Tennessee Volunteers play the Kentucky Wildcats in Sweet 16

The Wildcats' record in SEC games is 11-9. Kentucky is sixth in college basketball scoring 85.0 points per game while shooting 48.2%. Tennessee makes 45.5% of its shots from the field this season, which is 2.0 percentage points higher than Kentucky has allowed to its opponents (43.5%).

Troy, North Texas meet in NIT

North Texas Eagles (25-8, 16-4 AAC) at Troy Trojans (21-13, 14-6 Sun Belt) Troy, Alabama; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Troy faces North Texas in the National Invitation Tournament. The Trojans have gone 14-6 against Sun Belt teams, with a 7-7 record in non-conference play.

James scores late as Lakers end losing streak

LeBron James
Lebron James won the game just before the buzzer sounded [Getty Images]

LeBron James scored the match winner with time almost up as the Los Angeles Lakers ended their losing streak with victory against the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers held a one-point lead with 42 seconds remaining, but James was on hand to tip in a Luka Doncic miss a split-second before the buzzer to secure a 120-119 victory in Indianapolis.

James did not make a field goal until the fourth quarter but finished the night with 13 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

"It's another great example of where he doesn't necessarily have it going early, and got off to a slow start offensively but he was so good defensively and then takes over in the fourth quarter" Lakers coach J.J. Redick said.

"He gets rewarded by the basketball gods because he didn't let go of the rope and didn't stop competing."

The Lakers, fourth in the western conference, improved their record to 44-28 after ending three-game losing run.

Doncic had 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Los Angeles, while Austin Reaves scored 24 and Rui Hachimura added 14.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, the Washington Wizards ended a five-game losing streak with victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Toronto Raptors routed the Brooklyn Nets 116-86.

Nikola Jokic scored 39 points - and secured his 30th triple-double of the season - on his return from injury to inspire the Denver Nuggets to a 127-117 win against the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to seven with a 132-102 win against the Phoenix Suns.

The Los Angeles Clippers kept their play-off hopes alive by coming back from 14 points down to defeat the New York Knicks 126-113, improving their record to 41-31.

The Golden State Warriors are seventh in the West, also with 41 wins, with the Minnesota Timberwolves in eighth with a 41-32 record.

Warriors race to avoid NBA play-in tournament over final 10 games

Warriors race to avoid NBA play-in tournament over final 10 games originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Five intoxicating weeks for the Warriors have given way to 11 days of futility. The Great Surge provided by the addition of Jimmy Butler III has been halted, and the salient question now is whether they have it in them to summon a restart.

After going 14-2 in the first 16 games after Butler’s arrival, Golden State is 2-3 over its last five, most recently with consecutive losses at the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat. With Stephen Curry out with a pelvic bruise, both underdogs rose up and slapped the Warriors off their home floors.

Those losses – along with a Los Angeles Clippers win in New York on Wednesday – have evicted the Warriors from their 23-day stay in sixth place in the Western Conference.

If Curry’s expected return isn’t enough to fight off the next two teams, the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs, both underdogs, the Warriors will have nullified their good work over the five weeks that ended on March 15.

Golden State’s goal since the NBA All-Star break has been to finish among the top six in the West, thereby avoiding the NBA play-in tournament. They have 10 games to make up ground. It will be strenuous.

Here is a look at The Final 10:

March 28 at New Orleans Pelicans

The perpetually wounded Pelicans are 20-53. Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones are out for the season, and Zion Williamson is in and out of action. Golden State can’t afford any more losses to inferior teams. A loss here would put a torch within inches of their hopes. Gotta be a W.

March 30 at San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are 8-11 since Victor Wembanyama went down in mid-February. It’s not in their blood to go quietly, but losing the season series to the Spurs, even with the midseason arrival of De’Aaron Fox, should be grounds for postseason exclusion. Gotta be another W.

April 1 at Memphis Grizzlies

The road to the finish line gets bumpy. This is the first of five games against West teams playing for something. These two have a longstanding distaste for each other, and a victory would give Golden State the head-to-head tiebreaker. It’s unlikely that both teams will avoid the play-in tournament, but a win would offset the loss to the Hawks.

April 3 at Los Angeles Lakers

This is their first shot at the Lakers with Luka Doncić. There’s no chance to earn the tiebreaker, as the Warriors lost the first three games. But it’s a matter of both pride and the standings, and being on the ugly end of a season sweep would be disastrous. A win at Crypto.com Arena would offset the loss to the Heat. With what’s next, it’s practically imperative.

April 4 vs. Denver Nuggets

The Warriors, 10 days ago, had a chance to end the abuse of the Nuggets, who came into Chase Center – without Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun – and extended their win streak over Golden State to nine. All three are healthy now. A 10th straight loss to a possible playoff opponent, at home, can’t be good for the Warriors’ collective esteem.

April 6 vs. Houston Rockets

Glaring at the Rockets, the Warriors see a bunch of impetuous youngsters trying to make enough noise in the regular season to become playoff threats. The Warriors own the tiebreaker, and they don’t think the Rockets are ready to win a high-pressure game. A victory in waiting, but it must be earned.

April 8 at Phoenix Suns

The leaders in underachievement are below .500 and bouncing in and out of the play-in tournament box. Having lost two of three to the Suns – the last by 25 at Chase – the Warriors would be wise to ignore the standings because Kevin Durant and Co. can beat any team on a good night. Ask the Cleveland Cavaliers, Clippers and Nuggets. A serious team gets the W.

April 9 vs. San Antonio Spurs

See March 30. Except the Spurs could be easing into vacation mode. The Warriors can’t afford to rest anyone, because the basketball gods will be watching. They should blast them at Chase.

April 11 at Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers, pluckier of late, might be eliminated from play-in possibilities (unless the Suns do a full dive into the abyss), pleased with their encouraging second half and peeping toward appreciable improvement next season. Lose this, and even the other squads in the play-in cubicle might snicker.

April 13 vs. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers own the tiebreaker, having beaten the Warriors three times this season, all before Butler was acquired. The season finale, at Chase Center, likely will be a pivotal game for both teams. The loser conceivably will be destined for the tournament no self-respecting team wants.

A 7-3 finish, resulting in a 48-34 record, usually is enough for sixth place. That could be tested this season.

Anything less than 8-2 over the final 10 might nudge the Warriors into That Tournament, which would be quite the unwelcome hurdle for a team built around three stars in their mid-30s.

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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Tristian Vukcevic and Justin Champagnie flourish for the Wizards

For fantasy managers, seeking out low-rostered value at this point in the season can either be invigorating or painful. More often than that, teams focused on the draft lottery and developing their young players. The Wizards certainly qualify, and two players stood out during their win in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Tristan Vukcevic (12%) played 23 minutes off the bench, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks. Over the past two weeks, he has offered top-75 value in nine-cat formats, averaging 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers per game. The other low-rostered Wizard to play well on Wednesday was Justin Champagnie (11%), who started due to the absences of Khris Middleton and Kyshawn George.

Champagnie took advantage of his 22 minutes, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers. Over the past two weeks, he has been a top-100 player in nine-cat formats. Like Vukcevic, Champagnie does not need to log heavy minutes to offer tangible fantasy value. Also, the Wizards are low enough in the standings that there should not be too much damage to their draft lottery chances if the team goes on a run.

Let's look at a few more of Wednesday's low-rostered standouts:

SF Justin Edwards (36%), Philadelphia 76ers

A fifth-round player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks, Edwards continues to offer solid value. The rookie wing finished Wednesday's loss to the Wizards with 19 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, five steals and one three-pointer in 36 minutes. With Paul George done for the season and Kelly Oubre Jr. still out, now is an excellent time to add Edwards. And Philadelphia's upcoming schedule is solid, as they'll play two more games during Week 21. The lone concern would be the 76ers sitting Edwards for one of those contests, as the team has a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back. However, the rookie may be one of the players the team is willing to use for both games.

PF/C Al Horford (31%), Boston Celtics

The Celtics played Wednesday's game in Phoenix without Jayson Tatum, who was sidelined by a sprained ankle. That opened up a place in the starting lineup for Horford, who rose to the challenge in Boston's 30-point victory. Horford shot 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal, two blocks and two three-pointers. Over the past two weeks, he has offered top-100 value in nine-cat formats. That isn't great, but it would be good enough if Tatum is not back for Saturday's game in San Antonio.

C Orlando Robinson (10%), Toronto Raptors

With Jakob Poeltl resting, Robinson made his first start since March 10 on Wednesday. And the Raptors center was outstanding in Brooklyn, finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, one block and one three-pointer in just 24 minutes. While it was effectively a timeshare between Robinson and Jonathan Mogbo (16/7/5/1/1 in 24 minutes), the former proved more valuable on Wednesday. That said, Mogbo (two percent rostered) should remain on the deep-league radar as the Raptors complete their season.

SF/PF Peyton Watson (7%), Denver Nuggets

While Aaron Gordon's return to the Nuggets' lineup consigned Watson to the bench on Wednesday, he still logged 34 minutes in a win over the Bucks. Shooting 6-of-8 from the field, he tallied 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots. With Gordon only playing 19 minutes on Wednesday, Watson may pick up additional playing time, especially if the starter's lower body injuries remain problematic.

PG Ryan Rollins (1%), Milwaukee Bucks

Rollins was removed from the Bucks' starting lineup for Wednesday's game, with Kevin Porter Jr. (11 percent) stepping in. The change may have benefitted Rollins, as he finished the loss to Denver with 17 points, one rebound, three assists, two steals and two three-pointers in just 18 minutes. As much of a fantasy liability as Rollins has been this season, Damian Lillard's calf issue means there is still room for him to have an impact. And the Bucks still have two games on their schedule for Week 21, starting with the Knicks on Friday.

PG Tyler Kolek (0%), New York Knicks

Kolek has recorded 24 assists in his last three games with only one turnover. The rookie guard doesn't offer much value as a scorer, but Tom Thibodeau may be forced to play him more out of necessity. Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride are already out due to injury, and Cameron Payne sprained his ankle during the first half of Wednesday's loss to the Clippers. As a result, Kolek played 18 minutes off the bench. The Knicks still have games against the Bucks and Trail Blazers on their Week 21 schedule, so watch for the injury report.

Knicks Notes: Injuries impacting playoff race, when Mitchell Robinson could potentially play in back-to-backs

Injuries are making things interesting in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Let’s start with the Knicks.

New York played the second half of Wednesday’s loss with two healthy lead guards: Tyler Kolek and Delon Wright. The Clippers dominated the Knicks for much of the second half and walked out of The Garden with a win.

The Knicks will wake up Thursday morning in third place in the East, three games up on the Pacers with 10 games to play.

Can they maintain that three-game lead while dealing with injuries to their top three guards? Do they want to maintain the third seed – or is it better to drop to four?

These are all questions to ask over the next two weeks.

On the injury front, the Knicks will be without Jalen Brunson (ankle) for at least the next two games. (As an aside: if his rehab continues to go well, I think Brunson will be able to play in several regular season games before the postseason. This is important for New York because it gives Brunson some time to regain his rhythm/conditioning ahead of the postseason).

In addition to Brunson, the Knicks will probably be without Cam Payne for Friday’s game against Milwaukee. Payne sprained his ankle in the first half on Wednesday (while scoring 15 points). He wasn’t available in the second half.

Tom Thibodeau said it’s possible that Miles McBride returns on Friday, but he also said McBride has been limited in his court work as he rehabs a groin strain.

So it seems like the Knicks will be significantly short-handed on Friday in Milwaukee.  

They’ll face a Bucks team dealing with a serious injury to Damian Lillard. Lillard has a blood clot in his right calf and is out indefinitely.

You hate to see Lillard hurt; his injury will have a significant impact on the Eastern Conference playoff race and the postseason.

The Pacers, Pistons and Bucks are separated by two games in the standings. If the season finished today, the Knicks would play Milwaukee in the first round and, presumably, Boston in the second round.

If the Knicks fell to fourth place they would be lined up to play the Cavaliers in the second round. Is Cleveland a better matchup than Boston? That’s a matter of opinion. But you can make an argument that the Knicks have a better chance to advance in the second round if they finish fourth in the East than they would if they finish third.

They also have the seventh toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, per Tankathon.

ROBINSON BACK-TO-BACK

Mitchell Robinson has not yet been cleared by the Knicks medical staff to play in back-to-back games. He sat out of Tuesday’s win over Dallas and played 13 minutes on Wednesday against the Clippers.

The Knicks have three back-to-backs in their final eight games. Robinson told SNY that he’ll "probably" be cleared to play in back-to-backs before the end of the regular season.

“We’ll just see how it goes. Kind of still following doctors orders, making sure everything goes smoothly,” he said.

The Knicks’ final back-to-back is April 10-11.

Robinson doesn’t stay idle when he misses a game on a back-to-back. He said that he lifts, does conditioning work and does some game simulation while he’s out. If he can do that, it seems like he should be able to play in both games of a back-to-back soon.

HART ATTACK

Josh Hart had four assists in the first quarter on Wednesday but had to sit at the start of the second quarter due to foul trouble. Hart at times was being guarded by the Clippers’ big man. New York was able to take advantage of the scenario.

“We got good shots off of that, a stagger, back cut, those kind of things, dribble handoff, stuff like that,” Hart said.  Playing faster, that’s something that we want to do, especially with a five on me. I feel like we started to do that and the foul trouble threw us off.”

Hart’s play while guarded by a big is something to keep an eye on moving forward.

With injuries mounting, Knicks rookie Tyler Kolek knows he must step up as a point guard

The Knicks had a tough night Wednesday, and it wasn't just their loss to the Clippers.

Despite dropping yet another game to a team with a record above .500 -- they sit at 11-18 this season against such teams -- Cam Payne missed the entire second half after spraining his ankle Wednesday night.

It's the latest injury to befell a Knicks point guard after Jalen Brunson's ankle sprain has knocked him out for weeks, and Miles McBride missing his third straight game due to a groin contusion. As was the case in Tuesday's win against the Mavericks, rookie Tyler Kolek was the backup point guard and played well. But the same could not be said against the Clippers.

"He’s capable. Just get in there and get it done," coach Tom Thibodeau said of Kolek's game. "Each game you learn. It tells you what you have to work on. It’s not just individual it’s collective how do we function as a team? We talked about not replacing Jalen individually we have to do it collectively."

Tuesday night, Kolek had one of his best professional performances, dishing nine assists in 19 minutes and change. But against the top-rated Clippers defense, the rookie had a bit more trouble.

In nearly 19 minutes on the court, Kolek did not score a point on 0-for-3 shooting and missed his two free-throw attempts. He did dish seven assists and came down with a rebound but made a turnover and was an overall minus-14 while on the floor. The Marquette product is still learning, and Wednesday's loss was eye-opening for him.

"My mindset is that I’m out there with four other guys who have asserted themselves in the NBA. They’re professionals. I’m just a rookie," Kolek explained. "I can’t come out there and have a mindset of just 'here, let these guys,' I’m the point guard, I still have to be assertive in leading the guys and getting them to where we want to get to. And following what coach needs me to do."

Thibodeau teams are built on defense, something Kolek struggled with in the third quarter when the Clippers turned the game around in their favor. Kolek was on the floor for 12 minutes and was a minus-11 in the frame, unable to defend the three-pointer.

"I have to be more organized. They kept coming out with that two-man game. I got to be better defending that," Kolek said. "Got split a couple of times, and they were getting loose for threes. I got to definitely be better on that end."

Kolek and the Knicks know those lessons are learned quicker while on the court, something the 24-year-old may see more of as the team waits for word on Payne's condition.

If Payne is unable to go in the team's next game, Friday at Milwaukee, Thibodeau feels the Knicks have "more than enough" with Kolek and veteran Delon Wright -- who played 12 minutes Wednesday -- playing the point. As the Knicks coach points out, with the injuries the team has to play cleaner and do things the right way.

"The points we gave up off the turnovers were [high]. When you’re shorthanded, that’s probably the difference in the game," Thibodeau said. "Our margin of error is small. We have to play extremely hard and smart but those hustle points are huge."

"It’s tough. Injuries are always tough and for some reason, they are smacking us in the same position," Josh Hart said after the game. "We just have to piece it together… It’s going to be tough but we just have to figure out ways to scratch out wins and hopefully, we get those guys back."

Until they do get their guards back, Kolek will be asked to do more something he wanted but wished happened under better circumstances. But he knows he has to stay ready, whether he's starting or sitting on the bench cheering. That's the mindset he's learning from Payne, who Kolek credits for getting him ready.

Payne has thrived in the league for so long being a capable bench guard and Kolek says he's constantly picking Payne's brain on how to prepare and make an impact when his number is called.

"I have to be more aggressive," Kolek reiterated. "I’m out there learning. Just have to lean on the other guys helping out 110 percent every time I'm out there." 

"[I'm seeing] Steady improvement. He’ll get better," Thibodeau assessed. "Like most rookies, you go through a learning curve as he understands players better, schemes better, it’s a different game. I like Tyler a lot."

Watch LeBron James tip in game-winner at buzzer, give Lakers road win in Indiana

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Indiana Pacers

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates his game winning shot against the Indiana Pacers with teammates at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It had not been LeBron James' night. He started the game shooting 0-of-6 from the floor and at the start of the fourth quarter his 18-year streak of scoring in double-digits was at serious risk.

But with the game on the line, it was LeBron who was in the right place for a buzzer-beating tip-in that gave the Lakers a 120-119 win in Indiana.

" I really couldn't have too much emotion because I was trying to see if I got the ball off in time," LeBron said of the tip-in postgame.

This was a wild back-and-forth ending where the Lakers — who led much of the game — were up six with less than two minutes to go but saw the Pacers take the lead as the teams kept exchanging runs and buckets.

The Lakers got 34 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from Austin Reaves, but there were a lot of players making clutch plays, like a couple of late 3-pointers from Rui Hachimura (the Lakers missed him, his return has been a boost). With the win, the Lakers are just half a game back of the Nuggets for the No. 3 seed in the West.

Indiana had a far more balanced attack with Bennedict Mathurin leading the way with 23 points and seven players in double digits. The loss was a blown opportunity for the Pacers, who could have gone up two full games on the Bucks for the No. 4 seed in the East.

Colorado State tabs top assistant Ali Farokhmanesh to replace Niko Medved

Colorado State hired Niko Medved's top assistant to replace him as basketball coach following a quick 24-hour search. Ali Farokhmanesh, 36, was promoted Wednesday evening after Medved left Fort Collins earlier this week to coach at his alma mater, Minnesota. The hire provides some continuity for a program that was 143-85 under Medved and posted three 25-win seasons in the last four years.

LeBron James' tap-in at the buzzer snaps Lakers' three-game losing streak

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots in front of Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, pulls up for a short-range jumper against Pacers forward Pascal Siakam during the first half Wednesday night in Indianapolis. (AJ Mast / Associated Press)

All it took was 70 seconds to lose focus, to stop playing with the right intention, the right mindset, the right spirit.

All it took was 70 seconds for the Lakers to see a six-point lead turn all the way to a one-point deficit, a stretch coming in the final moments of the fourth quarter that it seemed likely, if not certain, that they’d lose for the fourth consecutive time.

Yet all it took was one-tenth of one second, a blink, for LeBron James to tip in a missed Luka Doncic floater to give the Lakers a dramatic 120-119 win against the Pacers.

James struggled to score, failing to make a field goal through three quarters for the first time in his career, not counting a game in which he didn’t play the entire second half because of an injury.

Early in the fourth quarter, James got hot and extended his streak of games with at least 10 points to 1,283 games thanks to quick work in transition and some deft shot-making, but it was far from his night. James finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

He had help, Doncic and Austin Reaves each carrying the offense for long stretches until James got right. Late in the game, both Doncic and Reaves struggled as the Pacers pushed — Reaves missing a pair of open threes and committing a key turnover and Doncic getting attacked on three consecutive possessions to turn into those seven huge Pacers points and a one-point lead.

Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, right, blocks the shot of Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin during the first half Wednesday
Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, right, blocks the shot of Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin during the first half Wednesday (AJ Mast / Associated Press)

But the Lakers got the stop they needed and gave themselves a chance, creating a great look for Doncic’s potential first game-winner as a Laker. The ball bounced softly off the rim only for James to finish the play just as the horn sounded.

After a video review, the basket was confirmed, the Lakers’ three-game losing streak over.

Doncic finished with 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Reaves had 24 points and five assists.

The Lakers' recent struggles have been significant enough that the team took what’s become a seemingly drastic step — holding a pregame shoot-around. It’s something the Lakers haven’t done in an official sense since Jan. 30 in Washington.

“First time in a long time we've been on the court together, so it was great," coach JJ Redick said before the game. "Cleaned up some stuff offensively. Got our defensive breakdowns in, got some offensive breakdowns in, did some script. It was wonderful.

"Spent yesterday talking about our [switching] offense. We, it's funny, we put together an edit. Had a couple [after timeout] stuff. We wanted to clean up and put together an edit of 11 plays of our [switching] attacks. And if you just watch those plays, you're like, 'Oh man, they're really good. That's good basketball.' Unfortunately, it was the only 11 plays from the Orlando game, so … We'll be better.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.