Category: Basketball

One of the most important ingredients for an instant classic in March Madness during the NCAA Tournament involves who is on the call for the game.

Nothing in college basketball hits as hard as when Bill Raftery calls out his legendary "onions" when a player hits a clutch shot late in a game, likely making the difference between winning or going home in the single-elimination tournament.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracket tracker: Who's in, out and on men's NCAA Tournament bubble

To no shock, when CBS and TNT Sports announced their lineup for announcers for the 2025-26 tournament, Raftery was grouped with Ian Eagle, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson for the call on the semifinal and championship game on April 4 and 6, respectively. It will be the third straight year the quartet works together for these games.

Here's a look at who the networks will have on the call for games and studio broadcast during the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

2026 NCAA Tournament game announcers

It's not a shock that Raftery, Eagle, Hill and Wolfson will serve as the lead announcing team throughout the tournament. Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce will form one team through the regional round, while Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy and and Lauren Shehadi form another. Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn form the third team.

Here's a look at all the CBS/TNT announcing teams:

• Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson: Through championship game
• Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson and Allie LaForce: Through regional finals
• Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy and and Lauren Shehadi: Through regional finals
• Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn: Through regional finals
• Brandon Gaudin, Chris Webber and Andy Katz: First and second rounds
• Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel and Jon Rothstein: First and second rounds
• Tom McCarthy, Candace Parker, Dan Bonner and AJ Ross: First and second rounds
• Brad Nessler, Wally Szczerbiak and Jared Greenberg: First and second rounds

2026 NCAA Tournament studio analysts

Adam Zucker and Nate Burleson are set to host the studio coverage from New York at the CBS Broadcast Center. Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith will join the duo. Meanwhile, Adam Lefkoe will host the studio coverage from Atlanta, at the TNT Sports Studio. Bruce Pearl, Jamal Mashburn, Jalen Rose and Seth Davis are set to join Lefkoe.

Ernie Johnson will host the studio coverage during the Final Four.

Here's a look at the all the studio analysts this tournament:

• Host: Nate Burleson, New York
• Host: Adam Zucker, New York
• Host: Adam Lefkoe, Atlanta
• Host: Ernie Johnson, Final Four
• Analyst: Clark Kellogg, New York
• Analyst: Charles Barkley, New York
• Analyst: Kenny Smith, New York
• Analyst: Renee Montgomery, New York
• Analyst: Jamal Mashburn, Atlanta
• Analyst: Jalen Rose, Atlanta
• Analyst: Seth Davis, Atlanta
• Analyst: Bruce Pearl, Atlanta
• Game updates: Jamie Erdahl
• Rules analyst: Gene Steratore

2026 NCAA Tournament First Four announcers

The tournament officially tips off on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 with the First Four games on truTV. Jordan Kent and Spanarkel, with Jenny Dell as the courtside reporter on the call the first game on Tuesday, as well as both games on Wednesday, from Dayton, Ohio.

The second game on Tuesday will be called by Anderson, Barkley and Dick Vitale, with Dell serving as the courtside reporter.

The studio coverage for the First Four games will come from Atlanta, with Lefkoe hosting and analysts Pearl, Mashburn, Rose and Davis joining him.

• Game 1: Jordan Kent, Jim Spanarkel and Jenny Dell
• Game 2: Brian Anderson, Charles Barkley, Dick Vitale and Jenny Dell
• Game 3: Jordan Kent, Jim Spanarkel and Jenny Dell
• Game 4: Jordan Kent, Jim Spanarkel and Jenny Dell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament announcers for CBS, TNT for 2026 March Madness

Most Big Ten men's college basketball teams have two games remaining in the regular season before next week's Big Ten tournament begins in Chicago (March 10-15).

Michigan has wrapped up the top seed, winning the regular-season title with a few games to spare. Teams are still jockeying for positions 2 through 4 to earn the all-important double-bye to the quarterfinals.

Insider: How Dusty May turned Michigan basketball into conqueror in 2 years

March Madness bubble watch: Pressure builds in final week of regular season

This year, the Big Ten tournament expanded to all 18 teams. So Penn State, Oregon and Maryland, who would have been in line to miss the tournament, get a chance to play in Chicago.

UCLA's win over Nebraska was the big headline coming out of Tuesday night's games.

Here's how the bracket looks as of March 4.

HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.

Big Ten tournament bracket live projection (March 4)

All times EST.

First round

Tuesday, March 10

• G1: No. 16 Maryland vs. No. 17 Oregon, 5 p.m. (Peacock)
• G2: No. 15 Northwestern vs. No. 18 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)

Second round

Wednesday, March 11

• G3: No. 9 Ohio State vs. Game 1 winner, noon (Peacock)
• G4: No. 12 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Washington , 2:30 p.m. (Peacock)
• G5: No. 10 Indiana vs. Game 2 winner, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
• G6: No. 11 USC vs. No. 14 seed, 9 p.m. (BTN)

Third round

Thursday, March 12

• G7: No. 8 Iowa vs. Game 3 winner, noon (BTN)
• G8: No. 5 Purdue vs. Game 4 winner, 2:30 p.m. (BTN)
• G9: No. 7 UCLA vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
• G10: No. 6 Wisconsin vs. Game 6 winner, 9 p.m. (BTN)

Quarterfinals

Friday, March 13

• G11: No. 1 Michigan vs. Game 7 winner, noon (BTN)
• G12: No. 4 Illinois vs. Game 8 winner, 2:30 p.m. (BTN)
• G13: No. 2 Michigan State vs. Game 9 winner, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
• G14: No. 3 Nebraska vs. Game 10 winner, 9 p.m. (BTN)

Semifinals

Saturday, March 14

• G15: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 1 p.m. (CBS)
• G16: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Final

Sunday, March 15

• Championship game, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Big Ten basketball remaining schedule

All times EST.

Wednesday, March 4

• Minnesota at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
• Ohio State at Penn State, 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)
• Maryland at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. (FS1)
• Purdue at Northwestern, 8:30 p.m. (BTN)
• USC at Washington, 10:30 p.m. (BTN)

Thursday, March 5

• Michigan at Iowa, 8 p.m. (Peacock)
• Rutgers at Michigan State, 8 p.m. (FS1)

Saturday, March 7

• Wisconsin at Purdue, 4 p.m. (CBS)
• Indiana at Ohio State, 5:30 p.m. (FOX)
• UCLA at USC, 9 p.m. (FS1)
• Northwestern at Minnesota, 9 p.m. (BTN)
• Washington at Oregon, 11 p.m. (FS1)

Sunday, March 8

• Penn State at Rutgers, noon (BTN)
• Illinois at Maryland, 3 p.m. (FOX)
• Michigan State at Michigan, 4:30 p.m. (CBS)
• Iowa at Nebraska, 5 p.m. (FOX)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big 10 men's basketball tournament bracket, seed predictions updates

Something has been in the air lately, almost like a bug—or perhaps an injury bug? Jokes aside, both Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. have had ankle injuries in recent games. Amen hurt his ankle in Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards, while Jabari was injured during last Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Houston’s upcoming injury report is anticipated to include an official severity update for Amen, and Jabari’s comeback is anticipated on Thursday when Houston plays the Golden State Warriors. Smith and Thompson are both dealing with ankle issues, which is testing Houston’s depth. The coaching staff has been compelled to experiment with lineup combinations, increasing the responsibility of secondary scorers and bench contributions. The absence of two young building blocks also affects chemistry. Thompson and Smith make up the squad’s long-term core; their extended absence disrupts the team’s identity-building process.

Luckily for Houston, neither injury is currently believed to be a season-ending one. Both players remain vital to the Rockets’ present and future objectives. Thompson’s top priorities will be steadiness and regaining confidence when going downhill. Smith’s main goal is to ensure that the ankle is strong enough to endure defensive shifts and heavy minute workloads. As the season goes on, both talent and health might determine the Rockets’ destiny. Houston will have two dynamic players who can alter the tempo of a game on any given night if Smith and Thompson heal completely. Without Thompson and Smith, expect more minutes from members of the “stay ready crew” such as Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green, along with Reed Sheppard starting.

The Rockets will be back in action Thursday at 6:30 pm as they take on the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center. You can watch the game on SCHN, and as always, be sure to check back at The Dream Shake for both pre- and post-game content.

Rob Dillingham looked like something close to Gen Z Allen Iverson in college when he was tearing it up for the Kentucky Wildcats next to Reed Sheppard. The super shifty point guard was ripping deep three-pointers, cooking defenders off the bounce, and playing with a flair that energized fans and teammates alike. The Minnesota Timberwolves were so sold on Dillingham that they traded a first-round pick seven years out to move up to the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft to select him.

Dillingham could not get on the floor for a contending Wolves team in his first 1.5 seasons, so at the trade deadline Minnesota dealt him to Chicago for Ayo Dosunmu. Taking a flier on the 21-year-old guard made sense for a rebuilding Bulls team, but so far the change of scenery hasn’t benefitted Dillingham too much.

As the Thunder were crushing the Bulls on Tuesday night, Dillingham had one of the strangest turnovers you will ever see. Pushing the ball on the break, the Chicago guard accidentally heel-kicked the ball to OKC. This is something straight out soccer, but not sure if Messi himself could actually pull off if he tried. Watch the play here:

Some of these Rob Dillingham turnovers are mind-boggling. He just heel kicked the ball to the Thunder pic.twitter.com/ngAuzeJjBG

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 4, 2026

This feels absolutely impossible to recreate. If Dillingham tried to do it 100 more times, I don’t think he could. That’s yours truly on the clip, and I’m just glad I had the game recording when such a strange play happened.

Dillingham needs to do two things to save his NBA career: cut down the turnovers, and improve as a shooter. He has a nearly 20 percent turnover rate since entering the league, which is about twice as high as it needs to be given his other limitations. For such a small guard to succeed, they need to be able to drain threes off the dribble. Dillingham’s 44 percent college three-point stroke has fallen to 31.7 percent in the NBA. A lot of his issues could probably be fixed just by getting stronger.

Dillingham is really fun to watch when he’s on, but his significant lack of both length and strength hurts him. This is just a bizarre play. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it before, and I doubt I’ll ever see it again.

When Mike Brown was hired as the new honcho in July, it was abundantly clear that the Knicks would fundamentally change their offensive identity.

And while the team has been pretty similar to last season in terms of offensive rating, efficiency, and their overall standing in the league, there’s one thing that’s been different: three-point volume.

The Knicks are eighth in 3PA/g with 39.5 following their win in Toronto on Tuesday night. Last year? They were 27th with 34.1. The overall efficiency hasn’t changed too much (up to 37.5% from 36.9% last year), but in shooting 5.4 more attempts per game, the shot diet has been considerably augmented. They went from 38.2% of their shots being from 3 to having 43.7% of their shots be from downtown, a solid increase.

The biggest change, though, is that the team is now hunting the most efficient shot in the modern NBA, the corner 3. And for the most part, they’re knocking them down.

2024-25: 10.2 att/g (11th), 38.3% (17th)
2025-26: 12.4 att/g (T-1st), 43.0% (3rd)

That’s powered by some of the NBA’s most prolific corner 3 shooters, as Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are 2nd and 3rd in attempts from the corner, respectively, while both are shooting over 42%. Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, Josh Hart, and Jalen Brunson are also shooting over 39%. Hell, even Mo Diawara is on fire from the corner!

Sniper Diawara, 15-18 on corner threes cc @LT__Murray
pic.twitter.com/cXMaPCQk9o

— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) March 4, 2026

So the Knicks have shooters and a coach who prioritizes getting good, open looks at the most efficient spots. What could possibly go wrong?

The problem turns out to be that the Knicks aren’t the most consistent bunch. The numbers look spectacular, but not all “efficient” shooters are created equally. There’s the AJ Green’s of the world, that’s an absolute lock to at least go 3/6 or 4/10 even when he’s not 100% locked in. Then, there’s the type that will one game go 6/8 and the next game go 1/8, but ultimately average out at over 40%.

That’s, unfortunately, what the Knicks have been.

OG and Mikal both on this list.

Wrote about it this morning. Part of being the best role players in the NBA – something both were billed as – is consistency. Neither has been consistent enough for the Knicks given their other issues. https://t.co/tlRPeJURk7

— Jonathan Macri (@JCMacriNBA) February 25, 2026

As such, the Knicks have had some really bad shooting games. Through 62 games, here are the Knicks’ records when they shoot a certain percentage from 3:

Over 45%: 13-0
Over 40%: 20-5
Over 34%: 37-9
Under 34%: 3-13
Under 30%: 1-9

The Knicks have not lost a game where they shoot better than 44% from 3. They have not won a game where they shoot worse than 28%. Of course, it’s obvious that a team will do better when they make more 3-pointers, but this disparity is extremely jarring. In fact, here are the exact same splits from the 2024-25 season:

Over 45%: 11-1
Over 40%: 24-4
Over 34%: 40-13
Under 34%: 11-18
Under 30%: 5-13

With the larger volume of threes being taken this year, there’s less margin for error when they don’t go down. Last year, the Knicks were able to occasionally win when inefficient from 3 because they usually shot less than 30 a night when they weren’t falling. This year? They’re trying to shoot 35-40 per game, regardless.

There are pros and cons to both systems. Last year’s offensive system was more flexible, but the ceiling of the current team is much higher because they can absolutely destroy teams when they knock down a barrage of threes. It also makes it so that, as long as they make enough shots, the volume will usually have them out in front.

Of course, what matters is making the shots when it counts. The Knicks are the league’s best three-point shooting team in the clutch this season (while also, strangely, being the worst free-throw shooting team), but that’s not entirely what I mean by making it when it matters.

In three matchups with the top-seeded Detroit Pistons this season, the Knicks are shooting an abysmal 29.6%. While some of that is elite Pistons defense, a deeper dive shows that it’s just really bad shotmaking.

Open threes: 5-33 (15.2%)
Wide-open threes: 19-56 (33.9%)

In the most recent defeat in Cleveland, the Knicks went an absolutely horrific 5-for-21 on wide-open triples. Maybe a good percentage of those bolsters an offense that was stuck in neutral all night there.

When the Knicks lose, it’s because they can’t make shots. Very few times (outside the 11-game stretch, of course) are they just completely overmatched and outplayed in all facets. There will be that game where Brunson is stuck in a box, and his supporting cast is either in street clothes or just not effective. There will be nights when important players are injured. There will be nights when the effort level isn’t there.

But a lot of times, it really just boils down to making open threes. When they make them, they’re extremely hard to beat.

Yesterday, the Hawks took action to fill their third and final two-way spot with the signing of Keshon Gilbert. The report broken by Jake L. Fischer of the Stein Line substack:

The Atlanta Hawks are signing Keshon Gilbert to a two-way contract, according to league sources. Gilbert, repped by veteran agent Bill Neff, was with the Capital City Go-Go, and spent time with the Washington Wizards earlier this season.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) March 3, 2026

Caleb Houston was recently converted from his two-way deal to a standard contract. In that space is now Gilbert, who played for the Wizards earlier this season.

Gilbert is a 22-year-old rookie guard who went undrafted from Iowa State. He’s a solid playmaker and defender with good size for a point guard.

He joins Christian Koloko and RayJ Dennis as the other Hawks on two-way deals.

On Tuesday night, NBC flashed back to the 1990s and the result was more entertaining than any episode of Friends I’ve seen. With the NBA once more on the network this season as part of the league’s changing media rights landscape, NBC did a retro broadcast of the Sixers-Spurs game in Philadelphia. I adored it, despite the results of the game.

The network’s pregame show, featuring the likes of old-school NBA on NBC commentators Hannah Storm,  P.J. P.J. Carlesimo and Isiah Thomas handled the pregame action, discussing the Sixers-Spurs game while mixing in clips from the ‘90s and the turn of the millennium to augment the retro feel. Sure, today’s younger fans want to know the latest on Victor Wembanyama and Tyrese Maxey, but seeing videos of former Sixers coach Larry Brown and NBA Finals matchups of yesteryear was a treat.

As things changed to actual in-game action, NBC brought the goods with the graphics package.

The starting lineups?

The look of this starting lineup graphic. 👌 pic.twitter.com/R5L6tdf9KW

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) March 4, 2026

The scorebug?

NBC is using their old scorebug for Spurs-Sixers tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/I8gCm4BCHh

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 4, 2026

They were both great touches and the fact that the Sixers were donning their Allen Iverson-era throwback uniforms only made it that much more sweet.

A classic group of announcers were on the mic too with Bob Costas, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello, as well as Jim Gray as a sideline reporter. I have been vocal over the last 15 years about my disdain for Collins’ tenure as a coach in Philadelphia, but he was an excellent player as a Sixer and defining color commentator for the sport.

I love basketball history. If you’re a fan of the modern game, you should too. This isn’t to say that any teenager should automatically proclaim that Michael Jordan was better than their GOAT in LeBron James. Form your own opinions, but be informed of what transpired in the game, from the on-court action of the former legends to all the minutiae surrounding it that made us all fall for hoops in the first place. That connective tissue is everything. Sure, things have changed mightily over the decades. This game is airing concurrently on a streaming service, for instance, but our collective love of basketball still shines through.

This shouldn’t be a one-off thing. Doing it weekly would diminish the aura of it, but how about monthly at least? Maybe you can’t get the whole crew of announcers together for that many games, but if the broadcast, graphics, court and uniforms adhere to the era, let’s keep going with this blast to past. Perhaps it reels back in some lapsed NBA fans while also giving younger generations a reason to go on a Wikipedia or basketball-reference wormhole to learn about everything that led to Wembanyama and Maxey now being the kings of the court.

A three-pointer clanked off the side of the backboard. Four players were whistled for technical fouls. Passes from the Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans sailed out of bounds.

The errors added up to an ugly game. The result, however, was beautiful for the Lakers, who notched a 110-101 comeback win over the Pelicans on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. They clawed back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win their third consecutive game, showing the kind of resolve coach JJ Redick said he hasn’t seen since November when the Lakers started 15-4.

“Nights like this can change the trajectory for teams and players,” guard Marcus Smart said. “So hopefully this win and tonight, in the way, the fashion that we won it, kicks our confidence up.”

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Marcus Smart gives Lakers life

With calm feet and fast hands, Smart reached in to swat the ball away from a driving Trey Murphy III. The final defensive flourish from Smart put a fitting full-stop on the Lakers' win as the former defensive player of the year set the tone with four steals and three blocked shots and made a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter to spark the comeback.

“He gave us life tonight,” Redick said.

The 12-year veteran was the only Laker to play every second of the fourth quarter, proving to be a vital piece of the closing rotation along with stars LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.

Doncic led the Lakers with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, although he had seven turnovers. James fueled the Lakers during the third quarter, scoring the team’s first nine points and finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Reaves shook off a bad offensive night to score eight of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Read more:All five starters score in double figures as Lakers defeat the Pelicans

With so many offensive superstars around him, Smart has instead “starred in his role,” Redick said. The assignment is defense, a role Smart has dutifully filled his whole career.

“He’s just a winning player,” James said. “He always has been. Ever since I started watching him at Oklahoma State, all the way until being a pro.”

Jaxson Hayes stands up to Zion Williamson

Matching the physicality of Pelicans forwards Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey was on the top of the Lakers’ scouting report. But the task is easier said than done.

Reaves admitted to being “terrified” of stepping in front of a driving Williamson to draw a charge. The 6-foot-6, 284-pound Pelicans forward is just as physical as he is athletic, creating a fearsome combination for defenders. Healthy for the first time in two seasons, Williamson led the Pelicans with 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting.

“We haven't seen somebody like that in a long time, right?” Smart said. “[With] his ability. But [being] willing to put your body there, take a charge, take an elbow to the face, box him out, go vertical, is definitely something that you got to be willing to do, and not everybody's willing to do it. And that's the difference in the game.”

Center Jaxson Hayes was up to the task. He absorbed a Williamson elbow in the fourth quarter and ended up in the front row of the stands holding his jaw. But the knock was worth it for the offensive foul that helped maintain the Lakers’ 14-0 run that quickly erased the Pelicans’ eight-point lead. The scoring streak started immediately after Hayes subbed back into the game with 7:20 remaining when he scored on his first possession, cutting to the basket for a dunk off an assist from Doncic.

Hayes had eight points, six rebounds and two blocks, playing nearly 23 minutes off the bench in his biggest workload as a substitute since Jan. 20 against Denver. After playing with Hayes in New Orleans during the center’s first two years in the league, Redick lauded the seventh-year pro's improvement. Hayes is sinking touch shots around the rim now. He has improved his decision making in the pocket. After getting benched for his defensive lapses last season, Hayes has impressed coaches with his consistent ability to stay vertical while protecting the rim. And he still brings the same trademark athleticism that made him the eighth overall pick in 2019.

“He consistently injects energy into the group when he runs the floor, blocks a shot, or he gets those dunks,” Redick said.

It's winning time

The Lakers steadied themselves with three wins over bottom-feeding teams. Now things get interesting.

With less than six weeks left of the regular season, the Lakers face a critical stretch of games that could shake up the playoff picture. Five of the Lakers’ next eight games are against the three teams directly ahead of them in the Western Conference, beginning with Thursday’s showdown in Denver. The Lakers are just half a game behind the Nuggets (38-24) for fifth place in the West. Behind conference favorites Oklahoma City and San Antonio, third and sixth place in the West are separated by just 1½ games.

Players are “aware” of the tight standings, Smart said. But the potentially season-defining stretch can’t be at the forefront of their minds now.

“We don't have the luxury to look ahead,” Smart said. “I think if we can stay that course and just focus [on] one game at a time, [we can] give ourselves a chance to do some things and catch a good rhythm.”

The Lakers also play fourth-place Minnesota (39-23) at home on March 10 and have consecutive road games at third-place Houston (38-22) on March 16 and 18.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Wizards lost another one — this time a reasonably competitive game (at least for a while) against the Orlando Magic. The final margin: 17.

That 17-point final gap sounds big for the words “reasonably competitive,” and those words in this case are not intended to convey the idea that the Wizards ever had a serious chance of winning. They did play Orlando about even in three of the four quarters, though it always felt like the Magic were just better and would eventually go on a run.

That happened in the third quarter, which the Magic “won” by 13.

Although I’ve written variations of this next point many times the past couple years, it bears repeating: this kind of loss is by design. I mean, they gave 33 minutes to JuJu Reese, 31 to Leaky Black, and 20 to Sharife Cooper. This is not to slander any of them — if they work very hard and smart, each of them has the ability to be on NBA rosters and maybe in a team’s rotation for the next several years.

Possibly.

At this point, they’re G-Leaguers, 10-day, and two-way guys. Which is to say, not ready to offer serious competition to a professional team making a push to get their collective stuff together in time for the playoffs. Maybe that will be the Wizards in the future.

Thoughts & Observations

• Trae Young will make his Wizards debut on Thursday against the Utah Jazz. Expect a tight minutes restriction, especially if he’s playing well. This one — and Sunday’s game at the New Orleans Pelicans are must lose for the Wizards.
• After deploying a tiny lineup that got bludgeoned inside by the Houston Rockets, Washington opened even smaller. Kyshawn George was out with a “sprained elbow,” so head coach Brian Keefe started Will Riley, who’s…yet to develop muscles. Somehow, the Wizards (slightly) out-rebounded the Magic.
• Coulibaly picked up two fouls in the first two minutes of the game. Keefe left him in, and he committed his third foul with five minutes left in the period. Given the team’s goals, and the reality that he wasn’t going to play more than 24 minutes, I thought Keefe should have let him continue playing — even with three fouls in the first quarter. Let him get the experience of defending through foul trouble.
• The Wizards struggled frequently to get shots in the halfcourt. They had back-to-back shot clock violations in the first quarter. In the second, they committed consecutive backcourt violations.
• Related: a recurring entry in my game notes was something along the lines of “nice move (or shot), but…” and the “but” would be followed by something about how hard the Wizards had to get a difficult shot. I made that note about Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Will Riley, Bub Carrington, and Jaden Hardy.
• Related-related: Difficult shot-making is valuable and necessary. But it cannot be the foundation of an efficient NBA offense. Much more valuable is the ability to generate easy shots. The Wizards aren’t there right now. It’s something that may come — they’re gaining experience, and they can improve with work on their bodies, skills, and decision-making.
• From what I’ve seen so far, Reese has a very long ways to go to have an NBA career. He’s an undersized center whose best skill seems to be passing. He’s not a rim protector (by aptitude or athleticism). He was ineffective as a switch defender. He’s not nearly strong enough to bring high-level physicality.
• Riley scored on a first-quarter possession that involved some fine moves and aggression. And it drove me nuts because it should have been illegal. On the move, I thought he double-dribbled once and committed at least three carries. Good move based on the way the NBA is currently officiated. It should have been a turnover.
• From the notebook: Orlando’s offense is an incoherent mess.
• Jaden Hardy is very confident in his ability to make shots.
• Orlando shot 1-12 from three in the first half. They finished the game 10-25, which means they hit 9-13 in the second half. The quality of looks didn’t seem to change — just the result.
• Coulibaly has been more aggressive offensively the past few weeks. One possession last night was a bit worrisome — he tried to post up on Tristan da Silva, got forced into a weirdly contorted fling, and got his shot blocked.
• Every time I see Orlando play, I’m a bit underwhelmed by Paolo Banchero. That was true even last night when he had 37 points and 6 assists with very good efficiency. He seems heavily reliant on difficult shots and inefficient mid-rangers. Last night, he took mid-range faders when being defended by Riley — where Banchero has big size and strength advantages. I think center is the best position for Banchero and the Magic, except that his lack of rim protection might undermine their defense more than he’d benefit their offense.
• Going by the Game Score metric on basketball-reference, this was the fifth best game of Jett Howard’s career. He scored 12 points on six shots.

Four Factors

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

The four factors are measured by:

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

FOUR FACTORS	WIZARDS	MAGIC	LGAVG
eFG%	50.5%	61.8%	54.3%
OREB%	27.1%	9.4%	26.1%
TOV%	12.2%	8.2%	12.8%
FTM/FGA	0.174	0.421	0.207
PACE	98		99.4
ORTG	111	129	115.3

Stats & Metrics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Justin Champagnie	23	46	161	17.7%	3.7	221	1
Will Riley	33	68	137	19.0%	2.8	138	-9
Bub Carrington	32	65	125	14.9%	0.9	81	-30
Leaky Black	31	62	123	12.6%	0.6	80	2
Sharife Cooper	20	40	128	31.3%	1.5	118	6
Julian Reese	33	67	126	12.8%	1.0	56	-17
Jaden Hardy	22	44	105	32.4%	-1.5	39	6
Bilal Coulibaly	24	49	61	21.1%	-5.6	-68	-25
Tre Johnson	24	49	61	27.9%	-7.4	-138	-19

MAGIC	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Paolo Banchero	32	65	138	37.6%	5.5	269	26
Desmond Bane	33	68	181	19.7%	8.8	258	27
Jalen Suggs	26	54	109	22.1%	-0.7	160	10
Jett Howard	14	28	162	24.8%	3.2	265	-1
Jevon Carter	30	62	117	16.1%	0.2	89	5
Tristan da Silva	27	56	107	11.1%	-0.5	82	26
Noah Penda	19	39	118	11.4%	0.1	105	3
Goga Bitadze	21	44	119	18.1%	0.3	80	8
Moritz Wagner	16	32	122	25.3%	0.6	77	4
Jonathan Isaac	4	9		0.0%	0.0	-31	-5
Jamal Cain	4	8	0	9.6%	-0.9	-185	-7
Jase Richardson	13	27	30	15.4%	-3.5	-106	-11

Poke the bear and you get the horns. Something like that. Everyone and their tax advisor knew that coming off their first lost in 10 games, the Spurs would come out swinging on Tuesday night. Boy howdy, did they wax the cow off that haystack.

Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper both had a game high of 22 points, while Victor Wembanyama slept walked his way to 10 points, 8 rebounds, with 3 steals and 6 blocks. 6 blocks. 6 blocks in 24 minutes of play. I couldn’t get 2 blocks on my daughter’s Fisher Price basketball goal in 6 years of play.

What a smooth shot. Devin Vassell, here, hoisted up a shot with such a perfect arch that even the CEO of McDonald’s was so impressed he forgot he was eating his own product that his company dispenses.

D3V ON FIRE 🔥 6 3PM

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/0BxN9b7zW4

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

Filthy. Just filthy. So filthy, the dust cloud around Pig Pen spontaneously combusted from the sheer force of Victor Wembanyama’s slamma jamma.

MY GOODNESS 😳

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/UEvKV6XKFx

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

Well, that’s just. That’s just rude, man. Stephon Castle just simply exorcising whatever demons he has onto the rim.

HAVE MERCY ON THE RIM 😵

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/WgmUWUDiI0

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

I am work shopping an alternative to “Area 51.” Don’t get me wrong, I love Area 51. But these two have an inexplicable mind meld going on whenever they share the court that it can only be described as ESP (extrasensory perception).

⚠️ AREA 51 ⚠️

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/VLXkhOAUFc

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

Hey, remember when I was just talking about ESP? Did you know that the late, great Dennis Hopper did a commercial praising the exploits of Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin? Well now you do.

Here, Devin Vassell channeled his inner Robin Hood and stole from the rich to give to the robo-advisors. On a team of Victor Wembanyams, Stephon Castles, and De’Aaron Foxes, it’s easy to forget that Devin Vassell is stacking together games played in this stretch run as he helps lead the Spurs to the playoffs.

Steal & Slam 😤

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/QhS9zHcuTV

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

Another day, another way for Stephon Castle to dunk his way into our hearts. He’s like Shia LeBouf in Transformers (2007): plucky, surprisingly good, and you really don’t mind the Linkin Park soundtrack even if hearing anything Linkin Park makes your ears taste Red Bull even if you like your Red Bull to taste like emo.

Another game, another @StephonCastle slam 😤

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/oVYcIr0bjg

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

Look, I want to apologize from above for comparing our beloved Stephon Castle to Linkin Park. No offense to Linkin Park, but your nu metal/rap rock/alternative metal/electronic rock/pop rock is not enough to describe my love and admiration of Stephon Castle’s game. And I once went to a music festival (it was actually the State Fair of Texas) featuring Linkin Park with 30 Seconds From Mars opening for Linkin Park. But after my friend and I watched 30 Seconds From Mars (purely for Jared Leto) (it was the year when “Dallas Buyers Club” was an Oscar darling) open for Linkin Park, we skipped the main act (Linkin Park) to get a giant fried turkey leg because it’s Texas, and that’s what you do at the State Fair of Texas in 2014.

COUNT THAT ‼️

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/4pf8eDBBA7

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

Dylan Harper out here in his bag waiting for us to say (in my best Stanley Tucci voice) “Girl, that Louis Vitton does not deserve to be hung off your arm.”

nice m🌀ve 👀

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/BRlnm9nDhU

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

Julian Champagnie had no sense of dithering when he served up this soft lob to Luke Kornet to reward the big man for his block and hustle on the defensive end.

JU ↗️ LUKE

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/v0Q32XJQX6

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

In a true display of overflowing of talent, the Spurs unleashed Carter Bryant to the tune of 25:35 minutes where he wreaked upon the basketball world a barrage of 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in those almost 26 minutes. Feast your eyes as our young prodigy takes to the air in an aerial display of magnanimous marvel.

CB TAKES FLIGHT ✈️

📺 @FanDuelSN_SW, NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/cn4MK6fKEq

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 4, 2026

Nostalgia is just one heck of a PED. Now give us Ahmad Rashad hosting “NBA Inside Stuff.”

bro they need to do another throwback game lol

we didn't want this! pic.twitter.com/HhkhnJfNec

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) March 4, 2026

If you missed the game because you were too busy cataloguing your CD collection of Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, and Evanescence, here are the full-game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs return home after a long road trip to take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

The Mavericks were 1-4 over the last week and remain in 12th place in the West. They beat Brooklyn (123-114), and lost four largely uncompetitive games to Sacramento (130-121), Memphis (124-105), Oklahoma City (100-87), and Charlotte (117-90). Naji Marshall led the team in scoring with 20.3 points per game. Cooper Flagg (foot) remains out, while Naji Marshall (finger), P.J. Washington (ankle), and Marvin Bagley (neck) all missed time.

Grade: C-

Cooper Flagg’s return cannot come fast enough. The Mavericks are playing multiple two-way guys every night and have rotation players in and out. This was one of the most meaningless stretches of basketball the Mavericks have played since possibly the 1980s, as they did not play well and did not improve their lottery odds by a single point. 

Max Christie and Khris Middleton played all five games. They averaged a combined 21 points per game on 38-of-101 shooting (37.6 percent). It was not a good showcase from them when they had an elevated offensive burden due to the injuries on the team. Dallas cycled point guards and centers and found nothing worthwhile in either category, outside of a remarkable stat line from Moussa Cisse against the Thunder: 12 rebounds, zero points, zero assists, zero blocks, and zero steals.

The Mavericks play three more road games this week, in Orlando, Boston, and Toronto. The talk is that Cooper Flagg could return in one of these games, and with him being from Maine, a homecoming in Boston could be on the horizon.

Straight A’s: Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson is in Dallas as a result of the falling out he had with Golden State over his role, and particularly with regards to coming off the bench. He came here to start alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, yet now he finds himself subbing in for Max Christie. Any player of his caliber and with his resume would have every right to demand a trade or pout. And yet, Thompson has not said a word. He has been a consummate professional, showing up to work every day and playing as well as he can. I am sure mentoring Cooper Flagg provides incentive to take a back seat on a bad team, but the fact that he hasn’t repeated the antics that led to an exit from the Warriors is commendable.

Currently Failing: Watchability

The Mavericks were already teetering on the edge of tolerable when Cooper Flagg was playing, but now that he has been out for an extended period of time, it’s clear where the joy from those games came from. It’s not even that Dallas is hurt or bad; it is that most of the guys they have healthy are either old or playing for their NBA lives. There are no future implications when Flagg does not play. This is not a Wizards or Nets situation, where they have loads of young guys that could be the core moving forward. This is as close to an existential crisis as basketball fandom gets. 

Extra Credit: Khris Middleton

Middleton will be a Maverick for the rest of the year. There were reports of Denver having interest, but ultimately, it will be Dallas where the former champion will play out his 2026 season. Regardless of reasoning, the Mavericks will benefit from his decision. He is another winning vet that can help guide Dallas’ young star rookie and prevent a losing culture from seeping in. It also speaks to the quality of guys behind the scenes, at least to some degree, that he would want to play relatively meaningless basketball in the latter stages of his career when the option to ring chase was on the table. Khris Middleton, we will not forget what you have done here.

The Milwaukee Bucks face off with the Atlanta Hawks tonight as both teams battle for play-in positioning. The Bucks (four games back) sit at 11th, while the Hawks are tied with the Hornets for 10th; a Bucks win means they would gain a full game on the Hawks. This will be the second matchup between these teams this season, with Milwaukee taking the first on MLK Day in Atlanta. With just one more matchup to come, the Bucks can claim the season series tonight.

Where We’re At

As I explained on today’s episode of Deer Diaries, the Bucks have lost three straight because their offence—which had been sustaining them—has deteriorated rapidly. Their defence has been consistently weak all season (even during the recent winning streak), so that was never going to bail them out. If they can’t recover their previous level of offensive efficiency, they’re finished. On the positive side, Giannis returned and, while he appeared rusty, I thought he looked solid athletically. Hopefully, he continues to improve in all facets as the games progress.

The Hawks are in a much better spot than they were when these teams last met, having won five of their last six games (granted, three of those came against the Wizards and Nets). The newly acquired Jonathan Kuminga has shocked everybody with his performance since getting dealt to Atlanta at the deadline, scoring a combined 64 points in his three games in a Hawks uniform (again, though, two came against the tanking Wiz). They’re also finally getting solid contributions from CJ McCollum, who had a rough start with the team since arriving.

Injury Report

For the Bucks, Taurean Prince (neck) is out. The Hawks have a clean bill of health.

Player To Watch

Giannis. Not because he’s the best player on the team, but because he’s coming back off a long injury-induced break. While GA looked decent athletically in his return, he went 7/18 from the floor (including some bad misses) and had three turnovers. How does he look tonight with the return game out of the way?

How To Watch

ESPN and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 8:30 p.m. CST.

---

---

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Utah Jazz are in the City of Brotherly Love to face the Philadelphia 76ers, with tonight's tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Keyonte George is coming off a massive performance, and my Jazz vs. 76ers predictions are eyeing him to show out in Philly. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Wednesday, March 4. 

Jazz vs 76ers prediction

Jazz vs 76ers best bet: Keyonte George Over 20.5 points (-105)

Keyonte George is having a career year, averaging 23.8 points per game, substantially higher than last season’s 16.8 PPG. George is proving to be a key piece alongside Lauri Markkanen in the Utah Jazz rotation. 

The Finnish star is sidelined with a back injury, so it was on George to pick up the offensive slack on Monday. While Utah still lost, he dropped 36 points. The Baylor product has hit the Over in points in two of his last three contests on the road as well. 

George is averaging 23.8 PPG on the road and 26.5 points post-All-Star break.

Jazz vs 76ers same-game parlay

Ace Bailey is averaging 12.1 PPG, but he’s cashed the Over in three of his last five, and poured in 18 points on Monday. 

Bailey also dropped 26 points last Thursday against the Pelicans, and with Markkanen sidelined, that means more shots to go around. 

Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 2.4 makes from downtown since the All-Star break, and he’s hit the Over in triples in two of his last four contests. Opponents are shooting nearly 40% from deep against the Philadelphia 76ers across their last three games.

Jazz vs 76ers SGP

• Keyonte George Over 20.5 points
• Ace Bailey Over 16.5 points
• Brice Sensabaugh Over 2.5 made threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: Music to My Ears

The Sixers have lost two in a row, and Utah only lost to the Nuggets by three points on Sunday. Their young guns will help make this one close. 

Jazz vs 76ers SGP

• Keyonte George Over 20.5 points
• Ace Bailey Over 16.5 points
• Brice Sensabaugh Over 2.5 made threes
• Jazz +9.5

Jazz vs 76ers odds

• Spread: Jazz +9.5 (-110) | 76ers -9.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Jazz +325 | 76ers -425
• Over/Under: Over 240 (-110) | Under 240 (-110)

Jazz vs 76ers betting trend to know

The Utah Jazz have hit the Game Total Over in 31 of their last 50 games (+10.10 Units / 18% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. 76ers.

How to watch Jazz vs 76ers

Jazz vs 76ers latest injuries

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

The Sixers are coming off a rough one — getting blown out at home by the San Antonio Spurs, 131-91. The good news is they won’t have long to stew on it. Philadelphia hosts the Utah Jazz tonight on the second leg of a back-to-back, giving them a quick chance to bounce back.

Sixer fans know a tank job when they see one, and the Jazz are running a familiar operation this season. Utah is near full tank mode, banged up across the roster and sitting comfortably in the lottery race. That said, the pieces are starting to come together. The blockbuster acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline gives them a legitimate cornerstone to build around, and he’ll eventually slot in alongside a frontcourt that already features Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler — the latter a pending restricted free agent.

Surrounding that frontcourt is Keyonte George, a guard in the middle of a genuine breakout. In 50 games, George is averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists on 46.1/37.3 shooting splits. His decision-making and efficiency have taken a leap, and he’s quickly establishing himself as one of the more exciting young guards in the West.

Beyond the headliners, Utah has quietly built some depth despite the losing record. Fifth overall pick Ace Bailey has put together a productive rookie campaign, and the roster is dotted with intriguing young pieces in Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh and Isaiah Collier. The foundation is real — once they get healthy and stay healthy, they’ll be a threat in the West sooner than people expect.

On the Sixers side, things are trending in the wrong direction. The Spurs loss wasn’t just a bad night, the team looked gassed and disjointed from the opening tip. VJ Edgecombe exited that game after a hard fall and did not return, with the team citing back soreness. His status for tonight is worth monitoring. Joel Embiid and Paul George are both out, and Kelly Oubre — who missed the Spurs game with an illness — is also questionable.

The Jazz are several tiers below San Antonio, but this is shaping up to be another shorthanded night for Philly. Calling a regular season game a must-win is a strong statement, but this one is close. The Sixers are just 0.5 games ahead of the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat for the sixth and final playoff spot, and with the play-in looming, dropping a winnable home game against a depleted Utah squad would sting.

For Utah, Jackson Jr., Kessler, Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkic and Vince Williams are all out tonight. Keyonte George is expected to play. Philadelphia’s full injury report won’t drop until early afternoon, but Embiid and Paul George are confirmed out. Edgecombe and Oubre are the names to watch as tip-off approaches.

Can the Sixers stop the bleeding and secure a win against a team that’s actively trying to lose? Let’s find out.

Game Details

When: Wednesday, March 4th, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers