Category: Basketball

SAN JOSE, CA — The harsh Arizona deserts are no stranger to droughts. One has lasted quite a while in Tucson, except it has nothing to do with rainfall.

It’s that Final Four drought.

For more than two decades, Tucson residents have been trying to turn on the faucet of basketball success, and while enough falls out to keep the grass from turning brown, it’s waiting for a steady stream to end the dehydration and nourish the garden of winning.

Arizona hasn’t been to the Final Four since 2001, and the city is very aware of the crisis.

“You hear rumblings of it all the time,” Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka told USA TODAY Sports.

Luckily, the forecast is showing a possible end to the dry spell. A chance of heavy showers of victory could be raining down Saturday, March 28 with Arizona facing Purdue in the Elite Eight. But the Wildcats have been here several times before. An opportunity to break the spell turns into more heat. 

“The collective joy it would give our community, it would be more special than just the win by itself,” said Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd.

No coach has stacked up wins in their first five seasons like Lloyd, with 147 victories already on his resume. It’s been an impressive start to his tenure, bringing Arizona back into the national picture and perfectly weaving into a stacked Big 12.

All of that, yet this will be the first time Lloyd has the Wildcats in the Elite Eight, a microcosm of all of the March struggles this program has had since 2001.

Since 2010, Arizona has the fourth-most wins in Division I, in the top five with Gonzaga, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky. However, the Wildcats are the only one from that group to have not made the Final Four in that time span. Even worse, the all in that group have made multiple Final Four trips.

This year will be the sixth Elite Eight appearance for the Wildcats since their last Final Four appearance. Two of those times, it was a No. 1 seed, and it lost to the No. 2 seed, including the 2014 overtime thriller against Wisconsin. In 2026, it’s a No. 1 seed again facing the No. 2 seed.

Arizona has had all the right pieces to have multiple Final Four trips, with NBA talent on all of those Elite Eight squads, but it just can’t get over that hump.

“These games from here on out are not guaranteed,” said guard Jaden Bradley.

Unlucky? A curse? There really isn’t an answer for why Arizona can’t get the job done. If history is any indication, the Wildcats won’t be able to take down Purdue, and the Boilermakers will be the ones going to Indianapolis.

But this isn’t the same Arizona.

At 35-2, the Wildcats have a case to be the best team in the country. It’s a talented, deep roster with so many players that can end opponents, and they’ve proven so. 

Arizona knows how to score and prevent you from doing so. It’s why they’re in the top five of scoring margin. What’s impressive is that includes 12 ranked victories this season, showing it handles even elite squads.

“One of the best teams in the country, if not the best team in the country,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter. 

The last thing standing in the way of Arizona breaking through is a contrasting Purdue team. While Arizona is led by freshmen with a mix of veteran presence, the Boilermakers are as experienced as it comes, with three players that have played in a national championship game and a starting unit with a combined 559 career starts.

On paper, Arizona has more talent than Purdue. But it knows better than anyone these games are played on the court, where all of that gets thrown out the window, and anything can happen in 40 minutes.

In fact, Painter knows all about the burden of being at a premier program with a long Final Four drought, with the Boilermakers making the 2024 edition after last appearing in 1980. While Lloyd said Arizona’s recent struggles in the NCAA Tournament don’t bother him, Painter acknowledges the burden.

“There's relief there. It gets talked about a lot,” he said. “You don't have to wait for the morning paper to hear what people say about you anymore. You hear it all day long.”

Lloyd and Arizona have a chance to finally silence all the talk about it in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats have shown they were on a warpath to this destination ever since it beat defending champion Florida in the season opener.

Now it’s time to put all of the past behind, and officially declare Arizona basketball drought-free.

“I'm not surprised we're sitting here. Not at all,” Lloyd said. “We're exactly where we should be. Now we've got to go put in the work – and probably have some good fortune on our side as well – to hopefully take the next step.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When was Arizona last in Final Four? It's been a while. Like 25 years

Oh, how quickly empires fall.

For the longest time, I would try to carve out an opening in my writing schedule for at least one or two games against the Bucks. Even when the Spurs were at their worst, I wanted to see what would happen.

The Bucks served as a measuring stick for me; a team with the right mixture of talent and discipline to tell me exactly what the Spurs were (and were not) capable of.

I envied their draft heist in the form of Giannis Antetokounmpo, feeling less than optimistic about San Antonio’s chances of lucking into another franchise-altering big man. I admired the aggression and shrewdness of the acquisition that had given them arguably the NBA best all-around guard in Jrue Holiday, a player I’d wanted on the Spurs since his days at UCLA.

