LOS ANGELES — Mohamed Diawara’s first NBA dunk was a poster.
The Knicks rookie highlighted an otherwise dreary Knicks loss Monday with a dribble through the Clippers defense before a one-handed jam over fellow Frenchman Nic Batum.
It occurred late in the third quarter and ignited a pro-Knicks crowd at the Intuit Dome, but the visitors couldn’t complete a comeback and fell amid a rash of turnovers, 126-118.
“I was just driving and dunked the ball and fortunately (Batum) was there,” Diawara, who grew up in France hearing much about Batum, told The Post. “But that was a good play. Funny to see that. My first dunk – my first poster – was against him.”
Diawara’s jam was part of an 11-3 run to end the third quarter. He finished with five points in 18 minutes with four rebounds and two assists.
“(The dunk) felt good,” Diawara said. “It was about time. I was looking forward to doing it.”
Mohamed Diawara dunks on Nic Batum during the Knicks-Clippers game on March 9, 2026. X /@nyknicksMohamed Diawara dunks on Nic Batum during the Knicks-Clippers game on March 9, 2026. X /@nyknicks
With Jose Alvarado struggling, coach Mike Brown briefly gave Tyler Kolek a meaningful cameo in the fourth quarter.
Kolek has been basically out of the rotation since Alvarado was acquired in a trade. On Monday, Kolek went scoreless in just two minutes.
“I thought Jose was struggling a little bit. So I threw Tyler out there to see if we could get something from him, similar to me throwing Jordan Clarkson out there (in the previous game against the Lakers),” Brown said. “Tyler didn’t get a long time to play because we put Jalen out there to see if we could make a run. But I said this before, those guys have to keep themselves ready just in case their number is called. Because it can be called at any time.”
Brown knocked on wood while crediting the performance staff, including owner James Dolan’s son, Quentin, for keeping Mitchell Robinson healthy throughout this season.
“Casey (Smith, the VP of Sports Medicine), Chico (Goenega, the head athletic trainer), those guys, and Quentin Dolan, those guys have done a nice job of coming up with a plan,” Brown said. “And the biggest thing is to get him in games this year and making sure he stays healthy. And so our whole medical staff, starting with those three guys down to everybody that’s in our medical department. They’ve done a great job of keeping him healthy and keeping him in the game and practicing and stuff like that. So I applaud them more than anybody else for what they put together and how they’re executing it.”
Quentin Dolan holds the title of Senior VP, Player Performance and Science Leader.
Robinson, who has been injury prone throughout his career and underwent multiple surgeries on his ankle, again sat Monday versus the Clippers in the second game of a back-to-back. Robinson hasn’t played both games of a back-to-back all season.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Graham Ike had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 12 Gonzaga to a 65-56 victory over Oregon State on Monday night and put the Bulldogs in the West Coast Conference Tournament championship game for the 29th straight time.
Gonzaga (29-3) will play No. 21 Saint Mary’s or Santa Clara in the title game. Those teams met later Monday night. It will be the Zags’ last WCC championship before heading to the Pac-12 Conference next season.
Oregon State’s seasons ends at 17-16.
Ike, the WCC player of the year, made 10 of 17 shots for his 14th double-double this season and 45th of his career. He was the only Gonzaga player to score in double figures.
Jorge Diaz Graham led the Beavers with 15 points and Noah Amenhauser scored 11.
SANTA CLARA 76, NO. 21 SAINT MARY'S 71
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sash Gavalyugov scored 23 points including a back-breaking 3-pointer to lead Santa Clara to a victory over Saint Mary’s in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament to take a big step toward making the Big Dance.
The Broncos (26-7) will play No. 12 Gonzaga (29-3) in the championship game on Tuesday night. The winner receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
While the Bulldogs are safely in the tournament, Santa Clara was considered on the bubble. The Broncos entered this game No. 42 in the NCAA’s NET rankings and No. 37 in Kenpom.
Saint Mary’s (27-5) could take a hit in the tournament seeding, but the Gaels figure to get into the field of 68. They were No. 20 in the NET and No. 22 in KenPom.
This is the first time since 2021 that the WCC final hasn’t been between Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.
Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek claimed his 600th career victory, a somewhat mild upset over the Gaels, who were favored by 5 1/2 points at BetMGM Sportsbook.
Elijah Mahi added 19 points for the Broncos and Allen Graves finished with 10.
Paulius Murauskas scored 26 points to lead Saint Mary’s, Mikey Lewis had 23 and Andrew McKeever totaled 11 points and 11 rebounds.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 9: Blake Hinson #2 of the Utah Jazz reacts after sinking the game winning basket in front of Head Coach Steve Kerr of Golden State Warriors during the second half of their game at the Delta Center on March 9, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Utah Jazz beat the Golden State Warriors in a game they really needed to lose 119-116. The first thing that needs to be said here is that the Golden State Warriors are pathetic from top to bottom. It starts with Steve Kerr, who decided to whine after the game was over about the number of games played.
Steve Kerr:
"We need to play fewer games. We need to take 10 games off the schedule. The modern game with the pace and the space I think it would be a more competitive and healthier league if we played fewer games" pic.twitter.com/xfzHjfdtug
Does the league need to lower the number of games? Yeah, probably. Would that change Steve Kerr from being one of the most overrated coaches of all time? No.
The Jazz, who are giving half effort to try to lose these games, rested Keyonte George in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors couldn’t figure out how to pull off a win. They weren’t helped by the highly overrated guard, Brandin Podziemski, who went 0/4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and cost his team the game.
Draymond Green, guided by Steve Kerr, was also horrendous tonight, going 2/7 from the field and 1/5 from three. Green had 11 assists because he’s terrified of shooting the ball and played hot potato all night. It’s a reminder that Kerr and Draymond have led the Warriors to multiple top lottery picks whenever they’re without Steph Curry.
For Utah, it’s a win that might help team morale, but it now puts their pick in real danger. Utah is playing Sacramento and Washington soon and if they don’t lock into this tank 100% they’re in real danger of losing their pick. Right now, they’re just one game up on Dallas, who have lost seven games in a row. Utah should “take note” of the effort and commitment other teams are putting into these losses. Doing this halfway against bad teams (like the Warriors) and bad coaches (like Steve Kerr) is playing with fire, and the Jazz got burned again this season. It’s not a catastrophic loss, but Utah has now forced its own hand in future games to rest all its high-level players.
LOS ANGELES — A day earlier, coach Mike Brown made an impassioned plea to his players to take care of the ball.
As he put it, control the controllables.
They didn’t listen.
Jalen Brunson reacts during the Knicks-Clippers game on March 9, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks committed 20 turnovers in a second straight slopfest in L.A., this time falling to the Clippers on Monday night, 126-118, at the Intuit Dome. The defeat felt sealed, appropriately, with consecutive Knicks turnovers in the final 3:05 – one by Jalen Brunson, the other by Landry Shamet.
But New York still held hope until Shamet and OG Anunoby missed contested 3-pointers in the final 25 seconds. Then it left Southern California with back-to-back clunkers.
“Biggest difference in the basketball game,” Brown said, “was our turnovers. …I liked our fight. I liked the way we played in the second half for the most part. We’ve just got to find a way to take care of the basketball.”
The Knicks (41-25), who allowed 24 points off those turnovers, wasted a rare high-scoring performance from Karl-Anthony Towns, who dropped 33 points on 12-for-16 shooting. It was the first time he scored 30-plus points since, amazingly, December.
But the Knicks couldn’t overcome those turnovers. Anunoby was the sloppiest with four of them. Brunson, Towns and Josh Hart all had three.
On Sunday in an ugly loss to the Lakers, the Knicks committed 18 turnovers, which prompted Brown to list that as a main issue alongside fouling too much and rebounding.
Karl-Anthony Towns drives during the Knicks-Clippers game on March 9, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
His team was certainly better at rebounding on Monday. They were slightly better at avoiding stupid fouls. They were worse at turnovers.
“I think a lot of them, we were getting downhill and trying to make plays. But we got to be better playing off two feet obviously, playing more controlled,” Brunson said. “But (the Clippers) got a lot of guys on their team who are steal guys, who are long wingspans, play passing lanes. That’s what they do. We played to their strengths.
Mikal Bridges, who went scoreless in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, didn’t hit a shot until midway through the second quarter against the Clippers. He finished with seven points in 26 minutes and was benched for crunch time. His backup at the two-guard, Landry Shamet, endured a brickfest while missing his first eight 3-pointers. Still, Shamet closed over Bridges and finished with nine points on 3 of 12 shooting, with all his attempts from beyond the arc.
Brunson, meanwhile, arrived in a deep shooting slump and quickly righted the ship Monday. He then scored 13 in the first quarter with three assists and two rebounds.
“He’s human and he’s going to have some nights (when he struggles to shoot),” Brown said. “His track record shows that he can go get it done. It’s not anything I’m concerned about or I’m looking at. And like I said, when he does have nights like that, how else can you impact the game, and he’s shown that he can do that.”
Brunson was cooking in the first quarter. Then Towns took over the offense.
Kawhi Leonard dunks during the Clippers-Knicks game on March 9, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The center feasted on the slower Brook Lopez, who had difficulty defending Towns last season with the Bucks, as well.
Towns finished the first half with 21 points – including 17 in the second quarter – but New York’s 3-point defense underwhelmed, its turnovers were abundant, and the Knicks went into the break with a nine-point deficit.
The good news for Knicks fans is the schedule eases up considerably. They next face terrible teams in six of the next seven games, including Wednesday at Utah and Friday at Indiana.
It’s a chance to regroup after turnover-fests in La La land.
“Treat the ball better,” Towns said. “The turnovers obviously put us in a bad spot. We didn’t stop the bleeding in the second and fourth quarters. And even though we made three more shots than them, they made four more 3s. That’s a recipe right there for disaster.”
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 9: Kyle Filipowski #22 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 9, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Auditions for next year’s roster continued in earnest Monday night when the shorthanded Utah Jazz took on the equally decimated Golden State Warriors at the Delta Center. News surfaced earlier that day that the Jazz released guard Vince Williams Jr, adding more incentive for players like Elijah Harkless, Blake Hinson, Oscar Tshiebwe and Cody Williams to make a statement that they belong on the team. Who stepped up and made the most of their minutes in a nail biting 119-116 victory over the Warriors? Let’s take a look.
Keyonte George – B
Keyonte was aggressive early, especially from the mid-range, scoring eight points in the first quarter. His three- pointer was off tonight, only managing 1-5, and there were a couple of instances in the second half when he drove to the basket only to be stifled by the defense. He didn’t really get into a rhythm, his minutes restricted as he shared point guard duties with Elijah Harkless.
Cody Williams – B+
Cody matched his career high 7 assists and was decisive in moving to the basket. He uncorked his patented hammer dunk in the 4th quarter after a delicious feed from John Konchar. His three-point accuracy continues to be problematic, going 0-4 tonight.
John Konchar – B
John does a lot of the dirty work that isn’t always reflected on the stat sheet, such as contesting the three-point attempt that would have tied the score at the end of the game. His three-pointer is still hit and miss (mostly miss), but he made up for his lack of scoring with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
Kyle Filipowski – A
Kyle was terrific tonight, recording a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. He was perfect from the free throw line and also had 5 assists and 2 steals. His impact on the game goes beyond the numbers. He seemed to be in the right spot at the right time, competed fiercely and showed a range of shot making ability.
Brice Sensabaugh – A
Brice showed himself to be more than just a sharpshooter, finding ways to contribute even when his shot wasn’t falling early in the game. He delivered a beautiful bullet pass to Cody Williams in the first quarter and ended up with three assists. He also added 2 blocks. He helped fuel a Jazz run in the 3rd quarter by twice using his physicality to create a three point opportunity the hard way. Brice earned every one of his team high twenty-one points.
Elijah Harkless – A-
Elijah showed off his speed and tenacity, especially in the first half. He went on a run where he either scored or assisted on 21 of 24 points, helping the Jazz take a lead into half-time. I think his ability to drive to the basket in traffic caught the Warriors’ defense off guard. He ended up with a career high in points for the Jazz (16). The defense adjusted in the second half, which made it more difficult for him to have the same impact.
Kevin Love – A
In limited minutes, the old man of the team gave a valuable boost to the Jazz, making all 3 of his three pointers, including an amazing four point play in the 3rd Quarter. Add 8 rebounds, an assist and a block and you have another example of Kevin’s great contribution to the team this season.
Oscar Tshiebwe – B
Oscar showed some of his scoring ability tonight, especially in the 4th Quarter when he had a quick 6 points. He was active around the basket, grabbing 8 rebounds and a steal. As an undersized big, his challenge is protecting the rim and affecting shots on the defensive end.
Blake Hinson – C+
Blake is continuing to find his way in the NBA and was at times a little over aggressive on defense, leading to foul trouble. His three-point shot was off early in the game, but he did make two threes late in the 4th Quarter to help the Jazz maintain their lead.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 9: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on March 9, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A loss to the actively tanking Utah Jazz is bad news for the Golden State Warriors for several reasons.
The first reason is obvious: the Jazz have been intentionally trying to lose in an effort to land a high lottery pick, in an upcoming draft class that stands to be packed with blue-chip prospects. The Warriors, however, did a better job of playing losing basketball themselves, in a game that saw them attempt an astounding 52 threes while making only 16 of them (30.8 percent).
The second reason: the Los Angeles Clippers’ win over the New York Knicks tonight has resulted in a 32-32 deadlock in the Western Conference standings with the Warriors. However, by virtue of having the tiebreaker, the Clippers have climbed up to the eighth in the standings while the Warriors drop to ninth and into the lower bracket of the play-in tournament.
The Warriors have now dropped to the No. 9 seed with the Clippers' win over the Knicks
Both the Warriors and Clippers are 32-32, but the Clippers currently own the tiebreaker
Final game of the regular season: Warriors vs. Clippers in LA
There’s no question that the Warriors are locked into the play-in tournament no matter how well they perform the rest of the regular season; it simply becomes a matter of whether they’ll be in the upper bracket, where one win gets them an outright playoff berth while giving them two chances to do so; or if they fall to the lower bracket and will have to win two-straight games in order to make it to the playoffs.
Without the services of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler III, the Warriors’ margin for error is significantly slim. In a winnable game against a bottom-dwelling team looking to obtain a high draft pick, losing will come back to bite them.
Then again, perhaps the season was already virtually lost when Butler went down with and ACL injury and Curry’s prolonged absence due to runner’s knee.
INGLEWOOD, CA - MARCH 9: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the LA Clippers on March 9, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Still smarting from the previous day’s drubbing by the Lakers, the Knicks (41*-25) bounced over to the Intuit Dome to challenge the LA Clippers (32-32). Redemption was not in the cards, however. The visitors spent most of the night digging out of holes they had dug themselves. 20 turnovers, cold shooting, and long Clippers runs kept New York chasing almost all night. With another All-Star performance by Kawhi Leonard (29 PTS, 8 AST, 7 RBS, 2 STL) and strong support from Darius Garland (23 PTS, 7 AST, 2 STL), the Clips had little trouble securing their 126-118 victory.
Quoth Allzingers, “Effort was good all game, execution was not.” They sure seemed to be trying out there, but bad pass after bad pass killed them. And it didn’t help to get only four first-half points from everyone not named Towns, Brunson, or Anunoby.
The Knicks opened the game with more turnovers than your neighborhood bakery. The Clippers drilled three straight triples for a 9–0 lead, while missed shots and three giveaways in three minutes only deepened New York’s hole. Leonard was a menace on both ends of the floor through the period, logging seven points and a steal.
Jalen Brunson (28 PTS, 8 ASTS) took charge, scoring most of the points on a 10-3 run. For a while, he and Karl-Anthony Towns (35 PTS, 12 RBS, 7 AST) provided almost all of New York’s offense, with the wings bricking their first five attempts. When OG Anunoby (22 PTS, 2 STL) finally hit from deep, midway through the frame, Ty Lue needed a timeout. Whatever he said seemed to work, because after OG added a game-tying free throw, the Clippers rattled off seven unanswered points.
A neck sprain made Landry Shamet (9 PTS, 3-12 3PT) questionable for yesterday’s game, and he missed all three of his field goal attempts in tonight’s first quarter. We assume that neck pain can throw a shooter off. Meanwhile, after scoring as many points as you did against the Lakers, Mikal Bridges’ slump carried on as he misfired on two more shots. He’d finish with seven points, seven boards, and two steals on 3-of-8 shooting in 26 minutes.
New York’s seven first-quarter turnovers tied a season high and directly led to 11 Clippers points. By the end of the period, the Knicks trailed 28–24, with Brunson pouring in 13 of their points.
Early in the second quarter, Anunoby scored back-to-back at the rim and gave his team their first lead. It wouldn’t last. The home team went on a 10-1 run that featured scores by Bennedict Mathurin (28 PTS, 7 RBS), Brook Lopez (16 PTS), and Garland. Then, on a missed driving layup, Towns jammed his knee and favored it through the rest of the quarter. Given that KAT was one of only three Knicks producing anything on offense, this was an especially worrisome development.
After missing nine shots over five and a half quarters, Bridges finally canned a nine-foot jumper. Every time the Knicks put together a few points, L.A. swatted them back. Leonard steadily poured in the points. With a minute and a half left, The Claw scored eight points to give his team an 11-point lead. By intermission, his club was up 64-55.
Through the half, Los Angeles shot 53% overall and 45% from three (9-for-20), while New York went 46% and 29%. The Knicks dominated the boards (25-16), but their 10 turnovers turned into 18 Clippers points. Towns had 21 points, Brunson had 19, and Anunoby had 11. The other seven Knicks combined for four points. For the home team, Leonard had 21 points.
Third quarter: more turnovers, more misses. The visitors continued to spin their wheels in the mud while the Clippers steadily stretched their lead. Mathurin turned up the heat, scoring 12 points in the quarter, with cuts, transition finishes, and second-chance points.
Down by 15 midway through the frame, the Knicks tried to punch back. Josh Hart buried a three from the wing, and Landry Shamet later added another—his first after eight tries. Off the bench, rookie Mohamed Diawara provided a short jolt of energy with a driving dunk and a late three, and Jalen Brunson found his rhythm in the final minutes with a string of floaters and pull-ups. Still, the Clippers never lost control and took an 88-81 lead into the final frame.
In the fourth, New York managed to cut the deficit to six, thanks to a three-pointer from Bridges and more free throws by Towns. Their inability to get stops offset any hint of momentum, though, with Garland, Mathurin, and Leonard continuing to score. Coach Mike Brown subbed in Tyler Kolek to rest Brunson, perhaps looking for more offense than the zero that Jose Alvarado had given in his eight minutes. Kolek survived for two minutes before getting the hook.
Midway through the frame, KAT scored on a layup and then blocked Mathurin, which led to a Shamet trey that cut the differential to seven. Of note: Bridges was subbed out at 6:51 and did not return in the game.
On an 11-3 run, capped by an Anunoby longball, the score was 109-104 with just under four minutes remaining. But Brook Lopez swished from 26 feet at the other end. Following that were turnovers by Brunson and Shamet, and it seemed like the Knicks were deadset on gifting this one to the Angelenos. Josh Hart cut the deficit to six with a layup at the two-minute mark, but Derrick Jones, Jr., responded with an effortless triple, then Leonard made some free throws to restore an 11-point lead.
In the last minute, OG dunked, Shamet swished, and Garland missed a free throw. The glimmer of hope was faint, but detectable. After Brunson hit a jumper with 37 seconds left, and the score was 121-116, New York fouled Garland, who made 1-of-2. Out of a timeout, our heroes missed three tries at the rim before fouling Mathurin with 20 seconds left. The glimmer was gone. The game was over.
Up Next
In the fourth game of the five-game road trip, New York travels to Utah to play the Jazz on Wednesday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Orlando Lovejoy had 21 points and Lance Stone came off the bench to score 16, leading Detroit Mercy to a 70-64 victory over Robert Morris on Monday night in a Horizon League Tournament semifinal.
No. 3 seed Detroit Mercy (17-14) will play top-seeded Wright State in the championship game on Tuesday with an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Lovejoy made 5 of 14 shots and 11 of 12 free throws for the Titans, adding six assists. Stone sank 6 of 12 shots with two 3-pointers. Tyler Spratt had 10 points and Legend Geeter contributed nine points and 10 rebounds.
DeSean Goode finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds to pace the second-seeded Colonials (22-11). Nikolaos Chitikoudis had 13 points and seven assists. Ryan Prather Jr. and reserve Ta'Zir Smith both scored 11.
The Titans outscored Robert Morris 37-28 in the second half.
The Knicks were defeated by the Los Angeles Clippers 126-118 as they continued their road trip on Monday night.
Here are some takeaways...
- The Knicks' three-point defense struggled in the early-going, as the Clippers knocked down six of their first 12 attempts from behind the arc. New York also carried over their sloppiness from Sunday, turning the ball over seven times in the opening quarter, but hot starts from Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby helped keep things close (28-24).
Brunson (13) and Anunoby (seven) combined to score 20 of the Knicks' 24 points in the quarter.
- With Brunson resting, Karl-Anthony Towns was finally able to get himself going early in the second. The All-Star big man scored 17 of his 21 points during the middle frame, but he was forced to the bench after grabbing at his right knee on two different dunk attempts.
Towns did return and drilled four straight buckets, but he limped to the locker room heading into the break.
- New York had just five players in the scoring department at halftime, and Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart had just two points apiece. They also shot just 29 percent from three, Landry Shamet missed all six of his attempts, and they committed 10 turnovers as a team to put them down nine (64-55).
The Knicks also had no answer for Kawhi Leonard, who tied Towns for the game-high with 21 points.
- It was much of the same coming out of the break, as New York simply could not get anything to fall from downtown, and Los Angeles quickly opened their largest advantage of the night at the time (15). Four different Clippers joined Leonard in double-digits, led by Brook Lopez (13) and Bennedict Mathurin (12).
Shamet got a three to fall with three minutes left in the third, accounting for the Knicks' first bench points of the night. The energy level picked up from there, as New York finally strung together some stops, and they were able to cut the deficit back down to seven heading into the fourth (88-81).
- Tyler Kolek saw time off the bench early in the fourth with Jose Alvarado missing all four of his shot attempts.
- New York continued to show a ton of fight and cut the deficit all the way down to five at numerous points, but each time they put together a mini-run the Clippers counterpunched with a big bucket on the other end. LA never looked back as they handed the Knicks their second loss in as many games.
- Towns led all scorers with 35 points, Brunson had 28, Anunoby 22, and Hart finished with 12. Bridges chipped in just seven on three-of-eight from the field, and he was benched down the stretch in a close game. Shamet and Mohamed Diawara accounted for all 14 of the bench points.
- Leonard led Los Angeles with 29 points, seven boards, and eight assists. Mathurin chipped in 28 off the bench, Lopez had 16, Derrick Jones Jr. 16, and Garland drilled five threes as part of his 23 points as the Clippers climbed back to the .500 mark for the first time on the season.
- The Knicks turned the ball over 20 times and shot just 35 percent from three-point land.
Game MVP: Kawhi Leonard
Leonard led the way for LA's offense, knocking down 10-of-19 shots from the field.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Alton Hamilton IV scored a career-high 25 points, Isaiah Moses added 22 and Eastern Washington held off Weber State 84-79 on Monday night in a Big Sky Conference Tournament quarterfinal.
No. 3 seed Eastern Washington (14-18) will play seventh-seeded Idaho in a Tuesday semifinal. The Vandals beat the Eagles twice, including in the regular-season finale to end EWU's eight-game winning streak. Top seed Portland State plays fourth-seeded Montana in the other semifinal.
Hamilton made 8 of 10 shots with two 3-pointers and both of his free throws for Eastern Washington. He added five rebounds. Moses had eight assists and his three-point play with 37 seconds left gave the Eagles an 82-76 lead. Johnny Radford totaled 12 points and four rebounds off the bench.
Tijan Saine Jr. led the sixth-seeded Wildcats (16-16) with 27 points. Nigel Burris added 14 points and Viljami Vartiainen scored 13.
Hamilton made all six of his first-half shots and scored 18 to guide Eastern Washington to a 46-32 lead at the break. Hamilton had the first four points in a 16-0 first-half run for the Eagles.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — James Reimer stopped 16 shots for his first shutout of the season and 32nd of his career, and the Ottawa Senators beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-0 on Monday night.
Ridly Greig scored in the second period for Ottawa, and Brady Tkachuk added an empty-netter with 1:20 remaining, extending his point streak to seven games — six of those after he helped the United States win Olympic gold in Milan.
Kevin Lankinen made 22 saves for Vancouver, which opened an eight-game homestand.
Ottawa has points in seven straight games (5-0-2) and 11 of 12 (9-1-2) as it chases an Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Greig collected a pass from Shane Pinto at the bottom of the faceoff circle, moved the puck to his forehand and fired a shot past Lankinen midway through the second.
The Canucks challenged the play, arguing Pinto made a hand pass before the goal, but the call was upheld after a video review.
Making his first start since Feb. 5, Reimer improved to 4-3-1 on the season and earned his first shutout since April 8, 2025, when he was with Toronto. The 37-year-old signed with Ottawa as a free agent on Jan. 12.
Tim Stutzle assisted on Tkachuk’s goal, stretching his point streak to 13 games (eight goals, nine assists).
Ottawa defenseman Jake Sanderson was sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered in Saturday's win over Seattle. Coach Travis Green said the 23-year-old is “week to week.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 8: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the New York Knicks on March 8, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When you’re 41 years old, injuries can pop up at a whim.
LeBron James is the only player on the Lakers’ injury report, but not for the reason you’d imagine. His left elbow contusion is no longer listed but, instead, a right hip contusion has been added.
He’s still questionable heading into the game.
LeBron James is listed as questionable for Tuesday vs. MIN. His left elbow is apparently healed, but he is also dealing with a right hip contusion, the team says pic.twitter.com/RRMfu48sh5
On Sunday against the Knicks, he was a game-time decision but did not play. During the broadcast, it was revealed that his foot, not his elbow, was more the reason for that decision. On Monday, the Lakers had practice, but LeBron, along with the rest of the rotation players, did not take part.
LeBron James didn't participate in the Lakers' practice today and is considered day-to-day, per JJ Redick.
LeBron was present for the film session. No live play for rotation players. Today's practice was focused cleaning things up defensively.
It’s rare for teams, and especially the Lakers, to practice with just one day between games, so there isn’t necessarily anything out of the ordinary here.
Taking all that into account, it’s likely for LeBron to be a gametime decision again on Tuesday against the Wolves.
LeBron being the lone player on the injury report is also notable. Maxi Kleber is no longer listed on the report after having some back soreness over the weekend. Ayton was not on the injury report for Sunday’s game against the Knicks.
Bronny James and Adou Thiero are back with the parent team as well after playing with South Bay.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 9: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors passes off as he falls over Elijah Harkless #16 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of their game at the Delta Center on March 9, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Monday night’s game between the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz was not the highest level of basketball we’ve ever witnessed. The Jazz were playing without stars Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., while giving limited minutes down the stretch to franchise cornerstones Keyonte George and Kyle Filipowski in what would generously be described as ambivalence towards winning. The Warriors were without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Will Richard, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porziņģis. And so, while the game was entertaining, it wasn’t exactly high-level hoops.
More importantly, the Warriors team that shocked the Houston Rockets on Thursday, and kept things close against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, was nowhere to be found on Monday in Salt Lake City, as the Dubs lost 119-116.
Even with Jackson out, the Warriors were at quite a size disadvantage with Horford and Porziņģis sidelined (neither player was at the arena, either, as they flew home in anticipation of playing Tuesday’s home game against the Chicago Bulls). At times, Golden State didn’t seem to be, though. The hung tough with Utah on the glass, nearly playing the Jazz even there, with just a slight 55-53 disadvantage. After settling for threes early, they relentlessly attacked the unprotected late late, and actually outscored Utah 48-46 in the paint.
All of that and still a loss? You’d assume that the Dubs were once again plagued by their turnover woes, but it turns out that wasn’t the case either. The Warriors actually took great care of the basketball, turning the ball over just 10 times on the night, while forcing 17 Jazz giveaways.
So what was it? Much of it was just shooting. The Warriors had the legs of a team on the end of a road trip (which they are), and missing their best shooters. They shot just 30.8% (16-for-52) from three-point range, and while they shot a very respectable 57.4% (27-for-47) on twos, they got stuck in their ways by hoisting too many triples. Utah, on the other hand, shot a much fewer amount at higher clip — 35.3% (12-for-34) — but shot two more shots inside the arc, and eight more free throws.
Still, the teams went back and forth in the first half. They exchanged buckets and leads in the first and second quarter, with Utah outscoring Golden State by two points in each frame. And when the third quarter began, the Warriors came out of the gates firing, with far more energy than their counterparts. They were outworking and outhustling the Jazz.
But, despite Utah’s tanking efforts, the Warriors were simply down too many bodies. Late in the third quarter they found themselves in a situation where all three of their two-way contracts were on the court at the same time. And while all three played well individually, the lack of experience proved costly, and helped lead to the defining stretch of the game. The score was tied 77-77 late in the third, when ageless wonder Kevin Love drained a three. After LJ Cryer missed a shot, Brice Sensabaugh made a transition layup, while drawing a foul and completing the three-point play. Brandin Podziemski missed a three on the ensuing possession, and Love responded with a four-point play. In a span of just 50 seconds, the Jazz had scored 10 unanswered points, and turned a tied game into a 10-point lead.
Golden State had a run in them in the final quarter though, and slowly chipped away at the lead, eventually erasing it entirely. Draymond Green split a pair of free throws with 1:26 remaining, tying the game and giving the feel of a comeback win. But it wasn’t to be. After the teams exchanged empty possessions, Blake Hinson drained a go-ahead three with 30 seconds remaining, serving as a perfect two-for-one for Utah. The Warriors came up empty on their next possession, with Elijah Harkless splitting a pair of free throws to increase the lead to two possessions. De’Anthony Melton would make a three to pull the Warriors within a single point, but it was only with a few seconds left. Harkless made two free throws to make it a three-point game, and with just 1.7 seconds left to inbound and shoot, the Warriors were left to settle for a Gui Santos double-clutch triple, which came up well short.
Melton led the Warriors with 22 points, and added seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. He was one of eight Warriors to score in double figures. Also in that group was Seth Curry, who made his return to action in style, scoring 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting (including 2-for-3 from deep), while adding three assists. Santos and Brandin Podziemski led the team with eight rebounds, while Green dished a game-high 11 assists.
It’s a disappointing loss, but there’s no time for the Dubs to mope. They’re back in action Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. PT against the Bulls.
That it came on the night when he tied Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record for consecutive games (126) with at least 20 points only bolsters his late-season argument. And that he won the game with a silky, step back 3 with just 2.7 seconds left added yet another MVP moment to his highlight reel — something voters tend to weigh with significance.
“Tremendous poise, confidence — he doesn’t change his mindset regardless of the circumstance,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the 129-126 Thunder victory. “He doesn’t break a sweat.”
If there’s a paradigm of consistency in the NBA, it’s Gilgeous-Alexander. He appears to glide across the floor, unbothered, to get to his spots. He seems to know exactly what defenses will try to do against him.
And as the Thunder have confronted injuries all season long — they rank second in the NBA in games missed and were without three starters (Jalen William, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein) against the Nuggets — it’s Gilgeous-Alexander who is carrying this team to greatness.
Despite the time missed because of injury, the Thunder are 51-15, which is the best record in the NBA.
Just to show how quickly things change: a little more than two weeks ago, after carrying the Pistons to a massive win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Cade Cunningham had seized momentum on the national stage.
In fact, I wrote then that Cunningham should be the MVP favorite and would be deserving of the award, if the season ended that day. The season, of course, didn’t, and Detroit has sputtered since that game, losing five of its subsequent nine games.
The Pistons are currently on a four-game losing streak and Cunningham’s play has been slightly uneven in recent weeks.
Realistically, if Cunningham had any edge over Gilgeous-Alexander at the time of that Knicks game (Feb. 20), it was that SGA was at the time sidelined with an abdominal strain.
But in the five games Gilgeous-Alexander has played since returning from the injury that forced him to miss nine games, he’s averaging 30.8 points, 8.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
By late Monday night, just minutes after Gilgeous-Alexander’s game-winning 3, Fan Duel and Draft Kings each lowered their futures odds for Gilgeous-Alexander winning MVP to -800. That’s a fairly pedestrian figure, especially since he was -275 and -260 in those books, respectively, just one week ago.
Realistically, the only thing that can get in SGA’s way is his health. He has played 54 of a possible 66 games for the Thunder, which means he can miss no more than five through Oklahoma City’s final 16 contests to remain eligible for postseason awards.
“I think with what he has already done, he’s an all-time great,” Thunder center Jaylin Williams told reporters after the game. “He’s just adding onto it. I think every game, every situation, he just continues to impress. When you’re the best in the world, it’s hard to continue to impress. He’s doing it night in and night out.”
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 9: Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 9, 2026...
The Warriors failed to replicate the effort from the opening two games of their road trip and will return home with a sour taste in their mouths after a bad loss to the Jazz.
Golden State stunned the Rockets to open its road trip and took the Thunder to the wire on Saturday but fell 119-116 on Monday to a tanking Utah team missing its top players.
Already playing without Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic, the Jazz subbed out their remaining leading scorer, Keyonte George, for good at the end of the third quarter. They sent their high scorer for the game, Brice Sensabaugh (21 points), to the bench for the final 4:48.
Brice Sensabaugh drives to the basket to attempt a layup over Draymond Green. NBAE via Getty Images
Draymond Green missed a free throw that would have put the Warriors up 114-113 with 86 seconds remaining. Eight Warriors scored in double figures, led by De’Anthony Melton with 22 points, but they made just 14 of their 21 attempts from the free-throw line.
Brandin Podziemski also missed a pair of late free throws and finished 0-for-4 at the line. The Warriors’ struggles at the foul line arguably cost them a second consecutive game after they shot just 11-for-18 (61.1%) against the Thunder.
The Jazz got to the foul line 29 times and sank 27 of them. Kyle Filipowski sank all six of his attempts on his way to a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds.
What it means
The Warriors couldn’t have expected to return home any better than 1-2 when they hit the road without Steph Curry and a handful of their rotation regulars.
It’s not the path anyone expected, but it’s the same result nevertheless.
Still, the Warriors will be kicking themselves for letting this one slip away.
Kevin Love knocks down a jumper over Gui Santos. AP
Turning point
Kevin Love pump-faked Malevy Leons into the air and somehow sank a circus-style 3-pointer through contact, then completed the four-point play to open up the first double-digit lead of the game late in the third quarter. The play was part of a 12-1 run that put the Jazz up 89-78.
Believe it or not, Leons got baited into the air by Love again — on the next trip down the floor.
The Warriors had tied it at 77 before the 12-1 run with an incredible display of tenacity from Nate Williams, one of three active two-way players. He collected the Warriors’ fourth offensive rebound of the possession — his second — before finally converting a reverse layup.
The activity on the offensive glass could have been a signal the Warriors were outworking the Jazz. But the three missed shots on one possession turned out to be a stronger harbinger.
A different Curry was the star for the Warriors this time. AP
MVP: Seth Curry
Kerr pulled a line change and inserted Curry for his first playing time in 40 games along with an entirely new five-man lineup a little more than nine minutes into the first quarter.
Curry, the NBA’s leader in 3-point percentage last season, set up in the corner, received a pass from Podziemski and promptly drained a triple on his first possession.
Curry showcased the rest of his offensive profile to finish with 13 points in 12 minutes on 4-of-6 shooting, fitting in as seamlessly as he did when he made his debut Dec. 2. He suited up again two nights later and then missed the next four months, largely due to sciatica.
Stat of the game: 36 missed 3-pointers
The Jazz already ranked as the NBA’s worst defensive team inside the perimeter and the second-most foul prone. They were missing their three best players 6-foot-11 or taller.
The Warriors still attempted 52 3-pointers and only converted 16 of them (30.2%).
Up next
The Warriors will have a quick turnaround after a late-night arrival back in San Francisco, playing host to the Bulls on Tuesday night at Chase Center. Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis are both expected to return after they flew home early rather than join the team in Utah.
The back-to-back set is the first of three over the next 13 days for Golden State.
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