DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Ra Shaya Kyle had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Amarachi Kimpson scored seven of her 20 points in overtime and 12th-seeded Miami survived a fourth-quarter collapse to beat 13th-seed Stanford 83-76 in the opener of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday.

Gal Raviv also scored 20 points for the Hurricanes (17-13), who take on fifth-seeded Notre Dame in Thursday's second round. Kyle's double-double was her 20th this season.

Courtney Ogden led Stanford (19-13) with 22 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter when the Cardinal scored the final 11 points to tie the game at 70.

Hailee Swain added 17 points, Lara Somfai 12 and Nunu Agara 11 for the Cardinal.

Kimpson hit a 3-pointer to open overtime and Miami led by rest of the way with Kimpson adding four free throws in the final 22 seconds.

The Hurricanes outscored Stanford 28-13 in the third quarter to lead 65-52 and looked to be in command. But Miami went scoreless over the final 6:21, scoring only five points in the fourth quarter, and Stanford tied the game on Ogden's bucket with 18.8 seconds remaining. Miami ran the clock down on its final possession then failed to get a shot off.

Stanford made 7 of 9 3-pointers in the second quarter in taking a 39-37 halftime lead. But the Cardinal made just one 3 and had seven turnovers in the third quarter when Miami outscored Stanford 20-3 over the final six minutes to lead 65-52.

Stanford made 12 of 27 from the arc but the 6-foot-6 Kyle helped Miami dominate in the paint, outscoring the Cardinal 40-28.

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The Cleveland Cavalierstook down the conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, but they didn’t come through the game unscathed. Jarrett Allen, who’s played the best basketball of his career for the last month, injured his knee midway through the third quarter and wasn’t able to return.

Afterward, head coach Kenny Atkinson was asked about the injury after the game. He said it was the result of a collision.

“He got a knee-to-knee [hit],” Atkinson said. “So that’s the only update I got.”

Allen has been unfairly criticized for not playing through injuries. He played through a broken finger in his left hand and a finger strain in the other earlier this season. Last year, he participated in all 82 games and has missed just 12 so far this season.

Atkinson doesn’t believe that the injury came from being overworked.

“He does want to play every game,” Atkinson said. “Especially as well as he’s playing. … I think that’s part of this job, it’s figuring out when you can get a guy a game, when you look at the schedule. We try to do that the best we can. And you always look back on it [and have regrets]. … Like I said, I think this is more about a contact thing. The soft tissue [injuries] are the ones where you’re like, ‘Man, that’s overuse.’ The hits like that there, you can’t really avoid that.”

Fortunately for the Cavs, they have time for Allen and a few of their other injured players to get healthy. They have a rare four-day break before they play the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Allen has been great since the start of February. In that time, he’s averaged 21 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game on 72% shooting. On the season, Allen is averaging 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Clara Strack had 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, Amelia Hassett scored 18 points and made six 3-pointers, and No. 17 Kentucky started the second half on an 18-2 run to help beat Arkansas 94-64 on Wednesday in an SEC Tournament opener.

It was the largest margin of victory in Kentucky's SEC Tournament history. The Wildcats (22-9), the No. 9 seed, advance to play 22nd-ranked Georgia in the second round on Thursday.

Tonie Morgan and Jordan Obi also had double-doubles for Kentucky. Morgan had 14 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, and Obi added 14 points and 10 boards. Starters Teonni Key chipped in with 12 points and Asia Boone had 10.

Taleyah Jones scored 21 points for Arkansas (12-20), which was coming off its first SEC win of the season to snap a 16-game losing streak with a 70-41 win over Auburn on Sunday. Freshman Bonnie Deas added 10 points.

Boone gave Kentucky its first double-digit lead of the game at 16-4 less than five minutes into the game. Then Hassett made two 3-pointers during an 11-0 run to extend the Wildcats' lead to 27-7.

Kentucky was limited to just 13 points in the second quarter but still held a 42-33 lead at the break.

Obi scored seven points and capped Kentucky's big third-quarter run for a 60-35 lead, while Arkansas missed nine of its first 10 shots after the break.

Morgan scored 10 points in the third quarter to match Arkansas' point total as the Razorbacks went 4 of 17 from the field.

The Razorbacks shot just 36% from the field, including 6 of 28 from 3-point range.

Up next

Arkansas: Season comes to an end under the direction of first-year coach Kelsi Musick.

Kentucky: Looks to avenge a 72-67 loss to Georgia on Jan. 24.

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Only missing a game or two here is probably far from the worst case scenario.

The Sixers announced that VJ Edgecombe has suffered a lumbar contusion and will miss their upcoming contest against the Utah Jazz. The team says that he’ll be reevaluated before their next game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Sixers say MRI confirmed today that VJ Edgecombe suffered a lumbar contusion.

Edgecombe is out for tonight’s game against Utah and will be reevaluated ahead of the team’s next game at Atlanta.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) March 4, 2026

This happened on the last play before halftime during a 40-point drubbing the Sixers received at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. Edgecombe hit the deck hard when he was fouled by Carter Bryant attempting to block his shot from behind. Edgecombe made two of the three free throws he was awarded before being ruled out for the night at halftime. Here’s the play for anyone who missed it.

VJ Edgecombe lands hard on his back after this contest by Carter Bryant. Will be curious to see if he plays in the second half with the Sixers down 25 at halftime. pic.twitter.com/sfEOPKmy0j

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) March 4, 2026

Missing any time is not ideal for a Sixers team that needs to stack wins, but walking away from this with just a contusion feels like a good outcome long term.

In the short term, the Sixers are still facing an uphill battle to get back in the win column despite being slated to take on the tanking Utah Jazz. On top of Edgecombe and Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr. will also be out for this one with an illness. Oubre was scratched the day of the Spurs game and will miss at least two games now with this illness. In related news, Tyrese Maxey might play all 48 minutes in this one.

Utah will of course be without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler, as well as Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkic and Vince Williams Jr., all of whom they’ve tried to shut down for the season in one way or another.

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Get the popcorn ready, as the New York Knicks host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday in a potential Finals preview.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shines at the Mecca, and my Thunder vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks expect him to get the better of fellow superstar Jalen Brunson with a productive scoring performance.

Thunder vs Knicks prediction

Thunder vs Knicks best bet: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 30.5 points (-110)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranks second in scoring average at 31.8, and he’s third in points per game on the road at 32.

SGA returned to action on February 27 after a three-week absence, and he scored 30 and 36 across his first two games back.

The reigning MVP has found success against the New York Knicks in recent matchups, going for 31+ in four of his last six head-to-head meetings, including two of his last three at MSG.

He sat out Tuesday for rest and should be fresh to shine under the brightest lights.

Thunder vs Knicks same-game parlay

The Knicks are an NBA-best 20-11 ATS at home and 2-0 as the home dog. The Oklahoma City Thunder, however, are 16-15 ATS on the road and just 15-14 as the road favorite.

Oklahoma City has won six straight at MSG, but a mostly-healthy Knicks team can keep this one close at home.

These are two strong defensive units, but they're also great offenses. New York has hit the Over in 15 of 31 at home, and Oklahoma City has gone Over in 18 of 31 on the road.

With both teams operating at nearly full strength, I'm betting the Over on a point total that's set a bit too low.

Thunder vs Knicks SGP

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 30.5 points
• Knicks +4
• Over 222.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Brunson Balls Out

Jalen Brunson has scored 25+ in 37 of 57 games overall and 17 of 29 at home. I expect him to thrive in front of the home crowd at Madison Square Garden and show out against the defending NBA champs.

Thunder vs Knicks SGP

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 30.5 points
• Knicks +4
• Over 222.5
• Jalen Brunson Over 24.5 points

Thunder vs Knicks odds

• Spread: Oklahoma City -4 (-110) | New York +4 (-110)
• Moneyline: Oklahoma City -170 | New York +145
• Over/Under: Over 222.5 (-110) | Under 222.5 (-110)

Thunder vs Knicks betting trend to know

The Knicks have covered the spread in 31 of their last 50 home games for +11.20 units and a 20% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Knicks.

How to watch Thunder vs Knicks

Thunder vs Knicks latest injuries

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The Knicks decided they’d rather beat the in-conference Raptors than gamble on a win over the Thunder.

