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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jalen Celestine hit five 3-pointers and scored 19 points, including two clinching free throws with 29 seconds to go, and ninth-seeded Cincinnati held off No. 16 seed Utah 73-66 on Tuesday to advance to the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.

Moustapha Thiam added 14 points and 10 rebounds while Baba Miller had 11 points, 14 boards and six assists for the Bearcats (18-14), who also gave their NCAA tourney hopes a big boost by earning a date with No. 8 seed UCF on Wednesday.

The Bearcats have won seven of their last nine games, a streak that began with a 20-point victory over the Knights in early February and includes a rare win by a road team over Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse a couple of weeks ago.

Terrence Brown had 22 points and six assists for the Utes (10-22), who finished the season with five straight losses and 18 in their last 20 games. Keanu Dawes had 15 points and 12 rebounds while Seydou Traore scored 12.

Cincinnati closed the first half on an 15-2 run to take a 29-20 lead into the break, and it managed to extend the advantage to 48-33 by the midway point of the second half, when it seemed as if the Bearcats were about to put the game away.

Brown almost single-handedly kept the Utes in it.

He answered with back-to-back baskets as part of a mid-half scoring burst, then scored nine consecutive points for Utah down the stretch. The last of them was a three-point play that got the Utes within 66-61 with 3:07 to go.

Utah was still within 68-64 with a minute left, but Day Day Thomas and Celestine made free throws to put the game away.

Up next

Cincinnati split two games with UCF this season with each winning at home.

Utah begins to regroup in the offseason.

___

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It’s a bummer that for the second straight March, draft positioning has been the only thing worth rooting for so far.

After losing four out of their last five games and injuries mounting, the Sixers have finally slipped out of the top-6 in the Eastern Conference, sitting firmly in the eighth seed at 34-30. Of course there’s no protection if the wheels completely fall off and they are unable to get out of the Play-In tournament as the Sixers owe their top-4 protected pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

At least Philadelphia does own a draft pick for the 2026 first round, acquiring that of the Houston Rockets in exchange for trading Jared McCain to the Thunder. There’s at least been some improvement on that front, with the Rockets moving up one spot in the draft after going 1-2 over their last week of games.

They had a tough overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors, as well as running into the red-hot San Antonio Spurs with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers sandwiched in between. That’s moved them from 25th to 24th in draft order. They are a game back in the loss column from the LA Lakers for the 22nd pick and two back in the loss column from the Denver Nuggets for 21.

They’ll see those Nuggets as a part of a tricky week upcoming for Houston. First they’ll take on the Toronto Raptors at home on March 10 before heading up to Denver for a nationally televised bout on the 11th. Things definitely get easier when they come back home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on the 13th, then they start a two-game set at home with the Lakers on the 16th. That’ll be two upcoming games with big impacts on the standings with the teams in the early to mid twenties so bunched up.

Pick Status this week: 24

Pick Status last week: 25

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mavericks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Come back later in the week to see the results! And then we can talk about them

Boston Celtics (43-21) at San Antonio Spurs (47-17)
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
8:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #65 Road Game #34
TV:  NBC/Peacock, NBCSB, FDSN
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, WOAI/KXTN, Sirius XM
AT&T Center

The Celtics continue their 3 game road trip with a stop in San Antonio to take on the Spurs. They beat the Cavaliers 109-98 on Sunday.  They will finish the trip on Thursday in OKC.   This is the second, and final game between these two teams this season.  The Spurs won the first meeting 100-95 in Boston on January 10.   The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season.  They are 47-59 overall all time against the Spurs and they are 22-30 all time in games played in San Antonio.

Unlike many teams, the Spurs stood pat at the trade deadline and did not make any trades.  They did, however waive Jeremy Sochan, who was later signed as a free agent by the Knicks.  They also signed Mason Plumlee to a 10 day contract  After the 10 day contract ran out,  Plumlee signed a rest-of-season contract with the Spurs.  They also signed Emanuel Miller to a two-way contract. 

The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 2.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 3 games ahead of 3rd place New York , 3.5 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 6.5 games ahead of 5th place Toronto, 7.5 games ahead of 6th place Orlando and 7th place Miami. The Celtics are 15-7 against Western Conference opponents. They are 22-11 on the road and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 2 games.

The Spurs are 2nd in the West, 2.5 games behind first place OKC.  They are 7 games ahead of 3rd place Minnesota, 7.5 games ahead of 4th place Houston, 8 games ahead of the 5th place LA Lakers and the 6th place Denver Nuggets, and 10 games ahead of 7th place Phoenix.  They are 19-4 against Eastern Conference opponents.  They are 24-6 at home and are 9-1 in their last 10 games.  They have won their last 4 games. 

After this game at San Antonio the Celtics will complete their 3 game road trip at Oklahoma City. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State. Next, it is one game at Memphis before a 3 game home stand against Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Atlanta. Then it’s back on the road for a 4 game trip through Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami and Milwaukee.

This is the 4th game of a 6 game home stand for the Spurs.  They will host Denver and Charlotte before playing at the Clippers and at Sacramento.  Then it’s back home against Phoenix and Indiana.  Next they play on the road at Miami, Memphis and Milwaukee.  Then it is one game at home against Chicago before a 3 game road trip through Golden State, the LA Clippers and Denver.

For the Celtics, Nikola Vucevic will remain out after having surgery to stabilize a fracture in his right ring finger.  Payton Pritchard is out due to spasms in his neck. It is only be his second missed game of the season.  For the Spurs, Harrison Barnes is out with an ankle injury.  David Jones Garcia is out with an ankle injury. Lindy Waters III is questionable due to illness.  Mason Plumlee is available after originally being listed as questionable due to reconditioning.   

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Stephon Castle

SG: Jaylen Brown vs De’Aaron Fox

SF: Sam Hauser vs Devin Vassell

PF: Jayson Tatum vs Julian Champagnie

C: Neemias Queta vs Victor Wembanyama

Celtics Reserves
Hugo Gonzalez
Luka Garza
Amare Williams
Jordan Walsh
Baylor Scheierman

2-Way Players
Ron Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
John Tonje

Injuries/Out
Nikola Vucevic (finger) out
Payton Pritchard  (neck)  out

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Spurs Reserves
Bismack Biyombo
Carter Bryant
Dylan Harper
Keldon Johnson
Luke Kornet
Jordan McLaughlin
Kelly Olynyk
Mason Plumlee

2-Way Players
Harrison Ingram
David Jones Garcia
Emanuel Miller

Injuries/Out
Harrison Barnes (ankle) out
David Jones Garcia (ankle) out
Lindy Waters III (illness) questionable
Mason Plumlee (reconditioning) available

Head Coach
Mitch Johnson

Key Matchups
Neemias Queta vs Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama is averaging 23.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 3.0 blocks and 1.steals per game. He is shooting 50.5% from the field and 35.3% beyond the arc. In the first game against Boston this year, he finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks while shooting 47.1% from the field and 25.3% from beyond the arc. He is a monster on defense and is a threat to score from anywhere on the court. The Celtics can only hope to slow him down.

Jaylen Brown vs De’Aaron Fox
Fox is averaging 18.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  He is shooting 48.6% from the field and 34.1% from beyond the arc.  Against the Celtics on January 10, Fox finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal while shooting 56.3% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc.   Fox is one of the fastest players in the league and the Celtics need to keep him from getting out on the break. 

Honorable Mention
Derrick White vs Stephon Castle
Castle is averaging 16.4points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  He is shooting 46.8% from the field and 30.1% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 9 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals while shooting 18.8% from the field and 14.3% from beyond the arc.  He is coming off a 145-120 win over Houston where he finished with 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 75% on threes.  He can be dangerous if not defended well.

Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense will always be the most important key to winning games.  The Celtics are 5th with a defensive rating of 111.6 while the Spurs are 3rd with a defensive rating of 110.2.  The Celtics need to defend the perimeter because the Spurs shoot 37.6 threes per game and they shoot 35.6% as a team.  They also need to defend the paint as the Spurs average 51.1 points in the paint per game.  The Celtics need to make defense a priority and play tough team defense from start to finish and not let up.  This game will be won on the defensive end. 

Rebound – The Celtics can’t score if they don’t have the ball, and they will struggle if they  give up second chance points to the Spurs.   The Celtics  and Spurs are tied for 3rd with both teams averaging 46.4 rebounds per game. The Celtics are going to have to work extra hard on the boards in this game with Wembanyama ready to snag every rebound.  When the Celtics put in extra effort on the boards,  that effort tends to spread to other areas of the game as well.   

To 3 or Not to 3 – The Celtics are 3rd in the league, attempting 42.4 threes a game.  When they fall, the Celtics are tough to beat. But, when they aren’t falling, the Celtics struggle.   If the Celtics aren’t hitting their 3s, they have to go to Plan B and take the ball to the basket or shoot from midrange.  If the 3s are falling, great!!  If not, go to Plan B.  The Spurs are a good defensive team and will try to chase the Celtics off the 3 point line and they need to be ready for that. 

Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics play their best when they share the ball. They are 28-2 when they have 25 or more assists in a game and they are 14-0 when they have 29 or more assists. However, the Celtics need to take care of the basketball and limit turnovers. They have to make careful passes and also be aware while dribbling and not drive into a crowd or allow a defender to steal the ball since the Spurs average 17.5 points off turnovers per game.

X-Factors
On the Road – The Celtics are playing in the 2nd game of a 3 game road trip after having to travel across country and across time zones.  They have to sleep in hotels and play in hostile arenas.  The Spurs are a very good home team, losing just 6 games at home this season.  The Celtics have to overcome all the distractions of playing on the road and stay focused on playing the game the right way. 

Officiating – Officiating is always an X-Factor.  Every crew officiates differently and teams need to adjust to the way the game is called. Will they call the game evenly or favor the home team?  Will they call it tight or let them play?  Hopefully we get fair officiating and they let them play and the Celtics focus on playing and not on the officiating. 

Who: Phoenix Suns (37–27) @ Milwaukee Bucks (27-36)

When: 5:00 PM Arizona Time

Where: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports

Listen: KMVP 98.7

The Phoenix Suns are fresh off a promising home win against the red-hot Charlotte Hornets on Sunday evening.

Despite being short-handed, Phoenix’s guard trio of Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Collin Gillespie all put on a show. That, plus the strong play from their rookies and an encouraging Haywood Highsmith debut, was enough to push the Suns over the hump.

This will be the first meeting between these clubs, with the two-game season series concluding in Phoenix in a couple of weeks. For the Suns, this is the start of a long, grueling 6-game road trip all over the country with a pair of back-to-backs sprinkled in.

This is a road test that should not go unnoticed by the Suns, despite their poor record in Milwaukee. Giannis is off the injury report, and they will be at (mostly) full strength on their home floor. This game caps off the end of a season-long five-game homestand for the Bucks, who have lost five of their last six contests.

Probable Starters

Injury Report

Suns

• Jordan Goodwin — QUESTIONABLE (Left Calf)
• Grayson Allen — QUESTIONABLE (Knee)
• Mark Williams — OUT (Left Foot)
• Dillon Brooks — OUT (Left Hand)

Bucks

• Kyle Kuzma — QUESTIONABLE (Back)
• Kevin Porter Jr. — OUT (Knee)
• Taurean Prince — OUT (Neck)

What to Watch For

The Suns are going to be a bit undersized compared to a large Bucks team across the board. Between centers Myles Turner and Jericho Sims, along with Giannis, of course, and Bobby Portis, plus 6’9” forward Osumane Dieng stepping into a larger role of late.

Expect the trio of young guys in Oso Ighodaro, Khaman Maluach, and Rasheer Fleming to get significant minutes in this one.

Milwaukee just gave up 130 points to the Orlando Magic in a loss on their home floor this Sunday. The Bucks are the 11th seed out East, and they are a full 4 games back from the Hornets (who Phoenix just beat) for the final play-in spot. The motivation will be there for them to put together one last run, especially with Giannis healthy, even if it looks to be an uphill climb.

Keys to a Suns Win

Contain the Freak

Giannis is still a freight train and will be a problem for a Suns team that struggles to defend physical, bruising forwards. I’d anticipate Oso Ighodaro, Rasheer Fleming, and Ryan Dunn, or even Khaman Maluach, being bodies they throw at him to disrupt him.

Beyond slowing Giannis down, the Suns will need to cut off “the others” on Milwaukee’s squad. Ryan Rollins can get buckets. Bobby Portis has killed Phoenix in the past, and you want to avoid an AJ Green, Cam Thomas, Gary Trent Jr., or Kyle Kuzma game. They have sneaky depth, but it’s an odd mix of guys who haven’t been able to stay on the court together much this season.

Contain the Bench

Portis led the Bucks with 18 points, and Cam Thomas chipped in with 17 off the bench in their loss to the Magic on Sunday. Phoenix’s bench is dependent on who actually suits up in this one, because if they get Allen and/or Goodwin, that provides a significant punch in either scoring or defense, depending on who can go.

Defense Wins

The Bucks have been held to under 100 points in four of their last six contests. The Suns will need to do what they do best to take this one, and that is to set the tone defensively.

Team defense will be the key. Pack the paint, help, and recover. Rinse and repeat. Giannis’s presence adds another element to this Bucks team, so the Suns’ depth and size will be tested early and often.

Prediction

The Suns are looking more connected, and a potential return of one (or both) of Goodwin and Allen could give them the jolt they need to just pull off a tough road win. I’m not holding my breath on this one.

Suns 113, Bucks 109

With the Western Conference a tight-knit race yet again this season, this series will look at the standings and games to watch across the league as the Lakers look to secure home court and move up the standings.

LA is now sitting at the No.5 spot in the West after beating the Pacers and Knicks this weekend along with the Nuggets falling to Oklahoma City and New York.

This is the most important stretch of the season, and if the Lakers beat the Wolves, they’ll be in a prime position to continue climbing up the rankings.

Here’s a look at the current playoff standings in the middle of the conference:

3. Wolves — 40-24, 10 GB
4. Rockets — 39-24, 10.5 GB
5. Lakers — 39-25, 11 GB
6. Nuggets — 39-26, 11.5 GB
7. Suns — 37-27, 13 GB

Let’s take a look at the big games to watch around the league for the next couple of days and who you should be rooting for.

Tuesday

Raptors at Rockets — It’s going to be tough for the Raptors to pull off a road win over the Rockets. The last time they beat a winning team was on Jan. 25 when they defeated the Thunder.

Suns at Bucks — Are the Bucks even trying to win, and more importantly, can they even do it? Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to play in this contest, so maybe that’ll be enough to tip things in Milwaukee’s favor. Phoenix will be relying heavily on Devin Booker, who is coming off another 30-point performance in a quality win over the Hornets.

Wednesday

Wolves at Clippers — Sorry, Lakers fans, but you’re going to have to suck it up and root for the other LA team as Minnesota plays the Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Clippers have been playing good basketball as of late and are somehow back at .500 after starting the year with an abysmal 6-21.

Rockets at Nuggets — Is it possible for both teams to lose a basketball game? Who Lakers fans should root for in this game will depend on where things stand before tip-off. The good news is that someone will fall in the rankings, either way, in this contest.

Thursday

Nuggets at Spurs — Denver has to play Houston, then turn around and play San Antonio. That’s a rough back-to-back. It’s very possible that the Spurs beat the Nuggets on Thursday.

Suns at Pacers — Indiana is tanking and Phoenix is fighting to try and avoid the play-in, so don’t expect much of a game here. This is one to either turn on immediately to see what the vibes are or check at halftime if the Pacers even have a shot at winning.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

It’s over.

The Knicks have finally completed the final gauntlet on their regular-season schedule. Beginning on February 4 with a double-overtime victory against Denver, the Knicks played 16 games, with 12 against teams in playoff position. The 34-day stretch saw the team face Detroit and Denver twice, San Antonio, Boston, Cleveland, Philly, Houston, Toronto, and both LA teams. The soft games on the schedule? Indiana, Chicago, and Milwaukee. It wasn’t fun.

Ultimately, with the team not having much time to pick themselves off the mat after the three-week nightmare stretch, going 9-7 isn’t bad, even if the last stretch gave you a sour taste in your mouth. There were big highs and devastating lows, but ultimately, they survived. They now look forward to the softest eight-game stretch of the season as a reward.

But what can we learn from getting a look at essentially every good team the NBA has to offer over the last month?

The Knicks defensive renaissance is real

I talked about this in my potential jinx piece on Sunday (0-2 since, whoops), but the Knicks have held some extremely good offenses under wraps since the players-only meeting after the MLK Day beatdown against Dallas. They suffocated San Antonio, held OKC to 103 points, ran the Tatum-less Celtics out of the TD Garden, and smoked the Nuggets in Denver.

The defense did have two sub-standard games against the Lakers and Clippers in a brutal back-to-back, but there are caveats. For one, the defense started strong against the Lakers and even held a high-octane offense without a bucket for over seven minutes in the first half (albeit still giving up points on free throws). In the Monday night defeat at the Intuit Dome, the team’s 20 turnovers shot themselves in the foot just as much as the poor perimeter defense.

You want one stat that encompasses the defensive turnaround?

Before NYE: 36.9 opponent 3pt% (T-21st), 39.7 opponent 3PA/G (25th)
12/31 to 1/19: 39.5 opponent 3pt% (T-28th), 37.3 opponent 3PA/G (T-15th)
Since 1/20: 31.7 opponent 3pt% (1st), 37.4 opponent 3PA/G (19th)

The Knicks gave up a lot of threes to start the year, and up until MLK Day, was frequently fire-bombed from outside. The pendulum has since swung the other way with better shooting luck (wide-open% has dropped from 38.8% to 32.7% on similar attempts), but the team has also played much better defense with their rotations.

Detroit remains a matchup problem. The others? Not so much

Two of the seven losses came to the Detroit Pistons, a team that has had the Knicks’ number in a way very similar to the Celtics in 2024-25. We know how that ended, so there’s hope, but there are stylistic concerns. Detroit’s physicality gives the Knicks fits in the same way Orlando did early in the season to muck games up. Add in some ridiculous shooting splits from a team not known for 3-point shooting and, yeah.

But no other team has appeared to be this stylistic mismatch. The Knicks are 2-1 against the Celtics, and even with Jayson Tatum back and looking good off a torn Achilles, the team has confidence from beating a superior Celtics team last year. They’re also 2-1 against Cleveland, which, despite the loss coming since the James Harden trade, doesn’t have me too concerned, given just how cold the Knicks were that night. Don’t even get me started on Philly and Toronto.

Out West, you have to be impressed at how the Knicks have played against the Spurs and Nuggets this season. If Julian Champagnie doesn’t put up the best shooting performance of his life on New Year’s Eve, they’re 5-0 on the two biggest threats to the reigning champions in the West. Speaking of the reigning champs, the Knicks played well without Mitchell Robinson and nearly took OKC to overtime on the second night of a back-to-back.

They can compete with almost everyone, but will that translate when the games start to truly matter?

Fatigue became a factor late

Two of the Knicks’ sloppiest games came on the back-to-back in Los Angeles. Considering the travel schedule, it makes sense.

39 combined turnovers and sub-30% from three isn’t great. Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson did great on Monday night, but the role players vanished. The defense was a step slow, the offense was a tick off, and it was just pure sloppiness. Considering the circumstances, I’ll give them grace. Just don’t do this in Utah on Tuesday.

New York’s starters aren’t working

Yep, we’re having this conversation again.

In 155 minutes in the 16-game gauntlet, the starting five played 155 minutes and had a minus-3.5 net rating. In March, it’s a catastrophically bad minus-17.2 in 80 minutes. Injuries to Deuce McBride and the occasional absence of Mitchell Robinson have reduced lineup versatility, but when a lineup just isn’t working like this one isn’t, you need to consider something different.

Granted, if Landry Shamet is going to shoot the way he did Monday and teams employ Spurs-like ghost coverage to force Mo Diawara to beat you, your options are limited. Whenever McBride returns, he needs to get more reps with the Core Four. The 130 defensive rating that they have together is deceptive due to the 11-game stretch of hell.

Stat of the day: Brunson-Towns lineups have a 103.8 defensive rating since January 20.

The Big Bodega is back

I’m generally not nearly as much of a pessimist as some people who talk Knicks, but I have been especially irked at times this season over the play of Karl-Anthony Towns. After all, a guy who was once one of the best offensive big men the league has ever seen was unable to put the ball in the basket for months.

Well, despite relatively low usage, Towns has played some of his best and most efficient basketball in the Knicks’ toughest stretch.

In the 16-game gauntlet, Towns averaged a modest 20.7 points and 12.6 rebounds. The difference? His efficiency. He entered the 2OT win over Denver, shooting 46.1% from the field and 35.9% from three on the season for a 59.1 TS%.

Where’s he been since? 59.2% from the field, 41.2% from three, and 68.9 TS%. His usage actually went down in that stretch, so it seems that KAT is doing a better job at letting the game come to him and not forcing things. The ultimate question, though, is whether the Knicks can win with Towns doing this rather than being the 25-10 monster he’s capable of being.

That said, efficient basketball against some of the best the NBA has to offer is extremely encouraging. Despite playing in a back-to-back, Towns had his best game of the season on Monday, dropping 35/12/7 on an undersized Clippers team that only had 37-year-old Brook Lopez and Isaiah Jackson to defend him.

Jalen Brunson needs some rest

Brunson looked as good as he has all season against the Clippers on Monday night, but he has badly struggled lately against some physical defenses in a brutal, condensed schedule.

The captain’s stats all around have been down since he tweaked his ankle in January and rushed his way back to try and stop the bleeding. Great basketball from Anunoby and Towns has masked it at times, but the head of the snake is struggling.

There’s an upcoming stretch where the Knicks face the Wizards and Nets in their only two games in seven days. Resting Brunson for load management might be the best call. If you need him to beat two teams trying to lose, we have bigger issues.

Adam Silver is a cruel scheduler

The Knicks just finished a five-game stretch in seven days, traveling from Toronto to New York to Denver to Los Angeles. They traveled across international borders at 3 AM, went through customs, and were greeted by the reigning champions. They played the third game in four nights in Denver, a scientifically hard place to play due to the altitude. They then played a back-to-back in the City of Angels.

That’s bad enough given the strength of the opponents, but get this: In a span of six days, the Knicks played Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Kawhi Leonard. You can make the case that all four will make the All-NBA First-Team if they play 65 games. What a rough week.

The time is now to prove you belong in the NCAA Tournament.

Conference championship week is the last opportunity teams on the fringe of making March Madness to show they should be in the bracket, resulting in a very tense final few days before Selection Sunday. Every team on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament will play this week.

No need for March Madness: 2026 Final Four has already been decided

Toppmeyer: March Madness loses its first Cinderella after 6 games in 6 days

The tournament picture is already shifting as some teams began action Tuesday, March 10, including a candidate playing for the chance to earn the automatic bid and send ripple effects to the rest of the field. Here are the teams on the bubble in the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology as the clock inches closer to midnight.

Missouri

• Record: 20-11 (10-8)
• NET Ranking: 60
• Quad 1 record: 5-6
• Projected seed: No. 11
• Quality wins: vs. Florida, at Kentucky, vs. Vanderbilt, vs. Tennessee
• Bad losses: at Notre Dame, at Mississippi, at LSU

Next game: vs. Kentucky/LSU winner (Thursday, SEC tournament second round)

Missouri has slipped, not feeling as secure as it was a few weeks ago thanks to two straight losses to end the regular season. The Tigers are more safe than others, but they do have to worry about that high NET ranking when it comes to comparing with other resumes. At least a win in the SEC tournament should be enough to secure a spot.

Miami Ohio

• Record: 31-0 (18-0)
• NET Ranking: 55
• Quad 1 record: 0-0
• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)
• Quality wins: vs. Akron
• Bad losses: none

The still undefeated RedHawks remain one of the most polarizing teams in the country, as there's much debate on whether they still need the automatic berth. Regardless, Miami can put all of it to bed by winning three more games and claim the MAC title.

Next game: vs. UMass (Thursday, MAC tournament quarterfinals)

SMU

• Record: 20-12 (8-10)
• NET Ranking: 39
• Quad 1 record: 4-8
• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)
• Quality wins: vs. North Carolina, vs. Louisville
• Bad losses: vs. LSU (neutral), at Syracuse

The Mustangs are no longer safe for the NCAA Tournament with a four-game losing streak to end the regular season. While three were Quad 1 losses, they were must wins and really hurt a resume that has a measly 4-4 Quad 2 mark. The skid was finally ended with a win over Syracuse to open the ACC tournament, allowing SMU to breathe. Another win against Louisville would help them breathe much more comfortably.

Next game: vs. Louisville (Wednesday, ACC tournament second round)

Santa Clara

• Record: 26-7 (15-3)
• NET Ranking: 38
• Quad 1 record: 2-5
• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)
• Quality wins: vs. Saint Mary's (twice)
• Bad losses: vs. Loyola Chicago (neutral), vs. Arizona State (neutral)

The bubble team of the day. Santa Clara won't have to sweat out Selection Sunday if it beats Gonzaga to win the WCC title for the first time since 1993. Even if it loses, the semifinal win over Saint Mary's was a major boost and could make a huge difference as the week continues.

Next game: vs. Gonzaga (Tuesday, West Coast Conference tournament championship)

Indiana

• Record: 18-13 (9-11)
• NET Ranking: 37
• Quad 1 record: 3-11
• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)
• Quality wins: vs. Purdue, at UCLA
• Bad losses: at Minnesota, at USC, vs. Northwestern

The Hoosiers were unable to get another Quad 1 victory, something they desperately needed with how many losses it has in the category. A 1-5 finish to the regular season is uninspiring and Indiana needs to win its second round game in the Big Ten tournament or it can kiss its March Madness hopes goodbye.

Next game: vs. Northwestern/Penn State winner (Wednesday, Big Ten tournament second round)

Virginia Commonwealth

• Record: 24-7 (15-3)
• NET Ranking: 44
• Quad 1 record: 1-5
• Projected seed: No. 11 (First Four)
• Quality wins: vs. South Florida (neutral)
• Bad losses: at George Mason

It's unfortunate a shift in the NET rankings resulted in the win at Dayton becoming a Quad 2 result instead of Quad 1 because the Rams needed another mark. The last team in the field, VCU has the most work to do of the teams projected to play in Dayton. It needs to at least make the Atlantic 10 championship game, as a loss any earlier will make it vulnerable to get leaped over by another contender.

Next game: vs. Duquesne/Rhode Island winner (Friday, Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals)

Cincinnati

• Record: 18-14 (9-9)
• NET Ranking: 46
• Quad 1 record: 3-11
• Projected seed: First four out
• Quality wins: vs. Iowa State, at Kansas, vs. BYU
• Bad losses: vs. Eastern Michigan, at Xavier

A team surging into the picture is a Cincinnati team that finished with six wins in the last eight regular-season games, with some notable victories in that span. The Bearcats have some of the best wins and worst losses, so it still has work to do. They were able to handle Utah to open the Big 12 tournament, and now must beat UCF in the next round to stay in the fight.

Next game: vs. UCF (Wednesday, Big 12 tournament second round)

West Virginia

• Record: 18-13 (9-9)
• NET Ranking: 58
• Quad 1 record: 5-7
• Projected seed: First four out
• Quality wins: vs. Kansas, vs. BYU
• Bad losses: vs. Xavier (neutral), at Kansas State, vs. Utah

Ross Hodge's first season in Morgantown has largely gone unnoticed, but the Mountaineers have a chance to make the tournament thanks to some other contenders faltering. Still, it's a long road ahead considering how high the NET ranking is and some questionable losses. The only way to the tournament is beating Houston in the Big 12 quarterfinals.

Next game: vs. BYU/Kansas State winner (Wednesday, Big 12 tournament second round)

Auburn

• Record: 16-15 (7-11)
• NET Ranking: 40
• Quad 1 record: 4-12
• Projected seed: First four out
• Quality wins: vs. St John's (neutral), vs. Arkansas, at Florida
• Bad losses: vs. Mississippi, at Mississippi State

Another team in plenty of debate, the Tigers have fallen out of the projected field after failing to beat Alabama in the regular-season finale. Auburn has some incredible wins but so many losses, it's going to have to make a real strong case for the selection committee to ignore it's ugly record. At least two wins are needed.

Next game: vs. Mississippi State (Wednesday, SEC tournament first round)

Stanford

• Record: 20-12 (9-9)
• NET Ranking: 59
• Quad 1 record: 5-6
• Projected seed: First four out
• Quality wins: vs. Saint Louis (neutral), vs. Louisville, vs. North Carolina
• Bad losses: vs. Seattle, vs. UNLV, vs. Notre Dame, vs. Pittsburgh (neutral)

Hello and goodbye Stanford. Just as the Cardinal were entering the NCAA Tournament conversation, they immediately get taken out thanks to a last-second loss to Pittsburgh in the ACC tournament opening round. Stanford needed to win, and as a result, sees itself taken out of the March Madness picture.

Oklahoma

• Record: 17-14 (7-11)
• NET Ranking: 54
• Quad 1 record: 3-9
• Projected seed: Next out
• Quality wins: at Vanderbilt
• Bad losses: vs. Arizona State (neutral), at Mississippi State, at South Carolina

Stanford's loss opens the door for another team to join the first four out, and that honor goes to Oklahoma. While the Sooners don't have a great resume, they've been winning, and that's something not many bubble teams can say. With four straight wins, Oklahoma has to extend it to at least six to move up the conversation.

Next game: vs. South Carolina (Wednesday, SEC tournament first round)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket updates NCAA Tournament bubble teams, resumes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Damarco Minor followed his own miss to score with 0.7 seconds left and give 15th-seeded Pittsburgh a 64-63 win over 10-seed Stanford in the opening game of the ACC Tournament on Tuesday.

Minor finished just 2-of-10 shooting, missing all seven of his 3-point attempts, but sent the Panthers (13-19) into the second round against seventh-seeded NC State on Wednesday.

After Ebuka Okorie gave Stanford the lead on a three-point play with 26.2 seconds remaining, Minor missed a 3-pointer but the Panthers came up with the ball after a scramble. Minor missed a short jumper in the paint but put in the game-winner.

Okorie, coming in as the nation's second-leading freshman scorer at 23.1 points per game, finished with 14 for Stanford (20-12). Benny Gealer scored 11 points and AJ Rohosy had 10 points and a team-leading seven rebounds.

There were in 11 lead changes and four ties with Pitt prevailing on the strength of 20-7 advantage on the offensive boards, outscoring Stanford 25-7 in second-chance points and by 12 in the paint.

Pitt broke a tie by scoring the final eight points of the first half for a 31-23 lead. Stanford rallied to take a lead five times in the second half.

The Cardinal had beaten the Panthers 75-67 on Feb. 25 at home to start a four-game win streak heading into the tournament.

Up next

Pitt: The Panthers lost 81-72 at home to NC State on Jan. 24 in their only regular-season meeting.

Stanford: The loss looks to have ended the Cardinal's NCAA hopes as they await their postseason fate.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Our NBA player prop projections return for tonight’s primetime clash between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers, and the model has already flagged several standout opportunities.

After digging into the data and comparing our projections with the current market lines, we’ve identified the spots delivering the strongest betting value.

These Timberwolves vs. Lakers predictions aren’t based on gut feelings — they’re backed by the numbers.

If you’re putting together your betting card, these are the model’s favorite NBA picks for Tuesday, March 10.

Timberwolves vs Lakers computer picks for March 10

Timberwolves	Lakers
Edwards u29.5 points  -110	James o18.5 points +100
Randle o6.5 rebounds -110	Doncic o7.5 assists -140
DiVincenzo o2.5 3-pointers  -120	Ayton o6.5 rebounds  -112

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Timberwolves computer picks

Anthony Edwards Under 29.5 points (-110)

Projection: 28.4 points

Starting SGs haven’t had much success against the Los Angeles Lakers on the road this season, shooting just 37.1% from the field, which is the third-lowest in the NBA. Anthony Edwards has also stayed Under 29.5 points in four of his last 10 games.

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Julius Randle Over 6.5 rebounds (-110)

Projection: 6.5 rebounds

The Minnesota Timberwolves should see extra chances against the Lakers, who’ve played at the 7th-fastest pace over the last five games.

Julius Randle has also cleared 6.5 rebounds in seven of his last 10 games.

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Donte DiVincenzo Over 2.5 3-pointers (-120)

Projection: 2.8 3-pointers

The Timberwolves have been strong from deep on the road this season, knocking down 14.5 threes per game, which is the sixth-highest mark in the league. That trend lines up well for Donte DiVincenzo, who has gone Over 2.5 made threes in six of his last 10 games.

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---

Lakers computer picks

LeBron James Over 18.5 points (+100)

Projection: 19.7 points

The Lakers have been rolling offensively, ranking sixth in scoring over the last five games while also playing at the seventh-fastest pace in the league during that span.

The Timberwolves haven’t slowed things down either, sitting eighth in pace over their last 25 games — a setup that should create plenty of scoring chances.

That’s good news for LeBron James, who has cleared 18.5 points in seven of his last 10 games.

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Luka Doncic Over 7.5 assists (-140)

Projection: 8.4 assists

Luka Dončić has cleared the 7.5 assist line in five of his last 10 games, and the matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves gives him a solid path to reach that mark again tonight.

His usage naturally leads to high assist opportunities, especially when he draws double teams and kicks the ball out to shooters.

Timberwolves often send extra help toward elite scorers and strong ball handlers like Dončić, which will lead to open looks on the perimeter or easy dump-offs inside.

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Deandre Ayton Over 6.5 rebounds (-112)

Projection: 7.1 rebounds

Deandre Ayton has cleared 6.5 rebounds in seven of his last 10 games, and this matchup with the Timberwolves can also help boost those chances.

Minnesota often plays through perimeter creators like Edwards, which leads to a high volume of jump shots. More perimeter attempts typically translate into longer rebounds and additional chances for opposing bigs to clean the glass.

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How to watch Timberwolves vs Lakers tonight

Location	Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date	Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Tip-off	11:00 p.m. ET
TV	NBC, Peacock

Not intended for use in MA.
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