Category: NBA

It’s time for harsh truths. Cold, unrelenting reality. Words must no longer be minced.

The Houston Rockets’ situation has materially worsened in 2025-26.

Place the blame where you will. Ime Udoka’s offense lacks sophistication. Rafael Stone picked Jalen Green with the most consequential draft pick of the rebuild. Kevin Durant has a burner.

Each of the young players is flawed. This won’t devolve into a “who are the Rockets trading” piece. It’s a tangentially related “the Rockets will have to trade someone” piece.

Again: Cold, unrelenting reality.

Rockets’ rebuild did not go according to plan

It may be cold, but it shouldn’t be particularly surprising.

Historically, this is the rebuilding cycle, whether a team tanks or not. You have low expectations as a young team, start winning games as an up-and-coming squad, the expectations rise, and then you see if any of your young players can meet them at the highest level. If even one can, you’ve found your franchise player:

If nobody does, then nobody is safe.

That’s when consolidation happens. It’s a dirty word for “young core” enthusiasts. Fine, but NBA years are like dog years – each year is more than a year.

In a couple of seasons, the Rockets’ “young core” will be an “in-prime core”. If you think they project as title contenders, it would be impossible for us to have a conversation. I think that’s utterly delusional.

(Luckily, this is not a conversation, and you are a captive).

Sorry, I do. Let’s talk about it. Alperen Sengun has regressed to his previous standard on defense. He’s as inefficient as ever on offense. If this looks like a franchise player to you…again, delusion is the word.

The same goes for Amen Thompson. I’m not trying to play favorites. His one-level scoring will be exposed in the postseason. Even if Houston ditched Sengun for a floor spacing big and ran a pick-and-spread offense around Thompson, there’s little evidence that it would be viable. The Spurs would love to defend that offense in a seven game four game series.

Reed Sheppard? The last bastion of hope. This is the one player who it’s too soon to dismiss. He’s been outstanding as a sophomore. Yet, as early as it would be to dismiss him, it would be equally early to coronate him. All of which is to say, it would be better to keep him, but he shouldn’t hold up consolidation either.

Moreover, even the idea of running a “team first, no franchise player” team is problematic. To make that work, the synergy needs to be perfect. It isn’t with this team. Sengun and Sheppard are a rough defensive pairing. Sengun and Thompson are a poor offensive pairing.

This is the situation the Rockets are in. They tanked for three years (plus a bonus year of reaping the Nets’ rewards), and they didn’t net a franchise-caliber player or a perfectly constructed roster. They just didn’t.

It’s not as egregiously unfortunate as many will frame it. In that entire window, the only high lottery picks who turned out to be one of those have been Victor Wembanyama and Cade Cunningham. Even Paolo Banchero, the patron saint of Rockets’ would-bes, hasn’t met that bar. This happens. It’s happened before. The question is this:

What happens when it happens?

Rockets need to rebuild the rebuild

The year is 2018. The Toronto Raptors are the second-best team in the Eastern Conference almost annually, but they are second by such a massive margin that it’s moot. The team is homegrown. It’s talented. Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Jakob Poeltl. It is never going to win a championship as constructed:

So, they trade for Kawhi Leonard.

The year is now 2019. LeBron James has joined the Lakers for no reason other than they’re the Lakers. That may break the analogy for you, but the Rockets did land Kevin Durant for just a bit more than nothing, so the situations are comparable enough. Beyond James, the Lakers have a similar collection of strong, but sub-elite talent. Brandon Ingram. Lonzo Ball. Josh Hart. Julius Randle. None of these guys are a viable co-star for James:

So, they trade for Anthony Davis.

Turn the clock back further. Now it’s 2007. Sorry, the time machine is on the fritz. The Boston Celtics have a solid group of young talent. Rajan Rondo, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green. Not going to win a championship, etc.

Yada yada yada, Kevin Garnett.

Take a deep look in the mirror. Be brutally honest with yourself. Take a look at this Rockets core.

Do we have Baby Jokic, Turbo Igoudala, White Curry, and wings? Or, does this look a bit more like Siakam, Anunoby, and Poeltl. Ingram, Ball, and Hart.

(OK, it’s probably better than Rondo and Jefferson).

So, what should the Rockets do?

The Rockets need to make a decision soon

It doesn’t have to be this summer. It doesn’t have to be Giannis. If the Rockets want to kick the can, they can wait to see if they can find a franchise-caliber diamond in the rough in the 2027 draft. Heck, they could wait for the 2029 draft. They have major skin in that game with multiple swap rights with potential lottery teams, but good luck selling Tilman Fertitta on waiting four more years for a “guy”.

So Antetokounmpo should be on the table. Nothing should be sacred between these walls. Still, Antetokounmpo is not the perfect answer. No matter who the Rockets move, they’ll be pairing him with another non-spacer unless they’re moving both Sengun and Thompson.

Alternatively, Antetokounmpo is almost certainly the best player who’s going to shake loose during the Rockets’ consolidation window. Remember: That window isn’t particularly wide. Once these guys are in-prime players, teams will be thinking about their next deal. In two seasons, Alperen Sengun will be two (or three, pending his player option) seasons away from his first non-rookie deal.

As it stands, Reed Sheppard is an outstanding value on his rookie contract. When it comes time for his rookie extension, his team will have to answer (theme alert) difficult questions. The same holds for Amen Thompson, only a year sooner. How much do you pay the best defensive wing in basketball if he’s a non-shooting role player?

None of this is optimal, but can we be realistic for a moment? The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, and Dylan Harper would be the Rockets’ franchise player. The Thunder. Period.

Sure, that’s just two teams. Otherwise, as Nikola Jokic eventually ages, the Rockets have an opportunity to solidify themselves as the third-best team in the Western Conference for years to come.

…Hang the banner.

The third-best team in the conference consolidates, especially with another half-decade as the fourth-best team in front of them. It isn’t good enough to win an NBA championship.

This isn’t what we wanted. It wasn’t Plan A. Historically speaking, it is the de facto Plan B.

Rockets fans will say that our guys are not being optimized. There’s some truth in that. Ime Udoka’s read-and-react offense is suboptimal for a roster that’s light on pass/dribble/shoot players. Yet, that points to the broader issue:

This roster is light on pass/dribble/shoot guys.

It’s heavy on specialists. Players who are outlier strong in one area, but struggle in another. The closest player to reaching pass/dribble/shoot in the young core is Sheppard, and only time will tell if Udoka can scheme around his defensive shortcomings.

Maybe you love these kids. Perhaps you’ve grown attached. That’s cute, but if you take a long, honest look at the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, it’s impossible to come away feeling like the Rockets have enough.

Harsh, but true.

Even as Tatum returns, Jaylen Brown continues to level up his passing originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

A few minutes before the ejection that stole the spotlight of the Celtics-Spurs showdown, Jaylen Brown calmly dribbled out of an impending corner trap with Victor Wembanyama racing his way, then patiently examined the floor before feeding Sam Hauser for a straightaway 3-pointer.

It was Brown’s seventh assist in little more than 10 minutes of floor time. Brown had fed five different teammates with those helpers and was fueling Boston’s early offense with his combination of scoring and playmaking.

Overshadowed by his scoring output in the absence of Jayson Tatum, and further clouded by Tuesday’s ejection when an official overstepped his bounds, Brown has leveled up as a playmaker in recent weeks and is confidently making all the right reads on the floor.

For all the consternation about shot distribution and how the offense would run upon Tatum’s return from a nine-plus-month absence, Brown’s playmaking numbers have spiked both before and after Tatum’s season debut. Over the two-and-a-half games he’s been available with Tatum back in the lineup, Brown is averaging 7.3 assists per game leading to 19.3 assist points created per game. 

If maintained for the season, that potential assists mark would rank just outside the top 20 in the entire NBA, while the assist points created would slot in the top 10. For a comp: Luka Doncic generates 21.2 assists points per game on 8.5 assists (and 14.0 potential assists) this season. 

Just look at Brown’s playmaking uptick both over Boston’s last 10 games, and especially since last season:

Teammates’ shooting percentages off Brown feeds over the last three games are rather astounding: Boston players are shooting 58.1 percent off Brown passes in that span. The biggest beneficiary has been Derrick White, who is 5-for-7 (71.4 percent) off Brown feeds in those games.

Take out Tatum (1-4 FG off Brown passes) and Payton Pritchard (4-10 FG on Brown passes) and the rest of Boston’s roster is shooting 69 percent (20-for-29) off Brown feeds in those games.

Suyash Mehta robbed all of us of the opportunity to see what kind of assist numbers Brown might have put up overall in Tuesday’s showdown between two of the best teams in the NBA. Brown always seems to thrive in these big-stage moments, particularly with other MVP-caliber players across the court. But his outburst after a lack of a whistle on a turnover left him susceptible to getting tossed.

Brown’s assist percentage for the season is at 25.6 percent, which ranks in the 99th percentile among wings, per Cleaning the Glass data. It’s 5.2 percent higher than last year’s mark and easily the best mark of his career. 

Brown averages 13.7 potential assists per 100 possessions, ranking in the 91st percentile overall. Teammates have an effective field goal percentage of 69 percent on his feeds, which ranks in the 70th percentile. When Brown limits his turnovers, his playmaking stats further leap off the page.

The best version of the Celtics moving forward is when the Brown/Tatum combo is able to use all the attention they draw to bring out the best in the supporting cast. It’s no surprise that White’s scoring has already spiked since Tatum’s return. 

Brown shouldered a heavy load in Tatum’s absence, and even after Tatum’s return, Brown is using his playmaking to continue elevating everyone around him.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Brooklyn Nets head to State Farm Arena tonight to face the Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference clash. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Jalen Johnson has found his best shooting lately, and I’m eyeing him to ball out in my Nets vs. Hawks predictions.

Read more in my NBA picks for Thursday, March 12.

Nets vs Hawks prediction

Nets vs Hawks best bet: Jalen Johnson Over 22.5 points (-120)

Jalen Johnson has been the Atlanta Hawks' best player this season, averaging 23 PPG. The Duke product has broken onto the scene, and he’s killing the competition lately. Johnson has cashed the Over in back-to-back games.

The 24-year-old erupted for 35 against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday before dropping 27 points on Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks. Johnson is averaging 24.5 PPG this season against the Brooklyn Nets, who just allowed 138 points to the Detroit Pistons.

Nets vs Hawks same-game parlay

CJ McCollum is averaging 3.8 dimes in 25 games with the Hawks since coming over in the Trae Young trade. He’s cashed the Over in assists in four straight appearances.

