him to 29 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists for the night on 9-29 shooting from the field and 8-14 shooting from the line. He also had 6 turnovers.

Garza was the team’s second-leading scorer with 20 points and 9 rebounds on 8-9 shooting from the field over 28 minutes.

Pritchard finished with 16 points on 4-6 shooting from three-point range, but posted Boston’s worst +/- of the night with -19 over his 25:33 minutes of play time.

White ended the game with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks on 3-12 shooting from the field and 1-6 shooting from three-point range.

On the Hawks side, Johnson finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists on 53.8% shooting from the floor. Okongwu also finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. Daniels finished with 18 points on 8-11 shooting from the field, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

The Celtics are 7-5 on the second night of back-to-back games following tonight’s loss.

Boston is now 50-25 and two games up on the New York Knicks for the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference, with only seven games left to be played in the regular season.

The Celtics’ next game will be against the Miami Heat at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 1, at the Kaseya Center in Miami. ESPN will broadcast the game.

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Miguel Vargas hits grand slam, White Sox beat Marlins 9-4 for first win of the season

MIAMI (AP) — Miguel Vargas hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs, Austin Hays hammered a three-run shot and the Chicago White Sox beat the Miami Marlins 9-4 on Monday night for their first win this season.

Batting leadoff, Vargas drove in Everson Pereira with a single in the third inning. Hays' homer to right field quickly made it 4-0.

Vargas' slam in the fourth gave the White Sox an 8-0 cushion. Luisangel Acuña scored in the sixth on Vargas' sacrifice fly.

Tristan Peters and Pereira each had two hits for Chicago. Munetaka Murakami went 1 for 5 with a single, ending his home run streak at three games.

Davis Martin (1-0) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Sean Newcomb fanned five in 2 2/3 innings of relief, and Jordan Hicks got four outs for his first save with Chicago.

Liam Hicks homered and knocked in three runs for Miami. He got the Marlins (3-1) on the board with a two-run shot in the fourth and added an RBI single in the eighth. Jakob Marsee had a run-scoring single in the fifth.

Miami starter Chris Paddack (0-1) pitched four innings, giving up eight runs and eight hits on 79 pitches. He struck out six and walked none.

Up next

Chicago RHP Erick Fedde (4-13, 5.49 ERA) starts Tuesday night against RHP Janson Junk (6-4, 4.17) in the middle game of the series.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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Hawks hold on to defeat Celtics 112-102 for 13th straight home win

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 30: Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 30, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Monday evening to face the Boston Celtics. It was just two games ago that these two saw each other, with the Celtics walking away with the victory. The Hawks came into this one with a rest advantage as the Celtics just faced the Charlotte Hornets yesterday.

Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta were ruled out for this matchup, and Jock Landale was out for the Hawks due to illness.

The Hawks were active on defense early, which led to an easy bucket in transition for Onyeka Okongwu.

Dyson Daniels got two feet in the paint on this bucket.

The Celtics made a little separation as the quarter progressed, but the Hawks were right there. Mouhamed Gueye came in and made his presence felt in the paint.

The defense continued to make plays, and this time it was Jonathan Kuminga with a big block on Jaylen Brown.

Zaccharie Risacher knocked down two three-pointers during his stint in the quarter, which were big in keeping the Hawks in the game. They trailed 30-29 going into the second.

Kuminga cut his way through the basket for this easy layup.

Daniels got in rhythm on this three-pointer to extend the Hawks’ lead.

Brown exposed the ball with his left hand on this one, and Daniels came to in to steal it and score on the other end.

It was a competitive half, and both teams went into the locker room tied at 54.

It was a good start to the quarter for the Hawks, and Okongwu was able to knock down back-to-back three-pointers to give them the lead. Later on, Johnson found Daniels for an alley-oop.

Okongwu continued to light it up in the third.

The Hawks kept their lead throughout the quarter, and it was what they did on defense that helped them. On offense, they continued to get good looks at the rim.

Kuminga’s physicality led him to this and-one.

Daniels knocked down another three-pointer.

The Hawks went into the fourth leading 90-76.

McCollum got it going for the Hawks to start the quarter.

Okongwu knocked down another three-pointer.

The Hawks built a 21-point lead in the fourth, but the Celtics started to chip away at their deficit. The Hawks were able to weather the storm just a bit, but the Celtics continued to knock down shots, and got their deficit down to single digits.

Luckily for the Hawks, there just wasn’t enough time left for the Celtics to keep making their comeback.

Johnson finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, Okongwu finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Daniels finished with 18 points, and Alexander-Walker finished with 17 points.

The Hawks will be back in action on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.

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It's official: NBA formally approves sale of Trail Blazers to a group led by Tom Dundon

The expected has become official: The NBA Board of Governors has approved the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers, a group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon.

The vote was unanimous, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.

The franchise was valued at $4.25 billion for the sale. The new owners purchased the team from the Paul Allen Trust, which has been run by Allen's sister Judy Allen since 2018, when the Microsoft co-founder died. All proceeds from the sale will be directed to charities, as the trust requires.

Dundon takes over a team that has just received state approval for major upgrades and renovations to the Moda Center. On the court, the Trail Blazers are a transitioning team that has veterans — Jrue Holiday, next season Damian Lillard — but is really built around younger stars such as Deni Avdija, Sharron Sharpe and Scoot Henderson.

"I'm just getting to know Tom," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said of Dundon after last week's Board of Governors meeting. "I've known him by reputation for a long time, not just through his ownership of the Carolina Hurricanes, but also through the other sports investments he's made. He's a go-getter, he's got a great reputation from having led a turnaround in the NHL. He has enormous passion and spirit. He wants to be successful both as a businessman in Portland and he wants to be successful with the team on the floor."

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Sixers follow up big win with clunker in Miami

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 30: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on March 30, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Well, at least it wasn’t just the third quarter that sunk them tonight.

Philadelphia fell apart down the stretch, losing 119-109 to the Miami Heat Monday night.

They are now41-34, still the seventh seed but have lost the season series tiebreaker to Miami.

Tyrese Maxey had another solid second half to finish with 23 points shooting 7-of-20 from the floor with nine assists. Joel Embiid struggled for much of the night but still led the Sixers with 26 points going 10-of-25 from the field along with seven rebounds.

Paul George cooled off after the first half, going for 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting.VJ Edgecombe played well in front of family and friends until he ran into foul trouble. He went for 13 points and five assists shooting 5-of-8 from the field. Tyler Herro led all scorers with 30.

The Sixers were only missing Johni Broome while the Heat were without Norman Powell (illness).

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

  • Embiid was hot to start the game again, making three of his first four shots of the night. He knocked down a couple jumpers before settling in with a layup and a trip to the line posting up. After knocking down a corner three George burst through the line to throw down a two-handed dunk. It was probably his best looking drive as a Sixer.
  • That was barely keeping up with Miami’s 7-of-10 start to the game. PG poking a steal away from Bam Adebayo was the only resistance the Sixers had early. They got beat off the dribble quite a bit before Miami started making everything from three.
  • George continued to look good going to the basket, finishing an and-1 in transition. Edgecombe’s jumper was falling for him early, but a couple scoreless minutes allowed the Heat to easily rip off a 10-0 run. Maxey ended it with his first points of the night, then swatted a Herro jumpshot attempt to create a transition basket for Edgecombe. Maxey went on to hit a floater with an and-1 and hit George on the wing for three to bring the Sixers within four.

Second Quarter

  • Maxey’s game continued to look like his return. He opened the quarter with a turnaround jumper. George pulled up for another three on the next possession, but he missed his heat check trying to iso Simone Fontecchio. Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. both got on the board by pushing the pace, but the Heat got those baskets back doing the same.
  • Embiid had missed four straight shots to end his first shift, but he quickly knocked one down from the elbow upon checking back in. He hit Dominick Barlow on the block, hit some sort of runner, and backed Adebayo down to draw a foul as the Sixers swung the game their way. Miami’s shooting was already coming back down to earth with a 4-of-15 start to the quarter.
  • It’s so easy for momentum to swing back, especially on a possession where you give up three offensive rebounds. Despite Nick Nurse calling a timeout after the Sixers did, Miami was able to eat into the newly formed Sixers lead. A pair of free throws from Edgecombe had Philly holding on by three at the break.

Third Quarter

  • The second half didn’t start as well for Embiid as the first did. He opened the third with a turnover, and fumbled the ball with the shot clock winding down a few possessions later. The heave from that was way off and he missed a rhythm attempt from the top of the key. It was a rough start for the whole team, who missed seven of their first eight field goal attempts.
  • A timeout was called to stop what had become an extend 18-4 run for the Heat. Edgecombe turned it over right out of the inbounds play. He then picked up his fourth foul of the night and got T’d up for pleading his case that Adebayo set a moving screen.
  • Turnovers and offensive rebounds helped Miami push their lead to the largest of the night at 15 before the Sixers snapped out of it. Maxey scored or assisted the first nine points of a 12-0 Sixers run while getting his hand on the ball a couple times on the other end of the floor as well. Herro got past Oubre for a layup to break that, and responded to a Maxey three with a pair of free throws to keep the Heat leading by four.

Fourth Quarter

  • A scary moment for Maxey as he came up favoring that still recovering right hand after getting fouled on a drive, but he was at least fine enough to make both free throws. The Sixers continued to miss decent looks all second half so Oubre knocking down a three from the wing to get back within three was big.
  • Nothing had gone Embiid’s way since the opening minutes, but he quickly made up the five-point deficit when he checked back into the game. He knocked down a couple of jumpers, drawing a foul on the second. Miami called a timeout after the free throw, but Maxey came right out of it and buried a three from just inside the logo. He connected on another a few moments later to let Kate and Alaa show off their knowledge of the Miami area, but an illegal screen called on Embiid took it off the board.
  • Embiid made up for that foul with a three from the wing, but the Heat running quick off that made basket gave Adebayo a wide open putback dunk. Two threes from Herro put the Heat up by four while Maxey and Embiid could not answer with jumpers of their own.
  • George wasn’t able to check back in until there was 1:35 left with a six-point deficit. After sitting for nearly six minutes he had his three blocked by Herro. A Pelle Larsson drive, an offensive foul on Maxey, and a floater from Herro capped off a 14-0 Heat run, as disastrous a finish as the Sixers could have had.
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Chase Burns notches 1st major league win in Reds' 2-0 victory over Pirates

CINCINNATI (AP) — Chase Burns allowed one hit in five innings for his first major league win, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.

Burns (1-0) walked three and struck out seven, including Jared Triolo with two on and two outs in the fourth. Jose Franco retired five batters before leaving with two on. Graham Ashcraft struck out Henry Davis to end the seventh and fanned two more in a scoreless eighth. Conner Phillips walked Marcell Ozuna and Ryan O'Hearn before retiring three straight for his first career save.

Elly De La Cruz singled leading off the fourth against Braxton Ashcraft (0-1) for the Reds but was thrown out trying to steal second. Sal Stewart walked, took third on a single by Eugenio Suárez and scored on a sacrifice fly by Spencer Steer. Suárez scored on a triple by Will Benson to cap the scoring in a third straight win for Cincinnati.

Braxton Ashcraft (0-1) gave up two runs on four hits and four walks over six innings in his ninth career start. Isaac Mattson pitched the seventh and Justin Lawrence struck out the side in the eighth.

Stewart, the reigning NL player of the week, went 1 for 2 and walked twice. He is 8 for 12 at the plate through the first four games.

Burns went 0-3 with a 4.57 ERA in eight starts over 13 appearances for the Reds last season.

Up next

Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler will square off with Reds LHP Brandon Williamson on Tuesday in their first starts of the season.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb37