TORONTO (AP) — Brandon Ingram had a game-high 34 points and the Toronto Raptors defeated the Detroit Pistons 119-108 on Sunday.
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.
Jalen Duren had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Tobias Harris scored 21 points for Detroit.
Detroit shot 64.9 percent in the first half, but cooled in the third quarter, going only 26.9 percent.
The win was one of Toronto’s best defensive efforts of the season as the Raptors overcame poor three-point shooting.
Ingram made a long 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the third to give the Raptors a 12-point lead and capped a 9-2 run.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Haydn Fleury scored his first goal in more than two years and added an assist, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele each had their 31st goal and the Winnipeg Jets edged the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Sunday.
Eric Comrie made 29 saves in his career-high 21st start of the season and first since Feb. 25 to give him a personal-best 11 wins. The victory also extended the backup’s winning streak to five games, the longest for a Jets goaltender this season. Starter Connor Hellebuyck had a four-game run in October.
Fleury gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead at 2:31 of the first period, scoring his first goal in his 64th game since signing with the Jets as a free agent in July 2024. Fleury last scored on Dec. 19, 2023, while with Tampa Bay. The assist was also the first of the season for Fleury, who has played in 25 games this season. He had seven assists last season in 39 games for Winnipeg.
Dalibor Dvorsky and Dylan Holloway scored for the Blues, who lost in regulation for the first time in March (6-1-1), snapping their seven-game points streak. Jordan Binnington stopped 13 shots.
Connor, who celebrated his 33rd birthday, scored on a delayed penalty when he beat Binnington through the five-hole with 8:07 remaining to put the Jets up 3-1.
Holloway’s 14th goal made it 3-2 with 51 seconds remaining.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 134-123 on Sunday.
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.
The Bucks trailed 65-62 at halftime but turned a six-point fourth-quarter lead into an 18-point advantage with a 15-3 run to make it 119-101 with 8:45 left in the quarter.
The Pacers turned the ball over 18 times, nine more times than the Bucks.
Up next
The Bucks will host the Cavaliers on Tuesday.
The Pacers travel to meet the Knicks on Tuesday.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 15: Max Strus #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates after scoring during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Rocket Arena on March 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost one they’d probably like to have back. The Dallas Mavericks beat them 130-120. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.
WINNER – Max Strus
I planned on giving Max Strus a winner today, regardless of the outcome. Playing in your first game since May of last year is a moral victory all on its own. That’s something to be proud of.
And then Strus hit his first three three-point attempts and set Rocket Arena on fire.
“The expectation is that he’s as close to his identity as possible,” said Kenny Atkinson before the game. “That means how hard he plays, his enthusiasm, kind of the intangibles. Those are the expectations.”
Strus blew away any expectations you might have had for him in his debut. Simply clearing the final hurdle and returning after nearly half a year of recovery would have already been enough. But Strus has taught us not to underestimate him. He always finds a way to overdeliver.
“Under promise, overdeliver,” said Aktinson. “I remember last year, he was out, I wasn’t expecting a lot, and we got way, way more than I thought.”
Today was a lightning-quick reminder of how valuable Strus is to this team. It’s not just his ability to become a human flamethrower from downtown, but also to ignite the crowd and elevate everyone else around him. He’s the ultimate teammate and someone who is impossibly easy to root for.
Welcome back, Max.
LOSER – Defensive Focus
Defensive identity is something the Cavaliers have repeatedly mentioned throughout the season. They want to be known for their defense first, offense second. But as of late, any semblance of a defensive identity they had has been slipping away.
Before their previous beatdown over the Mavericks on Friday, the Cavs had fallen to 16th in defensive rating over the last two weeks. They showed a strong effort on Friday, but reverted to some of their worst tendencies on Sunday afternoon.
How about stopping the ball before it gets to the paint? Or maybe paying attention to the play when your man doesn’t have the ball? Help defense is important. But overhelping doesn’t actually help anyone. Failing to rotate and recover is as certain a death blow as there is in sports.
The Mavericks looked comfortable all day long. That’s not a good sign for your defense. Dallas drove to the paint and sprayed the ball out for quality three-point shots throughout the game. It’s no wonder they finished the game shooting 50% from downtown.
Sure, you can say the Cavs miss Jarrett Allen. He’d patch up some of their issues in the paint. But the complete and total inability to stop penetration isn’t being solved by the bigs. And containing three-point attempts isn’t their primary job, either.
In short, Cleveland’s backcourt has some serious soul-searching to do before the playoffs begin.
While some teams helped their cause with a big week — including Arkansas winning the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2000 — championship week was a likely formality for the top four teams in last week's poll. Each is likely headed for a No. 1 seed in March Madness.
Duke, of course, won the ACC Tournament and is likely cemented as the No. 1 overall seed. Despite a quarterfinal loss for No. 4 Florida, the defending champion Gators have a strong claim for the No. 1 seed with UConn losing in the Big East Conference tournament title game.
Here’s a look at the latest Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 for March 15:
Others receiving votes: Miami (Ohio) 36; UCLA 25; Utah State 19; Brigham Young 14; Saint Louis 7; Villanova 6; Virginia Commonwealth 5; Akron 1; Ohio State 1; South Florida 1.
AP Top 25
This section will be updated when the poll is released.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 15: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket around Max Strus #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Rocket Arena on March 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND — On paper, this was supposed to be an easy matchup to work Max Strus back into the lineup. Things didn’t work out that way as the Cleveland Cavaliers came out with no effort on the defensive end, which allowed the tanking Dallas Mavericks to run away with a 130-120 victory.
The Mavs aren’t a good offensive team. They came into this game ranked 27th in offensive rating, but you wouldn’t have known that if you just watched this game.
As has been a theme recently, the Cavs had no resistance at the point of attack. Dallas’s ball handlers were able to get two feet into the paint at will, and the help defense wasn’t there early enough to make a meaningful difference. And in the rare instance the help was there to prevent the look at the rim, the rotations weren’t crisp enough on the back end, which resulted in easy catch-and-shoot threes for the Mavs.
The Mavs established a good offensive rhythm early. They put up 35 points on 58.3% shooting from the floor and 50% from three.
Max Strus’s return helped the Cavs stay in it early on. The Cavs were down 10 when he entered the game midway through the first, and he promptly hit three triples to make it just a four-point deficit after one.
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The Cavs pulled closer to make it a one-point deficit at the break, but then completely let go of the rope in the third quarter.
The Cavaliers were bad defensively all evening, but were at their worst in the third quarter. They continually allowed free runs to the hoop, which opened up the outside shot. The Mavs went 12-18 from the field (66.7%) and 6-8 (75%) from three in a 40-point third quarter.
Dallas opened the fourth quarter with a 14-point advantage and was mostly able to keep the Cavs at arm’s length from there. Cleveland never got the deficit below nine in the fourth quarter as the defense simply didn’t do enough to give the offense a chance to get back into the game.
The poor defense overshadowed a sensational game for Strus. He played one of his best performances in a Cavalier uniform as he seemingly couldn’t miss from three, going 6-7 from beyond the arc. Strus highlighted how well-rounded an offensive player he is as he was impactful on the offensive glass and as a second-side playmaker.
Strus finished the afternoon with 24 points on 7-9 shooting with eight rebounds.
James Harden played his worst game in a Cavalier uniform. He struggled to take care of the ball, coughing it up six times. He wasn’t able to make up for it with his scoring as he provided just 13 points on 4-12 shooting with seven assists.
Donovan Mitchell had a good game on the stat sheet. He supplied 26 points and 11 assists on 10-24 shooting, but it hardly ever felt like he was really impacting the game the way we’ve come to expect.
Evan Mobley had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists on 8-14 shooting in the loss.
Cooper Flagg led the Mavs with 27 points and 10 assists on 10-16 shooting. It was an outstanding game from someone expected to win the Rookie of the Year.
Naji Marshall (25 points) and P.J. Washington (20 points) helped lead Dallas’s potent offense on Sunday afternoon.
The Cavs will look to pick up the pieces as they travel to Wisconsin to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. Tip-off is at 8 PM.
Duke will enter the NCAA tournament as the top-ranked team, retaining the No. 1 spot it has held for the last three weeks after winning the ACC tournament short-handed. The Blue Devils received 26 of 31 first-place votes, but Big 12 champion Arizona nudged a bit closer. The Wildcats stay in the No. 2 spot overall with the remaining five No.-1 nods.
Michigan, still a likely top regional seed despite coming up short against Purdue in the Big Ten title game, holds at No. 3. Florida, likewise, stays put at No. 4 after falling in the SEC tournament semifinals. The Big 12 holds down the next two spots as Houston stays at No. 5 and Iowa State moves up a notch to No. 6 swapping spots with No. 7 Connecticut.
ACC runner-up Virginia moves up three places to No. 8, Big East champ St. John’s Vaults four spots to No. 9, and West Coast champ Gonzaga climbs two positions to round out the top 10.
The later tournament results produced only slight movement in the poll. Purdue makes the most significant leap after its run to the Big Ten final, a five-position gain to No. 13. SEC champ Arkansas moves up only a couple of places to No. 15. Tennessee sneaks back into the poll at No. 25, replacing no longer unbeaten Miami (Ohio).
TORONTO (AP) — Raygan Kirk stopped 33 shots for her first PWHL shutout as the Toronto Sceptres beat the Seattle Torrent 2-0 on Sunday.
Blayre Turnbull scored four minutes in on a 2-on-1 rush and Sara Hjalmarsson added an empty-net goal with 7.8 seconds remaining.
Kirk was at her best in the second half of the second period when Seattle (5-1-2-11) hemmed the Sceptres (7-1-5-8) in their own end. She made nine saves during this stretch. It was the seventh time this season Kirk made 30 or more stops.
The Sceptres (3-0-2-0) have earned points in each of their five outings since the Olympic break.
The Torrent outshot Toronto 33-25. Seattle’s Hannah Murphy made 24 saves, 11 in the final 20 minutes.
Daryl Watts did not suit up for Toronto. The Canadian Olympian has been unable to shake a lingering flu bug since returning from the Winter Games three weeks ago.
United States captain Hilary Knight (knee) and Olympic teammate Hannah Bilka (upper-body) did not play.
The Sceptres increased their goal total to 41 in 21 games. Only the expansion Torrent (40 in 19 games) and Vancouver Goldeneyes (35 in 19) have scored fewer times.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 15: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball in front of Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Paycom Center on March 15, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The recap from the last game against the Golden State Warriors was titled “Ant’s 42 Stops the Skid.” Well, folks, the skid isn’t over. In fact, your Minnesota Timberwolves are driving on black ice while acting like they’re cruising down Rodeo Drive.
You can see where everything went wrong during this ill-fated matinee (like every other one this season), as Anthony Edwards missed from everywhere, including the free throw line, and Rudy Gobert was — and I say this with as much objectivity as possible — abysmally terrible. Four combined points for Gobert and the supposed third option, Jaden McDaniels, are not ever going to be enough to take down the defending champs.
It’s hard not to feel bad for Julius Randle, who has heard so much slander over the past few weeks, only to put up his best performance since the All-Star break in a lackluster game that fell apart in the second half.
Wolves lose to Thunder. Encouraging to see Randle get going, but Gobert and McDaniels both really struggled and the entire team couldn’t hold on to the ball.
To that end, a game like today’s shows how hard it is for Minnesota to win when Edwards is not succeeding. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to find his typical efficiency on his way to barely keeping his 20-point scoring streak alive, it was Jared McCain taking over the fourth quarter and Isaiah Joe hitting crucial threes down the stretch.
Games like today cause doubts about whether the Wolves can ever really overcome the hump. They have had near-ideal injury luck this whole season. Their opponents today were missing the number two option from a championship team last year. Both superstars were pedestrian, and the Wolves even had the edge in the Robin category.
Instead, it’s another loss in a stretch of many of them.
I can already hear the counterpoints: that you can’t really blame them for today, that OKC is formidable no matter who they have, that these Wolves have always been able to flip a switch. To those optimists, I ask how they will overcome the turnovers, miserable defensive effort, and self-inflicted wounds.
With all that being said, let’s get down to it.
This is going to go down as the Wolves' highest turnover game of the season.
That happening when keeping turnovers down against OKC is such a focus of the gameplan makes you question if this Wolves roster is capable of controlling the ball against them.
Let’s take a break from yelling at the Wolves to make fun of a team that Minnesota has history with, even if everyone from that past is gone.
How the *hell* did the Thunder get Jared McCain from the Sixers? For a mediocre first-round pick and a handful of seconds? In an era where live ball handlers and motion shooters have been *the* swing factor of multiple playoff series over the past few years?
I understand that the answer is largely financial. I understand that Josh Harris is cheap and that Daryl Morey has continuously ducked the tax. I understand that they just took VJ Edgecombe and have Tyrese Maxey in place as the franchise centerpiece.
