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The Dallas Mavericks (23-50) will play the Portland Trailblazers (37-37) 9pm Friday at Moda Center. Both clubs last played Wednesday, with Portland extending its win streak to two against the Bucks 130-99, behind guard Scoot Henderson’s 23 points; and the Mavericks losing 142-135 against the Nuggets in Denver, their fifth straight setback. They were led by Cooper Flagg’s 26 points and Naji Marshall’s 22.

The Blazers, who clinched a spot in the Play-in Tournament with a win Monday, are 23-17 since the calendar turned to 2026 after stumbling out of the gate to a 14-20 start, a record built largely by beating the teams they’re supposed to beat. They’ve followed form thus far in this four-game homestand, dispatching Brooklyn and Milwaukee before facing the Mavericks and Wizards this weekend. They’ve also notched some impressive upset victories like the one last week against a feisty Minnesota team playing without Anthony Edwards, scratching out a tough 108-104 road win after blowing a lead that ballooned to 18 in the first half. The team has continued handling business since a left fibula stress reaction sidelined its second-leading scorer, wing Shaedon Sharpe, Feb. 6.

Friday’s game will be the third and final time these clubs meet in 2025-26 and the first time since Dec. 27, when Portland won at home 125-122. Dallas prevailed in overtime 138-133 at home Nov. 16, as four Mavericks- Flagg, Daniel Gafford, P.J.Washington, and Klay Thompson- scored 19 or more.

Strange brew

The Blazers are a pretty good, pretty weird team that ranks top-five league-wide in offensive rebounds, total rebounds, possessions, field goal attempts, three-point attempts, free throw attempts, second-chance points, and turnovers. Five rotation players take more than 6.2 three-pointers per game. They’ve got size that’s hard to match up with in center Donovan Clingan and wing Deni Avdija, and a third tone-setter in power forward Jerami Grant, whose toughness is hard to match. When the Timberwolves’ defense clamped down in the game’s final minutes March 20, Grant scored his team’s final eight points- a three to retake the lead, a three to keep the lead, and a pair of foul shots to ice it.

Grant returned Wednesday to hit four of 10 three-pointers against the Bucks, but when he sat against Brooklyn Monday with a calf injury, third-year forward Toumani Camara stepped up with 35 points, connecting on nine of 11 three-pointers. Camara’s lone qualifying two-point attempt in the game was a bold drive in which the lefty deftly switched hands for the finish when met at the rim by two Nets. His outburst Monday, a career high, followed up a four-of-six performance from deep in the loss against Denver.

Cling peach

Donovan Clingan, the league leader in offensive rebounding at 4.6 per contest, has taken a big step in his second year. The big man entered the league as a center in the traditional mold, and with 33 double-doubles and 1.7 blocks per game he’s done well in that role this season, but is also developing into a real three-point threat as the Blazers heat up down the stretch. In scoring a career high 28 last week against the Pacers he made three of five from deep, though the trend was already on display in two games early this season against Dallas, as Clingan made 14 of 21 field goals, including four of 10 three-pointers. It’s a fun development for a player who averaged 0.1 three-point attempts per game in his college career at UConn, and a huge challenge for the Mavericks, who missed Gafford Wednesday as he sat with a shoulder injury. In the first three minutes of the third quarter against the Bucks Clingan tip dunked a Camara miss from the wing, outfought Jericho Sims for a board on the other end, made a top of the key three that he was ready for when Avdija passed up after penetrating, cut for a reachback jam on a feed from Jrue Holiday, and set several hard screens. As with many of the Blazers’ strong suits, the offensive rebounding led by Clingan is not limited on the roster to his contributions. Reserve center Robert Williams III hauls in 2.4 in 17 minutes per game, a comparable clip.

Downhill Deni

Portland’s team identity centers around three core tenets: second chance-opportunities, high-volume three point shooting, and aggressive drives to the rim. Deni Avdija handles that third leg of the stool, softening up defenses by relentlessly taking it to the rack, where the first-time All-Star is a punishing finisher through contact, and by getting to the line, where he makes just over 80% of his league second-most 9.2 free throws. Though Avdija attempts a lot more threes, he’s got an offensive game that will look familiar to observers of Flagg attacking and finishing with little regard for his own safety.

