One team will head home with a national championship trophy when Michigan, Arizona, UConn and Illinois face off in the Final Four and national championship game this weekend.
Another team across the country won't be winning a national title, but will be going home with $300,000 in name, image and likeness cash.
The second annual College Basketball Crown, which Nebraska won during its inaugural tournament in 2025, is a five-day tournament in Las Vegas, where eight teams that didn't make the Men's NCAA Tournament compete for cash prizes.
Oklahoma, Baylor, Creighton and West Virginia already earned at least $50,000 each for reaching the semifinals of the tournament, which are being played Saturday, April 4. The championship game will be held Sunday, April 5.
The CBC is a similar postseason tournament to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), which usually features the top non-NCAA Tournament teams in a given season. NIL, though, is shaking up which consolation tournament teams choose to be a part of, especially with the CBC featuring all power conference teams.
Here's a look at the payout structure for the CBC in 2026, which features $500,000 in prize money:
CBC winner's share: How much does champion make in prize money?
CBC champions: $300,000
The champion of the College Basketball Crown earns $300,000 in NIL money.
College Basketball Crown payout structure 2026
Teams competing in the CBC are guaranteed to earn NIL cash prizes as long as they won their first-round game in 2026. Here's how the CBC payout structure works:
CBC champions: $300,000
CBC runners-up: $100,000
Semifinalists: $50,000 each
College Basketball Crown bracket, scores
Here's a look at the full College Basketball Crown bracket so far, with scores for each game:
Wednesday, April 1
Oklahoma 90, Colorado 86
Baylor 67, Minnesota 48
Thursday, April 2
West Virginia 82, Stanford 77
Creighton 82, Rutgers 69
Saturday, April 4
Oklahoma 82, Baylor 69
Creighton vs. West Virginia | 4 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 5:
Oklahoma vs. Creighton/West Virginia | 5:30 p.m. ET
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 8: The sneakers worn by Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the New York Knicks on March 8, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Wildcats are back on the biggest stage in college basketball, breaking a 25-year drought to reach the national semifinals. It's been a remarkable ride, winning the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles to earn a No. 1 seed in March Madness. Arizona hasn't slowed down since then, winning every game by double-digits to make it to Lucas Oil Stadium.
With Arizona having one of its most successful seasons in decades and two wins from its first national title since 1997, fans will sure be rallying around its most famous chant: Bear Down.
People may be hearing it for the first time and may be confused about why the Wildcats are chanting about bears, but it holds a special meaning for Arizona, with a story that is 100 years old.
Why does Arizona say ‘Bear Down’?
Bear Down came from a tragedy.
In 1926, John Byrd “Button” Salmon was a star on campus as the student body president, member of several honor societies, football quarterback and baseball catcher, according to Arizona.
That October after the varsity team beat the freshman squad, Salmon returning from a trip to Phoenix with friends when he was in their car crashed and rolled over, leaving him "critically injured." He was paralyzed below his second rib and his spine was shattered. He had regained some motor function in his arms, but doctors determined that any additional surgeries wouldn’t be effective.
Coach J.F. "Pop" McKale visited him in the hospital regularly, but Salmon died the morning of Oct. 18 at the age of 22. Before he died, his last words with McKale were a message to his teammates, "Tell them... tell the team to 'bear down.'”
Later that season, McKale gathered his team and relayed the message to the players.
Word spread of Salmon's final message and the university student body grew attached to it, painting the slogan on the roof of the gym and it inspired Jack K. Lee to write the song “Bear Down, Arizona” in 1952 for his application to become the university’s band director. He earned it and the song became the fight song, which is played at sporting events and the campus bell tower daily.
College basketball fans won't be too shocked by this development, as the actor and comedian has long attended Connecticut men's basketball games. That's because he's the father of Luke Murray, an assistant coach for UConn and future head coach of Boston College.
However, Bill Murray also grew up a fan of Illinois men's basketball — the team UConn happens to play in the Final Four for a chance to compete in the March Madness national championship game.
So, who is the "Saturday Night Live," "Caddyshack," and "Groundhog Day" actor rooting for between UConn and Illinois?
Here's what Bill Murray said ahead of the Final Four meeting between Huskies and Fighting Illini:
Is Bill Murray a UConn or Illinois basketball fan?
Bill Murray grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and is a known longtime Chicago Cubs fan. And, despite attending Regis University in Denver, a private Jesuit school, he still grew up a fan of the Fighting Illini.
He has also been seen supporting Illinois basketball in the past, as evidenced by a 2005 photo of when Illinois last played in the Final Four:
The Tribune went back into the archives to find some photos of Murray at the 2005 Final Four. And look who’s next to him, over his right shoulder, when he was 17 and being heavily recruited by the Illini: pic.twitter.com/RdTOocvUXZ
That said, Bill Murray will be rooting for the Huskies for at least one more game.
“Go Huskies!” Murray wrote in a text message to a Chicago Tribune reporter earlier this week.
His son, Luke Murray, 41, is in his fifth season as an assistant coach to Dan Hurley. He has won two national championships in the role. However, last month, he was hired as the new head coach for Boston College.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 19: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves plays defense during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers Round 1, Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
For months now, the Wolves and the Houston Rockets have been stuck in a hotly contested battle for the West’s middle playoffs seeds, never really separating, never really collapsing, just kind of stalking each other across the standings. And now, with the regular season finally narrowing into its last meaningful stretch, the picture is starting to come into focus. Not complete focus, because this is still the Western Conference minefield, but enough focus to at least see the outline. Barring a last-minute collapse, Oklahoma City looks headed for the one seed. San Antonio would then have the two seed on lock. The Lakers, sans Luka Doncic, are clinging to the three slot, while Denver has the inside track on four. That leaves Minnesota and Houston locked in the same argument they have been having for months, battling over whether the reward for this season’s efforts will be the five or the six.
And that, in turn, raises the question Wolves fans are now wrestling with: which road would you actually rather take?
Make no mistake, there is no easy path here. This is not the Eastern Conference circa 2014 where you could spend two rounds bludgeoning flimsy pretenders before the real test arrived. Out West, the real test starts immediately. It is a gauntlet no matter where you finish, and the only thing that changes is the flavor of the pain.
If Minnesota lands in the six seed, it likely gets the Lakers in round one and then, if the bracket holds, the San Antonio Spurs in round two. If the Wolves leap Houston and grab fifth, then the opening act becomes Denver in round one and Oklahoma City in round two. This is basically the basketball version of deciding whether you’d rather fight a bear in the woods or a shark in open water.
So we asked the Canis Hoopus faithful which road they would prefer: Lakers then Spurs, or Nuggets then Thunder.
The overwhelming response was clear. Most of you want the six seed. Most of you want the Lakers in round one and San Antonio in round two. Which is understandable, but also not as simple of a choice as it appears on the surface. If you’ve watched the Lakers-Wolves matchups this season and walked away thinking, “Yes, that’s who I want in the playoffs,” then I admire your courage and also question your memory.
Yes, the Wolves absolutely steamrolled the Lakers in five games last postseason. That happened. It was real. It felt cathartic. Minnesota owned the paint, bullied them physically, and made Los Angeles look like a team that had one superstar too many and one center too few.
But this version of the Lakers is not that version of the Lakers.
At the time of last year’s first-round meeting, Los Angeles was still trying to fold Luka Doncic into the whole operation. The fit was a little weird, the rhythm was off, and the center spot was a full-blown construction site after they moved on from Anthony Davis. This time around, there’s more cohesion, more comfort, and more rhythm. Luka was playing like an MVP candidate in March, the Lakers have been scorching hot, and they have taken all three games from Minnesota this season. They’ve won one on an Austin Reaves buzzer-beater and taken the others two in convincing fashion.
While Deandre Ayton is not exactly prime Hakeem, he has at least been competent enough to keep Minnesota’s frontcourt from reenacting last year’s paint domination. The Wolves had their way inside in that playoff series. This year, the Lakers have done enough to make things far murkier.
Now, to be fair, there is one giant caveat here, and it’s a GIANT one. We didn’t know this at the time the poll went live, but Luka’s injury situation certainly tilts the conversation. If he is not full strength by the time the playoffs start, that changes everything. It doesn’t make the Lakers easy, but it makes them far more palatable then facing Jokic and Denver. In a conference where every path involves walking through fire, sometimes “slightly less flammable” is all the optimism you need.
Then there is the second-round possibility in that bracket: Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
This is where the conversation gets weird in a way that only Timberwolves basketball can make weird. If Minnesota gets past the Lakers and finds San Antonio waiting in the second round, the Wolves would actually hold the playoff experience advantage. Read that again slowly, especially if you’ve been following this franchise for more than five years. The Minnesota Timberwolves would be the mature, battle-tested team in the matchup. It sounds absurd because for the first 36 years of this franchise’s existence, the idea of Minnesota having postseason gravitas would have felt like a typo. But now? They’ve been to back-to-back Western Conference Finals. They’ve played in real games, under real pressure, against real teams. They know what that feels like.
San Antonio, on the other hand, is terrifying in a completely different way. Wembanyama has taken another leap in the second half of the season, and the Spurs have become the type of team nobody can quite believe is this good this fast. They are young, they are hungry, and they are nipping at the one seed with the kind of reckless confidence that makes young teams dangerous before they’ve learned they’re supposed to be scared.
Still, if you’re choosing your poison, there is a logic to preferring San Antonio over Oklahoma City in round two. The Wolves could get physical with the Wemby. They could lean on their experience. They could try to turn the series into an ugly, grown-man fight and make San Antonio prove it can handle that kind of pressure. That path makes sense.
But then you look at the other road.
The fifth seed. Denver in round one. Oklahoma City in round two.
This is where things get complicated, because the road most fans seem least interested in might also be the one the Wolves secretly believe they’re built for.
It is not hard to understand why Denver would be a more intimidating first-round opponent than the Lakers. Nikola Jokic exists, and he is still the most terrifying player on the planet to see across from your team in a playoff setting. He is the best player in the world, and unlike some other stars, his greatness doesn’t need dramatic flourishes. He doesn’t need to hit 40-foot threes or scream into the camera. He just quietly disassembles your defensive plan with surgical precision.
And yet, if you’re Minnesota, Denver is the monster you at least recognize. The Wolves have seen this movie before. They took Denver to seven games in 2024 and ended the Nuggets’ title defense in the greatest playoff moments in franchise history. They swept the Nuggets in the regular season last year. Even this year, despite going 1-3 against them, the matchups have often felt familiar rather than hopeless. Denver has won the games, yes, but some of them were close enough to remind you that Minnesota understands the challenge. Christmas Day, for instance, ended in overtime. These teams know each other. There is no mystery. No fear of the unknown. If anything, there may be a degree of confidence on both sides that makes that series feel almost inevitable, like two rivals who have already agreed they’ll be seeing each other again in the spring whether the bracket wants it or not.
That is the pro-Denver argument. Familiarity. Physicality. A belief that Minnesota is one of the few teams in the league structurally built to at least make Jokic work for everything. Gobert, Randle and Reid in waves, all the size and length and bruising frontcourt options you need to keep Denver from just skating through a series unchallenged.
The problem, of course, is what comes next.
Because lurking around the corner in that path is Oklahoma City, and that one still feels different. The Thunder ended Minnesota’s season in last year’s Western Conference Finals, and they did it with a level of maturity and control that made the Wolves look like a team still learning how serious basketball is played in late May. Minnesota has split the season series 2-2 with OKC this year, so it’s not as if the matchup is hopeless. The Wolves can absolutely play with them. They’ve proven that. But there is still a professionalism to the Thunder, a clarity of identity, that Minnesota has not consistently shown. Against San Antonio, the Wolves might have the composure edge. Against OKC, that edge belongs to the Thunder until proven otherwise.
The one possible silver lining there is timing. If Minnesota drew Oklahoma City in the second round rather than the conference finals, the Wolves might actually have fresher legs than they did in the past two postseasons, when some of the wear and tear really started to show by the time they reached the final four. There is at least a case to be made that a second-round clash with the Thunder would catch both teams in a better physical spot and potentially give the Wolves a cleaner crack at the matchup.
Still, if you’re asking fans which road feels less terrifying, it makes sense that the Lakers-Spurs path won the poll. It looks cleaner on paper. It has fewer Jokic and Shai-related nightmares built into it. It offers a younger second-round opponent. It feels, if not easy, at least slightly less like intimidating.
And yet, this is where the whole conversation circles back to the same reality: the Wolves do not actually control this. Not fully. Not yet. There are still games left to play, and all kinds of weird variables remain in play, not least of which is Luka’s health and whatever last-minute surprises the Western Conference cooks up in the final week. Maybe the standings shift. Maybe one team stumbles. Maybe somebody rests on the last weekend. Maybe the bracket that looks obvious right now is totally different in six days.
That is why this whole exercise is more about preference than prediction. At the end of the day, whether Minnesota finishes fifth or sixth, the path is going to be brutal. It is going to require them to beat teams they have struggled against, stay healthy, get Anthony Edwards fully back into rhythm, and play with a level of consistency that has eluded them for maddening stretches all season. There is no gimmick route here. No lucky loophole. No “just get this matchup and everything opens up.” That door does not exist in this conference.
So maybe the better question is not which path do you prefer. Maybe the better question is which version of the Timberwolves do you think is actually showing up?
If it’s the locked-in, physically dominant, defensively connected version, the one that beat Boston and survived Houston and remembers how to play like a team with real postseason confidence, then either road is survivable. Difficult, yes. But survivable.
If it’s the sleepy, self-sabotaging, switch-flipping version that spends entire quarters treating urgency like an optional feature, then it honestly does not matter if the opponent is the Lakers, Nuggets, Spurs, or Thunder. That version is not getting to June.
The thing Wolves fans know now, maybe more than at any other time in franchise history. The playoffs are not just about the bracket. They are about identity. And for this team, that identity still fluctuates a little too much for comfort.
Still, if you made me choose? I get why the fan base picked the sixth seed. I do. There is still something about avoiding Jokic in round one and OKC in round two that feels marginally more humane. Luka may be in street clothes. The Spurs are terrifying, but they are also young. The Wolves would have been there before. They would know what the pressure feels like. There’s something to that.
But whichever road the Wolves get, the mission is the same. Use these final games to get Edwards right. Get the rotations locked in. Get the supporting cast settled. Get the defense back to a place where it can travel into any arena and make life miserable. Because the bracket may determine the shape of the challenge, but not the size of it.
Out West, every path is uphill. The only real question is whether the Wolves are ready to keep climbing.
As the Wolves get locked and loaded for the post-season, FanDuel Sportsbook is here for all of your NBA playoff betting needs!
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - APRIL 01: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks after the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on April 01, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. 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 Justin Ford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night, the New York Knicks eviscerated the Chicago Bulls from the opening tip, en route to the team’s third 40-point victory of the season. They entered as 14.5-point favorites against a Bulls team that, while tanking all the same as teams like Indiana, Utah, and Washington, were playing enough players that made you truly think, “Yeah, these guys are just bad.“
I savored that fourth quarter, watching the bench mob play out the string. As the final buzzer sounded, so did the calmness of regular-season basketball. That’ll be the last time the Knicks will square off against a hopelessly overmatched opponent for several months.
By the time the next game comes, whether it’s against the Nets or these Bulls or the Kings, this team could look totally different. They could be buzzing from the success of the team’s first championship in 53 years. They could be dismantled and reconfigured after a disappointing early exit. They could somehow look the same after a run ends just short of the ultimate prize.
By the time we see a game like this again, where everyone gets to eat, and the starters are laughing on the bench in the fourth, everything may change. There are a bunch of these games throughout an 82-game season, especially this year, where the Knicks have a staggering 17 20+ point victories (and nine 30+ point victories, a franchise record!), but they are uncommon come playoff time.
Could there be a blowout in either direction in the final week or in whatever playoff series the Knicks are in? Absolutely. In the last two years alone, those highly contentious series against the Pacers still delivered multiple staggering blowouts in both directions. Basketball’s a volatile sport, after all.
But from here on out, there are stakes to every single game the Knicks play. There are no gimme’s, there are no meaningless games. Even if the seeding is locked up and Game 82 does turn out to be mostly meaningless, you’ll still be playing a team fighting for seeding, even if the personal outcome doesn’t matter.
The bench mob has gotten much more run this year, and we salute their services. Ariel Hukporti, Tyler Kolek, Pačome Dadiet, Trey Jemison III, Kevin McCullar Jr., and probably Jeremy Sochan: We thank you for your services of competing hard in practice every day to get our guys ready and stepping up when you’ve been needed due to the day-to-day injuries of the main rotation. If someone goes down from here, some of you may be thrust into bigger roles (ahem, Delon Wright), but most likely, this is the end of the road for you guys, who play critically important roles to get through an 82-game season.
From here on out, it’s down to 11 guys. Foul trouble or injuries could dip into the deep reserves, but barring disaster, it’s these 11.
Jalen Brunson
Mikal Bridges
Josh Hart
OG Anunoby
Karl-Anthony Towns
Deuce McBride
Jose Alvarado
Landry Shamet
Jordan Clarkson
Mo Diawara
Mitchell Robinson
These 11 will get meaningful minutes at some point in the postseason, whether plentiful or situational. We don’t know who Mike Brown will use in his planned rotation, but we know that eight of these 11 are probably in it for sure. We’ll see games where he turns to Clarkson for spot scoring, Diawara for his length and versatility, and Alvarado when he needs ballhandling off the bench, but those will be on a game-by-game basis.
The team is healthy now. For the last four regular-season games and however long this playoff run is, these are the 11 that matter. These 11 will decide the Knicks’ fate, for this season and for the future of this core.
The next four games are all against teams that the Knicks could face in the postseason, and while we know from last April that the outcome means essentially nothing, they’re important when it comes to seeding. The Knicks enter the final week with a 1.5-game lead on the Cavaliers for fourth and sit 2.5 games behind the Celtics for second. With a head-to-head matchup remaining against their Atlantic Division foes, it’s not totally over yet, but the margin for error is nonexistent.
The head-to-head tiebreaker over the Cavaliers means it’d be pretty hard to fall to four, but a poor final week opens the door. Who the Knicks play will also be heavily influenced by their own actions, as they have a chance to knock the Hawks down a peg, push the Raptors deeper into the play-in, and limit the Hornets’ rise. A loss could also further embolden them ahead of a playoff series.
Every game from here on out is against a formidable opponent. There are no easy paths left.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -MARCH 12: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs drives against Christian Braun #0 of the Denver Nuggets and Jonas Valanciunas #17 in the first half at Frost Bank Center on March 12, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
The Spurs have only five games left in the regular season, and two of them are against the Denver Nuggets, today and on the final game of the season, which will likely be a rest day for both team’s stars. It’s also the final road game for the Silver and Black, as they finish up the season with a four game stand in the Frost Bank Arena. The Spurs’ chances for taking first place in the west depend on the Thunder losing at least two of their remaining five games, which seems unlikely after they took LeBron’s lunch money on Thursday, so the team will be concentrating on improving and working on their team play. That’s a project that’s going well, with the team easily dispatching the Clippers in their last game with Victor sitting out with ankle soreness, with overall team play and balanced scoring and smothering defense.
Victor Wembanyama is available today—he needs to play three of the final five games to be eligible for post-season awards and I expect him to make a huge impact today in his matchup with Nikola Jokic. Both Jokic and Wemby are in the running for MVP this year, but in my mind, Victor has the edge, because while both players are excellent on offense, Vic is the better defender, and he’ll make sure to demonstrate that in today’s contest. Stephon Castle must dominate Jamal Murray, and the Spurs will probably use a variety of defenders against Aaron Gordon. I’d like to see they try Carter Bryant on Gordon as a player who can match his athleticism, although he will likely have a rough time with his offensive craftiness. It would be a good learning experience for the Rookie. It could be a big game for De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, as the Spurs have more guard depth than the Nuggets and that will provide lots of opportunities for the Spurs backcourt. OK, GO SPURS GO!!!
Game Prediction:
Nikola Jokic will miss a defensive rotation because he got lost in watching Victor Wembanyama do amazing things. It happens to all of us.
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets April 4, 2026 | 2:00 PM CT Streaming: NBA League Pass TV: FanDuel Sports Southwest, Prime Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball as Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks defends in the second half at Barclays Center on April 03, 2026 in New York City. 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 Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not long after the Brooklyn Nets lost once again Friday night, this time by 40 ignominious points to the red-hot Atlanta Hawks at Barclays, word arrived from the west coast that the Sacramento Kings had won their game with the New Orleans Pelicans in a tight one that came down to the final seconds!! Huzzah!!
It was big news in Brooklyn and here’s why from Tankathon…
The Nets who reportedly had set a goal of getting a top three pick — with a 52.1% chance at at top four pick and a 14.0% chance at the overall No. 1 — are close to achieving it. Although nothing is mathematically certain, for the Nets to drop into fourth and lesser odds would require them to win three of their last five and have both the Wizards and Pacers lose out. While the latter may be likely, it’s hard to imagine the Nets, winners of five games in the last two-plus months, will add another three to the win column before closing time, no matter the competition.
The focus on the top three was based on the assessment that the three top picks in the NBA Draft — Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybanta — were all “franchise changers,” the equivalent of having three Cooper Flaggs in one draft! That’s changed a bit with Peterson’s maturity being a question and other prospects like Caleb Wilson and Darius Acuff rising in draftnik analyses.
Getting the first overall pick will be tough with the Nets playing four games vs. three other tanking teams — the Wizards on Sunday, the Bucks two days later, Pacers next Thursday and a return trip to Milwaukee the next night — before finishing off with the Raptors on April 12. Still, Brooklyn has a shot. They are arguably the worst team in the NBA right now and have gotten worse of late.
There are other variables of course even if the Nets finish last in the standings. They’ll have to deal with a history that is not favorable. Playing the probabilities is one thing, good fortune with the aerodynamics of small plastic balls is quite another.
The last three teams to go into the lottery with the worst record in regular season and the best odds came out of it with the fifth pick. Indeed, there’s a 47.9% of that. Moreover, no team with the worst record has won the overall No. 1 since the NBA instituted its new draft rules in 2019. And the last two lotteries were won by the Mavericks and Hawks who had 1.8% chances at the top spot. Of course, falling a bit in a generational as well as deep draft is better than winning the overall No. 1 in a bad draft.
All that said, Brian Lewis argued before the Atlanta game, that the Nets are the neediest of the tanking legion and deserve some of that good fortune. But in that argument, he pointed to some troublesome facts.
[N]one of the 10 or so teams playing the percentages need a young star more than talent-starved Brooklyn, including the Pacers and Wizards, who they’re chasing.
They infamously haven’t produced a single homegrown All-Star since Brook Lopez in 2013, over a decade ago…
Between the beating the Nets just took from Charlotte and the matchups they still have looming, it just drives home that every single one of these tanking rivals has either veteran All-Stars or young franchise players, or both.
For all their future draft capital, right now Brooklyn has neither.
No Tyrese Haliburton or Ivica Zubac like Indiana. No Trae Young or Anthony Davis like Washington. No Donatas Sabonis or DeMar DeRozan like Sacramento. Etc. etc.
So, something else to think about as the last week of the season approaches and the lottery is now a little more than a month away. Also, things no doubt will change on Draft Night. As we’ve noted ad infinitum, Marks does his best work within 48 hours of the NBA Draft.
In the meantime, it’s Zanax and Zantac in equal portions as we watch the Nets and the scoreboard.
The Bucks are in hot water for their handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s playing status.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday that the team is under investigation for potentially violating the league’s “player participation policy and potential inconsistent statements.”
The team won’t medically clear Antetokounmpo, who hyperextended his knee on Mar. 15, per Charania, although the two-time NBA MVP has vowed he’s healthy and ready to take the court.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Milwaukee. AP
“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo told reporters Friday.
“For somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
“I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like, I’m saying it publicly, I want to f–king play. You know what I’m saying?” Antetokounmpo added. “I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.”
Charania added to the report on Saturday, saying that the Bucks told NBA investigators that Antetokounmpo declined the opportunity to play 3-on-3 scrimmages as part of the return protocol from his knee injury. The team’s franchise player told the league he is healthy enough to take the court.
Late last month, the National Basketball Players Association suggested that the Bucks, who are 30-47 and eliminated from playoff contention, were tanking and holding a healthy superstar out of the lineup.
“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the union wrote in a statement.
The face-off marks yet another rift between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, who drafted him No. 15 overall in 2013 and won a championship with the Greece native in 2021.
GM Jon Horst of the Milwaukee Bucks speaks to the media about the dismissal of head coach Adrian Griffin prior to a game between the Bucks and the Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum on January 24, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Getty Images
Trade rumors swirled last offseason and during this season with various reports about Antetokounmpo’s desire to leave the only franchise he’s known.
Before the trade deadline, Milwaukee opted to hold on to Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 27.6 points with 9.8 rebounds in 36 games this season, despite rumors that he could be dealt.
In March, Bucks co-owner Wes Edens said he doesn’t want Antetokounmpo, who has one year plus a player option for the 2027-28 season left on the three-year, $186 million extension he signed in 2023, playing out the 2026-27 NBA season with the team without a new deal.
There are just three games in the Association today (apparently, some other basketball games are getting all the attention today), but I've still found some value in the NBA player props market.
My NBA picks for Saturday, April 4 cover all three of today's matchups — see why I'm targeting rebounds in what should be an absolute slopfest, Wemby to focus more on defense than offense, and Daniss Jenkins continuing to cash the Over on his threes.
Prop #1: Jaime Jaquez Jr. Over 5.5 rebounds (+110)
+110 at bet365
What can we expect with mediocre (or outright) bad teams playing? That's right: Bad offense! The Miami Heat sit 20th in the league in field goal percentage, with Washington 23rd, with plenty of missed shots up for grabs on both sides.
The big difference here is that the Wiz are also dead last in rebounding percentage, meaning we should look to Miami to clean the glass — and Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been doing just that, topping this number in three straight games.
His numbers took a dip during a four-game stretch a few weeks ago (where his minutes were limited due to a hip ailment), but looking at when he's had regular run (27+ minutes), he's cashed this prop in five of his last seven games — and our NBA player prop projections put him right at six boards today.
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MNMT, FDSN SU
Prop #2: Victor Wembanyama Under 28.5 points (-112)
-112 at bet365
Victor Wembanyama is coming off back-to-back 41-point outings, but those were against the depleted Warriors and hapless Bulls.
Neither team has a truly threatening interior presence, and today he's squaring off with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Wemby will have to spend more time and effort defending (and dealing with the physicality of the much thicker Jokic), and I'm anticipating it will come at the expense of his scoring production.
The Spurs star went Under this number in six of his previous seven games before his 40+ outbursts, and our NBA player prop projections have Wemby pegged for just 24.4 points today.
A number of other books have moved to 27.5 already (or have higher juice on u28.5), giving us a little bit of value on the number as well.
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Prime Video
Prop #3: Daniss Jenkins Over 1.5 threes (-120)
-120 at bet365
Daniss Jenkins has stepped up in a big way for the Pistons since Cade Cunningham has been sidelined with a collapsed lung, getting moved into the starting lineup and seeing his usage expand from around 20 per game to 36 minutes per night.
His scoring has also skyrocketed, averaging more than 19 points per game in that span, while hitting just over two threes per game (on almost five attempted) and cashing this prop in six of 10 games since becoming the starting PG.
Jenkins and Detroit will face Philadelphia tonight, which is giving up the most 3-point attempts since March 1 — and could have some tired legs on defense after grinding through a tough matchup with Minnesota last night.
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 30: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in action during a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on March 30, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
If you’ve scrolled Twitter lately, you might think the Cleveland Cavaliers are stuck in a doom spiral. Fans are upset about some of their recent performances. I share some of that sentiment. But the truth is, Cleveland has won eight of their last 11 games and continues to be one of the Eastern Conference’s strongest contenders.
Even the fans agree with that, despite some grumbles.
More than a third of fans said they believe the Cavs will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals this May. Another 26% predict the Cavs will make it to the NBA Finals, win or lose.
FanDuel tends to agree. The Boston Celtics are the only Eastern team with higher odds to win the title. Overall, Cleveland has the fifth-highest odds behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Celtics, and Denver Nuggets.
On the flip side, fewer than 10% of the fan base is worried about a first round loss. It seems no one is overly concerned about the Atlanta Hawks.
Hope is a good thing. It’s the reason why we root for these teams in the first place. The Cavs have done enough this season, largely behind a seismic change for James Harden, to make you feel like they have a fighting chance at doing something special. All that’s left now is to finish the regular season and get healthy.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 31: Head coach Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Fiserv Forum on March 31, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has been voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. Rivers, who boasts one NBA championship and 1,162 wins (sixth-most all-time), will join legendary figures like Mark Few, Amar’e Stoudamire, and Candace Parker. The enshrinement ceremony will occur from August 14–15 in Springfield, MA.
Although Rivers can boast a successful career as an All-Star point guard, he earned his induction for his achievements as a coach. Named as one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history in 2021, Rivers is the winningest active NBA coach and sixth-winningest all-time. He’s best known for his nine-season stint with Boston, where he won the 2008 NBA championship, and his leadership of the Lob City Clippers with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. He’s adapted to the increasingly fluid NBA landscape by managing superstar egos and acting as a “player’s coach,” while developing young prospects into All-NBA guards through his offensive sets.
“It would mean the world to me,” Rivers told the media on Tuesday. “I’ve done a lot, the numbers are the numbers. But it’s not, I swear, it’s not why I got into this. It’s the relationships, it’s the people. From the day that I was nominated, the calls, I can’t tell you. It’s in the hundreds, the player calls. And some of the calls have been amazing because I thought they didn’t like me anymore… It’s been amazing that they have reached out, and it’s made me feel really good about just doing what I do. It’s been great.”
It remains to be seen if Rivers will accept the award in August as the Bucks’ head coach. Reports from ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel suggest he could be let go after the season ends, regardless of any offseason drama between Giannis and the Bucks front office.
Once again, Bucks legend Marques Johnson was snubbed as a Hall of Famer. Johnson was the only nominee to be chosen as a finalist by the Hall of Fame’s Veterans Committee, but failed to make the nine-member class. The Veterans Committee recognizes candidates who have retired from basketball for at least 35 years. Johnson beat out former stars like World B. Free and Paul Silas to reach the final stage.
Johnson, a five-time All-Star, averaged 20.1 points and seven rebounds across 691 NBA games, 524 of which were with Milwaukee. He led the Bruins to an NCAA title in 1975 under the legendary John Wooden, while collecting several All-American and Player of the Year Awards in Los Angeles. The Bucks legend saw his no. 8 jersey retired in 2019 by Milwaukee and pioneered the point forward role under coach Don Nelson.
With the committee’s failure to induct Johnson for another year, he remains one of two eligible players who have scored at least 13,000 points, 4,500 rebounds, and 2,500 assists in the first eleven years in the NBA, along with Griffin. His contributions to basketball are certainly Hall-of-Fame-level, and it remains to be seen whether the Veterans Committee inducts Johnson again in 2027.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat drives against Tristan Vukcevic #00 of the Washington Wizards during the third quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026 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) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Miami Heat at 3 p.m. today. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg didn’t get a call, and his coach and a teammate got kicked out of the game trying to stick up for the rookie No. 1 pick of the Dallas Mavericks.
Less than a quarter later, Flagg was the first teenager to score 51 points in an NBA game in Dallas’ 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
Flagg scored 24 points in the fourth quarter after coach Jason Kidd and forward Naji Marshall were ejected complaining about what they thought was a no-call when Desmond Bane fouled Flagg.
Kidd was tossed even though he was assessed just one technical foul, while Marshall had gotten another tech at the end of the first half. His second came just moments after Kidd was thrown out.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) makes a jump shot over Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain (8) for his fiftieth point of the night during the fourth quarter at the American Airlines Center. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
“It’s great to see,” Flagg said after going 19 of 30 from the field and making all seven of his free throws and topping his previous career high of 49 in a 123-121 loss to Charlotte on Jan. 29.
“I already know that coach has my back and Naji … I know he has my back for sure out there,” Flagg said. “Just seeing their emotion, seeing them fight for me and fight for the calls. Definitely some emotion, and motivated me even further.”
Flagg exited the game with 45 points, but assistant coach Frank Vogel, filling in for Kidd, told the 19-year-old he was just resting him during a defensive possession.
Vogel called a timeout to get Flagg back in with 3:22 remaining, and Flagg made history a little more than a minute later. He missed a 3-pointer the first time down, then missed a follow attempt on Brandon Williams’ miss, got the rebound again and made a corner 3.
On the next Dallas possession, he hit an off-balance shot in the lane while getting fouled to clinch 50, made the free throw and left to a standing ovation.
Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall and head coach Jason Kidd speaking to NBA referee Eric Lewis. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Mavericks were down 30 when Flagg started his fourth-quarter scoring barrage in what ended up being their 14th consecutive home loss. It’s the longest home losing streak since Dallas lost the first 19 games at since-demolished Reunion Arena in 1993-94.
“It’s always fun getting into that type of mode,” Flagg said. “The basket feels big. My teammates are looking out for you, helping you out. But I like to win. That was my main focus. It’s hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we’re down 20, down 10, down 15, for the majority of the game.”
Flagg said he thought it was obvious Bane had fouled him in the opening two minutes of the fourth.
“I think it was warranted,” Flagg said about Kidd’s reaction. “I’m not going to lie. I talked to Bane after the play, and he told me he was intentionally trying to foul me. I honestly don’t know how they didn’t see that. Obviously, they must not have had the right view, or they weren’t paying attention. But they missed it.”
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) and forward Dwight Powell (7) celebrates Flagg making a three point basket against the Orlando Magic during the second half at the American Airlines Center. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kidd said there was “a lot of excitement in the back” as he watched Flagg with a TV delay, hearing the crowd reaction before the buckets as the former Duke standout was 8 of 12 from the field and 4 of 6 from deep in the fourth.
Flagg’s previous career high came against former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, the fourth overall pick and fellow contender for rookie of the year.
Kidd continues to stump for Flagg to win the same award Kidd won with the Mavs 31 years ago, and dropped a Michael Jordan reference after Flagg’s latest milestone. Yes, Jordan was the 1985 Rookie of the Year.
“He should be rookie of the year,” Kidd said. “It’s unbelievable. The country’s not watching the same thing we get to watch on a daily basis. He’s in rare air. He’s with the GOAT when you talk about MJ and what he did in his rookie year. And as a teenager, to see what Cooper’s doing, just the excitement, the joy, playing the game, win or lose, his spirit, is about winning. Right now we’re not.”
For at least one night, the rookie overshadowed the long home losing streak, even though he couldn’t end it.
It's perfectly fitting that Amar'e Stoudemire and Mike D'Antoni will enter the Hall of Fame together.
Two members of the "seven seconds or less" Suns, who revolutionized the NBA, headline the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2026, which was announced Saturday in Indianapolis at the Final Four. That class also includes an impressive lineup of WNBA and Olympic legends: Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and the 1996 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team.
Here is the full class:
• Amar'e Stoudemire is a six-time All-Star who averaged 21.4 points and 8.3 rebounds during his first eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns, then went on to star with the New York Knicks.
• Mike D'Antoni is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year who revolutionized the NBA game with his pace and space concepts.
• Doc Rivers is the sixth-winningest coach in NBA history and has won a ring coaching the 2008 Boston Celtics to the title. While he is a favorite punching bag of fans on social media (three blown 3-1 series leads in the playoffs will do that), he is a very deserving Hall of Fame choice. He has 114 playoff victories, fourth most all-time.
• Candace Parker is one of the greatest players in WNBA history, the only player to win MVP and Rookie Of the Year in the same season, she was a three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP.
• Elena Delle Donne is a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and six-time All-Star who led Washington to its first WNBA championship in 2019.
• Chamique Holdsclaw won three NCAA championships at Tennessee, was the No. 1 pick in the draft and went on to be Rookie of the Year, a six-time WNBA All-Star and the 2002 scoring champion who averaged 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds across her 11-year WNBA career
• Joey Crawford, a referee for 39 NBA seasons who holds the record for officiating 374 playoff games and 50 NBA Finals games, working every Finals series from 1986- 2015.
• Mark Few, the Gonzaga coach who has led the team to 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and recorded at least 20 wins in every season as Gonzaga's head coach.
The most obvious snub is Blake Griffin, who should get in the Hall in the coming years.
Enshrinement for the Class of 2026 is set for August at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Victor Wembanyama
Daniss Jenkins
