Category: Basketball

The Phoenix Suns lost to the Orlando Magic 115-111 on Tuesday. Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points, but Collin Gillespie was the only other Suns starter to score in double digits. The Suns struggled to shoot from both the field and from three. While the Magic had 25 turnovers, the Suns had 20. The team’s two-game losing streak has been snapped.

Phoenix trailed for the majority of the contest, not taking their first lead until early in the fourth quarter. However, on the second night of a back-to-back, the Suns’ offense went cold down the stretch, going more than five minutes without hitting a field goal late. To start and end the game, Phoenix had trouble executing offensively.

Now 42-34 on the year, it’s looking more and more likely the Suns will be in the play-in. The question is will be it as the 8th or 7th seed. Their lead over the Clippers is now just 2.5 games.

Game Flow

First Half

It was a tepid start for the Suns. Technical fouls were flying for both teams and the Suns had just two made field goals in the first 5;35 of the game. Orlando was up 20-8 about halfway through the first. Phoenix was able to cut the lead down to single digits, going on an 8-0 run to end the quarter. It was 28-21 Orlando after the first quarter.

The Magic pushed the lead back to double digits early in the second with a 5-0 run. Phoenix started to creep back around the midway point of the quarter. Jordan Goodwin had an impactful four-point play that cut the deficit to five.

Goodie steal → 4-POINT PLAY 😤 pic.twitter.com/kr937Z0Tdw

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 1, 2026

Want to know how Dillon brooks is back? He picked up four fouls in the first half and had to be subbed out less midway through the second because of his foul troubles.

When the Suns cut the lead down to a one-possession score, Orlando responded with a 9-0 run. For the rest of the half, Orlando had a sizable lead Phoenix just couldn’t crack too deeply into. At the half, the Suns trailed the Magic 70-56.

Second Half

To start the third quarter, Phoenix quickly cut their second half lead in half and more some. An 11-2 run prompted an early Orlando timeout, and the Suns pushed the game into a one-score contest at 80-77. Jordan Goodwin was flying all over the court. With Brooks in foul trouble, Goodwin anchored Phoenix’s defense.

The Orlando lead hovered around five points. Phoenix struggled to retake the lead. When Phoenix cut it to two with less than two minutes left in the third, Desmond Bane hit a straightaway triple. It was the perfect depiction of how the final six minutes of the third went until the end. A quick 8-0 run by the Suns to end the third tied the game up at 94 heading into the fourth.

Phoenix’s first lead of the game came early in the fourth quarter, with a Rasheer Fleming slam. The game went back and forth. Neither team was able to build more than a possession lead. Both offenses started to slow down their paces. Grayson Allen started to find a bit of a rhythm after a rough start to the game.

Down 109-107 with 4:08 left, Jordan Ott and company called a timeout. Both team’s offenses remained static and couldn’t generate baskets or good looks. Down the stretch, Phoenix’s offense especially struggled. They went over five minutes without making a field goal which ended up being their kryptonite and ending their two-game win streak.

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Up Next

The Suns will face the Hornets on Thursday for their third game in four nights and their third game of their four-game road trip. Phoenix beat Charlotte 111-99 last month back in Arizona.

ATLANTA (AP) — Francisco Trincão scored in the 37th minute, João Félix added a goal in the 59th and Portugal beat the United States 2-0 in a friendly on Tuesday night to deal the Americans their eighth consecutive defeat against European opponents.

U.S. star Christian Pulisic was moved from a wing to the top of the attack but failed to convert a pair of good scoring chances.

Pulisic, who played only the first half, is scoreless in eight national team games dating to November 2024 and in 12 games with AC Milan since Dec. 28.

Preparing to co-host the World Cup, the U.S. has been outscored 22-6 during its losing streak against Europe and is winless against the continent in 10 matches since 2021.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino announces his World Cup roster on May 26, and the Americans play their last warmups against Senegal five days later and Germany on June 6. The Americans open the World Cup on June 12 against Australia, face Paraguay a week later and close the first round vs. Turkey on June 25.

Before a pro-US crowd of 72,297 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Portugal went ahead after American midfielder Weston McKennie knocked a hard-to-control pass from Alex Freeman to Vitinha, who played a through ball to Bruno Fernandes. As defenders Chris Richards and Auston Trusty converged on the midfielder, he dropped a backheel pass to Trincão, who took a touch and slotted it past Matt Freese and inside the far post for his third international goal.

Félix scored his 12th international goal following Fernandes' corner kick. Left unmarked just outside the penalty area, Félix sent a half-volley in on two bounces off the far post.

Freese was back in goal after his streak of 12 straight starts ended when former No. 1 goalkeeper Matt Turner played in Saturday's 5-2 loss to Belgium.

Preparing for a World Cup group with Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia. Portugal was missing captain Cristiano Ronaldo (hamstring).

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Utah Jazz are nearing the end of another season at the bottom of the rankings. Looking forward to next season, the question is going to be, how good can the Jazz be? The major issue with this team during this rebuild has been the defense. At no point has the Utah Jazz defense been even remotely good, and it does bear asking, can the Jazz become a good defense next year? With a potential front court of Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler, can they become at least top-10 in the league?

Speaking of next season, Utah has the potential to be one of the best starting lineups in the league. But who will stand out the most among them? My other question this week is, who is most likely to be an All-Star representing the Jazz? Chances are at least one player will, but it’s difficult to decide who.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Washington Wizards return to the friendly confines of Capital One Arena to take on the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.

Game info

When: Wednesday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Injuries: For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly (heel), Tre Johnson (foot), and Alex Sarr (toe) are questionable, while Trae Young (quad), Kyshawn George (elbow), Anthony Davis (hand), Cam Whitmore (shoulder), and D’Angelo Russell (not with team) are out.

For the Sixers, Johni Broome (Knee) is out.

What to watch for

The depleted Wizards host a 76ers squad that suddenly has a clean bill of health for the final stretch of the season. Both Joel Embiid and Paul George have been in Philly’s lineup for each of the last three games, and the pair has put up 54.3 points per game between them in those contests.

Will Riley found his scoring touch during Washington’s recently concluded 5-game road trip. He scored in double figures in each contest, pacing the Wizards with 17.2 points per game during that span. If Tre Johnson is cleared to play, he’ll also get his third crack at a head-to-head matchup against his longtime peer VJ Edgecombe.

With the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets both winning on Sunday, the Wizards are now tied with the Pacers for the No. 1 seed in this year’s tankathon with two weeks left in the season.

The Dallas Mavericks (24-51) head back out on the road Tuesday night to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks (29-45). This one is a make up game following a cancellation due to weather earlier in 2026. Dallas is coming off a brutal beating of a loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Bucks are stumbling down a four game losing streak, most recently Sunday night to the Los Angeles Clippers

Here are the main things you need to know:

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks
• WHAT: A make up game!
• WHERE: Firserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• WHEN: 7:00 pm CST
• HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass

NOW it seems like the Mavericks are embracing an element of tanking. Let’s take a look at who is out for the game: Marvin Bagley, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, Klay Thompson, and PJ Washington. Moussa Cisse IS going to be playing, so Josh will have something to watch at least. The other two-way guys are available as well, so expect heavy minutes there.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss this one, so the Bucks are folding it in as well. Kevin Port Jr. and Bobby Portis will also miss this game. Kyle Kuzma is playing though, so hey, maybe a big game from him incoming.

The season needs to end already. There’s nothing to watch for and yet here I am. Perhaps a Cooper Flagg bounce back game after a stinker on Monday night? Seems likely, the main question that follows there is can he hit a shot. I have faith. The form looks good, the threes just arent falling.

Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!

Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!

NEW YORK (AP) — The men's NCAA tournament is averaging 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight, according to Nielsen. That is the tournament's best audience since 1993 and a 9% increase over last year.

UConn's last-second 73-72 victory over Duke in the East Region final averaged 13.4 million on CBS. The audience peaked at 18.9 million when Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left.

Friday's early window with Duke-St.John's on CBS and Michigan-Alabama on TBS/truTV averaged 14.2 million, the most-watched Friday regional early window since 1992.

The Final Four and title game will be on TBS, TNT and truTV.

The women's NCAA tournament on ESPN's networks and ABC is averaging 789,000 viewers through Saturday's Sweet 16 games. That is a 1% decrease from last year.

Ratings for Sunday and Monday's regional finals are expected to be available on Wednesday.

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

The Knicks (48*-27) face the Rockets (45-29) tonight at Toyota Center. New York needs wins to hold onto third place in the East, while Houston is jockeying for playoff positioning in the West. The national audience should enjoy a thriller tonight, with both teams rating in the top ten for offense and defense and motivated to play hard.

Tip off is 8 p.m. EST on NBC and MSG. This is your game thread. This is The Dream Shake. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Keep all limbs inside the vehicle and be respectful of your fellow passengers. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but NBA Cup Finals are just well-disguised scrimmages.

Steph Curry just might make it back, after all.

The Warriors superstar took his most significant step yet to returning from a knee issue that has kept him out since Jan. 30, participating in practice with the team Tuesday.

While it was a “very light” session, according to Steve Kerr, the coach said Curry was expected to take part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage immediately afterward — a first for the 38-year-old sharpshooter and probably a step that had to happen this week for there to be enough time for Curry to return this season.

“It’s a good step for him,” Kerr said.

The Warriors must see how Curry’s knee responds to the live, on-court action, ruling him out for a 26th consecutive game Wednesday against the Spurs. Kerr left open the possibility that Curry could play Thursday against the Cavaliers, but said that was “doubtful.”

“We’ve got to see how he responds to the scrimmage. And then we’ll just take it day-by-day,” Kerr said. “It’s scrimmage today. And we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. And we’ll go from there.”

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The development represented the most positive turn of events in a stop-and-go saga that Curry has described as “frustrating.”

He is dealing with inflammation and bone bruising in his right knee — commonly known as runner’s knee — that can be tricky to manage, according to doctors. The injury subsides with rest, but returning to action too quickly can cause it to flare up again.

That is why not only Curry’s return to practice, but how he feels the following day, is critical.

Curry had been progressing well enough for the Warriors to set up a scrimmage for him on their last road trip and fly the head of their medical staff, Rick Celebrini, to Atlanta. In just one example of the unpredictable nature of the injury, Curry wasn’t cleared and the scrimmage didn’t take place.

It seemed to be a step in the wrong direction for Curry, leading Kerr to acknowledge last week that there was “actually a conversation now” about whether there would be time left for him to come back this season. “We need to give him a runway if this is gonna work,” he said, “and we are running out of games.”

Golden State has seven games remaining starting Wednesday against the Spurs. Even if Curry wasn’t cleared to return until after the back-to-back, that would still give him five regular-season games to get ready for the Warriors’ inevitable date with the play-in tournament.

With wins against bad teams in three of their past four games, the Warriors improved to 9-16 over the course of Curry’s absence. They once hoped to avoid the play-in, or climb to the No. 7-8 matchup, but their fate has been sealed for some time. All the while, Curry has been determined to return.

Now, the payoff is that much closer.

The Detroit Pistons gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a good fight on Monday before falling in OT, and now they face a quick turnaround with a game today against the Toronto Raptors. Luckily, the Pistons are getting some reinforcements. Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Duncan Robinson are all listed as probable after being held out of the game against the Thunder. Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart remain out, and Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser are questionable tonight. The Raptors will be without Immanuel Quickley, and Brandon Ingram is listed as questionable.

These two teams faced off about two weeks ago, with an Ingram-led Raptors attack helping propel Toronto to a 119-108 victory. RJ Barrett chipped in 27 and Jakob Poeltl was a monster on the boards with 18. It was also the rare game where the Pistons were outscored in the paint.

Game Vitals

When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -3.5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (54-21)

Daniss Jenkins, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Toronto Raptors (42-32)

Jamal Shead, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

Jaxson Hayes pulled something off he’s done just a few times this season during Monday night’s home win over the Wizards.

And even though Hayes made it clear through his actions and words that he can do it more, the Lakers don’t need him to.

With three seconds left on the shot clock on a sideline out of bounds play midway through the fourth quarter, Hayes caught a pass from LeBron James with none of his teammates open to receive a pass and nothing but space in front of him. 

Instead of attempting to drive into the paint for a floater or one of his signature dunks, Hayes let it fly from beyond the 3-point arc.

And he made it, putting him at 3 for 3 on 3-pointers this season, with a celebration dance to follow. 

Hayes has attempted just 14 combined 3s with the Lakers over the last three seasons after taking 14 in his second season with the Pelicans, 57 in his third season and 29 in his fourth season before coming to Los Angeles. 

“Always,” Hayes responded when asked whether he works on his 3-pointers. “Always. At the end of the day, I’m an NBA player and I still work on other things too. I can’t just work on dunking all day, so I gotta work on some things.”

But for the Lakers, spacing and stretching out the floor isn’t necessary or the role they need from him.

They need Hayes’ activity near the rim, which was showcased with the three dunks and two putbacks he had against the Wizards.

Or the 2.2 offensive rebounds he’s averaged over the previous six games entering Tuesday’s home game against the Cavaliers. 

“Hopefully not,” coach JJ Redick quickly responded when asked about Hayes or starting center Deandre Ayton shooting more 3s. 

Redick added: “Even though Jaxson made one, it’s so important for those guys, for our team, for them to put pressure on the rim. They’ve done it in a number of ways. Done it in transition. Jaxson gets ahead of his guy early, [LeBron James] hits him, he gets a dunk. DA as a roller. Jaxson out of our 88 spacing always does a really good job just playing off LeBron or Luka [Doncic]. For us, we’re elite when we touch the paint and we don’t touch the paint enough. So, the emphasis is not for our bigs to pick-and-pops and shot 3s. But it’s to put pressure on the rim.”

In other words, the Lakers’ big man tandem of Ayton and Hayes are playing their roles, even if they’re capable of more.

And over the last few weeks, both have been exceptional in their roles, giving the Lakers nearly 48 minutes of quality big man play, which is a stark contrast to how they finished last season.

After trading for Doncic last February, with Maxi Kleber sidelined with a foot injury, Hayes was the lone big man getting regular rotation minutes, but still averaged just 21.8 minutes as the Lakers’ starting center post-All-Star break – just two more minutes than he’s averaged as the backup big post All-Star break this season.

The Lakers’ reliance on center-less lineups to close out last season worked, but left them vulnerable to bigger teams, a factor in why the Timberwolves beat them in five games in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

But this year is different.

Ayton buying into his role has been well-documented. And Hayes’ continued emergence gives the Lakers another big man option.

“I make sure I do whatever the team needs me to do. So I’m gonna screen and do a bunch of other things.”

But if he finds himself wide open for 3 again?

“It ain’t really my job,” Hayes said. “But if I get an open one, I’m definitely shooting.”

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Game 76. Second in as many nights.

Let’s do this!

ZENICA, Bosnia and Herzegovina (AP) — Four-time champion Italy has failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup.

Connecticut coach Dan Hurley went viral shortly after Braylon Mullins' heroic game-winning 3-pointer against Duke in the Elite Eight for appearing to headbutt official Roger Ayers in celebration of the shot.

Hurley's action raised debate on whether the two-time national championship-winning coach could've received a potentially game-altering technical foul. On Tuesday, March 31, Hurley said it was all in good fun after noting he and Ayers have a good on-court relationship.

REQUIRED READING: Did Dan Hurley deserve a technical after game-winning shot for going face-to-face with ref?

"Really at that point in the game we had it won," Hurley said on "The Triple Option" podcast. "And (Ayers is) an easy guy to work with during the game that I thought he was coming over to chest bump me to celebrate the shot. Because it's not like that for me with him.

"My experience with him has been — we haven't won every game, I haven't agreed with every call — so that was, in no way, me and a ref that I had been at their throat the whole game. Other points in the game where I had my arm around him walking out of a timeout, we were cracking jokes and laughing with that situation. ... That was more like the emotion of the shot and this is a cool-(expletive) ref."

Turns out @dhurley15 wasn’t worried about getting a technical at all.

You won’t want to miss this week’s episode 🤝
Subscribe now: https://t.co/kRwZLYmtaLpic.twitter.com/yaSLwjVkJJ

— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) March 31, 2026

Hurley also clarified that Ayers — who commonly officiates UConn games as a Big East referee — was coming up to tell him there was 0.3 seconds left on the game clock. It's clear Hurley felt comfortable with the gesture given their background, and it's not a surprise given the coach's tendency to be fiery on the sidelines — especially with officials.

Hurley then brought up UConn's loss to Marquette in the regular season finale, in which he was fined $25,000 by the Big East after he received a double-technical ejection for appearing to bump into the referee. He noted that situation was much different than the Elite Eight game.

"When I was on my man's neck, screaming into his neck," Hurley said. "That was a guy coming right up to the line and losing his mind.

Seth Greenberg, appearing on ESPN, relayed on March 30 that Ayers was similarly unbothered by the interaction with Hurley:

"I talked to Roger today," Greenberg said. "He said, 'What are you talking about?' He literally didn't know what I was talking about. He said, 'Nothing happened.' The ball went in. I was running back. They were celebrating. … That was social media trying to create something out of nothing because of Dan Hurley's 'allegedly' reputation."

REQUIRED READING: 'It was heartbreaking': Former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski laments Elite 8 loss

Hurley and "The Triple Option" crew, comprising former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and host Rob Stone, all laughed at the situation in the clip, clearing the air on a situation that became controversial in the aftermath of Duke's 73-72 win over top-seeded Duke. The Blue Devils' play-by-play announcer even called for a technical foul on a UConn player who allegedly left the bench and stepped on the court after Mullins' shot.

Two-time Final Four participant Sam Dekker, an NBA first-round pick out of Wisconsin, said there should've been a technical foul called on Hurley. At least, that was before Hurley explained what was happening.

"I have no bias here," Dekker wrote on X. "This is a tech 10/10 times. For multiple reasons … it would have lost the game for his team and he would have tried to fight the officials like he did nothing wrong. I just don’t understand it at all. Also, referees need to grow a spine in instances like this."

Regardless, UConn moved on to the Final Four with the instant-classic win and will face No. 3 seed Illinois for a spot in the national championship game against the winner of No. 1 seeds Arizona or Michigan.

All bets are off in UConn's remaining games with Hurley and those officials, though.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dan Hurley says he thought ref wanted to 'chest bump me' to celebrate UConn shot