Category: NBA

According to Tim Bontemps, Keyonte George has a grade two right hamstring strain.

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George has a grade two right hamstring strain, sources told ESPN. He’s expected to be reevaluated in two weeks.

George has had a breakout season in his third year in the NBA for the Jazz, averaging 23.6 points and 6.1 assists in 54 games for Utah.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 13, 2026

A quick Google search reveals that a grade two hamstring strain can take somewhere between three to eight weeks. With the season nearing the end, it doesn’t seem likely we’ll see Keyonte George again. Not only does it benefit the Jazz to lose these games to keep their picks, but it also does no good to put George in harm’s way. Hamstring injuries are tricky at the best of times. On top of that, Utah is not making the playoffs at this point in the season. With Keyonte George’s incredible breakout this season, he’s a core part of the team going forward.

Now, the Utah Jazz have an opportunity to experiment with different players who wouldn’t get playtime normally. Will we see Cody Williams get more experience at the point? Will we have Ace Bailey initiating even more offense? Very likely.

The Boston Celtics continued completed 3-game road trip on Thursday night, with a final stop in Oklahoma City to take on the reigning champs. In what was a brilliant game of basketball, Payton Pritchard had a game winning attempt for three fall short as the C’s dropped a heart breaker in OKC, 104-102. Jaylen Brown had 34 points, Pritchard 14 points and the Boston bench came up big on the road, but it just wasn’t enough.

Roster-wise, Jayson Tatum was ruled out prior to the game due to a scheduled rest night; Derrick White and Nikola Vucevic were also out for the game. That opened the door for Payton Pritchard to return to the starting lineup alongside Brown, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Neemias Queta for Boston. Chet Holgren, SGA, Ajay Mitchell, Lu Dort, and Cason Wallace started for the home team. Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Branden Carlson were all unavailable for OKC.

Pritchard hit the first shot of the game on a mid-range pull-up over Wallace; Dort hit his straight-on triple as both teams eased into the contest. Pritchard nailed his second shot of the night with a step-back over Holmgren — he looked aggressive to start this game after missing the big San Antonio clash.

Hauser got in on the mid-range act; he hit his first shot and would have 5 points after one quarter. Ron Harper Jr. had another nice showing in the first quarter; off the back of his fantastic San Antonio game, he had 5 first-quarter points on 2-3 shooting.

Rookie Hugo Gonzalez played a solid quarter for Boston with 6 points in five and a half minutes. Brown had 8 points, 3 assists, and 2 boards in the first quarter as Boston led 28-27 after the first quarter of play.

Boston scored the first six points to start the 2nd quarter, Jordan Walsh and Luka Garza providing the spark as Boston went up 35-27. Walsh laced a triple as Boston whizzed the ball around the court with a series of fine passes. Boston’s bench was up and rowdy, as they had combined for 21 points of the team’s 38 early points.

Scheierman and Pritchard hit back-to-back shots as Brown watched on from the bench with Celtics up 43-36 on an entertaining start to the game. Brown returned to the game and swung a pass out to Scheierman in the corner; he hit his first triple of the game in front of the Boston bench.

JB was whistled for his third foul of the night, sprinting back on D to attempt a shot block on Wiggins. SGA rattled in his second three-pointer of the game, and he had 13 points with three minutes to go in the first half. Brown crossed over Dort and drove to the bucket; he was fouled with three OKC defenders in his airspace. JB would go 1 of 2 from the stripe; the score is now tied at 47 apiece.

Luka Garza played the role of a stretch big and nailed a big three-pointer. Boston swung the ball to the corner once more and found Hugo for his first triple of the night on the shorter three-point line. Scheierman hit a relocation three as SGA was left flat-footed, the road Celtics hitting the Thunder hard in the first half. A signature Payton Pritchard three at the buzzer of the half saw the C’s up 59-56 thanks to a stellar bench performance after a half of play.

Boston’s bench had 27 points in the first half; the team registered 15 assists on 23-49 shooting. As a team, Boston was 43% from beyond the arc after 24 minutes of play.

JB grabbed a board over Holmgren to start the third and converted on the putback, was fouled, and hit the extra shot. With Vooch out for Boston with a finger injury, Luka Garza was playing well for Boston on both ends. Hauser hit a wide-open three-pointer for the C’s, the team’s eleventh of the night.

Brown took on Ajay Mitchell and rose over him at the free throw line to hit a pull-up jumper. He went to the foul line for two shots on the next play and hit his sixteenth point of the game. SGA hit his 21st point of the game, overtaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record for most consecutive 20+ point games in NBA history. Wilt held the record for a staggering 63 years until tonight.

Scheierman continued his fantastic road trip shooting-wise; he hit his third three of the game from way downtown, giving a thumbs up in recognition of his recent injury. Queta took the smaller OKC players inside and dunked home an emphatic two-hander; Gonzalez stripped Ajay Mitchell in the key during a good third-quarter stretch for Boston, up 79-75.

Jordan Walsh entered the game at the end of the third and immediately grabbed a defensive rebound and dived on the floor for a loose ball. Gonzalez blocked a three-point attempt from Williams; the C’s young bench was providing a spark on the third night off the road trip.

Hugo dumped off a bounce pass to JB in the dunker spot; he rammed home an emphatic dunk for Boston. Hugo crashed into the defensive glass and was fouled by Isaiah Joe on the loose ball gather. Boston would take a three-point lead into the final quarter, 83-80, both teams playing some tremendous ball after three.

Brown dunked home his 27th point of the game on a solo breakaway to start the 4th quarter. OKC levelled the game at 87 points as SGA converted on a finger roll layup with 9 minutes to go. OKC took a two-point lead as Boston recorded a series of scoreless possessions. Garza had an illegal screen on Dort as Boston had 10 turnovers in the 4th quarter.

Boston had a call overturned as Williams grabbed a piece of Pritchard’s jersey as he rolled to the basket. Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff with the great challenge scores tied at 91-91. Both teams combined for just 7-28 from the field at the 5 minute mark of the 4th quarter. Brown was fouled by Dort beyond the three point line he would hit all three attempts to take back a slim one point lead.

