Category: Basketball

On a night established to celebrate fathers and daughters, it was only fitting that two Lakers stars stole the show.

A sellout crowd of nearly 19,000 fans all received hats as the Lakers hosted their third annual “Girl Dad Night,” a celebration of girls in sports and the fathers who champion them. 

Luka Doncic, father to 2-year-old Gabriela and newborn Olivia, produced the finest scoring performance of his young Lakers tenure, exploding for 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the Lakers’ 142-130 victory over the Bulls. 

LeBron James, who returned to the lineup after missing the last three games, quietly stitched together another vintage all-around performance — 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. A little over a week after bringing his daughter, Zhuri, with him on the road to San Francisco, James spent Thursday reflecting on fatherhood and the responsibility that comes with raising a daughter in a world constantly watching.

“The way I treat her mother. The love that I have inside the family. The accountability,” James said when asked what the most important lesson he taught his daughter is. “One of the best compliments Savannah and I get is when people say our kids are well-mannered and great kids. That’s the greatest compliment we can get.”

James smiled when asked about the title that filled the arena.

“I love girl dads. It’s pretty cool, and I’m happy to be one,” he said, admitting his daughter “definitely softened me up a lot.”

LeBron James on returning to the lineup, playing alongside Luka and AR, why it took for him to be ready for this game, and being a girl dad in the Lakers 142-130 victory over the Bulls tonight. pic.twitter.com/ebVb6Sq6JK

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) March 13, 2026

The Lakers launched Girl Dad Night in March 2024 during Women’s History Month as a tribute to Kobe Bryant and former owner Jerry Buss, two of the most famous girl dads in franchise history. Bryant’s love for his daughters — and especially for Gianna’s basketball dreams — helped reshape how sports culture celebrates girls and the fathers who lift them up.

Thursday’s game felt like an extension of that legacy.

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Fathers and daughters were spotlighted throughout the night. In-game host Ray A. Castillo shared the spotlight with his daughters, Alexis and Hayley. The national anthem was performed by father-daughter duo Matt and Savanna, and the Laker Girls even danced at halftime alongside their dads.

Weeks earlier, the Lakers welcomed father-daughter pairs from local nonprofit organizations to their training facility for a basketball clinic and empowerment workshop — surprising them with tickets to Thursday’s game.

Below are many of the photos of the Lakers girl dads. 

President Donald Trump has breathed new life into an old story – that he supposedly intervened during a fight between Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and Jayson Williams, a 9-year NBA veteran, when Bryant and Williams were in New York for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game.

During an interview with Jake Paul published Friday, March 11, Trump said he broke up a fight involving “Kobe.’’

“Kobe was having a hard time with somebody and it worked out fine,’’ Trump said, although he did not mention Williams by name.

Charles Oakley, then a star power forward with the New York Knicks, was on the elevator when Williams, then with the New Jersey Nets, punched Bryant, according to "Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty" – a book by Jeff Pearlman, a New York Times-bestselling author.

The elevator was at the Grand Hyatt in New York, then owned by Trump, according to Pearlman’s book.

Oakley, during a phone interview with USA TODAY Sports, said he doesn’t remember being on the elevator during the reported incident but that he’s heard Williams tell the story of the fight.

“He had told it to some people that I was around,’’ Oakley said. “Jayson, he liked to be a story. He's a storyteller. I told him, 'Jayson, I mean, you 55, 57. You probably told that story 50 times.' ’’

Williams, 58, did not respond to a request for comment by email and did not answer a phone call from USA TODAY Sports. His voicemail box was full.

The altercation reportedly broke out after Bryant got into an elevator occupied by Williams and Oakley, Williams greeted Bryant and then took offense to Bryant's cold replay, according to Pearlman's book, which states that Williams lunged and punched Bryant in the cheek.

"Trump, of all people, grabbed Williams and told Bryant, 'Get out of here. Quickly.' ''

Bryant got off the elevator, according to Pearlman's book.

Bryant died in 2020 during a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter Gianna and seven other people.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump, Kobe Bryant and elevator fight: Charles Oakley responds

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Henry Bolte, Breyson Guedez and Nick Kurtz homered on consecutive pitches from San Diego’s Michael King in the Athletics’ Cactus League game with the Padres on Friday.

Bolte hit a 401-foot, three-run shot to right on an 0-1 pitch from King in the fourth inning. Guedez followed by delivering a 450-foot blast to right on the first pitch he saw from King. The next pitch King threw resulted in a drive that Kurtz sent just over the left-field wall.

The Padres eventually won the game 13-9.

Kurtz is trying to build off an outstanding 2025 season in which he earned AL rookie of the year honors and batted .290 with a .383 on-base percentage, 36 homers and 86 RBIs in 117 games. ___

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

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto star Auston Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Keira Hanson scored 23 points, Malia Lenz posted a double-double and Vermont beat Maine 61-43 on Friday night to win a second straight America East Conference championship and earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Hanson sank 9 of 13 shots with three 3-pointers for the top-seeded Catamounts (27-7), who will appear in the main event for the third time in four seasons and the ninth overall. Lenz totaled 13 points and 14 rebounds. Nikola Priede pitched in with 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Jadyn Weltz went 0 for 7 from beyond the arc but finished with 11 points and five assists.

Adrianna Smith had 22 points and 15 rebounds to pace the second-seeded Black Bears (19-13), who were aiming for their 11th NCAA Tournament appearance. Smith made 7 of 18 shots, while her teammates hit 8 of 34.

Lala Woods hit a 3-pointer to give Maine a 9-2 lead with 4:29 left in the first quarter. Hanson sank back-to-back 3-pointers and Priede had the final two baskets in a 12-2 run that gave Vermont a 14-11 lead after one quarter.

Priede's layup extended Vermont's lead to 14 with 3:36 left in the second period. Woods and Asta Blauenfeldt hit 3-pointers for Maine and the Catamounts went scoreless as the Black Bears closed within 29-21 at halftime.

Hanson and Priede had the first two baskets of the third and the Catamounts outscored Maine by nine in the period for a 48-31 advantage heading to the fourth.

The two teams split two games during the regular season with both winning at home.

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

We know the season has been a mess for the Memphis Grizzlies, who seemed primed to move on from franchise staple Ja Morant, found out there was no market for him, and instead sold high on Jaren Jackson Jr. But it’s been even worse than you think since Christmas. The Grizzlies are tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the fewest wins since Dec. 26. They excel at nothing, but really struggle with defensive rebounding, last in the NBA, bottom 5 in turnover percentage, bottom five in points off turnovers against, and bottom two in allowing points in the paint. I feel like I’m repeating myself, but this feels like it has the potential to be another big game for Detroit’s big men, just as with the most recent Nets game and the Sixers game.

Tonight, the Pistons will be without Tobias Harris, while Caris LeVert returns. Ausar Thompson remains out. This also feels like a great time to remind fans everywhere, and risk jinxing territory, that the Pistons have the NBA’s best record on the second night of back-to-backs at 8-2.

Game Vitals

When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -16

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (47-18)

Cade Cunningham, Marcus Sasser, Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren

Memphis Grizzlies (23-42)

Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer, Taylor Hendricks, Olivier-Maxence Prosper

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to pick up a win in their first of two-straight games against the Dallas Mavericks.

Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!

Go Cavs!

The Knicks (42*-25) visit the Indiana Pacers (15-51) tonight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. New York is favored by A LOT because Indy has the league’s worst record and generally stinks. Yet do not be fooled by their extensive injury list (Siakam, Nesmith, McConnell, Toppin, and Jackson are all OUT) nor tempted by hubris, Knickerbockers. Coach Rick Carlisle always circles your games on the calendar and prepares for them like it’s a bar exam. The roster might be reduced to Ethan Thompson, a hot dog vendor, and three cheerleaders, but Indy never quits against the Knicks.

Tip-off is 7:30 pm EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Indy Cornrows. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Enjoy each other’s company, respectfully. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but NBA Cup wins are Russian spies.

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Madison St. Rose scored 18 points, Fadima Tall had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 23 Princeton routed Brown 65-51 on Friday night in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals.

Princeton (25-3), the No. 1 seed, moves on to play Saturday for the title — after not reaching the championship game last year for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Princeton scored 12 of the opening 15 points of the game to take control. The score was 23-6 after the opening 10 minutes and 36-14 at halftime after Princeton held Brown to 15% shooting (4 for 27). The Tigers shot 50% in the half, including 6 of 11 behind the arc — with 3-pointers from five different players.

Brown made six 3-pointers in the opening six minutes of the third quarter, but its deficit was still 47-32.

Princton made just 2 of 12 field goals in the fourth but held on by making 7 of 10 free throws, while Brown went 2 of 14 from 3-point range.

Ashley Chea added 12 points and Skye Belker scored 11 for Princeton, which outrebounded Brown 46-33.

Grace Arnolie scored 17 points and Olivia Young added 13 for Brown (16-11), the No. 4 seed. Alyssa Moreland, who entered averaging 11.0 points and 10.4 rebounds, played just six minutes due to a leg injury.

Eleven of Brown's 16 field goals were from behind the arc. The Bears shot 29% overall and turned it over 18 times.

Up next

Princeton plays on Saturday against the winner of the other semifinal between Harvard and Columbia. The Tigers have won 21 of its last 23 games — with both losses coming against the Lions.

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

VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain (AP) — Villarreal equalized 1-1 deep in stoppage time and broke the hearts of relegation-threatened Alaves in La Liga on Friday.

The home side seemed destined for a first win in six games and a debut three points for coach Quique Sanchez Flores, who was taking charge at home for the first time since replacing Eduardo Coudet nine days ago.

Alaves had gone ahead in the 40th minute courtesy of an own goal from center back Rafa Marin.

Toni Martínez’s clever backheel from the byline smacked off Marin’s head just four meters from goal and flew past his own goalkeeper.

However, a late equalizer was always a worry for a side that has conceded as many league goals in the last quarter of an hour as they have in the first half of their matches this season.

Sure enough, Nicolas Pépé did the damage with almost the last kick of the game in the seventh minute of added time when he finished off a counterattack by bending a fine shot into the far corner.

Villarreal moved above Atletico Madrid into third place in the table, a point ahead of the capital club.

Alaves remained in 16th place in the 20-team table, three points above the relegation zone.

___

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

Game 67.

The Dallas Mavericks (22-44) are at home, finally, after a very long road trip, and play the Cleveland Cavaliers (40-26). The Mavericks got their first win in forever, beating the Memphis Grizzlies last night. The Cavaliers are playing uneven basketball lately, most recently losing to the Orlando Magic.

Here are the main things you need to know:

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Cleveland Cavaliers
• WHAT: A game in Dallas!
• WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
• WHEN: 6:30 pm CST
• HOW: Amazon Prime

More Mavericks appear on the injury report than last game. Daniel Gafford is doubtful with rest, but so are all the two-way guys (so no Moussa Cisse) which means things might get hairy for Dallas in the middle. Naji Marshall is questionable with a foot injury. Caleb Martin is probable with a finger sprain.

Cleveland isn’t exactly the beacon of health, but they are also gearing up for a playoff run. Jarret Allen has a knee injury and will miss the game. Max Strus will miss yet another game recovering from surgery. James Harden is playing despite carrying a thumb fracture. Keon Ellis is also available despite a broken finger. Tyrese Proctor is also out with an injury. Sam Merrill is questionable with hamstring issue.

Dallas should get beaten in this game; the Cavs are quite good. But given how the Mavs play, you never know. A lot of this depends on how seriously the Cavs take the Mavs. If Dallas comes to play, they may win.

Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!

Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kentucky junior Braden Peiser earned the individual title in the smallbore competition and Mississippi took the team lead after the opening day of the NCAA rifle championships Friday inside the Covelli Center.

Peiser posed a score of 596 to tie the NCAA championship record. He shot a 196 in kneeling and followed with perfect 200s in both prone and standing for the second-straight match.

Ole Miss sophomore Audrey Gogniat finished second for the program's highest smallbore finish at the tournament. West Virginia junior Griffin Lake was third to claim his first career NCAA podium in smallbore, besting last season’s sixth-place finish at the event.

Ole Miss scored 2,356 in the event to earn the team title — the program's first team gold at the tournament. TCU and Nebraska followed, tied with 2,354, and reigning team national champion West Virginia sits in fourth place.

Saturday's air rifle competition will decide the national champion.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Parma scored two own goals in two minutes to undo an otherwise tight match and tumble towards a 4-1 defeat by Torino in Serie A on Friday.

Giovanni Simeone scored his second goal in three games to put Torino 1-0 up in the third minute only for Mateo Pellegrino to equalize for Parma 17 minutes later.

But Parma pressed the self destruct button early in the second half.

First, Enrico Delprato turned a Che Adams shot into his own net in the 55th minute and two minutes later Mandela Keita was unlucky when a Simeone shot came off the bar, hit him almost on the goalline and bounced into the net.

Duvan Zapata added an accomplished fourth in stoppage time to guarantee a comfortable win for Torino.

It was only Torino's second win in six games and lifted it two places into 13th.

The defeat snapped a five-game unbeaten run for Parma which remained in 12th, a point above Torino.

___

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

There are two different races concurrently happening in the NBA.

There are the teams vying for positioning atop the Eastern and Western Conference standings, trying to improve their seeding in the final month of the 2025-26 regular season. And there are teams vying for positioning at the bottom of the standings with the intent to improve their chances to secure high draft picks.

This is particularly magnified because of the projected depth of the 2026 NBA Draft class, with names like Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer headlining.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the teams who are tanking with a rebuild in mind:

NBA MOCK DRAFT: Projecting the first round before Selection Sunday

NBA tank watch

Chicago Bulls (27-39; .409)

12 games back of worst record

Chicago is a confusing team. The Bulls made unconventional moves before the trading deadline, going heavy on guards. Yet, the roster is not good enough to compete and not bad enough to fully tank, even as injuries pile up. Chicago has won three of its last six games.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 4.5%

Memphis Grizzlies (23-42; .354)

8½ games back of worst record

The Grizzlies, after reportedly looking to deal Ja Morant ahead of the trading deadline, have slow-played his return from a left elbow injury. Memphis has lost six consecutive games and 19 of its last 24.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 6%

Dallas Mavericks (22-44; .333)

7 games back of worst record

The Mavericks have continued to develop last year’s No. 1 overall selection, Cooper Flagg, as they rebuild with him as the face of the franchise. Dallas has ruled out a return for Kyrie Irving (torn ACL) this season and is planning to move on from the mistake that was the short-lived Anthony Davis era.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 7.5%

New Orleans Pelicans (22-45; .328)

6½ games back of worst record

This is one of the more interesting cases. The Pelicans will be sending this pick to the Hawks or Bucks as part of their trade last draft to move up to select Derik Queen. So, New Orleans actually has an incentive to win with its current players, just to continue establishing a culture of competitiveness.

Either way, Atlanta and Milwaukee are poised to end up with appealing selections.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 9%

Utah Jazz (20-46; .303)

5 games back of worst record

No team, arguably, has been more overt about its tanking than Utah. The Jazz, at times, have intentionally sat their best players for the entire fourth quarters of games, citing minutes restrictions, after those players had played the previous three quarters. Fourth quarters, of course, are the most important moments of games.

The team has also shut down players like Jaren Jackson Jr. (left knee) and Jusuf Nurkić (nose), while star forward Lauri Markkanen (hip) hasn’t played since Feb. 23.

Utah’s first-round pick is Top 8 protected, which makes their positioning particularly precarious. They currently have the fifth-worst record in the NBA.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 10.5%

Brooklyn Nets (17-49; .258)

2 games back of worst record

This was always going to be a transitional season for Brooklyn, which kept each of its five first-round selections from the 2025 draft. To their credit, the Nets are still playing their best player in Michael Porter Jr., but the overall roster is so deficient that victories have been tough to come by. The Nets have lost 12 of their last 14, though one of those victories came against the No. 1 seed in the East, the Pistons.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 12.5%

Washington Wizards (16-49; .246)

1½ games back of worst record

If Anthony Davis actually makes his debut for the Wizards this season, it appears that it will come very late in the season. And even then, he likely won’t suit up for very many games. Trae Young has played just three games for Washington, whose defense has been abysmal. For reference: this is the team that allowed Bam Adebayo, a career 16.1-point-per-game scorer, to drop 83 on them.

Washington’s pick is Top 8 protected.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 14%

Sacramento Kings (16-51; .239)

½ game back of worst record)

Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeAndre Hunter have each been shut down and Keegan Murray (sprained ankle) hasn’t played since Feb. 25. Sacramento’s efforts to tank are interesting; they have plenty of veterans still playing with effort, but the roster construction is so poor that it simply doesn’t work.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 14%

Indiana Pacers (15-51; .227)

Their first-round selection is Top 4 and 10-30 protected. Indiana has All-Star Pascal Siakam playing sporadically, and the Pacers have the longest active losing streak in the NBA, at 11 games.

The thing with the Pacers is that, if they’re able to nab one of the top three players in the draft, they instantly become a massive threat next season and beyond, once Tyrese Haliburton returns from his ruptured Achilles tendon.

Current percentage for No. 1 overall pick: 14%

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA tank watch: Teams with best chance to land No. 1 draft pick