Category: NBA

There are only two weeks left in the regular season. The playoff contenders are using the final stretch to jockey for position and secure home court, while the league’s bottom dwellers shut things down and look to improve their lottery odds. Monday night’s contest between the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls will be a matchup between teams in each of those categories.

The Bulls have officially been eliminated from playoff contention and are dealing with several injuries. They’ll be without big men Zach Collins and Jalen Smith, and ball-handlers Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons against the Spurs. Chicago is still feisty, though. They have solid young players like Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis.

San Antonio knows the Bulls’ spoiler ability all too well. It took a 32-19 fourth quarter for the Spurs to secure a 121-117 win against Chicago earlier this season. San Antonio’s eight-game winning streak has been defined by blowouts started by early leads. The Spurs will need a good start to bury the Bulls as they look to gain ground on the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top seed in the Western Conference.

San Antonio Spurs (56-18) vs. Chicago Bulls (29-45)

March 30th, 2026 | 7 PM CT

Watch: Peacock | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), David Jones Garcia – Out (G League), Emanuel Miller – Out (G League)

Bulls Injuries: Zach Collins – Out (toe), Noa Essengue – Out (shoulder), Jaden Ivey – Out (knee), Mac McClung – Out (G League), Nick Richards – Questionable (elbow), Anfernee Simons – Out (hand), Jalen Smith – Out (calf), Guerschon Yabusele – Questionable (ankle)

What to watch for:

Containing ball handlers

If there is one thing Chicago has, it’s a plethora of guards who can handle the rock. Giddey is one of the league’s best point forwards, Colin Sexton has added a necessary veteran presence, Rob Dillingham has shown flashes, and Spurs fans will be familiar with the game of Tre Jones. With all of their ball handlers, the Bulls match up with the Spurs surprisingly well on the perimeter. Chicago’s best bet to contend with the Spurs is to utilize all its ball handlers to shift the defense and create easy looks.

Owning the interior

With Nick Richards listed as questionable for Monday night’s game, the Bulls’ tallest player could be 6-10 forward Leonard Miller. In case you forgot, the Spurs have a fairly talented 7-foot-4 big man named Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio should dominate the paint against the smaller Bulls. As Wembanyama chases the MVP, the Spurs could force-feed the big man inside for easy buckets against a weaker Chicago front line.

Stephon Castle stays hot

Stephon Castle had his fourth triple-double of the season in the team’s last win against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sophomore has been playing some fantastic basketball down the stretch, averaging 16.6 points, 7.7 assists, and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 48.8% from the field and 40% from three. He’ll have the opportunity to go off again against the Bulls, who give up the third-most points per game in the NBA.

Last weekend on March 28th, Richard Francis Dennis Barry III turned 82. Just another date passing for a player who took the Golden State Warriors to the top of the mountain top and set a standard for excellence for the franchise.

Rick Barry is still the only player in basketball history to lead the NCAA, the ABA, and the NBA in scoring. Different leagues, different rules, different versions of the sport trying to figure themselves out. But they couldn’t figure out how to stop Barry.

Some younger fans might only know him for that awkward moment when the crowd rained boos on Joe Lacob after the Monta Ellis trade, and Barry grabbed the mic to tell everyone to knock it off.

But his time in the Bay will always come back to 1975 with that title team that for forty years stood as the only championship Golden State could brag about. That team was not supposed to win anything. Definitely not a sweep over Washington. The Warriors had Barry and a group that trusted him enough to follow wherever he led them:

The Warriors were a team that was not even expected to make the playoffs at the beginning of the season. After the 1974 season, in which they had a modest record of 44 – 38, they gave away 3 of their 5 leading scorers and got just one promising young player in return. The Warriors traded their 2nd leading scorer, Cazzie Russell, for a future draft pick. Even more startling, no shocking, is that the Warriors traded their future Hall of Fame center, Nate Thurmond, who had been 8th in the 1974 MVP voting and had been named to the 2nd team All-NBA Defensive squad. 

Barry controlled the entire series, averaging 29.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, dictating pace, space, and outcomes. By the time it was over, Barry had turned one of the least likely championship runs in franchise history into something that felt inevitable.

