Category: Basketball

Denver Nuggets (40-26, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (48-17, second in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Thursday, 9 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Spurs -5.5; over/under is 235.5

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio comes into a matchup with Denver as winners of five games in a row.

The Spurs are 28-13 against Western Conference opponents. San Antonio is the NBA leader with 35.2 defensive rebounds per game led by Victor Wembanyama averaging 9.2.

The Nuggets are 24-14 in Western Conference play. Denver scores 120.4 points while outscoring opponents by 4.1 points per game.

The Spurs are shooting 48.1% from the field this season, 1.1 percentage points higher than the 47.0% the Nuggets allow to opponents. The Nuggets are shooting 49.3% from the field, 4.2% higher than the 45.1% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Spurs won 139-136 in the last matchup on Nov. 29.

TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is scoring 24.2 points per game with 11.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Spurs. De'Aaron Fox is averaging 17.3 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 52.9% over the last 10 games.

Jamal Murray is averaging 25.5 points and 7.1 assists for the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic is averaging 29.1 points and 12.9 rebounds while shooting 53.9% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 9-1, averaging 121.6 points, 44.8 rebounds, 30.7 assists, 7.2 steals and 6.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.1 points per game.

Nuggets: 5-5, averaging 121.2 points, 46.1 rebounds, 28.9 assists, 6.9 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.1 points.

INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Harrison Barnes: day to day (ankle), Lindy Waters III: day to day (illness).

Nuggets: Peyton Watson: out (hamstring).

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

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Isaiah Brickner had 23 points and 10 rebounds — his first double-double of the season — and Brody Rowbury scored 12 points to help seventh-seeded Idaho beat No. 4 seed Montana 77-66 on Wednesday night to win the Big Sky Conference Tournament and clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Idaho (21-14), which played its fourth game in five days, has won five in a row and won the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the first time since 1990. The Vandals snapped a nine-game losing streak against Montana and leads the series 113-99.

Kolton Mitchell added 11 points and Trevon Blassingame scored 10 for Idaho.

Under third-year coach Alex Pribble, the Vandals have their most victories since they also won 21 games in 2015-16.

Money Williams and Te’Jon Sawyer led the Grizzlies (18-16) with 19 points apiece and Brooklyn Hicks scored 11.

Williams scored a tournament-record 91 points, breaking the mark of 83 set by Montana's Anthony Johnson in 2010.

The Grizzlies beat No. 1 seed Portland State 75-72 and Idaho knocked off third-seeded Eastern Washington 81-68 in the semifinals.

Up next

Idaho: Looks to Selection Sunday.

Montana: Awaits a potential postseason invitation.

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SEATTLE (AP) — Mikyla Grant-Mentis and Danielle Serdachny scored goals in the final six minutes of the third period, Alex Carpenter also had a goal, and the Seattle Torrent beat the Boston Fleet 3-2 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Seattle (5-1-2-9) had lost back-to-back games following the Olympic break and went into the game last in the PWHL with 16 points.

Boston (9-4-2-3) — which had its six-game win streak come to an end — leads the league with 37 points.

Theresa Schafzahl and Susanna Tapani scored goals for the Fleet. Abbey Levy made her second start of the season, both against the Torrent, and had 35 saves. Levy had 27 saves as the Fleet beat Seattle 3-1 on Dec. 21.

Grant-Mentis scored a short-handed goal on a jailbreak to make it 2-2 with 5:13 left in the game and Serdachny’s one-timer off a pass from Natalie Snodgrass capped the scoring with 3:46 to go.

Alina Müller, on the left side, dropped a pass to Daniela Pejsova for a one-timer from just inside the blue line that was redirected by Schafahl over the stick-side shoulder of goaltender Corinne Schroeder to give the Fleet a 1-0 lead with 7 1/2 minutes left in the first period.

Carpenter, on the rush after a save by Schroeder, flicked a back-hand shot into the net with 5.6 seconds left in the first to make it 1-1.

Schroeder, who finished with 25 saves, parried a shot by Loren Gabel but couldn't control the puck and Tapani slammed home the rebound to make it 2-1 with 8 1/2 minutes left until the third period. The Torrent had 18 shots in the second period but went into the second intermission trailing by a goal.

Up next

Boston: Visits second-place Montreal (35 points) on Sunday.

Seattle: Plays Friday at Minnesota.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points and the Los Angeles Clippers routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 153-128 on Wednesday night, moving above .500 with their third straight victory and sixth in seven games.

Eighth in the Western Conference at 33-32 after opening 6-21, the Clippers had their highest points total of the season. They blew out Minnesota after beating New York on Monday night to open a five-game homestand.

Leonard was 15 of 20 from the the field, 6 of 9 on 3s and made 9 of 10 free throws. Los Angeles made 19 of 37 3s.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 22 points for Los Angeles. Clippers newcomer Darius Garland had 21, hitting five 3-pointers.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 36 points and Naz Reid had 18.

Minnesota dropped to sixth in the tight Western Conference, but only a half-game behind the third-place Lakers. The Timberwolves have lost three in a row after winning five straight. They lost to the Lakers on Tuesday night to open four-game trip.

Leonard scored 18 points in the first quarter to help Los Angeles take a 38-27 lead. He had 28 at the half, with the Clippers up 74-65, and went to the fourth with 39 and LA ahead 109-98. Los Angeles had a 44-30 edge in the fourth.

Up next

            Timberwolves: At Golden State on Friday night.Clippers: Host Chicago on Friday night.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 24 points shooting 5 for 10 from 3-point range and Oklahoma beat South Carolina 86-74 in an opening-round game of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday.

The 11th-seeded Sooners (18-14) advance to play sixth-seeded Texas A&M on Thursday.

Derrion Reid scored 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, Tae Davis 18 shooting 7 of 10 and Xzayvier Brown 14 shooting 6 of 7. Oklahoma shot 60% (30 of 50).

Kobe Knox scored 20 points, Mike Sharavjamts 19 and Meechie Johnson 14 for 14th-seeded South Carolina (13-19). The Gamecocks shot 41% (25 of 61).

South Carolina built a 29-19 in the game's first 10 minutes and the Gamecocks led 39-28 after Knox made a 3-pointer with 5:24 before halftime.

Down the stretch, the Sooners outscored South Carolina 14-3 to tie it at 42 at halftime. Oklahoma emerged from the break continuing its offensive spurt and outscored the Gamecocks 13-5 in the first five minutes of the second half and led 56-47.

Johnson's 3-pointer with 10:52 left brought the Gamecocks within 61-56 but they would never get closer.

Brown's 3 with 7:53 to go made it 70-60 and Oklahoma led by double digits for the remainder.

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After an excellent victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers (40-25) look to make it four wins in a row as they host the Chicago Bulls (27-38) on Thursday.

L.A. is looking to sweep the season series.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls

When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Mar 12

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet

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With exactly a month to go until the playoffs, the Lakers are catching their stride at the right time. Not only are they on a much-needed three-game winning streak, but they’ve done it by beating two very good teams in a row. It’s also happening at the right time because the Western Conference seeding is tighter than ever.

Thankfully, the Lakers have this upcoming game against the Bulls to capitalize on before they face the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. This season, the Bulls have won only 27 games and are entering this one losers of seven of their last 10. They know their playoff hopes are bleak because it’s also not like there’s a good chance that they make the play-in either. Their current injury report perfectly depicts that.

That said, this doesn’t mean it’ll be a giveaway game for the purple and gold. Over the years, Chicago has found a way to upset Los Angeles now and then. But given the state of these two teams right now, there’s really no excuse for the Lakers to lose this one.

The Bulls are one of those handful of teams that are weaker than the Lakers on both offense and defense. The easiest way the Lakers can beat them is to once again overwhelm them with their offense, as they did to the Bulls in January.

LeBron James remains questionable, but the luxury in this scenario is that he can take his time to recover because Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have held things down. That should be the case again on Thursday and likely without Marcus Smart — who has been playing a ton of minutes as of late — expect Luka Kennard and Jake LaRavia to get more burn. It’ll be a great opportunity for the Lakers to continue building on their momentum and rhythm.

For as long as the Lakers play their usual game and approach this one with the same mindset as their last few, this should be another dub for them.

Let’s see if the Lakers can remain perfect in their current five-game home stand on Thursday.

Notes and Updates

• For the Lakers’ injury report, LeBron (right hip contusion and left foot arthritis) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) are questionable.
• Smart (right hip contusion) is doubtful while Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) is probable.
• As for the Bulls, Zach Collins (right toe surgery), Noa Essengue (left shoulder surgery), Jaden Ivey (left patellofemoral pain syndrome) and Anferenee Simons (ulnar styloid francture) are out.
• Guerschon Yabusele (left foot soreness), Patrick Williams (left ankle sprain), Colin Sexton (left fibular head contusion), Issac Okoro (patellofemoral pain syndrome) are questionable.
• Matas Buzelis (right ankle sprain), Josh Giddey (right ankle sprain) and Jalen Smith (left calf strain) are probable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Defending champion Jack Draper beat five-time champ Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) Wednesday night in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

The 24-year-old Draper, who is coming back after missing eight months due to an arm injury, advanced to the quarterfinal round and will face Daniil Medvedev, who beat Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 to advance.

Djokovic led 6-5 in the third set before Draper rallied and forced a tiebreaker.

“I still don’t feel like I’m playing anywhere near the way I want to play," Draper said. "I came out here and I won that match through determination.”

In addition to his win at Indian Wells last year, Draper won the Stuttgart Open and the Vienna Open, both in 2024.

The 38-year-old Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, won at Indian Wells in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016. Djokovic nearly won an 11th Australian Open title earlier this year, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — RJ Godfrey had 11 points and eight rebounds and Clemson rode a red-hot first half to a 71-62 victory over Wake Forest on Wednesday night to reach the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

Fifth-seeded Clemson (23-9) launched 13 3-pointers in the first 12-plus minutes, making seven of them en route to a 29-18 lead. The Tigers finished the first half 9 for 18. Clemson's reserves did much of the damage, making 5 of 6 from deep, and the Tigers led 41-23 at halftime.

The only free throw attempts of the first half were two misses by Clemson's Nick Davidson with 5:42 remaining.

Clemson led 52-32 after 6 1/2 minutes of the second half before the Demon Deacons' Nate Calmese scored nine unanswered points on a 3-pointer, a three-point trip to the free-throw line, and another 3-pointer.

Clemson went back up by 16 with seven minutes remaining, but Wake Forest got within eight points while the Tigers were missing nine straight shots and Godfrey missed the front end of the 1-and-1 three times in a row. Ace Buckner ended the drought with a layup and the Tigers made six free throws in the final 64 seconds to finish it off.

Juke Harris led 13th-seeded Wake Forest (17-16) with 22 points. It was his 33rd consecutive game scoring in double digits, extending his school record. Calmese scored 20 points and Tre’Von Spillers had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Ten players played at least 10 minutes for Clemson and they all scored at least three points although Godfrey was the only one to reach double figures.

Up next

Clemson will play fourth-seeded North Carolina in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — David Punch scored 26 points, Tanner Toolson made a couple of big baskets down the stretch, and sixth-seeded TCU rallied for a 95-88 victory over No. 14 seed Oklahoma State in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.

Toolson finished with 19 points, and Xavier Edmonds had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Horned Frogs (22-10), who have now won nine of their last 10 games heading into a quarterfinal matchup with third-seeded and No. 14 Kansas on Thursday night.

Anthony Roy had 25 points and nine boards for the Cowboys (19-14). Christian Coleman had 15 points and Kanye Clary had 14.

The Horned Frogs swept the regular-season series from Oklahoma State, though neither of them was easy. They won 68-65 on the road on Jan. 20, then won 95-92 at home on Feb. 14 as part of their red-hot finish heading into the postseason.

In other words, the Cowboys were out for some revenge.

Jaylen Curry scored 10 first-half points to help them take a 46-43 lead, then Roy and Coleman went to work. They combined for 17 points while Oklahoma State scored on nine consecutive possessions early in the second half, and Roy's deep 3-pointer from the wing gave them a 67-57 lead and forced TCU coach Jamie Dixon to call timeout with 13 1/2 minutes left in the game.

It seemed to settle the Horned Frogs right down.

They chipped away at their deficit over the next few minutes, finally pulling ahead on Clary's 3-pointer with 5:40 to go. And while the Cowboys managed to answer a couple of times down floor, the Horned Frogs eventually started to pull away.

Punch's bucket made it 89-86 with 2:50 left, and Toolson's 3-pointer moments later doubled a lead they would never give up.

Up next

The Horned Frogs lost to the Jayhawks 104-100 in overtime on Jan. 6 in Allen Fieldhouse.

The Cowboys are longshots to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

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SALT LAKE CITY — There’s something about Utah for Jordan Clarkson. 

Out of the Knicks rotation for most of the last seven weeks, the reserve guard returned to his old home and put on a show, scoring a season-high 27 points off the bench to help the Knicks recover from an 18-point deficit and avoid an ugly defeat to the tanktastic Jazz, 134-117. 

Clarkson, who spent 5 ½ seasons with the Jazz, got a video tribute at the Delta Center and proceeded to take the fans on a trip down memory lane, flashing the microwave scoring that won him the Sixth Man of the Year here in 2021. 

“I spent six years in this arena so the rims are pretty familiar to me,” Clarkson said. “It’s not the first time I’ve been hot in this arena. 

“Just being able to start the flame and keep it going.” 

Clarkson’s performance was necessary amid struggles from his backcourt teammates Wednesday, including another disappearing act from Mikal Bridges (five points, 27 minutes, 2-for-9 shooting, benched again in the fourth quarter) and early struggles from Jalen Brunson. 

Clarkson, 33, keyed the second-half spurt that turned the tables, and the Knicks (42-25) led for the entire fourth quarter while snapping a two-game losing streak. 

“For him to go out and perform the way he did, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” coach Mike Brown said. “And it goes to show he’s not just keeping his body right but his mind is in a good spot to go after coming in when you’re down [18 points] in the first half. So just to see that, you couldn’t ask for anything better. Especially from him, who is a veteran who hasn’t been playing or in the rotation and all of a sudden we need him.” 

Brown credited assistant Mo Cheeks with recommending playing time Wednesday for Clarkson. 

“Mo was the prophet,” Brown said. “He was right on target with it. We needed every single thing that Jordan brought to the table.” 

The first quarter, though, was a disaster for the Knicks. With Josh Hart out and nursing a sore knee, Landry Shamet stepped into the starting five and the Knicks were pummeled. 

They gave up 41 points in the first quarter, with Utah’s Brice Sensabaugh scoring 10 of them in just six minutes. The Knicks trailed by 15 after that opening period. 

The Knicks somewhat recovered in the second quarter behind Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 13 of his 21 points in that period. But the deficit was still nine at the break. 

Then Brunson woke up, Clarkson turned back the clock, and the Jazz returned to being terrible. Brunson scored 18 of his 28 points in the second half. Clarkson shot 10-for-15 in 26 minutes and five big offensive rebounds. 

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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“Really good comeback win,” Brown praised. 

The Jazz (20-46) this season have acted like a family that reached its health insurance deductible. Their players have started racking up medical procedures. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had a growth on his knee removed. Jusuf Nurkic repaired a deviated septum to address his sleeping problems. Walker Kessler had surgery on his shoulder in November. Lauri Markkanen missed his eighth straight game with a hip impingement. They were all out. 

Nobody in the Jazz’s starting lineup Wednesday was older than 22. Ace Bailey, the rookie, is only 19. But they were feisty and hitting their 3-pointers, connecting on 14-of-21 at halftime. 

Then the Jazz looked their age, especially on defense. The Knicks shot 52 percent on the night, racking up 37 assists compared to just 10 turnovers while scoring 78 points in the second half. 

Clarkson said the turnaround was preceded by a halftime message — first from the coaches, then from the players — to “get our s–t together.” 

The game began the easiest stretch of the season for the Knicks, with seven straight opponents currently carrying losing records. Those opponents had a combined winning percentage of 31 percent before Wednesday. 

Still, the Knicks needed to clean up their turnovers from the previous two games — losses to the Clippers and Lakers. 

And while it took them a half, they finally got going offensively. 

Thanks, in large part, to the former Utahn. 

“Clarkson kept us in the game when we were down and then definitely helped us get over the hump with the performance he had,” Brown said. 

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Desmond Bane had a 3-pointer and two free throws in the final 17.4 seconds to cap a 35-point night and help the Orlando Magic hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers 128-122 on Wednesday for their fifth straight victory.

Paolo Banchero added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Magic. Tristan da Silva scored nine of his 23 points in the fourth quarter.

James Harden had 30 points and eights assists for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell added 25 points, hitting a 3-pointer that brought the Cavaliers within two after Orlando led by 13 midway through the fourth quarter.

Bane countered with a 3-pointer as he was falling out of bounds with 17.4 seconds left, then added two free throws with eight seconds remaining.

Three 3-pointers by Keon Ellis, who finished with 20 points, keyed the late comeback of the Cavaliers.

Evan Mobley had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland. The Cavaliers have lost five of nine after winning seven straight.

PELICANS 122, RAPTORS 111

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 28 points, Dejounte Murray added 27 and New Orleans beat Toronto, spoiling Brandon Ingram’s return to the city where he played for six seasons.

Murray had his highest-scoring game since his return from a torn right Achilles tendon that sidelined him for more than a year. Zion Williamson added 19 points for the Pelicans, who have won seven of 10.

In his first game at New Orleans since he was traded to Toronto in February of last year, Ingram finished with 22 points. The 10-year veteran also surpassed 11,000 points for his career.

Immanuel Quickley scored 25 points for Toronto, which has lost six of eight. This defeat dropped the Raptors from fifth to seventh in the Eastern Conference, one-half game behind Orlando and Miami.

Murphy shot 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Both teams made 14 3-pointers, but New Orleans did it on 29 attempts (48.3%) and Toronto needed 44 (31.8%).

KNICKS 134, JAZZ 117

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, Jordan Clarkson had 27 and New York rallied to beat Utah to snap a two-game losing streak.

Brunson also had eight assists and three steals in a game the Knicks trailed 49-31 early in the second quarter. OG Anunoby added 22 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. New York made 17 3-pointers and shot 52% from the field.

Brice Sensabaugh led Utah with 29 points. Ace Bailey added 21, and Keyonte George had 14 points and five assists before leaving midway through the third quarter with a right hamstring injury.

Utah made 11 of its first 13 3-pointers to take the early lead. Brice Sensabaugh, Ace Bailey, and Kevin Love teamed for seven 3s in the first 14 minutes. The Jazz finished 18 of 36 from 3-point range.

