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Thunder beat short-handed 76ers for 12th straight win

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points, Jalen Williams added 18 in his return to the lineup and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their 12th game in a row Monday night with a 123-103 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers.

Jared McCain had 13 points for the Thunder in his first game in Philadelphia since last month’s trade. The defending NBA champions improved to 57-15, the best record in the league.

VJ Edgecombe scored 35 points for the 76ers, who played without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George. Philadelphia began the day as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament but was just a half-game back of fifth-place Toronto.

Williams was back in the lineup after missing 16 games with a right hamstring strain.

PACERS 128, MAGIC 126

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 37 points and blocked Paolo Banchero’s attempted layup in the final seconds to help Indiana end their franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a win over Orlando.

Banchero scored 39 points for the Magic, who have lost five straight.

Banchero drove to the basket with a chance to tie the game after Orlando won a jump ball with 6.4 seconds left. But 7-foot-1 Jay Huff and the 6-9 Siakam were under the basket, and Banchero could not get the shot over them.

Jarace Walker had 20 points for the Pacers, and Aaron Nemith added 19. Andrew Nembhard, who hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining for Indiana’s final points, finished with 13 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds.

PISTONS 113, LAKERS 110

DETROIT (AP) — Daniss Jenkins scored a career-high 30 points, including six in the final 34 seconds, and Detroit ended Los Angeles' nine-game winning streak.

The Pistons overcame 32 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from Austin Reaves to win their fourth straight and seventh in eight games. Jalen Duren added 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Doncic was cleared to play Sunday after the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season, which triggers a one-game suspension.

LeBron James went scoreless in the first half, but finished with 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

SPURS 136, HEAT 111

MIAMI (AP) — MIAMI (AP) — Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points as San Antonio beat Miami Heat for their sixth straight win.

Wembanyama added 15 rebounds and five blocks for the Spurs. Keldon Johnson scored 21 points while adding six rebounds. Dylan Harper went 9 of 14 from the field (3 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 21 points.

Norman Powell led the Heat with 21 points. Tyler Herro had 18 points.

HAWKS 146, GRIZZLIES 107

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and eight Atlanta players scored in double figures as the Hawks routed Memphis.

Atlanta outscored the Grizzlies in the first three quarters and had an insurmountable 41-point advantage at 116-75 after three periods. The Hawks led by 10 points (32-22) after one and 25 points (71-46) at halftime on the way to their 11th straight home win and 13th victory in 14 games. Atlanta kept its lead around 40 points through most of the final period, which was won by the Grizzlies 32-30.

Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga scored 16 points apiece, CJ McCollum had 15 and Dyson Daniels 12. Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each added 11 as the Hawks shot 49 for 92 (53%) from the field overall and 25 of 54 (46%) from 3-point range.

Atlanta (40-32) had its highest point total of the season. The Hawks entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Toronto, which was playing at Utah later Monday.

GG Jackson scored 26 points, Tyler Burton added 20, Ty Jerome finished with 17 and Walter Clayton Jr. 16 for Memphis, which shot 33% (14 for 43) from 3-point distance.

BULLS 132, ROCKETS 124

CHICAGO (AP) — Matas Buzelis’ layup in the final seconds put Chicago ahead to stay and Collin Sexton came off the bench to score 25 points as Chicago beat Houston Rockets.

Houston’s loss, combined with San Antonio’s 136-111 win over Miami, allowed the Spurs (54-18) to clinch the Southwest Division.

The Bulls (29-42) led by as many as 22 points after scoring a season-high 41 points in the first quarter. But, Chicago trailed by four points late and needed Buzelis’ basket with 10.2 seconds remaining to move ahead to stay and post their first win over Houston in the teams’ last five games.

Kevin Durant fueled the Rockets’ (43-28) comeback by scoring 15 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter. Durant was 15 of 23 from the field, marking the ninth straight game he shot 50% or better, which is the third-longest streak of his career.

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In-form Talia Gibson’s dream run ended by Elena Rybakina at Miami Open

  • Australian loses 6-2, 6-2 in last 16 against world No 2 Kazakh

  • Gibson had beaten five top-20 tennis players in three weeks

Talia Gibson’s impressive run at the Miami Open has come crashing down at the hands of world No 2 and two-time grand slam champion Elena Rybakina.

The in-form 21-year-old Australian, who came through two rounds of qualifying in Florida before upsetting Czech Sara Bejlek, Japan’s four-time slam winner Naomi Osaka and American teenage sensation Iva Jovic in the main draw, suffered a 6-2, 6-2 loss in her last-16 clash with Kazakh Rybakina.

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Victor Wembanyama dominates as Spurs rout Heat, win 6th straight

Mar 23, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) falls down as San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Spurs are showing no signs of slowing down as the regular season nears its end. They went into Miami and dominated en route to an easy 136-111 win, their sixth victory in a row. Victor Wembanyama impacted the game on both ends in a way that few players have this season to help put the slumping Heat away early, finishing with an impressive stat line that somehow doesn’t represent how great his performance was.

Before the Spurs ran away with it, there was an entertaining opening quarter, in which both teams seemed to be sticking to their plan. Wembanyama walled off the paint, leading the Heat to rely on jumpers and their normal breakneck pace to avoid half-court offense, while the Spurs tried to get into the paint by using Wemby’s gravity to open up shots near the rim or open threes. The intensity was there from two squads that are known for playing hard. The differences were made at the edges. San Antonio dominated the glass, which helped them survive a zone defense that baffled them at times, and Miami got points in transition. It was a close, physical, occasionally sloppy but always entertaining first 12 minutes that ended with the Silver and Black up eight.

After that, the Spurs completely took over. While Wembanyama had a huge impact in the first quarter, mostly by deterring and changing shots and making the defense focus on him while his teammates feasted, he didn’t get the stats to show for it. It changed to start the second, as he blocked a couple of shots that allowed the Silver and Black to push the pace, finished a couple of dunks, and found Carter Bryant for an alley-oop dunk. Miami did its best to stick around, but the lead reached double digits, and there was no counter run. The Spurs did well to survive the minutes without Wembanyama and Fox on the floor, as the second unit vastly outplayed the Heat’s subs, and once Wemby returned, San Antonio found itself up 20 points. It was an impressive effort against a well-coached team that tried different lineup approaches to no avail.

The 18-point lead the Spurs had heading into the break was a nice buffer, but a slow start on offense opened the window for Miami to get back into it. The problem for the home team is that they had no way of scoring on an active San Antonio defense that had Wembanyama contesting everything close to him, and his teammates flying around to close out on jumpers. The Heat started the second half missing their first nine shots, the Silver and Black got their offense back on track, and the lead got to 30 midway through the third. The second unit wasn’t as good as it had been early, but it still found ways to get enough stops and buckets to prevent a run. The difference between the two teams was as big on Monday as the box score showed, as the visitors headed into the fourth up 27 and looking like they had an extra gear they could access if needed.

The Heat just didn’t have it in them to even attempt a fake comeback, which is understandable considering their recent struggles and San Antonio’s relentless play even while up big. There were some strange and sloppy moments in garbage time, mostly because Wembanyama seemed to be looking for new ways to torture Miami, but the Spurs largely took care of business, making sure the win was secured before emptying the bench.

Game notes

  • Wembanyama is reaching a new level. Ever since he understood that he doesn’t need the ball to make an impact on offense, he’s been as good as anyone, considering his defensive dominance. Wemby had four assists, but his mere presence got others open consistently. The threes weren’t falling, he made some wild drives, and he was still the best player on the floor by a huge margin. A true superstar.
  • The Spurs were at full strength and showed how deep they are. Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie, two starters, had quiet scoring games, and it didn’t matter, as the team had scored over 100 points by the end of the third quarter. Miami is in a bad stretch, especially defensively, but that’s still impressive.
  • De’Aaron Fox was solid, as usual, but the young guards were impressive. Stephon Castle had more free-throw attempts than field goal attempts, showing once again that it’s hard to keep him from getting to his spots without fouling. With Castle playing, Harper went back to the bench but scored over 20 for his second game in a row, bullying his way to the rim and hitting three three-pointers. All three guards had six assists. The three-headed monster is a problem.
  • Keldon Johnson completely outplayed fellow Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jaime Jaquez Jr. Keldon finished with 21 points and six rebounds while Jaquez really struggled to score. The Heat’s forward did have six assists, but some of those came after drives in which he refused to challenge Wembanyama. One game shouldn’t determine who gets an award, but hopefully the voters were paying attention.
  • Is Harrison Barnes slowly getting back to being a helpful player? The veteran forward is shooting 42 percent from three since the All-Star break, and the Spurs are outscoring opponents with him on the floor. He had 13 points after going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and pitched in four rebounds. Carter Bryant, who had a highlight block, is there to step in for a few minutes if HB regresses, but having both as viable options would be ideal.

Play of the game

Some Wembanyama plays are demoralizing. Myron Gardner here runs back, reads that the alley-oop is coming, gets to Wemby to try to at least foul him and make him miss, but still ends up in a poster. Brutal.

Next game: at Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday

The three-game road trip continues with a visit to the Grizzlies, currently on a three-game losing streak and already thinking about next season. If the Spurs play with the appropriate fear, the win streak should reach seven.

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Rangers fall flat against Senators after honoring Mike Zibanejad’s milestone

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Ottawa Senators left wing Warren Foegele celebrates after scoring a goal, Image 2 shows New York Rangers player Mika Zibanejad waves to the fans after being honored for his 1000th career game

The Rangers hit the mark with their on-ice ceremony honoring Mika Zibanejad ahead of his 1,000th NHL game Monday night. 

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Once the puck was dropped on the Madison Square Garden ice, however, the Blueshirts struggled to hit the mark on anything. 

A 2-1 loss to the team that traded Zibanejad to New York on July 18, 2016, the Senators, was the result. 

The Rangers’ measly nine shots on goal matched a franchise low that dates back over 70 years. 

The Senators, already without two of their top four defensemen (Jake Sanderson and Nick Jensen), lost two blueliners to injury during the game and still had little difficulty containing the Rangers’ lowly offense. 

“It’s not that we didn’t have a good night, we just got outcompeted,” said captain J.T. Miller, who was held to zero shots on goal in the Rangers’ 25th loss in 34 games at home. “That’s the part that’s hard to live with that stuff. Like I mentioned, looking inward at yourself, you’re just not doing enough. We don’t do enough. Today you should have a fire lit under your ass to go play for your teammate. A guy that feels like a cornerstone of the organization. 

Senators left wing Warren Foegele celebrates with Ottawa Senators left wing Fabian Zetterlund after Foegele scores a goal during the second period at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA, Monday, March 23, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

“We go out and have four [shots] through two [periods]. At home, a place where we haven’t been desperate enough this season. That doesn’t sit well.”

After a moving tribute video narrated by Zibanejad’s wife, Irma, fellow members of the leadership group showered the longest-tenured Ranger and his family with hugs and forms of appreciation from the organization. 

Gifts included a trip to Greece for the whole family, a mini silver stick for his daughter, Ella, and a custom-engraved silver hockey stick for Zibanejad to commemorate the 1,000-game milestone. 

The heartwarming ceremony bled into a stiff opening 20 minutes for the Rangers, who have soiled themselves in front of their home crowd on an egregious number of occasions this season. 

The Senators got a power-play goal from Shane Pinto and hit two posts before the home team even put one puck on net. 

Mika Zibanejad waves to the fans as he is honored for his 1000th career game before the first period at Madison Square Garden i JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

It was Juuso Pärssinen, playing in his first game since March 12 in Winnipeg, who finally recorded the Rangers’ first shot on goal with 6:11 left in the first period. 

The Rangers didn’t get another until they earned a power play later in the frame.

Pärssinen then flipped the puck over the glass — the first of two such bench minors committed by the Rangers — to ensure his team finished the first shorthanded. 

The Rangers could only funnel two more pucks at Ottawa goalie James Reimer over the next 20 minutes, finishing with a mere nine on the night. 

Four shots through two periods represented the fewest for a Rangers team since 1965-66, when the NHL started tracking shots per period. The last time the Rangers posted that few shots on goal in a game was on Dec. 11, 1955 against the Red Wings. 

While Conor Sheary got the Rangers on the board just over seven minutes into the final frame, the equalizer never came. 

“It’s disappointing because I feel like we’re not controlling what we can to set our team up for success,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I just think we lacked anticipation, on both sides of the puck…We didn’t win pucks. So we ended up spending a lot of time in our end zone for the first period, for sure. I thought the second period, the first seven minutes of the second period, we had a good push. And then for the next, I think, seven of the next 13 minutes, we were in the penalty box… I don’t think we’re playing the game with enough pace.” 

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Brewers win 9-1, look ready for season in second-to-last exhibition game

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 23: Luis Rengifo #13 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts in front of Elly de la Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds after hitting a double in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds during the exhibition game at American Family Field on March 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Box Score

29 down, one to go for the Brewers’ spring season. The Milwaukee bullpen combined for a gem and the bats looked ready for primetime as the Brewers thoroughly defeated the Reds, 9-1, on Monday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee. It was the first of two final tune-up games against the Reds before the Brewers open the season against the White Sox on Thursday.

Aaron Ashby started this game but didn’t make it out of the first inning. Clearly on a pitch count, he was pulled with two on and two out in the first after 26 pitches—he’d walked two, struck out one, and gotten Elly De La Cruz to fly out. Blake Holub came out of the pen and struck out Eugenio Suárez to end the inning.

After Ashby’s mild hiccup in the first, the rest of the Brewers’ projected opening day bullpen mostly mowed down the Reds. Holub had a nice outing as he pitched a perfect second inning as well, and then literally every other pitcher (in addition to Ashby) that is expected to make the team’s bullpen pitched an inning. Six of those seven innings were scoreless. The only blemish was during Easton McGee’s inning, when TJ Friedl doubled and then scored on a Ke’Bryan Hayes single. Otherwise, DL Hall, Jared Koenig, Grant Anderson, Abner Uribe, Ángel Zerpa, and Trevor Megill combined for six shutout innings with only two hits allowed, two walks, and four strikeouts.

That’ll do it this spring for the opening day bullpen, as obviously none of them will pitch in tomorrow’s last spring game. The whole group will presumably be available Thursday.

As for the hitters, they looked ready, too, for the most part. The Brewers struck first in the second inning when Christian Yelich singled, Luis Rengifo doubled, and Jake Bauers walked to load the bases, and after a Sal Frelick strikeout, David Hamilton doubled in Yelich and Rengifo. Bauers scored, too, when Garrett Mitchell grounded into a run-scoring fielder’s choice.

Brice Turang (who all five of your friendly BCB writers chose as this year’s team MVP) led off the bottom of the third with his third home run of the spring. The Brewers had some traffic on the bases in the fourth, when Frelick led off with a double, went to third on a Hamilton single, and then scored when Tyler Stephenson threw the ball away trying to catch Hamilton stealing second. Hamilton scored, too, when Mitchell hit another RBI groundout.

In the fifth, William Contreras hit a homer down the right-field line into the bleachers, and Andrew Vaughn led off the seventh with the biggest hit of the night, a 109 mph, 432-foot bomb to left. The Brewers’ last run came in the eighth, when the ice-cold Garrett Mitchell—who went just 1-for-4 tonight but only struck out once (looking) and knocked in three runs—hit a 108 mph RBI double.

Almost everyone in the Brewer lineup had a good day; the exception was leadoff hitter and designated hitter (I don’t think this will happen much once the games count) Jackson Chourio, who was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. But everyone else in the starting lineup had a hit save for Bauers (who was 0-for-1 with a walk), and several of the players who came in as subs later had nice nights too. Notably, Hamilton was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI, Vaughn (off the bench) was 2-for-2 with a solo homer, and Rengifo, Frelick, Mitchell, Turang, and Contreras all had extra-base hits (doubles for the first three, homers for the latter two).

Wrap them up, let them chill tomorrow night, let’s get the games started.

The final game before the regular season is tomorrow at 4:10 p.m., again at American Family Field. Brandon Sproat will get a chance to make his last warm-up before his Brewers debut comes on Sunday. The Reds have not announced a starter.

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Rangers tie franchise-low with nine shots on goal in 2-1 loss to Senators

NEW YORK (AP) — Shane Pinto scored on the power play, Warren Foegele added his fifth goal in nine games since being traded and the Ottawa Senators made up more ground in their chase to make the playoffs by beating the New York Rangers 2-1 on Monday night.

The Rangers had just nine shots on goal, matching a franchise worst set on Dec. 11, 1955, in a defeat at Detroit. They lost for a 25th time in 34 home games this season.

Ottawa won its third in a row, improving to 14-3-2 since Jan. 25 and moving two points back of the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 12 games to play.

The latest victory came at a cost of two more injuries to an already depleted defense. Thomas Chabot took a stick to the right arm from J.T. Miller in the final seconds of the first period and Lassi Thomson left his first NHL game since Nov. 25, 2022, during the second because of a lower-body injury. Neither returned.

The Senators, missing Jake Sanderson because of an upper-body injury and Nick Jensen following knee surgery, finished the game with four defensemen.

New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 shots and was the only reason the deficit wasn’t worse. Conor Sheary scored on the Rangers’ seventh shot to end James Reimer’s shutout bid with 13 minutes left.

Mika Zibanejad skated in his 1,000th regular-season game, his 719th with the Rangers after playing his first 281 with Ottawa. Zibanejad was honored in a pregame ceremony with a video narrated by his wife, Irma, and presented a silver stick along with a mini version for their young daughter, Ella.

Up next

Senators: Visit the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night in a matchup of Eastern Conference teams fighting to make the playoffs.

Rangers: Visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

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Padres Reacts Survey: How many wins will San Diego have this season?

PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 17: Manager Craig Stammen of San Diego Padres on the field during Spring Training workout at Peoria Sports Complex on March 17, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. The players are wear green hats in honor of St. Patrick's Day. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images

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

Spring Training has come to a close for the San Diego Padres and the rest of Major League Baseball will soon join them as they return to their home cities. Teams will have a few days to make final roster decisions before the 2026 season kicks off on Opening Day and the hunt for the postseason begins.

The Padres played 32 games throughout the spring season and although the final 26-man roster has not been officially announced, much of the Friar Faithful have an idea of who will be on the field and in the dugout when San Diego hosts the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. PST.

Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball wrote in January about the Steamer and ZiPS projections for the Padres for the 2026 season. With a new manager and an incomplete roster, the projections were skeptical toward San Diego. Steamer projected 80 wins and ZiPS projected high 80s to a 90-win season.

The Friar Faithful have been able to see the team perform throughout the spring, some in person, some via Padres.TV or other media outlets, so they have more information than Steamer and ZiPS had when they gave their projections. The Padres Reacts Survey question this week on Gaslamp Ball is asking respondents to make their predictions about where San Diego will finish in the win column in 2026. Results of the poll will be provided later in the week and at season’s end, Gaslamp Ball will revisit the projections to see if the Padres are higher, lower or right where the majority of readers expected them to be.

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Tuesday's Time Schedule

All Times EDT

Tuesday, March 24

MLB - Spring Training

Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta, at North Port, Fla., 12:05 p.m.

Boston vs. Minnesota, at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Kansas City vs. Texas, at Arlington, Texas, 2:05 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees vs. Chicago Cubs, at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Detroit vs. Colorado, at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.

Cleveland vs. Arizona, at Phoenix, 3:40 p.m.

Cincinnati vs. Milwaukee, at Milwaukee, 5:10 p.m.

L.A. Angels at L.A. Dodgers, 8:10 p.m.

NBA

Sacramento at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

New Orleans at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Orlando at Cleveland, 8 p.m.

Denver at Phoenix, 11 p.m.

NHL

Carolina at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Chicago at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Colorado at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Columbus at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Ottawa at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Florida, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Boston, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

New Jersey at Dallas, 8 p.m.

San Jose at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Washington at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Los Angeles at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Edmonton at Utah, 9:30 p.m.

Anaheim at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

PWHL

Vancouver at Boston, 7 p.m.

_____

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Hawks erupt for 146 points, rout Grizzlies in dominant home win

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 23: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 23, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Atlanta Hawks delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Monday night, rolling past the Memphis Grizzlies 146-107 behind a balanced offensive attack and relentless pace at State Farm Arena.

Atlanta (40-32) seized control early and never let up, outscoring Memphis in every quarter but the fourth while shooting efficiently and spreading the scoring load across the roster. The Hawks led by double digits before halftime and blew the game open with a 45-point third quarter that turned a comfortable lead into a rout.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker paced Atlanta with 26 points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while adding six assists. Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga each contributed 16 points, combining for 10 rebounds and providing energy on both ends.

Veteran guard CJ McCollum orchestrated the offense with nine assists to go along with 15 points, helping Atlanta rack up a high assist total and maintain constant ball movement. The Hawks finished with multiple players in double figures, including Dyson Daniels (12 points), Corey Kispert (11), and Zaccharie Risacher (11 points, eight rebounds).

Atlanta’s depth proved overwhelming. The bench unit kept the pressure on throughout, with strong contributions from Jock Landale (11 points), Keaton Wallace (nine), and others as the Hawks shot over 50 percent from the field and knocked down 3-pointers at a high clip.

Memphis (24-47) was led by GG Jackson’s 26 points, while Tyler Burton added 20 and Ty Jerome chipped in 17. However, the Grizzlies struggled defensively and could not keep pace with Atlanta’s scoring bursts, particularly in the second and third quarters.

The Hawks built a 32-22 lead after one quarter and extended it to 71-46 by halftime. Their 45-point third quarter effectively ended any chance of a Memphis comeback, pushing the margin beyond 30 points.

Atlanta’s performance showcased its offensive ceiling crisp passing, efficient shooting and contributions from throughout the lineup while also highlighting improved defensive activity, forcing turnovers and limiting Memphis’ rhythm.

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Pistons snapped Lakers’ 9-game winnings streak, but vibes remain great

Mar 23, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic (77) shoots a free throw against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit:...

LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Luke Kennard and Bronny James stood alongside Lakers’ assistant coaches and trainers on a golf course on Sunday. 

They were engaged in some friendly competition under the blazing Orlando sun. 

All season, James has talked about golf as his happy place. Reaves’ hand-eye coordination has become legendary around the Lakers’ locker room. Doncic is relatively new to the sport, but apparently is picking it up quickly. And Kennard was hanging out with his teammates hours after they had screamed, jumped and picked him up in celebration of his game-winning shot against the Magic in their 105-104 win on Saturday. 

Things are good in Laker Land, even though LA fell to the Pistons on Monday, 113-110. 

Doncic smiles while attempting a free throw. David Reginek-Imagn Images

Yes, Detroit snapped the Lakers’ nine-game winning streak. Yes, the Pistons’ suffocating second-rated defense in the league held them to 27.6% shooting from beyond the 3-point line. 

But the Lakers once again showed heart, forcing a nail biter. They clawed their way back from a 16-point deficit with a 20-8 run in the third quarter to tie the score at 87-87 with 32.9 seconds left in the period. 

Then, in the fourth quarter, they went on a 7-0 run to once again knot the game at 105-105 with 2:39 left. The Lakers even took the lead after Reaves made a five-foot floater with 30 seconds remaining, 110-109. But Daniss Jenkins, who had a career-high 30 points, answered with a jumper and a pair of free throws down the stretch.

With the Pistons up 113-110 and 0.3 seconds remaining, Doncic couldn’t get a clean look at the basket and attempted a heavily-contested game-tying 3, but he missed.

But none of that really matters. 

The vibes around the Lakers are good right now, a stark turnaround from where they were just a short time ago. This loss won’t impact that. 

Some pundits are going to point to the Lakers’ loss to the Pistons as proof they can’t hang with the most elite teams in the league. The Pistons are in first place in the Eastern Conference and they were without their star guard Cade Cunningham, who was sidelined for his third straight game because of a partially collapsed lung. 

The next few weeks will tell if that narrative has any merit, considering two of the Lakers’ next 10 games are against the Thunder, who are atop the Western Conference and are favored to win the championship. 

But the Lakers’ loss to the Pistons should be a question mark, not a red flag, especially since they’ve recently beaten multiple contenders, including the Rockets, Nuggets, Knicks and Timberwolves. 

James hits a fadeaway against Jalen Duren. David Reginek-Imagn Images

The Lakers believe in themselves. They believe in each other. Over their winning streak, there were so many times when they could’ve dropped the rope, but instead they showed a deep trust in each other, coming closer together. 

There was Kennard’s game-winner against the Magic. There was Reaves’ incredible purposely missed free throw and made field goal as time expired against the Nuggets, followed by Doncic’s game-winner in overtime. 

There was James’ 30-point performance on 13-for-14 shooting against the Rockets, followed by his 19-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist triple-double against the Heat. Oh, and over the Lakers’ winning streak, Doncic averaged 40 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.6 steals a game, including 51-point and 60-point performances. 

There’s a winning vibe around the Lakers. 

It’s a far cry from where things were just a short time ago. One moment in particular stands out as the nadir of the season: When the Lakers lost to the Thunder on Feb. 9, 119-110. Reaves was slumped in his chair as he talked to reporters. James sounded and looked exhausted. “That’s a championship team right there,” he said. “We’re not.”

Things felt off. 

Over the last few months, there were a lot of tough moments. James was forced to answer questions about his relationship with Lakers’ governor Jeanie Buss after an ESPN story claimed she was frustrated with him for a myriad of reasons, and even “privately mused” about trading him. 

There were weeks on end in which Doncic, James and Reaves had to field questions about the dysfunctional Big Three, who had only played 11 games together before the All-Star break and looked disjointed when they shared the court. 

There was the narrative that Doncic wasn’t a winner. And the narrative that the Lakers were better without James after LA won three in a row with him sidelined earlier this month, improving to 10-2 when Reaves and Doncic shared the court without him.

During all of that drama, retirement seemed like a real possibility for James. Doncic seemed unhappy. The Lakers’ locker room felt tense. 

Now, things couldn’t be more different. 

LeBron James daps up Dalton Knecht before the game against the Pistons. NBAE via Getty Images

How could James retire when the Lakers are contenders? Doncic has skyrocketed to the top of the MVP conversation. The Lakers’ locker room is fun. 

One loss to the Pistons isn’t going to change that. 

It may have let out a little air from the tire. But the tire was so well-inflated over the last few weeks that the car isn’t going to feel a thing. 

The Lakers’ loss to the Pistons was greatly overshadowed by all of their winning moments over the last nine games. By their newfound trust in each other. 

By their time on the golf course, which made all of the recent negativity surrounding them seem like a long-lost nightmare under the Florida sun.  

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2025 Bluebird Banter Top 40 Blue Jays Prospects: 33-36

Next up are four arms, some holdovers and some new entrants. and each finishing the year at a different level of the minors.

36. Ryan Jennings, RHP, age 26 (DOB: 8/22/1999), grade: 35, 2025: 16th

The Blue Jays’ 2022 fourth round pick out of Louisiana Tech, Jennings has had an up-and-down transit through the Blue Jays system. He popped up in his draft spring after a move to the bullpen allowed him to run his fastball up into the mid-90s and touch 99. In 2023-24, he missed significant time with injuries and his velocity fluctuated though the results were generally good with particularly dominant results in 2024.

Jennings has the arsenal of a starter, with three secondaries that have at least flashed potential. His primary swing and miss weapon is a gyro slider in the mid/upper 80s, paired with a short power curve around in the low-80s. As a starter he also used a mid-80s changeup which flashed swing and miss potential, but which has been largely shelved with his move to the bullpen.

While he had success as a starter, the hope was that a move to the bullpen would allow the stuff to play up consistently, particularly the fastball velocity. That didn’t come to pass in 2025, as he sat but also topped out in the mid-90s. Additionally, the strike throwing backed up as Jennings walked 43 in 58 innings (with another eight HBP). That was a letdown on the heels of 2024, and while the potential keeps on the backend where he previously tended to be, another year like that will really call into question his major league potential.

35. Gilberto Batista, RHP, age 21 (DOB: 1/8/2005), grade: 35, 2025: 33rd

Signed in 2022 by the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic , Batista was one-third of the return for Danny Jansen in 2024. At that point he had yet to pitch outside of a complex league, but the Jays bumped him up to Dunedin where turned in four promising outings and returned for 2025.

In 2025, he worked as a swingman, throwing 85 innings to pedestrian results (4.96 ERA) but with intriguing underlying numbers (83 strikeouts against 26 free passes). Once again, his undoing was the long ball, yielding 15 home runs.

As with the performance, broadly speaking it’s the same story as a year ago in terms of stuff. Batista’s fastball sits 92-94, his best off-speed a change-up that flashes plus with some feel, and rounded out with an inconsistent slider (85-87). He’s still just 21, so it’s still possible there’s more in there at least in terms of refining secondaries, but absent that there’s a lot pointing towards a future in relief. Accordingly, while the grade and ranking remains similar to last year, the upside tail is pared back.

34. Javen Coleman, LHP, age 24 (DOB: 12/3/2001), grade: 35, 2025: unranked

An undrafted free agent out of Louisiana State in 2024 where he pitched to undistinguished results over four years in various roles, the Jays appear to found a real gem. Debuting in 2025, Coleman’s 36% strikeout rate in Dunedin was interesting, but not that unusual for an experienced SEC pitcher facing a lot of teenagers and came with some control issues.

It was the latter half of the year that proved an even bigger step forward in Vancouver. Against a more appropriate level competition to serve as a measuring stick, not only did the strikeout rate tick up to 40% but he threw more strikes as well. The resulting 1.40 ERA anchored Vancouver’s bullpen down the stretch.

Coleman’s arsenal is as promising as the results. A low slot lefty, it’s tough for batters to pick up the ball. His fastball velocity has jumped up into the mid-90s, and he’s got a good frisbee slider and change-up to complement that. Neither are truly stand out beyond the tough arm angle, but it’s more than enough to overwhelm lower level hitters and should be enough to keep better hitters off balance. To that end, looked good in several Spring Training outings

There’s an obvious major league role for a lefty with good stuff, and at the rate he’s taking steps forward it may be sooner than later. If everything clicks he could end up on the higher end of relief outings, providing some upside, but there’s also a relatively higher floor.

33. Grant Rogers, RHP, age 25 (DOB: 4/22/2001), grade: 35, 2025: NR

Drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 draft from McNeese State, Rogers has succeeded as a workhorse starter across the three lowest levels with almost 50 starts and over 250 innings over two years. While his peripherals have been solid, his calling card is generating weak contact on the ground.

For a starter, Rogers has something of an unconventional arsenal, at least in today’s game. His two seamer sits in the low-90s, deriving its effectiveness from significant horizontal movement. He complements that with three breaking balls that are more three variants on a spectrum: a mid-80s slider, low 80s curve and upper-80s cutter. Once in a while I’ve seen a change-up but it’s not a factor. None rate as swing-and-miss offerings, they’re part of a mix to keep hitter off-balance.

The question is how this translates to higher levels, and I have my doubts. I don’t know the shape of his breaking balls, and they got hit pretty hard in Spring Training where he got a few starts and decent look. To some extent, the outcome feels dichotomous: either it works and he ends up an inning eating backend (or maybe mid rotation at peak) workhorse starter, or it’s tough to see major league value. Once upon a time, there was a niche sinker/slider pitchability relievers (think Shawn Camp) or longmen, but there aren’t so many in today’s game.

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JJ Redick provides injury updates on Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After having a relatively long stretch in which their entire rotation was available, the Lakers took the floor in Detroit on Monday without a starter in Marcus Smart and key reserve Rui Hachimura.

Both were listed as questionable in the initial injury report. Prior to the team’s loss to the Pistons, head coach JJ Redick provided updates on both, starting with Rui’s right calf soreness.

Ironically, Rui missed the last game against the Pistons with right calf soreness in late December. It was, however, a short-term injury that Rui returned from in about a week. However, it does show that there’s a bit of a history with this injury.

As for Smart, he has taken a beat recently and while he was listed on the injury report with right ankle soreness, he was also dealing with a hip injury.

The collision in question was one of the most absurd calls of the season for the Lakers in which a fairly innocuous coming together with Goga Bitadze ended with Smart receiving a technical foul.

That was just part of a chaotic night for Bitadze, but that is a topic for another article already written.

Given his injury history and the beating he takes on a game-to-game basis, having him sit out for a night or two to heal up isn’t the worst thing. Especially given the Lakers’ upcoming schedule, which includes games against Pacers, Wizards and Nets, sneaking in some rest for players wouldn’t be a bad strategy.

As for Rui and Smart, it appears neither injury is serious. The Lakers should be able to welcome them back soon and potentially in their road trip finale on Wednesday in Indiana.

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

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Hawks get double-digit scoring from 8 players and beat Grizzlies 146-107

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and eight Atlanta players scored in double figures as the Hawks routed the Memphis Grizzlies 146-107 on Monday night.

Atlanta outscored the Grizzlies in the first three quarters and had an insurmountable 41-point advantage at 116-75 after three periods. The Hawks led by 10 points (32-22) after one and 25 points (71-46) at halftime on the way to their 11th straight home win and 13th victory in 14 games. Atlanta kept its lead around 40 points through most of the final period, which was won by the Grizzlies 32-30.

Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga scored 16 points apiece, CJ McCollum had 15 and Dyson Daniels 12. Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each added 11 as the Hawks shot 49 for 92 (53%) from the field overall and 25 of 54 (46%) from 3-point range.

Atlanta (40-32) had its highest point total of the season. The Hawks entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Toronto, which was playing at Utah later Monday.

GG Jackson scored 26 points, Tyler Burton added 20, Ty Jerome finished with 17 and Walter Clayton Jr. 16 for Memphis, which shot 33% (14 for 43) from 3-point distance.

The Grizzlies lost for the 11th time in 12 games. Memphis' only victory in that span was a 125-118 decision over the Denver Nuggets on March 18.

The Hawks were without Jalen Johnson due to left shoulder inflammation.

Memphis was without Cedric Coward, who missed his third straight game due to personal reasons. The Grizzlies were also without Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke and Jahmai Mashack , who are recovering from injuries. And, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Scotty Pippen Jr. are out for the remainder of the season with injuries.

Up next

Grizzlies: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

Hawks: At the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

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