McCain would’ve been the ultimate injury insurance policy for either of those guards. He would’ve been an ideal Sixth Man of the Year candidate for a bench that has been exceptionally weak over the past decade. He’s younger, better, and under longer team control than Quentin Grimes.
Instead, he is providing that for the title favorite and is quite literally everything the Thunder could’ve ever hoped for. With Lu Dort likely on his way out of town, Alex Caruso will probably be the next man up in the starting lineup. With that move on the horizon, McCain will become the face of this bench unit.
What a moment for him, though.
Few stories are more fun in the NBA than a comeback story. From late first-round pick to rookie of the year frontrunner to season-ending injury to slow return to midseason trade to key playmaker on the best team in basketball, all in two years.
It’s hard not to love basketball and the stories within it. It’s easier to hate those stories when they cause such a low point on what was otherwise a decent Sunday.
Bench Spark Gone Dark
Remember that week after the deadline, when it felt like the complaints of a lack of depth felt overblown? Where Ayo Dosumnu looked like exactly the boost this team needed? Where did Kyle Anderson come back to become the de facto backup point guard?
I remember that moment dearly. And, well, at least one of those things is still true. Ayo Dosumnu was great today. He looks to be every bit of the Nickeil Alexander-Walker replacement he was supposed to be.
The other two bits? Well, Naz Reid couldn’t get anything going, and the Slow Mo gimmick has been exposed as exactly that: a gimmick. The Wolves have never really had the identity of having a “bench mob,” but in a game like today’s, where two bench players won the game for OKC, the problem shone brighter than ever.
Outside of Ayo, the entire Wolves bench had 14 points across 61 total minutes on 17 shots. That’s not good, no matter how you look at it.
It’s also worth noting that Kyle Anderson has re-infected Chris Finch’s subconscious in the exact way everyone was expecting for Mike Conley. A huge story of the 2023 season was quietly how bad Anderson and Gobert paired after a year where they excelled alongside each other. Remember the punches thrown on the bench? Maybe there should be more of those in the locker room tonight.
Thought there was legitimacy in playing SloMo in a specialized role in the non-Gobert minutes, but didn’t think Finch would fall back into his bad SloMo habits so readily.
25 minutes with Gobert in 5 games (-24.9 net rating) before tonight’s disaster. Just not a good pairing.
Part of all of us just want to call this the curse of the matinee and go on with our afternoons.
And you know what, I think that’s the right approach.
Today was bad, but then again, there have been so many worse moments that have ended with the two runs to the Western Conference Finals that I’m sure no one wants to hear about right now.
Maybe this is yet another era of wasted superstars in Minnesota. Maybe it’s the third or fourth of those, a reliving of the same nightmare all over again. Maybe it’s a stumble that can bear fruit down the line.
All I can promise you is that a random March game that ruined an unspecified weekend is not going to be the moment that decides that. There’s so much more to worry about when the games actually matter. Don’t waste your stress here.
Save it for when you need to bite your nails late in an April fourth quarter.
Have a nice day, Wolves fans.
Up Next
The Timberwolves head back home for a much-needed homestand as they try to get their season back on track. The first of three straight games at Target Center begins on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM CT, with fans able to watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network.
LAVAL, Quebec (AP) — Ella Huber scored 1:33 into overtime to give the Boston Fleet a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Montreal Victoire in a matchup of top teams on Sunday.
With the overtime win, Boston (9-5-2-3) remained in first place in the PWHL three points ahead of Montreal (9-4-1-5). The Fleet trailed by three goals at the start of the third period.
Loren Gabel scored her first of the season, and Megan Keller and Susanna Tapani added goals. Keller and Alina Muller also had two assists. Aerin Frankel made 27 saves.
Abby Roque had a goal and two assists for Montreal. Marie-Philip Poulin scored the opener for Montreal but left the game a few minutes later. Kati Tabin also scored for the Victoire. Ann-Renee Desbiens made 22 saves.
Poulin put Montreal ahead with 5:10 remaining in the first period, tipping Gosling’s shot on the game’s first power play. Two minutes later, Poulin seemed to reinjure her right knee and came off in the middle of the play.
She was replaced by Tabin, who scored on a one-timer past Frankel to extend Montreal’s lead. The goals came in a 2:10 span.
Roque gave Montreal a 3-0 lead with 3:02 left in the second period.
Gabel's goal got the Fleet got on the board 6:01 into the third. Keller made the game 3-2 with 2:34 remaining. With Frankel on the bench for the extra attacker. Boston tied the game with 14.8 seconds remaining when Tapani’s shot beat Desbiens.
PARIS (AP) — Lyon's winless run in the French league was extended to a fourth straight game by 10-man Le Havre on Sunday.
Despite playing a man down from the 56th minute, the hosts were the better team in the 0-0 draw and Lyon now lags two points behind third-place Marseille in the Ligue 1 standings.
Stephan Zagadou received a straight red card after fouling Endrick. Le Havre, which moved 10 points away from the automatic relegation spots, hit the woodwork twice.
Marseille won 1-0 against struggler Auxerre on Friday. Second-place Lens lost 2-1 at Lorient on Saturday, missing the chance to move back to the top of the standings.
Paris Saint-Germain, which did not play this weekend, has a one-point lead at the top and a match in hand. Nantes agreed last month to postpone their scheduled game on Sunday in order to give PSG more time to prepare for the Champions League second leg against Chelsea. PSG is leading 5-2 from the last-16 first leg.
Fernandez-Pardo is scorer and provider
Lille beat Rennes 2-1 away and moved within five points of Marseille.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo scored the opener for Lille and then assisted Hákon Haraldsson early in the second half. Estéban Lepaul was on the scoresheet for Rennes, reducing the deficit from close range.
It was Rennes' first defeat since coach Franck Haise took charge last month.
Two groups of supporters of Rennes and Lille had clashed Saturday night on the eve of the match.
Radio France reported that police used tear gas and that one fan was injured. Between 100 and 150 people were involved in the fight.
Elsewhere, Mario Sauer scored the winner deep in added time as Toulouse heaped more misery on Metz.
Sauer's goal sealed Toulouse's 4-3 win and extended last-place Metz's winless run to a 14th match.
“It was a crazy game,” Sauer said. “We deserved it today, and this win was so important for us.”
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Defender Brayan Ceballos scored two goals in the first half to spark New England to a 6-1 romp over FC Cincinnati on Sunday in the Revolution's home opener.
Ceballos scored in the 25th minute to tie it after Gerardo Valenzuela scored six minutes earlier to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.
Dor Turgeman gave New England the lead in the 31st minute before Ceballos scored three minutes into stoppage time for a 3-1 advantage at the half. Ceballos had one goal in 29 appearances as a rookie last season. Turgeman has four goals and two assists in six career appearances dating to last season.
Alhassan Yusuf scored on a header in the 53rd minute for a three-goal lead. Cincinnati keeper Roman Celantano deflected but couldn't corral a shot by Carles Gil and Yusuf took advantage for his first goal this season and his third in 44 career appearances.
Valenzuela was tagged with a red card in the 69th minute, leaving Cincinnati a man down.
Griffin Yow scored in the 87th minute and Peyton Miller found the net two minutes later to complete the rout after the pair subbed into the match in the second half. Yow's first netter of the season is his fourth in 35 career matches. Miller also scored for the first time after two goals in 26 appearances last year.
Matt Turner saved seven shots in goal for the Revolution (1-2-0). Turner is back with the club after making 102 appearances from 2016-22.
Celantano finished with three saves for Cincinnati (1-3-0).
Cincinnati posted a pair of 1-0 victories over the Revolution last season.
It was the first victory for New England coach Marko Mitrović in his first season. The Revs were outscored 5-1 in a pair of road losses to begin the season.
Cincinnati had posted 2-1 and 1-0 victories in its last two trips to Gillette Stadium. The venue had freshly-laid grass in preparation for the FIFA World Cup. The Revs hadn't played on grass at home since they switched to turf in 2006.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 14: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 14, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nick Tomoyasu/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
To win a basketball game, it takes a combination of skill and luck. The Lakers had both elements working for them in their overtime victory over the Nuggets.
Austin Reaves missed a free throw on purpose in the closing seconds of regulation, grabbed the rebound and made the shot that sent the game to overtime.
And Luka Dončić won the game for the Lakers with a tough jumper over Spencer Jones.
The NBA’s Last 2 Minute Report revealed that the officials called a foul on Spencer Jones with 9.2 seconds left in the fourth, which was an incorrect decision.
Here is the foul call on Spencer Jones that the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report states was incorrect.
This is the NBA’s statement on the play:
“Jones (DEN) extends his right hand and cleanly dislodges the ball away from Reaves (LAL) after he received the inbound pass.” pic.twitter.com/hkewwtDlzK
Jones (DEN) extends his right hand and cleanly dislodges the ball away from Reaves (LAL) after he received the inbound pass.
If the call were correct, Austin Reaves would not have gone to the free throw line. Instead, the Lakers would have inbounded the ball again, down by three. Given how close this game was, this is admittedly a bad call that hurt Denver.
However, all things considered, the officials only getting one thing wrong during a game this tight is pretty good. Sure, Nuggets fans might be upset about this call going against them, but it still would’ve been Lakers ball. Even if the call had been correct, there’s no telling whether it would’ve changed the game’s outcome.
During an 82-game season, good and bad breaks happen and it generally evens out in the end.
This error helped LA, but there have been moments this year where blown calls have hurt them in losses.
In February, the officials missed a controversial travel call on the Suns’ game-winner against the Lakers, which was never addressed or explained.
Overall, the Lakers have won these tight games regardless of the officiating. On the season, they are 18-6 in clutch games, the best record in the NBA.
In this Lakers-Nuggets matchup, LA led most of the way, executed better down the stretch and had a little luck on its side. That sounds like all the ingredients needed to have success in a fierce Western Conference.
When does 2026 March Madness start? NCAA Tournament schedule
The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will take place over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.
Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 13: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns looks on against the Toronto Raptors during the first half in their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on March 13, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The week closes with the Phoenix Suns walking away 2–1, which on paper sounds perfectly respectable. A winning week, a positive record, another step forward. Yet it still feels like something was left on the table.
If you zoom out and look at the past two weeks together, Phoenix is 5–2. A strong stretch of basketball. Still, part of your brain keeps drifting back to the same thought. This could have been 7–0. The losses to Chicago and Toronto linger. Those are the ones that stick in your mind when you glance at the Western Conference standings and see how tightly packed everything remains. Every game carries weight in that traffic jam.
But this is not the “what if” business. The record is the record. The standings are the standings. Phoenix sits at 39–28, eleven games over .500, which in most years would feel comfortable. In this conference, it still places you in the middle of the knife fight. That is life in the Western Conference. In the East, this exact same record would have Phoenix sitting in the fifth seed. Instead, they continue to battle for position and attempt to climb out of the Play-In conversation.
Oh well. No sense living in the land of what if.
It was an interesting week for Phoenix while they were out on the road, because it came with a noticeable scoring surge from both Devin Booker and Jalen Green. And let me say this up front, this is a good thing.
Jalen Green looks like himself again. The confidence is back. The rhythm is back. You can see the upside talent that made him such an intriguing addition in the first place. Coming off the hamstring injury, there were some rough nights, the type that make you stare at the box score and wonder when the burst will return. Over time, it has. He now sits at 17.4 points per game on 41/31/76 shooting splits, which is a healthy step forward from where things began.
The more interesting element now is the dynamic between him and Devin Booker.
Both have started to figure out how to operate alongside one another, and the scoring reflects it. When those two get rolling, the offense can look explosive. This week, through the lens of offensive rating, was the best the team has posted all season. The Suns had an offensive rating of 125.3 in Week 21.
The Phoenix Suns posted an offensive rating of 125.3 in Week 21, their highest offensive rated week of the season pic.twitter.com/kDHyZXANnn
At the same time, there is a delicate balance that every team in the league wrestles with. When two players dominate the scoring load, the rest of the group can drift to the edges of the offense. The ball finds fewer hands. The rhythm of the other players can cool. That balancing act shows up every night in the NBA.
Still, I will take this version over the alternative every time. I would rather see confidence and scoring aggression than watch a talented player wander through possessions searching for his rhythm. Green has found his groove again. Now the next challenge is consistency. And balance.
Green averaged 23 shot attempts per game this past week. His career average sits around 16.5, which tells you he probably lived seven shots above his natural range. It is a strange thing to analyze because those shots were falling, and when they fall, the offense hums. Yet those attempts have to come from somewhere. A handful of them can flow to other players in the system, most notably Collin Gillespie, who has been one of the pleasant surprises of the season when the offense runs through him in spurts.
So Week 21 accomplished something important. Jalen Green looks confident again. He is playing with energy, attacking the rim, and knocking down shots. His efficiencies are climbing, and that is good news for Phoenix. Now comes the next step. Harness that confidence. Spread it across the roster. Let the ball breathe a little more.
Because a good offense has multiple cooks working the stove, not two guys trying to run the entire kitchen.
Week 21 Record: 2-1
@ Milwaukee Bucks, W, 129-114
Possession Differential: -2.0
Turnover Differential: -5
Offensive Rebounding Differential: 0
The Suns opened their road trip in Milwaukee like a team that remembered how to score again, dropping 129 on the Bucks and winning their third straight. Giannis did his usual freight train routine, whistles and all, but Phoenix leaned into its identity when it mattered. Defense.
The Suns held Milwaukee to 17 points in the fourth while three players topped 20 for the second straight game. A couple of weeks ago, this team struggled to reach 80. Now they’re stacking wins and rhythm. Meanwhile, in NBA chaos, Bam Adebayo dropped 83. Basketball is weird.
@ Indiana Pacers, W, 123-108
Possession Differential: +0.7
Turnover Differential: -4
Offensive Rebounding Differential: 0
On a night in Indiana against the league’s worst team, the Suns finally saw the vision come to life. Devin Booker dropped 43, Jalen “Guac” Green poured in 36, and the backcourt combo served up 79 points of offensive spice. Green’s fourth straight 24+ performance showed the efficiency Phoenix has been waiting for, while Booker orchestrated the chaos like the veteran conductor he is.
@ Toronto Raptors, L, 122-115
Possession Differential: +1.4
Turnover Differential: +2
Offensive Rebounding Differential: -2
The Suns spent most of Friday night looking like a team with things under control, cruising with a lead until the Raptors decided the paint belonged to them. Toronto shot 14-of-22 in the fourth, dropped 36 points, and bullied Phoenix inside while the Suns stuck with a small lineup that suddenly looked like a bad idea at the worst possible time. Devin Booker and company had the game in hand until the final 2:34. Then it slipped away.
Inside the Possession Game
Weekly Possession Differential: +0.4
Weekly Turnover Differential: -8
Offensive Rebounding Differential: -2
Year-to-Date Over/Under .500: +11
Time for your weekly graph!
It is funny when you stare at the graph long enough. Lines go up. Lines go down. Turnovers spike one week. Offensive rebounds dip the next. Possession differential swings around like it is riding a roller coaster through the desert. There are plenty of things to analyze when you track a team for 21 straight weeks.
Yet there is really one line that matters. That pink line.
For the most part, the Suns have done a solid job winning the possession battle throughout the season. You can see the moments when injuries hit, and the roster turned into a rotating cast of new combinations. During those stretches, the possession numbers dipped. The team lost that battle more often. The graph shows it clearly.
Still, that pink line keeps creeping upward. Slowly. Quietly. One step at a time.
And that is the one that counts, because that line represents cumulative games over .500. When the week closed, the Suns sat at +11, which happens to be their highest mark of the season at the end of any week. So yes, we can dig into turnover differential. We can debate offensive rebound rates and possession swings until our eyes cross. But when the dust settles, the only number that really matters is that pink line continuing to climb.
Week 22 Preview
Are you ready for a busy week? Because the schedule is about to hit full speed for the Phoenix Suns. After three games away from home, they will still manage to squeeze in two games back in Phoenix before the week is over.
It starts tonight at TD Garden against the Boston Celtics. You know the Celtics. The same team that had no problem handling the Suns the last time these two met. That was a Boston team missing both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and both of those guys are healthy and back in the lineup now. This version of the Celtics is a different challenge. Although, to be fair, the Suns were without Devin Booker. Tomato, potato.
The schedule does not slow down either.
Tomorrow night, the Suns head to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves. It is the first of two back-to-backs this week. The game carries some weight in the standings, although the head-to-head element is already settled. Phoenix has beaten Minnesota twice this season. The road trip wraps up Thursday in San Antonio against the Spurs. Phoenix leads the season series 2-1, although the most recent meeting was not exactly pleasant. The Spurs handed the Suns a 27-point loss on February 19.
Then the Suns return home.
On Saturday, they face the Milwaukee Bucks, the same team Phoenix defeated earlier this week. The homestand continues Sunday against the Toronto Raptors, a team the Suns also saw recently when they met on Friday the 13th.
Add it all together, and you get five games in seven nights. The only breathing room comes on Wednesday and Friday.
Grueling is a fair way to describe it. The schedule is compressing as the regular season winds down and the playoff picture begins to take shape. Where Phoenix lands in that picture will be influenced heavily by what happens over the next seven days. With less than a month left in the season, every result starts to carry a little more weight.