SGA drilled a jumper at the foul line for the Thunder to take a four point lead after the C’s had a pair of blown plays. Boston entered the bonus after the Thunder received their 5th team foul, Queta hit both free throws to cut it to 2 points. Pritchard drilled a tough shot over SGA to tie things up at 98-98. Dort was whistled for a trip on Brown, after the refs missed a similar play in the first half, Brown leveling the scores at 100 with 30 seconds to go.

Both teams were out of gas to end it, Boston digging deep with two starters out on a tough road trip. Gilgeous-Alexander hit another mid range jumper for 35th point of the game, OKC up a pair with 29 seconds to go. JB nailed a tough turnaround to even the scores at 102-102. Holmgren hit two free throws with Boston needing a 2 to tie it and a three to win with 0.8 seconds on the clock. Pritchard came up short on the final play of regulation, just short of the game winning three-pointer.

The Boston Celtics now travel home to host the Washington Wizards on Saturday at 6 pm EST.

Oklahoma Nijel Pack hit four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, Derrion Reed had 15 points and 10 rebounds,and No. 11 seed Oklahoma beat sixth-seeded Texas A&M 83-63 in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday night to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

Oklahoma (19-14) plays No. 17 and third-seeded Arkansas — which beat the Sooners 83-79 on Jan. 27 — in the quarterfinals Friday.

Xzayvier Brown added 16 points and Tae Davis had 14 points and nine rebounds. Mohamed Wague had eight rebounds to go with seven points and three blocks.

The Sooners hit six 3-pointers in a 22-5 run that gave them the lead for good and made it 28-11 midway through the first half. Griffen answered with a 3-pointer, but Davis scored the final six points in a 10-0 spurt to give Oklahoma a 24-point lead with five minutes left until halftime.

Pop Isaacs hit back-to-back 3s to spark a 10-0 run that trimmed Texas A&M's deficit to 54-42 with 15:25 left in the game but the Aggies got no closer.

Rashaun Agee had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Texas A&M (21-11). Agee broke the program's single-season record with 13 double-doubles (Tyler Davis had 12 in 2017-18).

Rylan Griffen also scored 13 points and Isaacs added 12.

Oklahoma outrebounded the Aggies 48-33, 19-11 on the offensive glass, and outscored Texas A&M 18-1 in second-chance points.

Up next

Oklahoma: Advances to the semifinals.

Texas A&M: Awaits a potential postseason invitation.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for consecutive games with 20 points or more, scoring 35 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 104-102 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren was fouled on a rebound with 0.9 seconds remaining and made two free throws to break a 102-all tie. Boston’s Payton Pritchard missed a long 3-pointer as time expired.

Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 in 127 consecutive games, topping Chamberlain’s mark that had stood since 1963. He hit a midrange jumper with 7:04 left in the third quarter that gave him 21 points and tied the game at 69-all. He finished with nine assists and six rebounds and made 13 of 18 field goals.

The Thunder won their seventh straight game — all since Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal strain that kept him out of the All-Star Game.

Jaylen Brown scored 34 points for the Celtics. Boston’s Jayson Tatum sat out as he works his way back from surgery to repair his right Achilles tendon. He’s played in three games since his return, including Tuesday’s loss at San Antonio.

NUGGETS 136, SPURS 131

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists, Jamal Murray scored 39 points and Denver rallied to beat San Antonio, snapping its five-game winning streak as Victor Wembanyama sat out with an injury.

San Antonio guard Stephon Castle had 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his third career triple-double.

With the Spurs trailing 132-129, Castle had a 3-pointer rattle off the rim with 20 seconds remaining. Murray sealed the victory with four straight free throws.

After trailing by 20 points early in the third quarter, Murray’s 3-pointer gave Denver its first lead at 121-119 with 4:38 remaining. Murray’s basket was the start of an 11-0 run.

Wembanyama was questionable due to right ankle soreness and ruled out after going through pregame warmups. He must play in 13 of San Antonio’s final 16 games for end-of-season award eligibility.

The Spurs are 10-5 without Wembanyama, who watched from the second row of the team’s bench. San Antonio lost for the first time in 22 games when holding a 20-point lead.

SUNS 123, PACERS 108

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Devin Booker scored 43 points, Jalen Green had 36 and Phoenix beat NBA-worst Indiana for its fourth straight victory and the Pacers’ 11th loss in a row.

Seventh in the Western Conference, the Suns played the second game of a six-game trip they opened Tuesday night with a victory over Milwaukee.

Booker was 14 of 31 from field, hit 4 of 7 3-ponters and made 11 free throws without a miss. He also had seven rebounds and five assists. Green shot 14 of 23, making three 3-pointers. Royce O’Neale had 15 points on 5-of-8 3-point shooting.

Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 23 points — all the first half after he was questionable because of a lower-back problem.

Center Ivica Zubac had eight points and six rebounds in 16 minutes in his Pacers debut. Sidelined by a sprained left ankle since December, Zubac joined Indiana in a trade-deadline deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

PISTONS 131, 76ERS 109

DETROIT (AP) — Duncan Robinson scored 19 points and Eastern Conference-leading Detroit beat Philadelphia for its second straight victory after a season-worst four-game losing streak.

Javonte Green added 17 points, and Jalen Duren had 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Pistons didn’t trail in either victory, beating Brooklyn and Philadelphia by an average of 30 points.

Cade Cunningham, who was double-teamed for much of the game, only took six shots from the floor, matching the third-lowest total of his career. He finished with eight points, but had 13 assists and five rebounds in 28 minutes.

Marjon Beauchamp scored 17 points, and Cam Payne had 15 for Philadelphia. The 76ers have lost five of seven.

Detroit led by 17 points in the second quarter, but the 76ers got back into it by aggressively trapping Cunningham. As a result, he only had eight points in the half and his nine assists were balanced by four turnovers.

MAGIC 136, WIZARDS 131, OT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Suggs scored a season-high 28 points and made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:27 remaining in overtime as Orlando extended its longest winning streak of the season to six games with a victory over Washington.

Two nights after being embarrassed when Miami’s Bam Adebayo scored 83 points against them, the second-highest performance in NBA history, the Wizards fought back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter to tie it when Bilal Coulibaly banked in a 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining.

