Category: Basketball

LSU re-introduced basketball coach Will Wade on Monday, March 30, and the one-year NC State coach brought jokes back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Wade, who coached LSU from 2017-22, was fired by the program for recruiting violations. He was also suspended in 2019 after an FBI wiretap uncovered him conversing with a recruit about a potential monetary offer.

REQUIRED READING: Will Wade introduced as new LSU basketball coach. Highlights press conference

Wade made light of how he left his LSU career during his re-introduction, saying one way or another, he's going to make history with the Tigers this time around.

"We're gonna make history one way or the other," he said. "We're coming back to try to hang a banner and win a national championship, or I'm gonna be the first coach fired from the same school twice. One way or another, we're gonna make history."

Will Wade (re)introduced at LSU:

"We're gonna make history one way or the other. We're coming back to try to hang a banner and win a national championship, or I'm gonna be the first coach fired from the same school twice. One way or another, we're gonna make history!" 😂 pic.twitter.com/jZOZP9SObN

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 30, 2026

Wade led McNeese to an NCAA Tournament win over Clemson in 2024, before leaving for NC State, where he coached one season. He left the Wolfpack in controversial manner, leaving NC State fans in frenzy over the situation.

It isn't the first joke Wade has made since the LSU news has come to light.

"They're gonna kill me if I start answering questions. I'm trying to follow more rules this time," Wade said to a group of reporters who saw him arriving in Baton Rouge.

LSU never formally announced Matt McMahon's firing in a separate announcement, rather burying the news in an announcement noting Wade's return to LSU.

Wade won games for the Tigers, though, and led the program to an SEC regular season title and Sweet 16 in 2019. He took LSU to the NCAA Tournament in three of his five seasons. He made the NIT before COVID-19 wiped out March Madness in his other season at the helm.

Wade will now look toward rebuilding an LSU team that finished 15-17 last season and has missed the NCAA Tournament in every season since Wade left the program. Perhaps his jokes will also work on the next cycle of recruits for the Tigers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Wade jokes he'll make history 'one way or the other' at LSU

Michael Jordan explained that his massive NBA fame caused a “burden” in his life and ultimately was a reason he retired from the sport in 2003.

During a recent interview with CBS Mornings, Jordan looked back on his illustrious career — winning six NBA titles and achieving two separate “three-peats” — and what drove him to seek a “quieter life” outside of basketball.

“When I say I wanted to retire and get to a quieter life, I wanted to get away from basketball in terms of what I represented in that arena and how big I’d gotten,” Jordan, who is considered the greatest basketball player of all time, told CBS’s Gayle King while at Phoenix Raceway.

Michael Jordan says, “The burden of living a certain way,” pushed him to step back from basketball’s spotlight and to seek a quieter life.

He tells @GayleKing that @NASCAR gives him a different kind of purpose, one that still keeps him passionate and fired up.… pic.twitter.com/Tb6lRS7D3v

— CBS Sunday Morning (@CBSSunday) March 29, 2026

“It was such a huge burden for me in that sport. Here [in NASCAR], the burden is not quite the same. It’s something that I think that keeps me alive and vibrant.

“The burden of living a certain way, trying to maintain whatever everybody’s perspective is for you or was for you. That is a burden. And it’s a lot of people that have to endure it. And at some point and time, you say, I’m tired of doing that.”

Jordan, who has lived a private life after hanging up his jersey for good, co-founded the NASCAR team 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin in 2020.

The 63-year-old Chicago Bulls legend has been in the spotlight recently as his team is dominating this season, winning four of six races thus far.

Jordan explained that he thinks he’s “cursed with this competitive gene” that has taken over everything he does — even at home.

He joked that he races his wife, Yvette Prieto, to see who could shower and get dressed first.

“Anything that I do is from a competitive lens and in some ways that keeps me young that keeps me aggressively [and] thinking positively,” Jordan said. “It helps me understand everything that I’m involved with or connected with… I think my appetite to prove as a kid created this competitive thing within me that has transcended and taken over everything that I do.”

When asked if he misses basketball, Jordan said: “100 percent. It’s a huge piece of me [that misses basketball] but I’ve compensated that feeling through NASCAR and fishing.”

A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Jordan also earned the title of NBA MVP five times, is a six-time NBA Finals MVP, a 14-time NBA All-Star and a three-time NBA All-Star MVP. He also made the All-NBA First Team 10 times and is a nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team honoree.

He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 1998 and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1985.

Jordan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as an individual player in 2009 and as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010.

The Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball teams each are one victory away from the championship game of the NCAA Tournament, and that could be very expensive for a furniture store, an insurance company or both.

Jordan’s Furniture, a company based in Massachusetts, will be on the hook for $50 million if both win their first games of the Final Four and advance to the championship games, according Eliot Tatelman, the former CEO whose sons run the company.

The men’s team plays Illinois Saturday, April 4 and the women’s team plays the winner of the Elite Eight game between South Carolina and TCU.

"We have insurance," Tatelman told USA TODAY Sports. "We want them to win."

The customers and the men's team had a close call Sunday, when UConn beat Duke on Braylon Mullins' last-second, 35-footer.

Jordan’s Furniture created the financial risk with the following promotion: customers could buy as much furniture and mattresses as they wanted from Jan. 20 to March 1, according to the company’s website. Jordan’s has pledged to reimburse those customers if the Huskies reached the Final Four and then advance to the championship game.

One of the promotional commercials features Tatelman and Huskies basketball star Sarah Strong.

Red Sox delivered for customers

Tatelman, who remains the face of the company, said Jordan’s Furniture has eight stores, including two in Storrs, Connecticut, home of the Huskies. He said Jordan’s held a similar promotion in 2007, when the company became the official furniture store of the Boston Red Sox.

"We said, 'Come into Jordan's and buy a sofa, a bed, a mattress, a dining room table,’" Tatelman said. "And if the Red Sox win the World Series, it'll all be free.’"

The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies in the World Series, and Tatelman said Jordan’s returned $35 million to its customers without ending up in bankruptcy.

"I bought insurance for it," he said cheerfully.

Would Warren Buffet approve?

Tatelman, 79, said he’s been in the business for 65 years and his grandfather started the store. It’s now owned by Berkshire Hathaway, an American holding company founded by Warren Buffett.

When Jordan's was sold to Berkshire Hathaway in 1999, Jordan’s put its annual revenue at about $250 million, according to Bloomberg News.

Although Tatelman did not provide annual sales figures – they're not public knowledge, he explained – he did provide details about the stores.

One features an indoor ropes course. Another has two Max 3D theaters. In yet another, Boston is duplicated by 25 million jelly beans. Boston. Beantown. Get it?

Coming soon: Big screen TVs for the Final Four games.

In essence, are customers wagering with furniture purchases?

"This is not gambling," Tatelman said. "You're buying furniture at a good deal and you're getting something for it.''

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn men's, women's basketball could cost furniture store millions

GUWAHATI, India (AP) — Young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a 15-ball half-century as Rajasthan Royals thrashed Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in the Indian Premier League on Monday.

On a pitch which was under covers for most of the last two days due to wet weather, Chennai was put in and crumbled to 127 all out in 19.4 overs. All six Rajasthan bowlers shared the wickets.

The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi was dropped on the first ball he faced then powered the chase with 52 off 17 balls — raising the third fastest fifty in the IPL — as Rajasthan cruised to 128-2 in only 12.1 overs.

Five-time champion Chennai has undergone a youth movement in order to make a long-term rebound from finishing in last place last year. But it made an inauspicious start thanks to the youngest player in the league.

Sooryavanshi's miscued pull shot against Matt Henry in the first over was dropped by debutant Kartik Sharma, a tough two-handed catch over his shoulders while running backward from midwicket. Sharma failed to chase the ball and it dribbled over the boundary, the first of Sooryavanshi's four boundaries plus five sixes.

Sooryavanshi gave Rajasthan a blazing start of 74-0 in the powerplay. He clobbered wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad for successive sixes and raised his half-century off just 15 balls before he holed out to Sarfaraz Khan at sweeper cover in the seventh over.

Fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal had a front row seat to Sooryavanshi's artistry. He was dropped on 26 before finishing 38 not out off 36 balls.

“The plan was to decide the game in the powerplay as we’d restricted them to a low score," Sooryavanshi said. “After every ball Jaiswal doesn't tell me to take a single. He tells me that the ball's going off the bat nicely and to keep going.”

New Rajasthan skipper Riyan Parag’s decision to bowl first in favorable conditions was vindicated when Chennai slumped to 38-4 against the express pace of Jofra Archer (2-19) and Nandre Burger (2-26).

Former Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson (6) had a forgetful first game for his new franchise Chennai when Burger flattened his off stump with a 140 kph delivery.

Samson was hired to fix the top order batting issues for Chennai but captain Ruturaj Gaikwad also made only 6 when he exposed his stumps against Archer’s pace and was clean bowled.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2-18), playing for Rajasthan after 17 seasons with Chennai, struck twice in his first over to reduce Chennai further to 57-6.

With Mahendra Singh Dhoni not available for the first two weeks due to a calf injury, Chennai was in danger of opening its campaign with less than 100 runs. But Jamie Overton top-scored with 43 off 36 balls before he was run out in the last over.

___

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

It’s amazing what can happen in a week, especially for a franchise as strange as your Philadelphia 76ers.

This was the Sixers’ starting lineup last Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder:

tonight’s starters:

🔔 @vj_edgecombe
🔔 MarJon Beauchamp
🔔 @Jedwards3_
🔔 @Dominickbarlow_
🔔 @adembonapic.twitter.com/dovbi4Nncq

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 23, 2026

This was their starting lineup this past Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets:

tonight’s starters are:

🔔 @TyreseMaxey
🔔 @vj_edgecombe
🔔 @Yg_Trece
🔔 @Dominickbarlow_
🔔 @JoelEmbiidpic.twitter.com/yMHTEzibKd

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 28, 2026

Truly hilarious.

But hey, Saturday’s win over the Hornets was a big one. It felt like a playoff atmosphere and the Sixers dominated in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory. They’re in seventh in the East as of this posting, but with plenty of room for movement at 41-33. They’re a full game back of the fifth-place Toronto Raptors and a half game back of the sixth-place Atlanta Hawks (who swept the Sixers this season). They’re two games up on the Orlando Magic, who sit in eighth (the Sixers own the tiebreaker).

They’ll continue their run of good health when they take on the Miami Heat Monday night. The Heat are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Indiana Pacers Sunday. This is also the season rubber match for these teams after they split the first two matchups. It’s not a must-win by any means, but taking care of business in South Beach would be another meaningful win.

So, what’s on your mind right now? Hit me with your questions and comments below.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Two division leaders in the Eastern Conference tip off for the second time in four days when the Atlanta Hawks host the Boston Celtics.

Points might be hard to come by against Boston, but Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson will do his best to get his teammates involved.

I’ll break down my Johnson prop and more in my Celtics vs. Hawks predictions and NBA picks for Monday, March 30.

Celtics vs Hawks prediction

Celtics vs Hawks best bet: Jalen Johnson Over 7.5 assists (-110)

The Atlanta Hawks have been on a heater since the All-Star break, but they face a tall task tonight when they take on the Boston Celtics, who have won three straight and seven of their last eight games — including last Friday’s meeting versus Atlanta.

The C’s are expected to have all three of their top scorers — Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White — in the lineup, so the Hawks will need someone to step up and equalize. Enter Jalen Johnson.

The Hawks forward is a jack of all trades, averaging 22.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg, and 8.1 apg for Atlanta this season, but it’s his playmaking that’s been exceptional down the stretch.

Since the start of March, Johnson is logging 8.8 dimes per contest and has recorded Over 7.5 assists in nine of 12 appearances.

The Celtics, who own the best defense in the NBA, will try their best to shut Johnson down, but his ability to threaten the shot and find the open man is borderline unstoppable.

Atlanta is averaging 91.8 field goal attempts per game this season, the second-most in the NBA, and that high-volume approach will also help Johnson’s chances of picking up Over 7.5 assists.

Celtics vs Hawks same-game parlay

If Johnson’s going to hit his assist numbers, he’ll need someone to dish the rock to, and his best option tonight will be Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

The Hawks guard has been scorching hot this month, shooting 54% from the field and over 47% from long range while averaging 23.1 ppg. Alexander-Walker has scored Over 17.5 points in four straight and 12 of his last 13 games, including 20 points vs. the Celtics last week.

Celtics vs Hawks SGP

• Jalen Johnson Over 7.5 assists 
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 17.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Double up the J's

Johnson has 13 triple-doubles this season, tied for the second-most in the NBA. The Hawks forward has two in his last seven games while averaging 8.3 rpg and 8.8 apg this month.

Tatum has found his groove since returning to the lineup in early March, logging three double-doubles in his last four outings.

Celtics vs Hawks SGP

• Jalen Johnson to record a triple-double
• Jayson Tatum to record a double-double

Celtics vs Hawks odds

• Spread: Celtics +2 | Hawks -2
• Moneyline: Celtics +105 | Hawks -125
• Over/Under: Over 222 | Under 222

Celtics vs Hawks betting trend to know

Atlanta is 6-3 ATS in the last nine meetings, and 13-4 ATS in its last 17 overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Hawks.

How to watch Celtics vs Hawks

Celtics vs Hawks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Welcome to Week in Review: a Monday feature that looks back at the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a look at the week ahead, and more. Enjoy!

---

Week 22: The Spurs saw it all in another undefeated week, from tight wins against potential first-round opponents in the Clippers and Suns, to blowout yawners against two of the worst teams in the league (the Kings and Pacers). The win over the Suns at home was especially notable since it featured Victor Wembanyama’s first ever NBA game-winner as he hit a jumper with under a second left to officially secure the Spurs’ first playoff berth since 2019.

Week 23: 3-0 (56-18, 2nd in West)

136-111 win at Miami Heat

After talking the talk, especially with regards to defense, Bam Adebayo and Co. couldn’t walk the walk against the surging Spurs. While still at least play-in bound, the slumping Heat stuck to their physical, transition/pace-dictated style of play and were able to hang around for a quarter, but it didn’t take long for the Spurs to insert their will and turn what could have been a fun game into another laugher on national TV streaming. The Heat had no answer for Wemby on either side of the ball and couldn’t hit enough jumpers to keep up with the Spurs’ red-hot shooting against their zone defense. (The win also secured the Spurs’ first Southwest Division title since 2017 and 23rd overall, not that it matters since it has zero impact on seeding these days.)

123-98 win at Memphis Grizzlies

The Spurs seem officially done taking inferior teams lightly, as the blew out a short-handed Grizzlies squad that has always found ways to be a thorn in their side over the years. The Spurs got a little complacent on offense in the second quarter after dominating the first, but they got the memo after halftime and ended things with a 41-20 third quarter in a game that will mostly be remembered for a massive amount of posterization dunks.

127-95 win at Milwaukee Bucks

Usually this is an exciting matchup between Wemby and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but with the latter (plus many other main rotation Bucks) out and the former not having his finest game on offense, there wasn’t much excitement in this one. Instead, the Spurs rode their depth and another triple-double from Stephon Castle to methodically put away another shorthanded team, although to the remaining Bucks’ credit, they played a physical game and made the Spurs work for it. The win technically gave the Spurs their third winning streak of eight games or longer this season (reminder: the Cup Finals loss doesn’t count). It also made them the first team in NBA history with win four road games in a row by 25+ or more points, going back to their win in Sacramento.

Power Rankings

John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 2 (last week: 2)

OffRtg: 118.4 (4) DefRtg: 110.1 (3) NetRtg: +8.3 (2) Pace: 100.8 (12)

With the league’s longest active winning streak (eight games), the Spurs are keeping the pressure on the Thunder, who they trail by just two games in the loss column.

Three takeaways

1. Victor Wembanyama had three steals and seven blocks (in less than 27 minutes) in the Spurs’ win in Memphis on Wednesday, giving him 11 games of at least 10 steals + blocks over his three seasons in the league. The rest of the league has just five such games over those three years, with no other player having more than one.
2. Wembanyama being healthier this season is one reason why the Spurs have been the league’s most improved defensive team by a wide margin, allowing 6.2 fewer points per 100 possessions than in 2024-25. However, he’s still only played about 200 more minutes (1,725) than he did in 2024-25 (1,527), and the Spurs have been much better defensively in both his minutes on the floor (102.9 vs. 110.0 allowed per 100) versus his minutes off the floor (113.8 vs. 118.2 allowed per 100).
3. The Spurs are the only team that ranks in the top five in both opponent field goal percentage in the paint (54.4%, fourth) and opponent free throw rate (23.0 attempts per 100 shots from the field, first). Their win on Saturday was the first time in more than five years that a team (the Bucks) attempted fewer than 25 shots in the paint (they were 14-for-24) and fewer than 10 free throws (5-for-6).

Coming up: With the Spurs set to finish first or second in the West, a first-round series with the eighth-place Clippers is a distinct possibility. The Spurs have won both of the first two meetings (both in March) by exactly four points, and the final meeting will be in LA on Thursday, the second half of the Spurs’ final back-to-back.

Law Murray, The Athletic — 1 (last week: 2)

Frontier Award: Julian Champagnie

Center Victor Wembanyama already made his case for MVP, and presumably Defensive Player of the Year and supreme alien leader. But he did not advocate for the Power Rankings Frontier Award. That is going to Champagnie this season, who went from undrafted in 2022 and waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023 to a fixture in San Antonio’s starting lineup since the turn of the new year. Champagnie has been durable and consistent, playing in every Spurs game this season and hitting 38.3 percent of his 3s. Along the way, the Spurs have continued to steamroll the league, winning 24 of 26 games since the beginning of February.

Brett Siegel, Clutch Points — 1 (last week: 2)

The Spurs have moved back into the top spot of the NBA power rankings with two weeks remaining in the season by picking up three wins with a point differential of +82. There is no word to describe the Spurs right now other than dominant.

This team only has two losses since the start of February, and San Antonio’s third-ranked defense continues to improve. Three road games in four days against Golden State, LA, and Denver will be a small test for this group, but their hopes of catching the Thunder and claiming the 1-seed are still very much alive.

---

Coming up: Mon. 3/30 vs. Chicago Bulls (29-45); Wed. 4/1 at Golden State Warriors (36-39); Thurs. 4/2 at Los Angeles Clippers (39-36); Sat. 4/4 at Denver Nuggets (48-28)

Prediction: 4-0 — 3-1 would be a much safer prediction here (and it might have been 2-2 if this were January), but the Spurs have been on such a roll lately that I can’t bring myself to doubt them. They should at least start 2-0 against a shorthanded Bulls team at home and a Warriors squad on the road that reportedly still won’t have Steph Curry back, but then things get tougher. The Spurs continue their final road trip of the regular season with their third and final match-up against another potential first round opponent that should have Kawhi Leonard again, followed by a trip to Denver, who are starting to find their groove and will be fighting for seeding. This game should also feature the first Wemby-Joker match-up of the season.

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — Ahead of the World Cup, Chris Richards has a new take on what makes America unique.

“Maybe the TSA lines right now, that’s pretty American,” the U.S. defender said Monday ahead of a World Cup warmup match against Portugal.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Richards lives much of the year in London, where he plays for English club Crystal Palace. He arrived in the U.S. last week for a pair of national team friendlies in Atlanta.

His earlier take on what was uniquely American focused on food. During October friendlies in Texas and Colorado, he took teammates Cameron Carter-Vickers and Antonee Robinson, who grew up in England, to Chili's Grill and Bar as part of a group with Tim Weah, Weston McKennie and Mark McKenzie, according to cbssports.com.

“The Triple Dipper you have to get but then I think it’s the endless chips and salsa, but then also there’s sports on TV and also the chocolate molten lava cake and it’s just like you’re sitting there and you’re looking at the ground, the tile,” Richards was quoted as saying. “You’re like, this is beautiful. This is nostalgia. This is really America … I think that’s one of the things that makes us American — places like Chili’s are like a staple and I think they finally could have that stamp on their passport now that they’ve had Chili’s so I was happy for them.”

France coach Didier Deschamps spoke of airport security ahead of Sunday's friendly against Colombia at Landover, Maryland.

Speaking in a news conference ahead of Sunday’s clash with Colombia in Maryland, Deschamps revealed his shock at the rigorous protocols encountered upon arrival.

“At our arrival, we spent an incredible amount of time at the airport, with checks that I’ve never seen in my life,” the coach explained to reporters. “We are adapting.”

___

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

Only two games this week for the Phoenix Suns, which was much needed for the team after they had five games in seven days the week before. Finishing 1–1 this week, with a loss to the Nuggets and a win against the Jazz, it was a pretty mellow week for Phoenix as the basketball world was mostly focused on March Madness.

Here are the main questions for Week 23 we want your thoughts on:

---

Fending off the Clippers

After a five-game win streak and with the Suns recently dropping five straight, the Los Angeles Clippers are the closest they’ve been to dethroning Phoenix for the 7th spot. Currently 2.5 games back of Phoenix, the Clippers and Suns split their season series against each other. The Suns have the better division record, so assuming they’re the only two teams in the West that finish with the same record, Phoenix will be the higher seed.

Since their 6–21 start to the season, Los Angeles has been one of the best teams in basketball, boasting a 33–15 record over their last 48 games—the fourth-best record in the league in that stretch. Whether they surpass them in the standings or not, Phoenix is likely to face them in the first round of the play-in tournament.

How do you feel about the Clippers as an opponent for the Suns in the play-in? Do you think they can catch the Suns in the standings?

Brooks and Williams Returns Loom

Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams are getting closer to returning from their respective hand and foot injuries. Both participated in 5-on-5 over the weekend, and Jordan Ott said that “everything is headed in the right direction” when it comes to their injuries.

Williams has been out since March 3rd, and Brooks has been out since February 21st. Williams will presumably replace Oso Ighodaro in the starting lineup at center, while Brooks looks to be replacing Royce O’Neale.

Suns coach Jordan Ott said Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Mark Williams (left foot third metatarsal stress reaction) both played 5-on-5 today, a huge step towards returning to the floor.

Suns begin road trip March 30 at Memphis.

"They played 5-on-5 today. That was… pic.twitter.com/QUM82phn7W

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 29, 2026

How do you think Ott and company should handle both starters’ pending returns? What do you think rotations should look like?

The Final Stretch

Phoenix has just eight games left in the regular season, about 10% remaining. The team is 4–6 in their last 10 and recently endured their longest losing streak of the season. With six more road games and two more home contests, the Suns have a chance to even out their road and home records, as the team is 24–15 at home this season and 17–18 away from the Mortgage Matchup Center.

What do the Suns need to prove to you in the last two weeks of the season for you to feel confident in them come playoff time?

---

On the Suns’ Plate This Week

After just two games this past week, Phoenix will have four this week. Starting tonight against the Grizzlies, the team will then head to Orlando to face the Magic tomorrow, and then the Hornets and Bulls on Thursday and Sunday, respectively.

The Dallas Mavericks might be playing with lottery fire. Every few games they have a key result that risks their positioning in a bottlenecked cluster in the top ten. Last week it was a win against the Portland Trail Blazers on a night those around them lost.

We should take a moment and pause — positioning ultimately decides nothing. The story will only be fully told when the lottery order is decided in a draw on Sunday May, 10. Go back 12 months and look at teams like the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans who all positioned themselves better than the Mavericks and ultimately they fell back three and four spots. So sweating game to game results too closely isn’t productive. But in the event the Mavericks do get bumped backward in May, being nearest to the top will help pad the fall.

Here at Lottery Watch we’re doing the unproductive thing. We’re looking at the weekly results and measuring where the Mavericks will land as the season comes to a close and as the organization looks to this summer to find Cooper Flagg’s future running mate.

---

Lottery standings

The Mavericks went 1-2 last week, and face a shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves squad Monday night. No matter the opponent Dallas plays hard every night, even as the accumulate losses, and flirt with stealing some surprising wins. They find themselves currently tied for sixth in the lottery standings with the New Orleans Pelicans, 3.5 games behind the Utah Jazz — which is likely an impossible gap to make up with so few games.

Where they’re certainly looking is behind them, where the Memphis Grizzlies sit just one game behind the tie, after a dramatic near-loss-but-somehow-surprising-win to the Chicago Bulls. Dallas has a marginally tougher schedule over Memphis. But notably the New Orleans Pelicans, who once again have no incentive to lose (owe their pick to the Atlanta Hawks), has the fifth easiest remaining schedule. Something will eventually have to give…that or we all bite our nails until May 10. Probably the latter.

Weekly schedule

The Mavericks play most of their games at home this week (14-23 this season), with one game on the road to face the hobbled Milwaukee Bucks, who are currently just behind Memphis in the lottery standings. This is one of those weeks where the hustle-heavy Mavericks could grab a win or two.

The Pelicans don’t play until Thursday, and also have some winnable games on their slate, while Memphis ay have opportunity to move up in the standings.

• Dallas Mavericks: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, @ Milwaukee Bucks, vs. Orlando Magic, vs. Los Angeles Lakers
• New Orleans Pelicans: @ Portland Trail Blazers, @ Sacramento Kings, vs. Orlando Magic
• Memphis Grizzlies: vs. Phoenix Suns, vs. New York Knicks, vs. Toronto Raptors, @ Milwaukee Bucks

One magic spin

Each week we’ll take one spin around the block at tankathon.com and see where the chips fall. This week the Mavericks move back into the top four after losing out on last week’s spin. And in a “no one cares about this witchcraft but me” scenario the Atlanta Hawks jump to first FOR THE SIXTH WEEK IN A ROW. They have gone 6-of-6 in this series. Demons.

This week’s simulation really drives the point home on positioning not guaranteeing anything but it does pad the fall back.

Will Wade is back in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

After four seasons away, the 43-year-old coach is back as the LSU men's basketball coach following stops at McNeese and North Carolina State. Wade was introduced as the new Tigers coach, starting for the 2026-27 college basketball season on March 30.

REQUIRED READING: Did Dan Hurley deserve a technical after game-winning shot for going face-to-face with ref?

In his first stint with LSU, Wade had a 105-51 record, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2019. However, he was suspended for the final five games of the 2021-22 season after the NCAA issued a notice to the school based on findings from investigations into alleged recruiting violations.

"The last four years have humbled and changed me," Wade said. "You're getting a better coach, a better leader this time around."

Wade spent the 2023-24 season with McNeese, leading the program to an NCAA Tournament berth. He then coached the program to its first tournament win the following season. He signed a six-year contract with N.C. State on March 22, 2025.

He said on Monday that he had no concerns about how he left the Wolfpack after just one season.

"I long ago quit worrying about my perception," Wade said. "That part doesn't bother me too much. I'd like to focus more on what's going on at LSU. NC State was great to me. I think there have been things I have been mischaracterized on how I left."

"I am at peace with how I left. ... They are pretty mad for a coach they didn't think was very good," Wade added.

LSU opted to bring back Wade and fire head coach Matt McMahon last week. McMahon was 60-70 in four years after replacing Wade, including going 15-17 and 3-15 in SEC play this past season.

USA TODAY brought you coverage of Wade's introductory press conference with LSU on Monday. Catch up here:

Will Wade introduced as LSU coach live updates

Will Wade's LSU introductory press conference concludes

The nearly 50-minute press conference to introduce Will Wade as the new men's basketball coach is over. Wade spoke for nearly 30 minutes, including fielding questions from the media.

Will Wade addresses exit from NC State

"I long ago quit worrying about my perception," Wade said. "That part doesn't bother me too much. I'd like to focus more on what's going on at LSU. NC State was great to me. I think there have been things I have been mischaracterized on how I left."

"I am at peace with how I left. ... They are pretty mad for a coach they didn't think was very good," Wade added.

Wade added he wishes NC State "nothing but success."

Will Wade said he has met with five or six players

Wade added he has met with five or six players since he took the job. He said that with a ton of seniors, there will be a lot of roster. He said conversations will continue for the guys who want to stay with LSU, but will also support players who want to transfer.

He said there has not been a team meeting, but he has met guys one-on-one.

Will Wade will hire some assistant coaches before portal opens next week

Will Wade said he'll have a shell "recruiting staff" in place by next week. The NCAA transfer portal opens on Monday.

He added that as the head coach, he is also the GM, and the final say on who is on the roster will be on him.

Will Wade says first contact with LSU was made last Wednesday

"There wasn't some formal interview," Wade said. "We all knew each other for a long time. It pretty much kicked into high gear on Wednesday, when first contact was made. That was when the process started."

Will Wade says team will add a 'bunch of new players'

"We're going to have to get a bunch of new players," Will Wade said. "Good players cost, they ain't cheap."

Will Wade says he's best coach for LSU men's basketball

"I believe I am the best coach for this university in men's basketball," Will Wade said.

Will Wade said he'll get LSU back to NCAA Tournament

"We're going to get this program back to the NCAA Tournament, back to the top of SEC in short order," Will Wade said. I am honored to be your coach and represent the state in this great school."

Will Wade wants to build a winner at LSU

"We're going to get in that portal when it opens next Monday and we're going to put together a winner, because that's what everyone in here deserves," Will Wade said.

Will Wade says last four years have 'humbled and changed me'

Will Wade said he will be a "better leader" for LSU this time around.

"The last four years have humbled and changed me," Wade said. "You're getting a better coach, a better leader this time around."

Will Wade ready to make history at LSU

Will Wade said he's going to make history with LSU basketball. He will either win a national championship or he will be the first coach fired twice from the same school.

Will Wade speaking now

Will Wade is at the podium speaking now, after being introduced as the new LSU men's basketball coach.

"This is home. I wasn't born in Louisiana, but Louisiana is home for my family."

LSU president Wade Rousse says 'LSU wants to win national championships 

LSU president Wade Rousse, who worked with Will Wade at McNeese, introduced Wade and added that the Tigers are bringing in Wade to win. 

"We want to win national championships," Rousse said before introducing Wade.

LSU AD Verge Ausberry thanks Matt McMahon

LSU's Vice President and Director of Athletics, Verge Ausberry, is the first to speak at Will Wade's introductory press conference. He starts the press conference by thanking Matt McMahon.

Ausberry said that Wade was the only coach that LSU spoke to about the position.

Will Wade greeted by 'LSU' chants

Will Wade has made his entrance and was greeted by "LSU" chants from fans in attendance.

How to watch Will Wade, LSU press conference

Will Wade's introductory press conference for LSU men's basketball will be streamed on SEC Network+, available on ESPN+ or in the ESPN app.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LSU basketball introduces Will Wade as head coach: Highlights

ATLANTA — The Celtics will once again be shorthanded when they face the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

Jayson Tatum (right Achilles repair management) will be sidelined after exploding for 32 points and 8 assists on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. And Nikola Vucevic remains out with a right ring finger fracture suffered on March 6th.

Jaylen Brown is AVAILABLE tonight against the Hawks.

Jayson Tatum and Nikola Vucevic are OUT.

Ron Harper Jr (Ankle Sprain) is QUESTIONABLE

Neemias Queta (Thumb Sprain) is Doubtful

Derrick White (Knee Contusion) is PROBABLE

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) March 30, 2026

The good news for the Celtics, however, is that Jaylen Brown, who missed the last two games with left Achilles tendonitis, is available. Joe Mazzulla said last week that Brown was day-to-day.

Derrick White, who, like Brown, missed Sunday’s game, is probable to play in this one. Neemias Queta, who is dealing with a right thumb sprain, is doubtful. And, Ron Harper Jr., who sprained his ankle in Sunday’s game, is questionable to play. Harper Jr. left in the second quarter of the game, but returned in the second half and played 4 minutes the rest of the way.

Monday will mark Tatum’s second rest night since returning to action on March 6th.

Atlanta, meanwhile, will be fully healthy in the match-up.

How the Celtics, Hawks stack up

The Celtics are 2-1 against the Hawks this season, most recently beating them 109-102 last Friday at TD Garden. The Celtics overcame a 16-point first-quarter deficit in that game, fueled by a 26-point performance from Payton Pritchard and a 26-point, 12-rebound outing by Jayson Tatum.

Both the Celtics and the Hawks have been two of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Hawks (42-33) are 16-3 since the All-Star break, the third-best record in the NBA in that span.

Celtics-Hawks tips off at 7:30pm ET on Monday night in Atlanta.