Category: Basketball

This race, unexpectedly, has become a lot closer.

Although it feels like a two-man battle at this point, with no team having more than six games left in the 2025-26 NBA regular season, these players are quickly running out of chances to elevate their arguments for Most Valuable Player.

Thursday, April 2 was an interesting night, too, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Luka Dončić of the Los Angeles Lakers facing off, while phenom big Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs played the Los Angeles Clippers.

Here’s this week’s USA TODAY Sports NBA MVP rankings:

USA TODAY Sports NBA MVP rankings

5. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

He has simply not let up. He dropped 43 in a rout Wednesday, April 1 against the Heat and has scored at least 29 points in his last seven games, and is averaging 33.6 over that stretch. More importantly, he has been the biggest reason for the Celtics to be a real threat in the East, despite missing Jayson Tatum (Achilles rehab) for most of the season. Brown has led Boston to a decently comfortable hold on the No. 2 seed in the East, and, even though Tatum is returning to form, Brown is looking poised to have a massive postseason.

4. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

He has notched triple-doubles in five of his last six games, as the Nuggets are peaking at the right time. Denver has won seven consecutive games and 10 of its last 12, and Jokić has been as consistent and dependable as always. He leads the NBA in rebounding (13.0) and is the only player averaging a triple-double (adding 27.7 points and 10.8 assists). He’s having a monster season, so it’s kind of absurd to rank him fourth. It’s just a testament to the players above him on this list, and the seasons they are having.

3. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers

In 17 games in March, Dončić scored 600 points, becoming just the 10th player in NBA history to put down that output in any single month. The Lakers, crucially, went 15-2 over that stretch and have been impressive, with recent victories over the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Rockets (twice) and Cavaliers. Thursday’s blowout loss against the Thunder was a letdown, as Dončić struggled from deep, going just 1-of-7 from 3-point range. But the bigger problem was a left hamstring injury that sidelined him and may jeopardize his eligibility for individual awards. Thursday night was his 64th game, leaving him one shy of the minimum.

2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

This has actually gotten really close. Wembanyama missed Thursday night’s game against the Clippers with a right ankle injury management designation, but his play as of late has closed the lead the top player on this list has held for much of the back half of the regular season. No player impacts the game on both sides more than Wembanyama, who has dropped 41 points in each of his last two games. As if that wasn’t enough, he swatted away 3 shots in each and collected 10 rebounds Monday, March 30 in a win over the Bulls and hauled in 18 Wednesday against the Warriors. San Antonio has won the last 15 games that Wembanyama has played in.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

He remains the most consistent force in the NBA and Thursday’s beatdown of the Lakers was proof of how dangerous he can be. Gilgeous-Alexander had scored a smooth 21 points by halftime, as Oklahoma City had opened a massive, 31-point lead on the Lakers. Before that, SGA dopped 47 points in an overtime victory against the Pistons, and he has extended his consecutive 20-point streak to a ridiculous 137 games. Still, he’ll need to close strong because Wembanyama is making a late charge.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA MVP rankings after Luka Doncic injury

The Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to escape with a 118-111 win over an undermanned Golden State Warriors team.

Max Strus’s timely shotmaking saved the Cavs. He poured in 24 points on 6-10 shooting from deep. That included scoring eight in the fourth quarter and burying two threes in the closing minutes to put the game away.

The Cavs have so much offensive firepower in the starting five of Strus, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Strus can get lost in the shuffle with his off-ball movement and the attention the dynamic guards demand. The Cavs were able to find Strus enough late and ultimately secured the victory because of it.

This is a much more well-rounded offensive attack when they’re able to get this level of contributions from a proven playoff performer like Strus. He’s rounding into form at the right time as he’s combined to go 17-28 (60.7%) from three over his last three outings.

Overall, the late-game offensive execution since the Harden trade has been impressive. It was again here as the Cavs generated quality looks seemingly every time down the court.

The Cavaliers are doing this without any one player dominating the ball. Harden was orchestrating the offense late once again, but he wasn’t controlling possessions. Every member of the starting five scored four or more points in the final frame, with each scoring critical baskets to help put the game away.

More importantly, this five-man group has good playmakers for their position at every spot. When they create advantages — as Harden is known for doing — everyone on the court can capitalize on it by finding the open man.

This pass from Mobley is a great example of that. The Warriors showed help defense on Harden at the top of the arc. He found the open man in Mobley. And when the defense rotated over to prevent a shot at the rim, Mobley located Strus alone in the corner.

The ball is always faster than the man. Even if the defense does make the right play initially, if you’re moving the ball as efficiently as the Cavs have been in the clutch, you’re eventually going to find a crack in the armor.

The best offenses are often the most well-rounded and diverse. The Cavs have shown over the last several weeks that they can dissect opposing defense in a variety of ways, and did so again here.

Free-throw shooting is a concern for the bigs. Mobley’s struggles at the line have been well documented over the last month. He didn’t get many chances to prove himself at the charity stripe here, but he missed both opportunities he had.

Allen did a good job of aggressively attacking the defense, which led to him taking 12 free throws. The only problem was that he made just six of them.

There’s not much to really dive into with missed free throws. They aren’t fun to talk about, and there typically isn’t an easy fix for them. If they were, LeBron James would’ve figured it out a decade and a half ago.

That said, the margins in the playoffs will be incredibly thin. The Cavs don’t have the luxury of leaving points at the line, and they also can’t have their bigs hesitant to attack because they don’t want to take free throws.

Injuries have held the Cavs back all season, and still are.

Even though Cleveland had their four best players on the court together — which has been a rare sighting this season — you can still see that they aren’t close to being whole considering who’s still out of the lineup.

The Cavs were without Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (toe). And while neither would be considered among the best five players on the team, the lineups that head coach Kenny Atkinson has been forced to use without those two forwards have been rough.

The four guard lineups simply don’t work. Point of attack defense is an issue when the team is fully healthy. Combine that with two players being asked to guard up a position as well, and there are too many holes to clean up for whichever lone big is on the floor.

Additionally, your defense is always just one switch away from a terrible mismatch. The Warriors used this to their advantage as they consistently forced smaller guards onto Kristaps Porzingis and then allowed him to work from there in the high post.

These groupings with four players that are 6’5” or under need to be potent offensively to make up for their shortcomings on the other end. And to their credit, they have been solid. But there’s a difference between spreading the floor out because you have wings and bigs who can create space and doing so with guards.

For one, these four guard lineups don’t have the multiple big screen setters you need to make Atkinson’s motion offense work. And while the Cavs do a lot of guard screening actions already, that is more of a changeup than a fastball.

Despite how much the NBA has changed over the last decade, positions still matter. Or at the very least, having size and a variety of skills does.

Right now, the Cavs don’t have any better options than to continue running these small lineups.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin hasn’t been able to replicate his early-season success much over the past several weeks. Teams know that he isn’t a threat to beat them with his outside shot, which makes it more difficult for him to get to the basket, and in turn cramps the spacing.

Thomas Bryant is the other forward who has shown that he deserves minutes, but he’s a center. That makes it difficult to play him alongside Jarrett Allen.

Atkinson hasn’t been willing to look outside of those options for minutes. Larry Nance Jr. hasn’t played consistent rotation minutes since the beginning of the season. There’s an argument that one of the three two-way players who are forwards should get an opportunity, but since none are eligible for the playoffs on their current deals, it’s not worth seriously exploring.

Getting Wade and/or Tyson back will help. These lineups will have much more size and versatility on both sides of the floor. That will drastically improve how this all looks.

At the same time, how incoherent these lineups are underscores the fragility of the current roster construction.

There are no perfect teams in this new parity era (except the Oklahoma City Thunder). Everyone has holes (again, except OKC). And with the speed of the game, you can’t just play six or seven guys in the playoffs and expect to get by. True contenders need to and can comfortably trot out nine at a minimum.

Health will play a significant role in determining the eventual champion. Not being able to cover up for multiple rotation players isn’t necessarily alarming on its own. At the same time, nothing about what we’ve seen this past week would make you believe the Cavs can compensate for missing either or both Wade and Tyson. That’s a scary place to be and isn’t ideal for the most expensive roster in the league.

The NBA has narrowed down their list of anti-tanking measures to three options.

I think that, unfortunately, this list is too short, and it leaves too many good ideas off the table. Below are some of the ideas that didn’t make the cut…

The Wheel

Proposed by Mike Zarren, the wheel assigns draft picks without regard to record. Instead, the rank order of the picks changes from year to year.

Pros: There’s no point in tanking anymore.

Cons: It will take 32 years to figure out if it works.

The Drop-Dead Date

The lottery seeding is fixed at a certain arbitrary point in time—the All-Star break is often suggested—after this point, further losses don’t improve your odds of getting a top pick.

Pros: It doesn’t matter if you lose games after the drop-dead date.

Cons: It doesn’t matter if you win games after the drop-dead date either.

The Lottery Tournament

Teams will compete to get the most favorable odds in the lottery in a tournament—or the draft order will be fixed by the results of the tournament.

Pros: There’s more basketball to watch and, importantly for the league these days, more basketball to bet on. After expansion, there will be as many teams in the lottery tournament as in the postseason, and this way even players on bad teams can get the chance to play an extended schedule with even more chances to get hurt. Oh wait.

Cons: Does anyone want to see Sacramento hang a banner when they win the lottery tournament?

The Really Complicated Rule System

Under this system, the two-year record of a team is taken into consideration, and a floor will be set, such that no team that wins less than 25 games gets credit for a greater number of losses, and this will be used to determine the odds for a drawing that will assign the first four spots in the draft. The 22 teams in the league with the worst cumulative two-year records will be entered in the drawing.

Pros: It’s complicated!

Cons: The league is actually considering this one.

The Pig in a Poke

The league doesn’t reveal the lottery selection method until the end of the season. Odds could be weighted to favor really bad teams, or they could be even across the board. This takes away a lot of the incentive behind planning to be bad.

Pros: I kind of like this idea.

Cons: Nobody else seems to.

The Big Tumbler Full of Envelopes

A bit of a throwback to the good old days when lottery odds were even across the board, and the drawing was done with plenty of spectacle, instead of taking place in a locked room.

Pros: It’s a great way to get Patrick Ewing, if you’re the Knicks.

Cons: It’s a great way to not get Patrick Ewing, if you’re not the Knicks.

The Trial By Combat

This option would consist of a physical competition that would probably, but not necessarily, be relatively safe. Say an arm-wrestling contest. Teams would nominate a different champion every year who would compete on their behalf. The catch is that the champion has to be employed in a responsible position in the front office, and not with some hokey title like “Assistant General Manager in charge of Arm Wrestling.”

Pros: Who wouldn’t want to watch this?

Cons: I’m not really seeing any

The Hunger Games

It’s sort of like Trial By Combat, but this time the champions for each team are drawn by lot from the team’s fanbase. Of course, fans could also volunteer as tribute, Katniss style, but regardless, the actual competition would be suitably rigorous. Different contests would include “Sitting quietly at the bar while the game is on, after having had a few drinks,” “Ignoring Nick Wright,” “Watching a movie with your significant other while the game is on,” and other feats of endurance designed to test every fan’s stamina.

Pros: Who wouldn’t want to represent the Boston Celtics and bring home the top draft pick?

Cons: The movies and books weren’t that great.

