Category: Basketball

The Dallas Mavericks (21-39) dropped their third straight game and their 13th in the last 15, 100-87, to the Oklahoma City Thunder (47-15) on Sunday at American Airlines Center.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does, scoring a game-high 30 points in 33 minutes on 12-of-20 shooting for the Thunder, while Caleb Martin led the Mavs, because, hell, someone had to score points in this one, with 18.

Those two were freebies, because we’ve got five piping hot stats coming out of the oven for you, from the latest loss Dallas threw on the pile on Sunday.

32-16: Thunder’s close to the first quarter

After the Mavericks played pretend at existing in the same league as the Thunder for the game’s first four minutes, Oklahoma City blew the doors open on the game with a 12-0 run that took just 2:09 of game time to execute. Dallas head coach Jason Kidd called a timeout to stop the bloodletting, but the wheels had already come off. The Thunder outscored the Mavericks 32-16 over the last 9:56 of the first quarter to take a 36-25 lead after one, leaving Dallas in a position where they were trying for the rest of the game to claw back to within contention.

Chet Holmgren led all scorers with 10 points in the first quarter, including a dunk on a nifty drive-and-dish from Isaiah Hartenstein to cap Oklahoma City’s early 12-0 run. No Dallas Mavericks scored more than four points in the opener. Dallas turned the ball over six times in the quarter, leading to eight Thunder points. Oklahoma City came into the game first in the NBA in points scored off opponents’ turnovers, at more than 23 points per contest.

9: Moussa Cisse rebounds in his first 6:55 on the floor

Moussa Cisse tonight

0 Points
12 Rebounds
0 Assists
0 Steals
0 Blocks

The first time that statline has been recorded in the history of the NBA pic.twitter.com/SVtTliwV2b

— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) March 2, 2026

Here’s one from the statistical oddities file. No doubt aided by the fact that Dallas started the game shooting 13-of-36 from the floor, Moussa Cisse gobbled up nine rebounds in his first 6:55 of playing time on Sunday. Three of those nine boards came on the offensive glass.

Cisse finished the game with 12 rebounds in 21 minutes, while going 0-of-1 from the floor in the loss. He averaged 12.9 rebounds per game in the eight games he played with the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League this year, and came into Sunday’s game averaging 4.6 boards in just under 12 minutes per appearance in NBA action.

4: Thunder first-half 3-pointers

And here’s one from the moral victory file. The Mavericks somehow managed to outscore the Thunder 24-22 in the second quarter to go into halftime down just 58-49. Oklahoma City was in the freezer from 3-point range in the aberration of a first-half, shooting just 4-of-18 (22.2%) from beyond the arc.

Was this outcome attributable to the Mavs’ furious brand of defense along the perimeter to start the game? Some questions are better left unanswered, but we believe you know the answer. Dallas did sit back in a zone look for much of the first half to help keep Oklahoma City’s iso-heavy offense at bay. It also kept the Thunder from living at the free-throw line against an outmanned Dallas bunch. The Thunder shot just seven free throws in the first half.

4:50: Mavericks’ third-quarter scoreless stretch

The Mavericks suffered through nine straight offensive possessions that yielded (checks notes) zero points in one stretch of the third quarter. Brandon Williams blew through the Oklahoma City defense with 9:25 left in the third to cut the Thunder lead to 64-55, and Dallas didn’t score again until Max Christie’s 3-pointer along the right wing with 4:40 left in the frame. Christie stole a bad pass from Gilgeous-Alexander, then got the ball back in rhythm from Ryan Nembhard to stop the bleeding, as the Thunder lead swelled back to 16, 71-55, before Christie’s timely 3-ball.

59: Consecutive away games of 20 or more points for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

And why not one from the file of stats we didn’t know anyone was keeping? With the first of two free throws with 1:50 remaining in the third quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander eclipsed the 20-point plateau in his 59 consecutive road game, passing the great Wilt Chamberlain for most away games in a row scoring 20 or more. He now needs three more consecutive 20-point games to tie and four more to break Chamberlain’s record for consecutive games (home or away) with 20 or more.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 25 at the end of the third quarter against the Mavs and ended the night with a game-high 30 on 12-of-20 shooting. The Mavs trailed 83-69 after three quarters and didn’t seem all that worried about chipping away at the Thunder lead in the foregone conclusion of the fourth quarter.

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 8
Paul George – 6
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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The Philadelphia 76ers fell 114-98 to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Sunday night. It was the fourth and final meeting between the teams this regular season — they split the series 2-2.

Joel Embiid was out for this contest (as he will be for the Sixers’ next two as well) after being diagnosed with a right oblique strain. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe tried to pick up the slack, scoring 33 and 23 points respectively, but it simply wasn’t enough to keep up with the Celtics.

This was one of those quintessentially annoying Sixers’ losses. They made more of a game out of it than maybe was expected going into this contest and they did some things great against a really tough opponent… but at the same time, they were so horrendous in other areas, like poor rebounding and making Neemias Queta look like prime Dwight Howard all evening. Always a mixed bag with this Philadelphia squad.

Next up on the schedule for the Sixers is a back-to-back starting on Tuesday night hosting the San Antonio Spurs and then hosting the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. The team has already announced that Embiid will be out for both contests before being re-evaluated.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.

VJ Edgecombe: 23 points (5 three-pointers), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

VJ Edgecombe was the only one keeping the Sixers alive as the Celtics started to pull away in the later half of the second period. Especially with Maxey icy cold at the time, Edgecombe was the only reason the Sixers still had a chance in this one as we entered the second half, where he kept delivering. The rookie was just consistently good tonight, from efficient shooting and smart playmaking to some aggression on the boards with a side of some good defense.

The Sixers asked a lot of Edgecombe tonight with some of the lineups they had him out there with, and just frankly how much they needed him throughout overall, and he delivered. Tonight was another example of the rookie playing beyond his years and seemingly thriving even more when the pressure is on.

Edgecombe ended this one with 23 points (including five triples) with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Oh, and stay to the end of this video for what might be the best effort play of the season from him.

Absolutely have to shout out VJ Edgecombe for his performance tonight. Shooting wasn't always perfect but he kept the Sixers in that one at times. A lot was asked of him and he delivered.

23 PTS, 5-11 3PT, 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK

The rookie's highlights vs. Celtics 👇 pic.twitter.com/a0A3BRMVef

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) March 2, 2026

What a rookie.

Tyrese Maxey: 33 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

It was a tale of two halves for Tyrese Maxey tonight. The first half was one Maxey will quickly want to forget.

Fortunately, he seemed to do just that. After an inefficient first half from Maxey, the third period brought a much more familiar version of the All-Star guard, with Maxey putting up 13 points in the penultimate frame (and tacking on seven more in the fourth) after putting up 13 in the entire first half.

Obviously it would be great to never have a bad start or a bad half, but it’s great to see how Maxey can recover even after a cold streak of shooting. After going just 4-for-18 from the floor in the first 24 minutes, Maxey turned things around a bit to shoot 8-for-16 in the second half. He not only started making more shots but just seemed to be a lot smarter about which shots he was taking as the game progressed. Even if the game situation felt like it demanded more urgency than the first half, he seemed to settle in and not worry about forcing things that simply weren’t there. The opportunities that were there — whether it be to launch from long range, drive straight through the Celtics defense, or to dime up a teammate — he took advantage of.

Maxey finished Sunday night with a game-high 33 points with three rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks.

needed it 😤 pic.twitter.com/wzR60czhKk

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 2, 2026

Dominick Barlow: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals

Dominick Barlow might not have contributed the amount that Maxey or Edgecombe did, but he chipped in here and there with some good stints when it was needed.

His biggest offensive contribution came from seven points in the third period that he absolutely battled for, whether it meant coming up with a defensive play and taking it coast-to-coast or drawing contact on the offensive end to get to the line.

Barlow was the Sixers’ third-highest scorer tonight with 14 points on 4-for-7 field goal shooting and 6-for-8 from the charity stripe. Especially on a night where the bench is almost completely unproductive offensively, it’s huge to have that sort of contribution from Barlow. Not only that, but Barlow was one of the few Sixers fighting for rebounds, and he even put up some solid defense on some of the best players the Celtics squad has to offer, including Jaylen Brown.

He finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds (two offensive), one assist and three steals.

And yet, he didn’t play a single second in the fourth period. Don’t ask me why.

The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 100–87, in a game where shot-making and efficiency ultimately separated the two teams. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for OKC with 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting, while Chet Holmgren added 19 points and nine rebounds as the Thunder shot 44.6 percent from the field and controlled the glass with 55 total rebounds. For Dallas, Caleb Martin paced the team with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, Max Christie chipped in 14 on 4-of-8 from three, and Brandon Williams added 14, but the Mavericks shot just 38.8 percent overall and 29 percent from deep. Despite competitive stretches and balanced contributions, Dallas never found the sustained offensive rhythm needed to overcome Oklahoma City’s efficiency and steady late-game execution.

The Mavericks opened with real juice. Daniel Gafford finished an early lob, and Caleb Martin drilled a three as Dallas jumped in front. Brandon Williams was the engine behind it all, tallying two assists and two points while directly contributing to the first seven points of the night. For a brief stretch, the ball was popping, and the energy felt intentional. But that early rhythm did not last. Shai Gilgeous Alexander settled in and began knocking down tough fadeaways and pull-ups, flipping the momentum possession by possession. Once Oklahoma City had the lead back, Chet Holmgren took his turn dictating terms, scoring inside, cleaning the glass, and using his length to disrupt Dallas drives. The Thunder’s pressure and shot-making pushed the margin to double digits as the Mavericks’ offense started to stall. Turnovers, rushed jumpers, and empty possessions piled up for both teams, though Oklahoma City capitalized more consistently on the chaos. Holmgren’s inside presence and SGA’s shot creation were the defining forces, while Dallas struggled to string together stops. By the time the buzzer sounded, the Thunder had stretched the lead to eleven, turning what started as a promising few minutes for the Mavericks into another uphill climb.

The second quarter followed the same script, with Oklahoma City calmly maintaining control while Dallas struggled to create sustained offense. The Thunder shot 47.2 percent in the half compared to Dallas’ 37.5 percent, and every time the Mavericks trimmed the margin with a Max Christie three or a Dwight Powell finish inside, the Thunder responded immediately. Shai Gilgeous Alexander dictated the tempo, going 6 of 10 from the field in the half, including a late running pull-up three, while Chet Holmgren added 4 of 8 shooting and six rebounds, anchoring both ends of the floor. Dallas could not string together stops or efficient possessions long enough to flip momentum, and by halftime the Thunder had built a 58–47 lead that felt even larger than the number.

The third quarter felt like Dallas threatening without ever truly seizing control. After Dwight Gafford’s free throws cut it to 58–53, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander answered immediately with consecutive pull-up jumpers to reestablish Oklahoma City’s cushion. Caleb Martin provided a spark with a three and a driving floater, while Powell chipped in with a hook and an alley oop off a Middleton assist to trim the deficit momentarily. But each time the Mavericks inched closer, Chet Holmgren countered with a tip layup, a dunk, and later a trail three, and Shai continued to manufacture offense from the midrange and the line. Dallas created a few extra possessions with steals from Christie and Gafford, yet untimely turnovers from Nembhard, Williams, and Middleton prevented any sustained run. By the end of the period, the Thunder had calmly absorbed every punch and carried an 83–69 lead into the fourth, keeping Dallas at arm’s length despite brief surges.

The fourth quarter never swung back in Dallas’ favor, as a Holmgren dunk and an Isaiah Joe flurry pushed the lead to 93–71 early. Brandon Williams knocked down a couple midrange pull-ups, and Caleb Martin added a fadeaway and free throws to trim it briefly. Still, Shai Gilgeous Alexander answered every push with steady pull-ups and late free throws, finishing with 30 points on 12 of 20 shooting. Dallas shot just 38.8 percent overall and 29 percent from three, compared to Oklahoma City’s balanced 44.6 percent night with 22 assists. Despite 18 from Martin plus 14 apiece from Christie and Williams, the Thunder controlled the final minutes and closed it out 100–87.

The Mavericks need a guard

Since the All-Star break, the Mavericks’ guard play has felt like a nightly coin flip, and more often than not, it lands on mediocrity. One game, you get a burst of shot-making from Brandon Williams or a hot stretch from Max Christie, the next night, it completely evaporates. The scoring swings are dramatic, but what has been far more consistent is the shaky decision-making. The assist totals rarely justify the number of on-ball reps these guards are getting, and the assist-to-turnover ratio has been maddeningly flat. Empty dribbles into late clock jumpers, telegraphed entry passes, loose handle turnovers that ignite transition the other way. It is not just that they are inconsistent scorers. It is that the playmaking foundation underneath the scoring has not been sturdy enough to raise the offense’s floor. When the shots are not falling, there is no orchestration to fall back on.

That becomes even more of an issue when you zoom out and think about Cooper Flagg. Flagg is at his best attacking tilted defenses, cutting off advantage, and making quick reads against rotating coverage. He should not have to manufacture every advantage himself at 19. Dallas desperately needs a guard who can consistently bend the defense, protect the ball, and create efficient looks for others before thinking about their own shot. The current guard rotation too often results in inefficient scoring nights, paired with turnover totals that wipe out any positive momentum. If the Mavericks are serious about building around Flagg, the offseason priority is clear: find a steady primary ball handler who can shoot enough to space the floor and pass well enough to keep the ball moving. The inconsistency and mediocre decision-making since the break have exposed the gap, and it is one they cannot ignore if they want Flagg’s development to accelerate rather than stall.

Turn your attention to the NCAA

At this point in the season, the Mavericks have drifted into a version of themselves that is honestly difficult to sit through. The defensive intensity is inconsistent at best and nonexistent at worst. Possessions bleed into one another with little resistance at the point of attack, late rotations on the back line, and minimal physicality on the glass. There is no wave of energy guys flying around for chase down blocks or weak side rim contests, no explosive athlete igniting the building with a transition dunk, no creative wrinkles from the coaching staff to manufacture easy points when the offense stalls. It often feels like five players taking turns trying to survive a possession rather than impose themselves on it. When a team lacks defensive edge, vertical pop, and schematic creativity all at once, the product flattens out. You are left with slow half-court sets, late clock jumpers, and long stretches where nothing feels dynamic. For a fan base that just lived through high-level shot-making and playoff intensity, this version feels lifeless.

The silver lining, and honestly, the smart pivot for any Mavs fan right now, is to start flipping on college basketball. Today is March 1, which means March Madness is right around the corner, and this freshman class is loaded with intrigue. Darryn Peterson’s scoring versatility, AJ Dybantsa’s two-way upside, Cam Boozer’s polish and strength, Caleb Wilson’s athletic pop, Kingston Flemings’ craft, Mikel Brown Jr.’s size and athleticism, Darius Acuff’s shot creation, and Keaton Wagler’s skill set all make for compelling watches. These are not just names to bookmark. They are real potential difference makers in a draft that could shape the next four years of the franchise. If Dallas is leaning into lottery positioning, then scouting becomes part of the fandom. Watching how these freshmen handle pressure, space the floor, defend in big moments, and create advantages will matter. In a season where the NBA product feels stale, college basketball might be the most exciting part of being a Mavericks fan right now.

The Boston Celtics hosted the 76ers Sunday night in their final clash of the regular season. Boston’s first game of March resulted in their 40th win of the season, 114-98. Neemias Queta had a monster outing for the home team, with a 27-point, 17-rebound double-double performance. Jaylen Brown had 27 points, Derrick White chipped in 21 points, 8 assists as the C’s weathered the 76ers numerous runs all night.

The Celtics came into the game off the back of a big 37-point win over the Nets on Friday night. Baylor Scheierman started the game with a heavily bandaged fractured thumb alongside White, Queta, Brown, and Sam Hauser. Philly started the game with VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, and Dominick Barlow.

The Sixers hit their first 3 shots of the game as they shot out to a quick 8-2 lead. Hauser nailed a triple in rhythm to cut it back to three points. Boston squared the score at 10 apiece, led by Queta, who was active early in the contest with 5 early points.

Brown threw down a big two-handed dunk, which woke the crowd up at the six-and-a-half-minute mark. Hugo Gonzalez, Payton Pritchard, and Nikola Vucevic were the first three Celts off the bench for Boston after the first TV timeout. Vucevic drilled his first corner three of the game, but Philly had the early eight-point lead, 23-15, as they shot 60% from downtown to start the game. Maxey paced the visitors with 8 points in the first 8 minutes.

Jordan Walsh came into the game in the stopper role and was immediately given the defensive assignment on Maxey. Boston was just 5-21 from the field to start the first quarter as the 76ers got the lead out into double figures. Walsh rattled home a triple after Queta grabbed his fifth offensive board against the smaller Philly frontcourt.

White scored in the paint to cut Philly’s lead to just 2 points. Adem Bona fouled Brown on a layup attempt with a chance to tie the game with 27 seconds to go in the quarter. Boston went on a late 7-0 run to make it a 2-point game heading into the 2nd quarter, 26-28.

Hauser hit his second three of the game to start the second quarter; White hit a pair of free throws as Boston took their first lead of the game after playing from behind throughout the first quarter, 32-30. Queta continued to pound the offensive glass, the big fella going on his own 8-0 run as he had 16 points and 10 boards with seven minutes to go in the second quarter.

Derrick White drained his first three of the night, he deftly re positioned his feet on the perimeter to rise for the shot over Oubre Jr., who was caught flat-footed. Brown threw an insanely quick one-handed pass to Hugo, who caught the ball and scored off the backboard in one motion with no dribble. Boston’s second-quarter surge saw them take a 10-point lead as they outscored Philly 25-13 with 2 minutes and change in the first half.

skipped a cross-court pass to White, who drained a wide-open three as Boston went up 54-45. Drummond got whistled for a technical after throwing up a gun-shooting motion. Queta led the Cs in scoring at the halftime break with 16 points; Brown had 15 points and White 12 points. Scheierman laced the corner triple at the buzzer and threw up his fractured thumb 👍 to end the half, 62-50.

“Let’s go, Celtics” chants rained down at the Garden to start the 3rd quarter. Edgecombe converted a three-pointer and was fouled by White, hitting the extra point. Philly went on an 8-0 run to cut Boston’s lead back to 10 points.

The Cs had three straight trips down the court which resulted in three-pointers. Firstly, Scheierman drained a triple in front of Nick Nurse and the Sixers bench, Vooch hit a straight on triple and White rattled one home as Boston went up by 15 points, 80-65.

Philly immediately cut the lead back to 8 points as Edgecombe hit a fourth three of the night followed by a Maxey transition layup. Walsh drained a three-pointer with time expiring in the third, Maxey matched him with a three of his own, his 26th point, the road team back in the game down 6 points, Boston up 89-83.

Just as Philly mounted another comeback to start the fourth quarter, the Celtics steadied, Vucevic hitting a trailing three as Boston kept the lead at 10 points with 8 minutes to go. Philly’s backcourt pairing of Edgecombe and Maxey provided a decent one-two scoring punch as they hung around.

JB laced a second triple for his 27th point of the night, Boston holding the 76ers at arms length with 5 minutes remaining. Oubre Jr. hit Queta from behind and got whistled for flagrant foul, as the 76ers were running out of time for a comeback win. Pritchard was having an absolute shocker in this one — he was scoreless through 4 quarters and dribbled the ball of his leg.

Edgecombe and Maxey led the Sixers back into the game late, Boston’s lead whittled down to 6 points with just 3 minutes of play to go, the momentum swinging back to the road team. Queta hustled in the paint to retrieve a loss ball and scored over a pair of Philly players. Queta finished the game strong having a career night in scoring 27 points, 17 rebounds as the Celtics prevailed at home and move to 40-20 on the season.

Boston next face the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night on the road at 7:30 pm EST.

Credit to the rook for even keeping them in this game.

The Sixers’ three-game win streak was snapped with a 114-98 loss to the Boston Celtics Sunday night. They are now 33-27, still one game up in the loss column for the East’s sixth seed thanks to a loss earlier in the day from the Orlando Magic. 

Tyrese Maxey, who got going as the second half progressed, led all scorers with 33 shooting 12-of-34 from the floor along with six assists. VJ Edgecombe, with a stellar 5-of-11 night from deep, dropped 23 points along with five rebounds. 

Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta led the Celtics with 27 apiece.

Joel Embiid missed his first of at least three games with an oblique strain.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• It was quite a flashy start, with Maxey and Edgecombe each nailing their first pull-up threes of the game. Maxey shook his defender with a good crossover on two possessions in a row — he nailed the midrange J but missed that three-point attempt.
• Offensive rebounding was a problem from the jump, with Boston grabbing four within the first five minutes of the game. There were plenty of Celtics bricks to grab early, and the Sixers’ quick pace covered that up for the time being.

VJ Edgecombe with the moves in transition 🤩 pic.twitter.com/YOJzV1qckl

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 2, 2026

• Adem Bona gave the Sixers a shot in the arm down low, but similar to Andre Drummond his contributions were more on the offensive end. He was the only Sixer to score for a four-minute stretch as they conceded a 10-1 run. Dominick Barlow nailed and a catch-and-shoot jumper to end that, but he was inside the arc so the Sixers held just a two-point lead after one.

Second Quarter

• For the non-Maxey minutes, Nick Nurse went with all the bench ball-handlers alongside Edgecombe. Quentin Grimes missed his first two pull-ups while Trendon Watford made his first pair of push shots that kept the offense afloat. Cam Payne just picked up one assist in his first four minutes of action.