Dyson Daniels is questionable tonight, which means there could be even more playmaking duties on CJ’s shoulders. Whether Daniels plays or not, though, McCollum will drop at least four dimes.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has hit the Over in treys in three straight, and he was 3-for-9 against the Nets at the end of February. Brooklyn is dead last in the Association in opponent three-point percentage, with teams shooting 38.2% from deep against them.

Nets vs Hawks SGP

• Jalen Johnson Over 22.5 points
• CJ McCollum Over 3.5 assists
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 2.5 made threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: Brooooooklyn!

Brooklyn only lost by 11 to the Hawks on February 22, and they’ve actually won two of their last three. I still expect Atlanta to win here at home, but the Nets will make it relatively competitive.

Nets vs Hawks SGP

• Jalen Johnson Over 22.5 points
• CJ McCollum Over 3.5 assists
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 2.5 made threes
• Brooklyn Nets +15

Nets vs Hawks odds

• Spread: Nets +14 (-110) | Hawks -14 (-110)
• Moneyline: Nets +637 | Hawks -950
• Over/Under: Over 226.5 (-110) | Under 226.5 (-110)

Nets vs Hawks betting trend to know

The Atlanta Hawks have hit the Moneyline in 14 of their last 20 games (+8.80 Units / 21% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Hawks.

How to watch Nets vs Hawks

Nets vs Hawks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

After playing nine of their last 10 games at home, the Bucks are back on the road tonight taking on the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Losers by 15 to the Suns, Milwaukee will need every bit of juice it has against a Miami team that has won six on the trot, including a 150-129 demolition of the Washington Wizards in which perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Bam Adebayo scored 83 points! Tonight’s game is the final regular-season matchup between the teams, with the Heat taking the first matchup behind 29 points from Tyler Herro, and the Bucks winning the second thanks to Kevin Porter Jr.’s clutch play down the stretch.

Where We’re At

In a reversal of their season-long trend of small-ball, the Bucks have opted to go big lately, starting Myles Turner, Giannis, Kyle Kuzma, Ousmane Dieng, and Ryan Rollins. That’s a whole lot of length, Rollins’ 6’10” wingspan the only one under seven feet. And while the results haven’t been there in the win column, it at least bodes better in theory while enabling the Bucks to look towards the future—namely, what role Dieng plays in it. As a starter, Dieng has certainly been promising, averaging 11.8 PPG on .475/.406/.500 shooting, 6.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 0.8 BPG in 31.2 MPG across six games, and of the five-man lineups he’s been part of, this is the most successful one (-2.2 net rating, while all others are -17.5 or worse). Food for thought.

The Miami Heat, on the other hand, are firing on all cylinders despite their extensive injury report. Now up to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, the Heat are just three games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (i.e., within striking distance of a top-four finish), and have recorded recent quality wins against the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons. But all the latest talk, rightfully so, has been on Bam Adebayo’s history-making performance against the Wizards. His 83-point outburst is now the second-highest scoring total in NBA history. Wilt, Bam, then Kobe. Let that sink in. This season, Adebayo has struggled offensively against the Bucks (17.5 PPG, 43% FG), so his offensive explosion comes at unideal timing from a Bucks’ perspective. Regardless, Milwaukee mustn’t be too Bam focused, as Tyler Herro (26.3 PPG on .537/.517/.947 to go along with 5.5 RPG and 4.8 APG) and Jamie Jaquez Jr. (16.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.0 APG) have also been balling over the past five games, giving the Bucks more than enough reasons to keep 911 on speed dial.

Injury Report

For the Bucks, Kevin Porter Jr. (Right Knee; Synovitis), Bobby Portis (Back; Thoracic Spine Contusion), and Jericho Sims (Right Patella; Tendonitis) are all questionable.

For the Heat, Tyler Herro (Left Quadriceps; Soreness) and Kel’el Ware (Right Shoulder; Strain) are questionable, while Nikola Jovic (Low Back; Injury Management), Norman Powell (Right Groin; Strain), Terry Rozier (Not With Team), and Andrew Wiggins (Left Big Toe; Sesamoiditis) are out.

Player to Watch

Once more for good measure: Bam Adebayo dropped 83 frickin’ points when he last played. Eighty. Three. If he’s not the player to watch, then this section needs a new name. In addition to scoring the second most points of all time, Adebayo’s 36 free throws and 43 attempts were the most in NBA history, and his 22 three-point attempts tied for third-most in a game in NBA history. So, what does he have in store as an encore? While Adebayo has struggled so far this season against Milwaukee, he typically fares better, averaging 19.9 PPG on 47% over his last 10 games against them. Of course, the Bucks have a pretty good front-court player of their own. But while all the hoopla around Adebayo could give Giannis extra incentive to remind the world who he is, turning this into a mano a mano matchup might hurt Milwaukee more than it helps.

How To Watch

Tune in at 6:30 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin or the following stations:

• WMLW & WYTU (Milwaukee)
• WISC (Madison)
• WMEI (Green Bay)
• WECX (Eau Claire/La Crosse)
• WYOW (Wausau)
• WQAD (Davenport, IA, Rock Island/Moline, IL)

Play-by-play voice Doris Burke had an issue with the means by which Bam Adebayo scored 83 points.

Adebayo, the Heat and the Wizards all faced criticism for the manner in which Miami’s big man racked up his ridiculous scoring total Tuesday night, with the Heat intentionally fouling late in the game and Adebayo bullying his way to the charity stripe in a game that was out of hand.

The Miami star, who scored 31 points in the first quarter, finished with the second-most points in a game in league history.

“Was I slightly uncomfortable with the six-minute mark and down with some of the intentional fouling and free throws? A little bit,” Burke said Wednesday night on ESPN.

“But I am taking nothing away from Bam Adebayo.”

Miami led comfortably in fourth quarter against the Wizards, who are tanking to end their season and deliberately trying to lose games, while Adebayo made his push.

The Heat intentionally fouled the Wizards four times to give Adebayo additional touches and chances to score and overcome Kobe Bryant’s 81-point showcase on Jan. 22, 2006.

Fourteen of Adebayo’s 21 fourth-quarter points came via free throws as the game came to a halt during his historic pursuit.

Adebayo was fouled 26 times and shot an absurd 43 free throws in Miami’s 150-129 win.

“I just played the game,” Adebayo said after he set the record for free throw attempts in a game.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called the game an “absolutely surreal night” as the league debated Adebayo’s wild performance.

Adebayo’s previous career high was just 41 points, which he tallied against the Brooklyn Nets in 2022.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Some people might call me crazy, but one question keeps coming back to me: could Phoenix actually have the best backcourt (PG/SG) in the league…in terms of depth? I’m sharing my thoughts here, hoping we can maybe reach a conclusion together.

Important clarification right away: Phoenix doesn’t necessarily have the best guard duo, nor the biggest star power. What they do have, though, is something extremely rare. A full-on army in the backcourt. That’s exactly why I consider them one of the strongest guard groups in the league as a whole. So the real question remains: when we talk about depth, could they simply be the best?

A Backcourt Built on Completeness

We can already talk about Phoenix having the most complete backcourt in the league, thanks to a rare diversity of profiles. Seven players who are all technically different, and all playable on a team that expects to make the postseason. The Suns have a backcourt that can adapt to anything the NBA throws at them.

Devin Booker is the star, the leader of this seven‑headed hydra. Every year he gains maturity: his game is calmer, less one‑dimensional, more oriented toward creation. He’s no longer just a three‑level scoring threat. He’s a complete half‑court weapon, capable of creating for himself and for others, with efficiency and cleanliness that are more than respectable for his volume.

To complement this duo of offensive creators, the Suns have Collin Gillespie, who was in the 6MOY conversation before injuries and is now on track to finish high in the MIP race. He’s probably the best pure basketball player of the seven, the one who “respects the game” the most, the most pro. Strong in impact metrics (DPM, RAPM), clean and efficient (89th percentile in rTS%, 99th in 3‑point percentage, 84th in oTOV), he adapts to multiple systems, controls tempo, and reads the game at high speed thanks to elite IQ and execution.

Fire and Ice

Behind the Booker – Gillespie duo, which brings stability and structure, Phoenix can shift into a much more aggressive mode with the Jalen Green – Grayson Allen tandem.

Green is pure athletic spark. This season he’s averaging 14.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 22.8 minutes (including 25 points, 5 rebounds and 59 TS% over his last three games). He constantly pressures the rim and can flip the tempo of a game in just a few possessions. His inconsistency can be frustrating, but his impact is mostly about the offensive energy he injects into every game.

Allen, on the other hand, is the metronome. With 17.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 30.1 minutes, he brings the outside volume and reliability Ott’s system needs, taking nearly 10 threes per game at 35.5%. His off‑ball movement, discipline (even if he still carries his “dirty” reputation), and 1.5 steals make him one of the most reliable guards in the league. Together, they’re the fire and ice of this team.

The Guard Dog

Then you have Jordan Goodwin, the guard dog, the catalyst, the low‑volume player with maximum impact. He’s one of the best players in the league in a very specific — and often overlooked — area: generating extra possessions through offensive rebounds and steals. Beyond that, Goodwin is an excellent on‑ball defender, capable of being a POA stopper or an elite disruptor in passing lanes. His lack of offensive efficiency (89 TS+) keeps him from having a bigger role in the team’s creation, but he remains one of the best role players in the league. And there’s no doubt Phoenix will have to fight to keep him.

The Finishing Pieces

Finally, Phoenix can rely on a nice duo to close stretches, absorb minutes, or step in when someone needs rest or gets injured: the surprisingly impactful Jamare Bouyea and rookie Koby Brea. Bouyea is more established, averaging 15 minutes per game and firmly in the rotation, while Brea represents the future — only five games played so far, but flashes of a future rotation‑level shooter.

A Backcourt That Can Become Anything

We’ve gone through the profiles one by one, and they’re all unique. That’s what allows Jordan Ott to deploy an extremely wide range of systems, lineups, and tactical approaches. Among the 12 lineups with 100+ possessions this season, seven feature a different backcourt — and with Green returning, that number will likely rise. Phoenix has seven playable guards, whether as starters or rotation pieces.

With this pool, Ott can shape his team based on context, opponent, or game momentum. He can go with a scoring‑heavy backcourt like Booker/Green (+13.9 net rating), which imposes pace and pressure. He can choose control and management with Booker/Gillespie (+7.5). For maximum spacing, Gillespie/Allen (+1.1) stretches the floor. For defensive impact, Goodwin/Gillespie (+11.9) brings aggression and discipline. For balance, Booker/Goodwin (+9.7) is a natural option. And for speed, small‑ball, and quickness, Bouyea/Gillespie (+2.3) offers a totally different dynamic.

These are just examples — there are more combinations — but very few teams can claim such richness in the backcourt, with six duos already capable of fulfilling a precise mission while being both reliable and effective.

