Longtime Sixers PA announcer Matt Cord to retire at end of season  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Matt Cord’s tenure as the longtime, much-loved PA announcer for the Sixers will end at the conclusion of this season.

Cord announced Wednesday on X that the Sixers’ 2025-26 campaign will be his last on the job.

“After 28 years as the PA announcer for the Sixers I’m officially retiring at the end of the season,” Cord said. “I’ve had the best seat in the house announcing for the best fans in the world. Thank you to the players and the 76ers organization. What a privilege it’s been.”

Cord developed his own distinct style over the years, from announcing the Sixers’ starting center as “Joel The Process Embiid” to calling buckets for “Allen Iiiiiiiiii-verson.” 

He also became known throughout the NBA. Starting in 2022, Cord’s voice has been featured in NBA 2K video games.

Along with his Sixers work, Cord has been a constant on Philadelphia radio. He’s currently the midday host at 93.3 WMMR.

“Matt’s iconic voice helped define our game experience for generations of 76ers fans, and his unique style and presence narrated some of the best moments in franchise history,” the Sixers said in a team statement. “We look forward to celebrating Matt’s legendary career in the near future and sincerely appreciate all he has done for our city and organization.”

Over the last month of the men’s college basketball regular season, there’ve seemingly been safe spots in the NCAA tournament at-large pool available for the taking. Most teams, however, haven’t taken them.

As a result, more than a handful of teams enter tournament week with work to do to push their way to the right side of the proverbial bubble. For some such squads, the quest might already be over – better luck next year, Stanford.

Here are five games to watch involving other bubble dwellers hoping to avoid the same fate on the Wednesday schedule. All four power conferences are represented on this list, but we’ll start with a couple more matchups in the afore-mentioned ACC.

North Carolina State vs. Pittsburgh

Time/TV: noon ET, ESPN2.

The Wolfpack have been a wildly inconsistent bunch, having won just once in their last seven outings. That victory was a blowout over rival North Carolina, but some of the losses have been downright unsightly. They’re probably still safe given the chaos on the rest of the bubble over the last few weeks, but a setback here to the Panthers, who are outside the top 100 in the NCAA’s NET ranking, would be more damaging than a result against Stanford would have been.

SMU vs. Louisville

Time/TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

The Mustangs were able to avoid a resume-killer against Syracuse in the first round of the ACC tournament, and now they have an opportunity to boost their cause. The Cardinals are in much safer territory, thanks to a solid road win at Miami to conclude the regular season, but would like to turn in a good performance nevertheless on the eve of March Madness.

Cincinnati vs. Central Florida

Time/TV: 3 p.m. ET, ESPNU.

The 8-9 pairing in the Big 12 second round isn’t an bubble-elimination game per se. The Knights have a few more quality results on their resume and would probably still be in with a loss, though they might be shuffled closer to the First Four. The Bearcats spent much of the conference campaign trying to erase some bad outcomes from November and early December. They've won six of eight entering the postseason. A victory won’t clinch a berth, but it would keep them in the conversation.

Auburn vs. Mississippi State

Time/TV: 3 p.m. ET, SECN.

Hardwood pundits from just about every locale in the nation outside of Auburn, Alabama, cite the Tigers, just a game above .500 entering the SEC tournament, as Exhibit A in the case against NCAA expansion. Through sheer volume they’ve amassed numerous Quad 1 victories, but the number in the loss column, especially if it came against the sub-.500 Bulldogs, would become too large to dismiss. Just advancing isn't enough for Steven Pearl's team but it gives them a chance to fight another day.

Indiana vs. Northwestern

Time/TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, BTN.

Exhibit B is Indiana, although most bracketologists have the Hoosiers on the outside anyway. IU enters the Big Ten tournament needing a deep run. Beating the Wildcats won’t move the needle on its own, but a loss would end chance to add more quality wins.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament bubble games impacting March Madness field Wednesday

What has gotten into Ole Miss?

The No. 15 seed Rebels haven't trailed yet in the SEC tournament and have knocked off No. 10 Texas, No. 7 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama in three days.

Up next? No. 3 Arkansas. At 15-19, Ole Miss has no shot at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but the Rebels could certainly play spoiler.

March Madness bubble watch: State of play one day before bracket unveiled

Defending champion Florida continues to look like a team prepared to go back-to-back, after dispatching Kentucky on Friday. The Gators get Vanderbilt in Saturday's semifinal.

The Commodores beat in-state rival Tennessee on Friday.

In the seven NBA seasons since he was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson’s career has been filled with twists and turns. From his promising rookie year to multiple injuries and now at the center of another Pelicans rebuild, Williamson is the subject of much frustration and speculation.

And now, it’s made him the subject of a high school science course.

Students at one New York City high school are using Williamson’s injury history, body composition and career trajectory to learn nutrition, psychology and kinesiology.  

The Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School, a five-year-old public charter school in the Bronx named after the NBA legend, builds its curriculum around the business of basketball and prepares students for careers off the court in sports medicine, broadcasting, analytics and more.

A list of science courses on the school’s website includes typical subjects like biology, chemistry, physics. The Zion Williamson course, introduced two years ago, has quickly become a student favorite.

It's conference tournament time.

While some postseason tournaments have gotten underway this week and last, a few more get started over the next few days as college basketball inches closer to Selection Sunday for the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracketology: NCAA tournament bubble predictions, new No. 1 seed

With some conference tournaments already concluding, we have seen autobids clinch spots in the Big Dance by winning their respective tournaments. Which is to say, the number of available bids for spots in March Madness is shrinking and will only continue to dwindle.

A handful of teams enter the conference tournaments with little else to prove, but they should remember that seeding can still be effected. Other teams enter their respective conference tournaments treating it like the NCAA tournament, as with one loss they could vanish from the brackets before they are even revealed.

Here's a look at the latest NCAA Tournament preview, including bubble teams and locks to reach March Madness:

March Madness bracket bubble watch tracker

March Madness locks

Based on games through Tuesday, March 10

• Big Ten (9): Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State, UCLA
• Big 12 (7): Arizona, Iowa State, Houston, Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU, Texas Christian
• SEC (7): Florida, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky
• ACC (6): Duke, Virginia, Louisville, North Carolina, Clemson, Miami,
• Big East (3): UConn, Villanova, St. John's
• Other (10): Gonzaga, Utah State, Queens (N.C.)*, High Point*, Northern Iowa*, Long Island*, Tennessee State*, Furman*, North Dakota State*, Troy*

*Clinched auto berth by winning conference title

42 teams entered play on Tuesday, March 10, with a 99.4% chance or better to reach the Tournament, according to Bart Torvik's "TourneyCast." These "locks" make up 62% of the field this season for the NCAA Tournament.

Torvik's metrics are used in the NCAA's BPI equation, alongside third-party analyst Ken Pomeroy, also referenced as KenPom by college basketball fans.

The 42 teams that are considered "locks" include eight more teams that have punched their tickets to the tournament with an auto-bid by winning their conference tournaments.

NCAA Tournament likely ins

• SEC (1): Texas A&M
• ACC (1): North Carolina State
• Big 12 (0): N/A
• Big Ten (0): N/A
• Big East (0): N/A
• Other (3): Miami (Ohio), Howard, Hofstra

Entering the final week of the regular season, these are the teams that are "likely in" and have between a 70% and 98.9% chance to reach the NCAA Tournament, per Torvik.

While NC State is still likely in the tournament, they were seen as a lock just last week. However, the Wolfpack has slipped of late with six losses in their last seven games.

Last week, we had 11 teams making the "likely in" list. That has slimmed down to five teams, as most teams have either locked in a spot or fallen into the bubble.

NCAA Tournament bubble teams

• SEC (4): Oklahoma, Auburn, Texas, Missouri
• Big 12 (2): Cincinnati, Central Florida
• Big Ten (1): Indiana
• ACC (1): Southern Methodist
• Big East (0): N/A
• Other (13): UMBC, Wright State, VCU, McNeese State, Lehigh, Boston University, South Florida, Utah Valley, Akron, Yale, Bethum-Cookman, Liberty, New Mexico

All of the teams included in this list have a 70% chance or lower to make the NCAA Tournament. Some of these teams are "more in" the tournament than others, but none can afford a major slip-up in the conference tournaments, and some of the teams need to win the tournament outright to get into the NCAA tournament.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket tracker: Who's in, out and on NCAA bubble

Bam Adebayo erupted for 83 points against the Washington Wizards, and led the Miami Heat to an easy 150-129 victory. It was Washington’s ninth consecutive defeat.

Adebayo’s scoring outburst was both unexpected and historic. His career high entering the night was 41, and he had 30 games in his career with 30 points or more. Not that many for a ninth year pro.

In terms of total points by an individual player in a single game, Adebayo now ranks second all-time. Here’s the list:

1. Wilt Chamberlain — 100
2. Bam Adebayo — 83
3. Kobe Bryant — 81
4. Wilt Chamberlain — 78
5. Wilt Chamberlain (2x) | Luka Doncic | David Thompson — 73
6. Wilt Chamberlain — 72
7. Elgin Baylor | Damian Lillard | Donovan Mitchell | David Robinson — 71
8. Devin Booker | Wilt Chamberlain | Joel Embiid — 70
9. Michael Jordan — 79
10. Wilt Chamberlain | Pete Maravich — 68

If I was playing a one of these things is not like the others from this list, I’d zero in on Adebayo right away. This Chamberlain fellow seems to have been pretty good at scoring.

For grins and giggles, I dusted off my Wilt 100 Translator — a spreadsheet that transmogrifies a scoring performance in one game into the game when Chamberlain went for the epic 100.

Back story on this, on one of the anniversaries of Chamberlain scoring 100, ESPN’s morning guys Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic prattled on and on with guest after guest about whether or not this was the greatest athletic performance by anyone in the history of sports. No one mentioned pace. Or era. Or anything that made a bit of sense. I was left wondering if it was even the single best scoring game in NBA history. (Spoiler: I don’t think it was.)

The method is straightforward. Chamberlain scored 100 on a night his team scored 169. That’s 59.2% of his team’s points in the game. Compare with that night in December 2006 when Gilbert Arenas pumped in 60 points and the Wizards scored 147. That’s 40.8% of Washington’s points in the game — which would be akin to scoring 69 in Chamberlain’s massive game.

Last night, Adebayo’s 83 was 55.3% of Miami’s points against Washington. If the Wizards defense was something other than what Heat play-by-play man Eric Reid called “non-confrontational” Adebayo’s share might have been higher. Even so, it equates to scoring 94 in Chamberlain’s game. Impressive stuff.

Of the games I’ve run through the Wilt 100 Translator, I estimate that Kobe Bryant’s 81-point night was the best scoring game ever, translating to 112 in Chamberlain’s game. Second best was David Robinson’s 71, which converts to 107. Chamberlain’s 100-point game lands third.

Other elite games include Michael Jordan’s 69 (100), Tracy McGrady’s 62 (97), and Kobe Bryant’s 65 (95). Adebayo’s 83 (94) ties Bryant’s 62 for seventh on my all-time translated single-game scoring list.

Two other games cracked the 90-point translated mark: Allen Iverson’s 60 on Feb. 12, 2005 (91), and Jordan’s 61 in 1987 (90).

One of the more amusing things about this game: the Wizards defense wasn’t even all that bad by their standards. Their defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) was 121.7 entering last night’s game. Against Miami, it was 128. Very bad, but not very close to their worst defensive performance of the season.

Adebayo’s 132 offensive rating wasn’t particularly outlandish either. It was an impressive feat but not otherworldly efficiency. In many ways, the scoring output was a microcosm of Adebayo and the Heat — tough, grinding, hard work.

It was also a microcosm game for the Wizards. They were inattentive and sloppy on defense early, got overwhelmed by a superior opponent, and only got serious about trying to prevent that opponent from scoring when the game was out of reach and history was already made. And they still failed at stopping the inundation because they could not stop fouling.

Kudos to Adebayo for putting in the effort and posting a historic number. Kudos to head coach Erik Spoelstra for leaving him in the game to go for history. Kudos to Adebayo’s teammates for committing to getting him the ball and contributing to the night. It was fun to witness.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

The 2026 edition of the Mountain West men’s basketball tournament will have something of a bitter-sweet feel, as it will bring to a close what has been a period of hardwood prosperity for the league.

Yes, the conference will still exist next year, but its makeup will look quite different as some of its more high-profile members will be off to the reborn Pac-12 at the conclusion of this academic term. We should enjoy this one, then, as it also promises to be a wide-open affair. There’s also quite a bit on the line, as there isn’t likely to be much of an at-large safety net for most of the participants this year.

Mountain West tournament schedule, bracket, scores

First round

Wednesday, March 11

• Game 1: No. 8 UNLV vs. No. 9 Wyoming, 3 p.m., Mountain West Network
• Game 2: No. 5 Nevada vs. No. 12 Air Force, 5:30 p.m., Mountain West Network
• Game 3: No. 7 Colorado State vs. No. 10 Fresno State, 9 p.m., Mountain West Network
• Game 4: No. 6 Boise State vs. No. 11 San Jose State, 11:30 p.m., Mountain West Network

Quarterfinal

Thursday, March 12

• Game 5: No. 1 Utah State vs. Game 1 winner, 3 p.m., CBSSN
• Game 6: No. 4 Grand Canyon vs. Game 2 winner, 5:30 p.m., CBSSN
• Game 7: No. 2 San Diego State vs. Game 3 winner, 9 p.m., CBSSN
• Game 8: No. 3 New Mexico vs. Game 4 winner, 11:30 p.m., CBSSN

Semifinal

Friday, March 13

• Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9:30 p.m., CBSSN
• Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, midnight, CBSSN

Championship game

Saturday, March 14

• Game 11: Championship game, 6 p.m., CBS

How to watch Mountain West tournament

• TV: CBS | CBSSN | Mountain West Network
• Streaming: Fubo (free trial)

The Mountain West tournament first round will air on the Mountain West Network and the league's streaming site The quarterfinals and semifinals will be broadcast by CBS Sports Network. CBS will air the championship game.

Mountain West favorite

Utah State claimed the regular-season title and top seed for this event in Vegas, and it is the only team here that can be considered truly safe as far as the NCAA tournament is concerned. The Aggies, however, didn’t secure that top seed until the final day of the campaign. No. 2 San Diego State and No. 3 New Mexico are quite capable of hoisting the trophy, and we also shouldn’t sleep on fifth-seeded Boise State, which qualifies as the league’s hottest team entering on a five-game winning streak.

Mountain West top players

MJ Collins Jr., G, Utah State – The former Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech player found a good fit in Logan to conclude his collegiate career. He leads the Aggies in scoring at 17.6 points a game while connecting at a reliable 81.7% clip from the free-throw line.

Mason Falslev, G, Utah State – One of the top holdovers helping the Aggies to a fourth consecutive 25-win campaign, Falslev is a consistent shooter with 51.9% overall field-goal accuracy and 41.7% from the arc. He is averaging 15.9 points a game while also contributing 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals.

Reese Dixon-Waters, G, San Diego State – The Aztecs have several candidates who can score in bunches, but Dixon-Waters does so with the most frequency. He leads a trio of guards with double-digit averages, putting up 13.2 himself.

Jake Hall, G, New Mexico – The Carlsbad, California native quickly emerged in his freshman season as a perimeter threat for the Lobos. He leads the team at 16.3 points a game connecting on 44.4% of his three-point attempts.

Drew Fielder, F, Boise State – The Georgetown transer has played a big role as the Broncos have charged late in the season and become a threat to take home the title. He enters the tournament leading BSU in scoring (14.8) and rebounding (5.7).

NCAA tournament bubble storylines for Mountain West

Provided the seeds hold, the semifinal between San Diego State and New Mexico could serve as a de facto bubble eliminator. It’s possible both could sneak in if there is sufficient chaos among contenders from other power leagues, but both squads will play like their season depends on it. Should any team outside the top three seeds steal the automatic bid, it could be bad news for both.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mountain West tournament bracket, scores, schedule

1. Jaylen Brown Masterclass Before Ejection

In one of the biggest games of the season Jaylen Brown was ejected with 3:42 left in the second quarter after he was pushed out of bounds. Crew Chief referee Tyler Ford was standing right there watching the foul and just decided not to call it, making Brown rightfully mad. Ford gave Brown the first technical foul but it was the side judge Suyash Mehta who ejected him from the game.

That is a shame because in his short time in the game, Brown was poised to have a MVP level night. He had 8 points and 7 assists on 4-8 shooting in 15 minutes. It makes me sick to think about how good Brown could have been. He was just starting to get it going on offense and he was attacking Victor Wembanyama, accepting the challenge. Just a brutal way to end the night for Jaylen Brown.

2. Derrick White Tried to Carry

When Jaylen Brown was ejected, Payton Pritchard out, and Jayson Tatum still coming back, Derrick White did everything in his power to try and bring the Celtics back into the game. He ended up finishing with a season high 34 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds on 11-22 shooting. Sadly he just ran out of gas in the fourth quarter but it was a valiant effort.

White’s third quarter was really special, scoring 19 points on 7-12 shooting. White did all of his scoring with only making one three pointer. He was able to work around some great screens by Neemias Queta to get to the basket and make some wild finishes over the defenders including Victor Wembanyama. My favorite was his third basket when he took Wemby off the dribble, got underneath him, and finished with a layup before he could block it.

3. Jayson Tatum Continues to Improve

In Jayson Tatum’s third game back he started to show even more glimpses of his old self. He finished with a season high 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, on 10-24 shooting from the field and 4-14 shooting from three. Tatum had stretches in this game where he started to take over in short scoring bursts where he carried the Celtics offense by himself.

Obviously the shooting numbers don’t look the best on paper but I thought outside of a few plays, Tatum looked pretty comfortable getting to his spots and shooting. His drives continue to look impressive, having two plays where he beat Victor Wembanyama off the dribble that resulted in shots at the rim.

His stretch early in the fourth quarter is a great example of how he started to take over. Tatum scored 7-straight points off of some great plays over Wembanyama contests and a fall away three pointer that forced the Spurs to call a timeout and cut their lead to 3 points. If he wasn’t on a minutes restriction, I was convinced Tatum had a chance of leading a comeback win but it just wasn’t meant to be.

4. Ron Harper Jr Career Game

Ron Harper Jr has looked good in short spurts this season. With Payton Pritchard being out for this game, he got a chance to show what he could do against the Spurs and did not disappoint. Harper finished with a career high 22 points on 8-11 shooting and 6-9 from three. Was this career night due to playing against his little brother Dylan Harper, maybe, but Ron really showed out in this game.

His three point shooting was absolutely insane in this game. All of his threes in this game were heavily contested by San Antonio and Harper Jr was able to shoot over them like it was nothing. Whether it was from the corner or the top of the key or with the shot clock running down, Ron Harper Jr showed tonight that he is a legitimate NBA role player.

5. Sam Hauser Solid Contributor

Coming off a scorching hot game against the Cavaliers on Sunday, Sam Hauser continued his solid play against the Spurs, finishing with 11 points and 7 rebounds on 4-10 shooting from the field and 3-8 shooting from three. Over his last 5 games, Hauser is shooting 39% from beyond the arc and has really done a great job in the starting lineup with Tatum’s return.

The second quarter was where Hauser made his mark in this game, scoring 9 points on 3 three pointers. He was able to fire the ball quickly on his catch-and-shoot opportunities and he was a big reason the Celtics were ahead early in this game.

6. Bench With No Pritchard

The Celtics bench was stretched incredibly thin in this game with both Nikola Vucevic (fractured right ring finger) and Payton Pritchard (neck spasms) being ruled out for this game. Outside of Ron Harper Jr who had 22 points, the rest of the bench only scored 11 points between Baylor Scheierman (6 points), Luka Garza (3 points), Hugo Gonzalez (2 points) and Jordan Walsh (1 point).

Missing Vucevic killed the Celtics when it came to throwing another body at Victor Wembanyama. I’m not sure he would have done a better job defending him, but I do think he would have a better chance than Garza who got cooked all night. I feel Vucevic would have given Wemby a little more of a challenge and could have also helped be a third center when Garza got into foul trouble.

Missing Pritchard was felt heavily once Jaylen Brown was ejected. In games where Brown didn’t play this season, Pritchard has averaged 23.6 Points on 46% shooting from the field and 45% shooting from three. He would have had a chance to provide Tatum and White with more help when it came to being another player who could create his own shot. Luckily his neck spasms don’t seem serious so he could come back to play against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Celtics next matchup.

7. Celtics Ran Out of Gas

After losing Jaylen Brown in the second quarter and being without the services of Pritchard and Vucevic, the Celtics were only down 97-90 after three quarters. Boston cut the Spurs lead to 1 point at the 6:38 mark of the fourth quarter and it looked like they had a chance to pull off a huge victory.

Sadly, San Antonio would then rattle off a 12-0 run and Boston just could not hit a shot to save their lives in response. They battled in this game but shooting 9-24 (38%) from the field and 6-17 (35%) from three just wasn’t enough to beat the Spurs who were just on fire from three.

8. Spurs Three Point Shooting

Coming into this game, the Spurs ranked 17th in the NBA in threes made per game at 13.4. Against the Celtics, they shot 20-47 (43%) and basically beat Boston at their own game. They were using Victor Wembanyama to draw two players away from the three point line and that opened up so many wide open shots that San Antonio knocked down.

Wembanyama helped by making 8 of those 20 threes but it was just a crazy hot shooting night for the Spurs that the Celtics just couldn’t stop.

9. Victor Wembanyama is Insane

You can turn on any Spurs game and be marveled by how good Victor Wembanyama is but when he does it against your team it just feels different. Wemby finished with 39 points and 11 rebounds on 11-20 shooting from the field and 8-15 shooting from three.

He tied his career high for three pointers made in a game and was taking advantage of Luka Garza and Neemias Queta playing drop coverage on him. It looked like the Celtics game plan was to just let him shoot and Wembanyama made them pay.

When he turns into a 7’5” Steph Curry while also being able to dunk on every player on your roster, you just have to sit back and scratch your head at how you even guard him. If it wasn’t obvious to you yet, Victor Wembanyama is going to be the next face of the NBA and its only a matter of time before he reaches his full power and reeks havoc on the basketball world.

10. Potential Finals Preview?

With the all the craziness that happened in this game between Brown and the Spurs shooting like the 2017 Warriors from three, I would say Boston played a pretty good game. I also wouldn’t put past the chance that this could be a potential NBA Finals matchup.

If both teams did make it to the finals this season, I would think Boston would have the slight edge just based on their championship experience. Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, and Hauser have all been part of the Celtics core on their 2024 championship so they know what it takes to win it all. Outside of Harrison Barnes and former Celtic Luke Kornet, the Spurs young core just doesn’t have the experience. To that point however, Victor Wembanyama is a basketball demi-god so experience might not matter.

Out of the contenders in the West, the Spurs definitely look like the best option on paper for the Celtics to beat over the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder. So if the stars aligned and we got a Boston vs San Antonio NBA Finals matchup, I think the Celtics would have a legitimate shot to win the series just based on the way they have been able to compete against them so far in the regular season.

After waiting 15 years to have a lottery pick, the Nets saw Egor Dëmin’s rookie campaign cut short, shut down early by plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

A foot specialist who spoke with The Post called the condition “painful and sometimes debilitating,” and added Brooklyn picked the right time to shelve Dëmin and has reason to believe the situation won’t become chronic.

With the Nets — who got pounded by the Pistons 138-100 on Tuesday night at Barclays Center — investing the No. 8 overall pick of the 2025 draft in Dëmin, they’d better hope not.

“The take-home point is for a jumping athlete like a basketball player, it can be a significantly painful and sometimes debilitating condition,” said Dr. Andrew Brief of the Ridgewood Orthopedic Group — a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who hasn’t treated Dëmin but specializes in foot surgeries.

“I would say that the organization has reason to be optimistic that because he’s young and healthy, plantar fasciitis is usually a diagnosis that will ultimately resolve itself, and won’t be chronic. However, it seems as though he’s had recurrence in the past, so they’re going to have to consider other options if he doesn’t get better, after being shut down.”

Dëmin hasn’t played since Feb. 27, and the Nets announced Monday that he was being shut down for the season.

The Russian rookie averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds, the first Nets rookie since 2019 to make the Rising Stars roster at All-Star weekend. While coach Jordi Fernández couldn’t say when the plantar fasciitis — which had plagued Dëmin over the summer and during training camp — flared back up, Dr. Brief told The Post it almost certainly hindered the guard’s play.

“He might just have a high pain tolerance. But it seems like an opportune moment for the Brooklyn Nets to shut him down now, given the fact that he’s having symptoms, and he’s had recurrence,” Dr. Brief told The Post. “It’s probably affecting his play, and the team is not in the situation right now where they’re playing for a playoff spot.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND NETS STATS

Quite the opposite, Brooklyn is playing for the lottery. The Nets are 17-48, and fourth in the lottery standings.

Meanwhile, Dëmin — who has struggled getting by defenders all season, but compensated with hot shooting — had gone into a funk. He averaged only six points on 31.4 percent shooting in his last six games before being shelved, just 6-of-24 from deep.

“An athlete’s ability to play with plantar fasciitis is mediated by pain, so the more activity, the more they are likely to experience discomfort,” Dr. Brief said. “Therefore, being in a situation where you need to make an explosive play or jump, you’d be limited because of how much pain that you are in. So, it certainly could affect performance, if you’ve had long-standing plantar fasciitis.”

Dëmin and the Nets are hoping to put the long-standing issue behind them.

Fernández said Dëmin is expected to have a nonsurgical procedure, and Dr. Brief said there are a number of options.

“When treating plantar fasciitis, you really want to throw every single nonsurgical option at them before surgery is even a remote consideration, because most people get better without surgery,” Dr. Brief said. “Besides immobilization, oral medication, physical therapy, acupuncture, braces, orthotics, etc., usually procedural-based treatment for plantar fasciitis involves injections.

“Cortisone is typically the first line of injection treatment, but sometimes people utilize alternative type of injections like platelets [PRP] or stem cells or amniotic tissue injections; that could be what they’re referring to with procedure-based treatment. PRP most likely is in the treatment algorithm if someone hasn’t responded to everything else.”

Knicks fans will recall the impact plantar fasciitis had on Patrick Ewing and Joakim Noah, but that was some time ago. Anthony Davis managed chronic plantar fasciitis throughout the 2024 season.

With Dëmin just turning 20 and getting early treatment, the Nets will be confident of avoiding chronic woes.

“You could obviously say that he has had state-of-the-art foot and ankle care, so this is not a matter of improper treatment,” Dr. Brief said. “I think it’s just the luck of the draw: he’s clearly a great athlete with great medical care and is just the recipient of some bad fortune during his rookie season.”

Bam Adebayo scored 83 points - the second highest number in an NBA game - as the Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards 150-129.

The center said it was a "special moment" when he passed Kobe Bryant's 81-point tally, set in 2006.

Wilt Chamberlain's record of 100 points has stood since 1962.

Adebayo scored 36 of 43 free-throws - records for the most free-throws attempted and most free-throws made - at Kaseya Center in Miami.

"It's Wilt, me, then Kobe, which sounds crazy," he said.

The 28-year-old described it as a "special moment" and said he "really got emotional" when he realised the scale of his achievement.

"I wish I could relive it twice," Adebayo said.

Paying tribute to his family and trainers, he said: "They've seen me at the lowest, at the bottom of the bottom, trying to figure out how to really pick myself up.

"To have this moment and share it with all them, it's a pretty emotional moment."

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-106 at home thanks to Luka Doncic's 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

The Lakers climbed to fourth in the Western Conference, ahead of the Timberwolves on a tie-breaker as they both have 40-25 records.

Eastern Conference leaders the Detroit Pistons moved to 46-18 with a 138-100 win at the Brooklyn Nets as Jalen Duren scored 26 points.

• NBA fixtures & results

The Big East tournament will end with Connecticut and St. John’s showdown for the third time this season.

UConn is back in the conference championship game following a 67-51 win over Georgetown in Friday's semifinal. The Huskies are once again national championship contenders under Dan Hurley, thanks to their Big Four of Alex Karaban, Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary Jr. and Tarris Reed Jr.

March Madness bubble watch: State of play one day before bracket unveiled

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St. John's is looking for back-to-back Big East tournament titles. Led by Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor, the Johnnies took down Seton Hall in Friday's semifinal. The Red Storm are currently seeded between the 4- and 6-seed lines in NCAA Tournament projections, so a second Quad 1 win on the season against the Huskies would be a nice boost for Rick Pitino's squad.

Big East tournament schedule, bracket, scores

First round, Wednesday, March 11

• Game 1: No. 9 Providence 91, No. 8 Butler 81
• Game 2: No. 10 Xavier 89, No. 7 Marquette 87
• Game 3: No. 11 Georgetown 63, No. 6 DePaul 56

Quarterfinals, Thursday, March 12

• Game 4: No. 1 St. John's 85, No. 9 Providence 72
• Game 5: No. 4 Seton Hall 72, No. 5 Creighton 61
• Game 6: No. 2 UConn 93, No. 10 Xavier 68
• Game 7: No. 11 Georgetown 78, No. 3 Villanova 64

Semifinals, Friday, March 13

• Game 8: No. 1 St. John's 78, No. 4 Seton Hall 68
• Game 9: No. 2 UConn 67, No. 11 Georgetown 51

Championship

• Game 10: No. 1 St. John's vs. No. 2 UConn | 6:30 p.m. | FOX (Fubo)

How to watch Big East tournament

• TV: NBCSN, Fox Sports 1 and Fox
• Streaming: Peacock and Fubo

The entire first round will air on NBCSN and simultaneously stream on Peacock. Likewise for the first two games of the quarterfinals, before the second pair of quarterfinal games shifts to Fox Sports 1 and streams on Fubo.

Fubo will also stream the semifinals and final, which will have a traditional broadcast on FOX.

Big East tournament favorite

The favorite is still UConn despite the late slide into second place behind the Red Storm.

St. John’s took the first meeting this season, topping the Huskies 81-72 at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 6. UConn avenged that loss with a dominant 72-40 win on Feb. 25.

The Red Storm are a difficult group to pin down because of the average mark against top-level competition. But St. John’s has often looked the part of a potential Final Four team.

Overall, UConn is the Big East’s most complete team and most dangerous NCAA tournament team after losing in the second round last March.

Big East tournament top players

Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John’s — Ejiofor will deserve All-America consideration for his impact as a scorer (16.0 ppg), interior presence (2 bpg) and impactful post passer (career-best 3.5 apg).

Duke Brennan, F, Villanova — Brennan is hard to stop near the basket, making 66% of his attempts, and his 4 offensive rebounds per game leads the Big East and ranks eighth nationally.

Alex Karaban, F, UConn — The Huskies’ veteran forward has made 47.9% of his attempts from the field and an even 40% from deep to score in double figures (12.9 ppg) for the third year in a row.

Adam Clark, G, Seton Hall — A former Merrimack transfer, Clark is a pesky defender (2 spg) and capable distributor (4.7 apg) but has to limit his turnovers to help Seton Hall land the wins it needs to book a tournament bid.

Solomon Ball, G, UConn — Ball (13.9 ppg) hit a cold spell down the stretch of Big East play and was held below double figures in five of his past nine games. How far UConn goes this month might depend on whether he can flip the switch.

March Madness bubble storylines for Big East

The Big East has just three NCAA tournament locks in UConn, St. John’s and Villanova. The Huskies could rally back into position to secure a No. 1 seed by winning the conference tournament, depending on how things unfold with Florida in the SEC and Houston in the Big 12.

The Red Storm are currently hovering around the No. 5 line in large part. Villanova is solidly in the No. 7 range.

Seton Hall stormed out of the gate with a 10-1 mark in non-conference play but has dropped all six matchups against the Big East’s top three. That’s left the Pirates out of the NCAA mix and needing to win the conference tournament to punch their ticket to March Madness.

After placing five teams in last year’s bracket, the odds are the Big East has just three tournament teams unless an underdog wins the conference and steals a bid, which would complicate the at-large picture.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big East basketball tournament bracket, scores, schedule, TV channel