Category: NBA

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and 10 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-103 on Sunday for their eighth straight win.

Gilgeous-Alexander barely extended his record streak of games with at least 20 points to 128. He had just 10 points heading into the fourth, and he re-entered the game with 7:10 left after resting.

He scored on a stepback against Anthony Edwards with 1:46 remaining and was fouled to reach 19 points. With the crowd standing and chanting “M-V-P!” he drained the free throw to keep the streak alive and push himself further past Wilt Chamberlain’s old mark of 126.

Chet Holmgren had 21 points and nine rebounds and Isaiah Joe added 20 points for the Thunder, who improved to a league-best 53-15.

Julius Randle scored 32 points and Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves.

The Thunder forced 22 turnovers while committing just seven. Oklahoma City attempted 101 shots while Minnesota tried 77.

MAVERICKS 130, CAVALIERS 120

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cooper Flagg scored 27 points, Naji Marshall added 25 and Dallas bounced back from a 33-point loss to Cleveland two days ago to defeat the Cavaliers.

The Mavericks, who were routed 138-105 on Friday night, pulled away in the second half to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Cavaliers.

P.J. Washington had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas, which won for just the second time in 11 games.

It was the 12th time this season Flagg has scored at least 27 points. The top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was 10 of 17 from the field and also had 10 assists and six rebounds in 33 minutes.

RAPTORS 119, PISTONS 108

TORONTO (AP) — Brandon Ingram had a game-high 34 points and Toronto defeated Detroit.

RJ Barrett added 27 points and six rebounds for Toronto, which has won back-to-back games.

The win helped the Raptors hang on to sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes each had a double-double. Poeltl finished with 21 points and a season-high 18 rebounds while Barnes added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto.

Cade Cunningham had 33 points and nine assists as the first-place Pistons had their three-game win streak snapped.

BUCKS 134, PACERS 123

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and pulled down 14 rebounds before leaving the game with an injury, and Milwaukee beat Indiana.

Antetokounmpo landed awkwardly as he completed a dunk late in the third quarter. He briefly remained in the game and dunked again on Milwaukee’s next possession. He got fouled the possession after that and attempted a pair of free throws before heading to the locker room.

Antetokounmpo also had eight assists while Bobby Portis scored 29 points and added 10 rebounds. Ryan Rollins shot 8 for 12, including 3 for 5 from beyond the 3-point line, to finish with 20 points, seven assists and three steals.

Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers with 32 points. Indiana also got 16 points and two blocks from Jay Huff.

76ERS , TRAIL BLAZERS

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Quentin Grimes scored 14 of his season-high 31 points in the fourth quarter as short-handed Philadelphia beat Portland.

The Sixers were playing without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. due to injuries.

Justin Edwards scored 21 points, and VJ Edgecombe had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for the rookie’s third double-double this season.

Deni Avdija led Portland with 25 points, and Jerami Grant added 20. But the Trail Blazers shot just 17 for 53 from 3-point range (32.7%). Donovan Clingan added 11 points and 15 rebounds.

KNICKS 110, WARRIORS 107

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson had 30 points and nine assists, and New York rallied from a 21-point deficit against a patchwork Golden State lineup to beat the Warriors.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, while OG Anunoby and Jordan Clarkson both had 14 points. The Knicks took a while to wake up in their return home from a five-game road trip before eventually picking up their third straight victory.

The Knicks led briefly in the opening minutes of the game and then not again until the final minutes of the third quarter after back-to-back baskets by Brunson.

Brandin Podziemski scored 25 points for the Warriors, who had Stephen Curry and most of their recognizable names on the bench in their season-high fifth straight loss. Quentin Post had a career-high 22 and Gui Santos finished with 20.

Curry missed his 17th straight game with right knee pain and inflammation. Younger brother Seth Curry is out at least a week with a left groin strain and veteran forward Al Horford has a left calf strain that will also sideline him at least a week.

KINGS 116, JAZZ 111

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 41 points and had 11 assists to help Sacramento hold off Utah.

DeRozan, who passed Hall of Famer Tim Duncan last week for 18th place on the NBA’s career scoring list, was 11 of 21 from the floor while reaching 40 points for the first time since Feb. 2, 2025. It’s the 417th time he has scored 20 or more points while shooting at least 50 percent.

Precious Achiuwa added 20 points and 11 rebounds in the matchup of the two worst teams in the Western Conference. Killian Hayes, who signed an extension with Sacramento earlier in the day, had 16 points and eight assists. Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden each scored 10.

The Kings (18-51) have won four of five.

Cody Williams scored 34 points for the Jazz (20-48). Brice Sensabaugh had 22 points and Isaiah Collier 21.

Fresh off a surprising 130-120 win on Sunday at the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks (23-45) will play their fourth game in five days on Monday against the struggling New Orleans Pelicans (22-46) at Smoothie King Center. Tipoff in New Orleans is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Mavericks have lost two of three against the Pelicans thus far this year, most recently dropping a 119-113 decision in New Orleans on Dec. 22. Monday’s game will be the fourth and final meeting between these two teams this year.

The Pels had won seven of 10 until their 107-105 loss at the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Whats left in the tank?

The Mavericks may not have much left to give in the second back-to-back set in the last five days, but, hell, how much gas did they have left traveling to Cleveland on Sunday for their third game in four days? That stunning win was evidence that anything can happen in an NBA game.

Dallas is at the tail end of a brutal scheduling stretch that will see them play nine games in just 14 days. The Mavs have gone 2-6 in their first eight games of that stretch and will have traveled more than 2,000 miles criss-crossing the country when it comes to an end after Monday’s game in New Orleans.

The Pelicans, meanwhile, have been twiddling their feathers, waiting on the Mavericks to arrive since they got home following Friday’s loss at Houston.

Cooper gets on the good foot

Cooper Flagg has been on a tear in his last two games after struggling a little in his first five games back from a foot sprain. He scored 25 points and dished five assists in Friday’s 138-105 loss to the Cavaliers at American Airlines Center, then one-upped himself the second time around with 27 points and 10 dimes in Sunday’s win. He’s shot 18-of-33 (54.5%) from the field in those last two, compared to 33-of-94 (35.1%) in his first five games since returning from the foot injury.

He’s had huge second halves in both of those last two games as well. It’ll be interesting to see if he can get going a little earlier against the Pels on Monday. Flagg has scored 20 or more in two of the three games the Mavs have played against New Orleans so far this year. His 29-point, seven-rebound game against the Pelicans on Nov. 21 was one of the first “wow” moments of his impressive rookie year.

Big Tankathon game

The Mavs come into Monday’s game with the seventh-worst record in the NBA, and the Pelicans are one game worse than Dallas, sitting at sixth in the Tankathon standings. The Mavericks would move past New Orleans in the race for better NBA Draft Lottery odds with a loss on Monday, due to losing the season series with the Pelicans, 1-3.

A win on Monday would inch the Mavs ever closer to the Memphis Grizzlies, who are in the eighth slot in the Tankathon standings. It seems a little perverse to root for your team to lose, but if ever there were a game you wouldn’t mind Dallas to lose, it would be Monday’s at New Orleans.

How to watch

The Mavericks and the Pelicans will tip off at 7 p.m. CDT from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations throughout the Mavs’ regional viewership area. The stream will be on MavsTV and on NBA League Pass where available.

All Times EDT

Monday, March 16

MLB - Spring Training

Philadelphia vs. Detroit, at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota, at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta, at North Port, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Toronto vs. Miami, at Jupiter, Fla., 1:10 p.m.

L.A. Angels vs. Athletics, at Mesa, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

Milwaukee vs. L.A Dodgers, at Phoenix, 4:05 p.m.

Cincinnati vs. Arizona, at Scottsdale, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.

San Francisco vs. San Diego, at Peoria, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.

Boston vs. Baltimore, at Sarasota, Fla., 6:05 p.m.

Washington vs. N.Y. Mets, at Port St Lucie, Fla., 6:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox vs. Texas, at Surprise, Ariz., 8:05 p.m.

Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland, at Goodyear, Ariz., 9:05 p.m.

NBA

Golden State at Washington, 7 p.m.

Orlando at Atlanta, 7 p.m.

Phoenix at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Portland at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

Memphis at Chicago, 8 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Houston, 9:30 p.m.

San Antonio at L.A. Clippers, 10 p.m.

NHL

Boston at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Calgary at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Utah at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Colorado, 9:30 p.m.

_____

MONTREAL (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored with 2:30 left, Leo Carlsson had two goals and an assist and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Sunday night to regain the Pacific Division lead.

Alone in front of the net, Gauthier took Jeffrey Viel's behind-the-back pass and snapped a shot past goalie Jacob Fowler.

Troy Terry added a goal and two assists in his return from an upper-body injury to help Anaheim improve to 37-27-3 and move a point ahead of Vegas in the Pacific Division. Chris Kreider had two assists, and Lukas Dostal made 27 saves.

Terry missed nine games. He tied it at 3 with 4:21 left in the five-goal second period when his pass deflected off the skate of Montreal forward Josh Anderson and over Fowler’s shoulder.

Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist for Montreal, Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield also scored. Fowler stopped 24 shots in his second start since being recalled from the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket on Wednesday.

The Canadiens were coming off a 3-2 loss to San Jose on Saturday. They are third in the Atlantic Division, two points behind Tampa Bay.

Defenseman John Carlson finally made his Ducks debut after coming over in a trade-deadline deal with Washington. He played 23 minutes in his return from a lower-body injury.

Montreal forward Kirby Dach left early in game because of an upper-body injury after a high hit from Viel.

