All eyes are on the North Carolina Tar Heels as they attempt to find their new head coach for the men’s basketball program. All eyes are also on the Chicago Bulls, who have had way more of an eventful 2026 than they likely bargained for. In the middle of all of this is Billy Donovan, who will have to choose between one of these teams, or he will choose to just do something else altogether. Things got really interesting for the Bulls, though, and it could play a huge role in how things shake out for UNC.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Bulls President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf finally put their front office on notice. For those who aren’t familiar with how the Reinsdorfs operate, the family treats the Bulls like a cash cow rather than a competitive franchise, and they are very slow to make any kind of noticeable changes to the front office unless their financials start to suffer. That is why it is notable that in Cowley’s report he stated that back in January the Reinsdorfs told Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas to “pick a lane” when it came to what the actual long-term plan for the team was.

To this point of his Bulls tenure, Karnisovas has been perfectly fine getting into the Play-In Tournament every year, but his tone shifted after getting called out by ownership. Karnisovas proceeded to make a lot of moves before the trade deadline, but aside from adding recently exiled former Piston Jaden Ivey, most of the moves involved picking up expiring contracts in efforts to clear up cap space. For what, though? That is the question, and having to ask the question is the problem.

Because the Bulls are now in a predicament, and ownership is not convinced that Arturas Karnisovas or general manager Marc Eversley can fix it. Here is what Cowley stated in his report:

“Up to that point, the mentality from the Reinsdorfs was very hands off. In their eyes it was Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley who made the mess, and it was on them to fix it.

Less than three months later the stakes have changed.

Now, ownership is weighing if the mess has gotten too large for them to fix, and according to a source everything is on the table in the next 10 days.

First and foremost, coach Billy Donovan could be the most important domino currently standing. North Carolina has had Donovan and Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd in the cross-hairs since the coaching seat became vacant.“

It again must be pointed out that the Bulls saying “everything is on the table” is significant, even if that information came from a source. The Reinsdorfs have had no problem putting up with mediocrity ever since Derrick Rose’s entire career was altered by tearing his ACL during the 2011-12 season, and then suffering a torn meniscus during the 2013-14 season. Now it seems the Reinsdorfs have had enough, and it could impact Billy Donovan’s decision-making process this offseason.

There are four things that could happen: Billy Donovan could find out that the front office is getting cleaned out, they’re actually going to try to build a good team around him, and he stays with the Bulls. He could also hear this new, or instead find out that Karnisovas and Eversley are staying, and he makes his way to Chapel Hill. There’s also a world where Billy Donovan takes the Brad Stevens path and accepts a role in the Bulls front office. Finally, Donovan could just do something that doesn’t involve neither team, whether that’s coaching another NBA team or taking some time away from the game. What is the most likely outcome? Only Donovan knows that, but we do know this: how the Bulls decide to move forward with their rebuild issues could play an important role in what he decides to do.

Focusing strictly on UNC, the question becomes how patient are they willing to be while Donovan sorts all of this out, especially since Dusty May announced that he isn’t interested in leaving Michigan for another college job. One would have to imagine that Donavan ranks higher than some other candidates, but it also sounds like there are some potential candidates that haven’t been named yet. We’ll see how serious the Reinsdorfs are about fixing the mess they allowed Karnisovas to make, and the ball will be in Donovan’s court from there.

The San Antonio Spurs, who are coming off a tough overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, play host to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. The game is the start of a four-game homestand to end the regular season for the Spurs. The Sixers are trying to secure the No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in tournament.

How to watch Philadelphia 76ers vs. San Antonio Spurs

• Date: Monday, April 6

• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

• Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio

• TV Channels: NBCS, FDSS

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Philadelphia 76ers: 43-35 (No. 3 in Atlantic Division)

• San Antonio Spurs: 59-19 (No. 1 in Southwest Division)

Odds

• Spread: San Antonio Spurs -7.5

• Moneyline: San Antonio Spurs -325 / Philadelphia 76ers +260

• Over/Under: 237.5

On Sunday, a Big Ten team won the NCAA women's basketball tournament championship for the first time since all the way back in 1999, with conference newcomer UCLA thumping South Carolina 79-51.

Tonight at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the league will hope a similarly long drought will come to a merciful end.

Michigan men's basketball's matchup against UConn in the championship game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament is more than just an opportunity for the Wolverines to earn their second championship (and first since 1989) and for coach Dusty May to complete one of the more remarkable turnarounds in the history of the sport.

REQUIRED READING: 5 reasons Michigan will beat UConn for national championship — and one reason it won't

For all the Big Ten's money, influence and power in the broader world of college athletics, the conference hasn't seen one of its men's basketball programs win an NCAA championship since all the way back in 2000. Since then, UConn, Michigan's opponent on Monday night, has won five national championships by itself.

What’s made the drought so confounding is Big Ten teams haven gotten close to winning a championship. It’s not as if this is the Patriot League or the WAC, where it has a single representative in the tournament that’s fortunate to win a game. Big Ten teams regularly reach the biggest and brightest stages in college basketball; they just haven’t been able to close the deal.

Since Michigan State’s title in 2000, and not including Michigan this year, 15 teams from the conference have made it to the Final Four. Eight of those squads advanced to the national championship game, but in each instance, they lost. A couple of them came agonizingly close, with Illinois losing to North Carolina, 75-70, in 2005 and Wisconsin coming up short against Duke, 68-63, in 2015.

It’s not like its teams haven’t been in advantageous spots entering the tournament in recent years, either. Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, 35 of the 40 national champions (87.5%) have been a No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 seed. Since 2018, Big Ten teams have accounted for 17 of those 84 spots on the bracket (20.2%).

Even if current Big Ten compatriot Maryland, which won the national championship in 2002 while a member of the ACC, was included as one of the Big Ten’s championships, the conference has still gone nearly a quarter-century without a title.

During that same stretch, other power conferences have repeatedly had its teams hoist a trophy at the end of the Final Four.

Since 2000, the Big East and ACC have each had eight teams win championships. During that same stretch, the SEC has had four champions and the Big 12 three. Even the American, which has disintegrated in recent years into a one- or two-bid league, had a title-winner on its resume, thanks to UConn in 2014.

When did Big 10 last win men's basketball national championship?

A team representing the Big Ten hasn't won an NCAA men's basketball national championship since Michigan State all the way back in 2000.

The Spartans' 89-76 victory against Florida in the NCAA tournament title game capped off a 32-7 season under Tom Izzo, who was then just in his fifth season leading the program.

That year's Michigan State team was built around three players — Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell and Final Four most outstanding player Mateen Cleaves — nicknamed "The Flintstones," as all three members of the trio were from Flint, Michigan, about 50 miles northeast of Michigan State's East Lansing campus.

Interestingly, the Spartans' triumph took place in Indianapolis, where this year's Final Four is being held.

Why has Big Ten basketball gone so long without winning a national championship?

There are a number of factors that have contributed to the Big Ten’s tournament woes.

For one, it’s a single-elimination format that can create unexpected results and doesn't necessarily always reward the best teams. For years, the league's physical style of play was cited as a possible cause for the drought, with referees who don't consistently work Big Ten games getting assigned to the tournament and calling those teams' games with a tighter whistle.

Beyond that, many of the Big Ten teams that lost the national championship game had the misfortune of running up against some of the best teams in modern college basketball history. The North Carolina team Illinois lost to in 2005 was 33-4 and had four of the top 14 picks in that year’s NBA draft. Two years later, a Greg Oden and Mike Conley-led Ohio State team lost to a Florida team that brought back the entire starting five from its national championship team the year before. In 2009, Michigan State was blown out by a North Carolina team that was 34-4. Wisconsin came up short against a 2015 Duke team that won 35 games and had two top-10 NBA draft picks. Michigan was handled by a 2018 Villanova squad that won 36 games and had Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo on its roster. Two years ago, Zach Edey and Purdue weren’t able to hang with a buzzsaw of a UConn team that had won 27 of its previous 28 games, including five NCAA Tournament games that were decided by an average of 25 points.

REQUIRED READING: How Dusty May built Michigan into this behemoth. He aced transfer portal

Big Ten basketball national championship losses

Here’s a look at Big Ten teams that have lost in the national championship game in the years since Michigan State’s NCAA title in 2000:

• 2002: Maryland 64, Indiana 52
• 2005: North Carolina 75, Illinois 70
• 2007: Florida 84, Ohio State 75
• 2009: North Carolina 89, Michigan State 72
• 2013: Louisville 82, Michigan 76
• 2015: Duke 68, Wisconsin 63
• 2018: Villanova 79, Michigan 62
• 2024: Connecticut 75, Purdue 60

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When did Big Ten last win men's basketball national championship?

The Atlanta Hawks, ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference, will host the New York Knicks, who are ranked third in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta is favored with a -1.5 spread and a moneyline of -120.

How to watch New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks

• Date: Monday, April 6

• Time: 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT

• Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

• TV Channels: Peacock, NBCSN

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• New York Knicks: 50-28 (#2 in Eastern Atlantic)

• Atlanta Hawks: 45-33 (#1 in Eastern Southeast)

Odds (via BetMGM)

• Spread: Atlanta Hawks -1.5

• Moneyline: Atlanta Hawks -120 (52.2%) / New York Knicks +100 (47.8%)

• Over/Under: 227.5

With just over two minutes left in the third quarter of last Friday’s Sixers-Timberwolves game, Andre Drummond ambled to the scorer’s table. Nothing out of the ordinary about that. The Sixers’ backup center was surely about to give Joel Embiid a break.

Except he wasn’t. 

Drummond, who to that point had not played in the game, checked in not for Embiid, but for forward Dominick Barlow. That meant that for a short stretch the Sixers used a Ralph Sampson/Hakeem Olajuwon-style Twin Towers lineup. In the year 2026.

It proved pivotal. The Sixers, up two when Drummond entered, pushed their lead to 12 by period’s end. And with Drummond still on the floor as Embiid rested to start the fourth quarter, the Sixers went up by as many as 17 en route to a 115-103 victory.

The lineup was an anomaly, having been seen for just 15 possessions all season entering the game, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. And it is unlikely to be seen again. But the fact that Nick Nurse used it at all is illustrative of how adaptable an NBA coach has to be, particularly one who has faced as many rotational obstacles as Nurse has faced this season. And particularly now, with four games left and playoff seeding at stake.

Nurse has more players at his disposal than he has in weeks, now that Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. have returned from their injuries and Paul George is back from his suspension (and despite the fact that Cameron Payne has been lost with a hamstring injury). That obviously gives him more options as his team attempts to navigate a closing stretch that includes visits to San Antonio, Houston and Indiana before the finale next Sunday at home against Milwaukee.

In other words, the Sixers, who enter the week 43-35 and sixth in the East (i.e., in the final non-play-in spot), face two playoff teams (one, the Spurs, with championship aspirations) and two teams already booked for Cancun.

Given Philadelphia’s position – a tie-breaker ahead of Toronto (also 43-35), with Charlotte (43-36) and Orlando (42-36) looming as well – everything is magnified. Every potential advantage must be exploited. Which is why Nurse would do well to be as creative as possible.

When asked about the Drummond-Embiid pairing following last Friday’s game, Nurse said it had been in the back of his mind going in, given the fact that Minnesota often plays two bigs in Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. Even so, Nurse was prepared to insert Drummond for Embiid before Embiid packed seven of his 19 points into a two-minute, 43-second stretch.

“And,” Nurse said, “I just decided to flip that (i.e., yank Barlow instead). So it wasn’t totally against some pregame thoughts, and it just kind of presented itself there. And obviously it’s one of those lineups that I’ve been wanting to look at a little bit here down the stretch as well.”

Drummond, plus-11 in 9:04, finished with four points, six rebounds, a block and a steal. And he said he wasn’t surprised by the move, even though Nurse has more often used another big, Adem Bona, in tandem with Embiid.

“I just didn’t know it was happening today,” Drummond said.

Nor, he added, did he find it particularly difficult to play alongside another big.

“I mean, I’m not sure how much basketball you’ve watched,” he told a lone visitor to his locker, who first covered an NBA game in 1981, “but I’ve played with seven-footers half my career – from 2012 to about 2017, when the Warriors started changing the game. So it’s not something I’m not used to. I know how to space the floor. I know how to guard. I know how to give guys like Joel the freedom to play his game without being in the way, and I can rebound the ball while he’s doing his thing.”

For one night, at least, necessity had proven to be the mother of invention. And the invention hummed off the assembly line. It wouldn’t have worked the following night against the young, fleet Pistons, when Drummond started, Embiid sat and Detroit won by 23. But it worked Friday.

The point, again, is that flexibility and experimentation are not the worst things, even at this point in the season. Maybe especially at this point in the season. Nurse has also shown that by starting Barlow and bringing Oubre off the bench since Oubre returned March 28, after missing eight games with a knee injury.

In the coach’s estimation, Barlow does his best work while playing with Embiid. The flip side is that Oubre has made it clear more than once that he prefers to start.

“I like to set the tone,” he said Friday, “but at the end of the day, that’s above me. I’m still a hooper, so I just go out there and hoop.”

In fact, he added, he views himself as “a Swiss Army Knife, for being able to pull out anything, out (of) the pocket. So we’ll continue to just take it day by day and just figure it out.”

Or let Nurse do so.

“I think we’re experimenting,” Oubre said. “You know, I couldn’t do Coach’s job. I tell him that all the time. So I think he’s just trying to figure out the best formula to win in the postseason.”

Nurse admitted before Friday’s game that while it sounds “really cool” to say that he’s solidifying his rotation down the stretch, the reality is very different. He wants to explore different options, wants to see how things shake out. (Example: He started Oubre on Saturday against Detroit, an inconsequential move considering the veteran forward scored three points as the Pistons rolled.)

“I think we’ve still got a lot of room for growth,” Nurse said, adding that there are “two or three ideas that as a staff we’re kicking around that we think might be advantageous, depending on who we play.”

So yes, it’s late. But it’s not too late to tinker, given the way the season has played out and all the absences the Sixers have endured. Nurse would love to believe that there’s something more within his team, and that it can be unearthed in short order. It’s just a matter of continuing to poke around, continuing to dig deep.

Final week of regular-season play for your New York Knickerbockers.

Would you believe it!? Looks like yesterday when we projected the team to win 50-plus games this season, and look at the boys now.

Do you know what else we projected for the playoffs? Uh, oh, time to get frisky!

"OG…maniacal…we worked together in Toronto…you had to kick him out of gym…hide from him…

But always a pleasure…gave you everything…

Always adding something new
…
I guarantee you…we're gonna see him get even better"

–– Longtime NBA assistant coach Patrick Mutombo pic.twitter.com/HgOOzYRbKo

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 6, 2026

Mike Brown

On recent losses to playoff teams entering a tough four-game stretch:

“You gotta give Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Houston credit, they played well. I said it postgame, we did not play well in some areas. … We didn’t play well in those three games and we deserved to lose, as much as you hate to say it. And hopefully we’ll play better going forward because we’ve got a couple of teams above .500, so we’ll see.”

On the Knicks’ playoff readiness:

“You always want your team to be playing at the highest of high cylinders. Do I think we’re there right now? No. Do I have belief in this team? Yes, I do. I’ve seen us play really good basketball throughout the course of the year. Even in games where there’s quote-unquote manufactured pressure (such as the NBA Cup). We’ve played really good basketball. I like what we have in that locker room and I like the things that we’ve done this year, but I expect more from myself first and everybody else second.”

On trusting the Knicks performing under the bright lights:

“All games you want to win, but when you go into Boston, it’s different than maybe going into another arena. Or if you go into OKC, it’s different than going into another arena. Those types of games, there’s a lot of manufactured pressure just because they’re good teams and it’s on national TV and all that good stuff. So to get that (environment) and to be able to perform at a pretty good level – you embrace that opportunity. You want to win all games, but to win those games – our guys have done (well) in those situations over the course of the year. So my belief is, (with) this group going into the playoffs when it’s real, that our guys will rise to the occasion.”

On his planned backup guard rotation:

“I went with the combination of Landry (Shamet) and (Miles McBride) as the backup point guards. We got those two guys out there; I wanted to take a look at that. Jose has done a fantastic job for us, but part of it is that we haven’t had a lot of healthy guards. Jose stepped in and did a nice job. (McBride) is getting healthier, and Landry is getting healthy. I’m trying to find minutes for those guys, because those guys are capable of playing that spot. That’s going to be a priority for me, because they’ve proven themselves for us.”

On OG Anunoby’s recent stretch:

“That’s who he is, in my opinion. He’s an All-Star player. He’s definitely first-team All-Defense, and he’s just showing what he’s capable of because he’s just imposing his will on the game. When he does that with the talent and [feel for the game] that he has, he’s an All-Star-caliber player.”

On Landry Shamet’s playmaking ability:

“He’s a good enough ball handler, he has a good enough feel/IQ to initiate the offense. And then conceptually, because of his feel and the other guys’ feel, we’re able to generate some things offensively. We’re not relying on him to be a traditional point guard. He and Deuce are more than capable of doing the things that we’re asking in terms of initiating the offense. And then at the end of the day, can they play pick-and-roll, can they play the game, get downhill and spray the ball or throw the lob to a guy like Mitch? I think he can.”

Asked Josh Hart about the Knicks’ recent struggles against quality opposition. Tomorrow will be exactly a month since they beat a team above .500:👇

“For us, I think it’s just making sure we’re locked in and focused. Obviously this is a good little stretch to end the season to… pic.twitter.com/RwRKFCDgXd

— Jared Schwartz (@jschwartz115) April 5, 2026

Josh Hart

On the final four-game stretch:

“For us, I think it’s just making sure we’re locked in and focused. Obviously, this is a good little stretch to end the season to make sure we’re as sharp as we can be going into the playoffs. The past is the past, nothing you can do about it now. Our focus is on tomorrow being 1–0 against playoff teams, and then we move on to the next one, and then we want to be 1–0, and then we want to move onto the next one and be 1–0. Nothing in the past really matters. It’s about what we do moving forward that we’ll be judged on and what we judge ourselves on.”

On flipping a switch in the playoffs:

“It’s not something you can just flip a switch in the playoffs and say, ‘OK the playoffs are here, let’s go out there and do our thing,’ We gotta make sure that we take these next four games as serious as we can, make sure we lock in mentally and physically to what the game plan is and to what this team wants to do moving forward and execute.”

On OG Anunoby’s impact:

“He’s one of the best two-way players in the league. He’s someone who on any given day can go out and score 25. It makes us more dynamic because obviously you have to game-plan for Jalen Brunson. We got Karl-Anthony Towns you have to game-plan for. And you have to game-plan for someone like OG, so it adds another element to our offense. When he’s locked in offensively and defensively, he’s one of the best two-way players in the league.”

On Anunoby’s aggressiveness:

“He’s starting to fully understand his areas where he can be aggressive within the offense and within the flow of the game. And that’s one thing about Mike. Mike never tells us not to do something. He wants us to be aggressive. He wants us to shoot shots. He doesn’t really put limits on us. And I think OG is really starting to understand, ‘OK, where can I be aggressive? And where can I find my spots to go score?’ He’s an efficient scorer. Physical, athletic. So he’s starting to understand that.”

"Not saying he's on Kobe's level, but I had to guard Kobe and Jalen Brunson reminds me of Kobe…keep you off balance…the footwork…the bag
…
Little things at a high level–that epitomizes Jalen Brunson

He's elite when it comes to fundamentals"

– Former Bucks HC Adrian Griffin pic.twitter.com/XK3hkUp48p

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 6, 2026

Landry Shamet

On the importance of the Knicks’ late-season stretch:

“It’s a challenging stretch that not a lot of people talk about. This last stretch of the season, these last few games, you’re kind of gearing up for the playoffs, you know what you’re building for, but you gotta be here and locked in each night, each team, each challenge in front of you. I think it’s more about approaching each game with the right mentality. Make it more about us than who we’re playing. We’re working on something bigger and building for something bigger, keeping that top of mind while still taking each game seriously and approaching them as you should.”

On his Knicks opportunity:

“I don’t take these moments for granted, man. This thing’s delicate, I know that. It’s a special team, special market, special opportunity and just to wear the jersey even. I’m grateful and happy to be a part of this group and have Mike’s trust and my teammates’ trust. I trust in them as well. Super grateful for it.”

Sorry Yabu pic.twitter.com/W2T5iFS73n

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 5, 2026

Miles McBride

On returning in time for the playoffs:

“Everything, honestly. It’s a tough thing to be out so long, having a surgery in the middle of the season.”

On his recovery process:

“It’s really just a part of the recovery process. It’s just kind of like a tweak, and it’s a painful tweak. It’s not necessarily as bad, it’s just sometimes you can’t really do anything about it. It’s like someone stabbing your groin, hip and ab at the same time. It’s not fun. But I’ll get back right.”

OG Anunoby

On Jordy McClarkson’s healing powers:

“Jordan healed my wrist. It was crazy. I’m very thankful.”

send this to someone who isn't a knicks fan pic.twitter.com/uqBZiNO1VZ

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 5, 2026

The 27th pick and last first rounder chosen by the Nets in the 2025 Draft spoke to Brian Lewis about his progress this year. The 6’11”, 255-pound Yale and Michigan product was declared out of the season following a sprained ankle on March 22.

As Lewis noted, Wolf had fallen in the draft due to concerns about his defense and shooting. The final ESPN mock draft of 2025 had him pegged at No. 16. His final numbers were 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds but only 32.2% from deep, not a bad performance for a late first round pick. Indeed, only one player taken after him — Maxine Reynaud, taken at No. 42 by the Kings, put up better numbers: 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. It can be argued, of course, that Hugo Gonzales, who was taken immediately after him, looked like a better prospect but in the end, the Celtic wing averaged 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds. Knick fans will argue Mohammed Diawara, their 51st pick last year, also had a better year, but his time on the court was limited as well and he finished with averages of 3.6 points and 1.3 rebounds

That said, Wolf told Lewis he knows where he has to improve, starting with finishing, so to speak.

“Defensively, there were definitely a lot of people questioning who I’d be able to guard. I took that as a chip on my shoulder to more than prove, but be a good defender,” said Wolf.

“The shooting and the offense, it was nowhere near what I know I’m capable of doing and that upsets me. I was able to shoot well at times, and there’d be times where I felt I couldn’t make a shot. That’s a rookie season; there’s going to be ups and downs.”

The problem was while he often got where he wanted, his ups didn’t translate. His 24-inch standing vertical was tied for third worst at the NBA Draft Combine and it showed. Indeed, his 54% finishing rate put him in the 12th percentile of NBA players.

“Everyone’s bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic [at this level],” said Wolf. “What is it that you need to do to be able to match that, but also be better than that?

“A lot of it is getting stronger. And the positive outlook of an injury [is] I’ve been able to really hone in on the weight room more than I would’ve been able to if I was playing.”

