COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat first in cricket's T20 World Cup Super 8 match against England at R. Premadasa Stadium on Friday.
A win will earn New Zealand the second semifinal spot from Group 2. Leader England has already qualified after beating Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Victory for England will leave Pakistan with a slim chance of getting into the semifinals via net run-rate if they beat Sri Lanka on Saturday.
South Africa has already qualified from Group 1. The second spot will be decided by the result of the match between India and the West Indies.
New Zealand fielded the same side that beat Sri Lanka comprehensively on Wednesday while England bolstered its spin attack by recalling Rehan Ahmed in place of Jamie Overton.
—-
Lineups:
England: Harry Brook (captain), Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 26: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to the media after the game against the Miami Heat on February 26, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In their last game of February, the Sixers picked up one of their most important wins of the season. With the Miami Heat coming into town Thursday just a game and a half behind the Sixers for the sixth seed and final guaranteed playoff spot, the Sixers knocked them off 124-117.
That seemed to take a backseat to a new franchise record. Tyrese Maxey passed Allen Iverson for the most made three-pointers in franchise history. He was three away from the record coming into the game and got it out of the way early, drilling five triples in the first quarter.
He was especially keen to get the record out of the way early — learning how close he was threw him off in the team’s previous game in Indiana.
“He was complaining that they told him too much the other night or something,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “He didn’t want to know, and he knew, and he was thinking about it a bit.”
Maxey explained that the culprit here was his close buddy Trendon Watford, who told him that Maxey might as well break it against the Pacers after hitting his first two threes in that game. Maxey didn’t make a three the rest of that game.
One game later against the Heat, Watford got to be apart of the record-breaking moment.
“It’s ironic, Trendon was the one that passed me the ball,” Maxey said, “so, we’ll remember that one forever.”
Anyone who’s followed Maxey for any stretch of his career won’t be shocked to learn that he spent most of his time talking about the record thanking God, his family, coaches and teammates, past and present. Former Sixer Tobias Harris also got a shoutout from Maxey in his postgame presser.
“I gave a shoutout to Tobias earlier,” Maxey said. “In my rookie year he told me I was a great shooter even though I wasn’t shooting as well as I wanted to. He told me I was great shooter.”
Despite Maxey’s rise from a player drafted outside of the lottery to an All-Star game starter, there’s been a sense of humility that he’s never lost. Accolades seem like a nice byproduct of trying to get better every day.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I always said I was going to make it to the NBA, but I didn’t know what to expect, honestly,” he said. “Someone asked me at All-Star [weekend] if I expected to be an All-Star starter, and I was like, ‘Man, no, I just work.’”
The longer his teammates have been around him though, the less of a shock it is for them to see these accomplishments.
“It’s a surreal moment, but it’s not surprising,” said Kelly Oubre Jr., a teammate of Maxey’s for the last three seasons. “He puts in the work, he’s confident, he’s developing every year, and you know, I’m super proud of him and blessed to be alongside him.”
The hard work and leadership Maxey has shown since taking over that role for this team has created a positive feedback loop. It’s something he sees in those he goes to work with as well.
“I’m just appreciative of the Philly fans, appreciative of the Philly organization, and both my coaches who really pushed me to become better every single day,” Maxey said. “When you have your coaches that really believe in you and your teammates that have your back every single night, you can’t ask for anything better than that.”
That work ethic and ultra competitiveness Maxey has become famous for is seen often in his rookie backcourt running mate too. VJ Edgecombe had high praise for the record-breaker, but was able to use it to motivate himself as well.
“The record is going to be harder to break now, I’m gonna try, hopefully I can get to it,” Edgecombe half-joked, “but credit to Tyrese, man. He means a lot to me. Obviously, because of who he is as a person and who he is as a player.”
Three-point records are of course a tricky thing because of how the game has changed, but this achievement is a good mark of just how much work The Franchise has put in.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 22: Khris Middleton #20 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against Quenton Jackson #29 of the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 22, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Memphis Grizzlies (21–36, 9–18 Away) limp into Dallas to face the Mavericks (21–36, 14–16 Home) on Friday night in the second half of a back-to-back for both teams. Dallas just got shellacked by Sacramento 130–121 despite Naji Marshall dropping 36 points. Memphis is on a three-game losing streak and hasn’t won in seven of their last eight. Both rosters are held together with duct tape and prayers. Cooper Flagg’s availability remains uncertain. The Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. three weeks ago and are down seven rotation players. This is what we call “chaos with a spread.”
Let’s scan the lines in search of value.
🏀 Fixture: Memphis Grizzlies (21–36, 9–18 Away) @ Dallas Mavericks (21–36, 14–16 Home) 📍 American Airlines Center — Dallas, TX 🕢 7:30 PM CST, February 27, 2026 📺 KFAA-TV / MavsTV / NBA App
📊 DraftKings Snapshot (as of 3:00 AM CST) Spread: DAL -5.5 (–110) | MEM +5.5 (–110) Total: 237.5 (O –108 / U –112) Moneyline: DAL –225 | MEM +185
📉 Game Side Lean: Mavericks -5.5
Memphis is missing everyone. Seven players out, one doubtful. Ja Morant (elbow). Zach Edey (ankle). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger surgery). Brandon Clarke (calf). The list goes on. What’s left is GG Jackson, a collection of rookies and second-year players, and whatever fumes former Mav Olivier Maxence-Prosper is running on.
Dallas, meanwhile, just lost to the worst team in the league but still has the size and veteran presence to impose their will. The preview from MMB noted that Sacramento beat Memphis earlier this week by outmuscling them in the paint 123–114. If the Mavericks are healthy — and that’s a big if with Cooper Flagg’s status uncertain — they have the frontcourt depth (Marvin Bagley, Daniel Gafford, potentially Khris Middleton) to do the same.
The Grizzlies have won both meetings this season, but those were different rosters. Memphis traded Jaren Jackson Jr. on February 3rd. Dallas shipped Anthony Davis to Washington. Neither team looks remotely like the clubs that met in November.
Back-to-backs are brutal for veteran-heavy teams, but Dallas is at home and Memphis is playing their ninth road game in a brutal stretch. The line dropped from -6.5 last night to -5.5 tonight, which suggests some uncertainty, but the Mavs should have enough to cover if they take care of the ball. They turned it over 17 times against Sacramento. Clean that up and this game stays under control.
🔮 Total Lean: Under 237.5
Both teams played last night. Both teams are exhausted. Both teams are missing significant offensive firepower.
Memphis is down Ja Morant, their primary playmaker, and Zach Edey, their anchor in the paint. Dallas might be without Cooper Flagg again, and even if he plays, he’s coming off a four-game absence with a foot injury. The Grizzlies’ offense has been anemic lately — they’ve lost seven of their last eight — and their roster is so thin that coach Tuomas Iisalo is playing everyone 20+ minutes just to get through games.
Dallas scored 121 last night, but that was in a chaotic shootout with Sacramento where both teams were firing threes and leaking points in transition. Memphis doesn’t have the offensive firepower to turn this into a track meet. The Grizzlies are one of the smallest teams in the league now, and Dallas should control the pace with size and physicality.
The math points under. Two tired teams, depleted rosters, and a game that should grind more than it flows.
🎯 Player Props We Like
GG Jackson Over 15.5 Points (–116)
GG Jackson is the Memphis Grizzlies right now. Since Jaren Jackson Jr. was traded to Utah, GG has started eight of nine games and gone on an absolute heater from three — 20-of-39 since the trade. He’s averaging 17.0 points per game in February and has taken on a massive usage bump with the roster decimated. Dallas is playing without Flagg (likely) and P.J. Washington, which thins out their frontcourt defense. Jackson is an excellent finisher through contact at the rim, and his shooting from deep has opened up the floor for him to operate. With Memphis missing seven rotation players, someone has to score. It’s going to be GG.
Khris Middleton Over 13.5 Points (–110)
Middleton left Tuesday’s game against Brooklyn early with a shoulder stinger, which limited his minutes. But he’s expected to play tonight and should see his usual workload restored. He’s been solid since arriving in the Anthony Davis trade — 25 points against Indiana, 18 against Minnesota — and Memphis has no perimeter defense with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope out. Middleton’s veteran savvy and ability to create his own shot should give him plenty of opportunities against a Grizzlies team that’s giving up points in bunches. The line feels generous at 13.5. He should cruise past it.
CJ Fulton says he is expecting "a bit more pressure and attention on me" when he makes his first Ireland appearance in over two years in Friday's FIBA EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifier against Azerbaijan (19:45 GMT).