Trendon Watford gets on the board to start off the second quarter for the Sixers pic.twitter.com/nuSKp1vEZ3

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 2, 2026

• Drummond made his first three of the night, but he really struggled on the other end, chasing around Queta who was suddenly flirting with a 20-point half. This game again exposed how thin they are at center when Embiid is out of the lineup, with Bona picking up his third foul to boot.
• The Sixers went nearly four minutes without a field goal after that Drummond three. Maxey already began to teeter before he left the game and then missed several tough shots when he checked back in. He finally got a tough and-1 floater towards the end of the half. Drummond knocked down another three, but got T’d up for his celebration. Another overaggressive double team led to Brown kicking out to an open three at the buzzer, one that put the Celtics up by 12.

Third Quarter

• Two quick threes to start the second half gave Boston their largest lead of the night. A four-point play from Edgecombe was a good response, and Maxey followed with a trip to the line, but both followed with missed shots in the paint, ending their brief momentum.

4-point play for VJ Edgecombe! pic.twitter.com/BiuBpGjN69

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 2, 2026

• Edgecombe has been shooting really well on pull-ups in the midrange as of late but it was behind the arc in this one. To say it was all they had was an understatement — through three quarters, only three of his teammates had also made a three-pointer.
• His only help for much of the quatrer was Barlow. His three steals helped the 14 points he had, but he was aggressive enough to get to the line eight times as well. Maxey finally got some baskets to go with fast break layups and runners. He threw a really nice skip pass on one break to Grimes, and hit a tough stepback three to get the Sixers within six points.

Fourth Quarter

• Both starters in the backcourt stayed out there to start the quarter and each knocked down another three, but their flurries showed just what it took to keep the lead where it was, much less eat into it. The aggressive double teams didn’t stop against the Celtics, the most three-point hunting team in the league, and the Sixers paid for it again and again.

VJ Edgecombe gets up for the dunk — he's got 22 points and counting tonight. pic.twitter.com/HqSiiTL67Q

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 2, 2026

• They were in no position to risk it, but the Sixers picked up an extremely weak flagrant midway through the fourth. Queta hit Edgecombe hard with a screen but drew no foul, so Kelly Oubre Jr. gave Queta a hard push in retaliation. In ref wars though the Sixers at least got one back a few possessions later. After trying all game Edgecombe finally drew an offensive foul on a Brown push off. No one got the worst of it though than the fan Edgecombe inadvertently kicked leaping into the crowd to save a loose ball.
• Nikola Vucevic killed Bona earlier in the quarter stepping out, and Queta continued to kill Drummond with the starters in down the stretch. On top of his 10 offensive rebounds, he continued to beat the Sixers defense and force them to put him on the line. Finally in the last minutes of this game the Celtics put the game away in a way it felt like they should have way earlier in the half.

March came in like a lamb for the Bucks at the United Center today: a 16-point first-half lead turned into a 120-97 laugher, thanks to a catastrophic 27-0 Bulls run and a 33-8 fourth quarter in the home team’s favor. Still, the Bucks finished the season series 3-1 over the Bulls. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

Player Grades

Myles Turner

21 minutes, 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 3/10 FG, 2/5 3P, 3/4 FT, -20

Scoreless after the first quarter, and only five further shot attempts. In his defense, Doc wasn’t playing him much for whatever reason. Probably could have used his rim protection for more than nine second-half minutes, given that Chicago outscored Milwaukee 34-10 in the paint after half.

Grade: D+

Kevin Porter Jr.

32 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4/16 FG, 0/1 3P, 2/2 FT, -23

A lot of really tough shots and few fell, especially inside. What I liked the least, though, was the open threes he passed up over and over again in the second half. Couldn’t stop Josh Giddey, who had a triple-double (and a surprising 14 rebounds).

Grade: D

AJ Green

30 minutes, 13 points, 2 assists, 4 fouls, 4/11 FG, 4/11 3P, -20

Again, all his points in the first half. 0/3 in the second. Made some important ones early, but then disappeared. Offered next to nothing on the other end.

Grade: D+

Ryan Rollins

34 minutes, 11 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 turnovers, 2 steals, 5/11 FG, 1/6 3P, -19

The counting stats are decent until you get to the turnovers, which are a real problem of late with Rylo. His passing in the second quarter was outstanding, but his second half was a brickfest. Starting 4/4 and then going 1/7… hardly alone among the starters today.

Grade: C-

Kyle Kuzma

23 minutes, 10 points, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, 4/5 FG, – 24

I’ll give him credit for being the only Buck to make any hay inside, but otherwise, nothing positive from Kuz today. Seemed too cavalier when he entered in the fourth quarter, and the Bucks continued getting wrecked.

Grade: D

Bobby Portis

24 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 7/14 FG, 3/8 3P, +1

Too many middies (more on that later) and settling for jumpers, but at least they were falling. A key part of the Bucks’ second-quarter success, but also part of the unit that started to let the game slip away early in the fourth before checking out.

Grade: B–

Cam Thomas

18 minutes, 15 points, 3 assists, 3/11 FG, 8/10 FT, +2

The type of scoring line that looks really efficient if you only look at the free throws. Dribbled the air out of the ball, gets to the line, took ill-advised jumpers… the Cam Thomas experience.

Grade: C–

Jericho Sims

24 minutes, 2 points, 11 rebounds, 1/1 FG, +1

Excellent on the glass in the first half and five offensive boards for the game, but—stop me if you’ve heard this before—didn’t do anything after half. Also part of the unit I mentioned with Portis above, and was hardly near the rim when the Bulls started yamming on them.

Grade: C-

Ousmane Dieng

21 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3/12 FG, 1/6 3P, -1

Dieng’s three-point shooting has cratered the last three games (2/14), but a chunk of his misses came in garbage time after the Bucks went down 19. Wasn’t on the floor for too much of the early fourth quarter cataclysm.

Grade: C

Doc Rivers

Oh boy, where do I start? I’ll just give one of his postgame comments, but I have a lot more to say about today, which I’ll do in a separate place. Anyway, the Bucks missed 18 consecutive field goals from the third into the fourth quarter, and a lot were clean looks. Here’s what Doc had to say:

“I don’t care if it’s not in the paint. We’re getting wide-open threes. We’re one of the best shooting threes in the NBA. So if we take 30 of those, I can live with it. What I didn’t like is (that) we didn’t get the right shots. Half of them were twos, contested. That’s what bothered me in the game. Honestly, if we’d have got all those plays and they were wide-open threes and we had two points in the paint, but they were wide-open threes, I could go to sleep tonight. Because I know our guys got the right shots. I thought by the time we got the right shots, it was too late.”

Doc had earlier mentioned that “the good looks came after crappy basketball for the first 11 minutes of the third quarter.” Not addressing crappy basketball is bad enough. Moreover, shooters shoot, but to completely abandon anything inside?

Not that it was even a priority: the Bucks were 6/6 in the restricted area in the first half and 2/7 in the second half. Chicago had three injured in their frontcourt (Zach Collins, Jalen Smith, and Patrick Williams), so Nick Richards and Leonard Miller were their only guys above 6’8”. Matas Buzelis and Guerschon Yabusele rounded out an already-thin Bulls frontcourt post-deadline. Even without Giannis, Doc has five players 6’9” and up at his disposal, enough size and talent to deal with Chicago’s four. Not caring if their shots aren’t in the paint? To quote my colleague Jack Trehearne: diabolical.

Grade: F

Garbage Time: Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance, Gary Trent Jr.

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince, Cormac Ryan

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Eight points is the lowest any NBA team has scored in a regulation quarter this season. Milwaukee was 2/21 from the floor in the period.
• The Bulls’ 27-0 run was a franchise record. And that was the second-largest run the Bucks have ever given up: the worst was a 29-0 Cavs run at the Bradley Center in December 2009, as we found out postgame. For what it’s worth, the NBA record is 30-0.
• Portis asked us assembled reporters in the locker room post-game if we’d ever seen anything like that run. He hadn’t, and none of us had either—at least not in person.
• A few more stats on the Bucks’ epic drought: the 18 straight misses came between Cam Thomas’ lay-in at 1:23 in the third and Dieng’s dunk with 3:12 left in the game. That’s 10 minutes, 11 seconds.
• They also missed 15 consecutive threes across a slightly longer span. At half, they were 10/23 from deep, a nice 43.5%. In the second half: 3/23, 13%. 13/46 overall is 28.3%. Barf.
• There were seven minutes and 32 seconds between Bucks points, and it took them just over six minutes to register a point in the fourth.
• But the most damning thing: of those 18 straight misses I mentioned? They took only one shot within 10 feet: a Portis driving hook.
• For the game, they took 30 attempts in the paint, and the Bulls outscored them there 50-26. The disparity was particularly bad in the second half: Chicago was 17/20 in the paint, and Milwaukee shot just 5/17.
• It was a sloppy game overall with 37 combined turnovers (19 for Milwaukee, 18 for Chicago), and Chicago scored six more points off them than Milwaukee’s 14.
• Strangely enough, the Bucks had a sizeable shot advantage with 11 more field goal attempts than the Bulls. Part of that can be chalked up to the Bucks’ 11-7 edge on the offensive glass. Free throws were 23-17 in favor of the home team.
• Milwaukee racked up 19 first-half assists—their highest total in a half since opening night—on 25 made baskets. Then seven on 10 makes in the second half. I’m no Red Auerbach, but I’d say that means you should probably pass the ball more.
• In checking the shot chart, I was struck by this: the Bulls took only two shots between nine feet and the three-point line. The Bucks took… a whole lot more.
• Matas Buzelis put Portis on a poster early in the fourth, but it’s all love: the two exchanged jerseys after the game. Bobby says he may need another room at home in Arkansas for the collection he’s amassed from opponents.
• There was a baby race at halftime in the United Center. Only two of seven even made it off the starting line (the charity stripe), and one only made it a few feet. Everyone else just sat there. 11-month-old Will—the only one who truly crawled—annihilated the competition and was scooped up at midcourt by Benny the Bull after his victory. He was interviewed by the Bulls’ in-game emcee, and after showing brief tactile interest in the foamy microphone screen, he pushed it away.

Up Next

This was the front end of a back-to-back, with a quick trip back to Milwaukee tonight to face the Boston Celtics tomorrow evening. Tip is 6:30 p.m. Central on Peacock and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

DALLAS (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points, Chet Holmgren had 19 points and nine rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 100-87 on Sunday night.

Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 59 consecutive road games, the longest streak in NBA history. The reigning NBA MVP played his second game after missing nine because of an abdominal strain.

The defending champion Thunder are 47-15, a half-game behind Detroit for the NBA lead. They have a three-game lead in West over second-place San Antonio.

The Mavericks, with star rookie Cooper Flagg among three regular starters sidelined, were held to a season low in points and saw the NBA’s longest active streak of triple-digit games end at 41. They are 21-39.

Caleb Martin scored a season-high 18 points to lead the Mavericks, who lost their eighth consecutive home game and 13th overall in the last 15. It’s their longest such home drought since dropping 12 straight in 1993-94.

It was the first time that Martin, acquired from Philadelphia on Feb. 5, 2025, led Dallas in scoring in 65 games. It was the Thunder's fewest points in a win this season, the previous low being their 101-94 win on Oct. 27.

Flagg missed his seventh consecutive game with a sprained left foot. Dallas was also missing Naji Marshall (right-finger contusion) and P.J. Washington Jr. (left ankle sprain). Reserve Klay Thompson didn't play in the second half because of right adductor soreness.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has said Flagg probably won’t play when last season’s collegiate player of the year for Duke makes his first NBA trip back to North Carolina for a game against Charlotte on Tuesday night.

Up next

Thunder: At Chicago on Tuesday night.

Mavericks: Begin a six-game trip at Charlotte on Tuesday night.

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AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA

Kristaps Porziņģis will remain out for a fifth straight game due to general illness. He will miss the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night.

Regardless of the question of whether Porziņģis still suffers from the effects of post-orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) or not — a recent controversy sparked by head coach Steve Kerr’s comments during a radio hosting — it is quite clear that Porziņģis isn’t quite 100 percent ready to see the floor for a prolonged period of time.

Additionally, Will Richard, who suffered an ankle sprain against the Los Angeles Lakers last night, will miss the game against the Clippers. Gary Payton II is listed as questionable due to what is being called as “left ankle impingement,” per the official injury report released by the NBA.

Kristaps Porzingis remains out tomorrow night for a fifth straight game with a general illness. Will Richard also out for the Warriors vs Clippers after spraining his ankle last night. Gary Payton II questionable.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 2, 2026

Per a source that told ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Steph Curry — after waiting 10 days to be re-evaluated — is now set for another re-evaluation for another 10 days.

That means Curry will miss the Golden State Warriors’ upcoming five games, at the very least.

Steph Curry will be re-evaluated again in 10 days, per source. Making progress on that "unpredictable" right knee issue, as Curry called it, but that'll rule him out of at least the next five Warriors games. He's missed the last 10 games.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 2, 2026

Suffering from patellofemoral pain syndrome — more commonly known as runner’s knee — Curry’s ailment has proven to be quite unpredictable and much tougher to manage than expected. Already out of the running for end-of-season awards, Curry will also be unable to contribute to a last push toward the Warriors gaining respectable position in the play-in tournament.

A mid-game interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews during the Warriors’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers revealed that Curry hasn’t had on-court work at all.

The Dallas Mavericks took on the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday night with a piece-meal roster. P.J Washington, Marvin Bagley III and Naji Marshall were three key rotation players out for the game, and after 15 minutes of action, Klay Thompson unfortunately joined them. Shortly after Thompson checked out, the announce team said he would be out for the game with an adductor contusion.

Klay Thompson has been ruled out for the rest of tonight’s matchup against the Thunder due to a right adductor contusion, per the Mavericks. pic.twitter.com/WNPBTFwjo4

— Artoftheleague 🖌️ (@artoftheleague) March 2, 2026

The adductor muscles are located in the inner thigh and the injury is akin to a “groin strain” or “groin contusion.” There are various grades to this type of injury and we do not yet know how severe Thompson’s is. On the low end (grade 1), a two-to-three-week recovery timeline is common. More serious injuries (grade 2 or 3) could take up to two-to-three months!

Again, we do not yet know the severity of the injury and can only speculate as to what it means for Thompson. Given that we’re in the home stretch of the season with only about six weeks remaining, it’s not impossible to envision a scenario where Thompson played his last game for 2025-2026. Hopefully we’ll get further clarity soon, and hopefully it will be good news that Thompson can return to action quickly.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami rallied to beat Orlando City 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.

Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to pull Inter Miami (1-1-0) even at 2-2 and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th. The reigning MVP’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his last 49 appearances.

Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City (0-2-0) a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.

Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.

Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti's first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance. Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.

Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami.

Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.

Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City's next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.

Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to Los Angeles FC.

Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.

Up next

Inter Miami: At D.C. United on Saturday.

Orlando City: At New York City FC on Saturday.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

The Washington Wizards are playing the Houston Rockets Monday night. I’ve got you covered with the preview.

Game info

When: 7 p.m. EST on Monday, Mar. 2

Where: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injuries

Wizards — Leaky Black, Anthony Davis, Trae Young and Alex Sarr are all listed as OUT. Tristan Vukcevic, Anthony Gill and Kyshawn George are all listed as DAY-TO-DAY. D’Angelo Russell is not with the team.

Rockets — Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams, Jae’Sean Tate and Fred VanVleet are all listed as OUT.

Game notes and more

• The Houston Rockets added DMV legend Kevin Durant in the offseason, though in the absence of Fred VanVleet and any suitable offensive organizer to replace him, the Rockets have pigeon-holed themselves as a high floor, low ceiling non-contender. They were a hot pick to make the NBA Finals before the season, but now I would not be surprised if they lose in the first round of the playoffs.
• The NBA will look to change its tanking rules following this season, so the Wizards have embarked on potentially one last tankathon for the ages ahead of a loaded 2026 draft class.

Stephen Curry is expected to miss time with the Golden State Warriors due to an injury.

He has missed the team's last 10 games and is expected to miss the next five games. Golden State went 4-6 during his absence. Curry will be reevaluated again in 10 days, according to ESPN.

Curry's injury is listed as patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as "runner's knee.”

The Warriors are eighth in the Western Conference standings with a 31-29 overall record.

How did Stephen Curry get injured?

Curry appeared to be uncomfortable with his right knee during a game against the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 30. He had a brace on his knee and was grabbing at it during the game.

What is runner’s knee?

According to John Hopkins Medicine, runner's knee is when a person has “pain in front of the knee or around the kneecap (patella). This is where the knee connects with the lower end of the thighbone (femur).”

Who is Stephen Curry’s backup?

Brandin Podziemski and Pat Spencer are expected to serve as the primary backup options while Curry remains out of the lineup.

Podziemski has averaged 12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 60 games this season. Spencer has averaged 6.3 points, 3.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game in 44 games played.

When do Warriors play next?

The Warriors will host the L.A. Clippers at the Chase Center on Monday, March 2, at 10 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steph Curry injury update: Warriors star out with runner's knee

NEW YORK (AP) — Still recovering from a broken thumb, James Harden made a successful return for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Harden had 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Cleveland's 106-102 victory at the Brooklyn Nets. The 11-time All-Star went 4 for 7 from 3-point range.

The 36-year-old Harden missed two games after fracturing his right thumb during Tuesday night's 109-94 win over the New York Knicks.

“You could see in the first half he's not 100 percent, obviously,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I thought in the second half though he had that stretch there where we were struggling, he kind of took over, got to the free-throw line, hit a couple 3s, so that was good.”

Harden was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 3. The 17-year veteran is averaging 19.3 points, 8.0 assists and 5.1 rebounds in eight games with Cleveland.

The 6-foot-5 guard had eight points in the first half against Brooklyn, and the Nets led 52-46 at the break. But Cleveland rallied in the second half.

Harden made two foul shots and converted a four-point play to help the Cavs take a 70-64 lead with 4:40 left in the third quarter.

“We needed him tonight,” Atkinson said. “Obviously playing handicapped, he still played really well.”

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

SAN FRANCISCO — After a game in which the Lakers’ three best players (Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves) all had strong performances, the team’s newest addition received the first name drop from coach JJ Redick after the blowout win over the Warriors on Saturday night. 

“And, boy, Luke Kennard, he just starts the blender for us,” Redick said. “We frankly have not had a ton of blender starters.”

What does Kennard creating the blender look like?

Like what took place around the 7:14 mark of the fourth quarter when Kennard ghosted (faked) a back screen for Jake LaRavia before flying off a pindown from Maxi Kleber and relocated to beyond the 3-point arc in screen-the-screener action.

This forced Warriors big man Quinten Post to step out and close out on Kennard, who has shot 44.2% on 3s in his career and is shooting a league-best 49.1% on 3s this season. Kennard drove past Post to force the Warriors defense to collapse onto him inside the arc, with Kennard kicking out to Jarred Vanderbilt in the weakside corner. 

Three passes later, Kennard benefited from the blender he created, knocking down a step-back 3 over Gui Santos.

“Obviously, Luka gets two on the ball, AR gets two on the ball, LeBron will get two on the ball,” Redick said. “But just to be able to create a closeout and then make the right read and right play from there … Luke was huge for our offense.” 

The play was part of Kennard’s 16-point performance (6-of-10 shooting, 4 of 7 on 3s) against the Warriors, which was his highest scoring total since being traded to the Lakers on Feb. 5.

“Obviously, I’ve been here for a short amount of time, but when we are a team that gets in the paint and we share the ball, we have multiple passes on a possession, I feel like we’re a different team,” Kennard said. “We get a lot of great looks, and we can put up a lot of points. Obviously, we need the ball to be in (Doncic’s, Reaves’ and James’) hands to make plays for us, and that’s how it’s got to be. But for us guys coming off the bench, we need to be ready to play the right way, get the ball moving and just play with some pace.”

On the Lakers’ next possession and with Pat Spencer top-locking him, Kennard actually set the back screen for LaRavia by forcing Spencer to make contact with LaRavia’s defender (Nate Williams) to free up LaRavia for an alley-oop layup assisted by Marcus Smart. 

“That’s just connective offense right there,” Redick said. “And that’s just what Luke does.”

Kennard wasn’t credited with the statistic in the box score, but his screening made the play possible.

Luke Kennard scored 16 points in tonight's win over the Warriors, which is his highest scoring total as a Lakers.

LeBron James on the impact Luke has had on LAL since being traded to the Lakers over three weeks ago:

"It gives us another scoring threat…Because he shoots the… pic.twitter.com/A9dKpnNMRE

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 1, 2026

“Being a good screener, it’s something that you don’t really talk about much,” Kennard said. “You don’t kind of see the impact of what that can be. But JJ has put me in positions to be a screener. And I think just the gravity that I have is being one of the top shooters in the league, teams don’t wanna leave me. So being a screener, getting guys open, it gets me shots if I set good screens. I take pride in being a good screener.”

The Lakers value not only Kennard’s shooting but also what the other parts of his skill set can open for the offense.

JJ Redick said Luke Kennard "starts the blender" for the Lakers. Luke on how he views those opportunities: " I love it. It kind of gives confidence in me, not just being like a spot-up shooter." pic.twitter.com/hoCitxW5Gc

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 1, 2026

“His ability to make plays, getting to the paint, uses his (shooting threat); because he shoots the ball so well, a lot of teams like to run him off the line,” James said. “But his ability to get into the lane and make plays for others as well has been a big part of what we want to do, too. Just making that extra pass, those kick-out plays and those extra ones, he’s damn good at it.”

And Kennard appreciates being able to show off his offensive tools.

“It kind of gives confidence in me, not just being a spot-up shooter,” Kennard said. “There’s been stops, I think, where that’s kind of what I’ve been, and I’ll find my role and try to do the best I can with that. But I think just creating havoc offensively, just getting in the paint … when we get in the paint and we have multiple passes on possession, we’re such a different team. I can kind of initiate some of that. If two guys are on, like Luka, Bron or Austin, and I get a swing pass, if I don’t have a shot, I can get in the paint and try to make a play. I pride myself on that, trying to make the right play every single time. I’ve been having a good time.”