Coach Brown used Mitch against Toronto, keeping him under wraps for the what-if matchup against the reigning champions.

As KAT said, “Count your eggs.”

Mike Brown on KAT D: "Everybody looks at KAT like 'Oh he can't do it blah blah blah'––well he can do it & he's showing he can do it…been fantastic…Also been really good communicating…I can hear him talking very loud & early & continuous…Lot of credit for stepping up his game" pic.twitter.com/DNRBHi3McN

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 4, 2026

Mike Brown

On hanging defensively in a low-scoring third quarter against Toronto:

“We came out the third quarter… couldn’t score the ball like we did in the first half, but we hung in there defensively. And to hold a team like that that kicks out and runs in transition the way they do to 37 points in the second half, is a pretty good half defensively. We got to hang our hat on that end of the floor and our guys are doing it, they’re doing it with physicality first and then trying to go get that ball off the glass second.”

On Josh Hart’s defensive performance:

“Josh Hart was phenomenal in a lot of different areas. 50-50 balls, guarding different guys. Skills, deflections, you name it. Josh seemed like he was everywhere tonight on that end of the floor.”

On Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive impact:

“It’s been huge. Again, I say this all the time, one guy can’t guard one other guy in the league. It’s almost impossible, especially when they do call fouls. And in the way the floor is spaced. It’s tough to do that, and so you have to have five guys on a string. The game right now is space and pace, and everybody looks at KAT like, ‘oh, you can’t do it.’ Well, he can do it. He’s showing he can do it, and we need him to continue to do it. Whether it’s in the pick-and-roll, coming back in transition, coming over to help from the weak side or guarding this guy in a one-on-one situation. He’s been fantastic.”

On the need for relying on defense when shots aren’t falling:

“We feel like we can score. It was a good offensive game, shooting 56 percent from the floor, 32 assists, but we didn’t play well, especially offensively in the second half. To be able to know that you can hang your hat on that end of the floor is going to be huge for us because the ball doesn’t always go in the hoop.”

On seeing the Thunder matchup as an opportunity to grow:

“If they beat us, at the end of the day, or if we beat them at the end of the day, what does it mean? But they do a lot of things at that end of the floor. From the standpoint of this is a really good defense, a really good offense, they got an MVP candidate (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), they have two bigs (Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren), they have two individual defenders. So how are we going to handle the stuff they do on both ends of the floor? If we get stuck here, or stuck there, it’s an opportunity to continue to grow.”

On prioritizing the Raptors game in the back-to-back:

“[The Raptors] are in our conference and all that stuff. Oklahoma City is in the Western Conference.”

On crediting the medical staff for Robinson’s availability:

“We love the medical group that we have. [Vice president of sports medicine] Casey [Smith] and [senior vice president of player performance] Quentin [Dolan] and [head athletic trainer] Anthony [Goenaga], they’ve done a nice job heading it with our doctors. They’ve spearheaded this, so I’ve gotta give those guys a ton of credit. And starting with Mitch because he’s bought into this plan and he’s tried to execute it at the highest of high levels. So I give all those guys a ton of credit because I’m just kind of jumping on the bandwagon and following their lead. To see him out there, because the best thing almost anybody can have is their availability, so to see him out there as much as he’s been out there has been really good for us.”

Mitchell Robinson is not only leading the NBA in offensive rebounds per 36 minutes — but his current pace would be the best in NBA (or ABA) history. pic.twitter.com/PZywFw0djy

— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) March 3, 2026

Mitchell Robinson

On letting coaches decide his back-to-back availability:

“It wasn’t my choice. I let coaches decide which game they want me to play.”

On sticking with the current load management plan:

“I feel great. It’s awesome. This plan we’re on, we should just stick to it.”

On returning after tweaking his ankle:

“I came in here, re-taped, sat my ass right here [in the locker room] and listened to coach and went right back out.”

On whether his ankle will be examined:

“They’ll look at it probably [Wednesday]. But I’m straight.”

On why his free-throw percentage has dropped:

“I don’t get shots up like that (in practice). I just do a lot of lay-ups, hook shots, stuff like that. If you don’t get shots, you don’t know how it is. You’re not comfortable with it. So it’s just like — you got to get some shots up. I do it in the summertime, and I’m straight. And I just get away from it.”

On his rookie-year shooting compared to now:

“Like I said before, when I was getting up shots, rookie year, I was 60 percent. So if I get shots up, everything will be alright. Until then, it is what it is.”

On needing shooting reps for confidence:

“If you’re not shooting shots — even if you’re not going to shoot them in the game, it’s still good to have that muscle memory like that. And also confidence (comes) with it, too. It goes hand in hand.”

On finding rhythm and comfort with his new Knicks role:

“If you ain’t comfortable with your shot you know what the result is gonna be. When I’m not in New York in my offseason I get up shots not just layups all day. I make 10 in a row sometimes even 20 in a row but that’s after I get done running and shooting. It’s a big difference than just doing layups and also let’s face the fact usually it takes maybe 11-16 (times up and down the court) before I touch the ball. I’m not complaining about it. I expected it for what it is.”

On his role bringing energy off the bench:

“That’s like my job. That’s my job on this team. Bring energy off the bench. That’s what I try to do every night when I play. So continue to do that.”

On rejecting the idea of shooting underhand free throws:

“Nah. I feel like that’s silly as hell.”

Jalen Brunson on finding a way to get some stops late in the 4th to go on a 16-2 run to close out the Raptors!@LT__Murray | @WaltFrazier | #NewYorkForeverpic.twitter.com/SbRmMV5o1T

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) March 4, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On the need for accountability and sticking together:

“We have a goal in mind. We’re striving every day for that goal. There’s gonna be days where we take steps back. There’s gonna be days where we take steps forward. It’s all about how we trust each other and stick with each other. I know that sounds like a bunch of BS but it’s important for us to stick together.”

On closing the Raptors game with defense:

“It started with stops. I think it’s always big-time when you hold a team to 100 points, especially a team like that that plays so fast, gets downhill and creates opportunities for each other. They’ve been playing great all year, and in that fourth quarter, we found a way to string some stops together.”

On the late-game defensive push:

“We got stops. We were able to run late. We were trying to get as many easy baskets as much as possible. Made a couple key shots as well. But it really started with our defense.”

On piecing things together heading into the playoffs:

“There may be times during a game when things aren’t going our way but we find a way to put the pieces together at the right time. So we just have to continue to do that.”

"When you start the game defensively…a lot opens up…It's actually the defense…getting those stops, putting some pace & flow into the game–it allows us to do a lot more, feel good, more confident"

– KAT as Knicks beat Raptors 111-95:

21 on 10-17
12 boards
6 dimes
2 stocks pic.twitter.com/bLQloN8BSv

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 4, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the team’s defensive ceiling:

“I mean, when our team is rolling and playing at a level defensively I know we can play at, we’re pretty damn good. We need to be that if we expect to have a chance to have a deep playoff run. Obviously every round is a challenge in itself and you don’t want to count your ducks too far ahead and count your eggs, but for us to be the best version of ourselves, it’s going to have to happen on that end of the basketball.”

On the Knicks’ defensive standard this season:

“I mean, when our team is rolling and playing at a level I know we can play at we’re pretty damn good. … We’ve been No. 1 [defensively]. That’s what we need. We need to be that if we expect to have a chance to have a deep playoff round. Obviously, every round is a challenge in itself and you don’t want to count your ducks too far ahead and count your eggs, but for us to be the best version of ourselves it’s going to have to happen on that end of the basketball.”

DPOG 🦺 JOSHUA AARON HART pic.twitter.com/7Z8Iigd8Hr

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 4, 2026

Josh Hart

On facing the Thunder on a back-to-back:

“Obviously, each game you want to build and learn. And we know that some games are tougher than others in terms of travel, back-to-back, things like that. [Wednesday] is going to be tough, a back to back playing a great team. But we’ve got to make sure we bring it, find where we can build off of and keep it moving. We let you guys [in the media] kind of argue and converse about the record and the teams.”

On defense fueling offense on Tuesday:

“We look at our defense spurring our offense. So games like this where we have little spurts of not scoring the ball we have to make sure we lock in and focus on creating easy opportunities, not letting them score, but getting our offense off our defense. I think we’ve done a good job with that.”

On his shooting slump and fluctuating confidence:

“The frustrating thing for me [is I’m] in a slump. The confidence is coming and going.”

On adjusting when shots aren’t falling:

“I ain’t make a damn thing, so I gotta do something else. That’s all I’m thinking about. … I’m putting the work in; I gotta make sure I play my game, shoot my shots with confidence and those kinds of things. But if you can’t hit the side of a barn, you gotta do something different. Wemby’s in a deep drop against me, I gotta make sure I have the opportunity to get guys wide-open shots on some of those handoffs, pitch backs, stuff like that.”

On his recent rough stretch from deep:

“Shooting, it was probably, obviously, one of my worst games of the season, worst three– or four-game stint.”

Knicks win in Toronto! pic.twitter.com/p8jCzzphJW

— Tyler Murray (@LT__Murray) March 4, 2026

Mikal Bridges

On building habits during the regular season:

“Yeah, regular season means a lot. You build habits. That’s the biggest thing. You build habits an more time to learn to play off of each other. And to not let people think, let it be second nature when we’re out there. So that’s why we’ve got 82 games. Not going to get it Game one. You might not get it Game 40. Just continue to keep growing and bring that into the playoffs.”

David Fizdale

On regretting not fighting the tanking directive supposedly imposed on him:

“If I was doing it over again, I would’ve fought more to build a team early on and not cash in my record. That’s the hard part for coaches when you agree to the tanking.”

On missing out on star free agents and having to do with Bobby Portis and Julius Randle:

“That s–t didn’t work out.”

On the toll of losing in New York:

“Losing all those damn games. Donating my record.”

Happy 28th birthday Obi Toppin 🎂 pic.twitter.com/bNoALfCrri

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 4, 2026

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A first-round playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets would be a real treat, and we get a preview of that potential matchup tonight at TD Garden.

Charlotte is making a move up the standings and arrives on a five-game win streak, but my Hornets vs. Celtics predictions favor a relentless Boston squad here, especially with Derrick White rediscovering his shooting stroke.

Get the lowdown on this March 4 battle with my free NBA picks.

Hornets vs Celtics prediction

Hornets vs Celtics best bet: Derrick White Over 26.5 points + rebounds + assists (-105)

Derrick White ranks behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in total +/- this season, and his steady play elevated the Boston Celtics even when mired in a shooting slump.

White is back to firing on all cylinders now. He’s nailed this combo Over in four of his last five outings, and he’s dished 7+ assists in seven of his past eight games.

Still, it’s White’s scoring that will power this pick.

He’s drilled 4+ 3-pointers in five straight contests, and he’s finished with 18+ points four times since the All-Star break.

I see him giving the Charlotte Hornets backcourt fits tonight.

Hornets vs Celtics same-game parlay

The Hornets are rightly getting a lot of love, but the visitors are on the second night of a back-to-back set here against a Celtics squad that’s 20-9 SU at home this year. Boston has also won nine of the last 10 meetings between these teams.

It’s been feast or famine at times for Payton Pritchard, but he poured in five 3-pointers in Milwaukee on Monday and shot 44% from downtown in February.

Hornets vs Celtics SGP

• Derrick White Over 26.5 points + rebounds + assists
• Celtics moneyline
• Payton Pritchard Over 2.5 3-pointers

Our "from downtown" SGP: Boston three party

Boston and Charlotte both rank in the Top 5 in 3-point attempts per game, so expect a barrage from the perimeter tonight. With that in mind, I’m jumping on the Over for these sharpshooters, including Brandon Miller, who’s 28-for-56 from beyond the arc in his last six games.

Hornets vs Celtics SGP

• Payton Pritchard Over 2.5 3-pointers
• Derrick White Over 2.5 3-pointers
• Brandon Miller Over 3.5 3-pointers
• Miles Bridges Over 1.5 3-pointers

Hornets vs Celtics odds

• Spread: Hornets +7.5 | Celtics -6.5
• Moneyline: Hornets +210 | Celtics -255
• Over/Under: Over 213.5 | Under 213.5

Hornets vs Celtics betting trend to know

The Celtics are 26-19 ATS as favorites this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Hornets vs. Celtics.

How to watch Hornets vs Celtics

Hornets vs Celtics latest injuries

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