It has been a whirlwind year for the 23-year-old after signing for NBA side Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Belfast native is now focused on helping Ireland advance in the qualifiers for the European Championships following defeats by Luxembourg and North Macedonia.
"It's hard to believe it's almost been three years since I last played in the green jersey, but [I'm] looking forward to it," Fulton told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane.
"Very important, must-win games if we want to have a chance of qualifying for the EuroBasket.
"I am very excited to be back."
The first round of qualifying for the EuroBasket consists of three groups with the winners of each and the best-ranked second-placed team advancing to the second round.
Then, those teams will be joined by eight more from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European qualifiers in the second round of qualifying.
"I think I can definitely come back and help the team," added Fulton.
"The European style of basketball is what I grew up playing, I've been out of it for a little bit, but I'm excited to try and get back into that style of basketball.
Fulton signed a professional contract with Minnesota Timberwolves after he played two games in the summer league for the side, and was then waived to the Iowa Wolves who are the Timberwolves' reserves.
Since playing for the Wolves, he has featured in the NBA's team-affiliated development division in the G-League.
Now, Fulton returns home after missing the first two Ireland qualifiers due to college commitments and wants to "give back" to the international side.
"Three years ago, I was probably still the young guy, still coming up and trying to make a name for myself whereas, I'm a bit more established," he added.
"Just with everything that's gone on the past few months, there probably will be a bit more pressure and attention on me, but there's a lot of good players on the roster, so I think it's just about me coming back and trying to help the team win.
"I think it's just really important to try and help as much as I can, help grow the game here, give back to the kids."
G-League 'an adjustment'
Following the two international games, the former St Malachy's College pupil will return to Iowa as the Wolves push to make the play-offs.
The side currently sit in eighth position of the G League Western Conference but have lost their last four matches.
"The G League is kind of a unique kind of trade, you know, guys going up to the NBA. So that's been an adjustment, just kind of trying to embrace all the changes that happen rather than knowing what's going on every day," said Fulton.
"It's been a good experience. There's a lot of talented players in the league and a lot of guys that are on the bubble of making that NBA, just they're not quite there yet, or guys who've played in the NBA and are trying to make their way back.
"There's definitely a lot of talent that I'm going up against, and I think that's only going to help me in the long run."
According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, SGA is not currently listed on the team's injury report for Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets.
At the very least, Gilgeous-Alexander will be available for the contest, but he could be on a minutes restriction. After all, the Thunder are still atop the Western Conference standings. There is no need to immediately rush their star player back to the court.
That said, they do only sit two games above San Antonio in the West. Perhaps SGA could play more than anticipated if the Thunder are in danger of losing the game late. Here's what to know.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been cleared to return after missing the last nine games due to an abdominal strain. He is not on OKC’s injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. Nuggets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to play Friday against Denver.
There were concerns early on that SGA would miss extended time, pushing him out of the race for MVP due to the 65-game rule. Those worries have disappeared with his return, and SGA has re-emerged as the favorite to win the award.
How did Oklahoma City fare without SGA?
The Thunder went 5-4 in their nine games without SGA.
The Thunder are still without All-NBA forward Jalen Williams and key role player Ajay Mitchell.
Oklahoma City still sits two games above San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference. However, the Spurs have won 10 consecutive games and own the season tiebreaker between the two teams.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 9: Doug Collins and Bob Costas provide commentary before Game Two of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers on June 9, 2000 at the STAPLES Center 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 2000 NBAE (Photo by Andy Hayt/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Yes, you read that right. It’s not a rerun of a Tim Duncan/Allen Iverson era game. For the first time in over a quarter of a century, Bob Costas and Doug Collins are calling an NBA game for NBC.
On Tuesday, March 3rd, Costas and Collins reunite on NBA to call the game featuring the San Antonio Spurs and the Philadelphia 76ers.
NBC is bringing back its classic NBA coverage broadcast March 3rd as Bob Costas, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello call Spurs vs. 76ers 📺
Coverage tips off with an hourlong “NBA Showtime” hosted by Hannah Storm alongside Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo. pic.twitter.com/XT3FlUBGAZ
Mike Fratello will join Costas and Collins for this “classic” coverage as well as the addition of Jim Gray reporting from the sideline.
Costas, one of the longest tenured and most celebrated sportscasters, launched his national career with NBC in 1980. With a career spanning five decades, the 73-year-old has called every major sport, multiple Olympic games, and hosted his own sports-centered radio and television shows.
Collins, the NBA’s top draft pick in 1973, played his entire eight season career for the Philadelphia 76ers. He moved into coaching and served as head coach for four NBA teams – the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, and 76ers – one per decade. Collins began calling games in the mid-80s and has continued as a color analyst when he is not serving as an NBA head coach or executive.
For this event, NBC is also bringing on Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo for a throwback version of “NBA Showtime” starting an hour before the game broadcast. The game will be available on NBC and Peacock, check local listing s for exact presentations.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Royce O'Neale #00 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the final second of the NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 113-110. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns walked into Thursday night battered and bruised, injury report reading like a CVS grocery list that got out of hand. You glance across the floor, and there stand Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. It’s a trio that makes you check the clock before tip-off and wonder how long the evening is about to feel.
And it felt long.
There were stretches where the offense stalled into a quiet panic as possessions dissolved into late-clock heaves. Phoenix could not buy a clean look for chunks of the night, and when they did, the rim treated them like strangers.
Being a fan does strange things to your brain. It turns you into a ritualist, a believer in invisible levers. On Thursday, I found mine.
My wife was behind me in the living room, puzzle board out, building a 1000-piece octopus with the calm of a surgeon. The Suns were down 10 in the third quarter, and she asked if she could put on music. Neil Diamond. Holly Holy filled the room.
The Suns started scoring.
Song Sung Blue. Another run. Cracklin Rosie. A three from Grayson Allen that felt pre-ordained. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers. Collin Gillespie rises and buries one from deep like he has been waiting for Neil to give him permission. You can break down the rotations. You can analyze the shot profile. You can talk about the 22 made three pointers, which is usually the recipe when half your firepower is in street clothes. All of that is fair.
I am giving Neil Diamond credit.
The rhythm shifted the moment his voice hit the speakers. The ball moved with purpose. The shots came in flow. The house felt different through a television screen and a living room octopus.
It was a big one for Phoenix. They are staring up at the Lakers in the standings, chasing ground, measuring margin. This win mattered. The fan base needed it. The offense has looked rough lately, heavy and unsure. Last night had those same ugly stretches.
They survived anyway. And it felt…so good, so good, so good!
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Collin breaks into double digits, joining Devin Booker as the only two Suns to do so thus far this season.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 60 against the Lakers. Here are your nominees:
DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 27: James Wiseman #13 of the Detroit Pistons & Jordan Poole #13 of the Washington Wizards embrace after the game on November 27, 2023 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 2023 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In the near future I’ll be sharing a series of polls discussing matchups of former GSW players who are draft picks during the Two-Timelines era. This concept wasn’t seeded by stats or hindsight. This was seeded by emotional gravity: draft expectations, peak belief, and how long you kept hoping. Pure feelings.
Kevin Durant left in the summer of 2019. That moment didn’t end a dynasty as many feared (or desperately desired from jealous fanbases outside of the Golden Empire), but it did start a new hope.
Over the next six years, the Golden State Warriors drafted several players who became part of something complicated, beautiful, and occasionally heartbreaking. It was a project that became what fans came to call the “Two-Timelines” era. Some of these players won championship rings. Some made you grab the remote and turn the volume up. Some broke your heart slowly, over multiple seasons, in ways you didn’t fully process until they were already gone. And maybe some of them you knew were never gonna fit in with Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr, but you held out hope. Most of them are no longer here.
And we know for a fact that Dub Nation has the power to provide so much love and positive energy to the franchise that the players suddenly morph from “meh” into giant killers before your very eyes. So with that in mind, now it’s time to answer the question that actually matters. Not which of those ex-draft picks was the best, who had the highest PER, or the most efficient season.
The question is: which of those departed GSW picks were you secretly rooting for the most?
This bracket lives at the intersection of three things: how much was put on a player’s shoulders on draft night, how high your belief actually rose during their time here, and how long you kept the faith even when the evidence got complicated. There’s no hidden agenda (OR IS THERE??), just an honest accounting of how Warriors fans actually felt, in real time, about each of these players.
Eight players. Three rounds. One crown.
THE OFFICIAL BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
1 Jordan Poole vs 8 Alen Smailagic
4 Eric Paschall vs 5 Trayce Jackson-Davis
2 James Wiseman vs 7 Ryan Rollins
3 Jonathan Kuminga vs 6 Patrick Baldwin Jr.
SEMIFINALS
W(1/8) vs W(4/5)
W(2/7) vs W(3/6)
CHAMPIONSHIP
So without further ado, here’s the bracket folks!
1. Jordan Poole
28th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft
You remember exactly where you were when Jordan Poole started cooking in the 2022 playoffs. Don’t lie. You were on your feet, screaming at the TV. This was supposed to be the guy who eventually took the keys from Steph and kept the dynasty breathing. Young, filthy with the ball in his hands, shimmy already loaded and ready to deploy on whoever was unfortunate enough to be guarding him. The Bay had already written the next chapter in its head. Jordan Poole was going to be here forever.
Then Draymond threw a punch and the universe shifted.
But before all of that — before Washington, before the struggles, before everything — Jordan Poole was EVERYBODY’S guy. And the emotional peak of that belief, the moment when the whole fanbase collectively decided this kid was going to be GREAT here, is higher than anyone else in this bracket. That’s why he’s the 1 seed.
2. James Wiseman
2nd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
Close your eyes and remember draft night 2020. The No. 2 pick in the entire draft. Seven feet tall. Hands like a point guard. A shot-blocking presence that made you dizzy just watching the highlights. The Warriors had just survived the worst season in franchise history and the basketball gods handed them James Wiseman as a reward. The rebuild was supposed to start right there. This was the guy who was going to anchor the next decade while Steph showed him everything he knew.
What followed was a torn meniscus, a lost season, flashes of brilliance in 12-minute bursts, and eventually a trade to Detroit that the fanbase processed in silence because nobody quite knew what to say.
Wiseman’s gravitational pull on draft night was enormous. Nobody in this bracket carried more expectation in that moment. Nobody. That earns him the 2 seed, and it isn’t particularly close.
3. Jonathan Kuminga
7th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft
Five years. Five years of “this is finally his season.” Five years of scoring rampages that had you ready to anoint him the next face of the franchise, followed by inexplicable DNPs that had you arguing with strangers on Twitter at midnight. Kuminga was the most complicated relationship Warriors fans had with any player in this era. Talent was never the question. It was always right there.
He had a real playoff run in 2025 that had the whole fanbase ready to crown him. Then they traded him to Atlanta anyway. And now he’s out there balling like he has something to prove, which means the feelings aren’t even past tense yet.
Five years of hope with a motor still running. That’s the 3 seed.
4. Eric Paschall
41st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft
Did anybody see Eric Paschall coming? He was a second-rounder out of Villanova on a Warriors team that won 15 games, playing in empty arenas during a pandemic season that felt like the whole world was falling apart. And somehow, impossibly, this man made that team fun to watch. Scoring 14 points a night off the bench, bouncing around the court with an energy that felt almost defiant given the circumstances, he made Warriors fans feel something they hadn’t felt in two years: genuine excitement about a new player in the present tense.
The Paschall window was short. The love was real. That’s the 4 seed.
5. Trayce Jackson-Davis
57th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft
Nobody expected Trayce Jackson-Davis to be good. He was the 57th pick, the second-to-last selection in the entire draft. A four-year college big man who was supposedly too slow and too limited to survive in the modern NBA. And then he showed up at Chase Center and immediately looked like he’d been running pick-and-rolls with Stephen Curry his entire life. The screen IQ. The roll timing. The finishing around the rim with both hands. Warriors fans started falling for TJD almost immediately, quietly, the way you fall for a player before you’ve consciously decided to root for him.
Then they traded him to Toronto and the whole fanbase had to process what could have been.
The 5 seed for a 57th pick who could jump out the gym.
6. Patrick Baldwin Jr.
28th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
Patrick Baldwin Jr. arrived with a first-round pedigree, a 6’9″ frame, a shooting touch that looked effortless in warmups, and an energy that made you want to root for him before he played a single meaningful minute. He never really got the chance. Thirty-one games. 3.9 points per game. Minutes so sparse you had to check the box score twice to confirm he was even in the building. Warriors fans kept the hope alive far longer than the evidence warranted because you genuinely liked the kid and wanted the situation to be different.
It never got different. It just ended.
The 6 seed is a love letter to everyone who kept checking the rotation looking for his name.
7. Ryan Rollins
44th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
Ryan Rollins didn’t just leave Golden State. He got packaged into the Jordan Poole trade and shipped to Washington before he ever got a real chance to show what he could do. Most players in that situation disappear quietly. Rollins did not. He came back to Chase Center, looked the Warriors dead in the eye, and lit them up in a revenge game that nobody who watched it will forget. That’s not just athleticism. That’s a player who knew he was good enough and needed everybody else to catch up.
The 7 seed for the guy who made sure we remembered he existed. Respect.
8. Alen Smailagic
39th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft (via draft-night trade)
Alen Smailagic was a teenage center from Serbia whom the Warriors acquired via trade on draft night 2019, and for approximately one Summer League he was going to be something. The flashes were there. The potential was visible in the way that potential is always visible in a 19-year-old who is still mostly a theory. He played 29 regular season games across two seasons and then was gone, leaving behind a small but passionate fanbase of people who watched those Summer League games and told themselves: okay, maybe.
The 8 seed belongs to every player who made us say okay, maybe. And to the people who said it about Smailagic specifically, this bracket is for you.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These players were part of the Two-Timelines story but didn’t make the bracket. They deserve acknowledgment.
Nico Mannion — We wanted him to be the Italian Steph Curry.
Justinian Jessup — Drafted in 2020, played zero regular season games as a Warrior, carved out a career overseas.
ONE LAST THING
This bracket is not a trial. Nobody is being convicted of anything. Every single player on this list showed up, competed, and tried to make it work inside one of the most demanding basketball environments in the modern NBA. Some of them won championships doing it and others gave us moments we still talk about. All of them were, for at least one night, somebody’s favorite Warrior.
Keep an eye out as the matchups come out and get your vote out!
Connecticut’s 72-40 blowout of St. John’s in Wednesday's key Big East tilt puts the Huskies back atop the conference standings and onto the No. 1 line in our latest bracketology update.
On some nights, UConn looks like the best team in the country. That was the case on Wednesday, when its defense held the Red Storm to just 19.6% shooting from the field. St. John’s was outscored 31-14 in the second half and missed its final 24 attempts.
The win avenges one of UConn’s three losses, which includes Arizona and Creighton. Arizona, Michigan and Duke are also on the No. 1 line.
The Huskies’ bump knocks Iowa State down a peg to a No. 2 seed. The Cyclones lost to Brigham Young last weekend but rebounded with a road win against Utah, which is tied for last place in the Big 12.
Alabama moves to a No. 4 on the back of a seven-game SEC winning streak highlighted by defeats of Auburn and Arkansas. Since the double-overtime loss in Tuscaloosa, the Razorbacks have topped Missouri and Texas A&M to climb to a No. 5.
There are 11 SEC teams in the field, led by defending national champion Florida on the No. 2 line. The conference sent a record 14 teams to last year’s tournament.
March Madness bracketology: NCAA Tournament projection
March Madness last four in
Indiana, Ohio State, Missouri, Santa Clara.
March Madness first four out
Southern California, California, Virginia Commonwealth, San Diego State.
NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown
Multi-bid leagues: SEC (11), Big Ten (10), ACC (8) Big 12 (8), Big East (3), West Coast (3).
As February turns to March and the men’s college basketball season winds toward its conclusion, there are plenty of high-stakes offerings on this weekend’s schedule for your viewing enjoyment. We can’t promise two top-five clashes like we had last week in this space, but the slate makes up for that in quantity with no fewer than a half dozen USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top 25 showdowns over the course of the weekend.
That lineup begins Friday night in the Big Ten and continues into a Saturday marathon that opens with a first-place showdown in the ACC and also features a doubleheader in the SEC.
Without further ado then, let’s get to this week’s Starting Five – plus a few coming in off the bench.
No. 3 Michigan at No. 11 Illinois
Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox.
The Wolverines are three games clear in the Big Ten race entering the regular season’s penultimate weekend, and in all likelihood they’ve already done enough to merit a No. 1 NCAA regional seed. The Fighting Illini’s recent run of tough overtime losses cost them both of those goals, but a win here would provide a huge confidence boost heading into March. The good news for Brad Underwood’s squad is Illinois is one of the few teams with the frontcourt strength and depth to match up with the Wolverines. The Illini also have more reliable perimeter shooting, thanks mainly to Keaton Wagler, but Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau shook off his rough outing against Duke with a more accurate night against Minnesota.
No. 12 Virginia at No. 1 Duke
Time/TV: Saturday, noon ET, ESPN.
It's a surprising fight for the top position in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Blue Devils of course were expected to be in this position in the ACC. The new-look Cavaliers were more of a mystery at the start of the season but have meshed together well in Ryan Odom’s initial campaign. Duke’s Cameron Boozer is the odds-on favorite to be named league player of the year, but UVa’s Thijs De Ridder has a strong case for all-conference accolades putting up 16.0 points and 6.3 rebounds a game.
No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona
Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN.
The Wildcats shook off their recent two-game skid and have retaken control of the crowded Big 12. The wildly inconsistent Jayhawks go for a rare season sweep of Arizona, but leaving the McKale Center with a win is never easy. KU’s defensive effort against Houston in its most recent outing was arguably its best of the season, and Flory Bidunga and the rest of the Jayhawks will have to be just as connected to handle the Wildcats’ numerous offensive threats. Arizona will still likely be without Koa Peat due to a leg injury, but Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley are also capable of taking over a game.
No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 5 Iowa State
Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS.
Elsewhere in the Big 12, the Cyclones look to add to their collection of quality home-court victories and stay in the hunt for a No. 1 NCAA seed. The game is no less important for the Red Raiders, who need to show they can still compete for a championship despite losing their best player. With J.T. Toppin sidelined, Texas Tech has relied more on long-range scoring from Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell, but LeJuan Watts has also stepped up to help on the glass. Iowa State can get points in a variety of ways but is at its best when the ball finds Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson close to the bucket.
No. 18 Alabama at No. 22 Tennessee
Time/TV: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN.
In truth these SEC contenders are more than likely playing for second place in the league at best, but securing a top-four seed in the upcoming conference tournament is an important priority. That became a concern for the Volunteers with their midweek loss at Missouri. Usually their solid team defense would give them an excellent chance to successfully defend their home court, but they need to find Crimson Tide sharpshooters Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway quickly. While it might appear at times that defense is optional for Alabama, the Tide at least need to limit second-chance opportunities for Vols standout freshman Nate Ament.
Villanova at No. 15 St. John’s
Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox.
The Red Storm must put Wednesday night’s dismantling at the hands of Connecticut behind them quickly as they return home to the more friendly environs of Madison Square Garden. But the game is just as vital for the Wildcats, whose March staying power remains very much in question. St. John’s desperately needs a fast start to erase the memory of the 0-for-24 finish at UConn, which will likely mean getting Zuby Ejiofor involved early. Villanova will need Duke Brennan to hold his own on the boards and stay out of foul trouble.
No. 17 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida
Time/TV: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
The Gators look to run their winning streak to nine and in the process lock up the SEC regular-season title. The Razorbacks must win in Gainesville then get some help in order to catch Florida, but they're also looking to continue the momentum of five wins in six games. The presence of Darius Acuff gives Arkansas a shot in every game, howevert the improved production from the Gators guard tandem of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland has raised the team’s ceiling considerably.
No. 9 Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s
Time/TV: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
The day concludes with a final edition of West Coast Conference after dark, though there will probably be yet another encounter between these long-time league rivals in a little over a week before Gonzaga departs for the new Pac-12. Gonzaga has the top seed clinched, but the Gaels would nevertheless like to leave the Zags with one last impression of their Moraga, California, campus before the programs part ways. Graham Ike and the rest of Gonzaga’s veteran lineup won’t be rattled by a hostile student section, but the Saint Mary’s interior defense of Andrew McKeever and Paulius Murauskas could prove more difficult to solve.
Feb 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
It’s time for a meeting.
All stakeholders of the Boston Celtics — the optimists, the skeptics, the doom-scrollers, the “I told you so’s, the ones who check box scores with breakfast — please take your seats.
We’ve reached late February, meaning there’s a big enough sample size in front of us that it’s worth taking stock of what we have. At a high level, the Celtics look structurally sound in the areas that usually matter when games slow down and whistles tighten in the playoffs.
As emotionally-invested stakeholders in the Boston Celtics, we’re allowed to dream. But we also owe it to ourselves to do a little due diligence. Fortunately, history gives us a blueprint for success. Over the last two decades, championship teams have tended to share similar statistical markers — strong records, dominant possession margins, top-tier defenses, and elite talent at the top.
So, that’s what we’re going to measure.
We’ll walk through the key pillars that usually define a real contender, stack this year’s Celtics up against those benchmarks, and decide whether what we’re watching is sturdy enough to hold up when the games really matter.
I. The Record & Net Rating Audit
The champions’ benchmarks
.634+ win percentage
Top 7 overall record
Top 8 net rating
+4.0 or better point differential (per 100 possessions)
2026 Celtics snapshot
38–20 (.655) | 4th overall record
+7.6 net rating (4th) | +6.95 point differential per game
18–13 vs .500+ teams | 18–9 at home
What the numbers mean
This season was pre-packaged with a “please be patient” label.
The roster churn was predictable. In today’s NBA, the cap math always shows up eventually. Fans braced for an identity transplant. How could you not after losing five key rotation players without obvious replacements?
Their success is what the overall record captures, and the net rating confirms it. A +7.6 net rating over nearly 60 games usually belongs to teams with a clear system and a clear sense of themselves. Boston has done it while mixing lineups constantly, asking young guys to play significant minutes, and still landing in the same place most nights: ahead on the scoreboard, dominating the margins, and looking down, not up, in the standings.
Yes, they missed the 40–20 stamp of approval. For context, since the 1979-80 NBA season, 41 of the last 45 champions won their 40th game before losing their 20th.
But that rule is less prophecy and more math trick, another way of identifying teams on a mid-to-high 50s win trajectory. The 2021–22 Celtics are a reminder of that. That group started 16–19, sat at 34–26 through 60 games, and never came close to clearing Phil’s threshold. They still finished 51–31, swept Brooklyn, survived seven-game battles with Milwaukee and Miami, and reached the NBA Finals.
Momentum, structure, and health matter more than the order in which the wins arrive. Boston’s current pace and efficiency margins still place them in the same statistical neighborhood as teams that typically contend, regardless of whether they crossed the 40-win line on game 59 or 61.
If this run were purely the product of a hot shooting stretch or clutch time anomalies, the overall profile would wobble. Instead, Boston’s success shows up in the possession math and keeps showing up regardless of who’s available on any given night.
The Verdict: The win profile matches the contender blueprint, and the process behind it looks repeatable.
II. The Defense Audit
The champions’ benchmarks
Top-11 defensive rating
Top-13 opponent effective FG%
2026 Celtics snapshot
111.9 defensive rating (7th)
109.8 defensive rating since Jan. 1 (3rd)
52.2% opponent eFG% (3rd)
What the numbers mean
Championship teams almost always pack a defense that travels. Boston checks that box.
Seventh in defensive rating and third in opponent effective field goal percentage tells you that teams are not getting easy math against them. The Celtics contest cleanly. They rotate with purpose. They’re willing to send help and live with the right shots rather than panic into fouls.
The trend line matters, too. Since Jan. 1, they’ve tightened the clamps even more, ranking third in defensive efficiency over that time period.
The identity this season — more movement, less watching, more stability, less frenetic scrambling — is woven into the texture of their defense. Switching and surviving is one thing. These Celtics are scouting, pre-rotating, and hunting tendencies on a nightly basis. When games slow down in May, you need a defense that understands details. Boston plays like a group that expects to know what’s coming.
The Celtics have allowed nearly 10 PPG fewer than any other NBA team in February. Their defense is on track for the lowest-scoring full month by any team in 8 years.
1. Boston – 96.7 opp pts 2. Detroit – 105.4 Houston – 105.4 4. Charlotte – 107.1 5. Toronto – 108.1 pic.twitter.com/EPZQXmVj0U
Are they perfect? No. The opponent 3-point percentage is middle of the pack. There will be nights when the late closeouts and overhelp bite them. But structurally, this looks like a defense built to survive playoff basketball.
The Verdict: The defensive foundation aligns with the championship template, and it’s trending in an even better direction.
III. The Offense Audit
The champions’ benchmarks
Top-16 offensive rating (modern champs usually much higher)
Top-15 effective FG%
Reliable halfcourt efficiency
Shooting that holds under pressure
2026 Celtics snapshot
119.5 offensive rating (4th)
54.9% eFG% (12th)
36.1% from three (12th)
42.4 3PA per game (2nd)
100.9 halfcourt offensive rating (5th)
111.2 clutch offensive rating (14th)
What the numbers mean
Offense is where the data gets noisy.
Some champions are historic scoring machines. Others just need to be good enough because their defense carries the load. What almost all of them share is that when the game slows down, they can manufacture clean looks in the halfcourt.
Boston’s overall offensive profile is strong. Fourth in offensive rating is no joke, but fifth in halfcourt efficiency is what might matter more down the stretch. Their 100.9 halfcourt offensive rating tells you the Celtics aren’t solely reliant on transition chaos or early-clock threes to build their leads. They can execute when possessions stretch deep into the shot clock.
The shot diet has changed, too.
This group still shoots a lot of threes, but they don’t seem to hunt them out at the same frequency they did in the previous two seasons. Jaylen Brown’s expanded freedom is showing up in the mid-range. Pritchard continues to hunt advantages created by coming off the bench. Vucevic is instantly providing a whole new kind of interior gravity. In other words, the offense feels less scripted and more read-based than it did two years ago.
That matters in the playoffs.
The one area that warrants a raised eyebrow is the clutch offense. Fourteenth in clutch offensive rating is fine, not dominant. It suggests this team still wins more through structure and margin than through late-game shot-making heroics.
Not disqualifying, but worth monitoring. The good news is that underlying math is strong, and the halfcourt foundation is legitimate. Those are the parts that tend to travel into May and beyond.
The Verdict: The offensive profile clears the historical bar, with enough half-court stability to project into playoff basketball. The late-game execution remains the swing factor, though.
IV. The Star Talent Audit
The champions’ benchmarks
At least one top-15 player in the league
An All-NBA level engine
Preferably multiple high-end contributors
2026 Celtics snapshot
Jaylen Brown:
22.5 PER (19th)
+2.4 EPM
All-Star
All-NBA projection (likely 1st or 2nd Team)
What the numbers mean
This is the part where history may not be all that helpful, considering who might be on their way back soon. Data aside, it’s a good thing to have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on your basketball team.
Almost every champion of the modern era has had a player who lives in the top-10 conversation. This year, that responsibility has belonged to Brown.
The MVP buzz isn’t accidental. Brown has absorbed more defensive attention, expanded his shot profile, and carried scoring volume without the infrastructure this team leaned on in prior seasons. The mid-range freedom, the late-clock creation, the willingness to take tough shots when the plan breaks down.
That’s all nice to see in February, but it matters even more in May.
The advanced metrics for Brown may not scream top-five player in the league, but the impact shows up in how opponents guard Boston. He bends coverages, forces matchups, and dictates pace whenever he’s on the floor.
I’m proud of this group and staff/ office looking forward to 2nd half go Cs ☘️ pic.twitter.com/I0cqxQTPYg
The potential return of Jayson Tatum is not something we can model cleanly. It’s the ultimate unknown in this audit. What we can say is that the Celtics have built a contender profile without him.
If he returns and resembles himself, the ceiling changes immediately. That’s a powerful, albeit unpredictable, place to be.
The Verdict: The star engine is strong enough to qualify, with an upside variable that could shift the entire equation.
Final Assessment
Entering this season, the reasonable take was that Boston would recalibrate. Too much turnover. Too much youth. Too much money. A year to reset and regroup.
Instead, nearly three-quarters of the way through the season, they look like a team that fast-forwarded through the transitional phase and landed squarely back in a contention window.
The audit told us what we needed to know. The record aligns with past champions. The possession margins are strong. The defense travels. The offense holds up when the game slows down. And the star power — present and potentially expanding — clears the historical bar.
Of course, that doesn’t promise anything. But when the underlying structure matches the teams that usually matter in late spring, you stop asking whether it’s sustainable and start asking how dangerous it might be.
Tyrese Maxey’s record-breaking Thursday night was not just one of those silly, manufactured milestones.
It wasn’t as if he became the first Sixer to ever post at least 25 points, 10 assists and three steals in a game during the last week of February while wearing a black uniform and red shoes.
Maxey broke Allen Iverson’s franchise three-point record in the first quarter of his team’s win over the Heat. The Sixers acknowledged the moment with a Jumbotron graphic and a video following Maxey’s 20-point first quarter. The fans chanted “MVP” and Maxey soaked it all in.
Not a game that will bled in with the blur of NBA life at the end of Maxey’s career.
“I’m just happy, man,” Maxey said. “I’m blessed. I thank God for the opportunity, thank God for the Sixers organization drafting me, trusting me, believing in me. I thank God for both my coaches, Doc (Rivers) and (Nick) Nurse. They’ve instilled a lot of confidence in me.
“And lastly, my teammates, man. I gave a shoutout to Tobias (Harris) earlier. My rookie year, he told me I was a great shooter. Even though I wasn’t shooting as well as I wanted to, he told me I was a great shooter. And Joel (Embiid), man. He’s been on me about shooting 10 threes a a game since probably my second or third year and I appreciate him for that.”
The names directly below Maxey on the Sixers’ three-point leaderboard are now Iverson, Robert Covington, Kyle Korver, Harris and Embiid. Of course, Iverson is not the best pure shooter on that list. Korver’s an all-time great in that department. He still ranks in the top 10 in NBA history for both three-point makes and three-point percentage.
Iverson’s a Hall of Famer and franchise legend, though. The basic facts are Maxey, at 25 years old, broke his record. He didn’t take that lightly.
“A.I. is somebody that we’ve all looked up to, that I looked up to, being a small guard,” Maxey said. “To be able to pass him at anything in basketball, that’s cool. To have my name next to his is a blessing.”
The gist of Maxey’s route to stardom is well-known, but some scenes pop to mind again.
In all likelihood, Maxey would’ve been drafted higher than the 21st pick if he’d been a better shooter in college. He went 29.2 percent beyond the arc in his 31 games at Kentucky and COVID-19 then canceled the NCAA tournament.
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey even said on draft night that, “People have sort of fixated on his shooting” and noted “we strongly believe Tyrese will shoot better than the number that sticks next to his name in not a lot of Kentucky games.”
Maxey missed the start of his first NBA training camp after testing positive for COVID.
Though he showed fantastic abilities as a rookie, Maxey only made 31 threes and shot 30.1 percent. He kept firing up shots before most players were awake and kept improving. If you saw him behind the scenes, you knew he was determined to find out his full potential.
Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell was an early believer during his three seasons mentoring Maxey on the Sixers’ staff.
“The kid puts the work in, so his success doesn’t surprise me,” Cassell told NBC Sports Philadelphia in 2022. “It surprised all of y’all, but nothing he does on the basketball court surprises me.”
Maxey’s speed remains his world-class tool. There’s many aspects of his game one can easily glide past these days, including his immense, league-leading minutes load.
For good reason, Maxey was happy to pause Thursday night and share why he had a historic game ball in his hands.
“I always said I was going to make it to the NBA and I didn’t know what to expect,” Maxey said. “Someone asked me at All-Star (weekend), ‘Did I expect to be an All-Star starter?’ And I was like, ‘No, man. I just worked.’
“I just work, work, work until I can’t work anymore. That’s just the mindset that I have.”
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 26: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts after making a three-point shot against the LA Clippers in the second half at Intuit Dome on February 26, 2026 in Inglewood, 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. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game Story
Sorry to spoil the recap, but everything that happened tonight was exactly as you would’ve expected.
You would think that after three whole days off, the Los Angeles Clippers would be well-rested against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They had just thrashed the Wolves by 19 at Target Center as Kawhi Leonard dominated the game with 41 points.
Tonight? Minnesota held him to zero points.
That’s not a typo.
Leonard rolled a donut in the box score. Including minutes played. The future Hall of Famer was nursing a sore ankle despite the 72+ hours of rest. Were the Clippers load managing? Is this foreshadowing of what’s coming down from Adam Silver’s office? To be honest, it’s expected that Leonard’s availability is always in flux.
To make matters worse for the sparce home fans in attendance, Los Angeles was also missing John Collins (concussion) who was their second leading scorer in the previous meeting.
Meanwhile, this was a Timberwolves fans worst enemy: A classic low-reward, high-risk game.
After struggling to barely squeaking out a “moral loss” win against an injury ravaged Portland Trail Blazers team two days ago, Minnesota lacked great energy out of gates today as well. A pair of Donte DiVincenzo triples and a Jaden McDaniels dunk seemed like a good sign though at first. Heck, even Anthony Edwards came out putting on a show for his large fan base here in Los Angeles.