Coulibaly made another 3 to tie it at 131 with 1:39 to play in OT, but Suggs answered with his 3 and then added two free throws with 56 seconds left.

Tristan da Silva added 26 points, seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks for the Magic, including one on Coulibaly’s drive to the basket in OT. Desmond Bane scored 22 points, Wendell Carter Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Paolo Banchero finished with 18 points and 10 boards.

Coulibably scored a career-high 29 points, but Washington lost its 10th straight. Alex Sarr had 16 points and Trae Young had 15 points and six assists in 21 minutes.

HEAT 112, BUCKS 105

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 21 points in the game following his 83-point performance, Pelle Larsson had a career-high 28 points and Miami beat Milwaukee for its season-best seventh consecutive victory.

Adebayo scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter for the Heat, who remained No. 6 in the Eastern Conference — just percentage points behind No. 5 Orlando, which has won six straight. The Heat and Magic meet on Saturday night.

Kasparas Jakučionis scored 18 points, Davion Mitchell scored 13 and Kel’el Ware grabbed 13 rebounds for Miami.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 31 points for the Bucks, who got 19 points from Bobby Portis Jr. and a 16-point, 10-assist game from Ryan Rollins.

Antetokounmpo had a wide-open 3-point try from the top of the key that would have tied the game with 52 seconds left, but it rimmed out. Larsson controlled the rebound, then made a 3-pointer of his own 24 seconds later for a six-point lead — essentially sealing the win.

Miami again was without Norman Powell (groin), Andrew Wiggins (toe), Tyler Herro (quad) and Nikola Jovic (back).

HAWKS 109, NETS 97

ATLANTA (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Zaccharie Risacher scored 19 points and Atlanta extended the NBA’s longest current winning streak to eight games, beating Brooklyn.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 18 points and CJ McCollum had 14 for Atlanta, which began the streak with a win over Brooklyn on Feb. 22. The Hawks moved into eighth in the Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games behind seventh-place Toronto.

Josh Minott scored a career-high 24 points for the Nets, who have lost 12 of 14. Brooklyn was without leading scorer Michael Porter Jr., who has a sprained right ankle.

The Nets took an 83-82 lead at the start of the fourth quarter before McCollum scored six points during a 10-0 run by the Hawks. Brooklyn got no closer than four points the rest of the way.

MAVERICKS 120, GRIZZLIES 112

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Khris Middleton scored 22 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, Daniel Gafford added a season-best 22 points and Dallas snapped an eight-game losing steak with a victory over Memphis.

Max Christie and Cooper Flagg added 13 points apiece for Dallas. Middleton was 10 of 17 for the game, including 8 of 10 from 3-point range. Gafford added 14 rebounds.

Jaylen Wells led Memphis with 23 points and GG Jackson finished with 20. Javon Small had 19 points and nine assists. Taylor Hendricks had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mavericks, who led by 20 in the first half, were outscored 30-21 in the third quarter and led just 86-84 going into the final period. Middleton had the first 11 Dallas points of the fourth to take the lead back to double digits and went to have the highest-scoring quarter of his career.

LAKERS 142, BULLS 130

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, LeBron James added 18 points in his return after missing three games because of injuries and Los Angeles used a strong third quarter to defeat Chicago.

Doncic scored 50 points for the first time as a Laker following the blockbuster trade that sent him from Dallas to Los Angeles in February 2025. It was Doncic’s 13th 40-point game in 82 appearances for Los Angeles, moving into ninth in franchise history.

Austin Reaves chipped in with 30 points, Deandre Ayton had 23 points and 10 rebounds for his 20th double-double of the season, and the Lakers’ four-game winning streak is their longest since running off seven in a row Nov. 14-30.

Los Angeles moved ahead of the idle Houston Rockets into third place in the Western Conference.

Josh Giddey scored 27 points and Matas Buzelis had 22 for the short-handed Bulls, who have alternated wins and losses over their past six games following 11 straight losses in February.

The Utah Jazz are dealing with multiple injuries this season and are in need of players to fill the roster to finish the season. Here is a list of the Jazz’s most recent transactions.

Utah Jazz waive Mo Bamba

According to Kevin Reynolds, the Utah Jazz have waived Mo Bamba before the end of his 10-day contract because of illness.

The Utah Jazz waived Mo Bamba before his 10-day contract was up.

He contracted an illness and was unable to travel with the team to Portland, Sacramento and Minnesota this week. His 10-day would have run out over that time.

More here: https://t.co/GjJHTqa6yy

— Kevin Reynolds (@Kevinreynolds30) March 13, 2026

It’s too bad that things didn’t work out with Bamba, who will always draw interest with his incredible physical tools. But like with all other teams he’s been on, he didn’t leave any sort of lasting impression and the Jazz are moving on.

Utah Jazz sign Bez Mbeng alongside Andersson Garcia

We got the debut of Andersson Garcia yesterday, who had signed a 10-day contract right before the game.

We have signed forward Andersson Garcia to a 10-day contract.

Details 📰👇#TakeNotehttps://t.co/acvIoOSnjp

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 11, 2026

It looks like with the release of Mo Bamba, the Jazz are also signing Bez Mbeng.

The Utah Jazz are signing Bez Mbeng to a 10-day contract, per sources. The Yale product has spent this 2025-26 season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) March 12, 2026

Mbeng is a defensive standout from Yale who adds to the defensive mentality that Garcia appears to bring.

The Ivy League Player of the Year and 3x Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 6.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals on 44.7% FG on the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Jazz are collecting some defensive dawgs. https://t.co/Cqn4yurclWpic.twitter.com/t9PqVkZGgt

— Kato Pariña (@KatoParinaSLC) March 12, 2026

With the injury to Keyonte George, Utah needs more depth, and they’re adding it with Garcia and Mbeng. It appears the Jazz have found a real piece in Blake Hinson. Will they find another in one of these additions?

The Houston Rockets open a five-game homestand that includes five losable games.

“But Armin,” you say, “the New Orleans Pelicans are 22-45! They suck!”