That part matters more than it gets talked about. Before Steph Curry turned impossible shots into routine moments, Barry was doing something just as disorienting in a different way. He made a team that didn’t look like a champion play like one because he refused to let the game settle anywhere he didn’t control.

Zoom out, and the resume keeps stacking. Nine First-Team All-League selections across the NBA and ABA. A Finals career scoring average of 36.3 points per game that still sits at the top of the record books. A free throw stroke that looked like it belonged at a family barbecue and quietly became one of the most efficient weapons the game has ever seen.

Rick Barry perfected the art of the underhand free throw.#DubNation, join us in wishing 2️⃣4️⃣ a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! pic.twitter.com/hyAumuZbFw

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 28, 2026

So you end up with this strange gap between impact and recognition, where one of the most dominant players the Warriors have ever had still feels like he exists just outside the center of the story. Maybe that’s just part of it. Some players get celebrated easily over time, while others make you wrestle with them a little before you understand what you’re looking at. Dub Nation is looking at a top 50 and top 75 all time NBA player.

Happy birthday, Rick!

Detroit Pistons (54-20, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (59-16, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunder -13.5; over/under is 219.5

BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City will aim for its 60th victory of the season when the Thunder play the Detroit Pistons.

The Thunder have gone 31-7 in home games. Oklahoma City is ninth in the Western Conference with 49.3 points per game in the paint led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 12.5.

The Pistons are 25-11 on the road. Detroit ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with 45.7 rebounds per game led by Jalen Duren averaging 10.6.

The Thunder make 48.2% of their shots from the field this season, which is 4.0 percentage points higher than the Pistons have allowed to their opponents (44.2%). The Pistons average 10.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.4 fewer made shots on average than the 14.3 per game the Thunder give up.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Pistons won 124-116 in the last meeting on Feb. 26. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 29 points, and Jaylin Williams led the Thunder with 30 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 55.1% and averaging 31.4 points for the Thunder. Williams is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Tobias Harris is shooting 46.2% and averaging 13.4 points for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 9-1, averaging 118.9 points, 45.3 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 8.8 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.7 points per game.

Pistons: 8-2, averaging 120.7 points, 44.9 rebounds, 31.4 assists, 10.1 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 51.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.6 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Pistons: Duncan Robinson: day to day (hip), Ausar Thompson: day to day (ankle), Jalen Duren: day to day (knee), Tobias Harris: day to day (hip), Cade Cunningham: out (lung), Isaiah Stewart: out (calf).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

We have our Final Four.

After four rounds, 64 teams have been sent home and four remain in the hunt for a national championship. Connecticut, Arizona, Michigan and Illinois are en route to Indianapolis, two wins away from winning it all.

Some of the representatives aren’t much of a surprise, as the top-seeded Wildcats and Wolverines have looked like a tier above the rest of the sport, and anything less than a Final Four appearance would have been a disappointment. The Huskies stunned its away back to a familiar place, and Illinois isn't really a shocker and are far from an underdog after a very successful season, proving worthy of its spot.

IN-DEPTH: How Arizona players' halftime talk ended 25 years of March Madness heartbreak

The results of the weekend not only impacted the championship race, but the sport as a whole. Here are the winners and losers of the Elite Eight:

Winners

UConn’s comeback

A return to the Final Four didn’t seem possible when Connecticut was down 19 points late in the first half against Duke, but did the Huskies respond.

UConn clawed back in the second half, slowly chipping away at the lead before a 7-0 run put it in striking distance with under four minutes left. The Blue Devils couldn’t stop the momentum and Connecticut pulled out a shocking victory, punctuated by Braylon Mullins’ 3-pointer at the final second. UConn outscored Duke 44-28 in the final 20 minutes for its third trip to the Final Four in four seasons.

It was one of the largest comebacks in NCAA Tournament history, and UConn made Duke the first No. 1 seed to lose a game after being up by at least 15 points at halftime in an ending for the ages.

Big Ten

The Big Ten rolls onto the biggest stage with the conference getting two teams into the Final Four with Michigan and Illinois. It’s the first time the conference has accomplished the feat since 2015 and fourth time since 1999.

The tournament has been a Big Ten showcase after seven of its nine teams won their first round game. It put a record four teams in the Elite Eight, and was guaranteed to get at least one Final Four team with the Illinois-Iowa winner, and could’ve had up to three, but two is still a very successful result.

It’s been the winner of every round so far. Now all that’s left is finishing it on top with a 50% shot at a national championship, the first since 2000. It could be sealed with an all-Big Ten title game, very much possible.

Breaking droughts

The 2026 Final Four is more than two decades in the making for Arizona and Illinois, getting back to the final stage after falling short so many times.

Arizona is in the Final Four for the first time since 2001, a relief on the shoulders of the Wildcats after losing all of its past five Elite Eight appearances. They did it in emphatic fashion with a major second half comeback over Purdue to cruise toward a stress-free finish against the Boilermakers. Illinois was able to put away the surprise run against Iowa to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2005, the last time it was close to winning its first national title.

Two successful programs redeemed years of frustrations, and not only have they finally broken through, but they are viable national championship contenders, with Arizona on the verge of its second title and Illinois on the cusp of its biggest accomplishment yet.

Andrej Stojakovic 

Watch out dad, son can definitely hoop, too. The son of Peja, Andrej Stojakovic came up clutch for Illinois, a catalyst for his team surviving and advancing.

Iowa jumped out to a quick double-digit lead, but Stojakovic came in and helped his team recover quickly and eventually win. He made some clutch shots at the end and most importantly, defended Iowa star Bennett Stirtz down the stretch to prevent any late heroics. Even though Keaton Wagler was the star with 25 points, Stojakovic had 17 points and his plus/minus of +19 was the best on the team, proving how vital he was to his team’s success.

The Elite Eight isn’t the only time Stojakovic has come up big in the tournament, but Illinois may have been cooked if he wasn’t the sparkplug he was against the Hawkeyes. His presence keeps his team’s title hopes alive and well.

Losers

Duke chokes

It's another stunning March loss for Duke. The top overall seed looked destined for the Final Four after jumping to a 19-point lead against UConn in the first half.

Then came the second half.

The Blue Devils couldn't stop UConn from rallying at the end, and had the game in its hands in the final seconds, but a shocking turnover turned into a game-winning 3-pointer by the Huskies. UConn outscored Duke 15-5 in the final five minutes. Duke now is the first No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history to lose after leading by at least 15 points at halftime, as they were 134-0 in such instances. The 19-point blown lead is tied for the sixth largest in the tournament.

The shocking loss keeps Duke away from winning its first national championship in the Jon Scheyer era, with the last title in 2015. Its the longest the Blue Devils have gone without a championship this century.

SEC

March doesn’t mean more in the SEC as the conference finishes with a dud to follow its historic past season.

It was going to be hard to follow up two teams in the Final Four en route to a national champion, but the SEC didn’t get close to replicating some of that success. It only got one team in the Elite Eight in Tennessee, and it got blown out by Michigan. The SEC will not be represented in the semifinals for the first time since 2023.

To add insult to injury, the conference did not do well against its fellow Power league in the Big Ten. The SEC went 0-5 vs. Big Ten teams in the tournament, which ended up getting two teams to the Final Four. After an amazing showing in 2025, this one has been a forgettable month in the Southeast.

Lower seeds

Make way for the heavyweights. The 2026 Final Four will feature two No. 1 seeds, a No. 2 and a No. 3 seed, another season of no surprise runs to the semifinals.

While it’s no surprise when the favorites at the start of the tournament ended up making it to the final weekend, it’s exactly what happened last season when we had an all-No. 1 group. This marks back-to-back years where the Final Four doesn’t feature a team seeded No. 4 or lower, which hasn’t happened since a three-year streak from 2007-09.

This year’s tournament had upsets and some magical runs, but none of them reached the final stage. Are even really solid teams going to have trouble winning a region, and are true Cinderellas dead?

Tennessee

Another Elite Eight, another exit for Rocky Top. The Volunteers are left searching again for their first Final Four after getting stopped at the doorstep.

Tennessee’s optimism was quickly wiped out early against Michigan, leading to a 33-point rout in one of the largest blowouts in Elite Eight history. While the Vols have nothing to be ashamed about given it was a good run as a No. 6 seed, it’s the third straight season the Vols were eliminated in the regional final.

