Category: Basketball

With Kevin Porter Jr. back, the Milwaukee Bucks put up one heck of a fight against the Miami Heat—who, granted, were down Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, and Norman Powell—but couldn’t make the most of their possessions late, losing 112-105. Miami has now taken the season series 2-1. 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, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2/7 FG, 1/5 3P, –16

Turner had very little impact on either end, with five of his seven points coming by halftime. Played just 6:39 in the second half, probably because he got blown by a fair few times. Maybe they should keep him closer to the basket…

Grade: D

Giannis Antetokounmpo

29 minutes, 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 12/24 FG, 0/2 3P, –8

Giannis was solid for most of the game; he kept the team afloat in the first quarter, scoring the team’s first 10 points. His athleticism and talent were massive throughout the game, and he roasted most non-Bam matchups. That said, GA’s defence was subpar yet again. Plus, taking a triple down just three with less than a minute left on a no-pass possession with 17 seconds on the shot clock… yeah, we’ve seen that movie before. Giannis talks an awful lot about “wanting to win,” but is that really true? Or is it more like, “I want to win on my terms”? I’ll say this: I’d better not hear another peep from GA accusing his teammates of playing selfishly.

Grade: B-

Ryan Rollins

32 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 turnovers, 5 fouls, 6/9 FG, 2/4 3P, +9

A solid game from Ryan, particularly because of the 10 assists and only three turnovers. He came off the bench in this one amid recent struggles and despite a rough start, played well throughout. Rollins also set some great inverted screens for Giannis late in the game, which I don’t recall him having done much of this season.

Grade: B+

Kyle Kuzma

20 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 2/5 FG, 1/4 3P, -10

A down game for Kuz, who never really got a rhythm until midway through the fourth when he scored all five of his points. He was, however, one of the main guys on the bench cheering his teammates on, which doesn’t go unnoticed. I’ve appreciated Kuz’s attitude this year as a senior leader on this team.

Grade: C-

AJ Green

15 minutes, 3 points, 1/2 FG, 1/2 3P, +5

Woof! Like Myles Turner, I think the minute total tells the story for AJ. At least he wasn’t just shot-chucking?

Grade: D

Ousmane Dieng

14 minutes, 0 points, 0/2 FG, -24

Dieng went out sick after playing just 14 minutes. Not much you can judge from.

Grade: C

Bobby Portis

26 minutes, 19 points, 5 rebounds, 8/14 FG, 2/4 3P, +8

The Heat really had nobody to guard Bobby, often trying wings and guards, but he got buckets on anyone and everyone. I thought Portis fared OK defensively as well. Some of the matchups suited him well because of Miami’s many questionable shooters, which allowed him to give himself a cushion and keep them in front.

Grade: A-

Cam Thomas

16 minutes, 3 points, 1/3 FG, +1

Freaking yikes. I am now questioning whether Cam Thomas is even an NBA player. I think he is, but the fact that I’m asking the question is alarming. In the 10 games since the loss to the Raptors, CT is averaging 9.1 points and 2.3 assists while shooting 38.2% from the field and 26.9% from three (in just 16.2 minutes per contest). He made no impact in this game, but like AJ, it’s at least good that he hasn’t been forcing it.

Grade: D

Jericho Sims

22 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3/3 FG, +2

Another solid game from Jericho. He’s just doing more of the same: setting good screens, being composed with the ball, and showcasing his elite switchability. Again, Sims played down the stretch last night because of these qualities, including an awesome and-one to bring the Bucks within two.

Grade: B+

Kevin Porter Jr.

27 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3/8 FG, 0/1 3P, -12

I’d say this was a classic Porter game (in his return after a while off, it should be noted). He did a lot of good stuff, and I don’t think the Bucks are in this game without him; his defence, passing, and rebounding were key. That said, there was also your classic KPJ bad stuff: trying to do too much, failing to shoot it off the catch when he was open. In particular, he had one costly turnoverlate.

Grade: C+

Taurean Prince

14 minutes, 8 points, 3/6 FG, 2/3 3P, +10

Prince finally got some shots to go after missing all four of his attempts against the Suns. For the most part, I thought TP was helpful out there as a guy who stretched the floor. However, there were a few of his classic “you’re doing too much” plays where he got overly adventurous as a driver.

Grade: C+

Doc Rivers

I thought Doc coached an OK game. There were still some head-scratching possessions in defensive transition—which, to be fair, might not even be coaching-related—but otherwise it wasn’t too bad. Rollins looked better coming off the bench (while still playing heaps of minutes and closing the game). AJ Green and Cam Thomas playing around 15 minutes seems right. Not sure Prince should be getting much more than 10 minutes at this stage, but maybe they needed a wing-sized guy with Dieng sick and Kuz not having it. From an offensive POV, I thought they were mostly solid, just couldn’t execute late, which, as we know, has as much to do with the best player as the coach. Now, if that coach might actually, I don’t know, coach said best player…

Grade: B-

DNP-CD: Gary Harris, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance, Gary Trent Jr.

Inactive: Alex Antetokounmpo, Cormac Ryan, Andre Jackson Jr.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Giannis had a long quote about the thought process behind shooting a three with less than a minute left, but essentially it boiled down to, “I always shoot with confidence, but I wish I’d shot a few more threes earlier in the game so I had a better feel of it on that last shot. I never regret being aggressive.” Whatever, it’s a case of “old dog new tricks” for me at this point; I’m done reasoning with it.
• Doc on the end of the game:

“We didn’t execute great down the stretch, bottom line. I loved how we played overall. We went with the jumbo lineup, and it got us back in the game. But man, we had two or three turnovers in that stretch, a couple of tough shots. We’ve been really good overall at the end of the game. I just thought tonight we didn’t execute down the street.”

• Following his record-setting 83-point game against the Wizards, Bam Adebayo largely struggled last night, shooting 6/20 for 21 points. Many were critical of Eric Spoelstra for leaving Adebayo in the game in a blowout to get the record. Spoelstra responded to those critics in his pregame adress, saying, “I apologise to absolutely no one, period.”
• As Kyle pointed out in the rapid recap, Milwaukee’s bench scored 56 points, outscoring all non-Giannis starters combined. Relatedly, the Bucks starters all had a negative plus-minus, while the entire bench was in the positive.

Up Next

The Bucks’ road trip continues tomorrow afternoon when they face the Hawks. Catch the game at 2:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks open the first game of a home-and-home set this weekend.

James Harden is fresh off his best game in a Cavs uniform, and I’ll explain why he’s due for another big night in my Cavaliers vs. Mavericks predictions and NBA picks for Friday, March 13.

Cavaliers vs Mavericks prediction

Cavaliers vs Mavericks best bet: James Harden Over 21.5 points (-125)

James Harden is still getting accustomed to his new role since joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the 36-year-old is fresh off his best performance in a Cavs uniform after scoring 30 points Wednesday.

It marked Harden’s first 30-point game in nearly two months, but he’s been a consistent scoring option so far for Cleveland. Harden has scored 20+ points in five of his last seven outings.

The Dallas Mavericks have just three wins in their last 21 games while allowing 120.2 ppg over that span — the fifth-worst mark in the NBA.

Cavaliers vs Mavericks same-game parlay

Not only have the Mavericks been one of the league’s worst defensive teams but they’ve also been brutal on the glass, allowing 46.6 rebounds per game, tied for third-worst.

Harden and Donovan Mitchell have both logged Over 4.5 boards in four of their last five games.

Cavaliers vs Mavericks SGP

• James Harden Over 4.5 rebounds
• Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Long distance calls

The Mavs have covered the spread just three times in their last nine games, but if the Cavs are going to win big, they’ll need to rain down plenty of treys.

Harden has hit Over 3.5 threes in three of his last six, Mitchell has Over 2.5 threes in two of his last three, and Jaylon Tyson has Over 1.5 in five of his last six. 

Cavaliers vs Mavericks SGP

• Cavaliers -12.5
• James Harden Over 3.5 threes made
• Donovan Mitchell Over 2.5 threes made
• Jaylon Tyson Over 1.5 threes made

Cavaliers vs Mavericks odds

• Spread: Cavaliers -12.5 | Mavericks +12.5
• Moneyline: Cavaliers -700 | Mavericks +500
• Over/Under: Over 236.5 | Under 236.5

Cavaliers vs Mavericks betting trend to know

The Under is 8-0 in Dallas’ last eight games and 4-1 in Cleveland’s last five. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Mavericks.

How to watch Cavaliers vs Mavericks

Cavaliers vs Mavericks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Sam Kerr scored one goal and created another as Australia advanced to the Women's Asian Cup semifinals and secured a World Cup spot with a 2-1 win Friday over North Korea.

The three-time champion North Koreans had almost two-thirds of possession and played at a high tempo to keep the Australians unsettled, but weren't able to convert their glut of scoring opportunities into more goals against a stubborn Matildas' defense.

The North Koreans had 21 shots at goal and 10 on target but couldn't capitalize. Australia turned its only two shots on target into goals.

Kerr played a key role in both.

In the ninth minute, the Chelsea forward poached possession from opposing captain An Kuk Hyang deep in the right corner and crossed into the area before Alanna Kennedy swooped onto a deflection and fired in a left-foot strike for her fifth goal of the tournament.

Kerr made it 2-0 two minutes into the second half with a left-foot shot after a defensive lapse from the North Koreans, giving 2023 World Cup semifinalist Australia a cushion.

But the North Koreans lifted their intensity again and cut the margin to 2-1 in the 65th, when Kim Kyong Yong passed into the box from the left and Chae Un Yong finish from close range.

North Korea unleashed a wave of shots on Australia's goal but goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold denied them the equalizer.

“It was a really good team performance defensively, (North Korea is) a good side and they had a lot of the ball and there was a lot of pressure,” Kerr said. “The crowd was immense today, got us over the line.”

World Cup spots

All four semifinalists at the Women's Asian Cup qualify automatically for next year's World Cup in Brazil. The Australians will next play the winner of Saturday's quarterfinal between defending champion China and Taiwan.

The North Koreans get another shot at qualifying for the World Cup in a playoff next week. The fifth- and sixth-place teams in this continental tournament will also secure spots in Brazil.

The end of the group stage earlier in the week was overshadowed by Iran's departure from the tournament and the granting of asylum to members of the delegation.

Quarterfinals ahead

South Korea faces Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia in a night match in Sydney after China and Taiwan meet in Perth.

Japan heads into its quarterfinal matchup against the Philippines on Sunday with three wins from three games and a tournament-leading 17 goals without conceding.

___

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

The Knicks (42*-25) conclude a five-game road trip tonight against the 15-50 Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Currently, their four-game season series stands tied at one win apiece. The Knicks, coming off a shaky victory in Utah, have won six of their last ten games; Indy lost to the Suns last night and have dropped 11 straight.

These teams last met on February 10, 2026, at Madison Square Garden, when the Pacers outlasted the Knicks 137-134 in overtime. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 30 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Andrew Nembhard added 24 points and 10 assists. Jalen Brunson poured in 40 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds for New York in the loss.

Indiana’s season has been grim. They have the league’s worst record, offensive rating, and point differential, allowing 120 points per game. They rank 25th in defensive rating while hovering near the bottom in scoring defense and overall efficiency. None of it matters, of course, because they always approach a Knicks game like it’s game seven of the conference finals.

All-Star Pascal Siakam has been Indiana’s focal point, averaging 24 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game and carrying a big usage load as their primary scorer. With Tyrese Haliburton out all season, Andrew Nembhard has stabilized the backcourt as a lead guard, contributing 17.2 PPG while orchestrating the offense with 7.3 APG. Aaron Nesmith has chipped in as their best 3-and-D option, averaging 13.1 PPG and 4.5 RPG.

The injury report is stacked for the Hoosiers. OAKAAKUYOAK Obi Topppin (foot), Siakam (knee), Nesmith (ankle), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), and Quenton Jackson (calf) are all OUT. Look for coach Rick Carlisle to start Nembhard, Ethan Thompson, Jarace Walker, plus the recently acquired Kobe Brown and Ivica Zubac.

On the Knicks’ side of the injury list, Karl-Anthony Towns—who’s played excellent hoops since the All-Star break— and Josh Hart are both game-time decisions due to knee trouble. Miles McBride is expected to be out until at least April 1, recovering from his hernia surgery.

Prediction

ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Knicks an 84% chance of winning. Nope. I don’t care that the Pacers have the worst record in the NBA, nor that Siakam and most of the rotation are in beds at the nearest hospital. Nope, nope, NOPE. Decades ago, some hick from French Lick sold his soul to Satan on the promise that his beloved Indiana Pacers would always bedevil the mighty New York Knicks, and old Scratch (who plays a phenomenal Al Pacino) has yet to let down his end of the bargain. Look for the Ethan Thompson—who’s never topped 15 points in an NBA game—to hit six three-pointers, Zubac to grab 17 boards, and the loser Hoosiers to give the Knicks fits until late in the third quarter. After that, though: smooth sailing. Knicks win by 15.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (42*-25) at Indiana Pacers (15-51)
Date: Friday, March 13, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

* Should be one more, but NBA Cup wins are allergic to record books.

At the Big 12 basketball tournament the court has been the hot topic rather than what's been happening on the court.

On Thursday night, the Big 12 decided it was dumping its LED glass court for the traditional hardwood for Friday's semifinals and Saturday's final.

Postseason awards: Check out All-Big 12 teams, 2026 Player, Coach of the Year

The Big 12's semifinals feature four of the nation's top 16 teams in what is probably the country's toughest conference. It should be fun. Here's the schedule for the rest of action in Kansas City.

Big 12 tournament schedule, bracket, scores

All times Eastern

First round

Tuesday, March 10

• Game 1: No. 12 Arizona State 83, No. 13 Baylor 79
• Game 2: No. 9 Cincinnati 73, No. 16 Utah 66
• Game 3: No. 10 Brigham Young 105, No. 15 Kansas State 91
• Game 4: No. 14 Oklahoma State 92, No. 11 Colorado 83

Second round

Wednesday, March 11

• Game 5: No. 5 Iowa State 91, No. 12 Arizona State 42
• Game 6: No. 8 Central Florida 66, No. 9 Cincinnati 65, OT
• Game 7: No. 10 Brigham Young 68, No. 7 West Virginia 48
• Game 8: No. 6 TCU 95, No. 14 Oklahoma State 88

Quarterfinals

Thursday, March 12

• Game 9: No. 5 Iowa State 75, No. 4 Texas Tech 53
• Game 10: No. 1 Arizona 81, No. 8 Central Florida 59
• Game 11: No. 2 Houston 73, No. 10 Brigham Young 66
• Game 12: No. 3 Kansas 78, No. 6 TCU 73

Semifinals

Friday, March 13

• Game 13: No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 1 Arizona, 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
• Game 14: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Kansas, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2

Championship game

Saturday, March 14

• Game 15: Semifinal winners, 6 p.m., ESPN

Arizona State, Bobby Hurley

The Bobby Hurley Era at Arizona State will last at least one more day, as the Sun Devils pick up a first-round win over Baylor behind 19 points from Anthony "Pig" Johnson. A nine-point halftime lead served to be a difference maker for the Sun Devils, as the Bears outscored them 44-39 in the second half.

Baylor will now miss out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years under Scott Drew, while Arizona State now faces Iowa State on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET. — John Leuzzi

How to watch Big 12 basketball tournament

• TV: ESPN/ESPN2 | ESPNU
• Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

The Big 12 tournament first round will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+. The succeeding rounds will be shown on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. The championship game will be aired on ESPN.

Big 12 basketball tournament favorite

There's not much doubt the rest of the conference is chasing Arizona as the Wildcats have dominated throughout out the campaign. Their strength is in their balance. Seven scorers average nine points or more. Their perimeter game is back by a strong interior group, led by Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka. The biggest threat looks to be Houston, which has the type of defense that can be counted on in a tournament that forces teams to win three times in three games.

Big 12 tournament top players

AJ Dybantsa, G, Brigham Young: The freshman has more than lived up to his billing as one of the nation's top recruits, averaging ppg. Even without running mate Richie Saunders, Dybantsa has the ability to carry them in the short run of tournament play.

Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas: The kerfuffle about Peterson's status in games has distracted from the fact he's been one of the top players in the country. The freshman, if motivated, can be the key piece to leading the Jayhawks on a deep run.

Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech: The Red Raiders lost star JT Toppin to a season-ending injury in February but remained one of the best teams in the league with Anderson becoming the lead option. He will be tasked with continuing his scoring run in Kansas City.

Koa Peat, F, Arizona: The freshman standout is one of several key pieces for the Wildcats, who dominated the league this season. He is joined by fellow freshman Brayden Burries as the team's two top scorers.

Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State: Part of a three-pronged attack with Milan Momcilovic and Tamin Lipsey, the senior provides important scoring and rebounding from the interior that makes the Cyclones capable of being one of the favorites.

March Madness bubble storylines for Big 12

The Big 12 seems certain of getting eight spots in the tournament field with Central Florida still in good position after three consecutive losses. The Knights, however, will want to avoid a loss in the second round to make things certain. Among the teams on the outside of the field, Cincinnati may ahve the best hope with its recent run of six wins in eight games. West Virginia has stacked up five Quad 1 but overall inconsistency has hampered its hopes. Both the Bearcats and Mountaineers will need multiple victories to get into the conversation.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big 12 basketball tournament bracket, scores, schedule update, court

There are some games where it feels like everything clicks. The vision meets reality. The idea you had in your head finally shows up on the floor. Yes, it came against Indiana. Yes, they have the worst record in the NBA. That is part of the equation, and it should be acknowledged. I still love what the equation produced.

Book + Guac = 79.

Yeah, I am speaking this one into existence a little. I know it is corny. I am comfortable being corny from time to time. And hey, it’s easy to turn into emoji form!

“Guacamole.” That is the nickname I have bestowed upon Jalen Green this season. Sometimes he makes a play that makes you yell “holy guacamole!” at the television. Guac is green after all. Sometimes it is fresh and perfect. Sometimes it turns on you quickly. On Thursday night in Indianapolis, the guac was golden.

Jalen Green looked fantastic. He scored 36 points and needed only 23 shots to get there. Efficiency. That is the word everyone has been waiting to see attached to his name. The encouraging part is that it has not been a one-night flash. This marked Guac’s fourth straight game scoring at least 24 points.

Pair that with Devin Booker, who finished with 43 after attacking early and dropping 15 in the first quarter.

Now you see the vision. This is what the front office imagined. Quite honestly, it is what many expected to see over the past few seasons. Bradley Beal was supposed to be that secondary scoring force next to Devin Booker. The player who could keep the offense rolling when Booker rested. That never fully materialized. We have not had many chances to see what it might look like with our friend guacamole in that role.

Thursday night gave us a glimpse.

Booker and Green combined for 79 points. Funny number considering Bam Adebayo dropped 83 by himself a couple of nights earlier. Still, the idea remains compelling. Two guards capable of carrying the offense on the same night.

That is the chapter that goes into the evaluation notebook.

The best long-term outcome for Phoenix is simple. Jalen Green works here. He becomes the dynamic young guard who fits alongside Devin Booker. The two grow together over the next few seasons. As Booker gradually moves into the later stages of his career, Green steps fully into his prime. The baton passes naturally. I would rather see that happen than start chasing solutions elsewhere. Trading Green for someone like Julius Randle only creates another problem. That move blocks the development of Rasheer Fleming and starts another cycle of roster shuffling. At that point you are chasing your own tail.

Yes, the opponent was Indiana. The worst record in the league matters in the context of the game. Maybe this becomes a small footnote when the season is written in full.

Still, it was a fun chapter.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

I can’t fault the voting for giving the Bright Side Baller to Royce O’Neale for his effort against the Bucks. Heck, I wrote an entire article about his impact in the third quarter of that game, and that is why he received my vote. He finished with 45% of the vote, giving him 3 BSB’s on the season.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 66 against the Pacers. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
43 points (14-of-31, 4-of-7 3PT), 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 0 +/-

Jalen Green
36 points (14-of-23, 3-of-9 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 5 turnovers, +16 +/-

Royce O’Neale
15 points (5-of-8, 5-of-8 3PT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, 0 +/-

Oso Ighodaro
6 points (2-of-4), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 0 turnovers, +9 +/-

Jordan Goodwin
6 points (3-of-5), 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 block, +13 +/-

Collin Gillespie
4 points (2-of-6, 0-of-2 3PT), 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, +14 +/-

Who gets your vote for their efforts in Indy?

The Los Angeles Lakers have managed to show resiliency on and off the court, extending their winning streak to four straight games.

The Lakers are third in the Western Conference with a 41-25 record, trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

Coach JJ Redick credited the team for beginning to understand the importance of playing united during the stretch.

“It goes back to the human element and what they are comfortable doing as basketball players,” Redick said about his players before the Lakers’ 120-106 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

The team followed up that performance with a 142-130 win against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday and have won seven of its last eight games.

The trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves has led the way for the team – but often not all at the same time.

“The human struggle to want what you want while also having the emotional maturity and recognition that you have someone next to you hasn’t been so clean, but losing a training camp and the start of the year (without James), then losing AR for a long stretch, I think we are starting to get it,” Redick said.

“... thats just the nature of it and that’s the nature of every big three that’s played together and we are going to get there and I think we have seen some positive signs. With LeBron, I know he recognizes the importance of having Luka as the engine and all he really wants is to impact winning and I’ve said that now for the past two weeks, but we are going to get there.”

James is dealing with a right hip contusion and left foot arthritis, which caused him to miss the first three games during the streak, leaving Doncic and Reaves to take on a bulk of the workload offensively.

The trio was back on the court together Thursday, with Doncic falling just short of a triple-double performance. Doncic produced 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists against the Chicago Bulls.

Doncic received MVP chants in the final minutes of the fourth quarter when heading to the bench.

Doncic also led a strong second-half effort on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, just hours after a report surfaced regarding his breakup from his fiancée and a potential custody battle. The couple has two children together.

Doncic produced a triple-double with 31 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds against the Timberwolves. He scored 19 of his 31 points in the second half. Reaves also added 31.

Reaves followed that performance up with 30 against the Bulls.

This popped up in my Instagram feed:

Devin Vassell, Victor Wembanyama, David Jones Garcia, Harrison Ingram, Dyaln Harper and Jordan McLaughlin were asked what they would tell their 10-year-old selves.

Vassell shared “don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.”

Wembanyama stated that the advice he got was to determine if something he was working on was for now or for his future.

David Jones Garcia recalled his father told him to “fight for your dreams.” Spurs fans may recall that before his father passed, David promised he’s play in an NBA game. He accomplished that this season with the Spurs. He was also invited to participate in All-Star Weekend through his successes in thr G-League. Unfortunately, he has been sidelined for the seaosn after having surgery on his right ankle.

Harrison Ingram’s share was poingnant. He brought the visual of a globe and said that the world looked the same whether you win or lose.

Dylan Harper said he’s remind his young self to be yourself, which sounds like a Harper family mantra.

Jordan McLaughlin said he’d tell his younger self to “enjoy the process.”

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The 2025-26 NBA season was supposed to be a big year for Tari Eason. At least, he was banking on it from a contractual standpoint.

Eason was essentially the only player Houston drafted and developed that didn’t land a contract extension. Thus far, at least.

Jalen Green secured a long-term deal before getting traded for Kevin Durant, and both Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. secured rookie-scale extensions alike. Amen Thompson will certainly be getting one.

Houston’s brass offered Eason a $100 million dear, with an injury guarantee. In other words, a non-fully guaranteed deal, which Eason understandably rebuffed. 

At the start of the season, it seemed like a wise gamble. The fourth-year forward was shooting 50.9 percent from long-range through the first 11 games of the season, while also averaging 11.5 points off the bench.

Then he got injured (for the first time), causing him to miss 14 games. Eason returned with a bang, averaging 12.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 41.9 percent from deep over the next 10 games after his return.

Eason got re-injured in Houston’s back-to-back stretch against the Portland Trail Blazers and missed five games before returning, playing 10 games before the All-Star break. During those games, he averaged 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 44.4 percent from deep.

In the 12 games since the All-Star break, however, he hasn’t been nearly as effective. During the Rockets’ current stretch, he’s averaging 7.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 15.6 percent from three.

Ouch.

Eason has now gone four consecutive games without making a single three-pointer. He’s gone 1-of-19 from long-range in Houston’s last six contests. 

And defensively, he’s definitely cratered. He’s generally a high impact defender, but lately, it’s become rather commonplace for him to get beat on that end. And that doesn’t even account for the amount of utterly foolish fouls we’ve seen him commit of late.

So what’s happened to Tari Eason? There’s speculation that he’s still playing injured.

There would seem to be merit to that theory, as he definitely came back rather quickly from his ankle injury suffered earlier in the season.

And if that is, in fact, the case, Ime Udoka would be wise to let him get fully healed before the playoffs start. Houston is going to need the version of Eason from earlier in the season.

Let Josh Okogie get more run while Eason rests up and gets fully healed. (Remember when we thought Okogie was the perfect role player?)

Whatever the case, the Rockets will certainly have to get better play from Eason. Expeditiously. He needs it too.

This season was essentially supposed to be a job interview for the entire league. It seems as though he misjudged his value a bit last summer. 

The deliberations among the Men's NCAA Tournament selection committee remain mostly private each year, with only a few interviews done by its chair each year on Selection Sunday serving as the only official rationale for who's in, who's out and where every team is seeded for March Madness.

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is shaping up to be a fascinating bracket, as season-long favorites appear headed for a No. 1 seed and a particularly soft bubble filled with iffy resumes comes into focus ahead of Selection Sunday. Like last season, the selection committee will have seven metrics based on computer models and formulas listed on its team sheets and how each is weighed can be a point of contention that has lasting impact given the importance NCAA tournament performance has on the overall perception of a program.

Each ranking or rating is separated into two distinct categories — predictive metrics and results-based metrics. The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), KenPom, ESPN's BPI and the Torvik rankings are considered predictive rankings that measure how good a team is based on its offensive and defensive efficiency, adjusted for opponent strength and location. The KPI, ESPN's Strength of Record (SOR) and Wins Above Bubble (WAB) are results-based rankings that judge how hard it was for a team to attain its résumé.

For many teams, the two types of ratings largely converge by the end of the regular season. For others, however, there can be a wide swath of outcomes based on how a game was played and whether it was won or lost. These are the schools from major and mid-major conferences that often inspire the most robust conversation and debate among committee members, either over their selection into the NCAA tournament field as an at-large bid and/or their potential seeding.

Here are 10 teams with the most at stake heading into Selection Sunday based on their polarizing rankings among the metrics used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee:

Miami (Ohio) dropped its MAC quarterfinal to UMass to fall to 31-1 but the RedHawks don’t fall out of the USA TODAY Sports bracketology field prediction after an unbeaten regular season.

Thanks to results elsewhere during conference championship week – including one crucial result in the SEC – the RedHawks dip down the No. 11 line into one of the NCAA tournament play-in games. This wouldn’t be a terrible result for Miami, which is located just an hour from Dayton, Ohio, which hosts the play-in round.

Miami stays ahead of fellow bubble teams such as Auburn and Missouri, which lost in the second round of the SEC tournament, and Indiana, a loser to Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament.

Auburn had a chance to punch its NCAA ticket by beating Tennessee but couldn’t stop freshman Nate Ament, who returned from injury after missing about two weeks and poured in 27 points in the Volunteers’ 72-62 win. Missouri lost 78-72 to Kentucky and is now on the wrong side of the bubble.

Indiana was in position to make the field before its second loss of the season to Northwestern.

The bubble remains messy but is starting to get a little clearer as contenders advance in or fall out of tournament play.

One contender making a late move is Oklahoma, which dropped nine midseason games in a row but has rebounded to go 8-2 in its last 10. The Sooners have recently added wins against Auburn, Texas before strong efforts against South Carolina and Texas A&M at the SEC tournament.

Two contenders to watch are Mountain West rivals San Diego State and New Mexico, which will meet in the conference semifinals. While the Aztecs or Lobos could make it easy by going ahead and winning the MWC title, the winner of the semifinal is in good shape for an at-large spot.

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March Madness last four in

Santa Clara, Virginia Commonwealth, SMU, Miami (Ohio).

March Madness first four out

New Mexico, Oklahoma, Auburn, Indiana,.

NCAA Tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: SEC (10), Big Ten (9), ACC (8), Big 12 (8), Big East (3), West Coast (3), Atlantic 10 (2), MAC (2).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket predictions: NCAA Tournament bubble picture changes

Based on recent NCAA tournament trends, only a few teams are likely true national championship contenders once March Madness officially gets underway.

Seven of the last eight national champions were No. 1 seeds, with Connecticut the lone exception as a No. 4 seed in 2023. The Huskies were also a bit more talented than their seed displayed, especially as they repeated as national champions the following season.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness live bracketology: NCAA Tournament bracket updates today

Moreover, 18 of the last 25 national champions since 2000 have been No. 1 seeds. The last team higher than a No. 4 seed to win the national championship was also UConn in 2014, meaning the Huskies hold both spots as the highest-seeded teams to win a title since 2000.

Three No. 3 seeds have won national titles since 2000, and one No. 2 seed has won during that time.

Suffice to say, if a team dominates the regular season, it's a good predictor of national championship odds. Here's a look at the nine teams that can win a national championship in 2026 based on seeding trends:

Now that’s more like. The Wizards fell behind the Orlando Magic by as much as 19 points in the second, roared back with a +15 fourth quarter to send the game to overtime, briefly took a one-point lead in the extra period, and still brought home the loss they needed. Now that’s a quality tank loss.

For my money, the best part of this game was 21-year-old Bilal Coulibaly taking over Washington’s offense late. In just 6:41 of playing time in the fourth, he shot 5-9 from the floor (including a banked-in three from the wing) to score 13 points. He finished the game with 29 — a new career high.

Now, the offensive takeover was creaky at times. That banked in three was lucky, and Orlando defenders made him convert some very difficult shots.

And yet, the takeover was something I’ve wanted to see since they traded up a spot to draft him. In a close game the players wanted to win, Coulibaly tried to dominate and mostly succeeded. Orlando couldn’t keep him out of the paint when he committed to driving.

Maybe the creaky, clunky experience last night will lead to a smooth and confident takeover in the future.

Maybe.

At least we got a taste of hope last night.

Back to reality, it’s still in Washington’s best interest to keep on losing. They’ve lost 10 in a row to move into third worst behind the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings. The Pacers are currently on an 11-game skid. The Kings — a franchise as committed to getting things wrong as the Wizards — have won four of their last six. The race to the bottom is real.

Thoughts & Observations

• Trae Young is a truly abysmal defender. I’ve known this, as has everyone else who’s watched him play over the course of his career. Seeing it up close again has been…well…a tough reminder. I mean, I’m used to seeing terrible perimeter defense from guys wearing Wizards uniforms. Young is a whole new thing — I haven’t seen defense this ineffective since Isaiah Thomas was starting.
• When the Magic saw Young between them and the basket, they drove right at him and mostly got layup line opportunities. He seemed to try to take a charge once, though I suspect he just couldn’t get out of the way fast enough.
• We’ve probably all seen highlights of Draymond Green having wrecking ball defensive possessions where he moves around the floor blowing up the opponent attempts to run offense. In the first quarter (possession ending around 6:57), Young had the opposite of that. He matadored dribble penetration that produced a paint touch, peel switched onto a cutter, who he fouled.
• Sure sign that I’m a curmudgeon — watching Tre Johnson turn down a semi-open three-point attempt to drive in and toss up a floater annoys me. For all but a few — and Johnson is not among the few — floaters are crummy shots. Necessary at times, but only as a last resort. Just. Drive. To. The. Basket.
• The Wizards coaching staff has done a great job all season designing halfcourt set plays. They ran a beautiful one to start the second quarter — Tristan Vukcevic set a back screen at the three-point line for Justin Champagnie, who came wide open on his cut to the rim. Unfortunately, it was Bub Carrington making the lob pass, and he’s terrible at throwing lobs. Champagnie could barely tip the ball, and the Wizards failed to score.
• Too many injuries in this one. Sharife Cooper took a hard fall for the Wizards and didn’t return. Jonathan Isaac sprained his left knee after leaping for an alley-00p. Jalen Suggs banged knees, took a hard fall on that knee, and then took another hard fall going for a block. Orlando needs him healthy.
• I had many notes last night about Suggs and his teammates picking on Young. Suggs especially.
• Orlando’s broadcast team made a big deal of saying Vukcevic’s name correctly. Only problem? They got it wrong. Every time. For the record, it’s pronounced Vook-sevitch. Not Vook…chevitch.
• Leaky Black has been a problematic defender in his (brief) stint with the Wizards, and he had some rough possessions last night. He also had some good possessions — the first one I’ve seen from him since he arrived in Washington.
• I continue to think Paolo Banchero is mightily overrated. Black, Coulibaly, and Anthony Gill repeatedly forced him to take fading midrange twos — exactly the shots NBA defenses want to give up. And he’s not good at shooting them.
• Speaking of Wizards coaches designing good set pieces, the sideline out of bounds play with 18 seconds left was great. They slalomed Coulibaly through a couple screens, which forced Orlando to switch Banchero onto Coulibaly and put Tristan da Silva in weakside help position. Banchero was out of position on the catch, and Coulibaly attacked fast. da Silva came to help, and Coulibaly dropped a pass to Black for a dunk. Great design and execution.
• If the goal was to win, the Wizards coaches blundered when they didn’t foul on what turned out to be Orlando’s final possession of overtime. They let the Magic run the clock to about six seconds, and then failed to even get a shot up when they got the ball back. If.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

For those still alive in their head-to-head fantasy leagues, the waiver wire is front-of-mind right now. Deciding who to drop to open up streaming spots is a challenge in itself, but knowing which players to target could ultimately make or break your season. As we move through what is commonly viewed as silly season, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the NBA fantasy rankings. And remember, never assume a player is rostered. It always pays to double-check, just in case they have been overlooked.

Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles–whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals–is vital as you navigate the season.

Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Yahoo High Score Leagues

Cameron Payne, Philadelphia 76ers (21% rostered)

With Tyrese Maxey set to miss at least three weeks with a finger injury, Payne all of a sudden becomes a viable fantasy asset. Adding to the injury woes in Philadelphia, Kelly Oubre has also been ruled out for at least two weeks with an elbow injury, joining Joel Embiid and Paul George as long-term absentees. Although Payne is coming off the bench, it does appear as though he is going to play meaningful minutes, at least in any game that is moderately competitive. Look for him to flirt with 30 fantasy points per game for the foreseeable future.

Gui Santos, Golden State Warriors (32% rostered)

Despite his recent performances, Santos still remains available in far too many leagues. With Steph Curry having been ruled out for at least another 10 days, there is no reason to think Santos can't maintain his current role. He has now scored at least 30 fantasy points in 13 of his past 14 games, delivering meaningful contributions on both ends of the floor. Although this is typically less of a factor when it comes to points-based formats, it does provide managers with a level of assuredness, given his floor is relatively safe across all leagues. If, for some reason, he is still floating around on your waiver wire, that should be rectified at once.

Danny Wolf, Brooklyn Nets (7% rostered)

Although Wolf has been far from consistent, adding him is likely a preemptive move, given the trajectory in Brooklyn. Day'Ron Sharpe was recently ruled out for the remainder of the season due to finger surgery, removing another obstacle for Wolf in terms of playing time. He has now played at least 28 minutes in three straight games, moving into the starting lineup in his most recent appearance. The production is going to be spotty for the next few games, meaning he does come with an element of risk. However, assuming he ends up with a 30-minute per-night role, it makes sense to get ahead of things where possible.

Standard 9-Category Leagues

Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls (23% rostered)

Although the Bulls have been all but eliminated from the playoff race, it appears as though the rotation could somewhat resemble what might be considered a 'typical' one. Since returning from a hamstring injury, Jones has slowly crept back to starter-level minutes, logging at least 30 in three straight games. During that time, he has averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 32.4 minutes per game, putting him inside the top 90. Assuming he can maintain a similar role moving forward, Jones is someone who should be rostered in most leagues, particularly for those seeking guard stats, as well as an efficient scorer from the guard position.

Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder (25% rostered)

Mitchell has seemingly earned himself a sizeable spot in the rotation for Oklahoma City, having played at least 29 minutes in each of the past two games, fresh off a long-term abdominal injury. In those two games, he has averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.0 three-pointers, good enough for top 70 value in standard category formats. When we examine his season thus far, it's safe to assume that his defensive production should improve moving forward, in line with his 1.4 steals per game. Although there are several mouths to feed for the Thunder, Mitchell makes sense as a pickup in most formats for anyone needing points and steals, with some upside in assists.

Derrick Jones, Los Angeles Clippers (19% rostered)

Jones is in the midst of one of his best stretches of the season, playing a key role for a team looking to win as many games as possible. He has scored double digits in five straight games, while also providing above-average defensive contributions. In seven appearances over the past two weeks, he has managed to put up top 75 value in standard nine-category leagues, averaging 13.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers and 2.5 combined steals and blocks, all while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 84.2 percent from the line. While his ceiling is somewhat limited, Jones' importance to his team cannot be overstated. No matter your build, Jones certainly wouldn't look out of place on most rosters, at least for now.

Standard Points Leagues

Brice Sensabaugh, Utah Jazz (20% rostered)

It's been an up-and-down season for Sensabaugh; that much is true. However, he has managed to find some consistency over the past few weeks, having scored double digits in 10 of his past 13 games. His past three appearances have yielded 47, 35 and 32 fantasy points, putting him firmly on the radar as a must-roster player. Keyonte George suffered a hamstring injury during Wednesday's loss to the Knicks, potentially opening up a few more minutes for Sensabaugh. Factoring in the direction of the team and the path to playing time, Sensabaugh makes for a worthwhile risk across most points-based formats.

Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings (23% rostered)

Consistency also remains an issue for Clifford, although his biggest challenge at this point is his shooting. For those in points leagues, percentages are not a concern, making Clifford's appeal a little more enticing. When projecting his ROS value, the biggest positive appears to be his role, having logged at least 30 minutes in six of his past seven games, including two in which he played upwards of 40 minutes. Sacramento seems comfortable throwing him out there in most situations, providing managers with a sense of certainty moving forward.

Wendell Carter, Orlando Magic (35% rostered)

Sure, Carter isn't the most appealing fantasy player. However, as a starting center on a team looking to make a push, he should certainly be rostered in far more leagues. Looking at his recent production, while not eye-opening, he has certainly done more than enough to be rostered. He has scored double digits in four of the past five games, averaging 33.2 fantasy points per game during that span. He flirted with 50 fantasy points during Thursday's overtime win against the Wizards, an effort that could see fantasy managers sit up and take notice.

So this is where we are to prevent further embarrassment of the LSU basketball program. 

It’s a $5 million decision. 

It’s one thing to fire Matt McMahon, whose awful tenure at LSU has been surpassed only by the depth of apathy among a once loud and engaged fan base, and pay him $10 million to not coach. 

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It’s quite another, apparently, to shell out $5 million to get Will Wade — hang on, we’ll get to that stupidity — out of his contract at NC State. 

If you’re willing to spend $10 million to change the fortunes of your basketball program, which has lost 30 SEC games in the past two seasons, how could you not be willing to peel off more Benjamins for the guy you want?