Category: Basketball

SAN DIEGO –  St. John’s men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino wasn’t ready to announce his retirement yet or anything. But a day before his team played a first-round game here in the NCAA tournament, the Hall of Fame coach did look into a future where nothing is certain, especially at age 73.

“I could be out of coaching next year,” Pitino said Thursday, March 19. “I really can be. You're 73.  And I want to have the greatest time of my life.”

Judging by what's happened so far in San Diego, he might be doing that right now. No. 5 seed St. John’s defeated No. 12-seed Northern Iowa 79-53 in the first round Friday.

And now comes the main event on Sunday:

Pitino and St. John’s vs. fellow Hall of Fame coach Bill Self and No. 4 seed Kansas.

Rick Pitino, Bill Self are 'standing the test of time'

Pitino has won more than 900 games in his career. Self, 63, has won more than 800.

Each has won two national championships.

But they’ve only faced each other once. And this time there are huge stakes as both keep battling two larger forces – time and change. Almost nobody has survived them quite like these two.

CINDERELLA'S TIME: Ranking the most likely upsets in the second round

“There's so many great coaches out there, but they have a tough time standing the test of time,” Pitino said Saturday. “Bill has stood the test of time every single year.”

Self took it a step further when asked about Pitino Saturday. Consider the fact that Pitino is the answer to a certain trivia question.

Who’s the oldest head coach in Division I men’s basketball?

That would be Pitino, but then consider this: Pitino has thrived despite massive change to the game since he started his head coaching career at Boston University in 1978. A 45-second shot clock was introduced in 1985. Then the 3-point shot came in 1986. Pitino led Providence to the Final Four in 1987.

“The coaches that are so impressive to me are the coaches that coached without a 3-point line and then became efficient with the 3-point line, without a shot clock, then became one of the best with the shot clock, always evolving with the game,” Self said Saturday. “And I think that he's done that as well as anybody maybe ever has.”

In recent years, more change has roiled the game, leading some top coaches to quit.  Since 2024, players have been allowed to transfer without restriction after previously being required to first sit out a year before playing with their new team. Since 2021, players were allowed to earn money for the first time from their names, images and likenesses.

ADAPTING: How Rick Pitino experimented with transfer portal at St. John's — and won

Pitino then adapted to become the transfer portal king at St. John’s in 2023, when he flipped the roster and revitalized the program by bringing in 10 transfer players.

Likewise, Self has adjusted successfully, too, after starting his head coaching career at Oral Roberts in 1993. He’s kept Kansas at a high level and successfully lured phenom freshman guard Darryn Peterson, who might be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft later this year.

Not everyone can do that or even wants to. Top coaches have quit amid the turmoil and changes to the sport, including Virginia’s Tony Bennett and Miami’s Jim Larrañaga.

Then there’s Pitino, who has evolved strategically, too.

“He's done it different ways,” Self said. “He's done it by pressing and zone pressing.  He's done it by just man-to-man pressure.  He's done it by being one of the first to take advantage of the 3-point line.  And now he's doing it by pummeling people inside and stuff, too. He's certainly adjusted to his roster, I think, probably as well as anybody in the game.”

This is the second time Pitino and Self have faced off

Pitino and Self are among three active head coaches with two national championships, though Pitino’s at Louisville in 2013 technically was vacated because of NCAA rules violations. Dan Hurley at Connecticut is the other.

One of those three still could win a third national title this year, but the road to it goes through Sunday’s game at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS.

“We’re going to play probably a little bit of a road game tomorrow,” Pitino said Saturday. “They're going to have most of the fans.  But that's OK. We've played a lot of road games this year where we've played well.”

The two coaches faced each other previously, in November 2021, when Pitino was coach at Iona. His team lost against Kansas, 96-83, in the ESPN Events Invitational in Florida.

“He sent us home crying,’ Pitino said. “So we're looking forward to this matchup.”

In Pitino’s case, it could be a career capstone if he leads St. John’s to its first Sweet 16 since 1999.  He declined to reflect on that possible breakthrough for his program Saturday.

That's because he was up against an even larger adversary once again, even bigger than Self.

Time.

“I don't really look at the significance of it,” Pitino said. “We just have to play for 40 minutes as hard as we can.  If we win, we're going to be in the Sweet 16.  I'm not looking ahead.  I'm just looking at every possession.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rick Pitino, Bill Self embrace March Madness clash after long history

SAN DIEGO – The big man of the moment here in Southern California goes by the name of “Zuby,” which is pronounced as “Zoobie” and is the nickname his mom gave him because it was easier to say than his real name – Chukwuebuka Ejiofor.

Get ready to hear it a lot on Sunday.

Zuby Ejiofor, a 6-foot-9 forward, started his college career at Kansas in 2022,  where he played for Hall of Fame coach Bill Self. Then he transferred to St. John’s in 2023 to play for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.

Three years later, Ejiofor, Pitino and No. 5 seed St. John’s face off against Self and No. 4 seed Kansas in a second-round men's NCAA Tournament game at Viejas Arena.

“We didn’t want him to leave,” Self said Saturday. “We’re really happy for his success. We just don’t … We just hope it doesn’t come against us.”

CINDERELLA'S TIME: Ranking the most likely upsets in the second round

Unfortunately for Self, Ejiofor happens to be on a monster run right now. He is the reigning Big East Conference player of the year, reigning Big East defensive player of the year and the leader of his team in scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounding (7.3 rpg), assists (121) and blocks (77).

Now comes the peak of his college career against his old team. Just don’t call it a revenge game. It’s not.

Why did Zuby Ejiofor transfer from Kansas to St. John’s?

Ejiofor (pronounced “edge-o-for”) sat in a chair Saturday surrounded by about 15 reporters and photographers at Viejas Arena. They wanted to know the story again: What happened at Kansas and why did he choose St. John’s?

“I had a fun time at Kansas,” Ejiofor said. “I wouldn’t lie: I didn’t really want to leave. But I knew that in order for my future to keep progressing the way I wanted to go, that I had to probably look elsewhere for a bigger opportunity.”

Ejiofor played in 25 games for Kansas as a freshman, when he averaged only 5.1 minutes per game. The Jayhawks finished with a 28-8 record that season and lost in the second round of the tournament against Arkansas. Ejiofor played seven minutes in that game and tallied two rebounds, one block and no points.

PORTAL KING: How Rick Pitino experimented with transfer portal at St. John's — and won

Then Kansas brought in a big transfer from Michigan in May 2023: 7-foot-1 Hunter Dickinson, who made the move in pursuit of more money for his name, image and likeness (NIL).

One day later, Ejiofor announced he was transferring out. He simply wanted more playing time and didn’t see him getting much of it with Dickinson there.

So Ejiofor signed with St. John’s, where Pitino had just been hired and was remaking his roster with 10 transfer players out of a roster of 14, including Ejiofor.

“I don't think I've enjoyed coaching a player as much since 1987 when I coached Billy Donovan (at Providence),” Pitino said of Ejiofor. “And I'm going to miss him terribly.  And I'm just going to appreciate him while I have him.”

No hard feelings between Kansas and Zuby Ejiofor

Self recruited Ejiofor out of Garland, Texas, where he was a late bloomer of sorts. He didn’t start playing basketball until eighth grade. He has Nigerian-born parents and another set of basketball “parents” of sorts, including his “dad,” Andy Philachack, a 5-foot-4 coach who influenced his decision to leave Kansas.

“Everybody embraced me my first year (at KU), so there’s no bad blood there,” Ejiofor said

Self confirmed the same.

“I love Zuby,” Self said.

And he’s not surprised by how well he’s done.

“Rick was obviously a great fit for him,” Self said. “I've enjoyed watching him grow, be a complete player, because when you talk about complete, you're talking about a skill set, posting, drawing fouls, using both hands, passing, stretching it, blocking and altering. When you lead a team that good in four major categories, you know you're a good player.”

Zuby Ejiofor considered other schools besides St. John’s

He took his first visit Villanova and considered Kentucky and Texas.

Why St. John’s?

“New York is a great city,” Ejiofor told USA TODAY Sports. “I had never been to New York before I visited St. John’s. And then everything that Coach Pitino stood for.”

Pitino credited assistant coach Ricky Johns for finding him. He came in for a visit and worked out in front of Pitino.

“I worked him out for about an hour, put him through a really tough work out, and I thought he was a terrific athlete, but he never – I gave him an extra hard workout to see if he could hold up against it, and he never tired,” Pitino said. “He just worked his butt off, and I said to his ‘dad,’ `I'd really love to have him.’”

Ejiofor since helped Pitino restore a dormant program in the heart of New York City. His photo recently even loomed large in Times Square in New York City.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a dream come true,” Ejiofor said. “I never dreamt of my picture ever being in Times Square. But man, it’s just crazy, you know, from where I came from and everything I had to go through.”                    Now comes his next big moment in the spotlight, this time against his old team at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: St. John's star Zuby Ejiofor left Kansas, now wants to beat them

The Celtics went 4-0 since my last column, notching a solid win over the Warriors, and some uneven performances against the Wizards, Suns, and Grizzlies.

The negative way of looking at this is that the C’s really shouldn’t have struggled against the Grizzlies (24-45), and probably shouldn’t have had such a hard time with the Suns (39-31) considering they were hosting Phoenix.

However, there are positive aspects of these games to consider as well. The Celtics have struggled in clutch situations all season, as exemplified by their game against the Thunder the week prior. With Jayson Tatum back, they should be better, but they still need, for lack of a better term, clutch game reps. They need to figure out how they’re going to play out these situations now that they have Tatum back, and that’s the opportunity that games against Phoenix and Memphis presented.

Against Phoenix, Boston wilted in the first half of the fourth quarter, as the Suns went from being down by five at the start of the quarter to being up four with just over four minutes to play. From this point on, however, the Celtics locked down and the Suns did not score another field goal.

In Memphis, the Celtics struggled to put away a team that really had no business competing with them, but again, this enabled the Celtics to get some clutch game reps. The C’s entered the fourth quarter trailing by four, and Memphis managed to push that advantage as high as seven points, when the score hit 98-91 at the 9:08 mark.

The C’s caught up over the next two minutes, with Derrick White tying the game at the 7:21 mark. After two more lead changes, Jaylen Brown gave the Celtics the lead for good with 5:06 to go. That was the beginning of a 10-0 run that put the game out of reach.

Again, you can argue—not unreasonably, in my opinion—that it never should have come to this, but the bright side is that the C’s, on two occasions this week, got to learn how to close out tough games in convincing fashion. Against Phoenix, they relied on their defense, and against Memphis, it was their offense that carried the day.

Expansion on the table, finally

The NBA will be holding meetings starting on Monday to discuss expansion.

Previously, Adam Silver had indicated that the league was considering expansion in 2019, 2023, and 2025, but this is apparently the first time that the league has made expansion a subject of a Board of Governors meeting.

However, this upcoming meeting is not a meeting to award franchises, or even to approve expansion.

The only thing that’s officially being done at this meeting is obtaining a vote on whether the league should investigate expansion specifically to Las Vegas and Seattle.

Mind you, if there’s consensus on whether the league should investigate expansion to these cities, there’s basically consensus on whether the league will expand to these cities.

If you’d like to get a peek into how league meetings work, I invite you to read select chapters of Veeck as in Wreck, as well as The Hustler’s Handbook, in which Bill Veeck discusses his tussles with other Major League Baseball owners on matters such as relocation, sales of teams, and expansion.

The main takeaway you’ll get from Bill Veeck is that owners’ meetings work best when they are purely perfunctory affairs. Nobody wants surprises at these things, so there’s a great deal of time spent before meetings building consensus, lobbying, trading favors, and doing the sort of cajoling and wheeler-dealering that is what really keeps things moving forward.

Naturally, the stakes are a lot higher these days than in Veeck’s day. There’s a lot more money floating around and a lot more teams involved, but people are people, and people haven’t changed much over the past 70 years.

Adam Silver has said that relocation is not going to be on the agenda at this meeting, which is an interesting statement which implies that perhaps it should be.

So which franchises are on shaky ground? One is New Orleans. New Orleans is a small market, with a metro population of just over one million, and that’s riding on the thin edge of what you need to support a professional sports franchise, let alone two of them. There’s currently a conspiracy theory afoot suggesting that the owners are doing little to nothing to retain fans in order to build a case for the inevitability of relocation.

Memphis is another team in a tiny market that has some open questions about its home arena coming up. Their lease ends in 2028, and with a metro population on par with New Orleans, they’re in a similar situation with respect to their ability to support a pro team.

I suspect that the chief objection to expansion was a strong desire to relocate weaker teams to Seattle and Las Vegas in lieu of expansion which will not do much to shore up weaker teams and will ultimately dilute TV and sponsorship revenue for all existing teams.

If I’m going far out on a limb, I would suspect that some of the deal-brokering that has been going on to approve expansion has been support for relocation.

In any case, because expansion is on the agenda, it’s basically a fait accompli at this point. The owners pushing for expansion already have the votes they need in their pocket. What they had to do to get those votes remains to be seen.

Just keep your eyes open for the sudden appearance of news articles talking about how such-and-such a team is losing money or needs a new arena, or something similar.

Cade Cunningham and schedule length

The Piston’s loss of Cunningham to a collapsed lung has prompted a new surge of commentary on the length of the season, and its role in player health.

The league loves the money that this dense schedule brings in. With the league’s streaming deals in place, there are multiple NBA games every night of the week on nationally televised platforms. This is great for both owners and players—or at least it’s great for their wallets.

But nobody loves the seemingly increased toll that it’s taking on player health.

Players are doing far more than they did when the schedule was expanded to 82 games in the 1960s, and games are much more demanding. We are pushing the limits of what the human body is capable of, and we’re seeing the results of pushing those limits too far.

Unfortunately, there’s no good solution here. Or perhaps, I should say there is a good solution here, but nobody wants it. Nobody wants the season to be shortened, and everybody knows that the season is too long.

The irony here is that everyone in the league could easily afford to give up a bit of money in exchange for a shorter season. Basketball salaries are, on average, the highest among the four major sports, and for owners, fixed costs are a fractional aspect of the operating expenses they incur. Or, I should say, fixed costs outside of player salaries, which would be reduced under a shortened season.

Essentially, players and owners, who have more money than they need, are unwilling to give up some of it in order to assure that the game is healthier. Make of that what you will.

LeBron James set the record for the most regular-season games played in NBA history as he helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a dramatic buzzer-beating 105-104 victory against the Orlando Magic in his 1,612th outing.

James, 41, moved one clear of Robert Parish's 1997 record of 1,611 appearances, in a game the Lakers won when Luke Kennard scored a three-pointer with 0.6 seconds left.

"It just kind of happened. It was not on the list of things that I wanted to accomplish," said four-time NBA champion James.

"I wanted to be the best player in this league at some point. I wanted to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to ever play this game. I wanted to be an NBA champion.

"I wanted to possibly win rookie of the year, make All-Star appearances, win a gold medal, win some MVPs - those were some of my goals.

"But some of the stuff that's just been happening over the course of the last few years has been super-duper cool."

James - who is the first player to take part in 23 consecutive NBA seasons and is also the NBA's record points scorer - contributed 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals as the Lakers beat Orlando for a ninth straight win.

The Lakers are third in the Western Conference, while Magic are eighth in the Eastern Conference.

"Availability, I've always wanted to be available to my team-mates," added James.

"It's a mental toll, trying to play a lot and being out there. I just give a lot of praise to the man above and [it's about] just loving the game and appreciating the game."

James was not the only player to achieve a milestone as Kevin Durant passed NBA legend Michael Jordan to go fifth in the all-time scoring list in regular-season games.

Durant moved to 32,294 - two ahead of Jordan - courtesy of a 27-point display for the Houston Rockets, who are fourth in the Western Conference, in their last gasp 123-122 win against the Miami Heat, who are ninth in the Eastern Conference.

"It means a lot," said Durant, who passed Jordan with a three-pointer in the fourth quarter.

"I'm grateful to be here and for this incredible journey it's been. I'm looking forward to continuing."

Elsewhere, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder as four players were ejected in his side's fiery 132-111 win against the Washington Wizards.

The Thunder's Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams and Cason Wallace were ejected, along with Washington's Justin Champagnie, following a mass brawl near the end of the second quarter.

Reigning NBA champions Thunder remain top of the Western Conference, while the Wizards are one place off the bottom in 14th place.

Eventually, the Lakers will lose a basketball game again this season. But for however long their win streak goes, they’ll be hard-pressed to have a more improbable win than Saturday’s.

With 4.7 seconds left, the Magic had a two-point lead, the ball and a timeout. From that point, they lost the ball and gave up two wide-open looks at the basket. The first was at the rim to the all-time leader in points. The second was a three to a shooter having one of the most efficient shooting seasons from range in league history.

Truly an impressive amount of choking, all within five seconds.

This was a very ugly game offensively for the Lakers. Their defense kept them alive in the second half and did just enough to keep them attached late. In a win streak with lots of fun offensive games, both individually and as a team, this was a much different way to win a game.

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

LeBron James

35 minutes, 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 5-13 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, +4

This was not a good LeBron showing. Half of his 12 points came in a stretch of three straight possessions in the third quarter where he got out in transition.

Grade: C-

Marcus Smart

31 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 0-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, +1

The two most notable plays from Smart first included him doing the splits and limping off the court with a pain every male Lakers fan felt. He was also the recipient of maybe the worst call of the night after being given a technical foul for…falling?

Grade: C-

Deandre Ayton

29 minutes, 9 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 3-4 FG, 3-6 FT, +2

Kudos to Ayton, who inadvertently showed how hard it was for Austin to intentionally miss his free throw and have it carom right back to him.

Grade: B+

Austin Reaves

40 minutes, 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 10-20 FG, 2-8 3PT, 4-4 FT, +8

It was a huge fourth quarter as he really saved the team’s blushes. The team had nine field goals in the fourth quarter and four of them were from Reaves.

Luka Dončić

38 minutes, 33 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 12-30 FG, 3-13 3PT, 6-9 FT, +10

It probably wouldn’t be much of an overstatement to say the second half was possibly the worst half Luka has played as a Laker. He had one field goal in each quarter and finished 2-13 from the field while missing all seven of his threes.

The good was really good in the first half but that was an atrocious second half, which makes it really hard to grade and I’m sure everyone will agree with what I’m about to give him.

Grade:C+

Rui Hachimura

15 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 foul, 1-2 FG, -3

This was a super quiet game from Rui, whose only field goal came in the first quarter.

Grade: D

Jaxson Hayes

19 minutes, 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 fouls, 3-3 FG, 2-6 FT, -2

Hayes’ second half was good in a way that is abnormal for him in that he was being very physical, grabbing boards and blocking shots at the rim.

Grade: B+

Luke Kennard

20 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 5-7 FG, 3-4 3PT, -6

Kennard was long overdue for a breakout game after a series of quiet offensive games. It was already a strong showing even before he buried the game-winner, which bumps you up a grade or three.

Grade: A

Jake LaRavia

14 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 4 fouls, 0-5 FG, 0-3 3PT, -9

In the month of March, LaRavia is shooting 32.7% from the field and 15.8% from the 3-point line. Are we nearing a point where Jarred Vanderbilt should get minutes over him?

Grade: F

JJ Redick

We’re going to give JJ a boost on his grade for the final two out-of-bounds plays of the game, which created two open looks. Assistant coach Greg St. Jean drew up the latter, but we aren’t grading assistants. So consider this grade all inconclusive with his staff.

Grade: A-

Saturday’s DNPs: Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Drew Timme, Jarred Vanderbilt

Saturday’s inactives: Maxi Kleber, Kobe Bufkin, Nick Smith Jr., Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon

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

Houston Rockets (43-27, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (28-42, 12th in the Eastern Conference)

Chicago; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Houston plays Chicago for a non-conference matchup.

The Bulls are 17-20 in home games. Chicago is 12-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 14.5 turnovers per game.

The Rockets are 18-17 on the road. Houston scores 114.0 points while outscoring opponents by 4.1 points per game.

The Bulls average 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.2 more made shots on average than the 12.4 per game the Rockets allow. The Bulls average 114.0 points per game, 6.2 fewer points than the 120.2 the Bulls allow to opponents.

The teams square off for the second time this season. In the last matchup on Jan. 14 the Rockets won 119-113 led by 28 points from Kevin Durant, while Tre Jones scored 34 points for the Bulls.

TOP PERFORMERS: Matas Buzelis is averaging 16.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the Bulls. Josh Giddey is averaging 2.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Amen Thompson is shooting 52.3% and averaging 18.0 points for the Rockets. Reed Sheppard is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 4-6, averaging 116.2 points, 48.1 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.8 points per game.

Rockets: 5-5, averaging 110.0 points, 45.5 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.3 points.

INJURIES: Bulls: Anfernee Simons: out (wrist), Jalen Smith: out (calf), Isaac Okoro: day to day (knee), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Jaden Ivey: out (knee), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).

Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

___

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

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand foundered against South Africa's spinners as the Proteas won the fourth Twenty20 by 19 runs Sunday to level the five-match series at 2-2.

Connor Esterhuizen made a maiden half-century from 33 balls as South Africa scored 164-5 after choosing to bat. Esterhuizen eventually was out for 57 and his innings made the difference between the teams.

New Zealand was ahead at 63-2 after the powerplay with Tim Robinson making 32 from 22 balls at the top of the order. But left-armer Prenelan Subrayen took 2-13 on debut and Keshav Maharaj took 2-22 to cut through the New Zealand middle order and turn the match in South Africa's favor.

Dane Cleaver made 26 from 16 balls, returning to the New Zealand lineup after almost three years. He was looking dangerous when he was beaten and bowled by a Subrayen delivery. Bevon Jacobs was also bowled by Subrayen when the ball dipped under his bat.

Jimmy Neesham (10) was dropped twice then caught in the same over from Ottneil Baartman, who took 2-30 from four overs.

Maharaj removed Nick Kelly (16) and Cole McConchie (10) as the spinners pinned down the New Zealand batters by varying their pace and flight.

“I thought a total of 164 was about par, maybe a bit below par,” New Zealand captain Jimmy Neesham said. "We certainly had a chance going into the second half of the game.

“A few average options and poor execution and we came out on the wrong side of it.”

New Zealand's already depleted lineup was further reduced by the loss of Tom Latham to injury and Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson for the last two matches of the series.

Esterhuizen rallied South Africa after it had lost Wiaan Mulder to the second ball of its innings, a maiden bowled by Kyle Jamieson.

The right-hander hit a six and a four from the third over, a six and four in the fourth over, a six and two fours among 17 runs in the fifth over, keeping the South Africa run-rate up. South Africa was 50-1 after the powerplay, its best start of the series so far.

Esterhuizen reached his half-century in the 10th over with a boundary from Ben Sears, the sixth four of his innings that also included three sixes.

“I just tried to keep it as simple as possible to be honest,” Esterhuizen said. "I didn't have much time to think about it because I was out there straight away.

“So I just tried to stick to a game plan and it came off tonight.”

Esterhuizen looked set to go big when he was brilliantly caught by Katene Clarke on debut, running in and diving forward from deep square leg.

Tony de Zorzi, who was the quiet partner in an 81-run stand with Esterhuizen for the second wicket, was out next over for 23 from 21 balls.

Rubin Hermann and Dian Forrester put on 38 for the fourth wicket, keeping the South Africa total ticking over. Forrester made 19 from 14 balls before being trapped lbw by a yorker from Zak Foulkes.

Hermann made an unbeaten 28 from 25 balls, Jason Smith scored 19 from 15 and George Linde added 14 from eight but New Zealand reined in South Africa's scoring a little at the death. Only 43 runs came from the last five overs and Sears allowed only one run from the bat in the final over.

The deciding match is at Christchurch on Wednesday.

___

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

Toronto Raptors (39-30, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (39-32, seventh in the Western Conference)

Phoenix; Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Raptors -1.5; over/under is 220.5

BOTTOM LINE: Phoenix comes into the matchup against Toronto as losers of five in a row.

The Suns have gone 22-14 at home. Phoenix has a 20-14 record in games decided by 10 points or more.

The Raptors are 20-14 in road games. Toronto is eighth in the league giving up just 112.0 points while holding opponents to 46.6% shooting.

The Suns average 112.1 points per game, 0.1 more points than the 112.0 the Raptors allow. The Raptors are shooting 47.5% from the field, 0.5% higher than the 47.0% the Suns' opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the second time this season. In the last matchup on March 13 the Raptors won 122-115 led by 36 points from Brandon Ingram, while Jalen Green scored 34 points for the Suns.

TOP PERFORMERS: Devin Booker is averaging 25.5 points and 5.9 assists for the Suns. Green is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Scottie Barnes is averaging 18.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 blocks for the Raptors. RJ Barrett is averaging 22.8 points and 5.5 rebounds over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 4-6, averaging 112.0 points, 40.2 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 8.0 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.9 points per game.

Raptors: 5-5, averaging 116.3 points, 39.3 rebounds, 27.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.1 points.

INJURIES: Suns: Grayson Allen: out (knee), Dillon Brooks: out (hand), Mark Williams: out (foot), Haywood Highsmith: out (knee), Royce O'Neale: out (knee), Amir Coffey: out (ankle).

Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles: day to day (thumb).

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

Washington Wizards (16-54, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (46-25, third in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Knicks -20.5; over/under is 227.5

BOTTOM LINE: New York is looking to prolong its five-game win streak with a victory against Washington.

The Knicks are 30-15 in Eastern Conference games. New York is 20-19 against opponents over .500.

The Wizards are 11-33 in Eastern Conference play. Washington is 4-36 against opponents over .500.

The Knicks are shooting 47.3% from the field this season, 0.7 percentage points lower than the 48.0% the Wizards allow to opponents. The Wizards are shooting 46.0% from the field, 0.3% higher than the 45.7% the Knicks' opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Knicks won 132-101 in the last meeting on Feb. 4. Mikal Bridges led the Knicks with 23 points, and Will Riley led the Wizards with 17 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jalen Brunson is averaging 26.2 points and 6.6 assists for the Knicks. OG Anunoby is averaging 20.3 points over the last 10 games.

Alex Sarr is averaging 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and two blocks for the Wizards. Tre Johnson is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 7-3, averaging 114.2 points, 48.2 rebounds, 29.4 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.5 points per game.

Wizards: 0-10, averaging 113.9 points, 38.8 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 6.1 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.7 points.

INJURIES: Knicks: Landry Shamet: out (knee), Miles McBride: out (ankle), Josh Hart: day to day (knee).

Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Leaky Black: day to day (ankle), Tre Johnson: day to day (foot), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).

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

Oklahoma City Thunder (56-15, first in the Western Conference) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (39-32, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Philadelphia; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City visits the Philadelphia 76ers after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points in the Thunder's 132-111 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The 76ers have gone 20-16 in home games. Philadelphia ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference in rebounding averaging 43.4 rebounds. Andre Drummond leads the 76ers with 8.7 boards.

The Thunder have gone 27-8 away from home. Oklahoma City ranks fourth in the league with 34.5 defensive rebounds per game led by Chet Holmgren averaging 7.1.

The 76ers make 46.0% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.6 percentage points higher than the Thunder have allowed to their opponents (43.4%). The Thunder average 13.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.2 more makes per game than the 76ers allow.

The two teams match up for the second time this season. The Thunder defeated the 76ers 129-104 in their last meeting on Dec. 28. Holmgren led the Thunder with 29 points, and Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 28 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Quentin Grimes is shooting 45.1% and averaging 13.9 points for the 76ers. VJ Edgecombe is averaging 13.4 points over the last 10 games.

Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 31.6 points per game with 4.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Holmgren is averaging 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 55.8% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: 76ers: 6-4, averaging 114.5 points, 44.1 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 8.9 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.0 points per game.

Thunder: 10-0, averaging 113.8 points, 45.0 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 103.4 points.

INJURIES: 76ers: Tyrese Maxey: out (finger), Johni Broome: out (knee), Joel Embiid: out (oblique), Kelly Oubre Jr.: out (elbow).

Thunder: Branden Carlson: day to day (back), Jalen Williams: day to day (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee), Luguentz Dort: day to day (knee).

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

Memphis Grizzlies (24-46, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (39-32, sixth in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta will try to keep its 10-game home win streak intact when the Hawks face Memphis.

The Hawks have gone 20-16 at home. Atlanta scores 117.9 points while outscoring opponents by 1.4 points per game.

The Grizzlies are 11-25 on the road. Memphis ranks seventh in the league with 28.3 assists per game led by Cam Spencer averaging 5.4.

The Hawks' 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.3 more made shots on average than the 14.0 per game the Grizzlies give up. The Grizzlies average 115.5 points per game, 1.0 fewer than the 116.5 the Hawks allow.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Hawks won the last meeting 124-122 on Jan. 22, with Jalen Johnson scoring 32 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Nickeil Alexander-Walker is scoring 20.3 points per game with 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Hawks. CJ McCollum is averaging 18.4 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 47.2% over the past 10 games.

Cedric Coward is averaging 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Olivier-Maxence Prosper is averaging 13.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 50.0% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 9-1, averaging 122.5 points, 45.0 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 9.8 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.7 points per game.

Grizzlies: 1-9, averaging 114.5 points, 37.7 rebounds, 24.7 assists, 9.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.7 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Jalen Johnson: out (shoulder).

Grizzlies: Ty Jerome: day to day (calf), Santi Aldama: out for season (knee), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: out for season (finger), Ja Morant: day to day (elbow), Scotty Pippen Jr.: out for season (toe), Zach Edey: out for season (ankle), Cedric Coward: day to day (personal), Jahmai Mashack: day to day (ankle), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).

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

Milwaukee Bucks (29-41, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (35-36, eighth in the Western Conference)

Inglewood, California; Monday, 10:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles hosts the Milwaukee Bucks after Darius Garland scored 41 points in the Los Angeles Clippers' 138-131 overtime win against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Clippers have gone 19-15 in home games. Los Angeles is fifth in the Western Conference at limiting opponent scoring, giving up just 113.0 points while holding opponents to 46.9% shooting.

The Bucks are 13-22 in road games. Milwaukee allows 116.2 points to opponents and has been outscored by 5.2 points per game.

The Clippers average 12.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer makes per game than the Bucks allow (14.8). The Bucks average 14.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 more made shots on average than the 13.4 per game the Clippers allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kawhi Leonard is scoring 28.3 points per game with 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Clippers. Garland is averaging 16.9 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 49.2% over the last 10 games.

Ryan Rollins is averaging 16.9 points, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals for the Bucks. Kyle Kuzma is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Clippers: 5-5, averaging 120.3 points, 38.3 rebounds, 24.7 assists, 11.1 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.7 points per game.

Bucks: 3-7, averaging 108.9 points, 39.3 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 7.4 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.2 points.

INJURIES: Clippers: Yanic Konan Niederhauser: out for season (foot), Bradley Beal: out for season (hip), Bennedict Mathurin: out (toe).

Bucks: Bobby Portis: out (rib), Gary Harris: out (groin), Kevin Porter Jr.: out (knee), Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (ankle).

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

Golden State Warriors (33-38, 10th in the Western Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (23-48, 13th in the Western Conference)

Dallas; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Dallas looks to end its three-game losing streak when the Mavericks take on Golden State.

The Mavericks have gone 12-31 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas is fourth in the league with 53.4 points in the paint led by Cooper Flagg averaging 11.2.

The Warriors are 22-22 against Western Conference opponents. Golden State ranks second in the Western Conference with 28.9 assists per game led by Draymond Green averaging 5.3.

The Mavericks average 10.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.9 fewer makes per game than the Warriors give up (12.6). The Warriors are shooting 45.9% from the field, 1.6% lower than the 47.5% the Mavericks' opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the third time this season. In the last matchup on Jan. 23 the Mavericks won 123-115 led by 30 points from Naji Marshall, while Stephen Curry scored 38 points for the Warriors.

TOP PERFORMERS: Flagg is averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Mavericks. Marshall is averaging 15.2 points over the last 10 games.

Green is scoring 8.5 points per game and averaging 5.6 rebounds for the Warriors. Brandin Podziemski is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 113.5 points, 46.4 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 6.7 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.3 points per game.

Warriors: 2-8, averaging 111.1 points, 40.9 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 9.5 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.1 points.

INJURIES: Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Caleb Martin: out (foot), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Brandon Williams: out (concussion protocol).

Warriors: Kristaps Porzingis: out (back), Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Seth Curry: out (adductor), Al Horford: out (calf), Gary Payton II: out (knee), Stephen Curry: out (knee), Moses Moody: out (wrist).

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

Indiana Pacers (15-56, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (38-32, eighth in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Orlando will try to end its four-game losing streak when the Magic take on Indiana.

The Magic have gone 24-21 against Eastern Conference opponents. Orlando ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference in team defense, giving up only 114.3 points while holding opponents to 47.3% shooting.

The Pacers are 11-33 in Eastern Conference play. Indiana has a 6-5 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Magic are shooting 46.2% from the field this season, 2.9 percentage points lower than the 49.1% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers average 111.4 points per game, 2.9 fewer than the 114.3 the Magic give up to opponents.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Magic won the last meeting 135-127 on Jan. 4, with Desmond Bane scoring 31 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Wendell Carter Jr. is scoring 11.8 points per game and averaging 7.6 rebounds for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 23.0 points and 8.6 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Andrew Nembhard is averaging 17.2 points and 7.2 assists for the Pacers. Jarace Walker is averaging 14.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 6-4, averaging 118.4 points, 45.1 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 9.0 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.9 points per game.

Pacers: 0-10, averaging 111.5 points, 38.7 rebounds, 29.5 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.8 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: out (abdomen), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).

Pacers: Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Ivica Zubac: out for season (rib), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

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

PORTLAND, OR — Do you know that feeling when trying on clothes and physically, it fits, but really it doesn’t? 

There’s just something off. Maybe it doesn’t look good. Maybe it’s not the right style. Maybe there really isn’t a reason, other than it just isn’t right.

That’s exactly what’s going on in the NCAA Tournament.

A spectacle that is built on chaos hasn’t had much of it, with the 2026 edition producing just four double-digit first round winners. Only one of them is moving onto the Sweet 16, meaning we’ll get a single Cinderella.

And who will be the lucky one riding the carriage? Texas?

Oh, that’s no Cinderella.

In March Madness, one size does not in fact fit all.

“I don't think we ever really want to sign up to be the Cinderella story,” said Texas coach Sean Miller. “Because we are the University of Texas.”

It’s a puzzling juxtaposition: the tournament always calls for an underdog to root for, but you can’t be much of one when you – checks notes – recorded $331.9 million in operating revenues and $325 million in operating expenses in the 2024 fiscal year.

Even though this was its 11th NCAA Tournament win as a double-digit seed, Texas is so far from a Cinderella, one could argue it’s the evil stepsister.

To their credit, the Longhorns tried to not be one. They just weren’t really successful at it. Sure it had some notable wins but it also: lost to Duke in the season opener, finished sixth in a not-so-loaded Maui Invitational, had a 8-9 Quad 1 record to go along with 1-4 Quad 2 mark and a Quad 3 loss.

“In some ways, the first couple of months of our season were very much a work in progress,” Miller said.

Texas limped into the tournament with a three-game losing streak that pushed them into having to play in the First Four. Not ideal, but it did something that you never want to give teams with potential: an opportunity.

“We had a players-only meeting, and we just talked about that we just needed a chance,” said Texas guard Dailyn Swain.

A chance Texas has taken full advantage of. The Longhorns edged NC State in the First Four, completely outperformed AJ Dybantsa and BYU in the first round and on Saturday night in Portland, were one step ahead of a veteran Gonzaga squad playing in its own backyard.

It’s not so much a Cinderella, but a team playing up to the capabilities and expectations set on them. It just so happens there’s a little No. 11 right next to their name.

“We're all adults here in this room,” said Gonzaga coach Mark Few. “Some of these monikers we put on everybody from Cinderella to blue bloods and all that, I have a hell of a time understanding it. I mean, they make literally no sense.

“That is not a Cinderella team. That's a really talented basketball team with a really, really, really good coach, that has incredible resources and has a great history of doing great things in the tournament. That's just a 11-seed that had some tough losses during the year,” he added.

The result might say something larger about the state of Cinderellas. This will now be back-to-back years without them.

Yes, Texas ensures that there will be a double-digit seed in the Sweet 16, which has happened in every tournament except 2007 since expanding in 1985. But last year’s representative was Arkansas, a program that threw $7 million at John Calipari to get him to leave Kentucky. The one before that barely counts because at the end of the day, NC State is an ACC team with a rich history.

While we frantically wonder if the mid-majors are truly toast from making deep runs in the Big Dance, you do have to give Texas credit. The expectation isn’t for Texas to lose 14 games in a season, but it is expected to do exactly what it’s doing right now. This is not the same team that lost five of its last six games heading into Selection Sunday.

Jordan Pope is playing like the elite guard expected when he transferred from Oregon State in 2024. Matas Vokietaitis is completely commanding the interior, dominating any big man that dares get in his way. Sean Miller is showing why this will be ninth Sweet 16 trip, deciding to put in Camden Heide to hit the 3-point dagger against the Bulldogs. This looks like a real SEC contender.

The road to it wasn’t pretty, and that’s what makes Texas a great story. It figured it out at the right time when a lot of people counted them out. It makes them easy to root for. The Longhorns should celebrate this and have the mindset of a giant slayer when it arrives at the Sweet 16.

They have all the makings of it, but still, don’t try to fit the glass slipper on Bevo.

“Sometimes the lessons you've learned along the way strengthen you. We're a much better team right now than we would have been a month ago. I think we're playing our best, everybody wants to play their best in March, and we just so happen to do it,” Miller said. “Hopefully we can keep going.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas a Cinderella? Nope, the Longhorns are just hot at the right time