UIC Flames (14-16, 11-10 MVC) vs. Missouri State Bears (24-7, 16-4 MVC) Evansville, Indiana; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Missouri State and UIC play in the MVC Tournament. The Bears are 16-4 against MVC opponents and 8-3 in non-conference play.
Drake Bulldogs and Illinois State Redbirds meet in MVC Tournament
The Redbirds' record in MVC play is 15-6. Illinois State is 2-2 in games decided by 3 points or fewer. Drake scores 78.0 points, 10.5 more per game than the 67.5 Illinois State gives up.
Texas Southern Tigers play in SWAC Tournament against the Alcorn State Braves
Alcorn State Braves (12-17, 11-8 SWAC) vs. Texas Southern Tigers (16-14, 15-4 SWAC) College Park, Georgia; Friday, 11 a.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Texas Southern and Alcorn State play in the SWAC Tournament. The Tigers have gone 15-4 against SWAC teams, with a 1-10 record in non-conference play.
Middle Tennessee Raiders and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers square off in CUSA Tournament
Middle Tennessee has a 22-6 record in games decided by 10 or more points. The Hilltoppers' record in CUSA play is 14-5. Western Kentucky ranks fourth in the CUSA scoring 30.6 points per game in the paint led by Acacia Hayes averaging 10.0.
Cal Poly upsets UC Riverside 96-83 in Big West Conference Tournament quarterfinal
Owen Koonce scored 20 points, and Cayden Ward added a double-double off the bench as Cal Poly breezed to a 96-83 upset victory over UC Riverside in a Big West Conference Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night. The seventh-seeded Mustangs (16-18) will play No. seed UC Irvine in a Friday semifinal.
Watch Stephen Curry become first player in NBA history to reach 4,000 made 3-pointers
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 13: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a three point basket during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 13, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Joshua Leung/NBAE via Getty Images)
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It's fitting that the basket came on a shot in which Stephen Curry had to relocate a few steps — one of his seamless shooting skills that have brought him to this point.
With a third-quarter 3-pointer where Malik Monk forced him to relocate his shot — and he had to get it off between defenders — Curry became the first player in NBA history with 4,000 made 3-pointers.
Steph is the first player in NBA history with 4,000 3-pointers
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025
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The crowd erupted during the next timeout, and a video tribute played on the board.
Dub Nation loves you, Steph
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025
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The greatest to ever shoot it
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025
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Curry became the all-time leading 3-point scorer in NBA history in December 2021, when he passed Ray Allen's then-record of 2,973 made 3-pointers. Among active players, James Harden is second with 3,127 3s, and Bucks star Damian Lillard is next with 2,794.
How were the Warriors going to celebrate Curry's milestone?
"What do you get for the guy who has everything? Maybe I'll give him a day off," coach Steve Kerr joked postgame.
The Warriors did celebrate with a 130-104 win. It was not a hot shooting night for Curry overall, as he finished with 11 points and was 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. Draymond Green led the Warriors with 23 while Moses Moody, in a starting role, added 17.
DeMar DeRozan scored 23 to lead a Kings team that misses Domantas Sabonis and what he brings to their offense.
Otega Oweh scores last shot again as No. 15 Kentucky sends Oklahoma home from 1st SEC Tourney
Otega Oweh made a baseline jumper with 0.5 seconds left after No. 15 Kentucky had blown a late lead in the final minutes, and the Wildcats beat Oklahoma 85-84 on Thursday night to advance to the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Oweh finished with 27 points. Koby Brea added 22 and Andrew Carr 11.
UConn uses late rally to advance to Big East tournament semifinals after 73-56 win over Villanova
UConn uses late run to beat Villanova 73-56 in Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal
Alex Karaban scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half to help Connecticut rally for a 73-56 victory over Villanova in a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. The third-seeded Huskies (23-9) move on to play No. 2 seed Creighton in a Friday semifinal. The Blue Demons were aiming for the school's first semifinal appearance in the tournament.
Arizona pulls away late to beat Kansas 88-77 in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal
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.