The Orange's season ended March 10 with their 86-69 loss to SMU in the first round of the ACC tournament. Syracuse finished 15-17 on the season as the post-Jim Boeheim era for the program struggles to find its footing.
"It has been an honor to coach at my alma mater, " Autry said in the announcement. "I want to thank Chancellor Syverud, (athletic director) John Wildhack, Jim Boeheim, my team and my staff for their support."
Autry, a former Syracuse point guard, finishes his 3-year coaching tenure with a 49-48 record and no NCAA Tournament appearances. He was an assistant under Boeheim, who was second in all-time wins among Division I head coaches, from 2011-23 before being promoted, and was also coached by him as a player.
Syracuse was 12-5 on the season in mid-January but ended the year with losses in 14 of its last 17 games after starting with a 3-1 record in conference play.
Autry acknowledged he wasn't able to accomplish what he should've at Syracuse in his postgame press conference on March 10.
"I don't shy away from the job that I did," Autry said. "I'm harder on myself than anybody. I didn't get the results that we wanted."
Syracuse signed a pair of top-40 ranked recruits last offseason, including Kiyan Anthony, the son of Syracuse and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony. Kiyan Anthony wasn't able to find a rhythm as a true freshman, averaging 8 points per game on 39.9% shooting.
"Adrian first came to Syracuse as a student-athlete in 1990, and this program has been a constant in his life ever since: as a player, assistant coach, associate head coach and ultimately as head coach," Wildhack said. "His dedication to our student-athletes on and off the court never wavered throughout his time here, and we are grateful for his service and commitment to Orange Basketball."
There's a handful of coaches that could be tied to the opening at Syracuse, including former Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara, who led Siena to an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2010 on March 10 after winning the MAAC. Saint Louis' Josh Schertz and USF's Bryan Hodgson, two of the hottest names in the coaching carousel, could also be options.
McNamara was a Syracuse assistant from 2009-24, including a season under Autry. He was a part of Syracuse's last national championship team in 2003, and has his No. 3 jersey retired at the school.
One thing's certain: Syracuse's next coach will be looking to revive a rather dormant program the last few years.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 10: Naji Marshall #13 of the Dallas Mavericks looks to pass the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 10, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of a season-long road trip, looking to get a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. The Hawks had other ideas, handing the Mavs a 124-112 loss.
Let’s get to the grades!
Max Christie: C
6 PTS / 3 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 25 MIN
Christie’s shooting woes continued (2-for-6), but the bigger knock on his grade is that he camps out (almost) exclusively at the three-point line when he doesn’t need to. His best stretch of the season came when he was driving and scoring at three levels. Maybe he’s trying to shoot his way out of a slump or maybe he’s quietly improving the Mavs’ draft odds, but it hasn’t been good of late.
Naji Marshall: B
14 PTS / 2 REB / 4 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 30 MIN
While not his best game, his overall numbers were probably somewhat impacted by Jason Kidd’s distribution of minutes. Regardless, Marshall scored efficiently in all aspects of the game, but he turned it over (3) and fouled (3) too frequently.
Cooper Flagg: B+
14 PTS / 12 REB / 5 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 32 MIN
Flagg is surely still recovering from his foot sprain. His shot isn’t quite right and his production overall is way down. Credit to Atlanta’s defense against him as well, as they often sent double-teams his way. He never quit, finding other ways to contribute, but it was a largely forgettable game for Flagg. The silver lining to a game like this is how a 19-year old rookie persists in doing little things such as driving and collecting fouls when his shot isn’t falling.
P.J. Washington: C
7 PTS / 5 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 29 MIN
Washington is a bit of a conundrum lately. He certainly hasn’t forgotten how to play, yet looks to not yet be himself. Tonight his shot wasn’t falling and he wasn’t able to do a whole lot else. Worse still, he held the worst plus/minus for the bulk of the game, demonstrating that his personal struggles indeed hurt the team overall.
Daniel Gafford: A-
14 PTS / 10 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 25 MIN
Gafford continues to give credence to the thought his long stretch of mediocre games was perhaps in part due to recovering from injury. Whatever the case, Gafford got back to some high-flying and dunking for the second game in a row, shooting well and even rebounding better than he has recently. Simply put – he looks better than he has in a while. His foul total was high, but over-aggression after being forced into passivity for so long is a fine exchange under the circumstances.
Marvin Bagley: B+
7 PTS / 6 REB / 6 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 21 MIN
Bagley continues to do a variety of things, with the highlight of Tuesday night being his assist total. The Mavs’ backup forward/center led the team in that category. His shot was suspect (3-for-7) but he chipped in everywhere, including a bit from beyond the arc. Solid outing for Bagley as an overall positive force for Dallas.
