Rams

Spencer Dinwiddie will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>.
Dinwiddie and his agent, Jason Glushon, attended last night's Lakers game and sat with general manager Rob Pelinka, sparking rumors that the 6-foot-5 guard was close to joining Los Angeles.
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LA native Spencer Dinwiddie watching the LAL-NOP game with Lakers vice president of basketball ops &amp; GM Rob Pelinka👀 Dinwiddie is a free agent after being waived by the Raptors. He also met with Mavs' Mark Cuban yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/e1jt7Tr05b">pic.twitter.com/e1jt7Tr05b</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1756176155798118500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Dinwiddie, 30, was recently traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Toronto Raptors for Dennis Schroder but was subsequently waived. He&rsquo;s currently averaging 12.6 points and 6 assists in 48 games for the Nets.&nbsp;
His free-agency decision came down to the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
Signing Dinwiddie makes sense for the Lakers, who are looking for additional guard play with reserve point guard Gabe Vincent still out. Dinwiddie&rsquo;s playmaking and secondary scoring will help Los Angeles as they look to make a playoff push.

Spencer Dinwiddie is expected to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers.

Spencer Dinwiddie to join Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers

Kyrie Irving is actively recruiting LeBron James to the Dallas Mavericks, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1665747152327389186" target="_blank" rel="noopener external">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>. Meanwhile, Irving is pushing the Mavs to acquire James, per <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10078246-sources-kyrie-irving-wants-dallas-mavericks-to-trade-for-lebron-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener external">Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report</a>.
"A new twist has emerged in the LeBron James-Kyrie Irving reunion plot, as league sources have told Bleacher Report Irving wants the Dallas Mavericks to explore trading for LeBron James this offseason to create a Big 3 alongside himself and Luka Doncic," Haynes <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10078246-sources-kyrie-irving-wants-dallas-mavericks-to-trade-for-lebron-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote for Bleacher Report</a>.
Irving and James played together for three seasons on the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016.&nbsp;
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Sources: Kyrie Irving has reached out to Lakers star LeBron James in attempts to see if James would come to Dallas. Irving is a free agent this offseason.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1665747152327389186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Irving is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said that he would love to re-sign the veteran point guard.
James can&rsquo;t hit free agency until after next season, as he&rsquo;s under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers&nbsp;through next year (<a href="https://hoopshype.com/salaries/los_angeles_lakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external">earning $46,698,737</a>) and then he has a player option worth $50,434,636 in 2024-25. The Mavericks would either have to trade for James or he would have to negotiate a buyout from the Lakers.
With these reports about a possible Irving-James reunion in Dallas surfacing, the Mavericks are <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/sportsbooks-betting-dallas-mavericks-lebron-james/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">now the odds-on favorites to land James this offseason</a>.
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Kyrie Irving is actively recruiting LeBron James to the Dallas Mavericks, according to reports.

Kyrie Irving is trying to recruit LeBron James to Dallas Mavericks

Coby White scored 24 points and the short-handed Chicago Bulls rallied past the depleted Mavericks 115-112 on Friday night, eliminating Dallas from play-in contention a year after the club reached the Western Conference finals.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before the game an &ldquo;organizational decision&rdquo; was made to limit Luka Doncic to the first quarter while sitting fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving and four other regulars before the club was eliminated from the postseason.
Despite the move, the Mavericks led by double digits when Markieff Morris scored 13 points in the second quarter and rookie Jaden Hardy hit a half-court shot to beat the halftime buzzer for a 67-54 lead.
Neither Morris nor Hardy played in the second half, and a lineup filled mostly with players who spent the season at the end of the Dallas bench lost the lead but kept the game close.
McKinley Wright IV's layup got Dallas within a point with 39 seconds left before Dalen Terry scored on an alley-oop dunk from White with 23 to go.
Theo Pinson missed a potential tying 3-pointer for Dallas, which had three more attempts at a tying 3 in the final seconds.
The loss clinched the 10th seed and final play-in spot in the Western Conference for Oklahoma City.
Irving was out for right foot injury recovery. The others sitting with him were Tim Hardaway Jr. with left ankle soreness, Maxi Kleber for right hamstring injury recovery and Josh Green and Christian Wood for rest.
The Bulls sat their top two scorers in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, but they are already locked in to the 10th seed in the East. Patrick Williams scored 23 points, and Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Doncic, who scored 13 points, ended up playing a few seconds into the second quarter on a night when the Mavericks paid tribute to his home country of Slovenia.
Keeping Doncic in was an apparent attempt to get him an ovation after Kidd suggested before the game it would be the 24-year-old superstar's final action of the season. The move didn't work because fans didn't seem aware and therefore didn't cheer.
Kidd said the decision was made by owner Mark Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison to rest most of the regulars. Dallas entered the game tied with Chicago for the 10th-worst record in the NBA.
If the Mavericks have a top-10 pick in the draft in June, they get to keep it. If the pick is 11th or lower, it goes to the New York Knicks as final payment for Dallas' trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. Next month's draft lottery will determine the final order.
Wright joined Doncic and Morris with 13 points to lead the Mavs.
SCORING RACE
Doncic's limited action in most likely his last game of the season should clinch the scoring title for Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. Doncic is at 32.4 points per game to Embiid's 33.1. The Sixers' MVP candidate is probably finished for the regular season with his team locked in to the third seed in the East.
UP NEXT
Both teams are at home for their regular-season finales Sunday. The Bulls play Detroit. The Mavs face San Antonio.

The short-handed Bulls rallied past the depleted Mavericks 115-112 on Friday night, eliminating Dallas from play-in contention.

Mavericks fall to Bulls, eliminated from play-in race

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Dallas is sitting Kyrie Irving and four other regulars against Chicago in a game with draft implications and with the Mavericks facing postseason elimination if they lose.
Fellow All-Star Luka Doncic will play Friday night with the franchise paying tribute to his home country of Slovenia. But coach Jason Kidd said the 24-year-old superstar would only play the first quarter, and suggested his season would be over after that.
The sudden switch from the Mavericks came two days after Doncic and Irving led a rally to a 123-119 victory over Sacramento. The win kept Dallas in the mix for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament a year after the Mavs reached the West finals.
A day after that victory, Oklahoma City beat Utah, meaning the Mavs would have to win their last two while the Thunder would have to lose to Memphis for Dallas to get the 10th seed. The Grizzlies could be locked in to the second seed in the West before the regular-season finale Sunday.
&ldquo;Things change,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;Understanding as an organization, they made this decision. But we still have to be professionals, go out there and put our best foot forward, who can play.&rdquo;
Irving is out for right foot injury recovery. The others ruled out are Tim Hardaway Jr. with left ankle soreness, Maxi Kleber for right hamstring injury recovery and Josh Green and Christian Wood for rest.
The Bulls are locked into the 10th seed for the final play-in spot in the East and will be without Zach LaVine for left knee injury management and DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Beverley for rest. Alex Caruso will play despite foot soreness, with coach Billy Donovan saying his minutes would be monitored.
Dallas&rsquo; decision to rest five rotation players comes with the Mavs and Bulls tied for the 10th-worst record in the NBA at 38-42.
Dallas gets to keep its first-round pick if it&rsquo;s in the top 10. If it is 11th or lower, it goes to the New York Knicks as part of Dallas&rsquo; trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. The draft lottery next month will determine the final order.
Kidd said he wasn&rsquo;t part of the discussion for a decision that essentially pulls the plug on the season before the Mavs were eliminated. But the coach said he agreed with it.
In a wide-ranging discussion with reporters before the victory over the Kings, owner Mark Cuban suggested the Mavs simply weren&rsquo;t good enough and took responsibility for the personnel decisions that left them with a losing record a year after finishing 52-30 and fourth in the West.
Dallas was solidly in the playoff picture when it made the blockbuster trade with Brooklyn for Irving in February, giving the Mavs two All-Star starters for the first time in franchise history.
The big move didn&rsquo;t provide the spark the club hoped. Irving and Doncic have a 5-11 record together, and the Mavs entered the Chicago game at 9-16 since Irving&rsquo;s debut.
&ldquo;Understanding this is a situation we&rsquo;re in, that the organization has made a decision to change,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;So we have to go by that. And the guys that are playing are going to go out and try to play to win. You&rsquo;ve got to be pros. You can&rsquo;t cheat the game.&rdquo;

Dallas is sitting Kyrie Irving and four other regulars against Chicago despite the fact that their playoff hopes are still alive.

