Illinois Fighting Illini (22-9, 11-8 Big Ten) at Texas Longhorns (32-3, 17-2 SEC) Austin, Texas; Monday, 2 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: No. Texas and Illinois square off in the NCAA Tournament second round.
Oklahoma Sooners and Iowa Hawkeyes meet in NCAA Tournament second round
Iowa Hawkeyes (23-10, 12-9 Big Ten) at Oklahoma Sooners (26-7, 13-6 SEC) Norman, Oklahoma; Monday, 4 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Sooners -4.5; over/under is 158.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Oklahoma squares off against Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina Gamecocks square off against the Indiana Hoosiers in second round
Indiana Hoosiers (20-12, 11-9 Big Ten) at South Carolina Gamecocks (31-3, 18-1 SEC) Columbia, South Carolina; Sunday, 3 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Gamecocks -22.5; over/under is 136.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. South Carolina squares off against Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Seton Hall hosts Portland after Shearer’s 28-point game
Portland leads the WCC scoring 76.6 points per game while shooting 43.9%. Seton Hall is shooting 38.6% from the field this season, 2.5 percentage points lower than the 41.1% Portland allows to opponents. Portland has shot at a 43.9% clip from the field this season, 2.5 percentage points greater than the 41.4% shooting opponents of Seton Hall have averaged.
Louisiana Tech plays Texas Southern in NIT matchup
Texas Southern Tigers (17-15, 15-5 SWAC) at Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (16-15, 9-11 CUSA) Ruston, Louisiana; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Louisiana Tech plays Texas Southern in the National Invitation Tournament. The Lady Techsters are 9-11 against CUSA opponents and 7-4 in non-conference play.
LeBron James returns from injury, but Lakers look lost in blowout loss to Bulls
There was less than a second left in the first quarter when LeBron James went to the sideline to inbound the ball. Sensing a moment to get the hottest player in the building, Luka Doncic, one more shot, the Lakers rushed their new star into the game.
Doncic hustled to the scorer’s table, unwrapping the heat pack from his lower back, unsnapping his warmup pants and zipping off his jacket.
James then fired the ball down the floor. But instead of it finding Doncic or any Lakers player, it badly curved toward the courtside seats, a screwball turnover in a game littered with mistakes.
Doncic, the player the Lakers acquired to fix their narrow operating margins, scored with ease Saturday night, making three-pointers from all over the court. He finished with 34 points, a carryover from a multi-week stretch of dominant offense.
Read more:Bronny James credits focus on his game for career-best 17 points during loss to Bucks
But everyone else? Back at full strength with James and Rui Hachimura playing for the first time in two weeks, the team looked like a group of strangers, badly beaten 146-115 by a Chicago team nine games under .500.
It was the most points the Lakers allowed this season.
And Doncic was far from perfect, all of his shot-making undone by seven turnovers and a disengaged defensive performance that helped the Bulls run away.
In the first half, the Lakers (43-27) were slow-footed, maybe a tax they needed to pay playing in their seventh game in 10 days. Their effort against Coby White in the first quarter was lacking, the Bulls guard quickly catching fire and matching Doncic bucket for bucket.
The Bulls (31-40) made 78.6% of their two-point shots in the first half, the Lakers' defense providing no resistance. They didn’t stop Chicago at the rim. They didn't stay in front of them on the perimeter. And once they got caught in rotations after switching, the Lakers moved like they had cement in their sneakers.
The Lakers' overall effort ticked up in the second half. The bad news? Somehow the defense was even worse, the Bulls scoring 81 points as they began to make shots from all over the court.
White finished with 36 and rookie Matas Buzelis had 31 points for Chicago. Josh Giddey nearly recorded a quadruple-double for the Bulls, finishing with 15 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds and eight steals. The Bulls had seven players with at least 12 points and an eighth who scored nine.
James, in his first game after missing two weeks with a groin strain, looked badly out of rhythm on both sides of the court. He scored 17 but turned it over five times. Austin Reaves had 25 but couldn’t help the Lakers get stops. And Hachimura, limited to 18 minutes, looked out of sorts off the bench and only scored five points.
The Lakers play the Orlando Magic on the road Monday.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
No. 1 seed Houston holds off Gonzaga comeback
LJ Cryer matched a career high with 30 points, including two free throws with 14.2 seconds left, and No. seed Houston held on to beat eighth-seeded Gonzaga 81-76 on Saturday night to reach the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight NCAA Tournament. J'Wan Roberts added 18 points, and Milos Uzan made two last free throws with 2.1 seconds left to give the Cougars (32-4) their 15th consecutive win and push them into a regional semifinal against fourth-seeded Purdue on Friday night in Indianapolis.
March Madness Saturday recap: John Calipari’s Sweet 16 redemption, Big Ten’s perfect start ends, is JuJu OK?
In his first season post breakup, John Calipari is back in the Sweet 16. Kentucky will look to match him there on Sunday.
Tennessee is March Madness dancing to program-best 3rd straight Sweet 16 with 67-58 win over UCLA
Chaz Lanier made 4 of 5 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, and No. 2 seed Tennessee advanced to a program-record third straight Sweet 16, beating seventh-seeded UCLA 67-58 in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. Lanier also set the Tennessee single-season record for 3s with 120, topping the 118 by Chris Lofton in 2007-08. Lofton was in the stands at Rupp Arena to witness Lanier's performance.
UCLA doomed by sloppy stretches of play in season-ending loss to Tennessee
UCLA struggles to find its shot against a tenacious Tennessee defense and fades in the second half of a 67-58 loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
NCAA tournament: Chaotic CBS score bug adds confusion to already wild BYU-Wisconsin game
Wisconsin would certainly prefer that the score displayed on the CBS score bug was the score of record.
2024-25 Fantasy Basketball Week 21 Schedule Breakdown
For many fantasy leagues, Week 21 is "Championship Week." And with the growing injury lists, crafting lineups is more difficult now than during winter. The good news is that every team will play at least three games during Week 21, and the schedule is evenly distributed. Let's look at the Week 21 schedule breakdown and some of its key storylines.
Week 21 Games Played
4 Games: BKN, DAL, IND, LAL, MIL, NYK, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, TOR, WAS
3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIN, NOR, OKC, POR, UTA
Week 21 Storylines
- There are no extremely light games during Week 21.
Week 21 should be good for fantasy basketball, as no day has fewer than six games on the schedule. And with the four busiest days all boasting eight-game slates, there should be no shortage of options available to fantasy managers. At this point in the season, targeting teams well on their way to the draft lottery is a good place to start. While the Jazz will only play three games during Week 21, San Antonio, Toronto, Washington and Philadelphia are among those who will play four.
- Philadelphia will have to navigate two back-to-backs.
The 76ers are the only team with two back-to-backs scheduled between March 23 and March 30. With Joel Embiid and Paul George officially done for the season and Tyrese Maxey still sidelined with his injuries, the door has swung wide open for Quentin Grimes. However, he's played so well that it's fair to wonder if there will come a point when Philadelphia looks to cut his playing time under the guise of an "injury." Justin Edwards, Ricky Council IV, Adem Bona (when healthy) and Jared Butler are a few players who will have added value as the 76ers look to improve their draft lottery odds.
- How many games will LeBron James (groin) play during Week 21?
James returned to the Lakers' lineup on March 22 against the Bulls, making his first appearance since March 8. His return impacts the entire Lakers' rotation, beginning with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves not taking on as much of the offensive workload. Also, Jordan Goodwin would return to the bench, where he has minimal fantasy impact. Rui Hachimura's return will also impact the rotation, as the matchup with Chicago was his first game after missing nearly one month with a left knee injury. The Lakers play four games during Week 21, including a midweek back-to-back. In addition to James' injury, Doncic and Reaves (among others) have recently been held out of a game for injury management reasons.
- Kings are expected to provide an update on Domantas Sabonis (ankle).
At the time of Sabonis' sprained right ankle, the Kings announced that he would be re-evaluated in 10 days. March 29 would be the tenth day, and the Kings are scheduled to play the Magic that night. That's the third of three games Sacramento is scheduled to play during Week 21, so fantasy managers will continue to rely on Jonas Valanciunas. However, he's rostered in over 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues, meaning fantasy managers looking to make an addition will need to focus on Keon Ellis, Trey Lyles or Jake LaRavia. The Sabonis question will be more about Week 22 than Week 21, and the Kings have a four-game schedule for Week 22.
- Will Nikola Jokic (ankle) be able to return from injury during Week 21?
The Nuggets' March 23 game against the Rockets will be the fourth Jokic has missed with a sprained ankle. With the Nuggets' three-game Week 21 beginning with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back, the three-time MVP may be available for all three games if he's cleared. And beggars can't be choosers; three games or Jokic is superior to none, given his impact on the Nuggets and fantasy basketball. The Joker's absence has raised Aaron Gordon's fantasy ceiling, and he's scored 23 points or more in three straight games.
- Can Stephen Curry (pelvis) return during the Warriors' road trip?
Before the Warriors' March 22 game against the Hawks, head coach Steve Kerr said he hoped Curry would be able to return from his injury at some point during the team's six-game road trip. The trip won't conclude until April 3 against the Lakers, and the Warriors have a home game against the Nuggets the following night. Rookie center Quentin Post returned to the starting lineup in Atlanta, but he may not be a lock to retain that role for the entire trip. Golden State can (and has) used Draymond Green at the five as part of a smaller lineup, which could be used to get Jonathan Kuminga more time on the court. Buddy Hield will be more valuable to managers needing three-point production, while Brandin Podziemski and Jimmy Butler should see their respective usages increase. The Warriors play three games during Week 21, starting with the Heat on Tuesday.
- It's "Red Velvet Time" in Chicago despite the Bulls only playing three games.
Bulls backup point guard Tre Jones has played well since moving into the starting lineup, filling the void left by the injured Lonzo Ball. However, he suffered a left midfoot sprain on March 20 and will be out for at least two weeks. Jones' injury makes things simple for the Bulls, as Josh Giddey's return to the starting lineup did not bump Kevin Huerter to the bench. While a three-game schedule isn't the best, Huerter's status as a starter makes him worth holding onto for Week 21. The Bulls will play four games during Week 22.
Light Game Days
Wednesday: 6 Games
WAS vs. PHI
TOR vs. BKN
LAL vs. IND
LAC vs. NYK
MIL vs. DEN
BOS vs. PHO
Week 21 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 20)-Monday: BOS, DEN, NOR, PHI, TOR
Monday-Tuesday: DAL, ORL, SAC
Tuesday-Wednesday: NYK
Wednesday-Thursday: IND, LAL, WAS
Thursday-Friday: CLE, UTA
Friday-Saturday: BKN
Saturday-Sunday: PHI, SAS
Sunday-Monday (Week 22): HOU, LAC
Cam Payne, Tyler Kolek provide Knicks with the spark they needed in win over Wizards
The Knicks’ guard depth is really being put to the test.
New York is already without All-Star captain Jalen Brunson as he missed his eight consecutive game with a right ankle sprain -- and on Saturday night his replacement was sidelined as well, as Miles McBride was ruled out pregame due to a lingering groin injury.
Insert Cam Payne and Tyler Kolek.
The veteran Payne jumped into the starting lineup for just the second time this season and he provided an immediate boost on both ends of the floor -- leading the way for New York with 10 first quarter points, four assists, and three points to open an early advantage.
“Shout out to Cam,” Karl-Anthony Towns said postgame. “He stepped in like a true professional and led us. He gave us the spark we needed, without that kind of start from him I don’t know how this game goes -- shoutout to him for real.”
Even with that big spark, Tom Thibodeau elected to turn to Kolek to play the entire second quarter as the Knicks held a big lead and he provided a boost of his own -- recording four points while dishing a career-high eight assists.
The 23-year-old has been bouncing back-and-forth between the pros and the G League throughout his rookie campaign, but he was certainly impressive in what was his first first-half action since January 1.
“Tyler gave us great minutes,” Thibodeau said postgame. “We built the lead which allowed Cam to get some rest there. It was more how the team was functioning. We stayed organized and he was making the right reads — it was good to see, he’s done a good job for us.”
And later on, it was Payne again, who provided one of the biggest shots of the night.
New York led by as many as 33 points early in the third quarter, but a tremendous Wizards run enabled them to cut that all the way back down to four -- before the veteran guard knocked down a massive three to get the Knicks back on track.
They ended up holding on from their to snap their two-game losing skid with a 122-103 win.
“We have to play tougher with the lead,” Thibodeau said. “But that was a big shot for us. Cam ins’t afraid to let it fly in those spots, which is what we like about him. He stepped up and gave us some really good minutes tonight.”
It remains to be seen if McBride will miss any more time with the injury, but with Brunson still only participating in controlled activities, the Knicks will certainly need their guards to build off this strong showing.
New York plays again on Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.
Houston ends Gonzaga’s Sweet 16 streak in men’s March Madness
Gonzaga's Sweet 16 streak ends at nine and Houston is in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive time.
Houston holds off Gonzaga to make 6th straight Sweet 16
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and former Big 12 player of the year Marcus Morris Sr. react to the Cougars’ 81-76 win over the Bulldogs to advance to the regional semifinal for the sixth consecutive season - and end the ‘Zags run of nine straight Sweet 16 appearances.