Category: Sports News

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Just when the Minnesota Timberwolves should be tuning up for a postseason run, injuries have ripped through their backcourt, and it’s going to take a “next man up” mentality as they host the Dallas Mavericks.  

Anthony Edwards has missed six straight, and he’s joined on the injury report by Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu, so my Timberwolves vs. Mavericks predictions pivot to a Minnesota sharpshooter who’s had an even brighter green light during this short-handed stretch.

Check out my NBA picks for this March 30 matchup.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks prediction

Timberwolves vs Mavericks best bet: Donte DiVincenzo Over 13.5 points (-110)

Donte DiVincenzo rarely has to be asked twice when it comes to launching 3-pointers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves have needed his volume shooting more than ever over the past few weeks. DiVincenzo has responded with 39 points across his last two outings, while making 10 of his 26 attempts from beyond the arc.

Though Anthony Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu could return tonight to beef up Chris Finch’s backcourt, that shouldn’t drastically alter the script for DiVincenzo, and I’m counting on the recent extra reps translating to another Over on his points prop.

DiVincenzo is attempting almost eight 3-pointers a game this season, but don’t be surprised if he ends up with double-digit shots from downtown for the fourth time in his past five contests.

Most of all, Minnesota is desperate for spacing, and that makes DiVincenzo a lock for steady minutes. With Edwards sidelined, the visitors have been held below 105 points in three of their last four games, but the Dallas Mavericks’ defense could be the perfect medicine to get the T-Wolves firing again.

Dallas has given up 135+ points in four of its past five matchups en route to the draft lottery, and the Nuggets shot 56% from the field against Cooper Flagg & Co. last Wednesday. With the Mavs going through the motions, sign me up for a splashy effort from DiVincenzo tonight.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks same-game parlay

If DiVincenzo gives the offense a jolt, Rudy Gobert can carry Minnesota on the other end of the floor. The Frenchman has cashed this Over in three of his last four games to keep the Wolves’ defense afloat, and he’s got a natural assignment around the rim against Daniel Gafford.

Minnesota has won five in a row against Dallas, so I’m riding with the visitors, who should come out with urgency after being blown out at home over the weekend. The prospect of Ant getting back on the court is enticing, but the Wolves have enough talent to grind out a win regardless.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks SGP

• Donte DiVincenzo Over 13.5 points
• Rudy Gobert Over 12.5 rebounds
• Timberwolves moneyline

Our "from downtown" SGP: Championship Remix

I’m reuniting championship teammates in this SGP, with two sweet-shooting former Bucks.

DiVincenzo is poised for another high-volume night, while Khris Middleton has knocked down 1+ 3-pointers in four of his last five, as well as dishing eight assists across his last two games. The Wolves have covered the spread in three of their past four trips to Dallas and will do so again.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks SGP

• Donte DiVincenzo Over 13.5 points
• Khris Middleton Over 1.5 assists
• Khris Middleton Over 0.5 made threes
• Timberwolves -7

Timberwolves vs Mavericks odds

• Spread: Timberwolves -7 (-110) | Mavericks +7 (-110)
• Moneyline: Timberwolves -270 | Mavericks +220
• Over/Under: Over 236 (-110) | Under 236 (-110)

Timberwolves vs Mavericks betting trend to know

The Timberwolves are 16-7 SU this season as road favorites. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Mavericks.

How to watch Timberwolves vs Mavericks

Timberwolves vs Mavericks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

As the Knicks gear up for another playoff run, we’ve learned a few strengths and weaknesses of the club. But still, questions remain about how the team will fare in the postseason. 

After New York’s 111-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night, there are just seven games left in the regular season. With the playoffs on the horizon, here are four questions the club is facing as the postseason rapidly approaches.

Is Towns ready for the postseason?

The 2025-26 season has been an adjustment for Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks All-Star center is averaging 20.0 points, the lowest scoring average of his career since his rookie season, and a career-low 30.9 minutes. 

But recently, Towns has improved his play. His defense has taken a step in the right direction, he’s cut down fouls and his offensive efficiency has risen. In March, Towns is averaging 20.6 points on 57.1 percent from the field and 12.9 rebounds.

But Towns can still be susceptible to having stretches of ineffectiveness. In New York’s 114-103 loss against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night, Towns scored just 13 points. He seemed uninvolved for most of the game, scoring just two points in the first half. On Sunday night, Towns had just four points in the first half as the Thunder had smaller defenders like Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso guard him.

If the Knicks are going to make any noise in the postseason, they will need Towns to be productive and consistent.

Does the club have enough depth?

One of the top priorities for the Knicks heading into the season was shoring up the bench. New York has added depth to the roster. Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride have been integral pieces of the rotation. Landry Shamet has emerged as a valuable reserve. Jordan Clarkson has seen a recent boost in minutes. Young players like Mohamed Diawara and Tyler Kolek have shown flashes at times. 

Despite these positives, the Knicks bench hasn’t been exactly electric. New York’s reserves have the third-lowest scoring output in the NBA. They also are ranked just 28th in total minutes.

In the postseason, many teams stick with a short rotation. That favors the Knicks. But any injury to its core players could be hard to recover from.

Can the Knicks limit opponents from three?

All season long, the Knicks have struggled to defend the three-point line. New York is giving up 38.9 three point attempts per 100 possessions, the fifth-highest mark in the NBA. The Knicks are tied for 19th in opponents three-point, percentage.

The three-point defense issue was a factor in the loss to Charlotte. The Hornets connected on 16-of-41 threes (39 percent). Even in wins against the Washington Wizards and the New Orleans Pelicans, the Knicks gave up 18 and 15 trifectas, respectively.

Under head coach Mike Brown, the Knicks defensive strategy leans on helping in the paint and then recovering back to the perimeter. The extreme help around the basket is giving opponents easy looks from three.

New York’s overall defense has been much better over the past two months. The club has risen to fifth overall in defensive efficiency. But in the wrong matchup, the three ball could become pivotal.

Will the team fix first quarter struggles?

A trend for New York throughout the season has been the club getting off to slow starts. During its recent seven-game win streak, the Knicks trailed in the first quarter of three games.

The Knicks starting lineup has been passable, outscoring opponents by 3.3 points per 100 possessions in 459 minutes before Sunday night per NBA Stats. But the group has struggled in the first quarter. In 184 first quarter minutes, New York’s starting five has a net rating of -4.5 points per 100 possessions.

It seems too late to make a change to the starting lineup. But falling behind at the start of games creates a tough task to have to make the uphill climb of getting back into a game. And in the playoffs, where every moment matters, that’s even more important.

For every iconic moment we see on television during March Madness, there are many other captivating subplots going on at the same time.

Weaving them all together is what makes the best in the TV production business so great at what they do.

During CBS's coverage of UConn's improbable 73-72 comeback win over Duke in the Elite Eight, Braylon Mullins' 35-footer to beat the buzzer was obviously the focal point. But the network's camera operators also had to be ready for the reaction shots.

Shortly after the game ended, the NCAA released its own "sizzle reel" with 10 different angles of the key game-ending sequence and its aftermath that wonderfully captures the wide range of emotions.

Bench angles of UConn's unbelievable shot 🎥#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/alunQ3Ks4q

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 30, 2026

One angle that didn't make the cut there was a reaction shot of CBS announcers Bill Raftery and Grant Hill as they joined play-by-play man Ian Eagle on the call.

Here’s another view.

Unapologetically.

Cannot get enough. pic.twitter.com/gOvzP6sbLx

— Big East Rewind & Hoops 24/7 (@bigeastrewind) March 30, 2026

It certainly was a magical moment for UConn. And a bitter defeat (once again) for Duke.

It's just another reason why we can't get enough of March Madness.

The undermanned Milwaukee Bucks lost 127-113 at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday in what was their first “meaningless” game after being eliminated from play-in contention. The game was trending toward embarrassing blowout territory, but a fourth-quarter rally from Milwaukee made the final score look respectable. The Clippers sealed a 2-0 season series victory over the Bucks with this win. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Gary Trent Jr.

37 minutes, 36 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5 turnovers, 12/21 FG, 9/15 3P, 3/4 FT, -8

Trent was lights-out in this one. He started off hot, scoring 11 of Milwaukee’s first 15, and he never lost his groove. The veteran delivered 16 points in the fourth quarter as part of a late rally for the Bucks. Awesome performance from a guy who keeps stacking good days. Gary’s 36 points were a season-high and the most he’s scored in a game since March 11th, 2022, when he had 42 against the Suns.

Grade: A

Taurean Prince

38 minutes, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5 turnovers, 7/12 FG, 4/7 3P, -2

Usually, you don’t want a player like Prince playing such a featured role, but to his credit, he was good in this one. TP hit timely shots and kept the ball moving, tying his career-high with eight assists. Five turnovers isn’t ideal, but he wasn’t the only guy coughing it up too much.

Grade: A-

Andre Jackson Jr.

33 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 5/8 FG, 1/2 3P, -15

AJax continues to look more aggressive on the offensive end. He made solid plays within the team’s sets and disrupted a bit on defense. More and more, he’s showing flashes that justify Milwaukee’s decision to keep him around.

Grade: B

Pete Nance

38 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 2/9 FG, 1/6 3P, -10

Nance’s offensive production has begun to tail off lately, and it’s limiting his ability to impact the game. He does enough on defense and as a hub at the five to make himself a factor when he isn’t hitting shots, but he’s gotta start doing that again.

Grade: C-

Ousmane Dieng

21 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 6 fouls, 3/8 FG, 0/4 3P, -5

This was one to forget for the young Frenchman. Dieng forced some tough shots, missed all his triples, turned it over too much, and fouled out. This feels like a needed reminder to some fans who jumped the gun with him. Ous is still raw and young with a lot of development left.

Grade: D

AJ Green

28 minutes, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 6 fouls, 4/8 FG, 2/5 3P, 5/5 FT, -18

Dairy Bird was aggressive, but maybe a little too much, as he also fouled out. But on the positive side, he set a new career-high in free throws made with five.

Grade: B-

Jericho Sims

22 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 3/5 FG, -16

Somewhat pedestrian game for Sims, relative to the heightened standards he’s beginning to set for himself. Two of his three baskets came in the first two minutes of the game, both of which were impressive finishes over Brook Lopez.

Grade: C

Cormac Ryan

20 minutes, 13 points, 1 steal, 4/6 FG, 3/5 3P, +4

The rookie had the first double-digit outing of his young career yesterday. He looked comfortable, confident, and energetic. He hit a three as part of a big fourth-quarter run that got the few faithful fans in Fiserv jumping. Fun game for the kid.

Grade: B

Doc Rivers

“Playing the right way” has been Doc’s go-to buzzword phrase this season, but honestly, it’s the most accurate way to describe how the Bucks played in this game. Every guy on the floor kept the ball moving and played unselfishly. The offense really felt connected from start to finish, with each player (save maybe Dieng) hunting the best shot for the team. They turned it over too much, but that’s a natural byproduct of having no point guards in the lineup (where’s Mark Sears when you need him). So, assuming the structure of the game plan can be attributed to Doc, he did a solid job.

Grade: B

Inactive: The Antetokounmpos (Giannis, Alex, Thanasis), Ryan Rollins, Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Doc on Brook Lopez, who made his return to Milwaukee yesterday for the first time since he left in free agency:
  • “I wasn’t here when he won the title. I can just tell you what he meant to me, and I texted him and this, after everything went down, you know, I hate ranking cause every time I rank somebody I get some blowback, you know, but he is a top five character person, by far, I’ve ever been around in the NBA, forget coaching, player. Brook was, I fell in love with the guy as a human being. He did everything right. Prepared right. He’s emotional about the game. You know, people don’t see that because he’s so stoic, but Brook is fiercely competitive. He hates… last year, when we were struggling, that one stretch with all the injuries, every time we lost a game, he would text me, ‘what can I do more?’ That was all. Not, what someone else is not doing, I want more shots, it was ‘what can I do more to help you help the team?’ That’s, I’ve never got that text from any player in my career, like that, and he did it every time, and he meant it, and so he was amazing. This city should embrace him every time he comes to the city.”
• Tyronn Lue on one thing that’s surprised him about Brook Lopez in his first season with the Clippers:
  • “His work ethic. I mean, every single day, coming in with JVG, doing his shooting every day, doing his defensive stuff every single day, and no days off. You know, a guy who’s been in the league that long and that’s solidified as a great player this whole time, to just see him come in every single day and work, and so the same routine every single day, you can see why he’s had a long career. He’s a really good player.”
• Gary Trent Jr. on what he does to stay positive and loose regardless of the outcome of games and how many minutes he’s playing:
  •  “Again, you can only really control what you can control. I’m going into the eighth year of my NBA career. I’ve starred in games, I’ve been benched, I’ve been behind the bench in a suit, I done started and scored 40 before, so again, I done touched every aspect that you can be a part of, good and bad, so really just over those years, throughout my course of my career, helped me how to deal with things, how to stay sane, how to continue to keep working, little things like that.”
• Cormac Ryan went down chasing after a loose ball in the fourth quarter, and two Clippers helped him up. Always fun seeing little displays of sportsmanship like that, and Ryan’s overall energy has been very noticeable since he joined the team. He’s constantly standing up on the bench and cheering his teammates on.

Up Next

The Bucks will continue their homestand on Tuesday night, March 31st, against the Dallas Mavericks. Catch that one at 7:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin. 

Things are looking up for the Sixers. Their stars are finally healthy, Paul George is suspension free, and they’ve won their last two games to start getting on track as each win becomes increasingly important in the Eastern Conference standings.

After beating the Bulls and Hornets, next up the Sixers are heading to Miami to take on the 39-36 Heat, now down at ninth place in the East.

The Heat will also be at a rest disadvantage, as they’ll be finishing a back-to-back following a hefty 135-118 loss to the Pacers on Sunday.

Meanwhile for the Sixers, I can write a phrase that’s rarely been uttered for a long time: Philly will have their full rotation for this game. The recovering Johni Broome is the only player on the team’s injury report.

The Sixers are coming off the kind of win we needed to see in Charlotte. It was a glimpse of what this team was meant to be this season, before injuries, suspensions and bad vibes (from all the above and things like the Jared McCain trade) derailed it. George looked good physically on both ends and tallied 26 points and 13 rebounds, Joel Embiid got to the line like his usual self and scored 29 points, and Tyrese Maxey easily dropped 26 points and eight assists on 10-of-18 shooting (3-of-6 from three).

Throw into that the accompanying performances — from Kelly Oubre Jr. off the bench, to Andre Drummond’s strong minutes and VJ Edgecombe’s sharp complementary play at both ends — and the strong finish late in the third quarter and through the fourth to overcome a 15-point deficit, and it was actually a fun night.

It’s been hard to remember what a healthy and fun team looked like, so let’s see if they can keep it rolling. The Sixers should have another winnable game ahead of the them.

Norman Powell, the Heat’s All-Star, has been having a quality season. He’s taken on more on-ball duties, especially during all Tyler Herro’s absences, and has put together the best year of his career as a result. He’s put up 22.1 points per game with a 61.1 true shooting percentage, while gunning away from three with 7.1 attempts per game at a 38.4 percent clip.

However, Powell was out on Sunday with a upper respiratory infection. We’ll need to wait until closer to tip-off for Miami’s injury report, but Powell is the clearly the biggest name to look out for.

If Powell is available, it’ll be particularly helpful now that Kelly Oubre Jr. and George are back to help contain him. George was spry and moving well on Saturday, while Oubre’s agility and size advantage over Powell making him a pretty good defensive matchup too.

Another good matchup will be Jaime Jaquez Jr. against George and Oubre whenever they’re squared up. The Heat’s sixth man has been having a very well rounded year, putting up by far the best numbers of his young career with 14.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game with a 56.3 true shooting percentage (albeit lacking three-point efficiency) and reliable defense.

Handling Bam Adebayo is the other main challenge for the Sixers in this one. With Embiid back, though, the frontcourt battle in this one goes from being tough to a clear advantage. Embiid has always had the upper hand against Bam when they’ve faced off, utilizing his plethora of face-up and post-up moves and superior size and strength. Even if Embiid doesn’t have a big scoring night, he only needs to bully Adebayo a bit to force help and double teams to come in order to free up the extra three-point shooting the Sixers have again now George and Maxey are back.

The Herro matchup will be an interesting one to watch, especially if Powell’s out and guys like Herro (plus Andrew Wiggins and Pelle Larsson) get more touches as a result. Even though Herro’s been scoring an efficient 20.9 points per game this season (on 60.5 percent true shooting), his defense still remains an issue for an otherwise strong Miami defense that ranks ninth in the league. Especially now that Maxey is back alongside Edgecombe, it’ll be fun to see if/how they use ball screens to get matched up against Herro more often and use their explosive drives to attack him downhill.

To avoid better defenders in Davion Mitchell, and wings with more size like Jaquez Jr. and Wiggins, let’s see what Maxey and Edgecombe can cook up.

Hopefully for the Sixers, Saturday’s game against Charlotte was a sign of more positivity to come. Now that they have star power, health, and some depth on their side again, it’s time to see if they can start making that more of a regular thing.

Game Details

When: Monday, March 30, 7:00 PM ET
Where: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The San Antonio Spurs are surging toward the playoffs like an express train, and the Chicago Bulls have nowhere to hide in tonight’s matchup.

Gathering speed every week, San Antonio is 13-1 in its past 14 outings, so my Bulls vs. Spurs predictions don’t give Chicago much chance here, especially with the hosts going 0-3 so far on this road trip.

Get the lowdown on this clash on Monday, March 30, with my NBA picks and betting angles.

Bulls vs Spurs prediction

Bulls vs Spurs best bet: Stephon Castle Over 29.5 points + rebounds + assists (-115)

It’s a no-brainer to say that Victor Wembanyama is the No.1 reason to take the San Antonio Spurs seriously as a title contender. But Stephon Castle’s development as a two-way stud has to be second.

Castle is coming off a 22-10-10 triple-double against the Bucks on Saturday, and he’s walking into another favorable matchup tonight, with the Chicago  Bulls limping towards the regular season finish line.

There’s been a ferocity to Castle’s play all year, but this month has provided some new peaks, and he’s gone past this combo O/U number in seven of his last nine contests.

Big scoring nights are just a bonus when you consider Castle is averaging 8.5 APG and 5.8 RPG in March. But he’s still very capable as a bucket-getter, and he’s shooting 41% from 3-point range across his past 13 outings. That’s perhaps an inevitable outcome of all the attention that Wemby attracts in the paint.

A visit from the Bulls can only boost those stats. Chicago has coughed up 124+ points in four straight games, including a horror show in Philadelphia last Wednesday, where Billy Donovan’s squad allowed 157 points.

Castle feasted in the teams’ prior meeting this season, with 19 points and 11 assists back in November. A massive spread suggests one-way traffic here, but don’t expect the Spurs to ease up. With Castle at the controls, the hosts should be at their relentless best.

Bulls vs Spurs same-game parlay

With Castle playing at such an elite level, the Spurs are big favorites for a ninth straight victory. San Antonio is 28-7 straight up at home, while Chicago is just 11-25 SU on the road.

I’m doubtful about the Bulls’ chances of posting a big total against an in-form Spurs defense, so the Under offers nice value to round out my SGP. It’s 43-32 for San Antonio this season, and the hosts have held their past two opponents under the 100-point mark.

Bulls vs Spurs SGP

• Stephon Castle Over 29.5 points + rebounds + assists
• Spurs moneyline
• Under 242.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Nothing Else Matas

If the Bulls are going to put up a fight here, it starts with Matas Buzelis filling the box score. He’s grabbed 8+ rebounds in three straight, and he’s got the size to shoot over the Spurs’ smaller guards. For all Chicago’s struggles lately, the visitors are a respectable 6-4 ATS in their last 10, so this spread feels a little inflated.

Bulls vs Spurs SGP

• Matas Buzelis Over 6.5 rebounds
• Matas Buzelis Over 1.5 assists
• Matas Buzelis Over 2.5 made threes
• Bulls +18

Bulls vs Spurs odds

• Spread: Bulls +18.5 (-115) | Spurs -18.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Bulls +1000 | Spurs -2000
• Over/Under: Over 244.5 (-110) | Under 244.5 (-110)

Bulls vs Spurs betting trend to know

The Bulls are 6-1 ATS in their last seven matchups against the Spurs. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Spurs.

How to watch Bulls vs Spurs

Bulls vs Spurs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

St. John's amazing return to national prominence in men's basketball has earned the architect of the renaissance a new contract.

School officials confirmed to ESPN on Sunday, March 29, that Rick Pitino has signed a new contract that will make him the Big East's second-highest paid-coach behind UConn's Dan Hurley.

"Coach Pitino has changed the culture of our community and we want his presence to be felt on this campus for years to come," athletic director Ed Kull said in a statement. "We look forward to more Big East championships and NCAA tournament runs with Coach Pitino at the helm."

Pitino led the Red Storm to a 30-7 record and their first appearance in the Sweet 16 this century before a season-ending loss to Duke on Friday, March 17.

In his third year at St. John's, the 73-year-old Pitino made history as the Red Storm became the first program ever to win back-to-back Big East regular season and tournament titles.

The Hall of Fame coach has an overall record of 915-318 (.742) over 38 seasons. He has taken three different schools (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville) to the Final Four and won two national championships.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rick Pitino signs lucrative new contract as St. John's head coach