Henri Veesaar and KJ Lewis scored 19 points apiece and Arizona pulled away late to beat Kansas 88-77 in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal at T-Mobile Center on Thursday night. Veesaar came off the bench to sink 7 of 11 shots with two 3-pointers for the third-seeded Wildcats (21-11), who move on to play second-seeded and ninth-ranked Texas Tech in a Friday semifinal. Veesaar scored 10, leading Arizona to a 45-37 advantage at halftime.
Hunter scores 21, No. 10 Clemson battles back to beat SMU 57-54 to reach ACC Tournament semifinals
Chase Hunter scored 21 points, Jaeden Zackery added 11 points and No. 10 Clemson battled back to beat SMU 57-54 on Thursday night for its ninth straight win to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals. Ian Schieffelin chipped in with nine points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers (27-5), who are seeking their first ACC Tournament title. Matt Cross led SMU (23-10) with 13 points, while Boopie Miller had 10.
Nets blow another double-digit lead, fall to Bulls 116-110
CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White scored 31 points, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets 116-110 on Thursday night.
White extended his streak of 20-point games to a career-best seven, helping the Bulls rally to win their season-high fourth in a row.
Kevin Huerter added 18 points and nine rebounds. Tre Jones scored 18 points and Julian Phillips finished with 16. Chicago is 10th in the Eastern Conference at 28-38 and holds the final play-in spot.
Cam Thomas led Brooklyn with 24 points and a career-high 10 assists, and Nic Claxton added 18 points and 14 rebounds. Tyrese Martin scored 19 points and Cam Johnson had 16, but the Nets lost for the 10th time in 12 games.
Takeaways
Nets: The Nets once again couldn’t protect a lead, after Cleveland rallied from 18 down in the third to beat them on Tuesday night.
Bulls: Josh Giddey sat out this one after spraining his right ankle against Indiana on Monday. The Bulls hope to get him back during a season-high, six-game trip.
Key moment
The Nets led 92-80 in the closing minute of the third quarter, only to have the Bulls answer with a 17-3 run. Brooklyn then led 101-99 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining when Chicago reeled off eight straight points, with Jones’ reverse layup putting Chicago up by six with just under three minutes remaining.
Key stat
White is averaging 28.6 points in his past seven games.
Up next
Nets: Host Boston on Saturday.
Bulls: Open a season-high, six-game trip at Houston on Saturday.
Ryan Kalkbrenner rallies Creighton past DePaul 85-81 in 2OT in Big East Tournament quarterfinal
Ryan Kalkbrenner had 32 points and scored the go-ahead basket in the second overtime after Creighton scored the final 11 points in regulation, and the Bluejays held on for an 85-81 victory over DePaul in a Big East Tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Kalkbrenner scored in the paint to give No. 2 seed Creighton a 77-76 lead and the Bluejays (23-9) never trailed over the final 2:12 against the 10th-seeded Blue Demons (14-19). Creighton advances to play in a Friday semifinal against the winner of the final quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 seed Connecticut and No. 6 Villanova.
Lakers drop third in a row despite Luka Doncic's 45 points
When the Lakers were playing their best basketball in February, they were fueled by the energizing power of belief, the knowledge that they could win on any night. Even when they weren’t at their best, a mixture of pace, toughness and execution got the Lakers through the finish line.
Now, as they’re slogging through March, the bulk of their frontcourt back in Los Angeles resting and rehabbing injuries, the tank looks much emptier, the joy much more fleeting and the belief, at least temporarily, disappearing in a 126-106 loss.
Even with Luka Doncic scoring 45 points, his most since the Lakers acquired him from Dallas, the game never really looked within reach for Los Angeles. Instead, they played 48 minutes in sort of a futile chase, forced to double-team Giannis Antetokounmpo only to leave a shooter wide open at the three-point line.
“It has to be another night where we have to do both,” coach JJ Redick said of the Lakers’ challenge pregame. “We have to protect the paint and we have to close out and guard their lasers.”
They didn’t do either.
While it was clear that Redick’s diagnosis of the Lakers’ defensive responsibilities would be too much for them to handle, something else he said before the blowout loss was probably more important than anything that happened in the four quarters to follow.
Redick said LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes were no longer with the Lakers on this trip, meaning none of them will be available Friday night in Denver against the Nuggets. But Redick also said that the trio of players, James included, would be considered “day-to-day” moving forward, meaning the Lakers have a good chance to get whole sooner than later.
Doncic’s 45 points came from the wild array of skills he possesses — deep threes, drives where he pulled the emergency brake for a pull-up jumper and trips to the line thanks to his physicality. Austin Reaves, who struggled in the Lakers’ loss to Brooklyn, scored 28.
But other than Doncic and Reaves, no other Lakers player ever provided much of an offensive threat.
Five Bucks scored at least 16 points, with plenty of Milwaukee’s 17 made threes coming off wide-open looks.
The Lakers, who have lost three in a row, close out the trip Friday in Denver — another tough game where the Lakers will be severely undermanned.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
JT Toppin leads No. 9 Texas Tech past Baylor 76-74 in Big 12 Tournament
JT Toppin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lift No. 9 Texas Tech to a 76-74 victory over Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday night. Darrion Williams scored 14 points and Elijah Hawkins and Kerwin Walton had 12 each for Texas Tech (25-7), which will face either Kansas or Arizona in Friday's semifinals.
Hepburn’s putback at the buzzer lifts No. 13 Louisville over Stanford 75-73 in ACC Tournament
Chucky Hepburn’s putback jumper at the buzzer helped No. 13 Louisville overcome a 15-point second-half deficit to beat Stanford 75-73 on Thursday night and advance to the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Terrence Edwards scored 25 points and Hepburn added 20 for the Cardinals (26-6), who’ve won 10 straight. Noah Waterman and James Scott each had 12.
Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV leaves SEC Tournament as career scoring leader, passing Allan Houston
Wade Taylor IV is leaving Music City his earliest yet with No. 14 Texas A&M. The 6-foot guard played and lost his 11th tournament game Thursday in double overtime to Texas, but not for lack of effort. Taylor finished with 29 points and was 17 of 18 at the free-throw line.
Fairleigh Dickinson women are heading to March Madness with NEC title game opponent ineligible
Fairleigh Dickinson earned the first NCAA Tournament bid in school history after beating Chicago State 90-61 in the Northeastern Conference Tournament semifinals on Thursday night. The Knights (28-3) received the automatic bid because the other semifinal between Stonehill and Le Moyne, which Stonehill won 60-41, featured teams ineligible for the NCAA Tournament because they are still in the process of transitioning to Division I. “We all said treat this game like its a final,” FDU star Teneisia Brown said.
Kylan Boswell scores 24 points to help No. 24 Illinois beats Iowa 106-94 in Big Ten tourney
Kylan Boswell scored a career-high 24 points and four other Illinois players finished in double digits as the 24th-ranked Fighting Illini beat 15th-seeded Iowa 106-94 in a wild second-round Big Ten Tournament game on Thursday night. Tre White had 22 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as Illinois (21-11) won its fourth straight.
Spurs' De'Aaron Fox to undergo surgery on left pinkie finger, out for season
This news was expected, especially after it was announced that De’Aaron Fox would meet with doctors in Los Angeles to discuss the next steps for his injured pinkie finger on his left hand.
Fox will undergo season-ending surgery on his finger next Tuesday, a story broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The timing makes sense. With Victor Wembanyama out for the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, the Spurs have fallen off to 27-47 and, at 4.5 games out of even the play-in, have no real chance for a postseason run. It's better to get the surgery, start the healing process, and have more time to work on chemistry with Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and the rest of the Spurs throughout the summer.
Fox injured the finger in training camp when he was still a member of the Sacramento Kings and has played through it all season, Charania reports. Fox had learned to play through the injury, dropping 32 on the Mavericks in a Spurs win Wednesday.
Roll the tapes A @swipathefox masterclass tonight!
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 13, 2025
32 PTS | 9 REB | 11 AST | 1 STL pic.twitter.com/wlPq69XDka
Fox started the season in Sacramento, but after coach Mike Brown was fired Fox pushed to be traded, he no longer felt there was enough stability in the Sacramento organization to win. Fox wanted to be traded to Sacramento to team up with Wembanyama and got his wish.
The future is bright in San Antonio, but Fox has prioritized getting his hand right first.
Duke advances at a price
There isn’t much else to cram into the gamut of emotions for Duke’s first game of the ACC tournament. Duke missing its first 13 3-pointers and matching its largest deficit of the season — those were just in the first half — paled in comparison to the rest of the bad news. Maliq Brown suffered a left shoulder injury with five minutes left — later ruled a re-dislocation of the same shoulder he injured about a month ago at Virginia.
LeBron congratulates Steph for his ‘crazy' 4K 3-point feat
LeBron congratulates Steph for his ‘crazy' 4K 3-point feat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Legend recognize legend.
Shortly after Warriors superstar guard Steph Curry became the first player in NBA history to record 4,000 made 3-pointersagainst the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, superstar LeBron James didn’t hesitate to give the four-time NBA champion his roses.
How so?
From one NBA icon and future Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer to another, James took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to congratulate Curry for his “crazy” accomplishment.
🧑🏽🍳 4K from Trey is CRAZY!!!!! Congrats my brother!! That’s 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 @StephenCurry30
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 14, 2025
Despite only finishing with 11 points and two 3-pointers, Curry’s third-quarter triple made history – and prompted the home crowd to ring out “MVP” chants.
Steph is the first player in NBA history with 4,000 3-pointers 🙌
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025
In December 2021, Curry became the league’s all-time 3-point leader when he hit his 2,974th career triple to pass Ray Allen (2,973) in a win over the New York Knicks.
As it stands, Los Angeles Clippers star guard James Harden is the only player in NBA history to surpass 3,000 made 3-pointers. At 3,127 made 3-pointers, Harden, who is also a member of the 2009 NBA Draft class, is a ways away from Curry.
All facts considered, it only makes sense that James would congratulate Curry.
After all, he is the undisputed 3-point king – and, by the looks of it, that won’t change anytime soon.
Why Steph immediately gave 4K 3-pointer ball to wife Ayesha
Why Steph immediately gave 4K 3-pointer ball to wife Ayesha originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Ever wondered what happens to the game ball from an historic NBA achievement?
For starters, the most important thing is ensuring the safety of the now-treasured artifact. Which is exactly why Steph Curry gave the ball from his iconic 4,000th 3-pointer milestone to his wife Ayesha, who was in attendance for the special moment after she was unable to witness his record-breaking 2,974th 3-pointer on Dec. 14, 2021.
“She wasn’t in New York for the the record, 2,974. So it was cool that for the 4,000 she was here,” Curry told reporters after Thursday’s game. “She got the reponsibility of making sure the ball gets home. Just the idea, like you said, we’ve been all together for a very long time. Coach [Steve Kerr] allows family to be a part of what we do as much as possible. We got kids running around the practice courts. I realize when we all started this we were all youngins in the league and he’s seen our families grow one-by-one over the years. So it’s kind of cool that we get to share the on-court and off-court experience together.”
Curry’s other family — Dub Nation — also got to experience the iconic moment in person after seeing his last significant 3-point milestone occur during a road game, creating a “special” atmosphere the Warriors superstar soaked up in its entirety.
Dub Nation loves you, Steph 💙💛
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025
While Curry certainly had a quiet night in the stat sheet by his own standardsduring the Warriors’ 13-104 win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday — 11 points in 30 minutes — his all-time achievement still remained the highlight of an unforgettable night. And now he has a memento to reflect on it forever.
Why Steph immediately gave 4K 3-pointer ball to wife Ayesha
Why Steph immediately gave 4K 3-pointer ball to wife Ayesha originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Ever wondered what happens to the game ball from a historic NBA achievement?
For starters, the most important thing is ensuring the safety of the now-treasured artifact. Which is exactly why Warriors star Steph Curry gave the ball from his iconic 4,000th 3-pointer milestone to his wife Ayesha, who was in attendance for the special moment Thursday at Chase Center after she was unable to witness his record-breaking 2,974th 3-pointer on Dec. 14, 2021.
“She wasn’t in New York for the the record, 2,974. So it was cool that for the 4,000 she was here,” Curry told reporters after Thursday’s game. “She got the reponsibility of making sure the ball gets home. Just the idea, like you said, we’ve been all together for a very long time.
“Coach [Steve Kerr] allows family to be a part of what we do as much as possible. We got kids running around the practice courts. I realize when we all started this we were all youngins in the league and he’s seen our families grow one-by-one over the years. So it’s kind of cool that we get to share the on-court and off-court experience together.”
Curry’s other family — Dub Nation — also got to experience the iconic moment in person after seeing his last significant 3-point milestone occur during a road game, creating a “special” atmosphere the Warriors superstar soaked up in its entirety.
Dub Nation loves you, Steph 💙💛
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025
While Curry certainly had a quiet night in the stat sheet by his own standardsduring the Warriors’ 130-104 win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday — 11 points in 30 minutes — his all-time achievement still remained the highlight of an unforgettable night. And now he has a memento to reflect on it forever.