“Well actually,” I respond as I push my glassed up the bridge of my nose, “the Pelicans are 7-3 over their last 10 games. That includes wins over the Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriror, and Philadelphia 76ers. All three losses came on the road to good teams. Oh, and the Pelicans already have an incredible win over the Rockets back in December. Trust me, I was there and it sucked.

This current run has coincided with Dejounte Murray’s return to the court. Murray is averaging 17.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game in his seven games back. He’s given the Pelicans another shot creator and his defense raises the floor for the entire team.

It also bears mentioning that the Pelicans do not own their own first round pick thanks for the Derrick Queen trade. They have zero reason to tank, and this is their prime opportunity to test proof of concept with their current roster. If they play this well for the next month, they can keep their roster intact and add around the edges in an attempt to make a playoff push next season. If the team starts losing, they can decide whether a full or soft rebuild is the better route. Murray, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy III are going to have suitors and each probably nets at least a first round pick.

After tonight, the Rockets play the Los Angeles Lakers twice, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Miami Heat (on a back-to-back) in Houston.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Alperen Sengun: GTD

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Pelicans

Bryce McGowens: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -6.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Monday night at home against the Los Angeles Lakers

Keith Smith, writing for Spotrac Thursday, reports that once again the Brooklyn Nets will be among the NBA leaders in cap space and spending power in 2026-27. They won’t have the $60 million they did this season, the most in the league, but Smith projects they’ll still be top three with around $46.9 million. That’s behind only the Chicago Bulls ($63.5 million) and the Los Angeles Lakers ($48.4 million.)

Smith puts the Bulls, Lakers and Nets in the top tier of his projections,

Big markets with enough cap space to chase a max player or to go after several players to fill out their roster. Of course, the Lakers are readymade contenders, while the Bulls and Nets are a lot further away.

Smith waited until the trade deadline passed to make the projections since with the exceptions of a few minor roster openings, including one held by the Nets, the financial pictures of all 30 teams are fairly well set.

The trade deadline saw a ton of massive movement, as several teams elected to go the pre-agency route. Those moves saw a lot of potential 2026 spending power evaporate around the NBA.

We’ll likely see a handful of veteran extensions that will get done before the end of the season. But, with most of the roster movement behind us for the time being, it’s time to look forward!

Specifically, Smith has this to say about Brooklyn:

The Nets are very likely to have significant cap space for a second straight summer. Some of this could go toward retaining their own free agents again (Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams both have pending team options), but Brooklyn will have lots of room to again act as a clearing house for unwanted salaries for tax and apron teams. Just send some draft picks or young talent with those undesirable deals. The Nets also don’t have control over their own pick for the 2027 draft.. That could signal a team that is ready to spend to move the roster forward. Look for a measured approach to spending, as opposed to an all-in one.

That of course is what most pundits both national and local expect the organization to do: move from a rebuild to what might be called a build, much like they did in 2018-19 under Sean Marks when a young Nets team won 42 games and finished with the sixth seed. That progress helped convince Kevin Durant and Kyrie to sign as free agents and James Harden to later seek a trade.

Last season, the Nets virtually exhausted their cap space, sending it out in a number of salary dumps. In doing so, they secured two first round picks, the Hawks unprotected 2025 pick (which became Drake Powell) and the Nuggets unprotected 2032 pick, a net of three second rounders, as well as Michael Porter Jr.; Terance Mann; Ochai Agbaji; Josh Minott, Heywood Highsmith; Kobe Bufkin and Hunter Tyson. The latter three were later released.

In addition to $6.3 million team options on Sharpe and Williams, the Nets also hold a $2.5 million team option on Minott. Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson are restricted free agents. Beyond that, Brooklyn presumably will have seven players — roughly half the roster — on rookie deals: Noah Clowney, the Flatbush Five plus whoever they take with their lottery pick.

There’s no rumors as to who the Nets might want to pursue although because of his relationship to Michael Porter Jr. and Denver’s cap crunch, there’s speculation that 6’8” forward Peyton Watson is a player Brooklyn might like.

The Spurs played a valiant game tonight without their best player, but they could not hold on in the fourth under an onslaught of points from Jamal Murray, who scored 39, and Nikola Jokic who scored 31 with 12 assists and 20 rebounds. Stephon Castle had 30, De’Aaron Fox scored 27, and Harrison Barnes had a solid 20 point game in his first game back after an extended absence. The Spurs led by as much as 20 in the first half, but without Wembanyama to anchor the defense, the dynamic duo of Jokic and Murray took over the game in the second half and the Spurs just couldn’t hold them back long enough to eke out a win. It was an important win for Denver, as they are in a close race with all of the teams between third and seventh in the Western Conference within a couple of games. The Spurs still have a solid cushion over the team in third, and will have two more shots this year to face the Nuggets in the remaining 16 games of the season. It was a great win for Denver, and the Spurs will just have to move on to the next game against the Hornets on Saturday.

Observations

• Victor was listed as questionable in the early injury reports, but his status was later updated to OUT, which is tough to take as a fan, but I’d rather see the big healthy for the playoffs than trying to play in every regular season game. I guess it’s time for a big Plumlee game.
• Remember when Carter Bryant couldn’t hit a dunk, that seems like a million years ago. He’s turned from a guy who looked lost on the court to a guy who is a key contributor in just a couple of months. It’s just so fun to watch.
• It’s good to see Harrison Barnes back in uniform. I don’t know if the Spurs are going to be able to bring him back next year, but I think he’s going to be important this year for the Spurs playoff run because of his experience. He might have more playoff experience than the rest of the team put together. I’ll look that up after the game.
• Aaron Gordon was out for Denver, and started Spencer Jones in his place. They lose a lot of offense, but Jones is a very capable defender, and tonight he was hitting his shots.
• The Spurs started out with hot shooting, but a couple of bad turnovers kept them from breaking open the game early, which turned out to be costly later as the Spurs could not build a big enough lead to hold on late in the game.
• Jokic fouled Murray on a drive to the basket, and it was called as Castle’s second personal. Since fouls from your teammates are not considered a reason to get free throws, Mitch Johnson decided to challenge the call. However, the challenge was unsuccessful, and Castle got his second foul, based on touching Murray way before the actual contact that affected his shot.
• The Spurs went on a 14-3 run in the three minutes of the first quarter and let 37-25 going into the second.
• Plumlee looked pretty good in his first extended run in a Spurs uniform. He has quick hands and is a lot more athletic than you’d think by looking at him.
• The Spurs took advantage of Jokic taking a rest early in the second and took a 20 point lead halfway through the quarter with Mason Plumlee dominating Jonas Valanciunas (never thought I’d ever type those words).
• With Jokic back in the lineup for the second part of the second quarter, the Nuggets gnawed into the lead, cutting it to single digits with less than two minutes left. The Spur went on a last minute surge to lead by 16 at the half, leading 69-53.
• The Spurs committed four early fouls in the third quarter as Jokic was distributing the ball as the Nuggets outscored the Silver and Black 11-4 out of the locker room. Mitch Johnson had to call a quick TO to regroup his squad.
• Mitch got a tech early in the third working the refs, and I don’t mind that. Steph takes a ton of contact and he needs to make sure his guys get a fair whistle. It seemed to pay off just a moment later when they called Jokic for his first foul of the night, and later on when Castle was able to get the line on drives to the basket.
• Adelman decided to follow Mitch’s lead with four minutes left in the quarter and earned his own tech. Smart move from the young coach, although he lost the challenge.
• Jamal Murray was extremely active in the third with 16 points in the quarter, but the Spurs held on, leading 106-94 after three quarters.
• Mason Plumlee took over at center to start the fourth, and made an immediate impact with an offensive rebound, while the Nuggets played small without Jokic, and got a couple of quick shots from Jones (isn’t he supposed to be a defensive specialist?) and Strawther for an 11-0 run to cut the Spurs lead to just one point, with Jokic off the court. A pair of clutch buckets from De’Aaron Fox in the paint blunted the Nuggets’ surge, and Adelman had to gather his team on the sidelines for a regroup, and they responded by continuing to go to Murray as they took over the game.
• The Nuggets took their first lead at 121-119 with 4:38 left with a Murray triple, outscoring the Spurs 27-13 to that point in the quarter. They extended the lead to 128-119 with three minutes left in the game, as the Spurs offense fell apart. But these Spurs are resilient. They fought back, and brought the game to within a bucket as Castle had an open shot to tie it up. The shot missed, and the Spurs had to foul with 12 seconds left, leading to a 136-131 Denver victory.

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The home stand finishes on Saturday afternoon with a game against the Charlotte Hornets, who have been really good since the start of the year. The Spurs will have to put up a good effort in that game, or they could get stung. The Silver and Black sometimes shows up out of sorts for these games with an early start, and the the Hornets could make them pay if they don’t wake up on time. It might be time to fire up Boris Diaw’s expresso machine in the locker room once again.

Someone was legally required to win the alleged basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks (22-44) and the Memphis Grizzlies (23-42) at the FedEx Forum on Thursday. Simply by being able to field a team of greater than eight glorified G-Leaguers, the Mavericks were that team, earning a win if only by default, 120-112, in the Home of the Blues.

The Mavericks built a double-digit lead early, which is notable because they came into Thursday’s game having only built a double-digit lead in 22 games this year, the second-worst mark in the league. Dallas tried to give it all back with a lazy third quarter, but beat the Grizzlies for the first time this year in the fourth and final meeting between the two teams.

Khris Middleton was a man on fire in the fourth to bring home the win that snapped the Mavericks’ eight-game losing streak. More on that below, as we’ve got five stats that tell the tale of Thursday’s feel-good(?) win for the Mavs.

3-of-3: Khris Middleton first-quarter 3-point shooting

Khris Middleton came in off the bench with 6:48 left in the first and hit his first 3-pointer of the game from the left corner just two possessions later, extending the Mavs’ lead to 14-9. He stepped back along the left wing for his second of the game two minutes later as part of a little 9-0 Dallas run to make it 20-9. His third came in the final minute of the first quarter from nearly the same spot and put the Mavericks ahead 32-17.

Middleton went 3-of-3 from distance in the first quarter to lead the Mavericks with nine points at the end of one. Dallas led 34-22 with one quarter in the books. Max Christie was the only other Maverick to make a 3-pointer in the first.

Middleton finished with 35 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 8-of-10 shooting from 3-point range in the win at Memphis.

5:58: Grizzlies’ second-quarter stretch without a field goal

The Mavericks held Memphis without a field goal for 5:58 of the second quarter, starting at the 8:28 mark. Already up 10, a 12-2 Dallas run fed the advantage and pushed the lead to 57-37 on Naji Marshall’s driving score with 4:38 remaining in the first half.

At one point, the hapless Grizzlies’ offense missed nine straight field goal attempts in the second. Memphis responded with its first signs of life of the game, a 14-3 run to pull within 61-50 on Taylor Hendricks’ first make of the game, a 3-pointer from near the top of the key with 1:38 left in the half.

The Mavericks led 65-54 at the break.

4: Consecutive double-doubles for Daniel Gafford

Daniel Gafford feasted inside against the smaller Memphis front line, racing to 17 points and eight rebounds in the first half. He finished with 22 and 14 in the win. His free throw with just under nine minutes to play broke his previous season-high mark, which came just five days ago in the Mavericks’ 122-92 loss at the Toronto Raptors.

The win over the Grizzlies was Gafford’s fourth straight double-double, a good sign after injuries and the absence of a certain Slovenian superstar in the lineup have pushed his production into the commode this season. He grabbed his 10th rebound with 9:30 remaining in the third quarter and consistently showed more lift to his game, albeit against a diminutive set of bigs opposite him.

3:56: Mavericks’ scoreless stretch late in the third

Marvin Bagley III drove for a score with 3:58 remaining in the third to put Dallas ahead 84-74, and the Mavericks did not hit another shot from the field for the rest of the quarter. They wouldn’t have scored any points at all were it not for a bail-out foul with Middleton in the air attempting a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining.

Middleton made 2-of-3 at the line for the Mavs’ first points in nearly four minutes to give Dallas a slim 86-84 lead going into the fourth. Memphis outscored the Mavericks 30-21 in the frame, as Dallas went 1-of-8 from deep after halftime.

22: Middleton’s fourth-quarter scoring

Khris w b2b 3s….BENCH HIM pic.twitter.com/URbZxZE8MP

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) March 13, 2026

Those two free throws were part of Middleton’s personal 11-0 run, as the trade deadline acquisition scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter. He nailed two more 3-pointers from the top of the key to extend the Mavs’ lead to 92-84 with 11:20 to play. Then, he was fouled on another 3-point attempt by Memphis rookie Javon Small the next time down.

His baseline jumper two possessions later gave him 13 straight points for the Mavericks and 24 for the game, singlehandedly pulling Dallas out of a tailspin in the process. His mid-range fadeaway with 8:15 left gave Middleton a new season-high 26 points, and he finished with 35.

When his seventh 3-pointer of the game fell despite a hand in his face from the left corner with two minutes to play, his 19 fourth-quarter points became the most of any Mavs player this year in the final frame. He hit his eighth the next time down for good measure to give him 22 in the fourth and 35 for the game. At 34 years of age, it was the highest scoring quarter of Middleton’s career. He hadn’t had a 30-point game in nearly three years.

He was, as they say, on one as Dallas went home with the 120-112 win.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stands alone.

The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player has surpassed Hall of Fame icon Wilt Chamberlain for consecutive games with at least 20 points scored, with 127. Gilgeous-Alexander set the mark Thursday, March 12 with a jumper from near the top of the key midway through the third quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game against the Boston Celtics, an eventual 104-102 Thunder victory.

Playing in front of his home crowd, the fans in attendance anticipated the record when Gilgeous-Alexander caught the ball before erupting in cheers when he swished it. The public address announcer at the Paycom Center announced the record, and a graphic on the Jumbotron commemorated the moment.

“None of the things I accomplish would matter if we weren’t winning,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the game. “I probably wouldn’t have the streak if we weren’t winning. I know that and I understand that. It’s why you play the game. I was crying when I was nine years old because I lost an (Ontario Basketball Association) championship. You don’t want to lose.

“The streak is the streak. The awards are the awards. But the thing I’m most proud of is winning.”

SGA HAS PASSED WILT FOR THE LONGEST 20+ POINT STREAK IN NBA HISTORY 🚨

Shai: 127
Wilt: 126 pic.twitter.com/Fftlo3ISrY

— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2026

He finished the game with 35 points on an extremely efficient 13-of-18 shooting night, adding 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals.

Gilgeous-Alexander got off to a somewhat slow start early in the first quarter, though he did finish the period with 10 points after he attacked the rim and got to the line. He shot 2-of-3 from the field in the period, converting 5-of-6 free throws in the first. He added 7 points in the second period as Oklahoma City tried to cut Boston’s lead before the end of the first half.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 4 points in the third quarter, as the Celtics continued to blitz him with double-teams to try to force the ball out of his hands. His 8 assists through three quarters led all players.

He came alive in the fourth, adding 14 points in the period to close out what was a tightly-contested, back-and-forth game. Gilgeous-Alexander scored six of Oklahoma City's final eight points to help put Boston away.

“I’ve reflected on it,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the game. “You get lost in the season and you take for granted what you’re watching every night, but No. 1: he’s surgical at his craft — no one is more precise with their craft than he is. And No. 2: the whole life of the streak has not prevented us from having a ton of team success and hasn’t prevented his teammates from having success, either. …

“And then, great father, great husband, great teammate. Treats everybody in the building, from top to bottom, with dignity. So, obviously, he’s a great basketball player. But he’s the kind of person you couldn’t be happier for.”

A four-time All-Star, Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, entered the night ranked second in the NBA in scoring with 31.7 points per game, trailing only Lakers guard Luka Dončić.

One of the more consistent players in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander tied Chamberlain on March 9 when the Thunder topped the Denver Nuggets. In that game, he dropped 35 points, 15 assists and 9 rebounds and laced the eventual game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds.

The record signals both Gilgeous-Alexander’s availability and steady production; the last time he failed to surpass 20 points in a game came early last season, on Oct. 30, 2024, when he scored 18 in a victory against the Spurs.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Chamberlain are the only two players in NBA history to have a 20-point scoring streak of at least 100 games. The following players on the list are Chamberlain again (92), Oscar Robertson (79), Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant (72) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (71).

Chamberlain, however, was pouring in the points during his best streak. Over those 126 games, he averaged 49.2 points per game. The streak began Oct. 19, 1961 and ended Jan. 19, 1963, after Chamberlain was ejected just four minutes into a game.

Another area where Gilgeous-Alexander has surpassed Chamberlain during their respective streaks is in the win-loss column. After Thursday night’s game against Boston, the Thunder have gone 103-24 in games when Gilgeous-Alexander reached at least 20 points; Chamberlain’s Warriors went just 66-60 during his streak.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breaks Wilt Chamberlain NBA points record

CHICAGO (AP) — Donovan Dent had 12 points, 12 assists and a career-high 10 rebounds — the first triple-double in the history of the Big Ten Conference Tournament — to help sixth-seeded UCLA beat No. 14 seed Rutgers 72-59 on Thursday night in the third round.

Dent became the fifth player in program history to record a triple-double, joining Bill Walton, Toby Bailey, Jelani McCoy and Kyle Anderson.

UCLA (22-10) plays No. 11 and second-seeded Nebraska in the quarterfinals Friday.

Tyler Bilodeau led the Bruins with 21 points, Trent Perry scored 12 and Eric Dailey Jr. 10.

Dailey hit a jumper and then threw down a fast-break dunk before Bilodeau made a 3-pointer to spark a 14-2 run that made it 46-31 with 15:18 left in the game and UCLA led by at least nine the rest of the way.

Lino Mark led Rutgers (14-19) with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Tariq Francis, who set a the program record for points in a Big Ten Tournament game with 29 as the Scarlet Knights beat Minnesota 72-67 in the second round, finished with six points on 2-of-11 shooting against the Bruins.

The Bruins beat Rutgers 98-66 at home Feb. 3.

Up next

UCLA: Plays Nebraska, which the Bruins beat 72-52 on March 3, on Friday.

Rutgers: Season complete.

___

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The Dallas Mavericks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-112 Thursday night in Memphis, snapping the Mavericks eight-game losing streak.

Khris Middleton had a career night, with 35 points off the bench, 22 of those coming in the fourth quarter. It was the highest scoring quarter of Middleton’s career and nearly a Mavericks team record for points in a quarter, which Dirk Nowitzki holds with 29.

It was a very wild game, which is part for the course for this Mavericks team. Memphis was extremely interested in losing this game by any means necessary, dressing only eight players and their starting lineup featuring mostly G-League-tier players. GG Jackson, Jaylen Wells, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper were the only credible NBA players that played for the Grizzlies tonight, and Hendricks inexplicably came off the bench and only played 24 minutes, despite scoring 17 points. Memphis wanted to lose this game.

The Mavericks, to their credit (or discredit, depending on what side of the tanking coin you fall on), did what they always do: play hard as hell. Dallas opened up a double-digit lead in the first quarter, before extending it to 20 before halftime.

Turnovers and sloppy play doomed the Mavericks in the third, where Memphis actually tied the game late in the quarter before the Mavericks got some late free throws to take a lead into the fourth.

From there it was the Middleton show, and Dallas comfortably one what was once a nail-bitter. Here’s what we noticed.

Khris Middleton was insane

The numbers don’t do Middleton’s night justice, although the numbers themselves are great: 35 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and 8-of-10 from three. Middleton didn’t rack up a lot of assists, but that’s because he was letting it rip as soon as he had the ball, and you can’t blame him.

Middleton scored 16 of the Mavericks first 20 points of the fourth quarter. He started with catch-and-shoot threes, then worked the mid-range with some post-ups, and by then it was over: he started raining down heat-check threes and desperation, bail-out long twos at the end of the shot clock. The Grizzlies did nothing to disrupt his rhythm and once Middleton was locked in, the game felt done and dusted.

There will be a segment of the Mavericks fan base dismayed that a 34-year-old veteran that doesn’t figure into the Mavericks long-term plans costing the team a crucial tank loss, but who cares. Yes, it would be cooler if the Mavericks won games behind their youth, especially Cooper Flagg, but Dallas lost eight in a row before this. Middleton can have a career-game, as a treat.

Paint points, again

Dallas is a top-five team in scoring in the paint, and they did it again against Memphis. The Mavericks went 24-of-34 in the restricted area and 8-of-15 in the “floater range” (in the paint, outside the restricted area.

Daniel Gafford was the biggest reason, with a monster 22-point, 14-rebound effort. Gafford had six offensive rebounds, and the Mavericks as a team had a ridiculous 21 offensive rebounds. All those second opportunities led to some easy putbacks and paint finishes. Dallas’ size was a clear advantage all game.

Cooper Flagg is still rusty

Cooper Flagg hasn’t really had a good game yet since coming back from his foot injury that sidelined him for three weeks. He struggled again tonight with 13 points on 16 shots.

His jumper is kind of broken again. Flagg was a decent 6-of-11 in the paint, but missed every single jumper he took, going 0-for-5 on jumpers. He just doesn’t look the same before the injury and surely part of that is timing, conditioning, and natural rust from such a long layoff.

There’s nothing too much to fret here, Flagg is the future and is allowed to have a bad week of games. But it is a bummer when he was skyrocketing upward right before his injury. It feels like Flagg got knocked back into November 2025, and it’s like his development just hit rewind. That’s not the real story, and Flagg will be fine. These games have just been a bummer for him.

We’ve finally hit the home stretch. Brooklyn Nets games are feeling more and more like exhibitions. Players that are merely passing through see big minutes, only to be remembered by the most die-hard fans.

On Thursday afternoon, the Nets shut down Day’Ron Sharpe for the season. Sharpe, with a torn ligament in his thumb, joined #8 overall pick Egor Dëmin as the first Nets to skip ahead to the offseason. They may not be the last.

On Thursday night, the Nets faced the Atlanta Hawks, who won the previous matchup in Barclays Center on February 22. The Hawks had not lost a game since, beating up on a bunch of bad and/or injured teams for seven in a row. With Michael Porter Jr., Ziaire Williams, and Nolan Traore also missing action, the Hawks had a golden opportunity to make it eight.

The Nets played their part early on, starting three rookies next to Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney, who largely struggled…

couple rough turnovers for the rookies (last time I'll post about Saraf not getting to two feet), thought Jordi might sub em out pic.twitter.com/UmIByspfKe

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 12, 2026

Ben Saraf scored ten points for the second consecutive game, the first time in his career he’s done so, shooting 4-of-7 with four assists and five turnovers. Drake Powell and Danny Wolf combined to shoot 6-of-20 with five turnovers, occasionally dribbling into traffic without a plan, overwhelmed by Atlanta’s gaggle of feisty defenders. Much to Jordi Fernández’s dismay, the Nets turned it over 20 times.

So, a blowout with no bright spots, eh? Not quite. A second unit seemingly designed to maximize the tank…

The Nets' second unit tonight:

Tyson Etienne
Terance Mann
Jalen Wilson
Chaney Johnson
Josh Minott

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 13, 2026

…actually outperformed the starters. Fernández even expanded the rotation to 11 players, as E.J. Liddell earned 12 second-half minutes. That means all three two-way players touched the court — not to mention Josh Minott, who has spent some time with Long Island lately — and they all held their own.

Tyson Etienne fouled out but hit two 3-pointers, and his lineup kept the game close in the first half. Same for Chaney Johnson, who played hard and finished with a 3/3/3 statline. Liddell scored four points with six boards, but may have had the sequence of the night for Brooklyn…

E.J. Liddell doing WORK on both ends. #NETSonYESpic.twitter.com/Xk6TRcHx2k

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 13, 2026

Alas, it was Josh Minott who turned in the night’s most important performance. If the rest of his season is an audition — as Brooklyn has a team-option on his contract for next year — he certainly aced Thursday night. The 3-and-D wing was everywhere, doing more than just sitting in the corner and talking on defense.

Minott posted a ravishing 24/3/1/3/3 line, the 24 points a new career-high. He shot 4-of-7 from deep and took ten free-throws while bringing the athleticism and physicality that Brooklyn has long missed from their wings…

Josh Minott put up 24/3/1/3/3 today, a career-high in points while bringing defensive activity and general force/athleticism, the performance Nets fans have been waiting for: pic.twitter.com/rGGQqY6Lnz

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 13, 2026

Fernández made sure to point out that he thought Chaney Johnson was “awesome” defensively, before praising Minott: “It was great. He was aggressive, I mean, you see the line … a little bit more rebounding, maybe, because that’s where we struggle and he provides size.”

Thanks to a cold shooting night from Atlanta and the energy of the Brooklyn bench, the grabbed a lead in the fourth quarter. Somehow. Sure, they got killed on the glass (22-4 in second-chance points) and in the turnover department again, but they fought, and Atlanta seemed stunned.

Then it was tanking time. Claxton and Clowney did not return in the fourth quarter. Nor did Terance Mann. Nope; the most experience Net on the court for winning (losing) time was Minott, and even then, he was subbed out for a couple minutes midway through the quarter. The magic finally ran out. Atlanta used an 11-0 run to seal the deal, quickly shaking off the embarrassment of a potential nail-biting end to a contest against benchwarmers and two-way players.

The Nets, meanwhile, did what they’ve long been reluctant to do and got shameless with it. Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton (combined 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting) weren’t lighting the world on fire, but relegating them to cheerleader-status in the closing minutes certainly didn’t help Brooklyn’s chances of winning.

Jalen Johnson went right at his overmatched competition to score nine of his 21 points in the final frame while CJ McCollum played a supporting role, and the Hawks handled business. So did the Nets, for that matter.

Said Fernández: “I thought everybody played the right way, even though I put them in different spots … We had a group that was very physical right there, [Atlanta] got a little stagnant because we switched a little bit. So I thought that all that was very positive.”

It was. The Nets really went for the tank, and it worked. It wasn’t even that much of an eyesore Though Drake Powell shot just 4-of-13, it marked the first time he’s taken more than ten shots in a game, while Minott gave fans real hope that he indeed may be a steal. Will this behavior continue for the final 16 games? I can’t wait to find out.

Final Score: Atlanta Hawks 108, Brooklyn Nets 97

Milestone Watch

• For Minott, three steals tied a season-high, accomplished with both Boston and Brooklyn. His 24 points, four triples, and eight free-throws are all career-highs.

Tankathon Standings

The Nets, sadly, did not gain any ground in the tank-off. The Washington Wizards took the Orlando Magic to overtime but did not pull off the upset on Thursday night, while the Indiana Pacers lost regular style. The Sacramento Kings were off. Here’s the standings, courtesy of Tankathon…

Next Up

Brooklyn wraps up their brief two-game road trip by visiting the Philadelphia 76ers. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Atlanta Hawks 108, Brooklyn Nets 97 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Atlanta Hawks 108, Brooklyn Nets 97 (Video) – NBA
• Frank breaks down Josh Minott’s career night (Video) – Nancy Newman & Frank Isola – YES Network
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Jalen Johnson scores 21 as Hawks beat Nets 108-97 for 8th straight win – Maura Carey – AP
• Day’Ron Sharpe is done for season, short-handed Nets fall to Hawks – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ Josh Minott drops career-high 24 points in 108-97 loss at Hawks – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY
• Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe ruled out for season due to ligament tear in thumb – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

The Milwaukee Bucks battled, but were unable to extinguish the Miami Heat, losing 112-105 as the Heat won their seventh straight game. Despite not having Tyler Herro, the Heat pulled through because of Pelle Larson, who had a career-high 28 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 31 points were not enough.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

A new starting lineup was rolled out for Milwaukee: Kevin Porter Jr. returned and started in place of Ryan Rollins. The Bucks began the game sluggishly on offense, unable to get any easy looks near the rim. Miami slowly extended its lead as the quarter progressed, while Milwaukee continued to struggle to generate any good offense, dribbling the ball excessively, which resulted in turnovers. Bobby Portis did his bit to come in and provide something on that end, but the Heat had an answer at every turn. Milwaukee trailed 31-21 after the first quarter

The second quarter was much better for Milwaukee, as they found their rhythm on both ends (the Heat went four minutes without a field goal). Bobby Portis hit some jumpers, and Taurean Prince scored his first points since returning from neck surgery. Giannis found a breakthrough too, throwing down some dunks and asserting his will. The Bucks’ three-ball was falling (primarily from Rollins and Turner), which helped them come back to tie the game at 51. However, Miami would end the final two minutes on an 8-0 run, taking a 59-51 lead into halftime.

Milwaukee continued its trend of starting the third quarter flat-footed as Miami scored a quick five points. The Bucks didn’t score a field goal for the first four and a half minutes—and 7 minutes of game time between the second and third quarters—before Giannis finally broke the drought. Milwaukee’s bench reduced the deficit somewhat, going on an 11-2 run in a three-minute stretch, but the Bucks still ended the third quarter trailing 85-77.

The bench (plus Giannis) continued to slowly chip away at the Heat’s lead to open the fourth. After not scoring for the first three quarters, Kyle Kuzma scored five straight points to get the visitors within just two points halfway through the fourth as the Bucks went on a 10-2 run, forcing a Miami timeout halfway through the frame. Milwaukee kept it close throughout the fourth quarter—getting back to that two-point margin later after a Jericho Sims and-one—but the Heat kept getting to the charity stripe and extending the lead. Still, the Bucks had a shot with less than a minute remaining to tie the game with a three; the problem was… it was Giannis who shot it (with heaps of time left on the shot clock, I might add). The Heat got the rebound, came down, and kicked it out to Pelle Larsson, who made his three. Game over.

Stat That Stood Out

The only reason the Bucks were even in this game was because of their bench. Milwaukee’s bench scored 56 points—led by Bobby Portis with 19—and outscored all the non-Giannis starters combined.