Category: Basketball

They’re 16-2 since the All-Star break. They’re relatively healthy. They seem like they’re not only rounding into form but, quite possibly, existing in the roundest form any of us could’ve possibly imagined. I found myself at various times during the broadcast almost wanting to turn it off because it felt too bright. Too pure. Almost like we weren’t meant to be seeing this yet.

As always, my caveat here is that I’m an anxious person. When things are going too well, I get suspicious almost immediately. What do you mean they’re ready to win the title? You’re comparing Victor to who? No. Nope. Doesn’t add up. Something’s amiss.

If this isn’t you, congrats! I’m sure you’re having a wonderful time basking in the glow of this deliriously happy run of basketball. You’re having a better time than me and I’m well aware of it. If this is you, well, get on in here, brother and hug it out. Our team hasn’t been this good in years! It’s driving us nuts!

Truly, it’s a surreal experience to sit down and watch something you love and, against your better judgment, desperately try to poke holes in it. It’s made only more bizarre when you can’t find any.

Last night was billed as a test. On the road, against a talented team fighting for their playoff lives. The Spurs didn’t need this game the way the Heat desperately did. This was a classic setup for us to wander into a Heat Culture™ landmine and simply get outworked.

From the jump, it felt like that might happen. The Heat came out in a nonstop sprint, and instead of slowing things down, the Spurs decided to match them. The game was breathless at times. Back and forth, up and down. Fast and sloppy and difficult to track. It was like getting thrown in a cage with a steak and a starving wildcat and being told “don’t let him get that steak.” I kept waiting for the Spurs to put their hands up and say, “you know what, we have bigger fish to fry.”

Instead they led wire to wire, up by 30 at their peak, the largest road margin any team has had in Miami all season.

My assumption for the last few weeks has been that Wemby’s heater would die out any minute. Surely Bam Adebayo and the Heat would find a way to stifle him. What’s that? He had 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks, and became just the third player in NBA history to reach 4,000 points and 300 three-pointers in their first 175 career games? Ok then.

The Spurs are vulnerable when Vic has to come out though, right? That’s the part where it all unravels. Except it didn’t. It actually got worse for Miami. Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper combined for 42 off the bench. Carter Bryant wreaked havoc on the Heat’s athletic wings. Harrison Barnes looked spry. Luke Kornet held down the fort. The second unit didn’t just hold serve, they buried them.

The Spurs grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to Miami’s 6, a relentless physical edge that turned every missed shot into a threat and generated extra possessions all night. The Spurs won the paint 60-40, collapsing Miami’s interior on offense.

At every turn, every moment, when I had a question, the Spurs had an answer.

So… I guess that’s it. The Spurs solved basketball. Let’s go home, yeah?

I genuinely can’t put my finger on why this lack of flaws puts me on edge. It’s like, if I could just say “well, the three-point shooting isn’t good enough” or “they just lack physicality” then I could relax. I would know exactly where playoff opponents would try to exploit them and I could focus all my energy into stressing out about that.

I can’t, though. The Spurs have plenty of areas where they aren’t perfect, but they don’t have anything glaring. They have nits you can pick. They have theoretical blind spots. But they don’t have holes. They don’t have a weakness. Their floor is alarmingly high.

I’m left grappling with known unknowns over here. Stressing about things like playoff experience and injury luck. I’m having genuine stress dreams about Luka dropping 60 on us in a playoff game. Never mind that the Lakers are probably going to guard Wembanyama with DeAndre Ayton. I’m certifiably insane, is what I’m trying to say.

The answer can’t simply be that the Spurs are this good.

Can it?

---

Takeaways:

• Amidst all my unnecessary anxieties and worries about our very good basketball team, probably worth giving a brief nod to the boys clinching their first Southwest Division in a decade. Pretty cool! I don’t think any of us are rushing out to buy Southwest Division champs shirts at Academy this morning, but I’m certainly not mad about it. We’d rather be winning divisions than not winning them, yeah? 54-18, 22-2 since February. Again, the Spurs are very good, if you aren’t stressed about them then you are the correct one.
• I loved seeing Stephon Castle back in the lineup. I hated watching him repeatedly dive around on the court landing directly on his hip. It felt like that, didn’t it? It’s like he decided that the best way to prove he wasn’t actually that injured was to go out, throw his body around, and get to the line as much as possible. He went 9-of-10 from the line for 19 points, which tracks, because every time I looked up he was diving hip-first into the hardwood. Come on dude! Relax! Take the edge off! It’s hip to be square!
• Let me be the millionth person to point out that Dylan Harper has been out of his mind lately and we are exceedingly lucky to have him. Back-to-back 20-point games, eight on the season, and playing like a foundational piece of this team’s future. If I hear one more person say the Spurs should’ve drafted Kon Knueppel I’m going to…uh, stew about it internally, watch a series of YouTube compilations, and ultimately not do anything about it. You hear me! You’ve been warned!
• I don’t know how to describe this using words so I won’t:

wtf man pic.twitter.com/C5YP6mXejP

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) March 24, 2026

---

WWL Post Game Press Conference

– If the team being good stresses you out, are you happier when they are bad?