Rick Barnes has maintained winning in Knoxville, but after coming up short so often, will Tennessee ever get over the hump? 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elite 8 winners, losers: UConn, Big 10, Duke headline March Madness ups, downs

UConn true freshman Braylon Mullins became a March Madness legend against Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday, March 29.

Mullins' 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left (it was later changed to 0.4 seconds) gave UConn a 73-72 win over the top-seeded Blue Devils, securing a 19-point comeback win for the Huskies in dramatic fashion. He was 3-of-9 shooting and 0-of-4 from 3-point range prior to the shot.

UConn trailed 72-70 with six seconds left with Duke inbounding the ball, but Cayden Boozer's intended pass down the court was deflected and stolen by Silas Demary Jr., resulting in the Huskies' final possession.

REQUIRED READING: Duke vs UConn live updates, Elite 8 game score, highlights

"Just happy to see that (expletive) go in," Mullins said on after the game on the CBS broadcast.

UConn guard Alex Karaban, who holds the NCAA Tournament record for wins with 17 in his career, was held to five points on 2-of-10 shooting. However, the senior showed up when it mattered most, nailing a 3-pointer with 50 seconds left to pull the Huskies within a point.

UConn struggled from 3-point range overall, going 5-of-23 from distance. Starters Alex Karaban, Solo Ball, Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr. combined for 5-of-21 shooting from 3-point range, despite the quartet all being solid shooters this season. Four of those makes came in the final 10 minutes, with the game on the line.

UConn's Tarris Reed Jr., one of the top performers of the entire men's NCAA Tournament, continued his hot streak, scoring a game-high 26 points with nine rebounds in the win. Twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer were also tremendous for Duke, as Cameron scored 27 points with eight rebounds and four assists, whereas Cayden added 15 points, five rebounds and six assists.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn vs Duke: Huskies advance to final four behind game-winning shot

March makes heroes. Braylon Mullins, welcome to the pantheon.

The UConn shooter was 0-for-4 from 3-point range in the bra, but the shot that made him 1-for-5 will live on in March Madness lore. Mullins took a pass from Alex Karaban at the logo and heaved it in a 72-70 game. The ball hit the twine and UConn eliminated Duke to get to the Final Four in miraculous fashion.

BRAYLON MULLINS FOR THE LEAD 🤯🤯🤯pic.twitter.com/b0f52hEcyT

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) March 29, 2026

Duke would be unable to score with the remaining 0.4 seconds, completing UConn's shocking comeback.

The Huskies were battling back all game after trailing by as many as 19 points. It took a Duke turnover on the final possession to give the Huskies a chance, which Mullins capitalized on in spades.

UConn will now take on Illinois in the Final Four, as it strives for its third championship in four years. And Mullins, who played high school ball in Greenfield, Indiana, will be in Indianapolis to try and do it.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Braylon Mullins sends UConn to Final Four with game winner vs Duke

WASHINGTON – For 39 minutes and 59 seconds, it look like Connecticut’s bid for a third national title was going to fall short.

Until freshman guard Braylon Mullins hit one of the great shot in men’s NCAA Tournament history putting the Huskies into the Final Four with a 73-72 defeat of Duke in the championship game history.

The unlikely finish came after Connecticut trailed by as much as 19 in the first half and were down by two with 10 seconds left. Attempting to get a steal, Silas Demery deflected a pass by Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer The ball would wind up in the hands of the Huskies and Mullins would launch a 35-footer that would be for the win.

OH MY GOODNESS 😱

UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/IPX2JWiw0b

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026

It swished through the basket with 0.4 seconds left, keeping Connecticut's hopes of winning a third national title in four years alive.

The heroics from Mullins were preceded by some key plays by Alex Karaban and Solo Ball, the two regulars remaining from that team won consecutive titles in 2023-24. The duo who are the team’s second- and third-leading scorers, combined for 15 points on 5-of- 21 shooting.  

But their experience was significant down the stretch.

