JMU ranks second in the Sun Belt with 28.5 defensive rebounds per game led by McDaniel averaging 6.6. Davidson is seventh in the A-10 scoring 63.1 points per game and is shooting 41.8%. JMU averages 5.5 made 3-pointers per game, 2.0 more made shots than the 3.5 per game Davidson allows.
Utah and Indiana meet in first round of NCAA Tournament
The Utes' record in Big 12 games is 13-6, and their record is 9-2 in non-conference games. Utah is seventh in the Big 12 with 24.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Maye Toure averaging 5.1. The Hoosiers' record in Big Ten games is 11-9.
Kansas State and Fairfield play in first round of NCAA Tournament
Fairfield Stags (28-4, 22-1 MAAC) vs. Kansas State Wildcats (26-7, 14-6 Big 12) Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky; Friday, 2:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wildcats -16.5; over/under is 135.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Kansas State takes on Fairfield in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Aaron Wiggins stands out for Oklahoma City
Based solely on win/loss records, Wednesday's game between the 76ers and Thunder would not be classified as a "showdown." However, with the Thunder receiving Philadelphia's first-round pick if it falls outside the top six, the visitors have been doing all they can to improve their chances of keeping it. This made Oklahoma City's injury report downright hilarious.
Already without Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City also ruled out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein. It would be difficult for most teams to win with that much firepower in street clothes. Oklahoma City, which boasts the NBA's best record, isn't most teams. Their reserves made the most of their opportunity and rolled to a 133-100 victory.
PF/C Jaylin Williams (2%) recorded his second triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 17 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and three three-pointers in 38 minutes. SG/SF Aaron Wiggins (17%) led the team with 26 points while also tallying four rebounds, six assists and four three-pointers in 29 minutes, while PG/SG Isaiah Joe (4%) contributed 21 points, three rebounds, five assists and five three-pointers.
All three players have been in the Thunder rotation, but their fantasy ceilings are low due to the production of the starters they were filling in for. Wiggins offers the highest ceiling moving forward of the three who shined on Wednesday. However, due to Oklahoma City's lead atop the standings, Wednesday may not be the last time this season the Thunder decide to rely on the standouts who played so well against the 76ers. Let's look at a few more of Wednesday's top pickups.
SF/PF/C Jeremy Sochan (43%), San Antonio Spurs
Sochan, who has positional eligibility at all three frontcourt spots in Yahoo! leagues, replaced Bismack Biyombo in the Spurs' starting lineup for Wednesday's win over the Knicks. He logged 38 minutes, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal. While the production was modest, Sochan's playing time was not. Even if he does not remain in the starting lineup, Sochan consistently hitting (or surpassing) 30 minutes would do wonders for his fantasy ceiling. Also, a tip of the cap to Sandro Mamukelashvili, who went off for 34 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and seven three-pointers in just 19 minutes. While he should not be added in most leagues based on one historic performance, he's worth watching for the rest of Week 20.
SG/SF Bennedict Mathurin (41%), Indiana Pacers
The Pacers were again without Tyrese Haliburton, which ensured that Mathurin would remain in the starting lineup. And he was productive in the Pacers' win over Dallas, accounting for 23 points (6-of-12 FGs, 10-of-12 FTs), seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one three-pointer in 32 minutes. Mathurin's value for Indiana's final two games of Week 20, Thursday and Saturday matchups with the Nets, depends on Haliburton's availability. If Haliburton can return from his back injury and play in both games, Mathurin's value will take a hit.
PF/C Kel'el Ware (41%), Miami Heat
Ware returned to the Heat starting lineup on Wednesday after coming off the bench in a loss to the Knicks two nights prior. He played 33 minutes and recorded a solid stat line, finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, one steal and three blocked shots. The issue for Ware is that the Heat lineup has undergone multiple changes in hopes of ending the team's nine-game losing streak. Ware offers a relatively high ceiling, but his ever-changing role has made the rookie challenging to trust in shallower fantasy leagues.
PF/C Kyle Filipowski (32%) and PG/SG Isaiah Collier (31%), Utah Jazz
Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton were in the Jazz starting lineup on Wednesday, but they logged 15 and 19 minutes, respectively. With John Collins (ankle) injured and Lauri Markkanen (personal) away from the team, there was even more reason to trust Filipowski and Collier. Filipowski finished Wednesday's win over the Wizards with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists and four three-pointers in 21 minutes. Sure, getting more rebounds and some defensive production out of the rookie forward/center would have been nice, but he shot 8-of-11 from the field.
As for Collier, he only committed one turnover while recording a line of 16 points, three rebounds, six assists, four steals and two three-pointers in 28 minutes. He has been a fixture in the Jazz starting lineup since late January, which appears unlikely to change before the end of the season. Fantasy managers looking for low-rostered players who should not have to worry about their playing time would be wise to consider Collier and Filipowski.
PG/SG Spencer Dinwiddie (25%), Dallas Mavericks
Dinwiddie was only 6-of-16 from the field in the Mavericks' loss to the Pacers, but the overall stat line was solid. He tallied 17 points, three rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, two three-pointers and just one turnover in 42 minutes. Jaden Hardy (one percent) had a good night off the bench in his first game back from an ankle injury that sidelined him for two weeks, finishing with 24 points, two rebounds, two assists and three three-pointers in 24 minutes. However, he was a risky play since he saw action for the first time in two weeks, and nights like Wednesday have not been the norm for Hardy. Dinwiddie is the safer play, especially with Brandon Williams (who was out on Wednesday) approaching his 50-game limit as a two-way contract player.
C Yves Missi (23%), New Orleans Pelicans
Missi played 26 minutes in Wednesday's win over the Timberwolves, recording 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots. While the rookie only shot 1-of-4 from the foul line, he was 6-of-12 from the field. Missi can provide points, rebounds and defensive stats in his role, but category league managers must take a hit in the free throw percentage category.
C Tristan Vukcevic (6%), Washington Wizards
With Kyshawn George unavailable due to injury, Vukcevic made his first start of the season on Wednesday. Now a double-digit scorer in three straight games, he finished Washington's loss to Utah with 17 points, five rebounds, two blocks and one three-pointer in 21 minutes. Vukcevic shot 8-of-11 from the field and is 20-of-39 over his last three outings. While his fantasy potential depends partially on George's availability, Vukcevic played 25 and 24 minutes in the two games before his start on Wednesday. The playing time is there, and he can take advantage of his opportunities.
SF/PF Ryan Dunn (4%), Phoenix Suns
Dunn has started the Suns' last four games and hit double figures in each. Shooting 7-of-11 from the field, he finished Wednesday's win over the Bulls with 16 points, five rebounds, one steal, one block and two three-pointers in 30 minutes. Bradley Beal's absence with a hamstring injury raises Dunn's fantasy ceiling, especially if he's allowed to remain in the starting lineup. The only negative is that the Suns only play once more during Week 20, but they have a four-game slate for Week 21.
C Kai Jones (4%), Dallas Mavericks
Jaden Hardy wasn't the only Mavericks player who returned after a two-week absence on Wednesday. Jones, who missed time with a quad injury, was immediately inserted into the starting lineup due to Dallas' lack of healthy bigs. Despite playing just 24 minutes, he accounted for 18 points, 11 rebounds and one assist, shooting 8-of-9 from the field. We'll see if (or when) Anthony Davis can return from his groin injury, but Jones will be worthy of a look for Week 21. Week 20 is a two-game week for Dallas, so there will only be one more opportunity to slot Jones into your lineups (Friday vs. Detroit), but they'll play four games during Week 21.
SF Justin Edwards (3%), Philadelphia 76ers
With the 76ers doing all they can to improve their chances of holding onto their first-round pick, losing games is a positive right now. Playing against the franchise that would claim the pick if it lands outside the top six, the 76ers were blown out in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. However, Edwards was one of the bright spots, as he finished with 19 points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block and three three-pointers in 30 minutes. While there is a lot that the 76ers front office got wrong this season, they did well with their rookie class. Jared McCain was playing excellent basketball before his season-ending injury, and second-round pick Adem Bona has shown flashes recently when healthy. The same can be said for Edwards, who went undrafted last summer. He shouldn't lack opportunities to prove himself before the season ends, especially with Paul George out.
Thomas scores 21 as San Francisco defeats Utah Valley 79-70 in NIT
Malik Thomas had 21 points in San Francisco's 79-70 win over Utah Valley on Wednesday night in the NIT. Thomas also added 10 rebounds for the Dons (25-9). Ryan Beasley scored 19 points while going 7 of 13 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and added six assists.
Luka Doncic's hot first quarter sparks Lakers to win over shorthanded Nuggets
The streamers eventually would fall Wednesday night. The huge cheers for Bronny James coming off the bench in the fourth quarter were bound to happen. Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” would play.
It was fated by the time fans started filing into the building.
The latest chapter in the Lakers-Nuggets rivalry was going to look a lot different, with word that Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray weren’t going to play buzzing around before the game.
The script was flipped, the Lakers and their fans used to seeing Nuggets come off the injury report ahead of games against them. But without Denver's best players, all it was going to take from the Lakers was a focused performance to get the job done.
Read more:Lakers don't shy away from 'naked' opportunities in blowout win over Spurs
By midway through the first quarter, Luka Doncic was so good that the bar for “focused performance” suddenly had been significantly lowered.
The Lakers handled the Denver Nuggets 120-108, Doncic’s monster first quarter enough to cover up for sluggish, sloppy play that might’ve cost them if Jokic and Murray were on the floor.
Doncic scored 21 points in the quarter, including nine in the first three minutes, to give the Lakers a lead that grew to 30 in the second half before they fully eased off the gas.
The Nuggets outscored the Lakers by 16 in the fourth quarter and still lost by 12, Doncic able to spend the final 12 minutes on the bench with the Lakers set to host Milwaukee on Thursday.
It’ll be the Lakers’ sixth game in eight days. They're 3-2 in the first five.
Doncic finished with 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. And while he cooled off significantly after the first quarter, his presence again allowed the Lakers (43-25) to take and make wide-open threes all game. Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht combined to make 10 threes on 17 attempts.
“Sometimes teams send three guys at him. It's just amazing that he finds the open man time and time again,” Vincent said of Doncic. “He makes the game so easy for us, you know, whether he's getting to the free-throw line himself or walking to the rim or making a tough shot when we need one or finding the open guy over and over again. ... He makes the right read every time and that's something that's invaluable."
While the Lakers earned a 2-2 split with Denver this season, a valuable asset in a tight West race in which they should finish ahead of the Nuggets in tiebreaker scenarios, it didn’t really offer much insight as to where either team stands heading into the final four weeks of the season.
Read more:Luka Doncic scores 33 and gritty Lakers beat Suns to end four-game losing skid
Before the game, Denver coach Michael Malone forcefully said that Jokic and Murray weren’t “resting” as the Nuggets competed without their dynamic duo for the second straight game. Both players are dealing with injuries, he said.
Without them, Denver didn’t have a chance, the Lakers riding a dominant quarter from Doncic during which he was able to get whatever he wanted near the basket or behind the three-point line, leading them to 46 first-quarter points.
“When you've got one player that scores 21 of 'em,” guard Austin Reaves said, “you're gonna score a lot of points in the quarter.”
The Lakers continued to earn high-quality shots in rapid succession, putting together enough good defensive stretches to keep Denver from seriously threatening.
The Lakers finish one of the toughest stretches of their schedule Thursday, the final of three sets of back-to-back contests.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Watch Cade Cunningham's banked-in game-winner at buzzer, Pistons' win extends Heat losing streak to nine
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 19: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons celebrates after making the game-winning basket to defeat the Miami Heat 116-113 at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2025 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
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Bam Adebayo is one of the NBA's best defenders and he was in Cade Cunningham's face. "Any closer and I'd have fouled him," Adebayo said postgame (via the Associated Press).
It didn't matter. With the game on the line, Cade Cunningham continued the Piston's magical season with a banked-in 3-pointer game-winner with 0.6 seconds left, giving Detroit the win and extending Miami's losing streak to nine.
CADE GAME-WINNER OFF THE GLASS @DetroitPistons WIN ‼️ pic.twitter.com/o9IQMRiYRK
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2025
Did Cunningham call bank?
"I might have whispered it. I don't think anybody heard that, though," he said postgame.
Cunningham finished with a triple-double of 25 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, leading the Pistons to a win that ties them with the Bucks for the No. 5 seed in the East, one game back of the Pacers at No. 4. Detroit, a team that had the worst record in the NBA two-seasons running and lost 28 straight games a season ago, could host a first-round playoff game.
With shots like this, Detroit is going to be a tough out in the playoffs, whoever it faces.
Knicks a 'step behind' defensively against Spurs, Sandro Mamukelashvili: 'We just weren't there, physically or mentally'
Looking at the schedule, anyone can see how brutal the Knicks’ recent stretch of games has been.
After a five-game West Coast road trip, New York came back home for one game before heading back out west to play the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. A lot of traveling for a team that is trying to stay afloat without Jalen Brunson, who sprained his ankle early during the road trip.
But no one saw Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs playing out the way it did.
San Antonio, playing without Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox -- their two best players who are missing the remainder of the season due to injuries -- got out to a 28 first-half lead that seemingly rattled the Knicks defense.
The Spurs scored on their first five possessions, en route to shooting 51 percent from the field in the first half.
“Defensively, we were a step behind,” coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “We got in a big hole. Tough to get out of.”
The Knicks’ schedule has been a topic of discussion for why the team has gotten off to slow starts recently, especially in their last two contests.
In Monday’s game against the Heat at home -- the first coming off their road trip -- the Knicks were down as much as 13 points but fought back to win. Wednesday’s 28-point deficit turned out to be too large, but the team isn’t going to make their schedule the culprit for their slow starts.
“Not gonna say that [is the reason] because we got it to eight and then we just had some bad possessions and let them build a lead up,” Josh Hart said. “But we knew this one was going to be tough. Young hungry team. Plays fast, obviously. We've had a tough schedule…we knew it was going to be tough. We just weren't there, physically or mentally. We were just fatigued.”
As Hart alluded to, New York did cut the Spurs’ deficit to eight points twice. But it was their third-quarter performance, outscoring the Spurs 29-16 powered by their defense, that gave them a shot to steal this win. But when they made a run in the fourth quarter, San Antonio was lifted by an unlikely name: Sandro Mamukelashvili.
The Seton Hall product scored 21 of his career-high 34 points in the final frame, which included back-breaking threes, in which he made four in the fourth.
“Sometimes a guy can get hot. We got to make sure that he puts it down,” Thibodeau said. “Sandro had a great game, but we really didn’t take anything away. When our ball pressure got better in the third quarter, then our defense picked up. That's how we have to play. As I said, we were a step behind all night.”
“He’s in the NBA for a reason,” Hart said of Mamukelashvili. “He's a good player and we weren’t focused enough or locked in enough to realize what was going on. The IQ wasn't there.”
Along with his 34 points, Mamukelashvili came down with nine rebounds, dished three assists and came up with a steal all while shooting 13-of-14 from the field, including 7-for-7 from deep.
Hart added: “A guy has their game going like that, we have to find him and get to his body and be physical and kind of get him out of rhythm. We didn't do that. He had a career night, he's a good player. But we gotta know what guys do well, their tendencies and take that away and we didn't take anything away from him.”
Aside from the sluggish defense, the Knicks were outrebounded 54-42. Thibodeau called those two aspects the biggest reasons for their loss, but the offense was just as sluggish as the defense.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the team with 32 points, including scoring the team’s first nine points of the game. The rest of the starters scored a combined 41 points.
Hart, who scored just two points on 1-of-4 shooting, said the offensive struggles were a combination of shots not going down and the team not making enough plays.
“You have to make it easier for each other. You have to play-make for each other and put each other in good situations to be successful,” Hart explained. “That was going to be the struggle without [Brunson] but we gotta make the game easier for each other. We didn't do that today.”
With Brunson unlikely to rejoin the team until April, the Knicks have to wake up both sides of the ball on a consistent basis, and they’ll have to do it quickly. The team now has to travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Thursday night.
March Madness First Four winners and losers: North Carolina, West Virginia lead list
Who are the winners and losers from the First Four of March Madness? Here's our list.
Watch March Madness 2025: TV viewer’s guide, channels, games to stream or skip on Thursday
Creighton and Louisville get the party started on Thursday.
Mount St. Mary’s beats American to earn date with No. 1 Duke
Dola Adebayo and Jedy Cordilla each scored 22 points as Mount St. Mary's defeated American 83-72 in an NCAA Tournament matchup of No. seeds at the First Four on Wednesday night. The Mountaineers (23-12) earned a date with No.
March Madness: Xavier rallies to beat Texas 86-80 in First Four
DAYTON, Ohio — Marcus Foster scored 22 points and Zach Freemantle added 15 while overcoming foul trouble as Xavier rallied past Texas 86-80 in the First Four on Wednesday night.
SMU earns 73-63 victory against Northern Iowa in NIT
B.J. Edwards had 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in SMU's 73-63 victory over Northern Iowa on Wednesday night in the NIT. SMU advances to face Oklahoma State in the second round. Kario Oquendo added 12 points while going 4 of 9 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) while he also had seven rebounds for the Mustangs (24-10).
March Madness: Mount St. Mary’s beats American 83-72 in First Four to earn date with No. 1 Duke
The Mountaineers earned a date with No. 1 seed Duke on Friday in an East Region game at Raleigh, North Carolina.
Knicks unable to overcome poor first half in 120-105 loss to Spurs
The Knicks had a first half to forget, and could not complete an improbable comeback as they fell to the short-handed Spurs, 120-105, on Wednesday night in San Antonio.
New York was down by as much as 28 points but could not get any closer than eight points in the second half as they fell to 43-25 on the season.
The Spurs were losers of 20 of their last 29 games entering Wednesday, and were without Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.
Here are the takeaways...
-Towns scored the Knicks' first nine points, making his first four shots as New York exploited the lack of rim protection with Wembanyama out for the season. However, the Knicks could not stop the Spurs from scoring. San Antonio made five of their first seven shots to take a 13-9 lead.
San Antonio kept pushing the pace and went out to a 16-1 run, which included 14 straight missed field goals when head coach Tom Thibodeau called a timeout. The Knicks could not buy a bucket and went big, bringing in Mitchell Robinson who contributed right away with two tip-ins. But overall, the first quarter was a nightmare for the Knicks who shot just 28 percent (8-29) to the Spurs' 44 percent.
Towns scored 13 points while Robinson (4), OG Anunoby (1) and Mikal Bridges (2) accounted for the other Knicks' points. Josh Hart didn't even attempt a shot. Veterans Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul each scored 10 points in the opening frame.
-The Knicks came out in the second quarter much better, cutting their deficit to just four points, but the Spurs used screens and dribble penetration to get any shot they wanted. This was coupled with the Knicks, once again, shooting poorly, especially from three.
With about six minutes remaining, the Knicks were down 22 and to make things worse, Towns appeared to injure his left thumb on a shot. After a timeout, Towns went to the back but was on the bench when the game restarted. The Spurs would increase their lead to 67-43 at halftime, ending one of the worst first halves of the season for the Knicks.
In the first half, New York shot 31 percent (16-51) including 4-for-21 from three. Miles McBride and Bridges were the only starters not named Towns to make a field goal in the first two quarters, and those two only made one field goal each. Hart was left scoreless after missing his only three shots attempted.
On the defensive end, the Spurs shot 51 percent from the field, 8-for-21 from three, in the first half.
-Whatever Thibodeau said to his team at halftime, must have lit a fire under the Knicks as their defensive intensity was better. New York's defense caused turnovers and bad shots to help them go on a 22-3 run to cut the Spurs' lead to 73-65 with 6:25 remaining in the third.
The Spurs would find their offense, capitalizing on Knicks turnovers and getting to the free-throw line to go out to a 10-0 run. The Knicks pushed back to go into the fourth quarter down 83-72.
-The Knicks eventually cut their deficit to eight points thanks to the lineup that included Towns and Robinson. But the combination of Sandro Mamukelashvili off the bench and putting Robinson on the foul line -- which slowed the Knicks offense and forced Thibodeau to bench his center -- helped San Antonio push back and they never looked back.
Mamukelashvili had a career night. He had a game-high 34 points off the bench, including 7-for-7 from three in 19:27 on the floor. The Seton Hall product also had nine rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Towns had a team-high 32 points while the other starters could not get 15 on this night. Anunoby (14), Hart (2), Bridges (14) and McBride (11) just could not match Towns' production. Robinson posted 13 points and came down with 11 rebounds in 17 minutes on the floor.
The difference in this game was the rebounds. Without a true center, the Spurs outrebounded the Knicks 52-44.
Highlights
KAT with offensive production early!
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 20, 2025
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/Eo4SG2SbyC
OG for three! 🔥
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 20, 2025
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/8C3A8ydpHD
OG with the slam! 💥 pic.twitter.com/YCkSXFfKoy
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 20, 2025
What's next
The Knicks are right back at it on Thursday as they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets. Tip is set for 7 p.m.