Jaylen Brown had an early exit Tuesday night — and he didn’t wait long to voice his frustration.
The Celtics star was ejected in the second quarter of Tuesday night’s 125-116 loss to the Spurs after he received a double technical seemingly for arguing over the lack of a call against San Antonio’s Stephon Castle.
Brown, dribbling near the sideline, lost the handle of the ball as Castle guarded him, and possession was given to the Spurs. Brown took exception to the decision, immediately holding out his arms in disbelief.
Jaylen Brown has been EJECTED after being assessed a double technical foul for his reaction to this no-call
Instead of really going back on defense, an incensed Brown yelled at referee Tyler Ford and the rest of the officiating crew, which eventually gave him a double technical and the early boot.
It marked just the second career ejection for Brown, according to ESPN.
Minutes after he was given the heave-ho, Brown took to X in what seemed like his way of voicing anger with what went down.
Jaylen Brown was frustrated with the officials on Tuesday night.Jaylen Brown was frustrated with the officials on Tuesday night.
“This the s–t I be talking about,” he wrote.
Brown had eight points, seven assists and two rebounds before exiting.
“I just give a ton of credit to my high school principal. He had the balls to throw a student out,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game, per ESPN. “He didn’t leave it to the hall monitor. … “I understand completely where Jaylen’s coming from. Absolutely. And I’ve got his back 100 percent, I think he was 100 percent right to be frustrated and do what he did.”
Largely without Jayson Tatum — who just returned from an Achilles tear on Friday — Brown has excelled this season at 28.7 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 10: Alexandre Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Miami Heat on March 10, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Another game, another loss. The Washington Wizards lost to the Miami Heat, 150-129 on Tuesday night.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo scored a franchise-record 83 points, shooting 20-of-43 from the field and making 36-of-43 free throws tonight. He even made 7-of-22 three pointers. Adebayo, by scoring 83 points has the NBA’s second highest scoring game in history, only behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game in 1962 for the Philadelphia (now Golden State) Warriors. Adebayo scored 31 of those points in the first quarter, and scored 21 more in the fourth quarter, though 14 of those points were from the free throw line.
For Washington, let’s forget about the 83 point game by Adebayo. The thing that did the Wizards in was the turnovers and points off them. Washington committed 24 turnovers which turned into 31 Miami points. The Heat committed 17 turnovers themselves, but the Wizards only scored … 9 points off them.
Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 28 points with Will Riley adding 22 more. Jaden Hardy added 17 more points off the bench.
The Wizards’ next game is on Thursday when they travel on the road to play the Orlando Magic. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.
All of a sudden, the Rangers are doing everything that they couldn’t do earlier in the season.
All of a sudden, Alexis Lafrenière resembles what a $52.15 million player and former No. 1 overall pick is supposed to look like, and the Blueshirts are stringing wins together.
The latest unfolded Tuesday night, when Lafrenière scored three more goals, including one with 2:18 left to cap the second hat trick of his career, during their 4-0 win over the Flames to give him 13 points in his last nine games.
It’s the first time Lafrenière has scored in consecutive games since November.
With their latest win giving the Blueshirts (26-30-8) points in six of seven games since the Olympic break ended, they’ve also won consecutive home games in regulation for the first time all season.
Conor Sheary also scored his second goal of the season.
Jonathan Quick recorded his first shutout since October and picked up just his second win since November, stopping all 21 Calgary shots.
“I think one of the things that we tried to encourage [Lafrenière] to do a little bit more of was finding ways to create offense different ways,” head coach Mike Sullivan said, “and he’s a dangerous player off the rush because he has great offensive instincts. He has the ability to see it and make plays, and he has finishing ability when he’s on the receiving end of those plays. … But I think he’s adding a dimension to his game and that’s, we’ll call it the grind game.”
Alexis Lafrenière tips a puck past Dustin Wolf for the first of his three goals in the Rangers’ 4-0 win over the Flames at the Garden on March 10, 2026.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
That added element led to his first goal Tuesday, when a Mika Zibanejad shot from the point deflected off the winger and into the net late in the opening period while on the power play.
Sheary added to the Rangers’ lead in the second frame off a strange sequence, when a long pass bounced off the boards behind the net, went through Noah Laba’s legs and ended up right on the stick of Tye Kartye — who threaded a pass to Sheary.
The Blueshirts’ third goal featured some nifty passing, with Gabe Perreault opting for the extra movement and feeding a wide-open Lafrenière near the back post.
Jonathan Quick makes one of his 21 saves during the Rangers’ win over the Flames at the Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
And in the final minutes, with Perreault carrying the puck down the ice on a 2-on-1 rush, Lafrenière took the cross-ice pass and ripped a shot into the Flames’ net as hats started to pour onto the ice.
“They’ve been unbelievable,” Lafrenière said of skating with Zibanejad and Perreault. “Every time they get it, they can make a play, and for me, it’s just help them as much as I can and just try and get open for them.”
J.T. Miller, on injured reserve since March 3 with an upper-body injury, participated in the Blueshirts’ optional morning skate Tuesday while wearing a red noncontact jersey — marking his first time practicing in a team capacity since landing on IR.
Sullivan anticipated Miller being able to shed the noncontact jersey “sooner than later.”
Miller is eligible to return from injured reserve at any point, as he has already missed the minimum of seven days.
Quick’s shutout marked the 65th of his career, moving him past Henrik Lundqvist and into 17th place all-time in NHL history. “Any time you’re mentioned with Hank’s name with anything, it’s special,” Quick said.
With their assists on Lafrenière’s first goal, Zibanejad and Adam Fox recorded the 800th and 400th points of their careers, respectively. Who keeps the milestone puck? “Seniority, I guess,” Zibanejad, 32, said with a grin. “We’ll see who gets it.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Freshman Preston Edmead scored a season-high 26 points and Hofstra is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years after defeating Monmouth 75-69 for the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament championship on Tuesday night.
Third-seeded Hofstra earned its fifth NCAA Tournament bid and first in the tenure of Hofstra alum Speedy Claxton, who has been head coach since the 2021-22 season. Hofstra last played in the tournament in 2001.
Hofstra’s German Plotnikov hit a jumper for a 69-65 lead and two free throws by Edmead made it 71-65 with 14 seconds left. Kavion McClains' four-point play made it interesting at 71-69, but he missed his next 3-point attempt and Hofstra locked up the automatic bid with four free throws down the stretch.
Cruz Davis scored 12 points and Plotnikov 10 for Hofstra (24-10). Silas Sunday grabbed 12 rebounds.
Edmead's previous high was 24 points against Monmouth in January.
McClain scored 19 points, Jason Rivera-Torres and Stefanos Spartalis 16 each and Ray 11 for Monmouth (19-15). Spartalis had 11 rebounds.
Monmouth, the No. 4 seed, led throughout the early going and it was 18-13 with 10 1/2 minutes left in the half. Hofstra took its first lead at 24-23 when Davis drained a 3-pointer and the Pride went on to lead 35-32 at halftime.
Before the loss, the Hawks were 8-2 in February and March and had won five in a row.
Up next
NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Sunday.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — TJ Burch scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half to help top-seeded Wright State rally from a 12-point deficit and beat No. 3 seed Detroit Mercy 66-63 in the Horizon League Championship title game on Tuesday night.
Wright State used a 25-7 run, capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Logan Woods, for a 62-56 lead with 1:21 remaining. With nine seconds left, TJ Nadeau's 3-pointer pulled Detroit Mercy to 65-63. Michael Cooper then missed two free throws for the Raiders, but on the Titans' final possession Kellen Pickett blocked Orlando Lovejoy's layup attempt. Michael Imariagbe ended it with a free throw.
Pickett added 17 points and Imariagbe finished with 12 for Wright State (23-11). They each had seven rebounds.
Lovejoy scored 26 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line to lead Detroit Mercy (17-15). Nadeau made four 3-pointers and scored 21 points. Legend Geeter added 11 points and nine rebounds.
Detroit Mercy closed the first half on a 13-1 run for a 29-26 lead at the break. Lovejoy scored nine points during the surge and finished with 13 in the first half.
The Titans led 49-37 with about 10 minutes to play.
It was Wright State’s seventh championship game in the last 14 seasons and the first meeting between the teams in the tournament since 2016. The Raiders have won 22 of the last 26 games against the Titans.
Wright State is the third straight team to complete the regular-season and tournament-title sweep, joining Oakland (2024) and Robert Morris (2025).
Up next
NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Sunday.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown was ejected from a Tuesday night game against the San Antonio Spurs with 3:38 remaining in the second quarter after earning a pair of technical fouls from the officials. Brown was driving near the sideline and appeared to be pushed out of bounds by San Antonio’s Stephon Castle, but the refs called it a turnover on Boston and gave San Antonio the ball. Brown berated the refs after the call and earned a technical foul. He kept going, and earned a second one, which triggered the ejection.
It’s only the second ejection of Brown’s career. There’s some context to his frustration: he was fined $35K earlier this year for criticizing the refs in the last meeting with the Spurs. Did Brown really deserve this ejection? Judge for yourself with the video below:
This Celtics vs. Spurs game feels like a possible 2026 NBA Finals matchup. It’s a spotlight national game on Peacock that should be a great advertisement for the playoffs ahead. Ejecting Boston’s best player this year in such a big game takes away from a matchup that should be getting fans excited for the stretch run.
It sure looks like Brown was shoved out of bounds by Castle on the drive in question. He’s right to be upset about that call. Do the refs really think he’d just run out of bounds?
Brown immediately tweeted about his ejection from the locker room:
Here’s what Brown said about the refs after Boston’s loss to the Spurs in Jan. that earned him such a big fine:
“I’m driving to the basket. I’m physical. I don’t flop. I don’t shy away from contact. I go up strong. I’m athletic — and nothing,” he said. “The inconsistency is f—ing crazy. Give me the fine.”
“Curtis, all them dudes was terrible tonight. I don’t care. They can fine me whatever they want,” he said. “But it’s crazy. Every time we play a good team, it’s the same bulls—. Somebody please pull up the clips. I’m irate how they officiated the game today.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown was ejected after receiving two technical fouls during the first half of Tuesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, a battle between the No. 2 teams in each conference.
Brown was upset after no foul was called when he lost the ball out of bounds with 3:42 remaining in the first half.
Official Tyler Ford assessed the first technical four seconds later after Brown continued to voice his displeasure at the no-call.
The technical incensed Brown, who had to be restrained by teammates from approaching Ford. Official Suyash Mehta assessed a second technical seconds later, resulting in an automatic ejection.
Brown did not exit the court immediately after the ejection as he continued yelling at Ford. Players and staff, including Boston coach Joe Mazzulla, had to restrain Brown from approaching Ford. Brown threw his hands up in disgust before walking off the court.
Brown had eight points and seven assists in 15 minutes when he was ejected.
Boston has won two straight and San Antonio has won four in a row in a battle between the No. 2 teams in each conference.
Each of the 31 conference tournament champions earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, with the other 37 spots awarded to at-large teams by the tournament’s selection committee.
Gonzaga didn't see arch-foe Saint Mary's in the final, but wasn't phased by Santa Clara in the West Coast Conference final. The Bulldogs, led by Mario Saint-Suprey's 21 points, unseated the Broncos to make their 27th straight Men's NCAA Tournament. It's their 23rd WCC title.
The Trojans defeated No. 10 seed Georgia Southern 77-61 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida on Monday behind a game-high 23 points from Thomas Dowd.
It's back-to-back Sun Belt Conference titles for Scott Cross' program, marking the sixth time in conference history a team has repeated as champions.
High Point is headed back to March Madness after repeating as Big South Tournament champions.
High Point earned the No. 1 seed in the nine-team field under first-year coach Flynn Clayman with a program-best 15-1 regular season record in conference play.
High Point defeated No. 2 seed Winthrop 91-76 in Sunday's championship game.
For the first time in Missouri Valley Conference history, a team won four games in four days to win the conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament automatic bid that goes with it.
The Tigers are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994 after defeating Morehead State 93-67 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship on March 7 at Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
The top-seeded Tigers, under former Duke standout Nolan Smith (in his first season as head coach), dominated No. 2 seed Morehead State (20-13) from the tip-off. It was the most points scored by a team in an OVC Tournament final.
Because Mercyhurst reached the NEC Tournament final and isn't eligible for NCAA tournament play because of its transition from Division II, Long Island gets the automatic bid regardless of the result in Tuesday's championship game.
Former NBA standout Rod Strickland is LIU's head coach and has engineered an impressive turnaround from one of the country's worst teams two seasons ago.
What day does March Madness start?
The NCAA tournament First Four on the men’s side begins on Tuesday, March 17 and continues on Wednesday, March 18.
The four men’s games, which are held in Dayton, Ohio, feature the final four at-large selections to the field, as well as the four lowest-rated No. 16 seeds. The winner of each matchup advances to the first round. First-round games will take place on March 19 and March 20.
When is Selection Sunday?
Date: Sunday, March 15
Selection Sunday for the 2025-26 college basketball season will take place on Sunday, March 15, with both the men's and women's NCAA Tournament brackets being revealed.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — AJ Dybantsa had 40 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and No. 10 seed BYU use a big second-half run to break open a close game with No. 15 seed Kansas State and roll to a 105-91 victory in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.
Robert Wright III added 14 points and six assists, and Kennard Davis Jr. had 15 points for the Cougars (22-10), who set a single-game tournament scoring record while advancing to play seventh-seeded West Virginia on Wednesday night.
P.J. Haggerty matched Dybantsa into the second half and finished with 27 points for the Wildcats (12-20), who played their final game for interim coach Matthew Driscoll, who had taken control of the program after the firing of Jerome Tang last month.
Nate Johnson had 19 points for Kansas State. Khamari McGriff finished with 13.
The fact that BYU was playing at all Tuesday night was somewhat surprising.
Dybantsa could be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft this year. Wright has been a star in his own right. At one point early in the season, the Cougars were ranked seventh in the AP Top 25 and living up to the lofty expectations of their expensive lineup.
But things went sideways beginning with a four-game skid in January and February, and floor leader Richie Saunders was lost for the rest of the season to a torn ACL. The Cougars lost three of their last four games, and tiebreakers put them at the No. 10 seed.
They jumped out to a quick lead Tuesday night, though, as Haggerty and Dybantsa began to duel. And while they led just 50-49 at the break, the Cougars went on a 17-2 run beginning with about 9 1/2 minutes to play that allowed them to pull away.
Up next
The Cougars march on to face West Virginia, which beat them 79-71 a couple of weeks ago.
Kansas State turns its focus toward hiring its next permanent coach.
Adebayo torched the Washington defense for a team-record 31 points in the opening quarter, the most in Heat history for points scored in the first quarter.
Adebayo played the entire first quarter. He shot 10-for-16 from the field, including 5-of-8 from long distance. He's also been to the line, shooting 6-of-8 on free throws.
Adebayo scored a franchise-record 43 first-half points on 13-of-24 shooting, 5-of-11 from 3 and 12-of-14 free throws. He's added five rebounds, two steals and a block.
Miami led the Wizards, 76-62, at the halfway point of the game.
Etching name amongst Miami greats
The three-time All-Star eclipsed the record previously held by LeBron James, who scored 25 points in a quarter against the then-Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets). James then scored a career-high 61 points.
Bam Adebayo outscored the entire Wizards team, 31-29, in the first quarter 😳
He passes LeBron James for the most points scored in a single quarter in Heat history 🔥 pic.twitter.com/M55Xh1MNhK
Doncic had been engaged to Anamaria Goltes, a fashion and fitness model, since 2023. The two had known each other since childhood and started dating in 2016. Their first daughter, Gabriela, was born in 2023 in the United States while Doncic was a member of the Dallas Mavericks and their second child, Olivia, was born this past December.
"I love my daughters more than anything and I've been doing everything I can for them to be with me in the U.S. during the season, but that hasn't been possible, so I recently made the tough decision to end my engagement," Doncic told McMenamin in a statement provided to ESPN on Tuesday. "Everything I do is for my daughters' happiness and I will always fight to be with them and give them the best life I can."
Doncic traveled to Slovenia for the birth of Olivia, missing two games before returning to play against the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 7. According to the ESPN report, it was here where things took a sour turn.
Doncic reportedly expressed a desire to bring Gabriela back to Los Angeles with him, and a disagreement between he and Goltes escalated to the point where police were called. Doncic "left peacefully" according to ESPN, and flew back to the United States later that day. Doncic has reportedly not seen Goltes or his daughters since.
Earlier Tuesday, TMZ reported that Goltes had filed a petition for child support. The petition, filed in California according to ESPN, seeks only child support and attorney fees but not custody orders. Doncic reportedly "had no idea" about the petition.
Some teams have been on the bubble, while others have been eliminated from contention after losing during their respective conference tournament.
With the NCAA tournament beginning on March 17, Cal and Stanford were among of the schools on the bubble watch for a spot in the big dance.
Here's how things look for both teams:
Stanford's fate decided on last-second basket
Goals of a NCAA tournament appearance could be in jeopardy for the No. 10-seed Stanford Cardinal (20-12, 9-9 ACC) after being eliminated in the first round of the ACC tournament in an upset against No. 15 Pittsburgh (13-19, 5-13 ACC), 64-63, in the final seconds of the game.
The Cardinal tied the game after their freshman standout Ebuka Okorie drove past two Pitt defenders as he made a layup after a bump from Panthers forward Cameron Corhen with 26 seconds left.
Okorie knocked down the ensuing extra free throw to give Stanford a one-point lead. He ended the game with 14 points.
After a timeout, Pitt guard Damarco Minor launched a 3-pointer that ironed short as both teams scrambled to grab an offensive rebound. Pitt was able to secure the ball once again under 10 seconds left.
Minor drove through the lane attempted and missed a floater but was able to find his own rebound for a tip-in with 0.4 left in the game at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Stanford head coach Kyle Smith called it a "classic postseason grind" following the game.
"Hats off. Pittsburgh just really competed really hard, especially on the glass," Smith told reporters. "We give up 20 offensive rebounds, which resulted in a lot of second chance points for them. I'm proud of our way guys, down eight at halftime, took a big punch. We came back."
He added: "Really proud Ebuka [we] challenged him to play the right way and he did. As a point guard really got us back in there, made a big shot, made his free throw. We needed one stop. We just couldn't come up with it. And hopefully we'll we'll learn on that. But we defended well enough to win. We took care of the ball, shot it well enough, but we just couldn't keep them off the glass."
The loss could sway the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee on whether or not Stanford will make an appearance in the anticipated NCAA tournament that begins March 17.
Smith said he be "shocked" if the Cardinal weren't selected to compete, especially being in the ACC, one of the best and respected basketball conferences.
"We have one of the best players in the country," he told reporters on whether Stanford should still be considered for the tournament. "We've got a lot of Quad-1 wins in a really competitive conference, and it'd be a shame if Oklahoma gets to go last year being 6-12 in the SEC and the ACC doesn't get rewarded the right way. ... I thought it was a farce last year when SEC got this narrative or whatever."
The selection committee announces which teams are in and which are out on Sunday, March 15.
"I think we led all the Power Four conferences and Quad-1 wins, and had the most wins and winning percentage versus other Power Four. So arguably, we're really the best conference," Smith said. "We made it a big point to earn the respect. This is the basketball conference. Stanford is an elevated the program because of the ACC, Cal too."
ACC tournament: No. 9 California vs. No. 8 Florida State
The No. 9-seed California Golden Bears (21-10, 9-9 ACC) earned a first round-bye and will open the ACC tournament play in the second round against the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles (17-14, 10-8 ACC) on March 11 at 7 p.m. ET. Winner takes on Duke in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
A loss for Cal would severely damage their chances for an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Tyrese Maxey missed Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with what was called a right pinky finger strain, but further imaging and reviews with specialists has now revealed a tendon injury. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Maxey will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
The Sixers All-Star collided with teammate Adem Bona while diving for a loose ball in the final seconds of a 125-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, March 7. Maxey stayed down for a few moments longer as he grabbed at his right hand before getting up and heading to the locker room while wrapping his hand in the bottom of his jersey.
It's a tough blow for Maxey, who is averaging career-highs across the board with 29.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game on 46% shooting. During a season in which the Sixers (34-30) have at times looked like real contenders at their best, Maxey has been their most consistent presence. He entered Tuesday leading the league in minutes per game (38.3).
But the 76ers have been in freefall as of late, losing six of their last 10 games since the All-Star break. Part of that has been due to injuries, but they've been plagued by other issues as well.
Joel Embiid has missed the team's last five games with a right oblique strain and won't be re-evaluated until March 14, so he'll be out at least two more games. Paul George hasn't lived up to the max contract he signed with the 76ers in 2024 and is currently serving a 25-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Even Rookie of the Year candidateVJ Edgecombe missed the last four games with a lumbar contusion; he's back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies and won't be on a minutes restriction, head coach Nick Nurse told reporters.
With the Sixers down so many key players, Edgecombe is expected to be the primary ballhandler for the next few weeks.
The injury bug comes at a crucial point in the season for Philadelphia as it's currently locked in a heated race for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. Entering Tuesday, the Sixers are the eighth seed and trail the Orlando Magic by a game and a half for the No. 6 spot; but they're also just one game ahead of the ninth-seeded Hawks, who now own the tiebreaker after the March 7 contest.
CHICAGO (AP) — David Coit scored 17 points, Elijah Saunders added 15, and Maryland defeated Oregon 70-60 in a first-round game of the Big Ten Tournament on Tuesday.
Maryland held Oregon to 3-for-22 shooting (14%) with 0 for 10 from 3-point distance in the first half and the Terrapins led 33-12 at the break. Maryland scored the first nine points and the Ducks made their first field goal at the 8:46 mark, making the score 17-8. Maryland later ran off 10 consecutive points for a 31-10 lead. Coit scored 12 points in the first half.
An 11-2 run helped the Ducks cut their deficit to 12 points early in the second half, but Maryland allowed only three points over the next 5 1/2 minutes and the lead was 58-34 near the 8-minute mark. A dunk and a three-point play from Nate Bittle started a 15-2 run for Oregon and it was 60-49 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.
The Ducks got within single digits a few times, the last at 67-58 with 53 seconds remaining but Maryland's Darius Adams made 3 of 4 free throws to preserve a double-digit margin.
Bittle scored 16 points, Kwame Evans Jr. 14 and Takai Simpkins 10 for 16th-seeded Oregon (12-20).
Maryland, seeded 17th, got 12 points, six rebounds and five assists from Andre Mills. Solomon Washington also scored 12 points and Adams finished with 10 points for the Terrapins (12-20).
Maryland defeated Oregon for the first time. The Ducks had won the only two prior matchups — both since joining the Big Ten last season. Most recently, Oregon won 64-54 at Maryland in January.
Up next
Maryland plays ninth-seeded Iowa in the second round on Wednesday.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 26: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket around Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at Rocket Arena on January 26, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Magic 114-98. 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to pick up their third-straight win over the Orlando Magic as they head on the road to take on a team that could be playing their best basketball of the season.
This has been a frustrating season for Orlando. An injury to Franz Wagner and a still disjointed offense have kept the Magic from reaching the heights many envisioned for them when they traded for Desmond Bane last summer. Bane has been as advertised, but his shooting hasn’t transformed the offense, as they’re still in the bottom third of the league in offensive rating.
The Magic are, however, playing well right now. They’ve won four in a row and seven of their last 10. They could be peaking at the right time.
We’ll see how the Cavs handle this team in what could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
Cavs injury report: Jarrett Allen – OUT (knee), Tyrese Proctor – OUT (quad), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Olivier Sarr – OUT (G League)
Magic injury report: Franz Wagner – OUT (ankle), Anthony Black – OUT (abdominal strain), Johnathan Isaac – QUESTIONABLE (knee), Jasse Richardson – QUESTIONABLE (back)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley
Magic expected starting lineup: Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Tristan da Silva, Paola Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
