Mar 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
These games happen in the NBA. There was no LeBron James or Luka Doncic for the Lakers, but with the chance to shine, other guys stepped up — Austin Reaves scored 37, Dalton Knecht had 32 with five 3-pointers, and Los Angeles just played hard. Meanwhile, Denver played like they expected the Lakers to roll over.
Fortunately, with the game on the line, Nikola Jokic set a massive (moving?) screen, taking out two defenders, which opened the door for Jamal Murray to save the day for the Nuggets.
It was an ugly win for the Nuggets, but after rough losses to top teams (Boston, Oklahoma City, Minnesota), they needed the win. That doesn't mean Michael Malone was happy about it, he walked into his postgame press conference, crumpled up the stat sheet and threw it away. The win moved the Nuggets back up to No. 2 in the West.
Jokic finished the game with 28 points, seven rebounds, and five assists — a great night for most players but a pedestrian one for him.
The Lakers went 0-4 on their road trip and will have to continue without LeBron James (groin strain) for another week or so, but now come home for four games, with a couple of winnable ones to start against Phoenix Sunday (nationally televised), followed by the very shorthanded Spurs. Then they get another shot at Denver.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves, right, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray during the first half of Friday's game. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
Inside a locker room, geography matters and Friday night in Denver, Austin Reaves was in the big seat.
Using the space typically assigned to LeBron James inside the Nuggets’ visiting locker room, Reaves sat closest to the showers, players passing him on their way in and out after they’d fumbled a chance to stun Denver.
Cam Reddish, Christian Koloko, Jordan Goodwin — each one passed by the space only to briefly stop and get a quick word of encouragement from the lone Lakers starter who played Friday night.
They were fully under the watch of Reaves, the unquestioned third member of the Lakers’ big three who nearly carried his team minus James and Luka Doncic to a win in Denver on the second night of a back-to-back minus 60% of its 10-man rotation.
But his 37 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and four steals weren’t enough — numbers so special that they’ve been accomplished only seven other times, Reaves joining Doncic, James, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Pete Maravich, Bernard King and Kenny Anderson as the select few to have done it.
Earlier this year, minus James and Doncic, Reaves scored 45 points with seven rebounds and seven assists, numbers equaled only 25 times in Lakers history by a list of the organization’s greats. Elgin Baylor did it 10 times. Kobe Bryant did it six. Jerry West had at least 45-7-7 four times. Magic Johnson did it once. And then there’s Reaves.
“Looks weird when you see my name up there,” Reaves said after that game against the Indiana Pacers.
Maybe it’s time to stop being so surprised.
For what it’s worth, Reaves isn’t that shocked, having been confident enough to tell people around him he was going to matter for the Lakers as an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract after one day of minicamp.
“I’ve weirdly been confident for a long time,” Reaves said Friday night, his feet and ankles soaking in ice. “It’s just being on the stage for the world to see. But I tell you all the time, I just try to play the game the right way. And when shots fall, it looks good. And when shots don’t fall, everybody’s ready to kill me. Everybody in the locker room did what they had to do to win. And unfortunately, we didn’t get it done.”
The Lakers, in all honestly, probably should have.
They led by three in the final minute after back-to-back steals by Reaves led to transition points, starting with one in which he ripped the ball away from annual most valuable player candidate Nikola Jokic.
The second steal led to a Dalton Knecht dunk, with Knecht landing scarily on his back and head after he lost his grip and slipped off the rim. JJ Redick ran to check on Knecht as Denver called timeout and was late back into his huddle.
The Nuggets came out and attacked Koloko, who rarely plays, Jokic quickly scoring and drawing a foul to tie the game.
“I didn’t have time to really get us the right substitutions and matchups that I would have wanted,” Redick said. “And that’s not a knock on CK, but I just kind of put him in a tough spot knowing that Jokic was going to go quick.”
After Reaves’ jumper rimmed out, Denver created an open Jamal Murray three off a screen from Jokic, and like he’s done multiple times before, the Denver guard hit the game’s biggest shot.
“Losing sucks,” Reaves said. “But I’m happy with what these guys in the locker room did tonight.”
As the Lakers head back to Los Angeles on a four-game losing streak, Reaves’ last two games are one of the few slivers of encouragement after the 26-year-old-guard shook off any rust from a two-game absence because of a calf strain this month. He’s also been dealing with right wrist pain and wore a large ice pack on his shooting arm after he scored 28 against Milwaukee on Thursday.
Friday, James was courtside in Sacramento watching his son Bryce and Sierra Canyon win a state title while he recovers from a groin strain. Starters Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura also were not with the team because of knee injuries. Doncic, who scored 45 against the Bucks, didn’t play because of calf and ankle injury management. Key bench players Gabe Vincent (knee) and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) also sat out.
Reaves acknowledged all the absences left him wondering whether he should get one too, with only James having played more minutes for the Lakers this season.
“They told me to go play, so I go play,” Reaves said afterward.
If the Lakers were Reaves’ team Friday, that isn’t expected be the case much longer. The trade for Doncic ensured he’d be the team’s primary creator for the remainder of his contract — and beyond, if the Lakers can keep him. James also will be back to dominate possessions as he’s having an All-NBA-type season, meaning Reaves will be taking a step back and tasked with making the biggest adjustment of the three.
Reaves is a critical part of all that, and finding lanes for him to lead like this — whether he’s in the big seat or not — is a major task for the final month of the regular season.
“Austin has done a great job throughout his career of just like figuring it out. And you don’t always figure it out in a week or a month,” Redick said before Thursday’s game, adding: “There’s a lot of stuff that has happened over the last six weeks. He’s been phenomenal this season. We have a lot of confidence in him as a player. We have a lot of confidence in the duo of him and Luca together. And X-and-O-wise, he’s going to play on ball. He’s going to play off ball. We’ll have a ton of opportunities once we get LeBron back. Those two guys have such great synergy and chemistry. They’re incredibly intelligent players and really understand how to play off of each other.
“And then, I think you’ve seen it when we’ve been whole, the guys have really learned how to play with Luka. And we’ve gotten some good stuff when we’ve been organized.”
Draymond implied on his weekly podcast that Towns was dodging Warriors forward Jimmy Butler, Towns’ teammate when they were on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The truth? The 7-footer was away to attend a memorial service.
Green’s disrespect for Towns is part of the backdrop Saturday when the teams meet at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:35. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 4:30 with Warriors Pregame Live, with Warriors Postgame Live immediately following the ABC telecast.
Both players say they have moved on, but this is the first time this season that they will share the court. Green, as in the past, will be the primary defender on Towns, who is in the absence of guard Jalen Brunson (ankle) is New York’s top scorer, at 24.2 points per game, on 54.2 percent shooting from the field, including 42.2 from deep.
Towns, who over his nine-year career averages 22.2 points per game against Green (per statmuse.com), considers himself the best-shooting big man in the NBA. Draymond considers himself the best all-around defender in the league.
Defending KAT is crucial, as he the most efficient scorer on New York’s roster that includes Mikal Bridges (17.5 ppg), OG Anunoby (16.6) and Josh Hart (14.5). Miles McBride, who is replacing Brunson in the starting lineup, is averaging 9.2 points per game – but posted a career-high 29 points at Chase last season.
With Towns bearing an additional scoring burden, and Green, five inches shorter, will have to avoid foul trouble to have a chance to meet that task.
It’s reasonable to believe ego and pride will get involved. Towns chose not to respond to Green’s comments, but Hart spoke up on his behalf.
“I think KAT handled it the right way,” Hart told the New York Post on Friday. “For me, I have my own podcast and all that stuff. Whenever I’m wrong about something, I’ll sit there and say I was (wrong). I wish he kind of did that. Just apologized.”
Draymond, once presented with the facts, did offer a tepid apology.
But that wasn’t the first time he disparaged KAT, so don’t expect him to be anything other than his usual assertive self when they meet on Saturday.
It’s Saturday, March 15, and the Oklahoma City Thunder (54-12) and Detroit Pistons (37-30) are all set to square off from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The Thunder are currently 25-7 on the road with a point differential of 12, while the Pistons have a 6-4 record in their last ten games at home. This is the first meeting of the season between OKC and Detroit.
Oklahoma City is 8-1 in the last nine games and coming off a win over the Celtics in Boston. Detroit is 8-4 since the All-Star break but is 2-3 over the previous five contests.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Thunder vs. Pistons live today
Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
Time: 7:00PM EST
Site: Little Caesars Arena
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Thunder vs. Pistons
The latest odds as of Saturday:
Odds: Thunder (-240), Pistons (+197)
Spread: Thunder -6
Over/Under: 234 points
That gives the Thunder an implied team point total of 119.12, and the Pistons 115.99.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Saturday’s Thunder vs. Pistons game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Thunder to cover:
"While Detroit has played up to competition and exceeded expectations, the Pistons have dropped games to the Clippers and Wizards in two of the past three losses. Coming off a loss to the Wizards is concerning when they beat them by 20 points a few nights prior. It's Thunder or pass."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Thunder & Pistons game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Oklahoma City Thunder on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Detroit Pistons at +6.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 234.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Thunder vs. Pistons on Saturday
The Thunder have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against Eastern Conference Central Division teams
The Over is 7-3 in the Thunder's last 10 road games
The Pistons have covered the spread in 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with better records
Betting the Thunder on the Money Line in all their road games this season is showing a 110% return on investment
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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It’s Saturday, March 15, and the Boston Celtics (48-19) and Brooklyn Nets (22-44) are all set to square off from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Celtics are currently 25-7 on the road with a point differential of 9, while the Nets have a 5-5 record in their last ten games at home. Boston won both meetings by 4 and 25 points this season. This is the third of four meetings this year.
Boston won six of the past seven games, including their previous outing against Miami by double-digits. Brooklyn is 1-9 over the last 10 games and coming off a six-point loss to Chicago.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Celtics vs. Nets live today
Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
Time: 6:00PM EST
Site: Barclays Center
City: Brooklyn, NY
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Celtics vs. Nets
The latest odds as of Saturday:
Odds: Celtics (-602), Nets (+446)
Spread: Celtics -11.5
Over/Under: 214 points
That gives the Celtics an implied team point total of 111.93, and the Nets 105.95.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Saturday’s Celtics vs. Nets game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Celtics to cover against the Nets:
"These teams split ATS this season, while the Celtics are 2-0 on the ML, and I think this game goes in Boston's favor. The Celtics rested a handful of players against Miami and won that game by double-digits. I think they will have some of those guys back and can win this game by double-digits too before they meet again on Tuesday."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Celtics & Nets game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Celtics on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brooklyn Nets at +11.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 214.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Celtics vs. Nets on Saturday
The Celtics have won 17 of their last 20 matchups against Eastern Conference Atlantic Division opponents
The Over is 8-5 in the Celtics' matchups against Eastern Conference Atlantic Division teams this season
The Nets have covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with winning records
The Nets have covered the Spread in 7 of their 11 matchups against Eastern Conference Atlantic Division teams this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Creighton Bluejays (23-9, 17-5 Big East) vs. St. John's Red Storm (28-4, 20-2 Big East) New York; Saturday, 6:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Storm -6.5; over/under is 140.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. St. John's and Creighton play for the Big East Championship.
Maine Black Bears (20-13, 12-6 America East) at Bryant Bulldogs (22-11, 16-2 America East) Smithfield, Rhode Island; Saturday, 11 a.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bulldogs -7.5; over/under is 144 BOTTOM LINE: Bryant and Maine play for the America East Championship. The Bulldogs are 16-2 against America East opponents and 6-9 in non-conference play.
Arizona Wildcats (21-11, 16-7 Big 12) vs. Houston Cougars (28-4, 21-1 Big 12) Kansas City, Missouri; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cougars -7.5; over/under is 135 BOTTOM LINE: No. Houston squares off against Arizona in the Big 12 Championship.