Ball had two baskets and a free throw in a run that Duke’s 9-point lead with five minutes left lead to 67-65

Karaban’s three-pointer with 50 seconds left trimmed the margin to one and set the stage for Mullins’ shot, which came 35 years after Duke’s Christian Lattner hit a similar buzzer-beater in the Elite Eight that knocked Connecticut out of the tournament.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn beats Duke in Elite 8 on Braylon Mullins stunning 3-pointer

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Sophie Shirley scored two goals to make a winner of Boston rookie goaltender Amanda Thiele in her PWHL debut, and the Fleet beat the Minnesota Frost 4-2 on Sunday to clinch a spot in the postseason.

Shirley gave Boston (13-5-2-4) two-goal leads in the first and third periods to help the Fleet move five points in front of Montreal and nine ahead of third-place Minnesota (11-3-3-6) with three weeks left in the regular season. All three of her goals this year have come in the last two matches.

Thiele got her first start when Aerin Frankel was given the day off after she posted a league-record three straight shutouts and a scoreless streak of 191 minutes, 1 second. Thiele, a two-time NCAA champion at Ohio State, saved 23 shots. The Fleet’s scoreless stretch reached 211:24 before it ended.

Haley Winn upped her point streak to four straight matches when she scored for the fourth time this season to give Boston a 1-0 lead at 9:11 in the first period. Shirley was in the right spot to redirect a shot with 3:14 left for a two-goal lead.

Lee Stecklein scored for the first time this season just 23 seconds into the second period to cut it to 2-1. Kendall Coyne Schofield, who was activated from long-term injured reserve before the match, snagged her seventh assist. Kelly Pannek added her 11th assist and became the third Frost player to reach 50 career points — 19 goals and 31 assists.

Coyne Schofield and Klára Hymlárová set up Taylor Heise for a point-blank shot in front of the net and Minnesota tied it 2-2 with 10:41 left in the second.

Former Frost center Liz Schepers answered less than two minutes later with her third goal in the last two matches and her career-high fifth this season, scoring unassisted to give Boston a 3-2 lead. Shirley capped the scoring at 5:16 in the third.

Boston is 16-2 when scoring first this season but has whiffed on 29 straight power-play opportunities.

Boston defender Rylind MacKinnon was fined $500 by the league for an incident that ensued in the Fleet's 4-0 victory over the Toronto Sceptres on Friday night.

Up next

Minnesota: Visits the New York Sirens on Wednesday.

Boston: Visits the Vancouver Goldeneyes on April 7.

___

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Every Eastern conference matchup is a reminder of the precarity of the Raptors’ place in the playoff race. Tonight’s matchup with the Orlando Magic pits Toronto against a team pushing to get out of Play-In purgatory, as the Raps seek to tack on another win before getting back on the road. 

While Toronto is freed from the risk of falling out of the postseason, the fifth place spot that secures a playoff berth is set to be more hotly contested real estate than a rent controlled unit on Bloor Street. The first four spots occupied by the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, and Cavaliers, seem all but impossible to dislodge, and represent a massive gulf in season success between them and all other teams in the conference. Orlando is a team that has underperformed this year. Despite a great start to the season, the Magic cooled off fast, and have had a number of hot streaks and cold runs that brought them to a 39-34 record.

While still contending with Franz Wagner’s lingering injury from early this season, the Magic have also been playing without shooting guard Anthony Black, who’s started 40 games this season. Paolo Banchero has been carrying the Magic, putting up some big statistical performances over the past three games. He’s hit thirty points in two losses and a win, most recently, in a victory at home against the Sacramento Kings.  Immanuel Quickley and Jamison Battle both being out signals a heavily depleted reserve of shooting for the Raptors, meaning more minutes and more potential impact from Ja’Kobe Walter, fresh off of an 18 point night where he took 10 threes and made 40% of them, while dishing out four assists. Toronto is lucky to have the guard depth it does in a situation like this, though the loss of firepower is never a good thing in a game that could go either way.

The Raptors have played the Magic twice already this season, beating them in December, while losing the January contest. This is a chance for the Raptors to take the season series, and cement their victory over the Florida squad. This game, and the rest leading to the end of the regular season, represent whether the Raptors will need to fight their way out of the Play-In, or maintain the luxury of a confirmed playoff spot.

Game Information and Detail

Game Time: 6:00 EDT

Watch On: TSN

Injury Report

Raptors: Immanuel Quickley (Out – foot), Jamison Battle (Out), Collin Murray-Boyles (Day-To-Day – back), Brandon Ingram (Day-To-Day – heel), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Day-To-Day – knee)

Magic: Franz Wagner (Out – ankle), Anthony Black (Out – abdomen), Jonathan Isaac (Out – ankle)

Projected Lineups

Raptors: Ja’Kobe Walter, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl

Magic: Desmond Bane, Tristan da Silva, Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.

We risk looking foolish when we believe we know the contents of a man’s soul, but Dusty May sure seems like one of the good guys.

Nobody could deny he’s become one of college basketball’s premier coaches. He started winning big at Florida Atlantic and kept winning big at Michigan.

May did not start out a “Michigan Man.” He’s an Indiana graduate and a former student manager for Bob Knight.

These past couple of seasons, though, May became Michigan’s man. Its good man. Its winning man. Its man heading to the Final Four, in just his second season, in charge of an incredible team.

Michigan sends message: You don't want to play them

More: At Michigan, Dusty May's son is the student manager his dad once was

“They’ve become such a unit,” May said of his Wolverines, who'll head to Indianapolis with a 35-3 record. “It’s a special group.”

With a special coach.

Michigan must keep this man, too, no matter how badly North Carolina might like to have him.

UNC needs a no-nonsense basketball coach who’ll restore the program to such an elite status that you (mostly) forget all about the embarrassment of Bill Belichick and Tar Heels football.

Well, May has experience in that arena.

May and his basketball team are something fresh, something redeemable, for Michigan after the stench of Jim Harbaugh and Connor Stalions and Wolverines football cheating their way to glory.

May’s success and his team’s dominance helped Michigan provide some distance from the giant stain Sherrone Moore supplied, too.

I’ve seen more than a few pathetic coaches in my time, but I don’t know that I’ll ever see anyone look as pathetic as Moore did, sitting in a white jumpsuit in December, while a prosecutor accused Moore of terrorizing his ex-mistress before police arrested him.

“The football stuff, there's some, obviously, some poor decisions made across the board,” May said last winter, following Moore’s disgraceful exit.

True words.

As for the basketball stuff?

May made sure that corner of Michigan athletics shines a bright light.

Give Michigan credit for one good move these past few years, when it had the good sense to snap up May after his consecutive NCAA bids at FAU.

May's Wolverines left no doubt within the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan crushed four straight opponents and left Tennessee for dust on Sunday, in a win that sends Michigan to the Final Four for the first time since 2018.

If Michigan isn’t the favorite in this Final Four, it’s about as close as it gets.

“We have a sign in our locker room that says April habits,” May said on CBS after Michigan annihilated Tennessee, 95-62. “Since this group got together this summer, we’ve been training to build championship habits.”

May evolves, too. He took FAU to the Final Four with a team fueled by guard play.

This Michigan team, in contrast, bullies opponents and starts a frontcourt that goes like this: 6-9. 6-9. 7-3.

Goodnight.

If North Carolina possessed any doubts as to what it needs out of its next coach, it need only take inspiration from how May straightened out Michigan after the tumultuous Juwan Howard era, the lowlight of which was Howard punching an opposing assistant coach. Just another black eye for Michigan.

May cleaned it all up. He’d be a slam-dunk choice for the Tar Heels, if only he’d leave Michigan.

But, why should he stop being Michigan's man?

May obviously can achieve at the highest level at Michigan, without the pressure that accompanies a blue-blood job.

Anyway, UNC must try for him, and Michigan must promise to give May what he needs to stay put. May is the antidote to the disgraces that occurred within Michigan football. He's become Michigan's main man.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan man Dusty May is just what UNC basketball needs

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Désiré Doué scored a pair of goals and France defeated Colombia 3-1 on Sunday as both teams prepare for the men's World Cup this summer.

Marcus Thuram also scored for the French before an announced crowd of 60,734 at Northwest Stadium, home of the NFL's Washington Commanders.

After starting in France's 2-1 victory over Brazil earlier this week, Kylian Mbappe came in as a substitute in the 78th minute. He remains a goal away from matching France’s all-time goal scoring record, held by Olivier Giroud with 57 goals.

Mbappe was working his way back after a knee injury that has sidelined him in matches for his club team, Real Madrid.

Mbappe and Hugo Ekitike both scored against Brazil on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Bremer scored a late goal for Brazil.

Les Bleus, the World Cup winners in 1998 and 2018, have not dropped a match since last June and are ranked second in the FIFA rankings.

Colombia, ranked No. 13, was coming off a 2-1 loss to Croatia in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday.

Doué scored in the 29th minute. Marcus Thuram added a goal off a cross from Maghnes Akliouche before halftime.

Doué's second goal came in the 56th with an assists from, Thuram, before Jáminton Campaz closed the gap for Colombia in the 77th.

France opens the World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 16 against Senegal in Group I. Colombia opens against Uzbekistan in Mexico City in Group K on June 17.

___

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

CHICAGO (AP) — Joey Wiemer and Keibert Ruiz homered and the Washington Nationals earned a season-opening series win with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Jake Irvin (1-0) allowed two runs and three hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in five innings and Clayton Beeter, the last of four Washington relievers, worked a clean ninth for his first save. Washington took two of three in the series.

Alex Bregman hit two solo home runs — his first since joining the Cubs as a free agent — and Ian Happ added one.

Brady House and Daylen Lile hit consecutive two-out singles off Shota Imanaga (0-1) in the first and Wiemer followed with his second homer of the season to give Washington a 3-0 lead.

Imanaga also gave up Wiemer’s leadoff triple in the fourth, but stranded him there with three straight outs. Wiemer was 3 for 3 with a walk.

Ruiz added a two-run homer off reliever Hoby Milner in the eighth.

Bregman, who signed a five-year, $175 million contract in January, hit a solo shot to center to start the fourth and Happ added his second of the season two pitches later to make it 3-2.

Bregman added an eighth-inning solo shot to right field off Cionel Pérez.

Imanaga was pulled after walking the leadoff man in the sixth. He gave up six hits and four runs while walking two and striking out seven.

Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews, who captained the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Up next

Nationals: at Phillies where Washington's Foster Griffin faces Philadelphia's Taijuan Walker on Monday.

Cubs: host Angels. Ryan Johnson starts for Los Angeles against Chicago's Edward Cabrera on Monday.

___

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

There’s a certain comedy in the agony for Nets fans right now, and frankly, all fans of tanking teams. There has to be. Otherwise it would really be a brutal watch… assuming you’re still watching.

Typing out this sentence feels wrong, but it’s the reality: the Brooklyn Nets need to lose tonight. And not just tonight — as many times as possible over these final eight games. Up next is a gauntlet of teams trying to accomplish the exact same thing. The Kings tonight. The Wizards next week. Milwaukee twice. The Pacers sandwiched in between. It’s a scramble to the bottom.

There is a strange beauty in it, too. These games still matter, just not in the way we’re used to. There are young professionals on the floor who are competing for future opportunities and contracts. That part is real…

---

🏀 KEY INFO

Who: Sacramento Kings (19-56) at Brooklyn Nets (17-57)
When: 6:00 PM ET
Watch: YES Network

---

⚠️ Injury Report

Nets

• Egor Demin
• Danny Wolf
• Michael Porter Jr
• Day’ron Sharpe
• Josh Minnott
• Jalen Wilson
• The Nets three two-ways and one 10-day are available.

Kings

• DeMar DeRozan
• Malik Monk
• Russell Westbrook
• Domantas Sabonis
• Zach Lavine
• Keegan Murray
• De’Andre Hunter
• Drew Eubanks

---

💬 DISCUSSION

Share your thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Two days with no games allowed the Lakers to fully reset as they prepare for the final stretch of the regular season and a playoff run.

They have eight games left, starting with the NBA lottery-bound Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena on Monday. The Lakers will play without star guard Luka Doncic because he’s serving his one-game suspension for reaching the league limit of 16 technical fouls.

The Lakers had an early practice Sunday and that gave them a chance to make adjustments with fresh bodies and minds.

Read more:Luka Doncic will serve one-game suspension for techs on Monday

“Yeah, for me, I think, based on all of them wanting to come in at 10 a.m. on a Sunday, I think it is as much mental and spiritual and emotional,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after practice. “We didn't want to have these guys in here long today. But we got a lot done, watched some film and cleaned some stuff up. But there is these two days for us. It's a great reset for us.”

Doncic got his 16th technical foul of the season Friday night during a win over the Brooklyn Nets after an exchange with Ziaire Williams, when both were given double technical fouls in the third quarter of that game.

For Doncic, who earns $45.9 million per season, the suspension will cost him about $264,000.

If he gets two more technical fouls between now and the end of the regular season, he will be automatically suspended for an additional game.

Doncic is eligible to return for the Lakers on Tuesday night when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I mean, he's disappointed,” Redick said of Doncic. “He wants to be there for his teammates, and again, I've talked about this all year, like he plays. He's not a guy that takes games off. He can be banged up and he's gonna play. He was like that when I was his teammate in Dallas. For tomorrow, we've gotten, I think, some great contributions from guys that haven't necessarily been in the nine-man rotation when we've been fully healthy.”

Redick spoke about how Bronny James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleber have all had “good moments” when they were called on for duty.

And with Doncic out, Redick said it will take a group effort to beat the Wizards.

“But we're gonna need everybody tomorrow,” Redick said.

Read more:Swanson: Bronny James has proven he deserves to be a Laker — with or without LeBron

The Wizards have the third-worst record in the NBA at 17-56. They are second to last in the league in points allowed, giving up 124 per game.

Still, this is all about the Lakers and how they get ready for the playoffs during the final few games of the season .

Half of the eight games are against teams with records below .500.

The Lakers will face a Cavaliers team that’s making a push for better positioning in the Eastern Conference. They will twice face an Oklahoma City team that has the best record in the league and a Suns team that has a 3-1 record against the Lakers.

“That's the thing I've talked about all year is you need great effort and you need great execution,” Redick said. “I think the effort part has been there very consistently for weeks now. Sometimes when the games are stacked together and travel and all that, there can be some small details, execution-wise, that can have slippage, and I think for us, especially on the defensive end, we can do some things better. But I mean, look, the last 16 games we are where we are because we've been really good on both ends.”

Etc.

Redick said guard Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) and forward Adou Thiero (left knee soreness) are in “that day-to-day camp” with their injuries.

“So we’re just kind of waiting for them to feel like they’re good enough to go,” Redick said.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

MIAMI (AP) — Owen Caissie hit a walk-off, two-run homer to give the Miami Marlins a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday and complete a sweep of their season-opening series.

Javier Sanoja doubled with two outs in the ninth inning against Rockies reliever Victor Vodnik (0-1) before Caissie drilled a change-up from Vodnik over the wall in right field.

In addition to going deep, Caissie doubled twice and batted 5 for 10 over the three-game set.

Sanoja, Otto López and Xavier Edwards had two hits each for the Marlins. Michael Petersen (1-0) got the win, throwing a perfect ninth.

The Rockies struck quickly against Marlins starter Max Meyer on Jordan Beck’s three-run double in the first.

Miami chipped away at the early deficit when López hit an RBI double in the first and Austin Slater added a sacrifice fly in the second.

Rockies starter José Quintana was lifted after 4 1/3 innings and 78 pitches of two-run ball. Quintana gave up four hits, struck out two and walked four.

The 37-year-old Quintana began his 15th season with Sunday’s outing. Quintana pitched for eight previous clubs before Colorado signed him to a free agent deal in the offseason.

Meyer settled down after the first and kept the Rockies scoreless through the remainder of his five-inning outing. He allowed five hits, struck out five and walked two.

Miami’s Deyvison De Los Santos doubled in his first major league at-bat in the second. De Los Santos was recalled from Triple-A Saturday.

Up next

Rockies: RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (10-10, 4.64 with Baltimore in 2025) makes his Colorado debut in the opener of a three-game set at Toronto on Monday. Four seasons since his last major league appearance, RHP Cody Ponce will start for the Blue Jays.

Marlins: RHP Chris Paddack (5-12, 5.35 in 2025) will start the opener of a three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. RHP Davis Martin (7-10, 4.10) will start for the White Sox.

___

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