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Giannis Antetokounmpo leaves Bucks' victory over Pacers after landing awkwardly on dunk

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo left Milwaukee’s game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday after landing awkwardly as he completed a dunk late in the third quarter of the Bucks’ 134-123 victory.

Antetokounmpo briefly remained in the game and dunked again on Milwaukee’s next possession. He got fouled the possession after that and attempted a pair of free throws before heading to the locker room.

He didn’t play the rest of the way. Antetokounmpo ended up with 31 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in 30 minutes.

“My guess is he hyperextended his knee, but I’m guessing,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said.

Antetokounmpo said he wasn’t planning on getting imaging. The two-time MVP said he believed he could have finished the game but chose to follow the advice of the Bucks’ training staff.

“I’m just going to go back home, sleep, see how I feel tomorrow, try to lift some weights,” Antetokounmpo said. “If I have a little bit of discomfort, then I’ll go from there. As of now, I’m not really bothered.”

The 31-year-old Antetokounmpo has missed a career-high 31 games this season. He’s had two extended absences because of strains in his right calf. He sat out the Bucks’ 122-99 loss at Atlanta on Saturday because of a sprained left ankle.

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

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Yankees-Orioles spring training game cancelled due to inclement weather

The Yankees split-squad game against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday night was cancelled due to inclement weather as rain started in the top of the third inning. 

New York trailed, 2-0, at the time of the delay. There will not be a makeup date for the spring training game, the Orioles said.

Paul Blackburn started for New York and let up two runs over 2.0 IP. The veteran retired the first two Orioles, but after a walk, single, and wild pitch, he gave up a two-run single to Tyler O'Neill. 

Blackburn bounced back for a 1-2-3 second inning, including two straight strikeouts to close out the frame.

Orioles starter Zach Eflin tossed two-plus innings with four strikeouts, taking down Jasson Dominguez, Jazz Chisholm, José Caballero, and Oswaldo Cabrera.

Top prospect Spencer Jones recorded the Yanks only hit of the night with a leadoff single in the third inning before the rain began.

Next Up

The Yankees are off on Monday and then play the Tampa Bay Rays on the road on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

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Mets prospect Zach Thornton keeps flashing his potential in latest spring start: ‘Not afraid’

New York Mets pitcher Zach Thornton (21) pitches during a spring training game.
Zach Thornton prepares to throw a pitch during his March 15 appearance for the Mets.

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets have a front line of young starting pitchers that includes Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Christian Scott, but the group behind that initial wave is also promising.

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One of those young arms, Zach Thornton, was on display Sunday against the Blue Jays, and for a second straight Grapefruit League start, the lefty was solid.

Thornton allowed one earned run on four hits with one strikeout over 3 ²/₃ innings in an 8-1 victory at Clover Park.

The game was called after five innings because of rain.

“He is a strike-thrower, but this is a guy that can get the fastball in to righties,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “There is a lot to like about him. He’s not afraid. Even when there were times he was behind in counts, he went right after guys.”

Zach Thornton prepares to throw a pitch during his March 15 appearance for the Mets. Imagn Images

The 24-year-old Thornton, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft, has pitched to a 1.35 ERA in his two Grapefruit League appearances.

He finished last season at Double-A Binghamton.

The Mets assigned the following players to minor league camp: Carl Edwards Jr., Joe Jacques, Ryan Lambert, Kevin Parada, Ryan Clifford, Jackson Cluff, Grae Kessinger, Jacob Reimer, Ji Hwan Bae, A.J. Ewing and Jose Ramos.

Clifford, Reimer, Ewing and Lambert are among the organization’s top prospects.

“It’s been a great camp for a lot of your young players,” Mendoza said. “It’s a credit to them and credit to player development, because [the players] came in with the mentality of trying to make the team, even though that probably wasn’t [realistic]. But they showed they can play at this level. I liked how they went about their business. Before the games, the questions they were asking, and then the way they went out there and competed.”

Marcus Semien blasted his second homer of the spring and hit another ball that was caught at the fence.

It might be a sign that the second baseman, who has posted a .602 OPS in the Grapefruit League, is getting on track at the plate.

“I’m not worried about him,” Mendoza said. “He’s a guy that has been in the league for quite a bit now. Obviously not the way he wanted it, but he’s tinkering with mechanics and has hit a few balls hard this spring with no results.”

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Stats Rundown: 3 numbers to know as the Mavericks score a 130-120 win at the Cleveland Cavaliers

Mar 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) shoots over the defense of Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks (23-45) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-27), 130-120, in their Sunday afternoon meeting. The rematch followed Dallas’ 33-point loss to the same team on Friday night. Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, and PJ Washington led the way for the Mavericks. Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus were the only two Cavaliers who showed up to play. I don’t love to see the Mavericks moving down in Draft Lottery odds, but it was a fun game for Dallas.

Dallas came to play at Cleveland, and the Cavs did not, spending the entire game trying to dig themselves out of a deficit they never overcame. Games like this make it hard to believe in Cleveland’s postseason chances, as the Cavaliers had the clear talent advantage across their roster.

Here are some noteworthy stats from Sunday’s win.

6: P.J. Washington steals

Washington had an incredible showing and was everywhere on both ends of the floor. Washington finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high six steals. He started at center for Dallas, and Cleveland had no answer for him in the paint. He tallied three makes from behind the arc, which is always nice to see. ‘Headband PJ’ may be a problem for the league.

27: Cooper Flagg points

Cooper Flagg followed Friday night’s 25-point performance with another physically imposing outing. He finished with 27 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists. He got into the paint with ease, and Sunday’s game was another great example of how dominant he is when he can get to the basket. He is a special player, and it has been awesome to watch how he dominates matchups against some of the league’s best defenders.

15: Dallas 3-pointers

Dallas shot 15-of-30 from three-point range against the Cavaliers, a completely out-of-character statistic for this team that led to an unlikely win. After Dallas shot 27% from three on Friday, Cleveland was uninterested in guarding the Mavericks at all in the rematch. The Mavs had their way from 3-point range, with Washington and Ryan Nembhard leading Dallas with three each. This is certainly not a trend Dallas will maintain to close the season, but it was one of the leading reasons for Sunday’s win.

The Mavericks are back in action on Monday night in New Orleans, where they will take on the Pelicans at 7 p.m. CT.

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Game Thread: Knicks vs Warriors, March 15, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 15: Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks and Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors look on during the game on January 15, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The New York Knicks (43*-25) host the Golden State Warriors (32-34) tonight at Madison Square Garden. The visitors are decimated by injuries, so look for the Knicks to take it easy tonight. You can safely flip back and forth from the Oscars.

Tonight’s tip off is 8 p.m. EST on NBC and Peacock. This is your game thread. This is Golden State of Mind. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Treat each other respectfully. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but Cup finals are phantoms. 

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SF Giants lose perfect-game bid late vs. Brewers

Feb 27, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray (38) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn...

Near-perfect: What did Robbie Ray do after leaving his last spring start with a no-hitter intact? He retired all 15 batters he faced Sunday, punching out six, but Giants pitchers didn’t stop there in a 7-1 win over the Brewers. Carson Seymour, Tristan Beck and Matt Gage didn’t allow a base runner, either. The Giants came one out from the first spring training perfect game since 2000. They lost the perfecto, the no-no and the shutout when Gregory Santos walked one batter and allowed Blake Burke, one of Tony Vitello’s players at Tennessee, to rip an RBI double down the right field line. No less encouraging for Ray, who has strung together nine no-hit innings his past two starts.

The Giants’ Jerar Encarnacion hit a mammoth blast estimated at 463 feet Sunday against the Brewers. Getty Images

Jerar and the Giant Blast: At 115 mph off the bat and an estimated 463 feet, Jerar Encarnacion delivered the Giants’ most gargantuan home run of the spring. In a twist of irony, Encarnacion went deep on a pitch that would have been called a ball. He fell behind in the count by unsuccessfully challenging a pitch closer to the plate. The out-of-options slugger has turned it on as attention has turned to those on the 26-man roster bubble: He has nine hits in his past 20 at-bats, four of them for extra bases.

Double-double: Matt Chapman continued his strong spring with three more hits in three at-bats, raising his average in Cactus League play to .448 with a 1.310 OPS. He went the other way for ground-rule doubles in his first two at-bats.

Caught my eye: Christian Koss and Grant McCray both showed what they could bring to the Giants’ bench, with Koss making an over-the-shoulder snow-cone catch on a pop-up behind second base and McCray bunting his way on and stealing two bags. However, McCray was caught leaning between second and third, and Koss was picked off for the second time in three games.

Up next: The Giants travel to Peoria, Arizona, on Monday to face the NL West-rival Padres for the second and final time this spring. Including Saturday’s 8-7 loss to the Diamondbacks, they will play each of their divisional foes over the final week of Cactus League play.

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USA vs. Dominican Republic – World Baseball Classic semifinal

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 13: Ketel Marte #4 (L) and Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 (R) of Team Dominican Republic great teammate Juan Soto #22 (C) before playing Team Korea of the quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park on March 13, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The first semifinal of the 2026 World Baseball Classic is packed with about as much star power as you could hope for. The United States will be sending Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes to the mound opposite Luis Severino of the Dominican Republic (and the Athletics) with a trip to the final on the line.

As Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com noted, the US currently boasts a roster that includes nine players who received MVP votes in 2025, while the Dominican Republic boasts – you guessed it – nine players who received MVP votes in 2025, too.

Exactly zero of those players, or any of these players for that matter, are Cincinnati Reds. That doesn’t make it any less of a spectacle, of course, and this game is poised to be packed with action.

Here’s how the two clubs will line up:

United States

1. Bobby Witt Jr., SS
2. Bryce Harper, 1B
3. Aaron Judge, RF
4. Kyle Schwarber, DH
5. Gunnar Henderson, 3B
6. Will Smith, C
7. Roman Anthony, LF
8. Brice Turang, 2B
9. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF

Dominican Republic

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Ketel Marte, 2B
3. Juan Soto, LF
4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
5. Manny Machado, 3B
6. Junior Caminero, DH
7. Julio Rodríguez, CF
8. Austin Wells, C
9. Geraldo Perdomo, SS

First pitch is set for just after 8:00 PM in Miami’s loanDepot park, and game coverage can be found on FS1.

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Giants an out away from perfect game, a strike away from no-hitter in 7-1 win over Brewers

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The San Francisco Giants were an out away from a perfect game and a strike away from a no-hitter before they were broken up by the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in a spring training game.

Giants reliever Gregory Santos walked Cooper Pratt with two outs in the ninth. The next batter, Blake Burke, delivered a run-scoring double with two strikes. Santos struck out José Anderson to end the game.

So close.

Lefty Robbie Ray combined with four relievers to strike out 11 in a 7-1 win over the Brewers. Ray threw five innings and struck out eight. He has a 1.23 ERA with 15 strikeouts over five starts this spring.

Spring training no-hitters aren't all that common. The Baltimore Orioles threw a no-hitter last March against Pittsburgh.

The pitching gem for the Giants comes on a day when multiple media outlets reported that pitcher Hayden Birdsong's MRI revealed a Grade 2 strained right forearm strain along with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament. He's weighing his options, according to MLB.com.

“It’s certainly not best-case scenario, but hopefully we get best-case scenario of the unfortunate circumstances,” manager Tony Vitello said Sunday morning, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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Brewers narrowly avoid being perfect-gamed in 7-1 loss to Giants

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 09: Pitcher Shane Drohan #73 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning of the spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 09, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Box Score

As the headline suggests, there weren’t many positives in today’s game. The Brewers were just one out away from falling victim to a combined perfect game, ultimately losing 7–1 to the San Francisco Giants.

Giants starter Robbie Ray went five innings, racking up eight Ks in the process. Relievers Carson Seymour, Tristan Beck, and Matt Gage kept the perfect game going. Gregory Santos came in for the ninth and recorded two quick outs, but he lost the zone against prospect Cooper Pratt — throwing five consecutive pitches out of the strike zone to put Pratt on first. The next batter, Blake Burke, went down 0-2 before breaking up the no-hitter with a double down the right field line, scoring Pratt to give the Brewers their first and only run of the game. Unfortunately, that was where the scoring would end, as José Anderson struck out swinging to end the game.

Brewers starter Shane Drohan got hit around today, allowing six hits, four runs (three earned), and striking out five in four innings of work. He got through the first inning without allowing a run, with the Giants stranding Matt Chapman after a one-out double. The second inning was a different story. Drohan allowed a bunt single to Grant McCray before walking Bryce Eldridge, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Up next was Jerar Encarnación, who smoked a high and inside cutter 463 feet to give the Giants a 3-0 lead. That brought up Christian Koss, who beat out an infield single to give the Giants yet another baserunner — still with nobody out.

With Casey Schmitt batting, catcher Reese McGuire threw Koss out trying to steal second. Schmitt ended up walking, prompting Brewers manager Pat Murphy to pull Drohan in favor of Kaleb Bowman. Bowman got Willy Adames to strike out swinging for the second out, but Chapman hit another double — this one a ground rule — to put runners on second and third. Bowman then walked Patrick Bailey to load the bases before getting Luis Matos to hit a weak grounder to shortstop David Hamilton. That should have been the third out, but Hamilton bounced the throw to first baseman Jake Bauers, and Bauers couldn’t handle it. Bailey and Chapman both scored on the throwing error to make it 5-0, San Francisco.

Bowman melted down after that, walking the next two batters to walk in another run before finally getting Encarnación to line out to Garrett Mitchell for the third out. Since it’s spring training, Drohan reentered the game for the third and fourth innings and managed to hold the Giants scoreless. San Francisco added another run on an Adames sacrifice fly in the sixth inning off of Jacob Waguespack, Waguespack’s first earned run of the spring.

San Francisco’s pitching staff combined to strike out eleven Brewers while allowing just one hit (Burke’s double) and walk (to Pratt). As a team, Milwaukee allowed 11 hits and walked six batters. Overall, this was a game to forget.

The Crew is back at it again tomorrow against the Los Angeles Dodgers. First pitch is slated for the same time as today’s game, 3:05 p.m.

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Gunnar Henderson to start at third base over Alex Bregman vs the Dominican Republic in WBC semis

MIAMI (AP) — Gunnar Henderson will start at third base over Alex Bregman for the United States in Sunday's World Baseball Classic semifinal against the Dominican Republic, a decision that manager Mark DeRosa said was based on the pitching matchup against Luis Severino.

Henderson, a star shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, is 7 for 9 in his career against the right-handed Dominican pitcher, with a home run, double and four RBIs. Bregman is 5 for 21 in the regular season against Severino with a homer and three RBI.

Henderson has also gone 5 for 10 with a double and a homer in two WBC games.

“Playing the hot hand right?” DeRosa said ahead of Sunday's semi. “Gunnar’s got numbers against Severino.”

DeRosa added he spoke on Saturday with Bregman, who has gone 2 for 11 in four games, about the benching.

“These guys like the lineup out the night before, so I was able to do that, and he was good with it," DeRosa said. "It’s game on.”

Will Smith will start at catcher over Cal Raleigh, who is hitless in nine plate appearances this WBC.

Sunday's game is expected to be a thrilling star-studded matchup, with the Dominicans bringing the hottest lineup in the tournament against arguably the best pitcher in baseball in Paul Skenes.

The Dominicans are 5-0 in the tournament, have outscored opponents 51-10 while batting .312. With 14 homers, they tied the WBC record set by Mexico in 2009.

“Skenes is one of the best pitchers today in the major leagues," Dominican manager Albert Pujols said. “But we also have one of the best offenses in this tournament, so it’s going to be power versus power. We’ll try to win.”

Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara will start on Tuesday if the Dominicans advance to the final regardless of who they face, Pujols said. Italy plays Venezuela in the semis on Monday night.

“Alcantara will be our pitcher no matter what,” Pujols said. "If God gives us that opportunity, if we move to the final, Alcantara will be the starter. I’m not going to change it no matter what, no matter if it is Italy or Venezuela. ... I trust Sandy, and I hope to be here talking with you on Tuesday.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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Mookie Betts homers, River Ryan & Emmet Sheehan continue rotation climb

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 09: Pitcher River Ryan #77 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning of a spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 09, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

A busy Sunday saw every position player in big league camp getting into a game, plus 12 others as the Dodgers blew out the Cubs 14-8 in Mesa and beat the Rangers 5-3 at Camelback Ranch.

Hyeseong Kim, back from the World Baseball Classic, singled and stole a base in Mesa against the Cubs. Mookie Betts hit his first home run this spring, off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon. Kyle Tucker hit a two-run shot of his own against the Rangers.

Rotation competition

With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki firmly in the Dodgers rotation, there isn’t room for all three of Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan to all start games at the beginning of the season. Sheehan and Ryan both started on Sunday, and each made strides toward a potential roster spot.

Ryan continued his impressive spring. After four singles plated a run in the first inning, he allowed only a walk the rest of the way, finishing with five strikeouts in his four innings of work. The issue this year with Ryan will be how the Dodgers will limit his innings after missing all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery. But performance-wise, he’s been the best and most consistent of the three vying for a rotation spot this spring.

Sheehan entered this spring with an inside track toward a rotation spot after a dominant final two months last season, but a flu sidelined him and kept him off the mound for a while. He hasn’t yet been able to fully stretch out, such that his 3 2/3 innings and 66 pitches on Sunday marked the first time Sheehan recorded more than seven outs this spring. A two-run home run in the third inning were the only runs Sheehan allowed on Sunday, but in his three outings and 38 batters faced this spring, he has as many walks (six) as strikeouts.

Welcome aboard

It was twenty-three days ago that the Dodgers claimed Jack Suwinski off waivers from the Pirates, and 13 days since he was sent outright off the 40-man roster. The outfielder was limited to backfield duties thus far at Camelback Ranch, until Sunday when he made the trip to Mesa and started in right field.

His first at-bat with his new team was a three-run home run in the first inning.

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Notes

Ryder Ryan followed his brother River on the mound against the Rangers and pitched his longest outing of the spring with 2 2/3 innings with three strikeouts, and a two-run home run allowed. His 53 pitches were five more than his brother, who recorded four more outs.

Zach Ehrhard hit a two-run triple against the Cubs, and his three triples are tied for the major league lead this spring.

Waiting game

Gavin Stone missed all of last season after shoulder surgery, and after just one start this spring he was shut down with more shoulder soreness. The Dodgers will undoubtedly be cautious with his return, but the right-hander offered a peak into a rough timeline for what’s next.

Up next

Back to just one game for the Dodgers on Monday afternoon against the Brewers (1:05 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), with Tyler Glasnow on the mound.

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March Madness Final Four predictions to win 2026 NCAA Tournament regions

Now that the Men's NCAA Tournament bracket has been unveiled, we know the paths teams must take to reach Indianapolis and the Final Four.

Will it be all chalk like last year when all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four?

Will there by a surprise like NC State in 2024 and Florida Atlantic in 2023?

Selection Sunday winners, losers: Miami Ohio gets in, St. John's gets hosed

March Madness upset picks: These teams can bust your NCAA Tournament bracket

USA TODAY Sports' staff makes their Final Four picks. Check them out below. And be sure to sign up for USA TODAY's Bracket Challenge and Survivor Poll to test your hoops knowledge.

NCAA Tournament predictions, 2026 Final Four picks

Blake Toppmeyer

  • East: Michigan State
  • South: Houston
  • Midwest: Michigan
  • West: Arizona

Duke is the No. 1 overall seed, but the Blue Devils got placed in a loaded region. That leaves Arizona as the frontrunner to win the national championship.

Paul Myerberg

  • East: St. John's
  • South: Florida
  • Midwest: Iowa State
  • West: Arkansas

I’m banking on the Red Storm and Razorbacks carrying over their torrid finishes to the regular season. ISU has a relatively easy road to the Elite Eight, while Florida is the class of the South region and one of the safest bets to advance deep into March.

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Matt Hayes

  • East: Duke
  • South: Florida
  • Midwest: Iowa State
  • West: Arizona

Duke is a no-brainer. The most complete team in the tournament, with the best player in the tournament — unless Kansas stud Darryn Peterson decides to get serious. Arizona doesn't have a true superstar, but the Wildcats are talented throughout their lineup. Florida is long, they defend better than just about anyone and they're hot. The Cyclones are top 20 in offensive and defensive efficiency, and just a tick below Florida and Duke as the best defensive teams in the tournament.

Jordan Mendoza

  • East: Duke
  • South: Florida
  • Midwest: Michigan
  • West: Arizona

The No. 1 overall seeds have proven to be in a class above the rest of the sport. It's not going to be a cakewalk, but they all make it to Indianapolis to back-to-back all-No. 1 seed Final Four.

March Madness 2026 schedule 

The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will transpire over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.

Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

  • First Four: March 17-18
  • First round: March 19-20
  • Second round: March 21-22
  • Sweet 16: March 26-27
  • Elite Eight: March 28-29
  • Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
  • National championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness predictions: Final Four picks for NCAA Tournament 2026

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Player Grades: Recapping Mavericks vs. Cavaliers

CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 15: Naji Marshall #13 of the Dallas Mavericks passes the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 15, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks rounded out a home-and-home against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday afternoon. Unlike Friday’s matchup, Dallas was much more competitive in an 130-120 win.

Let’s get to the grades!

Ryan Nembhard: B

11 PTS / 3 REB / 3 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN

It has been a minute since Dallas started a conventional point guard and unfortunately Nembhard may give Jason Kidd reason to abandon the idea again. Nembhard only connected on one of his five first half shots, but heated up a bit after that. Dallas’ performance can’t be exclusively attributed to Nembhard, but even on average nights, he shows the value of having a true point guard orchestrating.

Max Christie: B-

9 PTS / 2 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 29 MIN

Christie has had a pretty poor run of late, so his performance looked great by comparison despite not being particularly epic. He didn’t play all that much but managed to chip in on every major statistical category without doing hardly anything detrimental. Solid game he can hopefully build on, especially with a dunk and made three-pointer in the final two minutes of the game to nail down the win.

Naji Marshall: A

25 PTS / 5 REB / 7 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 32 MIN

Marshall led the way for Dallas in the first half, connecting on a ridiculous 85.7% of his seven shots while dishing five dimes.

Cooper Flagg: A

27 PTS / 6 REB / 10 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 33 MIN

Sunday afternoon felt like a welcome back for Flagg who hasn’t quite been himself since returning from his mid-foot sprain. Against Cleveland, Flagg had a very well-rounded game, though he piled up turnovers (three) and fouls (four) at a high rate as well.

P.J. Washington: A+

20 PTS / 11 REB / 2 AST / 5 STL / 1 BLK – 33 MIN

Washington got the rare start at center for Dallas and although opposing center Evan Mobley had a nice night, Washington joined Marshall as the best players for Dallas in the early going and ultimately throughout. This was not a fluke – Washington was just dominant with the only mark against him being his total fouls committed. We’ll see if this is a one-off or is in fact Washington turning the corner on some relatively mundane games.

Marvin Bagley: B

6 PTS / 5 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 16 MIN

Bagley continues to impress even when his numbers don’t leap off the page. In his first eight minutes, he had three points, four boards and a block. He ended the day with a perfectly fine game for a backup, but was a bit of a hack-machine with four fouls

John Poulakidas: A

10 PTS / 3 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 15 MIN

Poulakidas had a personal 10-0 run to close the third quarter, made up of back-to-back three-pointers followed by a deep two-pointer. At this stage in the season and within the context of his overall game and playing time (and virtually zero performances to compare to), we’re going to show some generosity in an improbably win and reward the shooter for shooting well.

Final Thoughts

Even despite playing .500 ball over their last 10 games, this was an embarrassing loss for Cleveland against a somewhat patch-work Mavs team. The NBA is weird and oddities like this actually happen more often than one would think, but getting obliterated by a team that can’t win on the road and who has dragged themselves across the country for the better part of a month has to be a moment of thoughtful introspection for the Cavs. Credit to Dallas. Playing for nothing but the offseason, the Mavs brought it on Sunday afternoon.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

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Bruce Pearl says Auburn being left out of NCAA Tournament ignored 'toughest schedule'

Former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, now an analyst with CBS Sports, said the Tigers weren't rewarded for their strength of schedule after being left out of the NCAA Tournament field on Selection Sunday.

Pearl, who led Auburn to the No. 1 overall seed last season before retiring and handing off the duties to his son, Steven Pearl, also questioned SMU's resume as a Last Four In team. He said Oklahoma and Auburn, the first two teams out of the bracket, could've been deserving of a bit.

"Auburn beat three champions this year," Pearl said during the bracket reveal. "They beat Florida, they beat St. John's and they beat Arkansas. They played the toughest schedule in the country; don't know they were rewarded for it. It's hard to get a couple more SEC teams in when the SEC already has 10 teams in."

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Pearl acknowledged teams have to "win their way in or lose their way out." Auburn finished the season with a 17-16 record and stumbled at the end of the season, losing nine of its last 12 games.

Pearl said if any of the teams should've been left out of the bracket, it would've been SMU for him.

"SMU with a 191(-ranked) out of conference strength schedule," he said. "That, I don't know that they should've been rewarded. They only won five games away from home. For me, it would've been either Oklahoma or Auburn taking that last spot."

Pearl was critical of Miami (Ohio) in the lead up to the NCAA Tournament, stating he felt the RedHawks needed to win the MAC tournament to reach the big dance. Otherwise, Miami (Ohio) should've been left out despite going undefeated in the regular season.

Miami (Ohio) made the NCAA Tournament on March 15, and is facing SMU in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

"Here's the deal," Pearl said. "Are we going to select the 68 most deserving teams? Or are we going to select the 68 best teams? If we're selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion, because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country, and that's going to be a difficult choice for the committee."

Auburn goes from Final Four to First Four Out in one season and now looks forward to 2026-27, when maybe Pearl won't need to argue for the Tigers to reach the NCAA Tournament.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bruce Pearl says Auburn wasn't rewarded for 'toughest schedule' by NCAA

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Grace Zumwinkle scores 2-0, Frost beat Sirens 4-3 for 3rd straight win

DENVER (AP) — Grace Zumwinkle scored two goals, Taylor Heise and Britta Curl-Salemme added a goal apiece, and the Minnesota Frost beat the New York Sirens 4-3 on Sunday at Ball Arena as part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour.

The Frost (9-3-3-4) have won three straight after being shut out, 4-0, at Montreal in their first game back from the Olympic break.

Anna Bargman and Paetyn Levis scored goals for New York (8-0-3-9) a little more than a minute apart in the third. Allyson Simpson added a goal about four minutes later that made it 4-3 with 3:01 left in the game.

Zumwinkle darted along the left wall, cut in along the goal line and flicked a shot behind goaltended Kayle Osborne that deflected off the crossbar and into the net to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead just past the midway point in the first period. Zumwinkle gave the Frost a 4-0 lead with 7:28 left in the second period.

Heise flicked a shot that deflected off Osborne's skate and slowly trickled into the net 22 seconds into the second period before Curl-Salemme made it 3-0 eight minutes later with a one-timer off a pass from Kelly Pannek.

New York killed each of the Frost’s four power plays and have killed 13 straight overall.

Casey O’Brien, who leads all rookies this season with 14 points and three power-play goals, did not play (upper-body injury) for the Sirens. Taylor Girard left the game in the second period due to an apparent knee injury.

The Sirens beat Ottawa 6-2 last time out to snap a six-game losing streak, the last two losses coming after the Olympic break.

Minnesota, which also beat the Sirens 3-2 in overtime at the Prudential Center on Jan. 16 and 6-2 at home Jan. 25, was 0-0-3-3 last season against New York.

Up next

Sirens: Play Wednesday at Vancouver in the second of a four-game road trip.

Frost: Hosts Ottawa on Wednesday.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey