Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz, Isis "Ice" Young, Kevin O'Connor and 13-year NBA veteran Marcus Morris discuss the East region of the 2025 NCAA men’s tournament field - including top-seeded Duke.
NCAA Men’s Tournament – Midwest Region bracket breakdown
NCAA Men’s Tournament – South Region bracket breakdown
NCAA Men’s Tournament – West Region bracket breakdown
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-03-17 19:21:16
Va Tech, Saint Joseph’s, James Madison and Colorado in Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament
Virginia Tech, Saint Joseph's, James Madison and Colorado headline the 32-team Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament field that was announced Sunday night. The four teams just missed out on making the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA created the 32-team WBIT as part of its response to an independent 2021 gender-equity report that found there were longstanding disparities between men’s and women’s postseason opportunities.
Nets snap three-game skid with 122-114 win over Hawks
NEW YORK (AP) — Cam Johnson scored 28 points, Keon Johnson added 22 and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 122-114 on Sunday night.
Tyrese Martin had 16 points for the Nets, who snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in 12 games. Jalen Wilson and Trendon Watford finished with 13 points apiece.
Trae Young had 28 points and 12 assists for the Hawks, who have dropped two in a row after winning four straight. Onyeka Okongwu added 21 points and 15 rebounds.
The Hawks led by 10 in the third quarter, but the Nets had it down to one by the end of the period and outscored Atlanta 31-22 in the fourth.
Takeaways
Hawks: Dyson Daniels had five steals to extend his NBA lead and has 24 games with four or more, the most in an NBA season since Hall of Famer Allen Iverson had 24 in 2002-03.
Nets: Brooklyn put together an impressive finishing kick on the second night of back-to-back games after falling 115-113 to Boston on Saturday.
Key moment
The Nets led by one before a 10-0 surge in the fourth gave them a 109-98 lead on Keon Johnson’s 3-pointer with 6:56 remaining.
Key stat
The Nets have won six straight against Atlanta at home. The Hawks’ last win in Brooklyn was on New Year’s Day in 2021.
Up next
The Nets are in Boston on Tuesday after losing to the Celtics at home on Saturday. Atlanta visits Charlotte on Tuesday.
NCAA Tournament West Region predictions: Contenders to challenge Florida in March Madness
James Harden and Clippers dominate Hornets for third straight win
The Clippers are trending in the right direction, and on top of it, they are becoming whole with leading scorer Norman Powell back and with James Harden sustaining his high level of play.
They've won six of their last seven games, with the Clippers’ 123-88 blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at the Intuit Dome pushing their winning streak to three.
“This was a good professional win,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.
For Lue, the shift began with the Clippers playing defense at a higher level while not forcing the action.
Read more:Clippers' strong third quarter leads to blowout of the Hawks
Before the game, Lue talked about how Harden has been a consistent force, something the All-Star proved against Charlotte with 31 points on nine-for-15 shooting. He also made four of seven three-point attempts, 10 rebounds and seven assists in just 31 minutes.
"We pretty much need to win these games,” Kawhi Leonard said after finishing with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes. “Obviously James has been playing at a great level. ... It’s just been a collective group [effort].”
Lue said the Clippers are comfortable playing through Leonard and Ivica Zubac more frequently. Zubac finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high eight assists in 28 minutes.
“It’s been great,” Leonard said about Zubac’s play, especially the center’s passing ability. “Like I said, if the other team is switching or if we need a basket, he’s able to relieve us and with his efficiency. The other team is seeing that and bringing two guys to him and he’s making the right play.”
In addition, Lue has integrated Bogdan Bogdanovic (seven points, four rebounds) and Ben Simmons (three assists, zero points) more into the fold. It has all added up to the Clippers playing with greater purpose.
“Just trying to fit all these pieces together,” Lue said. “We have [14] games to do it, which is more than enough time if we just lock in and understand what we’re trying to do. So I’m excited about that challenge.”
One player who struggled to put the pieces together Sunday was Powell. After missing 12 of the last 13 games because of knee issues and a right hamstring strain, he scored just seven points on three-for-13 shooting.
The next seven days will provide the Clippers with tougher challenges.
They face Cleveland, Memphis and Oklahoma City next. The Cavaliers have the best record in the NBA, the Thunder the second best and the Grizzlies are fourth in the Western Conference.
Read more:Kawhi Leonard's spectacular buzzer-beater lifts Clippers to OT win over Kings
But because the Clippers have found their groove — like when they built a 38-point lead against Charlotte — they are more prepared for the task ahead as they try to climb out of the No. 8 spot in the West.
“Getting guys back healthy, playing together, trusting each other, playing better defense than when we played in a stretch before that,” Zubac said about the Clippers' improved play. “And, that’s it. We’re kind of figuring it out. Defensively we’re better and we’re slowly getting guys back. ... We got a good squad when we’re healthy. So, just keep building, keep building. We’re in a final stretch of the season and we got to get as many wins as we can and everyone [has] got to be locked in.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
March Madness 2025: What the NCAA tournament selection committee got right and wrong
Michigan State basketball picked to make March Madness Final Four by several analysts
NCAA Tournament East Region predictions: Duke has Cooper Flagg question entering March Madness
West Region will feature 3 Hall of Fame coaches, another with consecutive national titles
Rick Pitino's latest rebuilding project will take him to Providence, where he pulled off one of the biggest surprises in March Madness history by leading the Friars to the 1987 Final Four. Pitino will be joined in Rhode Island by Kansas' Bill Self and Arkansas' John Calipari, putting three Hall of Fame coaches together in one site at the bottom of the West Region bracket. Add in UConn's Dan Hurley, who has led the Huskies to consecutive national championships, and that's quite a coaching roster in the West.