Category: Basketball

For the second time in less than a week, Luka Doncic faces a one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation.

Only a week after Doncic’s 16th technical foul was rescinded by the NBA, the Lakers superstar picked up another one in a 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and is in line to miss the Lakers’ next game against the Washington Wizards on Monday.

In the third quarter with the Lakers trailing by one against the lowly Nets (17-57), Doncic was called for an offensive foul against Nic Claxton as the Lakers (48-26) were trying to inbound the ball after a dunk by Ziaire Williams. After the Lakers turnover, Williams and Doncic appeared to exchange words with Doncic pushing Williams aside with one hand. Williams then flailed his arms behind him and slapped Doncic in the throat.

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 43 as road weary Lakers hold off late Pacers rally

“He was yelling in my face three times,” said Doncic, who finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the win. “I just wanted to get out of there. … I didn't even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. And they said I pushed. My push was exaggerated, which was obviously not [the case].”

Both were assessed technical fouls with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, and Williams’ hit was reviewed for a possible flagrant, although it was not upgraded.

The NBA requires players to sit out for one game without pay after their 16th technical foul of the season. But Doncic avoided that fate after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game last week. Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will try to appeal Doncic’s latest foul but he did not see what happened on the play.

Last week, Doncic avoided a suspension after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons. Doncic is slated to miss Monday's game against the Wizards, who have lost 17 of their last 18 games and have the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference (17-56). 

Doncic picked up his first 16th technical foul last week against the Orlando Magic after getting into an argument with Orlando forward Goga Bitadze. Doncic claimed Bitadze directed a vulgar comment about Doncic’s family in Serbian toward the Lakers star guard. Bitadze refuted the story, saying it was actually Doncic who said the curse word out loud first and that he was only repeating what he heard.

The NBA rescinded both fouls upon review the following day.

Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, has scored 30 points or more in 12 consecutive games, the longest such streak in his career. He has 43 30-point games this season, tying Elgin Baylor and Jerry West for sixth-most in a season by a Lakers player. He has scored 40 points or more in the last 12 games.

Against the Nets, Austin Reaves finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists and LeBron James had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Before the game, Redick said the Nets game would be like playing on the road since the Lakers had spent almost two weeks away from Crypto.com Arena and had returned home in the wee hours of Thursday morning from Indianapolis.

The challenge was to find the energy to play, which wasn't a problem for Doncic, who had 24 points in the first half. Doncic was nine for 15 from the field in the first half and four for six from three-point range in 20 minutes. He finished shooting 15 for 25 from the field as the Lakers shot 54% from the floor. They shot 44% (11 for 25) from three-point range.

That the Lakers were facing a Nets team with the second-worst record in the NBA didn’t matter.

That the Lakers were facing a Nets team had lost nine of its last 10 games didn’t matter.

That the Lakers were facing a Nets team that’s last in the league in scoring (106.3 points per game) didn’t matter.

What mattered to the Lakers was finding a way to win as the regular season winds down.

“I felt like we were a step slow,” Redick said. “And I told the guys at halftime, 'This is our seventh game of the road trip. Anytime you come back, there's a day in between, that's just you're in another city until you can get adjusted to the time zone and you get a couple days break.’ So the next two [off] days will be good for us.”

Notes: Lakers broadcast analyst Stu Lantz missed Friday night’s game against the Nets because of health issues. Derek Fisher, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers, took over Lantz’s role for the game. Public address announcer Lawrence Tanter also missed the game because of a health matter. Jason Barquero filled in for Lantz. “The entire Lakers organization is wishing Lawrence all the best in his recovery, and we look forward to welcoming him back soon,” the team said in a statement.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

No one wanted to win Friday’s game between the visiting Dallas Mavericks (24-50) Portland Trail Blazers (37-38) at Moda Center, but eventually someone had to. The Mavericks pulled the unlikely 100-93 win out of their hat amidst 16 combined fourth-quarter turnovers as the game got sloppier and sloppier down the stretch.

Cooper Flagg had 24 points and four steals in the win but scored just four of those after halftime. Marvin Bagley III notched a new season-high scoring mark with 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Mavericks to victory off the bench. Bagley also helped limit Portland big man Donoval Clingan to just 2-of-9 shooting on the defensive win. Jrue Holliday led the Blazers with 23 points in the loss.

The Dwight Powell to Cooper Flagg connection was in full effect from the moment the ball was tipped. Flagg made a clever little back cut on the Mavericks’ second possession of the game and Powell got it right to him for an easy hoop to start the game. The next time down, Powell was on the receiving end of a pick-and-roll run to perfection between himself and Max Christie, and the Mavs were up 4-0 less than two minutes into the game.

Flagg scored six points in the game’s first four minutes on three makes in his first four attempts from the floor, including a running dunk in transition on a quick outlet pass from Naji Marshall. His incredible versatility at age 19 has been on display since the All-Star break and his return from a foot injury, when he’s become the only player in the NBA to average more than 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block per game.

His closely contested up-and-under move midway through the first quarter tied the game, 14-14, for his fourth make. Two possessions later, Flagg found Bagley for a runner in the lane to give Dallas a 16-14 lead. Bagley scored on the offensive glass the next time down to put the Mavs back in front, 18-16. Christie and Klay Thompson knocked down the Mavericks’ first two 3-pointers on the next two possessions to extend their lead to double digits, up 26-16, and force a timeout by Blazers acting head coach Tiago Splitter with 3:09 left in the first.

Thompson’s first-quarter 3-ball put him at 174 made from distance off the bench this season, surpassing a Mavericks’ team record set two years ago by Tim Hardaway Jr.

Bagley was a menace for the Mavs as Dallas scored 20 paint points in the first quarter. He turned down a 3-point attempt for an open driving lane and a vicious slam to give him 11 points in the opening stanza and put Dallas ahead 32-22 with 57 seconds remaining. It was Bagley’s highest-scoring quarter of the 2025-26 season, and he did it on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.

COOP GREAT BUCKET!! *Love the no dribble attack pic.twitter.com/ohooBnMYng

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) March 28, 2026

Flagg picked up right where he left off in the second. He scored on an unstoppable drive in transition with 9:10 left before halftime to put the Mavs up 35-28, then nailed a jumper and the ensuing free throw on a 3-point play the next time down. He scored on another jumper through contact two possessions later to give the Mavericks a 40-30 edge with 8:15 left in the second. His athleticism and killer instinct are joys to watch as he sharpens his many knives late in his rookie campaign.

The Mavs continued to pour it on in the second, more than doubling up Portland in paint points through the game’s first 20 minutes, before coming back to earth a little bit in the final four minutes of the frame. Flagg piled up 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half, and the Mavericks took a 56-51 lead into the break. Portland outscored the Mavs 14-2 to end the second half, as Dallas shot 0-for-6 in the final 4:18 of the second quarter and turned the ball over three times.

The Blazers took their first lead of the game since early in the first quarter with 7:55 left in the third, 66-64, on Toumani Camara’s putback of his own missed airball, which should have been called a travel but was not. Portland outscored the Mavericks 27-12 in that nine-plus minute stretch that started with just over four minutes left in the second.

Bagley scored his first points since that 11-point first quarter on a corner 3-pointer in response to put the Mavericks back in front, 67-66, the next time down. His shooting touch has been a pleasant surprise since he arrived in Dallas in a deadline-day deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in February. Bagley’s putback the next time down put him at 16 points and seven rebounds midway through the third, and he hit a turnaround to make it a person 7-0 run with 5:20 left in the third. Dallas led 71-66 at that point.

Bagley hit his third 3-ball of the game from near the top of the key with 2:31 left in the third to give the Mavs a 76-70 edge, getting to within one point of his season-high scoring mark of 22 points with a quarter still to play. He appeared to hurt his arm while setting a screen the next time down the floor. Dallas limped into the fourth holding onto a 79-76 lead.

The fourth quarter was downright ugly, as Portland turned the ball over four times in the first four minutes, allowing the Mavs to build the lead back up to seven points. Neither team built much momentum until Flagg leaked out in transition and received an over-the-shoulder pass from Ryan Nembhard for a quick slam to put Dallas up 85-78 and force a Portland timeout with 6:40 to play.

Flagg and Bagley: The post-Duke effect

AWESOME FINISH by Coop!! pic.twitter.com/gI7HkKzDsW

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) March 28, 2026

Is it just pure coincidence that both Flagg and Bagley had strong performances after their Duke Blue Devils outlasted the St. John’s Red Storm earlier in the evening in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 to get to the team’s third-straight Elite 8?

Flagg, of course, was part of the Duke team that bowed out last year in the Final Four. He played in 37 games for the Blue Devils, scoring 19.2 points, pulling down 7.5 rebounds and shooting 38.5% from 3-point range in his only college season. Bagley played 33 games for Duke during the 2017-18 season, averaging 21 points, 11 boards and shooting better than 39% from 3-point land as the team reached the Elite 8 that year.

The Mavericks whose college teams are still alive in this year’s NCAA Tournament have been sporting their college colors in pre-game shootarounds. As of Friday night, Brandon Williams, who played at Arizona, is the only other Maverick whose college team is still alive. His Wildcats beat Daniel Gafford’s Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday, 109-88 in a Sweet 16 matchup.

Mavs offense: Good, then bad, then just good enough

The Mavericks have been quietly humming on offense in their last five games. Dallas had scored at least 120 points in regulation in each of their last four games coming into Friday’s game in Portland, and shot 13-of-25 (52%) from the field in the first quarter at Portland.

Flagg was the initiator early on before Bagley led the bench unit to a strong close to the first. The Mavs were making hay off Blazers turnovers to help build their early lead, taking a 12-1 scoring advantage off opponent miscues in the opener. It’s made for some unexpectedly exciting basketball as we trudge through the March doldrums in a lost season.

All it takes is one bad stretch to hand it all back, though, and that’s what we saw to end the first half on Friday. The Blazers, who are in the thick of the battle for Western Conference play-in positioning, went on a 14-2 run to end the first half and climb back into the game.

But Dallas had an answer each time the Blazers threatened. Bagley was a big part of that, and so was Flagg, but Portland’s penchant for giving the ball away at the worst moments on Friday was the biggest culprit. The Blazers coughed it up 24 times on Friday in the loss.

It had to happen sometime

Finally, a clutch win. Flagg made the little plays the Mavericks needed down the stretch, while Bagley made the two biggest buckets of the game after Portland went on a little 7-0 run to tie the game at 92-92 on Holliday’s third 3-pointer of the game with 2:25 left to play.

Brandon Williams found Bagley on a cut underneath the basket to break the tie with 2:04 left in the game, and then Williams’ fifth assist of the game found Bagley, who scored on a dunk after a pump fake in close with 40 seconds on the clock to put Dallas up 96-92.

The Mavs have been cheeks in clutch games all year. They had to win a close one at some point. And with seemingly every game going down to the wire, the Mavericks made just enough plays down the stretch to beat a Blazers team that turned the ball over 24 times and missed 10 free throws on their home floor.

CHICAGO – I owe you an apology, Big Ten.

I said after the Big Ten tournament the conference still didn’t have a team capable of winning the NCAA men’s title. That Michigan wasn’t all it was hyped to be. That Yaxel Lendeborg wasn’t the factor a Player of the Year candidate should be.

Don’t I look stupid now. That’s a rhetorical question. Of course I do. I was wrong about all of it.

More: Elliot Cadeau is a 'savant' for Michigan, his hearing and vision be damned

A story of unbreakable resolve: Inside Ben McCollum's 'insane' Iowa ride to Elite Eight

The Big Ten will have half the teams in the Elite Eight, with Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Purdue still alive. Iowa, a ninth seed, is playing as well as anyone left. And Michigan? They’re not as good as initially advertised.

They’re better.

As for Lendeborg, all he did was suck the life out of Alabama with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in the first 7:51 of the second half. He’d finish with 23 points, 12 boards, seven assists and two steals in top-seeded Michigan’s 90-77 win on Friday, March 27.

“I think we're the best conference in the country,” Lendeborg said. “It was pretty much a dog fight almost every night. And it definitely helped us out.”

Big Ten's title drought

A Big Ten team hasn’t won the national men’s title since Michigan State’s Flintstones back in 2000. It’s not that the conference hasn’t had its chances. It has. Plenty of them. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin have all played in the title game, with the Wolverines doing it twice.

But all of them seemed to be built more to survive the Hunger Games that is the Big Ten season than hang with the best from the ACC, SEC and Big East.  

Not this year. Rather than cannibalizing each other, it’s sharpened them.

“College basketball has been cyclical forever. Hopefully this is a long cycle for us in the conference,” Michigan coach Dusty May said.

The money that’s pouring into college athletics now is a factor. The Big Ten schools making a run this March haven’t flinched when it comes to finding the cash necessary to support top-tier programs.

But the addition of the West Coast teams — UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington — has also helped, May said.

“We're developing a different type of basketball identity,” he said. “I do think some of the newer coaches have brought a different flavor. I think at times it seems the Big Ten is kind of cut and paste. You know, you turn on one game and it looks pretty much like the other three that are going on at the exact same time. Just wearing different color jerseys.”

The Big Ten is still rough and tumble. If you don’t have a couple of bruises after a conference game, you haven’t left the bench. But the days of first-team-to-40-wins are over.

Not the Big Ten of old

The Big Ten teams can play with pace. Any pace. You want to run and gun? They’ll grab their track shoes. You want to slow it down? They can work the shot clock.

They can hit 3s and they can score in the paint. And, of course, they can play defense.

Take Michigan. As tenacious as it is defensively — the Wolverines held the highest-scoring team in the country to 28 points in the second half — it’s got plenty of flash. It shot nearly 50% from 3-point range, and Lendeborg made a defender look silly with his step-back 3 to start the second half.

And when Big Ten teams are playing anybody else, it’s like the training wheels have been taken off.

“Today I felt like the game was a lot more free-flowing. Not many times did I get chucked while I was trying to cut,” Lendeborg said. “It definitely helps me out. It definitely makes me slow the game down a lot more. I can find more reads than I would in the Big Ten.”  

It's the same for the rest of the Big Ten teams. Purdue, Iowa, Illinois — they still have old-school sensibilities but without the stodginess. At this point, any one of them can win it all.

Only a fool would think otherwise.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big Ten proving me wrong in March Madness. I owe it an apology

In the moments after his Alabama men’s basketball team’s dreams of a Final Four were dashed, coach Nate Oats shifted his attention to the subject that, for better or worse, defined the Crimson Tide’s 2025-26 season.

After falling to No. 1 seed Michigan 90-77 in the Sweet 16 on Friday, March 27 in Chicago, Oats addressed Alabama’s lack of rebounding against Michigan by mentioning a player who didn’t — and couldn't — suit up for the Tide.

Former G-League player Charles Bediako’s painfully prolonged fight for additional eligibility captured the attention of much of the college basketball world for nearly a month as the former Alabama center tried to return to the program he left in 2023 when he declared for the NBA Draft.

REQUIRED READING: Michigan vs Alabama highlights: Wolverines take down Crimson Tide, advance to Elite 8

Thanks to a temporary restraining order granted to him by an Alabama judge, Bediako was able to play five games for the Tide, averaging 10 points and 4.6 rebounds during a stretch in which his team went 3-2.

It was a short-lived reunion, though, with the temporary restraining order expiring and another Tuscaloosa, Alabama circuit court judge denying Bediako’s motion for a preliminary injunction, effectively ending his season and his college career.

Though the Bediako drama was resolved more than a month ago, Oats couldn’t help but think of the impact the seven-foot center would have had for a team that had an underwhelming frontcourt for much of the season.

“We know we've got to get bigger,” Oats said. “Some of it was injuries and stuff that happened. When we saw the opportunity to bring some size on after all the adversity we went through and after (James) Nnaji was declared eligible and most people, including ourselves, thought if they were going to declare Nnaji eligible that Bediako would be eligible. We had one judge who thought so. He would've definitely helped the situation with the rebounding...We would not have gotten out-rebounded by 13 tonight had we been able to continue to play him.”

“It wasn’t meant to be," Oats added later. "God had something different in store for us.”

Nate Oats postgame 👀

"We know we gotta get bigger... We saw the opportunity to bring some size on, after Nnaji was declared eligible, and most people, including ourselves, thought Bediako would be eligible. We had one judge who thought so. He would've definitely helped the… pic.twitter.com/9GIJntY8RI

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 28, 2026

Though he never played in an NBA game, Bediako was in the G-League for three seasons and played a game for the Motor City Cruise only a few days before he was granted the temporary restraining order to return to Alabama.

In the loss to Michigan, the Tide were outrebounded 46-32 and gave up 13 offensive boards.

The Sweet 16 appearance was Alabama’s fifth in the past six years. Prior to that run, the Tide hadn’t made it to the second week of the tournament since 2004.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nate Oats says Charles Bediako would have helped Alabama in Sweet 16 loss to Michigan

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Riley Tiernan scored the go-ahead goal and Angel City defeated the Houston Dash 2-1 on Friday night in the National Women's Soccer League.

Sveindís Jónsdóttir also scored for Angel City, which has won each of its first three matches for the best start in team history.

Maggie Graham scored for the Dash, who lost for the first time this season.

Graham's header in the 10th minute gave the Dash (2-1-0) the early lead. It was her first goal of the season.

Jónsdóttir got her third goal of the season in the 47th minute. The shot from distance sailed into the upper corner of the net out of Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell's reach. It was the first goal that Houston had allowed this season.

Two minutes later, Tiernan scored in a scramble in front of the Dash goal. Tiernan has four career winning goals.

Angel City (3-0-0) was coming off a 3-1 win at Bay FC last weekend. Jónsdóttir had two goals in that match and was named the NWSL Player of the Week.

Houston was coming off a 3-0 victory over the expansion Boston Legacy.

Angel City won both of its matches against the Dash last season.

___

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers ran the Miami Heat off the floor. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

WINNER – Jarrett Allen

In case you couldn’t tell, the Cavs missed Jarrett Allen. That was clear the moment he returned to the floor for his first game since March 3rd.

During that time without Allen, the Cavs ‘ defense had fallen off a cliff. They ranked 20th in defensive rating over the last two weeks. And, while their offense had been surging, it still felt like they were missing an important contributor.

Allen provided the goods as soon as he hit the hardwood.

In the opening minutes, Allen sealed Bam Adebayo in the paint for an easy post hook, pounded the glass for a few rebounds, and ran like the wind to finish an alley-oop jam. This trend repeated until he had 18 points and 10 rebounds midway through the third quarter.

“He’s been the best rim protector in the league post All-Star,” said Kenny Atkinson. “And then his rim presence offensively, I think sometimes without him, we become too perimeter oriented.”

Allen, in years past, has been the unsung hero of this team. I’m not so sure he’s being unsung anymore. Everyone in Rocket Arena seemed to appreciate the performance he just had. I know I did.

WINNER – Max Strus

Well, if the Cavs missed Jarrett Allen, you can say the same thing about Max Strus.

Strus already gave us an electric reintroduction when he hit Boston with a barrage of three-pointers in his first game of the season earlier this month. But after a few games of not having much success, Strus once again jolted back to life by erupting from downtown against his former team.

“Everything is game speed,” said Kenny Atkinson after the game. “He’s first in the gym, in the performance room, lifting, rehab, recovery, he does a phenomenal job taking care of his body — so I knew he had a little rest here, he didn’t play the last game, and so I kinda felt like he was going to come out and have a big game.”

It doesn’t take much to get Strus going. A semi-open jumper kicked it off. From there, any sliver of daylight meant Strus was launching it. The gravity that comes from having a player on a heater like this opened the floor for everyone else to attack. Miami wouldn’t dare to leave him.

Was it a revenge game? Or just Mad Max doing his thing? I don’t really care; it was awesome either way.

WINNER – Everyone Else

It was just one of those nights.

Who else can I shout out? James Harden, who put the Heat’s defense into a torture chamber and didn’t let them out until he had 17 points and 14 assists.

How about Evan Mobley, who padded his stats a bit in the fourth quarter, but punished Kel’el Ware in isolation after being embarrassed the game before. Mobley might have taken advantage of garbage time for 12 fourth-quarter points — but he owed them a little something extra.

The bench was all around much more impactful than last time. After only combining for 14 points in their first meeting, Cleveland’s bench had 50 points going into the fourth quarter against Miami this time around. Even if you subtract the points added by Strus, this was still a much better showing from them.

All in all, the Cavs were a well-oiled machine tonight. They played their hearts out defensively and couldn’t miss a shot on the other end. That’s how you build a 30+ point lead and get yourself back on track.

BOSTON (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 36 points, Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 109-102 on Friday night.

Jalen Johnson scored 29 points and CJ McCollum had 21 for the Hawks, who came in 15-2 since the All-Star break, best in the Eastern Conference. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 20 points but Atlanta’s shooting touch faded as the game progressed after a strong start.

Boston played without All-Star guard Jaylen Brown, who was ruled out with Achilles tendinitis.

Behind Pritchard’s spark off the bench and a dramatic swing beyond the arc, the Celtics caught the Hawks after trailing 25-9 in the first quarter. Boston made seven straight 3-pointers during the second quarter, but Johnson and Atlanta went into halftime up 60-55.

Fresh off an overtime victory over Eastern Conference leader Detroit, Atlanta entered the final quarter within striking distance of Boston, which has the East’s second-best record. Tatum had a tough night from the field, missing 16 of 24 shots, yet his spinning drive to the rim gave Boston a 97-86 lead with 7:29 remaining.

After getting fouled on a 3-point attempt with time winding down on the shot clock, Tatum sealed it with three free throws that gave Boston a 107-99 lead with a minute left.

The surging Hawks entered Friday with 14 wins in their last 15 games. They had their three-game winning streak snapped after shooting 39% from the field.

CLIPPERS 114, PACERS 113

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kawhi Leonard made a jumper with 0.4 seconds remaining, and Los Angeles rallied from a 24-point deficit to beat Indiana.

Leonard finished with 28 points, reaching 20 for the 50th straight game. Darius Garland led the Clippers with 30.

Los Angeles was run off the floor early by the team with the NBA’s worst record. The Pacers were a sizzling 8 for 11 from 3-point range in the first quarter, opening a 42-21 lead.

It grew to 45-21 early in the second before the Clippers stormed back for their fourth straight victory, giving coach Tyronn Lue the 400th of his career.

Indiana had gone back ahead 113-108 on Obi Toppin’s jumper with a minute to play. Leonard answered with a jumper, Garland made two free throws and the Clippers got the ball back after Pascal Siakam missed a jumper. They inbounded along the left side to Leonard, who dribbled into the middle and pulled up for the winner.

Leonard become the 14th NBA player to score at least 20 in 50 straight games, a streak that began Nov. 28.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 17 points against his former team, going 12 for 15 on free throws.

CAVALIERS 149, HEAT 128

CLEVELAND (AP) — Max Strus scored 29 points, Evan Mobley had 23 and Jarrett Allen came back from injury to add 18, leading Cleveland to a win over Miami in the second matchup between the teams in three days.

Strus made six of his eight 3-pointers in a 22-point first half as the Cavs bolted to a 35-point lead. He made one just ahead of the halftime horn to put Cleveland ahead 81-46 and cap the team’s highest scoring half this season.

The Cavs bounced back from a 120-103 loss to the Heat on Wednesday with a strong performance and matched the team record for points in a regulation game.

Allen’s return provided a major spark. He missed 10 games with tendinitis in his knee. The 27-year-old’s absence especially hurt on defense and deprived him time to build chemistry with star guard James Harden, whose acquisition at the trade deadline has raised title hopes.

Harden finished with 17 points and 14 assists, his most with Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell scored just six on 1 of 10 shooting.

THUNDER 131, BULLS 113

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points, and Oklahoma City used a 22-0 second-half run to power a win over Chicago.

The usually efficient Gilgeous-Alexander made just 8 of 24 shots. His teammates picked up the slack and helped the Thunder shoot 46.5% from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander still scored at least 20 points for a record 134th consecutive game.

Cason Wallace added 21 points for the Thunder, who were coming off a loss at Boston that followed a 12-game win streak. Oklahoma City got back on track, despite All-Star forward Chet Holmgren sitting out with a bruised right hip.

It was an important win for Oklahoma City, which is trying to hold off San Antonio for home-court advantage in the playoffs. The Thunder opened the night two games ahead of the idle Spurs with nine games to play and San Antonio holding the tiebreaker.

It was Thunder forward Jalen Williams’ first home game since Jan. 13. He had missed most of the past two months with a bruised right hip. The 2025 All-Star had 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Collin Sexton scored 22 points, Tre Jones scored 21 and Isaac Okoro added 20 for the Bulls, who have lost four of five.

ROCKETS 119, GRIZZLIES 109

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 25 points and led a fourth-quarter rally as Houston pulled away from Memphis for a victory.

Jabari Smith Jr. added 21 points and 16 rebounds and Amen Thompson had 18 points as Houston ended a two-game slide. Durant also had 10 assists.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper led the Grizzlies with a career-high 31 points and had seven rebounds. GG Jackson and Javon Small each added 14 points as Memphis lost its fifth straight and 13th in its last 14.

The Grizzlies were trailing 96-93 near the 7-minute mark of the fourth when Durant returned and made a 3-pointer. That kickstarted a 14-3 run through the middle stages of the frame that grew the Rockets’ lead to 110-96.

The Rockets, who are in sixth place in the Western Conference, are closer to Minnesota in the fifth spot than they are in danger of falling into a play-in game. With the win, Houston pulled within a game of the idle Timberwolves and four games games ahead of Phoenix for seventh.

Memphis, which has dealt with several injuries, is limping to the end of the regular season, hoping to enhance its position in the draft lottery. Ten Grizzlies were on the injured list against Houston.

RAPTORS 119, PELICANS 106

TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes had 23 points and 12 assists, Jakob Poeltl had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Toronto beat New Orleans.

RJ Barrett, Sandro Mamukelashvili and J’Kobe Walter also scored 18 points apiece for the Raptors, and Brandon Ingram added 13.

Zion Williamson scored 22 points for New Orleans on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 4 for 4 from the foul line. Saddiq Bey added 19 points.

The Raptors won for the second time in three outings to remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a full game ahead of the idle Philadelphia 76ers. The top six teams automatically make the playoffs in each conference.

The Pelicans lost their fourth in a row overall and fifth straight on the road. They were without top scorers Trey Murphy III (ankle) and Dejounte Murray (Achilles). Immanuel Quickley (Achilles) was absent from the Toronto lineup.

NUGGETS 135, JAZZ 129

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 33 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists, Cam Johnson and Jamal Murray combined for four 3-pointers in the final 2:20, and Denver rallied from 13 down in the fourth quarter to beat Utah.

Murray finished with 31 points two nights after scoring a season-high 53. Jokic had his fourth straight triple-double and 31st of the season to help Denver avoid a costly loss in the tight Western Conference playoff race.

The Nuggets are in fourth place, a game ahead of Minnesota and a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kyle Filipowski led Utah with 25 points but was scoreless in the fourth quarter when Denver rallied from a 120-107 deficit. Jokic started the comeback with a layup, Tim Hardaway Jr., who finished with 21 points, hit a 3-pointer and two free throws that made it 124-121.

After Ace Bailey made a baseline jumper, Jokic hit a turnaround and Johnson tied it with a 3-pointer. The teams traded threes before Johnson, who had 12 points, put the Nuggets ahead for good with another from deep with 46 seconds left.

After a turnover, Murray sealed with another from behind the arc with 17 seconds left.

Utah, which has lost 26 of its last 29, played without several key players, including Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen.

WARRIORS 131, WIZARDS 126

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis had 28 points and eight assists, Gui Santos made a pair of free throws with 11.4 seconds remaining, and Golden State held off Washington for the win.

Brandin Podziemski added 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to help the Warriors win a third straight game for the first time in nearly two months. Santos scored 27 points, Gary Payton II had 15 and Pat Spencer scored 13.

Rookie Will Riley had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Wizards, who were trying to win back-to-back games after ending a franchise record-tying 16-game losing streak by beating the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.

Bilal Coulibaly added 21 points while Bub Carrington had 16 points and five assists.

Playing their 24th consecutive game without star Stephen Curry, the Warriors led the majority of the game until the Wizards made a late surge in the fourth quarter.

MAVERICKS 100, TRAIL BLAZERS 93

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Marvin Bagley III scored 26 points off the bench and Cooper Flagg had 24 to lead Dallas past Portland, snapping a five-game skid.

Naji Marshall had 19 points and five steals for the Mavericks, who had dropped seven of their previous nine games on the road and bounced back from a 142-135 loss at Denver on Wednesday night. Bagley had nine rebounds and Flagg four steals for Dallas.

Jrue Holiday scored 23 points and Deni Avdija had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who had their two-game winning streak stopped and fell below .500 at 37-38. Portland, which has clinched a playoff spot and is currently in ninth place in the Western Conference, had won five of its previous six to get back to .500 for the first time in over two months.

Donovan Clingan had 17 rebounds and six points for the Trail Blazers.

LAKERS 116, NETS 99

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 41 points and eight rebounds while also picking up his suspension-triggering 16th technical foul during the Los Angeles Lakers ′ victory over Brooklyn.

Austin Reaves scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter while the Lakers finally pulled away from the young Nets to secure their 11th victory in 12 games. LeBron James added 14 points and eight assists for the Lakers in their return from a 5-1 road trip that has put them in third in the Western Conference standings.

Josh Minott had 18 points and six rebounds in Brooklyn’s 10th consecutive loss. Nic Claxton and Ziaire Williams scored 16 points apiece while leading the Nets’ lively effort, but both starters were kept on the bench for the entire fourth quarter along with Noah Clowney.

The young Nets still hung with the road-weary Lakers until the final minutes, erasing an early double-digit deficit and leading in the fourth quarter of their 20th loss in 22 games overall.

The Cleveland Cavaliers obliterated the Miami Heat in a bounce-back performance from their previous meeting.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

6 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

Mitchell played the role of facilitator in this one. He used his gravity as a weapon, drawing multiple defenders and generating open looks for his teammates. Mitchell threw dimes to the bigs and sprayed it out for shooters like Sam Merrill to get rolling.

I know it’s weird to give Mitchell such a positive grade when he shot 1-10 from the floor. But trust me, he was better than the box score suggests.

Grade: B

James Harden

17 points, 14 assists, 5 rebounds

The Heat didn’t have any answers for Harden. He was a menace in isolation, making Norman Powell and Tyler Herro look like rookies. Whether he was scoring or passing, Harden was in full control tonight.

“I think James had 20 potential assists, he just finds the right solution in every situation,” said Kenny Atkinson after the game.

Grade: A+

Evan Mobley

23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Mobley scored just 8 points in his previous game against the Heat. He had more than that in the fourth quarter tonight (12 points). It wasn’t an explosive game from Mobley, but he was one part of a symphony that wreaked havoc on Miami all game long.

Grade: A

Jarrett Allen

18 points, 10 rebounds

“The guys kept asking me, when is he [JA] gonna be back? They know how important he is,” said Kenny Atkinson after the game.

Well, welcome back, JA.

Allen returned to the floor for the first time since March 3rd to rousing success. He immediately made his impact felt, running the court for alley-oop dunks and impacting Miami’s attempts at the rim. Allen brought new life to a Cavs team that looked half asleep the last time they played.

Grade: A+

Max Strus

29 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist

Cavs fans are familiar with Strus catching fire. But that doesn’t mean it will ever get old. Strus hit his first four three-point attempts on his way to a 22-point first half. There was an audible excitement in Rocket Arena whenever he caught the ball today. That type of energy is infectious.

Max Strus, with a beer in hand, answers how he felt for tonight’s game:

“Like I can’t miss” pic.twitter.com/qZb5XbniIa

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) March 28, 2026

Extra credit for his aura in the post-game interview. Happy Birthday, Max.

Grade: A+++

Sam Merrill

10 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds

Merrill’s enjoying the best season of his career. He’s always been a steady shooter; now he’s added a mid-range and interior game. Merrill drove by Herro for a tough finish at the rim in the first half, showcasing his growth as an all-around player.

Grade: B+

Keon Ellis

10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Ellis wasn’t bothered by Miami’s defense in either of their matchups this week. He scored 17 points in the previous game and started a perfect 3-3 from the floor tonight. His defensive activity feels much more impactful when sharing the floor with Mobley and Allen.

Grade: B+

Dennis Schroder

8 points, 5 assists, 2 steals

Schroder hasn’t totally fit in with the Cavs over the last few weeks. Tonight, he was a welcoming presence as he kept the offense churning through his playmaking in the second unit. Similar to Ellis, Schroder is able to be more impactful as a pest defensively when he has two bigs behind him to cover up any mistakes.

Grade: B

Thomas Bryant

11 points, 4 rebounds

Bryant is back to being the third big in the rotation. That’s good for everyone. He can provide helpful minutes off the bench when needed — and now, we aren’t as worried about diminishing returns.

Grade: B

HOUSTON (AP) — Mike Trout, Josh Lowe and Zach Neto hit home runs and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Friday night.

In his second game with the Angels, Lowe broke a 1-1 tie in the second when he sent a first pitch fastball from Mike Burrows into the Crawford Boxes for a three-run homer. Lowe was acquired by the Angels in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays on Jan. 16.

Trout’s fifth inning solo home run was part of a three-hit game, and it marks the first time in his 16-year major league career that he’s gone deep in his first two games of a season.

Neto added a solo shot leading off the ninth inning for his second extra base hit of the night.

The long balls were in support of an Angels staff led by Yusei Kikuchi, who allowed two runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings. The bullpen quartet of Chase Silseth, Ryan Zeferjahn (1-0), Sam Bachman and Jordan Romano combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Burrows (0-1), who was making his Astros debut after he was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Dec. 19, surrendered five runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six.

Yordan Alvarez hit a home run for the Astros, while Carlos Correa went 2 for 3 with a walk.

Jeremy Peña, who missed Thursday’s season opener, had two hits, a stolen base and scored a run.

The Astros have started 0-2 for the second time in three seasons under manager Joe Espada.

Up next

Astros RHP Cristian Javier faces Angels LHP Reid Detmers when the series continues Saturday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

SAN FRANCISCO — The longer Steph Curry remains sidelined, the louder the ticks on the clock grow inside the Warriors’ building.

Time is running out to get the Golden State superstar the buildup he would need to return for the play-in tournament, Steve Kerr acknowledged before Friday’s game against the Wizards.

“We need to give him a runway if this is gonna work, and we are running out of games. That’s fair to say,” the Warriors coach said, acknowledging that among the staff “it’s actually a conversation now.”

After hosting Washington, the Warriors have eight games left in the regular season. They clinched their spot in the play-in and are on track to visit the Trail Blazers in the 9-10 matchup.

“We’re not bringing him back, like, for the play-in game,” Kerr said. “He needs to play some games.”

Curry, 38, missed his 24th consecutive game with runner’s knee, and while Kerr said the injury has “frustrated” him at times, he added that Curry was “in a good place now” and currently “encouraged.”

The Warriors provided the latest update on Curry’s status before Friday’s game, saying he was making “good progress” and was expected to participate in a 5-on-5 scrimmage “in the coming days.” 

However, Curry was supposed to take part in a scrimmage this past Sunday. That never happened, and Curry is still waiting to receive the go-ahead from Rick Celebrini, the head of their medical staff.

“The whole idea is that if he’s healthy, he’s going to play,” Kerr said. “If he’s not healthy, or if there’s any risk at all, then he won’t play.”

Kerr said Curry was still working with the mindset that he’ll return this season. However, the longer Curry’s absence draws on, the less likely it is that happens.

Warriors injury updates

Golden State has been so beaten up recently that the update on Curry came with status reports on three other injured players, including his younger brother, Seth Curry.

The two brothers have yet to share the floor this season because of their various ailments. The younger Curry has at least returned to live on-court work, according to the team, after missing his eighth straight game with a groin strain.

Al Horford, who also missed his eighth straight game with a calf strain, has started “light on-court workouts,” according to the team. The 39-year-old is set to be reevaluated in a week, ruling him out for at least three more contests

Without Horford or Quinten Post, the Warriors have been lacking size. The Dutch 7-footer is still considered day to day with right foot soreness, which left the Warriors down two big men for the third game in a row.

WASHINGTON – Caleb Foster rolled out of the Duke locker room with his right foot wrapped in ice and his right knee perched atop a one-legged scooter, a bag of ice strapped and wrapped around his left calf for good measure.

Twenty days ago, Foster fractured his right foot in a win against North Carolina. In the wake of the injury, Duke coach Jon Scheyer believed Foster, a junior, had a “one-in-a-million” chance on returning this season.

On Friday night, Foster came off the bench to score 11 points, corral three rebounds and dish out a pair of assists across 19 crucial minutes to spark the No. 1 Blue Devils’ 80-75 win against No. 5 St. John’s to reach the East Region finals.

Sweet 16 scores, highlights: Who is headed to Elite 8?

“Still a little stunned with what happened, to be honest with you guys, because what this guy did, to be honest, he had no business playing tonight,” Scheyer said.

“Ninety-nine percent of guys do not come back to play under the circumstances of what's happened to him. It was incredible the way he willed us. There's no analytics. There's no stats that can measure how big this dude's heart is for what he did.”

Part Jordan flu game, part Willis Reed on one leg, Foster’s performance against the Red Storm should linger in Duke history.

“What I saw today was pretty unbelievable,” said guard Dame Sarr. “I’ve never seen something like this before. The way he played for us today, it was really unbelievable.”

Duke players found out Foster was going to play on Thursday night, though he’d come off the bench behind freshman Cayden Boozer. That fulfilled a promise he made last week: Foster told teammates he’d be back for the Sweet 16 if they were able to advance out of the opening weekend.

“He just worked his butt off every single day, every single hour,” said freshman forward Nikolas Khamenia. “Before practice, after practice, he was doing everything he could.”

Intensive rehabbing increased Foster’s odds. But even then, he rolled into the Capital One Arena for Thursday’s open practice on his scooter and didn’t take part in any 5-on-5 work. Still, there was enough improvement for Scheyer to roll the dice: Foster would play as one of the Blue Devils’ first players off the bench.

The injury against the Tar Heels and the chance that his season was over left Foster “real stunned,” he said. “I didn't know if I was going to be able to bounce back from that, but as soon as the doctor told me that it's a chance, I just took it and ran with it. That's where my mindset has been from here on out.”

That didn’t surprise the locker room, even if the same group initially believed, like Scheyer, that Foster’s return this season was the longest of long shots.

But the Blue Devils saw him work. They watched Foster constantly rehabbing his foot while they did their on-court work. They saw Foster steadily improve his mobility and flexibility. Steadily, Duke players began to believe that Foster would be back this season.

“He was just telling us he was going to be back ASAP. He was going to do everything. Literally, he did everything he possibly could,” said guard Darren Harris.

“All the players expected him to play. Just the way he was handling everything, the way he was talking to us. He was with us since the day he got hurt. So it was no surprise to us.”

And seeing Foster on the court gave the Blue Devils the mental boost they needed to combat the Red Storm’s physical play, teammates said.

“That was special,” said Harris. “The resilience he has, that he’s showed us since Day 1. That was a special moment to kind of see him will us to a win. First game back after his surgery, that was crazy.”

Said Sarr, “It does a lot. I feel like it shows how much we want it. It’s just not talk. We really want to advance, we really want to win. We’ll find a way. And that’s what we did today.”

After starting the second half on the bench, Foster entered the game with 16:42 to play and Duke trailing 50-44. Two minutes later, that deficit would grow to 55-45. Then Foster stepped up to change the complexion of a game that seemed to be slipping away.

“I wanted to come out and provide anything possible, experience, whatever the team needed,” he said. “I didn't know what we needed or what to expect, but just providing a boost out there any way I can.”

He made a second-chance layup to make it 55-47, and then drove for another layup on the next Duke possession to cut the lead to 55-49. A short jumper, a free throw and an assist on a Cameron Boozer bucket made the score 57-54 with 12 minutes remaining.

After being replaced by Cayden Boozer at the 9:39 mark, Foster returned with 4:22 remaining and the score tied 67-67. Down the stretch, he delivered two key scores to keep St. John’s at bay: Foster made a pull-up jumper to put Duke in front 75-69 with 2:14 left and then delivered on a driving layup to put the lead to 77-72 with 1:27 to play, locking down the win.

“I had full confidence in him,” Cayden Boozer said. “Obviously, what he did today was elite. For him having surgery 20 days ago and to be able come back as fast as he did and play the way he did, that’s super impressive. That’s like my older brother. I’m super proud of him.”

Beyond the key buckets and assists, Foster was the inspiration Duke needed to remain composed in the face of the Red Storm’s pressure.

“We were getting a little too low on ourselves,” Sarr said. “He was talking to us in a way that I felt secure that we were going to win. His eyes were talking. He’s special, man.”

But even playing just 19 minutes — his fewest in a complete game since logging 18 minutes against Western Carolina in the second game of the year — was almost too much for Foster, who was visibly fatigued in the second half and struggled to get lift on his shots from beyond medium range.

“Obviously, he was a little tired out there,” said Harris.

But he had fight — and so did Duke. The Blue Devils reached the Sweet 16 without Foster; on Friday night, he returned the favor.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Sarr. “I was like, ‘Let’s go.’ He’s ready? I’m going to roll for him. He’s our point guard. He’s our leader. I was ready to go with him, to fight.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caleb Foster returns from injury to lead Duke past St John's, into Elite 8

TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes had 23 points and 12 assists, Jakob Poeltl had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-106 on Friday night.

RJ Barrett, Sandro Mamukelashvili and J’Kobe Walter also scored 18 points apiece for the Raptors, and Brandon Ingram added 13.

Zion Williamson scored 22 points for New Orleans on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 4 for 4 from the foul line. Saddiq Bey added 19 points.

The Raptors won for the second time in three outings to remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a full game ahead of the idle Philadelphia 76ers. The top six teams automatically make the playoffs in each conference.

The Pelicans lost their fourth in a row overall and fifth straight on the road. They were without top scorers Trey Murphy III (ankle) and Dejounte Murray (Achilles). Immanuel Quickley (Achilles) was absent from the Toronto lineup.

Barnes scored 13 of his game-high total in the third quarter. Mamukelashvilli came off the bench for his total that included three 3-pointers.

After pulling away with a 25-8 run to begin the second quarter, the Raptors took a 59-44 lead into halftime. Toronto maintained its 15-point advantage after three quarters.

The Raptors played on two days of rest after a five-game road trip that concluded in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Up next

Pelicans: Host the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Raptors: Host the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

___

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

When the Lakers hosted the Nets on Friday, there was an iconic deep voice missing inside of Crypto.com Arena.

Longtime franchise public address announcer Lawrence Tanter wasn’t in attendance for Friday’s game as he recovered from a health matter, the team announced.  

Jason Barquero filled in for Tanter. 

“The entire Lakers organization is wishing Lawrence all the best in his recovery,” the Lakers said in a statement, “and we look forward to welcoming him back soon.”

Tanter, 76, has been the Lakers’ PA announcer since the 1982-83 season. 

Lakers broadcast analyst Stu Lantz also wasn’t at Friday’s game because he was under the weather, with five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher filling in for Lantz.

It was a tale of two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the second being a lot more to their liking. Max Strus hit eight threes, Jarrett Allen had a double-double in his return to the starting lineup, and James Harden added 17 points and 10 assists as the Cavs throttled the visiting Miami Heat 149 to 128. After laying an egg Wednesday night against the very same Heat team, it was a full 180-degree turnaround in front of a raucous Cleveland crowd.

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson talked about Allen’s return to the starting lineup and how much it meant, and he may have undersold it. Allen’s paint presence as a defender, ability to run to the rim off screens, and his sense as a roller of the pick-and-roll was on full display in the first half. The Cavs clearly missed him, on several levels.

Atkinson mentioned pregame how much of a difference it is having both Allen and Evan Mobley patrol the interior, and he was right. The Heat only attempted just 24% of their shots in the paint per Cleaning the Glass, almost 8% lower than their team average. That is an indicator of how much of a deterrent having two bigs is for opposing teams when facing a healthy Cleveland front court.

Despite the Cavs putting up 149 points, it was not because of Donovan Mitchell. The superstar shooting guard had a quiet scoring night, but still dished six assists and had four steals. Truthfully, there was not a need for him to carry the offense when everyone else was clicking so well.

Harden put together a 17-point 14 assist double-double, making the role of point guard look far too easy. The biggest benefactor to that was Allen, who had 18 points while being an ideal rim-running partner. His athleticism and contact on screens makes things easier, and the Cavs as a unit made things look extremely easy. Here is just one of Harden’s passes to Allen:

Thank you sir, may we have another? #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/TKVStixcnJ

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 28, 2026

But the real star of the night was Max Strus, who was absolutely blistering from deep in the first half. The former Heat wing hit six three-pointers in the first half and eight overall en route a 29-point effort. Strus has been an instant-impact player for the Cavs sing returning from a foot injury, and this game was the highlight. A healthy Strus hitting shots and playing hard off the bench in the playoffs is an ideal scenario for the Cavs.

Mobley had a quiet first three quarters, but exploded out of the gate in the fourth to the tune of six straight points, and 12 for the quarter in total. He finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds on 10-15 shooting. The aggressiveness at the start of the fourth quarter was welcome, as the Cavs had just allowed that Heat to make up 13 points in the third. Mobley essentially iced the game, if Keon Ellis’ buzzer-beater three didn’t already do that:

What's this play in football terms? TD pass? Flea flicker? Hook & ladder? #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/5URZ2EW1Ws

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 28, 2026

The end of the game got a little chippy. Tyler Herro was assessed a technical after plowing right through Sam Merrill on a screen and arguing about the call. Then Myron Gardner fouled Tyrese Proctor hard on a layup that resulted in in a technical for him and Thomas Bryant, the latter for defending his teammate. The infractions didn’t matter, but it highlighted a frustrating night for the Heat in general, who were seemingly run off the court from the opening tip. They trailed 15-2 just a few minutes into the game and never recovered.

The Cavs managed to salvage the second end of this home-and-home series with the Heat, and get a few days off before starting a West Coast swing – beginning in Utah on Monday night. Tip-off is at 9:00 p.m. EST on FanDuel Sports Ohio.

Jayson Tatum set his season high in the Celtics 109-102 win over the Hawks on Friday night with 26 points. After a rough first half, Tatum really settled in during the 2nd half with 21 points and 5 rebounds on 6/13 from the field. However, it was Payton Pritchard who led team in scoring with 36 points.

Jaylen Brown joined Nikola Vucevic on the Celtics injury report. Baylor Scheierman replaced Brown in the starting 5 with Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. Just Jock Landale missed the game for Atlanta. The Hawks started CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, a group that has led them on a big winning streak as of late.

It was a slow start for the Celtics and a fast one for the Hawks. The Hawks starting 5 has been among the best in the league and that was the case at the start of this one. They got off to a 16-7 lead over Boston.

Jordan Walsh took Jaylen’s spot in the rotation; it was his first action since March 12 against the Thunder.

Jordan Walsh will return to the rotation with Jaylen out. He last played in OKC on 3/12.

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) March 27, 2026

It was a 25-9 start for the Hawks, but the Celtics outscored the Hawks 17-4 to end the quarter. The Hawks led 29-26 at the end of 1. Payton Pritchard led the team with 7 points. Jayson Tatum had 5 of his own.

The Hawks got off to a quick start in the second quarter, taking a 37-28 lead but 9 straight Celtics points, 5 of which came from Payton Pritchard who got off of to a scorching hot start, evened the score.

The Celtics took the lead at 46-43 but a 13-4 Hawks run put Atlanta up, 56-50. The Hawks defense did a big part of the run, doing a good job of holding the Celtics offense down.

Basketball is a game of runs and the first half was the half of runs. The Hawks led, 60-55 at the end of the 2nd quarter. Pritchard led the C’s with 19 points while Sam Hauser had 7.

It was a tough half from the field for Jayson Tatum and Derrick White.

Tatum/Derrick: 4-18 (1-4) 3 TOs -17

Don't see that a lot

— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) March 28, 2026

Payton Pritchard was a huge reason as to why the Celtics stayed in the game. He gave them a 69-68 lead in the middle of the third quarter after back-to-back deep threes.

Payton Pritchard is unreal

Comes off the bench after the timeout and hits 2 straight threes to hit 25 points early in the third quarter

Timeout ATL pic.twitter.com/SBFloPl9Zj

— NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) March 28, 2026

The Celtics led at the end of three quarters, 87-82 as Pritchard was the leading scorer with 30 points. Jayson Tatum had 13 points with 8 on 3/5 shooting coming in the third quarter.

I thought the 2nd half was an awesome Tatum half, he was very good in 3rd quarter and it carried over to the 4th. He was getting to the cup, finishing strong, making the right passes and rebounding the ball.

Then, he finally hit the setback three.

I’m thinking Jayson Tatum is back pic.twitter.com/TdCGclz7ty

— Pull up shoot (@NElGHT_) March 28, 2026

Celtics got a bunch of offensive rebounds late in the game, 4 fourth quarter offensive rebounds gave the Celtics extra opportunities. Including a big one from Payton Pritchard who kicked the ball out to Tatum and was fouled on a three point shot.

The Hawks just did not have enough to keep up with Boston, even without Jaylen Brown. Boston beat Atlanta, 109-102.

Payton Pritchard led the team with 36 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while Jayson Tatum had a season high 26 points. Luka Garza, Derrick White and Sam Hauser also scored in double figures.

The Celtics shot 47% from the field and 40% from three while Atlanta shot 39% from the field and 36% from three. The Celtics next game is Sunday in Charlotte against the Hornets at 6 EST.