No. 25 Indiana clamps down on Kansas State 86-69

Reed Bailey scored 21 points and No. Indiana limited the nation's leading scorer, P.J. Haggerty, to 12 below his average in an 86-69 home win over Kansas State on Tuesday night. The senior Bailey did most of his work at the line, where he hit 13 of 15 free throws.

Orlando's Jalen Suggs ejected in first half after heated altercation with Andre Drummond, 76ers

PHILADELPHIA — The Orlando Magic’s Jalen Suggs was ejected with 27 seconds left in the first half of Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers after receiving two technicals during a heated altercation between the teams.

Philadelphia’s Andre Drummond squared off with Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. near the Magic’s free-throw line, though no punches were thrown.

Suggs came in and shoved Drummond. Philadelphia’s Jabari Walker got in between the players, and Suggs then took issue with Walker and there was more pushing and shoving.

Drummond, Carter, Parker, and Orlando’s Desmond Bane received technical fouls while Suggs received two.

The Magic dominated the second quarter, outscoring Philadelphia by 26 points in the period to take an 86-60 lead at the break.

No. 14 St. John’s hands Baylor its 1st loss, cruising to 96-81 win at Players Era Championship

Bryce Hopkins scored 26 points, Oziyah Sellers added 22 and No. 14 St. John’s beat Baylor 96-81 on Tuesday in the second round of the Players Era Championship. Using a dominant second half to open a 23-point lead, the Red Storm (4-2) bounced back from an 83-82 loss to No. 15 Iowa State in the opening round Monday. Sellers went 5 for 7 from beyond the arc, and Hopkins was 9 of 12 from the floor while adding five rebounds and five assists.

Dereck Lively out at least 3 games with right foot 'swelling and discomfort,' Dallas fears it could be longer

Mavericks' center Dereck Lively II will miss at least the next three games due to "swelling and discomfort" in his right foot, the team announced on Tuesday.

The Mavericks fear it could be much more than three games, with Mark Stein reporting it could be an "extended absence."

Lively had surgery on this same foot in the offseason and has already missed a dozen games this season, although nine of those were due to knee pain. Even when he has played, Lively has been limited to 16 minutes a night and is averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

The good news for Dallas is that Anthony Davis appears to be nearing a return to the court from the calf strain that has limited him. Still, the Mavericks are 5-14 on the season and have the worst offense in the league.

Double-doubles by Tre White and Flory Bidunga help Kansas beat Syracuse 71-60 at Players Era tourney

Tre White had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Flory Bidunga added 13 points and 14 boards, and Kansas beat Syracuse 71-60 on Tuesday at the Players Era tournament. Syracuse was within 52-50 before Kansas scored 11 straight on layups and free throws to pull away. White completed a three-point play with 4:49 remaining in the second half and he added three free throws on Kansas' next possession for a 60-50 lead.

Observations after Sixers get crushed by 41 points and injury list grows

Observations after Sixers get crushed by 41 points and injury list grows  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

By an enormous margin, the shorthanded Sixers fell to their worst loss so far this season on Tuesday night.

Going into their meeting with the Magic, the Sixers’ largest margin of defeat was 11 points. They trailed by as many as 46 against Orlando and lost by a 144-103 score. 

The 9-8 Sixers’ top scorer was Tyrese Maxey with 20 points. Anthony Black scored a career-high 31 for the 11-8 Magic. 

The Sixers were missing the following players: 

  • Joel Embiid (right knee injury management)
  • Paul George (right ankle sprain)
  • VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) 
  • Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain)
  • Adem. Bona (right ankle sprain)

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that Embiid had been “trending toward playing” Tuesday and participated in some of the team’s morning shootaround, but he’s “not quite there yet.”

Nurse said Edgecombe’s calf is “improving” and that George reported ankle soreness after the Sixers’ loss Sunday to the Heat. He was unsure whether the 35-year-old forward would need to be sidelined for multiple games. 

Tuesday’s game was an NBA Cup contest. The Sixers are now 0-3 in East Group B and Orlando is 3-0.

The Sixers’ final Cup game will be Friday night in Brooklyn against the Nets. Here are observations on their blowout loss to the Magic:

Sixers’ injury list grows

The Sixers went to their bench early, bringing in Jared McCain and Trendon Watford to replace Justin Edwards and Dominick Barlow.

Both Watford and McCain were strong in their first stint. McCain nailed a catch-and-shoot three-pointer on his first shot. Watford had a couple of driving baskets around the midpoint of the first quarter. He also drew and made four free throws later in the period. 

McCain celebrated with Maxey and Watford after drilling another long-range jumper in transition, giving the Sixers a 21-17 edge and prompting an Orlando timeout.  As a duo, McCain and Watford posted 15 points in the first quarter on 4-for-4 shooting.

Unfortunately for Watford, his night ended abruptly in the second quarter.

While he was handling the ball on a fast break, Watford fell awkwardly to the floor. He was helped back to the locker room with 4:07 left in the second and ruled out at halftime with a left adductor strain. 

Justin Edwards also went to the locker room at the 10:24 mark of the third quarter. Whatever Edwards’ issue, he got the green light to return to the game late in the third.

Woeful defensive night 

The Sixers turned to a zone defense early in the first quarter. Orlando was unable to knock down jumpers in the opening minutes, starting 0 for 8 from three-point range, which allowed the Sixers to sit in the zone for an extended stretch. 

Finally, the Magic saw a few deep shots drop late in the first quarter. A Tyus Jones three with 2.5 seconds left in the first tied the game up at 35 apiece. 

Defensive rebounding was a predictable, major challenge for the Sixers in their zone. The Magic scored 15 second-chance points in the first half to the Sixers’ zero.

Orlando’s offense stayed hot to begin the second quarter and the Sixers’ relative lack of size became a more glaring problem. Multiple Sixers also had very porous moments individually, allowing just about everyone on the Magic to coast to the rim.

Black was a giant standout off of Orlando’s bench. His second straight corner three extended the Magic’s lead to 57-43. In animated fashion, Maxey appeared to ask Andre Drummond why he hadn’t closed out on the player torching the Sixers. Fair question. 

The Sixers’ deficit ballooned to 80-54 on a Wendell Carter Jr. alley-oop slam late in the second quarter and they heard boos from the home crowd.

Black scored 27 points in the first half. Before Tuesday, his career high for a game was 23. 

Dust-up adds a bit of drama

Drummond was at the center of a dust-up in the final minute of the first half. 

He fouled Carter on the perimeter and then squared up to the Magic big man with a boxing-style stance. Drummond didn’t throw any punches, but the situation escalated when Jalen Suggs shoved him. Jabari Walker joined the fray, too.

After the dust settled, officials assessed technical fouls to Drummond, Carter, Desmond Bane and Walker. Suggs received two technicals, which resulted in his ejection. 

Nothing about the second half was nearly as interesting. Johni Broome checked in with 5:09 to go in the third quarter and finished with four points on 2-for-9 shooting and six rebounds. Fellow rookie Hunter Sallis played most of the fourth quarter.

Kyle Lowry was the one active Sixer who didn’t see any action, although “We want Kyle” chants popped up. Maxey logged a season-low 32 minutes and watched the whole fourth.

Killyan Toure scores 20 points to lead No. 15 Iowa State past Creighton, 78-60

Freshman Killyan Toure scored a career-high 20 points and No. 15 Iowa State beat Creighton 78-60 on Tuesday in the second round of the Players Era Championship. Despite missing co-leading scorer Tamin Lipsey, who injured his groin in Monday’s 83-82 win over St. John’s, the Cyclones kept Creighton at arm’s length for most of the game. Joshua Jefferson had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Nick Young sticks up for Warriors' Draymond Green, epically trolls Kenyon Martin

Nick Young sticks up for Warriors' Draymond Green, epically trolls Kenyon Martin originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The ongoing beef between Warriors star Draymond Green and former NBA star Kenyon Martin took another odd turn on Tuesday.

Before the latest episode of Gilbert Arenas’ “Gil’s Arena” show, former Warriors guard Nick Young wore a No. 23 Golden State jersey into the studio in an attempt to rile up Martin.

While it’s possible Young is wearing Green’s jersey, the official “Gil’s Arena” social media accounts allude to the 2018 NBA champion donning the wrong jersey.

Whether it actually is a Green jersey or possibly a Jason Richardson No. 23 jersey, Young’s intention was clear: Get under Martin’s skin and stir the pot.

It worked.

The beef between Green and Martin came up again during Tuesday’s episode of “Gil’s Arena,” and 2000 No. 1 overall draft pick again took shots at the four-time NBA champion.

Martin rekindled the feud when he addressed Green’s on-court antics.

Green used last week’s “The Draymond Green Show” podcast to respond to Martin’s slight.

“The constant shots have been a little confusing to me because I don’t quite know where they came from,” Green said. “And you think someone who was the No. 1 pick that didn’t quite have the career that I’ve had, but playing similar roles in a sense, would appreciate it, would show more love — especially when you go back to a kid born and raised in Saginaw, you think it’ll be a little more love. So it’s a little disappointing to see the constant shots. I just always thought it would be a little more love than that.

“But when you were the No. 1 pick and effectively underachieved, I guess that would be the reason why. To be the No. 1 pick and make the All-Star Game one time, most would say it’s probably an underachievement. Being that I was the 35th pick and made the All-Star Game four times. Defensive Player of the Year. Kenyon Martin was a defender. I think he would consider himself a good defender, [but] never quite reached the pinnacle of that when you talk Defensive Player of the Years, or the nine All-Defensive Teams that I have, and he has zero.

“It’s tough to sit in a space of like continuing to speak on my name and call my name out as if I underachieved or am underachieving. When I was just simply the 35th pick in the NBA draft, and somebody took a swing on me the second round and it just happened to work out to become one of the greatest players in franchise history.”

Green and Martin, both born in Saginaw, Mich., clearly don’t like each other, and time will tell how long they plan to keep taking shots at each other.

But while Young regularly appears on “Gil’s Arena” with Martin, it’s evident he has taken Green’s side in this argument.

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