Let’s go back to the initial question. Do the Suns have the best backcourt in the league? As we’ve seen, they don’t have the flashiest or most powerful guard group. But in terms of depth, variety, reliability, and adaptability…it’s hard to find anything better in today’s NBA. And in that specific category, Phoenix does have the best backcourt in the league in my eyes. OKC and the Spurs are strong contenders too — dangerous, well‑built — but are they as versatile? I don’t think so.

In the end, this is just one question among many that crossed my mind. And realistically, it’s not the sheer number that matters. It’s the versatility and depth across all tiers. Three, four, or five guys are enough to build an effective, reliable backcourt. What about you ? How do you see it?

This is exciting news.

Dylan Harper is starring in a new Foot Locker ad campaign entitled “Unseen Hours” that recently dropped. In it, the recently named February NBA Rookie of the Month is seen waking at 4:00 a.m. to start his workout.

The youngest son of five-time NBA Champion Ron Haprer was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs last summer with the second overall spot.

Harper turned 20-years-old earlier this month. He recently had the opportunity to playt against his brother, Ron Harper, Jr. once at All-Star Weekend in the Rising Star Challenge and earlier this week when the Spurs hosted the Celtics.

The shoe seen at the end of the ad is from his  partnership with Nike, resulting in exclusive player editions (PE) of the Nike G.T. Cut series.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

At a time where so much is changing in college basketball, a familiar voice has returned to the sport.

After a yearslong battle with several types of cancer, resulting in a long hiatus, Dick Vitale returned to the headset for the 2025-26 season, getting back to a typical frequency of calling games.

There were several times this didn’t seem possible. The 86-year-old had periods where he wasn’t able to talk, unable to share those signature catchphrases that made him a beloved figure in the sport.

That’s what makes his time now, cancer-free, awesome – with a capital A.

“I'm still doing games,” Vitale told USA TODAY Sports. “It's a miracle. It's absolutely a miracle. I get emotional about it sometimes.”

Vitale spoke with USA TODAY Sports as part of his partnership with Planet Fitness to help college basketball fans handle the excitement and intensity of March Madness, promoting its black card to help with recovery since it “is really important in your life.” It’s a thing Vitale knows all about after spending so much time recovering from a lengthy illness.

He had three battles with cancer in a two-year span, which kept him away from the sport he cherishes so much. Vitale was itching to get back as soon as he could.

“I've had to recover quite a bit,” he said. “It's been a tough ride.”

When he had a text conversation with USA TODAY Sports in March 2024, still unable to speak, Vitale made it a goal to call games in the 2024-25 season. He was able to do it, getting back in the booth for a February 2025 meeting between Duke and Clemson that became an incredibly emotional night.

But he didn’t want that to be his swan song. More than 1,000 called games isn't enough. In June, Vitale signed an extension with ESPN through the 2027-28 season, assuring he's far from done as he approaches 50 years with the company.

It wasn’t weekly games called, but Vitale was able to go through the full season. He was there for the opener between Duke and Texas, and called the regular season finale between Kentucky and Florida, returning a sense of normalcy that was missing for so long.

However, that won’t be all. Vitale will be an analyst for the NCAA Tournament First Four, calling the second game on Tuesday, March 17 alongside Brian Anderson and Charles Barkley. Having previously covered the Final Four on radio, it will be the first time Vitale will be a TV analyst for a March Madness game in his illustrious career.

“I always believe in one thing, that if you think positive and have faith, and you got good people,” Vitale said, “a lot of good things are going to happen.”

Dick Vitale previews March Madness

Of course, Vitale is already planning for “a wild time of the year” — the NCAA Tournament. 

While he said it’s too early to predict how the bracket will unfold, since you don’t know the matchups yet, Vitale emphasized playing well going into Selection Sunday can determine how far a team goes.

That’s why he highlighted the likely No. 1 seeds in Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida.

“The team's up on top, the heavyweights, they're going to be tough to beat,” Vitale said. “Duke right now is playing incredible. So is Florida, so is Michigan, so is Arizona, Connecticut.”

Another team Vitale has his eye on is one that’s been at the center of debate: Miami (Ohio). 

The RedHawks are the only undefeated team in the country, but questions remain as to whether the mid-major is a tournament lock if it doesn't win the MAC tournament because of the quality of its resume. Conference title or not, Vitale believes Miami (Ohio) should be in, no matter what.

“If they're denied an opportunity to play, it would be criminal, because those kids have earned the right,” Vitale said. “We have a tendency to go for mediocrity out of the elite conferences, teams with 11, 12, 13 losses. But because they play a tougher schedule, they get the edge. All the metrics that are done in picking teams really favor all the elite conference teams.”

Plenty of developments – even some frustrating – but it’s a blessing; it’s March, and Vitale gets to be part of it.

“I really love what I'm doing. I think when you love something and have a passion for it, it's really super,” he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dick Vitale March Madness TV broadcast return feels like 'a miracle'

Each NBA team has fewer than 20 games remaining on its 2025-26 regular season schedule, and playoff races are tightening.

It also means players jostling for positioning in the battle for Most Valuable Player are running out of time to make their cases. And, given the recent performance of the player atop this list, it may already be too late.

This last stretch of season also presents a prime chance for marquee matchups. Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets will face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs (twice) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder once in their final five games.

This week, Thursday, March 12, OKC will host Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics. It should all make for compelling viewing down the stretch.

Here's the latest iteration of the USA TODAY Sports NBA MVP rankings:

Every college basketball team has the goal of reaching March Madness, but some have expectations much higher than that, making for a pressure-packed month.

While there are several Final Four contenders, one has to remember only four teams can get in. Those that don't advance are left unsatisfied, realizing they didn't rise to their potential. That can make for some unfavorable conditions with fans and university officials, testing their patience in whether they have the right person or team to lead them to glory.

No need for March Madness: 2026 Final Four has already been decided

Whether its extended droughts or coaches feeling their seats getting warmer, here are the five teams that are facing the most pressure heading into the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Arizona

It has been a record setting year for Arizona en route to the Big 12 regular season title. Tommy Lloyd has excelled with 141 wins in five seasons. But for how much of a regular season monster the Wildcats are, they disappear in the NCAA tournament.

Lloyd is still in search of his first Elite Eight appearance, as his teams have continuously fallen short in March, with a 6-4 record in the big dance. Three of those defeats came vs. seeds worse than his team's. It almost feels like some sort of curse since Arizona is still searching for its first Final Four appearance since 2001 — just unable to replicate its talent when the lights get bright.

Of all the teams Lloyd has had so far, this is by far his deepest and most talented. It's poised for a No. 1 seed and to be a national championship favorite. The expectation is this is the team that finally breaks through. If it doesn't happen now, then when will it?

REQUIRED READING: Why March Madness expansion would punish Cinderellas: 'It's not broken' — yet

Purdue

The preseason No. 1 team in the country looked like it for the first half of the season, but the second half has Boilermaker fans believing another disappointing postseason is on the horizon.

Purdue is 6-7 in its last 13 games, not resembling a team that had all the ingredients for a championship roster. While the offense hasn't been the problem, the defense hasn't been able to stop any shooters. The Boilermakers were positioned to be a No. 2 seed just a few weeks ago but are falling toward a No. 4 spot, closer to facing those dangerous mid-major teams.

The March failures are well documented, and everything spells another one incoming. Even if it avoids a first-round upset, Purdue still faces an uphill battle to advancing. To go from starting the season as the favorite to win it all to not making it out of the first weekend would be another disastrous ending.

Kentucky

In case you haven't heard, Big Blue Nation isn't exactly happy with their second-year coach. It's not hard to understand when you see how much money was poured into this team.

Mark Pope's roster reportedly cost $22 million, and it resulted in a middling regular season that doesn't scream "optimism" for Kentucky. It had a bad start to the season and found a rhythm halfway through, but the sour thoughts returned with a 2-5 finish in the last seven games of the regular season. If a team costs that much, one expects it to be in the top portion of the sport — not trying to figure out if it's going to wear its home or road uniforms in the first round.

The hot seat is going to be turned up a notch as Pope will have to somehow pull off an upset in the first weekend of the tournament or deal with the fact the season was a total bust. His standing will only get more uncomfortable if it doesn't pan out, and the clock can start to tick on how much time he'll have left in Lexington.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bubble winners, losers: Auburn not out of the woods yet

Kansas

The expectations on Kansas this season weren't as high as previous years, but this is still Kansas: The Jayhawks should be contending, not faltering.

It has been a weird season surrounded by Darryn Peterson, but Kansas has done quite well en route to a third-place finish in the Big 12. Now it needs to carry the momentum into March and get the mojo it has been lacking recently. Ever since winning it all in 2022, Kansas hasn't advanced to the Sweet 16, which was almost a given in every bracket.

Questions about Bill Self will only persist if the Jayhawks have another early exit. There's plenty of speculation surrounding his future and whether Kansas should start trying to think of what to do when it's time. Self will only leave on his terms, but there will hope he does it soon if it can't recapture March magic.

Ohio State

While all the aforementioned teams are trying to win big, Ohio State is just trying to get in: Jake Diebler is still trying to get the Buckeyes in the NCAA tournament.

Ohio State had an up-and-down year, yet it looks like it will be enough to get into the bracket — barely. The Buckeyes are likely to end up a double-digit seed, and the first four is not entirely out of the conversation. While it counts toward breaking the four-year drought, that's not exactly what was envisioned when the Buckeyes decided to stick with Diebler. They still hasn't gotten to the Sweet 16 since 2013.

There haven't been many reasons to follow basketball in Columbus, and just a mere tournament appearance could make it fade further away from the spotlight, with more questions on whether it's going in the right direction.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness pressure: These 5 teams are facing the most

Selection Sunday for the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is just a couple of days away.

On Sunday, March 15, the NCAA Tournament selection committee will announce the 68-team field for the men's and women's tournaments. That comes at the conclusion of a long regular season and conference tournaments.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bubble winners, losers: Auburn not out of the woods yet

Now the stage has been set for a team to go win it all. Entering Thursday, March 12, No. 3 Michigan is the favorite to win the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament, with fellow projected 1-seeds Duke, Arizona and Florida not far behind in odds.

Both the Blue Devils and Wildcats are in action for the first time in their respective conference tournaments on March 12, while the Wolverines and Gators get going on Friday in the quarterfinals of their respective tournaments.

Here's a look at the top 20 teams with the best odds of winning the national championship:

March Madness favorites: Ranking Top 20 college basketball teams based on odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of 8:50 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 11

• 1. Michigan: +325
• 2. Duke, +333
• 3. Arizona, +475
• 4. Florida, +600
• 5. Houston, +1000
• 6. Connecticut, +1600
• 7. Illinois, +1800
• 8. Iowa State, +2200
• 9. Kansas, +3500
• 10. Michigan State, +4000
• 11. Purdue, +5000
• 12. Gonzaga, +5500
• T-13. Arkansas, +6600
• T-13. Virginia, +6600
• T-15. Alabama, +8000
• T-15. St. John's, +8000
• T-15. Nebraska, +8000
• 18. Louisville, +9000
• T-19. Tennessee, +10000
• T-19. Vanderbilt, +10000

When does March Madness start?

The NCAA men's tournament First Four on the begins on Tuesday, March 17 and continues on Wednesday, March 18. 

The four men’s games, which are held in Dayton, Ohio, feature the final four at-large selections to the field, as well as the four lowest-rated No. 16 seeds. The winner of each matchup advances to the first round. First-round games will take place on March 19 and March 20.

When is March Madness Selection Sunday?

• Date: Sunday, March 15

Both the men's and women's NCAA tournament brackets are set to be revealed for the 2025-26 college basketball season on Selection Sunday on Sunday, March 15.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness power rankings: Duke, Michigan with best odds to win national title

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Orlando Magic 128-122 in what could be a playoff preview.

James Harden described his time in Cleveland as a whirlwind when asked about it after the game.

“I’m still not settled. I’m still in a hotel. Just trying to hopefully get adapted.”

In many ways, the Cavs as a team find themselves in a similar situation.

“Nights like this are very tough,” Harden said. “It’s a game we should’ve won.”

Harden is right. The Cavs did enough offensively to do so, but at the same time, the attention to detail wasn’t there. That’s going to cost when going up against a Magic team that is playing its best basketball of the season.

This would be a chippy first-round series if this game was any indication of things. Orlando is a physical team, and one that isn’t afraid to stir the pot when needed. Mo Wagner and Desmond Bane were the primary instigators on Wednesday.

The Cavaliers responded well to the challenge. They were physical on the glass and never seemed intimidated. That wasn’t why they lost the game. Their poor defense is to blame for that.

The Cavs miss Jarrett Allen defensively.

Orlando doesn’t have a good or imaginative offense. They do, however, have big, physical players at basically every position that were able to take advantage of Cleveland’s lack of size.

The Cavs don’t have good starting guard defenders, but a frontcourt of Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, and Allen can alleviate some of those issues. When all three are in there — particularly the two centers — the Cavs can just funnel players to their bigs in the paint and recover out to shooters on the perimeter. That formula falls apart if Allen isn’t in there.

The Magic, led by Bane and Paolo Banchero, were able to attack Cleveland’s smaller defenders inside. Mobley tried to provide help defense, but because there were so many open lanes inside, he was often getting there too late, resulting in shooting fouls.

“This team did a really good job…of forcing the ball in the paint, and we just didn’t have any resistance,” Harden said. “They shot an unbelievable percentage by the basket and got to the line too many times.”

That they did.

The Magic finished in the 92nd percentile for both finishing at the rim (84%) and free-throw rate (32.9). It’s difficult to win games when you’re being beaten this decisively defensively.

Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!

Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Mark Price shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.

While the Cavs’ lack of size hurt them on defense, it helped their offense.

Orlando has been playing great defense since the beginning of February. They’ve posted the fourth-best defensive rating during that stretch (109). This performance won’t help those numbers.

Cleveland did a great job of spreading the floor and attacking in space. This led to them converting 20-24 (83.3%, 91st percentile) of their shots at the rim and posting a 128.4 offensive rating (86th percentile).

There are things to nitpick with the offense, but that wasn’t close to why they lost. This is an elite attack, and they proved that again against a formidable defensive opponent.

Keon Ellis continues to show he deserves playoff minutes. He poured in 20 points on 5-8 shooting and had his second consecutive strong shooting game.

Ellis can change a game with his disruptive defense. He once again had a block and a steal while being Cleveland’s best defender for long stretches. However, those skills can only come through if he’s also a positive contributor offensively, like he has been the last two games.

Dennis Schroder is going through a rough patch. He provided no points while going 0-5 from the field and committing four fouls in less than 18 minutes. This is also the third game in a row he’s struggled to have a positive impact.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson has talked about the role players needing to step up to secure playoff minutes. Schroder is no different.

He will likely get some playing time in the postseason unless things really nosedive from here. They need a point guard they can pair with Donovan Mitchell when Harden sits. That said, there’s no guarantee he gets minutes other than when Harden is on the bench if he’s playing like this in the playoffs.

The Cavs can find creative ways to use Mobley as a roller. We know that Mobley isn’t the best pick-and-roll big because he’s not a physical screener. There are some band-aid solutions around that issue. This play is a good example of one.

Here, the Cavs run a Spain pick-and-roll with Dean Wade screening for Mobley’s defender. Wade’s pick creates, which allows Mobley to roll hard to the rim.

This isn’t a set you can spam like you can a regular pick-and-roll, but it is proof that there are some ways around Mobley’s screening if you’re creative.

Harden played his best offensive game as a Cavalier. This was the first time he’s reached 30 points in a Cavalier uniform. He was able to do so by continually getting by his defender and attacking inside. And doing that opened up room for his patented step-back three, which he was able to get to seemingly at will.

Harden had his most success targeting Orlando’s weakest defender, Paolo Banchero. He worked to create this mismatch and attacked every time he got it.

Harden is a great advantage manipulator. This is seen most in how he can operate in the pick-and-roll with a physical screener, but he’s also one of the best in league history at exploiting a mismatch when he finds one, as he did here.

For as good a scorer Harden was, he wasn’t the one taking shots down the stretch. Mitchell went 2-8 from the field in the fourth quarter on a night he struggled to find his rhythm. Meanwhile, Harden had only two attempts in the final frame.

The offense wasn’t why the Cavs lost the game. And it’s worth pointing out that they scored 32 points in the fourth quarter and continually created clean looks in the closing minutes. Still, you would’ve ideally liked to see a better balance in a game like this. This was the first time it felt like the shot distribution was off with the backcourt.

Nights like this are a reminder that the Cavs are a work-in-progress. Atkinson is trying to figure out the rotation with three new pieces, an injury to the starting center, and will need to find a way to fit Max Strus back into the rotation. That’s a difficult task, and there’s only a month until the playoffs.

The Cavs have a higher ceiling now than they did before the deadline. But there’s no guarantee they can consistently come close to reaching it in the biggest games. Especially when they’re going against teams who’ve had their core in place for multiple seasons, and aren’t just trying to put it together in the final two months of the season.

Harden said that he was still living in a hotel. In many ways, it feels like this team still is as well. They’re also trying to unpack their bags and figure out who and what they actually have in the suitcase. And they’re running out of time to do so.

LILLE, France (AP) — Aston Villa travelled to Lille to kick off the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday boosted by the return from injury of captain John McGinn.

McGinn was absent for seven weeks since a knee injury in a Premier League loss to Everton in January.

“It’s massive to have him back,” teammate Morgan Rogers said. “He puts a smile on people’s faces, he plays with that smile, wears the badge on his sleeve and he brings a lot to our team.”

Villa and Lille also met in the Conference League quarterfinals two years ago, when Unai Emery’s men advanced on penalties.

Another English side, Nottingham Forest, needs to put relegation worries aside when it hosts Danish club Midtjylland.

In an all-Italia derby, Bologna hosts Roma.

The Europa League format launched last season — 36 teams in a single-standings league format then a tennis-style knockout bracket — lets teams from the same country meet at any point in the knockout phase. Previously, national derbies were possible only from the quarterfinals.

Celta Vigo hosts the first leg against Lyon, the league phase winner.

Real Betis travels to Panathinaikos while Stuttgart meets Porto at home. Another Bundesliga club, Freiburg, is away to Genk.

In the Conference League, Crystal Palace faces AEK Larnaca in London.

___

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

Jaylen Brown has put together the best all-around season of his career. That’s less opinion than fact at this point.

The Boston Celtics forward is averaging 28.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while carrying the team through most of the season without Jayson Tatum. Boston has held a firm grasp on second place in the Eastern Conference despite major roster turnover and months of uncertainty, keeping just enough distance between themselves and the Knicks and Cavaliers.

And yet, Brown still isn’t widely considered a serious MVP contender. He finished sixth in ESPN’s latest straw poll, receiving zero first (or second) place votes.

Speaking on the Cousins podcast with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady (am I the only one who assumed this meant DeMarcus Cousins’ podcast?), Brown acknowledged that winning the award would be meaningful, but also suggested the standards for earning it can feel like a moving target.

“I feel like I fit the criteria for it,” Brown said. “Especially with what people were saying about me before the season… I’ve been able to shoulder that and help lead my team to where we are now.”

“But people constantly just move the bar. Now we fast forward, and now I don’t have enough to fit the criteria. So, I probably never will, no matter what.”

It’s a sentiment that probably resonates with many Celtics fans who have watched Brown’s season unfold.

Boston entered the year surrounded by questions. The Celtics moved on from several key pieces of their 2024 championship roster, and Tatum has missed a large portion of the season recovering from his Achilles injury. Analysts and fans alike expected the team to slide down the standings.

Instead, the former Finals MVP raised his game to another level. Brown became the Celtics’ primary offensive engine, took on a larger playmaking role, and helped guide a younger roster through one of the most unpredictable seasons the franchise has faced in years.

The MVP race, however, remains stacked. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, and Victor Wembanyama have all produced seasons that are difficult to argue against.

Brown probably isn’t the MVP this year, and even he seems to recognize that reality.

But his frustration speaks to something broader about how the award is discussed. The MVP conversation rarely follows a consistent standard. Some seasons reward overwhelming individual numbers (see Russell Westbrook in 2017). Others lean toward the best player on the best team (see Giannis in the 2019 and 2020 seasons). Sometimes voters prioritize narrative, like a player dragging an injury-ravaged roster into contention.

Brown’s season checks several of those boxes. He carried Boston all year without Jayson Tatum and kept the Celtics near the top of the Eastern Conference when many predicted them to possible fall out of playoff contention. In other seasons, that kind of story would have pushed a player firmly into the MVP conversation.

This season, however, the race has been defined by historically dominant campaigns from several other stars. The bar didn’t necessarily move. It just rose.

For Brown, though, the award still isn’t the ultimate goal.

He told Carter and McGrady that winning another championship would mean far more than an MVP trophy. And with Tatum now back in the lineup and the Celtics beginning to look whole again, that objective remains very much in play.

Whether Brown ever wins the award or not, Celtics fans will remember how he carried the team through its most uncertain stretch of this unexpectedly delightful season — and delivered like a superstar when Boston needed one most.