The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we'll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it's one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year's draft class comes into focus.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. is expected to go in the first round. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the guard's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Labaron Philon Jr. 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 11 overall, Golden State Warriors
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
The Warriors could still use more reliable players in the backcourt and could find a fairly compelling player in Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon. Even though the All-SEC guard is not playing at 100 percent due to injury issues, he has played well in March Madness, recording 29 points in his first game and 12 assists in his second. The guard is now averaging 21.6 points per game and has improved his 3-point shooting from 31.5 percent as a freshman to 39.7 percent as a sophomore, also managing 5.0 assists per game in the process.
The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we'll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it's one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year's draft class comes into focus.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Michigan's Aday Mara is expected to go in the first round. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the center's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Aday Mara 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 21 overall, Philadelphia 76ers
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
Michigan center Aday Mara is one of the prospects who has helped himself the most during March Madness so far. The 7-foot-3 big man, who transferred from UCLA, is a fantastic rim protector. Opponents only attempt 19.9 percent of their field goals at the rim when the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is on the court, per CBB Analytics, which ranks near lowest among all NCAA players. He can also pass well, finding some awesome outlet looks in transition and at the rim.
The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we'll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it's one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year's draft class comes into focus.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg is expected to go in the first round. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
The Grizzlies could add to their rebuilding core after trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. by selecting Yaxel Lendeborg, who has shown on his way to the Sweet 16 that he is perhaps the most NBA-ready player in this draft class. The Big Ten Player of the Year offers a bit of everything on both sides of the ball and has silenced skeptics who were unsure how his game would scale after transferring from mid-major UAB to high-major Michigan. The Grizzlies have drafted players with similar trajectories like Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward.
The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we'll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it's one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year's draft class comes into focus.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, BYU's AJ Dybantsa is expected to go in the first round. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
AJ Dybantsa 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 2 overall, Brooklyn Nets
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
The Nets have the worst offense in the NBA and could instantly inject life into their offense by selecting AJ Dybantsa, who would likely go No. 1 overall depending on which team gets the pick. He emphasized that point during his one game for BYU in March Madness, putting up 35 points and 10 rebounds. The Big 12 Rookie of the Year led the nation in unassisted points scored (680) by a wide margin this season, per CBB Analytics. The emerging star also had 40 points against Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament on March 10 and averaged 28.8 points per game over his final 17 appearances.
The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we'll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it's one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year's draft class comes into focus.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Duke's Patrick Ngongba II is expected to go in the first round. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the center's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Patrick Ngongba II 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 22 overall, Atlanta Hawks
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
Many teams could use a big man like Patrick Ngongba II, who is an above-average passer for his position. His assist rate is the highest among underclassmen listed at 6-foot-11 or taller, per Bart Torvik, and he is at the top of his game when passing to a driving perimeter player. Ngongba, who has helped Duke earn a spot in the Sweet 16, is a big-bodied prospect who can carve out space as one of the more prolific cutters in college basketball. He is on an encouraging development track, displaying legitimate year-over-year improvement from his freshman to sophomore campaign.
CHICAGO — In the final injury report ahead of the Sweet 16 matchup from the United Center on Friday, March 27, the No. 2-seeded Cyclones listed Jefferson as "questionable" against No. 6-seed Tennessee. The game is set for a 10:10 p.m. ET tipoff.
Jefferson went down in the opening minutes of the first round with an ankle injury and has been sidelined since, including Iowa State's second-round victory over Kentucky.
The senior is second on the Cyclones with his 16.4 points per game and led the team with 7.4 rebounds per game. His return would be crucial to help Iowa State reach the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
Here's the latest on Jefferson:
Will Joshua Jefferson play vs Tennessee? Iowa State guard status for March Madness Sweet 16 game
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Jefferson is out for Iowa State's Sweet 16 matchup against Tennessee.
