Category: NBA

The Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak on Monday night, getting a much-needed 125-117 win over the Washington Wizards. It was an entertaining game, with the Warriors at times flirting with turning it into a blowout, and at other times risking blowing a lead and suffering another gut-wrenching loss.

But in the end, it was the first win in 11 days for the shorthanded Dubs. So let’s grade the players who got the job done. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that individual.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Monday’s games, league-average TS was 58.0%.

Will Richard

32 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 0-for-6 shooting, 0-for-4 threes, 0.0% TS, -2

Well … Steve Kerr ripped into Richard during Sunday’s loss for a turnover, and the rookie responded by playing 32 minutes without a single turnover. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good game for him. He seemed out of rhythm, and couldn’t by a bucket. Still, not turning the ball over while playing the level of perimeter defense he plays means he was an asset, even in a down game. But hard to get a good grade when you’re a non-factor on one end of the court.

Grade: C-

Gui Santos

28 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 4-for-6 threes, 90.0% TS, +20

There was one big weakness in Santos’ game on Monday: he repeatedly got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. That meant he had to go to the bench early in the second quarter with a third foul, and it meant that one of the best players on the team played a few seconds shy of 28 minutes.

But other than that? Near perfection. While the team struggled to shoot from deep, Santos drained three after three when the Dubs needed it most. He shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc … his teammates? 5-for-26. His defense was strong, his energy was infectious, and he always had a big play up his sleeve … when he was on the court, at least.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Draymond Green

29 minutes, 5 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 2-for-8 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 31.3% TS, -8

Green did some good stuff in this game and some bad stuff in this game. His defense wasn’t as good as it’s been in recent weeks, and he had some truly careless turnovers. He also had a masterful game boxing out, set strong screens, and had some great playmaking. A lot of key stuff, but it didn’t feel like he was one of their most impactful players.

Grade: B-
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds and assists, worst plus/minus on the team.

Brandin Podziemski

28 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-for-11 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 39.2% TS, +8

Podz had a hard time getting his offense going in this one. I wouldn’t say he was forcing things, per se, but things weren’t easy, even though he got a lot of shots off. He also took a violent forearm to the face and seemed a little woozy, so hopefully he’s OK. As usual, he had some nice plays doing the small things, but ultimately the offense wasn’t there.

Grade: C

De’Anthony Melton

30 minutes, 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 12-for-17 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 3-for-3 free throws, 73.7% TS, +10

A sensational showing by Melton. He didn’t play during the team’s loss on Monday to the New York Knicks, and in the first quarter, he was fittingly the only Warriors player who seemed to have his full legs. He brought much-needed energy until his teammates could catch up, and then he started to take over in the third quarter when the rest of the offense stagnated. He scored in double figures in that frame, which included a tantalizing poster dunk.

Hopefully Steph Curry can get back on the court soon, because I desperately want to see him playing alongside this version of Melton.

Grade: A

Gary Payton II

24 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 1-for-3 free throws, 66.3% TS, -6

GPII had an absurd game cutting without the ball. It seemed every time he was on the court, he made a remarkable backdoor cut and finished at the rim. He also played strong defense on Trae Young, and was a huge factor on the glass, as usual. He’s really been finding a groove lately.

Grade: A-

Pat Spencer

22 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3-for-9 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 50.6% TS, +2

A so-so game from Pat. Like Podziemski, he had a hard time getting separation and easy looks. But he also kept the offense rolling, with some really nice passes that got the offense into motion. He’s not always flashy, but he’s a good quarterback.

Grade: B

Kristaps Porziņģis

26 minutes, 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 8-for-13 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 13-for-14 free throws, 78.3% TS, +7

This is the type of game that makes it abundantly clear why the Warriors traded for Porziņģis, and why I expect them to re-sign him this offseason. He was nothing short of a star, in every phase of the game. He scored more than a point per minute, and had five stocks while barely playing half the game. Washington’s defense was completely helpless against him, and was forced to foul, foul, and foul some more (you can see how Bam Adebayo did it, can’t you?). When the Warriors needed a bucket, they fed Porziņģis, and he was able to get them one. That’s something that has been sorely missing. He set massive screens, controlled the paint on defense, and looked like the only player that the Wizards had no game plan for. His best game as a Warrior, without a doubt.

Grade: A++
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

Malevy Leons

16 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 80.0% TS, +2

A really solid game for Leons, who was the only one of the Warriors two-way players to get significant run in this game. He held his own on defense, and showed a lot of fight, hustle, and athleticism in his scoring, which included climbing the ladder for a highlight reel alley-oop.

Grade: A

Nate Williams

3 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, +6

Just a short burst of minutes for Williams in this game. There will be more minutes for him in some other contests, especially given how frequently everyone on this team gets hurt.

Grade: Incomplete

Ömer Yurtseven

2 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 1 foul, 2-for-2 free throws, 113.6% TS, +1

And just a brief cameo for Yurtseven as well, in his second game with the team.

Grade: Incomplete

Monday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Al Horford, Moses Moody, Quinten Post

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points, De’Anthony Melton added 27 and the Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak with a 125-117 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night, earning coach Steve Kerr his 600th career victory.

Golden State is without Stephen Curry (right knee) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL), and Seth Curry (left groin) and Al Horford (left calf strain) were also out Monday. The Warriors are almost assured of ending up in the play-in round in the Western Conference, but it matters where among that foursome you finish, and they were able to end their skid against the lowly Wizards.

Washington has dropped 12 in a row, but the Wizards still haven’t taken over last place in the East because Indiana has lost 13 straight.

The Warriors rested Draymond Green, Porzingis and Melton in Sunday’s loss at New York, and those three were able to help them on the second night of this back-to-back. Golden State led by 17 in the second quarter before the Wizards fought back to within two. It was 64-57 at the half.

Golden State led by 15 early in the fourth before the Wizards made one more push. They could draw no closer than five.

Trae Young scored 21 points in 21 minutes for Washington.

HAWKS 124, MAGIC 112

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a career-high 41 points, Jalen Johnson had his 13th triple-double of the season and Atlanta rolled past the Magic, extending their winning streak to 10 games and snapping Orlando’s at seven.

The Hawks improved to 38-31 and reclaimed eighth place in the Eastern Conference, bumping Philadelphia back to ninth.

Johnson had 24 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists in his second straight triple-double. Dyson Daniels added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Alexander-Walker scored 24 points in the first half, helping Atlanta to a 67-50 lead at halftime. Alexander-Walker’s previous career high was 38 points against the Spurs earlier this season.

The Hawks kept momentum rolling after the intermission, scoring 23 points in the first 5:12 of the third quarter to extend their lead to 29 points. The Hawks totaled 37 points in the period and led 104-83 at the start of the fourth.

Orlando cut the deficit to 12 points with 3 1/2 minutes remaining before Atlanta put the game back out of reach.

Paolo Banchero had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. Desmond Bane also added 18 points.

TRAIL BLAZERS 114, NETS 95

NEW YORK (AP) — Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara each scored 18 points, and Portland coasted to a victory over Brooklyn.

Donovan Clingan finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds and reserve Scoot Henderson had 16 points for the Blazers, who never trailed and led by as many as 31.

Nic Claxton had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the short-handed Nets, who have lost four consecutive games and 14 of 16. Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) missed his third straight game and Noah Clowney (rest) was held out.

CELTICS 120, SUNS 112

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 18 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter and Jayson Tatum scored 21 in his fifth game back from an Achilles tendon injury to help Boston beat Phoenix.

Devin Booker scored 40 for the Suns, who have lost back-to-back games after snapping a four-game winning streak. Jalen Green scored 21 for Phoenix.

Derrick White, who was presented with February’s Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month Award before the game, had 21 points for Boston, and Payton Pritchard scored 19.

PELICANS 129, MAVERICKS 111

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 27 points and New Orleans defeated injury-depleted Dallas.

Saddiq Bey had 23 points, while Jeremiah Fears and Trey Murphy III each added 17 to help the Pelicans win for the eighth time in 12 games.

Naji Marshall scored 32 points for the Mavs against his former team. Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, the top pick in the 2025 draft, had 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

BULLS 132, GRIZZLIES 107

CHICAGO (AP) — Josh Giddey had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for his fourth triple-double in five games, and Chicago blew out Memphis to hand the depleted Grizzlies their eighth straight loss.

Giddey is third in the NBA with 12 triple-doubles this season, trailing Nikola Jokic (27) of the Denver Nuggets and Jalen Johnson (13) of the Atlanta Hawks. Giddey is averaging 17.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists, all career highs. The fifth-year guard has been limited to 46 games this season by hamstring and ankle injuries.

Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 29 points, including five 3-pointers. The second-year forward, who was the 11th pick in the 2024 draft, has logged three of the four highest-scoring totals of his career in just the last three weeks.

Tre Jones added 17 points and Rob Dillingham had 15 off the bench for the Bulls, who started a four-game homestand by winning for just the fifth time in their last 23 games. The Bulls, who are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and six games out of the last play-in spot, outscored the Grizzlies 71-50 in the second half.

Cedric Coward led the Grizzlies with 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting, and Jaylen Wells and Taylor Hendricks each added 16 points. The Grizzlies, who have shelved standout Zach Edey for the remainder of the season and not had star Ja Morant play for nearly two months, were also without starters Ty Jerome (bruised shoulder) and G.G. Jackson (sore foot). Memphis is 3-15 in its last 18 games.

LAKERS 100, ROCKETS 92

HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 36 points to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Houston in the opener of a two-game series between teams fighting for Western Conference playoff position.

Los Angeles moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Houston for third in the West standings. There were 13 lead changes in a game that had a playoff atmosphere, but the Lakers ultimately won their sixth straight.

LeBron James found Marcus Smart for a corner 3-pointer that put Los Angeles up 94-90 with 2 minutes remaining. James finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Doncic hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the fading minutes of the third quarter to give the Lakers an 83-80 lead after trailing 57-51 at halftime. Doncic was 4 for 12 on 3s in the game and needs 11 more to match D’Angelo Russell’s franchise record of 226 in a season.

Doncic had his sixth straight game with 30 or more points but fell just short of his 12th 40-point game this season. He went 14 for 27 from the field.

Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 22 points. Amen Thompson had 19 and Kevin Durant added 18 for the Rockets, who committed 24 turnovers compared with just 12 for Los Angeles.

SPURS 119, CLIPPERS 115

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and San Antonio overcame an early 14-point deficit before blowing most of a 24-point lead and recovering to hold off Los Angeles.

Stephon Castle had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lead the Spurs (50-18), who reached 50 wins for the first time since 2016-17 and trail the first-place Thunder by three games in the West. Devin Vassell added 20 points.

Fighting to secure a spot for the play-in tournament, the Clippers’ second straight loss dropped them back to .500 with Kawhi Leonard watching from the bench. The NBA’s sixth-leading scorer sat out with a sprained left knee.

Darius Garland led six Clippers in double figures with 25 points and 10 assists. Jordan Miller had 22 points off the bench, which outscored the Spurs’ reserves 57-30.

The Dallas Mavericks leaned further into the tank on Monday night, falling 129-111 to the New Orleans Pelicans in a game that never truly felt competitive down the stretch. Dallas showed brief life early, but couldn’t sustain it as the Pelicans controlled the pace and physicality for most of the night. Naji Marshall led the Mavericks with 32 points, continuing his strong stretch, while Cooper Flagg added 21 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in another all-around performance. For New Orleans, Zion Williamson dominated with 27 points on highly efficient shooting, and Trey Murphy III chipped in 17 points as the Pelicans generated consistent offense and pulled away comfortably.

The Mavericks opened with good early energy, getting contributions across the board as P.J. Washington knocked down multiple threes and Cooper Flagg immediately impacted the game as both a scorer and playmaker, helping Dallas briefly grab control. Flagg was especially active early, finishing in transition and creating for others, while Marvin Bagley added efficient scoring with a three and a lob to keep the offense flowing. But that rhythm didn’t last, as the Pelicans—led by Zion Williamson’s relentless rim pressure and a scoring burst from Saddiq Bey—flipped the game by attacking the paint and getting to the line. Dallas’ offense stalled late in the first with missed shots and turnovers, while New Orleans consistently generated clean looks, shot 57.1% compared to Dallas’ 41.7%, and took control of the glass, leading to a 32-26 deficit.

The Mavericks tried to stabilize things in the second quarter, with Naji Marshall finishing inside and Max Christie knocking down a three to briefly spark the offense, but that push quickly faded. Zion continued to live at the rim while Trey Murphy III added timely shot-making, and New Orleans kept forcing Dallas into tough, late-clock looks. As the quarter went on, the Mavericks’ offense completely unraveled, with missed layups, blocked shots, and empty possessions piling up while the Pelicans generated second chances and free throws to extend the lead. Even when Dallas showed small flashes late, every run was immediately answered, and the execution gap remained clear. By halftime, it was 67-54, with the Mavericks still unable to find any consistent rhythm on either end.

The third quarter opened with Dallas trying to make a push, as P.J. Washington knocked down a three and Naji Marshall followed with a pull-up and transition finishes, briefly trimming the deficit to around 89-76 and giving the Mavericks some life. Marshall stayed aggressive early, scoring on multiple possessions and even setting up Washington, as Dallas showed a short stretch of rhythm. Still, that window closed quickly as Zion Williamson got downhill for layups and free throws while Trey Murphy III added a reverse finish and helped generate turnovers into easy points. Midway through the quarter, it fully unraveled—after a Washington dunk cut it to 96-82, Dallas had chances to build momentum but came up empty on a missed Washington three, a blocked Marshall layup, and a bad turnover from Derrick Queen, all in a short stretch. New Orleans immediately capitalized with a Matković three, Murphy layup, and Johnson finish, pushing the lead right back out and erasing any progress, and from there the Mavericks couldn’t convert stops into offense as missed jumpers and empty possessions piled up. By the end of the quarter, it had turned into an 86-103 deficit, and the fourth never offered any real energy or comeback window.

It quickly shifted into an extended run for the two-way and end-of-rotation guys, with Dallas opening on mostly empty possessions, including missed threes from Ryan Nembhard, while New Orleans calmly added points at the line through Jordan Hawkins. The Mavericks had a few scattered moments, like an A.J. Johnson alley-oop to Nembhard, but nothing that resembled a real run as stalled possessions continued. New Orleans didn’t need to do much, simply maintaining control with a Matković three and free throws from Saddiq Bey to keep the margin comfortable, and from there it fully turned into garbage-time basketball with both teams trading misses and turnovers. Dallas never seriously threatened, and it quietly closed as a 129-111 final, a finish that felt more like a formality than a comeback opportunity.

Another Good Loss

This loss matters more than it looks because Dallas is stuck in one of the most volatile spots on the lottery board, where every single result swings real odds. Right now, the Mavericks are sitting around 6th–7th in the lottery standings, tightly packed with teams like the Pelicans and Grizzlies, and even one win or loss can flip that order. From the Tankathon data, that difference is massive around this range; you’re talking roughly 8% odds at No. 1, but if you slide just a couple spots, those odds drop quickly, while your chances of falling out of the top tier increase.

That’s what makes games like this so important. The Pelicans are in a unique spot where they don’t even control their pick, so they have no real incentive to lose, which creates an opportunity for Dallas to pass them in the standings if they keep losing. At the same time, Memphis is right behind them, meaning the Mavericks are essentially in a three-team tug-of-war where every result reshuffles positioning.

So this isn’t just another late-season loss; it’s a direct movement in a crowded lottery race. Instead of risking a meaningless win and dropping a spot, Dallas stays in range of jumping higher, which matters because worse records mean more ping-pong ball combinations and better chances at a top-four pick. As the season winds down, this is the reality: the difference between the 5th and 8th lottery slot could be the difference between landing a franchise player or missing that tier entirely, which is why losses like this quietly carry real long-term weight.

Another Fun Flagg Game

Cooper Flagg was once again one of the few bright spots for Dallas, continuing what has quietly been a really strong stretch of basketball over the past week. He finished tonight with 21 points on 10-of-21 shooting, along with 8 assists and 7 rebounds, consistently creating offense even as the team around him struggled to find rhythm. What stood out wasn’t just the scoring, but how involved he was in everything, initiating sets, pushing in transition, and making the right reads when the defense collapsed. Over his last five games, Flagg has been steadily productive, putting up 27, 25, 13, 14, and 17 points, while maintaining solid efficiency and contributing across the board as a rebounder and playmaker.

More importantly, his impact goes beyond the box score. Even in losses like this, he’s been the one stabilizing presence, keeping possessions alive, generating looks for others, and showing flashes of control that you don’t usually see from a young player. The scoring has been consistent, the playmaking is trending up, and the all-around production is becoming the norm rather than the exception. As the Mavericks lean further into development down the stretch, Flagg isn’t just putting up numbers; he’s starting to look like the clear centerpiece of everything they’re building.

The Suns came into this game needing a very important win to get them back on track. With this six-game road trip underway, the team would look to sneak a win to make it 3-1 on the road back out West. That said, you cannot always get what you want, and Phoenix ran into a strong Celtic team. Even with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum available for Boston, it was not as big a blowout as it was at home.

Devin Booker tried his hardest to keep this team afloat, visiting the arena where he dropped his career high. Veen, though he was shy of that number, did have a big part in this offense’s success, as he had 40 points. Jaylen Brown was the major difference-maker for Boston, scoring 41 points, the highest in the game.

Game Flow

First Half

This one got off to the right start the Suns wanted to, after the disappointing loss to Toronto the other night. The team came out guns blazing with a Royce O’Neale three-pointer, one that has become very valuable for this team as of late. What also helps the Suns is their three-point percentage. As of the start, they are 4/6 from three. Big shots from Collin Gillespie and Green have kept this team in front early on. Not to mention that Green already had a very nice slam as well.

JALEN GREEN WITH AUTHORITY pic.twitter.com/NtIxMJsqYi

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) March 16, 2026

Boston is not slacking, though, as they bring the pressure and try to match the Suns’ shot-making and physicality. Big makes by Jayson Tatum have kept the fans on their feet and excited for the contest ahead.

Well, that short-lived leave decimated quickly as the Suns, who were up as much as seven, allowed the Celtics to get back into this one and tie it up. With them now picking up the intensity defensively, they pressured the Suns and forced some turnovers to tie it up.

As we all know, this game is just a back-and-forth of runs, and that is what happened early on. After that, though, both teams went to work trying to steal the lead from one another. Luckily for Phoenix, though, they were able to have the lead by one, 32-31, after the first.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, they got a three-point barrage to start the second quarter as Derrick White could not miss. He went 3/3 from three-point land, forcing them to reevaluate how they would attack this quarter.

This eventually leveled out for the Suns, who tried to crawl back into this one and had opportunities to do so. Boston just kept on making shots. Remember how I said the Suns were shooting great? Well, now they are shooting worse than Boston, sadly.

Jalen Green, though, has made it known he is here in Boston, taking command and trying to bring this offense back together. It may not be as beautiful a three-point barrage as the last game, but he is finding his spots to get in rhythm.

The Celtics, though, also found their rhythm and started to change the tune for Phoenix. The Suns ended the second quarter with a great run from Devin Booker, who started to get into his bag, but the Suns were now down four, 65-61, at halftime. They were led by Booker, who had 19 points on 7/11 shooting from the field. Not only has he been making some big shots, but he has four assists, a rebound, and a dunk to show for his performance so far.

Second Half

To start the second half, the Suns looked to go back to the man who closed out the first, Devin Booker. He found his shots going in as he started attacking the basket, looking for calls, and hitting threes. He had eight straight to open up the quarter for the team.

That being said, the Suns had some defensive issues as the Celtics hunted mismatches with both Brown and Tatum out there. Some easy baskets for that duo, then made this a nine-point game for the Celtics. We saw in this quarter that, at times, the offense was stagnant, as Devin Booker scored 23 straight points for the team.

Booker had 23 straight points before Green's FTs.

Suns down 83-75. #Suns

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 17, 2026

This doesn’t help when Grayson Allen is dealing with an injury after colliding with another player’s knee earlier on. He is still playing, but is not as much of a focal point of the offense now. The Suns are still trying to get Jalen Green involved and find some confidence from behind the arc. They are now shooting 32% from three compared to Boston’s 45%, which sees them still down 6.

This third quarter would not be the worst for Phoenix, though, as they continued to fight in this one. Jordan Goodwin finally got on the board after already generating some nice opportunities with his rebounds. This then put the Suns ahead heading into the fourth, down five, 91-86. Even with some great shotmaking from Booker, who now has 35, they still find themselves behind.

To start the fourth quarter, we saw a lot of similar play from Phoenix early on. Some stagnant guard play was evident, as they tried to create opportunities by drawing fouls while driving to the basket or firing relentless threes. It also doesn’t help when Boston is making those threes in return, and the crowd is answering.

That being said, Boston did make it a contest of its own halfway through, as they went back down to only two points. Some big shots from Jalen Green and another great sequence from Haywood Highsmith kept them alive in this one. Highsmith is now 4/4 from three-point land and has kept the Suns in this one on both ends of the floor.

He was a major factor in this swing as he and Goodwin coming into this game helped shift the Suns defensively. They were able to claw back alive and put themselves back in the lead with a Dunk from Oso Ighodaro. That being said. The Celtics were not going to shy away from this one, as Jaylen Brown continued to pour it on for Boston and helped them take back the lead. He had 41 for the Celtics, and even though Booker had 40 points, it was just not enough.

A valiant effort from this group against a top team that matches up against them well. Even though they lost, there were many positives from this game. Like Booker being explosive on offense, Highsmith fitting into the rotation, and some good intangibles from the rookies.

Up Next

The Suns gear up for another game on the road and back-to-back, taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow!

The Brooklyn Nets lost another game on Monday night, this time at home to the Portland Trail Blazers. Trailing by over 20 points in the first half and then by 31 in the third quarter, the outcome was never really in doubt, save for a wonky fourth quarter where the visitors — who played in Philadelphia the night before — briefly forgot how to play basketball, shooting half their lead in the foot.

The Nets started three rookies next to Ziaire Williams and Nic Claxton, and though little can be gleaned from the veterans in a very March game such as this, this size discrepancy between Claxton and 7’2” Blazers center Donovan Clingan was my big takeaway. That’s not exactly why the Nets were immediately down big — the Blazers shot 5-of-8 from three to open the quarter — but they also grabbed five o-boards (Clingan had three) to Brooklyn’s one. Clingan had multiple plays where he contested the rim before also preventing the Nets from getting on the glass, another solemn reminder of Claxton’s long-term limitations.

That said, Claxton did have his dunk of the year in this one, off an alley-oop…

🤯 CLAX ATTACK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TEcEo1x2Bb

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 17, 2026

…and finished with a 12-and-11 double-double, doing some damage while Clingan sat on the bench with foul trouble before predictably sitting out the fourth quarter.

Just as in Philadelphia, though, Brooklyn’s bench impressed more than the starters, and may have deserved to close this one even if the Nets were earnestly trying to win. Ben Saraf (the only Nets first-round rookie who didn’t start) scored ten of his 15 points in the final frame, saving what had previously been an uninspiring night. With an NBA-record three Israelis (Saraf, Deni Avdija, and Danny Wolf via naturalization) playing in this one, Saraf got plenty of crowd support in this one.

“It was great. I was waiting for this game a long time.” said Saraf postgame.

Wolf had a particularly rough start offensively in this one and finished with 8/5/4 on 3-of-9 shooting, while the All-Star Advija didn’t have his best game either, putting up 18/6/5 on 4-of-13 shooting and plenty of trips to the line. No matter, the Blazers didn’t need a heroic effort from any one player, shooting 51% from the floor and 42% from three in this one. If they hadn’t turned it over six times in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, they might’ve secured an even bigger win.

Credit, however, to the feisty Nets. Tyson Etienne also scored 15 points, one off his career-high. Playing without a true back-up five, E.J. Liddell and Chaney Johnson took turns screening and playing the DHO game, and it was the 6’7” Johnson that stood out. He hit a couple pick-and-pop threes, he crashed the glass with aplomb, and finished with 17/9/1 on 6-of-8 shooting, including five o-boards and two 3-pointers in a career night.

Fernández heaped praise on the two-way player, postgame: “He plays bigger than what he is. His length, you know, he may get overlooked, but he can guard almost everybody. He is super active, super athletic. He can shoot the three, like, he does everything well, and he doesn’t try to do too much, and I think that always helps. You see that every time he’s on the court, it’s positive … these games are not wasted. These games are for us to see, you know, how these guys take advantage of their minutes, how much better they can get.”

Career night for Nets' two-way Chaney Johnson moonlighting as a back-up 5

17 points, five o-boards, four dunk attempts, 6 FTs: pic.twitter.com/CH8wqoToHE

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 17, 2026

“I try my best to play as hard as I can,” said Johnson. “So I mean, you know, the 5 is lot of pick-and-pops, pick-and-roll, short rolls, trying to get everybody else involved.”

Sadly, this may not be the bright spot Nets fans are hoping for in these low-stakes spring games. Drake Powell and Nolan Traore combined to shoot just 2-of-14 in this one. Powell missed rim on his first two 3-pointers, while Traore was overwhelmed dealing with Clingan inside.

On Traore, Fernández said, “He looks exhausted, and more than physically, mentally. And [this is] something that is good for him to go through it and understand how much, like, stronger he needs to get, and understand what it is to play almost every other night, and all those things, right?”

Right indeed, though a process that will certainly test Nets’ fans patience. We should all be used to that by now, right? Only 14 games left.

Final Score: Portland Trail Blazers 114, Brooklyn Nets 95

Milestone Watch

• Chaney Johnson scored a total of 18 points in his first four NBA appearances before scoring 17 in this one. The highlight of his young career, by any definition.
• As previously mentioned, 15 points mark Tyson Etienne’s season-high, one off his career-high.
• Nic Claxton recorded his 11th double-double of the season and the 87th of his career, passing Sam Bowie for the eighth-most in Nets franchise history.
• In addition to his 15 points, Ben Saraf recorded four steals. He is the first Nets rookie with 4+ steals in a game since David Duke Jr. on 2/8/22 vs. BOS.
• It was the 11th time the Nets lost a game wire-to-wire, worst in the NBA.
• It was also the 11th time that Nets have gone down by 30 points in a game this season, the most since 1995-96.

Tankathon Update

The Washington Wizards lost their 12th straight on Monday, while the Pacers are on a baker’s dozen. Yeesh. However, the Sacramento Kings have caught fire, winning two straight and three-of-four. So…

Injury Report

The Brooklyn Nets were short-handed on Monday night, but not too short-handed given the circumstances. In addition to Egor Dëmin and Day’Ron Sharpe, whose seasons are already over, Noah Clowney missed the game with rest, Terance Mann with left achilles soreness, and Michael Porter Jr. with an ankle sprain.

It was MPJ’s third straight absence with the ankle sprain, and though Brooklyn has not revealed how severe the injury, Jordi Fernández discussed his leading scorer’s health pregame: “Yeah, not qualified to talk about grades [of sprains], but I can share with you that he did form shooting last game that we played, and today is going to be his first workout. So let’s see how he feels after. It’s getting better, and then we’ll assess.”

Next Up

The MVP is in town. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City visit Barclays Center as the Nets continue their homestand. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday evening.

• Boxscore: Portland Trail Blazers 114, Brooklyn Nets 95 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Portland Trail Blazers 114, Brooklyn Nets 95 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Frank Isola on Ben Saraf and Deni Avdija (Video) – YES Network
• Ben Traore PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Chaney Johnson PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Avdija and Camara each score 18 as the Trail Blazers coast past the Nets, 114-95 – Adry Torres – AP
• Nets, Blazers make ‘special’ history with three Israelis playing in same game – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Shorthanded Nets sputter early, Trail Blazers cruise to 114-95 win ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets rookies Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf get their first NBA shot at Blazers’ Deni Avdija as Israelis share the stage at Barclays ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets lose to Trail Blazers 114-95 despite Chaney Johnson’s 17 points – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

NEW YORK (AP) — Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara each scored 18 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers coasted to 114-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.

Donovan Clingan finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds and reserve Scoot Henderson had 16 points for the Blazers, who never trailed and led by as many as 31.

Nic Claxton had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the short-handed Nets, who have lost four consecutive games and 14 of 16. Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) missed his third straight game and Noah Clowney (rest) was held out.

Claxton recorded his 11th double-double of the season and 87th of his career, passing Sam Bowie for eighth-most in franchise history.

Portland, who opened its five-game road trip with a loss at Philadelphia on Sunday, went on a 10-0 run to start the first quarter and led 35-20 at the end of the period.

The Trail Blazers, who are a half-game behind Golden State for the ninth spot in the Western Conference playoff race, shut down the struggling Nets, who shot just 30 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from long distance to take a 65-41 lead at halftime.

Portland shot 51 percent from the field and 42 percent beyond the three-point line.

The chances of the NBA expanding to Seattle and Las Vegas to start play in the 2028-29 season look good, and of course you have questions.

Like the name of the two prospective NBA teams.

In Las Vegas, it'll be the High Rollers. Or the Outlaws. Or the Spades. Or, maybe this needs be decided by ballot.

In Seattle, is this even a discussion? It'll be the SuperSonics again. Now, will it be appropriate to wear those throwback Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton jerseys? We're not here to judge, only to help make sense of it all.

Let’s get down to businesses of the league expanding to 32 teams from 30 teams.  Because expansion is all about business.

How much an NBA expansion team cost?

There is a price for any city wanting to join the NBA, and it’ll be extracted through an expansion team. According to ESPN, the fee expected from ownership groups in Seattle and Las Vegas will range from $7 billion to $10 billion. That means existing team ownership groups could pocket roughly $500 million.

Meaning the decision over expansion is the equivalent of 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama standing underneath the basket.

A slam dunk.

Is possible NBA expansion a surprise?

On December 16, at the NBA Cup championship game in Las Vegas of all places, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league would decide in 2026 whether to add two teams, and Las Vegas and Seattle were the most likely expansion cities.

“We’re in the process of working with our (existing) teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them,” Silver said.

The operative word being economics.

Under Silver, who took over as commissioner in 2014, NBA franchise valuations ballooned from approximately $500 million to almost $4 billion by 2024, according to Front Office Sports.

Last year the Los Angeles Lakers sold for $10 billion.

In the NBA’s executive offices, score is kept in part with dollar signs.

What’s next in NBA expansion talks?

The NBA's board of governors, which consists of the league’s 30 team owners, will meet next week to discuss adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, according to ESPN.But that will not result in a binding resolution. ESPN reported something concrete is likely to come at the board of governors meeting in July.

The players have no say in matters of expansion.

What’s in it for the players?

Team owners will keep the massive expansion fees. So what’s in it for players?

It’ll be another 30 roster spots with an average salary this season that tops  $10 million a year.

Why Seattle?

The NBA owes Seattle.

In 2008, the city of Seattle balked at building a new arena or renovating KeyArena. So the NBA allowed the owner of the Supersonics to relocate the team to Oklahoma City, where the Sonics became the Thunder.

But KeyArena, now known as Climate Pledge Arena, was redeveloped with private financing and reopened in 2021. The state of-the-art arena, home of the WNBA's Storm, is co-owned by Seattle and a group known as Oak View Group. It is NBA ready; so is the city.

The largest metropolitan area and media market without an NBA team? That's right, Seattle.

Why Las Vegas?

For decades, the major sports league treated Las Vegas like a scandal waiting to happen. Which meant, keep your distance.

Then came 2017, when the NHL awarded Las Vegas an expansion team, the Vegas Golden Nights. A year later, the WNBA moved the Aces to Las Vegas from San Antonio, Texas. In 2022 came the NFL’s turn, and the Raiders moved to Las Vegas from Oakland, California. Next up: Major League Baseball has cleared the way for the A’s to move to Las Vegas from Oakland.

Yes, there have been gambling scandals. But they can be traced to legalized gambling across the country, not Sin City.

In truth, the NBA was trailblazers and risk takers. In 2004, the league launched its summer league in Las Vegas.

Last summer, the NBA summer league drew 136,130 total fans over the 11 days games were played at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. There were two sellouts, with a seating capacity of 17,500.

Other NBA expansion possibilities

Let’s say something goes wrong with Seattle or Las Vegas. There are other options for the league.

Though European expansion may be several years away, Nashville, Tennessee; Kansas City (Missouri or Kansas); and Louisville, Kentucky have emerged as possibilities. Looking beyond the borders, Vancouver, Montreal and Mexico City are possibilities. "Very doable,'' Silver has said of Mexico City.

The High Rollers, really?

The High Rollers, really.

Or the Outlaws.

Or the Spades.

Or a ballot.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA expansion puts Las Vegas, Seattle in spotlight as process unfolds

Jaylen Brown looked every bit the part of an MVP candidate Monday night at TD Garden.

With the crowd chanting “MVP” as he repeatedly marched to the free-throw line, Brown poured in 41 points to lead the Boston Celtics past the Phoenix Suns 120–112 in a back-and-forth affair. Devin Booker answered with 40 of his own, turning the game into a highly entertaining battle between two teams that have both outperformed expectations all season.

Suns surge early before Celtics respond

The opening quarter featured a choppy rhythm, with frequent whistles and free throws slowing the flow of play.

Phoenix set the tone early with an aggressive defensive approach out of the gates, pressuring the ball and jumping out to an early 8–0 lead. Boston gradually settled in, responding with defensive stops and beginning to find its offensive rhythm as the quarter progressed.

A late burst from the Celtics, sparked by typical energy from the bench, helped erase the early deficit and briefly push Boston in front. Still, after one quarter the Suns held a 32–31 lead.

Boston flipped the momentum early in the second quarter.

Derrick White caught fire offensively, knocking down multiple three-pointers during a quick scoring burst that pushed the Celtics back in front and forced Phoenix to burn an early timeout. White finished the half with 19 points, including four three-pointers in the second quarter alone, helping stabilize Boston’s offense.

Defense ➡️ Offense pic.twitter.com/fH8lXACJLQ

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 16, 2026

The Celtics continued to move the ball effectively throughout the quarter, generating open perimeter looks and attacking mismatches inside. Boston shot 13-for-21 in the second quarter to take a 65–61 halftime lead, while Devin Booker paced Phoenix with 19 points and four assists in the opening half.

Booker was only getting started.

Booker catches fire in the third

If the Celtics were hoping the Suns might cool off coming out of halftime, Devin Booker had other plans.

The Phoenix guard erupted in the third quarter, scoring 23 consecutive Suns points during one stretch and repeatedly torching Boston from all three levels. Pull-up threes, midrange jumpers, drives to the rim — it didn’t seem to matter what coverage the Celtics threw at him.

At one point Booker had scored Phoenix’s last 21 points, single-handedly keeping the Suns within striking distance as TD Garden collectively braced for the next shot to fall.

But unlike many games where a scoring explosion flips the momentum entirely, Boston kept answering.

The Celtics continued to move the ball crisply on offense, generating open looks around the perimeter while attacking mismatches inside. Payton Pritchard knocked down a pair of timely three-pointers late in the quarter to keep Boston in front despite Booker’s barrage.

By the end of the third, Booker had piled up 35 points, but the Celtics still carried a 91–86 lead into the final quarter.

Brown closes the door in the fourth

The fourth quarter quickly turned into a tense back-and-forth battle.

Payton Pritchard helped Boston create early separation, drilling a deep 31-foot three-pointer early in the period to push the Celtics’ lead to nine and ignite TD Garden. But Phoenix refused to fade, getting timely scoring from Jalen Green and a surprising burst from Haywood Highsmith, who knocked down several difficult shots to keep the Suns within striking distance.

Payton Pritchard from literally anywhere pic.twitter.com/cZAiR5vd0R

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 17, 2026

As the quarter progressed, the game tightened. Devin Booker continued to carry the Suns offensively, eventually reaching 40 points, while Boston’s offense briefly stalled amid a stretch of turnovers that allowed Phoenix to surge ahead midway through the quarter.

With the pressure mounting, Jaylen Brown took control.

Brown repeatedly attacked the paint and lived at the free-throw line, drawing loud “MVP” chants from the TD Garden crowd as he stepped to the stripe again and again. The chants only grew louder as the clock wound down, particularly after Brown stripped Booker to spark a transition opportunity that led to an easy finish for Jayson Tatum.

Moments later, Brown cleaned up a miss at the rim to give Boston the lead before returning to the free-throw line once again to extend it.

40 ball 🚨🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/t2rKBs7zbj

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 17, 2026

Phoenix still had chances in the final minute, but Booker missed a key free throw with 22 seconds remaining as Boston’s defense tightened down the stretch. The Celtics then played keep-away in the closing seconds before Jayson Tatum sealed the win from the free-throw line, allowing Boston to close out a hard-fought 120–112 victory.

The victory moves the Celtics to 45–23 on the season, keeping them firmly in the mix near the top of the Eastern Conference standings as the regular season enters its final stretch.

Boston will return to action Wednesday, March 18, when the Celtics host the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden.

DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Kane scored twice for Detroit to move into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time goals list for NHL players born in the U.S. and lead the Red Wings to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.

Kane has 504 career goals, trailing Mike Modano (561), Keith Tkachuk (538) and Jeremy Roenick (513). The 19th-year veteran entered the night tied with Joe Mullen (502). Earlier this season, Kane passed Modano to become the highest-scoring American-born player in league history. Kane now has 1,383 career points in 1,355 games.

Emmitt Finnie, Moritz Seider and Dominik Shine also scored and Alex DeBrincat had three assists for the Red Wings, who started a four-game homestand by stopping a three-game losing streak.

J.T. Compher added two assists and John Gibson made 25 saves for Detroit, which moved into a tie with Montreal for third place in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens have two games in hand on the Red Wings, who currently occupy the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Morgan Frost scored late in the first period to put the Flames on the board first, but Detroit scored three times in a span of 5:34 early in the second period to take control. Kane had the first and third goals in that surge.

Matt Coronato added a goal and an assist and Dustin Wolf made 20 saves for Calgary, which finished a five-game road trip through the Eastern Conference at 1-4. The Flames, who have the NHL's second-worst record ahead of only Pacific Division rival Vancouver, are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games.

Up next

Calgary hosts St. Louis on Wednesday.

Detroit hosts Montreal on Thursday.

___

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

The Warriors arrived at their Washington, D.C., hotel in the wee hours Monday morning, slept off a gut-wrenching loss in the mecca of basketball and took the court again later that night against the woeful Wizards in front of a half-empty arena.

It could have resulted in a one heck of an emotional hangover.

Instead, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis and De’Anthony Melton all returned and led the way to a 125-117 win that snapped a season-long five-game losing streak for Golden State.

What it means

The win was Steve Kerr’s 600th in his career as a head coach.

Despite being delayed with the Warriors’ depleted roster, the 12th-year coach became the fourth-fastest to reach the milestone, trailing only Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich.

Turning point

The Warriors pulled ahead for good toward the end of the first quarter.

The run happened to coincide with Porzingis entering the game for the first time.

Golden State struggled to separate from the lowly Wizards, leading 11-10 when the 7-foot-3 big man checked in at the 6:45 mark. Porzingis went on to lead the Warriors with 15 points before halftime as they opened a lead as wide as 17.

Trae Young, Porzingis’ onetime teammate, finished with 21 to match the Wizards’ top scorer and sank a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 54-52 shortly before intermission. They kept it within single digits for much of the second half, even though Young sat the entire fourth quarter.

But Washington was never able to recover from Porzingis’ initial stint.

MVP: Gui Santos

The Warriors’ ironman throughout this stretch of injuries shouldn’t be overlooked despite the returns of three of their key players. At this point, Santos has earned an important role no matter who is on the floor. The do-it-all wing trailed only Melton and Porzingis in the scoring column with 18 points and led Golden State with a game-best plus-20 in 28 minutes.

Stat of the game: 62 points from players previously unavailable

The fact that the Warriors battled the Knicks so closely only looks more admirable when looking at what they were playing without. Porzingis led all scorers with 30 points in 25 minutes, Melton followed with 27 and while Green (five points) didn’t make much of an impact on the scoreboard, he led Golden State with eight rebounds and seven assists.

Up next

The Porzingis reunion tour makes its next step in Boston, when the Warriors visit the Celtics on Wednesday. Before they return home, Porzingis will have visited all five of his former teams.

When the Nets finally committed to tank, it was planned to be a shorter process rather than long. 

That was 2024, and everybody knows the saying about the best-laid plans. 

Multiple league sources told The Post that the idea remains the same: The Nets intend to flip the switch and try to compete as soon as next season. 

Just how aggressive their rebuild is, and exactly what it looks like, is going to be determined by four or five touch points over the next 18 months. 

How the Nets rookies develop, what kind of lottery luck they get, what happens in the upcoming playoffs, if a star becomes available and free agency will all play roles in shaping how Brooklyn’s rebuild goes. 

“Yes, it’s all of the above,” a source told The Post. “There’s going to be like five touch points where you go OK, where’s the team.” 

This draft is loaded, and the Nets will be in the lottery; the 2027 free agent class could be stacked, and they’ll have flexibility. Whether they become aggressive this summer, next summer or the trade deadline in-between remains unclear. 

What’s crystal clear is they expect to compete sooner rather than later. 

Think months, not years. 

Now, there is a huge gap between the Nets and, say, the reigning champion Thunder, whom they host Wednesday. The play-in is a viable holistic goal next year, but circumstances will determine when they ante up for a star. 

Like the lyric says, there’s levels to this. And Brooklyn is just trying to climb up from the bottom one next season, rather than wallow in the basement for the better part of a decade, piling up lottery pick after lottery pick. 

Charlotte was in the lottery for nine consecutive years before breaking through. The Pistons are atop the East, but tanked for five straight years — averaging just 18.8 wins from 2019-24 — to accumulate elite talent like Cade Cunningham. 

The Nets don’t plan to tank anywhere near that long. But like we said, mice and men… 

With Brooklyn not having control of its own first-round pick in 2027, they’re no longer incentivized to lose. They’ll try to emulate shorter tanks like OKC — but that’s easier said than done, with no Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to build around. 

“Our wins are not just the ones you see in the standings, and we’ve had that clear from the beginning,” said Jordi Fernández. “I know at times it may sound foreign for other people, but we have a plan. We know what we’re doing, and we’re confident that we’re going to be good for a long time. It’s just [that] it’s a process.” 

There are a number of touch points that will steer that process. One highly-placed source suggested five. 

Not in terms of importance but timeline. They could break down as follows: 

Judging the rookie’s growth. From Egor Dëmin’s driving to Ben Saraf’s jumper to Danny Wolf’s finishing, their development must be evaluated. 

“Right now we have this opportunity in front of us. These guys will play,” said Fernández. “We’ll have these different lineups to see what we have with particular players.” 

“[The Nets] have a draft class underneath them,” a source told The Post. “How they develop will determine when [they] press go.” 

So will what kind of lottery luck the Nets get in May. They entered Monday third in the lottery odds; finishing there could see them pick anywhere from first to seventh, with a drop-off after Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer. 

Even though the Nets are nowhere near the playoffs, the postseason will shape their offseason. Underachieving can elicit breakups, and make stars available. 

Sources told The Post that Brooklyn was interested in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell before entering their tank. If either became available — and the former is largely expected to — could the Nets circle back? 

“They’ll have conversations [about stars],” one league source told The Post. “They already had conversations; they just weren’t quite the right time.” 

Somewhere over the next 18 months should be the right time for Brooklyn. But circumstances will dictate when.

---

The Nets lost 114-95 to visiting Portland.

Brooklyn (17-51) solidified their hold on third in the lottery odds. They clawed within two games of Indiana and kept pace ½-game behind runnerup Washington. Besides resting Noah Clowney and Michael Porter Jr. missing a third straight game with a sprained ankle, the Nets kept the rest of their regulars on a short leash.

Two-way Chaney Johnson had a team-high 17 points and nine boards, pressed into playing backup center. Tyson Etienne and Ben Saraf each scored 15 points, the latter adding four assists and a career-high four steals.

“We didn’t come out with the kind of decisiveness to start the game,” said Danny Wolf. “And when you do that against a good team, you’re going to (lose). They’re going to open the door pretty quickly.”

Nolan Traore had just four points on 1-of-8 shooting, Jordi Fernandez admitting the point guard has hit the rookie wall.

“He looks exhausted,” Fernandez said.

The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Monday to face the Orlando Magic. No, it wasn’t the illustrious Magic City Monday that was canceled last week, but it was still a highly anticipated matchup between two of the hottest teams in the league.

The Hawks came in on a nine-game winning streak, while the Maguv were on a seven-game winning streak. The Hawks had a 2-0 advantage against the Magic coming into the game, but both teams looked completely different the last time they faced each other.

The Magic came in with a few injuries in this one, while the Hawks were fully healthy, as Jonathan Kuminga was available for this one.

The Hawks came out and were efficient, shooting 6-of-10 from the field, while holding the Magic to just 3-of-11 shooting. Nickeil Alexander-Walker started hot with eight points.

Hot start for Nickeil! pic.twitter.com/hxXxTonN2t

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 16, 2026

Dyson Daniels got to this loose ball and made a play out of it.

Dyson snags the loose ball and floats it in 🛟 pic.twitter.com/OkdWjvowC6

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 16, 2026

The Hawks had a nine-point lead in the first, but the Magic were able to trim their deficit as the quarter progressed. Jock Landale kept the Hawks afloat with a this three-pointer to extend their lead.

Yung Jock for 3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/98IKsKGhYs

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 16, 2026

Alexander-Walker extended it to double digits with this three-pointer, plus the foul, to bring his point total to 14 in the first.

NAW 4-point play 🔥

He has 12 in the first quarter! pic.twitter.com/fLCixx19tD

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 16, 2026

The Hawks went into the second leading 34-21.

CJ McCollum started the second quarter with a three-pointer to bring the Hawks’ lead back to double digits.

3J Buckets 🪣 pic.twitter.com/rIC6aA50H2

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 16, 2026

The Hawks maintained their lead throughout the second, even though the Magic made several attempts at a run. Kuminga made an impact in the second, getting to the rim for this bucket, plus the foul.

Kuminga tough in the lane plus the harm 💪 pic.twitter.com/1VoiqgC2LL

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 16, 2026

Alexander-Walker continued his hot half from the three-point line.

NAW knockdown 🎯

He has 4 triples already 🍳 pic.twitter.com/te5v3Fn9fz

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 17, 2026

Johnson threw down this nasty dunk coming down the lane full speed.

JALEN LOOK OUT BELOW pic.twitter.com/7JHcfcUTRe

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 17, 2026

The Hawks couldn’t be stopped toward the end of the half, and they led 67-50 going into halftme.

They continuedn their strong play to start the third, as Onyeka Okonwgu cleaned up this missed shot at the rim.

Onyeka the Rim Wrecka 💣 pic.twitter.com/yBzTNXvFLZ

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 17, 2026

Alexander-Walker couldn’t stop making threes, and kept making them rain in the third.

ANOTHER 3 for NAW ♨️

He has 32 in 2 and a half quarters! pic.twitter.com/uOMLuvgzIb

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 17, 2026

The Hawks turned defense into offense on this play, and Zaccharie Risacher got an easy dunk in transtion. The Hawks led by as much as 29 points in the quarter.

JJ Steal Zacch SLAM ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/mUDvC7995F

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 17, 2026

Going into the fourth, the Hawks led 104-83.

The Magic started to make things happen to start the fourth, and a small run helped them get their deficit to under 20 points. The Hawks were able to stay afloat for the most part, but a few mistakes continued to drain their lead as the quarter went on.

If it was one player who could calm down the Hawks, it was Alexander-Walker, and he did so knocking down two three-pointers in a row to bring the Hawks’ lead back to 20.

NAW drilled his 9th three then hit the "CALMA" 😮‍💨😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/snuymEveAV

— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 17, 2026

The Magic waved the white flag early pullun all their starters, but the bench players went on a run to cut down their deficit to 12 points. The Hawks were able to stand tight through their run, and walked away with their 10th straight win.

Alexander-Walker finished with 41 points, Johnson finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists, and Daniels finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Hawks will be back in action on Wednesday to face the Dallas Mavericks.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard is out with a sprained left ankle as the Los Angeles Clippers chase a play-in berth.

He missed Monday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs after getting hurt in the fourth quarter of a 118-109 loss to Sacramento on Saturday.

Leonard is sixth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 28.3 points to go with 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He's shooting 50% from the floor, 38% from 3-point range and 90% from the free throw line in 53 games.

Leonard can’t afford to miss any more than three games to remain in contention for the league's major awards. Players are required to appear in at least 65 of 82 regular-season games to be eligible for MVP, All-NBA and All-Defensive honors.

Coach Tyronn Lue hopes Leonard isn't out more than a few days.

“I really don't know yet,” he said before the game.

John Collins was set to start in Leonard's place against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, who are second in the West.

___

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

Tuesday’s matchup will be the fourth and final time the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Milwaukee Bucks. So far, the Cavs have only had to deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo in one and a half of those games. They could be avoiding him again on Tuesday.

The Bucks have listed Antetokounmpo as questionable for Tuesday’s game with a left ankle sprain. Antetokounmpo left the Bucks’ win over the Indiana Pacers in the second half on Sunday with an injury that head coach Doc Rivers called a likely hyperextension at the time.

The Bucks’ goals for the remainder of the season are unclear. Antetokounmpo has been heavily involved in trade rumors at the deadline. All signs point to him being dealt in the summer. And if that’s the plan, there’s no point in having him play in what seem like meaningless games.

Right now, Milwaukee is five and a half games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the 10th seed, which is the final spot in the Play-In. Additionally, the Bucks have won just two of their last 10 games. It certainly doesn’t feel like there’s much to really play for at this point, especially if it puts Antetokounmpo in harm’s way before a possible trade.

On the season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on 62.4% shooting. Milwaukee has been 11-20 without Antetokounmpo this season and 17-19 when he suits up.

Antetokounmpo isn’t the only player the Bucks could be missing. Starting center Myles Turner is questionable for Tuesday’s game with a right calf strain. Additionally, Ousmane Dieng is questionable due to an illness.

The Cavs will be without Jarrett Allen (knee) for the sixth game in a row. Craig Porter Jr. (groin) and Tyrese Proctor (quad) are also out. Sam Merrill (hamstring) is questionable to return. Jaylon Tyson (ankle) is probable for Tuesday’s game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t looked like the same team in the last five games without Jarrett Allen. Unfortunately for the Cavs, they will have at least a few more games without their starting center.

The team released a statement on Monday evening that Allen would be out for all three games during the Cavs’ upcoming road trip with right knee tendinitis. That would have him missing Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, and Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The earliest Allen could return would be for next Tuesday’s home matchup against the Orlando Magic.

The Cavs have struggled without Allen in the five games he’s been out. They’ve dropped three of those contests, while giving up 128 and 130 points to bad offenses like Orlando and the Dallas Mavericks. Additionally, James Harden hasn’t been able to replicate the pick-and-roll success that he’s had with Allen with Evan Mobley. Even though the offense hasn’t been the issue, they also haven’t looked great.

Allen first injured his knee in the second half of Cleveland’s March 3 win over the Detroit Pistons. When asked about Allen’s injury on Sunday, head coach Kenny Atkinson reiterated that he doesn’t “anticipate this to be long-term” and that they’re trying to be cautious with the injury with the playoffs around the corner.

Allen was playing the best basketball of his career in the month before the injury. In February, he averaged 22.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

The Cavs have also been without Craig Porter Jr. and Tyrese Proctor in recent games.

Porter had an MRI that confirmed a left groin strain. He was initially injured in Friday’s victory over the Mavs. He’s expected to be sidelined for one to three weeks.

Proctor has been unavailable for the last few games with a right quad strain. Like Allen, he will also be out for the upcoming road trip. The team didn’t give a timetable for his return.

This Cavs’ season has been defined by injuries and trying to work new and returning players back into the lineup. Right now, the only hope is that the team will be healthy when postseason play begins next month.