Nets coach Jordi Fernández reacts during a timeout in Tuesday's drubbing against the Heat in Miami.
A ninth straight loss would warrant any coach having a strong word with his or her team.
Yet, after what was an abysmal Nets performance that made for their longest losing streak this season, as well as the worst skid in the NBA, Jordi Fernández had more than a warning for his team.
He issued a challenge.
After watching his best player in Michael Porter Jr. score just nine points, Fernández yanked him off the court with 9:33 remaining in the third.
Nets coach Jordi Fernández reacts during a timeout in Tuesday’s drubbing against the Heat in Miami. Imagn Images
“I want Mike and the first group to play as hard as they can,” Fernández said. “I want to challenge them to do it, because I’ve seen them doing it, especially on the defensive end. If that happens, I can live with whatever happens. If that is there, then you’re being selfless, you’re playing for the team, and just good things happen. I’m trying to just challenge every guy in different ways.”
The Nets have their first chance to answer the call against the Heat again Thursday night.
For Fernández, it hopefully cannot be that much worse of a performance — one that Nic Claxton called “an all-around stinker.”
Miami’s physicality on defense held the Nets to only 38.4 percent shooting from the field (33-for-86) and a brutal 18.8 percent (6-for-32) from deep, which is their third-worst mark from beyond the arc in a single game this season. They also committed 18 costly turnovers.
Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. gets his weak offering swatted away by Kel’el Ware (left) and Andrew Wiggins on Tuesday. AP
It was easily Porter’s worst game of the season, shooting 3-for-17 and 0-for-9 from beyond the arc.
It was once thought that his first-half tear would have earned the 27-year-old his first All-Star nod as he averaged 25.6 points per game in the first 38 games of the season.
Yet, his production has fallen off since the break, averaging just 19.8 points per game.
However, the stat sheet and Fernández’s challenge don’t just come down to the starters and veteran players.
Twelve of those turnovers came from two rookies alone.
Nolan Traore, who started the game, scored 14 points and logged six turnovers without a single assist.
Ben Saraf, who stood in for Egor Dëmin as the backup point guard, also committed six turnovers against four assists.
It was the most either of them has committed in Brooklyn.
“[Traore and Saraf] need to grow. They need to grow and watch it and learn from it,” Fernández said. “And I know they’re better. It’s not an excuse if they’re young. I’ve watched them play and they’re way better than 12 turnovers. How they organize the team, how vocal they are, all that, it’s important.”
Nets guard Nolan Traore turned the ball over six times against the Heat on Tuesday. Imagn Images
“Regardless how they happened, you can’t have that many [turnovers] for that many points,” forward Noah Clowney added. “I don’t know how many they scored off of [them], but even [if] we missed layups or they blocked shots, they were running the other way and scoring in transition because we don’t get back.”
The Nets (15-46), who sit second in the draft lottery race and 1 ¹/₂ games behind the Kings, are in the middle of a tanking season and trying to find some victories outside of the wins column.
However, it can weigh heavily on players as it has been made clear by the front office what the season mission is.
Still, the Nets will be challenged to reset Thursday and put up a fight in South Beach.
“I don’t know how to answer that. I take s–t day by day,” Clowney said when asked about the locker room environment during the losing streak. “I couldn’t tell you who we played last game. I try to forget about everything. Play, live in the moment. As far as the locker room, we’ll figure it out. We got to.”
Darius Acuff Jr. had 28 points and 13 assists, Trevon Brazile scored a career-high 28 and No. 20 Arkansas beat Texas 105-85 on Wednesday night to clinch a double bye into the quartefinals of the SEC Tournament.
After securing a top-four finish in the Southeastern Conference standings, the Razorbacks (22-8, 12-5) will bypass the first two rounds next week in Nashville, Tennessee.
Acuff became the first player in Arkansas history with at least 25 points and 10 assists in a game. He had 19 points and eight assists by halftime as the Razorbacks took a 22-point lead into the break.
Brazile, a senior playing his final home game, shot 9 of 11 from the field and added seven rebounds.
Matas Vokietaitis led Texas (18-12, 9-8) with 21 points. He was one of four Longhorns players in double figures.
NO. 7 HOUSTON 77, BAYLOR 64
HOUSTON (AP) — Kingston Flemings had 21 points and seven assists, Emanuel Sharp added 19 points and Houston rallied for a win over Baylor.
Flemings and Sharp combined to shoot 13 of 26 from the field, and Sharp was 5 of 10 on 3-pointers.
Joseph Tugler finished with 14 points and six rebounds and Milos Uzan had 12 points for Houston (25-5, 13-4 Big 12), which used a big second-half run to overcome Baylor (15-15, 5-12).
The Cougars forced 18 turnovers and converted them into 28 points. They shot 46% and were 9 of 25 on 3-pointers.
Tounde Yessoufou had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Caden Powell added 12 points and Cameron Carr and Obi Agbim each had 11 for the Bears. Baylor shot 42% from the field and 8 of 25 from behind the arc, but made just two of their final 16 from long range.
NO. 15 PURDUE 70, NORTHWESTERN 66
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — C.J. Cox scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 48 seconds left that helped Purdue edge Nick Martinelli and Northwestern.
Cox outlasted Martinelli in a memorable duel in the final minutes, sending Purdue to a sorely needed victory. The Boilermakers (23-7, 13-6 Big Ten) had lost two in a row and three of four overall.
Trey Kaufman-Renn added 11 points and 10 rebounds, shaking off a shoulder injury in the second half. Fletcher Loyer finished with 10 points.
Martinelli, a senior playing his final home game, scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half. The Big Ten’s leading scorer moved into seventh on the school’s career list with 1,687 points, passing Northwestern assistant coach Bryant McIntosh.
Jayden Reid scored 16 points for the Wildcats (13-17, 5-14), who had won three in a row.
NO. 22 MIAMI 77, SMU 69
DALLAS (AP) — Tre Donaldson scored 17 points, Malik Reneau had a double-double and Miami beat SMU, ensuring the Hurricanes a double bye in next week’s ACC Tournament.
Reneau had 12 points and 11 rebounds while Tru Washington scored 15 for Miami (24-6, 13-4), which got its seventh win in eight games since the start of February. Freshman guard Noam Dovrat had 12 points on four 3-pointers for the second game in a row.
The Hurricanes played their first game as an AP Top 25 team since December 2023 after getting ranked on Monday. They matched their school record for regular-season wins and increased Division I’s best turnaround to 17 victories more than last season with first-year coach Jai Lucas.
Jaron Pierre Jr. had 27 points with six 3s and Boopie Miller scored 21 for the Mustangs (19-11, 8-9), who have lost three in a row after earlier this season getting double-digit wins at home over Top 25 teams North Carolina and Louisville. They haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2017.
NO. 25 SAINT LOUIS 79, LOYOLA CHICAGO 65
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Amari McCottry scored 18 points, Dion Brown added 15 and Saint Louis clinched the top seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament by beating Loyola Chicago.
The Billikens (27-3, 15-2) finished unbeaten at Chaifetz Arena for the first time in the building’s 18-year history and tied the school record with their 22nd consecutive home win, 19 coming this season.
Xavier Amos led the Ramblers (7-23, 3-14) with a season-high 25 points and Kayde Dotson scored 19. Amos made all seven of his shots in an 18-point first half, including four 3-pointers in a three-minute stretch to close an early 12-point deficit.
HOUSTON (AP) — Kingston Flemings had 21 points and seven assists, Emanuel Sharp added 19 points and No. 7 Houston rallied for a 77-64 win over Baylor on Wednesday night.
Flemings and Sharp combined to shoot 13 of 26 from the field, and Sharp was 5 of 10 on 3-pointers.
Joseph Tugler finished with 14 points and six rebounds and Milos Uzan had 12 points for Houston (25-5, 13-4 Big 12), which used a big second-half run to overcome Baylor (15-15, 5-12).
The Cougars forced 18 turnovers and converted them into 28 points. They shot 46% and were 9 of 25 on 3-pointers.
Tounde Yessoufou had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Caden Powell added 12 points and Cameron Carr and Obi Agbim each had 11 for the Bears. Baylor shot 42% from the field and 8 of 25 from behind the arc, but made just two of their final 16 from long range.
Trailing 58-54 with about eight minutes remaining, the Cougars went on a 23-4 run to grab a 77-62 lead on two free throws by Tugler with 1:21 left. Houston, which never led for the first 32 minutes, took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Sharp with 7:16 remaining. The Bears were 2-of-9 shooting in the final eight minutes.
The Bears led 29-19 after a layup by Yessoufou with 5:47 remaining, but the Cougars closed the half on a 16-6 spurt and tied it at 35 going into halftime on two free throws by Flemings with 5 seconds left. Flemings scored eight points in the half-ending run.
Up next
Baylor: Hosts Utah on Saturday in its regular-season finale.
Houston: Travels to Oklahoma State on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Fanuza Kadirova scored two goals, including the power-play winner with 1:46 remaining, and the Ottawa Charge beat the Seattle Torrent 4-3 on Wednesday night.
Alexa Vasko and Emily Clark also scored for Ottawa, while Katerina Mrazova and Kathryn Reilly provided two assists each. Gwyneth Philips made 33 saves.
Jessie Eldridge had two goals for Seattle and Alex Carpenter scored the first penalty shot goal in Professional Women’s Hockey League history. Julia Gosling ad two assists and Hannah Murphy stopped 23 shots.
Carpenter tied the game at 3-3 midway through the third, beating Philips glove side after being pulled down by Reilly on a break.
The game was delayed an hour due to ice issues following a lengthy pregame ceremony that included carpet and chairs near the visitor’s net. Players stood for nearly 30 minutes during repairs before returning to their locker rooms.
The Charge took a 2-0 lead with 57.3 seconds remaining in the first period when Mrazova made a great cross-ice pass to Kadirova, who tipped the puck short-side past Murphy.
The Torrent cut into the lead with a power-play goal midway through the second period when Eldridge was left alone at the side of the net.
Ottawa regained its two-goal lead 42 seconds later. Reilly won a foot race to create a two-on-one with Clark, who beat Murphy in close.
But Eldridge and the Torrent power play struck again with five minutes remaining in the second to make it 3-2.
Clark hit the 40-point mark (16 goals, 24 assists) in her PWHL career with her second-period goal.
The MSG crowd saw more than just a heavyweight fight on Wednesday night.
As the Knicks and the defending champion Thunder duked it out on the court, Mike Brown did something he hasn't done as the head coach of the Knicks. He picked up a technical foul.
Now, Brown has a public persona of being calm, especially during games -- he's no Tom Thibodeau -- but the frustrations with the officiating boiled over for the first-year Knicks coach. And in the first quarter, Brown erupted.
With the Thunder up, 20-18, with two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shed his defender and drove to the basket, where Jalen Brunson met him. The Knicks captain stood his ground to take a charge, the defending MVP ran through Brunson and finished the play with a bank shot. No foul was called on the play. What made the no-call more significant was that SGA had already committed two personal fouls. A third foul would have put OKC's best player on the bench for a good portion of the first half, and perhaps the result of the game would have been different.
After the game, Brown pointed to the free-throw difference as a major factor in the loss while complimenting SGA's play.
"SGA, he’s a tough cover. He does a great job of convincing the referees -- better than anybody in the league -- that he’s getting hit," Brown said. "Them shooting 84 percent from the free-throw line compared to our 73 percent was a factor throughout the course of the game."
Brown was asked about picking up his first technical foul of the season and why Wednesday night was different for him when it came to the officiating.
"One of the things I wanted to get across to the guys is that we're good enough to win despite whatever the officials are calling out on the floor," Brown explained. "We need to have that mentality.
"Trying to leave the officials alone is something I pointedly tried to do. Tonight, SGA had two fouls and Jalen was there, and he ran him over. Just like the call they made on OG [Anunoby]. I don’t understand why that was a no-call. That should have been his third, the bucket shouldn’t have counted and we should have gone the other way with the basketball. To see that, knowing that Jalen is standing there and he’s putting his body on the line and our guys are fighting their asses off to try to win a ball game, it didn’t sit well with me."
"I’m going to have his back every single night. He has ours," Brunson said of Brown. "Regardless of what he does or the tech he gets, or whatever. I’m going to have his back."
Although both teams shot a similar number of free throws -- OKC had 25 attempts to New York's 22 -- it was the timing and magnitude of the calls that seemed to tip the game in the Thunder's favor.
Another example came in the fourth quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns was having an impressive game, dominating the boards and giving the Knicks offense a lift in spurts. However, he picked up a fifth foul late in the final frame after a Thunder review overturned an out-of-bounds call. Towns then picked up his sixth foul shortly after, trying to guard SGA.
"It’s obviously frustrating. You want to win the game and this one’s tight. You want to win the game and be out there with your teammates," Towns said of his late foul calls. "It’s unfortunate that it was called. After the review, it was called. At the moment, I’m not even thinking of the foul, I’m just thinking about staying locked in at the goal at hand…just go out there, play solid basketball and give us the best chance to win."
Despite Towns being out of the game for the final possessions, the Knicks had a chance to send it into overtime. However, Brunson missed a three and Anunoby missed a wide-open three-pointer of his own after the offensive rebound as time expired.
Brunson said after the game he wished he had his shot back, but when asked about the noticeable mark under his right eye, the Knicks captain said it was a little black eye before ending his availability with a quip.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jaliya Davis recorded a double-double and No. 11-seed Kansas beat 14th-seeded UCF 56-35 in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday night.
Davis scored 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting and collected 11 rebounds — her third career double-double for the Jayhawks (19-12). They will go on to play sixth-seed Colorado on Thursday.
The Jayhawks broke the game open with a 15-0 run spanning the first and second quarters to jump ahead 24-10, which featured two layups from Davis and back-to-back 3-pointers from Brittany Harshaw and Sania Copeland.
The Knights (11-19) were led in scoring by Jacorriah Bracey, with 10. UCF didn't scored in the final 5:50, and shot 25% (14 of 57) including 11% (2 of 19) from 3-point range.
Up next
UCF: Season over.
Kansas: will play No. 6 seed Colorado on Thursday.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 4: Jabari Walker #33 and Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on during the game against the Utah Jazz on March 4, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 David DowNBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey – 22 Joel Embiid – 9 VJ Edgecombe – 9 Paul George – 6 Jared McCain :’( – 3 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 3 Dominick Barlow – 2 Andre Drummond – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 1 Adem Bona – 1 Justin Edwards – 1 Quentin Grimes – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
This will technically count as an NBA game in which the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Utah Jazz 106-102.
The Sixers were very shorthanded. VJ Edgecombe was ruled out for a back contusion after exiting last night’s game just before halftime after falling hard. In addition to the rookie, Joel Embiid (oblique), Paul George (suspension) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) were all also unavailable.
So, Tyrese Maxey and the hospital Sixers against a tanking Jazz squad… unstoppable force versus immovable object? Complete lack of force versus very movable object?
The Sixers led by five at halftime led by a burst of scoring by Jabari Walker with 15 points on perfect 5-for-5 field goal and 4-for-4 long range shooting. Maxey was the other main contributor with 14 points at the break on slightly less efficient shooting. And then, as it always does, the third frame came along. The Sixers let the Jazz — who are basically actively trying to lose basketball games — go on a 10-0 run to start the second half, taking their first lead of the game.
It wasn’t a pretty fourth quarter for either team as the Sixers had to claw their way back from down six late. A win is a win, I suppose.
This game was the second leg of a back-to-back for the Sixers. Now, thankfully, they’ll get a couple of days to rest before their next contest visiting the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.
Mar 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker (33) shoots the ball against the Utah Jazz in the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The San Antonio Spurs’ demolition of the Sixers on Tuesday night wasn’t good for much, but it might have helped Jabari Walker get into a groove. After putting up 20 points (yes, mostly in garbage time, but still) last night, Walker came into Wednesday’s game red hot — I’m talking perfect shooting through halftime level hot.
Walker came into the game off the bench in the second half of the first frame and immediately got to work, sinking back-to-back triples within a few minutes of taking the floor. He then settled right back into the corner of the arc, pump-faked his way into a drive to the basket and drew a trip to the line. He scored seven points in his first four minutes on the floor to close the first frame. But he wasn’t done — he contributed the Sixers’ first eight points in the second period on two triples and a layup. Fifteen straight Sixers’ points across the end of the first into the beginning of the second came from Walker. At halftime, he had 15 points on perfect 5-for-5 field goal and 4-for-4 three-point shooting.
Not only was Walker racking up some points, but he also was incredibly aggressive on the offensive boards (which led to a few of his points, actually) and played some physical, effective defensive as well.
