This ending was gritty and ugly, just the way Houston usually likes games. Except it was Florida forcing bad shots and turnovers against the Cougars to finish off the national championship game.
Resilient Florida relies on defense and playmakers to overcome frustration in NCAA title game
The Gators fought back from a 12-point deficit in the second half to beat Houston 65-63 in the NCAA title game for the school’s third national championship.
2025 NBA mock draft: Final Four players may see stock rise
Florida, Duke and Auburn have five players in USA TODAY Sports' post-NCAA Tournament NBA mock draft. See where they rank:
Jase Richardson of Michigan State declares for NBA draft
Jase Richardson of Michigan State declares for NBA draft on Tuesday.
Nick Nurse states obvious: Health of Joel Embiid, Paul George key to 76ers turnaround next season
Paul George came to Philadelphia on a four-year, $212 million max contract, but due to injuries he played in just 41 games, averaging 16.2 points a night (his lowest output since 2012). Before the season tipped off, Joel Embiid signed a three-year, $192.9 million contract extension with Philadelphia that doesn't even kick in until the 2026-27 season. Embiid played in just 19 games due to knee issues this season.
The 76ers aren't trading either of them this summer, they couldn't if they wanted to (not getting a reasonable return). Nick Nurse stated the obvious, speaking to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer: If Philadelphia is going to bounce back next fall from the most disappointing season in franchise history, it starts with a healthy Embiid and George.
"There's, obviously, a good number of them that need to get taken care of, get back to health, but obviously, Joel and Paul will be the big concerns," Nurse said. "Can they get back and get ready to go? And I guess we won't find that out for a little while, and then you start unpacking and then you get back to thinking there's some really, really good players there and start piecing it together and then we get ready to build out the rest of the roster around them."
Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey played just 15 games together this season. If that number doesn't at least reach 50 next season, then hopes for a turnaround are slim — that's the financial reality of today's NBA and the 76ers' top-heavy construction.
With those three players plus rookie Jared McCain — who was running away with Rookie of the Year until he tore his meniscus in January — the Sixers are on the hook for $149.1 million in salary, which is about $5 million below the salary cap and having at least 10 roster spots to fill. The actual number to watch is the second tax apron ($207.8 million), but things add up quickly to get the 76ers near there. Philly has tanked, losing 12 in a row, hoping to retain its first-round draft pick (it is owed to Oklahoma City, top-six protected). If Philly lands in the top six, that rookie will cost at least $8 million (and could cost up to $13 million). Quentin Grimes has been a standout to end the season but is a free agent expected to command $20-$25 million a season with his new deal. Kelly Oubre is expected to opt out of his $8.4 million contract and become a free agent seeking a raise, and Guerschon Yabusele is also a free agent. Keep most of those players, round out the roster with minimum salary players, and the Sixers are pushing the tax aprons.
Philadelphia is committed to a top-heavy roster. That means the only way they can win next season is if Embiid, George, and Maxey can deliver at a much higher level than we saw this year. And that starts with getting the trio healthy.
Sizing up Eric Musselman’s USC roster rebuild after transfer movement
When Eric Musselman was hired as USC's basketball coach a year ago, he'd end up starting basically from scratch with only little-used reserve Harrison Hornery hanging around through the coaching transition. Such is life in the transfer portal era ... Musselman's Trojans were already losing half the roster due to graduation/exhausted eligibility with starters Chibuzo Agbo (11.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game), Josh Cohen (5.9 PPG) and reserves Matt Knowling, Clark Slajchert, Bryce Pope and Hornery all gone.
Bucky McMillan will ‘have to get to work immediately’ as he takes over Texas A&M
The Bucky McMillan era kicked off at Texas A&M with a lofty promise from the coach who raised Samford basketball to new heights.
Maryland losses in the portal continue in the weeks following Sweet 16
The Maryland exodus highlighted by coach Kevin Willard leaving his Sweet 16 program for Villanova has trickled down to the roster.
Report: Kings reunite with guard Davis on NBA contract
Report: Kings reunite with guard Davis on NBA contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Kings reunited with a familiar face on Tuesday.
Sacramento is signing veteran guard Terence Davis to a contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday, citing sources.
The Sacramento Kings are signing guard Terence Davis to a deal, sources tell ESPN. Davis, who played parts of three years in Sacramento from 2021-23, averaged 14.3 points on 40.2% 3-point shooting for the NBA G League's Wisconsin team this season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 8, 2025
As Charania mentioned, Davis played three seasons for the Kings from midway through the 2020-21 season through the 2022-23 campaign.
In 121 career games with Sacramento, Davis averaged 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 42.8-percent shooting from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range.
After a strong 2024-25 season with the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League team, Davis re-joins the Kings as bench depth for interim coach Doug Christie with three regular-season games remaining.
NCAA National Championship reaction: Florida defense shines vs. Houston & Paige finally gets her title with UConn | College Basketball Power Hour
Caroline Fenton, Ice Young, and Jason Fitz break down Florida's dramatic triumph over Houston and UConn's commanding victory against South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament National Championships.
One combined Final Four? Talks of a joint NCAA Tournament showcase for the men and women resurface
Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman sees a world where both premier events happen in the same place.
Fantasy Basketball End of Season Roundtable: Kyle Kuzma, Joel Embiid among fantasy disappointments
While some fantasy managers compete in leagues that run through the end of the NBA's regular season, most were completed by the end of Sunday's games. Congratulations to those who won their leagues and the money (and bragging rights) that comes with it. Those who did not will reflect on what went wrong and how they can avoid a similar fate next season.
With the fantasy season effectively over, now is a good time for the Rotoworld fantasy basketball staff to have a few roundtable discussions. Tuesday's conversation focuses on the most disappointing player in fantasy basketball this season. Nick Shlain, Noah Rubin, Raphielle Johnson and Zak Hanshew made their picks, with two landing on the same name.
Who was the biggest disappointment in fantasy basketball this season?
Nick Shlain: Joel Embiid's preseason Yahoo! ADP was 12, making him a borderline first-round pick. On a per-game basis, he's 41st on Basketball Monster. However, according to Basketball Monster, Embiid ranks 290th in total game value. The 76ers' big man only managed to play 19 games. This was a toss-up between Embiid and Paul George, his teammate who played in 41 games but wasn't as good on a per-game basis. However, George wasn't drafted as high with a preseason ADP of 35, which makes Embiid the bigger disappointment this season.
Noah Rubin: Not that I had high expectations for Kyle Kuzma, but I expected him to provide plenty of points, rebounds, assists and threes, even if it came inefficiently. While the inefficiency was undoubtedly there, the other numbers weren't. His points, rebounds, assists and threes have all been his lowest since he was a Laker, and his field goal and free throw percentages have been the worst of his career. He has been slightly better with Milwaukee, especially in recent weeks, but Kuzma hasn't been worthy of a roster spot for most of this season.
Raphielle Johnson: For this question, I wanted to pick a player who has been available for at least 60 games. So, Joel Embiid and Paul George were not considered. Instead, I went with Kyle Kuzma. Sure, most fantasy managers understand that they should not expect to get too much value from rostering him, but this season was incredible. Kuzma is ranked outside the top-250 in eight-cat value between Washington and Milwaukee according to Basketball Monster, and he's been even less valuable in nine-cat. If you're like me and thought moving to a team that aimed to win games would give Kuzma a shot at regaining fantasy relevance, he's ranked 250th in eight-cat since the trade, according to Basketball Monster. With a Yahoo! ADP of 86, that's an abysmal return.
Zak Hanshew: It's hard to tag Chet Holmgren as a sophomore slump because some of his struggles in Year 2 are likely the result of an injury. Holmgren got off to a solid start before a hard fall, which resulted in a hip injury that kept him sidelined for three months. He's appeared in just 30 games this season, and his turnovers are up while his efficiency is significantly down. Holmgren's defensive numbers have held steady, but there have been no significant strides as a rebounder or facilitator. The big man ranks just inside the fourth round in per-game fantasy value, even though he was drafted on average as a mid-second-rounder. After missing his entire rookie season with a foot injury and most of his third season with a hip injury, fantasy managers should be concerned about his availability for Year 3 and beyond.
West Virginia basketball transfer portal targets
West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge is forced to largely rebuild the Mountaineers basketball roster and the transfer portal will play a role in that. Huff started his career at VMI where he averaged 10.0 points per game average and then increased that totals to 15.6 points, 2.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game. After sitting out to due to Southern Conference intra-conference transfer rules the New York native averaged 17.4 points in the first season and then had 15.2 this past season while shooting 42-percent from the field and 41-percent from three.
Spurs vs. Clippers Predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends, best bets for April 8
San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers Preview
The San Antonio Spurs (32-46) and Los Angeles Clippers (46-32) are all set to square off from Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
The Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They have won eight of their last 10 games, and look like a serious contender this year.
The Spurs are currently 12-25 on the road with a point differential of -3, while the Clippers have a 9-1 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Spurs vs. Clippers live today
- Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
- Time: 10:30PM EST
- Site: Intuit Dome
- City: Inglewood, CA
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Spurs vs. Clippers
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
- Odds: Spurs (+541), Clippers (-787)
- Spread: Clippers -12.5
- Over/Under: 227 points
That gives the Spurs an implied team point total of 112.52, and the Clippers 119.05.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Tuesday's Spurs vs. Clippers game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
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Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is leaning towards Clippers -12…
Thomas: “It’s difficult to have confidence in this game without knowing the status of Kawhi Leonard. If he’s in, I’m taking Clippers to the bank.”
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Spurs & Clippers game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Antonio Spurs on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Antonio Spurs at +12.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 227.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Spurs vs. Clippers on Tuesday
- The Clippers have won 7 of their last 9 home games against the Spurs
- The Under is 27-21 in the Clippers' matchups against Western Conference teams this season
- The Clippers have covered in 4 of their last 5 games
- The Under is 27-21 in the Clippers' matchups against Western Conference teams this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Nuggets fire head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth in stunning move
Nuggets fire head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth in stunning move originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Another Western Conference playoff contender is making a coaching change.
Just weeks after the Memphis Grizzlies moved on from Taylor Jenkins, the Denver Nuggets are firing Michael Malone.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news on Tuesday, and later added that general manager Calvin Booth has also been fired. Assistant coach David Adelman, who has worked for Malone since 2017, will serve as the interim head coach. The team later confirmed Charnaia’s reports in a press release.
Malone led the Nuggets to their only championship less than two years ago in 2023. He had been Denver’s head coach since 2015, compiling a 471-327 record with 44 playoff wins over that span.
Booth took over as Nuggets general manager in 2022 when Tim Connelly left for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite Booth winning the title in his first season at the helm, many of the roster moves that set up the victory were made by Connelly.
This season has started to unravel for the Nuggets in recent weeks, with the team going 3-7 in their last 10 games. Denver has lost four straight games to fall to 47-32, good for fourth in the West — but tied with the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth seeds in the loss column.
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has never played for another coach since being drafted, his rookie season was Malone’s first in Denver.
The Nuggets have three games left in the regular season — Wednesday at the Sacramento Kings, Friday against the Grizzlies and Sunday at the Houston Rockets.