Category: Basketball

In less than 300 days, baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires. As major league owners meet this week to plot strategy, the powers that be will consider the probable push for a salary cap. The argument in favor: If teams are limited in how much they can pay players — that is, if the Dodgers cannot spend whatever they want — fans in small markets can believe their team can win.

Tell that to the great fans of Sacramento.

The Kings have the worst record in the NBA. In a league with a salary cap, and in which the majority of teams make the playoffs, the Kings have made the playoffs once in 20 years.

Whatever this is, it is not parity.

Read more:Terrance Gore, former Dodgers player and three-time World Series champ, dies at 34

I wanted to ask the Kings how much a salary cap really helps a small-market team, given their struggles. The Kings politely declined interviews on anything related to a salary cap, since they own the minor league ballpark in Sacramento that temporarily houses the Athletics. The Kings’ owner, Vivek Ranadivé, would like MLB to consider Sacramento for an expansion team.

So, before a game last week, I asked Kings fans about the juxtaposition: Why can’t the Kings win in a league with a salary cap intended to help them win?

“I don’t think it’s a salary cap issue,” Cheyenne Merced of Sacramento said. “I think it’s an owner issue.”

Said another fan, Devin Pasua of Sacramento: “The Kings don’t know how to spend.”

In Sacramento, the downtown arena and surrounding entertainment district are enjoyable and energetic without overwhelming fans with an assault of sound and light, and the purple beam that ascends skyward when the Kings win is a nice hometown touch.

That beats the alternative: The Kings nearly left town, first for Anaheim and then for Seattle, before Ranadivé bought the team in 2013.

“I’m glad for what he’s done to keep the team in Sacramento,” Kings fan Colin Hutchison of Woodland said. “The arena is beautiful. I love going to games for the chance to see the beam. Great food options. It’s a fun time.

“I think sports fans just want a fun time and want to see competitive sports. The Kings do one thing right. They don’t do the other right.”

In the 20-year run with that one playoff appearance, the Kings have had 10 head coaches, plus three interim head coaches. None of those head coaches lasted more than three seasons.

Eric Musselman, the first Sacramento coach in that run, lasted one season. He is now the head coach at USC.

“In the NBA, there is a salary cap and, for the most part, the same teams are winning every year,” he said.

Does that mean Oklahoma City, the champion last season and the team with the best record this season, is the small-market team that validates the NBA salary cap?

“Oklahoma City is not winning because they have a salary cap,” Musselman said. “Salary cap or no salary cap, Oklahoma City is going to win as long as Sam Presti is there.”

Presti, the Oklahoma City general manager, is basically the Andrew Friedman of NBA executives. Dodgers owner Mark Walter lured Friedman to Los Angeles and, now that Walter owns the Lakers, might well pursue Presti to run them.

Oklahoma City is not the only small-market success story in the NBA. With Gregg Popovich as head coach and R.C. Buford in the front office, the San Antonio Spurs won five NBA championships and made 22 consecutive playoff appearances.

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“It’s not the cap,” Musselman said. “It’s having Tim Duncan and David Robinson, and having an owner and a coach and a GM that are aligned.

“You’ve got to find the right coach and have consistency with the coach and roll with him.”

In 13 seasons under Ranadivé, the Kings have had six head coaches and five general managers.

“They have no one to blame but themselves for their futility,” said Grant Napear, the television voice of the Kings for 32 years and now a sports talk host in Sacramento.

Napear cited the same statistic the commissioner’s office now likes to cite: the last small-market team to win the World Series was the Kansas City Royals, 11 years ago. For baseball, he believes, a salary cap would be a good thing, given the gaping revenue disparities among teams.

“Can you really have a sport where two-thirds of your teams have no chance of winning?” he said. “Is that the model of a good professional sports league?”

So, in the NBA model, why do the Kings seemingly have no chance of winning?

“The salary cap gives a team such as Oklahoma City and Indiana the opportunity to do the same thing as a franchise like the Lakers and Knicks,” Napear said, “if you have smart management, if you draft well, and if you make good trades.

“The Kings are playing by the same rules, for all intents and purposes, as the big-market teams. They have been mismanaged. They have made many, many horrible draft picks and horrible trades. That’s the reason why they are where they are: constantly firing coaches, constantly replacing their general managers.

“They have an owner who has been here over a lengthy period of time who really doesn’t do anything right.”

As an owner, it isn’t hard to do the right thing: hire the best people you can, support them however they need, and then stay out of their way.

Read more:Plaschke: Just say no! Dodgers players should decline White House visit

MLB owners can consider ways to narrow revenue disparities without a salary cap. However, if MLB gets a salary cap — and there is no indication the players’ union is interested in discussing one, let alone agreeing to one — then the commissioner’s office would say it had leveled the playing field.

No team would be guaranteed a winner, but no team could point its finger at the Dodgers. If the player payroll is just about the same for every team, then success would depend in large part on the smarts of ownership and management.

Yet such smarts are not evident among all the teams in the NBA, and certainly not among all the teams in MLB. Would Branch Rickey come back to life to run the Pittsburgh Pirates, with autonomy and resources from ownership?

If you are a fan of a small-market baseball team, and you hear your owner say your team would win if only MLB had a salary cap, our friends in Sacramento would offer you three letters in response: LOL.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

There’s a shakeup among the No. 1 seeds in USA TODAY Sports’ updated bracketology, with Houston rising to the top line to replace Connecticut after the Huskies saw their 18-game win streak end.

Connecticut's 81-72 loss to St. John's at Madison Square Garden was the Huskies’ first since losing to Arizona on Nov. 19. That dropped UConn to eighth in the NET rankings and to 5-2 against Quad 1 competition.

Houston has now taken four in a row, most recently topping Brigham Young 77-66 in Provo, after losing to Texas Tech on Jan. 24. That moved the Cougars within one game of Arizona in the Big 12 standings.

More: Alabama's Charles Bediako deemed ineligible by judge

The new No. 1 line is Houston, which joins Arizona, Michigan and Duke.

The Blue Devils retain a No. 1 seed despite a last-second loss at North Carolina. While Duke’s second Quad 1 loss, it still leads Division I with 10 Quad 1 victories.

The rivalry win moves UNC to a No. 4 seed. The Tar Heels are now 19-4 overall and 7-3 in the ACC, 2.5 games behind co-leaders Duke and Clemson, and up to 5-4 in Quad 1 games.

March Madness Last four in

San Diego State, UCLA, Ohio State, Miami (Fla.).

March Madness First four out

New Mexico, Missouri, California, Virginia Tech.

NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (11), SEC (10), ACC (8) Big 12 (7), Big East (3), West Coast (3), Mountain West (2).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracketology projection: NCAA tournament bracket update

The Detroit Pistons visited the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night and to say things got a bit heated is an understatement.

In the third quarter, Jalen Duren drove to the basket and was fouled by Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate. They got into it and it just spiraled from there as a major brawl broke out. Isaiah Stewart left the bench to get into it, so he’s facing some real trouble.

There were two things that really jumped out to us: the reactions of Kon Knueppel and referee Dannica Mosher.

When the fight started, Knueppel, who often looks a bit sleepy, though his play belies that, was in the corner. He didn’t seem to realize what happened right away and didn’t rush in immediately either. When he did, predictably, he played peacemaker, trying to get his teammate Diabate out of it.

Mosher also hung back, and that’s a different issue.

On the one hand, for the most part, she did what most sensible women would do: she let the guys work it out themselves, and these are particularly large, strong guys, so good call.

But she is an NBA official, and part of her job is to manage things like this. You can’t really blame her, it was entirely rational, but she failed to do her job.

This is not good. Officials need to manage the game and when violence occurs, they have to get it under control. She was clearly not willing to get involved and in fact stepped away.

Mosher is obviously a good referee or she wouldn’t be working NBA games. However, this could have spun out of control and she was nowhere to be found.

Obviously it’s not all on the officials. There are only three of them. They rely on the coaches and their staffs to help them in situations like this.

Still, running away from a fight is a terrible reaction for an official. If the players deserve to be suspended, and they clearly do, Mosher does too for dereliction of duty. Her reaction was entirely unacceptable for an NBA referee.

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CHENNAI, India (AP) — The United Arab Emirates won the toss and chose to bat first against New Zealand in a tough Group D game at cricket's T20 World Cup on Tuesday.

New Zealand had already crossed the first hurdle by beating Afghanistan at the same venue in a group that also features 2024 finalist South Africa and Canada.

“It’s a tough group but we are ready for that challenge,” UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem said at the toss.

On the eve of its opening game, UAE sent batter Muhammad Zohaib back home for what it called disciplinary reasons on Monday and the Emirates Cricket Board said it will provide more details "in due course.”

New Zealand made no changes and captain Mitchell Santner said he hoped the red-soiled wicket will have some bounce to suit his three fast bowlers.

De Leede stars in Dutch first win

Earlier at New Delhi, Bas de Leede’s all-round show earned the Netherlands a seven-wicket win over Namibia in Group A.

De Leede grabbed 2-20 as the Dutch used eight bowlers and Namibia scored 156-8. De Leede then smashed four sixes and five boundaries and guided his team to 159-3 in 18 overs with an unbeaten 72 off 48 balls.

Pakistan vs. US

In the night game on Tuesday, Pakistan will take on the United States in Group A.

Pakistan escaped with a narrow three-wicket win over the Netherlands on Day 1.

The U.S. has happy memories against Pakistan from the last tournament with a sensational win in the Super Over tiebreaker in Texas in 2024.

Pakistan has reversed its decision to boycott the T20 World Cup game against India and was directed to “take the field” in Colombo on Sunday.

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Lineups:

UAE: Aryansh Sharma, Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Mayank Kumar, Sohaib Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Arfan, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (captain), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.

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

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, February 10th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 32-21 and beat the Denver Nuggets last night. They are finally done with their West Coast road trip, where they went 4-1, and only have one game before the All-Star break.

It will be a very different Cavs team returning to Cleveland. The last time they played at home, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, and Lonzo Ball were all on the roster. Now? Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis and James Harden fill their place.

Things change quickly. As of right now, I can’t complain.

Today’s Game of the Day

• San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30, NBA TV

Luka vs Wemby. What more do you need to know?

The Spurs are second in the Western Conference and emerging as real contenders. Meanwhile, the Lakers are still clinging to the hope that Doncic and LeBron James can be enough, even with a lackluster supporting cast. This hasn’t materialized as strongly as LA fans probably hoped. But it still makes them must-see TV on a nightly basis.

The Rest of the NBA Slate

• Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM
• LA Clippers at Houston Rockets – 8 PM
• Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns – 9 PM

This is a short but sweet line of basketball games. It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on each game.

Cavs links of the day

• Cavs Roundtable: Reactions to James Harden’s Cavalier debut – Fear the Sword
• James Harden and Donovan Mitchell carry Cavs to the finish line over Denver – Bleacher Report

NBA links

• Four players tossed after a brawl between Pistons and Hornets – ESPN
• NBA Power Rankings: New York Knicks rise to top 5 – USA Today
• Clippers still waiting on results of Kawhi Leonard Investigation – Yahoo Sports
• OKC Thunder reportedly under investigation for sitting 10 players against Spurs – Yahoo Sports
• The NBA’s Tanking Trouble – Marc Stein Substack

Omaha Mavericks (3-23, 1-10 Summit) at Denver Pioneers (9-15, 3-8 Summit)

Denver; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Omaha hits the road against Denver looking to break its 13-game road skid.

The Pioneers have gone 8-5 at home. Denver has a 5-9 record in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Mavericks are 1-10 against Summit opponents. Omaha is eighth in the Summit with 21.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Avril Smith averaging 7.7.

Denver averages 60.3 points per game, 18.0 fewer points than the 78.3 Omaha allows. Omaha averages 6.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 more makes per game than Denver allows.

The Pioneers and Mavericks match up Wednesday for the first time in Summit play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Coryn Watts is shooting 40.8% and averaging 19.3 points for the Pioneers. Laia Monclova is averaging 1.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Regan Juenemann is shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3-pointers per game for the Mavericks, while averaging 10.6 points. Alison Stephens is averaging 10.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pioneers: 2-8, averaging 58.3 points, 26.6 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 7.5 steals and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 39.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.9 points per game.

Mavericks: 1-9, averaging 49.7 points, 28.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 5.8 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 30.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.8 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Four players were ejected after a mass brawl as the Detroit Pistons beat the Charlotte Hornets 110-104 in a bad-tempered NBA fixture.

Detroit's Jalen Duren was fouled by Charlotte's Moussa Diabate during the third quarter, with the pair then confronting one another and appearing to butt heads.

Diabate had to be held back as he tried to hit Duren, before several other players got involved in the incident.

Detroit forward Isaiah Stewart confronted Charlotte's Miles Bridges and put him in a headlock before appearing to strike him multiple times.

The brawl lasted about 30 seconds, ending with a brief police presence on the floor.

Diabate, Duren, Stewart and Bridges were ejected - and Hornets coach Charles Lee was kicked out in the fourth quarter after he had to be restrained while angrily shouting at the officials having disagreed with a decision.

"Emotions were flaring. At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard," Duren said after the match.

"This isn't the first time that people have tried to be like extra aggressive with us and talk to us, whatever the case may be.

"At the end of the day, emotions got high with everybody being competitive. Things happen."

Bridges later apologised to fans, writing on Instagram: "Sorry Hornets nation! Sorry Hornets Organization! Always going to protect my team-mates forever."

Lead official John Goble said in a post-game report the players were ejected because they "engaged in fighting activity during the dead ball".

"After review, we assessed fighting fouls, and by rule, they were ejected from the game," he added.

Lee, asked about the clash between Diabate and Duren that triggered the wider brawl, said: "Two guys got in a heated conversation and then it kind of spiralled from there."

Of his own ejection in the fourth quarter, Lee added: "I've got to have a little bit better emotional control in that moment."

Elsewhere, Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry will miss Sunday's All-Star game with an injury to his right knee.

However, the Warriors are hopeful Curry will return after the All-Star break for the game against the Boston Celtics on 19 February.

After losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, the Lakers (32-20) are back at it on their home floor on Tuesday when they take on the San Antonio Spurs (36-16). This is the final match between the teams this season.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs

When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Feb. 10

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: NBA TV, Spectrum Sportsnet

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Tuesday’s game against the Spurs might just be the toughest game for the Lakers this season. It’s on the second night of a back-to-back against the current second-best team in the Western Conference that’s not only healthy but has already beaten the purple and gold twice this season.

This has schedule loss written all over it.

But that’s not to say that it’s certain that the Lakers won’t try to win this game. They’re going to compete and it’ll be a matter of gutting this one out against Victor Wembanyama — who is averaging 23.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks this season — De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and crew. The same squad that blew out the Lakers twice in their last three games. They will also be coming off two days of rest before Tuesday’s game.

In the lone game the Lakers won against the Spurs this season, they limited Wembanyama’s production. They did that by getting him into foul trouble before he eventually fouled out. That was the same game when the Lakers threw the kitchen sink on Wemby, thus allowing Deandre Ayton to outplay him.

This was obviously no longer the case in their most recent battle, when Wemby got his revenge on Ayton and the team. But besides him, it’s actually the Spurs’ role players that have also given the Lakers a lot of trouble this season.

Los Angeles has yet to find an answer for San Antonio’s speedy, athletic and dynamic guards in Fox, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie and Castle, all who have stood out in their last few battles. If this continues, then the Lakers’ chances of winning will be slim to none.

Without Luka Dončić, the Lakers will have to rely on LeBron James and Austin Reaves — who are also uncertain for this one — and will need extraordinary performances from their role players. Note that the Spurs are a top-three defensive team. They have an elite rim protector in Wemby who will surely attempt to limit the Lakers’ scoring inside the paint. This game will be a test for the Lakers of their creativity on offense and whether their improved defense of late is good enough against a top-10 offensive team.

Let’s see if the Lakers can quickly bounce back against the Spurs on Tuesday.

Notes and Updates

• Since the Lakers are playing on a back-to-back, the injury report for this one won’t be released until a few hours before tip-off. However, expect Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) to be out.
• For the Spurs, only Lindy Waters III is unavailable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

Washington Wizards (14-38, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-21, fourth in the Eastern Conference)

Cleveland; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Cleveland seeks to keep its four-game win streak going when the Cavaliers take on Washington.

The Cavaliers are 19-13 in Eastern Conference games. Cleveland scores 119.6 points and has outscored opponents by 3.6 points per game.

The Wizards are 9-22 in Eastern Conference play. Washington is 2-2 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Cavaliers score 119.6 points per game, 3.2 fewer points than the 122.8 the Wizards give up. The Wizards average 112.1 points per game, 3.9 fewer than the 116.0 the Cavaliers give up to opponents.

The two teams play for the third time this season. The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 130-126 in their last meeting on Dec. 13. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 48 points, and Bub Carrington led the Wizards with 27 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mitchell is averaging 29 points, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen is averaging 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds over the past 10 games.

Kyshawn George is averaging 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 13.6 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 9-1, averaging 119.7 points, 44.0 rebounds, 28.5 assists, 10.1 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.8 points per game.

Wizards: 4-6, averaging 110.4 points, 41.7 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 9.5 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.8 points.

INJURIES: Cavaliers: Max Strus: out (foot), Tyrese Proctor: day to day (illness), Evan Mobley: out (calf), Dean Wade: out (ankle), Jaylon Tyson: day to day (ankle).

Wizards: Anthony Davis: out for season (finger), Jaden Hardy: day to day (not injury related), Kyshawn George: day to day (ankle), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Anthony Gill: day to day (hand), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (illness), Tre Johnson: day to day (ankle), Trae Young: out (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

San Antonio Spurs (36-16, second in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (32-20, fifth in the Western Conference)

Los Angeles; Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Spurs -8.5; over/under is 229.5

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio visits the Los Angeles Lakers after Stephon Castle scored 40 points in the Spurs' 138-125 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers are 21-13 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is seventh in the Western Conference scoring 116.0 points while shooting 49.9% from the field.

The Spurs are 22-13 against conference opponents. San Antonio averages 117.6 points and has outscored opponents by 5.4 points per game.

The Lakers score 116.0 points per game, 3.8 more points than the 112.2 the Spurs allow. The Spurs are shooting 47.5% from the field, 1.0% lower than the 48.5% the Lakers' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Spurs won the last matchup 107-91 on Jan. 8. Keldon Johnson scored 27 points to help lead the Spurs to the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: LeBron James is averaging 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura is averaging 12.3 points over the past 10 games.

De'Aaron Fox is averaging 19.5 points and 6.2 assists for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama is averaging 22.5 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting 48.1% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-4, averaging 114.9 points, 40.5 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 9.3 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 51.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.4 points per game.

Spurs: 7-3, averaging 116.8 points, 46.5 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 6.9 steals and 7.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.1 points.

INJURIES: Lakers: Luka Doncic: out (hamstring), Adou Thiero: out (knee).

Spurs: Lindy Waters III: out (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Lots of Baby Lakers have come and gone throughout the years with fans able to cheer them along from afar. But something about Alex Caruso is different.

It likely comes down to the fact that it was a self-inflicted mistake that led to him leaving the Lakers, but it just has a different feeling. It’s still painful to see him in a different jersey. I could be alone in that feeling, but watching him lead the Thunder in the second half and fourth quarter felt like a particularly fresh wound being reopened by a jagged, rusty knife.

Just a lot of pain.

Even despite his performance and the strong close from Jalen Williams, the Lakers were in this game. Moral victories don’t account for much, but considering how bad things went in the last meeting between these two teams, it’s encouraging to see the gap closed.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

36 minutes, 22 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 9-17 FG, 0-4 3PT, 4-6 FT, -7

The bully ball LeBron played in the second half, specifically the third quarter, was a big catalyst in the Lakers’ comeback. He was picking on defenders, getting them switched onto him and then putting them in the rim or kicking otu to open looks.

That the Lakers couldn’t get back to that in the fourth was a problem.

Grade: B+

Rui Hachimura

33 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 5-8 FG, 2-5 3PT, +4

Some really big buckets from Rui down the stretch with both of them coming at the rim, a place he doesn’t typically venture toward.

Grade: B+

Deandre Ayton

29 minutes, 6 points, 10 rebounds, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-5 FG, 0-3 FT, -5

For the most part, I thought this was as good a game as Ayton has played in some time. And yet, he still didn’t close the game, which is pretty telling.

Grade: C+

Jake LaRavia

24 minutes, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-8 FG, 2-6 3PT, 6-6 FT, -9

LaRavia played a huge role in the third quarter alongside LeBron. However, his night is probably going to be remembered for the multiple missed open threes in the fourth.

Grade: B

Marcus Smart

29 minutes, 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 7-16 FG, 4-7 3PT, 1-2 FT, -4

This was just a little bit too much Marcus Smart. You probably don’t want him finishing with the second-most shot attempts in a game, even if he was largely good on the night.

Grade: B+

Austin Reaves

29 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers, 3 fouls, 6-14 FG, 1-5 3PT, 3-3 FT, -14

Reaves really struggled against the defensive pressure at times against OKC. He also seemed to be the chosen victim of a number of missed calls, leading to a totally valid crashout and technical foul early in the game.

It must be nice to be a Thunder fan as you get to watch your team play rugby while everyone else plays basketball. Yes, I’m a little salty.

Grade: B–

Luke Kennard

24 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4 fouls, 3-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, -7

You saw the good that Kennard brings in his debut, but you saw the bad he can bring in this one. When he was in the game, OKC was targeting him repeatedly, especially down the stretch. He competed hard, but the size discrepancy is just too large.

Grade: B

Jarred Vanderbilt

17 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 1-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, +9

Not Vando’s best game. He struggled to make much of an impact on either end of the floor.

Grade: C

Jaxson Hayes

14 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 5-8 FG, 2-3 FT, -4

Hayes had a couple of nice finishes around the rim. I suppose we should just be used to four rebounds in 14 minutes for a seven-footer, even if it still feels low.

Grade: B

Maxi Kleber

A very short cameo for Kleber, who did not have the foot speed to hang with the Thunder in this one.

JJ Redick

This is one of those nights where it’s hard to determine who to blame for the Lakers not getting LeBron the ball down the stretch. I lean toward the players as they were running some of the actions, then trhowing some pretty brutal passes or not getting him the ball at all.

Redick won both challenges, but they were both very easy challenges to win. Thanks, officials.

Grade: B

Monday’s DNPs: Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht

Monday’s inactives: Luka Dončić, Drew Timme, Nick Smith Jr., Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Milwaukee Bucks (21-30, 12th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (28-24, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Magic -10; over/under is 220.5

BOTTOM LINE: Orlando hosts Milwaukee looking to extend its four-game home winning streak.

The Magic are 19-17 in conference play. Orlando is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 16.3 fast break points per game led by Franz Wagner averaging 3.8.

The Bucks are 16-18 in conference matchups. Milwaukee has a 4-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Magic score 115.2 points per game, 0.6 fewer points than the 115.8 the Bucks give up. The Bucks are shooting 48.1% from the field, which equals what the Magic's opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Magic won the last matchup 118-99 on Feb. 10, with Anthony Black scoring 26 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Paolo Banchero is averaging 21.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 21.7 points over the last 10 games.

Ryan Rollins is averaging 16.9 points, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals for the Bucks. AJ Green is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 5-5, averaging 111.4 points, 38.3 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 10.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.5 points per game.

Bucks: 4-6, averaging 109.0 points, 43.7 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 5.9 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.8 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Colin Castleton: out (thumb).

Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (calf), Taurean Prince: out (neck).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Atlanta Hawks (26-29, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (25-29, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Charlotte, North Carolina; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Hawks visit Miles Bridges and the Charlotte Hornets in Eastern Conference play Wednesday.

The Hornets are 15-20 in conference games. Charlotte is fifth in the NBA with 45.9 rebounds led by Moussa Diabate averaging 8.6.

The Hawks have gone 13-19 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta is eighth in the league averaging 14.6 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 37.1% from downtown. Nickeil Alexander-Walker leads the team averaging 3.1 makes while shooting 37.6% from 3-point range.

The Hornets average 15.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.3 per game the Hawks give up. The Hawks average 117.5 points per game, 3.6 more than the 113.9 the Hornets give up to opponents.

The two teams match up for the fourth time this season. The Hornets defeated the Hawks 126-119 in their last matchup on Feb. 8. Bridges led the Hornets with 26 points, and Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 31 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Bridges is averaging 18.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 21.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists over the past 10 games.

Johnson is averaging 23.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Hawks. CJ McCollum is averaging 19.7 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 9-1, averaging 116.0 points, 47.8 rebounds, 26.3 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.2 points per game.

Hawks: 6-4, averaging 117.6 points, 43.3 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.8 points.

INJURIES: Hornets: Coby White: out (calf), Liam McNeeley: day to day (ankle).

Hawks: Jonathan Kuminga: out (knee), Jalen Johnson: day to day (knee), Dyson Daniels: day to day (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Portland Trail Blazers (25-28, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (33-22, sixth in the Western Conference)

Minneapolis; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Portland will try to end its three-game road skid when the Trail Blazers visit Minnesota.

The Timberwolves are 18-17 in Western Conference games. Minnesota is eighth in the NBA with 15.7 fast break points per game led by Ayo Dosunmu averaging 3.7.

The Trail Blazers have gone 20-15 against Western Conference opponents. Portland is 10-7 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 16.4 turnovers per game.

The Timberwolves score 119.4 points per game, 1.4 more points than the 118.0 the Trail Blazers allow. The Trail Blazers are shooting 45.1% from the field, 1.2% lower than the 46.3% the Timberwolves' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Timberwolves won 118-114 in the last meeting on Oct. 23. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 41 points, and Jerami Grant led the Trail Blazers with 29 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Julius Randle is shooting 48.9% and averaging 22.0 points for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVincenzo is averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Donovan Clingan is averaging 11.4 points and 11.5 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Grant is averaging 15.0 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 44.9% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 6-4, averaging 117.0 points, 45.4 rebounds, 25.0 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.7 points per game.

Trail Blazers: 3-6, averaging 115.5 points, 48.6 rebounds, 25.9 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.2 points.

INJURIES: Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: out (foot).

Trail Blazers: Matisse Thybulle: out (knee), Shaedon Sharpe: out (calf), Kris Murray: out (lumbar), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Chicago Bulls (24-30, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (34-19, third in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Chicago aims to end its five-game skid with a win over Boston.

The Celtics are 23-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with 32.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 6.8.

The Bulls are 16-21 against Eastern Conference opponents. Chicago ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 34.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Josh Giddey averaging 7.4.

The Celtics score 115.1 points per game, 5.5 fewer points than the 120.6 the Bulls allow. The Bulls score 8.6 more points per game (117.0) than the Celtics allow their opponents to score (108.4).

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Bulls won 114-111 in the last matchup on Jan. 25.

TOP PERFORMERS: Derrick White is averaging 17.4 points and 5.5 assists for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown is averaging 21.9 points over the last 10 games.

Giddey is averaging 18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists for the Bulls. Matas Buzelis is averaging 16.3 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 7-3, averaging 107.9 points, 46.5 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 102.3 points per game.

Bulls: 2-8, averaging 112.8 points, 43.0 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 6.8 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.4 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Sam Hauser: day to day (back).

Bulls: Jalen Smith: day to day (calf), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Tre Jones: day to day (hamstring), Zach Collins: out (toe), Josh Giddey: day to day (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.