Source: Iowa State star forward Joshua Jefferson will not play against Tennessee tonight in the Sweet 16 for the No. 2 Cyclones. He suffered a low ankle sprain against Tennessee Tech in the first round on March 20. pic.twitter.com/tR9F6H3BV2
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger told reporters on Thursday, March 26 that Jefferson would be a game-time decision for Friday, March 27's Sweet 16 game vs. Tennessee.
Otzelberger added that the final decision would come from Jefferson, closer to tipoff time. He was listed as "questionable" on the injury report at 6:30 p.m. ET.
"Yeah, there's nothing new at this point," Otzelberger said. "We're going to give him every opportunity up until the game to do everything he can. He's a fierce competitor. Our medical staff has been amazing, and he's continued to work diligently.
"But at this point, it would be premature to make any type of determination until we get closer to tip."
Did Joshua Jefferson practice ahead of Friday's Sweet 16 game vs Tennessee?
Jefferson was present for the 15-minutes the media could observe practice on Thursday, March 26. While he opened the period, taking shots with teammates, he moved to midcourt and was seen dribbling and talking to coaches for most of that session.
Jefferson was wearing pink high-top shoes with long socks, but had shed the boot he had been observed in previously.
What is Joshua Jefferson's injury?
Jefferson is dealing with an ankle injury he suffered against Middle Tennessee State on Friday, March 20.
He was seen on crutches for the remainder of the game and then ruled out for Iowa State's second-round win over Kentucky and was seen riding a scooter.
Here's a look at his injury:
Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson was helped off the floor after an apparent ankle injury pic.twitter.com/R4xaFzgsJU
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 20, 2026
Mar 11, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) dribbles against Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
This is a revenge game for the Toronto Raptors. Sort of.
Some have said that the Raps’ last loss to the Pelicans and the brutal staredown Jamal Shead suffered at the hands of Dejounte Murray were the catalyst to the Raptors getting their act back together and winning three games in a row. This game is a rematch to see if, indeed, the Raptors took any lessons about team cohesion and toughness to heart.
Both the Raptors and Pelicans find themselves in ironically similar circumstances finishing out the regular season. The Raps’ road trip has finally come to an end with a loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, while Nola is walking off a loss to the Pistons. Both teams have been middling of late, going .500 in their last 10 games. While the Pelicans have been mathematically eliminated, they found themselves at the 11th seed, just outside of the postseason, while the Raptors are fighting to hold on to their playoff berth, jostling with the rest of the East for the 6th seed. More similarities abound, with the Raptor and Pelicans playing without their starting point guards, as Immanuel Quickley and Dejounte Murray are both missing tonight’s game due to injuries.
The Raptors are no strangers to thrashing bottom of the conference opponents, with their most recent handiwork being the dismantling of the Utah Jazz on Monday. It’s been a matter of public record that the Raptors kill teams worse than them and fumble games against the best in the league, and this looks to be no different of a situation. The loss of Quickley’s shooting and facilitating is of course a blow to Toronto, but the recent heroics of Ja’Kobe Walter make this the best time to be dealing with that deficiency. Walter has been fantastic from long range of late, and his shooting throughout March has been a standout part of a Raptors team that has left much to be desired. Jamal Shead has been a more than solid backup ball handler, and has great potential to show out tonight. The Pelicans are playing without a number of starters, their guard depth especially weak tonight, suggesting the need of a scoring explosion from Zion Williamson to keep the Pels in the game. Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles should match up well with the bowling-ball forward, who was held to only 19 points during their last matchup.
With Murray out, however, some of the narrative of this game has had the wind taken out of it. Shead, likely to start, won’t get a chance to avenge his staredown on the court. The best thing the Raptors can do to show the Pelicans that they mean business is to play tough defense, avoid giving up early leads, and preventing either of Jeremiah Fears or Derik Queen from getting hot, as they’ve been able to do throughout the season. Is a rose by any other name just as sweet? Maybe it is, when the rose is a potential win this late in the season.
Game Information and Details
Game Time: 8:30 EDT
Watch On: SportsNet
Injury Report
Raptors: Immanuel Quickley (Out – right foot plantar fasciitis)
The 2026 men's NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we'll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it's one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year's draft class comes into focus.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Duke's Cameron Boozer is expected to go in the first round. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Duke freshman Cameron Boozer was one of the best players in college basketball during his first NCAA season and now makes his USA TODAY mock draft pole position debut. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, rival teams believe Boozer would be the "preferred selection" for the Pacers at No. 1 overall because of his "potential fit" alongside Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac. The ACC Player of the Year isnt a human highlight reel but he offers consistency and a diverse, impactful skill set. More importantly, he can bring a culture of winning after multiple championships in high school and an elite Duke team that has made it to the Sweet 16.
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 3: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers run on to the court before the game against the Detroit Pistons on March 3, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is expected to make his return to the starting lineup, per head coach Kenny Atkinson in his pre-game press conference.
It’ll be the first time Allen has appeared in a game since early in the month, when he left their March 3rd game against the Detroit Pistons with what was initially described as a “knocked knee”. Turns out it was a little more serious than that.
The team expects Allen to play with a minutes restriction “in the mid-20s”, per Atkinson. The Cavs have missed Allen on both ends of the floor, with his paint protection and ability to finish efficiently at the rim on offense. His absence has made the Cavs more of a three-point shooting team, which does not play as well in the head coach’s mind.
“His rim presence offensively, I think sometimes without him, we become too perimeter oriented,” Atkinson said prior to the team’s game against the Miami Heat. “I hope we get some reps with this little runway to run with that big lineup, because that’s our best lineup, and we haven’t seen a lot of the combinations that can go around that,” Atkinson continued. “So at least we’ll get some games under our belt before the playoffs start.”
The Cavs have been tinkering with different lineups all season, but with now single-digit regular season games remaining, it’ll be important to get some consistency going. That goes for the defensive side of the ball as well.
“Opposing teams’ rim attempts go down when he’s in the game, he’s like a seven-foot goalie — he just deters, guys don’t want to challenge him,” Atkinson said when asked about Allen’s impact on what he himself has described as a subpar defense of late.
“It starts at the rim with him on both ends, I keep saying it, he’s been the best rim protector in the league post All-Star.”
The Cavs had another poor showing on the defensive end in their last game out, also against the Heat. Allen’s return, even if for 23 minutes, will have an impact on both ends of the floor. And with the playoffs approaching, the team needs the continuity in the rotation for the final stretch of the regular season.
Mar 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) reacts after making a three point basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks (41-32) look to take down Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics (48-24).
Jock Landle (right shoulder impingement) has been ruled out for this game.
Starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okongwu
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Start Time: 7:30 PM EDT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
Foster had missed the entire ACC tournament – won by the Blue Devils – and first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament after suffering a foot fracture in the team's regular-season finale against North Carolina on March 7. He was not in the starting lineup against the Red Storm, but was cleared to play.
He finished Friday's game with 11 points (all in the second half) in 19 minutes, including some key late buckets to ice the game.
He's been seen at postseason games with his foot in a boot and riding on a one-legged scooter. Foster did participate in the Duke's shoot-around Thursday, March 26 during the session that was open to media.
There was optimism Foster could return at some point in the postseason.
"He had a good day of practice (Wednesday), doing a little bit," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said to media on March 26. "Again, it's not like there's a lot of practice time, but we have to make sure he's in position before the game, more of a game-time decision.
"He's going to give it everything he has to go ..."
The 6-foot-5 junior has started 30 of 31 games and is averaging 8.5 points per game and leads all regulars shooting 40.2% from the 3-point line.
Cayden Boozer has stepped into Foster's position in the starting lineup for the past five games. The freshman has averaged 13.8 points in those games. And more impressively, he has totaled 44 points, 14 assists and just four turnovers as Duke defeated Virginia in the ACC tournament title game and Siena and TCU in the NCAA Tournament.
Duke will have center Patrick Ngongba II available, as well. The sophomore was also injured in the North Carolina season-finale and returned for the team's second-round game against TCU. He scored 4 points and had 4 rebounds in 13 minutes.
It'll be a huge boost for the Blue Devils, getting back an experienced guard. True freshman Cayden Boozer has played well in Foster's absence, though, and may have earned more minutes in the meantime.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 25: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts to a foul called against him during the second half of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden on March 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Thunder 119-109. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BOSTON — Jaylen Brown will miss Friday’s game between the Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks with left Achilles tendonitis. How severe — or concerning — that injury is remains to be seen, but Brown will miss time due to an Achilles injury for the first time this season.
He was previously listed on the injury report as questionable to play with left calf tightness. Both the exact injury and his official status were updated on Friday.
Joe Mazzulla declined to give much information about Brown’s status in his pregame press conference before Celtics-Hawks, but did offer that Brown was day-to-day.
When asked if the Achilles injury could keep Brown out of multiple games, Mazzulla simply repeated: “He’s day-to-day.”
Joe Mazzulla on Jaylen Brown, who is out with left Achilles tendonitis:
When asked if it’s an injury Brown suffered in Wednesday’s game, or if it’s something he was dealing with previously, Mazzulla said: “‘He’s just a little banged up.”
Outside of Brown, the Celtics should be mostly available ahead of Friday’s match-up. Derrick White (right knee contusion) and Neemias Queta (right thumb sprain) are both available after previously being listed as questionable. At the same time, Nikola Vucevic remains out as he continues to recover from a right ring finger fracture he suffered on March 6th.
This will be Jayson Tatum’s first game back without his co-star. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game this season.
The Hawks are also mostly healthy, except for Jock Landale, who is out with a right shoulder impingement.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 16: Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. 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 G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors look to keep their two-game winning streak going as they take on the Washington Wizards on Friday night. The game will be played at 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
While the Warriors picked up another win with a 109–106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, it didn’t come easy. Despite having the rare talent advantage over an injured and tanking Brooklyn team, Golden State found itself trailing by nine points heading into the fourth quarter. To Brooklyn’s credit, they took advantage of a travel-worn Warriors group that, as head coach Steve Kerr pointed out, had played in seven different cities over the past 11 days.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Golden State “looked like a team that was playing our seventh game in 11 days in seven cities.” Noted the issues the turnovers are causing.
Fortunately, the Warriors had Gui Santos to keep them afloat, as he led the team with a career-high 31 points after returning to a starting role. Behind Santos, Golden State outscored the Nets 32–20 in the fourth quarter to secure the win in regulation.
Brazilian excellence 🇧🇷
Gui Santos becomes just the third Brazilian in NBA history to drop 31+ in a game. pic.twitter.com/iOCk1J8Ft9
Gary Payton II has quietly been one of the most efficient players on the team over the past several games. He shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the field on Wednesday night, 8-of-8 on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, and made his last three shots the game prior to that against the Detroit Pistons. He has now made 16 consecutive field goals and is just three shy of tying the Warriors’ franchise record of 19 straight, set by Wilt Chamberlain.
Payton should have a strong opportunity to reach that milestone against a Wizards team he had success against just over a week ago. He went 7-of-10 from the field for 15 points in that matchup and now faces the Wizards again after they have lost nine of their last 10 games.
“The three-ball problem the Knicks are having is not an aberration. It’s chronic. They play a good team, they give up a lot of threes, they play a poor team…and tonight they’re not denying threes again”.
That was Walt Clyde Frazier, the color commentator for the Knicks, during Thursday night’s loss to the Hornets. And Frazier, who has long been known for his honesty, was pretty accurate in summing up one of the few weaknesses this otherwise very good team has. It’s been a sentiment lamented by many of the fans for some time now. And as his colleague, Mike Breen, mentioned, the Knicks have cleaned up some of this, but the team still struggles with limiting three-point opportunities overall.
As of Friday afternoon, the Knicks rank 19th in the opponent three-point percentage, and worse off, 22nd in the three-point attempts given up per game. Why is this? Some of it by choice. Similar to his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, current head coach Mike Brown has opted to protect the paint and limit easy opportunities within the arc. That can lead to overhelping, which then creates a situation in which the defense is left in a constant state of recovery. For much of the last couple of months, the Knicks have found a good balance of defending the paint, while still getting back out to shooters, thanks in large part to good communication and solid effort. But, so long as that remains a core philosophy of this coaching staff, the Knicks will continue to have problems in that department.
But why is this a choice this team has made? Some of it boils down to simple philosophical preference. Some of it, though, is also linked to personnel issues. Not only are the Knicks not a very athletic team, but New York has the unenviable task of finding who to hide Jalen Brunson on defensively. Brunson, to his credit, has upped his defensive effort over the last few weeks, and there’s an argument to be made that he has played some of his best defense as a Knick during that stretch. Yet effort, anticipation, and smarts can only do so much. Brunson’s lack of size and athleticism puts a cap on just how effective he can be as a defender.
Jalen Brunson HAS TO GUARD one of
Lamelo Ball Kon Brandon Miller Miles Bridges Moussa
That might be the most difficult 5 in the EAST to try and hide him on.
With that being the case, it has become clear that he’s now a focal point of teams’ game plans on both ends. While teams have been keying in on how to slow down his scoring, they’ve also started to single him out and attack him more and more on the other end. Take last night’s game against the Hornets as an example. Against big, athletic teams like Charlotte, the Knicks must pick between having Brunson exert energy running through screens or guarding someone bigger. Thursday night, they chose the latter.
Now, having the undersized Brunson defend a much bigger Miles Bridges is far from ideal (see above). But if that’s the decision Brown goes with, he must stick to that plan, and trust Brunson to hold his own and make it tough on Bridges. Earlier this season, Brown spoke glowingly about Brunson’s defense, explaining how he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. If Brown really does trust Brunson’s one-on-one defense that much, he has to let him defend and live with the results.
Instead, though, the Knicks, after purposefully opting into that matchup repeatedly, compounded their transgression by doubling him in the post. The Hornets were already getting a lot of good looks from deep with their dribble penetration, as well as their offensive rebounding. But by ultimately choosing to start defensive possessions playing four-on-five, the Knicks allowed a team that likes to shoot threes an easy avenue to finding more of them.
There are two sides to this problem right now. The bad news is that this problem is unlikely to go away. They can continue to clean some things up. But it’s unlikely that they will completely change their philosophy or find a better way to hide Brunson defensively, given the makeup of the roster. The good news, though, is that not every team the Knicks are going to play is as good as the Hornets at finding, taking, and making threes. How many teams have guys that can hit shots like the one below? You could argue Charlotte has three in LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knuepell. Most teams have maybe one?
LOGO KNUEPPELL!
O Charlotte Hornets vai DOMINANDO o Knicks até aqui.
— Pisou Na Linha | NBA 🏀🇧🇷 (@pisounalinha) March 27, 2026
The Heat, 76ers, Raptors, Pistons, and Magic, all of whom the Knicks may end up playing in the playoffs, all rank in the bottom half of the league in three-point percentage, with the last four ranking 21st or lower. Meanwhile, the Hawks, Celtics, and Cavaliers, who could also eventually match up with the Knicks in the playoffs, rank in the top half, but only the Hawks rank in the top 10. And in terms of attempts per game, the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Hawks are the only teams that rank higher than 15th in the league, with the 76ers, Magic, Raptors, and Pistons all being in the bottom 10.
That may point to this issue not being quite as detrimental as it may seem. Another interesting note is that of the four teams in the league that currently hold a better defensive rating than the Knicks (Thunder, Pistons, Spurs, Celtics), three of those teams rank in the bottom half of the league in three-pointers given up per game. The Pistons, the only one of those four teams not in the bottom half, barely rank in the top half, coming in at 14th. That may seem like a good thing. But quality always matters.
And in this case, the numbers suggest that it’s not that the Knicks give up too many threes, it’s that they give up too many open threes. New York currently ranks 10th in the league in wide-open threes (no defender within six feet) given up per game. Of the top five defensive teams, only the Celtics give up more per game. This is also reflected in the fact that the Thunder is the only one of those top five defensive teams that give up a higher percentage from three than the Knicks.
So what does this all mean ultimately? The Knicks do struggle with giving up a lot of threes. They also happen to give up a lot of wide-open ones. But it’s not a backbreaker. And it doesn’t automatically make them a bad defensive team. Evident by the team’s recent success and the success of some of the best defenses in the league, giving up a lot of threes does not inherently mean you can’t defend. As stated earlier, how you give up said threes and what kind of threes you give up tend to matter more.
The Hornets just hit three straight triples the Knicks have no answer for this offense pic.twitter.com/EDCwXoZ4hZ
The Knicks can, and if they want to reach their goals, should continue to try and improve there, even if it’s on the margins. There are still plays like the ones above that have nothing to do with personnel or philosophy, and can be fixed with better communication and focus. But shooting is one of the more volatile things. On any given night, a good shooting team can shoot badly, and a good shooting team can shoot well. We’ve seen both happen to and against the Knicks. Will they lose games in the playoffs because of it? Likely. But not every potential playoff opponent is a great shooting team. If New York can continue to take care of business and execute in other areas of the game, their three-point defense may not end up being as detrimental as it sometimes seems.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket against Jrue Holiday #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Blazers defeated the Suns 92-77. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eight games remain for the Phoenix Suns, and the picture is starting to settle. They sit three games clear of the eighth seed, planted firmly in that seventh spot in the Western Conference. It is not official, nothing ever is until the math says so, but it feels like this is where they are headed. So the climb out of the Play-In starts to fade, and the conversation shifts. Not where you are going, but who is coming to meet you there.
Right now, the Suns are three games up on the Los Angeles Clippers, who sit only a half game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers. Lurking behind them are the Golden State Warriors, still trying to find enough traction to stay in the mix. That trio becomes the focus. That trio becomes the question.
And yeah, you play who you play. That is how this works. There is no dodging, no maneuvering, no trying to outsmart the bracket. The Suns are locked into their lane, and whoever shows up will be waiting on the other side of that first Play-In game.
But as a fan, it is a fun exercise. You look at matchups, you think about styles, you picture how it could unfold. It is part of the experience, part of the anticipation. We asked the question earlier this week in Suns Reacts, and the answer came through loud and clear. The overwhelming preference was Portland.
I find myself in that same lane. The Los Angeles Clippers have been playing real basketball for the past three months. They are connected, disciplined, and comfortable in who they are. That is not a team you want to see in a one-game setting. They make you work for everything, they stay within themselves, and they carry experience that shows up when the game tightens.
The Portland Trail Blazers are not a walk either, but the matchup feels different. It feels cleaner for Phoenix. As long as you do not let Donovan Clingan turn into prime Steph Curry and flip the math on you, the Suns walk into that game with the best player on the floor in Devin Booker. That matters. It always matters.
Against the Clippers, that edge is not as clear. Kawhi Leonard changes that equation. He is a proven winner, a Finals MVP twice over, and when he is right, he can control a game in a way few players can. That shifts the balance and creates doubt. And when you are talking about a single elimination environment, those margins carry weight.
So it makes sense that 63% of the community landed on Portland. It is not about avoiding competition. It is about understanding matchups and where you hold your advantages.
With only a handful of games left, the answer is coming soon, and it might not reveal itself until the final day. That is how tight this race is. And if you are looking at it from a betting perspective on FanDuel, it is hard to feel confident in any direction. The NBA has a way of flipping expectations, especially this time of year. At the end of it, none of it really matters until the ball goes up. You get your opponent, you take the floor, and you execute. That is the only part you control.