Mavericks sit Kyrie Irving, 4 others with playoff hopes still alive

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; O.G. Anunoby matched his season high with 32 points, Pascal Siakam had 26 points and 10 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors beat short-handed Orlando 121-108 Saturday, handing the slumping Magic their eighth consecutive loss.
Scottie Barnes scored 17 points and had a season-high 14 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet had 13 points as the Raptors won their third straight home game, improving to 9-2 north of the border.
Toronto shot a season-best .560, making 47 of 84 attempts.
Bol Bol scored 18 points for Orlando, which has the worst record in the NBA at 5-19. The Magic are 1-11 on the road.
Bol was the only Magic starter to reach double figures. Paolo Banchero, who came in as the NBA&rsquo;s leading rookie scorer, shot 2 for 8 and finished with nine points.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a long season, a lot of games,&rdquo; Banchero said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re going to have nights like this. You&rsquo;ve just got to move on to the next one.&rdquo;
Former Raptor Terrence Ross scored 18 points, Admiral Schofield had 13 and Cole Anthony 12.
The banged-up Magic were again without top rebounder Wendell Carter Jr., who missed his ninth straight game because of an injured right foot, and point guard Jalen Suggs, who missed his fifth straight with a sore right ankle.
After being blown out at New Orleans on Wednesday and again at Brooklyn on Friday, the Raptors started better in this one.
&ldquo;We just wanted to regroup, be better,&rdquo; Barnes said. &ldquo;It was a bad feeling in the locker room (Friday).&rdquo;
Toronto had five dunks in the first quarter and scored 26 points in the paint to lead 36-22 after one.
&ldquo;They came out like a team that was determined,&rdquo; Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said. &ldquo;Anunoby set the tone early.&rdquo;
Anunoby shot 12 for 17. Four of his 10 baskets from 2-point range were dunks.
&ldquo;I like it when he goes down there and he&rsquo;s making a move and all of a sudden, he&rsquo;s dunking it,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s some power to get to that spot and then there&rsquo;s a lot of burst left at the end."
After scoring 13 points and making six of seven shots in the opening quarter, Anunoby connected on all three of his field goal attempts and went 3 for 3 at the line in the second. With 23 points by the intermission, he matched his career high for points in a half.
Toronto led 64-48 at the break and took a 94-73 advantage to the fourth.
POWER MOVE
Bol grabbed the rebound on Siakam&rsquo;s blocked shot late in the second and drove the length of the court for a huge one-handed slam that drew gasps from the crowd.
SAME STARTERS
After using 10 different starting lineups in the past 10 games, Toronto went with the same five starters from Friday&rsquo;s loss to the Nets; Anunoby, Siakam, VanVleet, Barnes, and rookie center Christian Koloko.
TIP-INS
Magic: G Gary Harris (strained right hamstring) sat for the second straight game. Orlando was also without C Mo Bamba (back spasms), C Jonathan Isaac (left knee) and F Chuma Okeke (left knee). &hellip; Missed their first six 3-point attempts.
Raptors: F Juancho Hernangomez left in the first half because of a sprained right ankle and did not return. X-rays did not reveal a fracture. &hellip; F Precious Achiuwa (right ankle) missed his 11th straight game and F Otto Porter Jr. (dislocated toe, left foot) missed his eighth straight. &hellip; With his fourth point of the game, Siakam passed Andrea Bargnani (6,581) for fifth on Toronto&rsquo;s all-time points list&hellip;. Siakam had eight rebounds.
UP NEXT
Magic: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
Raptors: Host the Boston Celtics on Monday night.

O.G. Anunoby matched his season high with 32 points, and the Raptors beat the Magic 121-108 on Saturday.

O.G. Anunoby matches season-high 32, Raptors rout Magic 121-108

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Trae Young had 30 points and 14 assists and the Atlanta Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 125-108 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
Dejounte Murray added 27 points and Clint Capela finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds after a dominating first quarter in which Atlanta built an 11-point lead.
Franz Wagner had 22 points and six rebounds for Orlando, which lost its sixth straight. Paolo Banchero added 20 points and five assists.
The game marked the season debut of Magic point guard Markelle Fultz (toe fracture), and the return of guard Cole Anthony, who missed 17 games with a torn right oblique.
By the time AJ Griffin hit Atlanta's first 3-pointer, the Hawks led by 14 points. Young's first 3-pointer put Atlanta up 66-45 and he was just heating up after spending most of the first half setting up teammates.
When the Magic rallied in the fourth quarter, Young, Capela and Murray got back in the game for a few minutes. But Orlando never got closer than 15 points.
Led by Capel and Jarrett Culver (12 rebounds), Atlanta had a 49-33 rebound advantage.
TIP-INS
Hawks: John Collins, who injured his left ankle after making a dunk that didn't count at the halftime buzzer, did not play in the second half. ... G Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee), F Jalen Johnson (ankle) and G Justin Holiday (COVID-19) were declared out before the game, and the availability of De'Andre Hunter, who reported right thigh tightness Tuesday night, was a game-time decision. Hunter played only seven minutes.
Magic: Fultz, who fractured a left toe in early October and missed the first 21 games, had eight points and four assists in 17 minutes. ... G Gary Harris started, but did not play in the second half due to a strained right hamstring. ... C Mo Bamba (back), G Jalen Suggs (ankle), F Chuma Okeke (ankle) and C Wendell Carter Jr. (foot) were unavailable for the Magic. ... Orlando's opponents have shot 54% or better in three straight games.
&nbsp;

Trae Young had 30 points and the Atlanta Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 125-108 win over the Orlando Magic.

Young, Hawks stop 3-game skid with 125-108 win over Magic

With nearly a full month of NBA playoff action in the books, we've witnessed a handful of players surprisingly exceed expectations and drive their league-wide value to increasingly high levels. On the other end of the spectrum, several stars have seen their market price dip quite a bit.
So whose stock has soared? Whose has plummeted? Let's dive in with an in-depth breakdown.
Stock Up
Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks
Heading into the 2021-22 season, the Dallas Mavericks could have signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $56 million extension. However, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33801390/nba-playoffs-2022-jalen-brunson-star-turn-dallas-mavericks-massive-free-agency-implications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim MacMahon</a> reported that the Mavs chose not to make an offer and didn't even engage in negotiations with Brunson's representatives. You have to assume Dallas is now regretting that decision.
After averaging career-highs in scoring (16.3 points), assists (4.8), rebounds (3.9) and steals (0.8) during the regular season, Brunson has taken his game to another level in the playoffs. With Luka Doncic sidelined early on in the Mavs' first-round series vs. Utah, Brunson got off to a scorching hot start, tallying 96 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists over the first two games. He became just the third player in NBA history to tally at least 70 points and 10 assists while committing fewer than 2 turnovers over a two-game span in the postseason. Incredibly, Brunson led all players in total points scored in the first round (167).
After struggling a bit in the first two games of Dallas' first-round series vs. Phoenix, Brunson was again a crucial factor in the Mavs' victories at home in Games 3 and 4 over the weekend.&nbsp;
Through 10 postseason contests, Brunson is averaging 23.5 points, 4.6 boards and 3.9 dimes per game. He's done most of his damage by relentlessly attacking the rim. Among all postseason performers, Brunson ranks third in drives per game (behind only Ja Morant and Doncic) and third in points scored off drives.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WHAT A NIGHT FOR JALEN BRUNSON! 🔷 Career-high 41 PTS 🔷 6 3PM 🔷 8 REB 🔷 Gets the W in Game 2 <a href="https://t.co/GixvrcCqIM">pic.twitter.com/GixvrcCqIM</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1516250998607540229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It could be argued that no player has boosted his stock more over the past few weeks than Brunson. And it couldn't come at a better time for the versatile combo guard, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. We know the New York Knicks are interested in making a run at Brunson, and <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-slow-spinning-coaching-marketplace-1ce?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0MDU5OTIyOCwicG9zdF9pZCI6NTMyMjYzMDQsIl8iOiJscTRCVSIsImlhdCI6MTY1MTUyMjAxMywiZXhwIjoxNjUxNTI1NjEzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzkyMjA1Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.Tiw_7fovr2Ot5a6LeR_ujN2MyJCkgAuKahkQLnMBOMU&amp;s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Marc Stein</a>, Detroit and Indiana have shown interest as well. However, Mark Cuban has stated publicly he plans to re-sign Brunson &mdash; even if it has an outsized impact on Dallas' luxury tax bill.&nbsp;
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat
Due to a slew of serious injuries that limited him to only 88 games over the past three seasons, Victor Oladipo was forced to settle for a one-year deal with Miami on the veteran minimum back in August. The hope was he'd be able to show teams during the 2021-22 campaign that he was finally fully healthy. Unfortunately, Oladipo was sidelined for nearly all of the regular season as he recovered from a debilitating right quadriceps injury. 'Dipo didn't make his season debut until March 7.&nbsp;
After playing sporadically in late March and early April, Oladipo exploded for 40 points in the Heat's regular-season finale. Yet, he was a DNP-CD in each of Miami's first three playoff games. However, with both Jimmy Butler (knee) and Kyle Lowry (hamstring) ruled out for Game 5 of the Heat's first-round series vs. the Atlanta Hawks, Oladipo slid into the starting lineup. He finished that contest with 23 points (8 of 16 from the field, 4 of 4 on free throws), 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 triples in 36 minutes. Needless to say, 'Dipo has been a part of the Miami rotation since. In Game 2 of Miami's second-round matchup vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, he tallied 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 triples. He also chipped in 15 points off the bench in Game 4.&nbsp;
Oladipo will undoubtedly have plenty of interest on the free-agent market this summer.
Al Horford, Boston Celtics
Al Horford's 2022-23 salary is only partially guaranteed. And when the Celtics initially acquired Horford last summer in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, some pundits speculated that Boston might look to get out from under the $26.5 million owed to Big Al next season.&nbsp;
But with as well as he has played this postseason, that will no longer be a consideration. Horford has been a godsend for Boston, averaging 15.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest through the Celtics' first eight playoff games. In Game 3 vs. Milwaukee on Saturday, Horford became the first player in Boston's franchise history with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 made three-pointers in a single playoff game. Then, in Monday's Game 4 victory, he exploded for 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 triples and 3 assists.
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Stock Down
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Rumors of a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/expect-the-knicks-to-make-a-real-run-at-donovan-mitchell-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rocky relationship between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have been swirling for years</a>. Unfortunately for Utah, it appears the team will be forced to trade one of its two best players at a time when their respective values have depreciated.
The two pillars of the Jazz franchise played relatively well during the regular season, but the rumblings of toxicity in Utah grew louder as the year dragged on. Mitchell not sharing the ball with Gobert has become a topic of conversation in early April. Shortly thereafter, Gobert called out his teammates for not wanting to play physically and "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/03/30/triple-team-jazz-lost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get our hands dirty</a>." When asked about the perceived finger-pointing, Mitchell characterized it as "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/04/01/utah-jazz-vow-not-fall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">childish</a>."&nbsp;
Utah backed into the playoffs after losing five straight games in late March, but was hoping to take advantage of a Mavericks team playing without its best player, Doncic, who was sidelined by a calf injury for the first two contests. However, the Jazz lost Game 2 and lost the series in six games.
Over the six-game series vs. Dallas, Mitchell averaged over 22 field-goal attempts per contest, but shot just 39.8% from the floor and 20.8% from downtown. He became the first player in league history to attempt more than 20 field goals but shoot below 40% from the field and under 21% from three-point territory over a postseason run. And Mitchell's poor defense was arguably more problematic than his offense. Utah allowed over 115 points per 100 possessions vs. Dallas with Mitchell on the court. That number dropped to 104.5 with Mitchell on the bench.
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Here&rsquo;s video of Rudy Gobert talking about the defensive improvements he&rsquo;s seen from Devin Booker on January 14th&hellip; As well as the Donovan Mitchell responses to 2 separate questions a day later: <a href="https://t.co/irKTufQJ1L">pic.twitter.com/irKTufQJ1L</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1520538333482749952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Gobert averaged just 12.0 points per game on 5.5 attempts per game (a career-low in his six postseason appearances) and blocked a total of 6 shots in the six-game series. It was the first time in his career he averaged more turnovers than blocks and steals combined. The Mavs often attempted to take advantage of Gobert's difficulty covering the perimeter by going small and spreading the floor.&nbsp;
Dating back to the 2021 postseason (when they dropped four straight to a shorthanded Clippers team that lost Kawhi Leonard to an ACL tear), the Jazz have lost 8 of their last 10 playoff games. With Gobert, Mitchell, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Royce O'Neale locked into contracts that will pay them north of $133 million in guaranteed money next season, Utah won't be able to make any significant upgrades via free agency.&nbsp;
Last week, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/news/rudy-gobert-him-or-me-ultimatum-donovan-mitchell">it was reported</a> that Gobert had reached a "him or me" point with Mitchell and would demand one of the two be traded this summer. It's difficult to envision the Jazz entering the 2022-23 season with both <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gobert</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell</a> on the roster.
Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
As noted above, Oladipo has stepped in and stepped up for the Heat over the past two weeks. On the flip side of the coin, we have Duncan Robinson, who has gone from a crucial contributor to a non-factor.&nbsp;
Robinson started all 72 games for Miami in 2020-21, averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from beyond the arc (on 8.5 three-point attempts per game). The Heat rewarded him with a five-year contract worth $90 million. However, Robinson regressed during the 2021-22 regular season, as his production and percentages dipped. After starting 68 of the team's first 72 games, he was bumped to the bench in late March. Following a solid outing in Game 1 vs. Atlanta, coach Erik Spoelstra clearly didn't feel comfortable trusting his sharpshooter. Robinson averaged just 2.3 points in 10.7 minutes per contest in the final four games of the first round.&nbsp;
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Remarkably, Robinson has logged a total of just 55 seconds thus far in Round 2, and has been a DNP-CD in 3 of the 4 contests. This is obviously not what Pat Riley and company had in mind when they ponied up $90 million less than nine months ago.
With $74.5 million still owed to Robinson over the next four years, will Miami look to dump his contract this summer already?&nbsp;
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-nets-should-part-ways-with-kyrie-irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As I detailed in this space last month</a>, the Nets are on the precipice of a difficult decision.&nbsp;
Kyrie Irving has a player option worth $35,328,700 for the 2022-23 campaign. If he declines his option, he would be eligible to sign a new five-year deal with Brooklyn worth up to $248 million. While Kyrie is still capable of playing at an incredibly high level, the Nets have to decide how much he's worth considering his injury history (since signing with Brooklyn in 2019, Irving has appeared in just 103 of 216 regular-season games) and the off-court drama he brings to the table.&nbsp;
In the three years since Brooklyn added Kevin Durant and Kyrie, the Nets have won just one playoff series. This past season, Nets owner Joe Tsai spent $266 million in salary and luxury tax payments, the second-highest amount in league history. The Nets don't have a single playoff victory to show for it.
And over the team's final three games in the first round, Irving averaged just 15.3 points while shooting a putrid 37.2% from the floor and a frigid 18.2% from downtown.
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Whose stock in the NBA Playoffs has soared before this offseason? Whose has plummeted? Tommy Beer dives in.

Stock Up, Stock Down: NBA Playoffs edition

The Philadelphia 76ers were up 3-0 in their series against the Toronto Raptors just a few days ago. The lead has since been sliced to 3-2.
That is waking up some echoes for 76ers coach Doc Rivers.
He&rsquo;s the only coach in NBA history to lose three series in which his team had a 3-1 lead. No coach in NBA history has ever been on the losing end of a series after leading 3-0, either. But Rivers and the 76ers haven&rsquo;t put the Raptors away yet, and now face a Game 6 in Toronto on Thursday night with hopes of avoiding a winner-take-all Game 7 in Philadelphia on Saturday.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s win it,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;Then we don&rsquo;t have to talk about it.&rdquo;
The 76ers are one of three teams that will take 3-2 leads on the road Thursday night, when a trio of Game 6&rsquo;s are on tap. The others are Western Conference matchups: Top-seeded Phoenix will try to close out New Orleans, and fourth-seeded Dallas has a chance to eliminate fifth-seeded Utah.
Philadelphia&rsquo;s lead looks far more tenuous than the ones held by Phoenix and Dallas. The Suns and Mavericks are coming off double-digit home wins that gave the appearance of them gaining control of those respective matchups.
But the 76ers are hurting, most notably because center Joel Embiid has a torn thumb ligament. And two closeout opportunities have already come and gone, which is why Rivers was getting questions Wednesday about those past 3-1 leads that haven&rsquo;t worked out.
The first was in 2003, when he had eighth-seeded Orlando on the brink of beating top-seeded Detroit in Round 1 before the heavily favored Pistons rallied. The next was in 2015, when the Los Angeles Clippers led Houston 3-1 in the West semifinals before falling apart when Chris Paul got hurt. And the other was in 2020, when the Clippers lost a 3-1 lead to Denver in the NBA&rsquo;s restart bubble at Walt Disney World near Orlando.
&ldquo;Game 7 would have been in LA,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;It just happens.&rdquo;
The Raptors, meanwhile, continue to believe they can make history. Only three teams have come back from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7 in the NBA. None has gone on to win the series; if Toronto pulls this off, it would meet Miami &mdash; and former Raptors guard Kyle Lowry &mdash; in the East semifinals beginning Monday.
&ldquo;If somebody could do it, it would be us,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
Thursday&rsquo;s games:
76ERS AT RAPTORS
Philadelphia leads 3-2. Game 6, 7 p.m. EDT, NBA TV.
&mdash;NEED TO KNOW: The Sixers lead, yes, but the pendulum sure seems to be swinging Toronto&rsquo;s way. Over the last three games, the Raptors have led (or been in a tie) a staggering 92.8% of the time. And if the Raptors hadn&rsquo;t blown a 17-point lead in Game 3, the overtime game where Embiid&rsquo;s 3-pointer was the game-winner, they could have a chance to close things out Thursday.
&mdash;KEEP AN EYE ON: 76ers G James Harden. He&rsquo;s shooting just 35% from the field, 29% from 3-point range and averaging a low-for-him 16.9 points over his last eight playoff games going back to last season. With Embiid hurting, Harden needs to do more.
&mdash;INJURY WATCH: Raptors G Fred VanVleet (hip) missed Game 5 and is listed as doubtful for Game 6. Embiid is continuing to play through a torn thumb ligament.
&mdash;PRESSURE IS ON: Philadelphia. If this goes to Game 7, even in Philly, the advantage would be all Toronto.
SUNS AT PELICANS
Phoenix leads 3-2. Game 6, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash;NEED TO KNOW: In the all-rounds-best-of-seven format that has been in place since 2003, only four No. 1 seeds have been taken to a Game 7 in Round 1. Phoenix is going to try and avoid becoming the fifth. The Suns had a very businesslike win in Game 5, and now will enter a raucous road environment to try and close things out.
&mdash;KEEP AN EYE ON: New Orleans&rsquo; turnovers and 3-point shooting. The Pelicans were outscored by 11 (23-12) in points off turnovers in Game 5 and by 15 (30-15) from 3-point range. Phoenix won by 15. The Pelicans can&rsquo;t afford discrepancies like that again and think this is going to Game 7.
&mdash;INJURY WATCH: Suns G Devin Booker (hamstring) remains out.
&mdash;PRESSURE IS ON: Phoenix. There&rsquo;s no way for the Pelicans to feel pressure in this series, after going 36-46 and needing two play-in wins just to get here. They&rsquo;re using house money right now, and the Suns can&rsquo;t risk a winner-take-all Game 7 against a team playing fast and loose.
MAVERICKS AT JAZZ
Dallas leads 3-2. Game 6, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash;NEED TO KNOW: The last time Dallas won a playoff series, David Stern handed Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy. The Mavs have lost all six series they have played since winning the 2011 NBA title, but the seventh try might be the charm. Utah will try to overcome a 3-2 series deficit for the first time since the 2007 first round against Houston.
&mdash;KEEP AN EYE ON: Jazz G Donovan Mitchell. He&rsquo;s 3 for his last 30 from 3-point range, spanning the last 14 quarters. His nine points in Game 5 were a playoff career-low.
&mdash;INJURY WATCH: Mitchell&rsquo;s quads are bruised, but an MRI ruled out any hamstring issues.
&mdash;PRESSURE IS ON: Utah. It&rsquo;s not just because the Jazz face elimination. If they can&rsquo;t get out of this round, in a series where Mavs G Luka Doncic missed three games, it would be reasonable to think that big changes might be on the horizon.

There are three close-out situations for higher-seeded teams on the road in Game 6 on Thursday night.

Suns, 76ers, Mavericks all have chance for Game 6 closeouts

Most NBA teams have approximately 10-12 games left on the regular season calendar. It's all about the playoff races, and as we hit the home stretch, three are worth monitoring.&nbsp;
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are tied for sixth place in the Western Conference, with Dallas just above them by 1.5 games. Whoever loses out on this race gets the unfortunate ticket to the play-in tournament with three other teams who simply don't measure up. But just down the standings is a tie between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers for ninth. Have the Lakers really fallen this far, and could they fall even further?
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors have jockeyed for the sixth seed in the East, but the weary Chicago Bulls have sagged into the battle as well. But Brooklyn, Charlotte and Atlanta can at least feel safe in their play-in chances since no one else appears to want a postseason spot.&nbsp;
As the tension increases, several of these playoff tightrope acts appear in this week's rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that are so common throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they are updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;Charlotte currently rides a four-game winning streak and has moved into ninth in the East standings with a real chance at overtaking Brooklyn for eighth place. Cleveland, despite some injury woes, maintains its hold on sixth place and could even jump the struggling Bulls.
Though Houston is among the NBA's bottom-feeders, the Rockets continue to find promise in its young core, led this week by Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and KJ Martin.
10. Golden State Warriors (47-24)
Just as Draymond Green makes his return, Stephen Curry goes down with a foot injury. Curry feels confident that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/warriors-curry-expects-to-return-by-start-of-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he'll be back to start the playoffs.</a> But the Warriors remain in a tight seeding race with Memphis and Utah, and will now have to sort out the West hierarchy without their centerpiece. Seeding is critical in determining when Golden State matches up against the almighty Suns and if they could catch a play-in team (by being a No. 2 seed) versus a rested playoff squad.&nbsp;
(Last week: 10)
9. Chicago Bulls (41-29)
Chicago's offense is in a state. The Bulls wield the 26th-ranked offense in the NBA since the All-Star break and have gone 3-8 out of the pause. Their halfcourt offense is ranked seventh on the season per Cleaning the Glass, but has dropped to 21st since the break and is averaging just 93.4 points per 100 possessions.
Chicago is at its healthiest in a long time with only Lonzo Ball and Patrick Williams sidelined. The Bulls need to get the offense back on track before Cleveland and Toronto shoot past them in the East standings.
(Last week: Unranked)
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8. Brooklyn Nets (37-34)
Kyrie Irving, with everything that surrounds his persona and playing status, is the most electric player in basketball right now. I mean, the man is averaging 37.8 points per game since the All-Star break while shooting 55.3% on 9.4 three-point attempts per game. He dropped 60 on the Orlando Magic this past week... and then scored a combined zero points in the next two games because of his playing status.
Could Irving haved turned the tide in a narrow 113-111 home loss to Dallas? I'm guessing so. Is this a preview of how the Nets' postseason could be affected by his own actions? I think so.
(Last week: 6)
7. Atlanta Hawks (35-36)
So Atlanta is under .500 and has been hovering there for several weeks now. I was listening to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mailbag-madness/id1547857052?i=1000554467191" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friday's episode of The Dunker Spot</a>, and Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. forced me to hit the reality-check button on the Hawks.
Atlanta is 7-6 since the All-Star break and has leveled out with an offense and defense that fall around league average in efficiency over the past two weeks. John Collins is now out indefinitely with a finger injury, depriving Trae Young of his chief running mate. The Hawks have two rotation players over age-30 (Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams) and underwent little roster change in the offseason or at the trade deadline. Yet they have undoubtedly regressed since their breakout Eastern Conference Finals run last season.
What exactly is the read on this team long-term, especially if they go out with a whimper in the play-in tournament?
(Last week: Unranked)
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6. New York Knicks (30-41)
It's bizarre to see the Knicks, Pelicans and Lakers all sitting together at 30-41 after what feels like three radically unique seasons. But though New York's playoff chances have all-but evaporated, we're getting some fun moments in the twilight of the season.&nbsp;
Enter Immanuel Quickley. The second-year guard is putting up 14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in his last 10 contests. Quickley has finally found his perimeter touch and is making 43.2% of his long-range attempts. New York is 5-5 in March, which is a relative positive given the course of the season, and I'm still very high on Quickley's future in this backcourt.
(Last week: 5)
5. Dallas Mavericks (43-28)
<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33527472/ex-gm-donnie-nelson-sues-dallas-mavericks-says-was-fired-reporting-sexual-misconduct-team-denies-claim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Don Van Natti Jr. published a full report</a> of ex-GM Donnie Nelson's recent lawsuit against the Mavericks on Thursday. Included in the lawsuit is a claim from Nelson that owner Mark Cuban fired him "as retaliation for reporting that Cuban's chief of staff sexually harassed and sexually assaulted his nephew during a job interview in 2020."
This is obviously extremely serious, but additionally, it reinforces a pattern of discord in the Mavericks' front office that is suspiciously intertwined with a history of poisonous culture in the organization. Remember when the Mavericks were <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-statement-dallas-mavericks-workplace-investigation-official-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigated back in 2018</a> and the not-so-heavy punishments laid out? There's no way to properly state how dangerous this trend looks on the Mavs and the NBA at large, especially as the Suns' Robert Sarver situation is still unresolved.
(Last week: Unranked)
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4. Portland Trail Blazers (26-44)
Removing Anfernee Simons due to injury, Portland's four leading per-game scorers in March are: Josh Hart (20.5), Brandon Williams (16.6), Trendon Watford (15.9) and Drew Eubanks (12.0). I don't mean this as slander toward the players at all. Hart in particular has been a force since the trade from New Orleans and the latter three have maximized their real shots at sticking in the NBA. It's more of a reminder of where Portland is right now without any cornerstone young talent or heathy, proven veterans playing.&nbsp;
(Last week: 2)
3. Sacramento Kings (25-48)
We've hit that same old slog with the Kings, who are plum out of playoff hope and spring momentum with a 2-8 record in March. Sacramento is one of six teams with bottom-10 ratings on both offense and defense since the All-Star break.
(Last week: 3)
2. Washington Wizards (30-40)
Bradley Beal's upcoming offseason has overshadowed the floundering on-court Wizards. Shams Charania reported today that the 76ers seriously attempted to trade for Beal during the season before ultimately pivoting back to James Harden. The Heat are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-heat-legitimate-suitor-for-bradley-beal-if-he-hits-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> a "legitimate suitor" should Beal hit free agency in the summer.
For the n-th time, the Bradley Beal sweepstakes feels more important than anything happening on the court. Washington lost six-straight before beating our top (or bottom, depending on your perspective) team.
1. Los Angeles Lakers (30-41)
The San Antonio Spurs are 5-8 since the All-Star break. Their remaining 10 games include winnable matchups against the Pelicans, Rockets and Trail Blazers (three times) and imposing tasks versus the Warriors, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Grizzlies. Going 5-5 or better in 10 games won't be easy for a young Spurs team that still sits 2.5 games back of a play-in bid.
All of this is to say: The Lakers are somehow making a very safe situation feel treacherous. Eight of their final 11 contests are against top-six seeds. There's a very real chance that this race comes down to the final days.
(Last week: 4)
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Ethan Fuller is back with this week's Sour Rankings as the NBA's playoff races tighten up.

NBA Sour Rankings: Lakers' Play-In bid still not guaranteed

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

March Madness: Conference tournament Thursday recap

Khris Middleton scored a season-high 44 points, Jrue Holiday had 17 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied to beat the short-handed Phoenix Suns 132-122 on Sunday.
Milwaukee outscored Phoenix 12-1 over the last three minutes to win in the Suns&rsquo; first visit since Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points in a 105-98 Game 6 victory gave the Bucks their first NBA title in 50 years. In their only previous matchup this season, the Suns won 131-107 in Phoenix on Feb. 10.
The NBA-leading Suns were playing without their usual All-Star starting backcourt of Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Booker missed his third straight game due to the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. Paul broke his right thumb Feb. 16.
Phoenix also was missing Cam Johnson, two days after he scored 38 points in a 115-114 victory over the New York Knicks. Johnson has a bruised right quadriceps.
The Bucks won their fourth straight as they completed arguably their toughest three-game stretch of the season. In each of those three games, they came from behind down the stretch.
Milwaukee beat Miami 120-119 on Wednesday night and Chicago 118-112 on Friday night. The Bucks erased a 14-point deficit in the final six minutes of the Heat game and trailed the Bulls by seven points at the start of the fourth quarter.
This time, the Bucks trailed by five in the final period and withstood the foul trouble of Antetokounmpo, who had 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes before fouling out with 1:12 left.
Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 30 points. Cam Payne had 23, Jae Crowder 19, Landry Shamet 17 and Mikal Bridges 14.
Serge Ibaka had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks. Jordan Nwora had 12 points and Grayson Allen added 10.
The Suns led 107-102 when Antetokounmpo went to the bench after picking up his fifth foul with 7:40 left.
But the Bucks outscored the Suns 18-11 in the four-plus minutes Antetokounmpo missed and owned a 120-118 lead when the two-time MVP returned to the floor with 3:23 remaining.
Crowder sank a 3-pointer to put the Suns back ahead with 3:13 left. Nwora missed a 3-point attempt on the Bucks&rsquo; next possession, but Antetokounmpo got the rebound and passed to Nwora, who hit a jumper to put Milwaukee back in front for good with 2:52 remaining.
The Bucks rolled from there. Middleton scored the game&rsquo;s final seven points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Bucks a double-digit edge with 21.6 seconds left.
TIP-INS
Suns: Phoenix coach Monty Williams has said on multiple occasions that the loss to the Bucks in the finals would make his team better. Williams said Sunday he mentioned that again to Antetokounmpo during the All-Star Game festivities. &ldquo;In any sport, when you lose like that, you have to really be honest with yourself as to why,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;If you were a boxer and you got clipped with a right cross, you know what I&rsquo;m saying, you&rsquo;re going to keep your left up. You&rsquo;re going to learn how to build your stamina to keep your left upright. Those are things that, anytime you fail in that particular platform, you just look at stuff that can make you better.&rdquo;
Bucks: Wesley Matthews didn&rsquo;t play due to a sore left hamstring. Matthews had hurt the hamstring Friday at Chicago. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re thinking and hoping it&rsquo;s day to day,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game. ... Serge Ibaka had his highest point and rebound totals since the Bucks acquired him Feb. 10. This was his ninth game with the Bucks.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Orlando on Tuesday night in the second of three straight road games. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-magic-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-chuma-okeke-4c2e192e2099bccf7d4127dd8d9a4cf6">The Suns beat the Magic 132-105</a> at home on Feb. 12.
Bucks: At Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-jrue-holiday-milwaukee-khris-middleton-381b172d47c3d90463191fedd383dc82">The Bucks defeated the Thunder 96-89</a> in Milwaukee on Nov. 19.

Khris Middleton scored a season-high 44 points, Jrue Holiday had 17 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Bucks rallied to win.

Khris Middleton scores 44 points, Bucks rally to beat Suns

For the umpteenth season in a row, Buddy Hield is on the trade market and actively being shopped by the Sacramento Kings <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article256556286.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee</a>.
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One source said the Kings are still shopping a package including Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III in hopes of getting a good player in return.&nbsp;
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With Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s emergence and Davion Mitchell&rsquo;s initial pop, Sacramento has consistently relied upon three-guard lineups &mdash; four of the top five players in minutes played for the Kings this season are guards.&nbsp;
While I wouldn&rsquo;t argue that Hield is the most replaceable of the guards, he is the oldest by a wide margin and the only guard on a non-max or rookie-scale contract, likely making him the easiest to trade without tearing apart the team structure in its entirety (hence why he&rsquo;s been in trade talks for multiple years).
The initial $24 million hit on his four-year contract, inked during the 2019 off-season, likely played into reticence or difficulty to trade for Hield. A descending scale on his deal and looming <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mortenjensen/2021/09/19/with-new-tv-deal-looming-nba-teams-could-spend-big-on-extensions/?sh=51344fc73e85" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cap spike</a> could potentially temper trade discussions to the right degree.
While Hield has had a slow start to the season, he&rsquo;s caught fire the past two weeks, indicating a return to form. He's shooting 47% from three over the last 10 days on 9.4 attempts per game.
Buddy Hield is undoubtedly a specialist, but the level to which he specializes as a shooter brings much more value than that &ldquo;shooter&rdquo; label may imply.&nbsp;
Per Stathead, no player has hit more threes since the 2018-19 season than Hield, nailing just shy of a thousand in that span (950) with the next closest player, James Harden, nearly 100 behind (862).&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s an elite shooter off-the-catch and from a standstill, but his shooting variety is what makes him such a remarkable offensive player. An elite combination of movement, flexibility, and footwork open up his arsenal.
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He maintains balance and can start and stop on a dime, which allows him to create the slivers of space necessary to garner clean looks. Basketball Index uses NBA tracking data to contextualize data and create metrics to track overarching aspects of the game. For instance, Buddy Hield is in the fourth percentile of openness rating this season, which combines numerous factors to estimate how open a player is on average when they shoot. In essence, Hield is almost never open, which tracks with the eye test &mdash; defenses swarm him.
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One of my favorite aspects of Hield's game is his utility as a screener. The Sacramento Kings run "Spain" pick-and-roll a great deal, mostly with Hield as the back-screener in the action, flaring up after making contact to fly out for an open shot.&nbsp;
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Hield&rsquo;s proficiency as a movement shooter out of these sets has allowed the Kings to create a sort of gravity well between De&rsquo;Aaron Fox&rsquo;s downhill drive and Hield&rsquo;s shooting threat. It has created constant headaches for defenses for multiple seasons now. I cannot stress enough how rare it is for a player to be able to replicate this kind of action and hit that shot with consistency.
On the subject of the ridiculous number of difficult shots in his diet, he&rsquo;s particularly an artist as a pull-up shooter &mdash; especially on pick-and-roll actions.&nbsp;
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Hield is hitting 35.3% of his 3.7 pull-up three-point attempts per game, well above the league average (~31%). Putting that into context, this is actually the worst he&rsquo;s shot on threes off-the-dribble since his first full year in Sacramento (35.9%).&nbsp;
That prolific ability as an off-dribble shooter makes it nearly impossible to go under on-ball screens involving Hield. He doesn&rsquo;t possess great accuracy or court vision as a passer, but the windows provided to him by his scoring gravity are consistently there, and his playmaking out of the pick-and-roll has blossomed the past few years.
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No, Buddy Hield is not a perfect player, and his shortcomings as an athlete and defender do require gameplanning and proper roster construction to amplify what he does well. However, the right team could get the most out of his skill set moving forward if he is traded.
Which teams around the league should be looking into a deal for Buddy Hield and what would it take for a trade to work?
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Orlando Magic
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Orlando is currently 10th in three-point attempts but only 26th in three-point percentage &mdash; spacing has been an issue across the majority of the Magic&rsquo;s lineups. Hield would immediately be the best shooting threat on the team, and could be an intriguing off-ball partner to Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner as they continue to grow on-the-ball.
Terrence Ross&rsquo; career-low shooting has played a part in Orlando&rsquo;s spacing issues, and he seems ripe for a new opportunity for a myriad of reasons.
The main purpose of the deal for Sacramento is to add depth via Ross and potentially Michael Carter-Williams (whose timetable for return <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/08/24/magic-michael-carter-williams-to-miss-start-of-season-with-ankle-injury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is still indefinite</a>), while also adding an intriguing young player in Chuma Okeke on the wing. Okeke missed the beginning of the season recovering from injury after a solid close last season, and he has struggled to find his footing offensively. He hasn&rsquo;t looked quite the same post-injury in general, and the budding potential of Franz Wagner &mdash; along with the looming return of Jonathan Isaac to an already loaded frontcourt &mdash; makes it appear that Okeke could be on the outside of the lineup looking in.
I probably wouldn&rsquo;t be ready to move on from Okeke if I was in charge of the Magic's front office but, all things considered, there&rsquo;s sensibility to this deal on both sides &mdash; but it may need evening out in the way of draft capital from Orlando.
Memphis Grizzlies
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The Grizzlies have been in need of a consolidation trade for a few seasons now, and this is probably not the one! But it's an intriguing look for both sides nonetheless.&nbsp;
Memphis is two years away from new contracts hitting the cap sheet for Ja Morant (presumably) and other members of the core rotation. While Hield isn&rsquo;t the star likely envisioned as the next player to tip the scales in Memphis, he could be someone who does push the needle while smoothing out a jammed rotation. He'd also provide shooting and spacing to a team that&rsquo;s relatively average in that area, and lacks the elite dynamic that few players can add to an offense like Hield.&nbsp;
In a year and a half or two years from now when the Grizz need to re-up, Hield will be on an expiring deal and maybe part of the consolidation trade that does net Memphis a third star. Regardless, he offers a skill set that&rsquo;s intriguing to ponder alongside Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Kyle Anderson&rsquo;s role has decreased in Memphis after starting all of last year, and he would likely slide back into a starting role with Sacramento. His defense, along with his connective passing and positive decision-making on both ends, could do wonders for the Kings. While he is on an expiring deal, perhaps trading for him could give them a better path to re-signing Anderson than would be available if he were on the open market.
Jarrett Culver has looked like an NBA player in his short time in Memphis, which has been awesome to see. Admittedly, that would make me wary of trading him to Sacramento, but in the reality of this trade, the Kings would love to add a young player at a position of need. John Konchar is a solid role player who would likely factor into the back end of the rotation &mdash; that's a spot the Kings need more consistent play from.
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Detroit Pistons
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This is my favorite deal with regards to potential for both sides. Jerami Grant has grown as a player in Detroit, but has been overtaxed in his role. Shams Charania of The Athletic <a href="https://theathletic.com/3011544/2021/12/13/optimism-for-a-kyrie-irving-return-the-latest-on-ben-simmons-trade-talks-and-more-nba-news-and-notes-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently reported</a> that the Pistons are fielding calls for Grant.
I do wonder what it would look like, and particularly if there would be growing pains if Grant tried to return to a reduced role after high-usage play and some success with the Pistons. However, he would fit pretty well on this team. Ideally, both he and Harrison Barnes are fours, but Grant is a better option at the three-spot than anyone the Kings have employed there since&hellip; Rudy Gay? (Bogdan Bogdanovic was a two-guard)
While the Kings would miss Hield&rsquo;s powers as a spacer, Grant can and will shoot, albeit at a lesser level &mdash; but adding size and athleticism on the wing would be a boon for this team.
On the other hand, Hield to Detroit intrigues me a great deal. The Pistons are the worst shooting team in the league, and while part of that is explained by a slow start from pretty much everyone, it&rsquo;s largely held up. Cade Cunningham and Frank Jackson have both shot well over the past month and a half and Saddiq Bey has come on in the past week, but this is just a bad shooting team regardless of shot luck.
Imagining "Spain" actions with Hield, or even Hield as a direct screener for Cade is so enticing. The best way to get the most out of a young player and bolster his development is to surround them with veterans who can maximize their best skill sets, or ease the load they carry. Hield would do wonders for Detroit&rsquo;s offense (though he couldn't possibly fix them), and could be a quality running mate for Cunningham as he grows as an initiator.
None of these deals are perfect, but most trades aren&rsquo;t &mdash; there are some merits for both sides making these moves. While it&rsquo;s unlikely that any of these deals end up ultimately being made if the Kings do finally move Hield, they provide an interesting framework for viewing his fit within some of the organizations that are reportedly active in the trade market. Regardless, Buddy Hield is one of the higher profile players that&rsquo;s been in reported trade talks in the young season, and he could alter a team&rsquo;s identity prior to the trade deadline.

Buddy Hield is on the trade block again. Mark Schindler writes on what he brings and some possible landing spots that make sense.

Examining potential trade destinations for Buddy Hield

Wednesday was one of the wildest NBA news days in recent memory. The BasketballNews.com staff reacts to every story.

Reacting to a wild NBA news day: Kawhi, CP3, firings, LaMelo

Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson and the franchise have decided to part ways, sources tell The Athletic and Stadium.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1405222947258785797" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: According to <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1405226867909488640" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim MacMahon of ESPN</a>, the decision for Donnie Nelson to leave the franchise was actually made Sunday and MacMahon also added Nelson had lost power since the hiring of Bob Voulgaris, creating internal tension. <a href="https://theathletic.com/2649806/2021/06/14/inside-the-mavericks-front-office-mark-cubans-shadow-gm-is-causing-a-rift-with-luka-doncic/">The Athletic recently published a shocking article</a> about dysfunction in the Mavericks&rsquo; front office and it described Voulgaris as a &ldquo;shadow GM&rdquo; (who rubbed some people the wrong way).
Nelson will leave the Mavericks after 23 years with the organization and, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1405228690523500545" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein of The New York Times</a>, Dallas has hired a search firm to help find a new head of basketball operations.&nbsp;
Nelson is sure to go down as arguably the greatest international scout of all-time considering the weight he pulled to draft Dirk Nowitzki and trade for Steve Nash, both of whom ended up winning an MVP award. Nelson also was responsible for pulling off the Luka Doncic draft-night trade in 2018.
But Nelson's greatest accomplishment has to be assembling Mavericks' 2010-11 title team, which they took down the heavily favored Miami Heat in six games. At 58 years old, its unclear what Nelson's future holds in the NBA.

According to Shams Charania, the Mavericks and GM Donnie Nelson have agreed to mutually part ways.

Mavericks, GM Donnie Nelson agree to 'mutually' part ways

James Harden himself can tell you &mdash; three times over &mdash; that tomorrow is promised to no man.
The Brooklyn Nets star has seen a hamstring issue put the future of his 2020 postseason in doubt. In 2018, a 3-2 series lead couldn&rsquo;t save him from the Golden State Warriors, and since the 2012, he hasn&rsquo;t come close enough to the NBA Finals to even sniff it.
We all just knew that the Oklahoma City Thunder would be back. I covered those 2012 NBA Finals against Miami, and I witnessed Dwyane Wade tell Kevin Durant just that after the Heat won in five games.
So much for that.
Indeed, tomorrow is promised to no man.
Not to Harden and not to anybody &mdash; not even Luka Doncic.
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We're prisoners of the moment. Shackled by our short-term memories and our reliance on the victors to recall history, the first-round matchup between Doncic and the Los Angeles Clippers will ultimately shrivel up and wither away, disintegrating into our subconscious in the same way those Thunder did.
After his Herculean performances and dismantling of one of the league&rsquo;s most-feared perimeter defensive duos, it feels inevitable that we'll eventually live in a world that belongs to Luka. He averaged 35.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game on 49% shooting from the field, including 40.8% from three-point territory.
Even in a loss, those numbers are unreal.&nbsp;And if the Mavericks are smart, they&rsquo;ll take two things away from their disappointing seven-game fallout to the Clippers.
First, Luka Doncic will rule the NBA. He&rsquo;s far too special of a player not to. All that remains to be seen is how soon until it happens and whether he&rsquo;ll be in Dallas when he does.
And second is that patience is for suckers. With just a little more help and a little more something, Doncic and the Mavericks could&rsquo;ve defeated the Clippers and had an opportunity to make a run through a postseason in which they wouldn&rsquo;t have had to worry about LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, Damian Lillard or Jamal Murray.
It&rsquo;s been all too easy for everyone to just assume that opportunity will come knocking again. History has shown us that Lady Luck isn&rsquo;t really monogamous.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still a young player, so I&rsquo;m fine with our team building through the draft and not actively trying to win a championship for another three years&hellip; I&rsquo;ve got time&hellip;&rdquo;
Said no great player ever.
At 18 years old, Kobe Bryant wanted all the smoke. At the same age, LeBron James came to either kick some ass, or at least toss bricks until his arms were tired.
In the league, opportunity knocks but every so often. And it sure feels like Cuban and the Mavericks weren&rsquo;t home to answer the door. Imagine winning three road games in a playoff series and still losing. Preposterous. But here we are.
Now, as the Mavericks try to figure out what to do next, one thing is for certain &mdash; by virtue of the expiration of Doncic&rsquo;s rookie contract, it will only get more difficult to build around him from here on out.
Doncic, who is still playing under his rookie deal, earned just over $8 million this past season. He&rsquo;ll earn about $10 million next season before the first year of what will likely be a $200 million maximum extension from the Mavs kicks in.
Thenceforth, it will be difficult for Dallas to manufacture or maintain significant salary cap space given the $100 million owed to Kristaps Porzingis over the next three years and the potential re-signing of Tim Hardaway Jr. this summer.
The point is: it&rsquo;s usually easier to find a competent supporting cast to put around a player while they&rsquo;re playing on their rookie deal. In that respect, time is nearly up in Dallas.&nbsp;Next season is the last one in which they&rsquo;ll have him at an affordable rate. That seems particularly relevant in the case of Hardaway, whose stock has risen as he heads toward free agency.
A nice final piece on a team that has some established stars and in need of a third or fourth scorer, he&rsquo;ll fit the bill for someone, but he might not be what the doctor ordered in Dallas. Not right now, anyway. Paying him market value considering his strong season and productive (albeit brief) stint in the playoffs could put the Mavs in the precarious predicament of having too many high-paid players who, together, can&rsquo;t win you a playoff series.
In the NBA, the trick to managing cap space and utilizing it to build out a contender is to maximize it while your superstars and anchors are on favorable contracts. The Warriors would&rsquo;ve never had the cap space to sign Durant if Curry hadn&rsquo;t signed a four-year, $44 million contract that kicked in after the expiration of his rookie deal.
So Dallas suddenly finds itself with a dilemma. Should it seek to maintain cap flexibility? Or commit to a three-man core of Doncic, Porzingis and Hardaway? Would it fare better in the star-studded free agency <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nbas-2022-freeagent-class-could-be-the-best-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">class of 2022</a>? The market and ownership group is one that players are attracted to, afterall, and the Mavs, for the most part, are considered a model of intelligent management.
With Doncic, it shouldn&rsquo;t be too difficult to get a player or two to take Mark Cuban&rsquo;s dollars, but he&rsquo;ll need to have money to offer. Re-signing Hardaway and keeping Porzingis don't advance that cause.
Truly turning the corner in the NBA &mdash; going from a 45-win team to a 55-win contender &mdash; is the hardest part of the job. That takes all kinds of strokes of genius. And sadly for Dallas, aside from drafting Doncic himself, it hasn&rsquo;t had too many of those in recent memory.
The answer to the Mavs&rsquo; Doncic dilemma is to find a way to convince Portland to trade Damian Lillard to Dallas. Bradley Beal would also be an obvious win. The problem is there are 28 other teams in the NBA that regard those two to be the answers to their prayers, and the Mavs don&rsquo;t exactly have a treasure trove of assets to offer in any potential trade.
Needless to say, Dallas shouldn&rsquo;t take Luka&rsquo;s greatness for granted and assume that he&rsquo;ll be content with seeing his historically great performances go up in smoke because the front office is only capable of bringing in subpar players to flank him in the Wild Wild West.
Life comes at your fast. Luka is already approaching the end of his rookie contract and has as many playoff series wins as he does NBA Finals MVPs &mdash; zero. It's a shame considering what he's already proven to be capable of on an individual level.
All things considered, Doncic is doing incredibly well for a player whose only finished his junior year, but the Mavs now only have one season left to bolster his support staff before his extension kicks in.
From that point, it will only get more difficult &mdash; especially with the money due to the fairly unremarkable Porzingis and a re-signed Hardaway.
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Dirk Nowitzki patiently waited for 13 years. He only wore one jersey for the entirety of his career, but Dallas shouldn&rsquo;t rest on its laurels and assume that Doncic has the patience or wherewithal to wait his turn. He&rsquo;s talented enough to jump the line.
A big offseason awaits, and Cuban and his front office is on the clock. Time&rsquo;s a ticking, and if they don&rsquo;t do something significant to push the team forward, Dallas may ultimately get left behind.

With Tim Hardaway Jr. a free agent and Kristaps Porzingis' huge contract, it may be tough for the Mavs to build around Luka Doncic.

For Dallas, building around Luka Doncic is only going to get harder

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic scored 24 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Brooklyn Nets 113-109 on Thursday night to finish a season sweep.
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Luka (24 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST) helps ice it for the <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://t.co/EWRYhpSiWb">pic.twitter.com/EWRYhpSiWb</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1390489000738271234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 45 points for the Nets. They lost a season-high fourth straight game and dropped two games behind Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia.
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Season-high 45 PTS for <a href="https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KyrieIrving</a>. 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/urwlEWaH2W">pic.twitter.com/urwlEWaH2W</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1390502335030366208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Dorian Finney-Smith scored 17 points as the Mavericks reached 10 games over .500 for the first time this season and moved a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the fifth seed in the West. Dallas holds the tiebreaker on the defending NBA champs.
Kevin Durant had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Nets with each team missing an injured star: James Harden for Brooklyn and Kristaps Porzingis for Dallas. In the Mavericks' 115-98 win at Brooklyn in February, Harden played while Durant and Irving were out.
Doncic had 10 rebounds, and one of his eight assists came on a layup by Dwight Powell that put Dallas ahead for good at 94-92 and started a 7-0 run.
The Nets were down six in the final minute when Irving was free for an easy layup and the ball slipped out of his hands. Irving finished 17 of 30 from the field after repeatedly getting to the rim in a 25-point first half.
Jalen Brunson scored eight of his 15 points in the fourth quarter for Dallas, and Powell had 12 points and nine rebounds.
Nets: Brooklyn missed a chance to build a cushion when Dallas misfired on its first nine shots and first two free throws of the second half. The Nets missed six consecutive shots after Irving opened the second half with a 3, and an early third-quarter lead didn't last long. ... Blake Griffin had 10 points and 10 rebounds. ... Irving's previous season high was 43 in a 121-113 loss to Orlando on March 19.
Mavericks: Doncic, whose already made his share of wild shots that counted late in the games in his nearly three seasons, <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW/status/1390456439781593089">tossed up a halfcourt shot after a whistle</a> away from the ball in the first quarter. It went in. ... Coach Rick Carlisle said Porzingis, who has missed seven of the past eight games with right knee soreness, was doubtful Friday against Cleveland. Carlisle said he believes the 7-foot-3 Latvian will play again in the regular season.
HARDEN UPDATE
Harden, who hasn't played since April 5 and had a setback along the way with his strained right hamstring, worked out Thursday and said he plans to play again in the regular season. Coach Steve Nash said that would be ideal.
&ldquo;If we can get a little bit of extra time, that&rsquo;d be great,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;But if we can&rsquo;t, we can&rsquo;t. It looks really good right now. He&rsquo;s worked extremely hard to put himself in position to return before the playoffs.&rdquo;
COURTSIDE STARS
Retired Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, teammates with Nash for the first six of his 21 seasons in Dallas, was in one of the few courtside seats with his wife, Jessica, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush.
Nowitzki and the former president participated in a virtual pregame forum with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban about Bush&rsquo;s book of portraits of immigrants. The 7-foot German is one of the subjects.
UP NEXT
Nets: The fourth game on a five-game trip, the last road stint of the regular season, is at Denver on Sunday. The Nets have won four of the past five meetings.
Mavericks: Cleveland visits Friday for Dallas' second-to-last back-to-back, with the rematch set for Sunday in Cleveland. The Mavericks have won the past four meetings by an average of 20 points.
___
More AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

Luka Doncic had 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Irving had a season-high 45 points.

Doncic, Mavs beat Irving, Nets for sweep, send Brooklyn to fourth straight loss

Aaron Gordon scored 24 points against his former team, rallying the Denver Nuggets past the Orlando Magic 119-109 Sunday night.
&ldquo;Those are my brothers, man,&rdquo; Gordon said, &ldquo;but business is business.&rdquo;
Gordon said he was proud of his team&rsquo;s resilience, evidenced by its 72-44 recovery in the second half.
&ldquo;A lot of teams that get down by 18 in the first half, they would just let go of the rope, they would just give up,&rdquo; Gordon argued.
Not these guys.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a testament," he said, &ldquo;to where this team can go.&rdquo;
Gordon scored Denver's first dozen points, then helped the Nuggets erase an 18-point halftime deficit for their 14th win in 17 games and their 10th straight over the Magic.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
24 points for Aaron Gordon. 10/13 from the field. The <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> improve to 4-0 with <a href="https://twitter.com/Double0AG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Double0AG</a>! <a href="https://t.co/iCXoQiKdUL">pic.twitter.com/iCXoQiKdUL</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1379048704565518339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;Poor offense, poor defense, poor effort,&rdquo; Denver coach Michael Malone said of his team's awful first half, which he called &ldquo;our worst half of the season.&rdquo;
Which was followed by a masterpiece.
&ldquo;It was great to see the comeback, but I'd rather see 48 minutes&rdquo; of that kind of basketball, Malone said.
Jamal Murray added 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. 20 for Denver, which got 17 points, 16 assists and nine rebounds from Nikola Jokic. Chuma Okeke and Terrence Ross led Orlando with 19 points each.
Rookie R.J. Hampton, who was dealt by Denver in the Gordon trade, scored 16 points, including Orlando's first seven.
&ldquo;It was definitely fun to see those guys and compete against those guys," Hampton said. &ldquo;They're a great basketball team.&rdquo;
Malone said before tip-off that he didn&rsquo;t have to give Gordon any advice about keeping his emotions in check going against his former team that dealt him to Denver last week after seven seasons in Orlando.
But he did admonish his team not to take Orlando lightly because they're a rebuilding team, one that's also riddled by injuries and illnesses.
&ldquo;If we think we can just show up because we&rsquo;re playing a team that doesn&rsquo;t have maybe a marquee name, we&rsquo;re going to find ourselves in a ballgame," Malone warned.
They sure did.
The Nuggets trailed by double digits for most of the first half, and after cutting their deficit to 54-47, they surrendered the final 11 points of the second quarter and trailed 65-47 at halftime.
Denver erased all of that in the third quarter before Ross put Orlando back on top 86-85 with a jumper in the closing seconds.
But the Nuggets pulled away in the final minutes for their fourth consecutive win since the big trade for Gordon.
TIP-INS
Magic coach Steve Clifford called his team&rsquo;s injury epidemic &ldquo;like nothing I&rsquo;ve ever been through before as a head coach or an assistant.&rdquo; Sidelined against Denver were: Cole Anthony (ribs), Michael Carter-Williams (non-COVID illness), Markelle Fultz (left ACL), Harris (strained left adductor), Karim Mane (hamstring) and Otto Porter Jr. (left foot). Limited were Chasson Randle (hamstring), James Ennis III (non-COVID-illness) and Mo Bamba (non-COVID illness).
Nuggets: The Nuggets played a video tribute to Harris in the second quarter, which earned him a standing ovation from the 4,050 fans at Ball Arena in the <a href="https://twitter.com/arniestapleton/status/1378914209774202883?s=20">first game open to the public</a> since before the pandemic hit last year (employees and front-line workers were at last game). Hampton, a rookie, got his video tribute later in the quarter. ... Denver was outshot in the first half 57 percent to 39 percent.
UP NEXT
Magic: Hosts the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Nuggets: Host the Detroit Pistons and former teammates Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee on Tuesday night.
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Gordon scored Denver's first dozen points, then helped the Nuggets erase an 18-point halftime deficit for their 14th win in 17 games.

Aaron Gordon on win over Magic: 'Those are my brothers, but business is business'

The Mavericks are willing to take on large salaries from a team to acquire a star player, sources say. Dallas is building the roster around its two stars, Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, and could emerge as a destination for top talent.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://theathletic.com/2140002/2020/10/15/nba-free-agency-news-and-rumors-anthony-davis-and-lakers-decisions-heat-contracts-and-more-goran-dragic-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic </a>
ANALYSIS: Mark Cuban and the Dallas front office do not seem overly concerned about hitting the luxury tax as they have their eyes set out on building a championship roster. Dallas, who has been rumored to be<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-free-agency-giannis-antetokounmpo-dallas-mavericks"> interested in pursuing Antetokounmpo,</a> will aggressively look at adding a third star to form a Big Three that would include Doncic and Porzingis. Porzingis has had his injury scares, but Dallas is very confident that he can be the same guy that was lighting up the NBA while in New York. And we all know what Luka Doncic can do on the floor with the ball in his hands.
It will be interesting to see which star players (besides Giannis) the Mavericks will pursue this offseason.

Dallas is willing to take on large salaries in order to land a third star to build around Doncic and Porzingis.