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NBA free agency has died down and the 2023-24 NBA season is nearly three months away. This is why August is known as the dog days of the NBA calendar.
However, NBA fans will be able to watch some of their favorite players in action very soon, as the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow.
From Nov. 2021 through Feb. 2023, 80 countries battled for a spot in the World Cup but only 32 national teams qualified. There are a ton of NBA players participating, as Team USA has a talented young roster and they'll be facing stars such as Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen and Rudy Gobert.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
WHEN IS IT?
World Cup games will be played Aug. 25 through Sept. 10. There have been a number of warm-up games in recent weeks, but the real action tips off tomorrow.
First Round (Group Phase): Aug. 25-30 Second Round (Group Phase): Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 Quarterfinals: Sept. 5-6 Semifinals: Sept. 8 Final: Sept. 10 Third-Place Game: Sept. 10
The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full schedule of games can be found here</a>.
WHERE IS IT?&nbsp;
For the first time ever, the FIBA Basketball World Cup will feature three host countries: the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
WHICH COUNTRIES QUALIFIED?
These are the 32 countries that will be participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup: Angola, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, United States and Venezuela.
These are the groups for the first round:
Group A:&nbsp;Angola, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Italy
Group B:&nbsp;&nbsp;South Sudan, Serbia, China, Puerto Rico
(Groups A and B will play their games at Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines)
Group C:&nbsp;Team USA, Jordan, Greece, New Zealand
Group D:&nbsp;Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, Lithuania
(Groups C and D will play their games at Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines)
Group E:&nbsp;Germany, Finland, Australia, Japan
Group F:&nbsp;Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela
(Groups E and F will play their games at Okinawa Arena in Japan)
Group G:&nbsp;Iran, Spain, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Brazil
Group H:&nbsp;Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, France
(Groups G and H will play their games at Jakarta Arena in Indonesia)
WHICH NBA PLAYERS ARE COMPETING?
There are quite a few NBA players participating in this tournament. The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-world-cup-roster-tracker-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full list can be found here</a>, but below are the national teams that feature notable NBA players:
Group A
Dominican Republic: Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Lester Quinones (Golden State Warriors)
Philippines: Jordan Clarkson&nbsp;(Utah Jazz)
Group B
China: Kyle Anderson&nbsp;(Minnesota Timberwolves)
Serbia: Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks), Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat)
Group C
Greece: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/gettyimages-1608113478-2.jpg" alt="" width="736" height="414" />
United States: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (New York Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)

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Group D
Lithuania: Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans)
Montenegro: Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls)
Group E
Australia: Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder), Patty Mills (Atlanta Hawks), Matisse Thybulle (Portland Trail Blazers) Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks), Joe Ingles (Orlando Magic), Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans), Dante Exum (Dallas Mavericks), Jock Landale (Houston Rockets), Xavier Cooks (Washington Wizards)
Finland: Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
Germany: Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Dennis Schroder (Toronto Raptors), Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers),&nbsp;
Japan: Yuta Watanabe (Phoenix Suns)
Group F
Georgia: Goga Bitadze (Orlando Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (San Antonio Spurs)
Slovenia: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Group G
Brazil: Raul Neto (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Spain: Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies), Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)
Group H
Canada: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), R.J. Barrett (New York Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets), Lu Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves), Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks)
France: Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Evan Fournier (New York Knicks), Frank Ntilikina (Charlotte Hornets)
Latvia: Davis Bertans (Oklahoma City Thunder)
HOW TO WATCH
FIBA recently announced that all 92 World Cup games will be available across ESPN's platforms. Six games will air on ESPN2 (including Team USA's three first-round games), while the other 86 games will be available on ESPN+.
FIBA&rsquo;s official streaming service, <a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courtside 1891</a>, will also air the games live and on-demand. If you're interested in Courtside 1891, FIBA is offering our readers 20% off their World Cup bundle. Follow the instructions below if you'd like to use the 20% discount:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li><a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/choose-a-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click this link</a> and you&rsquo;ll get a prompt to register</li>
<li>You&rsquo;ll then be redirected to the choose-a-package page</li>
<li>Select the &lsquo;Max &ndash; World Cup Bundle&rsquo;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Use the discount code FIBAWCAK to get 20% off</li>
</ul>
Enjoy the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and hopefully the dog days of summer will fly by quickly!

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow. Here's everything you need to know about the tournament.

Everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

Since the 2013-14 season, the NBA has used player-tracking technology to collect all kinds of interesting data, including a player&rsquo;s average speed, distance traveled, number of touches and more.
Second Spectrum is the NBA&rsquo;s &ldquo;official optical tracking provider,&rdquo; and they&rsquo;ve installed a player-tracking system in the catwalk of every NBA arena. Using multiple cameras, state-of-the-art machine learning and computer-vision techniques, the software identifies and locates every player and the ball 25 times per second. If something happens on the court, the player-tracking system catches it, and the data gets uploaded to <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/speed-distance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com</a>.
That&rsquo;s how we know that five players &mdash; Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey and Scottie Barnes &mdash; ran more than 200 miles throughout the course of last season. And for the second-straight season, Fred VanVleet led all players in average distance traveled, running 2.82 miles per game.&nbsp;
Which players are currently covering the most distance this season? And which players have the fastest and slowest average speed? Let&rsquo;s take a look:
MOST MILES PER GAME
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50.933%; height: 220px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">LaMelo Ball</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.8 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">Fred VanVleet</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.77 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">Terry Rozier</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.74 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">Mikal Bridges</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.73 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">Pascal Siakam</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.72 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">Dejounte Murray</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.69 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">Tyler Herro</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.69 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">Scottie Barnes</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.68 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">C.J. McCollum</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.64 miles per game</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.5985%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">Zach LaVine</td>
<td style="width: 22.4998%; height: 22px; text-align: left;">2.64 miles per game</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
MOST TOTAL MILES
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50.7996%; height: 220px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Mikal Bridges</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">163.7 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Anthony Edwards</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">159.6 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Buddy Hield</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">156.2 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Franz Wagner</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">155.3 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Julius Randle</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">154.1 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Scottie Barnes</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">153 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Evan Mobley</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">151.5 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Jalen Brunson</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">150 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">P.J. Washington</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">149.2 miles</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 22.5067%; height: 22px;">Domantas Sabonis</td>
<td style="width: 24.0045%; height: 22px;">148.9 miles</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Clearly, a player's role and their team's style of play influence how many miles they're running each game.
FASTEST AVERAGE SPEED
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50.933%; height: 220px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Wendell Moore Jr.</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.71 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Luka Garza</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.62 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">T.J. McConnell</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.62 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Jordan McLaughlin</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.61 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Blake Wesley</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.59 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Caleb Martin</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.58 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Cody Martin</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.57 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Sam Hauser</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.57 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Dalano Banton</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.56 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.3733%; height: 22px;">Aaron Wiggins</td>
<td style="width: 22.7734%; height: 22px;">4.55 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
SLOWEST AVERAGE SPEED
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50.7996%; height: 209px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.55 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">Joel Embiid</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.55 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.56 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">DeAndre Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.59 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">Eric Gordon</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.63 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">Luka Doncic</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.66 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">Kevin Durant</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.67 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">John Wall</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.7 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 11px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 11px;">Kyle Lowry</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 11px;">3.7 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 24.386%; height: 22px;">LeBron James</td>
<td style="width: 22.2461%; height: 22px;">3.72 miles per hour</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
If you're interested in checking out all of the NBA's tracking data, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/speed-distance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it can be found here</a>.

The NBA uses player-tracking technology to find out every player’s average speed, average distance traveled and much more.

Tracking data shows which NBA players run the most miles per game

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; LaMelo Ball had 32 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and the dagger 3-pointer down the stretch to lead the Charlotte Hornets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-113 on Friday night.
Gordon Hayward added a season-high 27 points and 13 rebounds and P.J. Washington had in 20 points for the Hornets. They won their third straight overall and stopped a seven-game road skid, handing the Timberwolves&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-washington-wizards-nba-sports-bradley-beal-c2d3c2d8a5b07dbf014acf698eaa1412" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yet another setback</a>&nbsp;against an opponent buried in the standings.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a whole lot of talent on the team. Everybody can score. Everybody can shoot,&rdquo; said Ball, who bested Minnesota All-Star Anthony Edwards in this battle of two of the top three picks in the 2020 draft. Edwards had 29 points and eight rebounds, bringing the Wolves to life in the fourth quarter and on the verge of avoiding a second damaging loss to the lottery-bound Hornets.
But after Edwards hit a&nbsp;spin-dribble jumper&nbsp;on Ball for a 104-102 lead with 6:41 left, Ball answered with a&nbsp;step-back 3-pointer&nbsp;to put Charlotte back in front.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LaMelo knocks down the smooth stepback triple 😴 29 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST, 4 3PM CHA-MIN | Live on the NBA App 📲 <a href="https://t.co/1pomQZMAZK">https://t.co/1pomQZMAZK</a> <a href="https://t.co/qI9ZSSqaMO">pic.twitter.com/qI9ZSSqaMO</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1629317364243132417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Hayward&rsquo;s tip-in with 2:11 remaining gave the Hornets a 112-109 advantage. With 1:21 to go, Hayward passed up his own shot in the paint and dished to the top of the key for Ball&rsquo;s fifth 3-pointer of the game and a 117-111 lead.
&ldquo;He certainly isn&rsquo;t afraid of any moment. It&rsquo;s been fun to watch him develop over these last three years,&rdquo; Hayward said.
Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Mike Conley scored 15 points and Nickiel Alexander-Walker added 13 points for the Wolves, who were lacking focus and foul-happy on defense and watched the Hornets go 25 for 28 from the free-throw line.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re capable of doing it. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s more disappointing than anything,&rdquo; Conley said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got to stop gambling, stop reaching, stop giving them opportunities at the free-throw line.&rdquo;
Kelly Oubre Jr. returned for the Hornets from a 24-game absence with his recovery from left hand surgery complete. Oubre, one of three 20-points-per-game scorers on the squad, had eight points in 23 minutes off the bench.
&ldquo;We had some timely buckets for sure,&rdquo; Hayward said, &ldquo;but more than anything we got the stops when we needed them, which has kind of been a problem for us all year.&rdquo;
Same for the Wolves, who had&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-los-angeles-lakers-utah-jazz-nba-sports-4a60a727502fd5a192e5b8c435250b56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a lot more riding on this</a>. They emerged from their break in seventh place in the Western Conference, with just two fewer wins than the fourth-place Clippers and only two fewer losses than the 13th-place Lakers in this absurdly crowded race for the playoffs.
The Wolves have only seven of their last 20 games at home, the fewest left in the league, with a daunting majority of their remaining schedule against teams currently above the postseason cut. That might not hurt them, though. They&rsquo;re 5-8 against the five worst teams in the NBA: Houston, San Antonio, Detroit, Charlotte and Orlando.
The Hornets, who beat the Wolves 110-108 at home on Nov. 25, shot 56% from the field in the first half for a 72-64 lead.
&ldquo;Defense, I think that&rsquo;s the main thing we need to be able to bank on,&rdquo; Edwards said. &ldquo;Every night we need to know that our defense is going to be there.&rdquo;
TOWNS STILL DOWN
Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined for the 41st straight game with a calf strain, an injury that still lacks a clear timetable for his return.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s definitely in the final stages. He&rsquo;s itching to play,&rdquo; coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that it&rsquo;s a question of anything like going off path right now.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Ball set a career best with his fifth straight double-double. His season highs are 33 points and 12 rebounds. ... The Hornets improved to 9-25 on the road.
Timberwolves: Naz Reid had 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench. ... Backup PF Taurean Prince was out for personal reasons.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host Miami on Saturday night, starting a four-game homestand.
Timberwolves: Play at Golden State on Sunday night, starting a four-game trip to face each of the four California teams. They play at home again in 10 days.

LaMelo Ball had 32 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists to lead the Charlotte Hornets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-113.

LaMelo Ball leads Hornets past Timberwolves 121-113

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Devin Carter had a career-high 25 points and No. 24 Providence outlasted No. 18 Creighton 94-86 in double overtime Tuesday night.
Bryce Hopkins and Noah Locke each scored 20 for the Friars (19-7, 11-4 Big East), who ended an eight-game winning streak for the Bluejays that began with a Jan. 14 victory over Providence at home.
With the win, the Friars tied Creighton (17-9, 11-4) for third place in the Big East standings. Both teams are a half-game behind Xavier and a game back of first-place Marquette in a crowded race for the regular-season title.
Providence, the defending regular-season champion, improved to 14-0 at home this season and 9-1 in its past 10 games that went to overtime &mdash; including a pair of double-OT wins on its own court this season.
Ryan Nembhard led Creighton with 21 points and 10 rebounds in a game that featured 20 lead changes and 17 ties.
Carter, a sophomore guard, also had eight rebounds and two blocks &mdash; including a critical one that forced the second overtime.
NO. 5 KANSAS 87, OKLAHOMA STATE 76
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Gradey Dick scored 17 of his season-high 26 points in the second half and Kansas defeated Oklahoma State.
The freshman guard made 10 of 17 field goal attempts, shooting 4 of 9 on 3-pointers.&nbsp;
Kansas shot 66% from the field in the second half to pull away from the Cowboys. Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense.
Kansas (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) has won three straight. The Jayhawks are tied with Texas and Baylor atop the conference standings.
Kalib Boone scored a career-high 27 points for Oklahoma State (16-10, 7-6), which had won five straight.
OKLAHOMA 79, NO. 12 KANSAS STATE 65
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Grant Sherfield scored 22 points and Oklahoma went on a 12-0 run early in the second half against Kansas State.
The win snapped a seven-game conference losing streak for the Sooners (13-13, 3-10 Big 12) and prevented the Wildcats (19-7, 7-6) and first-year coach Jerome Tang from earning their 20th win of the season.
Tanner Groves scored 16 points and freshman Milos Uzan added 13 for Oklahoma.
Nae&rsquo;quan Tomlin had 17 points and 10 rebounds to pace Kansas State.
SYRACUSE 75, NO. 23 NC STATE 72
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) &mdash; Judah Mintz scored 20 points and Syracuse knocked off North Carolina State.
A three-point play by Jesse Edwards gave the Orange a 73-70 lead with two minutes left. Edwards finished with 18 points for Syracuse (16-10, 9-6 ACC), and Joe Girard III had 14.
D.J. Burns Jr. and Jarkel Joiner each scored 15 points for the Wolfpack (20-7, 10-6).
Syracuse was 16 for 17 at the foul line, while the Wolfpack went 3 for 5.

A recap of Tuesday's action in men's college hoops includes a double-overtime thriller in the Big East.

No. 24 Providence gets past No. 18 Creighton in double OT

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Deandre Ayton matched his career high with 35 points, Devin Booker scored 19 in his first game since Christmas and the Phoenix Suns held off Cam Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets 116-112 on Tuesday night.
The 21-year-old Thomas led a late charge and finished with 43 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history with three straight 40-point games. He had 44 and a career-high 47 points in his previous two games.
Mikal Bridges had 17 of his 21 points in the second half and played a key role in the defensive effort that cooled off Thomas just long enough for the Suns to build a 12-point lead with 2:25 remaining.
Booker missed the previous 21 games with a strained left groin. but had a strong stretch after the Suns led by just three midway through the fourth quarter. He scored six points and set up Ayton for another basket during a 13-4 run that pushed it to 109-97 with 2:25 to go.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-62 apnews_article_midarticle_1" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
Thomas rallied the Nets mostly from the free-throw line, and his intentional miss with 4.1 seconds remaining left the Suns with a 114-112 lead. He then fouled Ayton, who finished it off with two free throws after going 14 for 18 from the field and grabbing 15 rebounds.
Nic Claxton and T.J. Warren had 17 points each for the Nets, who lost on back-to-back nights after trading Kyrie Irving and fell to 5-9 without the injured Kevin Durant. They opted not to play Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, the players they acquired from Dallas in the trade for Irving.
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TIP-INS
Suns: Chris Paul surpassed 2,500 steals, a mark reached by only John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Michael Jordan. He had nine points and 12 assists.
Nets: Brooklyn was also without Seth Curry (left adductor strain) and Yuta Watanabe (back tightness). ... Coach Jacque Vaughn said Durant continues to progress well in his recovery but still hasn&rsquo;t been involved in the any portions of practice where there is contact. Vaughn said he didn&rsquo;t know when Durant would take that step, and he won&rsquo;t play before he does. The Nets only have four games remaining before the All-Star break.
DINWIDDIE AND DORIAN
Dinwiddie spent five seasons with the Nets and recalled when he signed a multiyear deal in December 2016 after coming into the league as a second-round pick who battled to prove he was more than a G League player.
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&ldquo;My career&rsquo;s been hard, and that right there kind of solidified knowing, like, my family&rsquo;s going to be fine,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said.
He said there was nostalgia being back in Brooklyn, where he averaged a career-best 20.6 points in 2019-20, and praised Finney-Smith&rsquo;s ability to be an important contributor to the team.
&ldquo;Understanding that we may not be the best trade package, but we are the best-looking and the Nets needed some help in that department,&rdquo; he joked.
ANOTHER TRADE
The Nets dealt forward Kessler Edwards to Sacramento for the rights to 2016 second-round pick David Michineau and cash. Edwards began last season on a two-way deal before playing well enough to earn a standard NBA contract, but had appeared in just 14 games this season.
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Deandre Ayton scored 35 points, Devin Booker added 19 in his return and the Phoenix Suns beat the Brooklyn Nets 116-112.

Ayton has 35, Suns hold off Thomas, Nets in Booker’s return

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Saddiq Bey scored 31 points and the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-118 on Wednesday night.
Bojan Bogdanovic added 27 points for the shorthanded Pistons, who were down 10-0 in the first three minutes. Four other players had at least 13 points.
Anthony Edwards scored 20 for Minnesota, which had won four straight since a 116-104 loss to Detroit on New Year's Eve. D'Angelo Russell added 19 and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The Pistons were without three rotation post players: Marvin Bagley III (hand), Jalen Duran (ankle) and Isaiah Stewart (shoulder). That left Nerlens Noel, who had played in only nine of Detroit's first 45 games, as the starting center against Gobert.
Minnesota was also missing a key big man in Karl-Anthony Towns (calf).
Edwards missed the third quarter with hip soreness and Russell picked up two fouls early in the period, sending him to the bench with four. Without them, Minnesota struggled at both ends of the floor, allowing the Pistons to take a 94-81 lead with three minutes left in the period.
The Pistons outscored Minnesota 36-23 in the third to take a 101-87 lead. Edwards returned for the fourth, scoring 15 points, but Detroit was never threatened.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Taurean Prince had nine points in 27 minutes despite limping off the floor in the first half after stepping on Noel's foot and rolling his ankle.
Pistons: Detroit pulled away in the second half with a lineup that had 6-foot-7 Kevin Knox II at center against the 7-foot-1 Gobert.
&nbsp;

Saddiq Bey scored 31 points and the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-118.

Bey, Bogdanovic lead shorthanded Pistons past Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points, including 17 in the third quarter as Detroit erased a double-digit deficit, and the Pistons got 65 points from their bench in a 116-104 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Marvin Bagley Jr. had 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Detroit, which had lost seven of eight and trailed by 18 points in the first quarter. The Pistons stayed within range and burst ahead with a 32-9 run at the end of the third and start of the fourth.
Reserve Alec Burks added 13 points for Detroit. The Pistons lead the NBA in bench points since the start of December.
&ldquo;Our energy was very good in the third quarter, especially from our second unit,&rdquo; Bogdanovic said. &ldquo;The second group played great. When we play defense like we played in the second half, then our offense is kind of playing faster and we are moving the ball better.&rdquo;
Anthony Edwards scored 30 and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell added 25 points in a lackluster performance from Minnesota, which returned home after a winless four-game road trip and lost its sixth in a row.
&ldquo;Tonight was the first time, I think, I saw them frustrated with each other through this stretch, through a lot of different ins and outs of the lineup, and tough losses on the road,&rdquo; Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;Tonight, I think it manifested itself in a lot of frustration, guys not making the right, simple play.&rdquo;
Russell scored 13 of the Timberwolves&rsquo; first 21 points and Minnesota used a 26-8 run early in the first to take an 18-point lead.
Detroit&rsquo;s reserves entered and got back within 10 and the teams traded blows for the next two quarters.
Bogdanovic then hit three 3s midway through the third to spark the Pistons, who tied the game before the end of the quarter. Another reserve, Hamidou Diallo, supplied Detroit with its first lead with 10:37 left in the fourth.
&ldquo;We know what we need to do, what we&rsquo;re bad at,&rdquo; Minnesota forward Jaden McDaniels said. "We watch it every day in film, so I feel like it&rsquo;s a care factor.&rdquo;
The Wolves tied the game before the Pistons scored 11 in a row to take control.
&ldquo;A lot of it was about our defense,&rdquo; Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about the second unit&rsquo;s character. We have a lot of character guys in the group that hadn&rsquo;t been getting a lot of run, but they came in and played with pure heart, pure mind and won the game for us.&rdquo;
READY RESERVES
All five reserves that played for the Pistons scored in double digits. While rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are starters, the bench consists of veterans such as Burks and Cory Joseph, both with 11 years in the league.
&ldquo;I think that was the key to that second unit tonight is just communication and effort,&rdquo; said six-year veteran Rodney McGruder. &ldquo;We were all over. Even when we made mistakes, we talked it out and the effort made up for it.&rdquo;
OLD DEMONS
Finch said &ldquo;old demons&rdquo; hurt Minnesota on Saturday, including rebounding. The Wolves were outrebounded 52-39. Finch also said he maybe needs to look at playing time as the team tries to solve its issues.
The third-year coach was also asked if there was a sense of entitlement with his team.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of guys out there that maybe think we&rsquo;re a lot better than we are,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;Maybe it is a sense of entitlement or whatever. Certainly tonight we got what we deserved with the way we approached this game.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Diallo returned after his one-game suspension for his part in the altercation with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Killian Hayes served the second game of his three-game suspension. &hellip; Detroit held Minnesota to 40 points in the second half and 16 in the fourth quarter.
Timberwolves: Rudy Gobert returned after missing one game with an illness and had nine points and 10 rebounds. He was scoreless in the first half. &hellip; Edwards had 14 and Russell added 13 in the first.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Play the second game of a five-game road trip Monday in Portland.
Timberwolves: Host Denver on Monday.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points, and the Pistons got 65 points from their bench in a 116-104 win over the Wolves on Saturday.

Bogdanovic, bench send Pistons to 116-104 win over Wolves

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant each scored 32 points and the Nets extended their longest winning streak since moving to Brooklyn to nine games with a 125-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.
The Nets withstood a sensational 46-point performance by Darius Garland, who single-handedly kept the Cavs close in the fourth.
Brooklyn has won 13 of 14 and is beginning to look like an NBA title contender.
T.J. Warren added a season-high 23 points for the Nets, who handled one of the teams they&rsquo;re chasing in the Eastern Conference standings after beating Milwaukee by 18 last Friday.
Durant moved past Tim Duncan (26,496) into 15th place on the career scoring list.
Irving made a season-high seven 3-pointers &mdash; and two key free throws with 41.1 seconds left &mdash; while being booed nearly every time he touched the ball by fans who cheered him during six seasons with Cleveland.
CLIPPERS 142, PISTONS 131, OT
DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Paul George scored 32 points and Los Angeles overcame a 14-point deficit in the final 3:34 of regulation to beat Detroit in overtime.
Terance Mann hit a tying jumper with five seconds left in the fourth quarter to cap a closing 16-2 run for the Clippers, who trailed 126-112 with 3:34 remaining. Los Angeles then outscored the Pistons 14-3 in the extra period.
Ivica Zubac added 12 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles, which has beaten Detroit eight straight times. The Clippers had seven players score in double figures.
Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 23 points, including the Pistons&rsquo; only field goal of the last eight minutes. Isaiah Stewart added 21 points for NBA-worst Detroit.
HEAT 113, TIMBERWOLVES 110
MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Max Strus scored 19 points, Kyle Lowry added 18 points and nine assists, and Miami got back to .500 by holding off Minnesota.
Orlando Robinson scored 15 points and Tyler Herro had 14 for the Heat (17-17), who were without Jimmy Butler (ankle) and Bam Adebayo (illness).
Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 29 points for the Timberwolves (16-18). Naz Reid had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
ROCKETS 133, BULLS 118
CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Kevin Porter Jr. scored a season-high 36 points and Houston used a 17-1 run in the third quarter to beat Chicago, snapping a five-game losing streak.
Alperan Sengun added 25 points and Jalen Green had 24 for the Rockets, who scored the first 10 points of the game but blew an 18-point lead before their third-quarter spurt.
DeMar DeRozan scored 31 for the Bulls, who won their previous three games. DeRozan passed George Gervin for 44th place on the career scoring list with 20,727 points.
PELICANS 113, PACERS 93
NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Naji Marshall scored a career-high 22 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and short-handed New Orleans extended its winning streak to three games by beating Indiana.
CJ McCollum added 19 points for the Pelicans, who were missing top scorer Zion Williamson along with Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III.
Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 15 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Myles Turner scored 14.
SPURS 126, JAZZ 122
SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Devin Vassell had 24 points, Keldon Johnson added 21 and San Antonio fended off Utah in the final minutes.
The Spurs led 121-110 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. The Jazz scored seven points in 33 seconds, but could not complete the comeback.
Lauri Markkanen had 32 points and Jordan Clarkson added 25 for Utah.
Clarkson&rsquo;s 3-pointer cut it to 123-120 with 30.1 seconds left, but Tre Jones tossed in a floater 23 seconds later to seal the victory.
Jones had 11 points and Jakob Poeltl scored 16 for San Antonio.
TRAIL BLAZERS 124, HORNETS 113
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Jusuf Nurkic scored 27 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers, to go with 14 rebounds and six assists as Portland defeated Charlotte.
Jerami Grant led all scorers with 32 points for Portland. Damian Lillard had 17 points and nine assists on a night when he was honored for becoming the leading scorer in Trail Blazers history.
LaMelo Ball paced the Hornets with 25 points.
Portland trailed by 14 in the second quarter but Nurkic sparked the turnaround, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists after halftime.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A recap of Monday night's NBA slate includes an Eastern Conference showdown between two of the league's best.

Irving, Durant lead Nets past Cavs for 9th straight win

This isn't how things were supposed to go in Detroit.&nbsp;
It was hard not to be excited for the Pistons heading into the year. Strong draft class, headlined by Jaden Ivey and the traded-for Jalen Duren. A Jerami Grant trade not only netted them a future first-rounder and other draft capital, it was a move made in part to clear some of the runway for Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey, the latter of which was expected to fill more of Grant's time at forward.
The shooting woes that hampered Detroit last season were somewhat accounted for; adding Alec Burks into the mix was supposed to help, and an offseason trade for sniper Bojan Bogdanovic was expected to be a big add to their offense.
Fast forward to now, and the Pistons are without Cunningham for the year, dealing with an uneven campaign from Bey, and ultimately find themselves percentage points away from the worst record in the NBA.
So much for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-central-division-chicago-bulls-cleveland-cavaliers-detroit-pistons-indiana-pacers-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">play-in ceiling</a>.&nbsp;
There have been bright spots though. Ivey and Duren have been as advertised; Ivey's going to make the All-Rookie first team, and Duren could make a push for it by the end of the season. Loyal listeners of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a> know how pleased I've been with Killian Hayes' growth this season.
On the veteran side, Bogdanovic has somehow been better than expected.&nbsp;
The initial plan was to spread the floor at a high level, and act as a security blanket so Cunningham (and Bey) wouldn't have to work as hard as creators. Instead, Bogdanovic has become the defacto top option.
Since November 11, kicking off the stretch without Cunningham for good, Bogdanovic is averaging a team-high in front-court touches (33.8), points (22.3), shot attempts (14.8), three-point attempts (5.6) and free throw attempts (5.8).&nbsp;
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The efficiency has been off the charts, with Bogdanovic converting a ridiculous 56.6% of his twos and nearly 41% of his threes.&nbsp;
League-wide, Bogdanovic is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shots-general?CF=FG3A*GE*5:FG3_PCT*GE*40:FG2_PCT*GE*55&amp;TeamID=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of five* players</a> converting at least 55% of their twos and 40% of their threes with high volume during this month-plus stretch, joining Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins and Lauri Markkanen. (*Wendell Carter Jr. is also on this list, but only has three games under his belt during this stretch. Please come back soon, Wendell. We miss you, and the Magic surely do.)
What makes Bogdanovic fun is the myriad ways he can be used. He's running nearly 15 ball screens per 100 possessions since November 11, and the Pistons are scoring roughly 1.04 points per possession (PPP) on those trips &mdash; a mark that ranks in the 72nd percentile, per Second Spectrum.
He's shooting most of the time (50.8%), with his scoring prowess popping against drop coverage or switches (1.08 PPP). Bogdanovic slow-probes his way to his spots, whether that's keeping his defender at bay when faced with drop, or picking out a matchup agains a (late) switch and posting up.
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There are still limitations. Mainly, Bogdanovic's handle isn't tight enough to access&nbsp;every&nbsp;area of the court on a whim. When faced with more aggressive coverages &mdash; hedges or flat-out traps &mdash; he's prone to retreating without taking full advantage of the numbers game ahead of him. Even when he isn't, navigating close quarters can be an adventure. He's up to 27 "lost ball" turnovers in 30 games this season (0.9), after racking up 48 of them in 69 games last season (0.7).
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Even with that uptick, it's hard to ignore the overall efficiency here. And it's especially impressive considering he's carrying a much larger offensive load than originally expected.
This isn't the first time Bogdanovic has had to scale up. He saw his shot volume increase by nearly three attempts between his first and second year in Indiana. In year two (2018-19), Bogdanovic averaged 18 points with shooting splits similar to what he's doing now &mdash; 53.8% on twos, 42.5% from three. That was a year where Victor Oladipo appeared in just 36 games.
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But this is different. Bogdanovic's 64.9% True Shooting clip is easily the higheest of his career, and a whopping 7.4 points above league average. It would behoove other teams to take notice.
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3992371/2022/12/12/bojan-bogdanovic-jae-crowder-shams-charania-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>. The Phoenix Suns were linked to Bogdanovic before he was dealt to the Pistons, and could probably use another shot creator in light of Chris Paul's decline in that area.
There are others, like the Atlanta Hawks, that could use the forward's blend of creation and outside shooting. Is there a conversation to be had around a package headlined by John Collins? It's certainly worth asking. <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-lakers-knicks-john-collins-bojan-bogdanovic-free-agency-stock-watch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Scotto of HoopsHype</a> reported that the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks have also expressed interest.
That would track. The Mavs desperately need more creation to take pressure off of Luka Doncic. The Heat need more shooting &mdash; they rank 21st in three-point percentage despite ranking seventh in three-point rate &mdash; and could stand to upgrade at the 4, though Caleb Martin has played pretty well this season.
Of course, the Pistons don't have to cooperate. They recently extended Bogdanovic, and per James Edwards of The Athletic, the Pistons <a href="https://theathletic.com/3995150/2022/12/13/pistons-trade-scenariors-noel-bogdanovic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aren't eager to move him</a>. It would (rightfully) take a big offer to pry him out of there. But with the way he's playing, it's probably worth the swing.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the recent offensive explosion of Bojan Bogdanovic.

Good teams should be looking to trade for Bojan Bogdanovic

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Olivia Miles had 21 points and eight rebounds for No. 7 Notre Dame, and UConn star Azzi Fudd was injured in a collision with a teammate as the Fighting Irish handed the third-ranked Huskies their first loss of the season, 74-60 on Sunday.
Fudd, who came in averaging 24.0 points per game, exited in the final minute of the first quarter following a collision with teammate Aaliyah Edwards. She returned midway through the second period to play four minutes, but sat the rest of the day, going scoreless on two shots over 13 minutes.
Maddy Westbeld added a season-high 17 points and nine rebounds for Notre Dame (7-1), which bounced back from a 74-72 loss to No. 20 Maryland three days earlier.
Lou Lopez Senechal led UConn (6-1) with 21 points. Edwards added 14.
No. 2 STANFORD 84, No. 23 GONZAGA 63
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Cameron Brink had 14 points and a season-high 16 rebounds and Brooke Demetre made five 3s and scored 17 points, leading Stanford past Gonzaga.
The Cardinal (10-1) have now won five straight games after falling to top-ranked South Carolina in overtime on Nov. 20.
Hannah Jump hit four 3s and scored 14 points and Haley Jones had 12 points for Stanford.
Short-handed Gonzaga (7-2), limited to seven players because of illness and injuries, had won three in a row.
No. 4 OHIO STATE 82, RUTGERS 70
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Rebeka Mikulasikova scored a career-high 31 points and Taylor Mikesell added 30 to help Ohio State beat Rutgers, a day that the Scarlet Knights honored former coach C. Vivian Stringer.
The school dedicated the court to Stringer, who retired after last season.
Buoyed by the return of their Hall of Fame coach, Rutgers played its best game of the season against a ranked opponent. Ohio State (8-0) jumped out to a 20-6 lead after one quarter, but the Scarlet Knights (4-6) wouldn&rsquo;t go away.
They were down 18 near the end of the half before Kaylene Smikle hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to get within 43-28. Rutgers continued that momentum in the second half and made it 53-45 with 3:25 left in the third quarter.
Mikulasikova and Mikesell then scored the next six points for Ohio State to restore the double-digit advantage, and Rutgers couldn&rsquo;t recover.
Smikle led Rutgers with 21 points.
No. 5 INDIANA 65, ILLINOIS 61
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 23 points, including a go-ahead layup with 37 seconds left, and Indiana got past Illinois in their Big Ten opener.
Indiana (9-0) had not trailed in the second half of any game this season before going back and forth in the closing minutes with Illinois (3-7).
Makira Cook scored 33 points to lead the Illini.
The Hoosiers were coming off an 87-63 win over No. 6 North Carolina.
No. 9 VIRGINIA TECH 59, TENNESSEE 56
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Kayana Traylor scored 18 points and Virginia Tech held off Tennessee in a Jimmy V Women&rsquo;s Classic matchup.
Jordan Horston led Tennesssee (4-5) with 26 points and 11 rebounds, but missed a pair of late shots that would&rsquo;ve tied it.
Trailing 58-56 with 3 seconds left, Horston was off on a jumper. Down three with 1.1 seconds remaining, her 3-point try from the top of the key bounced off.
Cayla King scored 11 points and Georgia Amoore and D&rsquo;asia Gregg each had 10 for the Hokies (8-0).
Tennessee played without leading scorer and rebounder Rickea Jackson, who was absent because of a coach&rsquo;s decision.
No. 10 IOWA 102, WISCONSIN 71
MADISON, Wis. (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her seventh career triple-double to break the Big Ten record in Iowa&rsquo;s win over Wisconsin.
Clark surpassed the record of six career triple-doubles set by former Iowa player Samantha Logic, who achieved the feat from 2012-2015.
Iowa (6-3) stopped a two-game skid and beat the Badgers (3-7) for the 26th straight time.
No. 11 LSU 85, TULANE 72
NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds and Jasmine Carson scored 21 and LSU beat Tulane.
The Tigers (9-0) are off to their best since winning their first nine in the 2009-10 season.
LSU led 27-20 in a first quarter in which it made 11 of 16 shots and Tulane 9 for 17. The Tigers extended their lead to 40-27 at halftime before the Green Wave unloaded with a 30-point third in which it shot 12 for 16 including 6 for 7 from 3-point range. Dynah Jones scored 16 of her team-high 25 points for Tulane in the quarter and the Green Wave closed to 61-58.
Reese made 1 of 2 foul shots for the Tigers and Kahia Warmsley responded with a layup for Tulane to get it within two, but LaDazhia Williams made a layup and Carson a 3 and LSU kept Tulane at bay from there. Reese made two foul shots with 5:01 left to extend the lead to 73-62.
Marta Galic scored 21 points for Tulane.
ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 66, No. 13 CREIGHTON 62
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jayla Everett scored 20 points and St. John&rsquo;s remained unbeaten by handing Creighton its first loss.
The Red Storm had a 47-32 lead in the middle of the third quarter before the Bluejays got it down to a one-possession deficit in the final 90 seconds.
After Emma Ronsiek&rsquo;s basket pulled Creighton within 61-59 with 1:27 to play, the Bluejays had a possession to tie or take the lead but couldn&rsquo;t score.
Kadaj Bailey and Unique Drake had 13 points apiece for St. John&rsquo;s (8-0, 2-0 Big East Conference).
Lauren Jensen scored 21 points for the Bluejays (7-1, 2-1) but couldn&rsquo;t get the tying jumper to fall with 13 seconds to go.
No. 14 ARIZONA 77, NEW MEXICO 60
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) &mdash; Jade Loville made 10 of 13 shots, including a career-best six 3-pointers, and scored 27 points to lead Arizona to a win over New Mexico.
Shaina Pellington added 19 points for the Wildcats (7-0), who had their lowest output of the year and won by less than 20 for only the second time this season.
Paula Reus scored 14 points for the Lobos (4-4).
No. 17 MICHIGAN 77, NORTHWESTERN 66
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Emily Kiser and Laila Phelia scored 18 points each and Michigan shut down Northwestern with an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter.
Leigha Brown added 10 points and 11 assists for Michigan (9-0), which won its Big Ten opener.
Jillian Brown had 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals for Northwestern (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten). Caileigh Walsh had 12 points and four blocks, and Sydney Wood scored 10 points.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 67, No. 18 LOUISVILLE 49
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Savannah Wheeler had 23 points, six rebounds and five assists, Courtney Whitson added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Middle Tennessee beat cold-shooting Louisville.
Middle Tennessee (5-2) won its first home game against a ranked opponent since the Lady Raiders beat No. 6 Kentucky 70-58 on December 28, 2011.
Kseniya Malashka added 15 points for Middle Tennessee (5-2).
Olivia Cochran scored a season-high 14 points for Louisville (5-4).
NEBRASKA 90, No. 20 MARYLAND 67
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) &mdash; Jaz Shelley scored 29 points, Nebraska dominated the second half and the Cornhuskers surprised Maryland in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams.
Allison Weidner had 13 points and 15 rebounds for Nebraska (6-3). Isabelle Bourne had 18 points and Alexis Markowski added 14. Shelley had six 3-pointers, five assists and three steals.
Two free throws from Diamond Miller drew Maryland (7-3) to within 77-67 points with 4:03 remaining, but the Terrapins would not score again while Nebraska scored 13.
No. 21 BAYLOR 79, HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 35
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Freshman guard Bella Fontleroy came off the bench to score 17 points and grab 11 rebounds and Baylor romped to a victory over Houston Christian.
Fontleroy sank 6 of 10 shots with three 3-pointers for the Lady Bears (6-2) and notched her first double-double. Jaden Owens added 14 points and six assists. Kendra Gillispie scored 10 on 5-of-6 shooting.
Marilyn Nzoiwu was the lone bright spot for the Huskies (3-4). She finished with 13 points and five rebounds, sinking 6 of 9 shots from the floor. Her teammates made 8 of 40 shots, including 2 of 15 from beyond the arc.
The Lady Bears played a fifth straight game without injured leading scorer Aijha Blackwell.
No. 22 TEXAS 92, SOUTHERN 43
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Shaylee Gonzales scored 22 points, Sonya Morris added 20 points, and Texas routed Southern.
Aaliyah Moore scored 11 points and DeYona Gaston had 10 for the Longhorns (4-4). Rori Harmon had nine points and 10 rebounds.
Freshman guard Sirviva Legions led the Jaguars (2-5) with 13 points off the bench.
The Longhorns rolled to a 29-10 lead through the first quarter after making 10 of 14 shots. They scored 11 points off seven Southern turnovers. Texas went on to lead 46-16 at halftime.
SETON HALL 82, No. 24 MARQUETTE 78
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Lauren Park-Lane scored 17 of her 31 points in the fourth quarter, Sidney Cooks added 23 and Seton Hall knocked off Marquette.
Kae Satterfield added 12 points for Seton Hall (6-4, 2-0 Big East Conference), which has won four straight. The Pirates last beat a ranked team, No. 24 DePaul, in January 2019.
Chloe Marotta scored 30 points and had 12 rebounds for the Golden Eagles (7-2, 1-1). Jordan King added 14 points and Liz Karlen had 12 points and nine rebounds.
No. 25 VILLANOVA 79, PROVIDENCE 54
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Maddy Seigrist scored 20 of her 29 points in the first half and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Villanova past Providence.
Seigrist was 12-of-18 shooting, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. The Wildcats (7-2, 1-1 Big East Conference) made 12 of 28 behind the arc and shot 52% overall (33 of 63). Lucy Olsen added 14 points and Bella Runyan 10.
Janai Crooms led the Friars (6-4, 0-2) with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

A recap of Sunday's women's college basketball slate features a top-10 battle.

Notre Dame tops UConn as Azzi Fudd gets hurt

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 28 points, and the Charlotte Hornets stopped Minnesota's five-game win streak with a 110-108 victory over Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves on Friday night.
Terry Rozier had 22 points and eight assists, helping the Hornets (6-14) win back-to-back games for the first time this season. P.J. Washington scored 16 points, and reserve Theo Maledon finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
&ldquo;It's a great mood booster for sure," Oubre said of getting two wins in three nights. &ldquo;We have to continue to learn from our losses and mistakes and learn how to win. The more you win the more you can do the same things you did in the game before.&rdquo;
Edwards scored 25 points for the Timberwolves (10-9), who shot 22% from 3-point range. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had 20 points and 10 assists, and Rudy Gobert finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds.
The Timberwolves bolted to a 62-52 halftime lead as Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 30 points.
But Charlotte battled back to take a 91-83 lead after outscoring the Timberwolves 39-21 in the third quarter behind 11 points from Oubre and 10 from Rozier.
&ldquo;We just came out with not much energy or focus and not a lot of purpose," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said of his team's effort in the third. "We haven&rsquo;t done that for a long time. It was kind of our habit at the beginning of the season. Tonight, we just didn&rsquo;t have it in the third quarter for whatever reason.&rdquo;
Charlotte carried that momentum into the fourth. Nick Richards rejected Gobert at the rim, setting up a high-flying dunk by Kai Jones off a feed from Rozier that brought the crowd to its feet and helped push the lead to 14.
The Timberwolves had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds after Rozier missed a floater, but they were unable to corral the rebound. That forced them to foul Washington, who made one of two throws with 4.7 seconds left to help close it out.
After the free throw, Washington smiled and gave a nod to his bench.
&ldquo;We are figuring out how to play,&rdquo; Washington said. &ldquo;The game we played tonight and the one before (a 107-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night) are two that we can grow from. If we play to our strengths it is going to be hard for teams to beat us."
JONES STEPS UP
Jones, a lanky, athletic 6-foot-11 2021 first-round draft pick out of Texas, was the first player off the Hornets bench as Charlotte looked to combat Minnesota&rsquo;s height. The gamble paid off as the seldom-used Jones finished with nine points and 12 rebounds &mdash; both career bests.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see that he&rsquo;s doing anything that he can&rsquo;t do every night," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing to his real strengths. He&rsquo;s tough, he&rsquo;s a terrific athlete, he&rsquo;s got a good nose for the ball, and he&rsquo;s playing very smart.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Towns was 0 for 8 from 3-point range in the second half. ... Jaden McDaniels opened the game matched up against his older brother Jalen McDaniels.
Hornets: Played without PG LaMelo Ball (ankle), F Gordon Hayward (shoulder), PG Dennis Smith Jr. (ankle) and Cody Martin (knee).
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Golden State on Sunday.
Hornets: Visit Boston on Monday night.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 28 points, and the Hornets snapped the Wolves' five-game win streak with a 110-108 victory on Friday night.

Oubre scores 28, Hornets snap T-Wolves' 5-game win streak

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points, Zach LaVine added 22 and the Chicago Bulls stopped Boston&rsquo;s nine-game win streak, beating the Celtics 121-107 on Monday night.
Patrick Williams scored a season-high 17, and the Bulls made it look rather easy against the team with the NBA&rsquo;s best record. They led by 13 at halftime, got it up to 21 in the third quarter and withstood a push to come away with the victory after dropping four straight and five of six.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 28 points. Jaylen Brown scored 25 and Malcolm Brogdon finished with 23 points, shooting 5 of 6 on 3-pointers.
PELICANS 128, WARRIORS 83
NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 34 points on the night Zion Williamson returned from a three-game absence, and New Orleans routed depleted Golden State.
Playing one night after winning on the road for the first time this season at Houston, the Warriors scratched Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins from the lineup.
Williamson played 23 minutes in his first game back from a bruised right foot, scoring nine points.
Devonte Graham had 19 for the Pelicans, who took the lead for good less than two minutes into the game and led by as many as 45. Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Jordan Poole scored 26 for Golden State, which fell to 1-9 on the road.
BUCKS 119, TRAIL BLAZERS 111
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points and Milwaukee pulled away in the second half to beat Portland.
Antetokounmpo shot 16 of 24 to go with seven rebounds and six assists in 35 minutes. Milwaukee improved to 12-4 overall and 9-1 at home.
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and Grayson Allen added 17 points and eight rebounds. Holiday had the first nine Milwaukee points in the period.
Anfernee Simons paced the Trail Blazers (10-7) with 29 points. Jusuf Nurkic added 16 points and 10 rebounds, but Portland lost its third straight game.
CLIPPERS 121, JAZZ 114
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Norman Powell scored a season-high 30 points, Reggie Jackson added a season-best 27 and Los Angeles rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Utah.
Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Clippers extended their winning streak to three.
Los Angeles was without Paul George after he strained his right hamstring during Saturday&rsquo;s win over San Antonio.
Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 26 points and Lauri Markkanen had 25 points and 10 rebounds. The Jazz have dropped four of their last six after starting the season 10-3.
CAVALIERS 114, HAWKS 102
CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell had 29 points and nine assists, and Darius Garland scored 26 to send Cleveland past Atlanta in their first meeting since the play-in tournament last season.
Trae Young had 25 points and 10 assists, and Onyeka Okongwu had a season-high 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks. Key offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray scored 11 on 4-of-18 shooting.
Atlanta claimed the final playoff berth in the East with a 107-101 win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 15, extending Cleveland&rsquo;s postseason drought to four years. The Cavaliers have not made the playoffs without LeBron James since 1998.
Garland also had nine assists and tied his career high with eight turnovers. Cedi Osman scored a season-best 23 off the bench as Cleveland won its third in a row following a five-game losing streak. The Cavaliers are 7-1 at home.
PACERS 123, MAGIC 102
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Bennedict Mathurin scored 22 points and Indiana blew out Orlando for its fifth consecutive victory.
Tyrese Haliburton had 18 points and 14 assists for the Pacers. T.J. McConnell added 19 points and 10 assists. Oshae Brissett scored 18 as Indiana's bench accounted for 71 points.
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 20 points and Gary Harris had 18.
TIMBERWOLVES 105, HEAT 101
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and Anthony Edwards scored 10 of his 22 in the third quarter as Minnesota outlasted shorthanded Miami.
Down to eight players due to injuries and rest on the second night of a back-to-back, the Heat led by 15 in the first half before Edwards sparked a third-quarter run.
Jaden McDaniels added 18 points for the Timberwolves, who won their fourth straight.
Kyle Lowry led the Heat with 21 points and Max Strus had 19. Bam Adebayo, playing in back-to-back games while dealing with a knee injury, had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Miami, which has lost four in a row.
Jimmy Butler missed his third straight game with a knee injury for the Heat, who were also without Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent.
KNICKS 129, THUNDER 119
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson had a season-high 34 points while RJ Barrett and Julius Randle scored 25 each to lead New York over Oklahoma City.
Just eight days ago, the Thunder beat the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, scoring 145 points &mdash; including 79 in the opening half. But this time, New York held Oklahoma City&rsquo;s offense in check for the bulk of the game.
Randle also pulled down 11 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points and Lu Dort added 24.

A recap of Monday night's slate highlighted by the Bulls' big win to snap the Celtics' streak.

DeRozan helps Bulls halt Celtics' 9-game winning streak

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Against another short-handed team, the Timberwolves again came up big on the road.
Anthony Edwards scored 25 points, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had 19 and the Minnesota Timberwolves survived a late scare and won their third straight game, 112-109 over the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.
&ldquo;We took a lot of bad shots, I definitely did, but we got the win, though,&rdquo; Edwards said of a 7-of-21 effort.
The 76ers have already played without James Harden for two weeks because of a right foot tendon strain and they added starting guard <a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-07d7e2cdecde3ad6195022cec2cf35f1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tyrese Maxey to the injury list</a> with a broken left foot suffered Friday. P.J. Tucker suffered an unspecified injury against the Timberwolves and Joel Embiid injured his left ankle/foot following a late-game collision with a teammate.
Embiid, the reigning NBA scoring champion, said well after the final buzzer he was still in pain and he hobbled off the dais following his press conference.
&ldquo;Hopefully, somehow it feels better, but we&rsquo;ll see,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Maxey and Harden averaged 20-plus points on the season, and their losses left Embiid to carry the load among a lineup that in one stretch included him, Danuel House Jr., De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, Shake Milton and Georges Niang.
&ldquo;No one feels sorry for you. So I&rsquo;m not going to feel sorry for us either,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to find a way to win. I know that sounds nuts. But we just have to. And we&rsquo;ll figure it out.&rdquo;
The 76ers need more time.
Embiid had 32 points, nine rebounds and made 18 of 20 free throws. Milton had 27 points and Melton 19.
Without two top scorers, the Timberwolves pounced early on the Sixers and stretched a winning streak with all three wins on the road. They won at Cleveland, Orlando and moved to .500 at 8-8.
The Magic played without rookie Paolo Banchero and center Wendell Carter Jr., their two leading rebounders and two of their top three scorers. Cleveland played without injured All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not in a position where we feel like we can afford any letdowns,&rdquo; Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just starting to play well ourselves.&rdquo;
Embiid gave the Sixers a scare with 5:33 left in the game when he tripped over fallen teammate Georges Niang and crumbled to the court. Embiid rolled his left ankle and lay on his back as he was checked out by a trainer.
Embiid hobbled to the bench but stayed in the game. He limped the rest of the game and hit the court again &mdash; on a steal and then he followed with a 3 that pulled the Sixers to 105-102.
Edwards buried a 3 that stretched the lead to six.
Melton, though, hit a 3 with 30 seconds left that inched the Sixers within one but he missed a driving layup in traffic on the next possession that was their best last-gasp effort to complete a comeback from 20 points.
Niang airballed a desperation 3 at the horn.
&ldquo;Sometimes the clock in your head goes faster than what you actually have,&rdquo; he said
Minnesota led by 15 points in the fourth and was outscored 19-7 over the final 8:46 of the game.
&ldquo;We were able to hold on, make enough shots, make a couple of big plays to win a game like that,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;It shouldn't have come down to that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Finch played at Franklin &amp; Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he was an NCAA Division III All-American in 1991 and 1992. He played the same time the 76ers used to hold training camp at the college. &ldquo;Team of my youth but no longer,&rdquo; Finch said.
76ers: Tobias Harris (sore left hip) sat out.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Miami on Monday night.
76ers: Welcome back former Sixer Ben Simmons when Brooklyn hits town Tuesday night.

Anthony Edwards scored 25 points, and the Timberwolves survived a late scare to beat the Sixers 112-109 on Saturday night.

Timberwolves hang on, top undermanned 76ers 112-109

D.J. Wagner, one of the top ranked prospects in the 2023 class, has committed to the University of Kentucky.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound combo-guard out of Camden, New Jersey also considered Memphis, Louisville, and Villanova but chose the Wildcats where he will play for coach John Calipari who also coached his father, Dajaun Wagner, at Memphis.
During this past season, Wagner averaged 19.9 points per game to help Camden win the state championship, its first since Dajaun played for the Panthers. He also won a gold medal for USA Basketball at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Championships.
Wagner becomes the third top five recruit to commit to Kentucky as part of the 2023 class alongside forward Justin Edwards out of Philadelphia and center Aaron Bradshaw who also played for Camden.
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DJ Wagner, the number two-ranked prospect in the 2023 class, has committed to the University of Kentucky.

Top prospect D.J. Wagner commits to Kentucky

It's hard to predict when a slump ends without the benefit of hindsight.&nbsp;
Even the best NBA shooters are vulnerable to outlier struggles that can last an entire season, and those years jump out at you on the stat sheet. But how do we distinguish between an outlier and a harbinger before letting the full story play out? With so much context to account for &mdash; new teams, new roles and changing health status &mdash; that becomes a challenging question to address.
In this week's NBA Stats Notebook, we'll highlight five players with enough indicators to make me believe that they'll bounce back from last year's struggles. By no means are these predictions a guarantee, however, as I also outlined what hurdles could stand in the way of them getting back on track.&nbsp;
Let's dive in and think "positive regression!"
SADDIQ BEY, DETROIT PISTONS
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Cory Joseph talks about the improvement he&rsquo;s seen in Saddiq Bey&rsquo;s game and what Bojan Bogdanovic brings <a href="https://t.co/vzL7ZIisLD">pic.twitter.com/vzL7ZIisLD</a>
&mdash; Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) <a href="https://twitter.com/omarisankofa/status/1575894014280097794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Bey is a quiet, but still vital piece to a Pistons rebuild that has quickly ramped up. The 2020 first-round pick logged some massive games last season, including a 51-point explosion on March 17. But he took a step back as a perimeter scorer on a team with few reliable long-range threats; Bey sported a 34.6% three-point clip that isn't horrendous, but still feels disappointing given his stature as a spacer.
With that said, Detroit fans should bank on a big swing. For starters, the Pistons added Jaden Ivey, who will command quite enough attention as an individual scorer. Cade Cunningham should improve his own perimeter presence, and Bojan Bogdanovic joins the squad as an immediate marksman. To his part, Bey should get more catch-and-shoot chances and create less as a pull-up scorer, which should in turn help his final percentage.
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Bey is a much better shot-maker off the catch. According to InStat Scouting, he knocked down a whopping 51.4% such threes in his sophomore year at Villanova. So, even though he doesn't have a long NBA track record yet, Bey has proven himself as a shooter and should continue to this season.
Additionally, Bey seems to be merging the 3-and-D role that began his career with some of the off-dribble skills he added last season, <a href="https://theathletic.com/3645146/2022/09/30/pistons-training-camp-saddiq-bey/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic</a>. I'm happy to bet on natural growth from a young player and more manageable responsibilities, giving Bey a path to success.
MAXI KLEBER, DALLAS MAVERICKS
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remember when Maxi Kleber hit 8 3s in a huge game 3 against the Jazz the second most 3s in a playoff game in Mavs history <a href="https://t.co/4y6diQm2ZP">pic.twitter.com/4y6diQm2ZP</a>
&mdash; Slightly Biased (@BiasedSlightly) <a href="https://twitter.com/BiasedSlightly/status/1570831726536192001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Kleber's shooting slump already ended in the 2022 postseason. The stretch big man was unreal for the Mavericks last spring, knocking 'em down to the tune of 43.5% from distance in Dallas' three series. That dwarfs the 32.5% rate he posted in the regular season, which was the worst since his rookie year.
The 30-year-old has made strides with his NBA shot since entering the league in 2017. His catch-and-shoot clip improved for four straight seasons (up to 41.0% in 2020-21) before it took an absolute nosedive to 32.9% last year. Kleber's 2021-22 struggles are not a fair indicator of his career growth.
His health, however, is a fair question mark. Kleber battled injuries at five different points of last season, <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nba/maxi-kleber-player-injuries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Fox Sports</a>. To build a rhythm, he needs a string of good fortune. Hopefully the Mavs' beefed-up big rotation, including new additions Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, can lessen the load.
DAMIAN LILLARD, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
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"I just felt relaxed. I just wanted to come out and have fun, just hoopin' again." Damian Lillard on his first game in 10 months "I was just happy that I felt good out there. I didn't have anything on my mind other than just playing"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RipCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RipCity</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a> <a href="https://t.co/WvohbUbJOm">pic.twitter.com/WvohbUbJOm</a>
&mdash; Orlando Sanchez (@orlandokgw) <a href="https://twitter.com/orlandokgw/status/1577201323807604737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Dame Time is one of the best pull-up scorers basketball has ever seen. But between coming back from the Tokyo Olympics, injuries, team discord and his own lackluster play, Lillard's 2021-22 was a derailment from his past superstardom. He played just 29 games before shutting things down as the Blazers hit mini-rebuild mode. In those contests, Lillard made a career-low 32.4% of his triples.
According to PBP Stats, Lillard converted just 29.8% of his "self-created" three-point attempts (shots coming after having possession for at least two seconds). That's by far the lowest rate of his nine-year career to date. Lillard typically hovers around 35% on self-created threes. Can he get back there?
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The positive argument claims that Portland is in a far better offensive situation. Jusuf Nurkic is healthy, Jerami Grant is a nice acquisition and, though CJ McCollum is gone, Anfernee Simons appears capable of filling his shoes. The counterargument: Lillard is 32 years old and coming off of a long recovery from an abdominal injury. He'll still be a star, but it remains to be seem how much Lillard looks like his usual self.
DUNCAN ROBINSON, MIAMI HEAT
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Highest Career 3P% On 6+ 3PA per game: 42.8 &mdash; Stephen Curry 41.7 &mdash; Klay Thompson 40.6 &mdash; Duncan Robinson 39.8 &mdash; Buddy Hield <a href="https://t.co/lRoB0a6XTd">pic.twitter.com/lRoB0a6XTd</a>
&mdash; NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAMuse24/status/1574765864435466241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The case for a Robinson rebound year is easy. He's one of the best shooters in the world, and it's going to take more than one down season (in which he still made 37.2% of his threes, by the way) to jostle that reputation. Robinson knocked down just 34.7% of his catch-and-shoot triples in 2021-22; in his prior two years, he reached marks of 41.7% and 46.0%. He also actually made a career-high 45.1% of his pull-up attempts last season. Nekias Duncan even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-curious-case-of-duncan-robinson-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down why this slump was so odd</a> early in the fall.
Robinson is, quite plainly, a much better shooter than he showed last year, and he even returned to his regular self as the winter went on. Robinson canned over 41% of his threes in three of the final four months of the regular season. The problem: His playing time also decreased in each of those months, and in the playoffs, the sharpshooter averaged just 12.2 minutes per game.
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What is Robinson's place in this year's Heat rotation? He played 18 minutes in Miami's first preseason game, suggesting he's still a fixture in Erik Spoelstra's vision. If that's true, he should be an obvious bounce-back candidate. But Robinson has to keep that spot by shooting well and at least reaching the bar defensively for a tough Heat squad.
KRISTAPS PORZINGIS, WASHINGTON WIZARDS
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These players were true long-range shooters last season 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/kvdsCk3M0a">pic.twitter.com/kvdsCk3M0a</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1555174776804614145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Porzingis was a shooting mess with the Mavericks last season before somewhat regaining his perimeter success following a trade to Washington. But across his 75 games, he made just 31.3% of his threes after holding the ball for less than two seconds &mdash; easily a career-low percentage.
Fans should be confident that rate rises; it's unclear to what extent. Porzingis has always been a somewhat streaky scorer, which unfortunately fits right in with a lot of Washington's current offensive threats. As with Kleber, health also plays into developing some consistent momentum as a shooter. Porzingis has the history of prolific perimeter prowess, though, with some of the more difficult shot diets for an NBA big man.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Yep, Victor Wembanyama is pretty good! (Can you guess who did this in the NBA?)</li>
</ul>
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Wembanyama finishes with 7 three-pointers and 5 blocks, something that's only happened once in NBA history
&mdash; Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBADraftWass/status/1577514952725856259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Yep, Victor Wembanyama might be really good!</li>
</ul>
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The NBA record that everyone assumed would never be broken, suddenly feels very...breakable 😂 <a href="https://t.co/RrpQ8Yw2v5">pic.twitter.com/RrpQ8Yw2v5</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1577711805316489217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>A noteworthy graphic from SIS Hoops that shows how Malcolm Brogdon can really add some juice to the Boston Celtics' offense:</li>
</ul>
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Last season, Malcolm Brogdon's pick-and-roll proficiency ranked near the top of the league. Check out how his pick-and-roll advantage creation ability stacks up with the rest of Boston's returning players: <a href="https://t.co/bErVKOIHBY">pic.twitter.com/bErVKOIHBY</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1576978735256911877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ethan Fuller highlights Damian Lillard, Duncan Robinson, Saddiq Bey and others as candidates for positive shooting regression.

NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who could have bounce-back shooting years

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Zion Williamson scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds over 15 minutes in his return after a lost season with a broken foot, and the New Orleans Pelicans held on to beat the Chicago Bulls 129-125 on Tuesday night.
Devonte&rsquo; Graham led the Pelicans with 21 points and five assists. Willy Hernangomez and rookie Dyson Daniels, the eighth overall pick in last summer&rsquo;s draft, had 15 points apiece. Dyson had 12 points in the fourth quarter as New Orleans won with a late push.
DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 21 points, and Javonte Green had 18. Nikola Vucevic finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie Dalen Terry scored 11 points.
The Pelicans built a 73-50 lead at halftime with a significant portion of the scoring coming from the bench, a testament to New Orleans&rsquo; depth. And the Pelicans were without Brandon Ingram, who sat out with a sore toe.
Williamson was the only New Orleans starter to reach double figures. Jaxson Hayes added 14 points off the bench.
KNICKS 117, PISTONS 96
RJ Barrett scored 21 points, Jalen Brunson had 16 points and five assists in his debut as the Knicks point guard, and New York used a third-quarter push to beat Detroit.
Julius Randle added 15 points for the Knicks, shooting 6 for 10 and contributing six rebounds and four assists. Immanuel Quickley finished with 13 points and Miles McBride had six steals as the Knicks forced 22 turnovers, leading to 26 points.
Rookie Jaden Ivey from Purdue, the fifth overall pick in the draft, started at guard and scored 16 points in 22 minutes for Detroit. Ivey connected on 6 of 9 shots in his preseason debut. Isaiah Livers scored 13 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic, who came over from Utah, and Killian Hayes added 11 apiece.
Brunson, who played for Dallas last season, signed a four-year contract in the offseason as the Knicks continue their search for a point guard. Brunson got off to a nice start with six points and three assists in the first quarter.
A 33-21 third quarter put the Knicks in control as both teams moved to their reserves in the second half.
Jalen Duren, the 13th overall pick, grabbed 14 rebounds for the Pistons.
TIMBERWOLVES 121, HEAT 111
Anthony Edwards scored 24 points, connecting on 9 of 15 shots in 23 minutes, to lead Minnesota over Miami.
Taurean Prince added 19 points, while Bryn Forbes scored 15 for the Timberwolves, who played without frontline players Karl-Anthony Towns and newly acquired Rudy Gobert.
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro led the Heat with 22 points apiece, while Caleb Martin scored 12. Omer Yurtseven finished with 11 points and nine rebounds after starting at center for Miami.
Towns is still recovering from a throat illness that eventually required hospitalization. Gobert is resting after playing for France last month.
Meanwhile, Miami played without Jimmy Butler, last year&rsquo;s leading scorer at 21.4 points per game, and Victor Oladipo.
The Timberwolves benefitted from 51% shooting, including 13 of 33 from outside the arc. Miami was limited to 43% and 9 of 34 from 3-point range. Fifteen Heat turnovers led to 25 Minnesota points.
JAZZ 118, TRAIL BLAZERS 101
Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points, Mike Conley finished with 16 on 6-of-9 shooting, and Utah beat Portland.
Both Conley and Clarkson were 3 of 5 from outside the arc, with the Jazz shooting 46% from 3-point range. Collin Sexton scored 13 points and Kelly Olynyk finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
Damian Lillard led Portland with 21 points. Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant scored 13 points apiece, while Jusuf Nurkic finished with 12 points as the Trail Blazers lost for the second time in as many nights.

Zion Williamson returned to the court after missing a season as the Pelicans beat the Bulls in their pre-season opener.

Zion Williamson scores 13 points in return after missing season

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; RJ Barrett scored 21 points, Jalen Brunson had 16 points and five assists in his debut as the Knicks point guard, and New York used a third-quarter push to beat the Detroit Pistons 117-96 on Tuesday night.
Julius Randle added 15 points for the Knicks, shooting 6 for 10 and contributing six rebounds and four assists. Immanuel Quickley finished with 13 points and Miles McBride had six steals as the Knicks forced 22 turnovers, leading to 26 points.
Rookie Jaden Ivey from Purdue, the fifth overall pick in the draft, started at guard and scored 16 points in 22 minutes for Detroit. Ivey connected on 6 of 9 shots in his preseason debut. Isaiah Livers scored 13 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic, who came over from Utah, and Killian Hayes added 11 apiece.
Brunson, who played for Dallas last season, signed a four-year contract in the offseason as the Knicks continue their search for a point guard. Brunson got off to a nice start with six points and three assists in the first quarter.
A 33-21 third quarter put the Knicks in control as both teams moved to their reserves in the second half.
Jalen Duren, the 13th overall pick, grabbed 14 rebounds for the Pistons.
TIMBERWOLVES 121, HEAT 111
Anthony Edwards scored 24 points, connecting on 9 of 15 shots in 23 minutes, to lead Minnesota over Miami.
Taurean Prince added 19 points, while Bryn Forbes scored 15 for the Timberwolves, who played without frontline players Karl-Anthony Towns and newly acquired Rudy Gobert.
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro led the Heat with 22 points apiece, while Caleb Martin scored 12. Omer Yurtseven finished with 11 points and nine rebounds after starting at center for Miami.
Towns is still recovering from a throat illness that eventually required hospitalization. Gobert is resting after playing for France last month.
Meanwhile, Miami played without Jimmy Butler, last year&rsquo;s leading scorer at 21.4 points per game, and Victor Oladipo.
The Timberwolves benefitted from 51% shooting, including 13 of 33 from outside the arc. Miami was limited to 43% and 9 of 34 from 3-point range. Fifteen Heat turnovers led to 25 Minnesota points.

RJ Barrett scored 21 points, Jalen Brunson had 16 points and 5 assists in his Knicks debut, and New York beat the Pistons 117-96.

RJ Barrett leads Knicks to win over Detroit in Jalen Brunson's debut

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Northwest Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

As we officially put the finishing touches on &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on BasketballNews.com, NBA over/under win total projections have been released for every team.
Which numbers stand out most to hammer one way or another from a betting perspective? In this piece, I unveil my over/under predictions for every team in the Western Conference. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Phoenix Suns: Over 52.5 (-110)
Even if the Suns don&rsquo;t acquire Kevin Durant, they remain in an advantageous position to finish near the top of the Western Conference standings. Phoenix still has a stacked rotation, with the biggest difference being Dario Saric&rsquo;s return to the backup big role in place of JaVale McGee. If Devin Booker and the Suns&rsquo; formidable young core continue taking steps forward, it&rsquo;s hard to envision much of a drop-off occurring in the win-loss column.
Phoenix&rsquo;s postseason exit was one of the ugliest we&rsquo;ve seen in recent memory, but a loss like that could rattle this group enough to come back similarly to the team's Finals experience in 2021. I&rsquo;m hammering the over here, as the Suns remain one of the most dangerous squads in the Association. If Durant comes, that&rsquo;ll be the ultimate cherry on top.
Los Angeles Clippers: Over 52.5 (-110)
A fully healthy Clippers squad with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will always stay in the conversation among the league's elite tier. Last season, we were all robbed of seeing this dynamic duo in action together, but all the time off leads me to believe we should see them play more than usual. If so, the over/under of 52.5 wins is one I&rsquo;m comfortable placing the over wager upon.
Los Angeles not only has a loaded rotation similar to Phoenix, but it has a historically potent wing tandem ready to go on a revenge tour. As one of my favorite bets in the West, lock in the Clippers&rsquo; over with the utmost confidence.
Golden State Warriors: Over 51.5 (-115)
The defending champions check in third in the West, which feels like an undersell of what they just accomplished. Stephen Curry is still playing at an all-time level, and Klay Thompson began to find his footing throughout the Warriors&rsquo; run to a championship.
Feeling confident in the over also has to do with the development of the team's younger, up-and-coming players. Though dependent upon how much more Golden State will go into the luxury tax long-term, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins look to be entrenched long-term pieces. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are the ultimate wildcards for Golden State. Even if only one takes off from a development perspective in 2022-23, 51.5 wins is a number to hit the over on.
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Denver Nuggets: Over 49.5 (-140)
Nikola Jokic enters this season as a trendy dark-horse selection for MVP as the back-to-back award winner, which is incredible to even think about. The Nuggets have stayed competitive amidst their countless injury issues because of Jokic&rsquo;s greatness.
Now, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. eventually expected back at 100%, Denver is a team many bettors are hammering the over on with -140 moneyline odds on 49.5 wins. Frankly, I&rsquo;m in lockstep with the sportsbooks because Denver was a team that sneakily improved on the margins this offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was an underrated acquisition from the Washington Wizards, and he&rsquo;s earned a new multi-year extension upon his arrival.
If Murray and Porter&rsquo;s health cooperate alongside the all-world talent that is Jokic, 50 wins for the Nuggets just feels right to say. Even above that mark is an appropriate projection, because Jokic elevates the floor that much on his own.
Memphis Grizzlies: Under 48.5 (+105)
Ja Morant qualified as our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-for-202223-nba-most-valuable-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under-the-radar MVP selection</a> during &ldquo;Bet Week,&rdquo; but the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. early on looms large for the Grizzlies. Although he flies under the radar a little bit too often, JJJ is an anchor to a defense that&rsquo;s done a complete 180 over the last year.
A lot will be on the plate of Morant, which he won&rsquo;t have a problem with, but what about the rest of the West? The Clippers and Nuggets are healthy now, plus the Suns and Warriors will remain in the title race as well. If Morant can carry the Grizzlies in similar territory without JJJ, his MVP argument could become very valid.
I&rsquo;m going to tread lightly on Memphis and select the under here with plus-money value. Morant will put up spectacular numbers once more, and Desmond Bane should continue to emerge in the backcourt. For my current projection, the Grizzlies will slot in as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
Dallas Mavericks: Under 48.5 (-105)
The argument against the Mavericks is almost identical to the one I just presented for Memphis. Luka Doncic enters as the heavy betting favorite for MVP, but will he alone be enough to lift Dallas into truly elite territory? That&rsquo;s one of my biggest questions entering 2022-23, because players like Doncic and Morant fit the billing of talents who can lift teams all on their own.
Months away from it now, it&rsquo;s still stunning to think back to the Mavs&rsquo; Game 7 shellacking of the Suns in the West semifinals. Once Doncic figured out Phoenix&rsquo;s defense, it was game over. Could Doncic do this to the rest of the league? There&rsquo;s no doubt he will put up monster numbers, but the Mavericks fit into the same tier as the Grizzlies right now around 47-48 wins.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 47.5 (-140)
I&rsquo;ll continue to bang the Minnesota drum until proven otherwise because I&rsquo;m all-in on the Timberwolves taking a huge step forward. Anthony Edwards checks every box for a young superstar, and their new addition in Rudy Gobert will augment a talented rotation. Karl-Anthony Towns being flanked by Gobert makes up one of the most unique frontcourt combinations we&rsquo;ve ever seen in the modern NBA, but this type of move is a risk an organization like Minnesota must take. Towns and Edwards are ready to win big soon, so adding an elite rim-protector like Gobert allows those gifted scorers to focus on that end.
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Bookmark this if you want, but here&rsquo;s perhaps my biggest hot take: Minnesota will win the Northwest Division and become a top-four seed. With how everything stacks together for Minnesota, this is a team well-positioned to take a leap similar to the one we&rsquo;ve seen from Phoenix and Memphis in recent years.
Los Angeles Lakers: Under 45.5 (-105)
Unless Kyrie Irving is walking through the door anytime soon, I&rsquo;m taking the money and running as quickly as possible on the Lakers' under here. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will do their usual damage, but this roster is nowhere close to being finished. Also, there&rsquo;s no way anyone can truly believe the Lakers are a Finals contender with their ongoing saga surrounding Russell Westbrook. From the very beginning, Westbrook&rsquo;s fit was super clunky alongside LeBron and AD. Now, the triple-double king continues to be the main target of trade rumors, many of which are linking him to the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs as a pure salary-dump option.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-would-be-foolish-not-to-accept-pacers-lifeline-to-extend-their-title-window" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offering the Lakers a lifeline to fix the Westbrook situation</a>. The Pacers are willing to take on the $47 million owed to Westbrook while also sending Los Angeles back two starters in Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The current hold-up in trade negotiations reportedly is draft pick compensation. Los Angeles refuses to offer its 2029 first-round pick on top of the 2027 selection, which the Pacers believe is more than a fair price to pay.
In the meantime, I&rsquo;m going to take the Lakers under 45.5 wins while it remains at plus value. Until any resolution is reached on the roster, I&rsquo;m betting against L.A.
New Orleans Pelicans: Over 44.5 (-140)
Compared to almost any other team in the NBA, New Orleans projects supremely well long-term if Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health cooperates. Williamson and Brandon Ingram have each shown on separate occasions they can be the No. 1 option for New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are ideal veteran pieces in the starting unit as well. Well-balanced on both ends of the court, the Pelicans have completely bought into what head coach Willie Green brought over from Monty Williams in Phoenix.
With Williamson, Ingram and McCollum, the Pelicans should be a team projected closer to 50 wins. I absolutely love the over here on 44.5 wins, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if New Orleans finishes as a playoff lock instead of a Play-In Tournament competitor.
Portland Trail Blazers: Under 40.5 (-110)
Kudos to Damian Lillard because he will not leave the Blazers hanging anytime soon. He&rsquo;s all-in on winning in Portland, which reminds me so much of Reggie Miller with the Pacers a few decades back. Portland re-signed Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons, but two notable splashes occurred this offseason. Jerami Grant is the Blazers&rsquo; first true wing threat in years, and the ultimate wildcard from the 2022 NBA Draft fell into their laps at No. 7 overall. What if Shaedon Sharpe hits his ceiling? That&rsquo;s something Portland has in their back pocket, because Sharpe&rsquo;s scoring prowess forecasts very well alongside Lillard. They'll just have to hope he can get healthy and stay healthy.
The West remains a tough customer though. So, with that being said, the Blazers fall into the category of a feisty team that&rsquo;s competitive most nights on their way to a sub-40-win campaign. It's certainly not the outcome Blazers fans hope for, but there&rsquo;s a large number of teams ahead of them at the moment.
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Sacramento Kings: Over 32.5 (-120)
The Kings actually had a good offseason. Yes, you&rsquo;re reading that right. Keegan Murray at No. 4 overall looks to be a lights-out scorer with an extremely high floor. Ideally, Murray can become the third piece to a long-term trio in Sacramento alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Also, don&rsquo;t forget about the Kings adding much-needed help on the perimeter with Kevin Huerter via trade and Malik Monk via free agency.
I had to double-take upon finding this fact, but the Kings have only exceeded 33 wins once over the last 14 years (2018-19 was that season).
Luckily for Sacramento, I&rsquo;m projecting them to finish with at least 33 wins for 2022-23. If the Kings underachieve once more, I wonder what the future looks like for an organization that stays in topsy-turvy mode.
Utah Jazz: Under 31.5 (-110)
Assuming Donovan Mitchell is eventually traded, this number will crumble down into the 20s. Utah is in the midst of a full-scale rebuild attempt for the first time in over a decade, and all signs point to Mitchell&rsquo;s exit soon enough from Salt Lake City. Gobert being dealt within the division to Minnesota for a historic amount of draft capital shook up the trade market for good, as it&rsquo;s holding up potential blockbusters revolving around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Mitchell.
Moving forward, there&rsquo;s no reason why you should feel confident about betting the Utah over unless Mitchell keeps them above water staying around until February. If not, you&rsquo;re putting an awful lot of faith into the hands of Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson to carry the roster. (If they're there.)
The smart route is to go with the under for the Jazz. Lock in with extreme confidence that Jazz executive Danny Ainge eventually tears it all down within a few months.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Under 26.5 (+100)
Until the Thunder stop their tanking ways, I can&rsquo;t willfully bet an over on them. Following their aggressive draft night &mdash; obtaining three lottery picks headlined by No. 2 overall selection Chet Holmgren, who many viewed as the best overall player &mdash; maybe that "tanking" buzzword is in their rearview mirror.
OKC&rsquo;s roster is young, but the talent screams out as a team that could propel itself forward in a huge manner. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey profile as a super fun long-term backcourt pairing. Luguentz Dort is a pitbull defender who continues to improve his outside shot, which earned him a lucrative five-year extension.
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The Thunder could easily make me look foolish selecting the under, but something along the lines of 25 or 26 wins feels spot on. Can Sam Presti resist the temptation of not tanking for Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in 2023?
Houston Rockets: Over 23.5 (-125)
The Rockets have one of the most interesting young cores to monitor heading into next season. Jalen Green began to turn the corner over the last month of the season, averaging 22.3 points on a 59.9% True Shooting percentage. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston&rsquo;s No. 3 overall selection from the 2022 draft, projects as a score-first wing/big hybrid who should excel alongside Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Alperen Sengun, a throwback Turkish big man, is an underrated prospect with an unlimited ceiling once the small aspects of his game are figured out.
Houston is nowhere close to being competitive, but that&rsquo;s totally okay. The team controls the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; draft for the next season years, so the Rockets are set up arguably as well as anyone right now with the chaos surrounding that whole situation. If the youth jells together and the organization obtains another top pick in next year&rsquo;s draft, be on the lookout for this core to ascend.
For the over/under, 23.5 wins feels a little low, in my opinion. I&rsquo;m projecting the Rockets with 25 victories, so give me the over at -125 odds on DraftKings.
San Antonio Spurs: Under 22.5 (-110)
Once Dejounte Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, it sounded the alarm that the Spurs are finally waiving the white flag on competing for wins effective immediately. San Antonio obtained three future first-round picks for Murray, a haul for a team pressing the reset button at the perfect time.
Las Vegas projects the Spurs with the worst over/under for next season, and there&rsquo;s no real reason to go against them there. Keldon Johnson will put up numbers following his long-term extension, but inexperience is the main theme for San Antonio. The Spurs should be on their way to 20 wins or less, so hammer the under.

Evan Sidery goes over win totals for the Western Conference. Who stands out?

B.J.