Klay Thompson: A-
21 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN
Thompson was having a somewhat quiet night before a 10-point third quarter burst. He didn’t contribute much in other facets of the game, but as a primary shooter, he did his job just fine (8-for-16 including 5-for-11 from deep). He and Middleton were the cogs of a huge comeback that ultimately fell short.
Khris Middleton: A-
16 PTS / 1 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN
Middleton often looks like he’s playing a slightly different game than his teammates. That is to say, you can see his brand of “veteran” in the little things – the way he works a possession, willingness to take a shot when the team is starved for a bucket and an overall calm that often steadies the team when they’re trying to make a run. Middleton shot well (5-for-8) and did a lot of little things
Final Thoughts
Dallas has been consistent for the last 20 games or so. They give up huge first quarter point totals regardless of the opponent, then spend the rest of the game putting on an entertaining show as they draw closer and closer. Jason Kidd’s spread of minutes is impressive – he’s not burning anyone out while doing just enough to collect losses. Whether it’s his intention or not, anyone supportive of tanking is probably enjoying this as much as anyone can enjoy a string of losses.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 23: Philadelphia 76ers correspondent Matt Cord (L) poses with Allen Iverson at the Wells Fargo Center on May 23, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Iverson's original Reebok Question re-launches Friday, May 25th for the first time since 1996. (Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images for Reebok) | Getty Images for Reebok
After 28 seasons as the in-arena voice of the Philadelphia 76ers, Matt Cord has announced he will retire, bringing an end to one of the longest-tenured runs as a PA announcer in NBA history.
After 28 years as the PA announcer for the @sixers I’m officially retiring at the end of the season. I’ve had the best seat in the house announcing for the best fans in the world. Thank you to the players and the 76ers organization. What a privilege it’s been. pic.twitter.com/CF3z2puy2h
Cord’s path to the mic is a quintessential Philly story. He got his start in radio at 93.3 WMMR in the early ’90s, and the Sixers gig came about through a chance connection. When Pat Croce bought the team in 1996, he told Cord he loved the energy he brought to the mic at Philadelphia Wings lacrosse games — and offered him the job. Cord officially took over as the Sixers’ PA announcer in 1998.
From there, he made the role entirely his own. Known for the sharp contrast between his thunderous enthusiasm for Sixers players and the flat, disinterested tone reserved for visiting teams, Cord became as much a part of the game-night experience as anyone on the court.
And he was there for all of it. The 2001 Finals run. “Slam-it” Samuel Dalembert. Andre “Iguodalalala.” Joel “The Process” Embiid. For nearly three decades, his voice was the soundtrack to every Sixers home game — the one constant through every rebuild, every playoff push, and every era. Now, for the first time since the late ’90s, Sixer games will sound a little different.
Who replaces the iconic voice is anyone’s guess. The Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, has had their announcer fill in for Cord at points throughout the season. It’ll be interesting to see if the Sixers go that route or bring in someone new entirely.
Whatever direction the organization goes, filling that seat won’t be easy. PA announcers don’t often get their flowers while they’re still on the mic, but Cord was always the exception. He wasn’t just a voice. He was part of the experience, part of the culture, and honestly, part of the team. Sixers fans will feel his absence the moment that first starting lineup is called and it doesn’t sound quite right.
Congratulations to Matt Cord on an incredible, legendary career.
Brown started arguing with officials after he turned the ball over while going out of bounds, saying he felt that Spurs guard Stephon Castle had pushed him.
Then Brown began shouting at official Tyler Ford to state his case and didn't stop, even when another official, Suyash Mehta, called him for a second technical, leading to a game ejection. Brown had to be held back by teammates from going after the officials.
Ford said after the game the first technical was called because Brown was "aggressively pointing and using profanity and resentment to the no-call." The second technical was because Brown "aggressively approached a game official while pointing and using profanity."
The Celtics contingent had plenty to say about the officiating after the game.
"I just give a ton of credit to my high school principal. He had the balls to throw a student out. He didn't leave it to the hall monitor," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "He was a hell of a principal."
Brown, who was fined $35,000 by the NBA in January for his comments about the officials, took to social media posting, "this the (expletive) I be talking about."
Victor Wembanyama had 39 points and 11 rebounds for San Antonio in the victory.
"I disagree with it. The NBA makes a big deal about prime-time games and stars playing and being available," said Jayson Tatum, who scored 24 points in his third game back after returning from an Achilles injury. "National TV game, two of the best teams in the league, and you make a big deal about stars playing, then you (get) trigger-happy and throw somebody out the game, I disagree with it.”
Dec 20, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) celebrates after a basket during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Thanks to the wonkiness that is the NBA Cup, the Houston Rockets are making their third trip the Mile High City to take on the Denver Nuggets this season. Things do even out overall, as Houston got the Los Angeles Clippers three times in Houston and just once in Ballmer’s Toilet Emporium (I think Xiane said this once and it made me cackle, so he gets the credit if you like it).
The Nuggets have dealt with their fair share of injuries this season, but they still boast the league’s most efficient offense. While they don’t jack up a ton of threes, they get to the line a lot and make the highest percentage of threes (39%) in the league. Defensively, they’ve taken a step back this season. They don’t force a lot of turnovers, but when they do they make teams pay. They also rebound well on that side of the ball. Basically, if Houston turns the ball over more than a dozen times (which they will), they won’t have much of a chance. Denver is too good on offense to try to catch them from behind. And when they need buckets, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are two of the best in the league at creating good looks for themselves and teammates.
This game is on national television, which has been a bugaboo for this Rockets squad, and it’s also a back-to-back, another bugaboo. Two bugaboos does not make a bugaright, so the deck is stacked pretty heavily against the good guys in this one. Denver didn’t play yesterday and are coming off a hard-fought loss against their nemesis, the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s a recipe for a big first quarter from Denver and a sluggish start for Houston (which has been par for the course). I’d be surprised if Houston isn’t down double digits early and having to work out of that hole. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I’ve watched the same team you have all season.
Mar 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) shoots over Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach (10) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Showing big fight fueled by Taurean Prince’s return and Kyle Kuzma’s 10k milestone, the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t keep the momentum down the stretch, losing to the Orlando Magic 129-114. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Kuzma came to play tonight, and it’s a pity the team couldn’t rally around Big Kuz as he passed 10,000 career points. The big man was in attack mode throughout the first three quarters, driving with purpose and draining deep triples. He was a menace defensively too. Small demerits for losing his touch in the fourth quarter and for a ghastly -16 in the plus-minus. It feels deceptive, though. His energy and marksmanship stood out, carrying the team for significant stretches and fueling big runs.
An up-and-down game for Ryan, with more significant downs than ups. His five turnovers led the team and contributed to a glaring discrepancy that largely decided the game. His giveaways were symptomatic of a player going too fast and losing control. His seven helpers are not to be overlooked, though, nor was his solid shooting.
Throw out the stats. In this case, they’re irrelevant. What mattered was heart, grit, and tenacity. Prince playing in a game this season was something no one expected (and no one had ever done before with the severe neck injury he suffered earlier in the season). Instead of giving up, Prince has been a vocal member of the Bucks’ bench and practices all season, while working diligently to get back on the floor. That season-long commitment was rewarded with a return to action. He’s got a ways to go in regaining rhythm and playing at game speed, but proved to everyone that his heart can never be questioned.
An uncharacteristically sluggish game for the superstar, who was swarmed by two or three Suns every time he touched the ball. Giannis looked a bit hobbled and, for him, low-energy as he returns from injury. He missed some gimmes, didn’t always close out on shooters with his usual verve, and on a few occasions took defensive possessions off. His shoulder was wrapped, hinting at another lingering sore spot.
Turner also came to play tonight, showing the kind of all-around impact player Bucks fans thought they were getting when he joined the team after a decade of tormenting them as a Pacer.
Another no-show game for Green, who in better days would have connected on some long-range missiles to stem the bleeding in the fourth quarter, when the team most needed a lift. The one play that stands out for AJ came for the wrong reason: he fouled old friend Grayson Allen on a three-pointer at the close of the first quarter. Allen drained the jumper and the freebie, padding the Suns’ lead.
Cam’s downturn continued, with this game being more of the same from what we’ve seen over the past few weeks. I mean, Thomas was efficient with the court time he got—particularly with the four assists—but playing just 15 minutes with KPJ out is probably a reflection of where he’s at.
Pete’s minutes weren’t bad, but he really did nothing of note. Two turnovers for a player like him isn’t great either.
Grade: C-
Doc Rivers
Plus side: the team didn’t fall into its familiar habit of a lackluster play to start the third quarter. They were the aggressors, running up an 11-point lead. Downside: the rest of the game, when the Bucks looked like they too often do, a team without an identity or requisite hunger to close out competitive games. How much of it falls on coaching, and how much on personnel—the team was missing Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr., and Jerico Sims tonight—can be debated.
Grade: C+
Limited Minutes: Andre Jackson Jr.
DNP-CD: Gary Harris, Gary Trent Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Inactive: Bobby Portis, Jericho Sims, Alex Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Cormac Ryan
Bonus Bucks Bits
Huge shout-out to Kyle Kuzma on passing the 10,000-point milestone. He went on one of his scoring benders that happens a few times every season, and was borderline unstoppable during stretches.
Gary Trent Jr. has returned to the doghouse. Did not play. Was the only Buck taking extra shots after the game.
Jalen Green clearly won the battle of the Greens, outscoring AJ 25-3. And let’s not forget that Jalen provided us with the first Fiserv wedgie in a while.
Up Next
The Bucks travel to South Beach for a Thursday night tilt against the Miami Heat. Catch the action at 6:30 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
It was the second-most points scored in a game in NBA history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100-point effort in 1962.
As he kept piling up the points, Adebayo remained on the court deep into the fourth quarter of Miami's eventual 150-129 win, eventually surpassing the 81 points Kobe Bryant scored in 2006.
Adebayo also filled up the box score in several other categories during his 42 minutes of action. He collected nine rebounds, handed out three assists, blocked two shots and made a pair of steals.
And that just begins to tell the story.
Crazy stats from Bam Adebayo's 83-point game
83 points: second-most in a game in NBA history
36 made free throws: most in NBA history
43 free throw attempts: most in NBA history
22 3-point attempts: tied for third-most in NBA history
Adebayo's previous career high: 41 points
Bam Adebayo points by quarter
First: 31
Second: 12
Third: 19
Fourth: 21
Highest-scoring games in NBA history
Every high-scoring game in the NBA has its own story. Here's a quick look at the 10 highest totals in a game in league history:
Bam Adebayo celebrates with teammates after his 83-point night.Photograph: Megan Briggs/Getty Images
Second in points, last in ethics?
That will be the accusation against the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo, after the big man moved into second on the NBA’s single-game scoring list with 83 points against the woeful Washington Wizards on Tuesday. Adebayo surpassed the 81 points that Kobe Bryant scored in a 2006 game and left only Wilt Chamberlain, with 100 in a game in 1962, ahead of him on the all-time list.
The Heat won, 150-129, and basketball watchers quickly turned their attention to the most skeptical, cynical line of questioning possible: Was Adebayo’s achievement sullied by the Heat’s decision to build their gameplan around letting him pack the stat sheet as much as possible in a long-decided contest? On the record sheet, the answer will be no. But as most people in the NBA well know, the stat line takes a distant second place to fans’ perceptions of players and their accomplishments. And the manner in which the Heat helped Adebayo get to 83 will be under the microscope for a long time.
On the one hand: Anyone who takes issue with Adebayo scoring 83 points –more than the entire Milwaukee Bucks team managed in a game earlier this month – is a pedantic loser. This league holds 1,230 regular-season games each year. Just among starting players, that works out to 12,300 individual games per year. Exactly one of those opportunities, in the whole history of the NBA, has yielded more points than Adebayo put on the Wizards on Tuesday. Objectively, there is no such thing as a “cheap” way to do something that no player other than Wilt has ever done.
Moreover, Adebayo’s 43 field goal attempts are not a major outlier. Chamberlain put up a hilarious 63 shots in his 100-pointer, Bryant 46 on the night he scored 81. Adebayo was also busy in other respects; he pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, with eight of them coming on defense in his 42 minutes, the most of any player on court. It’s not like the 28-year-old was slacking on the other end.
On the other hand, what fun would sports be if we couldn’t spend time and energy tearing players down on the occasion of their grandest achievements? Where Adebayo’s game reaches the theater of the absurd is at the foul line. The previous record for free-throw attempts in an NBA game was 39, reached twice by Dwight Howard during the “Hack-a-Howard” era in 2012 and 2013. Teams knew Howard wouldn’t make much more than six in 10 free throws, and they felt fine sending him to the stripe to make 21 and 25 out of his 39 shots on those respective nights. Adebayo took a new-record 43 free throws on Tuesday and, to his credit, made 36 of them. Nothing dishonorable about cashing in one’s opportunities.
Or maybe there is, when a player’s team turns the late stages of the game into a joke whose sole purpose is to run up one guy’s numbers at the foul line. In the fourth quarter, Adebayo was 3-for-8 from the field and a gruesome 1-of-6 from the three-point line. But the Heat kept feeding him, and the Wizards kept fouling him to send him to the line. That would normally be no big deal, except Miami, leading by nearly 30 points in the final few minutes, repeatedly fouled the Wizards to speed up their possessions and get the ball back. Adebayo hit 14 of 16 foul shots in the final 12 minutes.
Even that doesn’t fully explain how farcical Miami’s effort to get Adebayo to 83 was. The Heat simply gave Adebayo the ball and had him run full steam ahead at the Washington basket, taking low-percentage shots that may or may not lead to a foul call. In just the final five minutes of a game that was long over, Adebayo went 1-of-5 from the field and 7-of-7 at the foul line, with his final points coming at the line with 1:16 left to push the lead to 150-126. You have to watch the video for yourself to understand how uninterested the Heat were in playing anything resembling regular “offense.” The end of this game was pure stat sheet-stuffing, which paid off in buckets when Adebayo nailed his 42nd and 43rd attempts from the stripe. Heat’s head coach, Erik Spoelstra, had the decency to sub Adebayo out eight seconds later, the big fella having inched past Bryant on the scoring list. It was not much different than a 10-year-old video gamer trying to run up a gaudy total against the CPU after school.
None of this means Adebayo’s night wasn’t extraordinary. Eighty-three is the highest point total in the league’s three-point era (since 1979), and for a frontcourt player to get there is truly out of this world. Only Joel Embiid in 2024 and David Robinson in 1994 had even gotten to 70 among big men in that span, and neither cleared 71. Adebayo – an excellent rather than an all-time great player – had a great enough game that historians won’t be able to ignore him. But the manner in which he got into the record books means the haters will still hate. Perhaps he’ll go for 84 sometime.
Auburn, Indiana, West Virginia, Cal and Oklahoma may need more than one win this week to impress the selection committee.
SMU's win over Syracuse in the first round of the ACC tournament Tuesday was a must. As was Cincinnati's win over Utah in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.
Virginia Tech and Stanford's first round losses in the ACC tournament Tuesday pretty much removes them from bubble consideration.
A lot has been made about Auburn's case. The Tigers (16-15) have to beat Mississippi State in the first round of SEC Tournament play (3 p.m., SECN). If the Tigers lose, they can kiss their at-large hopes goodbye no matter how many times Bruce Pearl says otherwise.
Indiana had a chance at a bubble play-in, but blew it at Ohio State over the weekend. The Hoosiers open Big Ten Tournament play at 6:30 p.m. (BTN) against Northwestern State winner.
Twelve teams have already punched their tournament tickets in Long Island (NEC), Queens (ASUN), High Point (Big South), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), Tennessee State (OVC), Furman (SoCon), North Dakota State (Summit League), Troy (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (WCC), Siena (MAAC), Wright State (Horizon) and Hofstra (CAA).
Mar 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) shoots during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Phoenix Suns began their six-game road trip in Milwaukee on Tuesday night and opened it the right way. A 129-point performance against the Bucks felt almost surreal when you think back a couple weeks. This is the same team that once struggled to scrape together 77 points in a loss. Granted, that stretch came during a period when injuries were chewing through the roster and the offense looked like it was searching for oxygen. What makes the night even funnier in the grand scheme of NBA chaos is what happened elsewhere across the league. One player scored 83 points on Tuesday night. That player was Miami’s Bam Adebayo. Basketball…she’s a funny sport.
SECOND-MOST POINTS IN NBA HISTORY FOR BAM ADEBAYO 😳
It is always interesting when the Suns head to Milwaukee. That building still carries memories that linger, even though the calendar says it has been half a decade since those moments were fresh. And early in the game, it started to feel familiar again.
Giannis Antetokounmpo remains the same force he has always been. A freight train with a runway, barreling toward the rim with the kind of momentum that leaves defenders bracing for impact. If you happen to be standing in that path, the whistle usually follows. That has been part of the experience for years now. Trying to absorb contact from Giannis is almost treated like a violation. Step into the runway, and the call rarely goes your way. That reality has lived in Milwaukee for a long time.
Watching Giannis sometimes feels like watching a fullback run the dive play over and over…except the defense gets called for the foul. We’ve been seeing this shit for too many years
Some things in Milwaukee feel familiar, although one thing has clearly changed. The way the Bucks are built around Giannis does not feel nearly as stable as it once did. It is something I mentioned earlier this season. Yes, they still have that championship banner hanging in the rafters. However, the years that followed have not exactly produced a roster that feels cohesive around their superstar.
You look at this season and it feels like another one slipping through the cracks for Giannis. Injuries have played a role, although the supporting cast has never quite clicked into place. The coaching tenure of Doc Rivers has not brought the level of consistency people expected, either. You could see pieces of that Tuesday night.
Milwaukee had its moments. Players like Kyle Kuzma caught fire for stretches and kept the Bucks within striking distance. Although when the game slowed down and the fourth quarter arrived, Phoenix leaned into its identity.
Defense.
The Suns clamped down and held Milwaukee to 17 points in the final quarter. Possessions became uncomfortable. The pace slowed as the execution tightened. On the other end, the offense continued to produce balance. Three Suns finished with over 20 points for the second consecutive game. I do not even know where to begin digging to see when that last happened, although it speaks to the rhythm this group has started to find.
The result is Phoenix walking out of Milwaukee with another win, opening the road trip the right way. It marks their third straight victory and pushes them to 11 games over .500.
Momentum is beginning to build in Phoenix. That is not something you can currently say about the Bucks.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Booker was the engine. He was the gravity. He was the reason the Charlotte Hornets — one of the hottest teams in the league — finally saw their 10-game road winning streak evaporate in the Phoenix desert.
A 30 and 10 night against a team playing that kind of high-level basketball isn’t just a stat line. It is a statement. While we were all (rightfully) impressed with the 24 points that Collin Gillespie and Jalen Green poured in, and we loved every second of Rasheer Fleming’s 16-point breakout off the bench, everything flowed through Number One. He was the catalyst. He was the one bending the defense until it snapped.
Booker rightfully takes home his 15th Bright Side Baller of the season, securing 43% of your votes. That gives him two in a row and means he has accounted for 23.4% of all Baller awards handed out this year. Kudos to Fleming, too, who grabbed 37% of the vote. It was a well-deserved nod for the rookie’s career night.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 65 against the Bucks. Here are your nominees:
They became catnip for night owls, must-see TV for the insomniacs among us.
Hours after ACC basketball hit the hay and after the Big 12 tucked itself into bed, the West Coast Conference, starring Mark Few’s Gonzaga Bulldogs, would treat our bleary eyes.
Gonzaga ‘Til Midnight — or beyond, depending on your time zone — became the college hoops predecessor to Pac-12 After Dark.
It started in earnest in 2001, when ESPN struck a deal with the WCC. By then, the Zags were already of “The slipper still fits!” fame.
Gonzaga served up such late-night ESPN fare as playing St. John’s at midnight Eastern on Thanksgiving night in the ’01 Great Alaska Shootout (RIP), the perfect pairing for your third slice of pumpkin pie.
Gonzaga beat the Johnnies, of course, because Zags basketball is good any time of day, but it’s spectacular in the wee hours.
Trading sleep for hoops meant watching Few’s assembly line of stars. Dan Dickau. Ronny Turiaf. Kelly Olynyk. Rui Hachimura. Drew Timme. Present-day Graham Ike.
And who could forget Mr. Mustache himself, Adam Morrison, the only thing finer in 2006 than J.J. Redick?
The casuals didn’t catch their annual glimpse of Gonzaga until March Madness. The diehards and the sleep-deprived had a catalogue of film on them by then. They watched the WCC grow up alongside Gonzaga.
As BYU cycled in and then out of the league, the WCC maintained staying power to the point it regularly sends multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament. The Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s series blossomed into one of the best rivalries anywhere on the Pacific Coast.
No matter how sturdy the WCC became in any given year, Gonzaga kept showing up in the conference tournament finals.
Death. Taxes. Gonzaga cutting down WCC nets on a weeknight in early March.
Conference realignment consumes all things holy in the end, and Gonzaga’s majestic, nocturnal run in the WCC concluded this season — but not before one last celebration.
Gonzaga beat Santa Clara in the WCC final, 79-68 on Tuesday, because how else was this supposed to end but with Few celebrating his 21st conference tournament title?
“We’re 30-3 now," Few said of his team's record entering March Madness, where the Bulldogs are a projected 3-seed, "which is a hell of a record, a hell of a year."
And not finished yet. Just done with the WCC.
Mark Few exits WCC with another March Madness bid
Gonzaga will move next season into the Pac-Whatever Conference, a Pac-12 cheap-fake.
The decades-long WCC-Gonzaga union provided a runway for Few to go 56-6 in WCC tournament games.
Pause, for a moment, and marvel at that record.
I don’t care the league is filled with a bunch of private California schools with smallish enrollments instead of Duke and North Carolina or Kansas and Arizona, the WCC is no joke, and winning 56 times in 62 tries against teams playing for their shot at a March Madness ticket is serious dominance.
Gonzaga rules West Coast Conference, to the end
This team won’t go down as Few’s most electric, but you wouldn’t have known that with the way Gonzaga rallied after Santa Clara dominated the first half.
“It’s a special feeling to go out the right way — on top,” Ike, Gonzaga’s star, told reporters, with a WCC champions hat perched on his head. “Ultimately, we ended where we started this … We started off with championships. That team and those teams that came before us, we just wanted to continue the success that they had.”
Ike must have remembered at halftime he was the best player in the building. He finished with 15 points on perfect shooting. Few was so pleased he publicly stumped for his senior big man’s All-America bona fides.
“He has absolutely, unequivocally, carried us,” Few said on ESPN afterward.
Gonzaga's got its very own Super Mario, too. That's Mario Saint-Supery, who went off for six 3-pointers and 21 points.
The real story, though, was the same as it's been all year for Gonzaga: Its defense ruled the day, leaving Santa Clara on the NCAA bubble, although in Few’s eyes the Broncos ought to be a slam-dunk selection alongside Saint Mary’s. That’d be good for three WCC bids for the fourth time since 2008 and probably the last time for a while, with Gonzaga leaving.
Gonzaga’s conference departure ranks nowhere near the worst sin of realignment. It’s something of an upset the WCC managed to hang on for so long to this team that outgrew the Cinderella label long ago. Surely, the Zags will keep playing late-night tipoffs in their new home. Networks need late-night programming, and Gonzaga is a reliable supplier.
Gonzaga let the night owls off easy in this WCC swan song. It wasn’t even midnight yet on the East Coast when Few donned the postgame headset for a chat with Scott Van Pelt.
Still, the Las Vegas sun was long gone, and night had replaced it. To the very end, Gonzaga ruled the West Coast after dark.
Keldon Johnson is the longest tenured member of the San Antonio Spurs. Last night he hit his 657th three-pointer, moving him past Matt Bonner into 6th all-time for the Silver & Black.
Keldon Johnson now has more three-pointers for the Spurs than Matt Bonner.
Johnson moves into 6th all-time in San Antonio history with his 657th three.
Johnson, now in his seventh NBA season, has carned himself a role that has elevated him into a contender for Sixth Man of the Year. His three-point shooting, defensive acumen, and ability to pushi himself into the paint for high-percentage layups while coming off the bench are an essential facet to the Spurs success.
Johnson is now five threes for passing Bruce Bowen. Devin Vassell is currently holds the fourth ranking with over 250 threes to catch Danny Green and a nother 212 beyond that to reach Patty Mills, whose 1171 is second only to Manu Ginobili, whose 1495 made threes is safe for years to come.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
Heat center Bam Adebayo shoots a free throw to reach 83 points, the second-highest single game total in NBA history, during a win over the Wizards on Tuesday in Miami. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)
Wham, Bam, pfft.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo scored 83 points Tuesday night, the second most in an NBA game in history, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s iconic 81 points two decades ago.
Congrats to Adebayo, I guess.
The way it went down was highly questionable. Nothing romantic or real about it. We thought flopping and foul-baiting made for unethical hoops, but those are but basketball misdemeanors; Adebayo’s big night was felonious.
Tuesday’s game featured intentional clock-stopping, game-extending fouls by the Heat. And it was ripe with free-throw-abetting fouls by the Washington Wizards, an actively tanking team that got itself blown out, 150-129.
So, no. Bryant’s necessary, organic 81 this was not. The Lakers trailed that game against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006 at halftime and actually needed Kobe’s 55 second-half points to pull away for the win.
The Heat were up by as many as 28 points in the fourth quarter with Adebayo continuing to play pop-a-shot in the historic farce — which also moved him past LeBron James, whose 61 points in 2014 stood as Miami’s previous franchise record.
“Honestly, it hurts,” said Los Angeles’ Erik Ortiz, who was 6 years old when Bryant had his 81-point night. “And it’s kind of messed up. All those free throws? No disrespect, but it didn’t feel earned.”
“A disrespect to the game,” said Robert Horry, who played with Bryant in L.A. for seven seasons. “To me, don’t cheat the game. If you’re gonna play like that, that’s cheating the game.”
“But,” Horry added, diplomatically, “scoring 83 points is still hard regardless if you cheat the game or not.”
Lakers star Kobe Bryant scores in front of Toronto's Matt Bonner on his way to scoring 81 points during the Lakers' 122-104 victory on Jan. 22, 2006. (Matt A. Brown / Associated Press)
JJ Redick offered his most diplomatic two cents: “It’s incredible what he was able to do.”
The Lakers’ coach described walking in and seeing the Heat leading with three minutes left, on the verge of winning their sixth consecutive game and Adebayo on the free-throw line (naturally).
“I said to my coaching staff, ‘Ah, the Heat are rolling.’ And they kind of looked at each other and they were like, ‘Are you kidding right now? No, Bam has 77!’ I watched the last three minutes and … that was a different type of basketball.”
Adebayo scored 31 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second and 19 in the third — a legitimately impressive career-high 62 points, and in just three quarters. Precisely the same number of points that Kobe had after three quarters when coach Phil Jackson pulled him from a blowout win against Dallas a few weeks before he dropped 81.
But on Tuesday, Adebayo kept going, for no reason but to pad his points tally in pursuit of Kobe.
If only Adebayo, well respected by peers and fans alike, could’ve taken the baton from his basketball hero while playing regular old basketball. Lakers fans know ball; they wouldn’t have held it against him, they would have saluted.
Heat players celebrate with center Bam Adebayo after he scored 83 points, the second-highest single game total in NBA history, against the Wizards on Tuesday in Miami. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)
But Adebayo shot 3 for 8 from the field in the final period, including 1 for 6 from three-point range. And he went 14 for 16 at the line in the final frame, bringing his free-throw shooting total to a historic 36 for 43 from the charity stripe, so aptly named for this game.
There’s magic, and then there are magic tricks, manufactured illusions, sleight-of-hand acts of pseudo-sorcery. That’s how we should remember Adebayo’s 83. That’s how we should explain that game to our children and grandchildren.
It isn’t as though Kobe’s 81-point output wasn’t going to be eclipsed. It was only a matter of time, especially considering the offensive emphasis in today’s NBA.
In 2024, then-Maverick Luka Doncic scored 73 points in a 148-143 win against the Atlanta Hawks. But Doncic went just 15 of 16 from the free-throw line that night, and 25 for 33 from the field, including 8 of 13 from behind the arc.
Or imagine, going forward, what 7-foot-4 center Victor Wembanyama could be capable of if the San Antonio Spurs force-feed him offensively for a full game.
But records are made to be broken, not stolen. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters he was “caught up in the moment like everyone else, and I didn’t want to get in the way.”
“After 28 years as the PA announcer for the Sixers I’m officially retiring at the end of the season,” Cord said. “I’ve had the best seat in the house announcing for the best fans in the world. Thank you to the players and the 76ers organization. What a privilege it’s been.”
“Matt’s iconic voice helped define our game experience for generations of 76ers fans, and his unique style and presence narrated some of the best moments in franchise history,” the Sixers said in a team statement. “We look forward to celebrating Matt’s legendary career in the near future and sincerely appreciate all he has done for our city and organization.”
Over the last month of the men’s college basketball regular season, there’ve seemingly been safe spots in the NCAA tournament at-large pool available for the taking. Most teams, however, haven’t taken them.
As a result, more than a handful of teams enter tournament week with work to do to push their way to the right side of the proverbial bubble. For some such squads, the quest might already be over – better luck next year, Stanford.
Here are five games to watch involving other bubble dwellers hoping to avoid the same fate on the Wednesday schedule. All four power conferences are represented on this list, but we’ll start with a couple more matchups in the afore-mentioned ACC.
North Carolina State vs. Pittsburgh
Time/TV: noon ET, ESPN2.
The Wolfpack have been a wildly inconsistent bunch, having won just once in their last seven outings. That victory was a blowout over rival North Carolina, but some of the losses have been downright unsightly. They’re probably still safe given the chaos on the rest of the bubble over the last few weeks, but a setback here to the Panthers, who are outside the top 100 in the NCAA’s NET ranking, would be more damaging than a result against Stanford would have been.
SMU vs. Louisville
Time/TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
The Mustangs were able to avoid a resume-killer against Syracuse in the first round of the ACC tournament, and now they have an opportunity to boost their cause. The Cardinals are in much safer territory, thanks to a solid road win at Miami to conclude the regular season, but would like to turn in a good performance nevertheless on the eve of March Madness.
Cincinnati vs. Central Florida
Time/TV: 3 p.m. ET, ESPNU.
The 8-9 pairing in the Big 12 second round isn’t an bubble-elimination game per se. The Knights have a few more quality results on their resume and would probably still be in with a loss, though they might be shuffled closer to the First Four. The Bearcats spent much of the conference campaign trying to erase some bad outcomes from November and early December. They've won six of eight entering the postseason. A victory won’t clinch a berth, but it would keep them in the conversation.
Auburn vs. Mississippi State
Time/TV: 3 p.m. ET, SECN.
Hardwood pundits from just about every locale in the nation outside of Auburn, Alabama, cite the Tigers, just a game above .500 entering the SEC tournament, as Exhibit A in the case against NCAA expansion. Through sheer volume they’ve amassed numerous Quad 1 victories, but the number in the loss column, especially if it came against the sub-.500 Bulldogs, would become too large to dismiss. Just advancing isn't enough for Steven Pearl's team but it gives them a chance to fight another day.
Indiana vs. Northwestern
Time/TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, BTN.
Exhibit B is Indiana, although most bracketologists have the Hoosiers on the outside anyway. IU enters the Big Ten tournament needing a deep run. Beating the Wildcats won’t move the needle on its own, but a loss would end chance to add more quality wins.