The Blazers, who are separated from the Clippers by half a game as the two teams jockey for eighth place, will be highly motivated to maintain the momentum they’ve built so far at home. With a victory they would nudge their record above .500 for the first time since they were 6-5 on Nov. 12. The Mavericks, themselves a pretty weird team, figure to provide a more significant roadblock than the Nets or Bucks, however. In its last three games Dallas has taken two to overtime, ultimately dropping both contests to the Clippers and Warriors, and held firm against Denver, clawing within a point with three minutes remaining in the third. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray cooked the Mavericks from beyond the three-point line Wednesday, making nine of his 14 tries, but for as many three pointers as the Blazers attempt each game, they only make them at a rate of .339, good for 29th in the league.

How to watch/listen

You can watch the game on NBA TV, KFAA Channel 29, or MAVS TV (streaming), or listen at 97.1FM KEGL (English), and 99.1FM KFZO (español).

MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored the winner with his first goal since Dec. 23, and the Montreal Canadiens edged the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Thursday night.

Jayden Struble — with his first of the season — also scored, and Jakub Dobes made 25 saves as Montreal won its third consecutive game.

Damon Severson scored for Columbus, and Jet Greaves stopped 18 shots.

The Blue Jackets fell to 19-4-4 since Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason as head coach Jan. 12. They climbed from 28th overall to second in the Metropolitan Division ahead of Thursday’s games.

The Canadiens, meanwhile, sit third in the Atlantic Division with 11 games remaining.

Bolduc ripped a shot into the top-left corner 4:36 into the third period to snap a 31-game goalless skid and give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead.

Struble ended a drought of his own when he opened the scoring at 9:54 in the first period. He snuck a wrist shot past Greaves short side for his first goal since Nov. 26, 2024.

Two minutes later, Severson got Columbus on the board by beating Dobes blocker-side on a 2-on-1 after Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson was caught up ice.

With an assist on Struble’s goal, Hutson became the fourth defenseman in Canadiens history to register 70 points in a season — and the first since Chris Chelios in 1988-89. Larry Robinson and Guy Lapointe also reached the mark.

Up next

Blue Jackets: Host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

Canadiens: Visit the Nashville Predators on Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Knicks faced their toughest test, by far, in two weeks.

And they ran out of the gym.

Their defense, ranked No. 1 in the NBA since Jan. 21, turned into a porous mess for much of an ugly 114-103 defeat to the Hornets. The Knicks allowed a younger and faster opponent to run rampant, and their seven straight wins entering Thursday felt like a paper streak when it ended Thursday with a thud.

Kon Knueppel, a real threat to snatch Rookie of the Year from Cooper Flagg, scored 25 points in 37 minutes for the Hornets, knocking down 6 of 10 3-pointers. Four of his teammates had at least 17 points as the Hornets shot 53 percent overall and 39 percent on treys.

But the Knicks’ biggest problems were threefold:

• They were killed by Charlotte’s pace, which started from the opening tip and never relented.
• They were killed by Charlotte’s pick-and-rolls.
•  They were killed on rebounds.

“They just kicked our behinds on the glass,” coach Mike Brown said. “We need more production on the glass than what we got from a handful of guys. If you’re going to go on the road and let a team outrebound you 43-24, it’s not even close because we didn’t put bodies on bodies. We didn’t hit first.”

The Knicks, meanwhile, got little offensively outside of Jalen Brunson, who had a spectacular first quarter but otherwise fizzled while finishing with 26 points and 13 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns logged just 22 minutes with eight shot attempts, scoring 13 points. The All-Star center wasn’t part of the closing lineup for a second consecutive game.

The Knicks trailed for the final three quarters and by as many as 21. It was worse than the final score.

“They played very well. They were physical,” Josh Hart said. “I just felt like we were a step slow. When another team is playing at that pace and with that physicality, it’s not going to be good day.”

Hart added the Hornets played as if “shot out of a cannon.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

It’s totally different than what the Knicks witnessed in their previous matchup against the Hornets, way back in December.

“Yeah, 100 percent,” Brunson said. “From the outside looking in, it looks like they all bought in to playing a certain style and bought in to playing together. And they looked great.”

By the time the Knicks turned up the intensity late in the fourth quarter, it was too late. LaMelo Ball iced the game with two free throws to put the Hornets up by 12 with two minutes left, and Miles Bridges’ tomahawk jam in the final seconds was the final insult.

It was a discouraging start to a four-game road slate for the Knicks, with tougher games coming at Oklahoma City and Houston.

Before this, the Knicks feasted on lesser opponents — including a slew of tankers — having toppled seven straight teams currently with losing records.

The Hornets are trending in the opposite direction of tanking. They’re sharpshooting and surging, riding Knueppel and a revived Ball to a legitimate hope for the playoffs.

In fact, Thursday was the first time since 2001 that the Knicks and Hornets faced off this late in a season with both teams sporting above-.500 records. It’s also a potential first-round playoff matchup, depending on how the jumbled conference standings shake out over the final two-plus weeks.

The Knicks (48-26), who could’ve clinched a playoff spot with a win, now sit third in the East. The Hornets (39-34), winners of five straight, are tied with the Heat for eighth.

Charlotte certainly looked like the better team Thursday.

“Our pick-and-roll defense wasn’t good,” Brown said. “And part of the reason why it wasn’t good is because they set great physical screens. And we didn’t do a good job protecting one another in the pick-and-roll.”

Before tonight, the Knicks (48*-26) had won seven consecutive games. Admittedly, some of those foes were lightweight competition. The Hornets (39-34) had won four straight and compiled a 22-6 record since late January. Charlotte had the fourth-best offensive rating, New York had the third. We were salivating for a shootout at the Spectrum Center. Truth be told, these teams shot with almost equal efficiency—CHO hit 53% and 39%, NYK made 51% and 38%. Although the visitors actually took four more field goal attempts, they were clobbered on the boards 43-24, attempted only 29 longballs, and their bench was outscored 26-17. Final score, 114-103.

Believe it or not, the same Hornets that laid sneaker prints all over the Knicks in the first quarter are ranked 25th in the league for pace. Over the first six minutes, Charlotte scored 24 points, outrebounded New York 4:1, and made 9-of-14 from the field. The nucleus of their top-tier offense, Lamelo Ball (22 PTS), Brandon Miller (21 PTS), and Kon Knueppel (26 PTS), had combined for four made three-pointers and 24 points.

After trailing by 10, the Knicks realized the game was underway. They held the home team to two points over the next four minutes, thanks to inspired play by Mitchell Robinson (4 PTS, 6 RBS, +10) and Jalen Brunson (26 PTS, 13 AST, 0-of-6 3PT), and mounted a 15-5 rally. In the final two minutes, with the Knicks behind by one, Knueppel and Miller hit triples, but Mohamed Diawara (5 PTS) scored on a layup and three, and Brunson drilled free throws. By the buzzer, the Knicks trailed by two. Of their 36 points, Brunson had 17. The Hornets were shooting 70% from the field, while the Knicks had hit 64%.

Which team would cool off first? Both, actually, but not by much. Through the half, Charlotte shot 58% and 40%, and New York went 54% and 46%. After a sloppy start to Q2 that allowed the Hornets to take another eight-point lead, OG Anunoby (17 PTS), Brunson, and Robinson restored order. Jalen set up a pair of alley-oops for Mitch and dished kickouts for OG, who knocked down three triples. Nevertheless, Charlotte stayed in the driver’s seat, led by Coby White (17 PTS) off the bench, and they were ahead by 10 again at halftime, 65-55.

Brunson was scoreless in the second quarter, but Anunoby picked up the slack. He had 14 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting. The other starters didn’t show up, combining for nine points, and the visitors had been outrebounded 20-12. Across the court, four of Charlotte’s starters were in double-digits, combining for 49 points. Plus, White had 12 off the bench. The Knicks’ offense would have to be more multi-dimensional to mount a comeback in the second half.

Kemba Walker holds Charlotte’s record for three-pointers made in a season with 260. Knueppel, who took the NBA record for most triples by a rookie, added six more to his total (253) tonight. He is sure to overtake Kemba sometime before the Hornets come to Madison Square Garden for the final game of the regular season. For a few minutes, it looked like he might break the record tonight. In the third quarter, the rookie phenom and Ball went on a shooting spree and took advantage of New York’s accommodating defense to stretch their lead to 15.

Karl-Anthony Towns (13 PTS, 3 RBS) posted seven points (he scored just two before halftime) and Brunson added a few more, but they couldn’t stop Knueppel and the pace-pushing hosts. Nor could they get rebounds, being out-boarded 11-4 in the third period. Our heroes started the quarter poorly and ended it the same way, allowing that goober Grant Williams of all people to hit a three-pointer with seven seconds left. At the break, the score was 94-76.

Of note, coach Mike Brown sent Diawara back into the game in the third quarter, and he subbed Tyler Kolek instead of Jose Alvarado, who was a dud in five first-half minutes. Mike was looking for a spark from somewhere. He didn’t find it. In the fourth quarter, Anunoby drilled another longball, and KAT had a nice bucket off the glass, but the guests still fell behind by 21.

In the quarter, the Hornets committed six turnovers (of their total 17), which allowed the heavy-footed Knickerbockers to think about a comeback. But their shooting turned frigid at the worst possible time. All those golden opportunities were squandered by one-and-done misses. Almost by accident, they were within 12 with three minutes remaining. Robinson grabbed an O-Board (finally!) and kicked the rock to Hart, who had hit a long two to cap a 15-4 run at 2:20.

Down 12 with 1:17 left, Josh Hart hit a three-pointer. Ball missed at the other end, but New York watched as Sion James chased down the loose ball, which became a Miles Bridges dunk that broke their backs.

Up Next

Chef Miranda is presently applying the frosting to your recap. Meanwhile, the road trip continues as our City Slickers take on the Okies this Sunday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are plates in disguise.

The New York Knicks saw their seven-game winning streak snapped in Charlotte, falling to the Hornets, 114-103. 

They were in range for most of the evening, but their upstart Eastern Conference rivals were too deadly from deep, going 16-for-41 from three.

Jalen Brunson fought valiantly to try and carry his team, scoring 26 points and dishing out 13 assists on 10-for-23 shooting. OG Anunoby added 17 on 5-for-9 shooting from three-point range.

Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel put up 26 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists on 9-for-14 shooting from the field. Brandon Miller added 21 points and LaMelo Ball had 22, each contributing with four threes.

Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart had 14 and 16 points, respectively, while Miles Bridges and Coby White chipped in 17 apiece for their squad. 

Here are the takeaways...

-- The buzzing Hornets got off to an incendiary start, going 4-for-8 from deep in the first six minutes to jump ahead by double digits early. Ball led the charge early with a couple of difficult floaters and a deep, contested three.

Brunson wouldn’t allow the Knicks to stay in a hole, hitting tough shots and drawing fouls en route to a 17-point, 4-assist opening period. A 15-5 New York run knotted the game back up, but Charlotte held a 38-36 lead going into the second.

-- The Hornets built on their lead behind solid reserve play, going back up by as much as eight. 

-- It was Brunson who led the turnaround again once he returned midway through the second quarter. He found Mitchell Robinson for a couple of lobs, then Anunoby stepped up for some timely jumpers to tighten the game up, finishing the half with 14 points. 

The Hornets would end the half on a flurry, getting energy off the bench from White (12 points in nine minutes), and more shooting from Knueppel, who went 3-4 from deep in the first half. Charlotte led 65-55 at the break, ending the second on a 15-6 run. 

-- The second half opened much like the first, with the Hornets raining threes. Ball dribbled into two, and Knueppel added another in rapid succession to put his team up 15 quickly. 

New York kept a solid pace offensively, but Charlotte was too voluminous from three. Brunson tried to keep the Knicks in it with more tough bucket-getting.

-- Tyler Kolek supplanted Jose Alvarado as the backup point guard in the second half rotation. The shakeup did little to contain the Hornets' onslaught, as they went up 94-76 after three.

-- New York got off to a strong start in the fourth, but Charlotte matched them score for score. Ball leaked open for a wing three, panicking the Knicks defense, which opened up a Grant Williams touch feed to Moussa Diabaté for a dagger slam. 

The Hornets continued their beatdown, getting another three from White and a tomahawk slam from Miller in the open court, building their lead beyond 20. The Knick starters returned to try and make a push, getting the lead down to 10 behind an 18-6 run late, but to no avail. 

Highlights

KAT getting to work early pic.twitter.com/Dm5PZBeIwH

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 26, 2026

brunson burner: lit pic.twitter.com/OnJVK7MMbA

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 26, 2026

classic og defense 🔒🚫 pic.twitter.com/tn28LFdKiA

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 27, 2026

a middy from mikal gets us going in the second half pic.twitter.com/lf8JaZuffv

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 27, 2026

What's next

The Knicks will stay on the road and travel to Oklahoma City for a matchup with the defending NBA Champion Thunder on Sunday. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.

SAN JOSE, CA — Purdue is still dancing.

The No. 2 seed Boilermakers avoided the upset from 11th-seeded Texas with a last-second put-back shot by Trey Kaufman-Renn in the Sweet 16 to continue their March Madness run into the Elite Eight with a 79-77 win.

It was a back-and-forth game the entire way, and in the winding moments, the Longhorns were down by three points. Texas' Dailyn Swain got a bucket and foul with 11 seconds left to tie the score at 77.

The Boilermakers had the final possession and guard Braden Smith drove into the lane for the game-winner, but missed. Luckily for Purdue, Renn was right there to clean it up, getting the putback to take the lead with 0.7 seconds left. Texas was unable to get the full-court heave to pull off the shocker.

More: Inside the game-winning play that advanced Purdue to Elite 8

With Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart already on the injury report, the Detroit Pistons were even more shorthanded tonight with Duncan Robinson ruled out. Kevin Huerter started at SG in place of Robinson and he’d give Detroit an early 14-11 lead after a corner three thanks to a behind-the-back assist from Jalen Duren. New Orleans would outscore Detroit the rest of the way and a Zion Williamson layup at the buzzer gave the Pelicans a 33-31 lead after the first quarter.

Daniss Jenkins again filled in for Cunningham in the starting lineup and had back-to-back threes early in the second quarter to help recapture the Detroit lead. The Pistons would extend their lead to double digits due to hot shooting beyond the arc, including a nice step back three from Huerter. Jalen Duren finished a strong first half with an off-the-dribble midrange jumper for his 17th point.

Detroit would take a 65-56 lead going into halftime. JD’s 17 points led the way for Detroit, but their first-time backcourt of Jenkins and Huerter were making an impact as well – they combined for 21 points and five made threes. Zion Williamson (13), former Piston Saddiq Bey (12), and Dejounte Murray were the halftime leaders for the Pelicans.

Duren kicked off the second half with a deep touchdown pass to Ausar Thompson for an easy bucket in transition after throwing a lob to Tobias Harrison on the previous possession. Huerter would add another three-pointer on the night to give Detroit an 88-75 lead with three minutes left in the third. Yet, the Pelicans would close the quarter on an 11-2 run to bring it back within six.

With a 92-86 lead heading into the final frame, Detroit needed to push the New Orleans deficit back to double digits and send the Pelicans home. After a quick Pels bucket, Huerter hit a movement three to put the Pistons up seven early in the fourth. Duren would then find Javonte Green for a corner three to give them their double digit lead again. A Jenkins three from a Ron Holland assist would force James Borrego to call a timeout and gave Detroit a 15-2 run to start the quarter.

A Duren right-handed hammer was another poster for him on his way to his 30th point and Detroit would push the lead to 20 with a couple minutes left. JB Bickerstaff would be able to empty the bench early in this one on the second game of a back-to-back, and Chaz Lanier, Bobi Klintman, and Tolu Smith were able to get in on the fun. Detroit would go on to win 129-108.

Jalen Duren approached triple-double territory with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. He shot the same from the field as he did from the free throw line: 10-for-12. He has been the focal point of the offense since the Cunningham injury and he’s thriving. Could he be the 20+ PPG scorer next to Cade that we’ve been looking for?

Elite starting backcourt Daniss Jenkins and Kevin Huerter were fantastic. Jenkins had 19 points and nine assists while Huerter added 22 points. They combined to shoot 9-for-14 from beyond the arc – no other Piston had more than two made threes. The two would play the most minutes of anyone else on the team with Huerter leading the way at 34.

We have now reached single digits in regards to games left on the schedule. Detroit will travel to Minnesota to take on Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves on Saturday night.

Go Stones.

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (AP) — Boston College hired UConn assistant Luke Murray on Thursday as coach of a slumping men's basketball program that has gone 17 years without an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Murray, the son of actor Bill Murray, will be a first-time head coach. He replaces Earl Grant, who was fired earlier this month after the Eagles had a losing record in four of his five seasons. Grant went 72-92 overall and 30-67 in Atlantic Coast Conference games.

In five years with UConn under coach Dan Hurley, Murray has been a part of two national championship teams, with Bill Murray often in attendance at games. The Huskies play Michigan State on Friday in the Sweet 16.

“In Luke Murray, we have found a leader who does not just understand the modern landscape of college basketball, he has helped define it,” Boston College athletic director Blake James said. “His role in building a national championship caliber program, his sophisticated offensive vision, and his relentless pursuit of excellence make him the perfect fit.”

Prior to UConn, Murray spent three years each as an assistant at Louisville and Xavier. He also had stints on staffs at Towson, Wagner, Arizona, Post and Quinnipiac. The 2007 graduate of Fairfield will be the 14th head coach in Boston College program history.

The Eagles have been buried in the supersized ACC for more than a decade, with a 10th-place finish in 2022-23 their highest since the league expanded from 12 to 15 teams in the 2013-14 season. They were second-to-last in the newly expanded 18-team conference in each of the last two years.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness