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MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 83 points, the second-best scoring effort in NBA history, to carry the Miami Heat to a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Adebayo had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 by halftime and 62 by the end of the third quarter. He finished 20 for 43 from the field, 36 for 43 from the foul line and 7 for 22 from 3-point range.

Adebayo’s free throw makes and attempts both set NBA records for a game. The record for attempts was 39 by Dwight Howard — who got to the line that many times on two occasions. The record for free throws made in a game was 28, set by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley.

Chamberlain got the 28 free throws on the night he scored 100 points in 1962 — the only game better than Adebayo in NBA history. Adebayo passed his basketball idol, Kobe Bryant, for the second-highest scoring game ever; Bryant’s career-best was 81.

LeBron James had the previous Heat single-game scoring mark; his 61-point effort against Charlotte happened on March 3, 2014. Denver’s Nikola Jokic had the previous season high in the NBA this season with 56.

Adebayo passed them both in the third quarter — and just kept going.

Simone Fontecchio scored 18 points for Miami (37-29), which has won six straight and moved a season-best eight games over .500. The Heat were without Norman Powell (groin), Tyler Herro (quadriceps), Nikola Jovic (back) and Andrew Wiggins (toe).

76ERS 139, GRIZZLIES 129

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cam Payne scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, rookie VJ Edgecombe added 21 points in his return to the lineup and Philadelphia rallied to beat Memphis.

Kelly Oubre Jr. had 31 points and 12 rebounds and Quentin Grimes scored 22 points for the 76ers, who were without All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Maxey will be sidelined for at least three weeks because of a tendon injury on the small finger of his right hand, the team announced before the game.

Edgecombe took over point guard duties for Maxey after missing three consecutive games with a lumbar contusion. He provided the game’s highlight, showing his back is OK, with a two-handed, leaping dunk midway through the second quarter.

Ty Jerome scored 26 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost five straight and 12 of 15.

HAWKS 124, MAVERICKS 112

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 29 points, Jalen Johnson had 27 and Atlanta won its seventh in a row, holding off the Dallas Mavericks 124-112 on Tuesday night.

The Hawks, who have the NBA’s longest active winning streak, led nearly the entire game but couldn’t pull away from the Mavericks until the final period.

Dallas tied the score at 97 on Khris Middleton’s step-back jumper with just over nine minutes remaining. Atlanta took control from there to hand Dallas its eighth straight loss.

Alexander-Walker hit two straight 3-pointers in the closing minutes to put the game away.

Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg was held to 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting, shadowed most of the night by the Hawks’ top defensive player, Dyson Daniels.

Daniels also had plenty of work at the offensive end with 14 points and 10 assists, reaching 1,000 field goals in his career. Onkeya Okongwu chipped in with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 21 points.

PISTONS 138, NETS 100

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Duren scored 26 points, Cade Cunningham had 21 points and 15 assists, and Detroit snapped a season-worst four-game skid, beating Brooklyn.

Duren shot 9 of 10 from the field and Cunningham was 8 of 10, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Duncan Robinson added 15 points and Marcus Sasser finished with 14 for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who never trailed.

Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points and Jalen Wilson added 14 for the Nets, who saw their two-game winning streak end.

Part of Detroit’s skid was an improbable loss to visiting Brooklyn on Saturday night in a game it led by 23 points midway through the third quarter. The Nets ended a 10-game skid with that victory.

SUNS 129, BUCKS 114

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Devin Booker scored 27 points, Jalen Green had 25 and Royce O’Neale 21 as Phoenix pulled away in the fourth quarter to win a shootout with Milwaukee.

Phoenix shot 53.9% and made a season-high 24 3-pointers on 51 attempts. Milwaukee shot 51.2% and went 16 of 38 from 3-point range.

In a game that featured 15 ties and 12 lead changes, O’Neale put the Suns ahead for good with a tiebreaking buzzer-beater from about 50 feet to end the third quarter. Phoenix then scored the first seven points of the final period to extend its lead to 107-97.

Phoenix stayed in front by at least seven points the rest of the way.

Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 33 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner each added 22 points. Ousmane Dieng 12 points and 10 rebounds.

ROCKETS 113, RAPTORS 99

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Amen Thompson scored 23 points as Houston beat Toronto.

Durant shot 12 of 16 from the field while adding seven rebounds. He scored 22 of his points in the first half.

Thompson eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in six games. He converted on 6 of his 10 field goal attempts while making 10 free throws.

Jabari Smith Jr. also added 23 points for the Rockets, who pulled into a tie for third place in the Western Conference standings. Alperen Sengun scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Houston shot 60% in the first quarter and outrebounded the Raptors 11-5, but with the help of six Rockets’ turnovers the game was tied at 29. The Rockets closed the first half on a 14-4 run to take a 58-49 halftime lead.

The Rockets shot 49% from the field for the game and outrebounded the Raptors 53-30, finishing with 22 second chance points to Toronto’s five.

RJ Barrett’s 25 points led the Raptors. Scottie Barnes scored 24 points, but Toronto made just 9 of 36 three-point attempts.

SPURS 125, CELTICS 116

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 39 points and 11 rebounds and San Antonio beat Boston to sweep a contentious two-game season series.

De’Aaron Fox had 25 points and Stephon Castle added 18 points in San Antonio’s fifth straight victory.

Derrick White had 34 points to lead Boston, which had won two straight. Jayson Tatum had 24 points in his third game since returning from a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered May 12.

Tatum’s fourth and final 3-pointer cut the Celtics’ deficit to 118-113 with 1:43 remaining, but Spurs Castle followed 18 seconds later with his own 3 to secure the victory.

The battle between the No. 2 teams in each conference was physical and chippy.

Boston All-Star Jaylen Brown was ejected after becoming incensed when no foul was called after he lost the ball out of bounds with 3:42 remaining in the first half.

Brown had to be restrained by teammates after official Tyler Ford assessed the first technical. Official Suyash Mehta assessed a second technical seconds later, resulting in an automatic ejection.

HORNETS 103, TRAIL BLAIZERS 101

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Brandon Miller had 21 points and eight rebounds, LaMelo Ball had 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and Charlotte overcame a 19-point deficit to beat Portland.

Kon Knueppel added 15 points and five rebounds for the Hornets, who got back to .500 at 33-33. Ryan Kalkbrenner added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Hornets trailed 43-24 in the second quarter but edged ahead late by holding the Trail Blazers to 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Jerami Grant scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting for Portland. Deni Avdija had 22 points and Scoot Henderson scored 14 off the bench. Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan each had 11 points.

KINGS 114, PACERS 109

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Devin Carter scored 22 of his career-best 24 points in the fourth quarter to power Sacramento to a comeback win over Indiana.

Carter scored 13 straight points down the stretch for Sacramento, who trailed by as many as 20 points and were down by 10 heading into the final frame.

The Kings shot 46% from the field and 35% from deep, while the Pacers shot 41% and 30% respectively. Carter was 9 of 13 from the field and 3 for 4 from beyond the arc.

Maxime Raynaud’s and-1 jumper with 16 seconds remaining finished off the win.

Raynaud had an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, the 15th of the season for the 7-foot-1 rookie. Russell Westbrook added 16 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan and Nique Clifford each scored 12 points.

LAKERS 120, TIMBERWOLVES 106

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 31 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in his seventh triple-double of the season, and Los Angeles overcame LeBron James’ latest injury absence to sweep its season series with Minnesota with a victory.

Austin Reaves scored 29 of his 31 points in a scorching second half for the Lakers, who pulled even with Minnesota for fourth place in the Western Conference standings after their third straight win over the team that knocked them out of the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Doncic secured the 89th triple-double of his career — seventh-most in NBA history — early in the fourth quarter. Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 12 rebounds in a strong effort with both of his backup big men sidelined.

James sat out for the third straight game with injuries for the Lakers, who have still won three straight and six of seven. He also missed the Lakers’ first two wins over Minnesota this season back in October.

The Lakers improved to 13-8 without the top scorer in NBA history in their lineup, including 10-2 when Doncic and Reaves both play without James.

Julius Randle scored 14 points and Anthony Edwards finished with 14 points on a 2-for-15 shooting night for Minnesota, which has lost two straight after a five-game winning streak. Four Timberwolves bench players scored in double figures in the opener of a four-game trip.

Not that it needs repeating, but the six-month, 82-game NBA regular season feels impossibly long. For every national TV nail-biter, or the performance art of Bam Adebayo sloshing his way to 83 points, there are five forgettable games and a road trip where the days all blend together, for both good and bad teams.

There are levels, of course. Rooting for Victor Wembanyama to continue playing extraterrestrial ball in March is still more exciting than rooting for a tanking team on the first day of the season, but 4,000 minutes of regular-season basketball numbs us all. For the Brooklyn Nets, that means a 40-point blowout is rather routine.

The Detroit Pistons visited Barclays Center on Tuesday evening — the second game of a back-to-back for Brooklyn — and the game was decided almost immediately…

Plenty of stats to choose from, but here are just a couple: The Pistons outscored the Nets 64-24 in the paint. The Nets missed all 14 of their 3-point attempts in the first half.

It was inevitable that the East’s #1 seed would take revenge on Brooklyn, who, on Saturday, came back from 23 points down to secure a wild upset win. Particularly with Cade Cunningham, who put up 21/3/15 on 8-of-10 shooting with the ease of an offseason workout, back in the fold. The strange part was that this was the game Brooklyn tanked. Not Saturday’s visit to Detroit, not Monday’s smooth victory over a depleted Memphis Grizzlies squad, but a game against the best team in the conference.

Sure, Michael Porter Jr. played on Tuesday after resting the previous day, shooting 7-of-14 to score 19 points, but the two main heroes of Saturday’s comeback victory sat: Day’Ron Sharpe with a thumb injury, and Ziaire Williams with illness. But let’s not question the severity of those ailments; let’s instead look at the bench lineup Jordi Fernández deployed vs. Detroit…

The Nets are very bad, by design. Now 17-48, they will likely finish with the fourth-worst record in the league, if not higher. But do they know how to tank, and are they willing to get as shameless as some of the other bottom-dwellers? It appears the answer is no.

Anyway, the game. Despite the Pistons playing on cruise control for all 48 minutes, we did have some character in this one, some sign that the Nets were playing for something slightly more than fulfilling contractual obligations. Josh Minott played 21 minutes, his career-high as a Net, scoring nine points on eight shots, the most memorable of which was this poster…

In the span of 15 seconds in the second quarter, Nolan Traore committed a flagrant foul against Ron Holland, then Noah Clowney received a technical foul for another infraction against Holland…who in turn received a technical foul for flopping.

Among the real positives (of which, in a tanking season, there tend to be even as the blowout losses pile up) was Ben Saraf. The #26 overall pick put up 10/2/6 on 2-of-2 shooting and 6-of-6 from the line, and while Jordi Fernández admonished him for his two early turnovers, Saraf showed some of the ball-handling poise we’ve been waiting to see from him all season…

“Even though sometimes he’ll make a mistake, he’s got to go back, do it again, and learn,” said Fernández of the lefty point guard postgame.

Two-way player Chaney Johnson got his first extended run with the big-league club, playing 22 minutes and shooting 2-of-3, including a corner trey. Drake Powell, making his second consecutive start, hit a pair of triples in the third quarter as well as a nice floater off a drive. For a player just re-called from the G League, it certainly could have been worse, as he finished with 10/0/1 in his 23 minutes of play.

Jalen Wilson and Danny Wolf also reached double-digit points, while Nic Claxton shot just 0-of-2, overwhelmed by Jalen Duren and his game-high 26 points.

Postgame I projected my own feelings onto Wilson, who has been on three very bad Nets teams thus far in his career and experienced only a few stretches of sunlight, and asked him if he yearns for brighter days in the midst of such consistent losing.

The response: “I think my mindset and the team’s as well, from what we know, is just taking it game by game. Of course, we all want to win, but when we was starting out, you know, the next game we played, we had to start those habits. It’s not just going to come in the blink of an eye, and people aren’t just going to let us win the NBA. Everybody’s good. And we have to take advantage of the games we have now, this season. If we want to look forward, it has to start now.”

Now that’s a professional answer. Indeed, it does have to start now for the Brooklyn Nets. For the time being, that means continuing to rack up the losses.

It was 70º in Brooklyn today. Spring is almost here.

Final Score: Detroit Pistons 138, Brooklyn Nets 100

Milestone Watch

Were there any? Nope.

As for the standings and that rumor of tanking, nothing much changed: The Nets remain in fourth with the Wizards a half game ahead (behind?).

Injury Report

Three Nets made the injury report on Tuesday evening: Egor Dëmin, of course shut down with season-ending plantar fasciitis, Ziaire Williams, stricken with illness, and Day’Ron Sharpe, out with a left thumb sprain.

Pregame, Jordi Fernández said that there was no timeline for Sharpe to return from his thumb sprain, only “whatever time it takes for him to feel good to play again.”

Next Up

The Nets hit the road for two games against Eastern Conference opponents, beginning with the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Detroit Pistons 138, Brooklyn Nets 100 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Detroit Pistons 138, Brooklyn Nets 100 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Ben Saraf PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Pistons snap season-worst 4-game skid with 138-100 win over Nets – Adry Torres – AP
• Nets get back to tanking after getting blown out by elite Pistons – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Grading Egor Demin’s injury-shortened rookie season with Nets ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Michael Porter Jr. has become the face of the Nets — now comes the hard part ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Cade Cunningham returns, Pistons roll past Nets 138-100 to snap Brooklyn’s streak ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets keep fighting as win streak fuels fan frustration and locker-room pride ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets suffer disappointing 138-100 loss to Pistons to end back-to-back – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Myles Colvin scored 18 points and led seven Wake Forest teammates in double-figures scoring and the Demon Deacons went to overtime to beat Virginia Tech 95-89 Tuesday night in a first-round ACC Tournament contest.

The 13th-seeded Demon Deacons advance to play fifth-seeded Clemson on Wednesday. Virginia Tech entered the tournament as the 12th seed.

Sebastian Akins scored 14 points, Tre'Von Spillers and reserve Mekhi Mason 13 each, and Juke Harris and reserves Nate Calmese and Cooper Schwieger all scored 10 apiece.

Wake Forest (17-15) shot 51% (30 of 59) overcoming 36%-shooting (8 of 22) from 3-point range.

Ben Hammond scored 23 points, Jailen Bedford 17, reserve Jaden Schutt 15 and Tobi Lawal 12 while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds for the Hokies.

The Hokies (19-13) shot 41% (29 of 70) and despite the loss had a 45-28 lead in rebounding.

Colvin made a jump shot and a 3-pointer to start overtime for an 80-75 lead and Wake Forest went on to lead for the rest of overtime.

Lawal threw down a dunk with 1:25 left to get the Hokies within 86-85 before Akins countered with a three-point play and Virginia Tech never got closer.

Hammond made two foul shots with 47 seconds left in regulation to force a 75-all tie and neither team scored until overtime. Wake Forest led 38-34 at halftime.

___

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The emotions of winning in March were on full display in the Coastal Athletic Association on March 10.

As time wound down inside Washington, DC's CareFirstArena, the CBS Sports Network broadcast caught Hofstra men's basketball coach Speedy Claxton crying into the shoulders of one of his assistant coaches, as the three-seeded Pride defeated No. 4 Monmouth 75-69 in the CAA tournament championship game to punch their ticket to March Madness.

It marked the first NCAA Tournament appearance in over two decades for Claxton's alma mater and the first time he's led them to it in his five years at the helm of the program.

The duality of March...

The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. pic.twitter.com/JbZ3kDxKht

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 11, 2026

REQUIRED READING: March Madness automatic bids: Who is in NCAA Tournament bracket?

The first time Hofstra was included in the NCAA Tournament bracket came in the 1999-2000 season, when Claxton was a player for the Pride and Jay Wright was in his sixth season as a college basketball coach, before he became a two-time national championship coach at Villanova. That was also the first of back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the Pride.

Claxton played for Hofstra from 1996 to 2000 under Wright and remains the program's all-time leader in assists and steals. He now has them in the Big Dance. Talk about an awesome full-circle moment in March.

"I'm excited they get to share this moment with each other because this is going to last a lifetime. I won championships on a high school level, college level and professional level, and my collegiate championship meant the most to me," Claxton said on CBS Sports Network on the significance of the Pride's win.

Hofstra will play in the NCAA Tournament for the FIRST time since…

The guy on the right (Jay Wright) was head coach.

And the guy on the left (Speedy Claxton) is the current head coach taking the Pride back to the Big Dance for the 1st time since 2001.

Absolutely awesome. pic.twitter.com/liCQDsxu97

— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) March 11, 2026

The Pride looked to be on their way to a potential NCAA Tournament berth in 2020 after they won the CAA regular-season and tournament crowns, but the COVID-19 pandemic took that opportunity away as the NCAA Tournament was canceled that season.

To win the 2025-26 season CAA tournament championship, Hofstra also defeated William & Mary 91-62 in the quarterfinals and Towson 68-65 in the semifinals.

The Pride will now have to wait a few more days until Selection Sunday to learn who they will open their March Madness run against and where. The NCAA Tournament bracket will be released at 6 p.m. ET on March 15.

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: Speedy Claxton leads alma mater, Hofstra, back to March Madness

Another failed Dallas Mavericks (21-43) comeback attempt, another dollar. The Mavericks dropped their eighth straight game and their 18th in the team’s last 20, 124-112, against the Atlanta Hawks (33-31) at State Farm Arena on Tuesday.

Nickeal Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 29 points for the Hawks in the win, and Jalen Johnson added 25 more, including 10 points in the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson made five 3-pointers on his way to 21 points for the Mavs in the loss.

Here are five stats that tell the tale of Dallas’ latest comeback attempt that came up short in Atlanta.

40: First-quarter scoring by the Hawks

The Mavericks turned the ball over five times in the first quarter, with four of them coming in the game’s first 4:23. The Hawks sprinted out to an early 10-2 lead as a result and never looked back. They boat-raced the Mavericks throughout the rest of the first quarter, taking a 40-26 lead into the second. Atlanta shot 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field in the first.

The Dallas defense was nonexistent on several Atlanta drives to the hoop, including one late in the first by Nickeal Alexander-Walker, who waltzed past all five Dallas defenders on his way to the hoop for an easy score that put the Hawks up 40-24 with 25 seconds left in the frame. Onyaka Okongwu led Atlanta with nine points on 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range in the first quarter, while Brandon Williams matched him with nine off the bench for the Mavs on 3-of-3 shooting.

6-of-9: Dallas’ shooting start to second quarter

The Mavericks fought their way back to within four points of the lead in the first 5:30 of the second quarter. They shot 6-of-9 from the field to outscore Atlanta 13-5 to start the second. The Mavs extended that run to 17-5 before the Hawks responded.

The Hawks came into the game with the league’s No. 1 defensive rating (106.1) over the last month, but the Mavs bucked back to climb back in it after falling down by as many as 16 points in the first quarter. Max Christie finally nailed his first 3-pointer in five first-half attempts to cut the Hawks’ lead to four, 45-41, with 6:35 left in the second.

After Hawks head coach Quin Snyder called a timeout with 6:25 left in the second, Atlanta rattled off six straight quick points, including two transition baskets by Alexander-Walker, who seems to be a shoo-in for Most Improved Player this year. Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting as the Hawks took a 64-55 lead into the half.

1: Second-quarter shot attempt by Cooper Flagg

We thought we were done with this dilemma after Cooper Flagg’s explosive months of December and January, but the Mavs’ rookie star was nowhere to be found on the stat sheet in the second quarter. He got lost in an offense that more prominently featured the likes of Brandon Williams, Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley III.

Flagg grimaced a little on his way to the free-throw line after taking a foul from Jalen Johnson with 6:57 left in the second, but played through whatever ailed him after taking the contact. As noted above, the Hawks are a good defensive team, so maybe his second-quarter absence shouldn’t be that much of a concern, but Flagg needs to see the ball more in order to get out of the shooting funk he’s been in since returning to the lineup after missing eight games with a sprained left foot on Mar. 5 at the Orlando Magic. He came into the game shooting just 21-of-62 (33.9%) from the field in his three games back and shot 2-of-5 for six points in the first half on Tuesday.

Flagg’s funk continued in the second half as he missed his next five attempts, finishing with just 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds in the loss. Nine of those 14 points came too little, too late in the game’s waning minutes.

20-6: Mavs’ late third-quarter run

The Mavericks made several runs at the Atlanta lead, but none of them were potent enough to take hold of the lead. Klay Thompson and Khris Middleton keyed a 20-9 Mavs’ spurt late in the third quarter to get to within 93-89, after the Hawks’ lead had ballooned to 15 points midway through the frame.

Thompson scored 10 points in the third quarter, all of which came during that 20-9 run. Atlanta survived the run to take a 95-91 lead into the fourth. Dallas outscored the Hawks 38-31 in the third to close the gap.

18: Second-half scoring from Klay Thompson

Thompson scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half, shooting the lights out from deep as the Mavs tried desperately to win just their third game in their last 20. But it just wasn’t enough as the Mavericks rack up their frequent flyer miles on their current road trip.

Thompson canned 4-of-7 from deep in the second half as Dallas clawed its way back, but Atlanta had an answer for every Mavericks run down the stretch. After a quiet start to the game, Jalen Johnson was the answer for the Hawks late in the game, as he scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to kill the Mavs’ momentum. Johnson finished with 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win, while Thompson scored 21 for the Mavs in the loss.

San Antonio closed out Boston with a late 19-10 surge (including a 12-0 run) to secure its 16th win in 17. The second seeds in each conference treated the viewing audience to a bombardment of three-point makes in a first half where no team led by more than seven. While it wasn’t quite Bird / Wilkins from 1988, Victor Wembanyama (14) and Derrick White (19) countered each other with buckets-a-plenty throughout the third quarter. Celtics star Jaylen Brown was whistled for two technicals and tossed late in the first half for arguing with the referees. With the win San Antonio stayed comfortably ahead of the 3-6 seeds – 7.5 ahead of Houston / Minnesota, 8.5 ahead of Los Angeles, and 9 ahead of Denver (with Wolves and Lakers as the nightcap).

Wembanyama (39 points and 11 rebounds – eight triples) continued to withstand the aggression other teams’ frontline players throw at him, while De’Aaron Fox (25 points and 9 assists) and Stephon Castle (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists) matched the Celtics’ intensity to keep San Antonio toe-to-toe with the Celtics until that late flourish. Devin Vassell (14 points) came on late with timely shooting.

Despite pulling up gimpy at the end of the third, White (34 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds) carried Boston’s second half attack in this highly emotional contest. Jayson Tatum (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Ron Harper, Jr. – with a career high 22 – provided support in the glaring absence of Brown.

In a taut back-and-forth physical first 12 minutes, Boston and San Antonio treated this matchup with the requisite respect a late-season tilt deserved. Aside from a brief moment where the Spurs went up six, the teams were separated by fewer points for most of the period. Castle carried the Spurs early on, while Wembanyama was pelted in the face twice and smarting from the blows. Brown and White staked the Celtics to a lead with their 7-0 run. Castle and Brown were halted by their respective pair of fouls. Despite Boston’s barrage of threes they snuck out of the quarter only ahead two after Carter Bryant’s corner three.

As intense as the first quarter action, it was visibly heightened in the second. Ron Harper, Jr. had a succession of field goals spanning throughout the half and had a greater impact initially over his younger brother. Fox was able to find easy offense to keep the Spurs close. Late in the half, Brown (despite the consistent physicality throughout the half) meekly fell out of bounds and was tossed for arguing the phantom call with the crew chief and another referee. Julian Champagnie and Vassell were largely kept out of the scorebook; however San Antonio was able to get to halftime even with Boston 58-58.

San Antonio turned the 3-point shooting tables on Boston to start the third with a handful of makes from Fox, Wembanyama, and Castle. White tried to capably play the Brown role – putting up a 11 quick points. When the Spurs’ bench came in, Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson and helped get the Spurs back on top. Harper’s flurry of scores helped San Antonio nab its largest lead of the night late in the frame. Fittingly, Fox and Wembanyama’s scores completed the scoring for the Spurs and they went to the fourth up seven.

Observations

• Crunchtime Sequence of the Game: Vassell, after swishing a jumper in the lane, shot the gap at the other end to steal an errant pass and soared in for a transition lay-up to make it 115-105.
• I could not imagine what it’d be like to suffer an achilles tear and then have to come back because it’s related to my career (Tatum)… although I had hoped there’d be a longer pre-game recognition of what the Spurs had done (15-1 in the last month).
• Bam Adebayo (83) nearly matched both teams’ outputs for three periods tonight.
• Interesting to see Castle (Spurs’ future) and White (Spurs’ past) paired with each other from the tip.
• My brother in law called during the first period just to say this: ”They (San Antonio) make basketball fun again to watch!”
• Hugo Gonzalez is tailor-made to be a future Spur.
• The Celtics lead the lague with the most impressive bald shaves / facial hair combos (White, Brown, and Jordan Walsh)
• Castle Hills: Castle will need to limit the silly Karl-Anthony Towns-like reach-in fouls during the playoff rounds. His two early ones in the first forced him to the bench.
• Sequence of the Game #1: In the opening moments, and after Wembanyama swatted away a Queta shot, Castle hit from the wing at the other end.
• Sequence of the Game #2:. Early on in the second period, Fox hit a catch-and-shoot three, and then stripped White just across halfcourt and coasted in for a lay-up.
• Sequence of the Game #3: In a early third quarter runout, Vassell splayed out to the right wing – and perhaps thought that his teammates wouldn’t find him, but after Castle fed it to a trailing Wembanyama, the center lasered it out to Vassell – who hit the three.

Game Rundown

Boston thought they had a sly give-and-go action to get Queta a lay-up, but Wembanyama sniffed it out and erased it. The referees missed an obvious foul to the center’s face by Sam Hauser on a dribble drive. Vassell also got hit in the face on a loose ball by Brown, and thankfully that one was called. Fox’s pair of paint buckets put San Antonio up six and he seemed to be the only Spur that found steady success. The Celtics’ output after four minutes was just triples from White and Luka Garza. Brown then spearheaded a 7-0 run to get Boston on top. Taylor Schiermann also made contact to Luke Kornet’s face with a minute to go. Tatum saw some shots go down later in the quarter and Boston headed to the second up a pair.

Bryant’s second threed brought San Antonio within two to start the second. Fox’s personal 5-0 run momentarily put the Spurs back up. Bryant’s fadeaway in the paint(?!) was matched by White’s second lay-up of the stanza. Brown and Wembanyama matched each other with consecutive pairs of field goals. Brown doinked a dunk attempt that caromed all the way out past the 3-point line. The teams stayed glued to 51-47 for some time as the feistiness ratcheted up several levels. After Brown tried to sell a fou call by falling out of bounds, he spent an embarrassing amount of time protesting it and was teed up twice. Though the Spurs squandered several chances to tie or lead, Castle’s degree-of-difficulty banker tied things at 58.

The baskets again came furiously after the break, and Fox’s stepback three put the Spurs up six. White screamed like (Keldon) Johnson on several pull-ups to draw fouls. Vassell’s first field goal came 27 minutes into game action. White and Tatum helped the Celtics leapfrog San Antonio back into the lead. Harper’s first field goal came against his brother nearly 2 1/2 quarters in and then proceeded to add to his tally prodigiously. White nearly matched San Antonio’s output for the quarter by himself. Wembanyama’s stepback triple helped get the Spurs went to the fourth up 97-90.

For the Celtics fan’s perspective, please visit Celtics Blog.

San Antonio’s continues its slate of games against Western Conference contenders Thursday night with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at 8:00 PM CDT.

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 9
Paul George – 6
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Justin Edwards – 2
Jabari Walker – 1
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

It’s hard to think of a team that needed a win for a morale boost quite like the Philadelphia 76ers.

Fortunately, they got it on Tuesday, coming from behind to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 139-129 in South Philadelphia.

Tipoff came less than a half hour after it was confirmed by the team that Tyrese Maxey has a tendon injury in his pinky and will be reevaluated in three weeks. Joel Embiid (oblique) and Paul George (suspension) are also still sidelined… so I’m sure the mental status of everyone on the roster was just stellar going into this one.

At least rookie VJ Edgecombe returned for the contest after a three-game hiatus due to a lumbar contusion from a hard fall taken in a game last week. He didn’t seem to be in any pain on Tuesday, getting back to work with physicality and even a nice soaring dunk at one point.

Though the Sixers were being a bit outmatched for some of this, it didn’t stop them from getting energetic for the second half comeback. After once trailing the Grizzlies by 14 points in the third, the shorthanded Philadelphia squad battled back, outscoring the visitors 41-25 in the final frame to grab the victory at home. And, it all included some excellent individual performances, which we will get to below!

The Sixers will now have a day off on Wednesday before hitting the road again — this time to visit the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 31 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block

It was good to see Kelly Oubre Jr. start this one off strong after a tough game for him on Monday that saw him pick up quick fouls and rendered him pretty much irrelevant for the rest of the contest (he only played 13 minutes). He looked much different on Tuesday. Oubre hit a triple on the first possession of the game and got more physically involved from there, starting to drive straight into the Grizzlies defense and finishing at the rim more often, helping him score 11 points in his first nine minutes.

It was far from his most efficient night shooting, especially the jumper, with Oubre going just 10-for-24 from the floor and 1-for-9 from long range. That being said, he kept doing what did work, which was using his speed and agility to go through traffic to the bucket whenever he could, scoring there and drawing more than a few fouls out of the Grizzlies in the process. He was making the right cuts off the ball and simply kept taking advantage of the right opportunities with his aggressive drives. Oubre even made some really good plays defensively, especially down the stretch.

He was also by far the best rebounder the Sixers had tonight, leading Philadelphia with 12 boards and trailing only Memphis’ Cedric Coward, who led the field with 16.

Oubre finished this one with a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double. He also had one assist, two steals and a block.

Cam Payne: 32 points (8-for-8 triples), 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks

After scoring just two points on free throws in a the last few minutes of the first quarter when he was subbed in, Cam Payne exploded in the second. The second-time Sixer scored 11 straight points (including three triples) for Philadelphia across two minutes early in the second and chipped in another three later in the frame as well to round out his perfect 5-for-5 field goal, 4-for-4 from long range period. And that’s not even mentioning the defensive plays made in-between all the scoring. He finished the first half with 16 points, one rebound, three assists, a steal and two blocks — all in 12 minutes off the bench.

He wasn’t done. Though he did miss one two-point field goal, Payne stayed red hot from long range. And by red hot, I mean perfect. Payne tied his career-high for triples (seven) on seven attempts with over six minutes left in the fourth. He sank one more to simultaneously set new career marks in both triples (eight now) and points (32). This was Payne’s first +30-point game in his career — and he’s in his 11th NBA season.

Couldn’t have come at a better time if you ask me!

Payne finished this one with 32 points on 9-for-10 field goal shooting, 8-for-8 shooting from long range, three rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks in 30 minutes off the bench.

VJ Edgecombe: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals

After three games sidelined due to a lumbar contusion, VJ Edgecombe was back in the lineup on Tuesday night. His shot was a bit off at times, especially from long range — something one might expect after missing a week of game action — but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to find ways to chip in from the jump, even if it just meant getting himself to the free throw line early while he got into the groove of the game.

Edgecombe seemed to really settle in more and more as the contest went on — another thing one might expect after a week off. The rookie was absolutely hustling, using everything in his bag to help facilitate and contribute to the Sixers’ comeback in the second half of this one. Considering the lineup he was playing in and the leadership role he was tasked with tonight, I’m not sure you could have asked for a more encouraging injury return from the rookie.

Edgecombe finished Tuesday with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

The Detroit Pistons still might have a ways to go to recapture the magic of the first half of their stunning season, but at least on Tuesday night, they exorcised some recent demons by throttling the Brooklyn Nets 138-100 just three days after blowing a 23-point lead and losing to the very same Nets team.

The Pistons took the game seriously; they were more talented at every position and made quick work of the Nets. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren combined to make their first 15 shots on the night and ended the game a combined 17-of-20 for 47 points.

Cunningham contributed 21 of those points and added 15 assists. Duren led all scorers with 26 points and added four rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and two assists.

The Pistons led by 23 by the midpoint of the second quarter and never looked back. The Nets were led by Michael Porter Jr.’s 19 points.

With the outcome decided relatively early, it was an opportunity for some lesser sung players to show some stuff. Marcus Sasser started again in the place of the injured Ausar Thompson, and the guard finally got to see his shot start falling. He scored 14 points and hit four of his five 3-pointers. Kevin Heurter played 21 minutes and had a good all-around game, scoring seven points. You can tell he knows where to be and makes the right decisions, but he’s gotta start hitting his shots.

Daniss Jenkins had a tough game as a ball handler, but a great game as a ball hawk. He had 14 points, six assists, and five steals on the night.

Finally, there is Ron Holland, who did plenty of Ron Holland things, including getting under the skin of his opponent. Nets wing Nolan Treore got whistled for a flagrant foul for a hard shove on Holland in the second quarter. That was followed quickly by a Nic Claxton shove to Ron Holland that started at his collarbone and traveled up to his neck. Holland went flying, and they reviewed the play to see if it was a flagrant. Stunningly, they then decided to keep it a common foul but whistle Holland for flopping (aka exaggerating the contact).

It felt to me like the refs knew exactly where this game was going and simply wanted to concoct a solution to get the crowd and the Nets players to simmer down before an actual fight broke out. You gotta love Ron Holland.

The Pistons will get another test of whether their mojo is back on Thursday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have some talented players, but their injury report is pretty heinous. The bad news on that front got even worse with the announcment that star guard Tyrese Maxey is going to miss several weeks with a finger tendon injury.

On a night where the Celtics were without Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown was ejected, the Celtics were hunting for offense. They found it from a career high 22 points from Ron Harper Jr. However, it was not enough as Victor Wembanyama dominated and the Spurs made 20 three pointers to beat the Celtics, 125-116.

The Celtics were without two key bench pieces in Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic. They started their new regulars; Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. The Spurs were missing Harrison Barnes and Lindy Waters. They also started their regulars; De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama.

It was a cold start for the Celtics, who missed 6 of their first 7 shots. The Spurs jumped out to a 11-3 lead. However, the Celtics then settled into the game as Jaylen Brown took over. He had 4 points, 2 assists and 2 steals in the first 5 minutes of the game.

We had the Harper brothers going at it in the first quarter as Ron Harper Jr. and Dylan Harper shared the floor as opponents for the first time in a regular season NBA game.

The Celtics led at the end of the first quarter, 31-29. Derrick White led the team with 7 points while Boston’s Harper (Ron Jr.) had 5 points of his own off of the bench.

I found it interesting that Joe Mazzulla matched Neemias Queta’s minutes with old friend Luke Kornet and Luka Garza’s minutes to Victor Wembanyama. It was likely in an effort to pull Wemby away from the basket with Garza’s shooting and open up more driving lanes.

Jaylen Brown got thrown out of the game with a double technical after he thought he was pushed out of bounds and did not get the call. He got some leeway at the beginning but get yelling until he got not only one technical foul but two and was ejected from the game.

Then again, Tyler Ford was officiating the game.

It was Ford's smug reaction that set Brown off. He's consistently that way and it's why players can't stand him.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) March 11, 2026

The teams were tied at halftime, 58-58. Derrick White led the team with 13 points while Jaylen Brown had 8 points and 7 assists before he was ejected.

Jayson Tatum was 4/14 in the first half with 10 points but I thought he played well. The shot will come, it just isn’t falling yet, but he got good shots and continued to make all the right reads.

D-White had it going for the Celtics in the third quarter, he had 11 points in the first 5 minutes of the quarter. A Tatum layup put the Celtics up 76-75.

White just kept the Celtics within striking distance throughout the third quarter, he had 19 points in the quarter to keep the Celtics in the fight as the Spurs kept draining threes.

The Celtics trailed by 7 at the end of three quarters, 97-90. D-White led the team with 32 points while Jayson Tatum had 14 and Ron Harper Jr. had 11 of his own.

Tatum had the first 7 points of the quarter for the Celtics to make the game 100-97.

The Celtics were able to get the fame to a 1 point spits lead but a 12-0 Spurs run game them a 13-point lead with 3 minutes to go.

On an NBA night that belonged to Bam Adebayo and his 83 points, this game belonged to Victor Wembanyama. Wemby scored 39 points with 11 rebounds and 2 blocks while hitting 8 three pointers, tying a career high, in the game.

Derrick White gave 34 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds, Jayson Tatum gave 24 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals and Ron Harper Jr. gave 22 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists but it was not enough as the Celtics fell to the Spurs. 125-116.

Boston shot 47% from the field and 37% from three while San Antonio shot 52% from the field and 43% from three. The Celtics next game is Thursday night in Oklahoma City against the Thunder at 9:30 EST.

The Detroit Pistons got back in the win column after a dominant performance from their All-Stars. Cade Cunningham led the way with 21 points and 15 assists while Jalen Duren crushed bones on his way to 26 points in the 138-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Pistons got right to it with a Duncan Robinson 3, and Marcus Sasser immediately followed suit. Detroit was 5/12 from 3 in the first period alone. The offense was flowing after a couple of rough games. Duren dominated the paint. With nifty fastbreak euro steps and thunderous off-hand jams, Duren’s fingerprints were already all over this one. He finished the game going 9/10 from the field. No one could contain the beast.

The defensive intensity rose a bit when Ron Holland checked in. He forced offensive fouls with constant pressure. Javonte Green had a teammate-of-the-year moment when he stopped Holland from going at Brooklyn’s Nolan Traoré after Traoré pushed Holland. Holland’s defensive pressure frustrates opponents like that.

The Holland, Green, Cade, Kevin Huerter, and Isaiah Stewart lineup held the Nets to two points in their five minutes together to start the second quarter. This group was flying around. Huerter was a part of the group’s success even with his jumper still lagging behind. He hit the offensive glass and did the little things.

Brooklyn only scored 13 points in the second period. Detroit needed a showing that reflected its defensive identity. The defense had not been dominant over the last few games. Detroit got back to what they do best.

It’s understandable when a top-flight defense like Detroit slows any team down. That said, no one in Brooklyn could get it going while the game was in reach. Michael Porter Jr. has played at an All-Star level but had nothing for Detroit. The Pistons bottled up the sharpshooter as he was 1-6 from deep. Brooklyn was only 13/38 with some 3s coming in garbage time.

The Pistons didn’t have those struggles from 3. Detroit shot 50 percent as a squad, and Cade led the charge. He was 4/5 from range. Over the last 11 games, he’s shooting 45 percent on seven 3-point attempts. Cade’s jumper could be one of the Pistons’ X-factor come playoff time. He’s trending in the right direction. If teams can’t go under because he’s nailing shots like this, then good luck.

Sasser stepped up in the starting lineup with Ausar Thompson out. He buried four triples. Detroit will need that type of microwave shooting. The same goes for the night Daniss Jenkins had. He won’t average four steals, but that level of ferocity can offset tough shooting nights.

The Nets aren’t world-beaters by any means, but Detroit got out of its defensive slump. Shots won’t always fall, but defense is a non-negotiable for this team. Turning defense into offense has been a staple all season. Detroit scored 29 points off turnovers. That hadn’t happened since before the losing streak. Detroit handled the tanking Nets behind their physical brand of basketball. Next up is the Philadelphia 76ers in Detroit.