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Lakers

The NBA announced the 10 players who made the NBA All-Rookie teams in the 2021-22 season.
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Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley were unanimously selected to the 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team. More ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/eqKb0CU5GU">https://t.co/eqKb0CU5GU</a> Voting results ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/sxxe12SfTu">pic.twitter.com/sxxe12SfTu</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1527080628625231875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The All-Rookie First Team features unanimous selections Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, and Evan Mobley, while Franz Wagner and Jalen Green rounded out the squad.
The All-Rookie Second Team features Herb Jones, Josh Giddey, Bones Hyland, Ayo Dosunmu and Chris Duarte.

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Other players received votes but did not make one of the teams including Jonathan Kuminga, Davion Mitchell, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Suggs, Ziaire Williams, Jose Alvarado, Austin Reaves, Josh Christopher, Trey Murphy III and Cam Thomas.

The NBA announced which players were named to the league's All-Rookie First Team and All-Rookie Second Team.

Barnes, Cunningham, Mobley headline NBA All-Rookie Teams

For a third of the NBA, summer break comes early.&nbsp;
Though 10 teams didn't make the playoffs, it's not all doom and gloom. Several NBA bottom-feeders took tangible steps forward in their rebuilding efforts, while others &mdash; well, they're not supposed to be here.
Every franchise enters the offseason with summer plans. As teams get eliminated from the postseason, I'll be rounding up every team's offseason outlook and posing one question they must answer over the summer. You'll see each squad's 2022 NBA Draft chest, plus their potential free agents, along with the central question.&nbsp;
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Let's get started!
DETROIT PISTONS 
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick (via Brooklyn)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Marvin Bagley III (restricted), Cory Joseph (player option), Hamidou Diallo (team option), Frank Jackson (team option), Luka Garza (team option), Carsen Edwards (team option), Rodney McGruder 
Central question: How do the Pistons build an offense around Cade Cunningham?
This was a pretty solid season for Detroit as far as rebuilding efforts go. Cade Cunningham emerged as a Rookie of the Year front-runner and two-way centerpiece who has fans ecstatic about his ceiling. The Pistons finished a solid 10-14 after the All-Star break, and have shown flashes of an improving defense. They did still finish with the 28th-ranked offense, per Cleaning the Glass, and one of the worst shooting rates in the NBA.
Cunningham had to carry a ridiculous offensive load in the latter stages of the season. Detroit has the power to change that in 2022-23, starting with its high draft pick. Maybe Jabari Smith's lights-out scoring means he's an ideal secondary option? Perhaps Paolo Banchero thrives as an additional creator, or maybe Chet Holmgren makes sense as a finisher and spot-up threat? The fun part about Cunningham is that his versatility creates so many pathways for the Pistons in the draft &mdash; whether or not the ping pong balls fall their way.
Detroit wields a cap hold of approximately $28 million on Bagley, and once that lifts (either via a new contract or letting him walk), the Pistons should have a solid chunk of cap space to add to the supporting cast.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), better of Brooklyn/Miami first-round picks
Potential free agents: John Wall (player option), Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando (restricted), Jae'Sean Tate (team option), Anthony Lamb (qualifying offer), Trevelin Queen (qualifying offer)
Central question: How patient is the front office willing to be?
Houston's 2021 draft strategy of "draft talent, figure out the fit later" appears to be working out. Jalen Green demonstrated an Anthony Edwards-esque leap post-All-Star break, Alperen Sengun is already one of the NBA's best passing bigs, and guys like Josh Christopher and KJ Martin routinely hinted at upside. Houston gets another prime shot at a franchise cornerstone this draft cycle. We're approaching Stage 2 of the strategy, though: figuring out how the pieces fit.&nbsp;
The Rockets were one of two NBA teams with bottom-five ratings on offense and defense. They led the league in rim frequency and were fourth in three-point frequency, but posted mediocre shooting clips. Houston evokes memories of the rebuilding Nets, who played a similarly extreme brand of ball for a few years as the team slowly reshaped into a fun playoff squad. Does the front office have the foresight to let head coach Stephen Silas work things out with his roster of young guns?&nbsp;
INDIANA PACERS
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How is there a &ldquo;rebuild&rdquo; to afraid of if it isn&rsquo;t a rebuild? <a href="https://t.co/0pDD7E6Mss">pic.twitter.com/0pDD7E6Mss</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1512127632758001664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (10.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick (if 15-30, via Cleveland), Second-round pick (via Houston), Second-round pick (via Phoenix)
Potential free agents: Ricky Rubio, T.J. Warren, Jalen Smith, Lance Stephenson, Nate Hinton (restricted), Oshae Brissett (team option)
Central question: How extreme is the incoming rebuild, and what veterans mesh with the future vision?
Notably unlisted among the potential free agents are Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and T.J. McConnell. All range from solid starters to rotational complements, and 3 of the 4 (not Turner) will be 30 next season. The Pacers are clearly retooling, as evidenced by their trade-deadline fireworks and Tyrese Haliburton's subsequent high usage. They also have publicly flip-flopped regarding the direction of the team; see the above Tweet.
Indiana doesn't have the pure depth of talent to straddle the line. The Pacers can trade many of these talented players and build up a chest of draft picks and young pieces, or they can charge ahead, turn their picks into win-now players and hope Haliburton is ready for the playoff push. But a middle ground doesn't exist in an Eastern Conference where just about every team has solidified its direction.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Draft assets: None
Potential free agents: Russell Westbrook (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Austin Reaves (team option), Stanley Johnson (team option), Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, D.J. Augustin, Wenyen Gabriel, Mason Jones (restricted)
Central question: What does team-building around two injury-prone superstars look like?
LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-i-dont-have-a-cap-on-how-long-i-want-to-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turns 38 next season</a>, and has played 60-plus games just once in the past four seasons. Anthony Davis has now missed more than half the season in back-to-back years. Sure, the Lakers were a mess regardless of their stars' health, but going forward, is pursuing fits next to James and Davis even worthwhile if the two won't consistently be on the court?
With just three players under contract (the aforementioned stars, plus Talen Horton-Tucker), the Lakers enter another offseason of a roster overhaul. This time, I'd recommend almost entirely forgetting about James and Davis when building the squad and simply try to assemble units that make sense together.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, could change based on Play-In results), Second-round pick via Boston and Charlotte (if 56-60)
Potential free agents: Mitchell Robinson, Ryan Arcidiacono 
Central question: What's going to happen with the veterans?
The top six moneymakers for the Knicks next season are all 27 or older, and I think many fans would say that out of the group, only Julius Randle should have started &mdash; and he seriously regressed this season. The young Knicks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clearly showed they're ready to take the mantle</a>.
So what happens with Randle, Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker? Is Tom Thibodeau prepared to reduce their (their meaning Burks specifically in this case) minutes and usage, will trades be coming, or will Madison Square Garden burn when Immanuel Quickley opens the season by playing 16 minutes off the bench? New York has drafted extremely well in recent seasons, but the ceiling of the young core is capped if these youngsters don't get a chance to prove themselves in meaningful situations.
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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 
Draft assets: First-round pick (12.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via Clippers, First-round pick via Phoenix, Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Derrick Favors (player option), Mike Muscala (team option), Lu Dort (team option), Isaiah Roby (team option), Melvin Frazier (restricted)
Central question: What is the pathway in the frontcourt?
I've stanned Sam Presti's team-building strategy for years now, and I still think it's on track for a serious payoff. Josh Giddey slots in somewhere on your All-Rookie ballot, and draft classmates Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins flashed rotation-caliber play as well. It is simply a joy to watch a random young player have a breakout game on any given night, and OKC has already shown the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early stages of a prominent defense</a>.
Next up: Capitalize on a draft loaded with intruiging frontcourt players. Banchero, Holmgren and Smith are obviously the best of the best. But even if the Thunder slide in the lottery, they could pounce on an athletic shot-blocker like Jalen Duren, or use one of their later picks on a center like Mark Williams. I'm just spit-balling, but the point is that OKC has plenty of chances to find its big-man anchor and further flesh out its core.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Indiana
Potential free agents: Gary Harris, Robin Lopez, Bol Bol (restricted), Ignas Brazdeikis (restricted), Admiral Schofield (restricted)
Central question: How do the offensive pieces fit together?
Orlando quietly logged a 17th-ranked defense this season, and an 11th-ranked unit since Feb. 1. A dismal offense ultimately doomed the Magic, who were riddled with inconsistent shotmaking and poor team efficiency marks throughout the half-court. We don't need to sound any player alarms; it takes time for young guards in particular to grasp the responsibilities of running NBA offenses.&nbsp;
But what if I told you Orlando has wielded bottom-10 offensive ratings every season for the last decade?&nbsp;
Change can start in the draft, again with some of the top offensive forward options like Banchero or Smith. Adding another ball-dominant guard in Jaden Ivey might be overkill, but AJ Griffin and Bennedict Mathurin feel like good wing fits at first glance. Spotrac estimates the Magic could have up to $30 million in practical cap space, leaving plenty of room for veteran players to accentuate the young talent.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
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THE D IN DREW STANDS FOR DUNK DO NOT GOOGLE THIS <a href="https://t.co/2AojdAskYV">pic.twitter.com/2AojdAskYV</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1508636734900166659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (9.0% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via New Orleans (if 5-14), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Memphis
Potential free agents: Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Anfernee Simons (restricted), CJ Elleby (restricted), Elijah Hughes (restricted), Keljin Blevins (restricted)
Central question: Is Portland actually trying to win "now" or win soon?
Some really great development happened for the Blazers during the "wash" portion of the season in the form of players like Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson and Drew Eubanks. Add them to Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and the incomng draft picks, and Portland suddenly has... kind of a sneaky-deep prospect pool? There's real potential to mold this group into a rotation cast that gives Portland one of its deepest rosters in years.
That's why these <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant trade rumors concern me</a>. Giving up a possible lottery pick to try and piece together a short-term playoff team risks too much and keeps the Trail Blazers in the limbo they have lounged in for several years. Understandably, the franchise wants to build a contender while Damian Lillard is invested and in his prime. With some patience, Portland can without sacrificing sustainibility.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Draft assets: First-round pick (7.5% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick (via Chicago)
Potential free agents: Jeremy Lamb, Josh Jackson, Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Neemias Queta (restricted), Trey Lyles (team option)
Central question: How does Sacramento turn into a competitive NBA defense?
The Kings have trotted out lackluster defenses for as long as I can remember. In fact, they haven't ranked above 20th in Defensive Rating since 2005-06 &mdash; notably, the last time they made the playoffs.
And that didn't change under interim head coach Alvin Gentry. (Gentry will not return as head coach next season, but is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-alvin-gentry-no-longer-interim-coach-of-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in talks for a front-office role</a>, per ESPN.) However, the on-paper roster actually shines some hope. Davion Mitchell made highlight reels out of his "Off-Night" defense. Justin Holiday is a solid individual defender, as is Harrison Barnes, and even De'Aaron Fox has his sporadic moments.&nbsp;
Can Sacramento find a head coach who turns a group of intriguing players with defensive potential into even an average squad? What draft and free agency options exist? Of course, the Kings would like to end their NBA-leading playoff drought. That'll come with changing the culture on defense.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, depends on Play-In results), Second-round pick (via Dallas)
Potential free agents: Bradley Beal (player option), Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Anthony Gill (restricted), Cassius Winston (restricted)
Central question: What style of guard play is a feasible best fit?
Okay, so obviously the biggest question mark surrounds Bradley Beal's free agency. But from a conceptual standpoint, Washington has tried and failed over the past few seasons to find Beal's best-fitting partner in crime. John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Spencer Dinwiddie were each supposed to provide the downhill juice Beal lacks. The Wizards either did this at serious expense of another skill area (Wall, Westbrook), or it just didn't translate their at-rim ability (Dinwiddie). All battled injuries as well.
"I think we need bigger guards," <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-outlines-what-wizards-need-build-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said in March</a>. "We need more guys that can get in the paint for us, more ball-handlers, more guys that can really create and get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock down threes."
I mean, Beal's needs make total sense. The problem is that every other basketball team on Earth also wants this type of guard.
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Ethan Fuller sets the offseason stage for each team that missed the NBA playoffs.

Summer plans for the NBA's 10 non-playoff teams

There wasn&rsquo;t exactly a consensus about how the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; season would end, but it&rsquo;s probably safe to say that nobody foresaw this.
On Tuesday night, the Lakers saw their bleak playoff hopes reduced to zero when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets, and immediately thereafter &mdash; and rightfully so &mdash; Frank Vogel, Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were all in the news.
In the end, there&rsquo;s no single reason the Lakers turned in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history &mdash; there&rsquo;s enough blame to go around.
What Rob Pelinka needs to figure out is how to fix it.
The answer, ironically, would probably be to start thinking small.
This past season, the team managed to find some serviceable pieces to augment the star-studded core, but only Davis, James, Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves are under contract next season. The Lakers hold a team option on Stanley Johnson and Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn both have player options they are likely to pick up.
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The official 2021-22 Kendrick Nunn highlight reel 🎥 <a href="https://t.co/wDPehJyqpN">pic.twitter.com/wDPehJyqpN</a>
&mdash; Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersLead/status/1508967570560458762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Combined &mdash; thanks in large part to the commitments to Westbrook, James and Davis &mdash; the Lakers are in line to have about $148 million on their 2022-23 ledger, which is already about $26 million over the projected salary cap.
Said differently, outside of offloading one of Westbrook, James or Davis without taking much salary back in return, the team wouldn&rsquo;t be able to manufacture enough cap space to have a competent opportunity of improving via free agency. Obviously, the club could go the route it went this past season and hand out one-year, minimum salary contracts to aging veterans, but the players who could actually make a difference for the Lakers won&rsquo;t exactly be lining up to sign on the dotted line given the performance of this year&rsquo;s team.
To make matters even worse, the Lakers don&rsquo;t own a pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. Their first rounder was sent to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade, while their second-round pick is owned by the Spurs.
So how does a team with no cap space and no draft picks improve?
Simple: by thinking small.
Ask the Brooklyn Nets, and look toward the Miami Heat.
A historically frugal franchise, Miami has never necessarily found itself in the kind of salary cap hell the Lakers are in at the moment. Part of the reason why is because one of the constants during Pat Riley&rsquo;s tenure has been investing heavily in scouting and player development. The same rings true of most successful small market franchises.
Players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis may win you the championship, but throughout history, it&rsquo;s always been players like Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who get you there in the first place.
Contenders invariably unearth valuable and sometimes unknown role players and maximize those role players' talent. For example, this year's Miami team has enjoyed the combination of Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven combining to earn only about $7 million. That's about $3 million less than Talen Horton-Tucker alone. Strus and Yurtseven are far from household names, but Miami wouldn&rsquo;t be entering play on April 6 as the first seed out East without them, especially considering the injuries the team has dealt with this season.
Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn also go on a list that features the likes of Bam Adebayo, Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem as players drafted and developed by the staff in Miami.
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Some time ago, the Lakers had what looked like a competent core of young players. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine that just four years ago, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson were all teammates in Los Angeles. They&rsquo;ve all come and gone, most to facilitate the arrivals of LeBron, Davis and then Westbrook.
The Lakers do have a championship to show for that roster churn, but from this point forth, the way out might actually be to go back to the drawing board. Sean Marks and his Brooklyn Nets, another franchise that Lakers VP of Operations Rob Pelinka would be wise to mimic this summer, provide a blueprint for how to go about doing that.
When Marks took over the Nets in 2016, Brooklyn was not in a good place. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry had all come and gone, and the draft picks that became Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Collin Sexton were living their best lives elsewhere. The Nets had a bloated payroll, a team of scrubs and no future.
The NBA's Chicago Draft Combine was only two months after Marks was hired in Brooklyn, and despite not owning a first-round pick, he sent quite a contingent to the Windy City. Their directive was to do as much recon work as possible to find Marks some players who could help. Marks used Thaddeus Young to trade his way into the first round and came away from the draft with Caris LeVert and Isaiah Whitehead. Within the next six months, he signed two diamonds in the rough, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie.
One season later, Marks drafted Jarrett Allen and landed D&rsquo;Angelo Russell in a trade with the Lakers, and that was essentially the core that both got Brooklyn back on track and ultimately landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
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Highlights Kyrie Irving &amp; Kevin Durant 🆚 Sixers<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetsWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NetsWorld</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBATwitter</a> <a href="https://t.co/viw7ZzQQIZ">pic.twitter.com/viw7ZzQQIZ</a>
&mdash; Back2Back (@B2BFR) <a href="https://twitter.com/B2BFR/status/1502186067541307394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Obviously, that all took time to come to fruition, and time isn't something that LeBron James has. But the point is that no matter how daunting the situation, a competent NBA front office can build a team without having the most obvious assets readily available. That the Lakers have two superstars should actually make the task a bit less difficult.
In this league, there are generally two types of teams: those who rely on free agency and trades to build their contender, and those who build their programs organically, most often through the draft. Big-market teams tend to be the former, while small market teams usually go the other route.
If either Marks or Riley were put in charge of the Lakers&rsquo; front office, they would probably trade Horton-Tucker for draft capital after realizing he&rsquo;s not the right fit there. They&rsquo;d engage the Pelicans, Blazers, Thunder, Rockets, Pacers and Grizzlies &mdash; teams who may have multiple first-round picks &mdash; and find a way to come away from the draft with a young piece and at least one more promising player from the summer circuit. Only then would they go knocking on the doors of guys like Tristan Thompson, Semi Ojeleye and Victor Oladipo, all of whom could help and potentially be had for cheap.
By the time the 2022-23 season tips off, the team could be remade. Some names we&rsquo;d know, and many we wouldn&rsquo;t. But as we&rsquo;ve seen before, often, it&rsquo;s the names we don&rsquo;t know who end up making the biggest difference. Alex Caruso, anyone?&nbsp;
Neither DeMar DeRozan, Buddy Hield nor Kyle Lowry will be coming to save the day; Pelinka and James got themselves into their current mess, and they&rsquo;ll have to get themselves out.
With their season ending much sooner than anyone could have imagined, the Lakers will have plenty to address over their long summer.
But, at least in the NBA, small steps can lead to major strides.
With few options, the Lakers should be so wise.
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With the Los Angeles Lakers out of playoff contention, they must now focus on rebuilding like a small-market team.

Only fix for LeBron’s Lakers is to operate like a small-market team

Devin Booker scored 32 points and the Phoenix Suns won their franchise-record 63rd game of the season Tuesday night, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 121-110. The loss eliminated Los Angeles from the playoff race.
It was a tight game during the first half but Phoenix used a 29-9 run in the third quarter to create separation. The rest of the game was essentially a celebration for the Suns, who danced and dunked their way past the forlorn Lakers.
Los Angeles &mdash; playing without LeBron James for a second straight game because of a sprained ankle &mdash; has lost seven straight. Russell Westbrook scored 28 points while Anthony Davis added 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Deandre Ayton had 22 points for Phoenix (63-16), which avoided its first three-game losing streak of the season.
Even without James, the Lakers led for a big chunk of the first half. But the Suns started to take control late in the second quarter, and two straight alley-oops from Chris Paul to Ayton put Phoenix up 56-50.
The Suns took a 63-58 into halftime. Booker scored 16 points and Ayton added 14. Westbrook had 18 points for the Lakers before the break.
Phoenix pulled away in the third quarter, jumping to an 84-65 advantage in the first six minutes. Booker scored 16 points in the third and finished 12 of 22 from the field, including 6 for 9 from 3-point range.
Once the Suns built their big lead, the Lakers didn&rsquo;t seem particularly interested in mounting a comeback. Los Angeles finished with 16 turnovers, plagued by the same poor decisions that have hurt the Lakers much of the season.
NO PLAYOFFS
The Lakers have potentially five future Hall of Famers on their roster &mdash; James, Davis, Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard &mdash; and still couldn&rsquo;t find a way to make the playoffs.
Davis and James missed significant chunks of the season with injuries and Westbrook never seemed to mesh well with his new team.
SURGING SUNS
The Suns surprised much of the NBA by making a run to the Finals last season before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
Phoenix didn&rsquo;t sneak up on anyone this season, but has been even better. Paul and Booker were once again All-Stars, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Ayton continued to improve and new additions like JaVale McGee and Landry Shamet solidified the bench.
Phoenix&rsquo;s 63-16 record is eight games better than the Memphis Grizzlies, who are second in the NBA with 55 wins.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Howard had eight points and six rebounds in the first quarter. He came into the game averaging 5.8 points per game. ... Austin Reaves scored 18 points off the bench.
Suns: Booker, Ayton and Jae Crowder all played after sitting out Sunday&rsquo;s loss to the Thunder. ... McGee added nine points and nine rebounds. ... The Suns topped their previous record of 62 wins in a season. They accomplished it twice, in 1992-93 and again in 2004-05. ... The Suns swept the Lakers this season, winning all four games. ... The Suns hosted a sellout crowd for a 25th straight game.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
Suns: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

Behind Devin Booker's 32 points, the Suns beat the Lakers 121-110 on Tuesday night, eliminating Los Angeles from the playoff race.

Lakers eliminated from playoffs with 121-110 loss to Suns

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night with Los Angeles missing LeBron James because of an ankle issue while anticipating the return of long-injured Anthony Davis.
James and Davis didn't play after being listed as doubtful, which was actually an upgrade for Davis. The eight-time All-Star hasn't played since Feb. 16 because of a right mid-foot sprain. His first full practice since the injury was Monday in Dallas.
The question is when the superstars return. The Lakers (31-44) are tied with San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with seven games remaining for both teams. Coach Frank Vogel was non-committal before the game.
Los Angeles finishes a three-game road trip in Utah on Thursday before returning home Friday to complete a back-to-back against New Orleans. The Pelicans are ninth in the West, a game ahead of the Lakers and Spurs.
&ldquo;With those guys out, we&rsquo;re at a talent deficit, so the focus and execution has to make up for it,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;This is just the latest dose of adversity that this year&rsquo;s team has faced. When you lose &rsquo;Bron, OK, you have to adjust yet again throughout a season of setbacks.&rdquo;
Malik Monk scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook had 25 for the Lakers, who dropped their third straight for their fifth losing streak at least that long in the past two months as part of a steady slide away from .500 for the 2020 champs.
Doncic had 25 points in the first half as Dallas scored a season-high 82 for a 26-point lead. He finished with 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
The 23-year-old star secured his first triple-double in almost two months and 10th of the season with an <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1508973213480497153?s=20&amp;t=1oiVTgbr4YMZ7HtyrqQYJg">offensive rebound for a layup</a> that gave him 32 points and put Dallas up 101-65 with 6:58 left in the third quarter. Doncic sat the fourth.
Maxi Kleber capped an 11-0 run in the final 84 seconds of the first quarter with a coast-to-coast layup just before the buzzer. Dallas shot 64% for a 43-25 lead.
One of the few times LA tried to defend the 3-pointer, Spencer Dinwiddie was fouled on a 3 that put Dallas up 63-33 in the second quarter. He missed the free throw. Dallas was 11 of 19 from 3 after Dinwiddie's make and finished with a season-high 20 in 46 attempts.
&ldquo;We respect who they are,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re dangerous. (Monk) played well. Russ played well. We took care of business from the start. I think those guys set the tone. Three great quarters of basketball.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: The other meeting in Dallas this season was one of the 21 games James and Davis have played together. The Lakers won it 107-104 in overtime on Austin Reaves' 3 with a second remaining on Dec. 15. Reaves missed all four of his attempts from deep in his return and scored three points. ... Stanley Johnson matched his season high with 16 points.
Mavericks: G Brandon Knight signed his second 10-day contract of the season under the COVID-19 allowances after G Trey Burke joined G Sterling Brown in the health and safety protocols. ... Reggie Bullock scored 17 points and was 5 of 8 from 3, putting him at 12 of 19 over two games after going 1 of 12 in the previous two.
DALLAS IN THE WEST
The Mavericks (47-29) moved within a game of Stephen Curry and Golden State for the third seed in the West. Dallas owns the tiebreaker.
The victory also assured the Mavericks of staying at least a game ahead of Utah for No. 4, the final spot with home-court advantage in the first round. The Jazz will have that tiebreaker if they maintain their Northwest Division lead over Denver.
HOWARD BENCHED
Dwight Howard didn't play again for the Lakers after coming out five minutes into the game. &ldquo;We got down 25 points very early in the game so I was looking for somebody else to get something done,&rdquo; Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Lakers: LA can sweep the season series against Utah for the second time in three seasons after going the previous 34 years without doing it.
Mavericks: The second night of the final back-to-back of the regular season is Wednesday in Cleveland. It opens the last road trip (four games) as Dallas completes a stretch of 15 of 23 games away from home,

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night.

Mavs rout Lakers 128-110 with LeBron sitting, AD near return

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors 128-123 on Friday night.
Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds left in the extra session, putting the visitors up 125-123, then added a pair of free throws after a turnover by Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves 10 as Los Angeles avenged Monday&rsquo;s home loss to the Raptors and ended Toronto&rsquo;s winning streak at five.
James shot 15 for 26 and went 2 for 7 from 3-point range. He had nine rebounds.
Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20.
Precious Achiuwa scored 18 points, but made a costly turnover in the final seconds of regulation that led to Westbrook&rsquo;s tying 3 with less than a second to play.
Toronto looked to have the game won after Trent hit a go-ahead 3 with 25 seconds left, and James and Westbrook both missed from distance at the other end, with Trent grabbing the rebound on Westbrook&rsquo;s shot.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining. Toronto couldn&rsquo;t get a shot off on its final possession, sending it to OT.
The Lakers made their first six field-goal attempts of the game, including three from long range, to lead 15-5, but Toronto reclaimed the advantage with a 18-3 spurt. Making his first start for Los Angeles, Gabriel shot 6 for 6 in the first quarter and scored 14 points as the Lakers led 33-30 after one.
James scored 12 points in the second. Los Angeles led 59-55 at the half, but Barnes had 12 in the third as Toronto took an 89-88 lead to the fourth.
LOCOMOTIVE LEBRON
Beforehand, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he hasn&rsquo;t seen James slow down any with age.
&ldquo;To me, he&rsquo;s got the freight train game going,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;He gets in transition, and you&rsquo;ve got to be a man to stand in there and get in the way to slow him down.&rdquo;
GOOD WEEK FOR A.D.
Injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis tested his sprained right foot by taking some shots on the court before the game. Davis sat for the 12th straight game, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the star big man is making progress in the intensity of his work.
&ldquo;Anthony has had a good week,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Talen Horton-Tucker sat because of a sprained left ankle. F Carmelo Anthony and G Wayne Ellington were both sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.
Raptors: F OG Anunoby (fractured right ring finger) will be reevaluated in a week, Nurse said. Anunoby has missed the past 13 games. &hellip; Siakam scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
&nbsp;

LeBron James scored 36 points and Russell Westbrook had a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 128-123.

James scores 35, Lakers beat Raptors in OT, snap 3-game skid

The NBA is built on star power, more so than perhaps any other sport. The seventh man on most teams has a larger following than some of the most marketable stars in other sports. Stars bend defenses, they isolate late in games when it's do-or-die time, and they're simultaneously the foundation and roof of a team's winning viability.
Much of what I've written about in regards to the youth development in the league this season has been tracking what's happening and why, pinpointing growth areas. I've always been pretty averse to projection, at least without much concrete backing; it's so finicky and I don't want to box in what someone can be.
Yet, throughout the season, I keep coming back to one player. Kenyon Martin Jr, has it.
He's played pretty well recently, averaging 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 63.8% True-Shooting in March, but his future projection fascinates me. No, he's not going to be a high-usage ball-dominant star, but when I watch him play, I not only see the outline of one of the most valuable role players in the league, but an already strong foundation as a pro.
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The Rockets have decided to guarantee the $1.8 million salaries of Garrison Mathews and K.J. Martin for 2022-23, sources told ESPN. Mathews, 25, and Martin, 21, have proven themselves as role players who fit in the Rockets&rsquo; long-term rebuilding plans.
&mdash; Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1502409270192586752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After the Rockets <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rockets-guarantee-garrison-mathews-kj-martins-deals-for-202223" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fully guaranteed his contract</a> for the upcoming season and two-straight starts (due to injury), I couldn't put off writing about his upside any longer.
Why do I think KJ Martin has this upside? For starters, the game of basketball continues to adapt. As I wrote about recently when discussing the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explaining-why-we-need-to-appreciate-screening-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">importance of screening</a>, the ability for every player on the court to make positive decisions with the ball in their hands has become more and more vital over the past few seasons. While most players won't be relied upon to cause the initial dent in the offense (KJ among them), can you not only finish an advantage, but continue it? Can you continue to put pressure on a defense, exacerbating rotations?
Part of what intrigues me the most about KJ is his elite potential as a supplementary player in pick-and- roll. Saying he is one of the best screeners in the NBA is not an overstatement.
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KJ Martin, your favorite screener's favorite screener <a href="https://t.co/aoDSF5Q6iu">pic.twitter.com/aoDSF5Q6iu</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1501981608643076100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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He's adept at utilizing angles, re-screening and continually shifting himself to better adjust for his ball-handler, something that's been an absolute boon for Jalen Green's development.
His subtle slot screens in early offense or off quick-ball reversals give Houston some of their best looks.
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KJ does everything in his power to get his man open while also coming dangerously close to getting called for an offensive foul every time. It's an art form, a Southeastern Texas Van Gogh, not yet appreciated in his time. It's easy to see the open space, but it's not always easy to see in-game why the space is open, and so often it can be attributed to a KJ Martin screen.
Kevin Porter Jr. is rejected harshly by Carmelo Anthony, but this screen is just breathtaking. The flip and re-screen is just awesome and totally takes Austin Reaves out of the action.
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The screening matters so much, because what makes him such a useful offensive player is what he can do from it. To thrive and survive on the margins as an offensive player, the thresholds are higher for competency, and Martin surpasses them.
He's shooting 62.8% as a pick-and-roll roll man, according to Second Spectrum Tracking, which is among the top third of qualified players in the league. Not bad for a 6-foot-6 forward!&nbsp;
He excels flowing from impactful contact screens into rolls that put pressure on the rim, which is easier said than done.
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Martin can struggle a bit with lengthy rim protectors who possess good timing, but his vertical pop and touch around the rim allow him to play much bigger than his listed size.
His ability to hit short-roll passes with regularity and in a timely manner makes it harder to just load up at the rim. His passing isn't otherworldly, but it's pretty good for his role and much better than I expected coming into the NBA.
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Oh, about that vertical pop &mdash; it's absolutely menacing in early offense. If a defense cannot get set in transition or off of a make, good lord, batten down the hatches because he is rolling to the rim ASAP.
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He's fantastic at pushing the ball up, kicking it ahead in transition and then flowing into the offense from there. That's anther important point, even if he's not involved directly in an action, he finds ways to make himself felt. His cutting is fantastic. Lay off him in the slot, and he'll 45 cut or slide in for an offensive board. Sag off him in the corner and he'll time his baseline rim runs for lobs or roam to the paint for a quick touch shot or two-footed dunk without even loading (he's like THAT as a leaper).&nbsp;
What unlocks everything for KJ is the shot &mdash; something that's fallen for him at an exceptional clip of late: 37.7% on 2.5 per game in 2022, and 46.7% on 3.3 per game since the All-Star Break.
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His shot was a major question coming into the league, and getting to just under 230 attempts across his two seasons at 35.5%, it's starting to seem reasonable that the shot is going to at least be average on volume. I'm not sure he'll ever be able to incorporate movement (AKA off pin-downs or exit screens), and while it would be awesome if he could, all he needs is a respectable shot that he takes with confidence to unlock the rest of his game.
Hitting a relocation three against a closeout is about as much as you can ask for!
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I think he needs to quicken his release over the coming year or two to make it easier for him to get his shot off on more contested looks, especially considering he's mostly shooting a set shot. But the mechanics look good!&nbsp;
Martin has popped as a catch-and-drive player, making lightning quick decisons to attack off the bounce if given space on the catch. He's explosive with his first step, and his handle is tight enough that he can put the ball on the floor a few times before attacking the rack. He's shooting 48.8% on drives, nothing wild, but also nothing to scoff at; he's in the same ballpark as Jimmy Butler, Andew Wiggins and Herb Jones in terms of his field goal percentage on drives, per Second Spectrum (albeit on lower volume).
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He's not ultra crafty and doesn't have much shake, but he has some verve as a finisher alongside his line-drive juice that makes him effective.
The recent game against the Utah Jazz on March 2 was a great encapsulation of where he's at and the importance of his shot for establishing himself as an offensive player. He took eight three-pointers in that game, nearly all of them open. The Jazz played Rudy Gobert on him for stretches defensively (Terance Mann vibes ran heavy), and eventually, Gobert had to close on him.
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On the surface, these plays are nothing crazy, but being able to capably take a center (and a pretty mobile one at that) off the dribble and make a good kick out to keep the offense flowing is absolutely essential.
If he does get stonewalled on a drive, which happens mostly when he gets funneled baseline and has to drive with his left, he doesn't stop the ball or post up.
This is the good stuff part, which makes him pass the threshold as a margins-based player.
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To create a good look on the quick-pitch impromptu DHO is just awesome stuff. Again, ideally he's making that drive, but he's defended by a perennial DPOY, so I'll take this with a grin.
I think the question is: what happens when he gets to a level where he is demanding consistent closes? Can he add a little more polish to his handle? As mentioned earlier, can that release quicken a hair? I certainly lean yes, because those things are relatively commonplace developments, but it's definitely worth noting.&nbsp;
Earlier this season, we saw this with Myles Turner, who is a very different player, but it's the same concept. When a player who gets treated as a non-shooter starts to get treated like a shooter, the equation changes for them and what their role in the offense looks like and the space afforded to them. I lean toward KJ having more that he can lean into, making it more viable for him to handle being treated as a shooter; he's shown really quality footwork to shoot off the pop, which is huge when paired alongside a downhill threat like Jalen Green (have I mentioned how much I love their two-man game already and its potential?).
Put a perimeter player on him to guard the shot and he could be called up for a quick screen to take advantage of that or force a switch that he could slip. Point being, he has a ton of versatility in how he can be utilized in an offense, and I think that only increases his value if defenses begin to consistently respect his shot.
I mean, look at what happened when Miami laid off him entirely in their recent outing when he played the 5 in downsized line-ups (some of the more effective units in that game).
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The defense is where things get even more interesting with Martin. At the moment, he is not a good defender on balance. He does things that ARE good, but he has some drawbacks right now that inhibit him being more valuable on that end. It's also very worth noting that Houston's team defensive context is uhhh... tough, ranking 30th in defensive efficiency on the season, per Cleaning the Glass.
He has some of the young-player-on-a-bad-team tropes: He can get back cut due to ball watching, his screen navigation can be rough and while he has some promising flashes, pin-ins can erase him in the corners. His point-of-attack defense can leave you a bit wanting too.&nbsp;
Martin can have some really solid moments of riding out his defender to the rim, keeping his arms up and getting a decent contest around the basket.
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However, he lacks much length; he stands 6-foot-6, but has a 6-foot-7 wingspan, which isn't the end-all be-all, but it certainly makes an impact. He can have some moments of foul proneness on the ball, because he often uses his chest to bump off offensive players, which yeah, that's a way to get a consistent whistle against heady ball-handlers.
He's a solid lateral athlete, but that limited length makes it more difficult to crowd offensive players.
Yet, his defensive value comes from what he does that defies that logic. Martin is a legitimately impactful rim protector! His timing is fantastic and his verticality (especially for his size) is among the best in the league.
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He's excellent roaming the baseline and playing as the low man off the weak corner.
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I do think there's a ceiling to what he can be as an on-ball defender, likely a neutral, with some more positive play in the right match-ups. However, he has the tools and technique to be a top-notch team defender. In the right scheme and with the right personnel, I'm pretty confident he'll develop into a plus defensive player.
Martin's playing time has been confusing this season. He started out with DNP coach's decisions to open the year in spite of an awesome closing stretch last season &mdash; from when he first began starting in April to the end of the year (averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 39.3% from deep on 4.7 attempts per game).&nbsp;
I'm not saying he&nbsp;has to start, but I would really like to see it happen (partially due to my own wanting, but also because he genuinely seems like he would excel with more minutes). KJ Martin appears ready for more.
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Kenyon Martin Jr.'s contract was recently guaranteed for the 2022-23 season by the Rockets. Where is he headed as a player?

KJ Martin: More than meets the eye

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 50 points for the 15th time in his career and helped rally the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half to a 122-109 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
It is the second straight home game during which James has scored at least 50 and the third time he has done it with the Lakers. He had a season-high 56 in a win over Golden State last Saturday.
James was 18 of 25 from the field and made six 3-pointers in 36 minutes. He also had six rebounds and moved past Dikembe Mutombo into 12th place on the NBA's career defensive rebounds list with 8,553.
James rallied the Lakers back with 12 straight points during a 22-8 run when they took an 82-75 lead with 2:25 remaining. James' flurry included a thunderous dunk midway through the quarter to put Los Angeles up 73-70.
He then had 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers steadily pulled away. Los Angeles, which had dropped six of their last seven coming into the game, led by as many as 18 midway through the fourth.
Malik Monk scored 21 points and Talen Horton-Tucker added 15 for the Lakers.
Kyle Kuzma, who played for the Lakers for four seasons, led Washington with 23 points and rookie Corey Kispert scored a career-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers.
WELCOME BACK
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma, who were part of the Lakers' 2020 NBA championship team, were given a video salute during the first timeout. Both players were traded to Washington during the offseason to acquire Russell Westbrook.
Caldwell-Pope struggled in his return to LA. He was 1 of 6 from the floor and had only four points. He also received a technical foul late in the first quarter.
TIP INS
Wizards: Washington had a 62-53 lead early in the third quarter before the Lakers made their run. ... Rui Hachimura had 13 of his 15 points in the first half. ... Kristap Porzingis had a season-high 14 rebounds along with 14 points. ... Tomas Satoransky had 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Lakers: Westbrook had nine assists and passed Andre Miller for 11th on the career assists list. Westbrook has 8,529 in his 13-year career. ... Austin Reaves had 12 points.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Continue their four-game road trip at Portland on Sunday.
Lakers: Travel to Phoenix on Sunday.

LeBron James scored 50 points for the 15th time in his career and helped rally the Lakers to a 122-109 victory over the Wizards.

LeBron James scores 50, rallies Lakers past Wizards for 122-109 win

March Madness is underway!
Across the country, teams are competing in conference tournaments and trying to punch their ticket for the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is almost here, and then the tourney starts next Tuesday.
If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down on Thursday.
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Games of the Day
Indiana def. Michigan 74-69 &mdash; B1G Second Round
With 11:03 remaining, Michigan led 60-43 and appeared to be in complete control. The Hoosiers would go on a 20-2 run and took the life right out of the Wolverines, completing the comeback by winning 74-69. Trayce Jackson-Davis led all players with 24 points and 4 blocks in a stunner. Indiana faces No. 1 Illinois next.
Texas A&amp;M def. Florida 83-80 in OT &mdash; SEC Second Round
This one was wild. The Aggies dominated all afternoon and held a 9-point lead with 1:07 to play, but the Gators went on a 12-3 run of the next 50 seconds to tie it at 70-70, forcing the game into overtime. They stayed deadlocked at 78-78 with 1:10 left in overtime when Hassan Diarra hit a triple with one second on the clock to win 83-80. A huge win for a true Bubble Team in A&amp;M.
Arizona def. Stanford 84-80 &mdash; Pac-12 Quarterfinals
The largest lead either way today was 7 points &mdash; in a game where Stanford was given a whopping 5% chance of victory. The Cardinal took a 75-74 lead with just over three minutes to go, but the Wildcats had answers. Kerr Kriisa exiting with injury is important to monitor, but Christian Koloko led the team with 24 points as Arizona survives and advances.
Miami (FL) def. Boston College 71-69 in OT &mdash; ACC Quarterfinals
Kam McGusty led the Canes with 16 points in the nail-biter, as they avoided the upset in overtime. Only one basket was scored in the final 2:30 of the contest &mdash; a Jordan Miller layup that sealed the deal. A big save by Miami.&nbsp;
Villanova def. St. John&rsquo;s 66-65 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
The Red Storm let a 17-point second half lead slip away to end their season. Villanova was carried by its starting five, with only 7 points coming from the bench unit. Caleb Daniels led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Justin Moore added 15 points of his own.&nbsp;
Toledo def. Central Michigan 72-71 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
In a game where the largest lead was 7 points for each team, Toledo held on for the 1-point win. Harrison Henderson scored with 20 seconds remaining to make it 71-70 Central Michigan, but a RayJ Dennis layup with 10 seconds left would seal the deal. Setric Milner Jr. led the way with 22 points for the Rockets. It's a big win for Toledo who currently projects a No. 13 seed.
Providence def. Butler 65-61 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
This one was back-and-forth from the tip, as the teams traded leads the entire contest. Tied at 55 with 3:06 remaining, Simas Lukosius hit a big pair of free throws for Butler to take the lead, but Al Durham hit a huge triple with 43 seconds to go for the Friars to take a 61-59 lead. Durham would follow with a dunk at the end of the game to seal the deal at 65-61. Despite the loss, it was a hard-fought game by the Bulldogs.&nbsp;
Wyoming def. UNLV 59-56 &mdash; Mountain West Quarterfinals
The Cowboys held a 9-point lead in the second half, but allowed the Rebels to fight their way back into it. Xavier DuSell hit a huge three with 30 seconds, and then, Brendan Wenzel iced the game with a pair of free throws. A great game from UNLV&rsquo;s Bryce Hamilton comes up just short.&nbsp;
Akron def. Buffalo 70-68 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
This was a fight from start to finish. Led by Ali Ali&rsquo;s 19-point effort and a pair of Greg Tribble free throws with four seconds remaining, the Zips survive and advance. They will face No. 1 seed Toledo on Friday afternoon in the MAC semis.
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The Upsets, the Madness
Oklahoma def. Baylor 72-67 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Sooners took the lead with 11:51 to play and never gave it back. With a balanced offensive attack of five players in double-digits, Oklahoma shocked the Bears. Jacob Groves led the way with 15 points, while Marvin Johnson provided 12 off the bench.&nbsp;
Vanderbilt def. Alabama 82-76 &mdash; SEC Second Round
Bama led by 10 points at the break but Scotty Pippen Jr. and Co. had other plans. Vandy roared back to take a 68-67 lead with 4:26 to play, and was able to hold the Crimson Tide off the rest of the way. Jordan Wright hit a pair of free throws late to ice the game, and the Commodores advance. Pippen Jr. ended with 26 points and 7 assists.
TCU def. Texas 65-60 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Horned Frogs had a win probability of 29.3% entering this one, and that&rsquo;s all they needed. After being down 40-20 in the first half, TCU did a complete 180 and outscored the Longhorns 45-20 the rest of the way. Mike Miles and Co. are setting themselves up well, and will take on the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 semis.
Penn State def. Ohio State 71-68 &mdash; Big Ten Second Round
The Nittany Lions were given a 24.2% chance of winning today, and they did just that behind Sam Sessoms' 18 points off the bench. Jalen Pickett also had a huge game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Penn State moves on to play No. 3 Purdue.&nbsp;
Grambling def. Southern 60-58 &mdash; SWAC Quarterfinals
Led by Tra&rsquo;Michael Moton&rsquo;s 12 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, Grambling took the lead with 10 minutes left in the game and never gave it back. The Tigers will face Texas Southern next.&nbsp;
Tulsa def. Wichita State 73-67 &mdash; American First Round
The Golden Hurricane had four players with 10 or more points, including two with at least 20. After an 11-19 season, this was a nice win for Tulsa as it tries to make a late push in the conference. Tulsa will move on to face No. 2 SMU.&nbsp;
Portland State def. Southern Utah 77-65 &mdash; Big Sky Quarterfinals
The Vikings entered this game under .500 on the season, but put up 77 points on 51.9% shooting from the floor. They held Southern Utah to a lowly 36.8% from the floor and are able to advance.
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Standout Performers
Noah Fernandes (UMass): 29 points, 7 assists
Spencer Jones (Stanford): 28 points, 8 rebounds
Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse): 28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Grant Sherfield (Nevada): 25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
Joel Murray (Long Beach State): 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana): 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 10-17 FG
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
Nate Watson (Providence): 26 points, 7 rebounds, 9-14 FG
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt): 26 points, 7 assists
Tristen Newton (East Carolina): 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists
Jordan Walker (UAB): 26 points, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Dillon Jones (Weber State): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Prentiss Hubb (Notre Dame): 23 points, 5 assists
Zyon Pullin (UC Riverside):&nbsp;23 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
Amadou Sow (UC Santa Barbara): 21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Bryce Hamilton (UNLV): 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Mahki Morris (Abilene Christian): 22 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Chuba Ohams (Fordham): 20 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals
Darien Jackson (Tulsa): 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Brady Manek (UNC): 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Malique Jacobs (Kent State): 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Kowacie Reeves (Florida): 21 points, 6 rebounds
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2022 NBA Draft: Prospect Watch&nbsp;
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Tari Eason (LSU): 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Justin Lewis (Marquette): 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas): 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Trevor Keels (Duke): 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Jabari Walker (Colorado): 18 points, 16 rebounds
Iverson Molinar (Miss. State): 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Collin Gillespie (Villanova): 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
David Roddy (Colorado State): 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
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March Madness is underway! If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down during Thursday's games.

March Madness: Conference tournament Thursday recap

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Rookie Jalen Green scored a career-high 32 points, including 10 in overtime, and the Houston Rockets outlasted the slumping Los Angeles Lakers for a 139-130 win Wednesday night.
&ldquo;That was so much fun and exciting and great for a packed house to see us play like that,&rdquo; coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;And also great for our team to respond to the adversity, get down and come back out fighting."
The Rockets, who have the worst record in the Western Conference, withstood a triple-double from LeBron James and 30 points from Russell Westbrook to get just their second win in 15 games.
&ldquo;We have a really small margin of error this season and teams are making us pay," James said.
The loss is the ninth straight on the road for the Lakers, who have dropped six of their last seven games and are running out of time to get things together before the playoffs begin.
&ldquo;It is hard losing when you&rsquo;re pouring everything you have into it and trying to get traction for this group," coach Frank Vogel said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;ve got resolve and this is a tough stretch we have to fight through."
Green, the second overall pick in the draft, opened overtime with a layup before adding a 3-pointer and then swishing a hook shot soon after that to make it 127-120. Eric Gordon added a 3-pointer to push the lead to 10 before the Lakers finally scored in the extra period on a basket by Westbrook with 2 1/2 minutes to go.
But the Rockets used a 6-3 run with 3s from Kenyon Martin Jr. and Green around a 3 from James to extend the lead to 136-125 with a minute left in OT and seal the victory.
&ldquo;We had too many defensive breakdowns throughout the game," Vogel said. &ldquo;Our guys fought but it just wasn&rsquo;t enough."
Green was asked about his big night.
&ldquo;It felt good," he said. &ldquo;They kept feeding me. Told me to keep attacking until they stop me. So that&rsquo;s what I did. The basket felt super big tonight.&rdquo;
James had 23 points, 14 rebounds and a season-high 12 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season. But his career-long streak of consecutive games with 25 points ended at 23 games on a night he was 9 of 26 overall and made just 1 of 9 3-pointers.
&ldquo;I missed a lot of shots that I know I&rsquo;m capable of making, have made throughout the course of the season and my career," he said. &ldquo;Shots just weren&rsquo;t falling for me tonight."
It was his first game since scoring a season-high 56 points Saturday night after he sat out Monday at San Antonio with a sore left knee.
Rookie Alperen Sengun set career-highs with 21 points and 15 rebounds and fellow rookie Josh Christopher added 21 points off the bench to help the Rockets to the win.
Silas spoke of growth of Green and Christopher, who are 20 years old, and the 19-year-old Sengun after their performances Wednesday night.
&ldquo;It means a lot," he said. &ldquo;It means that they&rsquo;re learning the importance of the work and sticking with it and fighting through the hard times and finding success at the end of the rainbow when the lights are the brightest."
A jump shot by Westbrook tied it at 120-all with a minute to go but he missed a shot a few seconds later to give Houston the ball back.
Green missed a layup under heavy pressure from James to give the Lakers another shot to take the lead.
James missed an off-balance shot in the lane with 17 seconds left but officials ruled that Houston knocked the ball out of bounds while vying for the rebound. The Rockets challenged the call, but it was upheld.
James drove into the lane and dished to Carmelo Anthony in the corner for the final shot of regulation, but his 3-point attempt was off to send it to OT.
A 5-2 spurt by the Rockets in the fourth tied it up, but James drove into the lane and finished with a monster, one-handed dunk to put the Lakers up 113-111 with 5 &frac12; minutes to go.
Los Angeles trailed by 1 with about three minutes left when James made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 118-116.
Green scored four quick points to give the Rockets a 120-118 lead with about two minutes left. He made two free throws and then grabbed a rebound on the other end and finished with a jumper to put Houston on top.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Malik Monk had 20 points. ... L.A. made 18 of 47 3s. ... Austin Reaves added 17 points.
Rockets: Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate sat out with a sore left ankle. ... Dennis Schroder returned after missing four games with a sprained right ankle and had 12 points.
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THEY SAID IT
Anthony on how well the Rockets played Wednesday night: &ldquo;It is surprising that we were in a game that close and that tight. But that says something about the Rockets. They don&rsquo;t quit coming at you."
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host Washington Friday night.
Rockets: Host Dallas Friday night.

Rookie Jalen Green scored a career-high 32, including 10 in overtime, and Houston outlasted the slumping Lakers 139-130.

Rookie Jalen Green has 32 as Rockets down Lakers in OT, 139-130

The Los Angeles Lakers just can&rsquo;t get it together, and now they&rsquo;re nearly out of time.
From Anthony Davis&rsquo; injuries and Russell Westbrook&rsquo;s subpar play to LeBron James&rsquo; inability to carry them all, practically nothing has gone well this season for the franchise that momentously assembled a veteran-laden roster last fall to chase another ring.
After their <a href="https://apnews.com/article/toronto-raptors-los-angeles-lakers-san-antonio-spurs-nba-sports-73766ac5ecd0997e813d14de5e07d1d5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">117-110 loss to the Spurs</a> on Monday night, the Lakers are 28-36 and in ninth place in the Western Conference, just three games out of 11th. A group expected to contend for a title is much closer to missing the 10-team playoffs.
They haven't given up hope in Hollywood: James and coach Frank Vogel both insist there's still time for Davis to get healthy, for Westbrook to find his game and for the Lakers' supporting cast to recapture its collective prime.
&ldquo;We still have games to play,&rdquo; James said last week after the Lakers blew a late lead <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-dallas-mavericks-nba-sports-carmelo-anthony-38b427c106ab4e560f0428a18ca6c84b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and lost to Dallas</a> at home. &ldquo;Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, then I got a chance. So that&rsquo;s my confidence.&rdquo;
But every dispiriting loss and injury setback underscores the likelihood that the Lakers&rsquo; dreams of an 18th title are profoundly unrealistic. A roster with four members of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team has gone 7-17 since Jan. 7.
Nobody knows exactly where to assign the blame for this m&eacute;lange of mediocrity &mdash; not even the Lakers' front office, which hasn't yet scapegoated Vogel for the struggles by firing him.
But past Lakers greats are embarrassed by the current state of the franchise with glory days worthy of an HBO series. &ldquo;Winning Time," the dramatization of LA's vibrant championship teams of the 1980s, began airing last weekend.
James Worthy, a star on those Showtime Lakers, recently referred to the current team as &ldquo;the walking dead&rdquo; on its own television network. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal castigated the Lakers last week for their lack of visible passion during another defeat &mdash; and boasted he wouldn't have accepted the current situation.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m losing to the Clippers, somebody is getting beat up that night in the locker room,&rdquo; Shaq said.
The past two games encapsulate the frustration and inconsistency that have defined LA's season. James carried the Lakers to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-los-angeles-lakers-nba-sports-los-angeles-9107a169a0fdc322b9fd0e6482d2929d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 124-116 victory over powerhouse Golden State</a> last Saturday with a massive 56-point performance, tied for the third-biggest in his 19-year NBA career &mdash; but then he sat out the loss at 12th-place San Antonio with knee soreness.
The Lakers lost to the Spurs without their two most important players on the court, and they did it on the two-month anniversary of the last time they won consecutive games.
&ldquo;I feel like every time we get some momentum, something happens,&rdquo; Westbrook said, shaking his head. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been like that. When we play a good game, something always happens (shortly afterward). But that&rsquo;s just how it&rsquo;s been for us. We&rsquo;ve got to keep plugging away, keep finding ways to pick each other up, because some of that stuff is out of our hands, and health is the most important thing for all of us.&rdquo;
Westbrook is correct: Of all the Lakers&rsquo; risky personnel decisions over the past 16 months, relying on Davis to stay healthy has been the biggest bust.
The star forward&rsquo;s gangly body and awkward movement have never allowed him to be durable, but Davis has been sidelined by several woes for much of the past two seasons, undercutting everything the Lakers want to do.
After missing half of the Lakers' 2020-21 regular season with injuries and then getting hurt again in the playoffs, Davis missed 17 more games this season with a sprained knee. He went out yet again before the All-Star break with a sprained foot, and there's a chance he won't return at all this season.
While Davis has missed 27 of the Lakers' 64 games, James has also been less reliable than usual, missing 18 games. They appeared in only 27 games together last season, and they've played just 20 games alongside Westbrook this year &mdash; only five since Dec. 17.
The Lakers have used 32 starting lineups already, both because of their stars' injuries and their unimpressive supporting cast. They're currently starting Austin Reaves, an undrafted rookie who wasn't expected to play much at all.
&ldquo;It changes a lot of things when you've got some of your main guys out," said Westbrook, whose first year with his hometown team has been largely a nightmare. "We've got to stick to it, and hopefully guys can step up and make that change.&rdquo;
The 2017 NBA MVP is shooting poorly and struggling to fit alongside James. Westbrook's 18.1 points per game are his fewest since 2009-10, as are his 15.9 shots per game, but that attempt to play team ball isn't translating into wins.
Just as Pau Gasol was the target of Lakers fans' frustration during their most recent season with this level of unrealized expectations in 2013, Westbrook is the prime scapegoat at their downtown arena. He has even stopped bringing his family to home games because of the booing and profanity directed at him.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just super unfortunate, and it&rsquo;s super upsetting to me,&rdquo; Westbrook said. &ldquo;The shaming of my name, the shaming of my character, the shaming of who I am as a person is, to me, not warranted. I haven&rsquo;t done anything to anybody. I haven&rsquo;t hurt anyone. I haven&rsquo;t done anything but play basketball in a way they may not like.&rdquo;
The only thing that suggests the Lakers still might make something of this miserable season is the name at the top of the roster. Although he'll apparently have to manage his knee soreness down the stretch, the 37-year-old James has missed the playoffs just once since 2005, and he's still near the peak of his formidable talents when healthy.
&ldquo;Even though they&rsquo;ve struggled, they&rsquo;ll be able to figure it out," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;I have no doubt about that. I&rsquo;ve seen Bron in tough situations before. I&rsquo;ve always seen him come out on top.
"I know a lot of people count the Lakers out, but they&rsquo;re still a good team,&rdquo; Lue added. &ldquo;Guys have been in and out all year, and it&rsquo;s tough. But when they get to the playoffs or the play-in game or whatever, I guarantee that (No. 1 seed) won't want to see them. They're not out of it.&rdquo;

The Lakers just can’t get it together, and now they’re nearly out of time.

Lakers stumbling through season of high expectations

LeBron James scored a season-high 56 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 124-116 on Saturday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
James had his third-most points in a regular season game, finishing with at least 50 for the 13th time. He had a career-best 61 for Miami against Charlotte in 2014.
James was 19 of 31 from the field, shaking off a blow to his right elbow in the first half. Russell Westbrook added 20 points, and Carmelo Anthony had 14.
Stephen Curry had 30 for Golden State, and Jordan Poole added 23. The Warriors have lost four straight to drop to third overall in the NBA, a half-game behind Memphis and 8 1/2 games behind Phoenix.
Anthony completed a three-point play to give the Lakers a 114-112 lead with 3:29 to play, and Malik Monk hit a 3 to extend that lead to five after Austin Reeves stole Curry&rsquo;s pass. James then threw down a thunderous alley-oop from Monk, who stole the inbound pass after a Los Angeles turnover.
Curry cut it to 119-116 with 1:06 left, but Reeves grabbed the offensive rebound and Anthony hit a corner 3, allowing the Lakers to see it out.
James reached 40 points in the third quarter before putting the Lakers up 100-97 with 7:51 remaining in the game after knocking down three straight 3-pointers.
Golden State ran over Los Angeles with 42 points in the second quarter to take a 67-62 halftime lead. Poole and Kuminga each had eight points, Curry added seven, and the Warriors made 69.6% of their shots from the field (16 of 23) and 75% from 3-point range (6 of 8).
James, who got 26 points in the half, was the reason the Lakers were able to hang around. It was his 24th straight game with at least 25 points to extend the longest streak of James&rsquo; illustrious career.
TIP-INS
Kuminga finished with 18 points. &hellip; Lakers G Avery Bradley returned after missing five games because of a right knee injury. He did not score in 16 minutes &hellip; Lakers G Talen Horton Tucker had two points in 18 minutes after not playing against the Clippers on Thursday because of a sprained left ankle. &hellip; Super Bowl-winning QB Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams watched the game from courtside seats with his wife, while longtime Lakers coach Phil Jackson took it in from a suite.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Denver on Monday night.
Lakers: At San Antonio on Monday night.

LeBron James scored a season-high 56 points and the Lakers beat the Warriors 124-116 to snap a four-game losing streak.

LeBron scores 56 points, Lakers beat Warriors to end skid

In a battle between the top two teams in the Big East, this game, like many others in the conference's regular season, went down to the wire. The Villanova Wildcats held on to a 76-74 victory over the Providence Friars, as Caleb Daniels led all players with 20 points off the bench.
Villanova (22-7, 15-4 Big East) entered this one ranked No. 12 in Adjusted Efficiency and projects as the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They are led by senior guard Collin Gillespie, who is averaging 16.6 points per game and continues to make a strong case for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Despite the loss, Providence (24-4, 14-3 Big East) wrapped up a phenomenal season, one in which the team is projected as the No. 4 seed in March Madness; the Friars are No. 39 in Adjusted Efficiency in the nation. Nate Watson leads the team with 14.0 points per game, and is one of the best upperclassmen centers in the country.
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The Friars jumped out to a 9-2 early lead, but Brandon Slater and Jermaine Samuels were able to reel it back in. After the score was 24-24, Gillespie, Daniels and the rest of the Wildcats ended the half on a 16-2 run.
Villanova took a 40-26 lead into the break behind 10 points and 3 assists from Gillespie. Samuels and Eric Dixon had 7 points each. Noah Horchler led the Friars in scoring with 6 at the half.&nbsp;
Providence came roaring back to start the second half behind A.J. Reeves, cutting the lead to 53-51 by the 10-minute mark. At 4:13, Villanova held a 62-60 lead, as Justin Moore and Daniels continued to hit tough shots. At 1:46, Gillespie had a crucial steal which led to a Moore free throw at 1:26.&nbsp;
It felt like the Wildcats were close to wrapping it up, but Justin Minaya hit a clutch triple with 33 seconds remaining for Providence to cut the deficit to 69-68. After a pair of Dixon free throws, Jared Bynum hit a layup for the Friars to make it 71-70 in favor of Nova with 14 seconds on the clock.&nbsp;
Daniels hit two more free throws to make it 75-72 at the three-second mark, and Villanova was able to hold on from there, 76-74. The Wildcats have a hold on the No. 2 seed in the Big East as the regular season closes in on its end.&nbsp;
Bynum had a tremendous game for the Friars, posting 19 points and 10 assists. Horchler and Reeves pitched in 15 points each.
Eric Dixon recorded 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals for the Wildcats, while Gillespie finished 14 points and 5 assists.&nbsp;
UPCOMING
Villanova visits Butler on Saturday afternoon for the regular-season finale.
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The Wildcats held on to a 76-74 victory as Caleb Daniels led all players with 20 points off the bench.

No. 11 Villanova defeats No. 9 Providence 76-74 in a nail-biter

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Terance Mann had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Amir Coffey added 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers returned from the All-Star break with a 105-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Luke Kennard scored 18 points for the Clippers. They earned their sixth consecutive victory over the Lakers in the latest meeting between Los Angeles&rsquo; two underachieving, injury-plagued NBA franchises as they begin the next push to salvage their seasons.
The Clippers also moved one game ahead of the Lakers in the loss column while clinching the season series victory in this local derby. Both advantages could be important at playoff time for two teams that appear headed for the play-in tournament if they make the postseason at all.
Carmelo Anthony missed a long go-ahead jumper with 4 seconds to play and LeBron James missed a tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer for the Lakers, who fell five games under .500 with their fourth loss in five games.
James had 21 points and 11 rebounds while Anthony and Russell Westbrook scored 18 points apiece for the Lakers, who trailed by 16 points late in the first half before nursing a small lead for most of the fourth quarter. Anthony hit four 3-pointers in his first game since Feb. 3 after missing three weeks with a strained hamstring.
After Coffey&rsquo;s free throws put the Clips ahead with 1:05 to play, the Lakers went back ahead on Austin Reaves&rsquo; two free throws, but Marcus Morris drilled a jumper under tight defense. After two lengthy replay reviews, the Clippers committed an 8-second violation with 17.8 seconds left, but Anthony missed a 3-pointer from well behind the line with 4 seconds to play.
Reggie Jackson hit two free throws, and James couldn't tie it with his final heave. Jackson scored 17 points for the Clippers, who won three of four going into the break despite being without likely their three best players: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and newly acquired Norman Powell.
Talen Horton-Tucker scored all 16 of his points in the second half, while Dwight Howard had season-highs of 14 points and 16 rebounds as the Lakers began yet another stretch without Anthony Davis, who sprained his right foot in their final game before the break nine days ago. Davis will be out for at least another month after missing 21 of the Lakers&rsquo; first 58 games with other woes.
The Lakers were down 49-33 with three minutes left in the first half, but they rallied to take a 72-70 lead on Horton-Tucker's 3-pointer with two minutes left in the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Clippers: The city rivals&rsquo; season series concludes Wednesday night with a Clippers' home game.
Lakers: Reaves scored six points in his first career start. The undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma also catalyzed the Lakers' biggest surge when he dramatically blocked Jackson's shot in the third quarter. ... They missed their first 10 3-point attempts, all in the first quarter.
UP NEXT
Clippers: At Houston on Sunday night.
Lakers: Host New Orleans on Sunday night.

Mann had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Coffey added 12 in the fourth quarter and the Clippers got a 105-102 victory over the Lakers.

Clippers edge Lakers 105-102 for 6th straight rivalry win

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Klay Thompson scored 16 of his season-high 33 points in the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry made a clutch layup with 46 seconds remaining, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Los Angeles Lakers 117-115 on Saturday night, spoiling another scoring milestone by LeBron James.
Curry finished with 24 points and eight assists, while Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points to help the Warriors end a two-game losing streak. Golden State has not lost three in a row all season.
James had 26 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but missed the first free throw after Curry fouled him attempting a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left. He made the second and missed the third intentionally but couldn't chase down the rebound in time to get a shot off.
Earlier in the night, James extended his streak of 25 points or more to 22 games and passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most points scored in the NBA combining the regular season and postseason with 44,157. James tied Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s mark of 44,149 in the first half, then surpassed it with a 3-pointer early in the third quarter.
Abdul-Jabbar still owns the career record for regular-season games with 38,387 points, considered the more prestigious of the two scoring milestones. James, with 36,526, is closing in on that one, too.
Thompson, who returned this season after missing 941 days with a pair of serious leg injuries, shot 12 of 22 and made four 3s, three in the fourth quarter. It&rsquo;s Thompson&rsquo;s most points since putting up 43 against the Knicks on Jan. 8, 2019.
The Warriors needed it on a night when Curry struggled from the perimeter. The NBA&rsquo;s 3-point king was 1 of 8 beyond the arc but made up for it by going 9 for 9 on free throws.
Jonathan Kuminga added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors.
Russell Westbrook returned after missing a game and broke out of his scoring slump with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Lakers.
The Warriors led by 15 on Thompson&rsquo;s corner 3 and Otto Porter Jr.&rsquo;s layup before the Lakers closed the gap and got within 65-62 at the half following Avery Bradley&rsquo;s 3-pointer.
Curry and Kuminga combined for 33 points in the first half on 12 of 19 shooting.
BLOCK OF THE GAME
Austin Reaves chased Thompson down from behind and blocked a potential layup during the Lakers' run to open the fourth quarter. It&rsquo;s the ninth block of the season for the 6-foot-5 rookie guard.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Frank Vogel was given a technical foul in the fourth quarter. Assistant coach Phil Handy received one during a timeout following a thunderous one-hand dunk by James in the first quarter.
Warriors: Curry needs four steals to tie Chris Mullin for the franchisee record for steals. Curry has 1,356. ... Andre Iguodala (lower back tightness) missed his third consecutive game.
&nbsp;
UP NEXT
Lakers: Face the Jazz in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Lakers lost the season series last year but beat Utah 101-95 in January.
Warriors: Go on the road to play the Clippers on Monday. Golden State has won three of the last four against the Clippers including twice this season.

The Golden State Warriors held off the Los Angeles Lakers 117-115, spoiling another scoring milestone by LeBron James.

Warriors hold off Lakers 117-115, spoil LeBron's scoring milestone

Nekias Duncan thoroughly grades every NBA trade from 2022 Deadline Week.

Grading every move from 2022 NBA trade deadline week

The NBA offseason is packed with entertaining events. In a matter of three or so months, the league undergoes free agency and trade season &ndash; and that&rsquo;s almost immediately after the Finals and the draft. And while everyone gets to experience all that is great about the NBA in a relatively short amount of time, it makes for a busy and pressure-filled time for NBA front offices &ndash; that can result in miscalculations.
The 2021 offseason had some abnormalities to contend with. The uncertain financial impact of COVID-19 and the free agent signings in the months leading up to free agency resulted in an underwhelming offseason.
Still, free agent signings and trades happened, even if it was on a smaller scale than normal. And what must surely result from NBA transactions? Regrettable transactions.
After seeing more than 40% of the season we can realistically judge the offseason&rsquo;s transactions with a modicum of accuracy. Sure, multi-year deals can&rsquo;t be graded in their entirety after less than half of a season, but slumps rarely persist for almost half a season, too. That leaves us in a gray area of sorts. Still, the impact of adding a player to a team&rsquo;s present and near-future salary cap is very real. So, after observing approximately half of a season, let&rsquo;s identify the worst deals of the 2021 offseason.
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Evan Fournier Sign-and-Trade to the New York Knicks
Entering this season, Fournier was widely seen as an above-average scorer and playmaker. He represented a relatively big upgrade from Reggie Bullock for the Knicks, providing much needed offensive versatility. So, while the pairing felt a bit off (given the Knicks defensive-mindedness), the four-year, $73 million contract seemed like only a minor overpayment.
Fournier kicked off his time as a Knick with a bang, scoring 32 points in an opening night win against the Boston Celtics &ndash; but the honeymoon was short-lived. Through 38 games, Fournier is averaging just 13.5 points with an Effective Field Goal percentage (eFG%) of 52.5%. Comparatively, he averaged 17.1 points in 2020-21 and 18.5 in 2019-19 with eFG% of 56 and 56.5 respectively. He&rsquo;s also shooting a near-career worst 38.1% on threes attempts.
The fact that the Knicks are in such hot water indicates a degree of buyer&rsquo;s remorse. So, while their future is still quite bright thanks to their younger players, their salary cap optimism has probably been muted. The fact that Bullock was lured away by the Dallas Mavericks for a three-year, $30.5 million contract only adds to the team's frustrations. And while that&rsquo;s a hefty contract, too, considering it&rsquo;s netted just 6.0 points per game on 28.7% shooting from deep, it&rsquo;s quite a bit less than the Knicks are paying Fournier. But Bullock aside, the Knicks might wish they could get a redo on this one (although maybe not quite as much, after Thursday night's career-high scoring effort from Fournier).&nbsp;
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Russell Westbrook trade to the Los Angeles Lakers 
Did anyone outside the Lakers&rsquo; front office really think this was a good idea? Westbrook is a dynamic, albeit polarizing, player who&rsquo;s produced some of the most amazing individual seasons we&rsquo;ve ever witnessed. But he was never a fit for the Lakers &ndash; and, namely, not a good fit alongside LeBron James.
On a positive note, Westbrook's contract is up after next season. So, the long-term impact is limited, even if he is still owed more than $90 million between this season and 2022-23.
But there is significant downside, too. Let's start with Westbook's play &ndash; it's not great. Westbrook's scoring (19.5 points per game), assists (8.1) and rebounds (8.1) are all down. So is his PER (15.9), which is the second-worst of his career. His turnovers (4.6) are still up and he's still struggling on threes (30%).&nbsp;
There's also the fact that the Washington Wizards are in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, and their depth has a lot to do with that. Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell are averaging at least 25.4 minutes per game. Harrell is actually posting a career-best 25.1 PER. The Lakers could use that depth. Just look at their top minute getters: James (36.9 per game), Westbrook (35.8) and Anthony Davis (35.4) lead the way. After the Big Three, it gets messy thanks in part to COVID. Talen Horton-Tucker gets 28.2 per game, Carmelo Anthony receives 27.1 and Stanley Johnson &ndash; who was just signed last week &ndash; is averaging 25.2. Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington and Austin Reaves are all averaging more than 20 minutes per game, too. Now imagine if they had a more talented rotation of role players&hellip;
Next, there are the rumors that the Lakers were in advanced talks with the Sacramento Kings about swapping Kuzma for Kings sharpshooter Buddy Hield instead. Hield-to-Los Angeles makes so much more sense. He&rsquo;s the type of player who does well in a catch-and-shoot role. Hield is shooting better than 40% on threes across his 424 game career. Plus, the Lakers would have kept Harrell and Pope, meaning that the 15th best long-range shooting team could have added a top shooter (while subtracting a seriously subpar shooter in Westbrook ). Not to mention, they could have hung on to two quality role players.
And finally, there&rsquo;s the reality of James&rsquo; age and career trajectory. James is still playing insanely well, especially for a 37-year-old. But let&rsquo;s be honest, it won&rsquo;t be that way forever. In all likelihood, he will show more signs of aging over the next season or so. Unfortunately, Westbrook being signed through the end of 2022-23 eliminates cap flexibility, meaning that additional help will be hard to find until 2023-24, at which point James will turn 39. That's not a great outcome for a team hoping to win at least one more championship with their current core.
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Duncan Robinson re-signs with the Miami Heat
As the NBA season approaches its midway point, the Heat are pretty much exactly where we thought they would be. They&rsquo;re currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, boasting the seventh-best defensive and offensive ratings. And Kyle Lowry has fit perfectly with Miami&rsquo;s culture. But one thing isn&rsquo;t working, Robinson &ndash; and it&rsquo;s surpassingly due to a lack marksmanship.
Robinson signed his first big deal this past offseason to the tune of five-years and $90 million. And while that&rsquo;s a lot of money, Robison&rsquo;s shooting touch nearly warranted it. He shot 40.8 percent on 8.5 long-range attempts last season and 44.6% on 8.3 attempts per game in 2019-20.
But Robinson has struggled to replicate such performances. He&rsquo;s shooting just 34.6% on threes this season, and he hasn&rsquo;t made up for his slump elsewhere. He's down to 79.3% on free throws after shooting 82.7% last season and 93.1% in 2019-20. And he&rsquo;s connecting on just 52.2% of two-point attempts, after shooting 61.4% last season and 66.7% in 2019-20.
Ultimately, the bounce back performance of Tyler Herro is overshadowing Robinson&rsquo;s poor play, and the law of large numbers will probably win out with Robinson bouncing back at some point. In fact, there is a glimmer of hope in that he shot 37.6% on threes in December, which is less than ideal but better than he did in October and November.
A five-year, $90 million contract sounds like a lot, but to be fair Joe Harris signed a four-year, $75 million deal in late 2020, and Davis Bertans signed for five years and $80 million. Ironically, both players have been mentioned as being available this season, but Robinson signed at the going rate for a great knock-down shooter. If Robinson can get his shot back, this deal becomes infinitely more bearable.
The fact that players are assets is an unfortunate truth of professional sports. Love them or hate them, if players underperform for long enough it will inevitably draw the ire of their teams. What happens from there varies from team to team, but the business of basketball wins out more than not.

Drew Maresca takes a look trades and signings from the 2021 offseason that some teams might rather take back.

2021 Offseason redos: Decisions teams wish they could take back

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Ja Morant scored 41 points, Desmond Bane added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99 on Wednesday night.
LeBron James led Los Angeles with 37 points — a day short of his 38th birthday — and 13 rebounds and a season-high eight 3-pointers. Russell Westbrook added a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Grizzlies improved to 22-14 with their third straight victory, while the Lakers fell to 17-19 with their sixth loss in seven games.
Memphis trailed in the second half until Tyus Jones hit in a floater for a 93-92 lead with 6:50 left. Morant followed with consecutive 3-pointers for a 99-92 advantage with 4:28 to go. Bane sealed the win with two free throws with 5.1 seconds to go.
Ahead by six at the half, the Lakers pushed their advantage to 14 at 80-66 during a third quarter in which Los Angeles made six 3-pointers. James had three of those.
The Grizzlies were able to battle back and trim the lead to five at 83-78 at the end of the quarter. Morant made in a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Grizzlies starting forward Dillon Brooks sat out his third straight game because of health and safety protocols.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Ja Morant entered the game third in the league in points in the paint at 14.2 per game. He's behind Nikola Jokic (15.2 ppg) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (15.1 ppg). . . .John Konchar entered the league’s health and safety protocols Tuesday after making the first two starts of his career.
Lakers: Interim head coach David Fizdale said Memphis guard Ja Morant has quickly blossomed into an elite player. “You are talking about one of the best players in this league period. Period. The guy is a true superstar.”. . . Austin Reaves and Kent Bazemore tested out of the NBA’s health and safety protocols Wednesday. Reaves missed the previous six games and Bazemore the last five. 
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host Portland on Friday night.
Grizzlies: Host San Antonio on Friday night.

Ja Morant scored 41 points and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99.

Ja Morant scores 41 points, Grizzlies beat slumping Lakers

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both had triple-doubles and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a season-high, five-game skid with a 132-123 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;The hardest thing to do in this league is win," James said. &ldquo;So when you win you never take it for granted."
James had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his third triple-double this season, and it was his fifth consecutive 30-point game. Westbrook scored 24 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh of the season.
Houston stuck around for most of the night, but James took over late to allow the Lakers to pull away and hand the Rockets their fifth consecutive loss.
&ldquo;For us to battle through this together and to finish the way we did with LeBron and Russ doing it together, bringing it home, I think that&rsquo;s a big step forward in this," said assistant coach David Fizdale, who was filling in for a fifth straight game for coach Frank Vogel because of COVID-19 protocols.
The Rockets trailed by one when James was called for goaltending on a layup by Jalen Green that would have put Houston on top with 2 &frac12; minutes left. But the Lakers challenged the call, and it was overturned. Carmelo Anthony made a 3-pointer a few seconds later to extend the lead to 120-116.
James added two free throws after that and his one-handed dunk after a turnover by Houston made it 124-116 with less than 90 seconds to go.
Kevin Porter Jr.&rsquo;s 3-pointer got Houston within five before James struck again, making a layup to extend the lead to 126-119 with less than a minute remaining. James made four free throws after that to secure the victory.
&ldquo;I just feel like I&rsquo;m in a really good offensive zone right now," he said.
Green, the second overall pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, led the Rockets with 24 points after missing 15 of the last 16 games with a strained left hamstring.
&ldquo;We expected to win," Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We had no problems standing up to those guys, not backing down. They had some great players out there that played very well. Russ with the triple-double, LeBron with the triple-double and Melo doing his thing. It was tough."
Anthony had 24 points off the bench on a night James started at center and big men Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan didn't play.
James said it was the first time he'd started at center at any level of basketball.
&ldquo;I never played center in my life before," he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been on the wing or handling the ball."
Fizdale raved about the versatility James showed in his role Tuesday night.
&ldquo;This guy is unbelievable," he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all very lucky as basketball people to get to watch what we&rsquo;re watching with this man."
The Lakers took the lead by scoring the last five points of the third quarter and opened the fourth with a 6-0 run to make it 103-92 with 11 minutes to go.
Green got Houston going after that, making two 3-pointers during a 10-2 spurt that cut the deficit to 105-102.
Porter had 22 points and nine assists in his return after missing the last 12 games with a bruised thigh. Christian Wood also scored 22.
Josh Christopher tied it on a layup with less than a minute left in the third quarter. But the Lakers scored the last five points of the quarter, capped by a 3 from Westbrook, to take a 97-92 lead into the fourth quarter. Westbrook pointed at the L.A. bench and smiled broadly as he walked off the court after the shot.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Fizdale, said that Vogel was getting close to returning but he wasn&rsquo;t sure exactly when he could rejoin the team. ... Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Austin Reaves and Rajon Rondo missed the game because of health and safety protocols. ... Wayne Ellington missed the game for an illness that the team said was not COVID-19 related.
Rockets: D.J. Augustin, Kenyon Martin Jr., Garrison Mathews and Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate were out because of health and safety protocols.
BILES AT BASKETBALL
Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles took part in the team's first shot promotion for charity before the game. Biles didn't make the free throw but Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta still donated $1,000 to the team's foundation in her name for the effort.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Visit Memphis Wednesday night.
Rockets: Host Miami Friday night.

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both had triple-doubles and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a season-high, five-game skid.

LeBron, Westbrook have triple-doubles, Lakers' skid ends at 5

Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 30 points while making all 11 of his shots, and the San Antonio Spurs routed the slumping Los Angeles Lakers 138-110 on Thursday night in the final event at Staples Center under the 22-year-old arena's original name.
Derrick White had 23 points and Lonnie Walker added 21 in the third victory on a four-game road trip for the Spurs, who hit 18 3-pointers while completing a two-game sweep of the two NBA tenants of the downtown Los Angeles arena.
The building is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/crypto-arena-staples-center-lakers-clippers-king-9300ae3be9ed420886573583899aa549">changing its name to Crypto.com Arena</a> on Christmas under what's believed to be the richest naming rights agreement in sports history. The cryptocurrency platform and exchange is paying more than $700 million over 20 years to put its name on an arena that has hosted countless major sports and entertainment events since it opened in 1999.
The final night under the old name improbably belonged to Bates-Diop, the fourth-year NBA journeyman averaging 3.8 points per game this season with a previous season-high of 10. He scored 20 points in the second half and hit five 3-pointers during his perfect game from the field while frequently guarding LeBron James on the other end.
&ldquo;I was playing the game, reading the defense, moving around,&rdquo; Bates-Diop said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I dribbled that much. My teammates just found me. ... (James) is a great player, but you&rsquo;ve got to guard him and just not get star-struck by him.&rdquo;
James had 36 points and nine rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 30 points for Los Angeles, which has lost four straight for the first time this season amid COVID-19 roster chaos. The Lakers are playing without coach Frank Vogel and five players under the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols, and they&rsquo;re 0-4 since Anthony Davis injured his left knee in Minnesota last week.
&ldquo;We have no chemistry with any lineup from the simple fact that we haven&rsquo;t logged any minutes,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;All of our defensive guys are in health and safety protocols. ... We don&rsquo;t need a full roster. We just need some of our guys back.&rdquo;
San Antonio took an early double-digit lead on the Lakers and comfortably won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 4 despite a subpar game from leading scorer Dejounte Murray, who went 3 for 16. The Spurs' bench outscored the Lakers' reserves 69-20.
&ldquo;Keita was ridiculous," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;Did a fine job at both ends of the court. We could hardly guard LeBron, but he did his best. Really was a team effort, because I thought some of the (bench) guys outplayed the starters.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Spurs: They also played in the Lakers' final game at the Forum on May 23, 1999. Tim Duncan scored 33 points then as San Antonio completed a four-game sweep of Los Angeles in the second round of the postseason. Popovich was in his third year as coach. ... Keldon Johnson scored 16 points.
Lakers: Interim head coach David Fizdale ran the bench for the second straight game. He said Vogel texts him a list of observations at halftime while watching on television. Fizdale and assistant coach Phil Handy both got technical fouls for arguing with officials. ... Davis watched from the bench in a blue sweatsuit while missing his third game. The oft-injured star won't be reevaluated until late next month.
STAPLES' REMOVER
Signs, advertising boards and innumerable smaller details have been changed at the arena to erase the Staples Center name, which has illogical &mdash; but undeniable &mdash; sentimental meaning to Los Angeles sports fans who have equated the name of an office-supply retail chain with the center of the basketball universe for more than two decades.
The Lakers recognized the attachment and honored the name change with a pregame video highlighting the team's greatest moments in its arena. Fans got a commemorative ticket and a gold T-shirt replicating the first shirt given away by the team at this arena during the 2000 playoffs.
In a halftime ceremony, former Lakers stars Robert Horry, Metta Sandiford-Artest, Luke Walton, Byron Scott and Gary Payton stood around a Staples court logo with the franchise's six championship trophies earned in this building.
LAKERS&rsquo; LUMPS
Los Angeles (16-17) is back under .500 for the first time since Nov. 26. Dwight Howard got out of the protocols and played 22 minutes as Los Angeles&rsquo; starting center, but the Lakers still were without Avery Bradley, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, Austin Reaves and Trevor Ariza, who went into the protocols earlier in the day.
&ldquo;Nothing you can do but figure it out,&rdquo; Westbrook said. &ldquo;Find ways. Get guys back in shape. We have a bunch of guys in that locker room that don&rsquo;t quit and don&rsquo;t give in to what&rsquo;s happening. We&rsquo;ve got to turn the page and find a way to win a ballgame.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host Detroit on Sunday.
Lakers: Host Brooklyn on Saturday.

Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 30 points while making all 11 of his shots, and the Spurs routed the slumping Lakers 138-110.