However, as expected, the Wolves defense was the problem.
Despite shooting 61.1% in the opening quarter, the Wolves allowed the Clippers to score 23 of 27 first quarter points at the basket or free throw line. It was a real jump scare to look down at the box score after the opening stanza and see that Los Angeles logged just one three-point attempt. Things got a little better for them by halftime though. They hit a whole one three-pointer out of 12 attempts!
Yet somehow, they still trailed by only six points.
What exactly was going on? Minnesota had no shortage of opportunities to extend their lead well over double-digits, but poor offensive execution capped their upside. Spacing was an issue. They were cold from perimeter. The floor spacing was just off. It was essentially a game straight out of the 90’s, as only two players in the entire game scoring in double-digits (Edwards and DiVincenzo).
If you thought Chris Finch had a rousing half time speech that woke up his team, then you would have been mistaken.
A fracas between McDaniels and Kris Dunn looked like it might’ve sparked some life into Minnesota, but to no avail. All it did was garner a flagrant foul which, to be honest, he should’ve gotten in the first half for discarding Kris Dunn. Jaden losing his cool? Expected.
When I asked Chris Finch after the game about how a team of emotional players can balance playing with force, but not losing their cool, he dropped a pretty awesome bar.
The Wolves continued with a flurry of one or no-pass possessions after this. It felt as though every player took a shot like My Hero by Foo Fighters was playing in the background. Even the steadfast Mike Conley was dusted off and immediately airballed a three-pointer. The Clippers slowly, but surely inched ahead by as many as six points which felt like more like sixteen.
Given how porous Minnesota’s defense was, losing the free throw battle by 11 in the third quarter was expected.
Everything was setting up for a disappointing final quarter for the Wolves. There was no rhythm to the game and it certainly played into the zombie Clippers hands. Choppy. Grimy. In the mud. Typically, this would be a type of scenario where someone like Julius Randle would be able to thrive in the grind, but he was still seemingly on another planet. Still. The box score only accredited him with two turnovers and a one of 10 mark from the field, though he certainly played much worse than that.
Thankfully for the visitors, DiVincenzo continued his excellent play from the first half. He single-handedly kept the game from going completely off the rails like that Tobey Maguire Spider-Man holding back a train with his body GIF. A big triple. Assist for another trey. Two straight illegal screen fouls drawn. Another steal. He was everywhere.
Meanwhile, McDaniels continued his personal vendetta against seemingly every Clipper. He was terrorizing Bennedict Mathurin all night, helping the Wolves maintain a small lead. All of this bought just enough time for Edwards to don his cape and rescue his team once again.
Just as we all expected.
There was murmuring about extracurriculars between Edwards and Finch, as caught on video after this shot. According to Edwards, his coach told him to pass the ball after he had his a tough fade-away mid-range shot right before that three-point dagger. According to Finch during the postgame press conference, he denied telling Edwards not to shoot.
You be the judge.
No matter what was said, it’s clear Edwards understands the importance of his relationship with his coach and continues to beat the drum that he’s tight with Finch. “Me and my coach got the best relationship ever. He be right most of the time.” He may have his flaws on and off the court, but he continues to flex his emotional intelligence in these types of situations where others may try sow doubt. Just as expected.
After all the dust (bricks?) settle, Minnesota earned a stronger hold on the fifth seed in the Western Conference. They’re still just half a game out of fourth, and one game out of third place. All that matters right now are wins, no matter how you get them. Should it have been an easy win today? Yes. Was it an ugly “moral loss” win again? Sure.
But what else did you expect?
Box Score
Comment of the Night
Kawhi jokes, SlowMo return, Ant dramatics, none of it is more important than the health of that little boy.
Up Next
Minnesota finally gets two days off for the first time since the All-Star break before a marquee matinee showdown against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, March 1 at 2:30 pm CT. An early tip, in Denver, at the end of a road trip? Sounds like a recipe for an unexpected win! Or maybe just a delicious recipe recap. Either way, the Wolves will look to avoid getting swept 4-0 by the Nuggets this season, just a year after Minnesota swept Denver.
Simplicity and audacity joined forces 10 years ago when one majestic shot and one word said twice stamped the greatest call from the greatest regular season game in NBA history.
The simplicity of broadcaster Mike Breen to enthusiastically yell out “Bang!” And, unknowingly doing so twice. The audacity of Steph Curry to shoot, not heave, a 38-footer to beat the buzzer in a 121-118 Warriors overtime road win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 27, 2016. The stakes of a historic season for a player and a team made this game everything that it was.
Curry was closing in on his second straight NBA MVP season, and the first unanimous win in league history. He had scored 51 points the previous game and 42 the one before that. Neither could live up to the 46 points he scored and NBA-record tying 12 threes he made that night in OKC.
The Warriors were 52-5 and weren’t backing down in their pursuit of eclipsing the 72-10 Chicago Bulls from 20 years prior.
NBC Sports Bay Area went in-depth with Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Breen, the man behind the call, for the oral history of the Double Bang Game. Interviews have been edited and condensed.
Steve Kerr (Warriors head coach): “It’s one of the great regular-season games I’ve ever been part of. They were a hell of a team. We were obviously having a historic season, and they dominated the first half. It was one of the great wins of that season, for sure.”
Mike Breen (Hall of Fame broadcaster): “I’ve been doing this a long time. That was one of the most anticipated regular-season games ever. And that’s the thing, is that we all went into the game and couldn’t wait for the game to happen. There was such hype about the game, and then for it to turn out that way, nobody expected that because it was such a historic season for Golden State and they were the greatest show on Earth. It was some of the most beautiful basketball, team basketball, that I had ever seen, and a lot of people had ever seen. It was just a magical season where everything seemed to have this excitement and drama and just pure joy of watching. You couldn’t wait for the next game. OK, what are they going to do? Every arena they went into as the streak built and the historic season built, every arena they went into on the road, even when teams came to visit them, it was the No. 1 game on that team’s schedule.
“So there was the pressure of that. There was the pressure of possibly setting the record for greatest regular season of all time, and then now they’re facing the one team that people thought had a chance to beat them. If you think about it, Oklahoma City’s record in that game was 41-17. They were 41-17 and they were 12 games behind. Amazing, because they were a great team. Oklahoma City was a great team, but Golden State was just playing at a level that very few teams clearly have ever played at, and they were led by this special player that had captured the imagination and the hearts of not only Dub Nation, but basketball fans around the world.”
The Lead Up
Just three weeks earlier, the Warriors and Thunder played each other for the first time as the prelude to an all-time great. The Warriors beat the Thunder 116-108 at Oracle Arena in a game where Curry had a 26-point, 10-assist double-double, and Kevin Durant (40 points and 12 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (27 points and 12 assists) had double-doubles for the Thunder. They also were set to play each other again four days later, back in Oakland after this thriller in OKC, with all three of their regular-season games being played in less than a four-week span.
While the Warriors were dominating the rest of the league, the Thunder had the third-best record in the NBA and wanted to do everything in their power to prove the Warriors didn’t scare them. Nothing about this felt like another regular-season game.
Kerr: “Yeah, definitely felt like a playoff preview. We knew how good they were and how athletic they were, so definitely had that type of feel for a regular-season game.”
Breen: “We all use the cliche, ‘Oh, this game feels like a playoff atmosphere.’ Well, this game was like a Finals atmosphere. It just had so many great individual players and these two teams playing at such an incredible level, and that building … that building was, and still is, one of the great venues in all sports, in any sport. That team means so much, not just to the fan base, but to the community. It’s such an important part of Oklahoma City, and the people there and they took this game as this is our chance. We’re going to show them that this is not going to be a runaway, that we’re not just going to hand the championship to these Warriors. We’re going to show them how great we are.
“It had all the hype. And as a broadcaster in any game like that, you have to tell yourself, ‘OK, this has a chance to be something special. Let’s not get carried away early and keep your composure.’ All of us who call the games, clearly the No. 1 objective is to call a good professional game, but on certain games, sometimes the fan takes over. I’ve loved basketball since I was a kid. When you get to watch basketball played at this level with this kind of tenacity, sometimes the fan comes out of you.”
The Game
The Thunder raced out to an 8-0 lead and led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter. The Warriors trailed by 10 points after the first quarter, 11 points at halftime and five points after the third quarter. Their first lead wasn’t until Curry made a 3-pointer in the third quarter that put the Warriors ahead 78-77 at the 1:22 mark.
Was there a point where it felt like the Thunder was the better team and simply had the goods to beat them on this night?
Kerr: “Well, because it’s a regular-season game, those thoughts aren’t even going on in your head. It’s just, ‘Hey, let’s just try to win, and we know they’re really good, and let’s see what we can do.’ We always felt like we were in any game that we played because of our firepower and our defense. We knew we were right there and we were just a spurt away from taking the lead, which is exactly what happened.”
Breen: “You thought they certainly had a chance. But we’ve seen so many amazing comebacks, especially by a team of the caliber of the Warriors. So it was not a given. There just were so many other things, like at halftime with Draymond.
Halftime Incident
The Warriors trailed 57-46 at halftime, and then tensions ran hot. Draymond Green and Kerr, in his second season as head coach, get into a heated, expletive-laden argument. Green, three months ago, on his podcast, took listeners behind the scenes to what happened. He says he only attempted two shots (he took three) and Kerr called out both of them, which he took exception to.
Green says that’s when the two started yelling at each other. He also added that he had thrown his shoes and that Kerr had told him he was done playing for the night.
But Kerr doesn’t remember anything about shoes, and his memories of what happened are a bit different.
Kerr: “I remember showing an offensive clip he was involved in. I didn’t remember him shooting it. I remember him not passing it. It was a moment of frustration for him and for me, and yeah, got heated. Yeah, it got heated. Back then, especially, that was something that happened two or three times a year with us and we were both young. A lot of piss and vinegar, as they say.”
Breen: “Here’s this team that has this magical run and they’re playing in the most anticipated regular season game of what has been a historic season. And that’s the game where Draymond Green and Steve Kerr go at it. It was, it was shocking. Like, how could this happen? Really, can this happen? But I think in many ways, that showed the magnitude of the game. The game meant so much to both teams. They realized that the basketball community, everybody was tuned in to watch to see what was going to happen. Even these great Warriors probably felt a little pressure on this particular one, and that’s probably what was part of what happened at halftime.
“We were waiting to see if, ‘OK, is this going to have any impact?’ And we quickly realized that it was going to have zero impact.
ABC’s Lisa Salters served as the game’s sideline reporter. Waiting to interview Kerr outside the visiting locker room, she heard Green yelling profanities, daring and threatening teammates to calm him down, and later in the game reported on her information.
Breen: “I remember coming back out to the court and hearing it, but Lisa Salters was there the whole time. Lisa Salters did an amazing job in getting whatever information she could get, most of it by just being there and hearing it. She wasn’t spying or anything. She was just waiting out to talk to the coach. She was able to gather as much info as she could, and then she did a great job of reporting it. And we’re just looking at each other like, wow, this is unbelievable that this happened.”
Kerr: “I wish it didn’t happen. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. Yeah, it happened. You adapt to things as you go. We have a great relationship of 12 years of going through everything two people can possibly go through, and I love him. It’s like getting into a fight with a family member. It happens, but it doesn’t take away the love.”
Green in the second half and overtime combined to have eight rebounds, eight assists, four steals and four blocked shots.
Steph’s Injury Scare
Curry scored 15 points in the first half and made all four of the Warriors’ 3-pointers. The Warriors opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run and Curry then jumped a Durant pass to Westbrook. Driving to the basket, Curry stumbled and fell into the stanchion. As he was falling, Westbrook leapt and Curry rolled his left ankle, yelling at his teammates to foul since he couldn’t get up and began limping once he was on his feet.
Breen: “The thing that made us wonder was when he turned his ankle. People forget, there was one time earlier in his career where the Warriors, and I don’t think hesitant is the right word, but they had to have a discussion: ‘Are we going to give this young player a big extension?’ And he’s had all sorts of ankle injuries, because he had quite a few of them early in his career. Here he is in this game, and he turns his ankle and he’s hobbling and he has to leave. And now you wonder, ‘Oh no, please. This amazing game is not going to turn because the star player is out with an ankle injury.’ That was the other concern. [The Warriors] just keep overcoming these adversities to lead to what turned into one of the most spectacular endings in a regular-season game that the NBA has ever seen.
Fourth Quarter
The Warriors hung tough without Curry. It was 57-52 when he exited with 10:29 left in the third quarter. And then, he returned with the Warriors down 70-63 and scored 11 points in the final five minutes of the quarter. The Thunder held a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors never went away and brought their best in the final minutes.
Klay Thompson’s 3-pointer with 36 seconds to go in regulation made it a one-point game, 100-99, prompting the Thunder to take a timeout. Durant responded with a 3-pointer of his own to give the Thunder a 103-99 lead with just 14.5 seconds on the clock. Thompson went right by Andre Roberson for an easy layup from an out-of-bounds play after a Warriors timeout, cutting the deficit to two with 11.8 seconds.
Though the Thunder had a timeout at their disposal, the Warriors pulled a perfect trap on Durant, who panicked and threw the ball to halfcourt. Thompson deflects it like a defensive back, Green saves the ball from going out of bounds and gets it back to Thompson, who finds Andre Iguodala for a last-second shot attempt.
Kerr: “Everything is just about strategy at that point. At that point, we’re in Steal, Foul. We call it Steal, Foul. You’re going for the quick steal. You don’t want to foul immediately, because you have time. Perfect trap. It’s exactly what you’re looking for. You’re looking for a moment to trap a guy, cause a difficult pass, make a steal, and it all happened exactly as such, and that’s when Andre got fouled.”
Breen: “It just shows the competitive nature, the back and forth of the game. Oklahoma City, you can’t stress enough what a great team they were. A 12-point lead, or let me put it this way, a 12-point deficit against a team with such an offensive bunch of weapons, like Oklahoma City, that’s not easy to overcome. So much has to go right. We always talk about these different big plays that have happened, and we always focus on the last play and Curry’s 3-pointers, it’s obviously the key to the whole thing. It’s why we talk about this game with such reverence. But there were so many other plays that led to that particular moment. If one of those plays doesn’t happen, the whole thing changes. And that’s the beauty of basketball. Sometimes it’s the big shot, but other times it’s so simple as hitting a big free throw or setting a great screen or getting a deflection. Those all incorporated what happened on that particular game down the stretch that set up the perfect ending for Steph.”
The Free Throws
Iguodala caught the ball with one second left and immediately had a good enough, and quick enough, pump fake to get Durant to leave his feet. Durant is called for a foul on Iguodala’s shot with 0.7 seconds left. On the season, Iguodala was shooting 61 percent from the free-throw line. In the game, he hadn’t shot a single free throw yet. Iguodala makes the first, confidently turns to the Warriors’ sideline and drains the second to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Walking back to the Warriors’ bench, Iguodala shrugs his shoulders as if the two free throws were no big deal.
Kerr: “We get the steal, and then Andre makes a really ballsy play drawing the pump fake and then jumping into Kevin, knowing he was gonna have to make two free throws to tie the game, basically at the buzzer. And then he knocks them down. Andre, you know, not a great free-throw shooter either – a guy who has frequently struggled at the line in his career. Those were two amazing free throws to knock down.”
Breen: “From an announcer standpoint, when you have a game like that and big free throws are coming up, the first thing you do as a play-by-play announcer is you check how many free throws he shot that game. And then you check, is this a great free-throw shooter? Is this an average free-throw shooter? Is this a poor free-throw shooter? He clearly was not having a good season, percentage-wise. But this is one of the smartest players I’ve ever seen. He just had tremendous poise.”
Kerr: “Thinking about it now, it reminded me of when we beat Cleveland in the Finals. I think it was 2017, Game 5, he scored 20 points. It just seemed like the bigger the moment, the better shooter Andre became. And that was a good example.”
Breen: “Are you surprised that he gets the clutch free throws? Not really, because that’s who he was. Great players who have such mental toughness like Iguodala had, that’s what they do. Even a guy who shoots 61 percent from the line, he lives for that moment to show his mental toughness. That’s another thing that makes that game, that particular game, so great, is a player like that, who most people who played with him say he’s one of the all-time great teammates, is able to have his moment and calmly knock down those free throws.
Overtime
The Thunder score the first five points of overtime. Durant fouls out in the first minute-plus and finishes with 37 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and seven 3-pointers. Curry then scores the Warriors’ first seven points of OT and the game is tied 110-110. Back and forth they go, with the Warriors never having the lead until Curry’s final shot.
Before the infamous shot and Breen’s call, Curry’s Splash Brother, Thompson, displayed his two-way impact on both sides of the ball.
Clutch Klay
A Roberson layup gives the Thunder a 118-115 lead with 33.9 seconds left in overtime. Kerr calls a timeout and draws up an out-of-bounds play from the right side where Curry is the passer. Thompson sets a screen for Green up top, back cuts off a Harrison Barnes screen and Green finds him in stride. Absorbing contact from Westbrook, Thompson completes a nifty up-and-under three-point play to tie the game, 118-118, with 29.5 seconds left.
Kerr: “It was a play we ran frequently that year. We had it in our book. It seemed like a good call at the time. It was a different option out of the play that Draymond and Klay sort of made up and ad-libbed. But that’s what basketball players do, you know? The play was something we had run all season long. The guys were very comfortable with it. They both made great reads. The And-1 was particularly fortuitous. To get the free throw on top of that changed the game entirely.”
Thompson then picked up Westbrook full court and ran off a Roberson screen to go 1-on-1 with him. Spectacular defense made Westbrook pick up his dribble and pass the ball to Kyle Singler, who gave it right back to Westbrook, who again tried to go 1-on-1 with Thompson.
No luck. Thompson forced Westbrook to attempt a leaning jumper to his left at the end of the shot clock. The ball bounces hard off the backboard and once off the rim, falling into Iguodala’s hands.
Breen: “Because Thompson is one of the best pure shooters the game has ever seen, Klay’s defense was often overshadowed. That’s the part of that team that I think sometimes doesn’t get the proper recognition. Nobody was better than him. We talk about players who have the ability to hit clutch shots. Well, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and in this instance, Klay, he had the ability to make clutch defensive plays. So much is spoken about the offensive end, but that’s what made him such a special player, and that’s one of the key reasons, his defense, why they won all those championships.
The Shot
When Iguodala grabs the rebound, Curry begins asking for the ball on the left side. Kerr waits a split second and then motions for everybody to go. The Warriors still have one timeout left but opt not to use it with about five or six seconds remaining. Breen even says, “They do have a timeout, decide not to use it,” right before Curry lets it fly.
Kerr: “If we didn’t have Steph Curry, we would have called a timeout, for sure. But because we had Steph, we knew with five seconds he’s gonna dribble up and shoot a 35-footer, and there’s a great chance it’s going in. And we were wrong. He ended up shooting a 40-footer. But it seemed like a much better option against such a long and athletic team, rather than face a set defense with five seconds left and in the front court, just let Steph go.”
Breen: “I understand that strategy, and a lot of coaches prefer to do that. The problem was, there wasn’t a heck of a lot of time, and even Steph says he wasn’t exactly sure where he was when he took the shot, because he could have taken another dribble or two to get a little closer. But he found the spot, and that’s what made it work, because the defense was scrambling in the open floor on a full-court situation. In hindsight, it clearly was the right call, but I’m sure that’s what Steve Kerr was thinking. Like, no, we’re not going to give them a chance to set up their defense. We’re going to let Steph work his magic.”
Kerr: “There was never any other option besides Steph pulling up and shooting. But as I said, I thought maybe he’d get a little closer. But knowing Steph, he likes the flair for the dramatic and I think he relished taking the shot from as deep as he did, honestly. Part of what makes him special is he’s a showman. And even under the most pressure, he wants to put on a show. He’s just one of a kind, and I think he had every awareness of what was happening in the moment, and he just couldn’t wait to shoot a 40-footer to end the game. That’s how confident he is.”
Breen: “As a play-by-play announcer, you just have to watch him and what he’s going to do. I did think it was a little early, but clearly he had the vision and he had the angle to get off his great shot.”
Both teams are scattering to run back. Curry takes three dribbles, barely crosses halfcourt, uses a stutter step and swishes from 38 feet away and less than a second still on the clock to give the Warriors the 121-118 lead for the win in the greatest regular season game in NBA history.
Kerr: “I just looked at Luke Walton and we just started laughing. I have so many great memories of just looking at Luke those two years when Luke was with us. We would just look at each other and shake our head and laugh, like, how lucky are we to be able to coach this guy and witness these miracles. It was a beautiful moment.”
Breen’s famous “Bang!” calls for big shots had become a staple, especially with Curry. On this night, in this moment, he let out his very first Double Bang, yelling, “Bang! Bang! Oh, what a shot from Curry!”
Kerr: “I think I saw it on SportsCenter that night. He got the double. Got the Double Bang. Pretty great.”
The fan came out of Breen. Admittedly, Breen had no idea he had just given Curry his very first Double Bang call, and still doesn’t remember saying the word twice.
Breen: “It was kind of an out-of-body experience. It was just, it was the buildup of the season. It was the buildup of this magical year that Curry was playing on a level that very few have ever played on. So all this buildup comes to this great game, and these two great teams, an amazing comeback, comes out of the locker room from an injury – it’s like one thing after another. If it’s a movie script, the producers are saying, nah, this could never possibly happen. He hits this extraordinary shot, and I just lost it.
“I talk about those moments you want to do justice for the player in their moment. You want to give the call the proper respect that it deserves. But in that time as a basketball fan, I think I became a fan as much as a broadcaster. A fan of the special ability of this young man, and a fan of the greatest game in the world to give the fans a chance to watch something like this. In many ways, yeah, I was a broadcaster calling it, but I was the basketball fan experiencing it. And I think that’s where it came out of because I just, I kind of lost it.
“I do think the first time I heard it back, I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, I sound like a screaming fool.’ It was an emotional call, because you knew you just witnessed something that was one of the great moments in NBA history.”
When did you first realize and understand you had made such an iconic call that will live forever?
Breen: “It’s still hard for me to understand. I think the reason that it resonates is because in many ways, and not to be overly dramatic, but that shot changed the NBA. The legend of Steph Curry was already on the way, but it went to another level with that shot. He was so relatable to so many people, that I think that’s an important part of it. He’s not this overpowering, 6-foot-8, 250-pound sculpted athlete. A lot of people could go down to their local park in a pickup game and there would be a guy his size playing. But he had this incredible talent that was produced, obviously God-given, but also with one of the most incredible work ethics. I think that can never be stated enough.
“He made that shot in that moment because of all the work he put in when nobody was around. To see this young man, who not only has this great talent, but has such a beautiful humility about him, it just was a wonderful thing. He changed the definition of long-range shooting forever. Those shots that he takes now, that one is different because it’s in the final seconds, but a lot of these shots were once considered a bad shot and the coach would take you out of the game. Now it’s a part of the way the NBA is played more so every year, and it’s because of this fabulous talent who happened to hit a shot that won a game that everybody still talks about 10 years later.”
What Breen remembers next isn’t his call or the crowd’s reaction. It’s seeing Curry celebrate with his teammates and start dancing as the perfect representation of who he is and what that game was.
Breen: “I remember him dancing after hitting the shot. I don’t think he was in full shimmy mode by those days. He wasn’t doing the Night Night then. I think the fan in him came out as well. There was such joy in his face and his teammates’ faces. Obviously, we didn’t care who won from a broadcasting standpoint, but there was joy in everybody who watched, because you knew you just saw something special.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to call these games, and it’s an honor and a privilege to be involved in a moment like that, especially with a special player and a special man like Steph.”
Curry can’t wrap his head around it being 10 years since his shot and Breen’s call. He marvels at how spot on Breen was in the details and how easily he met the moment. “I’ve heard it enough now I could go word for word,” Curry says.
To put a bow on a night that forever will be part of Curry’s story, NBC Sports Bay Area asked him how he’d describe his shot and what followed. The answer was pure emotions from pure joy.
Curry: “I blacked out and lost my mind, for sure. For sure.”
Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton raised eyebrows this week when he was heard saying in the Lakers locker room his team is "trying to make me Clint Capela."
Those remarks have indeed gotten back to Capela.
The Houston Rockets center took a playful shot at Ayton Thursday night via his Instagram story. Sharing an ESPN post that contained Ayton's comments, Capela wrote "U got 2 of the best floor general in the game my dawg Lockinnn" and included two crying from laughter emojis.
Capela's comments went up roughly around the time when the Lakers' game against the Suns was concluding. Los Angeles lost a heartbreaker, 113-110, as Phoenix's Royce O'Neale hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds. Ayton struggled mightily in the contest.
Fresh off saying he was "Not no Clint Capela," following the Lakers' prior game, Ayton went out and scored just 2 points on 1-for-3 shooting. He added just 4 rebounds in his 23 minutes.
The performance, coinciding with the Lakers' third consecutive loss, is not likely to quiet down the conversation around the former No. 1 overall pick.