– Of course not, I’m miserable! Every loss fills me with a deep sense of agony. I’m still fuming about a game they lost to Chicago on Valentine’s Day in 2022.

– You’re fuming about a loss from four years ago?

– Yeah dude, it was a nightmare, they were playing pretty well and then just like, could not buy a stop down the stretch. DeRozan just picked us apart.

– I’m almost positive your first child was born like two weeks before that game.

– Sounds right. Look, they’re basically little potatoes at that point so, I mean, not much going on really.

– Plenty of time to check in on a middling Spurs team starring Jakob Poeltl.

– Exactly.

I don’t think anyone was more excited about Jordan Clarkson joining the Knicks this summer than I was. I had been hoping they’d bring him in since last season. From day one, Knicks fans understood his role would be coming off the bench, but beyond that, it was unclear how much of an impact he would actually have. We expected some inconsistency, with off nights mixed in with games where he could get hot and take over.

Instead, it never really played out that way early on. Mike Brown used Clarkson sparingly for much of the first half of the season, as he averaged under 20 minutes per game and scored 20 or more just three times through December. The rhythm just never seemed to be there, and it was clear he hadn’t fully carved out a defined role within the rotation.

By mid-January, his role had basically turned into DNPs or the occasional garbage-time minutes. With the arrival of Jose Alvarado, Clarkson’s spot in the rotation became even less consistent heading into early March. During that stretch, he only appeared in about half the games, totaling just over 130 minutes. That left him behind younger and fringe rotation players like Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, and Mohamed Diawara in total minutes, which only added to the uncertainty around where he fit.

Clarkson’s usage during that stretch really highlights how inconsistent things had become. Between early February and early March, his minutes were all over the place, ranging from short stints of 5 to 12 minutes to multiple DNPs. Even when he did get on the floor, the production was hit or miss. He had a few efficient scoring nights, like shooting 5-of-7 and 5-of-8 in back-to-back wins, but those flashes were mixed in with quiet outings where he barely made an impact in limited time.

Things started to shift after the Knicks’ 126–118 loss to the Clippers, their second straight defeat following a loss to the Lakers the night before. In that Clippers game, Clarkson played just three minutes, and it felt like Mike Brown was searching for any kind of spark off the bench. Whether it was the matchup, a sense of urgency, or simply an opportunity, Clarkson responded. With 26 minutes of playing time, his most since Christmas, he delivered one of his best performances of the season with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting against Utah. It was the type of game Knicks fans had been waiting for, a reminder of the scoring punch he can bring when given real opportunity.

Since that performance, Clarkson has settled back into more of a steady bench role over the past five games. He’s still been efficient and playing under control, but the scoring hasn’t reached that same level. He followed up with a solid 14-point performance against Golden State, but outside of that, he’s mostly hovered in the 8 to 10 point range. Against teams like Indiana, Brooklyn, and Washington, he’s contributed in shorter bursts, typically in about 20 to 22 minutes per night.

And maybe that’s enough right now. Since those back-to-back losses in Los Angeles, the Knicks have rattled off six straight wins and are starting to build real momentum at the right time. The offense looks more balanced, the rotations are tightening, but more importantly, they’re winning.

The Warriors’ longest road trip of the season lasted an extra five minutes.

A grueling six-game excursion spread across eight days and six states came to a merciful end Monday night in a frenetic 137-131 win in overtime over the Mavericks.

The extra period ultimately cost them much more.

Moses Moody, who had scored a team-high 23 points in his first action since March 2, collapsed as he went up for what would have been a game-sealing dunk with 58 seconds left.

Moody immediately grabbed his left knee and was eventually carried off on a stretcher after the game was paused for more than five minutes. The teammates whose faces weren’t buried in their hands wore expressions of despair.

“We don’t know what it is,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters afterward, “but it sure looked bad.”

Golden State both trailed by 15 in the first half and held a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter, but it still came down to overtime after the injury-ravaged team couldn’t put away Cooper Flagg and the Mavs.