So, Wolf knows where he’ll be once he gets healthy.

“I have a good four or five months of weight room ahead of me and just being able to fill out my frame better. That’ll really help me, just getting stronger; and with that, more explosive. And I know my rim finishing next year, I’ll be able to look back on this year and see that it was something that really, really helped me.”

Jordi Fernandez likes what Wolf has done so far and believes he can get better.

“[H]e’s done a great job and he’s been able to implement a lot of stuff, power through, because you have better balance, finding a body first. This all comes with a lot of work, watching film and through the summer and then the real reps. So the process [has] already started. He’s already gotten better. We’re not concerned about his finishing. We know it has to get better, but we also know it will get better.”

Wolf added that he’s also looking forward to winning.

“Obviously losing sucks, and every time you ask anyone, they’re going to give you the same answer that losing is no fun.” Wolf said. “Everyone in the locker room from top to bottom thinks we could’ve had a much better season. But within that, you have to find things you can learn from, that you can gain from.”

• Nets’ Danny Wolf already working to fix his game’s Achilles’ heel after season-ending injury – Brian Lewis – New York Post

The 2026 men's college basketball season ends tonight. Will it end with a third UConn national title in four years? Or will it end with the Big Ten finally getting a national championship after a long 26-year drought?

Dan Hurley has the Huskies on the cusp of a dynasty, while Dusty May's Michigan team is on a historic run of its own, crushing March Madness opponents on its way to tonight's title game in Indianapolis.

More: 5 reasons Michigan will beat UConn for national championship — and one reason it won't

Can UConn beat Michigan? Huskies have a better chance than you think

Here's what you need to know for tonight's national championship game between the Huskies and Wolverines, including predictions and how to watch.

HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.

UConn vs Michigan live score

This section will be updated throughout the game.

TEAMS	1H	2H	F
UConn	—	—	—
Michigan	—	—	—

What time is UConn vs Michigan national championship game?

• Time: 8:49 p.m. ET, Monday, April 6.

What channel is UConn Michigan? How to watch national championship, streaming info

• The game is airing on TBS, TNT, truTV, streaming via HBO Max.

Acing the transfer portal: How Dusty May built Michigan into this behemoth

Armour: Congrats UConn. You're now the team everyone loves to hate

Michigan UConn prediction: Who will win national championship?

• Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press: Michigan’s run to the title game has been historic, becoming the first team to score 90 points or more in its first five games. UConn has been a true power, with an elite coach, now playing for its third national title in four years. Michigan has barely stumbled as it puts together an all-time season and it won’t come now. The Wolverines finally get their second national title. The pick: Michigan 87, UConn 76.
• Blake Toppmeyer: Michigan. The Wolverines’ total destruction of Arizona solidified that Michigan is the class of the tournament. UConn is playing well, but nobody is playing better than Michigan.
• Paul Myerberg: UConn. The underdog Huskies get hot from deep and win another close one to capture the program's seventh national title and cement Dan Hurley's place as the king of the sport. 
• Jordan Mendoza: Michigan. The Huskies are able to make it a competitive game, but Michigan is just too stacked. The Wolverines pull away midway through the second half and party like it’s 1989.
• John Brice: Michigan. The Wolverines played well enough in the regular season to land a No. 1 ranking for the first time in 13 years. They’re playing even better now — enough to end a national title drought that spans to 1989.
• Eddie Timanus: Michigan. While picking against UConn at the Final Four seems like a bad idea, this Michigan team is clearly built different. The Wolverines will take it, 90-75.
• Austin Curtright: Michigan. Michigan-Arizona was tabbed as one of the most-anticipated Final Four matchups in recent memory, and all the Wolverines did was dominate start to finish in a way no one has against the Wildcats this season. Michigan has defeated all of its 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament opponents by double digits, and finds a way to do so again against the Huskies, even with a potentially limited version of Yaxel Lendeborg.
• Ehsan Kassim: Michigan. Yes, this UConn team has been impressive in the past two rounds with a big comeback vs. Duke and then shut down Illinois' offense. Michigan is another beast, as the Wolverines have been the most dominant team in the NCAA Tournament. They pull off the win to end a couple of droughts, even with Yaxel Lendeborg playing at less than 100%.

That's how the humans think Monday's game will shake out. Here's who an AI simulator thinks will win the national title.

Michigan vs UConn spread, line: Who is favored to win national championship game?

Odds provided by BetMGM, as of 9 a.m., Monday, April 6

• Moneyline: Michigan (-325); UConn (+260)
• Spread: Michigan (-6.5)
• Total over/under: 144.5

Yaxel Lendeborg injury update: Will Michigan star play today vs UConn?

Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg said he feels great and is expected to "give it a go" in the national championship game after he was injured in the Final Four on Saturday, April 4.

Lendeborg didn't speak with media, but was seen inside the stadium walking around without much of a limp. When asked how he feels, he said, "great" and he didn't fall during the day.

Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. added Lendeborg has done a "tremendous job" with his recovery and the team knows "nothing's going to stop Yax being available and being able to play on Monday."

He was not listed on Michigan's availability report Sunday night, so he should be available to go vs. UConn.

Solo Ball injury update: Will UConn guard play today vs Michigan?

The UConn guard suffered a foot sprain in the Huskies' semifinal win over Illinois and didn't practice on Sunday.

Ball said he is feeling "alright," and will leave a decision on his status for the game Monday, April 6, up to UConn's medical staff. He's wearing a walking boot and won't practice on Sunday, April 5.

"I'm doing everything I can to prepare for tomorrow," Ball said.

He was not listed on UConn's availability report Sunday night, so he should be available to go vs. Michigan.

Favorite national championship storyline

• John Leuzzi: Alex Karaban finishes his career by becoming the first non-UCLA player to win three national championship titles.
• Jordan Mendoza: All of the journey’s each player had to end up at Michigan.
• Ehsan Kassim: Will the Big Ten end its NCAA championship drought in men's basketball?
• Austin Curtright: Dan Hurley's dynasty. UConn is looking for its third title of the last four seasons, and Hurley is quickly establishing himself as one of the best postseason coaches ever. Can he somehow find a way to upset another Goliath like he and UConn did against Duke?

UConn will win National Championship game vs Michigan if...

• John Leuzzi: It can knock down 3-pointers.
• Jordan Mendoza: If it makes this an ugly, slow game.
• Ehsan Kassim: The Huskies can continue to hit the 3-point shot at a high clip
• Austin Curtright: It controls tempo. UConn has to force Michigan into a rough shooting night, which won't be easy. The Huskies need to control the pace and be efficient offensively.

Michigan will win National Championship game vs UConn  if...

• John Leuzzi: It's size and length inside causes disruption to UConn's offense.
• Jordan Mendoza: Doesn't change anything from this tournament.
• Ehsan Kassim: Yaxel Lendeborg is healthy and close to 100%
• Austin Curtright: It avoids a complete meltdown. Michigan has been nothing short of dominant in the NCAA Tournament, and I don't expect that to change barring complete collapse against UConn.

Who will win Final Four Most Outstanding Player?

• John Leuzzi: Tarris Reed Jr. — Reed has been the difference maker for UConn's. There has not been a more impactful player for the Huskies in the last month.
• Jordan Mendoza: Elliot Cadeau — He has stepped his game up incredibly in the tournament, making Michigan impossible to beat.
• Ehsan Kassim: Aday Mara — Mara was dominant against Illinois. Another big game from the big man will help him win the trophy.
• Austin Curtright: Yaxel Lendeborg — Yaxel Lendeborg has been one of the best stories in college basketball, rising from JUCO ranks to UAB to now Michigan, where he has blossomed into one of the best players in college basketball. He has led Michigan all year, and won't let an injury stop him.

When was the last time Big Ten team won men's basketball national championship?

The last Big Ten team to win a men's basketball national championship was Michigan State in 2000 with their "Flintstones."

What is Dan Hurley's record in Final Four games?

The UConn coach is 5-0 in his three trips to the Final Four, and is on the cusp of a third national championship in four years.

Michigan's road to national championship game

• First round: beat No. 16 Howard, 101-80
• Second round: beat No. 9 Saint Louis, 95-72
• Sweet 16: beat No. 4 Alabama, 90-77
• Elite Eight: beat No. 6 Tennessee, 95-62
• Final Four: beat No. 1 Arizona, 91-73

UConn road to Final Four

• First round: beat No. 15 Furman, 82-71
• Second round: beat No. 7 UCLA, 73-57
• Sweet 16: beat No. 3 Michigan State, 67-63
• Elite Eight: beat No. 1 Duke, 73-72
• Final Four: beat No. 3 Illinois, 71-62

Michigan Final Four history: Has Michigan basketball won a national championship?

This is Michigan's ninth Final Four trip and first since 2018. The Wolverines won the 1989 national championship.

• 1964: lost semifinal to Duke, 91-80; won third-place game over Kansas State, 100-90
• 1965: won semifinal over Princeton, 93-76; lost final to UCLA, 91-80
• 1976: won semifinal over Rutgers, 86-70; lost final to Indiana, 86-68
• 1989: won semifinal over Illinois, 83-81; won final over Seton Hall, 80-79 in OT
• 1992: won semifinal over Cincinnati, 76-72; lost final to Duke, 71-51
• 1993: won semifinal over Kentucky, 81-78 in OT; lost final to North Carolina, 77-71
• 2013: won semifinal over Syracuse, 61-56; lost final to Louisville, 82-76
• 2018: won semifinal over Loyola Chicago, 69-57; lost final to Villanova, 79-62

UConn basketball Final Four history: How many national championships have UConn won?

This is UConn's eighth trip to the Final Four, all since 1999. The Huskies have won six national titles in their seven previous trips.

• 1999: won semifinal vs. Ohio State, 64-58; won final vs. Duke, 77-74
• 2004: won semifinal vs. Duke, 79-78; won final vs. Georgia Tech, 82-73
• 2009: lost semifinal vs. Michigan State, 82-73
• 2011: won semifinal vs. Kentucky, 56-55; won final vs. Butler, 53-41
• 2014: won semifinal vs. Florida, 63-53; won final vs. Kentucky, 60-54
• 2023: won semifinal vs. Miami, 72-59; won final vs. San Diego State, 76-59
• 2024: won semifinal vs. Alabama, 86-72; won final vs. Purdue, 75-60

Why did Tarris Reed Jr transfer from Michigan to UConn?

The senior center started his career at Michigan, where he played two seasons before transferring to Connecticut in 2024. His breakout this season as a full-time starter has been well-documented and is a huge reason for the Huskies' NCAA Tournament run.

Reed entered the transfer portal shortly after the 2023-24 season, which was the last campaign under former coach Juwan Howard at Michigan.

"I saw Coach Juwan got fired. Definitely, I feel like it was like a no-brainer in terms of the portal," Reed said April 5 before the national championship. "I hung around Michigan for a couple of weeks, and then they announced (Dusty May) was supposed to be the coach. I talked to him multiple times. I like Coach May, and he was just being super up front with who he was bringing in, who's looking at recruiting-wise.

"So, feel like just him being honest with me, and I'm being honest with him, it was the right way. So, it was no bad blood."

How old is Yaxel Lendeborg?

Yaxel Lendeborg is 23 years old. Lendeborg played three seasons at Arizona Western Community College before heading to UAB where he played two seasons. This is his first year at Michigan.

How old is Alex Karaban?

Karaban is 23 years old and has been at UConn since redshirting the 2021-22 season. He's been part of two national championship teams in Storrs and is looking to become the first non-UCLA player to win three national titles in a career.

Is Elliot Cadeau deaf? Michigan PG overcame hearing, vision issues

Elliot Cadeau is half-deaf in one ear, dealt with blurred vision in one eye. That hasn't stopped Michigan point guard from turning in his best season.

∎ Read more about Cadeau overcoming adversity via USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg.

One of Dusty May's son is a walk-on, the other is a student manager

Dusty May is surrounding by family on the Michigan bench. His son Charlie is a walk-on for the Wolverines, while another son, Eli, is a student manager — a role Dusty served under former Indiana icon Bob Knight.

In Michigan's Elite Eight blowout win over Tennessee, Charlie got into the game and drilled a 3-pointer, much to the delight of his Wolverines teammates.

“It’s obviously tough to give up playing the game and being on a team wearing a jersey,” Dusty May told USA TODAY Sports about Eli's role. “But I just thought as far as his long-term development, all the things our managers learn, problem-solving, they learn people skills. They learn to function. We try to give them a lot of responsibility because we know if they’re ever going to make it in coaching … they have to have the experience of doing meaningful work. Our managers have helped him become much more responsible.”

Where is Braylon Mullins from?

The UConn freshman guard is from Greenfield, Indiana and won Indiana's Mr. Basketball award in 2025 at Greenfield-Central High School, roughly 30 minutes east of Indianapolis.

Where is Aday Mara from?

The 7-3 UCLA transfer is from Zaragoza, Spain. Mara was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Big Ten with 2.6 blocks per game.

Michigan basketball stat leaders

SCORING

• Yaxel Lendeborg, 15.2 ppg
• Morez Johnson Jr., 13.2 ppg
• Aday Mara, 11.8 ppg
• Elliot Cadeau, 10.2 ppg

REBOUNDING

• Morez Johnson Jr., 7.3 rpg
• Yaxel Lendeborg, 7.0 rpg
• Aday Mara, 6.8 rpg

ASSISTS

• Elliot Cadeau, 5.8 apg
• Yaxel Lendeborg, 3.3 apg

UConn basketball stat leaders

SCORING

• Tarris Reed Jr.: 14.7 ppg
• Alex Karaban, 13.2 ppg
• Solo Ball, 12.9 ppg
• Braylon Mullins, 11.9 ppg
• Silas Demary Jr., 10.4 ppg

REBOUNDING

• Tarris Reed Jr., 8.8 rpg
• Alex Karaban, 5.2 rpg
• Silas Demary Jr., 4.5 rpg

ASSISTS

• Silas Demary Jr., 5.9 apg
• Malachi Smith, 3.0 apg

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan UConn national championship game prediction, channel, news, updates

The Knicks have been swimming upstream for almost two years.

They have won 50 games the last two seasons and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, despite trotting out a starting lineup that has produced diminishing returns.

The unit, which features Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns, has been middling at best. The five-man group is outscoring opponents by just 0.7 points per 100 possession this season. 

At this point, we’ve seen enough. The starting unit has played 494 minutes together this season, the third-highest in the NBA. Last season, it was the most used five-man lineup in the NBA, hitting the court for 960 minutes.

Initially, the starting five looked elite. Through the first three months of the 2024-25 season, the combination was outscoring teams by 6.6 points per 100 possessions in 561 minutes. But those numbers dropped by the end of the season. The playoffs saw the group reach its nadir. The starters were outscored by 6.2 points per 100 possessions in 335 minutes together.

Former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau opted to change the starting lineup during the middle of the Eastern Conference Finals last season, inserting center Mitchell Robinson for Hart after Game 2. New York began this season with Robinson in the starting lineup, but went back to Hart quickly.

Thibodeau’s replacement Mike Brown went to Robinson as a starter initially before going back to Hart after an injury to Anunoby in November. New York has gone back to the original five-man unit ever since.

Slow starts

There are several factors contributing to why the lineup hasn’t thrived. Opponents discovered that they can put a wing on Towns while having their center guard Hart. It has mucked up the paint, and disrupted New York’s offensive flow.

Hart is having a career year from three, making 40.9 percent of his attempts. But he can still be a reluctant shooter. Opponents are willing to live with him launching from deep rather than letting Brunson or Towns go one-on-one in the paint. Bridges has also been in a slump recently, creating even more issues.

New York’s defense has been better recently. But over the two seasons, there have been some spells of inconsistency. The starting lineup has also been a mess in the first quarter, which has contributed to the team’s recent trend of slow starts.

The Knicks fell behind, 14-1, in the first few minutes of their 111-94 loss to the Houston Rockets last week.

New York’s starting five has a negative 8.1 net rating in the opening quarter. In the other three quarters, the Knicks are much better. They are a plus-9.8 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter.

Options for a change

The Knicks have a few options as replacements. The club can use guards Miles McBride or Landry Shamet. They can go big with Robinson, too.

We haven’t seen much of Robinson as a starter with Towns since the first month of the season, since Robinson hasn’t played back-to-back games this season. In 51 minutes with Robinson in place of Hart, the Knicks have a plus-12.4 points per 100 possessions.

All of these previously mentioned lineups have played so little together that it’s hard to know which ones would actually work.

All of the results of the past two years have shown that this Knicks starting lineup is unlikely to have a turnaround. But there are just four games left in the regular season. With a team gearing up for the playoffs, it sounds unrealistic to make a change this late.

It seems as if Brown will be following a similar path as his predecessor. The most likely scenario will be a starting lineup alteration as a response to falling behind in a playoff series, which could be an impediment to New York’s playoff hopes.

 

This is the second part of a two-part season recap series. Read part one here.

With their season-long five-game losing streak in the rearview, the Minnesota looked to transform their team at the trade deadline. The Wolves did just that with a series of moves that traded away Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham, and Leonard Miller, while getting back Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips. They also re-signed Conley following his buyout with the Charlotte Hornets and reunited with Kyle Anderson, who was let go from the Memphis Grizzlies.

The roster shakeup breathed new life into a roster that had seemingly grown stale over the past few months and gave them desperately needed bench depth to use for both the stretch run of the regular season and the Playoffs.

Here are the top Post-All-Star break moments of the Timberwolves 2025-26 season.

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The Vibes Were High Against the Raptors

The season of high-highs and low-lows continued into February for the Timberwolves. Following a 115-96 drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Wolves started to put things together.

They won their final two games before the All-Star break, swept a three-game road trip where they beat the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets, before capping off a stretch of seven wins in eight games at home in a 115-107 win over the Toronto Raptors.

The game was a professional victory for the Timberwolves. The game was tight the entire first half before the Wolves put their foot on the gas in the third quarter to take a double-digit lead. The ball movement was on point the entire game, and the defense was able to shut down the Raptors with Rudy Gobert dominating the paint, while also leading the team with five assists.

Rudy Gobert offensive rebound + nasty crossover + kickout pass to Naz Reid for 3, Wolves bench loves it pic.twitter.com/E06IMZ1OVp

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) March 6, 2026

The vibes around the team seemed to be in as good a place as they had been in years. The trade deadline had passed, Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland had transformed the Wolves bench into a quality unit, and the Wolves were up to third in the Western Conference standings for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Like many times earlier in the season, it felt like the Wolves were finally putting everything together. Despite numerous stumbles throughout the season, the Timberwolves seemed primed to go on an extended winning streak. Instead, the opposite happened.

Rock Bottom in Los Angeles

The win against the Raptors, like many other wins before it, was not the spark that would propel the Timberwolves toward regular-season consistency. Rather, the Wolves lost three straight games by a combined 66 points.

It started at home in a 119-92 loss to the Orlando Magic. Next, a 120-106 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers in a game where Anthony Edwards shot 2-15 from the field. The third straight blowout came against the Clippers. The Wolves gave up 153 points, a Clippers franchise record for points scored in regulation.

The losing streak was rock bottom for the Timberwolves. It wasn’t just that they lost three games, all of which to above .500 teams; it was the way they lost them.

In the first two games, the Wolves’ offense completely disappeared. The ball movement had completely deserted them as Edwards, Julius Randle, and others over-dribbled the ball on countless possessions. The Lakers specifically baited Edwards into terrible shots, successfully shutting him down and the rest of the Timberwolves. Hitting a rough patch on one side of the ball for a couple of games would be one thing. The Wolves could pinpoint specific issues that needed to be solved and fix them.

While the Wolves did get their offense going the next night against the Clippers, their defense fell off a cliff.

Scoring just 92 points one game, only to give up 153 points just two games later, spoke to larger issues going on with the team beyond anything strategic or talent-based. It showcased a potential fatal flaw of a team unwilling or unable to provide a consistent performance night-to-night.

A Record-Setting Overtime Comeback

The most insane game of the season, and in recent memory at Target Center, came a week ago against the Houston Rockets. With Edwards and Dosunmu both out, the Timberwolves grabbed a 110-108 overtime victory in a game that won’t soon be forgotten.

The Wolves controlled the lead for most of the game and eventually built up an 11-point lead with less than four minutes left in the game. Just when it felt like the Wolves were going to cruise to a really solid win, the game took a turn toward the absurd.

Following an Alperen Şengün layup and a Timberwolves shot clock violation, Julius Randle ran over Şengün, who was setting a screen, for a foul. The play was upgraded to a flagrant foul for Randle, with crew chief Scott Foster saying Randle unnecessarily “launched” into Şengün on the play.

“I’ve never seen it before,” Finch said about the flagrant call on Randle. “They’re telling me they had a clear opportunity to avoid the screen. They said he sought him out to run him over. I’ve never seen a flagrant like that. He goes through a screen, they call a foul, fine. That’s clearly a foul. Play on. But a flagrant? I don’t know.”

The Rockets hit both flagrant free throws, scored on their next possession, and continued scoring to go on a 13-0 run to take the lead. Randle gave the Wolves the lead back with a bully ball layup in the paint before a Gobert away-from-the-play foul gave Kevin Durant the game-tieing free throw as well as the ball back, while also fouling Gobert out of the game.

With a chance to win the game, the Rockets turned the ball over, giving the Wolves the chance to win it on a Randle layup that was blocked by Şengün.

The game was insane enough, but that was only the beginning. The Rockets opened up overtime to score the first 13 points of overtime, with Naz Reid getting ejected in the middle of the run following a foul call on him not overturned.

The craziness did not stop there as the Wolves responded with the next 15 points with DiVincenzo knocking down the game-tying 3-pointer and Randle capping off the run with a midrange jumper to give the Wolves the lead. After a foul and a pair of missed free throws from Durant (one of which was intentional), the Wolves secured a win in one of the most insane games of the season.

In the hallway to the Timberwolves locker room, Randle shared his displeasure with the lead official, yelling out, “That shit didn’t work Scott Foster.”

Wobvestigation: The NBA season’s historically crazy game between the Timberwolves and Rockets, where all roads led to Scott Foster. pic.twitter.com/Duj8NU7s0W

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 26, 2026

The Timberwolves’ winning after trailing by 13 points in overtime was the largest overtime comeback since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1996-97, as the Wolves avenged their nine-point overtime collapse to the Nuggets on Christmas.

Kevin Garnett Returns

The most memorable part of the Timberwolves regular season. On Friday, the Wolves announced that Kevin Garnett would be making his long-awaited return to Target Center during the team’s regular season finale on April 12th against the New Orleans Pelicans.

THE BIG TICKET RETURNS TO TARGET CENTER!

April 12th. 🎟️ pic.twitter.com/vhFIbZtgfQ

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 3, 2026

The announcement comes a couple of months after Garnett agreed to return to the organization in an ambassador role with a jersey retirement ceremony set to take place during the 2026-27 season, with ceremony details set to be released on a later date.

While the game itself might end up being anticlimactic, as the Wolves could potentially be locked into their seed for the Playoffs, the night itself is set to be one of the most memorable and cathartic moments in the history of Minnesota basketball. It’s been an excruciatingly long wait for Timberwolves fans to see their franchise icon back with the organization and pumping up the Target Center crowd yet again.

That wait is almost over.

It got interesting at times, but the Milwaukee Bucks mostly dominated the tanktastic Memphis Grizzlies, 131-115. As Deolu put it in his rapid recap, this was the Bucks’ their first win against Memphis since January 2022, which is crazy to think about. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Kyle Kuzma

22 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 turnovers, 2/3 FG, -4

Made some nice reads out of the short roll in the first quarter, and shot efficiently on extremely low volume, but the turnovers were still too high. Also got out-rebounded by smaller players on a few occasions.

Grade: C

Pete Nance

23 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2/4 FG, 0/1 3P, +23

Pete did most of his best work in the second half as a connector, making a few great passes in tight quarters to cutting teammates.

Grade: C+

Taurean Prince

23 minutes, 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 7/8 FG, 5/5 3P, +20

Rain, hail, or shine, TP remains one heck of a shooter. I mean, some of these three-point attempts were not easy, and he just nails them. Given his skill set, I think this might have been his best game of the year.

Grade: A+

Ryan Rollins

32 minutes, 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 10/16 FG, 4/7 3P, +0

Rollins was clinical, getting to his spots, working in the pick-and-roll, and taking what the defence gave him. He also had some ridiculous ambidextrous finishes around the rim. Can’t say enough about his development this year.

Grade: A-

Myles Turner

21 minutes, 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 6/13 FG, 1/4 3P, -3

Finished around the rim decently (as he should, considering he was the biggest and tallest player out there by some margin). Also got four O-boards because of that height, along with four stocks. Great production on those fronts. Still, got exposed a few times moving his feet on the perimeter against fringe NBA players.

Grade: B-

Ousmane Dieng

31 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 turnovers, 6/15 FG, 1/4 3P, +8

Not the best game from Ous, who failed to make much of an impact. He certainly had moments of brilliance—such as his full-court outlet pass to Cormac Ryan—but failed to put it together from a scoring standpoint. You want to see him succeed with the ball in his hands to be a long-term player for this team.

Grade: C+

AJ Green

26 minutes, 6 points, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 2/7 FG, 2/7 3P, +0

A nothing game from AJ. You wish he’d be more impactful against a team of G-Leaguers.

Grade: D

Jericho Sims

26 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 6/7 FG, +19

Sims mostly did his job by playing off others, but he showed signs of savviness we hadn’t seen earlier this season. For example, he had a play where he faked the DHO and kept it, leading to the massive slam. Great to see that development.

Grade: B

Cormac Ryan

29 minutes, 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, 7/8 FG, 3/4 3P, +19

Another great game from Cormac, who just keeps showing out. He made threes from both a standing start and on the move, but also did great work inside the arc; he spun for a dipsy-doo fadeaway, and also cut backdoor for the reverse layup. Also showed his stuff as an instinctual defender, racking up five steals.

Grade: A+

Doc Rivers

Thought Doc did a solid job coaching. I’ll echo Finn’s sentiment about Rivers getting the team to “play the right way,” which has been evident over the past two weeks, and honestly, really refreshing. No agendas, just a bunch of dudes playing for each other. Now, the opponent was tanking to a significant degree, but all Doc could do was put guys in position to succeed and get them to play in the way that best helped the team, and I thought he did. The Bucks won a game they should have won, and Doc played a key role.

Grade: B+

Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Doc said that although the team is out of playoff contention, these games are meaningful for a lot of guys.
• On Cormac: “Great cutter, great IQ, better with the ball than we thought… and his hands have been everywhere. Very impressed with him.”
• Rivers highlighted how Ryan Rollins is doing his work “in the game flow” and not forcing anything.
• Ousmane Dieng, Rayan Rupert, and Adama Bal all grew up together in France and shared an NBA court in this one. Pretty cool moment.

Up Next

The Bucks are back in action on Tuesday night against yet another tanktastic team, the Brooklyn Nets. Catch the game at 6:30 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

The regular season is winding down. After splitting a tough back-to-back vs. Minnesota and Detroit, they Sixers travel to San Antonio to kick off their final regular-season road trip — a three-game stretch away from home.

The Spurs are putting the cherry on top of a dominant season, with many considering them one of the two best teams not just in the West, but in the league period. A win tonight would be their 60th of the year, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder and possibly the Detroit Pistons as the only teams to accomplish that feat. Standings-wise, there isn’t much for them to play for here — they sit nine games above the contested three seed and three games behind the Thunder for the one seed. Barring some crazy circumstances, the Spurs are going to be the two seed out West. We’ll see how far they push their starters tonight if this game is close down the stretch.

Heading into this game, the Sixers are slated to take on the Spurs at seemingly full strength. The only listees on the injury report are G League assignments, meaning you can expect the Sixers to be on the wrong end of their gauntlet of Victor Wembanyama and a deep stable of guards.

These two teams faced off not too long ago, resulting in a blowout win for the Spurs in Philadelphia. However, the Sixers were without Paul George and Joel Embiid — both of whom should be available this time around. The Sixers struggled offensively with Wemby’s massive frame mucking up their paint-based offense, and the Spurs had no shortage of firepower either, with eight players scoring in double figures.

With the regular season in crunch time, it’s hard to keep up with all the games — especially in the cluster where the Sixers are packed in with five or six teams. Last night the Toronto Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics, putting the Sixers in the driver’s seat for the six seed due to tiebreakers once again. A win tonight would help solidify their standing, while a loss would make things interesting with the Raptors and Charlotte Hornets lurking close behind.

The good news is that, like the Spurs, the Sixers should be close to full strength as well. Both George and Embiid are not listed on the injury report heading in, and Tyrese Maxey has also been cleared. The lone listees are rookie Johni Broome and Cameron Payne, who is out with a hamstring strain and expected to be sidelined for a minimum of two weeks.

On paper, this will be a seriously tough game to win, and that’s only more true depending on how far the Spurs go to lock up a win. If the Sixers can manage the not impossible but very hard task, it’ll go a long way in the standings battle. After this, they’ll travel to Houston to play the Rockets on Thursday, then follow that up with two games against tanking opponents in the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. At worst, you’re probably looking at 2-1 for that stretch. Factoring in the schedule strength of the teams they’re jockeying with, a win tonight would seriously put pressure on them.

The Spurs have been an elite team all year, so this won’t be an easy game. Let’s see if their added reinforcements can shift the tide and the Sixers can make a big dent in their postseason seeding aspirations.

Game Details

When: Monday, April 6, 8:00 PM ET
Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

There was one concern I had heading into Sunday against the Chicago Bulls, and it came straight from the last time these two teams met. You remember it. The Suns could not keep the ball in front, and it turned into a layup line. Guards getting downhill whenever they wanted, no resistance at the point of attack, and everything collapsing from there.

And on Sunday, it showed up again.

Tre Jones lived in the paint. Over and over, he blew by perimeter defenders, got to his spots, and finished clean. He ended with 29 points, 21 of them coming right at the rim. Collin Sexton was not nearly as aggressive this time, and if he had been, this could have looked very different. The Phoenix Suns got the win, but it did not erase the concern.

Because the issue is the same. Containment. Or lack of it.

Jordan Ott rolled with a nine-man rotation, and there was no Rasheer Fleming and no Ryan Dunn. Two players who at least give you a different look defensively. More length, more disruption, more potential resistance either at the point of attack or at the rim.

There was an adjustment early. Jordan Goodwin got the start over Collin Gillespie in an effort to slow things down. But Chicago countered. They screened him out of the action, forced switches, and suddenly it was Devin Booker and Jalen Green trying to contain downhill pressure. That is not a winning formula. Not against guards who are looking to attack every possession. Layer in transition defense, or the lack of it. Phoenix was outscored 28–6 in fast-break points. That is effort, awareness, urgency, all of it. And it turned what should have been manageable into something far more stressful than it needed to be.

They won. That part counts. But the concern does not go away. Because teams are showing you the blueprint. Get downhill, force rotations, live in the paint. And until the Suns prove they can consistently stop it, it is going to keep showing up.

The hope is that the adjustments come. The hope is that the staff sees it, addresses it, and finds a counter. Because if not, these final four games are going to feel the same way, and at some point, you drift into that territory where you mess around and find out.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

Jalen Green was hyper-efficient against the Hornets, which was enough for him to earn Bright Side Baller #6 on the season.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 78 against the Bulls. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
30 points (9-of-22, 3-of-7 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 9-of-10 FT, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +3 +/-

Jalen Green
25 points (11-of-21, 2-of-7 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, +8 +/-

Dillon Brooks
15 points (6-of-15, 1-of-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +10 +/-

Mark Williams
14 points (6-of-8), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +7 +/-

Jordan Goodwin
12 points (5-of-5, 2-of-2 3PT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 0 +/-**

Collin Gillespie
9 points (3-of-11, 3-of-8 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, 1 block, +13 +/-

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Where do you end up?

Deandre Ayton, you want to be a star?

You viewed joining the Lakers as a golden opportunity to resuscitate your career and rewrite your narrative?

Well, you’ve now become a central figure in the Lakers’ hopes of surviving the first round of the playoffs until Luka Doncic (Grade 2 hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 oblique strain) return from their injuries. 

And so far, not so good. 

Ayton finished with 13 points and four rebounds in the Lakers’ 134-128 loss to the Mavericks on Sunday. 

Five of his teammates outscored him. And four of them outrebounded him, including Luke Kennard, who had a team-high 16 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 Kennard had four-times as many rebounds as the 7-footer?

Come on. 

Ayton has gone from being someone who can sway games from time to time, to someone whom the Lakers desperately need for 48 minutes. 

Things have drastically changed for LA after they lost their top two scorers. 

The 41-year-old James has gone from being the team’s third option to needing to play at a superstar level. Of course, he rose to the occasion, scoring 22 points in the first quarter, the most points he has scored in any quarter this season, en route to finishing with 30 points, a season-high 15 assists and 9 rebounds. 

Kennard had his first triple-double of his career with 15 points and 11 assists to accompany those 16 boards. Jaxson Hayes scored 23 points. Rui Hachimura had 21 points and 7 rebounds.

Ayton needs to take his game to another level, too. 

Let’s not forget that Ayton is the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He was picked ahead of Doncic (No. 3) and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 11). 

It’s clear he wants to be a star.  Heck, he made waves in February by exclaiming in the locker room “I’m not no Clint Capela.” But the problem is he’s inconsistent. 

Some nights he’s a ball of energy who uses force on both ends of the court to effortlessly produce double-doubles.  

Other nights? He’s a liability. 

Well, Ayton doesn’t have the luxury of being the latter right now. 

On Sunday, Ayton shot well in the third quarter, scoring 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting, helping the Lakers cut their 22-point hole to two points in that period. But otherwise, he was quiet as a mouse. 

He wants to be known as more than a guy who catches lobs and gets a block or two a game. Well, the Lakers need him to play to his potential right now.

On Sunday, he did that in spurts, which wasn’t enough against the Mavericks, who are in 13th place in the Western Conference with a record of 25-53. 

So, imagine how that would fare against an elite team in the West in the first round of the playoffs?

It’s no secret that Ayton’s effort wavers. 

He’s mercurial. He has struggled with moments of immaturity. Sometimes he’s all in. Other times, he’s somewhere else even though he’s in the building. 

Recently, Ayton has been trending in the right direction. 

During the Lakers’ 16-2 run heading into Thursday’s disastrous game against the Thunder in which both Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries, Ayton was starring in his role.

He had embraced playing winning basketball, which meant doing what the Lakers needed as opposed to what he wanted. 

What changed? 

“Felt like I picked up my energy and my focus,” Ayton said March 12. “And, you know, I finally caught up with the team. That’s about it.”

That’s great and all.

But really, that’s the bare minimum.

He needs to make another transition. The Lakers need him to be DominAyton. 

If he could regularly produce 20-and-10 performances, the Lakers have a chance of treading water until they’re complete again. James needs help. Everyone needs to step up, especially a former No. 1 overall pick. 

Ayton can’t take quarters off. He can’t be someone the Lakers hope shows up. He needs to be a force. 

Over the last month, Ayton has been getting credit for putting in the requisite effort. That no longer moves the needle. He needs to dominate. 

He doesn’t want to be compared to Clint Capela?

It’s now or never for him.

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Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks (45-33) host the Knicks (50*-28) at State Farm Arena. New York sits third in the Eastern Conference, having won two straight to improve to 7-3 in their last 10. The Knicks need to stay sharp in their last road game of the season, especially with the Cleveland Cavaliers on their heels. Atlanta, meanwhile, might be the league’s hottest team, riding a four-game win streak and sitting fifth in the East.

The season series is split 1-1. The teams last met on January 2 in New York, where the Hawks pulled off a 111-99 victory. Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker both scored 23 points for the winners. On the home team’s side, Jalen Brunson racked up 24 points while Ariel Hukporti snared 16 boards.

Things are looking up in Atlanta now that they’ve parted ways with Trae. The Birds have won 18 of their last 20 games and are playing with confidence down the stretch. They score 118.6 points per game while allowing 115.9, mixing a mid-tier offense (14th in the league with a ninth-ranked defense. Quin Snyder’s boys play fast (fifth for pace) and move the ball, dishing a league-best 30.3 dimes per game. From the perimeter they shoot 37%, and they rate sixth for points per game, partially because their defense is sound (9.5 steals per game).

Jalen Johnson leads the team in scoring with 22.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while Alexander-Walker has flourished in Georgia, averaging 20.6 points per game, taking eight three-pointers a game, and making 39% of them. At center, Onyeka Okongwu has averaged 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 71 games this season. Dyson Daniels, The Great Barrier Thief , puts up 11.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and two steals per game, and veteran CJ McCollum is averaging 18.7 points while shooting 37% from beyond the arc.

As of this writing, the only name on the injury report for either team is Jock Landale of the Hawks, out with an ankle issue.

Prediction

ESPN.com seems to think the Knicks will win, giving them a 57% edge. Color us a little less certain. The Knicks took the first meeting of the season, but it was a close 128-125, with the Hawks winning the second half by ten. New York needed a combined 70 points from KAT and Cap to squeeze the Peaches. In their second matchup, the orange and blue managed just 17 points in the second quarter and couldn’t break 52 points in a frustrating second half.

Since those two contests, the Hawks have found consistency and Snyder has this team humming as they fly toward the playoffs. Although the ’Bockers are blessed with more talent, they don’t always blend their assets in a victorious manner. Atlanta, however, has a weird alchemy and momentum that reminds me a little of the 2020-21 Knicks. Fitting, then, that those Knicks lost in the first round to the Hawks; and for as good as the current team out of Georgia is, I’m not convinced they’re ready to break past the first round. But all that starts in about two weeks. For tonight, look for the Knicks to fight hard for three quarters, then falter down the stretch, losing by three.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (50*-28) at Atlanta Hawks (45-33)
Date: Monday, April 6, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Place: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

* Should be one more, but the NBA Cup is too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan.