Category: Basketball

No. 20 Miami (Ohio) has finished a perfect regular season, and its athletic director believes it “should cement” the RedHawks as an NCAA Tournament team.

The last remaining undefeated team in men's college basketball capped off a 31-0 campaign with a wild overtime win against rival Ohio on Friday, March 6. Despite five technical fouls and 14 made 3-pointers from the Bobcats, the RedHawks didn't falter.

Down by one point with less than 30 seconds left in overtime, star guard Peter Suder drew a foul with 12 seconds left to get to the free throw line. Ohio had a chance to retake the lead in the final seconds, but was unable to get a basket. The RedHawks added a free throw and the Bobcats couldn't hit the last-second 3-pointer to seal a 110-108 win for the RedHawks.

With the victory, Miami is the fifth team this century to have a perfect regular season, last accomplished by Gonzaga in 2020-21. It also snapped a 14-game losing streak at Ohio, last winning at the Bobcats’ home arena in 2011.

The undefeated record has put the RedHawks at the center of an NCAA Tournament debate, focused on whether the mid-major team needs the automatic bid to get a spot in the big dance.

On the surface, they have the qualifications. A 31-0 record is hard to ignore, and the tournament selection committee has never done so. Since the tournament expanded in 1985, no team with more than 28 wins has ever missed out on March Madness, and a squad with less than four losses has always made it. Now, the most Miami can lose before Selection Sunday is one game.

It’s why athletic director David Sayler said the victory over the Bobcats virtually punches the RedHawks' ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

“An undefeated season, it has to matter, right?” Sayler told USA TODAY Sports. “Otherwise, why wouldn't we just play three days in (the MAC tournament) and the winner goes to the (NCAA) tournament and forget the regular season if you're not going to take an undefeated team?"

“It should cement it,” he added.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Jackson Blake scored twice, K’Andre Miller had three assists and the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 on Friday night for their seventh victory in eight games.

Nikolaj Ehlers added a goal and an assist, and Shayne Gostisbehere, Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal also scored, and Frederik Andersen made 13 saves. The Hurricanes are 40-16-6 overall, going 16-2-3 in their last 21.

Zach Hyman scored twice for Edmonton, and Vasily Podkolzin added a goal. The Oilers have lost six of eight to fall to 30-25-8.

Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots for Edmonton.

Ehlers has five goals in his last three games, hitting the 20-goal mark Friday for the ninth time in his 11 NHL campaigns.

Oilers star Connor McDavid picked up an assist to extend his points streak to six games.

Up next

Hurricanes: At Calgary on Saturday night.

Oilers: At Vegas on Sunday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Phoenix Suns needed a response after an abysmal performance against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. They delivered one, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 118-116. It was a little more uncomfortable than it needed to be, as Phoenix allowed 35 points in the fourth quarter while scoring only 26. Still, the result is what matters. The Suns secured their 36th win of the season, matching their total from a year ago.

Devin Booker led the charge with 32 points, shooting 10-of-21 from the field and 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. Collin Gillespie added 12 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds. Jalen Green looked far more comfortable, scoring 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting and 3-of-9 from deep. Grayson Allen chipped in 12 points and 8 assists, and the Suns received positive minutes from rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming.

New Orleans pushed throughout the night, especially in the closing minutes. All five Pelicans starters finished in double figures. They scored 54 points in the paint, which was 20 more than Phoenix managed. The difference came from the perimeter. The Suns knocked down 23 three pointers, a number that ultimately carried them to the win.

The two point victory completed a season sweep of the Pelicans and moved Phoenix to within one and a half games of the Los Angeles Lakers for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

Game Flow

First Half

The Suns’ offense opened the Chicago game looking completely inert. Possessions stalled, shots did not fall, and the rhythm never appeared. Against New Orleans, the opening stretch felt different.

Phoenix looked organized. The ball moved with purpose. Shots started dropping. They opened the game on a 7-0 run, a quick burst that set the tone early. New Orleans answered with a 7-0 run of its own, although the Suns still looked far more fluid than they did the night before.

Jalen Green set that tone early by applying pressure at the rim. He attacked downhill, forced the defense to react, and turned those drives into trips to the free throw line.

Green ended the first quarter with 8 points on 3-of-7 shooting. 

We once again saw first quarter minutes for Khaman Maluach. That continues to be part of his development curve. One thing he clearly needs to clean up is his movement on screens. He was called for an offensive foul when he shifted during a pick, and that marks the second time in two games where it has happened. That is the kind of detail young bigs learn over time, understanding when to hold position and when to release.

The offense began to wane as the quarter drew to a close. The team shot 4-of-13 (30.8%) from beyond the arc and the bench unit certainly didn’t help as they came in and went 1-of-6. Thankfully, New Orleans shot under 40% as a team.

After one, the Suns trailed 29-26.

Phoenix put together a 10-2 run early in the second quarter, and Oso Ighodaro played a big role in that stretch on the offensive end. That element is key. Having someone who can attack the interior adds another dimension to the offense. It gives the Suns a pressure point near the rim instead of becoming a team that stands around the arc firing three pointers all night.

Phoenix pushed the lead to five early in the quarter, although New Orleans answered midway through the period with a 7-0 run. That stretch arrived when the ball began sticking in Jalen Green’s hands, and the rhythm of the offense slowed down.

Green still produced in the quarter. He scored 10 points in the quarter, putting him at 18 for the half. He finished the period 2-of-6 from the field, both makes coming from beyond the arc, and he went 4-of-4 from the line.

Devin Booker eventually took more control of the offense, and the game began to settle for Phoenix. The Suns responded with an 8-0 run, and the lead continued to grow. It reached 10 with under two minutes remaining in the half. Booker closed the first half with 7 points and 4 assists.

Zion Williamson added four points during the final minute of the half, part of his 15 first-half points, which trimmed the margin. Phoenix headed into the locker room with a six-point advantage. Oso Ighodaro had 10 points, and Royce O’Neale, who was questionable to play, had 6 rebounds.

The Suns outscored New Orleans 32-23 in the second quarter and carried a 58-52 lead into halftime.

Second Half

Royce O’Neale opened the third quarter with a quick five points in the first couple of minutes. The burst forced Pelicans head coach James Borrego to call an early timeout as the Suns pushed their lead to nine.

The timeout helped settle New Orleans. They responded with a 10-2 run of their own and quickly chipped into the margin.

The Pelicans began attacking the rim with even more aggression during that stretch, and it created problems for Oso Ighodaro. With 5:52 left in the third quarter he picked up his fifth foul, which meant the Suns would lean on rookie Khaman Maluach for extended minutes.

Devin Booker steadied the group with a lineup that featured Grayson Allen alongside the young trio of Maluach, Ryan Dunn, and Rasheer Fleming. That unit started to find rhythm. Phoenix strung together an 11-0 run, capped by a Devin Booker three. Fleming knocked down a three during the run as well, giving the offense another spark.

Rasheer Fleming knocked down another three. Khaman Maluach rejected an Yves Missi attempt at the rim. I was sitting there smiling like an idiot watching it unfold.

The third turned into the Devin Booker show. He poured in 18 points and caught absolute fire. Booker went 6-of-9 from the field in the period and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Every possession started to bend in Phoenix’s direction once he found that rhythm.

The Suns scored 34 points in the quarter, shooting 45.8% from the field and 6-of-17 from deep.

After three quarters, Phoenix held an 11 point lead, 92-81.

The fourth quarter opened with the teams trading buckets, and Jalen Green carrying much of the scoring load for Phoenix early in the period. He had five of the Suns’ first 10 points in the quarter.

He also delivered a nice pass to Khaman Maluach inside, which is something this team still needs to get more comfortable with. The Suns are not used to having a true interior presence. There were multiple possessions where Maluach had position near the rim and the entry pass never arrived, or the pass came late and off target.

Dejounte Murray, who is working his way back after the Achilles injury that ended his season last year, kept probing the Suns defense throughout the fourth quarter. He stayed patient with the ball, poking and prodding until he found a seam. He kept New Orleans within striking distance as the clock passed four minutes left. Suns were up by 9.

The Pelicans had their chances. Shots were not falling, although they continued to extend possessions by grabbing offensive rebounds. As the quarter moved toward the final moments, the game tightened.

Dejounte Murray kept applying pressure, probing the defense and keeping New Orleans within striking distance. With 11.7 seconds left, Saddiq Bey stepped to the line and hit a pair of free throws, trimming the Suns lead to 114-113.

Grayson Allen answered on the other end. He calmly sank two free throws of his own with 9.8 seconds remaining, pushing the lead back to three. Phoenix then chose to foul Zion Williamson. Only 1.2 seconds came off the clock in the process. Williamson missed the first free throw, then knocked down the second.

The Pelicans then fouled Devin Booker. The foul game is always a thrill, right. One minute on the clock somehow turns into twenty.

Booker stepped to the line and knocked down both free throws, pushing the lead to four with 7.8 seconds remaining. Herb Jones answered quickly with a bucket to keep the pressure on. New Orleans nearly stole the ensuing inbound pass, although Phoenix managed to secure it and close the door.

The Suns held on and secured their 36th win of the season.

Up Next

The next opponent for Phoenix is one of the best stories in the NBA this season, the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte has been on an absolute heater lately. They may have dropped a game tonight against the Miami Heat, although that loss came after a six game winning streak that had people around the league starting to pay attention. That team is playing with confidence right now, and they are going to arrive in Phoenix believing they can keep that momentum rolling.

See you Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Desiree Wooten had 21 points, Zyanna Walker scored 19 and Colorado upset No. 20 Baylor 62-53 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament on Friday night.

No. 6 seed Colorado will play 15th-ranked West Virginia, the No. 2 seed, in a semifinal matchup on Saturday. No. 1 seed TCU plays No. 12 seed Kansas State in the other semi after the Wildcats upset No. 4 seed Oklahoma State 74-73 in the day’s first quarterfinal.

Wooten came off the bench to make 8 of 16 shots with three 3-pointers for the Buffaloes (22-10), who advanced to a conference semifinal for the first time in 11 years. She added five rebounds and three assists. Reserve Logyn Greer had nine points and four boards.

Taliah Scott scored 14 points to pace the third-seeded Lady Bears (24-8). Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had 10 points and 10 rebounds, while reserve Kyla Abraham added 10 points and six boards.

Tabitha Betson and Wooten hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cap a 10-0 run, Wooten followed with another 3 and the Buffaloes led 20-10 after one quarter.

Walker connected from beyond the arc to give Colorado its largest lead at 31-14 with six minutes left in the second period before settling for a 37-25 advantage at halftime.

Walker had seven points and Colorado maintained a double-digit lead through the third quarter, leading 54-40. The Buffaloes never let Baylor within two possessions in the final period.

Colorado, which has won two straight and seven of nine, avenged a 56-52 road loss to then-No. 16 Baylor on Jan. 8. The Lady Bears have lost two straight and four of seven.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball.

Up next

?????

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball.

On Thursday, the Nuggets (39-25) played a hard-fought game against the Lakers. The after-effects were apparent tonight, as they were far more winded than the visiting Knicks (41*-23). Add to their woes a Jamal Murray injury in the first half and a scorching performance by OG Anunoby, and the Nuggets were waving a white flag with plenty of time remaining in the third quarter. With traffic-beaters leaving the Ball Arena in the fourth, the Knicks fans got rowdy in the house, cheering the final score: 142-103. That’s the Knicks’ largest margin of victory over Denver ever, and they did it against the NBA’s top-rated offense. Quoth AL_Joe.NY, “A complete demolition!”

Anunoby scored a career-high 40 points at Ball Arena last season. He stood a good chance of matching that, if this game didn’t become a blowout early in the fourth. Playing 32 minutes, OG finished with season-high 34 points, seven boards, five assists, four steals, and a block on 11-of-17 shooting, 6-of-11 from deep. He didn’t destroy Denver alone, however. Karl-Anthony Towns helped, with 17 points and 13 boards in just 27 minutes; Mitchell Robinson posted 13 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes; and the team finished with a season-high 44 assists, 15 of which came from Jalen Brunson.

The game didn’t start so hot, however. Just 1:47 into the game and two Nuggets baskets prompted coach Mike Brown to call a timeout. The Knicks were slow on rebounds, and the timeout didn’t help. They missed six straight shots while watching Denver romp on an 11-0 run.

Gradually, the Knicks assembled a tidy run of their own, cutting the deficit to four on a Robinson three-point play. Mohamed Diawara (4 PTS) replaced Anunoby midway through the quarter and hounded Jamal Murray (12 PTS). Denver continued to crash the glass, though, creating second looks for themselves and denying them for the Knicks. Nikola Jokić (38 PTS, 8 RBS, 7 AST) steadily produced as usual, racking up 10 points, four boards, and four assists in the frame. The visitors fell behind by nine again before Josh Hart (18 PTS, 5 RBS), who was questionable with back spasms, pushed the pace for a layup with three minutes left. The contingent of Knicks fans at the Ball Arena gave their full-throated approval.

After a timeout, Coach Brown tried an assortment of Brunson (9 PTS, 3-of-13 FG), Jose Alvarado (4 PTS, 3 AST, 11 MIN), Landry Shamet (10 PTS), Anunoby, and Robinson. A Shamet triple, an Anunoby steal, and a Robinson buzzer beater cut the score to 29-27 going into period two. Nine points and three boards for Mitch in six minutes!

The Knicks started the second frame with a 7-4 run. Neither team could make their three-pointers, with New York making 2-of-10 and Denver making 2-0f-17 with four minutes gone in Q2. Switching tactics, the ‘Bockers began hammering the paint, with drives by Towns, Shamet, Anunoby, and Bridges all paying dividends and putting the Knicks ahead by five on a 10-1 run.

Aaron Gordon, playing his first game since reinjuring his hamstring on January 21, had minimal impact. He finished with three points and three boards in 17 minutes.

New York’s defense intensified. Towns and Shamet drew offensive fouls on Jonas Valančiūnas. Anunoby hit back-to-back triples to extend the lead to nine. Denver coach David Adelman tried zone defense, but crisp passing found Robinson easily under the cup. Then Mikal Bridges (9 PTS, 3 BLK) blocked Murray from behind, sprinted downcourt, and finished Hart’s pass with a running dunk.

With a minute left in the half, Murray backpedaled onto Jokić’s ankle, badly twisting it and forcing the All-Star from the game. The Knicks finished the half strong, taking a 65-52 lead into intermission.

The secret to the Knicks’ first-half success was physicality. The teams shot essentially the same (47% to 45%), but New York bullied Denver in the paint (42-28) and on the glass (28-19), and committed just two turnovers. Both sides were atrocious from three: New York 4-for-18, Denver 2-for-19. Jokić led the first-half scorers with 21, while Anunoby topped the Knicks with 14.

After two giveaways in the first half, the Knicks coughed up the rock twice in the first two minutes post-intermission. They redeemed that sloppiness with treys from KAT, Hart, and Anunoby, who was on fire. And their defense continued to stonewall the Nuggets in the paint, with Mikal standing especially tall among a lot of bodies. When OG laced another three-pointer midway through the frame, Adelman needed a timeout to discuss his team’s 15-point hole. Two minutes later, the Knicks were up by 19, and the vexed coach called for time again. Two minutes after that, the differential was 23, and Adelman started thinking about his postgame meal options.

With a minute to go, Brunson converted from deep to take a 26-point lead. Then OG deflected a Bruce Brown pass and received a dime from Diawara for a reverse flush at the rim for a 28-point advantage. When the buzzer sounded, the visitors were ahead, 105-80.

With 8:30 left in the contest, Coach Brown emptied the bench. Tyler Kolek, Alvarado, Pacome Dadiet, Jeremy Sochan, and Diawara came on to close out the dub. Usually there’s not a lot to report from garbage time, but take a look at Dadiet, making the most of his handful of minutes by making X three-pointers and a dunk for 11 points. And check out Tyler Kolek with eight assists in eight minutes! The Knicks played top-notch defense against the league’s top offense, someone other than Brunson scored 30 points, and they were able to rest the starters for most of the final period? Doesn’t get much better than that.

Up Next

Our heroes visit Los Angeles to challenge the Lakers on Sunday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers

Box Score

* Should be one more. We wuz robbed.

OG Anunoby scored 34 points and led the Knicks to a dominant 142-103 win over the Nuggets on Friday night in the first game of the team's West Coast trip.

Here are the takeaways...

- The Denver crowd was loud, especially to see the return of Aaron Gordon. They erupted when Gordon dunked to give Denver an early 4-2 lead, and coach Mike Brown called a timeout less than two minutes into this contest. Whatever was said didn't wake up the sluggish Knicks, as Denver scored seven straight points. New York would settle in on the offensive end, thanks to the energy from Josh Hart, who was questionable (back) before the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two fouls midway through the first and had to sit. That allowed Mitchell Robinson some early minutes, and his teammates fed him often, as the big man scored a team-high nine first quarter points. After trailing by nine, the Knicks cut the Nuggets' lead to just two at the end of one. 

Landry Shamet had six points on 2-of-3 from three, but the Knicks as a whole had trouble shooting it from long distance, going just 2-of-9 from three after one. 

- Towns returned to the floor to start the second and he took over. The big man drove to the basket and was drawing fouls even on the defensive end. And then it was Anunoby scoring seven straight points, including a step-back three with a defender all over him in the corner to give the Knicks a 53-44 lead with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first half. 

The Knicks would build an 11-point lead with a minute to go when Anunoby drove into the lane for a slam, but was called for an offensive foul when Jamal Murray went backward. Murray stepped on Nikola Jokic's foot as he went back and twisted his ankle and had to be helped into the locker room. The Knicks challenged the call and got the call overturned and went into halftime with a 65-52 lead.

Anunoby led the Knicks with 14 points and Robinson had 13 but picked up three fouls trying to guard Jokic. The Nuggets All-Star had a game-high 21 points at the half, but the Knicks defense was great. Denver shot 45 percent in the first half, including 2-for-19 from three. The Knicks weren't much better from three (4-18) but were 48 percent from the field. 

- The third quarter was similar to the second. Without Murray on the floor -- he did not return -- the Nuggets could not find consistent scoring outside of Jokic. And the Knicks did a good job of forcing Jokic to shoot threes, limiting how many points the former MVP can put up. On the offensive end, Anunoby's hot shooting carried over into the third as he put up 14 points in the frame while playing his patented defense. 

New York finished the third up 105-80. 

- Anunoby and the Knicks came out firing in the fourth, hitting three after three and building a 30-point lead with nine minutes to go. The Nuggets waved the white flag and emptied the bench, and the Knicks did the same.

Anunoby finished with a team-high 34 points on 11-for-17 shooting (6-of-11 from three) to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and one block. 

Jalen Brunson (9) and Mikal Bridges (9) were the only starters not to score in double digits. Brunson dished out 15 assists and came down with three rebounds. Towns scored 17 to go with his 13 rebounds while Hart was second on the team with 18 points on 8 of 12 shooting (2-for-4 from three). He also had five rebounds and two assists. 

- Jokic had a game-high 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting but was just 1-for-7 from three. He had eight rebounds and five assists. The Nuggets as a whole shot 7-of-34 from three.

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Anunoby did it all and filled up the stat line to get the Knicks back in the win column.

Highlights

Alley-oop to Robinson! pic.twitter.com/eTACWsVIjw

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 7, 2026

OG lobs it to Mitch! 💪 pic.twitter.com/yPyEFc9OYI

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 7, 2026

KAT lines up the triple 🎯 pic.twitter.com/HQYBrwsmeE

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 7, 2026

OG with the hot hand 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ICGEgrgvzJ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 7, 2026

What's next

The Knicks continue their West Coast trip by heading to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers. Tip is set for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

The Boston Celtics' newly acquired center, Nikola Vucevic, hit the locker room early and did not return after suffering an injury in Friday's game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Vucevic was ruled out with a right ring finger fracture, the team's PR staff reported on social media.

He was injured at the 4:35 mark in the first quarter of the contest after receiving a low post entry pass from Payton Pritchard.

Vucevic was being guarded by Mavericks center Moussa Cisse when Mavs teammate Khris Middleton went to help and took a swipe at Boston's big man, making contact with his hand. No foul was called.

Vucevic passed the ball back to Pritchard before fading to the corner. After Pritchard turned the ball over, Dallas went back and scored on the other end.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla called a timeout at the 4:21 mark, and seemingly discussed the no-call with an official, as the Mavericks took a 13-12 lead.

CHICAGO (AP) — Brock Boeser batted the puck in to break a tie at 2:40 of the third period and the NHL-worst Vancouver Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Friday night to end a seven-game losing streak that started in January.

Boeser smacked the puck past Arvid Soderblom after Linus Karlsson's cross-ice feed ramped up the goalie's stick and into the air. Max Sasson and Boeser added empty-netters.

Drew O’Connor, Jake DeBrusk and Teddy Blueger had first-period goals and Nikita Tolopilo stopped 20 shots to help Vancouver win for the first time since a 2-0 home victory over Anaheim on Jan. 29. The Canucks had lost 10 of 11.

Ryan Donato, Ilya Mikheyev and Frank Nazar scored for Chicago in its fourth loss in five games since the Olympic break. Soderblom made 16 saves.

Before the game, Chicago traded forward Nick Foligno to Minnesota for future considerations. Andrew Mangiapane made his debut for the Blackhawks after being acquired from Edmonton on Wednesday.

Vancouver made a couple of big moves leading up to the trade deadline Friday, sending defenseman Tyler Myers to Dallas on Wednesday and winger Conor Garland to Columbus late Thursday. In December, the Canucks made the biggest deal of the season when they shipped captain Quinn Hughes to Minnesota.

Vancouver led 3-2 after a period. There were three goals in the first 2:32 and four in the first 6:32.

Donato opened the scoring for Chicago on a backhander at 1:08. Vancouver scored the next three — O’Connor at 2:08, DeBrusk at 2:32, both on tips, and Blueger at 6:32.

Mikheyev scored for Chicago from the slot with eight minutes left in the period, and Nazar tied it on a tip with 43 seconds to go in second.

Up next

Canucks: At Winnipeg on Saturday.

Blackhawks: At Dallas on Sunday

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Charge continued their impressive season on Friday as they cruised to an easy 125-99 win over the shorthanded Windy City Bulls thanks to standout performances from Riley Minix and Tristan Enaruna. The victory pulls the Charge within a half game of the top spot in the conference.

G League success is defined in two ways. Are you winning? And are your players being called up? The Charge have checked both boxes, which is incredibly difficult to do because that means you need to be continually replacing the players who were just called up.

“It means that we have an incredible group, an incredible organization, and a staff that just continues to pour into these guys,” Charge head coach Eli Kell-Abrams said. “I just could not be prouder of the group we have. It’s really hard to lose the guys you lose and maintain your culture.”

One of the culture pieces they lost was Norchad Omier, who recently signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. This left a hole inside, which is why they targeted Olivier Sarr to fill that role. The Cleveland Cavaliers signed him to a two-way deal, and he made his debut with the Charge on Friday.

Kell-Abrams said he was proud of the way Sarr fought through adversity in his first game with the team. Sarr picked up two fouls in the first minute of the second half, which forced him to sit out the rest of the third quarter. He made up for lost time by pouring in 14 of his 18 points in the final quarter to help the Charge extend their 10-point lead at the beginning of the quarter into the 26-point blowout it became.

“He offers a level of rim protection that’s unprecedented in the G, and it’s something we’re going to rely on,” Kell-Abrams said after Sarr picked up a block and two steals to go along with his all-around good debut, albeit in just 21 minutes of play.

Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!

Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Let ‘Em Know shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.

Minix is another player the Charge added midway through the season, who has allowed them to keep momentum going. The Cavs signed him to a two-way deal in the middle of February. He once again made an impact with his outside shot, going 4-8 from three in his 22-point performance.

Despite how well the on-court results have been for Minix since coming to Cleveland — he came into this game averaging 19.9 points and 7.1 rebounds on .549/.461/.774 shooting splits — how he’s fit into the overall team structure is what has impressed his head coach.

“With his skill level, he could have come in and just been about his shots, been about his minutes, been about whatever he needed to do to get to the next level,” Kell-Abrams said. “But he bought into the group, and he won the guys instantly.”

Friday’s win was also carried by two guys who’ve been here all season: Enaruna and Darius Brown II.

It’s easy to talk yourself into Enaruna making an impact at the next level sooner rather than later. He’s a 6’7” wing who can attack off-the-dribble, has good lateral quickness, and most importantly has a great feel for the game.

There’s always room on an NBA court for people who have that skill. Especially one who has improved his outside shot as much as Enaruna has.

Confidence in the outside shot has been an issue with Enaruna, but that’s turning around. He shot 28.6% from three during the first 14 games of the Tip-Off Tournament, but is connecting on 47.9% of his threes since the regular season began around the start of the new year.

Enaruna attributes the improvement to having more confidence in his shot.

“Basketball is very statistics-based,” Enaruna said.

That got into his head to the point that he would worry about misses so much that it affected how he reacted when he got the ball open on the perimeter.

“I could feel my body tense up because I wanted to make it so bad,” Enaruna said. The solution was coming to a better understanding that you aren’t defined by one shot and trusting the work that you put in.

“I’ve shot thousands of threes,” Enaruna said. “I know how to make them. You just got to trust your body to do that.”

That worked on Friday, as Enaruna went 3-7 from deep en route to a 25-point, 11-rebound, and two-assist night.

Brown once again contributed 15 or more assists for the fifth time this season as he collected 18 in the victory.

“He drives it all,” Kell-Abram said of Brown. “When you have guys that are not about themselves, that are pass first in a league that is not a pass-first league, that makes us different than everybody else.”

This Charge team has indeed been different all season. They’re within striking distance of the first spot in the conference and have a deep enough team to make a run in the postseason. And that’s because this group has been built on the right things and has completely bought into each other’s success.

“It starts with the foundation,” Enaruna said. “The coaching staff putting a plan together before the season about how we’re going to do things right, no matter who we got on our squad. Whether guys are going up and down, we have this system that works, and everybody just buys in. It works for everybody.”

HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun scored 28 points, Amen Thompson had 26 and the Houston Rockets used a dominant fourth quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 106-99 on Friday night.

Sengun shot 11 of 15 from the field while playing just 26 minutes due to foul trouble, while Thompson converted all but one of his 12 shot attempts and scored eight points in the fourth quarter.

Houston trailed 85-77 after Matisse Thybuille drained a 3-pointer a minute into the final period, but Portland missed 11 of its next 13 shots and the Rockets went on a 23-4 run that covered close to eight minutes.

Houston shot 67% in the fourth quarter, outscoring Portland 29-17.

Kevin Durant added 20 points for the Rockets (39-23), who entered the day tied for fourth in the Western Conference.

Jerami Grant led Portland with 21 points. Jrue Holiday added 20 points and 10 assists, while Donovan Clingan finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Toumani Camara made four 3-pointers while scoring 14 points in a first quarter that ended with Portland leading 34-27.

Sengun scored 15 points in the second quarter on 6-of-8 shooting to help the Rockets take a 57-56 lead into halftime.

Blazers All-Star forward Deni Avdija missed his sixth straight game with a low back injury. Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. also sat out one night after returning from the sprained right ankle that sidelined him the previous two games.

Up next

Rockets: At the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

Trail Blazers: Host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

___

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

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Honor Huff scored 24 points and West Virginia finished off a season sweep of UCF with a 77-62 victory on Friday night to close out the Big 12 Conference regular season.

Huff made 4 of 14 from 3-point range and all 10 of his free throws for the Mountaineers (18-13, 9-9), who posted a 74-67 victory over UCF on Feb. 14. Brenen Lorient missed just one shot and scored 14. Reserve Chance Moore had 13 points and Jasper Floyd scored 10.

Themus Fulks and Riley Kugel both scored 16 for the Knights (20-10, 9-9), who have lost three in a row since beating then-No. 19 BYU 97-84 on Feb. 24. Jordan Burks totaled 14 points and nine rebounds.

Huff hit two of West Virginia's four 3-pointers in the first eight minutes to help the Mountaineers take an 18-10 lead. Floyd and Harlan Obioha followed with layups to cap a 9-0 run for a 12 point advantage.

UCF trailed by as many as 13, but Burks' layup with one second left made it 32-23 at halftime. UCF shot 35.5% overall, missed 5 of 6 from 3-point range and did not attempt a free throw in the first 20 minutes.

Fulks had a layup to get UCF within 44-40 with 12 minutes left, but the Knights would get no closer.

Huff was fouled beyond the arc, made all three three throws, then hit a 3-pointer before a three-point play by Moore capped a 9-1 spurt and West Virginia wasn't threatened over the final 10:22.

The rest of the Big 12 concludes play Saturday.

Up next

The conference tournament begins Tuesday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketba spurtll: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The Celtics have lost one of their big men for the foreseeable future.

Center Nikola Vucevic fractured his right ring finger early on during Friday’s 120-100 win over the Mavericks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

Vucevic is set to undergo a procedure on Saturday and will miss about one month.

Boston acquired Vucevic, 35, near the trade deadline last month from the Bulls in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons.

The move provided the Celtics with a veteran big man to pair alongside 26-year-old Neemias Queta and 27-year-old Luka Garza for the final stretch of the regular season.

The two-time All-Star has made just one start since landing in Boston, averaging 11.4 points and 7.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes in 11 games.

Vucevic’s injury comes the same day Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum made his return following an Achilles tear he suffered during last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks.

Tatum did have some rust to shake off during Friday’s game, shooting 2-for-8 from the field during the first half.

The six-time All-Star finished the game with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists and a steal while shooting 6-for-16 from the field and 3-8 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Despite being without their star player, Boston has played well this season, sitting second in the Eastern Conference with a 42-21 record.

During an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” in January, Tatum admitted that he was concerned about fitting into a team that was performing so well without him.

“If or when I do come back this season, they will have played 50-some-odd games without me, so they have an identity this year or things that they’ve felt have clicked for them,” he said. “And it’s been successful. They’re the (second) team in the East up to this point.”

The Dallas Mavericks (21-42) played the Boston Celtics (42-21) on Friday, losing 120-100 at TD Garden. The game was a dual return of sorts, with Cooper Flagg coming back (near) home and Jason Tatum making his season debut after 298 days on the shelf following an Achilles injury last season.

The first half was close, but things started to slip away in the third quarter before coming completely unraveled in the late stages

35.3%: Combined shooting percentage in an ugly first quarter

The Mavericks have made a habit of falling behind big in the first quarter. Friday night flipped the script, but just barely, as Dallas led 22-21 after the first frame. Despite carrying a lead after 12 minutes, nothing was pretty for either team to start things off. Dallas connected on 8-of-23 shots, with Boston hitting 10-of-28. Compounding things, the Mavericks only had two starters in the scoring column; Flagg with six and Khris Middleton with three. Max Christie, P.J. Washington and Dwight Powell combined for zero first quarter and only 19 for the game.

+13: Boston’s rebounding differential

Without Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley, Dallas rolled out a center tandem of Powell and Moussa Cisse. The two combined for 12 rebounds, but no single player broke double figures as Flagg led the way with eight. Boston meanwhile had two starters combine for 27 boards en route to out-rebounding Dallas by double digits as a team. Giving a team that many more opportunities to possess the ball is a recipe for disaster.

58/42: Dallas’ bench-scoring vs. starter-scoring

The Mavericks bench-players outplayed the starters by a big margin. You may think that was because more bench players than starters actually played, however if you factor out Ryan Nembhard’s five points in the closing minutes, the other five bench players still chipped in 11 more points than the starters. Flagg and P.J. Washington combining to go 9-for-32 from the floor was certainly a big factor in the disparity.

4: Quarters in a basketball game

The Mavs must have thought the game was over after three quarters, because they really didn’t show up in the fourth until it was far too late. The box score looks borderline presentable, but the reality is that Dallas sat on seven fourth-quarter points for more than six minutes. Dallas couldn’t get much to fall throughout the night (40.9% field goals), but especially so in the fourth quarter as Boston easily pulled away.

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