Walker finished Wednesday with 22 points, 10 rebounds (three offensive), two assists and a block in 28 minutes off the bench.
Sure, it’s just garbage time versus the Spurs and a good performance against a tanking Jazz team, but it’s never a bad thing to get a player moving in a more productive direction… especially for a team that desperately needs more help from its bench like the Sixers do.
Tonight's video goes to Jabari Walker, who put up a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double off the bench for the Sixers. It was his second +20-point performance in just over 24 hours.
<p>(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
There is a lot of discussion, mainly on social media, judging Tyrese Maxey on his ability to completely carry the Sixers team on his back.
I’m not sure what else he could have done in this one (other than just shoot with more efficiency, but more on that in a second). From the jump, the Jazz went with the defensive strategy of just sticking a double or even triple team on Maxey at all times. Not a bad idea, considering he was really the only shooting threat on paper from the Sixers’ lineup tonight. Even with all of that attention, though, Maxey managed to make it work. He started using his speed and footwork to maneuver through the defense before they could trap him, getting into the paint to find opportunities there and sometimes earning a trip to the line in the process.
His shooting… could have been better. He finished the night just 8-for-22 from the floor and 2-for-10 from long range. That being said, it’s sometimes harder to criticize Maxey when you know in part that the shot selection is him desperately trying to make something happen for the Sixers. You obviously want him to shoot better than 36.4%, but this felt like one of those nights you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt.
All that being said, Maxey finished the night with a team-leading 25 points with two rebounds, six assists, one steal and three blocks.
Tyrese Maxey doing all he can — the three-point play to tie the game, then the defense and assist to retake the lead for Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/JorrBGVHtM
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 4: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz in the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Jazz 106-102. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I won’t lie, this was far from the perfect game from Quentin Grimes. He had a few head-scratching-level questionable passes and couldn’t hit at all from long range. He had three turnovers. But, Grimes also stayed aggressive the entire game, and started driving hard into the paint to down under the rim where he was able to achieve a lot more success. Don’t believe me? Take a look at Grimes’ shot chart for this game.
In a game like this… whatever works, I guess!
Grimes had a number of really important points as well, such as four in the last 47 seconds of the game — a lay-up to tie the game at 102 apiece, and then two free throws on the following possession to take a two-point lead for Philadelphia. He finished the game with 16 points (on 7-for-12 field goal shooting), five rebounds (three offensive), two assists and one steal.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 4: Adem Bona #30 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on March 4, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It wasn’t a perfect game from Adem Bona, either. To be frank, sometimes it just seems like he cannot grab on to the basketball without it bouncing off of his hands for the life of him. That being said, there aren’t many players that bring the amount of energy to the Sixers that Bona does. Whether it’s getting up for a big block, battling for every board or dunking the ball with all his might, Bona brings an undeniable boost to this Sixers lineup at times.
It was simply a solid night from the backup five (who actually started tonight instead of Andre Drummond in Joel Embiid’s absence). Bona finished the game with 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor with five rebounds (three offensive), an assist, a steal and a block.
If nothing else, at least enjoy watching this excellent put-back Bona slammed home on a missed Maxey three-point attempt.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Ace Austin scored all of her 14 points in the fourth quarter Wednesday night and Alabama beat Missouri 65-48 in the first round of the SEC Tournament and extend the Tigers' skid.
Alabama (22-9), which had lost back-to-back games and five of six, won its first conference tournament game since 2022. The Crimson Tide plays No. 6 seed Tennessee on Thursday.
Austin hit four 3s in a 12-2 run to open fourth that made it 14-point game with 6:39 remaining and the Tigers got no closer.
Diana Collins scored 13, Ta’Mia Scott finished with 12 points and three blocks, and Essence Cody added 10 points for Alabama. Karly Weathers scored just four points on 1-of-9 shooting, 1 of 8 from 3-point range, but finished with a career-high 16 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block.
Missouri (16-16) has lost six games in a row. Jordana Reisma led the Tigers with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting while Grace Slaughter had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Tigers hit just 25% and had more turnovers (eight) than made field goals (seven) before the intermission in their lowest-scoring half this season. Alabama made 11 of 34 (32%) from the field and had 10 assists before the break and took a 31-20 lead into halftime.
Then-No. 21 Crimson Tide won 74-63 at Missouri on Jan. 12 and Alabama leads the series 12-9, 2-1 at neutral sites.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jrue Holiday had 35 points and 11 assists, and Jerami Grant added 30 points as the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a two-game skid with a 122-114 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
Portland (30-33), making a push to qualify for the postseason, used a 24-19 scoring edge over the final nine minutes to seal the win. The Trail Blazers had lost three of their last four and four of their last six games entering Wednesday.
Robert Williams III had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Portland. Matisse Thybulle contributed three rebounds, an assist and a steal on his 29th birthday.
The Grizzlies got double-figure scoring from seven players, but it wasn't enough against Portland as they lost their second straight and for the ninth time in 12 games. Memphis was playing the second game of a back to back after falling to Minnesota 117-110 on Tuesday.
Jaylen Wells led the way with 24 points, and GG Jackson added 20 for Memphis. Forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who earlier in the day signed a multi-year contract, had 17 points and nine rebounds in his eighth start for the Grizzlies. Jahmai Mashack came off the bench to score 13 points, Cam Spencer scored all 12 of his points in the first half and added seven rebounds and seven assists, while Walter Clayton Jr. added 12 points and Javon Small 11.
Ja Morant missed his 18th straight game for Memphis due to a left elbow injury, and Zach Edey is out for the rest of the year after having surgery on his left ankle earlier in the week.
Up next
Trail Blazers: At the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Grizzlies: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Katie Fiso scored 20 points, Ehis Etute had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Oregon defeated Purdue 82-64 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday night.
Mia Jacobs had 14 points and nine rebounds for 11th-seeded Oregon (21-11).
Lana McCarthy had 14 points and nine rebounds before fouling out, and Hila Karsh and Tara Daye each scored 11 points for Purdue (13-17), the 14th seed.
Etute scored eight points in the first quarter and the Ducks led 21-12 after one.
In the second, the Boilermakers had a seven-minute stretch in which they missed all 10 of their shots. Oregon’s lead ballooned to 47-24 at halftime.
After shooting 24% and scoring only 24 points in the first half, Purdue shot 73% in the third quarter and scored 25 points. The Ducks shot only 25% in the third quarter but still led 64-49 heading to the fourth.
Oregon shot 47% in the first half and held on despite shooting only 33% after halftime.
The Ducks and Boilermakers met barely a week ago, on Feb. 25, with Oregon winning 71-65 at Purdue.
Up next
Oregon plays No. 6-seed Maryland on Thursday with the winner moving on to play third-seeded Michigan in the quarterfinals.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Reserve Braeden Carrington scored 18 points, John Blackwell scored 14 points and Wisconsin poured it on in the second half to dismantle Maryland 78-45 on Wednesday night.
Nick Boyd scored 13 points and reserve Austin Rapp scored 11 points for Wisconsin (21-9, 13-6 Big Ten), which had 11 players enter the scoring column.
The Badgers' Andrew Rohde passed out six of Wisconsin's 15 assists and didn't commit a turnover. Wisconsin turned it over only three times.
Andre Mills scored 14 points and Elijah Saunders scored 11 points for Maryland.
Wisconsin turned an already commanding 34-21 first-half stranglehold into a 21-point lead 5 1/2 minutes into the second half. The Badgers shot 48% (27 of 56) and made 42% (13 of 31) from 3-point range. The Badgers scored 44 second-half points.
It was the fewest point Maryland (11-19, 4-15) has ever posted against Wisconsin in the shot-clock era. It was also Maryland'd lowest point total of the season.
Wisconsin has won five of its last seven. Maryland has lost five of its last six.
Up next
Maryland wraps up the regular season hosting 11th-ranked Illinois on Saturday.
Wisconsin ends the regular season at No. 15 Purdue on Saturday.
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 20: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets on January 20, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers (37-24) are back on the road for a quick trip to Denver, where they will take on the Nuggets (38-24) on Thursday. This is the second matchup between both teams this season.
The Lakers have made up for their most recent losing streak by winning three games in a row and just like that, they have the chance to climb up the competitive Western Conference standings.
Although to do that, the purple and gold will really have to work for it against a Nuggets team that’s consistently been sitting at the top of the conference all season.
It’s hard to imagine the Nuggets not going all out on this one. Not only is the fifth seed on the line, but there’s a good chance they still remember how they gave the game away against the Lakers last time. In that contest, Denver dominated the first half only to choke away the lead in the final quarter.
In fairness to them, they didn’t have Nikola Jokić in that one, which won’t be the case for Thursday’s game.
Regardless, this is still a winnable one for the Lakers. Yes, it’s going to be tough to contain Jokić, but it’s also not like the Nuggets have had an answer for Luka Dončić since he became a Laker.
It’s going to be a battle between these two superstars, and it’ll be important for LeBron James, Austin Reaves and the rest of the Lakers’ role players to outperform the Nuggets’ supporting cast. That’s a doable task as well, since Aaron Gordon won’t be around, but Jamal Murray will, and he’s a player the Lakers can’t allow to get hot.
Like the Lakers, the Nuggets aren’t a great defensive team. In fact, they rank 21st in the league, just above the Lakers, who are at 22. They also don’t have a deep bench and depend a little too much on Jokić and Murray to pull through for them.
This game will be the first night of a back-to-back for the Lakers, who fly straight to Los Angeles afterwards to host the Indiana Pacers.
Let’s see if the Lakers can win this big game against Denver and gain some ground in the West.
Notes and Updates
Since Luka’s arrival in Los Angeles, the Lakers are 3-1 against the Nuggets. When Dončić plays, they’re 3-0.
For the Lakers’ injury report, Maxi Kleber (back soreness) is listed as questionable.
As for the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain), Payton Watson (right hamstring strain) and Spencer Jones (right shoulder strain) are out.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt scored in the shootout, Connor Brown forced overtime with a tying goal with 2:21 left in the third period and the New Jersey Devils beat Toronto 4-3 on Wednesday night, sending the Maple Leafs to their fifth straight loss.
Timo Meier and and Arseny Gritsyuk also scored in regulation for the Devils, who have won three in a row and improved to 25-8-1 when scoring at least three goals. Jacob Markstrom made 24 saves.
William Nylander, Matias Maccelli and Matthew Knies had goals for the Maple Leafs, who haven't won since beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Feb. 3 — their last game before the Olympic break. Anthony Stolarz made 44 saves.
Cotter put a backhander past Stolarz to start the shootout for the Devils. After Nylander's wrister was stopped, Bratt also scored on a backhander to put New Jersey up 2-0 in the shootout. Auston Matthews' wrist shot was then stopped by Markstrom, giving the Devils the victory.
With the game tied at 2 in the third period, Knies batted in the rebound of John Tavares' shot past Markstrom to put Toronto ahead with 6:10 left.
Brown took a pass from Gritsyuk on a rush toward the net and roofed a quick shot in tight past Stolarz to tie it at 3 with 2:21 remaining.
The Devils outshot the Maple Leafs 47 to 27 in regulation.
New Jersey was without defenseman Brett Pesce, who suffered a lower-body injury against Florida on Tuesday night.
Up next
Maple Leafs: Play at New York Rangers on Thursday night.
Somehow, Jalen Brunson — then OG Anunoby — had the ball with a chance to send the game to overtime.
Down by three points with 6.0 seconds left, both got open 3-pointers to tie the game. But both missed, and that was that.
“Just missed it,” Brunson said. “Wish I could have that one back.”
OG Anunoby missses what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer in the final second of the Knicks’ 103-100 loss to the Thunder at the Garden on March 4, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Players hate talking about moral victories, but this can be classified as one. Still, the Knicks got a reality check. And a bit of a reminder of the championship-level standard that is required for 48 minutes, not just for one quarter.
Give the Knicks credit — they had a plethora of reasons to throw in the towel, but they clawed back twice. The Finals-or-bust Knicks, however, view themselves on the same level as the Thunder, not a team that should be merely happy to be competitive.
And for three of four quarters, they were outplayed and outmuscled by the class of the league. Despite two gutsy comebacks, they fell 103-100 Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
“Honestly, I’m proud of our guys,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We fought, we did our best to execute against a championship team. At the end of the day, if we’re gonna lose, I want to lose with two of our best players getting the shots they got and giving ourselves a chance.”
After their third-quarter comeback, during which they trailed by 15, the Knicks entered the fourth quarter up three. It marked their first loss this year when leading after three quarters — they had been 19-0 beforehand.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives past Landry Shamet at the Garden on March 4, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Later, trailing by seven with 1:18 left in the game, the Knicks scored the next four points to bring themselves back within three before Brunson’s and Anunoby’s misses as time expired.
They outscored the Thunder by 13 in the third quarter, but were outscored by a combined 18 points in the other three quarters. In the fourth quarter, they shot just 7-for-21 from the field. Brunson had just three points and went 1-for-6 in that fourth quarter.
Like his teammates, Brunson struggled most of the night — besides the third quarter. Cason Wallace defended him as well and as physically as anyone has all year.
Jalen Brunson, who had 16 points and 15 assists, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ loss to the Thunder. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Brunson entered halftime with just two points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field, then came alive for 11 points in the third quarter before his rough fourth quarter. He finished with 16 points and went 5-for-18 from the field, though he did add 15 assists.
“I feel like I missed a lot of shots I normally make,” Brunson said.
After facing that 15-point deficit with 8:12 left in the third quarter, the Knicks rattled off a 24-9 run to tie the game at 72-72 with 2:56 remaining in the third.
By the end of the quarter, Brunson was double-teamed and lobbed a pass to Mikal Bridges in the corner, who drilled a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to send the Knicks into the fourth quarter with a three-point lead.
The Knicks had just 40 points at halftime, suffocated by the Thunder’s tenacious defense. Then they erupted for 40 points in that third quarter to flip the game on its head. But then they followed that up with just 20 points in the fourth quarter.
“They could’ve folded at any time,” coach Mike Brown said. “We were down double digits. I liked our competitive spirit. Our competitive spirit was great. Those guys make the game ugly.”
OG Anunoby (right) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander battle for a loose ball. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
They certainly did.
That physicality from the Thunder bothered the Knicks all night, and left them angered by the referees throughout the game and after the final whistle. Brown even got a technical — his first of the year — in the first quarter.
Chet Holmgren had 22 points at halftime, went scoreless in the third quarter then added six points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder staved off the Knicks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is now 7-0 at MSG, recorded 26 points and eight assists.
Landry Shamet scored 11 points in the third quarter — but just three in the other three quarters. Towns was an efficient 7-for-8 from the field and had 17 points and 17 rebounds, but fouled out late in the fourth quarter.
To be fair, it wasn’t necessarily a true measuring stick — the Knicks were on the second leg of a road-home back-to-back and playing without Mitchell Robinson, who played in their win over the Raptors in Toronto on Tuesday.
Despite backlash, a team spokesperson told The Post that the event celebrating the famed Atlanta-area strip club will go on as planned.
Last week, the franchise announced the promotional night, which will take place during a March 16 game against the Magic, billing the event as a tribute to a “cultural institution,” with appearances from Atlanta-based rapper T.I., city-themed merchandise and the venue’s iconic lemon pepper chicken wings.
Luke Kornet reacts during the Knicks’ blowout win over the Spurs at the Garden on March 1, 2026.. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But not everyone in the NBA is on board with celebrating the adult entertainment club.
The Spurs’ Luke Kornet asked for the night to be canceled in a post on Medium, arguing in part that the promotion is disrespectful to women.
“The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.”
Warriors big man Al Horford agreed, co-signing his former teammate with the Celtics’ appeal by writing “Well said Luke,” on X.
Draymond Green, who shares a locker room with Horford, had a different take, saying on his self-titled podcast that the goings-on at Magic City are “a form of art.”
General view during Joseline’s Cabaret Tour at Magic City Kitchen on January 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. WireImage
“I think to point out that they have esteem issues because that’s the line of work they chose, I actually think it is less protective of women because you’re condemning something. It’s actually an art,” Green said. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but if you see it in action, it’s actually a form of art that some choose to indulge in and some choose not to indulge in.
“But to say that because a woman decides that that’s the art that they want to partake in and that the customer wants to take in, I think is reflective of society’s thoughts and how they once view things.”
With the event going on, Magic City manager JuJu Barney assured those on Kornet’s side of the controversy that those involved are going to keep it family friendly.
“There will be no nudity whatsoever, at all,” Barney told TMZ.
“There will be no signs of nudity, there will be no nudity at all. It’s strictly just wings and music and people having a good time.”