The Knicks cut it to single digits before halftime, then took the lead with a 20-4 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. Clarkson punctuated the run with back-to-back baskets to put the Knicks up 101-94 less than a minute into the fourth.

NUGGETS 129, ROCKETS 93

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his 25th triple-double of the season, and Denver beat Houston in a Western Conference showdown.

Jamal Murray scored 30 points for Denver, which holds the tiebreaker over the Rockets after winning the season series 3-1. The Nuggets moved within a half-game of Houston in the bunched-up Western Conference standings.

It was the first time since mid-November Denver has won with its opening-night lineup together. The Nuggets had lost six of 10 out of the All-Star break as head coach David Adelman practices caution with workloads as players return to the lineup.

Jokic completed his 187th career triple-double with his 10th rebound with 4:14 left in the third. It is the 15th time this season he has secured a triple-double before the fourth quarter.

The Rockets, who finished 4 of 33 from behind the arc, were outscored 40-22 in the third. Kevin Durant finished with just 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, his fewest field goal attempts this season.

HORNETS 117, KINGS 109

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half and Charlotte beat Sacramento.

Miles Bridges had 26 points as Charlotte won at Sacramento for the first time in more than two years. Standout rookie Kon Knueppel added 24 points and Brandon Miller scored 20.

DeMar DeRozan scored 39 points for the Kings and moved past Hall of Famer Tim Duncan into 18th place on the NBA’s career scoring list with 26,505 points. Duncan, a 15-time All-Star, had 26,496 points in 19 seasons.

Ball shot 10 of 22 and made six 3-pointers. He had six rebounds and five assists.

The Hornets trailed much of the first half but began taking control in the third quarter. Bridges’ alley-oop pass to Miller gave Charlotte an 88-83 lead, and White’s three-point play early in the fourth made it 99-88.

After the Kings got within 108-100 with three minutes remaining, Bridges made a floater. Ball then hit his sixth 3-pointer of the night and added a pair of free throws to help Charlotte close it out.

Nique Clifford had 18 points and seven assists for the Kings, who were attempting to win their third straight for the first time since early January.

CLIPPERS 153, TIMBERWOLVES 128

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points and Los Angeles routed Minnesota, moving above .500 with their third straight victory and sixth in seven games.

Eighth in the Western Conference at 33-32 after opening 6-21, the Clippers had their highest points total of the season. They blew out Minnesota after beating New York on Monday night to open a five-game homestand.

Leonard was 15 of 20 from the the field, 6 of 9 on 3s and made 9 of 10 free throws. Los Angeles made 19 of 37 3s.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 22 points for Los Angeles. Clippers newcomer Darius Garland had 21, hitting five 3-pointers.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 36 points and Naz Reid had 18.

Minnesota dropped to sixth in the tight Western Conference, but only a half-game behind the third-place Lakers. The Timberwolves have lost three in a row after winning five straight. They lost to the Lakers on Tuesday night to open four-game trip.

This was supposed to be a get-right game. After losing twice in Los Angeles, the Knicks (42*-25) had a golden opportunity to flex their muscles against the Western Conference’s second-worst team, the Jazz (20-46). Instead, a poor defensive effort let Utah hit nearly everything from downtown in the first half (14 threes) and New York fell behind by as many as 18 points before intermission. After trailing 65-56 at halftime, the Knicks gradually came to life in a 40-point third quarter and finally pushed the lead to 22 in the fourth. Final score, 134-117.

The Delta Center gave a nice tribute to former Jazzman, Jordan Clarkson. Quoth Jslashnoel, “Clarkson’s professionalism is pretty awesome.” Mike Brown said in his presser that Mo Cheeks had suggested playing Clarkson more heavily tonight. Good advice, indeed, as J.C. recorded a season high 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting.

The game didn’t start great. The younger, springier Jazz jumped out to an early lead, causing Coach Brown to take a timeout before a full two minutes had passed. The ‘Bockers stood around while Brice Sensabaugh (29 PTS, 5 RBS) swished three triples and netted his team an 8-point lead. When Ace Bailey (who was listed on the early injury report) swished a corner three, Sensabaugh blindsided Jalen Brunson (28 PTS, 8 AST) with a flagrant-one foul. The Knicks scored four points as a result, but then they allowed yet another triple and a layup.

surgical with the dime 👨‍⚕️🪙 pic.twitter.com/yANR0EaDdW

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 12, 2026

After surrendering another—you guessed it—three-pointer to Bailey (21 PTS), New York found themselves down by 10.

Late in the half, the mouldering bones of Kevin Love (6 PTS, 6 RBS) rattled into the game. Guess what? He hit a three. The team with the league’s 22nd-ranked three-point shooting percentage made 9-of-11 from deep in the first quarter, including a leisurely buzzer-beater by Isaiah Collier for a 41-26 score.

Jordan Clarkson nice paint bucket pic.twitter.com/2UQytVOHnr

— Knicks Highlights (@KnicksClipss) March 12, 2026

During the break between quarters, the Knicks must have decided to let Elijah Harkless into the three-point party. As if in a practice shooting drill, Harkless lined up his shot and swished. Then Love drilled another. At the 10:30 mark, Mike Brown needed another timeout.

From there, the visitors went on a 13-3 run, powered by Karl-Anthony Towns (21 PTS, 7 RBS, 7 AST), Clarkson, and Mohamed Diawara (10 PTS). After taking a breather, Sensabaugh hit again from the corner because no one could have possibly guessed that they’d have a shooter waiting in the corner . . . and then he did it again. And then Keyonte George hit from the same spot. And then, down by 12, Brown needed another timeout.

Utah Jazz’s Brice Sensabaugh steals Mikal Bridges’ celebration…

Knicks down at the half. pic.twitter.com/HdIHvrfPwJ

— Knicks Fan TV 🏀🎥📺🏁 (@KnicksFanTv) March 12, 2026

In the final two minutes of the period, Bridges missed twice, Brunson missed twice—and turned the ball over—blowing multiple opportunities to narrow the score. Instead, they went into intermission behind, 65-56.

The Jazz had outshot the Knicks from the field (53% to 40%) and yard (67% to 35%). Rebounds were essentially even, and both teams had turned the ball over (Utah 10, Knicks 7), but the youngsters had run rings around the New Yorkers (21 fast-break points to 2). At the half, Sensabaugh led all scorers with 17 points. For the guests, Towns had 15 points but probably should have had more against a weak frontcourt.

give me some MO‼️ pic.twitter.com/5xnwsM7DLi

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 12, 2026

At halftime, Danny Ainge must have called the locker room to remind the Jazzies that they’re supposed to be tanking. In the third, the home team continued to score (George, Williams, and Kule Filipowski all got on the board), but they gave New York plenty of chances to catch up. Brunson did his part, with a three and a step-back jumper, and KAT added a layup. It wasn’t until later in the quarter that New York finally gained some momentum. Cap knocked down another three, a pull-up jumper, a late-quarter bucket, and a free throw, steadily chipping away at the deficit. OG Anunoby (22 PTS, 2 STL, 1 BLK) contributed at both ends (hitting a corner three, drawing fouls, and adding a block and a steal), Clarkson added six points, and Mitchell Robinson (13 RBS, 6 PTS) dominated the glass with a string of o-boards. With a steady push, our heroes climbed all the way back to cut the deficit to 96-94 by the break.

In the fourth frame, Clarkson continued to perform for his former fans. With a diet of dimes from Jose Alvarado (7 AST, 4 PTS, 2 STL), Jordan hit thrice from deep and twice at the rim for a new season high. Sensabaugh continued his strong night with a jumper and a floater, while New York stayed close with hustle plays: OG Anunoby’s transition dunk, Jose Alvarado’s runner, and a Mitchell Robinson alley-oop. Midway through the quarter, the Knicks finally put a lid on the game. KAT slammed an alley-oop dunk, Landry Shamet (7 PTS, 3-5 FG starting for an injured Josh Hart) hit a three, and Brunson added another from yard, capping a definitive run that pushed their lead to 22. Soon after, the benches were emptied, and when Clarkson checked out for the night, he received one more ovation from the crowd. Good stuff.

Up Next

The five-game road trip draws to a conclusion on Friday in Indiana. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but NBA Cup final wins self-destruct after opening.

The Jazz’s hot start wasn’t enough to overcome the Knicks. The season is almost over, stay strong Jazz nation! Hopefully all these losses will be worth it and Utah will finally jump in the lottery, but until then all we can do is watch the games and hope for the best.

Keyonte George –B+

Keyonte’s night ended early as he pulled his hamstring in the third quarter. He had a solid night moving the ball well and shooting efficiently. The Jazz should exercise extreme caution and sit him for the rest of the season.

Ace Bailey –A-

Bailey was a +3 in a 17 point loss while playing 36 minutes. He shot well from deep, going 5-10, and continues to be aggressive. He had an impressive finger roll layup that really illustrated his growth as a player. A few months ago he would have tried to pull up and take a jumper, or drive to the basket and try to throw it down. He continues to show just how high his potential is, and just how much of an athletic freak he is.

Brice Sensabaugh – A-

Sensabaugh did his best Jordan Clarkson impression tonight. He scored 29 on efficient shooting splits, and also added 5 boards and 5 assists. He had two particularly impressive assists to Cody. Hopefully this version of Brice becomes the new normal. If he can continue to play like this he will absolutely have a role on this Jazz team going forward.

Cody Williams –B

A very efficient shooting night for Cody, going 4/5 and making his lone 3-pointer. He also had a block. Cody had more ball handling duties tonight, and I thought he did a pretty good job handling it.

Kyle Filipowski –B+

Flip was aggressive and shot well tonight. He also did a good job getting his teammates involved, as he had 5 assists to go with his 7 rebounds and 15 points. He did get into foul trouble very early in the game which limited his effectiveness.

Kevin Love –B

I’m convinced that Kevin Love will be able to grab rebounds at an elite level until he’s 50. In just 10 minutes he grabbed 6 rebounds. Never change Kevin.

Isaiah Collier –C-

Collier missed a gimme layup on a fast break, and also had a tough shooting night, going 4-11. He did have 5 assists in just 19 minutes, but that’s pretty standard for Collier. We know what he can do when he is a starter, and it appears he will be going forward due to Keyonte’s injury, so I’m not worried about his performance tonight.

Oscar Tshiebwe – C-

It was a bit of a tough night for Tshiebwe as he only had one rebound and two points in —- minutes. I just don’t see a real role for him on the roster next year. The Jazz may be wise to consider giving some minutes to Mo Bamba to see what they have in him.

Andersson Garcia –B

Welcome to the NBA Andersson Garcia! Garcia had a ridiculous block and was hustling all night. He did miss two fairly easy layups but we can chalk that up to first game nerves. 6 points and 9 boards is a pretty impressive first outing. Hopefully we will see more for Garcia in the next few games.

Elijah Harkless –C

Rough shooting night for Harkless, but his defensive effort makes up for it. He plays with so much intensity and hustle that I think he has made a strong case for a roster spot, and maybe a few minutes a night next season. If he can become a more consistent shooter, watch out.

I can remember driving southbound on Utah’s I-15 as the music from my stereo was drowned out by the hum of an approaching vehicle that was clearly far more powerful than my humble, practical sedan. My jaw tumbled into my lap as a dark blur formed into a Lamborghini — and it was going to catch me.

Whoa, I said out loud. Who in the state of Utah is out here whipping a Lambo?

I thought I had gotten my answer as the roaring thunder rolled past me. Peering through the tinted windows, my eyeline caught the driver, but I simply couldn’t believe what the picture was struggling to communicate to my brain. Him? I had to get a closer look. Pressing down on the accelerator, I attempted to make up the gap for a second glance.

Sure enough, as I matched my speed to the rare sight, and inconspicuously (ish) stared over at the neighboring driver. My first impression was correct: that was Jordan Clarkson.

Clarkson made his first return to Utah since joining the New York Knicks this offseason. One of the final remaining artifacts of the pre-tanking Jazz, Clarkson stood out on the Jazz much like a Lamborghini in Central Utah. He’s stylish and flashy in a community that is largely conservative and muted. He was a firework in the night sky, and his tendency to stand out made him an instant fan-favorite. He spent six seasons with the Jazz — the longest stint of any one team in his career, and his return to the Salt Lake Valley was incredibly emotional.

JC got his ovation as he checked into the game for the first time, but now, as a competitor, his individual style arrived in direct opposition to the organization he had called home since 2019. He knows his way around the Delta Center floor and scooped in score after score in the Knicks’ win with 27 points on 10/15 shooting.

In fact, it was the Jazz who lit the flamethrower out of the gate, jumping far out ahead on 14-18 three-point shooting to open the night, pushing ahead to lead by 18 points in the second quarter.

It was all Jazz for the first half, keeping the visiting Knicks at bay until Keyonte George grabbed at his right hamstring. George knew his night was over the moment he felt a tug. Clutching at the back of his thigh and hobbling into the locker room, Keyonte wouldn’t return in this one.

The Jazz’s barricade had broken. As head coach Will Hardy remarked in the post-game press conference, “It was a tale of two halves.”

The Knicks finally wrestled the win out of their hosts’ possession once George left the game, leading at the end of the third quarter and outscoring the Jazz 38-23 in the fourth quarter to win comfortably, 134-117.

Tonight marked another arrival in Utah, as newly signed Andersson Garcia took the floor for the first time in the NBA. Garcia, claiming number 0 in Taylor Hendricks’ absence, was a critical player for the G-League Best Mexico City Capitanes. Will Hardy wasted no time giving Garcia NBA minutes, and he did well, scoring 6 points, collecting 9 rebounds (6 offensive), plus a steal and a block in 24 minutes.

Andersson Garcia, newly signed to a 10-day, gets 1st NBA bucket 🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/oWoasczSOC

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 12, 2026

Garcia was incredibly active on the offensive glass, scrapping and swinging as he cleaned up missed shots, batting out 50/50 balls against the New York frontcourt, and putting up his own second-chance attempts. He took no plays off at the defensive end and placed his fingerprints all over the box score despite apparently still figuring out where he fits in Will Hardy’s game plan.

Brice Sensabaugh led all scorers with 29 points on 6-11 three-point shooting. After the Jazz mostly cooled off in the second half, Ice Brice maintained the flame. The better team took control in the final frame and took off as crunch time approached. Utah falls to 20-45 with this loss, giving the Jazz the NBA’s fifth-worst record.

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Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.

The predominant narrative surrounding the Toronto Raptors lately has been that they struggle against good teams while beating up on the bad ones. 

The good news from tonight is that the Raptors broke free from that pattern. The bad news? Well, you know the bad news.

The New Orleans Pelicans, who entered the game with a 21-45 record, handed the Raptors a 122-111 loss — their first loss to a sub-.500 team since January 16.

To put it bluntly, this was bad. Really, really bad. And as TSN’s Josh Lewenberg put it, the upstart 2013-14 Raptors vibes are starting to give way to darker, ultimately disappointing 2014-15 Raptors vibes.

The team is now 4-6 in their last 10 games. At 36-29, they find themselves in the East’s seventh seed, right back in the cursed play-in spot where they languished for a couple years before trading away/losing the Siakam/Anunoby/VanVleet core. 

Some of the Raptors’ weaknesses were on full display in this one. They shot just 14/44 from behind the arc, missing a bunch of great looks down the stretch that would’ve kept them in it. They also lost the size matchup, and were outrebounded 62-48. They turned the ball over 11 times, which is solid — but there were some bad, fully avoidable ones in the mix thanks to some sloppy play.

This game had plenty of bad moments. Notably, there was Yves Missi’s monster block leading to a Zion Williamson windmill dunk that had us lamenting the Keshad Johnson/Jase Richardson dunk contests. 

But perhaps the most disheartening moment of the loss was when Dejounte Murray punked Jamal Shead after he dropped him and hit a three to make it 119-101. Sure, the game was over by that point — but nobody other than Immanuel Quickley seemed remotely bothered by Murray taunting Shead so profusely. The Raptors have long been in desperate need of better shooters. But that moment accentuated the team’s need for some Dudes Who Are Nasty (that’s the scientific term).

DEJOUNTE MURRAY DROPPED JAMAL SHEAD, KNOCKED DOWN THE 3, AND STARTED TWEAKING

😭😭😭

pic.twitter.com/kjnIdkHgXm

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) March 12, 2026

This was not the return to New Orleans that Brandon Ingram had in mind. Ingram played a solid individual game, scoring 22 points along with six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Quickley was also carrying the team at times, and finished with 25 points on 8/14 shooting. 

But overall this was an underperformance.

Scottie Barnes was held to just nine points, and returned to his shooting slump with a ⅙ three-point shooting night. He made no field goals in the second half. 

The first half wasn’t great — you’d like to be beating the Pelicans — but the Raptors were down just 60-58 at the half. 

Then the Pelicans blew the doors off. They capitalized on a Raptors scoring drought to take an eventual 88-70 lead, picking up an Ingram frustration technical foul along the way. Despite getting their heads bashed in within a couple minutes of the quarter starting, Darko Rajakovic did not call a timeout until the 4:47 remaining mark, by which point the Raptors were down by 15. Rajakovic went with Jamison Battle to try and get some shooting on the floor, but it took another couple minutes to stop the bleeding.

It also took the Raptors a full three quarters to match Bam Adebayo’s scoring total last night (83). (2005-06 Raptors, you are relieved of your duties!)

Thanks to a couple timely Shead threes and some defensive stops, the Raptors had closed the gap to 93-83 by the end of the quarter. With a quick flurry out of the fourth quarter gate — a Quickley three and an RJ Barrett fastbreak layup — they brought the lead down to 93-88. It seemed that the Raptors had weathered the storm and would have essentially a whole quarter to make up the five-point deficit. 

But the jaws of defeat were strong. 

The Pelicans benefited from a great shooting night, going 14/29 (48%) from beyond the arc. Murray, of punking Shead fame, played a great game, scoring 27 points with five boards and six assists. Trey Murphy scored 27 points and went ⅝ from three — some of which were more open than you’d like, thanks to some lagging defensive rotations. Herb Jones dropped 16 and shot 4/6 from three. Yves Missi was more physical than Jakob Poeltl, picking up 10 rebounds and two blocks in just 19 minutes.

There aren’t many excuses for this performance. The Raptors were about as healthy as it gets, with only rookie Collin Murray-Boyles missing from the rotation. And yes, they were on the second night of a back-to-back on the road. But this game was on the schedule as one that the team ought to win. 

Instead, they were thoroughly embarrassed by one of the league’s worst teams — and now, the Raptors are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.