Category: Sports News

Coming off a miraculous comeback win against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Spurs took on the Houston Rockets for their last meeting of the regular season. After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Spurs’ offense exploded, outscoring the Rockets 37-24 in the second. Coming into the third quarter with a 12-point lead, the Spurs’ offense continued to blaze. They continued to have one of their best three-point shooting games of the season, and they led by as much as 27. The Rockets cut into the deficit to only make it a 16-point lead for the silver and black heading into the fourth. Even though the Rockets would try to keep pace, the Spurs’ offense was unstoppable. They led by as much as 30 and ultimately won 145-120.

Victor Wembanyama led the way with 29 points (9-13 FG, 9-10 FT), eight rebounds, four blocks, two steals, and one assist. From the start of the game, Wemby played like he was well rested. Having only played 22 minutes against the Clippers on Friday, the day of rest helped Wemby play 30 minutes and dominate. He shot 69% from the field and 90% from the free-throw line. He also locked down the paint and got deflections that resulted in steals. If Wemby ends up playing 65 games, it is safe to say that he is a lock for Defensive Player of the Year.

W3MBY! The first bucket for both teams comes from a pull-up three in the face of Alperen Sengun!

ARE YOU KIDDING?! Wemby tracks down his own missed three and puts it back up for the and-one!

Here’s another angle!

DO NOT GO IN THERE! Wemby pins Amen Thompson’s shot off the backboard and secures the rebound!

Just throw it up there! De’Aaron Fox crosses halfcourt and immediately lobs it up to Wemby for the alley-oop jam!

DO NOT GO IN THERE PART TWO! Wemby volleyball spikes Tari Eason’s shot in the paint!

W3MBY AT THE BUZZER! Wemby uses the pump fake and one dribble for the halftime buzzer-beating three!

Here’s another angle of the nothing but net buzzer-beater!

ARE YOU KIDDING PART TWO! Reminiscent of opening night against Dallas, Vic drives through the lane through contact for the reverse jam and-one!

How about another alternate angle for your viewing pleasure?

In the NBC postgame interview, Wemby was asked if he ever surprises himself. His answer? “I’m just out there freestylin’.”

Stephon Castle dropped 23 points (7-13 FG, 6-7 FT), five assists, and three rebounds. This is Steph’s first 20+ point game since February 19th against Phoenix. After a rough week shooting from the field, Steph took advantage of mismatches and drove into the paint with patience or took open midranges. He also splashed home three three-pointers. His young role as a two-way player continues to blossom, drawing the assignment of guarding Kevin Durant and taller forwards.

De’Aaron Fox dropped a double-double: 20 points (9-15 FG) and 10 assists to go along with two boards. Fox has been putting up at least 19 points in the last three games, and the last time he dished out double-digit assists was February 4th against OKC. This is also his 7th double-double of the season. Ever since the Pistons game, it seems like Fox has played a more aggressive style, as the playoffs continue to appear closer every game.

ACROBAT! Fox crosses over Sengun and finishes at the rim with a smooth reverse layup!

Another angle? Yes please!

Keldon Johnson dropped 20 points (8-13 FG, 4-7 3PT), two assists, and a rebound. This is KJ’s first 20-point game since February 11th against Golden State. He looked like the 6MOTY KJ Spurs fans have grown accustomed to watching. Shooting 61% from the field and four threes on 57% shooting, KJ could hardly miss. His infectious energy has infiltrated the rest of the rotation, as they have bought into the unselfishness and never-say-die spirit KJ brings to the court every game.

The Beautiful Game. Immaculate Spurs ball movement results in a wide-open KJ trey!

Dylan Harper dropped 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-4 3PT), six assists, and two rebounds. Dyl shot about 67% from the field and 75% from three. 17 of his 19 points came in the first half, as it seemed like he could not miss. Whether it was driving into the lane and finishing with ease or draining open threes, Dyl could not be slowed down. It is such a luxury to have an elite guard rotation where any one of Castle, Fox, or Harper could put up numbers on any given night and also dish out dimes all over the court.

Too fast! Dyl catches the ball in the corner and drives past Dorian Finney-Smith for the athletic one-handed slam!

All in all, this was another statement win by the silver and black. Beating a playoff team in the Rockets three out of four times is no fluke, and this win was the most dominant. The Spurs shot 58% from the field and 51% from three. It is hard to lose when your shooting is this efficient. Now having won 15 of their last 16 games, the Spurs are keeping pace with the OKC Thunder for the one seed. However, they face a tough schedule this week in the Celtics, Nuggets, and Hornets. Nonetheless, a performance that brought the best out of everyone is a great sign, as there is only one month left in the regular season.

Finally, here are the full game highlights.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to establish some positive momentum after Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Boston Celtics. Even though they’ll be playing on the second night of a back-to-back, going up against this version of the Philadelphia 76ers should help them.

The Sixers will be without their four best players: Joel Embiid (oblique), Tyrese Maxey (finger), Paul George (suspension), and VJ Edgecombe (back). Meanwhile, the Cavs are expected to have their starting lineup from yesterday available, even though Jarrett Allen (knee) still won’t be available.

We’ll see if the Cavs can take advantage of this.

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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (39-25) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (34-29)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Mon. March 9 at 7 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass

Point spread: Cavs -13.5

Cavs injury report: Jarrett Allen – OUT (knee), Dean Wade – PROBABLE (ankle), Tyrese Proctor – OUT (quad), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Olivier Sarr – OUT (G League)

76ers injury report: Joel Embiid – OUT (oblique), Paul George – OUT (suspension), Tyrese Maxey – OUT (finger), Johni Broome – OUT (knee), VJ Edgecombe – OUT (back)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley

76ers expected starting lineup: Cameron Payne, Quintin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona

Previous matchup: The Cavs defeated the 76ers 117-115 on Jan. 16 on a last-second dunk from Evan Mobley.

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

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These are gloomy times for the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers, and tonight’s visit to Cleveland to battle the Cavaliers won’t help their chances of climbing back above the play-in line.

Tyrese Maxey’s finger injury means he’ll join Joel Embiid and Paul George on the sidelines here. My 76ers vs. Cavaliers predictions expect Evan Mobley to help Cleveland cash in.

Take a closer look at this March 9 clash with my free NBA picks.

76ers vs Cavaliers prediction

76ers vs Cavaliers best bet: Evan Mobley Over 26.5 points + rebounds (-115)

It’s a simple equation, really. No Joel Embiid for Philadelphia plus no Jarrett Allen for Cleveland equals a monster night for Evan Mobley.

Mobley finished with 24 points and eight rebounds in yesterday’s loss to the Celtics, and I’m counting on similar production here in the starting center role. 

He’s off to a bright start in March, with 19.7 PPG and 8.7 RPG, and there’s room to push those numbers up against a Philadelphia 76ers team that’ll be turning to backups for big minutes tonight. 

Mobley posted a 17-13 line in Philly last month.

76ers vs Cavaliers same-game parlay

If Mobley feasts, he’ll surely have James Harden to thank for some of his buckets. "The Beard" has nailed this assists Over in three of his last five home games.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won six of the past seven meetings between these teams, so I’ll round out my SGP with the hosts’ moneyline.

Cleveland is 21-12 SU at Rocket Arena this season, and the 76ers are in a tough spot without Maxey. 

76ers vs Cavaliers SGP

• Evan Mobley Over 26.5 points + rebounds
• James Harden Over 8.5 assists
• Cavs moneyline

Our "from downtown" SGP: Let Kelly cook

When the 76ers are fully healthy, Kelly Oubre Jr. might be the fifth or sixth scoring option, but he’ll have the keys at times tonight.

He’s coming off a 24-5-4 stat line at the weekend, and he’s a prime candidate to absorb some of the shots vacated by Maxey. 

76ers vs Cavaliers SGP

• Kelly Oubre Jr. Over 18.5 points
• Kelly Oubre Jr. Over 2.5 assists
• Kelly Oubre Jr. Over 4.5 rebounds
• Over 227

76ers vs Cavaliers odds

• Spread: 76ers +13.5 | Cavaliers -13.5
• Moneyline: 76ers +530 | Cavaliers -770
• Over/Under: Over 226.5 | Under 226.5

76ers vs Cavaliers betting trend to know

The Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these teams. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Cavaliers.

How to watch 76ers vs Cavaliers

76ers vs Cavaliers latest injuries

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May 5, 2018.

That was the last time I had even the slightest inclination that the Sixers might have the upper hand against the Boston Celtics. That was the date of the infamous “Confetti Game” in the Eastern Conference Semifinals when the Sixers hosted Boston. An eventual overtime loss for the Sixers gave way to a 3-0 series hole and ultimately a gentleman’s sweep in a five-game loss.

Even a handful of years later when the Sixers held a 3-2 series lead against the Celtics in the East semis, I never had a shred of confidence that the Sixers could get it done. An embarrassing Game 6 loss at home in a would-be closeout situation led to an embarrassing no-show loss on Mother’s Day up in Boston in Game 7. Fast forward a year later and the Celtics had won their second title of the 21st century while the Sixers continued to be allergic to the Eastern Conference Finals.

That brings us to the 2026 campaign. After some fleeting moments of joy this season, the Sixers are cratering. Joel Embiid once again has a prolonged absence. Tyrese Maxey just suffered a hand injury that will keep him out of the lineup for the time being and VJ Edgecombe is banged up as well. They have stumbled down the standings and currently sit as a Play-In team. As Mick Jagger once sang, “All the dreams were held so close, seemed to all go up in smoke.” That sums up the colossal disappointment of this era of Sixers basketball.

Conversely, everything is coming up Celtics. Jaylen Brown is having a career-best year in his age-29 season, dropping almost 29 points per night while guiding Boston to the No. 2 seed in the East. On Friday night, six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum returned to the lineup after an Achilles injury that had previously kept him sidelined all season. Tatum is settling in, putting up 15 points on Friday against Dallas and 20 points on Sunday against Cleveland, both Boston wins.

Let me guess how the next couple of months play out… Tatum gets his legs under him and Boston starts rolling. The Sixers scrape their way through the Play-In Tournament only for Boston to annihilate them in the first round. Shortly after, the Celtics will roll their way to their third Finals appearance in five seasons.

It sucks! It all sucks!

The Sixers’ pendulum has swung back to mediocrity and I can’t foresee them getting unstuck from there anytime soon.

In a surprising move, the Nets declined to give Grant Nelson a second 10-day contract, league sources told the Post.

Rebuilding Brooklyn is reshuffling the roster in talent-acquisition mode, and Nelson appeared to fit the bill.

After the Nets took a record five first-round picks in June, they scooped up Nelson after the draft as a sixth rookie.

Following early season injury woes that hampered his progress in the G League, the 23-year-old Nelson came on strong with Long Island and earned his initial 10-day deal with Brooklyn on Feb. 27.

In four games with the Nets, Nelson averaged 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks, shooting .556 percent overall and .700 from the foul line.

In a 106-102 loss to Cleveland on March 1, Nelson had 11 points, four boards and three blocks in just over 20 minutes against the Cavaliers.

He finished with six stocks -— steals and blocks combined — in 29 minutes, showing mobility and defensive energy. But apparently not enough to stick around.

“(He’s) a very good basketball player,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said of Nelson over the weekend. “Everything he does, he does it well. He doesn’t over-dribble or try to do too much. Everything is efficient.

“His size is great. He’s a multi-positional defender, very good playmaker, fast. All of those things have been very good. It translates to this level … We’ll have to discuss and see what the next move going forward is.”

Nelson’s next move could be back to Long Island, with the Nets’ affiliate still holding his G League rights and for the run-in before their playoffs.

But any NBA team can sign Nelson, should they want.

Brooklyn now has an open roster spot. They’ve reached the deadline to convert two-way players to standard deals, but the Nets certainly could simply call up two-way forward Chaney Johnson, who has played well of late.

I’ll get the usual caveats out of the way first. It’s just one game. It’s the regular season. The playoffs are a different animal. We shouldn’t get carried away.

“Weren’t you the guy sitting here this time last week after the Knicks loss telling us not to get too high or low about anything right now?”

Yes. Correct. Fair point.

Okay. Have we done that? Are we good? Have we done our acknowledgements? Have we given our quick nod to mortality?

Good.

Because I’m starting to think things I probably shouldn’t. Starting to feel things I didn’t expect to feel for a while. Starting to remember things I’d kind of forgotten.

We’re at that point where the endgame of the season can only break a few different ways.

Maybe it ends in heartbreak. A hard fought playoff series against a really good opponent who just has one or two more answers than we do. A break here or there that we don’t get. A shot that goes in and suddenly we’re all laying on the floor absolutely spent because we can’t believe what just happened actually happened.

Something to add to the Ray Allen folder we keep in the attic and only open when a national TV broadcast rudely blindsides us with it.

That’s on the table now. We’re in range. That kind of pain is part of the table stakes for the game we’re now playing.

We could also find ourselves a few weeks from now sitting here feeling a little sheepish about getting out over our skis back in March. Some version where the season ends with a 4-1 or 4-2 series loss to a team that simply outclasses the Spurs. Maybe they have more experience. Maybe our guys wobble just a little under the pressure.

Not a meltdown. Just a wobble. A cartoon Coyote who has run off the edge of the cliff and is only able to keep running until he accidentally looks down and realizes where he is.

With a team this young, it would be naive, maybe even a little irresponsible, not to at least acknowledge that possibility. A group with this little playoff experience being dropped straight into the fire.

We don’t have to dwell on it. We just have to, you know, give it a nod.

Because.

Because the other possibility is here now too.

Loud. Present. Practically shouting in our faces. Like a toddler who is up at 6:00 AM even though their parent’s body clock insists it’s still 5:00.

This team can win the whole thing.

They can play with anyone. They can beat anyone. They can get this thing done and, for as many reasons as there are that it might not happen, at this point there are just as many reasons that it might.

Which is wild.

Like, genuinely wild.

When the Spurs made their first championship run, I was ten years old. When I really think about it, that playoff run might be one of the earliest memories I have where every detail still feels as vivid as if it happened yesterday.

Fiesta was happening in April and the whole city felt like it was on tilt. If you weren’t partying, you were watching the Spurs. If you weren’t watching the Spurs, you were talking about the Spurs.

Every other car had one of those little plastic flags clipped to the window. Homemade posters and signs hung off front porches. Giant “Go Spurs Go” banners flapped off the sides of buildings. I remember driving down Austin Highway and seeing all those tents selling bootleg merch. I remember marveling at the massive Spurs flag out on 410 that I’m pretty sure Body Solutions put up. Remember Body Solutions? The weight loss supplement? Good times.

This was a ten year old’s brain, mind you, but it felt like I went to bed every night thinking about the Spurs and woke up every morning feeling like it was Christmas because I got to go out into the world and be a Spurs fan.

We went to a game against the Jazz during that run where we absolutely waxed those nerds. Tim had 36 and basically stuffed Karl Malone in a locker. John Stockton kept bricking threes and the crowd reacted like his pants had fallen down while he stepped on a rake.

I still have these really tangible sense memories of sitting in the Alamodome that night. The sounds, the smells, the colors. Fiesta colors popping against the white uniforms. The deep vivid blue of that weird curtain that separated the stadium. Asking my dad who Johnny Moore was. During timeouts they kept playing “Hey Macarena” even though that trend was about four years too late. Didn’t matter. We ate it up.

Mostly I remember how happy everyone was. Just pure joy. We were acting like fools because we were fools in love. I’d never been part of something bigger than myself before and it felt like my brain suddenly opening up to a wider world.

The Spurs were 9-0 at home during April and something like 13-2 overall. I was too young to care whether the national media was saying “This Spurs team has arrived” or not.

As a ten year old experiencing an unprecedented level of sports bliss, I probably couldn’t have explained any of that. But even if I didn’t have the words for it yet, I could tell we were standing on the edge of something special.

Watching this team come back from the Rodeo Road Trip and play in front of these rocking home crowds has got me feeling some type of way. It’s loud in there, y’all. It feels like a party. Limbs flying around after every bucket. “Olé” songs breaking out like it’s a soccer match. Every single cut to the crowd showing people with those “just can’t help it” grins plastered all over their faces.

The energy in that building feels insane. Even through the TV you can feel it. Watching the games lately has been this constant burst of color and light and sound that elevates everything happening on the floor to a level I was simply not prepared for.

As I’m reminded on a daily basis, I am no longer ten years old. I’ve experienced a lot more of the world since then. I’ve been in love and had my heart broken. I’ve lived in different cities. I’ve started a family. It’s the most cliché thing in the world but, you know, life has a way of just sort of happening when you aren’t even paying attention.

Life kept moving.

And somewhere along the way the Spurs kept happening too. I watched them win more championships than that ten year old version of me could have possibly imagined. I watched Manu turn back the clock and dunk on Chris Bosh. I watched Tim Duncan walk off the floor for the last time. I watched the whole thing slowly wind down. I even watched the Spurs bottom out to the point where I wasn’t really watching anymore.

You accumulate a lot of context along the way. A lot of scar tissue. The older you get, the harder it becomes to let yourself feel things the way you did when you were a kid. Logistically, it simply can’t matter as much as it did back then. You become cautious. Analytical. You start protecting yourself a little bit. There’s other stuff going on. Life’s out there happening, right?

And yet.

Right now the building is shaking again. Victor is coming into his own. The team is playing like they’ve been together for years. Dunks bring the house down. Threes send people over the edge. There’s no deficit we can’t come back from. There’s no opponent we can’t run out of the gym. The music is loud. The party is constant.

You’ve got the crowd randomly deciding to start chanting “CAR-TER BRY-ANT” just because he’s our dude and we simply must chant for him. We’re losing our minds.

We’re fools in love.

I’m just noticing, is all I’m saying.

My knees hurt more than they used to, but the colors are starting to feel pretty vivid again.

Takeaways:

– Here’s a freakin’ takeaway, the Spurs are good! Watch this dunk!

• Here’s another freakin’ takeway, we got 7’5’ Steph Curry on the team, we’re never losing again, watch this three:

• One more freakin’ takeaway, my guy sent that joint to a different universe!

• The offense is absolutely humming right now. I don’t know how sustainable it is but, man, when the Spurs are moving the ball like this it feels like they’re capable of setting the world on fire. Thirty-eight assists is a lot! It’s one of the best vital signs you can check when you’re trying to figure out how good this team can actually be. Even just watching the game you can tell when they hit that flow state. The ball is constantly bopping around and it’s not just one person leading the charge, everybody is involved and everybody is trying to find the best shot for the team. It’s unselfish, it’s beautiful, and it’s about as fun as basketball gets.
• When this one ended I walked away thinking Devin Vassell had a really good game. He’s been on such a great run lately and it just felt like another example of how well he’s been playing. Then I checked the box score this morning and saw he went 0-6 from the field, which honestly surprised me because I still feel like he was really good last night. He was facilitating the offense, he demands respect from opposing defenses, and he was working hard on the defensive end. Sometimes guys can impact the game even when the shot isn’t falling, and Vassell feels like he’s reached that point in his development. I don’t know man, I’m just some dummy on the internet but I think Devin Vassell is pretty great.
• Just saying this now so we can start preparing for it it, but the Spurs are going to play the Celtics in the finals and its going to be annoyinggggggggggggggggggggggg.

WWL Post Game Press Conference

– Felt like a big swing here, bringing up old childhood memories and what not. Are you worried about maybe pressing the “Nostalgia Memories” button too early here?

– Like, is this the right time for it?

– Right, is this maybe one you want to save for the playoffs?

– I think, look, if you have the shot then you take it. That’s the mentality here. You can’t count on it coming back around. I had something to say so I said it. I have to trust that, should the Spurs find themselves in the playoffs or, Lord willing, a situation where they win some big games down the road, that I will have something to say then as well.

– Are you worried about a jinx?

– A jinx? You’re asking me about jinxes? I’m never worried about a jinx, get out of here with that. Everything I write is steps to success. Some nights you get some nostalgia bait, some nights you get 900 words on pick‑and‑roll coverage. It’s not jinx; it’s process.