Viel caught Dach in Anaheim’s end three minutes in after the Montreal forward swatted at the puck with his arm but missed. Dach fell to the ice with his face in his gloves before gingerly making his way to the bench, and eventually to the dressing room. Viel was not penalized.

The hit came three days after Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas ended Toronto captain Auston Matthews’ season with a knee-on-knee hit. Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected, then suspended five games for kneeing — the maximum the Department of Safety could levy because the hearing was by phone.

Up next

Ducks: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Canadiens: Host Boston on Tuesday night.

___

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost this game on the defensive end.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

James Harden

13 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 6 turnovers

I think Harden played his best game as a Cavalier last week in Orlando. Today might have been his worst. He shot 4-12 from the floor and finished with six turnovers.

This was an example of all the classic Hardenisms. Careless turnovers. A total disinterest in playing defense. It’s the type of performance that’s bound to happen every once in a while when he’s on your team. Thankfully, this is only the first one we’ve seen in Cleveland.

Grade: F

Donovan Mitchell

26 points, 1 rebound, 11 assists, 1 turnover

It feels like the Cavs are leaning on Mitchell more than you’d expect, given the amount of weapons they have offensively. At times, he’s calling his own number; at times, it feels like no one else on the team wants it as badly as he does.

No one wants to see Mitchell take 10-24 shots on a night where he doesn’t particularly have it. And we definitely don’t want him to exert all of his energy on offense, leaving nothing to spare on the defensive end (though to be clear, I am not excusing Mitchell for his poor defense recently).

A better balance needs to be found soon.

Grade: D+

Evan Mobley

18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks

The Cavalier defense has done Mobley no favors recently. Holes are popping up faster than anyone can plug them. That said, we know he’s capable of doing more on his own. A world-class performance would have helped patch some of the glaring issues this team currently has on defense. Instead, Mobley’s impact felt blunted despite his 4 blocks.

On the other end, this was a strong Mobley performance. He used his size early in the first half to punish Dallas in the paint, going 6-6 for 13 points in the second quarter. He finished with 18 points on 8-14 shooting.

Grade: C+

Max Strus

24 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist

Not sure you could have imagined a better return for Strus. He buried his first three three-point attempts and sent Rocket Arena into a frenzy. He finished with six three-pointers and was arguably the only thing keeping Cleveland alive at various points in the game.

Grade: A+++

Keon Ellis

5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

Ellis had been lights out recently from downtown. Packaging that with some of his defensive traits can be lethal. Neither his three-point shot nor his defensive tenacity was apparent today.

Grade: D

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

4 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 steal

Tomlin’s earned some extra opportunities recently with injuries to Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson. Today wasn’t much better than any of the games where he previously struggled, but it certainly wasn’t worse. I just think we’ve seen the ceiling for Tomlin this season.

Grade: D+

Dennis Schroder

8 points, 6 assists, 1 rebound

Schroder’s time in Cleveland has been erratic. This was one of the better games from him, as he scored efficiently and dished out 6 assists. His defense wasn’t anything to write home about, but I could say the same for pretty much anyone on the roster today.

Grade: B

Dean Wade

12 points, 0 assists, 5 rebounds

Wade started this game with a bang. He hit his first couple shots and even took his defender off the dribble for a tough hook.

Grade: C+

Thomas Bryant

10 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists

The issues plaguing this team recently are above Bryant’s pay grade. He’s checked in and given them servicable backup big minutes. Anything more than that is not his job.

Grade: B

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 9
Paul George – 6
Justin Edwards – 4
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Quentin Grimes – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

---

The Sixers welcomed the Portland Trail Blazers to South Philly on Sunday night for a matchup of cross conference foes. The Sixers remain without their three best players as Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George continue to be sidelined. They came into the night in ninth place in the Eastern Conference while the Blazers are 10th in the west.

The Sixers got out to an early lead in the first quarter behind eight points each from Quentin Grimes and Justin Edwards. The Sixers held a 30-27 lead after the first frame.

his second three ball of the quarter. 👌 pic.twitter.com/dgo1a6VVHE

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 15, 2026

after 1 @cryptocompic.twitter.com/U5XFwpBLXF

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 15, 2026

Quentin Grimes continued his stellar play in the second quarter as he went to the half with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Cam Payne’s nine points and aggressive play off the bench gave the Sixers a boost in his nine minutes of play. The Blazers closed the gap and took the lead into the intermission by a slim margin of 54-53.

Cam Payne shoots.
Cam Payne scores. pic.twitter.com/XOFE9iSP56

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 15, 2026

.@qdotgrimes leads all scorers with 15 early! 🪣 pic.twitter.com/j6Oxxg3e4X

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 15, 2026

at the half. @cryptocompic.twitter.com/UNTTFs29U4

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 15, 2026

The Sixers regained control of this one in the third period behind a big quarter from Edwards, who continues to once again assert himself amidst the absence of the Sixers’ stars. Edwards led all scorers with an efficient 19 points, including three treys, through three quarters. VJ Edgecombe’s activity was a major factor as well as he headed to the fourth quarter with a double-double. The Sixers took an 82-76 lead into the final stretch.

this rook just secured his fourth career double-double. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ZZQszw5sDP

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 15, 2026

let’s close it out. @cryptocompic.twitter.com/EAG5MKkwfX

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 15, 2026

The Sixers used a big early run in the fourth quarter courtesy of Grimes, who made a living at the rim and in the midrange to propel them to a much-needed 109-103 win.

CAUGHT ANOTHER DUB. 😤 pic.twitter.com/DZLFSSJN7Q

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 16, 2026

THE PHILLY KID. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Tz5bE89jWi

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 16, 2026

Time for Bell Ringer.

Quentin Grimes: 31 points, 11-for-22 from the field

March Quentin Grimes has once again arrived. Grimes, who carried the Sixers through the dog days of March and April last season, is back to his old ways. He got it going in this one by being a walking paint touch. Grimes got to the rim and his spots in the mi-range at will in this one. The Sixers will continue to need guard over the next few weeks as they look to stay afloat and improve their standing in the East.

Justin Edwards: 21 points, 9-for-14, 3-for-5 from three

Justin Edwards was extremely efficient tonight, whether it was his sweet shooting from three or throwing down a thunderous dunk. Edwards late-season surge could play himself into the rotation once the stars return because the Sixers do not have many guys that bring what he does at the forward spot when he is on.

VJ Edgecombe: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 8-for-18 from the field

VJ notched his fourth career double-double and was flying around the court on both ends like we have all come accustomed to seeing. Edgecombe’s energy upon his return has boosted the Sixers’ morale and helped steady the ship amongst the adversity. VJ continues to nail down his First Team All-Rookie case.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Paul Rothrock scored a goal in the 20th minute, Andrew Thomas had seven saves, and the Seattle Sounders beat the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 on Sunday.

The Earthquakes (3-1-0) started a season with three consecutive wins for the first time in club history.

After Antino Lopez kicked away a would-be goal by Preston Judd in the 74th minute, Thomas made a pair of saves in the 83rd and a diving stop in stoppage time to preserve his second consecutive shutout and third this season the Sounders (3-1-0).

On the counter-attack, Jesus Ferreira played a through ball from midfield to Rothrock near the right corner of the penalty box. Rothrock made a couple touches and, as goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa Britto — known simply as “Daniel” — crept off his line, slipped a shot past defender Reid Roberts and inside the near post.

Ferreira has four assists this season, tied with Vancouver's Sebastian Berhalter for most in MLS.

Seattle's Cody Baker, a 22-year-old homegrown in his fourth MLS season, appeared to have scored his first career goal in the 86th minute but it was negated when Albert Rusnák was caught offsides.

Daniel finished with three saves.

Timo Werner, who had an assist in each of his first two appearances, made his first career start for San Jose.

Seattle beat the Earthquakes 3-2 at home July 15 to snap a seven-game winless streak against San Jose.

___

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

The Women's NCAA Tournament matchups have officially been announced.

The tournament will get underway with First Four play-in games, offering an opportunity to advance to the bracket's first round.

Nebraska, Samford, Richmond and Southern will be among the teams competing in the First Four. Stephen F. Austin, Arizona State, Virginia and Missouri State will also compete in the round.

Who is playing in the First Four of Women's March Madness?

Nebraska vs. Richmond and Stephen F. Austin vs. Missouri State will kick off the First Four action on March 18.

Virginia vs. Arizona State and Samford vs. Southern will take place the following day.

When is the Women's First Four?

The First Four will be played on Wednesday, March 18 and Thursday, March 19.

It's the official start of the Women's NCAA Tournament; eight teams will compete in the play-in games to determine which two teams will punch their tickets to the dance.

Once the bracket has been cut down from 68 teams to the final 64-team field, the first round will begin on Friday, March 20.

Women's First Four schedule

Time and channel to be determined for all games. Locations via ESPN

Wednesday, March 18

• Nebraska vs. Richmond: ESPN2 | 7 p.m. ET (Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC)
• Stephen F. Austin vs. Missouri State: ESPN2 | 9 p.m. ET (Moody Center, Austin, TX)

Thursday, March 19

• Samford vs. Southern: ESPN2 | 7 p.m. ET (Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC)
• Virginia vs. Arizona State: ESPN2 | 9 p.m. ET (Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA)

Women's March Madness schedule

Below are all the dates for the 2026 women's NCAA Tournament:

• First Four: Wednesday, March 18 through Thursday, March 19
• First Round: Friday, March 20 through Saturday, March 21
• Second Round: Sunday, March 22 through Monday, March 23
• Sweet 16: Friday, March 27 through Saturday, March 29
• Elite Eight: Sunday, March 29 through Monday, March 30
• Final Four: Friday, April 3
• National championship: Sunday, April 5

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women's First Four schedule, dates, location for 2026 NCAA bracket

MIAMI (AP) — Junior Caminero hit the Dominican Republic's record 15th home run of the World Baseball Classic, breaking a mark set by Mexico in 2009.

Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, retired five straight batters before Caminero drove a 1-2 sweeper at the top of the strike zone 401 feet over the left field wall for a 1-0 second-inning lead against the United States in the semifinal round on Sunday night.

Caminero fired his bat about 30 feet toward teammates in the third base dugout in excitement, and they ran off the bench to greet him at the plate after he rounded the bases.

He entered batting .375 in six WBC games.

___

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

Though the Bucks dropped the tanking Pacers 134-123, Giannis left midway through the third quarter with what’s so far being called a hyperextended left knee. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Giannis Antetokounmpo

23 minutes, 31 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 11/22 FG, 9/13 FT, +17

Stupidly efficient. Ran the offense even while Rollins was on the floor, and everything came easy for him in his initial shift. The injury took place when he came down hard on a monster dunk over Jay Huff in the third and was so slow to get up on defense, that he hadn’t left the restricted area after the Bucks forced a quick Pacers turnover (that did get him a cherry-picked dunk). And yes, the left knee was the one he famously hyperextended in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals and returned from a week later.

Grade: A+

Myles Turner

30 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 4/7 FG, 3/6 3P, +6

Maybe Turner didn’t do a whole lot on the stat sheet outside of shooting the ball well, but this was one of his better rim protection games (Indy had just 30 in the paint). Nice to see him play legit minutes over Sims.

Grade: B+

Ryan Rollins

37 minutes, 20 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 steals, 8/12 FG, 3/5 3P, +14

The most I’ve seen out of Rollins as a three-level scorer in a while. Probably could have used more of him on Aaron Nesmith rather than T.J. McConnell, who was surprisingly a non-factor.

Grade: A

Kyle Kuzma

36 minutes, 8 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3/7 FG, 2/6 3P, -1

Not sure when the last time Kuzma has led the Bucks, or any team, in assists. Missed a couple clean looks but this is about all you can ask for when he’s limited to standing in the corner.

Grade: B

AJ Green

24 minutes, 12 points, 4/7 3P, +8

It’s been so rough for Green lately, but he came alive in the second quarter hitting 3/4 from deep, keeping the Bucks in the game as their defense scuffled. Just under eight minutes in the second half was kind of weird.

Grade: B

Bobby Portis

27 minutes, 29 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 11/21 FG, 6/11 3P, -4

In a month of big Portis performances, this season-high output easily took the cake. Post-game, he talked about how he felt much more pressure in the three-point competition at All-Star weekend and ever since, he’s felt a lot more confident shooting in-game threes. Sure enough, he’s 28/57 from deep since then, good for 49.1%.

Grade: A+

Taurean Prince

22 minutes, 13 points, 5/7 FG, 3/5 3P, +13

Today’s first sub. Missed his only three-point attempt very long, but redeemed himself in the corner his next shift. His two triples as the third finished were big. Defense isn’t all the way back yet, as he got into Jarace Walker’s landing space in the second half, which was upgraded to a flagrant-one. Cheers to another season high.

Grade: A-

Jericho Sims

14 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1/3 FG, +1

Another game where Sims hasn’t had much impact on the glass, but was certainly the Bucks’ most active frontcourt defender. This just feels like a more right-size role for him, because even when setting aside his shooting, Turner was the more impactful Buck today.

Grade: C+

Gary Harris

22 minutes, 6 points, 2/4 FG, 2/4 3P, -2

Dusted off for real minutes for just the second time since the break, and his heaviest workload since January 23rd. Not sure why he was the choice over Thomas, but he held his own.

Grade: B-

Doc Rivers

I didn’t get some of the jumbo lineups early but I liked how Doc leaned into Portis after halftime. Seems like he’s really tried to get Portis more involved in the last week after a scoreless first half against Utah last Saturday.

Grade: B+

Limited Minutes: Pete Nance

Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Andre Jackson Jr.

DNP-CD: Cam Thomas, Gary Trent Jr.

Inactive: Alex Antetokounmpo, Ousmane Dieng, Kevin Porter Jr., Cormac Ryan

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Doc’s comments on Giannis’ injury in the press conference were foreboding. He didn’t know whether or not Giannis would get imaging tonight, nor even which knee was hurt:

“I really didn’t see it until after the game. I thought I saw live something that didn’t look good, honestly. But I [didn’t] have video. So I just looked at it and my guess is that he hyperextended his knee. But I’m guessing.”

• For what it’s worth, Giannis agreed with the diagnosis but seemed less concerned, and confirmed that no imaging occurred this evening:

“Yeah, I think I hyperextended my knee. I haven’t seen the clip, I wanna see the clip, but it doesn’t matter. I’m just gonna go back home, sleep, see how I feel tomorrow. Try to lift some weights, and if I have a little bit of discomfort, then I’ll go from there, but as of now I’m not really bothered.”

• Predictably, Giannis wanted to return and thought he could finish the game, but the Bucks’ training staff convinced him it wasn’t a smart idea, being up around 13 points at the time. He acknowledged they were right: “you just gotta listen… and I listened… just gotta trust them.”
• Ousmane Dieng missed his second consecutive game with illness. Kevin Porter also didn’t play in this SEGABABA after 30 minutes yesterday in Atlanta.
• Indiana had a long list of inactives too: regulars Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, and Pascal Siakam sat out, joining Johnny Furphy and Tyrese Haliburton with their long-term injuries.
• A very awkward Bucks lineup ended the first: Harris, Kuzma, Nance, Portis, Sims. It even stayed on the floor the first 44 ticks of the second. Ballhandlers? Who needs ‘em!
• Having said that, I don’t understand why Cam Thomas didn’t see any action today. Sure, he’s not a point guard, but creation would helped, even if it was for himself.
• Can’t dispute this kind of creation, though: on 23 made threes, the Bucks assisted on 22 of them. Where was this earlier in the year?
• Somehow the Bucks outrebounded the Pacers on the offensive glass 13-10. I’d be embarrassed if I was Indy.
• After today, Nance now has four games left on his two-way contract. Decision time is coming, and everything I’ve heard suggests Andre Jackson Jr. will be cut to make way for a new deal for Nance.

Up Next

The Bucks hit the Fiserv Forum floor again on Tuesday evening as the Cavs come to town for one last matchup. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CDT on NBC, Peacock, and FanDuel Sports Wisconsin.

A 68-team NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket has finally been unveiled.

Following an eventful Selection Sunday, the path to a national championship has been set, with the country's top teams learning the road they'll have to traverse to make a Final Four and maybe, just maybe, cut down the nets on the first Monday of April and earn their one shining moment.

Not all roads to Indianapolis are created equally, though.

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For some teams, the mystical forces of March gift them a relatively navigable path. For others, though, tougher opponents or matchups stand in their way of the biggest stage in the sport.

So where do things stand for the NCAA tournament's four No. 1 seeds — Michigan, Duke, Arizona and Florida — and their title aspirations? Who will have to clear the highest hurdles just to make it to Naptown?

Here are the hardest roads to the Final Four:

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Toughest roads to the Final Four

1. Duke

The Blue Devils earned the tournament's No. 1 overall seed after a 32-2 record and ACC regular-season and tournament titles, but they didn't get many other favors from the selection committee.

After an almost-certain first-round victory against college basketball legend Gerry McNamara and No. 16 seed Siena, coach Jon Scheyer's team has a taxing path to Indianapolis. In the second round, it will get either No. 8 seed Ohio State, who has one of the best players in the country in guard Bruce Thornton, or No. 9 seed TCU, which is 9-2 since Feb. 2.

In the Sweet 16, the Blue Devils will likely get No. 4 seed Kansas and potential No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson or No. 5 seed St. John's, which won the Big East regular-season and tournament championships, has won 19 of its past 20 games and has one of the best coaches in the sport's history in Rick Pitino.

Then, they'd have an Elite Eight matchup likely against No. 2 seed UConn, which has won two of the past three national titles, or No. 3 seed Michigan State, with Jeremy Fears Jr. and noted March wizard Tom Izzo. Even with likely national player of the year Cameron Boozer, Duke had enough questions with injuries to starters Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba. Now, it's got even more standing in the way of its national championship dreams.

REQUIRED READING: Jay Bilas on Duke NCAA Tournament: 'They don't have the easiest of draws'

2. Arizona

For all of their regular-season wins and overall success, the Wildcats have been among the biggest NCAA tournament underachievers under fifth-year head coach Tommy Lloyd, with no Elite Eight appearances despite being a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in three of the past four seasons. Even beyond that recent history, the path to their first Final Four in 25 years won't be easy.

A stiff challenge awaits in the Sweet 16 against either No. 4 seed Arkansas — the SEC tournament champion that has one of the country's best players in Darius Acuff Jr. and a long, athletic supporting cast — or No. 5 seed Wisconsin, which has won 15 of its past 20 and has one of the most explosive offenses in the sport.

After that, it would likely have to get through No. 2 seed Purdue, the Big Ten champion that has the nation's most efficient offense, according to KenPom, and a number of key players from its 2024 national runner-up squad, led by record-setting guard Braden Smith.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness first round full schedule: NCAA Tournament dates, TV info

3. Florida

The Gators enter the tournament as one of the country's hottest teams, with 17 wins in their past 19 games after an underwhelming 9-5 start. They've got all the potential to make a second-consecutive Final Four, with Sunday's bracket reveal confirming as much.

Either No. 8 seed Clemson or No. 9 seed Iowa could be a squirrely second-round opponent, but the Sweet 16 won't be nearly as daunting for Todd Golden's squad as it will for some of its fellow No. 1 seeds. No. 5 seed Vanderbilt beat Florida by 17 in the SEC tournament, but the Gators have shown they can beat the Commodores, with a 98-94 in Nashville back in January. Or they could take on No. 4 seed Nebraska, which is just 6-6 since a 20-0 start to the season. No. 2 seed Houston, a rematch of last year's national title game, or No. 3 seed Illinois would be challenging in the Elite Eight, but Florida's path to that point isn't especially arduous.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness printable bracket for predictions, picks in NCAA Tournament

4. Michigan

There's no such thing as an easy road to the Final Four, but among the 1 seeds, the Wolverines have the most manageable set of tasks in front of them.

No. 8 seed Georgia or No. 9 seed Saint Louis could offer a fun second-round game, but neither squad has the horses to keep up with coach Dusty May's squad. In the Sweet 16, they'd probably get a beat-up No. 5 seed in Texas Tech without All-American forward JT Toppin or a No. 4 seed in Alabama that has a frontcourt so thin that it went to court to try to add a 23-year-old G Leaguer to it, making it a group that Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. should feast against.

Then, in the Elite Eight, their most likely opponents would be No. 2 seed Iowa State, which is 11-7 in its past 18 games and has underplayed its tournament seed in recent years, or No. 3 seed Virginia, which has only one win this season against a team currently in the top 25 on KenPom.

It's fair to wonder whether Michigan can win a national title without injured guard L.J. Cason, but now that a bracket's out, a trip to Indianapolis should be much more of an expectation than a hope.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness predictions: Who has toughest Final Four road?

CHICAGO - Maybe next year, Big Ten.

The conference still doesn’t have a team that can win the men's NCAA Tournament and give the Big Ten its first title since 2000. That much is obvious after Michigan, which spent most of the season in the top three of the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, including five weeks at No. 1, struggled throughout the conference tournament before finally losing to Purdue in the title game.

Oh, the Wolverines are still the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. But Michigan looks like one of those teams that peaked too early, and has a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight exit written all over them.

“This loss … makes us know that we are not unbeatable. We can lose games, too,” Aday Mara said after the 80-72 loss to Purdue on Sunday, March 15.

“We cannot relax during games. We’ve just got to keep learning, keep improving and make sure we don’t relax during games.”

March Madness printable bracket: Fill out for predictions, picks in NCAA Tournament

That’s a lovely sentiment. But when you need a reminder of that at this stage of the season, you’re already cooked.

As are the Big Ten’s big hopes for ending its title drought.

There was a time the Big Ten was as much a constant in the list of NCAA champions as Indianapolis was in the list of Final Four host cities. But you have to go back to Michigan State’s Flintstones in 2000 since a Big Ten men’s team has won it all.

That might not sound like that long ago. When you realize that was in the quaint old days of the Big Ten still having 11 teams, however, it might as well be ancient history.

It’s not that the Big Ten hasn’t had its chances. Eight teams from the conference have made the title game since 2001. Another seven teams have made the Final Four. Once there, however, it’s been clear the Big Ten wasn’t on the same level as ACC, SEC and Big East.

Michigan was supposed to be different. It has the Big Ten player of the year in Yaxel Lendeborg, the defensive player of the year in Mara and an elite point guard in Elliot Cadeau.

The Wolverines won all but two games during the regular season, and went unbeaten in road conference games. They were explosive on offense and tenacious on defense.

Yet Michigan didn’t look like a team capable of a title run during the Big Ten tournament. The Wolverines seemed to be on their heels for most of the tournament, responding rather than setting the tone.

Against Wisconsin, the Wolverines led by 15 with less than 10 minutes to play but needed a last-second 3 from Lendeborg to avoid overtime. In the title game, Purdue opened the second half with a 13-4 run and Michigan never recovered.

Even after Boilermakers center Oscar Cluff picked up his fourth foul with 5:31 still to play, he was able to bang at will down low, scoring seven of his 21 points in the closing minutes.

“I think we let Cluff get in deep catches, so he was able to score like really easy baskets around the rim,” Mara said.

Let that sink in for a second.

Michigan had three players on the Big Ten’s all-defensive team: Lendeborg, Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. Nobody should be getting easy baskets on those guys, and certainly not at this time of year.

As for Lendeborg, though in good form against Purdue — he was 4-of-7 from deep and finished with 20 points — he wasn’t a factor offensively against Ohio State and for the first half against Wisconsin.

Michigan also lost the turnover battle in each of its games; even though it only had seven against Purdue, the Boilermakers had all of two.

“We didn't want this to happen. We planned to go three-of-three: Big Ten (title), Big Ten tournament championship, NCAA,” Nimari Burnett said. “But this is a part of the process, and we're going to use this as fuel into this next month of basketball.”

Again, it’s a little late for that.

As for the Big Ten's other top-tier teams, well, Nebraska, Illinois and Michigan State left the tournament without winning a game. Nobody eats their own quite like the Big Ten, but that doesn't bode well for the next three weeks.

The conference's best hope might actually be Purdue, which played this weekend like the No. 1 team it was when the season began.

"It's a great sign," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "There's a lot of teams, and we've been one of those teams before, that have just played great and then all of a sudden get into tourney time and not play as well.

"It's a little bit of a mix. You've got to keep working toward getting better."

With hopes for an NCAA title dimming once again, it sounds like an assignment for the entire Big Ten.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan's Big Ten tournament flop predicts more March Madness sadness

The San Antonio Spurs are one win shy of 50 wins with 15 games left. It’s the first time the team will reach that mark since the 2016-2017 season. With the league’s second-best record, the Spurs have elevated from plucky young squad to a true NBA title contender. According to a survey of SB Nation readers, the Spurs are the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.

The Spurs finished 4% higher than the league’s best Oklahoma City Thunder, a team they defeated four times this season. The field and Boston Celtics round out the group of teams considered to be title favorites.

The sentiment is likely driven by the Spurs’ recent stretch in which the team has gone 17-3 over 20 games. That stretch has been defined by shut-down defense, an increase in offensive efficiency, and MVP-level play by Victor Wembanyama. During that time, the Spurs have looked like a team that can win games physically and in a variety of ways. They have a top-10 player and a good supporting cast.

What they lack is experience. Teams like the Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves have playoff experience, winning titles and reaching conference finals. The Spurs undoubtedly have the talent to compete with those teams, but the question is whether they can win without being there before. Other teams have done it, like the Thunder.

An emphatic end to the 2025/26 season could cement their status as a title favorite even further. The team has the third-easiest remaining schedule and a real chance to win 60 games. If they are considered a favorite now, ending the season with 60 wins makes them an even more real threat.

Do you think the Spurs are the title favorite? Or will another team take them out come playoff time? You can see the complete title odds at this link: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Quentin Grimes scored 14 of his season-high 31 points in the fourth quarter as the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 109-103 Sunday night.

The Sixers were playing without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. due to injuries.

Justin Edwards scored 21 points, and VJ Edgecombe had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for the rookie’s third double-double this season.

Deni Avdija led Portland with 25 points, and Jerami Grant added 20. But the Trail Blazers shot just 17 for 53 from 3-point range (32.7%). Donovan Clingan added 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Portland led by one point at halftime, 54-53, before the Sixers stretched the lead to as many as 10 points in the third quarter, helped by nine points from Edwards in the period.

The Sixers took their largest lead of the game at 101-87 with 5:34 left, but Portland answered with a 10-0 run. An Edgecombe jumper with 1:53 to play and a steal and slam by Edwards with 1:20 left helped Philadelphia seal the win.

Up next

76ers: Open a three-game trip in Denver on Tuesday.

Trail Blazers: Continue a five-game trip in Brooklyn Monday night.

___

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

San Diego State basketball was left out of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 15, failing to reach March Madness for the first time since 2019.

The Aztecs were one of the first four teams left out of the 68-team bracket, along with Oklahoma, Auburn and Indiana. SDSU lost to Utah State in the Mountain West Conference Championship, losing out on the conference's automatic bid.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracket, seeding, predictions, snubs for 2026 NCAA Tournament

It's a tough blow for the Mountain West, which only got one team in the NCAA Tournament despite being one of the best non-Power conferences in college basketball. New Mexico, another bubble team, also missed the field.

San Diego State has seen loads of NCAA Tournament success in recent years, reaching the Final Four in 2023 and the Sweet 16 in 2024 and 2025.

Did San Diego State make March Madness?

San Diego State was left out of the NCAA Tournament when the bracket was revealed on March 15's Selection Sunday.

The Aztecs finished the season with a 22-11 record and a 14-6 mark in Mountain West play. They fell to Utah State 73-62 in the conference championship game.

San Diego State was No. 47 in the NCAA's Net Rankings, with a 3-8 record in Quad 1 games and a 6-2 mark in Quad 2 games. Utah State, a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, is No. 26 in NET.

San Diego State's rough stretch from late February to early March might've been the difference in its NCAA Tournament chances, after it lost four of five games to Grand Canyon, Colorado State, New Mexico and Boise State. It did, however, beat Utah State during that span.

NCAA Tournament Last Four In, First Four Out

Here's a look at the Last Four In and First Four Out teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

Last Four In

• NC State
• Texas
• SMU
• Miami (Ohio)

First Four Out

• Oklahoma
• Auburn
• San Diego State
• Indiana

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did San Diego State make March Madness in 2026? Aztecs miss NCAA Tournament