I watched them play basketball in the vaguely Spurs-ish way that Popovich protege Mike Budenholzer employed at every stop along the way, and tried to summon visions of a Spurs team that would play that well (or better) in the near future.

I cannot blame my imagination for having failed me at the time. It was a grim time to be writing about the Spurs. I saw franchise favorites flipped for assets. I witnessed losing streaks never before seen in the history of the franchise. I cannot say that it was fun, though I did my best to make it so.

And yet, I was always watching for that moment when things might fall into place. Those moments that the Spurs would exceed the sum of their very humble parts, and take advantage of the strangeness of a long NBA season.

The one thing about losing seasons is that you’re surprised by certain victories in a way that you can’t be about a contender. I clung to those minor miracles, and they got me through it.

Now the returns to Milwaukee remind me of the fickleness of fortune.

We like to believe that the NBA is a meritocracy, but sometimes it’s just not. Seemingly abandoned by the fates of a previous half-decade, Bucks management is paralyzed regarding what feels like an unresolvable exit trajectory for their aging superstar player, torn between the promising mystique of future assets and the hope that one stroke of luck can restore them to their former glory — a consolation devoutly to be wished.

The Spurs, on the other hand, are at full health, and so deep that it hardly seems to matter. They’ve found their rhythm, sitting just shy of a net rating identical to that of the 2014 roster, and are led by an ascendant wunderkind intent on bringing home as much hardware as humanly possible.

Wemby’s averaging 26/11/3.5/3.5/1.5 on 51% shooting over the last 10 games. The Spurs are 1st in Offensive Rating and Net Rating, and 2nd in scoring over that same stretch.

They’re 1st in rebounding and effective field goal percentage, and 2nd in three pointers made and assist-to-turnover ratio. They don’t make mistakes. They rain hellfire.

The scales between these two teams have definitively flipped. The Bucks will be without 3 of their top 5 scorers (and possibly 5 out of their top 6), leaving a Giannis-shaped hole in the roster of a team that is almost certainly trying to better their draft odds.

And yet, I think back to those years in the wastelands, and I know I’ll be looking for that same flicker from Milwaukee. The NBA season is lengthy and bizarre, and the Spurs are on an extended win streak.

What a fantastic time for the basketball gods to indulge their prevailing senses of humor.

One of the long-standing tests of the grecian deities was that of hubris. This Spurs team has almost everything they need to bring home another championship. But do they have the humility?

The memory of struggle has allowed me to enjoy this season more than so many of the successful ones I’ve been witness to, and I’m looking forward to an easy win as much as anyone, but I’m also hoping for the kind of graciousness that those who’ve experienced attrition are best suited to deliver.

That, and a whole lot of dunks. (I have an Icarus tattoo. It reminds me that my capacity for humility is limited.)

San Antonio Spurs (55-18) vs Milwaukee Bucks (29-43)

March 28th, 2026 | 2:00 PM CT

Watch: NBA on Amazon Prime/FanDuel Southwest| Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: None

Bucks Injuries: Myles Turner: Day-to-Day (Calf), Bobby Portis: Day-to-Day (Wrist), Kyle Kuzma: Out (Achilles Tightness), Gary Harris: Out (Groin), Kevin Porter Jr: Out (Knee), Giannis Antetokounmpo: Out (PRitis)

LOS ANGELES — It wasn’t a pretty win for the Lakers against the Nets on Friday night. Despite Brooklyn having every incentive to lose and dropping nine games entering this contest, they trailed by just one entering the final quarter.

The Lakers, desperately trying to avoid an embarrassing loss, needed to get a boost from somewhere. LeBron James was having a quiet night with just 11 points, and Luka Dončić was already doing everything he could to help the team win, scoring 36.

So, the Lakers went to their other top scorer, Austin Reaves, for some offensive production. In the clutch, Reaves delivered, playing all 12 minutes and scoring 15 in the fourth to ensure the Lakers would walk away victorious.

“I think AR just being mentally tough and playing through everything that was happening in the game and just eventually found his rhythm, head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “I think that started with getting to the free throw line. It started with touching the paint and scoring on some of those non-rim paint twos.”

Reaves’ fourth-quarter dominance felt like it came out of nowhere.

This was the first Lakers home game after a six-game road trip where Reaves struggled from beyond the arc, going 9-39.

He entered the final frame, struggling from the field overall, shooting 3-8, and passed up on a couple of open looks from beyond the arc. Still, Reaves did what many great players do and worked through his slow start and played his best when it mattered most.

Reaves’ offensive onslaught in the fourth started mildly with a free throw technical. But like an avalanche, it was the movement he needed to build up his momentum.

With the Lakers down by one with less than nine minutes to go, Reaves responded by knocking down a pair of threes. He continued to attack the paint, drawing contact and getting to the line. After hitting a pair from the charity stripe, he followed that up with another from downtown.

The subdued crowd erupted as the make gave the Lakers a 13-point edge with less than three minutes left to play.

Defense to offense 💪 pic.twitter.com/NSkvEanepG

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 28, 2026

LA never gave up control and Reaves scored the final points of the night with a late 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the contest.

It was an ugly win, but it counts just as much as all their quality victories. And with the Western Conference playoff race being as tight as it is, winning is all that matters and Reaves knows that better than most.

“Just continuing to play hard and play the right way,” Reaves said. “Yeah, it’s a tough game, but you got to go to work and be successful.”

The Lakers will only go as far as Dončić and Reaves will take them. As the stakes of these Lakers games increase, Reaves will have to elevate his game. So watching him do just that, even on a night when it looked like he couldn’t reach that level, was encouraging.

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

Credit to the fearless Brooklyn Nets fans who pushed through another late night, staying up into the early hours of Saturday to watch a team grind through the final game of a rough West Coast road trip. Unfortunately, it was for naught.

On Friday, the Nets dropped their 10th straight, despite a valiant effort, falling 116-99 to the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers. With the loss, Brooklyn’s position in the race to the bottom didn’t change. They remain in second place in the Tankathon rankings, but they’re now only a single game out of the top seed.

Brooklyn got off to a rough start off the opening tip, and LA took full advantage of it. Brooklyn opened the game by missing their first five attempts from beyond the arc, while the Lakers opened the game on a 15-4 run.

By the end of the first quarter, though, the Nets had settled in, trimming the deficit to five at 35-30. Josh Minott led the charge with eight points off the bench while knocking down two of his three attempts from 3-point range.

He ultimately finished the night with 18 points in 26 minutes, shooting50% from the field and 44% from beyond the 3-point stripe. Since being acquired from the Boston Celtics in exchange for $110,000 in cash —the minimum required to complete a trade— and given an extended look, Minott has thrived in Brooklyn.

Josh Minott with an insane and-one over Jaxson Hayes. pic.twitter.com/lo0qVaIBRS

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 28, 2026

Prior to tonight, the 6’8” 23-year-old had averaged 13.6 points, three rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 24.2 minutes throughout his last five outings. He shot 51% from the field over that span while knocking down 15 of his 29 attempts from 3-point territory (51.7%).

Entering halftime, the Nets were trailing by just two, 61-59.

Nic Claxton finished the half as the team’s leading scorer with 12 points on 86% shooting, adding five rebounds and a block while controlling the interior. Brooklyn closed the half with a jolt as first-round rookie Nolan Taoré drilled a 27-footer at the buzzer after an errant pass from Noah Clowney.

Nolan called BANK at the buzzer!!! pic.twitter.com/26CeYhpkFT

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 28, 2026

Clear the runway for takeoff! 🛫

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/sWMqNZ0hcipic.twitter.com/AKTx8MKaH2

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 28, 2026

Traoré had nine points at the break, though it came on inefficient shooting (4-of-12 from the field, 1-of-4 from three). By the end of the night, he had contributed seven assists and four steals, though he struggled with turnovers, committing six.

Off the bench, fellow rookie Ben Saraf provided a strong spark, finishing the half with six points in eight minutes on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, along with two rebounds and two assists.

It continues to be an impressive stretch for the Johannesburg, South Africa native. In the team’s last outing against the Golden State Warriors, the rookie tallied 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting (2-of-3 from three), while adding seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals, which followed his career-high 22 points against the Sacramento Kings with five assists to boot.

Overall, in the second quarter, Brooklyn outscored Los Angeles 29-26 to trim their deficit. It was a very strong offensive half for the Lakers, converting on 56.1% of their field goal attempts while committing just six turnovers. Defensively, though, they struggled, falling to make second efforts with rotations and particularly box-outs down low.

The primary reason Los Angeles still held the lead at the break was Luke Dončić, who poured in 24 first-half points before finishing the night with 41 points over 39 minutes.

“Don’t be discouraged, because you may play a great possession and he [Dončić] will still make the shot,” said Jordi Fernández when speaking to reporters before the game. “I think the best defenders in the world move on to the next possession, and that is extremely important. You’ve got to show him different looks, you’ve got to be very aggressive.”

Ziaire Williams also continued his strong run of play, finishing with 16 points in 25 minutes on 43% shooting from the field while adding two rebounds, two assists, and three steals, while showcasing maximum effort on the defensive end of the floor against Dončić.

Dončić was assessed a technical foul in the third quarter after things got chippy between him and Williams. If uphelp, it would be his 16th of the season, automatically triggering a one-game suspension for the six-time All-Star.

"Just (being) competitive. I'm always (going to) compete no matter who it is," Ziaire Williams said postgame of his run-in with Luka Dončić. "So I guess he didn't like the physicality or whatever it was. But no hard feelings on this end."

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) March 28, 2026

Entering the final frame, Brooklyn trailed just 85-84 as Los Angeles struggled to pull ahead of the league’s youngest team, while the Nets kept competing at a high level. The team outscored the Lakers in the quarter once again, 25-24.

Down the stretch, Terance Mann made several clutch defensive plays, including a stellar block against Jared Vanderbilt with 6:04 to play while Brooklyn trailed, 98-92.

However, a quick 10-2 burst by Los Angeles near the first mark created just enough separation for Brooklyn to trail for the rest of the night before officially falling, 116-99.

Bottom line: the Lakers Big Three responded when needed. As noted, Doncic finished with 41 points, Austin Reaves had 26, 15 in the final quarter, and LeBron James 14. The King also made history when he found his son, Bronny, for a 3-pointer in the second quarter and was credited with the first father-to-son assist in NBA history.

Overall, it was a performance that fans could appreciate. The team went punch-for-punch with one of the league’s best, and when the tank matters more than ever, the loss also helped them there too.

Final: Los Angeles Lakers 116, Brooklyn Nets 99

Milestone Watch

• Ziaire Williams logged 16 points vs. LAL to extend his career-long streak to five straight games with 15+ points. He also has three steals, extending his career-long streak to 14 straight games with a steal. It is the longest by a Net since D’Angelo Russell (16) in 2019.

Next Up

The Nets return home on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings, with the focus solely on the tank.

Sacramento enters the weekend at 17-55 with the team’s next matchup being on Saturday evening against the Atlanta Hawks. Brooklyn, meanwhile, sits at 17-57, one game behind the 16-58 Indiana Pacers in the race for the best lottery odds, who lost 114-113 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

• Boxscore: Los Angeles Lakers 116, Brooklyn Nets 99 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Los Angeles Lakers 116, Brooklyn Nets 99 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Comments (Video) – NBA
• Terance Mann PostGame Comments (Video) – NBA
• Ziaire Williams PostGame Comments (Video) – NBA
• Noah Clowney PostGame Comments (Video) – NBA
• Luka Doncic scores 41 points and gets his 16th technical foul in Lakers’ 116-99 win over Nets – Greg Beacham – AP
• Nets lose to Lakers 116-99 despite Josh Minott’s 18 points – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

BOSTON — For months, whether Jayson Tatum was going to return to the court was one of the biggest questions in basketball.

We saw glimpses of his on-court workouts and heard nothing but positive things about how he looked to his teammates, but the door was left open — and discourse intensified — when he went on the Pivot Podcast in January and expressed reluctance about whether he should come back.

Tatum pointed to the Celtics’ success without him — they held the Eastern Conference’s second seed for most of the year — and candidly reflected on the fact that a return wouldn’t be seamless.

“There is a thought in my head, like, how does that work? Or how does that look with me integrating myself off the injury … 50, 60 games into a season? There obviously could be some challenges. And it is a thought: Do I come back? Should I wait? It’s something that I honestly, recently, in the last two weeks or so just kind of contemplate every single day.”

By now, we all know where Tatum landed: he ultimately decided to come back, less than 10 months after rupturing his Achilles. In three weeks since his return, he’s played in all but one game, averaging 19.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

Of late, the minutes restriction has seemingly lifted — Tatum logged 37 minutes on Friday night against the Hawks — and his rebounding has shown no drop-off.

Still, as he’s routinely told reporters, he’s rusty and still trying to regain his rhythm and flow on the court. Even his handle has felt off at times, an aspect of his game that is unrelated to his Achilles injury.

Earlier this week, I penned a column about how I believed fans should think about Jayson Tatum’s return. Much of the discourse centered on his shooting woes rather than on his improbable on-court impact.

(Tatum is shooting 38.3% from the field and 30.3% from three in 10 games this season).

In effect, I concluded, that mere weeks after his debut, we had already lost sight of the big picture.

The big picture is this: Tatum tore his Achilles tendon last May and returned to the floor less than 10 months after suffering the injury. He’s been back on the court for less than three weeks. The choice to re-acclimate (and, unavoidably, struggle) in the public eye was a brave one, and, though it’s not unheard of to do so, it’s also very uncommon for a player of his caliber to return as quickly as he did.

Take a look at three other former NBA All-Stars who suffered the same injury in 2025: Dejounte Murray (injured in January), Damian Lillard (injured in April), and Tyrese Haliburton (injured in June). Lillard and Haliburton were immediately ruled out of the 2025-2026 season, while Murray rehabbed for 13 months — nearly four more than Tatum — before returning to the floor.

Tatum did not give himself that same grace; he opted to work tirelessly to lace up for the Celtics this season, knowing that a playoff run was ahead. 

One of the many fun aspects of being a reporter is that you’re able to ask players (and coaches) to weigh in on any proposition you’ve formed in your head.

So, after the Celtics’ 109-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks, I asked Tatum if the idea of getting to fully shake off the rust and take another 4-to-5 months to rehab in private was ever tempting.

It was a decision, after all, that most of his NBA peers made, and one that would have taken lots of the pressure off — every misstep could have occurred in private, at the Celtics’ practice facility, rather than on national television. There’s a world where he returned to NBA action after months and months of full-speed 5-on-5 scrimmages, rather than weeks.

“That’s a loaded response,” Tatum said, with a smile. “It was a range of emotions, of things I was dealing with and contemplating and thinking about.”

Then, he addressed a reality he’d rarely touched upon since his return: this Celtics team was a championship contender.

Could he really pass up the opportunity to be a part of that?

“A lot of it had to do with where the team was at, and never wanting to take moments in a season for granted, just thinking like, ‘Oh, we’ll be good next year,’” Tatum said. “It’s like, I’ve been in the league [a long time], I’ve been fortunate to be on a lot of really good teams. And, you never want to take for granted the opportunity to be on the team that’s contending for a championship.”

Asked Jayson Tatum if it was ever tempting to wait until next season, knowing that he could shake off the rust behind closed doors rather than in public.

Thought his answer was super thoughtful:

"It was a range of emotions, of things I was dealing with and contemplating and… pic.twitter.com/UXbCRL9SIU

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) March 28, 2026

The Celtics, however you want to slice it, are championship contenders. They have the East’s second-best record at 49-24 (and the fourth-best overall record, trailing only the Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs). They have the league’s second-best offense and fourth-best defense. They’re the favorite to come out of the East despite the Pistons’ excellent regular season, and Tatum quickly recognized that reality.

This week alone, they’ve beaten a Thunder team that had won 15 of their last 16 games, and a Hawks team that had won 15 of their last 17.

Jayson Tatum could have watched that all pay out from the sidelines, or he could have chosen to be a part of it.

He, unsurprisingly, chose the ladder.

And he did so knowing that it might — at times — be ugly.

“It was a lot of people I talked to to make the decision, knowing that I wasn’t going to be perfect when I first came on the floor,” Tatum said. “But, showing my teammates that I was willing to fight through it, and give it my all, even though I wouldn’t be as in-rhythm or in-condition at first. I knew it was going to take some time, but I wanted to be out there with them. I was gonna do whatever it took.”

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic had 41 points and eight rebounds while also picking up his suspension-triggering 16th technical foul during the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ 116-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Austin Reaves scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter while the Lakers finally pulled away from the young Nets to secure their 11th victory in 12 games.

LeBron James added 14 points and eight assists for the Lakers in their return from a 5-1 road trip that has put them in third in the Western Conference standings.

Josh Minott had 18 points and six rebounds in Brooklyn’s 10th consecutive loss.

Nic Claxton and Ziaire Williams scored 16 points apiece while leading the Nets’ lively effort, but both starters were kept on the bench for the entire fourth quarter along with Noah Clowney.

The young Nets still hung with the road-weary Lakers until the final minutes, erasing an early double-digit deficit and leading in the fourth quarter of their 20th loss in 22 games overall.

Doncic hit five 3-pointers during his 15th 40-point game of the season, but the Slovenian superstar found trouble when he and Williams were whistled for double technical fouls in the third quarter.

Williams was celebrating an offensive foul called against Doncic by gleefully screaming in Doncic’s personal space.

When Doncic reached out to shove Williams’ arm, Williams responded with a backhand swipe across Doncic’s face.

Unless Doncic’s technical is rescinded, he will be suspended for a game.

He already had a technical rescinded last week after he was whistled for a verbal altercation with Orlando’s Goga Bitadze.

Bronny James played alongside his famous father for the second straight game, with LeBron getting the first father-son assist in NBA history on Bronny’s 3-pointer in the second quarter.

Bronny has been limited largely to mop-up action in his first two NBA seasons, but he has earned rotation minutes this week in the injury absence of Marcus Smart.

Bronny and Williams played together in high school at Sierra Canyon School in suburban Los Angeles.

The Dallas Mavericks picked up a rousing 100-93 win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Cooper Flagg and Marvin Bagley had monster games for the Mavericks, while Portland had one of the worst offensive games of a team in the last decade. Not overexaggerating!

This was a rock fight from the start, although Dallas did extend to a double-digit lead in the second quarter. Portland got things close in the third, and from there till the final buzzer both teams traded haymakers and mistakes. This was not a pretty game, but the Mavericks got it done.

Here are the stats to know.

26: Marvin Bagley points

Marvin Bagley had a season-high 26 points on a terrific 11-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three. It was a terrific game, not only his best as a Maverick, but one of the best this season and maybe his career.

What was really notable about Bagley’s performance is how fast he was. He made Portland center Donovan Clingan look like he was wearing cement shoes, routinely getting the ball up to the rim and jumping for a rebound before Clingan could even leave his feat. Bagley dominated Clingan to an almost alarming degree.

7-of-11: Cooper Flagg’s paint shooting

Portland prides itself on the defensive end, and lord knows they have to considering how much their offense stinks. Clingan is a good rim protector, and the Blazers deploy multiple length, physical wings to deter perimeter scorers. Oh and they still have Jrue Holiday, who is still a pest even at his current age.

So this is a team tailor built to stop someone like Flagg from exposing them in the paint. Yet Flagg did that routinely against Portland, shooting an efficient 7-of-11 in the paint. Flagg was able to get inside despite physical defense and did a good job finishing and making the right reads.

6-of-11: Mavericks shooting on corner 3s

Dallas’ offense might be rudderless most nights, but they do have a passion for attacking the paint without fear or hesitation. The Mavericks are a top-10 paint points team on the season, doing everything they can to compensate for their lousy three point shooting.

Against the Blazers tonight, Dallas got a ton of good corner threes, and knocked down six of them. The 11 attempts are the noteworthy part, and show how well the Mavericks were able to take the Blazers off the dribble and get into the paint. Those paint attacks opened up the corners and despite the Mavericks not having a great overall three point shooting night, they made the ones they absolutely needed.

There were two different motivations for the teams in this game, one in need of a win for playoff positioning and one … not wanting a win. But if you weren’t familiar with the two teams in this game, you might have guessed the Jazz were the ones looking for the win and the Nuggets were not interested in taking this game. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets defense was as bad as it gets. Nikola Jokic couldn’t have shown less interest in defending the rim and the Jazz took advantage all night long driving to the basket and scoring at will.

This is a truly atrocious defensive performance by Denver. They've given up a 128 drtg to Utah despite the Jazz shooting 7/27 from 3. Jazz are at 71% from 2, and have 23 assists–just on shots at the rim!

— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) March 28, 2026

That said, the Nuggets were able to gut this one out with Utah sitting a few players to end the game and having Bez Mbeng play the entire 4th quarter (he was a -16). With all that, Denver squeaked out a win 135-129.

If you’re a Nuggets fan, you can’t feel good about what you’re seeing. That defense is 1st round sweep bad. Maybe they turn it around in the playoffs, but that’s hard to do. If you’re a Jazz fan, you have to be really excited about what you’re seeing from the young core of players, especially from Cody Williams and Ace Bailey. Williams had arguably the best game of his career with 24 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals. He’s playing with so much more confidence than in the past and has become a real asset across multiple facets of his game. Utah has created a roster with two-way talent across the board, and Cody fits into that in a big way. Ace Bailey didn’t have a great night shooting the three, but he continues to show why he’s got such a bright future. His defense is as exciting as his offense and helps him make an impact when his scoring isn’t there. Bailey dealt with foul trouble tonight, which is why he only played 27 minutes. But these minutes he’s getting are invaluable for Bailey’s growth and will pay dividends in the future because he’s getting a taste of certain things sooner rather than later.

With this loss, Utah is now three games up on Dallas in the lottery standings and is in great position to keep their pick and it will be a very successful season if they do. If Utah jumps in the lottery, it’ll be a season for the ages.

Luka Doncic led the Los Angeles Lakers in the 116-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena on March 27.

Doncic had 41 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 39 minutes played for the Lakers.

The guard also received his 16th technical foul of the season, meaning he is likely to face a one-game suspension.

“I’m sure we will appeal it,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters after the game. “I didn’t see what happened.”

Doncic was seen pushing Nets forward Ziaire Williams, who then retaliated by swinging his arm back and hitting Doncic in the face.

“He was in my face three times,” Doncic told reporters after the game. “I just wanted to get out of there. They said I pushed (Williams).”

pic.twitter.com/EqF9UISJjc

— @MindOfBron (@FunKneeBone) March 28, 2026

Doncic was previously called for a technical foul during a game against the Orlando Magic on Saturday, March 21. It would have been his 16th technical foul, but the NBA decided to rescind it. The decision allowed Doncic to avoid a suspension and play in the game against the Detroit Pistons on Monday, March 23.

When do Lakers play next?

The Lakers will host the Washington Wizards on Monday, March 30 at 10 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers' Luka Doncic called for 16th technical foul in win vs. Nets

Miami Heat (39-35, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (16-58, 15th in the Eastern Conference)

Indianapolis; Sunday, 5 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Indiana hosts Miami looking to break its 11-game home losing streak.

The Pacers are 12-33 in Eastern Conference games. Indiana averages 13.8 turnovers per game and is 12-25 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents.

The Heat are 23-21 in conference play. Miami is third in the Eastern Conference with 18.0 fast break points per game led by Norman Powell averaging 3.4.

The Pacers' 13.1 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.7 fewer made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Heat allow. The Heat's 46.4% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.7 percentage points lower than the Pacers have given up to their opponents (49.1%).

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Pacers won the last meeting 123-99 on Jan. 11, with Andrew Nembhard scoring 29 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jarace Walker is scoring 11.5 points per game and averaging 5.1 rebounds for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith is averaging 16.6 points and 2.6 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. is averaging 14.9 points and 4.8 assists for the Heat. Bam Adebayo is averaging 25.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 1-9, averaging 115.1 points, 38.5 rebounds, 31.0 assists, 6.4 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.6 points per game.

Heat: 4-6, averaging 121.3 points, 43.0 rebounds, 28.6 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.6 points.

INJURIES: Pacers: Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Ivica Zubac: out for season (rib), Jarace Walker: day to day (concussion), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

Heat: None listed.

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

Utah Jazz (21-53, 14th in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (40-33, seventh in the Western Conference)

Phoenix; Saturday, 10 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Suns -16.5; over/under is 229.5

BOTTOM LINE: Utah looks to stop its four-game slide with a victory against Phoenix.

The Suns are 25-21 in Western Conference games. Phoenix scores 112.4 points while outscoring opponents by 1.2 points per game.

The Jazz are 11-34 against conference opponents. Utah is second in the NBA with 29.4 assists per game led by Isaiah Collier averaging 7.2.

The Suns' 14.9 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.5 fewer made shots on average than the 15.4 per game the Jazz give up. The Jazz average 12.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.7 more makes per game than the Suns allow.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Suns won the last meeting 118-96 on Nov. 1. Devin Booker scored 36 points to help lead the Suns to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Booker is averaging 25.5 points and 5.9 assists for the Suns. Jalen Green is averaging 23.1 points and four assists over the past 10 games.

Kyle Filipowski is averaging 10.7 points and seven rebounds for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 18.1 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 4-6, averaging 114.2 points, 39.7 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.1 points per game.

Jazz: 2-8, averaging 118.2 points, 41.8 rebounds, 29.1 assists, 10.1 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 127.0 points.

INJURIES: Suns: Dillon Brooks: out (hand), Mark Williams: out (foot), Haywood Highsmith: out (knee), Amir Coffey: out (ankle).

Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: out (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).

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

Chicago Bulls (29-44, 12th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (24-49, 12th in the Western Conference)

Memphis, Tennessee; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bulls -3.5; over/under is 245

BOTTOM LINE: Memphis plays Chicago looking to stop its three-game home slide.

The Grizzlies are 13-23 in home games. Memphis is seventh in the Western Conference with 11.4 offensive rebounds per game led by Zach Edey averaging 3.9.

The Bulls have gone 11-24 away from home. Chicago is third in the Eastern Conference scoring 52.1 points per game in the paint led by Tre Jones averaging 8.3.

The Grizzlies' 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.2 fewer made shots on average than the 14.0 per game the Bulls allow. The Bulls average 116.3 points per game, 2.8 fewer than the 119.1 the Grizzlies allow.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Bulls won 132-107 in the last meeting on March 17. Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 29 points, and Cedric Coward led the Grizzlies with 17 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Coward is averaging 13.3 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Olivier-Maxence Prosper is averaging 14.9 points over the last 10 games.

Buzelis is scoring 16.2 points per game and averaging 5.7 rebounds for the Bulls. Josh Giddey is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Grizzlies: 1-9, averaging 111.0 points, 37.5 rebounds, 24.2 assists, 9.3 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 126.4 points per game.

Bulls: 3-7, averaging 121.1 points, 47.2 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 6.8 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.4 points.

INJURIES: Grizzlies: Santi Aldama: out for season (knee), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: out for season (finger), Ja Morant: out for season (elbow), Scotty Pippen Jr.: out for season (toe), Zach Edey: out for season (ankle), Ty Jerome: out (ankle), Jaylen Wells: out (toe), Jahmai Mashack: out (ankle), Brandon Clarke: out for season (calf).

Bulls: Anfernee Simons: out (wrist), Jalen Smith: out for season (calf), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Jaden Ivey: out for season (knee), Nick Richards: out (elbow), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).

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

Sacramento Kings (19-55, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (41-33, sixth in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawks -14.5; over/under is 237.5

BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta will try to keep its 11-game home win streak alive when the Hawks face Sacramento.

The Hawks have gone 21-16 at home. Atlanta ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference with 32.5 defensive rebounds per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 8.8.

The Kings are 6-30 on the road. Sacramento is 3-4 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Hawks are shooting 47.3% from the field this season, 2.1 percentage points lower than the 49.4% the Kings allow to opponents. The Kings are shooting 46.6% from the field, 0.8% lower than the 47.4% the Hawks' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Hawks won 133-100 in the last meeting on Nov. 13. Johnson led the Hawks with 24 points, and Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 12 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is scoring 22.9 points per game with 10.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 23.5 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 53.5% over the past 10 games.

Precious Achiuwa is scoring 9.4 points per game and averaging 6.5 rebounds for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud is averaging 18.9 points and 8.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 8-2, averaging 121.2 points, 44.6 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 9.4 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points per game.

Kings: 5-5, averaging 113.8 points, 44.3 rebounds, 28.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.4 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Jock Landale: out (shoulder).

Kings: Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Russell Westbrook: out (foot), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Nique Clifford: day to day (foot), Killian Hayes: day to day (finger), Drew Eubanks: out for season (thumb), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).

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

Golden State Warriors (36-38, 10th in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (47-28, fourth in the Western Conference)

Denver; Sunday, 10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Golden State will attempt to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Warriors take on Denver.

The Nuggets are 29-16 against Western Conference opponents. Denver is 21-20 against opponents with a winning record.

The Warriors are 23-22 against Western Conference opponents. Golden State ranks fourth in the league with 29.0 assists per game led by Draymond Green averaging 5.4.

The 121.3 points per game the Nuggets score are 6.4 more points than the Warriors give up (114.9). The Warriors average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.6 more made shots on average than the 13.4 per game the Nuggets allow.

The teams meet for the fourth time this season. In the last meeting on Feb. 22 the Warriors won 128-117 led by 23 points from Moses Moody, while Nikola Jokic scored 35 points for the Nuggets.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jokic is averaging 27.9 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray is averaging 26.3 points and seven assists over the past 10 games.

Brandin Podziemski is averaging 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Warriors. Gui Santos is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 128.3 points, 45.4 rebounds, 33.3 assists, 6.3 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.6 points per game.

Warriors: 4-6, averaging 116.0 points, 40.4 rebounds, 27.6 assists, 9.8 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.8 points.

INJURIES: Nuggets: None listed.

Warriors: Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Seth Curry: out (adductor), Al Horford: out (calf), Quinten Post: out (foot), Moses Moody: out for season (knee), Stephen Curry: out (knee), De'Anthony Melton: out (knee).

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

Houston Rockets (44-29, sixth in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (25-50, 11th in the Western Conference)

New Orleans; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans enters the matchup against Houston after losing four straight games.

The Pelicans are 7-8 against the rest of their division. New Orleans has a 14-22 record in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Rockets are 8-6 against the rest of their division. Houston has a 21-11 record in games decided by at least 10 points.

The 115.3 points per game the Pelicans average are 5.1 more points than the Rockets give up (110.2). The Rockets average 11.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.9 fewer made shots on average than the 14.1 per game the Pelicans give up.

The teams play for the fourth time this season. In the last matchup on March 14 the Rockets won 107-105 led by 32 points from Kevin Durant, while Dejounte Murray scored 35 points for the Pelicans.

TOP PERFORMERS: Zion Williamson is averaging 21.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Pelicans. Saddiq Bey is averaging 17.8 points over the last 10 games.

Alperen Sengun is averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists for the Rockets. Durant is averaging 25.5 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 5-5, averaging 115.9 points, 43.7 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 9.2 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.5 points per game.

Rockets: 5-5, averaging 111.2 points, 47.7 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.5 points.

INJURIES: Pelicans: Trey Murphy III: day to day (ankle), Bryce McGowens: day to day (toe), Dejounte Murray: out (achilles).

Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

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