Flagg scored 18 of his game-high 32 points after halftime, but the Warriors outscored Dallas 11-5 in the extra five-minute period to earn only its second win on the six-game trip.

Kristaps Porzingis returned from low back soreness and contributed 22 points in 29 minutes, while Brandin Podziemski played 40 minutes posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

But the win was overshadowed by the loss of Moody in the final minute.

What it means

The Warriors improved to 5-12 since the All-Star break while playing without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and a rotating cast of other names on the injury-report.

The Mavericks are one of seven teams with fewer wins since the All-Star break.

Turning point

The Warriors were leading 136-131, but the Mavericks had possession with a little more than a minute left in the overtime period. The ball was in Flagg’s hands.

All of a sudden, it was in Moody’s.

After missing the past 10 games with a sprained shooting wrist, Moody was in prime position for a game-sealing steal-and-score. He picked Flagg’s pocket at midcourt, glided toward the rim and had nobody between him and the basket. Then his knee buckled.

MVP: Gary Payton II

The only bucket Payton didn’t convert was a desperation alley-oop at the end of regulation that apparently didn’t go down as an attempt in the box score.

Payton, also returning from a one-game absence, finished 8-for-8 from the field for 17 points in 21 minutes off the bench. Will Richard, Gui Santos and LJ Cryer all scored in double figures as the Warriors got 61 points from their bench. 

Stat of the game: 17 offensive rebounds

The Warriors won the game on the offensive glass, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second-chance points. The Mavericks got only five second-chance points.

Up next

The Warriors return home, where they’ll play seven of their final 10 games of the regular season. Golden State is 19-14 at Chase Center, opposed to 14-23 on the road.

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The San Antonio Spurs let it fly in their big win over the Miami Heat. From a voracious volley of threes to camping out at the charity stripe to the tune of 28 free throw attempts, these Spurs were cooking with gas on a night that 6 players scored in the double digits and the bench was able to spread its wings to protect their wide lead. Victor Wembanyama Sega Dreamcasted his way to 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks while Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper scored 21 points apiece from the bench.

The future is now. Here, the rookie duo of Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant showed off some chemistry and athleticism on the fast break. Carter Bryant, for his part, has been getting more run after the All-Star break partly due to sporadic injuries along the wings and the Spurs blowing out their opponents. While the youngster has been getting valuable learning time on the court, it’ll be interesting to see if he cracks the rotation during the playoffs.

Dylan ➡️ Carter

📺 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SWpic.twitter.com/ttR2qN6mVJ

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) March 24, 2026

Don’t let Carter Bryant’s aerial acrobatics fool you, he jumped so high he could have blocked this attempt with his elbow, but he chose not to because his mother taught him better. Without manners, we are all just animals.

CARTER BRYANT WHAT A BLOCK —

OH MY GOODNESS. 🤯

(h/t @UsherNBA)

pic.twitter.com/qwefYOzIIW

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 24, 2026

On night chock full of highlights, it’s worth noting Wembanyama clearing 4,000 career points aaaaaand

.@wemby goes back to back 🔥

📺 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SWpic.twitter.com/JDjI14MgqA

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) March 23, 2026

600 blocks!!

6️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ CAREER BLOCKS FOR @wemby!

📺 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SWpic.twitter.com/iGGgLKH42E

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) March 23, 2026

We are all familiar with Keldon Johnson’s game, but I was not familiar with his behind-the-back dribble drive move.

KJ gettin' it done 💪

📺 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SWpic.twitter.com/WhubcPCMlz

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) March 24, 2026

I want to commission a study of all the lobs thrown to Wembanyama and see the percentages of passes that are too low or too high, but he converts them regardless because of his insane length and coordination.

🗣️ YEAH VIC!

📺 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SWpic.twitter.com/0E4pkFaZNQ

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) March 24, 2026

My middle school gym teacher always told us to use the rim to protect your shot from any shot blockers, but even he was not a clairvoyant to know one day someone like Wembanyama can challenge that specific tenet of fundamental basketball 101. Would have also been nice if my middle school gym teacher told me to invest in Apple when it was $12 a share.

"This is not a play guys are able to do." https://t.co/epgowrXGWqpic.twitter.com/RmppxQIx61

— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2026

There’s only three things I want in life: (1) The Spurs’ Beautiful Game to live on in perpetuity, and (2) for one game only, let these two teams play in their Miami Vice and Fiesta colors on a court drenched in turquoise, aqua, orchid, teal, fuchsia, and orange. Our retinas have been freeloading in our skulls for long enough, time to assault them with a vibrantly violent color palette.

11-0 Spurs run.

CLICKING. ON. ALL. CYLINDERS. pic.twitter.com/wL6IXoscoO

— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2026

Here’s another shot of that gorgeous sequence from another angle. On the house.

you gotta see this angle 🎥

📺 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SWhttps://t.co/01zotOidRQpic.twitter.com/4zJJysI3aW

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) March 24, 2026

The third thing I want in life is birria pizza. But I’ll settle for a deep Spurs playoff run led by Victor Wembanyama.

don't hurt em, Vic 🫣

📺 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SWpic.twitter.com/vHn5T65kRO

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) March 24, 2026

If you missed the game because you were too busy writing a 5,000 word manifesto critiquing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s hair in the live action “Moana” movie, here are the full-game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

HOUSTON (AP) — Scottie Scheffler withdrew from the Houston Open on Tuesday, a tournament that was always questionable for him to play because his wife is expecting their second child.

Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, has been runner-up at the Houston Open three times, including the last two years when he made it his final stop before going to the Masters.

He was replaced in the field by Matt Kuchar.

Scheffler's wife gave birth to a son they named Bennett on May 8, 2024, one week before the PGA Championship.

Scheffler, who won the PGA Championship and the British Open last year, began 2026 with a victory in The American Express. His streak of 18 consecutive finishes in the top 10 — which started at the Houston Open last year — ended at the Genesis Invitational with a tie for 12th.

His last tournament was a tie for 22nd in The Players Championship.

___

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

Alabama men's basketball player Aden Holloway is pushing back against allegations made against him after police arrested him last week and said they found more than two pounds of marijuana at his Tuscaloosa residence.

Holloway's attorney, Jason Neff, wrote to the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court in a March 23 filing in response to the initial police complaint that his client denies "each and every material allegation," according to the Tuscaloosa News. Holloway is also seeking "strict proof" of any allegations listed in the complaint and Neff demanded a trial based on the claims made by state and law enforcement officials.

In addition to first-degree possession of marijuana, which remains illegal for recreational use in Alabama, Holloway is also charged with failure to affix a tax stamp. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for April 14. Holloway has been suspended from team activities with Alabama basketball and did not play in the Crimson Tide's first two games of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. His status with the program moving forward will be determined through a trial with Alabama's Office of Student Conduct.

ANALYSIS: Grading hires from 2026 men's college basketball coaching carousel

According to court documents obtained by The Tuscaloosa News, Tuscaloosa district attorney Hays Webb wrote in a criminal complaint that agents from the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force saw "drug transactions on Holloway's phone, with people texting that they were going to get up with him after the season."

Holloway told agents during questioning that he got the marijuana from "someone out of town." Holloway was also asked if he sold marijuana, as well as how much he had on him. Per the complaint, Holloway said that he "only smokes" and claimed to only have a "quarter pound."

Law enforcement officials noted in the complaint, "the marijuana was in separate packing, from plastic bags to prepacked marijuana to vacuum sealed bags." Holloway was released from custody on $5,000 bond the same day he was arrested.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native is averaging 16.8 points, 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game for the Crimson Tide this season. No. 4 seed Alabama is set to face No. 1 seed Michigan in a Midwest region Sweet 16 game on May 27 in Chicago.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness: Aden Holloway denies charges in Alabama drug case

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There’s nothing magical about the Orlando Magic’s recent slide. 

Orlando, which visits the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday, is playing the second of back-to-back outings after failing to snuff out a five-game losing skid last night.

If the Magic are going to get right, it will all be on star Paolo Banchero. 

Orlando enters tonight without three of its top five scorers, as Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black are all out of commission.

Our Magic vs. Cavaliers predictions dig in Banchero’s bag and my NBA picks like the value on his 3-point shooting prop tonight.

Magic vs Cavaliers prediction

Magic vs Cavaliers best bet: Paolo Banchero Over 1.5 3-pointers (+150)

Due to those injuries, Paolo Banchero’s usage has shot up during the Orlando Magic’s five-game skid.
 
He’s coming off a busy night in the loss versus Indiana Monday, firing up 27 shots (second most of the season), including nine attempts from outside.

Banchero made four triples and has been active from outside during this slump. In fact, his long-range looks have climbed this month, averaging 4.5 3-point attempts (up from 3.8).

The Cleveland Cavaliers rank 26th in opponent 3-point percentage and have allowed an average of almost 16 3-pointers over their last three contests. 

Banchero’s projections lean toward two triples.

Magic vs Cavaliers same-game parlay

Cleveland has strung together recent wins against some of the worst clubs in the NBA. They face a hungry Orlando team desperate to stop sliding down the standings, with the threat of falling out of the play-in tournament looming. Game models have this closer than the 10.5-point spread.

With Franz Wagner out for Orlando and frontcourt mate Jarrett Allen sidelined, Evan Mobley patrols the paint and cleans the glass. Forecasts call for as many as 10 rebounds from Mobley, who has recorded double-figure boards in four of his last six games.

Magic vs Cavaliers SGP

• Magic +10.5
• Paolo Banchero Over 1.5 3-pointers
• Evan Mobley Over 9.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: One-Man Magic

Orlando needs to stop the bleeding and without three of its top five scorers, Banchero gets all the touches he wants. He dropped 25 points, eight rebounds and two triples on the Cavs back on March 11.

Magic vs Cavaliers SGP

• Orlando moneyline
• Paolo Banchero Over 24.5 points
• Paolo Banchero Over 1.5 3-pointers
• Paolo Banchero Over 7.5 rebounds

Magic vs Cavaliers odds

• Spread: Magic +10.5 | Cavaliers -10.5
• Moneyline: Magic +375 | Cavaliers -500
• Over/Under: Over 231 | Under 231

Magic vs Cavaliers betting trend to know

Cleveland is 15-4 SU but just 4-15 ATS when set as double-digits favorites this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Magic vs. Cavaliers.

How to watch Magic vs Cavaliers

Magic vs Cavaliers latest injuries

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On today’s episode, Ryan Eichten and Leo Sun discuss the Minnesota Timberwolves’ first win in the city of Boston in over 20 years, the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers the game before, and much more:

— For the first time since March 6, 2005, the Timberwolves won a road game against the Boston Celtics. Minnesota gave up just 15 fourth-quarter points on the way to a 102-92 win.

— The Wolves were 10.5-point underdogs coming into the game without Anthony Edwards, making the game the biggest upset victory for Minnesota this season.

— In the game, the Timberwolves scored 22 fast break points, which continued a trend of playing with more pace as the Wolves have been in the top five of that category since the trade deadline. The question now is whether or not they can keep it up when Edwards returns to the lineup.

— For much of the spectacular defensive fourth quarter for the Wolves in Boston, Rudy Gobert was on the bench as Minnesota broke the game open. The premier defensive stretch without Gobert, while far from an indictment of the Wolves’ starting center, showcases the ceiling this group has on that end of the court.

— In Friday’s loss to the Blazers, the Wolves gave up a total of 18 offensive rebounds. Chris Finch talked about the rebounding issue postgame, directly naming Julius Randle as a player who needs to be better in that area of the game.

— Bones Hyland and Ayo Dosunmu were the Apex Alphas of the week. Both have played phenomenally over the past week without Edwards and have cemented themselves as quality rotation pieces on a Timberwolves team bound for the Playoffs.

— Kyle Anderson showed off his best “Slo-Mo” moves against the Celtics, hitting Luka Garza with three straight in-and-out dribbles before putting in a midrange shot.

Taking care of business against the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings has given the Sixers a shot at new life. It may not be likely that they’re able to climb out of the Play-In tournament in the Eastern Conference, but it’s a lot more possible than it was a week ago.

It’s good to have something to root for other than draft positioning this time of year. The Houston Rockets managed to have a week that helped both the first-round pick they owe the Sixers, as well as Philly’s standings in the Eastern Conference.

Houston had another middling week with two wins sandwiched in between two losses. Crucially, those two were against the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat, two teams bunched right up with the Sixers in the standings. That’s kept Philly just a game out of the sixth seed.

After knocking off those two opponents, the Rockets surprisingly dropped a game to the tanking Chicago Bulls, dropping their pick all the way down to 21 in the process. That area remains as close as ever — the Rockets are just a half game up on the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves for that 21st spot.

The Rockets will see those Wolves in a nationally televised bout for their next contest. Their week gets easier after that though as they’ll head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies.

There are still plenty of draft prospects to watch as the NCAA Tournament progresses to the Sweet-16 and Elite-8. Alabama and Houston are still alive with multiple guys that have gone to the Sixers in different mock drafts.

Michigan’s center Aday Mara put up 19 and 16 points in his first two games of the tournament, respectively. Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. put up 21 and 15.

Iowa State is still rolling as well, although there hasn’t really been a chance to get a look at Joshua Jefferson in the tournament. Jefferson hurt his ankle early in the round of 64 and missed the next round. The team is hopeful he can return for the tournament, but that is very much up in the air.

Pick status last week: 24

Pick status this week: 21

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

Right now, the Washington Wizards have lost 16 games in a row and have a 16-55 record. With 71 regular season games done this season, the Wizards, in theory, could lose out and finish with a 16-66 record. That would mean that Washington could lose 27 games in a row to finish the 2025-26 season. Then, if the Wizards start out the 2026-27 season 0-2, that losing streak, combined with the 27 game losing streak to end the 2025-26 season, will give the Wizards a 29 game losing streak, the longest in NBA history?

Survey question is below.

We’ll share the results later this week.

The Atlanta Hawks returned to winning ways — and an 11th consecutive victory at home — with a lopsided 146-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night at State Farm Arena.

The Hawks — without Jalen Johnson — were led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 28 points, while Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga both added 16 points. For the Grizzlies — who are injury hit/running for the lottery — GG Jackson scored 26 points with Tyler Burton adding 20 points.

We’re at a point in the season where teams who are gunning for the playoffs, jostling for playoff seeding, meet teams whose have a very different objective at this time of the year — and there’s more teams than usual who fit this criteria this season. As a result, some games are more so formalities than contests; box-ticking exercises.

In this case: did the Memphis Grizzlies show up to the game? Yes, yes they did. They took a 5-0 lead, hung around in the first quarter (trailing by just 10 points to end the first quarter), and that was their general team contribution to this game.

The Hawks — who by no means played a sexy first quarter (eight turnovers, forcing passes that were a bit too far out of reach) — were extremely comfortable in this game, and while this game was never really a contest (leading by double digits in the first quarter, running the lead to 26 points in the second quarter, 30 points — and quickly 40+ points — in the third quarter) the Hawks remained professional throughout, and their first quarter play was a microcosm for how the rest of the game essentially unfolded, so we’ll look at some of the plays from last night.

From the outset, the Hawks’ ball movement was excellent, this three-pointer finished by CJ McCollum one such example of the Hawks’ willingness to pass, move, relocate, and find the open man:

Even when the Hawks were absolutely blowing the Grizzlies out in the third quarter, they still committed to this style of play when the ball moved around to find Gabe Vincent for a three-pointer with 1:41 remaining.

The Hawks tallied 37 assists and would only register three more turnovers for the remainder of the game following their eight turnovers in the first quarter.

“That’s the possession game,” said Hawks head coach Quin Snyder of cleaning up the turnovers. “The fact that we did that to be able to clean that up against a team that was denying passes and trying to extend pressure up the floor. I thought our guys settled into that and were much more secure with the ball, and that takes more than just one player. You’ve gotta work to get open, sometimes you’ve got to ball fake, you got to be spaced if someone needs help. It was good to see.”

Alexander-Walker scored 13 points in the first, and with Memphis’ lack of size inside the paint Alexander-Walker was able to consistently get to the rim and finish.

The Grizzlies did their share to help the Hawks at times, and a breakdown on the switch with Taylor Hendricks allows Alexander-Walker to turn the corner, attack the paint where he takes the bump, adjusts, and finishes for the ‘and-1’ play:

Coming off the curl from the corner and off the dribble hand-off from Jock Landale, Alexander-Walker is able to burst into the paint where he is uncontested for the dunk:

And, of course, the pick of the bunch. Kuminga intercepts the pass, does well to twist and turn to get the ball to the streaking Alexander-Walker, who charges to the rim and finishes the left-handed poster dunk, plus the foul:

“From when I got the ball, I could see the defender was timing me,” said Alexander-Walker of the play. “So, I knew I had to go aggressively. If I tried to lay it up, I think like the more aggressive guy wins in that situation. For me, it was just like, ‘All right, let’s just go for it,‘ mentality. I wanted to battle that one. I was just surprised. It’s funny because the guys get on me to dunk all the time. I tell them, like, ‘That’s just not what I like to do,’ you know. For me to go get one in that fashion was pretty funny.”

This play — and the Kuminga three the possession prior to this — were a big swing to end the first quarter as the Hawks had allowed Memphis to creep back towards them after a sloppy first quarter. With these two plays, the Hawks never really looked back.

Memphis did their best to help the Hawks with their turnovers and shot selection, such as this turnover where DeJon Jarreau loses the handle for the turnover:

On the drive, Walton Clayton Jr. attempts to throw a lob for Hendricks, only for Hendricks to have already fanned out to the corner, resulting in a turnover:

Memphis’ shot selection, however, was their greater issue. The early recipe to try attain a foothold in this game was Ty Jerome, and from the early exchanges this did yield success.

Jerome is well defended on the drive by Dyson Daniels, and forces him to take a turnaround jumpshot, which is short:

On the switch, Jerome looks to take McCollum, and rises into a three-pointer which is contested and results in an airball:

In transition, the Grizzlies find Clayton Jr. in the corner, but with 18 seconds remaining on the shotclock there’s likely a better shot than a fading three-point attempt in the corner:

The Hawks did their part to limit the Grizzlies, too, with some good Alexander-Walker defense preventing Clayton Jr. fro getting to the rim, and forcing a tough turnaround airball:

On the drive from above the break, Zaccharie Risacher initially loses ground on the drive before recovering to block the shot at the rim:

The Grizzlies would take many jumpshots in this game, indicative of both the Grizzlies’ lack of quality to create offense and the Hawks’ ability to limit penetration (and defend the rim when the Grizzlies got there) and keep Memphis in front of them.

Looking at some other team stats, the Hawks scored a whopping 39 points off of 23 Memphis turnovers, which also contributed to 26 fastbreak points. Nickeil Alexander-Walker pointed to the team’s defense in contributing to the Hawks’ fastbreak scoring, crediting Mo Gueye for his contributions (starting in place of Jalen Johnson).

“Just defense, active gaps,” said Alexander-Walker postgame of the fastbreak scoring. “Mo Gueye has been tremendous in terms of bringing activity for us, deflections. If you notice, he always racks them up whenever he’s playing. I think that’s just been big for us, what he has been able to do defensively. Dyson’s going to be him, he’s going to be disruptive, challenging passing lanes for everybody. I think it was a collective unit; we felt like we were on a string with rotations, with shifts, cycles, etc.”

The Hawks enjoyed a rare advantage on the offensive glass, grabbing 12 offensive rebounds leading to 19 second chance points; an efficient conversion. Efficient would be a good adjective to describe the Hawks in this game: 53% shooting from the field, 46% from three (making 25 in total), and shooting 23-of-25 from the free throw line.

The Hawks took care of business, which was the theme of the night in the postgame availability.

“I think it’s a collective thing where guys are just putting the team first,” said Snyder when asked about the maturity of his side taking care of business.“ When you say that, the things that those guys are doing right now demonstrate that. That’s got to be our focus, and when it is we’re crashing the offensive glass, we’re sharing the ball, getting in the lane, breaking the paint, and then sharing the ball. The focus on the defense is the most important thing when you see everybody bought into that, that says a lot about the guys in our locker room. Their maturity, but also just their focus. Whether you’re 22 or 32.”

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, as ever, summed up the matter very eloquently, saying the Hawks were very much aware of who they are playing, and who they should beat.

“I think as a group, we’ve been professional and that’s what it’s about, doing your job,” said Alexander-Walker. “It doesn’t matter who they put out in front of you. We were very conscious of who we were playing against tonight. We’ve seen the Boston game, we’ve seen the Denver game, and those are teams playing their full roster. Those are teams trying to get wins for seeding in the playoffs. Those guys, they’re winning games. One thing I learned is that if you lose to a team like that, it’s bad. If you beat a team like that, ‘Oh, you’re supposed to blah, blah, blah, blah’. You don’t really win in that situation. So, you kind of got to drown out the noise. You just got to be professional. It’s my job to play the game, it’s my job to play hard, it’s my job to try to win and do what I need to do for the team. Everyone showed up tonight to do that, and I think that’s been the one consistent thing that’s shown over time.”

“At the end of the day, these are the 450 best players in the world,” added Onyeka Okongwu. “Those guys over there, the Grizzlies, are dealing with a lot of injuries, a lot of guys in and out of the lineups. Those guys are just getting opportunities; you see guys like Prosper and Hendricks, they’re all just playing so hard and giving their all. Still got to respect it, but we still do what we do and take care of business at the end of the day.”

Aside from taking care of business, Snyder was pleased with the Hawks’ ball movement, crediting CJ McCollum’s contributions in the first quarter in setting the standard early, then Alexander-Walker’s efforts in the third quarter.

“It’s terrific. I thought CJ set the tone early, where he was just in the lane, had his eyes out finding people,” said Snyder of the Hawks’ unselfishness. “Then, Nickeil had a stretch, beginning the third quarter, where those guys playing that way, it raises everybody’s level, it sets a tone. It wasn’t just the two of them but, to me, they stood out because they’re both capable scorers and they get in there too. For them to be looking for their teammates, and they do. but it was noticeable tonight in those two situations, I thought, in a very obvious way. We were obviously unselfish, which I like to be able to say that.”

The nature of this game meant there was a lot of garbage time in the fourth quarter, and every player who checked into the game scored for the Hawks, including eight players in double-digit scoring. Alexander-Walker led the way with 26 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, and 4-of-6 from three, scoring 22 points in the first half. Jonathan Kuminga enjoyed a stronger game, also hitting four threes en route to 16 points off the bench, while Okongwu was an ever-present threat inside the paint on both ends of the floor.

Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway was a second consecutive game where Dyson Daniels hit multiple three-pointers in a game, shooting 2-of-3 from behind the arc.

“He’s done that before,” said Syder of Daniels’ shooting. “If you look, maybe not as much this year, but that’s who he is, and we don’t want him to not be aggressive in any situation. His aggressiveness offensively can manifest itself a lot of ways, just being prepared to shoot. I’ve talked to you guys before about just space, and then read, and if he’s got the shot, take the shot. He’s pretty good getting in the paint, too.”

As Snyder said, this is not new for Daniels overall — and those threes he took and hit last night looked like the threes he made last season — but for this season, it is an enormous boost. In 10 games in March so far, Daniels is shooting 31% from three; obviously not a high percentage but in the context of Daniels’ season it’s an enormous step forward.

All-in-all, a very professional game from the Atlanta Hawks, who won with ease in a spot where victory was expected. What was most impressive was the how the Hawks didn’t ease off the throttle in the third quarter, playing in a similar manner than in the first quarter with their ball and man movement when they could have easily began to ease up and play in a carefree manner. It speaks to a focus and a recognition of the seriousness of where the Hawks are in their season, now with a clear opportunity to make the top-6 in the East.

It was a very good night in that regard; Orlando inexplicably broke the Pacers’ 16 game losing streak, while Miami and Philadelphia suffered heavy home losses against the top two in the West. The Hawks need as much margin as they can get, as they have the fourth most difficult schedule remaining in the NBA.

The Hawks (40-32) are back in action on Wednesday, when they’ll take on the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.

The Pistons will be without Cade Cunningham, and while it’s a great time to play the Pistons in that sense, they should not be underestimated having just snapped the Lakers’ nine game winning streak without Cunningham.

Until next time!

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Zion Williamson is putting in work since the All-Star break, pushing the New Orleans Pelicans out of the Western Conference basement with 10 wins in their last 16 games.

With no first-round draft pick, New Orleans lacks an incentive to tank down the stretch, and Williamson is stacking the box score with points, rebounds, and assists.

Our Pelicans vs. Knicks predictions single out that latter stat — assists — with my NBA picks calling for Zion to pump up his playmaking at MSG tonight.

Pelicans vs Knicks prediction

Pelicans vs Knicks best bet: Zion Williamson Over 2.5 assists (-115)

Since coming off a minutes restriction in January, Zion Williamson has been a force, but he’s done so with the New Orleans Pelicans being selective about his usage, running the offense through him — not necessarily for him.

For all his sound and fury at the rim, Williamson is an underrated passer.
 
He generates 6.3 potential assists per game, trickling down to an average of 3.3 dimes. He’s dished out 3+ assists in 21 of his last 34 outings, including four helpers in the loss at Cleveland on Saturday.

Tonight’s player projections range between 3.4 and 4.4 assists for Zion.

Pelicans vs Knicks same-game parlay

The New York Knicks are in pursuit of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, which would earn them home court if they run into Boston in the playoffs. Game models have the Knicks getting by the Pelicans tonight.

Mikal Bridges is one of the streakiest scorers in the NBA. New York's small forward seems to have snapped another cold shooting slump with a 6-for-11 night and 14 points in the win over Washington. He’s projected for a similar stat line tonight.

Pelicans vs Knicks SGP

• Knicks moneyline
• Zion Williamson Over 2.5 assists
• Mikal Bridges Over 12.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Zion’s Garden Party

Superstars tend to get up to play at MSG. Zion’s projections lean toward 21 points and three assists, and let’s not forget how explosive a shot blocker he is. The Pelicans have also been one of the better ATS bets over the past month and a half.

Pelicans vs Knicks SGP

• Pelicans +8.5
• Zion Williamson Over 20.5 points
• Zion Williamson Over 2.5 assists
• Zion Williamson Over 0.5 blocks

Pelicans vs Knicks odds

• Spread: Pelicans +8.5 | Knicks -8.5
• Moneyline: Pelicans +280 | Knicks -360
• Over/Under: Over 231.5 | Under 231.5

Pelicans vs Knicks betting trend to know

The Pelicans have covered the spread in 20 of their last 30 games for +10.10 units and a 31% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Knicks.

How to watch Pelicans vs Knicks

Pelicans vs Knicks latest injuries

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