The Softball League

Who doesn’t like corporate sponsored softball leagues? Well, why not have one every summer to set the order for the following season’s draft? Sure, this seems like a variation of the two previous options, but it deserves special mention because this would be an actual slow-pitch league, not just a tournament. The only ringers teams could bring in would be guys from the team roster. So maybe save a fourteenth or fifteenth spot for a real slugger?

Pros: Joe Mazzulla coaching a softball team.

Cons: I didn’t come up with this idea, Bill Sy did.

The Fantasy Basketball League

This league would run concurrently with the regular season. GMs from various teams would draft for a fantasy league at the start of each season. Importantly, they can draft players from any team in the league. Maximum chaos will occur when a team GM drafts a player that’s truly hated by that team’s fanbase. Can you imagine what would happen if Brad Stevens drafted Lebron James?

Pros: Knowing that SGA’s grifting is good for your draft position.

Cons: Feeling good about that grifting.

The Ouija Board

Pretty much what the name suggests. Designated league representatives would consult a Ouija board to determine the draft order.

Pros: It’s completely impartial

Cons: Or is it?

The Vote

Each team would vote on which team should get the top pick. The catch, obviously, is that no team can vote for itself. Teams can’t trade votes, or agree to support each other in different years.

Pros: Complete and utter chaos

Cons: None—except for the chaos.

The Roulette Wheel

The league might as well go all-in on gambling and set the draft order this way as well. I mean, it’s already called a lottery… But why not just put team reps around a roulette wheel and whoever’s luckiest over the course of, oh, say, an hour, gets the top pick.

Pros: It’s gambling, so it’s got to be good

Cons: What if all this gambling isn’t good?

The Carnival Midway

When the draft rolls around, the players eligible for it are awarded as prizes for winning various games on a carnival midway. Want Keaton Wagler? You’d best be prepared to peg five tin ducks with a suspiciously inaccurate BB gun.

Pros: This rectifies the longstanding shortage of cotton candy and funnel cake at the NBA draft

Cons: The Kings might get mixed up and end up drafting an oversized teddy bear by mistake.

The High School Essay Contest

General managers from each team would be required to submit an essay to the league saying why they should get the top pick that year. The team with the best essay would get the top pick.

Pros: It’s better than the current system, which is “my team deserves the top pick because we are terrible.”

Cons: There’s a risk that some GMs are illiterate.

6 key questions left for Sixers, from seeding to starters  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

As of Friday morning, heading into a back-to-back vs. the Timberwolves and Pistons, the Sixers have six regular-season games to go and sit sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Let’s look at six key questions for the team with postseason looming:

Can Sixers avoid the play-in?

The odds of the Sixers staying in the top-six and steering clear of the play-in tournament feel like a coin flip.

They trail the fifth-seeded Hawks by 1.5 games and also lost the regular-season series to Atlanta, so rising would be unlikely. That’s especially true because the Sixers have the NBA’s fourth-hardest remaining strength of schedule, according to Tankathon.

The Raptors and Sixers both currently sit at 42-34. The teams split their regular-season series, but the Sixers hold the tiebreaker over Toronto because of their superior record against other teams in the Atlantic division. The Sixers are 9-7, the Raptors 4-10. 

The other teams in play-in spots are the Hornets, Magic and Heat. The Sixers lead Charlotte by 1.5 games, Orlando by two games and Miami by 2.5 games. 

Basketball Reference’s playoff probabilities report says the Sixers have a 41.9 percent of finishing in the top-six. 

Who’s going to start in the postseason? 

Kelly Oubre Jr. has come off the bench in the three games he’s played since returning from a left elbow sprain. Does Sixers head coach Nick Nurse anticipate eventually sliding Oubre back into his starting five? 

“I don’t know about that,” Nurse said Wednesday night before the Sixers’ road win over the Wizards. “I envision probably having some changes here and there going down the stretch. He’s probably going to be involved in that, but he might not be the only one.”

After opening the season on a two-way contract, Dominick Barlow has wound up starting 58 games so far. Nurse has had plenty of valid reasons to like him as a starter. 

“He’s played really well,” Nurse said. “Not always, but a lot of times he’s been a factor on the offensive glass. He’s always a factor on the defensive end. He’s continued to grow in his switch-ability. We can play some different coverages with him; he can switch out on to most guys and do a lot of good work there for us.

“And then obviously, most of the time it was just a numbers game. There were always one, two, three, four guys out and he ends up kind of being there, and he earned it as well. 

“Now that everybody’s back, I thought Kelly probably needed a game or two rhythm-wise. And then again, (Barlow) reminded of us how good he is paired along Joel (Embiid). So there’s lots of stuff going on there to look at and evaluate.”

Barlow’s teammates are very aware that his impact often doesn’t come through shotmaking.

“He knows his role, man,” Tyrese Maxey said. “He’s a star in his role. … He does all the dirty work for us. He guards who he needs to guard, he rebounds — offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds. He’s a connector and he does a really good job of just being who he is. We need him.”

Can Sixers sustain contender-caliber defense?

The Sixers rank 18th in the NBA in defensive rating.

Both on paper and on the floor, they’ve appeared capable of better. One suggestion of a higher defensive ceiling: The Sixers’ defensive rating in fourth quarters is third in the NBA behind only the Knicks and Thunder. Their stellar defensive rating of 98.0 in clutch situations is the best in the league.

Glimpses of greatness won’t be good enough in the playoffs, though. 

“Especially when you’re talking about competing for a championship, we’ve got to be a better defensive team,” Paul George said.

George’s play post-suspension is a reason for optimism on the defensive end. His scoring’s attracted the most attention — 28.0 points per game over his last four, including a 39-point performance against the Wizards — but the 35-year-old forward has looked excellent physically on both sides of the ball. 

“The games were coming fast and my body just wasn’t responding quickly enough,” George said Wednesday. “So I knew. It was a hard decision: Do I keep playing? I knew my body just needed a little time to heal without so much pounding and wear and tear. 

“I knew that the 25-game suspension, I was going to use it wisely, stay in shape, stay sharp, stay working. … I knew that this was kind of a blessing in disguise with the time off that I needed to get ready.”

How costly could rebounding woes be? 

The Sixers’ third-quarter troubles have been well-documented. They still have the NBA’s worst net rating in third quarters this season at minus-13.1.

Defensive rebounding has been a problem across all quarters for three years in a row. The Sixers are on track for another bottom-five season in defensive rebounding rate, per Cleaning the Glass. Last time the team was in the playoffs, the Sixers were decisively worse than the Knicks on the boards during their first-round series loss. 

In Nurse’s eyes, some of the rebounding struggles are fixable. 

“The first thing is our defensive rebounding needs to be better more consistently,” he said. “Again, it seems to get pretty good the last 18 minutes of the game, but it’s not very good in stretches. A lot of those come from a high volume of threes. I don’t think we’ve been great at running down long, loose-ball types of rebounds and that definitely needs an improvement. I think we’ve got the speed and athleticism to run those down. A lot of those long shot, long rebounds I think are the majority of them. 

“And then I would like to improve our side of it. We’d like to be a good crash team. We have been at times this year, but it’s not been as good recently as it was (earlier) in the year, so we’d like to get that back, up that a little bit and get our own share of put-backs and kick-out threes off of offensive rebounds.”

Will Maxey’s progress as floor general make a big difference?

By the numbers alone, Maxey’s only taken a modest step forward this season as a passer. His 0.95 assist-to-usage ratio would be a new career high, according to Cleaning the Glass. He had a 0.88 assist-to-usage ratio last year. 

The stats might undersell Maxey’s progress running the team a tad. He’s stumbled here and there in clutch moments — every star guard does — but Maxey’s certainly appeared more comfortable dictating the Sixers’ offense. Nurse almost never minds when he veers from a scripted play or invents something on his own. 

Much of that confidence stems from Maxey refusing to let himself fade from games. Even when Embiid is dominating or George is on fire, the Sixers need Maxey eager to attack. Compared to past postseasons, Maxey will have a greater sense for all the nuances of being a lead guard.

“I think we’ve got him to an aggressive state of mind,” Nurse said. “I think he’s got that where it needs to be. … I just see him where he’s tweaking plays a little bit that maybe we were calling for him and he puts someone else in there. Again, just to get VJ (Edgecombe) going, to get Kelly a bucket, to get Paul one. I think that’s growth for him for sure.”

Joel Embiid 

No formal question here because the truth remains that asking whether Embiid will play on a given night sometimes leads down strange paths. The Sixers’ Friday morning injury report listed Embiid as doubtful against Minnesota because of the illness that caused him to miss Wednesday’s win.

It is clear that Embiid always wants to play and has generally looked like an All-Star again this season when available. 

He’s dealt with an absurd amount of health misfortune in past postseasons. Stringing together some strong games before the playoffs would be nice for Embiid, but the Sixers will be happy with any route that involves him being (and staying) healthy in the postseason. The team is obviously much better when Embiid takes most of the center minutes as opposed to the alternative world of Adem Bona, Andre Drummond and small-ball options. 

North Carolina needed a basketball coach, and it set its sights on one in the Final Four.

Its top target had a good job. A darn good one, and one newspaper columnist felt adamant Roy Williams wouldn’t leave Kansas, even if his alma mater tried to call him home to Carolina. Williams already turned down UNC once before, a few years previously.

No way Roy’s going to Carolina.

So read the headline of Joe Posnanski’s column in the Kansas City Star on April 2, 2003. Two weeks later, Posnanski wrote another column about how he got it all wrong. He trusted a coach to have loyalty. Whoops, rookie mistake.

If we’ve learned one thing in the more than two decades since then, it’s to never say never when it comes to these situations, and that a coach’s loyalty is the underdog when matched up against his ego.

Now here we are at another Final Four, and UNC’s hiring, and it’s déjà vu, with stay-or-go questions hovering over the coaches of the two favored teams in Indianapolis.

Tommy Lloyd fuels speculation about UNC job

This time, nobody’s writing there’s “no way” Tommy Lloyd would leave Arizona for UNC. That doesn’t mean Lloyd will definitely bolt, but even he’s not saying he won’t. Lloyd himself fed into speculation he’s a prime option for UNC when he said, “Arizona’s going to have another good coach after me, I promise you.” And, when will Arizona need to hire its next coach? Will that be next week? Next year? Ten years from now?

No telling. At least, Lloyd’s not telling, other than to say he’s “present in the moment” and that neither he nor his players are distracted by UNC speculation.

He’s probably right about his players, anyway.

Arizona’s Brayden Burries, Koa Peat and Motiejus Krivas are projected first-round NBA Draft picks. Wildcats point guard Jaden Bradley is a senior. They’re out the door after this Final Four, regardless of Lloyd’s decision. A fifth starter, Ivan Kharchenkov, might return for another college season, but thanks to the transfer portal, he could follow his coach if Lloyd decided to leave. No stress. No fuss. No distraction.

Twenty-three years ago, KU star Wayne Simien expressed open frustration when Williams jilted the Jayhawks for North Carolina. Now, athletes better understand it’s not personal, it’s just business, because players field interest from other high-paying suitors, too, and face business decisions of their own.

Is Dusty May more of a 'Michigan man' than Bill Frieder?

While we’re on the subject of déjà vu, here’s Michigan with a team that can win it all, but will coach Dusty May prove himself a “Michigan man” or a renegade?

If UNC would like to have Lloyd, then it should love to have May. He’s now a veteran of Final Fours, having led Florida Atlantic there in 2023.

Toppmeyer: Dusty May so good, you almost forget Sherrone Moore — now, UNC needs him

Perhaps, Michigan can breathe slightly easier than Arizona's administration, because at least May isn’t talking about how great Michigan’s next coach is going to be.

Even if May wouldn’t leave Michigan for UNC, the Tar Heels could cause a domino effect that results in May leaving Michigan. Just as the Wolverines lost John Beilein to the Cleveland Cavaliers, May has the goods of a future NBA coach. And if UNC hires Billy Donovan, well, then the Chicago Bulls will need a coach, won’t they?

Michigan knows what it’s like for a coach to spurn it. When Bill Frieder accepted the Arizona State job ahead of the 1989 NCAA Tournament, Bo Schembechler promptly booted Frieder and promoted Steve Fisher, explaining his decision with the now-famous line that, “A Michigan man is going to coach Michigan.”

The lesson Frieder provided: If you’re leaving for another job, maybe don’t tell anyone until the NCAA Tournament is finished.

Worked out great for Michigan. Fisher led the Wolverines to a national championship.

Never mind a Michigan man. The Wolverines would do well to keep their Indiana man. May got his start as a student manager under Bob Knight, but Frieder proved a coach’s alma mater doesn’t mean everything to everyone, even if Mama lured Williams home in 2003.

“I was a Tar Heel born. When I die, I'll be a Tar Heel dead,” Williams said after he took the UNC job.

In between, he became a turncoat at Kansas.

We learned then that when North Carolina wants to hire a Final Four coach, it’s naïve to think, “no way.”

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tommy Lloyd, Dusty May would be great for UNC — if they pull a Roy Williams

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Olympic gold medalist Lin Yu-ting won her quarterfinal bout at the Asian boxing championships on Friday in her first event since World Boxing said she passed a gene test to confirm her gender.

Taiwan’s first Olympic boxing champion beat Thananya Somnuek of Thailand 5-0 in the first round in the 60-kilogram lightweight division earlier this week.

She backed that up Friday with another 5-0 win over Ayaka Taguchi of Japan, the top-seeded woman in the division. Lin won every round on all five judges’ scorecards, securing a perfect score of 10 in each round.

The 30-year-old Lin had not competed internationally since winning the women’s 57-kg featherweight title at the Paris Olympics in August 2024.

World Boxing took over as the sport’s Olympic-level governing body last year, and it implemented a sex eligibility policy in August requiring all fighters to take a one-time genetic test designed to identify the presence of a Y chromosome.

World Boxing didn't confirm Lin's eligibility until March 19.

It was not clear whether Lin will have to undergo further gene testing if she wants to compete again at the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee announced last week new rules banning transgender athletes and a mandatory gene test once in an athlete’s career.

Lin and Imane Khelif of Algeria won gold medals at Paris amid international scrutiny and misconceptions over both boxers’ sex. While both met the eligibility rules followed at the time by the IOC, which ran the Paris tournament, the two fighters’ success sparked a politically charged debate over those standards.

Lin is expected to fight in the Asian tournament semifinals on Monday.

___

AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing

Luka Doncic injures left hamstring in Lakers' blowout loss to Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic injured his left hamstring on Thursday night and coach JJ Redick said the league’s scoring leader will have an MRI on Friday.

Redick said Doncic had an issue with the hamstring in the first half of the 139-97 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and was tended to at the break.

“We checked him out, he got work done, he was cleared,” Redick said.

Doncic returned to action briefly. On his final play of the game, he spun before trying to go up for a shot against Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams. There was no contact before Doncic stopped, then lay down on the floor while wincing in pain. He left the game for good with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter.

“Those things happen,” Redick said.

Williams, an All-Star in 2025, has missed 27 games this season because of a right hamstring strain. He felt badly for Doncic.

“It’s very, like, spooky in a way to see it happen to him, and I’m the one guarding him,” Williams said.

Williams could have stolen the ball after Doncic let it go, but he chose not to take advantage of the situation.

“I tried to let it go out of bounds and give them time to figure it out,” Williams said. “That injury sucks. So I wish him a speedy recovery. Hope it’s not anything serious.”

Doncic had scored at least 40 points in five of his previous seven games. He was held to 12 on 3-for-10 shooting against Oklahoma City’s relentless defense.

The Lakers trailed 90-58 when Doncic was hurt, so the injury made a bad night worse.

“I mean, it’s something you never want to see as a teammate,” Lakers forward Jake LaRavia said. “So especially in a game like this, it was tough to see him go down. All the prayers for him … but yeah, you never want to see that.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves hurt his back during the game, but continued to play. He sat out the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.

“He was in a weird position, stretching for a basketball, loose ball,” Redick said. “And he just felt something intercostal, somewhere in his back, in between the ribs. He was able to play through it … we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”

The Lakers will host a rematch with the Thunder on April 7.

Luka Doncic injures left hamstring in Lakers' blowout loss to Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic injured his left hamstring on Thursday night and coach JJ Redick said the league’s scoring leader will have an MRI on Friday.

Redick said Doncic had an issue with the hamstring in the first half of the 139-97 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and was tended to at the break.

“We checked him out, he got work done, he was cleared,” Redick said.

Doncic returned to action briefly. On his final play of the game, he spun before trying to go up for a shot against Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams. There was no contact before Doncic stopped, then lay down on the floor while wincing in pain. He left the game for good with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter.

“Those things happen,” Redick said.

Williams, an All-Star in 2025, has missed 27 games this season because of a right hamstring strain. He felt badly for Doncic.

“It’s very, like, spooky in a way to see it happen to him, and I’m the one guarding him,” Williams said.

Williams could have stolen the ball after Doncic let it go, but he chose not to take advantage of the situation.

“I tried to let it go out of bounds and give them time to figure it out,” Williams said. “That injury sucks. So I wish him a speedy recovery. Hope it’s not anything serious.”

Doncic had scored at least 40 points in five of his previous seven games. He was held to 12 on 3-for-10 shooting against Oklahoma City’s relentless defense.

The Lakers trailed 90-58 when Doncic was hurt, so the injury made a bad night worse.

“I mean, it’s something you never want to see as a teammate,” Lakers forward Jake LaRavia said. “So especially in a game like this, it was tough to see him go down. All the prayers for him … but yeah, you never want to see that.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves hurt his back during the game, but continued to play. He sat out the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.

“He was in a weird position, stretching for a basketball, loose ball,” Redick said. “And he just felt something intercostal, somewhere in his back, in between the ribs. He was able to play through it … we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”

The Lakers will host a rematch with the Thunder on April 7.

Five 2026 NBA Draft prospects Warriors should watch this weekend in Final Four originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

When Steve Kerr rolled up to the Sweet 16 at SAP Center in San Jose to see his Arizona Wildcats play the Arkansas Razorbacks, the Warriors coach later admitted he naturally had a scout’s eye observing his school’s blowout win. 

“Just a little bit. Mike was there, that’s obviously his job,” Kerr said the next day, referencing Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy also being in attendance. “But yeah, when I watch college games, I always try to envision what a guy would look like on an NBA court.” 

Kerr can keep enjoying Arizona’s success, and keep envisioning what their top prospects would look like in the NBA, specifically in a Warriors jersey. Arizona, Michigan, Illinois and UConn represent this year’s Final Four, with both games being played Saturday to determine which teams will square off in the national championship. 

Several prospects are looking to showcase their skills on the biggest stage. The Warriors currently are slotted into the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft ahead of the lottery on May 10. As the regular season winds down and the offseason starts becoming a main priority, here are five prospects from the Final Four the Warriors should be watching with a late lottery pick, choosing just outside of the top 14 or moving up from the ping-pong balls bouncing in their favor.

Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan, F

The biggest knock against Lendeborg would be a big positive for the Warriors and help him fall in their laps. He’s an older prospect who’s already 23 years old and will be 24 before he ever plays an NBA game. To put that into perspective, Moses Moody is in his fifth NBA season and is just four months older than Lendeborg. 

Most lottery picks need seasoning and ample time to develop. That’s a problem the Warriors have run into in the past and can avoid with Lendeborg being a pro-ready prospect. Lendeborg spent three years in junior college, two at UAB — where he twice led the American Athletic Conference in rebounds and ranked in the top five nationally both years — and capped his college career by collecting every award imaginable at Michigan. 

Lendeborg can do a bit of everything, averaging 15.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in a season when he’s shooting a career-best 37.2 percent from 3-point range. He’s shooting from deep more than ever and has plenty of defensive accolades to his name. Standing 6-foot-9 with a massive 7-foot-4 wingspan, Lendeborg has the versatility and feel for the game that can make him an immediate fit on the Warriors. 

Hard to overstate Yaxel Lendeborg’s impact in an absolute shellacking of Tennessee.

27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 0 turnovers in a 30+ point Elite Eight win.

Imposes his will on both ends while playing within his means, bringing competitive fire, and… https://t.co/2qqtXpcOrqpic.twitter.com/J9075GSVUB

— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) March 29, 2026

Braylon Mullins, UConn, SG

Making one of the most remarkable clutch shots ever in the history of a storied school isn’t why the Warriors should have their eyes on Mullins. But it doesn’t hurt. 

Mullins’ game-winning 3-pointer to beat Duke and propel his team into the Final Four wasn’t a heave from 40 feet. It was shot confidently, fluidly and in motion. Luck might have been sprinkled in for the moment, though Mullins’ shot profile is awfully intriguing. So is his confidence in taking the shot when he had missed all four of his 3-point attempts previously against Duke in the Elite Eight. 

OH MY GOODNESS 😱

UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/IPX2JWiw0b

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026

He passes the eye test, and it’s easy to see how Mullins would fit the Warriors’ as an off-ball shooting threat. Mullins, who turns 20 years old on April 18, is 6-foot-6 and can let it fly for someone shooting just 32.8 percent beyond the arc. That number doesn’t tell the full story. 

From Dec. 1 through Feb. 25, Mullins had a 39.4 3-point percentage on 6.5 attempts per game in 21 total games. In his last nine games, however, Mullins has made just 19 percent of his threes. Trust the former more than the latter when it comes to Mullins’ ability to be a shooting weapon at the next level. 

Brayden Burries, G, Arizona

Without it being an official job interview of sorts, Burries certainly made a strong first impression in front of Kerr. The freshman combo guard led Kerr’s alma mater to the Elite Eight with a team-high 23 points on efficient shooting. Burries went 7 of 11 from the field, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range, and was 7 of 8 on free throws. 

He’s been great throughout March Madness, averaging 17.8 points while going 22 of 38 overall (57.9 percent) and 13 of 19 on threes (68.4 percent). Burries also is averaging 6.3 rebounds, with at least five rebounds in Arizona’s four tournament games so far. 

Brayden Burries was impressive in Arizona's Sweet 16 win over Arkansas.

Burries finished with 23 points on 7-11 shooting in the blowout win. pic.twitter.com/HySOwxcP8g

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 27, 2026

Burries is very strong at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds. In his one year at Arizona, Burries has shown how he can impact the game on both sides. This season, he has led the team in both points per game (16.1) and steals per game (1.5), and also ranks third in assists per game (2.5), fourth in rebounds per game (4.9) and third in 3-point percentage (40.2 percent). 

Koa Peat, PF, Arizona

Highlighting two prospects from Kerr’s school was an obvious decision. Peat’s possible fit on the Warriors and in the NBA isn’t as much of a sure thing. 

Like Burries, Peat impressed in front of Kerr. Peat scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. All eight made shots were inside the arc, as were all 11 of his total shot attempts. There’s a forcefield around the 3-point line for Peat. He has taken 361 shots this season, and 19 have been threes.

Peat is strong and has good size at 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds. He’s a fluid athlete but not super explosive. There’s a lot to like about Peat, but his limitations could see him slide. 

Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois

Wagler puts @IlliniMBB back out front 😮‍💨#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/64kqcQ5x7d

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 28, 2026

Of these five prospects, Wagler seems the least likely to slide down to the Warriors if they’re picking at No. 10, 11 or even lower. Is he someone the Warriors would consider if they jump into the top four? Probably not, but maybe, just maybe. 

There’s just a lot to like about Wagler if you value feel for the game being clear as day. Wagler is a 6-foot-6 combo guard who doesn’t throw down dunks and isn’t an elite athlete. Watching him should answer any of those concerns. Wagler is averaging 17.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game with a 40.7 3-point percentage. 

Where Wagler winds up in the draft will be one of the more interesting storylines. It would take some good luck for him to still be on the board for the Warriors. Teams will be mixed on his upside, and Golden State should be a team that easily sees the vision, though Wagler could require some patience as he physically develops. 

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No Wemby, no problem. The Spurs won their third game in four nights and 11th straight Thursday night in an up and down game against the Clippers, keeping the #1 seed within reach while giving the Alien a night off.

It was a high-scoring game from the tip. Kawhi continued his magnificent season and scored a handful of baskets from all over the court. John Collins got in the action too, using his athleticism to drive and finish around the rim without having to worry about Wemby. Still, Luke Kornet was his usual reliable self, providing solid rim protection on the back line.

Offensively, the Spurs capitalized on lazy defensive efforts from the home team. San Antonio had two uncontested transition baskets early, swinging the momentum their way. They then caught fire from deep, making four in quick succession to build a double-digit lead. De’Aaron Fox, in particular, got on a heater, hitting a handful of mid-ranges and getting to the rim at will. That run coincided with the Clippers going ice cold, and it didn’t help that Darius Garland had to go to the locker room after taking a rough fall. Overall, the Spurs led 68-44 heading into halftime, showing no signs of fatigue or of Wemby’s absence.

LA showed signs of life early in the third. Kawhi regained his rhythm and made back-to-back buckets, forcing Mitch Johnson to call a timeout. The Spurs began trapping him soon after, but the Clippers started generating efficient offense even with the ball out of his hands. In a turn of events, LA capitalized on a number of sloppy Spurs possessions in a quick 3-minute stretch, going on a 14-5 run to cut the lead down to 12. Bennedict Mathurin led the charge, hitting a circus shot and helping force turnovers to bring his team back in the game. Following another sloppy Spurs possession, the Clippers made it just a 9-point game before both teams traded wild possessions that resulted in no basket scored for the remainder of the quarter.

LA’s momentum carried over to start the fourth. San Antonio continued to fumble the ball, resulting in the Clippers cutting the lead down to just seven. Fortunately, a technical call against LA helped the Spurs regain control, and a few key baskets from Stephon Castle put the good guys back up by double digits. The Clippers seemed to deflate afterwards, and a few more buckets from Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson sealed the game for the visiting side. With minutes left in the fourth, Ty Lue finally waved the white flag and brought in his reserves, prompting Mitch Johnson to do the same. The Spurs walked away with a 118-99 victory, but the scoreline doesn’t do justice to the crazy back-and-forth game.

Game notes

• Fox had a really unusual game. 18 of his 22 points came in the first half, and he only made one bucket in both the third and fourth quarters. This wasn’t due to his shot abandoning him, either: Fox only took 13 field goals and made 9, so both he and the Spurs chose to rely on other players who were more in rhythm.
• Harper ended his night with 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists on 8-12 shooting and 2-3 from deep. He did all that in 25 minutes, and I can not be any higher on the kid. I think he’s already a starting-calibre guard and could be the second-best player on the team as soon as next season, and I’ve never been more comfortable with the ball being in the hands of a rookie guard ever.
• The diciest part of the game was during a 3-minute stretch in the middle of the third quarter, when the Spurs kept on losing the ball. Even in the moment, I wondered why Mitch didn’t call a timeout to regroup the guys, and I’m still confused about it after. Maybe he had faith that they’d figure it out? He was finally forced to call one but it was almost too little too late, and the team was definitely tempting fate during that brief stretch.

Play of the game

Harper shot over 50% from three in March and is now hitting half-court heaves. Is he the next Steph Curry?

DYLAN BEATS THE BUZZER FROM HALF COURT 🚨🤯 pic.twitter.com/5T8ISsli6D

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) April 3, 2026

Next game: @ Nuggets on Saturday

The Spurs will look to make it a lucky dozen when they face a rising Nuggets team on Saturday.

The biggest gut punch from Thursday’s loss to the Thunder was Luka Dončić‘s hamstring strain, but he wasn’t the only star with a visible injury in the game.

Prior to Luka going down, Austin Reaves was the one who made a trip to the locker room. Reaves was holding his back for much of the first quarter before checking out and getting checked.

While he did return, he was still holding his back at times during the rest of the game, though it never seemed to slow him down. After the game, head coach JJ Redick provided an explanation of how the injury occurred.

“He was in a weird position stretching for a basketball, loose ball,” Redick said. “He just felt like like intercostal, somewhere in his back in between the ribs. He was able to play through it and battled back. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”

Austin said he got treatment at halftime that allowed him to play in the second half. He also said that he felt better postgame, too.

“I went back to get a rebound, overextended a little bit and felt something,” Reaves said. “I feel decent now. We’ll see.”

The extra day off between games for the Lakers could be beneficial for Reaves. While it seems unlikely Luka’s injury will be measured in days, this one feels like that extra day could be beneficial.

The Lakers won’t play again until Sunday in Dallas. Having an extra day to rehab and get treatment could be the difference in him playing or not. The fact that he was able to play after the injury and play well, relatively speaking, is also encouraging for him being available against the Mavs.

It goes without saying that, with Luka sidelined, Austin’s availability will be even more crucial. He has flourished when Luka has been out this year, so there’s at least some room for optimism there. But only if he’s healthy.

In just about every way, Thursday’s loss was a gut punch. At least with Reaves’ injury, there’s a silver lining of hope that he won’t also be missing time.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Oklahoma City Thunder condemned the Los Angeles Lakers to one of the heaviest defeats in their history - one made more painful by an injury to star Luka Doncic.

Reigning NBA champions Thunder claimed a commanding 139-96 victory, helped by 28 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as they improved their league-best record to 61-16.

The Lakers have only been beaten by a greater margin on six occasions, with this 43-point loss just six points short of their worst margin of defeat against the Dallas Mavericks in 2017.

It was a first defeat in five for the Lakers, who must now wait to learn the severity of Doncic's left hamstring injury after the Slovenian appeared emotional as he exited the court during the third quarter.

Doncic, who had scored 40 or more points in each of his previous three games and five of his past seven, will have an MRI scan on Friday, Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed.

The Lakers had won 13 of their previous 14 games as they seek to hold on to the third seeding in the Western Conference, behind Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, before the play-offs begin on 18 April.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning Most Valuable Player, finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Isaiah Joe added 20 points for the Thunder.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 15 points despite struggling with back pain, and LeBron James added 13 in 26 minutes.

Thunder's 139 points were the most conceded by the Lakers this season and the 43-point defeat was the team's heaviest since a 44-point loss to Philadelphia in November 2023.

Washington Wizards (17-59, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Miami Heat (40-37, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Miami; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Washington will try to stop its three-game road slide when the Wizards face Miami.

The Heat are 24-23 in Eastern Conference games. Miami is fifth in the Eastern Conference with 12.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Kel'el Ware averaging 2.9.

The Wizards are 11-35 in conference matchups. Washington is 2-2 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Heat score 120.4 points per game, 3.9 fewer points than the 124.3 the Wizards give up. The Heat average 112.7 points per game, 5.5 fewer points than the 118.2 the Heat allow to opponents.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Heat won the last matchup 150-129 on March 10, with Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Adebayo is scoring 20.3 points per game with 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Heat. Tyler Herro is averaging 20.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 44.4% over the past 10 games.

Bub Carrington is averaging 10.2 points and 4.6 assists for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 17.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Heat: 2-8, averaging 119.6 points, 41.6 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 7.0 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 129.3 points per game.

Wizards: 1-9, averaging 113.2 points, 36.6 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 7.6 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.6 points.

INJURIES: Heat: Norman Powell: day to day (illness).

Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Kyshawn George: out for season (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

San Antonio Spurs (58-18, second in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (49-28, fourth in the Western Conference)

Denver; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio plays the Denver Nuggets after Victor Wembanyama scored 41 points in the Spurs' 127-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

The Nuggets are 31-16 in Western Conference games. Denver leads the Western Conference with 121.4 points and is shooting 49.5%.

The Spurs are 33-14 in conference matchups. San Antonio averages 119.6 points and has outscored opponents by 8.3 points per game.

The Nuggets average 14.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 13.1 per game the Spurs give up. The Spurs average 13.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 more makes per game than the Nuggets allow.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Nuggets won 136-131 in the last meeting on March 13. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 39 points, and Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 30 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Nikola Jokic is averaging 27.7 points, 13 rebounds and 10.8 assists for the Nuggets. Murray is averaging 25.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists over the last 10 games.

De'Aaron Fox is averaging 18.5 points and 6.2 assists for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 126.4 points, 45.8 rebounds, 33.1 assists, 6.3 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 50.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.2 points per game.

Spurs: 10-0, averaging 124.3 points, 51.2 rebounds, 32.0 assists, 7.1 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.1 points.

INJURIES: Nuggets: Zeke Nnaji: day to day (hip), Peyton Watson: day to day (hamstring), Tim Hardaway Jr.: day to day (knee), Spencer Jones: day to day (hamstring).

Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Victor Wembanyama: out (injury management).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Indiana Pacers (18-58, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (41-36, eighth in the Eastern Conference)

Charlotte, North Carolina; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hornets -15.5; over/under is 235.5

BOTTOM LINE: Indiana faces Charlotte in Eastern Conference action Friday.

The Hornets are 24-24 against Eastern Conference opponents. Charlotte is fourth in the Eastern Conference at limiting opponent scoring, giving up just 111.4 points while holding opponents to 46.7% shooting.

The Pacers are 14-33 against conference opponents. Indiana is 6-34 in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Hornets average 116.2 points per game, 4.5 fewer points than the 120.7 the Pacers allow. The Pacers average 13.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.5 more makes per game than the Hornets allow.

The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Hornets won 133-109 in the last matchup on Feb. 27.

TOP PERFORMERS: LaMelo Ball is averaging 19.6 points and 7.1 assists for the Hornets. Coby White is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.

Jay Huff is averaging 9.4 points and 1.8 blocks for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam is averaging 13.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 7-3, averaging 119.7 points, 46.1 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 6.6 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.1 points per game.

Pacers: 3-7, averaging 121.4 points, 38.4 rebounds, 34.2 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.3 points.

INJURIES: Hornets: PJ Hall: out (ankle).

Pacers: T.J. McConnell: out (hamstring), Obi Toppin: day to day (foot), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Andrew Nembhard: out (back), Ivica Zubac: out for season (rib), Jarace Walker: out (back), Pascal Siakam: day to day (knee), Aaron Nesmith: out (neck), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.