Category: Basketball

Basketball News

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No. 1 seed Houston holds off Gonzaga comeback, beats No. 8 seed Bulldogs 81-76 to reach Sweet 16

LJ Cryer matched a career high with 30 points, including two free throws with 14.2 seconds left, and No. 1 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, giving the Cougars (32-4) their 15th consecutive win and pushing them into a regional semifinal against No. 4 seed Purdue on Friday night in Indianapolis. Houston also ended Gonzaga's run of nine straight Sweet 16s, which had been the longest active streak in the nation.

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In March Madness, BYU gets a stop, then gets to go … to Sweet 16 with 91-89 win over Wisconsin

The BYU Cougars led the entire game Saturday but still had to make one, final defensive stop against Wisconsin's irrepressible guard, John Tonje, to seal a 91-89 victory over the Badgers and the program's first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2011 — the days of Jimmer Fredette. In a much-welcomed and rare March Madness nailbiter, Tonje finished with 37 points to become the first player to crack 30 this year in the tournament. “You watched the game and you’re kind of like, ‘How did we get to a two-point game here, you know?’” said Fredette, who took things in from about 10 rows up in the stands in the same arena where he led BYU to its last Sweet 16 trip.

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Knicks' offense busts out, breaks two-game skid with 122-103 win over Wizards

The Knicks snapped their two-game losing streak with a much-needed 122-103 win over the league-worst Washington Wizards on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Knicks' offense has struggled mightily with captain clutch Jalen Brunson sidelined for the past eight games due to his right ankle injury, but they were finally able to receive the big-time shooting performance that they've been looking for to pull out a much-needed win in this one.

One of the biggest reasons behind their back-to-back losses in San Antonio and Charolette was slow offensive starts. New York finally came out flying in this one, shooting an even 50 percent from the field (four threes) to open an early advantage, which they barely held onto.

- New York's lineup did take another big hit coming into the night, as Miles McBride was ruled out with a groin injury after attempting to go through pregame warmups, so Cameron Payne was inserted into the starting five and he provided a nice boost on both ends of the floor.

The veteran guard led the way in the first quarter, knocking down a pair of threes to help the Knicks open an early advantage. He went on to finish with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field (all threes) while dishing six assists and reeling in four rebounds in his second start of the year.

- Mikal Bridges put together one of his best halves of the season. After a quiet showing in the first, he was lights out during the second quarter, picking up 20 of his 27 points on the night -- including a stretch where he knocked down four consecutive threes to help put the game out of reach.

- Rookie point guard Tyler Kolek took advantage of that stretch, as he picked up four points and a career-high seven assists while playing the whole second quarter. The youngster has been back-and-forth between the pros and Westchester this season, and this was his first time seeing first half minutes since the beginning of the new year.

- Karl-Anthony Towns was quiet during the first half, but he made his mark early and often in the second, scoring or assisting on five of the Knicks' first six buckets in the third quarter. The big man made some clutch buckets down the stretch and finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds.

- OG Anunoby sat during the second quarter after picking up three early fouls, but he was also tremendous offensively, picking up 23 points while knocking down four of five threes. Josh Hart had just nine points but he topped the double-digit mark in rebounds again, bringing in 11.

- The Knicks did have a little bit of a scare late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, as Washington was able to cut a 33-point deficit all the way back down to four, but they locked in during the final frame and held on to pick up their 44th win of the season.

- MSG broke out in PJ Tucker chants for the second straight home blowout, but the veteran didn't see the floor.

Game MVP: Mikal Bridges

Bridges simply couldn't miss during the second quarter, and it helped the Knicks put this one out of reach.

Highlights

Whats next

The Knicks have two days off before they host the Dallas Mavericks at MSG on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

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LeBron James, Rui Hachimura return from injuries for Lakers Saturday

After missing six games with a strained groin, LeBron James will return to the Lakers lineup Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls, something the team has confirmed. Rui Hachimura is set to make his return as well.

The Lakers kept their heads above water going 3-3 with LeBron out thanks to Luka Doncic powering the Lakers' offense, until he had to miss time with an ankle issue. However, in those games, it became clear how much the Lakers still rely on 40-year-old LeBron to be the glue guy who does whatever it takes to get wins. His high IQ play was missed.

What fell off without LeBron is the Lakers' defense, which was in the top 10 in the NBA after the trade deadline with LeBron in the lineup, but in the six games with him out, it fell to 18th in the league.

Hachimura's return gives Redick more size and shooting to mix and match, depending on the opponent.

The Lakers sit third in a crowded top of the Western Conference. Houston, Los Angeles, Denver and Memphis are all within three games of each other for the 2-5 seeds in the conference. The Lakers are two back of Houston for the No. 2 seed and should get a boost from LeBron's return, but they also have the toughest remaining schedule of any of those teams.

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Bryant scores 17 and leads No. 8 Illinois to 1st March Madness win in 25 years over No. 9 Creighton

Genesis Bryant scored 17 points and No. 8 Illinois earned its first NCAA Tournament victory in 25 years Saturday night with a 66-57 win over No. 9 Creighton. Illinois' tough defense frustrated Creighton's outside shooters as the Illini also dominated on the boards. Kendall Bostic added 12 points and 17 rebounds for Illinois (22-9), which advances to the second round on Monday against No. 1 Texas (32-3), which beat No. 16 William & Mary 105-61 Saturday night.