Dan Hurley led UConn to its third Men's NCAA Tournament championship game appearance in the last four seasons after the Huskies' 71-62 Final Four win vs. Illinois on Saturday, April 4.

But before he could even get off the court at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, the two-time national championship coach was booed by fans in the stands.

"Are they booing?" Hurley said halfway through a response to a question from CBS Sports sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson. "I don't know what they're booing."

"Are they booing? ... I don't know what they're booing." 😂

Dan Hurley speaks with @tracywolfson after the Huskies advance to a third National Championship Game in four seasons pic.twitter.com/9ZhMqjUhKm

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) April 5, 2026

REQUIRED READING: UConn vs Illinois final score, highlights: Huskies hold off Fighting Illini in Final Four

The boos, presumedly from Illinois' fans in the stadium, aren't the first directed at the Huskies coach. He's often greeted with similar gestures and jeers from opposing fan bases due to his animated and passionate behavior on the sidelines.

Indeed, cameras caught boos on the broadcast heading into the under-12 media timeout in the second half after Hurley showed his displeasure for an offensive foul against UConn forward Eric Reibe.

"I get much more of a bad reaction from people, I think, on social media than when I meet regular people," Hurley said Friday, April 3 at the Final Four. "Because anytime I meet regular people, they look at me and they start laughing or they start smiling. Or (say), 'You're the guy from the video. You look a little crazy, but I think you're a good egg.'"

Here's what Hurley said of the boos he received:

"It's not who I really am, you know, as a human being. There's people that write articles about me. Some of you may be standing here. I know that there was someone in there that just wrote one about me, that they rarely come to my games. They never spend time around our program," Hurley said. "They have no idea. They take viral clips of things they see at a game, and then they attack me, either personally or my coaching style. And I think it's a joke. I think that's lazy media. They don't know who I am."

Saturday's win moved Hurley to 5-0 in the Final Four with the Huskies and 18-3 overall in the Men's NCAA Tournament.

Now Hurley will look to add his name to more March Madness records with another title on Monday, April 6.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dan Hurley greeted with boos after UConn Final Four win over Illinois

It’s always easier to predict a split back-to-back than actually go through it.

The Sixers fell 116-93 to the Detroit Pistons Saturday night, completing the season series sweep.

They are now 43-35 and will drop back a half game behind the Toronto Raptors for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tyrese Maxey steadily put up 23 points and two assists going 8-of-17 from the field. Paul George opened the game on fire, going for 20 points and five rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting.

VJ Edgecombe fought his way to 19 points shooting 7-of-18 from the field along with six rebounds. Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 19.

Joel Embiid (oblique injury management) and Johni Broome (meniscus tear) were out for Philadelphia while the Pistons were missing Cade Cunningham (lung) and Isaiah Stewart (calf strain).

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• A much different offensive start than the night before, but again it was George leading the way with his aggression. He got to the basket and drew a foul to get the Sixers their first points of the night before hitting three jumpers. Detroit made their first eight shots of the game. Harris was drawing boos on every touch. He got on the board at the line as well before cutting for a dunk and knocking down a jumper.

Paul George still looking DAMN good since returning, starts this one off with nine points in the first four minutes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OoEX6VAV0p

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) April 4, 2026

• Even when the Pistons finally missed a shot, they were able to tip back the offensive rebound. It was at the 6:03 mark of the quarter that the Sixers got their first proper stop of the game. The decision to start Andre Drummond hadn’t paid off defensively, but at least he had a couple offensive rebounds and a putback early himself. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Pistons took 57% of their shots at the rim — the league average is just 31.4%.
• Some calls were definitely debatable, but the Sixers didn’t do a great job of defending without fouling. They put the Pistons on the line 12 times in the quarter. Maxey, for example, hitting the forearm of Daniss Jenkins shooting a three was one the Sixers really couldn’t afford. Even with Maxey putting up 14 points in the first, the Sixers trailed by 10.

Second Quarter

• It took a couple of possessions, but the Sixers finally got their hands in some passing lanes and were able to get stops. Detroit wasn’t just walking into wide open baskets. George was able to deflect and steal a pass, leading to an Adem Bona basket that capped off a 7-0 Sixers’ run.
• Another big reason for the run was George continued to be a microwave scorer. Edgecombe had some aggressive drives for the first time all night, but George’s inability to miss a jumper was the Sixers’ engine. He got his 18 in the first half having only missed one shot.

Just a really nice sequence from the Sixers here to pull within two of the Pistons. Another PG three, a steal, and Adem Bona with a great move for a bucket. pic.twitter.com/uKxnnmeXia

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) April 4, 2026

• Unfortunately the Sixers’ bench took a hit as they were fighting back in this game. Cam Payne pulled something in his leg trying to chase down a loose ball. He immediately subbed out and was ruled out later in the night with a hamstring strain.
• Playing most of the first quarter meant the Sixers had to play most of the closing stretch without George. The drop off was again more noticeable on the defensive end. The Pistons were able to create some space. Old friend Bball Paul took Drummond off the dribble before Duncan Robinson made his first two threes of the night, helping the Pistons push their lead back up to 11.

Third Quarter

• The Sixers continued to have solid offense coming out of the half. Edgecombe set up Drummond wide open in the dunker spot and Maxey got himself a couple of baskets. Detroit’s size continued to overwhelm them on the other end though. Once Ausar Thomspon got open on a roll the Sixers couldn’t do anything to stop his lobs. Thompson to this point was also leading the Pistons in offensive rebounding as they were pulling down half of their misses.

Tyrese Maxey just showing no mercy for Ausar Thompson 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/5lOf3IpwoK

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) April 5, 2026

• The game started to get out of hand for the Sixers when their offense went cold. They went scoreless for over four minutes. George was finally unable to make every jumper while the Pistons defense keyed in on Maxey. Nick Nurse angrily called a timeout as the Pistons took their largest lead of the game at 19.
• The Sixers started to string stops together coming out of that timeout, but not before a trip to the line for Jalen Duren and a three from Harris. Maxey and Edgecombe continued to attack but the Sixers’ offense was extremely top heavy in this one. The only baskets in the third not scored by those two or George was the dump off to Drummond and a putback by Bona. After eating into the lead a bit, a jumper by Ron Holland kept the Pistons up by 14.

Fourth Quarter

• With Kelly Oubre Jr. back in the starting lineup and Payne going down with an injury, the only hope for bench scoring was Quentin Grimes, who unfortunately, didn’t have it. Not only was he scoreless, but his turnover directly led to the Pistons first basket of the fourth after they had been kept off the board for a couple of minutes. 
• The Sixers used their last gasp of this game to try a small lineup with Dominick Barlow as the five so that they could switch everything. They blew a switch on the first inbound coming out of the timeout, immediately giving up a wide open layup. Less than two minutes later and the white flag was raised. This wasn’t an easy game to stomach, but one more affordable to drop after their win over the Timberwolves.

Illinois men's basketball entered the 2026 Final Four with the most statistically decorated offense in the country, an explosive and dynamic group that regularly blitzed past opponents.

In the national semifinals, though, the Fighting Illini ran into a team that's quickly starting to become their kryptonite.

In a 71-62 loss to UConn at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, coach Brad Underwood's team shot just 33.9% from the field and 23.1% from 3-point range, making only six of its 26 shots from beyond the arc.

REQUIRED READING: UConn beats Illinois in Final Four, will play for third national title in 4 years

The fact that the underwhelming performance came against Dan Hurley and the Huskies shouldn't come as a surprise.

The 62 points were the Illini's third-fewest in a game the past three seasons, according to research from ESPN. The only games ahead of it on that list both came against UConn, as well — a 52-point effort in a blowout loss in the Elite Eight in 2024 and 61 points in a Nov. 28 loss to the Huskies in Madison Square Garden earlier in the 2025-26 season.

WILD stat from ESPN Research ..

Illinois' fewest points in a game over the last three seasons:

52 points: 2024 Elite Eight vs. UConn
61 points: Nov. 28, 2025 vs. UConn
62 points: 2026 Final Four vs. UConn

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 5, 2026

Even after April 4's disappointing outing, Illinois is still No. 2 in Division I in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.

Much of the Illini's production came from two players — freshman superstar Keaton Wagler and big man Tomislav Ivisic, who had 20 and 16 points, respectively. Outside of that duo, Illinois made just eight of its 29 field-goal attempts (27.6%).

With the win, UConn advanced to the national championship game, where it will play on Monday, April 6 against either Michigan or Arizona.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn has held Illinois to its three lowest point totals of the past three seasons

The final road game of the season wasn’t supposed to end like this. For three quarters, the San Antonio Spurs looked like a team that had already figured it out: poised, confident, and in control inside a hostile Ball Arena against a championship contender, the Denver Nuggets.

They ran. They shared the ball. They scored 43 points in the opening quarter like it was nothing more than a rhythm exercise. Every possession felt intentional. Every shot felt like it belonged. And at the center of it all was Victor Wembanyama, gliding across the floor, protecting the rim, stretching the defense, doing everything at once; the kind of performance that makes you forget how young he really is.

Even when foul trouble saw him go to the bench, the Spurs didn’t flinch. They have built something that went beyond one player. The lead held. The energy stayed. The belief never dipped.

But across the floor stood Nikola Jokić, and he doesn’t let games drift away. It didn’t happen all at once and there wasn’t a single moment where everything broke. Instead, it crept in little by little. A bucket here. A stop there. A possession that didn’t quite go San Antonio’s way. Jokić, patient as ever, began pulling the strings: a pass to the corner, a soft touch in the paint, a rhythm that slowly tilted the floor back toward Denver.

By the fourth quarter, what once felt comfortable began to feel fragile. The Spurs still led. They still had control, technically, but the air had changed. Midway through the fourth, San Antonio was up seven. Close enough to feel the finish line, far enough to still need execution. That’s when the game tightened its grip.

“It was an extremely competitive game that felt there were a lot of high stakes,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “It was fun game to be a part of and there so many good things that we did and so many things that we can take away to be better at.”

Jamal Murray found space. Aaron Gordon attacked the rim. And Jokić, always Jokić, kept the pressure constant, never rushed, never forced, just inevitable. The lead vanished piece by piece each time the Nuggets had the ball, the Spurs unable to get the stop they needed.

Then came the moment.

De’Aaron Fox fouled Cam Johnson on the three point line. The ball went in and Denver converted the four-point play. And just like that, everything the Spurs had built was hanging by a thread. Still, they had one last chance to hold on, but confusion on the next play saw Aaron Gordon get a wide open dunk to tie the game at 124 and force overtime.

In overtime, things felt different. The Spurs fought. They always do. A three-pointer from Julian Champagnie briefly pushed them ahead again, a flicker of the control they once had. But every answer required perfection now.

And Denver didn’t miss.

Jokić delivered the final blows the way he always does: steady, precise, unavoidable. A bucket in the closing seconds sealed it, a quiet exclamation point on a 40-point masterpiece.

“My conclusion of this game is that it was good for us,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a real test against a team that’s actually playing for something right now. It had some playoff vibes.”

It was just a two-point loss. But it felt heavier than that. Wembanyama had been brilliant with 34 points, 18 rebounds, a presence that shaped the entire night. The Spurs had done so much right. For long stretches, they had been the better team. And still, they walked off without it. Because against a team like Denver, being better for most of the night isn’t enough.

You have to be better at the end.

And for one more game — one final road lesson before the postseason — the Spurs learned exactly how thin that line really is.

“There is no better outcome from this game than to learn,” Wembanyama added. “It is a very good experience.”

Game Notes

• For those clamoring about the Spurs not having playoff experience, this game was as close to the playoffs as they are going to get. And this just proves they are ready. Yes, they have things to work on, but they are ready.
• De’Aaron Fox had 14 points, but was 0-for-6 from three-point range. A 33% shooter from beyond the arc this season, he shot two consecutive air balls that fueled Denver’s growing momentum. In the postseason, I hope to see Fox pulling up from midrange or driving to the rim more.
• Dylan Harper had 12 points off the bench, shooting 71% in 20 minutes. Now, he won’t always shoot the ball that well, but if this is the version of Harper we’re going to get come playoff time — watch out.
• Stephon Castle had 20 points and was aggressive all night long against Denver’s interior defense. So great to see as the playoffs are just two weeks away.

The Los Angeles Lakers produced a strong effort following the NBA All-Star Game to reach the third seed in the Western Conference standings.

The Lakers were looking like a true playoff contender, having won 13 of their last 15 games. The only two losses during that stretch came against the Detroit Pistons and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams are the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences.

While LeBron James began to settle in as the No. 3 option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, it could be up to the 22-time All-Star to serve as the leading man for Los Angeles during the first round of the playoffs.

Coach JJ Redick felt confident throughout the season that his team would all come together at the right time for a strong finish.

The Lakers’ roster dealt with various injuries early in the season, making it hard to put out a lineup featuring its top three stars.

The four-time NBA MVP did not play until mid-November, leaving the guards to lead the way early.

Reaves and James are already ineligible for awards, and Doncic will have to appeal for an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge if he doesn’t play in one of the final five games of the season.

Luka Doncic injury update

Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that will sideline him for the rest of the regular season and his status remains unknown for the postseason.

Austin Reaves injury update

Reaves suffered an oblique injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks.

What Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves injuries mean for Lakers?

Redick will have to piece together an effective lineup built around James. 

Marcus Smart would be an option to fill the role of either guard, but he’s also dealing with his own injuries.

Smart has an ankle injury that will keep him out against the Dallas Mavericks on April 5. He has not played since March 21, when he played 31 minutes against the Orlando Magic.

Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard may move into the starting lineup.

Hachimura is having one of the best seasons of his career from the three-point line, shooting .430 on the season. He's also started 36 of the 63 games he's played.

Kennard, a former sixth-man of the year candidate, made his debut with the Lakers on Feb. 7.

Lakers' remaining regular-season schedule

The Lakers have five games remaining in the regular season. It could prove to be beneficial for Redick and his staff to try different lineups and rotations before the postseason.

• at Dallas Mavericks (Sunday, April 5, 4:30 p.m. PT)
• vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Tuesday, April 7, 7:30 p.m. PT)
• at Golden State Warriors (Thursday, April 9, 7 p.m. PT)
• vs. Phoenix Suns (Friday, April 10, 7:30 p.m. PT)
• vs. Utah Jazz (Sunday, April 12, 5:30 p.m. PT)

Lakers’ playoff matchup scenarios

The Lakers are currently the third seed in the Western Conference standings with a 50-27 record. If the season ended on April 4, the Lakers would play the No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.

The Lakers must continue to stay afloat without their guards to remain the third seed. The Denver Nuggets are just half a game behind the Lakers and the Houston Rockets are two games back.

If the Nuggets move ahead of the Lakers, Los Angeles could be matched up with the Rockets in the West’s 4 vs. 5 matchup.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves injuries mean for Lakers in playoffs

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be starting the first round of the playoffs in two weeks. There isn’t much left to prove in the regular season. Their number one focus is making sure they’re healthy for the playoffs. As a result, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they will be without multiple key players for their game against the Indiana Pacers on Easter.

Cleveland will be missing starting center Jarrett Allen for what the injury report labels as right knee injury management. Allen hurt his knee during the Cavs’ March 3 victory over the Detroit Pistons. This caused him to miss 10 games after the injury.

Allen has performed well after returning to the lineup for the team’s March 27 win over the Miami Heat. However, he is still paying through pain. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported last week that Allen is still in pain and not quite 100%.

Additionally, Evan Mobley will also be out due to left calf injury management. Being without both starting bigs will likely force Thomas Bryant into the lineup. It could also allow two-way forwards, Olivier Sarr and Riley Minix, some playing time with the team after the Cleveland Charge’s season concluded this past week.

The Cavaliers also won’t have the services of Sam Merrill. He’s been dealing with and playing through various injuries throughout the season. Merrill is being held out on Sunday with the designation of left hamstring injury management.

The Cavs will still be without Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (toe). The team hasn’t released an update on those injuries since saying they both would be missing the team’s recent three-game road trip that wrapped up on Friday. We’ll likely get some sort of update from head coach Kenny Atkinson on their injuries before Sunday’s game.

The Pacers, meanwhile, will be down several key players. They will be without Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Pascal Siakam (ankle), Johnny Furphy (ACL), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Andrew Nembhard (back), Aaron Nesmith (neck), and Ivica Zubac (rib).

INDIANAPOLIS — Tarris Reed Jr. posted his third double-double of the NCAA Tournament and Connecticut beat Illinois 71-62 in the Final Four to advance to Monday night’s national championship game.

The No. 3 Huskies will meet the winner of the second national semifinal between No. 1 seeds Arizona and Michigan.

Reed had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Braylon Mullins had 15 points on 5 of 14 shooting and guard Silas Demary Jr. had 5 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Illinois guard Keaton Wagler posted a game-high 20 points with 8 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Tomislav Ivicic’s 16 points.

Blue bloods or new bloods? Ranking college basketball's top programs

The Huskies went into halftime leading 37-29 behind the two-man game of Reed and Mullins, who posted a combined 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting. After making his only 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the Elite Eight win against Duke, Mullins went 3 of 5 from deep in the first half.

Illinois was led by Wagler, who had 10 points and 6 rebounds at the break. Wagler also committed the only two turnovers of the opening half by either team. UConn and Illinois shot a combined 24 of 63 at the break and were 10 of 32 from 3-point range.

The Huskies’ lead would grow to 13 points at 49-36 on a pair of Alex Karaban free throws five minutes into the second half. The Illini would get back within single digits at 49-40 with 12:56 to play but UConn answered with an 8-3 run capped by a Jaylin Stewart corner 3 to go in front 57-43 with 9:24 left.

Illinois would have another response. With UConn in foul trouble after picking up its 10th team foul with 8:03 remaining, the Illini made it 57-51 a minute later on a pair of Ivicic free throws and then 57-53 on an Andrej Stojakovic layup with five minutes to play.

After Wagler scored on a driving layup with 1:39 left to make it 63-59, Mullins would make a crucial 3 from the wing to put the Huskies in from 66-59 with 52 seconds to play. They’d make five of six from the line in the final 37 seconds to seal the win.

UConn is chasing its seventh national championship and third in four years after going back-to-back in 2023-24. A seventh title would break a tie with Duke and bump the Huskies into third in NCAA history behind UCLA (11) and Kentucky (eight).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn basketball beats Illinois in Final Four, will play for national title

This Sunday matinee, the Washington Wizards visit the Big Apple and play the Brooklyn Nets on the second afternoon of a back-to-back East Coast road trip.

Game Info

When: Sunday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m.

Where: Barclays Center, New York City

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

How to listen: The Team 980 AM, 106.7-2 FM.

Injury Report

Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic, Tre Johnson (Day-to-Day), Trae Young, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Cam Whitmore (Out)

Nets: Terance Mann, Noah Clowney (Day-To-Day), Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams, Michael Porter Jr., Danny Wolf, Egor Demin, Day’Ron Sharpe

Pregame notes

A lot of injuries — The Wizards and the Nets are tanking right now, and so the combined injured list is close to half of their rosters. So, for all intents and purposes, this game is essentially a G-League matchup.

Defense — The Wizards’ defense as of late has been lamentable. They allowed 153 against the Philadelphia 76ers a couple nights back, and just today conceded 152 to the Heat in Miami. Can they start keeping teams below 150? Probably doable against the very depleted Nets. But who knows?

Flashback: Wizards defeat Nets with Russell Westbrook’s clutch three!

The last time a first-ballot future Hall of Famer played for Washington was the lone season of Russell Westbrook in D.C.

A Vintage Russ highlight (with two spectacular threes by him and Beal):

The clock is bleeding out, each second slipping through your fingers like sand you swore you had a grip on a moment ago. The arena hums with that low, anxious energy that lives somewhere between hope and dread. Under 30 seconds with the score tight, down by three points or less, and every possession suddenly feels like it carries the weight of a season. Maybe more.

You can feel it in your chest now. That tightening, that anticipation. The kind that makes every dribble echo a little louder, every pass hang in the air a fraction too long. This is where everything slows down and speeds up at the same time. Where the noise fades and somehow gets louder, where thousands of eyes lock onto one simple question that refuses to blink.

Who takes the shot?

Who do you hand the moment to, knowing it might define the night, the week, the narrative that follows this team around like a shadow? Who do you trust to step into that space? Who can absorb all of it — the pressure, the doubt, the expectations — and turn it into something clean, something decisive, something that snaps the net and silences everything for a heartbeat?

This is the currency of greatness. It’s the place where reputations are built possession by possession. It’s where stars start to feel different, heavier, and more permanent. Because anyone can play when the game is loose, and this is where it suffocates. This is where you find out who wants it, who demands it, who takes that final dribble, rises, and doesn’t flinch.

For the Phoenix Suns, it’s Devin Booker. That’s the reality. That’s the investment. That’s the expectation. You are paying him $53.1 million to be the guy in those moments. And for me, despite the noise and the recent misses, he is still the one I trust with the ball in his hands on this roster.

Because he has been there. Because he has delivered before. Because he understands the weight of those possessions.

When you zoom out and look at the numbers, it tells part of the story. In situations where Phoenix is trailing by three or fewer in the final 30 seconds this season, Booker has taken that shot nine times this season. He is 3-of-9 from the field, 1-of-5 from deep, and has not turned the ball over once.

It is not perfect. It is not dominant. But it is controlled and composed. It’s like Colonel Nathan R. Jessup says, “You want me on that wall. You need me on that wall”. Booker has no issue being on that wall for the Suns. When the game tightens, when the possession matters most, the Suns know exactly where they are going. And Book is willing to take shots that not everyone can or should.

Yeah, Devin Booker has struggled in the clutch over the past couple of months, and that mirrors what the Phoenix Suns have been as a whole. Devin Booker is the engine that drives everything they do. When it stalls, the whole thing feels it. So you look for answers, you run through the numbers, you try to make sense of what you’re seeing in real time.

And sometimes, you don’t like what you find.

Devin Booker in the clutch since February 1:

❄️1-8 record
❄️25 FG%
❄️-45 +/-
❄️0.6 AST:TO Ratio
❄️-53 Net Rating
❄️22.6 TO%
😲34.6 Usage % pic.twitter.com/gGQL3m5pi2

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) April 3, 2026

So it got me thinking about something I always come back to. ‘Price for value paid’. What are you paying for, and what are you getting in return when the moments matter most? That led me down a path with Devin Booker and how he stacks up against the top-paid players in the league in these exact situations. Not only this season, but across their careers. Because nobody earns $53.1 million based on one season. You earn it through years of production, through moments, through a body of work that tells you who a player is when the game tightens.

So I started digging. Looking at the top 15 players by salary this season and asking a simple question: What have they done in the final 30 seconds of games when their team is down three or fewer? Not in a vacuum, not based on a few recent misses, but across the entirety of their careers.

Because perspective matters.

We live inside the Phoenix Suns bubble. I know what it feels like when Booker takes that shot because I have seen it over and over again. But I do not watch every Kawhi Leonard game. I am not tracking every late-game possession for Jimmy Butler. I cannot sit here and tell you off the top of my head how Joel Embiid has performed in that exact scenario throughout his career.

So the question becomes, is what we are feeling in Phoenix unique? Or is it something that exists across the league, something that only feels different because we are living inside it every night?

That is what this exercise is about. Stepping outside the emotion, stepping outside the moment, and trying to find where Booker actually sits when you stack him up against his peers in the situations that define reputations.

Who takes those shots? How often? And how often do they actually come through?

#	PLAYER	SALARY	FG%	3PT%
1	Stephen Curry	$59,606,817	34.1%	26.5%
2	Joel Embiid	$55,224,526	23.9%	16.7%
3	Nikola Jokic	$55,224,526	41.6%	16.7%
4	Kevin Durant	$54,708,609	31.3%	31.6%
5	Giannis Antetokounmpo	$54,126,450	38.6%	20.0%
6	Jimmy Butler	$54,126,450	25.9%	16.7%
7	Anthony Davis	$54,126,450	47.8%	9.1%
8	Jayson Tatum	$54,126,450	42.1%	33.3%
9	Devin Booker	$53,142,264	30.4%	17.9%
10	Jaylen Brown	$53,142,264	42.9%	35.7%
11	Karl-Anthony Towns	$53,142,264	27.3%	21.4%
12	LeBron James	$52,627,153	33.4%	12.3%
13	Paul George	$51,666,090	21.9%	18.8%
14	Kawhi Leonard	$50,000,000	32.8%	11.1%
15	Zach LaVine	$47,499,660	30.5%	32.0%

A couple of things pop right away. Players like Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic tend to thrive in these spots, and a lot of that comes down to how they get their looks. They live inside. They operate closer to the rim. Their shots are naturally at a higher percentage because of where they are coming from.

Davis is a perfect example. He is sitting at 47.8% from the field in these situations, which leads the group, but he is near the bottom in three-point percentage. Why? Because he is not living out there. Over the course of his career, he has taken very few threes in those moments. He’s 1-of-11 from deep, so when he does launch late three-balls, they are often late clock situations, broken plays, or end-of-possession heaves rather than something designed. That is the difference. It is not always about who is clutch and who is not. It is about where the shots come from, how they are created, and what kind of looks each player is able to generate when everything tightens.

But I know where your eyes went. They went straight to Devin Booker, the ninth-highest-paid player in the league, and what he has done in those moments across his career. Let’s expand the Booker numbers through his career, knowing that he did not have any experience in these situations during his rookie season.

Year	Age	GP	W	L	Min	PTS	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	TOV	STL	BLK	PF	+/-
2015-16	19	13	3	10	3.7	5	2	5	40	0	0	0	1	2	50	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	-10
2016-17	20	19	6	13	10.4	11	4	12	33.3	1	6	16.7	2	3	66.7	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	-1
2017-18	21	10	2	8	3.9	6	1	4	25	1	1	100	3	3	100	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	-6
2018-19	22	16	5	11	8	12	4	10	40	0	5	0	4	5	80	1	0	1	1	1	2	0	1	7
2019-20	23	13	3	10	5.3	7	2	6	33.3	1	4	25	2	2	100	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	-8
2020-21	24	15	6	9	7.4	10	2	11	18.2	1	6	16.7	5	5	100	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	3	-5
2021-22	25	5	1	4	2.7	5	2	6	33.3	1	4	25	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	-2
2022-23	26	9	2	7	4.7	2	1	7	14.3	0	2	0	0	1	0	2	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	-6
2023-24	27	14	5	9	5.7	7	2	5	40	1	4	25	2	2	100	1	1	2	1	0	0	0	2	-2
2024-25	28	11	4	7	4.6	5	1	4	25	0	2	0	3	4	75	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	1	1
2025-26	29	15	2	13	7	10	3	9	33.3	1	5	20	3	4	75	2	1	3	1	0	0	0	1	-12
TOTAL		140	39	101	63.4	80	24	79	0.304	7	39	0.179	25	31	746.7	8	3	11	7	4	2	0	18	-44

The numbers are what they are. 30.4% from the field, 19.7% from deep, 24-of-79 overall, 7-of-39 from three. That is not dominant. That is not elite efficiency. But there is context inside those numbers that matters. Over an 11-year career in those exact situations, he has only four turnovers. That tells you something. Despite recent narratives, in these specific situations, there is control and composure. He is getting shots up, not giving possessions away.

So, where does that place him? Around the middle of the pack relative to his peers. Not at the top, not at the bottom, right in that range where most players live when the pressure is at its highest.

And that is where the perspective shifts. Because these shots are hard. They are contested, predictable, and heavily scouted. Everyone in the building knows who is taking it. If you are converting around 30% of the time in those spots, you are not failing; you are operating within the reality of what those moments are.

Look at Dillon Brooks this season. Five attempts, one make, 20%, with two turnovers mixed in. That is the other side of it. That is what it can look like when you move away from your primary option.

And even when you expand it to this season across the league, Booker is still right there.

Book is tied for seventh in makes in those situations alongside Kevin Durant. Durant has three makes as well, but on 12 attempts, 25%, with a turnover. Go back to his time in Phoenix, and Durant was 7-of-18, 38.9%, 4-of-10 from three. Booker sat at 3-of-9, right where he is now.

So what does it all mean? It means the frustration is real, but the expectation might be off. These are not high percentage shots. They are not supposed to be. And when you stack Booker against the rest of the league in these moments, he does not stand out as a problem. He looks like most stars do when the game tightens and everything gets harder.

So what is the takeaway here? For me, it is an exercise in relativity.

Because we live inside the Phoenix Suns experience. We watch Devin Booker every night, we feel every miss, and we react to every outcome. When he does not deliver in those moments, the question immediately becomes whether the price matches the production. Based on what the numbers say, and more importantly, how they compare across the league, the answer is “yes”. He is properly compensated for what he is in this specific scenario. He is the guy you want taking that shot. And he is not alone in the reality that those shots do not always fall.

There are outliers. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been exceptional in those moments. Nikola Jokic sits in a different space entirely, a +82 in plus/minus in those situations across his career. That is what a true superstar looks like when the game tightens.

Booker is not that. He is not a superstar. He is a star. And that distinction matters, even if it is uncomfortable to say out loud. There is a ceiling there, both for him and potentially for what this team can ultimately become with him as the centerpiece. But being a star still places you among the top-tier players in the league. It still makes you the best option your team has when everything is on the line.

The frustration is real, and it likely comes from the belief that he can live in that superstar tier consistently, something he touched in 2022. The reality is that very few players sustain that level year after year. Five, maybe seven across the entire league. That means more than 20 teams are operating without one, and trying to figure it out the same way Phoenix is. That is not a Suns problem. That is an NBA reality.

So you take the data, you take the context, and you understand where things actually sit. Not where emotion tells you they are, but where they truly fall when you stack them against the rest of the league.

Sometimes it is worth diving into the numbers on a Saturday and letting them tell part of the story. That story is that in the moments that tighten everything, you are not chasing perfection. You are choosing who carries the weight. Devin Booker carries it. Not flawlessly, not always successfully, but willingly, repeatedly, and with control. That is the job. That is the value. And that is why the ball still finds him.

The 2026 NBA postseason is right around the corner as teams around the association have five or fewer games remaining in the 2025-26 regular season.

The Golden State Warriors look to get their team into form ahead of the postseason following an injury-riddled season that has seen season-ending setbacks to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, and nagging injuries to Al Horford and Quinten Post.

On the bright side, the Dubs will welcome back their star guard Stephen Curry who missed the previous 27 games with what the team previously told USA TODAY Sports was "runner's knee."

ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported that Curry is expected to play April 4 against the Houston Rockets. With five games remaining in the Warriors' schedule, Curry's return is just in the nick of time to get back into basketball shape for a post season run.

Here's what Golden State's playoff scenarios could look like:

AUSTIN REAVES INJURY UPDATE: Lakers lose second star for regular season ahead of playoffs

MORE: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 inductees list stars Parker, Stoudemire and more

Golden State Warriors' remaining schedule

Here is who the Warriors face in their five remaining games of the 2025-26 regular season.

• Sunday, April 5: vs. Houston Rockets
• Tuesday, April 7: vs. Sacramento Kings
• Thursday, April 9: vs. Los Angeles Lakers
• Friday, April 10: @ Sacramento Kings
• Sunday, April 12: @ Los Angeles Clippers

How the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament format works

The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament is practically the NBA's equivalent to MLB and NFL's wild card round. In this format, the Nos. 7-10 seeds are vying for a playoff berth. The higher seed plays at home throughout the tournament. The No. 7 and 8 seeds play each other, winner is the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Loser still has a chance for the No. 8-seed.

The No. 9 and 10 seeds play each other in an elimination style game. The winner of the No. 9 vs. 10-seed game plays the loser of the No. 7 and 8 seeds game for the No. 8 and final spot in the playoffs.

Warriors' playoff scenarios

The Warriors will play in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament since they won't be able to catch the Western Conference's No. 6 seed before the regular season ends.

The Warriors (36-41) are currently the No. 10 seed in the West and have five games remaining before the postseason begins Tuesday, April 14 with the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.

Ahead of them, by three games, are the Los Angeles Clippers (39-38) at the No. 9 slot. The Portland Trail Blazers are 40-38, a half game above the Clippers at No. 8. Currently placed at No. 7 are the Phoenix Suns.

If the regular season ended today, the Warriors would go on the road to face the Clippers in an elimination game for a chance at the No. 8-seed.

If Golden State loses they are eliminated from postseason contention. If they win, they would face the the loser of the No. 7 vs. 8 seed game between the Suns and Blazers for the No. 8 spot.

If the Warriors were to win both play-in games, they would make their 2026 NBA Playoff appearance in the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Golden State Warriors playoffs odds

Here are the Warriors' playoffs odds, as of Saturday, April 4, courtesy of BetMGM.

Warriors' playoff chances

• Miss the playoffs: -450
• Make the playoffs:+300
• Advance to Western Conference second round (semifinals):+2800
• Advance to Western Conference Finals:+8000
• Win Western Conference Finals: +25000
• Win championship:+50000

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Warriors playoffs scenario: Can they make run with Curry?

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to sweep the season series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday evening.

The Pacers have one of the worst records in the league, and given the convoluted protections on their first-round pick in the upcoming draft, they could benefit from being at the bottom of the standings.

Even though Indiana has an incentive to lose games, they’re still capable of winning. In the last week and a half, they’ve beaten the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, while coming close to taking down the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.

Considering how the Cavs haven’t exactly handled their business against other teams they’re more talented than in recent weeks, this one could be closer than we anticipate at the onset.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (48-29) vs. Indiana Pacers (18-59)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Sun. April 5 at 6 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports App, NBA League Pass

Point spread: Cavs -17.5

Cavs injury report: Evan Mobley – OUT (left calf injury management), Jarret Allen – OUT (knee injury management), Sam Merrill – OUT – (hamstring injury management), Jaylon Tyson – OUT (toe), Dean Wade – OUT (ankle)

Pacers injury report: Tyrese Haliburton – OUT (Achilles), Pascal Siakam – OUT (ankle), Johnny Furphy – OUT (ACL), T.J. McConnell – OUT (hamstring), Andrew Nembhard – OUT (back), Aaron Nesmith – OUT (neck), Ben Sheppard – QUESTIONABLE (hip), Obi Toppin – PROBABLE (foot), Jarace Walker – QUESTIONABLE (tailbone), Ivica Zubac – OUT (rib)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Keon Ellis, Max Strus, Thomas Bryant

Pacers expected starting lineup: Ben Sheppard, Quenton Jackson, Kobe Brown, Obi Toppin, Jay Huff

Previous matchup: Darius Garland scores 14 in the fourth quarter after technical difficulties prevented fans from watching close of game

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	118.8 (7th)	114.8 (14th)	+4.1 (9th)
Pacers	111.1 (27th)	119.7 (26th)	-8.6 (26th)

Old habits die slowly for Dusty May.

Instead of sitting in his office in the Michigan basketball locker room to prepare for the Wolverines' Final Four game vs Arizona at 8:49 p.m. ET, May was instead courtside scouting the Illinois-UConn semifinal.

Dusty May here courtside scouting the first half of this game.

Haven’t seen too many head coaches in the second semifinal do this. pic.twitter.com/hu3XaqrWOZ

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 4, 2026

The Wolverines would play the winner of the first semifinal if they prevail in the second semifinal on Saturday, April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

REQUIRED READING: UConn vs Illinois live updates: Score, highlights for Final Four game

May told TBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson that with the quick turnaround, he "wanted to see things live, especially because he's not that familiar with UConn." He added he wanted a fresh perspective on the Huskies, and that this was "much better than sitting in the back."

Dusty May is keeping tabs on the first game 👀✍️#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/aPAn0WuyDf

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2026

Michigan-Arizona is scheduled for an 8:49 p.m. ET tip time.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dusty May scouting UConn-Illinois game, ahead of Michigan's Final Four game

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 40 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds, Christian Braun added 21 points and the Denver Nuggets beat San Antonio 136-134 in overtime Saturday to snap the Spurs’ 11-game winning streak.

Cameron Johnson scored 17, Jamal Murray finished with 15 points and 10 assists and Aaron Gordon scored 15 for the Nuggets.

Gordon scored with 6.2 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, then forced Victor Wembanyama into a miss on the final shot of regulation.

Wembanyama finished with 34 points, 18 rebounds, seven assists and five blocked shots for the Spurs, who lost for only the third time in their last 30 games.

Stephon Castle scored 20 points for San Antonio, while Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie each scored 18 for the Spurs.

Castle’s three-point play midway through the second quarter put the Spurs up 57-44, that 13-point margin the biggest that they would hold all afternoon.

Wembanyama scored with 9:08 remaining to put San Antonio up 107-96. The Spurs were 48-2 this season in games where they held double-digit leads in the fourth quarter.

They’re 48-3 now — with two of those losses against the Nuggets, who rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth to beat San Antonio on March 12.

Denver held San Antonio to 33% shooting the rest of the way, outscoring the Spurs 40-27 in the final 14 minutes of the game including overtime.

Jokic had 16 of his points in those final 14 minutes, while Denver held Wembanyama to 1 for 4 shooting in that span.

Up next

Spurs: Host Philadelphia on Monday.

Nuggets: Host Portland on Monday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

DALLAS — LeBron James doubled down on his comments from earlier in the week about Memphis.

When asked after the team’s Saturday practice at Southern Methodist University if he wanted to clarify comments he made about Memphis during an appearance on the “Bob Does Sports” show, in which he suggested the Grizzlies should be relocated to Nashville, James pointed out that Memphis wasn’t the only city he was critical of.

“I said Milwaukee as well,” James said. “I’m 41 years old, there’s two cities I do not like playing in right now: that’s Milwaukee and that’s Memphis. I don’t like going home either, s–t, and I’m from there. People are ridiculous. They also get mad at my son being on the team, too.”

While appearing on the YouTube show, James was asked about whether in-season travel wears on him, with the Lakers star acknowledging it does. 

“A random f—ing Tuesday in Milwaukee, staying at the f—ing Hyatt at 41 years old; you think I want to do that s–t?,” James said on the show. “Being in Memphis on a f—ing random ass Thursday? I’m not even, like, the first guy to talk about it in the NBA. We’re all, like, ‘You guys have to move.’ Just go over to Nashville. You’ve got Vanderbilt over there. You’ve got the f—king NASCAR. You’ve got a stadium. Don’t they got a hockey team, too? They’ve got everything.”

"Did I say I don't like Black people?…I'm 41 years old. There's two cities I do not like playing in. That's Milwaukee and that's Memphis. I don't like going home, either. S–t, and I'm from here." – LeBron James when asked if he wanted to clarify the comments he made on Bob… pic.twitter.com/St9X9ebyTM

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) April 4, 2026

James’ comments were widely criticized, especially from those in Memphis, citing Memphis being one of the more densely-populated cities of Black people (by percentage of population) compared to other NBA cities.

“Did I say I don’t like Black people? No,” James said.   

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He added: “I’m not talking about the city, like the people in Memphis. I don’t like staying at the Hyatt Centric. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. What are we talking about? What are we talking about? People need to chill the hell out.”

Memphis Mayor Paul Young responded to James’ original comments by inviting him to his city.

“I would welcome the chance to turn your criticism into action in one of the most important cities in the world,” Young wrote in Facebook post, which included ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins complimenting Memphis. “Come to Memphis and roll around with me for a bit and I will show you some of the culture and powerful investment opportunities in our City. Let’s do something epic in one of the largest majority Black cities in the nation!”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid, who will not play the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, said Friday night he was angry at Philadelphia 76ers management for not allowing him to play in Washington on Wednesday.

He was out for Saturday’s game with “right oblique; injury management; (and) illness.” He has not played in both games of a back to back all season.

Embiid was ruled out Wednesday due to an illness. He replied to a reporter’s post on social media that listed him as out by saying that he planned to play. He later posted, “I guess they won’t let me play basketball.”

After a 115-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Embiid expressed his displeasure with Daryl Morey, the 76ers president of basketball operations.

“I was pissed off. I wanted to play basketball,” Embiid said. “I wasn’t allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question of Daryl Morey or whoever makes the decisions.”

Embiid scored 26 points in 34 minutes in a 76ers loss Monday in Miami. He was not listed on the injury report but told reporters that he was ill. “Physically, I just was not in it."

He said he had a short night’s sleep before Wednesday’s 153-131 win over the Wizards and wasn't at a morning film session, after which he was ruled out.

“I found out online that I wasn’t playing that night,” Embiid said. “That kind of caught me off guard.”

Embiid was listed as doubtful on Thursday’s injury report for Minnesota, but played 34 minutes, totaling 19 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse said he wasn’t concerned with the situation, praising Embiid for his play Friday.

“We handle it by keeping things basketball-related,” Nurse said Saturday before facing the Pistons. “He was at shootaround yesterday; he was excellent in the game yesterday, was really a great teammate and focused and all that stuff yesterday. So we just try to keep it all basketball-focused.”

Embiid has played 37 games this season, sidelined primarily by injury management in his knees. He’s averaged 26.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

The 32-year-old center missed 13 games after straining his right oblique on Feb. 26 against Miami.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba