Category: Basketball

The final weekend of the regular season in many collegiate sports usually means a rivalry game. That is indeed the case in many basketball hotbeds around the nation as the men’s campaign concludes.

While these contests always mean bragging rights, there’s a bit more on the line for some of the involved teams as they hope to improve their positions for upcoming conference tournaments and of course for March Madness. Our last edition of the Starting Five offers Saturday double dips in the ACC and SEC, and the weekend lineup concludes with a Sunday top-10 showdown in the Big Ten.

BRACKETOLOGY: The latest tournament projection analyzes messy bubble

BUBBLE WATCH: The weekend games with the biggest tournament impact

Here’s a look at our picks of games to watch.

No. 22 Vanderbilt at No. 25 Tennessee

Time/TV: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN.

A Tennessee win would complete a sweep of its in-state foe as well as lock in an SEC tourney double bye for the Volunteers. The 4 seed could also be in play for the Commodores if some tiebreakers go their way, but toppling the archrival Vols will be incentive enough. Their first encounter in Nashville was played at Tennessee’s preferred deliberate pace resulting in a 69-65 victory, so Vandy’s back-court duo of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles will need some early makes to increase the tempo. Tennessee hopes to have top scorer Nate Ament back in the lineup after he sat out the win at South Carolina, but if he can’t go the interior defense will still be formidable thanks to J.P. Estrella and Felix Okpara.

Louisville at No. 23 Miami (Fla.)

Time/TV: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPNU.

The Hurricanes’ win at SMU this week effectively locked them into the No. 3 seed for the ACC tournament, but they’d still like to close the regular season on a high note on their home floor. The Cardinals have dropped their last three league road contests and could use a confidence boost entering the postseason. While a healthy Mikel Brown is capable of going nuclear, Ryan Conwell has been the steady hand in the Louisville lineup who will also demand attention from the Miami defense. The Hurricanes are led by the inside-out combo of Malik Reneau and Tre Donaldson.

No. 5 Florida at Kentucky

Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN.

With the SEC regular-season title secured, the Gators now turn their attention to improving their path to a repeat NCAA crown with a top regional seed. They’ll look to take the next step toward that goal at the expense of the wildly inconsistent Wildcats, who have likely done enough to remain on the right side of the bubble but seem destined for a brief stay in the dance. The Gators’ nine-point triumph over Kentucky in Gainesville three weeks ago was part of the late-season scoring surge for Xaivian Lee, whose contributions from the perimeter have made Florida’s experienced front line even more dangerous. The Wildcats will have to count on Otega Oweh to take advantage of the friendly rims at Rupp Arena.

No. 18 North Carolina at No. 1 Duke

Time/TV: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

Like the SEC, the ACC race is already settled with the Blue Devils again ahead of the field. That will hardly affect the charged atmosphere at Cameron Indoor Stadium as Duke looks to avenge its lone league loss at the expense of its most despised rival. The Tar Heels will likely see Duke again in less than a week, but again, there will be no lack of intensity on either side. There might be good news for UNC if Caleb Wilson is able to return from a month-long absence due to a hand injury. The Heels have handled several opponents without him, but that likely won’t apply to Duke. Expect another big night from the Blue Devils’ Cameron Boozer as he plays for what will almost certainly be the final time in front of the Crazies.

No. 8 Michigan State at No. 3 Michigan

Time/TV: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS.

The Big Ten race is – stop us if you’ve heard this one before – over. The Wolverines have the top seed in hand, and the Spartans also have a double bye clinched. But did we mention this is a rivalry game? This one is also a rematch, with the Wolverines taking the first meeting 83-71 in East Lansing on Jan. 30. The Spartans had no answer for Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg in that one, though they’re hardly alone in that regard. When Michigan State needs to make something happen, Jeremy Fears is usually involved.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball weekend schedule loaded with March Madness impact

Teams still out to prove they belong in the NCAA men's tournament have one final shot to impress in the last weekend of the regular season, and there are plenty of opportunities up for grabs.

Every team on the bubble in the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology plays one more scheduled contest, and most of them aren't just playing a game, but going against opponents that can significantly alter their resume. Ranked foes, conference leads and fellow bubble members can very well change the tournament picture a week before the bracket is revealed.

BRACKETOLOGY: The latest tournament projection analyzes messy bubble

STARTING FIVE: Breaking down the loaded schedule on the final weekend

This won't be the last chance to impress the March Madness selection committee with conference tournaments on the horizon, but every result is magnified, and momentum could be just the secret sauce needed to go on one last run that leaves no doubt about making it on Selection Sunday.

Virginia Commonwealth at Dayton

Time/TV: Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Currently among the first four out, VCU gets a rare conference Quad 1 game at Dayton, giving the Rams an opportunity to improve their 1-5 mark in the category. A win could push VCU into the last four in range, and they can get a share of the Atlantic 10 championship with a victory and a Saint Louis loss to George Mason. However, the Flyers are hot, winners of six in a row, which includes a defeat of Saint Louis. Lose and the Rams likely need to win the conference tournament to make the NCAA field.

No. 20 Miami (Ohio) at Ohio

Time/TV: Friday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

One of the most-discussed teams in the country, Miami (Ohio) is one win away from a perfect regular season, yet there's still debate if it deserves to be in the tournament without an automatic bid. The RedHawks defeating the Bobcats would likely lock up a spot by pushing their record to 31-0. Since March Madness expanded in 1985, no team has ever had a perfect regular season and didn't make the bracket. The critics could be silenced and the rest of the bubble teams will be rooting for Miami to get the auto spot so it doesn't have to worry about another MAC team stealing a bid..

New Mexico at Utah State

Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m., Mountain West Network

The Lobos are holding onto a projected spot by a thread after a Senior Day loss to Colorado State was the second Quad 3 defeat of the season - a major no-no at this point of the calendar. The defeat can be rectified, but it comes in the biggest game of the year at Mountain West-leading Utah State. The Aggies are tough at home with a 13-1 record in Logan, and New Mexico was badly beaten by them on Feb. 4. A win will keep the Lobos afloat, but another loss surely makes way for someone to take their place.

Indiana at Ohio State

Time/TV: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET, Fox

A major Big Ten bubble battle. The Hoosiers are the first team on the wrong side of the cutline, coming off a dominant win at Minnesota to snap a four game skid. It's a Quad 1 chance at Ohio State - a type of win Indiana needs since it has a disastrous 2-10 record in the category. An impressive road victory could get it on the right side of the tournament outlook, but another lose could really make it bleak. The Buckeyes pretty much wrapped up a tournament spot last week after beating Purdue, but doesn't want to test its fate.

Auburn at No. 16 Alabama

Time/TV: Saturday, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

Another hot topic team, Auburn is the last team in the field and it will have to really earn that spot playing against rival Alabama. Even though the Tigers have an ugly 16-14 record, their four Quad 1 wins can't be dismissed and getting a fifth one − on the road against a ranked foe − would be noteworthy. However, Alabama has been really clicking recently and beat their in-state enemy already this season. Should Auburn lose for the eighth time in 10 contests, it'll be hard to justify they belong, even if Bruce Pearl continues to shout from mountain tops.

Other bubble games to watch

All times Eastern

Friday

• Central Florida at West Virginia (8 p.m., CBS Sports Network): A pair of bad losses have UCF reeling and in need of a win to avoid being a double-digit seed.

Saturday

• No. 19 Arkansas at Missouri(12 p.m., ESPN): With a rough NET ranking of 60, Missouri could use a ranked victory to stay away from being in the last four in range.
• Cincinnati at TCU (2 p.m., TNT/truTV): Back from the dead, Cincinnati can continue its climb toward the conversation with another road victory against a tournament team.
• SMU at Florida State (2 p.m., ACC Network): The Mustangs have lost three in a row and cannot afford falling to upstart Florida State if they wish to stay away from the First Four.
• California at Wake Forest (4 p.m., ACC Network): Plenty of work still needed from the Golden Bears, and improving a 4-5 Quad 1 record is a necessary step.
• Texas A&M at LSU (6 p.m., SEC Network): After a much-needed win over Kentucky, the Aggies can't fall against a SEC cellar-dweller if it wants to find a much more secure spot.
• UCLA at Southern California (9 p.m., FS1): Another top-10 win has UCLA back on solid ground, and it needs to take advantage of its reeling rival.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bubble watch games that will alter NCAA Tournament field

This isn’t about Miami (Ohio) and its 30-0 record against a soft schedule.

This is about Auburn basketball’s collapse, and instead of owning up to his part in it, Bruce Pearl made the RedHawks out to be the scapegoat.

All Miami has done is beat 30 consecutive opponents. What’s Auburn (16-14) done? Well, it lost seven of its last nine, as Aubie fights to keep his head above .500.

Somehow, Auburn's position on the NCAA men's tournament bubble is all Miami’s fault, that mid-major that just keeps beating everybody on its schedule.

“Here's the deal. Are we going to select the 68 most deserving teams? Or are we going to select the 68 best teams?" Pearl said this week from his spot in the TNT studio.

Pearl’s stance: If Miami loses even one single game and fails to win its conference tournament, it shouldn’t receive an at-large bid to the tournament.

He subsequently stumped for Auburn’s credentials.

What’s this all about?

Nepotism, of course. A tale as old as time.

Pearl’s son, Steven, coaches Auburn — in part, because Pearl helped him get the job, a fact he admits.

Pearl kept Auburn in limbo leading up to this season: Would he coach? Would he run for political office? Would he retire?

He chose retirement, but not until six weeks before the season tipped off. His timing helped ensure Auburn would promote his son from associate coach to the head chair, while the elder Pearl shifted into an ambassador role and a special assistant to athletic director John Cohen.

Bruce Pearl admits to nepotism, helping Steven Pearl

Pearl, though, insists he’s not acting from a place of bias when he polishes Auburn.

“That's objectively how I feel,” he told OutKick.

Pearl, an experienced liar, might think that’s the case, but the truth is, we cannot possibly know how he’d objectively feel about this situation. Let us reiterate: Pearl coached Auburn for many years. He remains on Auburn’s payroll. His son coaches Auburn.

Does this sound like someone who could be objective?

“Am I rooting for son to make the NCAA Tournament? Of course I am!” Pearl said to OutKick. “Did I help my son get the job? Nepotism? Of course I did!”

Well, you said it.

No shame in rooting for your son, and Pearl is hardly the first coach to grease the wheels of nepotism. But, please, spare us from pretending you’re unbiased in this debate.

Miami (Ohio) athletic director calls Bruce Pearl's remarks 'disgusting'

Auburn is currently listed as the last team in the field in USA TODAY's latest bracket projection, while Miami (Ohio) is projected into the field as a No. 11 seed.

Indefatigable, Pearl kept his barrage of barbs coming at Miami (Ohio). He told Barstool he thought it possible the RedHawks would be in last place if they played in the Big East, which is experiencing the worst season of any of the major conferences.

David Sayler, the athletic director at Miami (Ohio), fired back that Pearl’s denigration of the RedHawks was “disgusting.”

At the very least, it’s blatantly biased, but none of it changes that the RedHawks are flourishing, and Auburn is suffering after Pearl’s ill-timed retirement and the Tigers’ subsequent nepo-hire.

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: Bruce Pearl lies for Auburn basketball's March Madness case

We’re back! Welcome to the Celtics’ Top-5 Highest IQ Plays of the Week! 

Sure, we love the high-flying dunks and the deep, off-the-dribble step-back threes, but this is a place for the under-the-radar plays that might not get the credit they deserve. The plays that get the basketball sickos and nerds out of their chairs. The plays that even YOU could make in your weekly rec league game. 

Each week, the plays will be ranked from five to one—one being the smartest—and will only be taken from games that occurred within the past week. For this week, games from February 27th to March 5th are considered. The Celtics went 3-1 this week, with wins over the Nets, Sixers and Bucks, but a loss to the surging Hornets.

5. Grand theft White (Alvarado)

Jose Alvarado has made a reputation out of sneaking up from behind ball-handlers for steals—he even has his own nickname (Grand Theft Alvarado) that represents this niche skill. But Derrick White has some sneaky defensive tactics as well (and sadly no nickname to show for it). He has a knack for noticing the exact moment the ball-handler loses sight of him and picking the perfect time to pounce from behind. Then, once he makes the steal, he throws a timely and accurate bounce pass to Pritchard at the rim. I love you, DWhite.

4. Learning from your teammates

Look familiar? An underrated part of playing with Derrick White is that his teammates can learn from him. Pritchard has seemingly studied White’s uncanny ability to sneak up behind ball-handlers, because the way he does so on this play is quite Derrick-esque. As soon as Edgecombe turns the corner, PP locks in on his eyes—he’s staring at him to clock the exact moment he turns his head and loses vision of the right side of the floor. And as soon as VJ turns away, Pritchard pounces. Grand Theft Pritchard?  

3. Physical flopper

When you’re physical and intense in every basketball movement you do, as Hugo Gonzalez is, you’re bound to force the opposition to be extra aggressive. And you know what pairs well with the opponent’s overzealous physicality? Flopping. Here, Hugo notices that Turner runs into the screen with a little extra oomph, and he takes advantage by throwing himself into Myles’ body and causing an illegal screen. As if Gonzalez isn’t already enough of a nuisance on the offensive glass and as a point-of-attack defender, he might slowly be figuring out the NBA’s hidden flopping tricks, which will only make him more annoying to face.

2. Utterly classic Derrick White

All I can do is smile watching the absolute brilliance of this play from White. To start, Derrick’s weak-side help positioning is—to nobody’s surprise—exquisite. He plays both the roll and corner pass without overcommitting to either. And when the pass is thrown, White intercepts the ball and throws it off of Grimes in mid-air without skipping a beat. Oh, and then he extends an apologetic hand to Grimes, who he hit in the face in the process. He’s a nice guy, but he’s also an evil genius. Special stuff from White, one of the league’s smartest players.

1. The peel switch of my dreams

This could basically just be a Derrick White high-IQ plays article, but I’m here for it, because he and Scheierman execute one of the better peel switches I’ve ever seen on this play. It starts with Baylor, who does an excellent job waiting for the perfect moment to insert himself into Miller’s driving space. If he goes too early, he doesn’t give White enough time to get out to Bridges, but if he goes too late, he risks allowing Brandon an easy pull-up jumper. Once White notices that Scheierman takes Miller, he beelines to Bridges and comes up with the steal. It might be difficult to notice in real time, but this exchange makes Brandon Miller’s decision significantly more complicated.

VERONA, Italy (AP) — The Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics will officially open later Friday amid the tensions of war in the Middle East and with some countries intending to boycott the opening ceremony because of the return of the Russian flag to the global sports stage.

Ukraine is leading the list of countries not attending the opening ceremony in Verona to protest the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to allow Russian athletes to compete under their own flag and with their national anthem. The Russian flag hasn’t been flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, while the national anthem has not been heard at any Olympics or Paralympics since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.

The opening ceremony will take place at the Arena di Verona, marking the first time a Paralympic ceremony is held at a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ancient Arena has been retrofitted with new wheelchair ramps and accessible restrooms along with other safety upgrades.

The Milan Cortina Games mark the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics. More than 600 athletes will compete across 79 events in six sports. It is the biggest Winter Paralympics ever, with a record female participation, according to the IPC.

Para cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi is expected to be the only athlete from Iran participating in the Games that begin less than a week after the United States and Israel launched their military attack.

Khatibi was announced as Iran’s flagbearer but he will not actually carry the flag — volunteers will be handed the task for all nations because not all flagbearers will be able to attend the ceremony for logistics and training issues.

Many athletes will miss the opening ceremony as they are located in different competing clusters across Italy. The curling events began on Wednesday.

China arrives looking to establish itself as the main Paralympic powerhouse. The Chinese have topped the medal count in the Summer Paralympics every time since 2004, and four years ago topped the Winter Games for the first time with a record-setting performance.

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AP Winter Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games

Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (15-14, 11-9 MAAC) vs. Merrimack Warriors (18-11, 15-5 MAAC)

Atlantic City, New Jersey; Saturday, 2:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Merrimack takes on Mount St. Mary's in the MAAC Tournament.

The Warriors' record in MAAC games is 15-5, and their record is 3-6 in non-conference play. Merrimack is second in the MAAC in rebounding with 34.9 rebounds. Madison Roman paces the Warriors with 10.8 boards.

The Mountaineers are 11-9 against MAAC opponents. Mount St. Mary's is third in the MAAC with 33.5 rebounds per game led by Amber Bullard averaging 5.9.

Merrimack averages 68.3 points, 5.9 more per game than the 62.4 Mount St. Mary's gives up. Mount St. Mary's has shot at a 37.8% rate from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points less than the 38.2% shooting opponents of Merrimack have averaged.

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Warriors won 81-68 in the last matchup on Jan. 24. Molly Manion led the Warriors with 27 points, and Bullard led the Mountaineers with 10 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Roman is averaging 13.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals for the Warriors. Lydia Melaschenko is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Bullard is averaging nine points and 5.9 rebounds for the Mountaineers. Alana Powell is averaging 12.4 points and 1.8 steals over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Warriors: 8-2, averaging 69.8 points, 32.8 rebounds, 16.9 assists, 9.1 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 43.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 59.7 points per game.

Mountaineers: 6-4, averaging 63.2 points, 33.1 rebounds, 12.5 assists, 9.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 40.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.9 points.

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

After a short string of games at full health, the Lakers walked out of Thursday’s game in Denver with 40% of their starting lineup unable to finish the game.

Deandre Ayton played only briefly on in the first quarter before exiting after just 4:30 with left knee soreness. LeBron James, meanwhile, played much more of the contest before suffering his own injury that forced him out of the game.

With four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, LeBron drove to the rim and finished through contact from Nikola Jokić. That contact, however, knocked LeBron to the ground and into a cameraman, where he hit his elbow.

Immediately, LeBron clutched his arm in clear pain. Eventually, he walked off the court while still flexing his arm, trying to get feeling back into it.

After a short stint on the bench, LeBron returned to the game, but never took a shot during his time on the floor. While he attempted to tough it out, though, he could not finish the game, opting out of attempting to in-bound the ball with the Lakers down five and 20 seconds left.

“It’s pretty sore right now,” LeBron said. “What was I feeling? Feeling like one of them funny bone situations but super more intense.”

Honestly, that’s a very funny description that everyone also immediately understands the pain he was feeling. Take a hit to the funny bone and you need 10 minutes for it to stop tingling. Take a “super more intense” hit to the funny bone and not be LeBron James and you might need 2-3 business days to recover.

LeBron was icing his elbow after the game, but didn’t have much more in the way of clarity of how severe his injury was.

“We’ll see what happens over the next couple days,” LeBron said. “Hopefully I wake up tomorrow and it doesn’t feel too much worse than it is now or if it feels better, that’d be great.”

The Lakers immediately return to the court on Friday against the Pacers, so we’ll learn pretty quickly the severity of his injury. In theory, a game against one of the worst teams in the league is a good one to miss if injured.

Following that game, though, the Lakers play New York and Minnesota at home, two games that will be far tougher challenges.

Hopefully, LeBron’s “super more intense” funny bone situation is a short term injury and not another thing that lingers this season.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

DENVER — Lakers star Luka Dončić was confused as to why he was assessed a technical foul during the second quarter of Thursday’s 120-113 road loss to the Nuggets at Ball Arena on Thursday night, which was his 15th technical of the season.

If Dončić is assessed one more technical foul over the Lakers’ final 20 games of the regular season, he will have to serve a one-game suspension.

“Just because I yelled at him I guess,” Dončić said, referring to the explanation he was given from referee Dedric Taylor, who gave the Lakers star the tech. “That’s what he said. But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn’t get a tech. And that’s my problem; I was trying not to talk at all. [That was] the first thing I said, no warning or nothing. But I heard three other players say the exact same thing and nothing. So it’s just … I don’t know what to say.”

Luka Doncic on why he was assessed the technical foul, which is Luka's 15th of the season:

"Just because I yelled at him I guess. That's what he said. But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn't get a tech. And that's my problem. I was trying not to… pic.twitter.com/WSgNrzx9Tk

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 6, 2026

Dončić appeared to be unhappy after not receiving a shooting foul when Nuggets guard Bruce Brown made contact with him when he missed a pull-up midrange shot at the 5:52 mark of the second quarter.

After grabbing the defensive rebound, Christian Braun raced out in transition and assisted Jamal Murray on a corner 3-pointer to put the Nuggets up 49-39.

Shortly after the made 3, Doncic was assessed the technical foul, with Murray making the free throw to put the Nuggets up by 11.

“Dončić was issued a technical foul for using profanity directed towards a referee,” Crew Chief Ed Malloy said in the postgame pool report. “We are trained not to stop an offensive transition when calling a technical foul on the defense.”

Players who receive 16 technical fouls in a regular season receive an automatic one-game suspension and a fine. 

There has been three times in his NBA career (2020-23) that Dončić has finished a season with 15 technical fouls. 

He finished with 13 techs in 50 games last season with the Mavericks and Lakers after having 13 in 2023-24 with the Mavericks.

While playing for the Mavericks, Dončić narrowly avoided a one-game suspension in the season finale of the 2021-22 season after the NBA office rescinded his 16th technical foul.

pic.twitter.com/PepcnOSNZE

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 6, 2026

Dončić also picked up a 16th technical foul late in the 2022-23 season, which was also rescinded, resulting in him not having to serve a one-game suspension then either. 

“Don’t get another tech,” Doncic responded when asked how he can avoid the suspension. 

When asked whether he was committing to not picking up another technical foul, Doncic responded: “We’ll see. Can’t predict the future.”

Dončić didn’t say whether he thought there was a chance his technical from Thursday’s game would be rescinded.

“I mean if three other people say it and I’m the only one that [gets] a tech, what’s the point of that?,” Dončić said. “I really wasn’t trying to talk at all and that was the first thing I said and immediately.”

Entering this season with the oldest roster in the NBA, the Los Angeles Clippers had an absolutely brutal start to the year, a 2-13 November being the biggest indicator that it would be a challenging season. Summer acquisition Bradley Beal fractured his hip just 6 games into the season and was lost for the year, while the team moved off James Harden before the trade deadline following the latest financial dispute between the Beard and an NBA front office.

The seemingly forever-injured Kawhi Leonard missed time early on and was on a minutes restriction upon his eventual debut, but he’s actually had one of the strongest seasons of his career and has the Clippers firmly in the play-in picture after a dreadful 6-21 start for LA’s other team. They catch the Spurs on a SEGABABA, following an epic clash with the East-leading Detroit Pistons nonetheless, but San Antonio has to at least be happy that they’re home for this one.

San Antonio Spurs (45-17) vs Los Angeles Clippers (30-31)

March 6, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT

Watch: ESPN, FanDuel | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Harrison Barnes, ankle (OUT), Mason Plumblee, reconditioning (OUT), David Jones-Garcia, OUT

Clippers Injuries: Darius Garland, toe (OUT), Bradley Beal, hip (OUT), John Collins, neck (OUT), Yanic Konan Niederhauser, foot (OUT)

What to watch for

• Contrasting offensive styles will be on display tonight. Largely due in part to fielding the oldest roster in the NBA this season with an average age of around 33 years old, the Clippers are near the bottom of the league in terms of pace. Their opportunities in transition are few and far between, forcing them to rely on what has actually been a very good half court offense this season thanks to Leonard and the recently departed Harden. San Antonio on the other hand is in the upper half of the league when it comes to pace, fueled by a tough-nosed, young defense that’s among the most disruptive in the Association.
• Following the trade of longtime center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, veteran big man Brook Lopez will be Victor Wembanyama’s main match-up. Lopez has always been great at using his massive wingspan to make up for comparatively limited athleticism, helping to anchor more than a few really good Milwaukee Bucks’ defenses in his run there. Lopez, in his 17th season, will be 38 years old in a little less than a month.
• In his 14th season, Kawhi Leonard is averaging the most points per game of his career. He’s shooting 50/38/90 from the field on his way to that 27.9 PPG average, all while still being a more than capable defender even at age 34 and with numerous lower body injuries over the years. As has always been the case with him, the biggest knock on Leonard is his availability, but he’s played in 47 of the Clippers’ 61 games this season. Leonard has only played more than 55 games for the Clippers twice in 7 seasons with the club. Here’s to hoping the next great San Antonio perimeter defender Stephon Castle draws the main assignment on the former Spur.
• With the offensive breakout of all the young talent on this team, Devin Vassell has scored for at least 20 points just 9 times this season, but 3 of those performances have come since the All Star break.
• Carter Bryant is becoming a player that fans just have to watch when they tune into a game. Bryant has made a substantial leap throughout the course of the season, especially on the defensive end where he can use his frame to really disrupt all sorts of players. He scored just 2 points in last night’s win over the Detroit Pistons, but he was everywhere defensively in his 19 minutes of action.

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If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!

LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals scored in NBA history as the Los Angeles Lakers lost at the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.

James scored 16 points for the Lakers in the 120-113 defeat and passed Abdul-Jabbar's tally of 15,837 during the first quarter.

The 41-year-old, who is playing in an unprecedented 23rd NBA season, passed Abdul-Jabbar to become the top scorer in NBA history in February 2023.

Last year he became the first player to reach 50,000 points combined in the regular season and post-season, and currently has 43,127 in the regular season alone.

"Being mentioned with some of the greatest to ever play this game has always been humbling," said James, the league's four-time Most Valuable Player.

"I grew up watching, reading [about], idolising a lot of the greats, and if I was able to be part of the NBA, I wanted to put myself in position that I can be named with some of the greats by doing something right.

"It's a pretty cool feat, but it's hard for me to kind of wrap my head around it or what it looks like."

Lakers coach JJ Redick likened the evolution of James' career to that of Bruce Springsteen, saying: "You get to the end and you're like, 'this guy's greatest hits are like insane'.

"And LeBron's greatest hits, he just keeps adding to them. He just plays and plays and plays and the greatest hits, he's got a hell of a catalogue."

James passed Abdul-Jabbar's points record before field goals as three-point shots were introduced midway through the NBA legend's career.

The six-time champion spent most of his 20-year career with the Lakers and retired in 1989 having scored 55.9% of his 28,307 shots. James has a 51.6% scoring rate.

The four-time champion is set to claim another record as Thursday's game was his 1,606th in the regular season, putting him five behind Robert Parish.

James earned his 22nd All-Star selection this year and says he has not decided whether he will continue playing next season.

Fellow All Stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each scored 28 points for Denver, who stayed fifth in the Western Conference standings, one spot above the Lakers.

Second-placed San Antonio claimed their 13th victory from 14 games, with Victor Wembanyama returning to top form with 38 points and 16 rebounds as the Spurs won 121-106 at home against the Detroit Pistons, who lead the Eastern Conference.

• Heated Doncic interaction 'very normal' - Redick

DENVER — LeBron James said after the Lakers’ 120-113 road loss to the Nuggets on Thursday night that his left elbow was “pretty sore” after his fall late in the game at Ball Arena, with the Lakers star adding that the injury is day-to-day.

The Lakers star, who was icing the elbow during his postgame media availability inside the visitor’s locker room, fell onto the court after Nuggets star Nikola Jokic made contact with him in the air while James made a layup to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 110-106 with just over four minutes left.

No foul was called, with James immediately grabbing at his left elbow and staying down on the court during the Nuggets’ ensuing possession.

LeBron James was holding his left elbow area after his fall. He's on the bench being tended to by his longtime trainer right now. pic.twitter.com/Oy676TN19U

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 6, 2026

“It’s the same s—, James said. “‘Marginal.’ It’s the same s—. It’s, it’s, it’s … whatever. That’s all they keep saying is, ‘marginal.’ I’m so f—— tired of that word.”

Reserve big man Jaxson Hayes subbed in for James once James got up and the Lakers called timeout with 3:58 left. 

“It felt like one of those funny bone situations,” James said. “But like, super more intense.”

Mike Mancias, James’ longtime trainer and the Lakers’ athletic performance liaison, tended to James’ elbow while he was on the team’s bench after the timeout. 

James subbed back in for Rui Hachimura with 2:05 remaining but wasn’t on the court for after-timeout play when Luka Dončić missed a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer with 20 seconds left, with the Nuggets maintaining a 116-111 lead.

“It was bothering [him] enough that he didn’t feel comfortable doing the inbound pass when we called timeout down five,” Redick said. “So we put Luke [Kennard] in for him. He’s got ice on it. Get it looked at.”

The Lakers next will host the Pacers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, with James’ status up in the air. 

“We’ll see what happens over the next couple days,” James said. “Hopefully I’ll wake up [on Friday] and it doesn’t feel too much worse than it is now. Or, if it feels better, that would be great. So, it’s day-to-day, we’ll see what happens.”

Lakers star Luka Doncic is one technical away from receiving an automatic one-game suspension after he picked up his 15th technical of the season in a 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

Doncic, who had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, was charged with a technical with 5:43 left in the second quarter.

“Just because I yelled at him, I guess. That's what he said,” said Doncic about his interaction with referee Ed Malloy. “But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn't get a tech. And that's my problem, you know, I was trying not to talk at all. This is the first thing I said — no warning or nothing."

Read more:LeBron James breaks another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record, but hurts his elbow in loss

Malloy said after the game that Doncic was issued a technical for "using profanity directed towards a referee."

The NBA automatically suspends any player who receives 16 technical fouls during a season. Doncic has reached the threshold twice in his career, but the NBA rescinded the 16th technical each time, allowing him to avoid suspension.

Doncic wasn't making any guarantees about whether he'll be able to avoid another technical.

“We'll see,” he said. “Can't predict the future.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

After dropping Thursday’s game to the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers will immediately return to Los Angeles where they will begin a five-game home stand, starting with the Pacers on Friday.

This is the first meeting between the two teams this season.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers

When: 7 p.m. PT, Mar 6

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet

---

The Lakers will be greeted back at Crypto.com Arena by a Pacers team that’s currently struggling. The Pacers are lottery-bound and there’s really no reason for them to aim for anything but a top pick at this point of the season. It’s understood league-wide that this season was a gap year for them after Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the Finals.

That said, the Lakers will still have to earn this one. In fairness to them, they’ve been performing well on the second night of back-to-backs as of late, winning three of their last four. They should win this one simply because they’re the better team. It’s also the perfect opportunity to quickly bounce back after losing a close game in Denver.

Without Haliburton, Indiana ranks dead last in the league in offense. They average just 111.4 points per game and don’t rebound the ball very well. Outside of Pascal Siakam, they don’t have much of a consistent threat on offense. Their defense doesn’t make up for their offense either because they don’t have the pieces to protect the rim, especially with Ivica Zubac out. More notably, Indiana doesn’t have an answer for Los Angeles’ main guys.

That’s why it would be nice to see the Lakers put together a nice bounceback game, one that will begin this crucial five-game home stand on a strong note. Hopefully, they shoot better than they did on Thursday night, especially if this one goes down to the wire.

The Lakers should be able to feast in the paint even more and defend without fouling so much. It’s the defense’s responsibility to make sure that Siakam, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard don’t play extraordinary well.

One of the perks of the NBA regular season is that there’s always an opportunity to bounce back, especially after losing such a winnable game. Let’s see if the purple and gold can do just on Friday against the Pacers.

Notes and Updates

• This is the Lakers’ 11th back-to-back this season. After this one, they will play three more.
• Since the Lakers played on Thursday, there’s no injury report yet.
• As for the Pacers, Tyrese Halliburton (Achilles injury), Johnny Furphy (right ACL tear), Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain) are all out.
• Pascal Siakam (left wrist sprain), Aaron Nesmith (right ankle and lower back sprain) and Andrew Nembhard (lower back and neck soreness) are probable.
• Luka Dončić was called for his 15th technical foul of the season on Thursday against the Nuggets. If he gets called for one more, he will be automatically suspended for one game.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

The Lakers might just be cursed to always have an injury.

After a short string of games where they had a clean injury report, they came away from Thursday’s game against the Nuggets with plenty of bumps and bruises to go along with their loss. Two starters did not finish the game, one being LeBron, who suffered an elbow injury late in the contest.

The other, perhaps more serious injury was Deandre Ayton, who only played the opening 4:30 of the game before leaving with a knee injury. Ayton was eventually ruled out at halftime.

From the Lakers —
Deandre Ayton (knee) will not return to tonight’s game at Denver.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) March 6, 2026

After the game, head coach JJ Redick said Ayton was dealing with left knee soreness, leading to his early exit.

JJ Redick says he thinks Deandre Ayton is dealing with left knee soreness.

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 6, 2026

After being asked to clarify, Redick reiterated that it was left knee soreness. That’s relevant because in early February, Ayton dealt with right knee soreness that limited him to one appearance in the team’s four games prior to the All-Star break.

It’s possible this is the same injury resurfacing, but either way, it’s concerning. As much as Ayton has struggled in recent weeks, when he was at his best early in the season, the team was at its best.

That being said, in his absence, Jaxson Hayes looked fantastic against the Nuggets. Maxi Kleber has also had some solid showings in recent games, though he’s been dealing with a back injury. The Lakers found success in Denver with a small ball lineup as well.

While the Lakers do clearly have options they can turn to, any hit to the team’s depth is a blow, especially as they look to make their playoff push.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Don’t let the score fool you. The Lakers never had a shot in this one.

The Nuggets started the game on an 11-0 and never trailed. Anytime LA made a push, Denver responded and closed the door.

When Deandre Ayton played, he was bad, and when Lakers head coach JJ Redick went to players he hadn’t used in a while like Jarred Vanderbilt, it didn’t work.

Besides LeBron James, few Lakers can hold their heads high when looking back at how they played in this game.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

34 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 7-11 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, -10

From the beginning, LeBron was excellent in this game. He was pushing into the paint, attacking the basket, and was an active defensive participant.

His elbow injury in the fourth interrupted his play, but he gave the Lakers everything he had.

Grade: A

Luka Dončić

40 minutes, 27 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 11-24 FG, 3-10 3PT, 2-4 FT, 0

Luka was offensively aggressive in this game and played at his typical level. It was good to see him taking some shots late, though Marcus Smart took a few that would’ve been nice to see Luka or LeBron attempt. Beyond that, though, he was adequate.

Grade: B

Marcus Smart

32 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3-9 FG, 3-6 3PT, +3

On the one hand, Smart played hard and was one of the Lakers who showed up the entire game. On the other hand, the flopping was a bit much and the threes he missed in the final quarter sealed LA’s fate.

Still, other players underperformed and Smart was the only starter who was a positive in the plus-minus.

Grade: B-

Austin Reaves

38 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-11 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-4 FT, -4

It was another slow start for Reaves. He had just four points at the half. Reaves improved in the third and fourth quarters, but this was still another game where he had underperformed. This has been a trend over the past seven games, and an end does not seem in sight.

Perhaps since LA plays Indiana next, he’ll look good in a low-stakes contest.

Grade: C

Rui Hachimura

29 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 6-9 FG, 4-5 3PT, +10

Hachimura played well. He had some key threes that helped tilt things in LA’s favor, so it’s hard to be frustrated with what he provided.

Grade: B

Jaxson Hayes

27 minutes, 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 8-10 FG, 3-5 FT, +7

Hayes was fantastic in this game. He was a great screener, was flushing the ball down the hoop with ease and had his best performance of the season.

Grade: A+

Luke Kennard

20 minutes, 8 points, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-6 FG, 2-3 3PT, -7

Kennard did what he was supposed to in this game, and that’s knocking down threes, moving the ball and setting screens.

There’s not much more that can or should be asked of him.

Grade: B+

Jake LaRavia

10 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 1-6 FG, 0-3 3PT, -16

If LaRavia isn’t going to knock down his shots, continue to be passive when he’s open and get burnt on defense, then he can take a seat.

Grade: F

Deandre Ayton, Jarred Vanderbilt,

This pair didn’t play long enough to earn a grade, and if they did, it wouldn’t be positive.

JJ Redick

If the Lakers weren’t ready to start this game, that’s going to fall on the coach. Ayton has been making a case to get benched and he hasn’t been. Before he exited the game with a knee injury, he was terrible. These games are tests for the Lakers and they failed.

Grade: D

Thursday’s DNPs: Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James

Thursday’s inactives: Maxi Kleber, Chris Mañon, Nick Smith Jr, Drew Timme,

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.