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What feat of strength will Cooper Flagg perform next?

Find out when the Dallas Mavericks (25-53) wrap up their two-night residency in Los Angeles on Tuesday with a game against the Clippers at the Intuit Dome. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CDT.

On Friday, Flagg gave the Orlando Magic 51 on 19-of-30 shooting. On Sunday, he backed it up with 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in a 134-128 win at the Lakers. If that trend continues, perhaps Flagg is due for a 40-point triple-double at the Clippers? Don’t discount the possibility.

Both he and the Mavericks coaching staff have shown us that getting Flagg the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award is a goal of the utmost importance as the season winds down. His 96 points in a two-game span is a mark only bested in NBA history by Wilt Chamberlain during his rookie year.

And the rest of the Mavs? It looks like they’re just trying to get to the finish line, as we all are. Here are three things we’ll be watching out for in the Mavericks’ Tuesday matchup with the Clippers.

Rookie of the Year race

Kon Knueppel and his Charlotte Hornets face the Boston Celtics just a couple of hours before the Mavs tip off against the Clippers. On Sunday, Knueppel laid a stinker on a 4-of-14 shooting night as the Hornets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 122-108.

Would Flagg continuing his scorching hot tear in the season’s final six games be enough to sway the Rookie of the Year voters over to his side? A third straight monster performance couldn’t hurt, especially since Knueppel has gone over the 20-point mark just once in his last nine games.

There was a time, as Flagg worked his way back from a foot injury in February, that Knueppel was simply out-playing Flagg on a nightly basis. That is no longer the case. It only makes sense that the last few games of the season would hold equal weight as voters consider whose name to put on their ballots.

Box score watching will likely be at least as compelling as the product the Mavericks put on the floor against the Clippers, who have won two of their last three after losing five straight at the end of March.

Guard play

Brandon Williams in particular has become an interesting case study at guard in recent games. On some nights he looks like the perfect tank commander, as his jumpshot leaves a little to be desired and his size makes him something of a liability on the defensive end. But at other times, he’s able to get to the basket at will, zooming past the defense in big moments that make one wonder whether he’s actually a useful piece for the future.

Combine his knack for scoring with the fact that the Mavericks’ latest win over the Lakers may have hurt their draft lottery odds as much as it helped Flagg’s Rookie of the Year chances, and you start to wonder what guards in the stellar 2026 NBA Draft class may even be available at all when the Mavs’ first pick comes around.

Is Williams a good option off the bench going forward? Or is he as replaceable as basically everyone else on this roster not named Flagg? He’s auditioning, and he’s playing like it lately, averaging 17 points per game in his last four outings.

Get it over with

Two of the Mavericks’ previous three games against the Clippers this year have gone into overtime. The Mavs lost to Los Angeles at home in overtime, 138-131, on Mar. 23 and dropped a double-overtime loss to the Clippers, 133-127, on Nov. 14.

The Mavs are now 17-26 this season in 43 clutch games after Sunday’s win at the Lakers. No matter how bad they look at times, they seem to always work their way back into games. Whether that’s more sheer force of will or simply Silly Season shenanigans at play, sometimes it’s hard to tell.

With a late start on our hands on Tuesday, all we’re really hoping for is a clear result at the end of regulation this time around. We’re so done with this season. All that’s left seems to be Flagg’s march to a postseason award.

How to watch

The Mavericks and the Clippers are slated for a 9:30 p.m. CDT tip on Wednesday from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ regional viewership area. You can catch the stream on MavsTV and on NBA League Pass where available.

ATLANTA — Mike Brown acknowledged discussing a starting lineup change — “there’s always going to be chatter about it” — but isn’t close to acting and, at least for now, anticipates the status quo for the playoffs.

“I don’t believe in never ever. But right now we’re going to start that five and that’s how I foresee it,” the coach said. “If I feel I need to make a change at any time, I’ll make a change. But I don’t feel that way right now.”

League sources said moving Landry Shamet into the lineup was discussed. Earlier this season, Brown altered his starting lineup, replacing Mitchell Robinson with Josh Hart.

Brown said Monday his staff convinced him to abandon the original double-big lineup (with Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns), a move made in December.

“There’s debate literally all the time. Obviously there was a debate at the start of the season when we started two bigs [Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns]. And there was debate almost every day because I was the only one with that [opinion] — and I was getting hammered at this angle, that angle, every angle. So we talked about it a lot.

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“That’s just chatter that you have throughout the course of the year, trying to find ways to improve your team. So I think there’s always going to be chatter about [changing the lineup now]. … But there’s nothing I’ve felt close to acting on yet.”

The current Knicks starting lineup — Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby, Towns — had habitually produced poor first quarters before Monday’s 108-105 victory over the Hawks. It had the third-most minutes together in the NBA but carried a net rating of just plus-0.7 — including a first-quarter net rating of minus-8.1 in the first quarter.

But they built a three-point lead before the first sub Monday, and they closed out the win together with a clutch run down the stretch.

Brown used his likely nine-man playoff rotation with Miles McBride, Robinson, Shamet and Jordan Clarkson coming off the bench.

It meant Jose Alvarado picked up his first healthy DNP.

“I’m good. I’m chilling,” Alvarado, acquired at the trade deadline by Leon Rose, said. “I’m ready for my moment. I’m ready for my name to get called whenever it is. … So just whenever it’s Jose’s time, whenever that time is, I’m ready.”

Towns said his right elbow impingement — which kept him out of Saturday’s win over the Bulls — has been an issue “for a while.”

“It is what it is at this point,” he said.

For a moment, everything stopped.

Inside the Frost Bank Center, the buzz of a marquee matchup, Victor Wembanyama versus Joel Embiid, gave way to silence as Wembanyama walked slowly toward the locker room, his night cut short before halftime. It should have been the turning point, but it became something else entirely.

The San Antonio Spurs didn’t flinch.

They steadied themselves, leaned on each other, and by the final buzzer, they were walking off the floor with a 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers—a performance defined less by who they lost, and more by who they became. And it also became their 60th win of the season.

Before the injury, the game had all the makings of a heavyweight duel. Wembanyama was electric early, scoring 17 points in just over 15 minutes, matching Embiid possession for possession. Every touch felt significant, every bucket answered. It was the kind of rhythm that pulls a crowd to its feet.

Then, in an instant, it was gone. A hit in transition. A slow walk off the floor. No return. And just like that, the spotlight shifted.

That’s when Stephon Castle stepped forward. He had a steady command that never wavered as he controlled the pace, found teammates in rhythm, and filled every gap the Spurs suddenly had to navigate. By the end of the night, his stat line told the story: 19 points, 13 assists, and double-digit rebounds—but it was the composure that stood out most.

Possession by possession, Castle kept San Antonio grounded. And he wasn’t alone.

One by one, the Spurs followed. Shots came from different hands. Stops came from collective effort. What could have unraveled instead turned into something balanced, something connected. By halftime, they had the lead and by the fourth quarter, San Antonio was in firm control.

Joel Embiid kept pushing to help his team, scoring 34 points, fought through contact, and tried to drag Philadelphia back into the game. For stretches, it felt like he might. But the Spurs never let the moment slip.

Every time the 76ers threatened, San Antonio answered. The lead stretched. The clock ticked. And whatever window Philadelphia hoped to find quietly closed. When the final buzzer sounded, the Spurs had earned the 115-102 victory, but the final score only told part of the story.

San Antonio responded to losing its star player as well as a winnable game against Denver on Saturday. A team losing its star and refusing to lose its identity. A young group discovering, in real time, what it looks like to carry the weight together.

And as the Spurs walked off the floor, the image that lingered wasn’t the final score.

It was everything that came after Wembanyama left—and how, somehow, they never let the game leave with him.

ATLANTA — Two years ago, the Knicks were lovable underdogs.

A year ago, they were a little less lovable — a product of exhausting all their draft assets in trades and losing their rough-and-tumble identity — but they were underdogs, nonetheless.

“ ‘If they make it a six-game series, I’ll be proud of the Knicks,’ ” recalled Karl-Anthony Towns of the punditry surrounding last year’s second round against the Celtics.

Now? They better win. That’s the mandate not only from the outside but also the team owner, James Dolan, who replaced the coach in June and sent a public Finals-or-bust message in January. So it doesn’t matter that the Knicks still aren’t betting favorites to win the East, or that they’ll probably enter as the No. 3 seed.

They either advance past three rounds or they’re a disappointment and Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes the only way out.

“The perception and standards have obviously changed for us ever since we made that stride last year in the playoffs,” Towns said Monday. “Getting through the first round, we weren’t supposed to make it out of there. Then the second round, we definitely weren’t supposed to be making it out of there. We showed the world that we can beat these teams, especially in the playoffs.

“But in doing that, we put the antennas up for the rest of the league as well. They know what we can do and on top of that, coming in with the expectations we had this year, finding a way to win the NBA Cup. Even through all the ups and downs, finding ourselves the third seed. The world is not unaware of how good we are. But it’s up to us to execute in a seven-game series and be disciplined and find a way to win.”

Towns was wrong about one thing. The Knicks were supposed to beat the Pistons in the first round last year and they succeeded in six games. But then they were projected for a beatdown administered by the Celtics and instead compelled mass celebrations outside of MSG.

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It’s theoretically easier to play freer when unburdened by expectations. But Towns is taking the “pressure is a privilege” approach.

“Me, personally, I’ve been dealing with expectations since before I stepped into the league,” said Towns, the former No. 1 overall draft pick. “Honestly, it’s really the same thing. It’s been the story of my career. Dealing with expectations that are lofty. On top of that, the expectations I have for myself are even higher than what people give me. So I have a lot of work to do. But I’ve been used to it. So it’s a blessing to have pressure.”

Beyond the team success and the overflow of glory that would come with an NBA Finals appearance, there’s money at stake for individual players. Towns is eligible for a contract extension after the season. Same with Miles McBride. Meanwhile, Mitchell Robinson, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson and Mohamed Diawara could all be free agents. Players get paid off their postseasons. Just ask Mikal Bridges, who got $150 million after his breakthrough opening two rounds of 2025.

This year’s version of the Knicks — and Bridges, especially — doesn’t look as good as the version that beat the Celtics. But momentum is a helluva equalizer.

And if the Knicks can close the season strong against four straight playoff-bound opponents — including Monday against the Hawks — they can carry it into the first round.

“We can get to that level. We’re really good,” Alvarado said. “We just need to lock in on the details and stay like that. What really is in our way is ourselves. We just got to stay consistent and confident in who we are.”

Better late than never, says Towns.

“The playoffs should’ve started 10 games ago [for us],” the center said. “We should be building on our standards all year. That’s what the goal was. We have four good games where we can get some good tape, get our coverages right. See how we can execute different coverages, different things. And we could just find different ways to show what we can do, and have adjustments ready to go in the playoffs.”

The Golden State Warriors had a bittersweet Easter Sunday. On the bright side, they welcomed Steph Curry back into the fold after the two-time MVP had missed 27 consecutive games with runner’s knee. On the less happy side, the Dubs lost a heartbreaker to the Houston Rockets, as their comeback fell just short in a 117-116 defeat.

Because it was a close game, the NBA released a Last 2 Minute Report for the contest. In L2Ms, the NBA combs through the final two minutes of close games from multiple camera angles, and assesses whether plays were correctly called (or non-called). Thankfully (or sometimes not thankfully), the L2Ms are released to the public, so we can see how the officials did in the most crucial moments.

In Houston’s victory, the league determined that there were three mistakes made by the officiating crew. All three were incorrect non-calls, which is to say whistles that weren’t blown, but should have been. And two of those three were whistles that would have been blown against the Rockets, benefitting the Warriors.

The first occurred with 1:28.6 remaining, when Curry made a layup that pulled the Warriors to within a point. According to the league, a shooting foul should have been called on Amen Thompson, giving Curry a free throw. Here’s the league’s ruling: “Thompson (HOU) jumps from A to B and initiates body contact with Curry (GSW) as he defends the shot.”

The second occurred shortly after, with 1:10.7 on the clock, when Alperen Şengün should have been whistled for a three-second violation, with the league stating, “Sengun (HOU) fails to fully clear the lane and is in the paint for longer than three seconds.” Just two seconds later, Şengün drained a short jumper, was fouled, and completed the three-point play. Instead of a turnover, the Rockets pushed their lead to four points.

The third and final officiating mistake came with 46 seconds remaining, when the refs failed to call a defensive three-second violation on Draymond Green. Here’s the ruling: “Green (GSW) fails to fully clear the lane and is in the paint for longer than three seconds without imminently actively guarding an opponent.” Had the play been properly whistled, the Rockets would have gotten a free throw and then retained possession. Instead, they had an empty trip down the court.

Ultimately, missed calls are a part of the game, and there’s no use crying over them. Sometimes they help the Warriors, and sometimes they hurt them.

March Madness has come and gone, with Michigan men's basketball taking home the NCAA championship on Monday, April 6.

The conclusion of the Men's NCAA Tournament means there's only one thing left for college basketball fans between now and the end of the men's college basketball season: "One Shining Moment."

UConn vs Michigan final score: National championship game highlights

To no surprise, the near 3-minute highlight reel didn't disappoint.

This year's version of "One Shining Moment," which has been the soundtrack of the Men's NCAA Tournament since 1987, included some of this year's top buzzer-beaters, like High Point's Chase Johnston's layup to upset No. 5 Wisconsin in the first round and Otega Oweh hitting a 3-pointer from the logo to force overtime and save Kentucky's season for an additional day.

It featured heartbreaking moments — depending on the fan base, of course — like Duke losing out on back-to-back Final Four appearances when Braylon Mullins hitting a 3-pointer to send Connecticut to Indianapolis after Cayden Boozer's last-second turnover vs. the Huskies in the Elite Eight.

It, of course, ended with the Wolverines finishing off one of the greatest seasons by a men's college basketball team with their first national championship since 1989.

Tonight is the final road game for the 2025-26 Houston Rockets. Their next road game will be Game 1 or Game 3 of their first round series.

Obviously, this is a game that many associated with the Phoenix Suns have had circled on the calendar. Jalen Green has missed all three previous games between these teams and Kevin Durant missed the earlier game in Phoenix. Dillon Brooks has played all three games and has been his typical intense self. The other player in that trade, Khaman Maluach, has been a project (as expected) this season but has shown flashes for the Suns.

I expect the Suns and their fans to be rabid for this game. Brooks is going to hype the team up to the moon and the fans will want nothing more than to take down Durant and Houston’s six-game winning streak.

This game is also on national television and will be Houston’s latest game of the season, starting at 10pm local Houston time.

Tip-off

10pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network and NBC/Peacock

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Suns

Haywood Highsmith: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

Hou -1.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Thursday night at home against the Philadelphia 76ers