Category: Sports News

As anyone around the sport will be quick to point out, roster-building in men’s college basketball has changed dramatically over the past several years.

With athletes now able to earn money off their name, image and likeness, deep-seated connections from a player’s grassroots days matter much less than the kind of financial package a school is able to offer them. While still important, as this season’s stellar class of first-year players showed, superstar freshmen don’t necessarily carry the county’s top teams in the same way they did a decade ago.

REQUIRED READING: Top 10 players of Final Four, ranked: Who is the best in March Madness?

Increasingly, college programs look overseas for potential roster additions, including from players competing in professional leagues. Then, of course, there’s the transfer portal.

Athletes who once had to sit out a year if they moved from one school to another are now immediately eligible, something that has fundamentally altered the sport and the way coaches go about constructing their teams. It’s exceedingly rare now for a player to end their career with the program where they began four years earlier and many of those players who have been on the move have become All-Americans, top NBA draft picks and centerpieces of Final Four — and even national championship — squads.

At this 2026 Final Four, that phenomenon will be on full display, with Michigan, Arizona, Illinois and UConn all relying heavily on at least one transfer.

How do those players stack up?

Dusty May got his coaching start as a student manager under legendary former Indiana coach Bob Knight. Now, as Michigan's head coach, his son is following in his footsteps.

Dusty May's son, Eli May, is the Wolverines' student manager in 2025-26. Another of his sons, Charlie May, is a walk-on guard on the roster. And while May's oldest son, Jack May, isn't on the Michigan roster, he was a former walk-on at Florida.

REQUIRED READING: At Michigan, Dusty May's son is the student manager his dad once was

Dusty May spent one semester at Division II Oakland City University as a player before hanging up his shoes and transferring to Indiana, his hometown school. The second-year Michigan coach is only in his eighth season as a head coach, but already has a pair of Final Four appearances, including one at Florida Atlantic.

Dusty May's Michigan squad, a No. 1 seed this season in the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament, was one of the best teams in the country all year and has backed it up in March Madness. The Mays and Wolverines take on fellow No. 1 Arizona in the Final Four for a spot in the national championship.

And to think he started his coaching career as a student manager. Here's what to know of May's two sons who are also on Michigan's roster for the Final Four:

Who are Dusty May's sons?

Who is Eli May?

Eli May told USA TODAY Sports he never suspected his college career would take him to being a student manager for his father. He thought he would walk-on at South Florida, following the footsteps of brothers Charlie May (Central Florida) and Jack May (Florida) both of whom did the same while May coached at FAU.

“It’s obviously tough to give up playing the game and being on a team wearing a jersey,” Dusty May told USA TODAY Sports. “But I just thought as far as his long-term development, all the things our managers learn, problem-solving, they learn people skills. They learn to function. We try to give them a lot of responsibility because we know if they’re ever going to make it in coaching … they have to have the experience of doing meaningful work. Our managers have helped him become much more responsible.”

There isn't any special treatment for Eli May, either. Other Michigan student managers said he handles "grunt work" like the rest of them.

“I’m technically in charge of him and he never complains,” student manager Sam Saraceno said. “Eli is doing grunt work a lot of people wouldn’t do. That’s how you could tell it was different.”

Eli May wants to become a coach one day, just like his dad did. While he'll likely have an easier path than his dad, their coaching backgrounds will be rooted in the same fundamentals they learned as student managers.

"I’d seen the managers from the outside, but I’d never been inside a program and seen it. What they've learned, how they go about their business, it made me want to be a manager more than anything," Eli May said. "I feel like it’s a much better path to becoming a coach eventually.

Who is Charlie May?

Dusty's May eldest son in Michigan's program, Charlie May, is a 6-foot-5 guard who has even scored in March Madness this year.

May started his career at UCF but transferred to Michigan before last season to join his father. He only has seven career points, all of which have come this season. Three of those points came in the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament, when he swished a corner 3-pointer late against Tennessee in the Elite Eight on March 29.

“Honestly, I blacked out,” Charlie May told the Detroit News. “I don't even know what it looked like. But, man, it was a great feeling. I've been watching the NCAA Tournament since I can remember. To be able to score in a game like that is an amazing experience. I'm even happier we won the game and we're going to the Final Four.”

DUSTY MAY'S SON GETS A BUCKET 🪣

CHARLIE MAY GREEN LIGHT 🚦#MarchMadness@umichbballpic.twitter.com/WDG0C0s02V

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

Charlie May's shot meant a lot to Michigan's coach, especially in the moment.

“It’s really cool for our families," Dusty May said. "That's the most rewarding part of all this, to see everyone who has poured into us and our players in one spot, just feeling a part of it. Charlie, Howard, our walk-ons, they sacrifice a lot as well. They go through strongman, they lift every day and they rarely get to be a part of the actual game.

“To come in and have those moments and get a great assist from Will Tschetter, I thought it was just a cool moment. But I’m more proud about the long rebound he came up with than the shot.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who are Dusty May's sons? What to know of Eli, Charlie May for Michigan basketball

Luke Murray has had a hectic last week since he was hired by Boston College to lead the men's basketball program.

The 41-year-old assistant coach signed his contract with the Eagles on his iPad at Connecticut's hotel in Washington, D.C., coached in the Sweet 16 against Michigan State, was in charge of piecing together the successful scout for Duke in the Elite Eight, then held his introductory news conference at Boston College before a flight to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

REQUIRED READING: Will Luke Murray coach in Final Four? UConn assistant hired at Boston College

He'll continue as one of the right-hand men on the bench for Dan Hurley this weekend in the Men's NCAA Tournament, where No. 2 seed UConn takes on No. 3 Illinois in the national semifinals.

And with Luke Murray still coaching the Huskies before starting the next chapter of his career, that means his dad, actor and comedian Bill Murray, will be in the stands cheering his son and one of the Big East's powerhouses on during their chase for a third national title in the last four seasons.

Here's what to know:

Is the Connecticut men's basketball program on the verge of a dynasty?

With two more wins in the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament, the No. 2-seeded Huskies would win their third national championship in four years and seventh since 1999. UConn needed a prayer on a last-second 3-pointer from Braylon Mullins against No. 1 overall seed Duke to advance through the Elite Eight.

REQUIRED READING: Is UNC basketball's next coach in Final Four? We haven't heard a 'no' yet

However, Dan Hurley's team now enters a round where it dominates: the Final Four. The Huskies have only lost one game in program history in the Final Four, and are actually undefeated in the national championship game.

No. 3 seed Illinois — which has won every game this March Madness by double figures — stands in the way of another trip to the national championship for UConn. The Huskies take on the Illini at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 4 from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

With its history, UConn fans should feel confident about another successful run. Here's what to know about how the Huskies have performed in the Final Four, including how many times they have been here:

UConn basketball Final Four history

This is UConn's seventh trip to the Final Four and the sixth since 1999. The Huskies are 16-1 all-time in Final Four games.

• 1999: won semifinal vs. Ohio State, 64-58; won final vs. Duke, 77-74
• 2004: won semifinal vs. Duke, 79-78; won final vs. Georgia Tech, 82-73
• 2009: lost semifinal vs. Michigan State, 82-73
• 2011: won semifinal vs. Kentucky, 56-55; won final vs. Butler, 53-41
• 2014: won semifinal vs. Florida, 63-53; won final vs. Kentucky, 60-54
• 2023: won semifinal vs. Miami, 72-59; won final vs. San Diego State, 76-59
• 2024: won semifinal vs. Alabama, 86-72; won final vs. Purdue, 75-60

UConn Final Four record

UConn is 12-1 all-time in Final Four games. The lone loss was during the 2008-09 season, when Hasheem Thabeet led Michigan State to an 82-73 upset win over the Huskies.

Outside of this, UConn has gone a perfect 12-0 in the other 12 Final Four games to bring home six national championships. The Huskies are 6-0 in the national title game, meaning if they can get past the Fighting Illini, history says they have a good chance to bring home a seventh title.

Has UConn men's basketball won a national title in basketball?

Yes, UConn men's basketball has won six national championships in program history. The Huskies have won all six of them since 1999, under three different head coaches.

Jim Calhoun led the program to its first title in 1999 and then followed it up with two more in 2004 and 2011. Kevin Ollie helped UConn win its fourth title in 2014, while Dan Hurley won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.

Which team has most NCAA Tournament national championships?

UConn is tied for third with North Carolina for the most championships in men's college basketball with six. Only UCLA and Kentucky have more national titles than the Huskies.

Since its first national title in 1999, UConn is just one of six programs with multiple national titles. Florida is the only other school with at least three in that span.

Here's a look at the programs with the most national championships in NCAA history:

• 1. UCLA, 11 (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995)
• 2. Kentucky, 8 (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012)
• T-3. UConn, 6 (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024)
• T-3. UNC, 6 (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017)
• T-5. Duke, 5 (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)
• T-5. Indiana, 5 (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987)
• 7. Kansas, 4, (1952, 1988, 2008, 2022)
• T-8. Villanova (1985, 2016, 2018(
• T-8. Florida (2006, 2007, 2025)

UConn basketball NCAA Tournament history

• NCAA Tournament appearances: 39 times (76-33)
• Final Fours: 8 (1964, 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023-24 and 2026)
• National championship: 6 (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023 and 2024)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Have many Final Fours does UConn men's basketball have? March Madness history

March Madness is where legends are born and legacies are built.

The player who has the biggest claim to that mantle during the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament may be Connecticut senior center Tarris Reed Jr. Pegged as a potential breakout in March Madness by USA TODAY Sports, Reed has been a monster and arguably the Huskies' best player.

REQUIRED READING: Final Four bold predictions: Which drought continues? Who wins it all?

Reed helped No. 2 UConn survive an upset bid from No. 15 Furman in the opening round with a monster 31-point, 27-rebound performance. That set the tone for the tournament, as he has scored at least 20 points in three games and recorded double-doubles in two.

If UConn is going to win a national championship for a third time in four years, you would expect Reed to play a major role, especially with the remaining big men left in the Final Four.

Heading into the Final Four of March Madness, here's what you need to know about the UConn Huskies veteran big man:

Tarris Reed stats

Here’s a look at Reed's stats from his college career with Michigan and UConn:

• 2025-26 (UConn): 14.7 points per game, 2.4 assists per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, 0.9 steals per game, 2.1 blocks per game, 62.1% on field goals, 59.6% on free throws (33 games, 33 starts)
• 2024-25 (UConn): 9.6 points per game, 1.0 assists per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, 0.7 steals per game, 1.6 blocks per game, 67% on field goals, 64.4% on free throws (35 games, 1 start)
• 2023-24 (Michigan): 9.0 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, 0.5 steals per game, 1.4 blocks per game, 51.9% on field goals, 58.6% on free throws (32 games, 31 starts)
• 2022-23 (Michigan): 3.4 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, 0.5 steals per game, 0.9 blocks per game, 51.7% on field goals, 40% free throws (34 games, 0 starts)

Tarris Reed 2026 NCAA Tournament stats

After a strong regular season where he posted career highs across the board, Reed has come alive for UConn in the NCAA Tournament, including a monster 31-point, 27-rebound performance in the opening round vs. Furman.

Here's a look at Reed's stats during the NCAA Tournament:

• March 20 vs. No. 15 Furman: 31 points (12-of-15 shooting), 27 rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes
• March 22 vs. No. 7 UCLA: 10 points (3-of-8 shooting), 10 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal in 29 minutes
• March 27 vs. No. 3 Michigan State: 20 points (8-of-16 shooting), five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 33 minutes
• March 29 vs. No. 1 Duke: 26 points (10-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals in 32 minutes
• NCAA Tournament averages: 21.8 points (60% shooting), 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game in 32.3 minutes

Tarris Reed NBA draft stock, mock draft predictions

Before the NCAA Tournament, a lot of mocks viewed Reed as a second-round pick, likely going near the end of the draft. However, his play in March Madness could catapult him into the first round, as more mocks come out over the next several weeks.

• Yahoo!: No. 30 overall to the Dallas Mavericks (April 2)
• ESPN: No. 52 overall to the Washington Wizards (March 11)

How old is Tarris Reed?

Reed is 22 years old. He'll turn 23 on Aug. 5.

What was Tarris Reed's recruiting ranking?

• Stars: 4
• National rating: No. 35
• Position ranking: No. 8 C
• State ranking: No. 3 player from Missouri

Reed was a four-star recruit who was rated as the No. 8 center and the No. 35 overall prospect nationally in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Why did Tarris Reed transfer from Michigan to UConn?

Following two seasons at Michigan, Reed entered the transfer portal on March 19, 2024, four days before the Wolverines hired Dusty May as their new head coach. He committed to the Huskies on April 17, 2024.

"I chose UConn for its winning culture, commitment to player development and coaching style," Reed told On3's Joe Tipton. "Coach Hurley's tough coaching style is known for pushing players into uncomfortable situations, making the uncomfortable seem comfortable. UConn provides the ideal setting and coaching for me to maximize my potential both on and off the court."

Where is Tarris Reed's hometown?

Reed is from St. Louis. He played at Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis for the first three years of high school before finishing at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Tarris Reed Jr.? What to know about the UConn basketball star

Is this the year that Arizona men's basketball's national championship drought comes to an end?

Based on how the Wildcats have looked, the chances are pretty high for Tommy Lloyd's squad.

REQUIRED READING: Arizona in Final Four: What to know about Wildcats' road to Indianapolis

The Wildcats, looking for their first March Madness title since 1997, have shown themselves to be a favorite in the Men's NCAA Tournament with a dominating presence inside the paint that makes it hard for opponents to score. They also have a three-headed scoring trio of Brayden Burries, Koa Peat and Jaden Bradley.

To end the national championship drought, Arizona must first get past No. 1 seed Michigan in the Final Four on Saturday, April 4, inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. If the Wildcats can get past the Wolverines, they will face the winner of No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Illinois in the title game on Monday, April 6.

Here's what to know on Arizona's history in the Final Four:

Dan Hurley finds himself in an all too familiar situation on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis when Connecticut men's basketball takes on Illinois in the Final Four.

It is the third Final Four in the last four seasons that the 53-year-old coach has led the Huskies to during their six-year rise back to being one of the top college basketball programs in the country.

He holds a 17-3 record in March Madness with the Huskies, and is looking to become the seventh Division I men's basketball coach to win at least three national championship titles. Remove the first two seasons that Hurley led the Huskies to the NCAA Tournament, both of which were first-round exits, UConn is 17-1 in its last 18 March Madness games.

MORE: Dan Hurley clears air on interaction with ref in UConn's win vs Duke

The Huskies' success under Hurley has not only established him as one of the top coaches in the country and garnered interest from the NBA (hello, Los Angeles Lakers), but it has also bumped their resume up on the blue blood rankings list, which can see them move past Duke with their seventh title in program history.

But Hurley's success and rise in his profession also put a spotlight on his roots and how he got started in coaching, which, if you know anything about the Hurley family, all started in a gymnasium in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Here's what to know about Hurley's family tree:

Dan Hurley family tree

Who is Dan Hurley's dad?

Dan Hurley is the son of legendary New Jersey high school basketball coach Bobby Hurley Sr., who is also enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Bobby Hurley Sr. spent nearly four decades as a high school basketball coach at St. Anthony's in Jersey City. In his 39 seasons at St. Anthony's, Bobby Hurley Sr. won over 1,000 games and 28 state championships while turning the program into a national powerhouse. He also led St. Anthony's to 18 undefeated seasons.

FINAL FOUR TICKETS: Where to buy tickets, prices for March Madness semifinals

As noted by CT Insider, Dan Hurley went head-to-head against his dad for nine seasons from 2001 to 2010 at the high school circuit, as the UConn head coach started his career at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark. Bobby Hurley Sr. retired from coaching after the 2016-17 basketball season, when St. Anthony was forced to shut down due to declining enrollment and finances.

The two-time NCAA national championship coach fielded multiple questions about being a byproduct of a high school basketball coach, and whether his intensity on the sidelines comes from that, ahead of UConn's second-round game vs. UCLA, where Dan Hurley went up against Mick Cronin, whose dad was also a high school coach.

"If you don't like me, you'd hate my dad. I bet Mick would say the same thing. We're coach's kids. For me, growing up in Jersey, North Jersey, Jersey City, I coach the way my dad would be coaching this college. Whether you would like that or not," Dan Hurley said. "You just have a special relationship to your team, to your players, to the outcome, to the lifestyle of being a coach when you're a coach's kid.

"It's so personal for coaches like me and Mick, which is where you see, at times, emotional reactions to things that happen on the court because it truly feels like, personally, it's your world, your team. The outcome of the game, it manifests itself sometimes in how we behave."

KING OF THE BLUE BLOODS? How UConn can pass Duke this weekend

Following UConn's win over Duke in the Elite Eight, Bobby Hurley Sr. told college basketball reporter Adam Zagoria that the Huskies' come-from-behind win against the Blue Devils, which featured a buzzer-beater from Braylon Mullins, "the singularly most incredible moment" he's seen in person following a college basketball game.

"In the times I’ve been around it, this is the singularly most incredible moment (I've seen) following college basketball. I don’t think I’ve ever been around the game where we were on the right end of a last-second shot," Hurley told Zagoria.

Bob Hurley Sr said this was the ‘singularly most exciting’ college basketball moment he’s been around

And that’s saying something pic.twitter.com/iOjRbjtVzj

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 30, 2026

Who is Dan Hurley's brother?

Dan Hurley's brother is Bobby Hurley Jr., the former Duke All-American guard under Mike Krzyzewski and recently fired Arizona State basketball head coach.

Bobby Hurley Jr. helped guide the Blue Devils to a pair of national championship titles in 1991 and 1992, while recording career totals of 1,731 points, 1,076 assists, 306 rebounds, and 202 steals in 140 career games. His 1,076 career assists used to be the NCAA all-time career record, but he was recently surpassed by Purdue guard Braden Smith.

Who are Dan Hurley's sons?

Dan Hurley has two sons, Danny and Andrew, with his wife, Andrea.

His son Danny attended Seton Hall University, his father's alma mater, while Andrew was a walk-on for his dad at UConn and a member of the Huskies' back-to-back national championship teams in 2023 and 2024. Andrew Hurley is currently a graduate assistant on UConn's coaching staff and will earn his MBA this spring.

Embiid ‘pissed off' he wasn't allowed to play against Wizards originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid shared his perspective Friday night on the odd series of events that led to him missing the Sixers’ win Wednesday against the Wizards.

He was displeased, to put it mildly.

A recap, for those who didn’t follow the mini-saga: 

Embiid played through an illness in the Sixers’ loss Monday to the Heat. On Wednesday morning, the Sixers wound up holding a film session at their hotel instead of their initially scheduled shootaround. Embiid was not present. In the late morning, the Sixers formally ruled him out for that night’s game. Embiid tweeted that the news “must be an April Fools” joke and said he was “planning to play tonight.” He later tweeted, “I guess they won’t let me play basketball!!” 

“We had activities this morning, film and stuff,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame at Capital One Arena. “He didn’t make the film after reporting some sickness from Miami the other day. Medical obviously went to see him and wanted him to get checked out by a doctor … decided to rule him out at that point.

“He obviously played the other night through some of that, but they just decided, a couple days (of being sick) here in a row, that he needed to get checked out.”

So … time for Embiid’s side of the story following the Sixers’ home win Friday over the Timberwolves.

“I was pissed off,” Embiid said. “I wanted to play basketball. I wasn’t allowed to play basketball. So I think this is more of a question for (Sixers president of basketball operations) Daryl Morey and whoever makes the decisions. I think, going into Miami, I was pretty sick, but I understood how important the game was. I still wanted to give us a chance to go out there and try to do something. … I felt a little bit better going into Washington. Definitely much better than I felt against Miami. 

“I woke up … didn’t sleep until probably 5 in the morning or 6. With that, couldn’t make it to shootaround. And then after that, I found out online that I wasn’t playing that night. That kind of caught me off guard. That pissed me off. But then again, I guess they make the decisions. It doesn’t matter what I think or not, I’ve just got to follow it. But that’s more of a question for Daryl and them. I don’t know what’s going on. I just want to play basketball.”

It’s notable that the Sixers appeared very likely to beat the Wizards, who sit at 17-59, regardless of whether Embiid played. On paper, having their star center grit it out against such an opponent wouldn’t have been prudent.

The Sixers had a rough first half defensively in D.C., but Paul George dropped 39 points and the team ultimately checked off a convincing win.

Listed as doubtful Thursday night, Embiid was upgraded to probable during the day Friday and then officially deemed available about 30 minutes before tip-off. While he had a slow start vs. Minnesota and finished 6 for 17 from the field, he was very good defensively and on the glass. The seven-time All-Star posted 19 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. It was a high-quality win for the Sixers, who needed it to stay sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with five regular-season games left. 

Embiid acknowledged postgame that the right oblique strain he suffered in late February has continued to affect him. 

“A little bit,” he said. “I got hit again today, so that doesn’t help. Just got to keep playing and try to not think about it.”

Embiid was asked whether he might play in the second leg of the Sixers’ back-to-back, a meeting Saturday night with the top-seeded Pistons. 

“There’s a chance,” he said. “I don’t know. I guess these guys decide to let me play or not. Whatever they tell me, I guess I’ve got to follow.”

Miami or Milwaukee, South Beach or north at the border, Boston’s blueprint might have been drafted on this 3-1 road trip. After splitting days off in a back-to-back in Charlotte and Atlanta, we’ve seen an impressive two games from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. With Brown leading the scoring charge, Tatum has flexed his all-around game with nearly two triple-doubles against the Heat and Bucks.

A 133-101 throttling started with the Celtics hitting 8-for-12 from behind the arc to take a 43-26 lead in the first and they never looked back. All five starters and sixth man Payton Pritchard scored in double figures with the team committing just eight turnovers in a fairly lackadaisical game.

The Celtics now have four of their final five games at TD Garden and a magic number of three to finish #2 in the East. Their only road game is of course Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Their odds have improved all week with our friends at FanDuel and now are +550 to raise Banner 19 and the favorite to rep the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals.

Jaylen Brown

30 minutes, 26 points (2-4 from 3, 10-11 from the free throw line, 7-17 from the field), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals, +27

After a bout with Achilles tendonitis, Brown seems rejuvenated. After scoring 43 against the Heat, he dropped 26 points in 30 minutes in Milwaukee that included 11 trips to the free throw line. He had the full repertoire on display: the pitter patter drives, the strong finishes at the rim, and his fall away in the mid-range.

Grade: A

Jayson Tatum

31 minutes, 23 points (4-8 from 3, 3-4 from the free throw line, 8-16 from the field), 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 steals, +30

Early in his comeback, Tatum was a little prone to holding the ball a little too long and going in to his isolation game like it was 2024 all over again.

Now, he’s making decisions so much quicker. That’s really opened up Queta’s game whenever he slips out of picks or short rolls to the free throw line.

Grade: A+

Neemias Queta

29 minutes, 19 points (3-4 from the free throw line, 8-11 from the field), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks, +33

Queta has quickly become the closest approximation of Robert Williams III the Celtics have seen since Timelord was traded three years ago. As soon as he catches the ball, he’s so quick off the bounce and has developed an array of Olajuwon-esque moves in the paint. Add four blocks and four offensive rebounds and it was a near perfect game for the Most Improved Player candidate.

Grade: A

Sam Hauser

27 minutes, 13 points (3-4 from 3, 5-6 from the field), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, +25

Attention all playoff opponents, Sam Hauser is getting hot. Maybe it was Tatum’s return. Maybe it was just water finding its level. Maybe it’s just destiny.

After spending scuffling under 40% from 3, Hauser sits at 39% with five games to go. He’s hit eight of his last eleven triples and become an important cog in the starting lineup.

Grade: A

Derrick White

31 minutes, 17 points (5-9 from 3, 6-11 from the field), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, one turnover, +34

I don’t want to jinx it, but DWhite looked great last night and had the highest +/- on the evening. I’ll stop there and hope that the juju has permanently changed.

Grade: A-

Payton Pritchard

26 minutes, 16 points (2-6 from 3, 7-12 from the field), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, one turnover, +2

Pritchard own the second quarter with the second unit. He led the team with twelve points and scored at all three levels.

Grade: A

Luka Garza

12 minutes, 2 points (1-2 from the field), 4 rebounds, one assist, +0

The starters plus Pritchard were absolutely unconscious that players #8-#10 in the rotation didn’t have to do too much.

Grade: B

Baylor Scheierman

23 minutes, 2 points (0-2 from 3, 1-3 from the field), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, one turnover, one steal, +4

Like Garza, Scheierman didn’t light up the box score, but filled in with quality minutes off the bench. Two of his dimes came in the alley-oop variety.

Grade: B

Jordan Walsh

12 minutes, 7 points (1-3 from 3, 3-5 from the field), 2 rebounds, +1

Walsh has seemingly leapfrogged Gonzalez on the wing rotation. His defense remains his calling card, but if he can hit more than 35% from 3 and generate stocks (steals and blocks), those 20+ possessions per game he’s on the floor for should have a positive impact.

Grade: B

Charles Bassey / Hugo Gonzalez / Ron Harper Jr.

5-6 minutes, 8 points (0-1 from 3, 4-6 from the field), 4 rebounds, one assist, one turnover, one steal +4

With how well Gonzalez and Harper Jr. have looked in spurts this season, it’s unfortunate that we don’t get to see them play here at the end of the season. Mazzulla seems to be trimming the rotation down to nine players and they’re just simply the odd man out…until Mazzulla throws another curve ball and one of those guys are starting a game in April.

Grade: INC

DNP-CDs: Max Shulga, John Tonje, Amari Williams

Inactives: Nikola Vucevic

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Spurs are on their second 11-game win streak right now.

After leaving a Kawhi Leonard-shaped crater behind them in Los Angeles, without the aid of the Monstar that is Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs should enter this one with peak confidence.

It almost feels like a lack of exaggeration to say the silver-and-black have been so in lockstep over the last several games that it’s hard to point out who (if anyone) can end this streak.

The Nuggets are on that *very* short list, though, with most of their top contributors back on the court for this match-up.

When healthy, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon pose particular problems for the Spurs, with Gordon exploiting the Spurs’ weakness at Power Forward, and Jokic’s passing negating some of Wemby’s otherwise smothering presence in the paint.

I’d also be remiss to leave out the ever-levitating Jamal Murray, who serves as one of the best challenges to the usually stellar defense of San Antonio’s guards.

Difficult enough to guard on an average day, you never know when Murray is going to summon the golden touch and completely wreck a lead, or San Antonio’s entire game plan. Almost every player, given enough time, will go on a hot streak that surpasses even the loftiest expectations, but Murray is in his own category in that respect, to the extent that it would have turned even Kobe Bryant’s head.

If I’m being honest, it reminds me of the way that Manu Ginobili would get hot back in his prime. And that’s as high a compliment as I can give.

That being said, the Spurs are in an interesting state of mind (and health), with the team seemingly getting stronger the longer that the streak goes on.

Wemby’s been tossing out 40-point games with the ease of a longtime paper boy running his route for the 1000th time. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are burning up the rims from long-distance, each easily shooting 40%+ outside of the arc (with Harper shooting 50%) over the last 10 games. All of the important players are off the injury report.

The Spurs are #1 in Offensive and Net Rating since February. Their defensive rating over that same stretch? That would be 2nd in the NBA. And according to this nifty, newly updated chart, these Spurs have officially passed the ‘Beautiful Game’ Spurs of 2014 in Net Rating for the season.

Even with a perfectly healthy Jokic, Gordon, and Murray, that might be too much to overcome, and I’m not confident that Jokic and Gordon are that kind of healthy.

Still, between the infamous Mile High Air and the cohesiveness of the Nuggets when they are all present, there’s a chance this could go down to the wire. It should certainly be entertaining.

I wouldn’t place any bets on the Nuggets, though. Especially with Victor likely to be hungry coming off of rest. This San Antonio team is something else.

And not only do they know it — they’ve been playing like it.

San Antonio Spurs (59-18) vs Denver Nuggets (49-28)

April 4th, 2026 | 2:00 PM CT

Watch: NBA on Amazon Prime/KENS| Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: None

Nuggets Injuries: Tim Hardaway Jr: Probable (Knee), Peyton Watson: Out (Hamstring), Spencer Jones: Out (Hamstring), Zeke Nnaji: Out (Hip)

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss the remainder of the regular NBA season with a hamstring injury.

The Slovenian, 27, had played himself into contention for the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award during an outstanding March in which he became only the 10th player in history to score 600 points in a single month.

But he will miss the final five regular season games after suffering a grade two strain of his left hamstring during Thursday's heavy loss to Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers have not provided a timetable for Doncic's return after he had a scan on Friday - just two weeks before the start of the NBA play-offs on 18 April.

Doncic is the NBA's leading scorer this season with 2143 points for an unequalled average of 33.5 points per game.

However, having been sidelined for four games with a left hamstring strain earlier in the season, and missing two games to return to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter in December, Doncic is set to fall short of the minimum games threshold required to qualify for the NBA's major end-of-season awards.

Doncic, who is one appearance short of the 65 required, will apply for an "Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge", according to his agent Bill Duffy.

"This season, Luka Doncic has performed at a historic level, leading the league in scoring, carrying the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference and placing himself in the middle of one of the most tightly contested MVP races in memory," Duffy told ESPN.

"To ensure Luka's incredible accomplishments this season are rightly honoured and he can be considered for the league's end-of-season awards, we intend to apply for an 'Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge' to the 65-game rule."

Doncic was named March's player of the month following 13 consecutive 30-point performances which helped the Lakers to 13 wins in 14 games prior to the defeat by Thunder.

Rookie Flagg makes history in defeat

Cooper Flagg became the first teenager in NBA history to reach 50 points in a game - but that was not enough to earn the Dallas Mavericks victory against the Orlando Magic.

Flagg, 19, scored 51 points - including 24 in the fourth quarter - to surpass his previous career high of 49 in January.

But the 138-127 loss brought Dallas' 14th consecutive home defeat.

"It's always fun getting into that type of mode," Flagg said.

"The basket feels big. But I like to win. That was my main focus. It's hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we're down 20, down 10, down 15, for the majority of the game."