Swedes

After a long four-month offseason, the 2023-24 NBA season officially kicks off on October 24. Preseason action is currently underway, with teams evaluating their roster and getting ready for the start of the regular season.
There were a few roster rule changes of note this offseason that were introduced as part of the new CBA. Now, each team can sign up to three two-way players (up from two) who are able to play up to 50 games with their NBA team and spend the rest of their season in the G League. Also, offseason rosters were originally limited to 20 players but have since increased to 21.&nbsp;
Each team needs to be at 15 standard contracts prior to the start of the season, which means a few players on guaranteed deals will have to be cut prior to the season. While some teams have a pretty set roster, others (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) will be forced to part ways with talented players to reach their roster limit.&nbsp;
Looking at the Atlantic Division, let's see how each team&rsquo;s lineup is shaping up and what questions they may need to answer before the start of the season.
(This is part one of a six-part series, with more divisional previews coming soon).
<h1>BOSTON CELTICS</h1>
Outside of the top-six players, who will be the most reliable depth option?
After acquiring Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics may have the best top-six of any team in the league. While we can add the Holiday trade to their list of aggressive offseason transactions, their depth has taken somewhat of a step back.&nbsp;
They will have to replace four rotation players from last year&rsquo;s Conference Finals team with a few players who don&rsquo;t have much experience in playoff situations. Three players who should definitely see more minutes are Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet. Pritchard has played well on both ends of the floor when given an opportunity, notably shooting 40% from three-point range over his first three seasons. The Celtics rewarded him with a team-friendly extension that should see him take up about 5% of the salary cap over the next four years. Hauser has also been a stellar three-point shooter, knocking down 42% since coming into the league.&nbsp;
The frontcourt is probably the most notable weakness on the team&rsquo;s depth chart. Joe Mazzulla has expressed confidence that <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/10/7/23907608/boston-celtics-depth-sam-hauser-luke-kornet-payton-pritchard-joe-mazzulla-blake-griffin-bus-one-boys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kornet should be successful on both ends of the floor and will be their go-to backup center to start the season.</a> The preseason will be important in determining who else (i.e. Oshae Brissett, Jordan Walsh, Svi Mykhailiuk, etc.) may stand out for Mazzulla and get an opportunity for playing time behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Celtics have the least amount of players on guaranteed contracts in the league (10). However, their roster for opening night is likely set unless they want to open up flexibility to sign other veteran players or buyout candidates later this season. If they choose to cut someone, it would very likely be a player on a non-guaranteed deal. Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton each have a partial $200,000 guarantee that increases to over $1,000,000 if they make the roster. Kornet, Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens all have non-guaranteed contracts.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 19 players (10 guaranteed, 2 partially guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 1 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jrue Holiday, G/F Jaylen Brown, F Jayson Tatum, F/C Al Horford, F/C Kristaps Porzingis
Projected Rotation Players: G Derrick White, G Payton Pritchard, C Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed), F Sam Hauser, F Oshae Brissett
Projected Reserves: F Jordan Walsh, G/F Svi Mykhailiuk ($200K guaranteed), F Wenyen Gabriel (non-guaranteed), G Dalano Banton ($200K guaranteed), F Lamar Stevens (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-Way Players: C Neemias Queta, G JD Davison, G Jay Scrubb (Injured)
Projected Roster Cuts: G DJ Steward (Exhibit-10)
<h1>BROOKLYN NETS</h1>
What is Ben Simmons' role?
Ben Simmons has only played 42 games since being acquired by the Nets in February 2022, dealing with physical and psychological hurdles that have made him somewhat of an afterthought. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has expressed confidence that Simmons is now 100% healthy and ready to contribute again at a high level.&nbsp;
He seems to be penciled in as the team&rsquo;s starting point guard, starting in the Nets&rsquo; first preseason game. Though it was just a small 14-minute sample size, Simmons looked a lot like his former All-Star self. Having not played since February 15, he looked athletic, aggressive and confident before sitting out the second half.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He attacked the rim, I think he played with pace, looked pretty natural out there getting up and down the floor, communicating with guys into the flow of the game,&rdquo; Vaughn said, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/ben-simmons-passes-eye-test-in-nets-preseason-opener/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising his $38-million man</a>. &ldquo;Really good to see.&rdquo;
Vaughn has some options when it comes to starting lineups where he could go smaller, with a backcourt of Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie, or decide to start Dorian Finney-Smith and use Mikal Bridges as a big two-guard.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
Darius Bazley, Harry Giles and Trendon Watford are all on non-guaranteed deals and are vying for the final two roster spots. The Nets also have an open two-way spot, which I believe they could potentially use on a player like <a href="https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/mens-basketball/kennedy-chandler-starring-in-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League standout</a> and former Memphis Grizzlies second-rounder Kennedy Chandler.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 18 players (13 guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 2 two-way)
Projected Starters: G/F Ben Simmons, G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Mikal Bridges, F Cameron Johnson, C Nicolas Claxton
Projected Rotation Players: F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Royce O&rsquo;Neale, G Cameron Thomas, G Dennis Smith Jr., C Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe
Projected Reserves: G/F Lonnie Walker IV, C Noah Clowney, F Dariq Whitehead, F Darius Bazley (Non-Guaranteed), C Harry Giles (Non-Guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: G Armoni Brooks, F Jalen Wilson, G Kennedy Chandler* (Projected Signing)
Projected Roster Cuts: F Trendon Watford (Non-Guaranteed)
<h1>NEW YORK KNICKS</h1>
Who will be the first option off the bench?
New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has his fair share of options to headline his second unit. In his third year, Immanuel Quickley had his best season to date, finishing as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award behind Malcolm Brogdon. Quickley was the primary scorer for the second unit, but he shouldn&rsquo;t have to carry the entire load on offense with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo.&nbsp;
DiVincenzo impressed last season with the Golden State Warriors as a reliable bench shooter and should spot minutes for Quentin Grimes and R.J. Barrett when offensive pushes are needed. Josh Hart could also be the team&rsquo;s sixth man, just like he was during the Knicks&rsquo; playoff run. After being traded from Portland, Hart averaged 30 minutes per game despite coming off the bench most of the time. It is worth noting the Knicks-Villanova connection between Hart, DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson, who should fit seamlessly together on the floor thanks to their pre-existing chemistry. While unlikely to be the first off the bench, Isaiah Hartenstein also deserves mention since he has been one of the league&rsquo;s better backup centers and could see more time if Mitchell Robinson gets in foul trouble. In terms of rotation issues, Thibodeau should see this as a good problem to have regardless of who he brings off the bench first.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Knicks have three spots up for grabs between Ryan Arcidiacono, DaQuan Jeffries, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr. All are on non-guaranteed deals that won&rsquo;t be fully guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date on January 10.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (12 guaranteed, 4 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jalen Brunson, G Quentin Grimes, G/F R.J. Barrett, F Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson
Projected Rotation Players: G Josh Hart, G Immanuel Quickley, G Donte DiVincenzo, C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Miles McBride
Projected Reserves: G Evan Fournier, C Jericho Sims, F Isaiah Roby (non-guaranteed), G Ryan Arcidiacono (non-guaranteed), G/F DaQuan Jeffries (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: F/C Nathan Knight, G/F Dylan Windler, F Jaylen Martin
Projected Roster Cuts: G Duane Washington Jr. (non-guaranteed), G Charlie Brown Jr. (Exhibit-10), F Jacob Toppin (Exhibit-10)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/embiid332.jpg" alt="" width="672" height="440" />
<h1>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h1>
Will Tyrese Maxey become more of a creator and how can that adjust the rotation?
The Sixers&rsquo; ceiling is contingent on how much Tyrese Maxey can improve this season. Maxey hasn&rsquo;t needed to be the team&rsquo;s primary distributor since James Harden joined the team, allowing him to blossom into a reliable 20-PPG scorer. Regardless of whether Harden&rsquo;s trade situation is resolved, Maxey will need to become a better creator and distributor if he wants to take his game to the next level. Prior to Harden&rsquo;s arrival, Maxey had an impressive 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio despite his small frame and risk-averse tendencies.&nbsp;
Interestingly, team president Daryl Morey has held off on giving Maxey an extension this offseason, electing to wait until next summer to pay his budding young guard. Maxey will likely demand near max-level money that could harm Philly&rsquo;s flexibility to go after star players next offseason. If he can improve his ball-handling and distribution tendencies, the Sixers&rsquo; offense should benefit tremendously, helping the offensive output of players like P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed and easing the reliance on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Patrick Beverley.
Roster Decisions
Two players will likely be fighting for the Sixers&rsquo; final roster spot. The team re-signed veteran Danny Green, who played for the team from 2020 to 2022, to a non-guaranteed deal. They also brought over young big Filip Petrusev, who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2021. Petrusev signed a multi-year deal that was partially guaranteed for $559,782 this season and non-guaranteed next year. Although unlikely, the 76ers could also elect to waive Montrezl Harrell despite his deal being fully guaranteed, as he should miss this season with a torn ACL.
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (14 guaranteed, 1 partially Guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Tyrese Maxey, G James Harden, F P.J. Tucker, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Projected Rotation Players: G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, G Patrick Beverley, F/C Paul Reed, F/G Kelly Oubre Jr., F Danuel House
Projected Reserves: C Mo Bamba, F Furkan Korkmaz, G Jaden Springer, G/F Danny Green (non-guaranteed), C Montrezl Harrell (injured)
Projected Two-way Players: G Terquavion Smith, G Ricky Council IV, F Azuolas Tubelis
Projected Roster Cuts: F/C Filip Petrusev ($559,782 guaranteed), G David Duke Jr. (Exhibit-10), G Javonte Smart (Exhibit-10)
<h1>TORONTO RAPTORS</h1>
What style does Darko Rajakovic bring to Toronto and who will benefit the most?
New coach Darko Rajakovic inherits an interesting Raptors team with plenty of talent, but they may be facing a crossroads in terms of how successful they can be as a group. Rajakovic is in his first NBA head coaching gig after three seasons as an assistant with the Grizzlies and is known around the league as a pick-and-roll guru.&nbsp;
The idea of the Raptors being a primary pick-and-roll team became less appealing when they were unable to retain Fred VanVleet in free agency, replacing him with a less reliable shooter in Dennis Schr&ouml;der. Instead, Rajakovic will likely rely on Schr&ouml;der and his newly paid center Jakob Poeltl for more ball movement and playmaking. Rajakovic compared Poeltl to Domantas Sabonis before the Raptors&rsquo; preseason win over the Sacramento Kings on October 9 and could use him in a similar role. If Poeltl can be 70% of what Sabonis was last season, it can be a huge boost to an inconsistent offense.
Roster Decisions
The Raptors have 15 players on guaranteed deals going into the season, but also carry Jeff Dowtin Jr. on a non-guaranteed deal. Dowtin played on a two-way contract with Toronto last season, appearing in 25 games. With the roster full, Dowtin is unlikely to make the regular-season roster but he has still <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-praise-jeff-dowtin-jr-as-roster-decisions-await" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressed the coaching staff this preseason</a>. If any player is in danger of losing their roster spot to Dowtin, it would likely be former first-round pick Malachi Flynn. Dowtin&rsquo;s deal becomes guaranteed for $900,000 on October 21, four days before the team&rsquo;s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I would expect the Raptors to make a decision on Dowtin before then.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (15 guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Dennis Schr&ouml;der, F/G Scottie Barnes, F OG Anunoby, F Pascal Siakam, C Jakob Poeltl
Projected Rotation Players: G Gary Trent Jr., F Precious Achiuwa, F/C Chris Boucher, F Jalen McDaniels, G/F Gradey Dick
Projected Reserves: F Thaddeus Young, G Malachi Flynn, F Otto Porter Jr., C Christian Koloko, G/F Garrett Temple
Projected Two-way Players: G/F Ron Harper Jr., G Markquis Nowell, G Javon Freeman-Liberty
Projected Roster Cuts: G Jeff Dowtin (non-guaranteed), F Mouhamadou Gueye (Exhibit-10), C Makur Maker (Exhibit-10)
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Blake Stern previews the Atlantic Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and a burning question entering the season.

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

The NBA App will stream the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 5 on Saturday, Aug. 19, adding to the growing list of elite basketball programming available year-round on the new platform.&nbsp; 
The fifth annual basketball showcase at Rucker Park in New York City will feature 28 of the top high-school-age players in the U.S. Headlined by Jaloni Cambridge, Aaliyah Chavez and Kennedy Smith, the girls game tips off at 5 p.m. ET followed by the boys &ndash; featuring top high-school prospects Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Tre Johnson &ndash; streaming at 7 p.m. ET.&nbsp; Additionally, several members of the <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/jr-nba-court-of-leaders-mentorship-program-provides-youth-with-voice" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/news/jr-nba-court-of-leaders-mentorship-program-provides-youth-with-voice&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692371005985000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1FeYuKToXVUf2-KpS_2bVH">Jr. NBA Court of Leaders</a>&nbsp;will participate in the event.
The addition of the SLAM Summer Classic is part of the NBA&rsquo;s larger commitment to make the NBA App an all-in-one destination for global basketball programming. Over the past year, premier basketball content available on the app has included select WNBA, Basketball Africa League and NBA G League Ignite games, as well as Nike Elite Youth Basketball League&rsquo;s (EYBL) Peach Jam, Jr. NBA Showcase, LNB Betclic ELITE, top pro-am leagues such as the Drew League, Miami Pro League and AEBL, and more.
The NBA will produce and distribute the SLAM Summer Classic games on the free-to-download&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?_branch_match_id=811567537499273278&amp;_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9UH0kAxAF91y5sfAAAA__;!!KLCbKzk!n3wSjvNMSkYR4lKoKVgXircttWOLy-0rXgpTSo-D1MmKcmHzay-SwIoaQ0lokaPc1PDUxBHGW6sN$" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?_branch_match_id%3D811567537499273278%26_branch_referrer%3DH4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9UH0kAxAF91y5sfAAAA__;!!KLCbKzk!n3wSjvNMSkYR4lKoKVgXircttWOLy-0rXgpTSo-D1MmKcmHzay-SwIoaQ0lokaPc1PDUxBHGW6sN$&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692371005985000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2emDiwi7_0lf1Yxd60aUby">NBA App</a>&nbsp;and on NBA.com. Below are the full team rosters.&nbsp;
BOYS ROSTER
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Name
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Ace Bailey (Powder Springs, Ga.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Jalil Bethea (Philadelphia, Pa.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*AJ Dybantsa (Brockton, Mass.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
VJ Edgecombe (Brookville, N.Y.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Isaiah Evans (Huntersville, N.C.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Cooper Flagg (Newport, Maine)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Dylan Harper (Ramsey, N.J.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Jahki Howard (Atlanta, Ga.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Ian Jackson (Bronx, N.Y.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Tre Johnson (Dallas, Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Tahaad Pettiford (Jersey City, N.J.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Jase Richardson (Las Vegas, Nev.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Meleek Thomas (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Robert Wright III&nbsp;(Philadelphia, Pa.)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Member of the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders
&nbsp;
&nbsp;GIRLS ROSTER
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Name
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Izela Arenas (Chatsworth, Calif.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Mikayla Blakes (Somerset, N.J.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Jaloni Cambridge (Nashville, Tenn.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Aaliyah Chavez (Lubbock, Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Kendall Dudley (Centreville, Va.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Leah Harmon (Washington D.C.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Ariel Little (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Maddy McDaniel (Upper Marlboro, Md.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Me'arah O'Neal (Houston, Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Mackenly Randolph (Chatsworth, Calif.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Kennedy Smith (Etiwanda, Calif.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Chloe Spreen (Bedford, Ind.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Kennedy Umeh (Owings Mills, Md.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Allie Ziebell (Neenah, Wis.)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Member of the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders

The NBA App will stream the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 5 on Saturday, Aug. 19.

NBA App to stream the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 5

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Miller scored 24 points and Mark Sears made seven of eight free throws over the final 1:04 to help No. 2 Alabama top Arkansas 86-83 on Saturday.
Miller delivered his second straight huge game for the Crimson Tide (25-4, 15-1 Southeastern Conference) since police alleged in courtroom testimony that he brought a gun to former teammate Darius Miles, who is charged with capital murder in a fatal shooting.
The week&rsquo;s details cast a different light on Miller&rsquo;s regular pregame introduction, which is a Tide staffer giving him a pat down. Coach Nate Oats said after the game that intro for Miller is now over.
Fellow freshman Nick Smith Jr. of Arkansas (19-10, 8-8), another potential NBA draft lottery pick who helped keep the Razorbacks in it with a late 3-pointer, scored 24 points. Davonte Davis added 21 points for Arkansas, Council scored 20, and the rest of the team combined for 18 points.
Jahvon Quinerly had 16 points and seven assists for the Tide, and Noah Clowney had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
NO. 1 HOUSTON 76, EAST CAROLINA 57
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored 22 points to help Houston clinch outright possession of the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
Tramon Mark added 20 points for the Cougars (27-2, 15-1), while J&rsquo;Wan Roberts had 17 points and 12 rebounds in Houston&rsquo;s ninth straight victory.
East Carolina (14-14, 5-10) had an energetic home crowd for the first-ever visit from a No. 1-ranked team to Minges Coliseum, as well as the program&rsquo;s first game against a top-ranked opponent in more than 31 years. But the Cougars never trailed and led for all but 56 seconds. Ezra Ausar scored 15 points to lead the Pirates.
NO. 3 KANSAS 76, WEST VIRGINIA 74
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Dajuan Harris was one point shy of a career high, scoring 17 points to help lift Kansas over West Virginia.
The Jayhawks&rsquo; stifling defense kept West Virginia from attempting a shot in the final 20 seconds. The Mountaineers&rsquo; Joe Toussaint traveled on their final possession of the game. Baskets by K.J. Adams and Kevin McCullar extended the Jayhawks&rsquo; lead to 75-68 late as they grinded out the victory.
Harris led Kansas (24-5, 12-4 Big 12) with 7-of-9 shooting from the field and had six assists and six steals.
Erik Stevenson led West Virginia (16-13, 5-11) with 23 points. Tre Mitchell scored 20, Kedrian Johnson scored 15 and Emmitt Mathews Jr. had 13.
NO. 17 INDIANA 79, NO. 5 PURDUE 71
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Hood-Schifino scored a career-high 35 points and Trey Galloway added 10 of his 13 in the second half to lead Indiana over Purdue.
The Hoosiers (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) snapped a seven-game losing streak in West Lafayette and pulled their first season sweep in this bitter rivalry since 2012-13.
Zach Edey led the Boilermakers with 26 points and 16 rebounds and Fletcher Loyer added 14 points. Purdue (24-5, 13-5) has lost three of four and blew a chance to clinch a share of the conference crown in front of its home fans, who stood outside in chilly temperatures and snaking lines for hours before tip-off.
NORTH CAROLINA 71, NO. 6 VIRGINIA 63
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Pete Nance scored 22 points to lead North Carolina past Virginia.
Nance shot 7 of 10 from the floor and was 4 of 4 from behind the arc, the most 3-pointers the fifth-year forward has made in ACC play. He added two assists and four blocks.
R.J. Davis notched the fourth double-double of his career with 16 points and 10 rebounds for North Carolina (18-11, 10-8 Atlantic Coast Conference), which got a much-needed boost to its NCAA Tournament resume with a Quadrant 1 win &mdash; the first of the season for the Tar Heels.
Jayden Gardner had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Virginia (21-6, 13-5), which lost its second in a row. Armaan Franklin added 14 points.
ARIZONA STATE 89, NO. 7 ARIZONA 88
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Desmond Cambridge Jr. hit a 60-foot shot at the buzzer and Arizona State rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Arizona.
The Wildcats (24-5, 13-5 Pac-12) built a 10-point lead midway through the second half before going more than six minutes without a field goal as Arizona State pulled ahead by one.
The Sun Devils (20-9, 11-7) went up 86-85 on Warren Washington&rsquo;s layup with just a minute left, but Pelle Larsson put Arizona back up on a layup with 29 seconds left. Arizona State&rsquo;s DJ Horne missed a jumper with 4 seconds left and the Sun Devils had a final shot after Oumar Ballo hit one of two free throws.
Catching the ball with 2.4 seconds left, Cambridge launched a shot from beyond half-court to finish with 19 points and give the Sun Devils a big boost in their bid to make the NCAA Tournament.
NO. 9 BAYLOR 81, NO. 8 TEXAS 72
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Jalen Bridges had 17 points for ninth-ranked Baylor, which overcame a huge deficit with an impressive run right after freshman standout Keyonte George left injured early and beat Big 12 co-leader Texas.
Adam Flagler had 14 points for the Bears (21-8, 10-6). Dale Bonner added 13 points, including seven in an quick spurt after halftime while Flo Thamba had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Dylan Disu had a season-high 24 points for Texas (22-7, 11-5), which twice got even early in the second half but never could regain the lead.
NO. 10 MARQUETTE 90, DEPAUL 84
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Kam Jones and Tyler Kolek each scored 22 points while helping Marquette clinch a share of its first Big East regular-season championship in a decade.
Kolek also had 14 assists as Marquette (23-6, 15-3) rolled to a 49-28 halftime lead and hung on after DePaul (9-20, 3-15) got close down the stretch. Marquette has won nine of its last 10, while DePaul has lost 10 straight.
This is Marquette&rsquo;s first conference title in 2013, when the Golden Eagles shared the Big East crown with Georgetown and eventual national champion Louisville.
Umoja Gibson led DePaul with 20 points and eight assists. Nick Ongenda added 16 points and 12 rebounds.
NO. 11 TENNESSEE 85, SOUTH CAROLINA 45
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Josiah-Jordan James came back from missing four games with an injury to score 18 points to lead Tennessee to a rout of South Carolina.
James, who suffered an ankle injury against Vanderbilt on Feb. 8, shot 4 of 7 on 3-pointers for the Volunteers (21-8, 10-6 Southeastern Conference). Jahmai Mashack scored 14 points, Zakai Zeigler had 13 points and 11 assists, and Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic scored 10 each.
Hayden Brown led the Gamecocks (10-19, 3-13) with 18 points.
NO. 12 GONZAGA 77, NO. 15 SAINT MARY&rsquo;S 68
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 19 points and Gonzaga earned a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title with a win over Saint Mary&rsquo;s.
Anton Watson had 17 points and Malachi Smith added 13 off the bench for the Bulldogs, who have won or shared the conference title in 11 straight seasons. Gonzaga (25-5, 14-2) also reached the 25-win mark for the 16th season in a row &mdash; and avenged a loss to the Gaels earlier this month in Moraga.
Logan Johnson led the Gaels (25-6, 14-2) with 27 points.
Because the teams shared the regular-season title, the WCC will use the NCAA&rsquo;s NET rankings to determine the top seed for the conference tournament.
FLORIDA STATE 85, NO. 13 MIAMI 84
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Matthew Cleveland&rsquo;s 3-pointer as time expired capped Florida State&rsquo;s comeback from a 25-point second-half deficit and a win over Miami.
Jordan Miller had given Miami the lead on a 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left. But Cleveland let fly from about 25 feet and the ball swished to give the Seminoles (9-20, 7-11 Atlantic Coast Conference) their best moment of the season.
Cleveland and Darin Green Jr. each had 20 points for Florida State, which also got 13 from Caleb Mills and 11 from Jalen Warley.
Miller led Miami (23-6, 14-5) with 21 points. Norchad Omier had 15, Isaiah Wong scored 14 and Bensley Joseph added 12 for the Hurricanes, whose seven-game winning streak and perfect home season were ended.
NO. 18 UCONN 95, ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 86
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points, Adama Sanogo added 18 points and nine rebounds, and UConn beat St. John&rsquo;s.
Andre Jackson Jr. had 15 points, Joey Calcaterra also scored 15 to lead a strong effort by Connecticut&rsquo;s bench and the resurgent Huskies (22-7, 11-7 Big East) avenged an 11-point loss to St. John&rsquo;s at home last month.
UConn won for the sixth time in seven games, closing in on a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament.
AJ Storr had 20 points and Posh Alexander added 18 for the Red Storm (17-13, 7-12), who had won three of four.
NO. 14 KANSAS STATE 73, OKLAHOMA STATE 68
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Markquis Nowell had 22 points, eight assists and four steals in Kansas State&rsquo;s third straight win, beating Oklahoma State.
Keyontae Johnson added 17 points for the Wildcats (22-7, 10-6 Big 12), who swept the regular-season series.
Kalib Boone scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half on Senior Day for Oklahoma State. Caleb Asberry scored 13 points and John-Michael Wright added 12 for the Cowboys (16-13, 7-9), who have lost four straight.
VILLANOVA 79, NO. 19 CREIGHTON 67
PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Eric Dixon scored 18 of his career-high 31 points in the first half, Cam Whitmore added 17 and Villanova defeated Creighton.
Dixon also set a career high with six 3-pointers for Villanova (15-14, 9-9 Big East), which has won five of six.
Arthur Kaluma scored 19 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner had 18 for Creighton (18-11, 12-6). The Bluejays have lost three of four following an eight-game winning streak.
NO. 22 SAN DIEGO STATE 73, NEW MEXICO 71
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) &mdash; Lamont Butler&rsquo;s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave San Diego State a win at New Mexico.
After Jaelen House&rsquo;s steal and end-to-end run for a layup with 5.6 seconds left gave New Mexico a 71-70 lead, Butler unhurriedly brought the ball up court before dropping his shot, giving him 10 points for the Aztecs (23-5, 14-2 Mountain West).
Darrion Trammell scored 18 points to lead the Aztecs. Matt Bradley added 11 as San Diego State won its sixth straight.
Jamal Mashburn Jr. finished with 20 points for New Mexico (20-9, 7-9) and House had 15.
OKLAHOMA 61, NO. 23 IOWA STATE 50
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Jacob Groves led Oklahoma with 16 points as the Sooners knocked off Iowa State.
The Sooners (14-15, 4-12 Big 12) had lost nine of their previous 11 games but erased an early 11-point deficit and seized control with a 17-2 run in the second half.
Groves shot 4 of 5 from the 3-point line. Tanner Groves added 9 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
The Cyclones (17-11, 8-8) shot just 31%. Gabe Kalscheur led Iowa State with 12 points.
NO. 24 TCU 83, TEXAS TECH 82
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) &mdash; JaKobe Coles made two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining, and TCU beat Texas Tech despite blowing a 12-point lead in the final eight minutes.
After De&rsquo;Vion Harmon&rsquo;s steal and layup put the Red Raiders in front by one with 12 seconds remaining, Coles caught a pass from Emanuel Miller in the lane and was fouled by Fardaws Aimaq going up for the shot. The Horned Frogs (19-10, 8-8 Big 12) weren&rsquo;t in the bonus.
Harmon&rsquo;s desperation 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded wasn&rsquo;t close, ending a four-game winning streak Texas Tech (16-13, 5-11).
Mike Miles Jr. scored 24 points for the Horned Frogs, who had lost five of six and were coming off a loss to No. 3 Kansas at home. Miller had 14 points and 12 rebounds for TCU.
Aimaq scored 19 points, Harmon had 18 and Kevin Obanor finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for Texas Tech.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 69, NO. 25 TEXAS A&amp;M 62
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Tolu Smith had 17 points and Shakeel Moore had 14 as Mississippi State knocked off Texas A&amp;M.
Cameron Matthews had 11 points for the Bulldogs (19-10, 7-9 Southeastern Conference), who held the Aggies to one field goal in the final 14 minutes and outscored them 34-18 during the same time period.
Wade Taylor IV led Texas A&amp;M (21-9, 13-3) with 21 points, including four 3-pointers, and Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia each had 11.

A recap of Saturday's slew of action in top 25 NCAA men's college hoops.

Miller has another big game as No. 2 Alabama tops Arkansas

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; D&rsquo;Andre Gholston hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Missouri a stunning 86-85 victory over No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night.
With 4.2 seconds left in the game and the Volunteers (19-6, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) leading 85-83, Santiago Vescovi missed a free throw. His second attempt was waived off when Tobe Awaka committed a lane violation, setting up a final chance for the Tigers (19-6, 7-5).
Gholston took the inbounds and dribbled up the court before taking an off-balance contested 3-pointer from about 30 feet that swished through the net at the buzzer for the win. He was mobbed by his teammates after hitting the shot.
Tennessee came back from a 17-point deficit early in the second half and led the last 7:11 of the game.
NO. 3 ALABAMA 77, AUBURN 69
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Rylan Griffen scored 16 points, Mark Sears added 15 and Alabama held off a big challenge from its in-state rival Auburn.
The Crimson Tide (22-3, 12-0 Southeastern Conference) remained the only Power 5 team without a league loss. Sears and Griffen helped Alabama overcome an off shooting performance from star Brandon Miller, who had 13 points but missed all seven 3-point attempts.
Wendell Green Jr. had 16 of his 24 points in the second half for Auburn (17-8, 7-5).
STANFORD 88, NO. 4 ARIZONA 79
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Spencer Jones scored all 18 of his points in the second half for Stanford and played a key role in neutralizing Pac-12 leading scorer Azuolas Tubelis, as the Cardinal stunned Arizona.
Stanford (11-14, 5-9 Pac-12) beat a ranked team for the first time this year and a top-five team for the second time in two seasons. Arizona (22-4, 11-4), hoping to stay a half-game behind UCLA for the conference lead, had a seven-game win snapped.
Courtney Ramey scored a season- and game-high 26 points for Arizona. Tubelis was held to four points and did not have any rebounds.
Stanford&rsquo;s Michael O&rsquo;Connell scored a team-high 22 points, helping the Cardinal outshoot the Wildcats 61% to 46% from the field.
NO. 5 TEXAS 94, WEST VIRGINIA 60
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Sir&rsquo;Jabri Rice scored 24 points in just 17 minutes in Texas&rsquo; win over West Virginia.
Texas (20-5) remained in first place in the Big 12 at 9-3, while West Virginia (15-10, 4-8) lost for the sixth time in its last seven games against the Longhorns.
Rice, a guard who transferred this season from New Mexico State, was nearly perfect. He converted 5 of 6 field-goal attempts, including 4 of 5 3-pointers and all 10 free throws.
Emmitt Matthews led West Virginia with 13 points.
NO. 8 VIRGINIA 69, DUKE 62, OT
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Armaan Franklin scored 23 points, including a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left, to lift Virginia over Duke in overtime.
Kihie Clark added 16 points and Ben Vander Plas 13 for the Cavaliers (19-4, 11-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won despite a 9 for 22 performance from the free-throw line.
Duke (17-8, 8-6) seemed poised to win when Kyle Filipowski drove on the final play of regulation and two defenders contested his shot. The officials initially whistled a foul, but waved it off after a lengthy review. Jeremy Roach led the Blue Devils with 16 points.
NO. 9 KANSAS 78, OKLAHOMA 55
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Wilson scored 18 points, and Kansas rolled past Oklahoma.
Wilson, who entered the day leading the Big 12 with nearly 21 points per game, bounced back from a two-point outing against Texas on Monday.
Dajuan Harris scored 16 points and Kevin McCullar added 13 for the Jayhawks (20-5, 8-4 Big 12).
Jalen Hill scored 14 points and Otega Oweh added 11 for the Oklahoma (12-13, 2-10). Grant Sherfield, who leads the Sooners with nearly 17 points per game, was held to 10 on 4-for-14 shooting.
NO. 10 MARQUETTE 89, GEORGETOWN 75
WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Kam Jones, Oso Ighodaro and Tyler Kolek each scored 14 points to lead a balanced scoring attack for Marquette in its win over Georgetown.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 11 points and Chase Ross added 10 for Marquette (20-6, 12-3 Big East), which moved into first place in the conference.
Jay Heath scored 18 points to lead last-place Georgetown (6-20, 1-14), which has lost five straight after ending their league record 29-game conference losing streak on Jan. 24.
OKLAHOMA ST 64, NO. 11 IOWA ST 56
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; John-Michael Wright scored 19 points and Oklahoma State rallied past Iowa State.
The loss was the Cyclones&rsquo; fourth in five games.
Bryce Thompson added 12 points for the Cowboys (16-9, 7-5 Big 12) in their fifth straight win.
Aljaz Kunc scored 13 for Iowa State (16-8, 7-5).
TEXAS TECH 71, NO. 12 KANSAS STATE 63
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) &mdash;De&rsquo;Vion Harmon scored 20 points, including a crucial driving basket in the final minute, as Texas Tech upended Kansas State.
The Red Raiders (13-12, 2-10 Big 12) held the Wildcats to two field goals in the game&rsquo;s final four minutes.
Kansas State (19-6, 7-5) edged as close as one point throughout the second half, but Tech answered with key baskets to maintain the lead. The Wildcats were led by Markquis Nowell&rsquo;s 18 points. Desi Sills added 12 points.
NO. 14 BAYLOR 72, NO. 17 TCU 68
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; Adam Flagler scored 28 points, with 16 in a row for Baylor during the stretch when the Bears overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half and then held on to beat TCU.
LJ Cryer had 23 points for the Bears (19-6, 8-4 Big 12), who on Jan. 4 at home against TCU blew a 17-point lead in an 88-87 loss. They have won nine of their last 10 games.
Damion Baugh had 16 points and 10 assist for TCU (17-8, 6-6).
NO. 15 SAINT MARY&rsquo;S 81, PORTLAND 64
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Logan Johnson had 34 points, six rebounds and six assists as Saint Mary&rsquo;s handled Portland on the road.
Alex Ducas added 18 points and six rebounds for the Gaels (22-5, 11-1 West Coast Conference) and Aidan Mahaney contributed 10 points and five assists.
Kristian Sjolund led the Pilots (13-15, 5-8) with 12 points, and Juan Gorosito and Tyler Robinson each added 10 points.
NO. 18 INDIANA 62, MICHIGAN 61
Trayce Jackson-Davis had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 21 points and Indiana held on for a win over Michigan.
Freshman Jett Howard was short on a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, leaving the Wolverines without a point for the final 5:12.
The Hoosiers (18-7, 9-5 Big Ten) trailed by 11 in the first half and for much of the second, but went ahead for good with 2:58 left when Hood-Schifino made two free throws for their last points.
Michigan (14-11, 8-6) fell to 0-4 against teams in the AP Top 25, losing each game by five or fewer points.
Hunter Dickinson scored 16 points, Kobe Bufkin had 14 points and Howard added 12 for the Wolverines.
NO. 19 MIAMI 93, LOUISVILLE 85
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Nijel Pack scored 22 points in Miami&rsquo;s win over Louisville.
Five days following its dominant 22-point home win over Duke, Miami (20-5, 11-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) could not shake off the conference&rsquo;s last-place team until Pack&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 2:44 remaining made it 82-72. Pack shot 8 of 14, including 4 of 9 on 3-pointers.
Isaiah Wong and Norchad Omier finished with 21 points each and Jordan Miller added 10 for the Hurricanes, who are 14-0 at home.
El Ellis scored a career-high 33 points and had five assists while Jae&rsquo;Lyn Withers finished with 18 for the Cardinals (3-22, 1-13).
ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 73, NO. 20 PROVIDENCE 68
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; David Jones scored 16 points and AJ Storr added 15 for St. John&rsquo;s, which beat Providence.
Joel Soriano had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Red Storm (15-11, 5-10 Big East).
Bryce Hopkins equaled a career best with 29 points for the Friars (18-7, 10-4).
NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 92, BOSTON COLLEGE 62
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jarkel Joiner scored 26 points and D.J. Burns Jr. added 18 with 10 rebounds to lead North Carolina State over Boston College.
Terquavion Smith scored 17 points for the Wolfpack (20-6, 10-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), giving him 1,000 points for his career.
Quinten Post scored 20 points for Boston College (12-14, 6-9).
NO. 23 CREIGHTON 56, NO. 21 UCONN 53
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Trey Alexander scored 17 points to lead Creighton past UConn after the Huskies had what would have been a tying 3-pointer erased on video review in the final seconds.
Creighton (17-8, 11-3) is a half-game behind Big East-leading Marquette with its eighth straight win. The Huskies (19-7, 8-7) lost for the first time in four games.
Adama Sanogo had 17 points and 10 rebounds for UConn.
ILLINOIS 69, NO. 24 RUTGERS 60
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Coleman Hawkins scored 18 points and Illinois held Rutgers scoreless for more than 10 minutes in the second half to rally for the win.
Illinois (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten) trailed 47-41 with 14 1/2 minutes left before Hawkins&rsquo; 3-pointer started a 19-0 run. Hawkins hit four consecutive shots &mdash; including a 3 &mdash; and gave the Illini the lead for good at 48-47.
Rutgers (16-9, 8-6) missed 15 straight shots during its drought.
NO. 25 SAN DIEGO STATE 82, UNLV 71
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Adam Seiko scored all 18 points on 3-pointers and Matt Bradley added 17 points for San Diego, the Mountain West Conference front-runner that beat UNLV for its third straight win and seventh in eight games.
The Aztecs (20-5, 11-2 MWC) buried the Runnin&rsquo; Rebels in a blizzard of 3-pointers and slam dunks, including during a 14-0 run midway through the first half, to sweep the season series and top UNLV the fifth straight time. Keshad Johnson scored 11 of his 14 points in the game&rsquo;s first 6 1/2 minutes and Nathan Mensah had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Elijah Harkless scored 24 for UNLV (16-9, 5-8) before fouling out with 2:05 to go. Keshon Gilbert added 19 for the Runnin&rsquo; Rebels, who didn&rsquo;t get their first assist until two minutes into the second half.

A recap of Saturday's action in men's college hoops includes numerous upsets in the top-15.

Three-pointer at buzzer lifts Missouri over No. 6 Tennessee

"We're a championship team."
That's what Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said, as <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2023/02/03/nuggets-jamal-murray-championship-team/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part of a larger answer</a> about the team's prospects after Thursday night's 134-117 win over the Golden State Warriors. Murray was a big part of the win, scoring 33 points (9-of-12 from two, 3-of-11 from three), dishing out 8 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds in a little over 30 minutes.
"All that stuff, not being happy, has gotta go out the window or else we&rsquo;re not going to win," Murray said. "It&rsquo;s nice to have a coach that knows that and knows what we&rsquo;re trying to accomplish.&rdquo;
There are a couple of ways to decipher the rest of Murray's words. You can take the "duh" approach and leave it there. Any team with title aspirations &mdash; and the Nuggets, headlined by MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic while boasting the West's best record, certainly fit the bill &mdash; needs buy-in. Beyond the Xs and Os and rotation decisions, a head coach's primary responsibility is to get buy-in from its players.&nbsp;
Michael Malone has appeared to get that for the most part. You can see that most blatantly with the Nuggets' defensive performance. Per Cleaning The Glass, they're up to 16th in defensive rating on the year, excluding garbage time. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-examining-the-denver-nuggets-poor-defense-nikola-jokic-michael-malone-bruce-brown-michael-porter-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In early December</a>, I wrote about how pourous their then-ranked 27th defense was; Coach Malone seemingly lamented it every other game.
If you read a little deeper into Murray's reminder for connectivity, you could interpret it as a message to second-year guard Bones Hyland.
Hyland didn't appear in Thursday night's game. He only played four minutes in Tuesday's win over (what's left of) the New Orleans Pelicans. In fact, here is Hyland's minute count over the Nuggets' past 10 games: 8, 15, 18, 8, 11, 0 (inactive), 24, 21, 4, 0 (DNP).
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There have been reports of Hyland and Malone not seeing eye-to-eye. It would make sense; young players &mdash; especially young guards &mdash; have to do a lot to earn Malone's trust on both ends of the floor.
Hyland is a microwave scorer, unafraid to pull from 30 feet if he's feeling it. He's drained nearly 38% of his threes on high volume (5.7 attempts in 19.5 minutes) this season. He's also, at this stage of his career, a harmful defender due to his off-ball awareness and shaky screen navigation. Those are hard sells for Malone fundamentally, even while acknowledging how talented Hyland is.
But with the relationship appearing to deteriorate, trade rumors have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-bones-hyland-is-one-of-the-most-likely-players-to-be-dealt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to swirl</a>. Most recently, ESPN's Tim MacMahon essentially called a Hyland trade an inevitability. Brian Windhorst didn't go that far, but it seems the writing is on the wall in Denver.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&ldquo;Bones Hyland is getting traded. It&rsquo;s a matter of where and for what.&rdquo; (via <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn_macmahon</a>) <a href="https://t.co/JlUJQI7YnW">pic.twitter.com/JlUJQI7YnW</a>
&mdash; The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) <a href="https://twitter.com/_TradeDeadline/status/1621550941500473348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Beyond the intrigue of the Nuggets potentially moving Hyland this early, figuring out who they'd actually pursue is also challenging.
It's easy to look at the roster and pinpoint&nbsp;what&nbsp;they should pursue. Finding a bigger, more reliable two-way presence on the perimeter would be at the top of the list. As it stands, rookies Christian Braun and Peyton Watson are the only "3s" between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-8 on the roster. Braun has been in and out of the rotation this season despite his positive flashes, and we've seen virtually nothing from Watson.
If they land on another guard to directly replace Hyland, that player would need to hold their own defensively &mdash; and likely be capable of punching above their weight &mdash; while being able to toggle between on and off-ball duties. Murray has been commanding the second unit when staggered away from Jokic; ideally, you'd want to take some of that creation burden off of him.
The "who" of it is what makes this tough. Hyland isn't just a young trade chip &mdash; he might be the&nbsp;trade chip for the Nuggets considering their first-round pick situation. <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Nuggets.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Due to prior trades</a>, the earliest available first-rounder they can move <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/2023/1/10/23547887/the-denver-nuggets-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is their 2029 first</a>. Cashing in Hyland for a veteran could still be the move, but it'd be beneficial to add a vet who could move the needle this year and&nbsp;next year, at the very least.
No team wants to "lose" a deal obviously, but there's heightened importance in nailing a trade involving Hyland because of it.
For that reason, I'd imagine the first call would be to the Chicago Bulls. Alex Caruso doesn't fit the wing-with-size archetype, but he doubles as one of the NBA's stingiest and most versatile perimeter defenders. He is one of the best screen navigators in the sport, possesses quick hands that allow him to pester ball-handlers and restrict passing lanes and has the strength and guile to defend bigger wings or forwards when called upon.
A fun stat, per Second Spectrum: Over the past two seasons, possessions featuring a post-up defended by Caruso have garnered just 0.82 points per possession (PPP). Among the 114 players who have defended at least 75 post-ups in that time frame, that mark ranks 11th. Players ahead of him include Pascal Siakam (0.74 PPP), Draymond Green (0.75 PPP), PJ Tucker (0.76 PPP), Onyeka Okongwu (0.78 PPP) and Jayson Tatum (0.8 PPP).
Any questions concerning Caruso come on the offensive end of the floor. He's currently shooting 40.2% from deep, but is only attempting 4.3 threes per 100 possessions, the second-lowest clip of his career. Because of his infrequent trigger &mdash; with more infuriating catch-and-holds sprinkled in this season &mdash; defenses are okay defending him conservatively on the perimeter.&nbsp;
Caruso remains a smart cutter and a tough-as-nails screener, making him an ideal partner for Nikola Jokic whenever they play together. His cross screens consistently help Nikola Vucevic establish deep post position; it's easy to see him doing the same for Jokic. There's also room for him to act as a brush screener whenever the Nuggets want to utilize Jokic as the pick-and-roll ball handler.
Per <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-nba-trade-winds?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=99187151&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein of Substack ($)</a>, the Bulls reportedly want two first-round picks in a deal for Caruso. Would the Bulls consider Hyland as a first-rounder, and would the 2029 first the Nuggets could actually offer be enough to entice them? If so, Hyland, Jeff Green, Ish Smith and the 2029 first is a package that could get the ball rolling.
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(There would be haggling, of course. The Nuggets would rather add second-rounders &mdash; they have six, including two this year. If they do include the first-rounder, I'm sure they'd ask for protections &mdash; or explore what it would take to get the Bulls to include Andre Drummond in the deal as well. In short, there are conversations to be had here.)
If not the Bulls, the Nuggets should check in with the Washington Wizards again. They just did business over the summer with the wing room; why not see if they could pry Delon Wright out of there? It would take one of Green or Smith along with Hyland for salary-matching purposes. Because of the age gap and team control aspect, the Nuggets may be able to ask for minor draft compensation.
Among available forwards, I wonder if they'd call the Phoenix Suns and check in on Jae Crowder. Because of Crowder's contract status &mdash; he's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer &mdash; the Nuggets likely wouldn't have to think about including a future first. The Hyland-Green-Smith triumvirate would work salary-wise for Crowder and a minimum piece (maybe Jock Landale or Josh Okogie).
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>If the San Antonio Spurs didn't already have multiple guards they're somewhat invested in, a Hyland-led package for Josh Richardson would be something worth exploring.</li>
<li>Same guard-heavy issue with the Utah Jazz, otherwise a Jarrod Vanderbilt deal would be at the top of the list for me.</li>
<li>The Sacramento Kings and Warriors have reportedly been linked to Matisse Thybulle. The Nuggets have the offensive infrastructure to slot Thybulle in as a cutter and occasional screener. How would we feel about a Hyland/Green for Thybulle/Shake Milton swap? Feels like a third team would be needed to balance things further for the Sixers, but I'd be intrigued.</li>
<li>Hyland for Cam Reddish is the "Man, everybody would hate this" trade that I can't push in good faith.</li>
</ul>

The Denver Nuggets may be on the verge of trading Bones Hyland. Nekias Duncan explores which landing spots make sense for Hyland.

Exploring possible trade destinations for Nuggets' Bones Hyland

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray is locked in right now &mdash; with his shot, with his swagger and especially with his confidence in his team.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to play basketball,&rdquo; the Denver point guard said. &ldquo;But we still have room to improve. We&rsquo;re not satisfied with where we&rsquo;re at.&rdquo;
Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic got his 16th triple-double of the season and the Western Conference-leading Nuggets held off the reeling New Orleans Pelicans 122-113 on Tuesday night.
Murray made a season-high seven 3-pointers to give him 771 for his career and move him past J.R. Smith for second place on the franchise list. He&rsquo;s just 33 away from matching Will Barton for the top spot.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll get that in three games,&rdquo; cracked Murray.
See, swagger.
His smooth jumper was so in rhythm early in the game Tuesday that Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn&rsquo;t want to take him out. Malone didn&rsquo;t, either, until later than usual.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be the guy that puts the fire out,&rdquo; said Malone, whose team trailed by 12 in the second quarter before closing the gap to 60-57 at halftime and taking control in the third. &ldquo;Jamal was really, really good in all areas of the game tonight.&rdquo;
Ditto for Jokic, who finished with 26 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists as the Nuggets improved to 16-0 when he has a triple-double.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy as long as we are winning games and the players are happy around me,&rdquo; Jokic said.
CJ McCollum and Herbert Jones both scored 21 points for the Pelicans, who have dropped nine straight games. They finished 3-13 in January.
Part of the reason for the slide has been the absence of standout Zion Williamson, who has missed 15 games in a row with a hamstring injury.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to keep our heads down and keep working,&rdquo; coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to win in the NBA. We&rsquo;re seeing that. There was some beauty in what I saw tonight. ... We&rsquo;re right there, but we have to sustain it for 48 minutes.&rdquo;
The Nuggets led by 13 early in the fourth quarter only to see the Pelicans cut it to five on several occasions, including a layup by Jones with less than a minute remaining. Murray and Jokic each converted a pair of free throws down the stretch to help Denver fend off New Orleans and move to 23-4 at home.
Jokic, who&rsquo;s been dealing with tightness in his left hamstring, had another efficient shooting performance in going 10 of 14 from the floor. It was the 92nd triple-double of his career.
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&ldquo;He was pretty dominant across the board,&rdquo; Green said.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Williamson is steadily progressing from a strained hamstring, according to Green. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something we don&rsquo;t want to rush, but we&rsquo;re definitely excited to see him on the floor,&rdquo; he said. ... Brandon Ingram finished with 16 points and nine assists. ... Larry Nance Jr. scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Nuggets: Rookie guard Collin Gillespie (broken right leg) has been cleared for shooting and light running. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not putting any pressure or a rush on him,&rdquo; Malone said. ... Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon each had 15 points.
TRADE TALK
Nuggets guard Bones Hyland was limited to 4:43 and scored two points. His name has been mentioned in trade speculation.
Asked where he stands with Hyland, Malone responded: &ldquo;I stand with Bones. Bones is on our team.&rdquo;
RISING STARS
Hyland was selected to the NBA&rsquo;s Jordan Rising Stars Challenge. So were Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and forward Trey Murphy III. The mini-tournament will take place on Feb. 17 in Salt Lake City as part of All-Star weekend.
</div>

Jamal Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic got his 16th triple-double of the season and the Nuggets held off the Pelicans 122-113.

Murray, Jokic help Nuggets hold off Pelicans 122-113

The NBA announced the 28 players who have earned spots in the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars Games, which will take place on Feb. 17 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City as part of NBA All-Star Weekend.
The annual showcase of premier young talent features a mini-tournament with four teams and three games that will air live at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
The player pool consists of 11 NBA rookies, 10 NBA sophomores and seven NBA G League players. The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, will be drafted onto three teams consisting of seven players. The seven NBA G League players, selected by the league office, will comprise the fourth team.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/2023-jordan-rising-stars-player-pool.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="450" />
Four NBA legends will serve as honorary head coaches for the Jordan Rising Stars Games: six-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol, two-time NBA All-Star and 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah, 2008-09 NBA Sixth Man of the Year and 2011 NBA champion Jason Terry and three-time NBA All-Star Deron Williams.
Gasol (Team Pau), Noah (Team Joakim) and Williams (Team Deron) will select their teams through the NBA Rising Stars Draft, which will be held at a later date. Terry (Team Jason), a current Jazz assistant coach and a former head coach of the NBA G League&rsquo;s Grand Rapids Gold, will coach the team of NBA G League players.
All three Jordan Rising Stars games will be played to a Final Target Score, meaning that each game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of with the clock running out. The semifinal games will be played to a Final Target Score of 40. The final game will be played to a Final Target Score of 25.
Team A will face Team B in the first semifinal (Game 1), and Team C will play Team D in the second semifinal (Game 2). The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the final (Game 3).
In selecting the NBA players for the Jordan Rising Stars Games, each NBA team submitted one ballot per coaching staff. Each coaching staff selected four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players at either position, in order of preference, for the rookie ballot and the sophomore ballot. Coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team.
The NBA participants for Jordan Rising Stars were determined by the total points each player received from the ballots. Points were awarded based on where a player was ranked on each ballot. The player pool includes an additional rookie based on the ballot results.
Assistant coaches from the NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs will join the NBA legends in coaching the Jordan Rising Stars teams. The Boston Celtics&rsquo; coaching staff will lead Team Giannis in the NBA All-Star Game, while Team LeBron&rsquo;s coaching staff has yet to be determined.&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 28 rookies, sophomores and G Leaguers who have earned spots in the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars Games.

NBA announces 28 players selected for 2023 Jordan Rising Stars Games

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Grant Sherfield scored a season-high 30 points, and Oklahoma beat No. 2 Alabama 93-69 on Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge to end the Crimson Tide&rsquo;s nine-win streak.
Jalen Hill added a career-high 26 points, helping second-year Oklahoma coach Porter Moser to his biggest win with the program. Tanner Groves had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The Sooners (12-9) had lost three straight, but against the Crimson Tide shot 58% from the field.
Rylan Griffen led Alabama (18-3) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Brandon Miller, who came in averaging 19.5 points per game, finished with 11.
NO. 3 HOUSTON 75, CINCINNATI 69
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Jarace Walker had a career-high 25 points and seven rebounds, and Houston rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Cincinnati.
Walker, who scored 13 points in the second half, was 10 of 14 from the field. J&rsquo;Wan Roberts added 14 points and six rebounds, and Jamal Shead scored 13 points for Houston (20-2, 8-1 American Athletic Conference).
Houston has won at least 20 games in eight straight seasons under coach Kelvin Sampson.
Landers Nolley II had 24 points, including 6 3-pointers. Vicktor Lakhin added 15 points, and David DeJulius had 14 points and nine assists for Cincinnati (14-8, 5-4).&nbsp;
NO. 4 TENNESSEE 82, NO. 10 TEXAS 71
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Olivier Nkamhoua scored 27 points and Zakai Zeigler had 22 points and 10 assists to lead Tennessee over Texas in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Josiah-Jordan James added 14 and Santiago Vescovi had 12 for Tennessee (18-3), which led by as many as 22 midway through the second half.
Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice scored 21 to lead Texas (17-4). Marcus Carr and Brock Cunningham finished with 11 each.
NO. 5 KANSAS STATE 64, FLORIDA 50
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Keyontae Johnson had 13 points and 11 rebounds against his former team, Markquis Nowell flirted with the first triple-double in Kanas State history, and the Wildcats beat Florida in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Nowell finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Nae&rsquo;Qwan Tomlin also had 11 points. The Wildcats improved to 18-3 to match the 1972-73 team for the best start through 21 games in school history.
Johnson struggled from the field, going just 5 of 16 and even getting stuffed by the front of the rim during a windmill dunk on a second-half fast break. But it was nevertheless a special night for the senior forward, who collapsed on the Gators&rsquo; sideline due to a heart condition during a game against Florida State just over two years ago.
Colin Castleton scored 13 points for the Gators (12-9). Myreon Jones and Will Richard had 11 apiece.
NO. 6 ARIZONA 95, WASHINGTON 72
SEATTLE (AP) &mdash; Azuolas Tubelis had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Oumar Ballo added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Arizona used a big second-half run to pull away to win its fourth straight.
Tubelis topped 20 points for the first time in five games and his rebound putback while being fouled with 4:29 remaining gave the Wildcats a 78-63 lead and sent Washington fans headed for the exits.
Kerr Kriisa added 18 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Courtney Ramey scored 14 for the Wildcats (19-3, 8-3 Pac-12).
Keion Brooks Jr. led Washington with 25 points and Keyon Menifield added 21. But the Huskies (13-10, 5-7) suffered from too many scoring droughts and didn&rsquo;t have an answer for Arizona&rsquo;s 19-1 run in the early stages of the second half.
NO. 7 VIRGINIA 76, BOSTON COLLEGE 57
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Armaan Franklin and Jayden Gardner scored 18 points each and Virginia used a big first-half run to take control over Boston College for its sixth straight victory.
The Cavaliers (16-3, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 18-15 before starting an 18-4 run over the next 11 minutes. Virginia put the game away with a 16-4 second-half spurt.
Quinten Post scored 24 to lead the Eagles (10-12, 4-7) and Makai Ashton-Langford added 12 points.
Virginia&rsquo;s Isaac McKneely finished with 12 points and Reece Beekman had 11 and eight assists.
NO. 9 KANSAS 77, KENTUCKY 68
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Wilson scored 22 points, including one in a series of huge 3-pointers down the stretch, and Kansas avoided its first four-game losing streak under coach Bill Self.
Wilson made 9 of 18 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds for Kansas (17-4), which finished even with Kentucky at 49% shooting. K.J. Adams Jr. added 17 points, Dick had 13 and McCullar 11 with 12 rebounds as the Jayhawks edged Kentucky 34-29 on the glass.
Oscar Tshiebwe had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Jacob Toppin and Cason Wallace each added 14 for Kentucky (14-7), which had won its previous four.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 81, NO. 11 TCU 74, OT
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Tolu Smith had 27 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to lead Mississippi State to an overtime victory.
Dashawn Davis added 16 points to help Mississippi State (13-8) snap a five-game losing streak. Shakeel Moore had 11, including six in overtime, while Cameron Matthews had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Tyler Stevenson also added 10 points off the Bulldogs&rsquo; bench.
Damion Baugh led TCU (16-5) with 19 points and Emanuel Miller had 13. Shahada Wells and Jakobe Coles each had 12 for the Horned Frogs and Chuck O&rsquo;Bannon had 10.
Davis&rsquo; 3 pointer with 55 seconds left in the second half gave the Bulldogs a 66-64 advantage. Emanuel Miller scored with 32 seconds remaining and then both teams missed chances to win in regulation.
MISSOURI 78, NO. 12 IOWA STATE 61
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) &mdash; Kobe Brown scored 20 points, and D&rsquo;Moi Hodge scored 17 points to help Missouri take down Iowa State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Brown scored 14 of his points in the first half and led Missouri (16-5) with 12 rebounds. Nick Honor added 12 points and DeAndre Gholston scored 10.
Jaren Holmes led Iowa State (15-5) with 19 points, and Gabe Kalscheur added 14.
The Tigers&rsquo; 78 points were a season-high for an Iowa State opponent in regulation; the Cyclones are 0-3 this season when allowing at least 70 points in regulation.
CREIGHTON 84, NO. 13 XAVIER 67
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Arthur Kamula scored 20 points, Creighton&rsquo;s four other starters finished in double-figures and the Bluejays earned their fourth straight Big East win.
Creighton (13-8, 7-3) steadily built a double-digit lead throughout the game and made 34 of its 60 field goal attempts (56.7%) before a sold-out crowd.
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 17 points, Baylor Scheierman had 14, Trey Alexander finished with 13 and Ryan Nembhard added 11 for the Bluejays, who avenged a 90-87 loss at Xavier on Jan. 11.
Zach Freemantle led Xavier (17-5, 9-2) with 18 points, followed by Colby Jones and Adam Kunkel with 13.
NO. 14 GONZAGA 82, PORTLAND 67
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Julian Strawther had a career-high 40 points, including eight 3-pointers, and Gonzaga pulled away down the stretch for its 16th consecutive victory over Portland.
Anton Watson added 17 points for Gonzaga (18-4, 7-1 West Coast Conference).
Strawther is the first player to reach 40 points for the Zags since Kyle Wiltjer had 45 against Pacific in 2016.
Portland (11-13, 3-5) was led by Moses Wood with 19 points. Juan Sebastian Gorosito, a freshman, finished with a career-high 17 points.
WEST VIRGINIA 80, NO. 15 AUBURN 77
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) &mdash; Erik Stevenson scored a career-high 31 points and West Virginia withstood a furious late rally from Auburn to win an SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup.
The Mountaineers (13-8) have won two straight for the first time in a month. Jimmy Bell Jr. added 15 points for the Mountaineers.
Charles Barkley cheered on his alma mater from a courtside seat, but Auburn (16-5) couldn&rsquo;t overcome another slow start. The Tigers have lost two straight for the first time in two years.
Jaylin Williams led Auburn with 18 points. Johni Broome added 15 and Allen Flanigan scored 13.
NO. 16 MARQUETTE 89, DEPAUL 69
CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; David Joplin went 8 for 11 from 3-point range for a career-high 28 points, Tyler Kolek had 24 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds, and Marquette defeated DePaul.
Marquette has won eight of its last nine games, and moved into a tie with No. 13 Xavier atop the Big East.
Marquette (17-5, 9-2) pulled away in the second half. Oso Ighodaro had 10 points, making all five of his shots, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 13 and had 8 rebounds.
Umoja Gibson scored 25 points for DePaul (9-13, 3-8) on 8-of-12 shooting.
NO. 17 BAYLOR 67, ARKANSAS 64
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Keyonte George scored 24 points, including seven in a row down the stretch, and Baylor beat Arkansas in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Baylor (16-5) fell behind by as many as eight points in the second half after an early 11-point lead. But the Bears closed it out after Flo Thamba made two free throws for a 55-53 lead with 3:37 left.
LJ Cryer added 20 points and Jalen Bridges had 10 for the Bears, who won their sixth game in a row despite shooting a 34% (20 of 59) from the field. They offset the season-worst shooting from the field by making 21 of 24 free throws, including two by Cryer with 10 seconds left and two by George with 4.3 seconds remaining.
Ricky Council IV scored 25 points for Arkansas (14-7). Davonte Davis had 16 points, but missed the front end of a 1-plus-1 with 2.3 seconds left, though Joseph Pinion got the ball in the right corner only to miss wildly on a 3-pointer as time ran out.
HOFSTRA 85, NO. 18 COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 81
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aaron Estrada scored 25 points and Darlinstone Dubar added 18 as Hofstra ended College of Charleston&rsquo;s 20-game winning streak.
The Pride (15-8, 8-2 Colonial Athletic Association) were down 28-20 early before rallying past the Cougars (21-2, 9-1), who had not lost since falling to then-No. 1 North Carolina on Nov. 11.
Tyler Thomas had 17 points and eight rebounds for Hofstra.
Ante Brzovic finished with 18 points to lead Charleston.
PITTSBURGH 71, NO. 20 MIAMI 68
PITTSBURGH (AP) &mdash; Blake Hinson tipped in a Jamarius Burton miss with 31 seconds remaining and Pittsburgh rallied past Miami.
The Panthers (15-7, 8-3 ACC) held the Hurricanes (16-5, 7-4) scoreless over the final 2:26 while closing on an 11-0 run to beat a ranked team for the third time this season to bolster its increasingly impressive NCAA tournament resume.
Hinson finished with 21 points for Pitt. Burton had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Panthers stunned Miami in front of a rare sell-out crowd at the Petersen Events Center.
Jordan Miller led the Hurricanes with 18 points. Isaiah Wong added 14 but Miami committed three of its 12 turnovers in the final 35 seconds as the Panthers stormed back.
NO. 21 FAU 70, W. KENTUCKY 63
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Weatherspoon scored 14 points and Florida Atlantic remained undefeated at home.
The victory extended FAU&rsquo;s winning streak to a program-record 20 games, which is now the nation&rsquo;s longest. The Owls&rsquo; 21 victories on the season ties their Division I record set in 2010-11. Western Kentucky (11-11, 3-8 Conference USA) has lost five straight.
Alijah Martin scored eight while grabbing seven rebounds for the Owls (21-1, 11-0).
Jordan Rawls led all scorers with 17 for W. Kentucky. Dayvion McKnight and Emmanuel Akot each had 16.
NO. 22 SAINT MARY&rsquo;S (CAL) 57, BYU 56
PROVO, Utah (AP) &mdash; Logan Johnson had 14 points and freshman Aidan Mahaney scored all 10 of his points, including a fade-away jumper just before the buzzer, in the second half and Saint Mary&rsquo;s (Cal) won its 10th in a row.
Mitchell Saxen had 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks for Saint Mary&rsquo;s (19-4, 8-0 West Coast Conference). Alex Ducas scored 12 points and Augustas Marciulionis added 10.
Dallin Hall was fouled on a driving lay-up attempt with 10.2 seconds left and made 1-of-2 free throws to give BYU a 56-55 lead but Mahaney took the inbounds pass, probed the defense before he drove the lane, stopped near the right block and pivoted away from the basket before hitting the winning jumper over the out-stretched arm of defender Fousseyni Traore.
Hall scored a career-high 23 points on 9 of 14 shooting but made just 3 of 6 from the free-throw line for BYU (14-10, 4-5). Fousseyni Traore added 11 points and eight rebounds.
NO. 24 CLEMSON 82, FLORIDA STATE 81
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Chase Hunter drove the lane and drew a foul, sinking the free throw, to help Clemson escape with a win over Florida State.
Hunter Tyson scored 27 points on 10 of 17 shooting for Clemson (18-4, 10-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which halted an eight-game road losing streak to Florida State. Hunter finished with 25.
Matthew Cleveland scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half for Florida State (7-15, 5-6), which made a season-high 13 3-pointers. Caleb Mills and Darin Green Jr. each hit four 3-pointers for the Seminoles. Freshman forward Baba Miller had his best game, scoring 11 points and pulling down four rebounds in 20 minutes.

A recap of Saturday's action in men's college hoops includes five upsets in the AP top 15.

Oklahoma's rout of No. 2 Alabama one of many top-15 upsets on Saturday

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had a season-high 43 points to go with 14 rebounds and eight assists, and the Denver Nuggets overcame strong games from former teammates Will Barton and Monte Morris to beat the undermanned Washington Wizards 141-128 on Wednesday night.
Jokic shot 17 of 20 from the field, missing just one attempt from inside the 3-point line in a fast-paced game devoid of much defense.
&ldquo;I was rolling,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;Guys were finding me.&rdquo;
Bones Hyland scored 23 points and Aaron Gordon added 22. Denver shot 65% from the field and had a whopping 98 points in the paint in its third straight win.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone was &ldquo;shocked&rdquo; at all the points inside. Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. was disgusted.
&ldquo;They were just playing with a level of ease,&rdquo; he said.
Barton matched a season best with 22 points and Morris added a season-high 20 in Washington's eighth straight loss. Kyle Kuzma scored 24.
The Wizards were without their top two scorers in the opener of a six-game trip. Bradley Beal (hamstring) missed his fifth straight game and Kristaps Porzingas (back) was out after exiting early Monday against Brooklyn. Rui Hachimura (ankle) and Delon Wright (hamstring) also remained sidelined.
Barton and Morris stepped up in the first matchup since the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-washington-wizards-denver-nuggets-nba-sports-51a7cf2c9c977128b87f8423d0668d07">offseason trade</a> that sent the pair to Washington for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith.
Barton spent eight seasons in Denver and is the franchise leader in 3-pointers. Morris started 74 games last season while filling in for injured point guard Jamal Murray.
They combined for seven 3s in a first half that left Washington trailing 72-67. But without Porzingis, the Wizards had nobody to contain Jokic.
Taj Gibson started on him and got into foul trouble. Daniel Gafford then took a shot and provided little resistance. A small lineup didn't work, either.
The two-time reigning MVP scored on a post move, went coast-to-coast for a layup, then grabbed a rebound and threaded a long bounce pass to Caldwell-Pope for a bucket during a 6-0 run early in the third quarter.
Jokic later scored with his left hand in the lane, had a three-point play and converted in the post. He ended up with 15 points in the third as Denver took the lead for good.
After Washington got within five early in the fourth, Jokic returned and hit two free throws before feeding Jeff Green for a dunk as the Nuggets pulled away.
&ldquo;We were hitting him, meeting him early. He just found his spots,&rdquo; Gibson said. &ldquo;He's 7-foot. He's talented.&rdquo;
MILE HIGH RETURN
The crowd roared after the Nuggets played video tributes for Barton and Morris during the first two timeouts.
Barton said he's proud of &rdquo;laying the bricks" for a franchise that moved from the draft lottery to Western Conference contender.
&ldquo;It was a blessing to come here, making a name for myself and making a career out of this,&rdquo; Barton said. &ldquo;To show what I can do and get respect around the league, I'll never take that for granted. I cherish all the moments I had.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Wizards: Beal worked out Tuesday but is &ldquo;still not where he needs to be,&rdquo; according to Unseld. ... There's no structural damage for Porzingis, but Unseld was unsure when he'll return. ... Unseld said &ldquo;it's trending in the right direction&rdquo; that Wright will play on the trip.
Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. (heel) participated in shootaround drills but hasn't been cleared for contact. He missed his 10th straight game. ... Malone decided no one deserved the defensive player of the game chain &ldquo;because there was no defense in the game.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Nikola Jokic had a season-high 43 points to go with 14 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Washington Wizards 141-128.

Jokic scores 43 as Nuggets down ex-mates, Wizards 141-128

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Dorian Finney-Smith had someone in his ear after missing a late 3-pointer.
It was Luka Doncic and his message was straightforward: Shoot it again if the opportunity arises.
He followed Doncic's directions. He wouldn't miss.
Finney-Smith hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 17.3 seconds remaining and the Dallas Mavericks rallied after squandering a late lead to beat the Denver Nuggets 116-115 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;Him just giving me confidence, that means a lot,&rdquo; Finney-Smith said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just happy we got the win.&rdquo;
Not that it would be easy.
Nikola Jokic had a chance to tie the game with 12 seconds remaining, but missed the first of two free throws. Spencer Dinwiddie hit both free throws to help seal the win for the Mavericks.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a season-high 29 points and Doncic recorded his 52nd career triple-double with 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
The Mavericks hardly looked weary as they played the second game of a back-to-back. They beat the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns the night before.
&ldquo;A lot of great things happened,&rdquo; Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;It was a great game.&rdquo;
Aaron Gordon had 27 points, while Jokic added 19 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who dropped their third straight game on a night when they committed 17 turnovers.
&ldquo;There are no moral victories,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;I feel the guys played hard, we competed and gave ourselves a chance.&rdquo;
Dallas appeared to have the game well in hand after taking a 111-101 lead with just over 4 minutes remaining. But the Nuggets went on an 11-0 run and jumped in front on Bruce Brown's 3-pointer.
All it did was set the stage for Finney-Smith, who finished with 19 points.
The Mavericks finished 27 of 31 from the free throw line. Hardaway missed both attempts with 4.2 seconds remaining, setting up a desperation heave from Jamal Murray at the buzzer that missed the mark.
&ldquo;Would love to have had a timeout at the end of the game so we could, make-or-miss on those Hardaway free throws, could've advanced the ball and get a better, quality shot," Malone said. "That&rsquo;s on me. You can&rsquo;t beat yourself.
&ldquo;We know that they are an offensive firepower, a team that&rsquo;s loaded. They have shooting everywhere.&rdquo;
Nuggets guard Bones Hyland had a big bounce-back performance with 20 points after being benched last game for the second half. Malone said he chatted with Hyland and emphasized how big of a role he plays on the second unit.
&ldquo;They call my name and I&rsquo;m going to go out there and just do what I do," Hyland said. &ldquo;Try to put the team in the best position.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Mavericks: The Mavericks are 2-3 in the second game of a back-to-back. ... Christian Wood had 14 points.
Nuggets: F Michael Porter Jr. (heel) missed a seventh straight game. ... F Jeff Green returned after missing seven games with a knee injury. He had seven points.
DISPERSING MINUTES
Kidd was asked about social media posts and fans who wonder why younger players such as Jaden Hardy don't receive more minutes.
Simple answer: not enough to go around.
&ldquo;Maybe we should bring Luka up, and ask, does he want to play less? Or Spencer?&rdquo; Kidd explained. "You just have to be patient. I know society isn&rsquo;t patient or Twitter isn&rsquo;t patient, because they want it now &mdash; fantasy leagues and all that. My job is to put those guys in a position to be successful. Right now, we&rsquo;ve got a good thing going. ... Twitter isn&rsquo;t the coach or the player.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Milwaukee on Friday night.
Nuggets: At Portland on Thursday night.

Dorian Finney-Smith hit a go-ahead three with 17.3 seconds remaining and the Mavericks rallied after squandering a late lead.

Finney-Smith's late three helps Mavs to 116-115 win over Nuggets

For the last four years, Nikola Jokic has set a standard as the offensive fulcrum in the NBA.
The two-time Most Valuable Player led the league in touches per game from 2018-19 through 2021-22, according to data tracked by NBA Stats and Second Spectrum. He became the first player in tracking history (dating back to 2013-14) to average over 100 touches per game across an entire season in 2020-21, then did it again last year.
But for the first time in five years, Jokic isn't atop the leaderboard in that statistical category.
That spot currently belongs to Tyrese Haliburton.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The dynamic young guard is averaging 97.1 touches per contest through his first 21 games &mdash; easily a career high, and even an uptick from his two-month stretch last spring after the Indiana Pacers acquired him before the trade deadline. That mark is on pace to be the fourth-highest non-Jokic touch diet recorded in 10 years of tracking.&nbsp;
At just 22 years old, Haliburton has rapidly ascended to his current status as the NBA's assist leader and one of its premier orchestrators. Just look at the latest history he made:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tyrese Haliburton has posted 40 assists and zero turnovers across his last three games 🔥 Per NBA Stats, he&rsquo;s the first player to do that in a three-game span since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/3EKLBYNd73">pic.twitter.com/3EKLBYNd73</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1597745470264131589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
&ldquo;I want to be a 20-and-10 guy and I want to be an All-Star,&rdquo; Haliburton <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-interview-tyrese-haliburton-indiana-pacers-chad-buchanan-bennedict-mathurin-myles-turner-sacramento-kings-domantas-sabonis-trade-drew-hanlen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told our Alex Kennedy before the season</a>.
So far, he's on track, posting 19.3 points and 11.2 assists per game, even after a dud outing against his former Sacramento Kings team. Many people, myself included, expected Haliburton to stuff the stat sheet this year on a bad Pacers team destined for the NBA Draft lottery.
Except... the Pacers haven't been bad. They're 12-9 and fourth in a crowded middle pack of the Eastern Conference. In that time, Haliburton has been the clear best high-volume passer in the league.&nbsp;
Seriously, pick a site and pick a stat. Haliburton is responsible for 51.3% of his team's assists, the best mark in the NBA, and his 1.76 assist-to-usage rate is also tops in the league, per Cleaning the Glass. He passes the ball more than anyone else (76.2 times per game) and 18.3% of those passes turn into assists or free throws (ranked 7th), according to Second Spectrum.&nbsp;
BBall Index has 11 listed metrics for playmaking traits; Haliburton is in the 98th percentile or higher in 10 of them. But I'd like to specifically highlight his 11.7 "high value assists" per 75 possessions, which track his rate of creation for three-point, at-rim and free-throw assists.
Haliburton leads the NBA by a significant margin with 4.76 three-point assists per game. His instinctual processing is otherworldly, as he'll show us:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tyrese Haliburton takes us inside the mind of the <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nba</a>&rsquo;s assists leader, sharing his thought process during the final play of last night's game when he found Andrew Nembhard for the game-winning three. <a href="https://t.co/u6D1McSmqD">pic.twitter.com/u6D1McSmqD</a>
&mdash; Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1597663024386801666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The most popular assist combination in the league, according to PBP Stats, is Haliburton setting up Buddy Hield. He's done it 61 times; no other player has connected with a teammate more than 50 times this season. Haliburton also has another, quieter frequent-assist partner: Jalen Smith, who's been the beneficiary 44 times this season (seventh-most in the NBA).&nbsp;
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Haliburton recognizes that defenses don't fully respect Smith as a perimeter shooter yet. But the combo guard is still happy to hit up his teammate for an open shot, and Smith has lately been knocking them down as a trailing or spot-up shooter. Then Haliburton also capitalizes with his ball-screen savvy, drawing in defenders to hit Smith as the roller or as a separate cutter.&nbsp;
These dishes might not always seem flashy, but they reinforce two key developments: Haliburton's overall pristine court awareness, and his growing gravity as an individual scorer. Here's a snapshot of his presence at the rim in his career, per Cleaning the Glass:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 15.6944%; height: 44px;">Season</td>
<td style="width: 13.9972%; height: 44px;">% of FGA At Rim</td>
<td style="width: 23.3968%; height: 44px;">% of Rim FGM That Were Assisted</td>
<td style="width: 19.6108%; height: 44px;">At-Rim FG%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.6944%; height: 22px;">2020-21</td>
<td style="width: 13.9972%; height: 22px;">16%</td>
<td style="width: 23.3968%; height: 22px;">40%</td>
<td style="width: 19.6108%; height: 22px;">67%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.6944%; height: 22px;">2021-22 (SAC)</td>
<td style="width: 13.9972%; height: 22px;">15%</td>
<td style="width: 23.3968%; height: 22px;">28%</td>
<td style="width: 19.6108%; height: 22px;">64%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.6944%; height: 22px;">2021-22 (IND)</td>
<td style="width: 13.9972%; height: 22px;">22%</td>
<td style="width: 23.3968%; height: 22px;">49%</td>
<td style="width: 19.6108%; height: 22px;">64%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 15.6944%; height: 22px;">2022-23</td>
<td style="width: 13.9972%; height: 22px;">30%</td>
<td style="width: 23.3968%; height: 22px;">18%</td>
<td style="width: 19.6108%; height: 22px;">67%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Haliburton is getting to the cup more than ever and doing some serious heavy lifting by himself to create those shots. Yet, he's experienced no falloff in efficiency whatsoever.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/sfpg1h" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
I mean &mdash; this just looks so easy! Haliburton is changing directions quickly into mismatches, getting low and turning corners with purpose, using changes in stride to decelerate, finishing off buckets with his length and touch, and, in the last clip, just making defenders look downright silly. He was not supposed to have this in his bag coming out of Iowa State. He just makes attacking with the basketball look effortless.
Haliburton is scoring on 51.7% of his driving field goal attempts; that's not a world-beating rate, but it's very good for his volume, and it sufficiently threatens opponents. This means more defenders stay focused on Haliburton, resulting in more passing lanes appearing on his internal radar.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
This glosses over Haliburton's perimeter shot-making, which has started cold, but is a hallmark of his game. The third-year guard has canned just 34.0% of his catch-and-shoot treys while keeping a better, 38.0% clip on pull-ups. The catch-and-shoot numbers are bound to improve; he's been over 43% in each of his prior two years and has a long track record of shooting prowess.&nbsp;
Revisiting Kennedy's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-interview-tyrese-haliburton-indiana-pacers-chad-buchanan-bennedict-mathurin-myles-turner-sacramento-kings-domantas-sabonis-trade-drew-hanlen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summer feature</a>, Haliburton said that becoming an imposing scorer would allow both himself and his teammates to prosper:
"I think being more aggressive as a scorer will allow me to also open up more things as a facilitator; I think it boosts both things for me... [I&rsquo;ll] still be facilitating, but I&rsquo;ll also be looking for my own [shot], and that's gonna help everybody at the end of the day," Haliburton said.
It is remarkable that, in the span of 21 games, Haliburton has manifested these results. It's another testament to his vision, both on the basketball court and of his own stardom.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Returning to the touches leaders: Jokic ranks third currently at 93.1 touches per game. The slight dip makes sense; Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have hit a string of consistent health, and Bones Hyland's role continues to grow. Don't let the change distract from Jokic remaining one of the sport's unique artists.</li>
<li>The Boston Celtics!</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jump Shooting By Team. <a href="https://t.co/DJav9GGB6d">pic.twitter.com/DJav9GGB6d</a>
&mdash; Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) <a href="https://twitter.com/kirkgoldsberry/status/1597984396732428293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>With the continued demise of mid-range shooting and a push towards creating quality shots at the rim, we might be hitting a math-breaking point for the league:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
eFG% on 2PAs has passed that of 3PAs as 2P% keeps climbing. <a href="https://t.co/lujr2qBEYy">pic.twitter.com/lujr2qBEYy</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1598314428042280961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Would like to give a shoutout to Jalen Williams, who just won NBA Rookie of the Month for November and has absolutely been one of my favorite rookies to watch all season long:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jalen Williams is shooting 62.1% on two-pointers this season and only 45% of those have been assisted. He's already got such a smooth ability to change pace, finish with strength and length, and use floater touch. Some great moments from his 27-point game: <a href="https://t.co/fZxV1Uuacx">pic.twitter.com/fZxV1Uuacx</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1598340267588861952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Tyrese Haliburton is the NBA's leader in touches per game and has made the most of his offensive impact.

NBA Stats Notebook: Tyrese Haliburton arriving as an offensive engine

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; O.G. Anunoby scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, Fred VanVleet also had 26, and the Toronto Raptors beat Dallas 105-100 Saturday, snapping a four-game losing streak against the Mavericks.
Chris Boucher scored a season-high 22 points and had 13 rebounds as the Raptors improved to 7-2 at home.
Luka Doncic scored 24 points and Dorian Finney-Smith had 16 as the Mavericks lost their third straight. Dallas is 1-6 on the road, with a visit to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on tap Sunday.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no panic here,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to start continuing to be consistent on both sides of the ball.&rdquo;
Doncic, the NBA&rsquo;s leading scorer, shot 8 for 15, going 2 of 4 from 3-point range. He had nine assists and seven rebounds.
&ldquo;He did what he was supposed to do,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;He had two on him. That just shows the maturity. He didn&rsquo;t force anything, he just accepted the double team.&rdquo;
Doncic said the Mavericks need to be more attack-minded when he&rsquo;s being double-teamed.
&ldquo;If they&rsquo;re going to put two or three on the ball, we&rsquo;ve just got to be aggressive," Doncic said, "get to the rim, dunk it, pass out and just keep trusting the shots.&rdquo;
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 15 points for Dallas, Maxi Kleber had 11 and Christian Wood 10.
Anunoby played the entire second half, making 7 of 13 shots and scoring 20 points while also defending Doncic at the other end.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s going to sleep well tonight,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of Anunoby.
Kleber called Anunoby &rdquo;a threat on all levels.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He can shoot the ball from outside, he&rsquo;s really great on post-ups, he&rsquo;s physical,&rdquo; Kleber said.
Dallas trailed 81-73 to begin the fourth quarter but Finney-Smith tied it 90-all on a 3-pointer with 3:48 left. Juancho Hernangomez scored to restore Toronto&rsquo;s lead, and Anunoby made a pair at the line to make it 95-92 with 2:12 remaining.
Doncic scored with 26 seconds left to cut it to 101-100, but Thad Young answered with a pair of free throws. Dallas used its final timeout to draw up a play, but Finney-Smith turned the ball over and Anunoby was fouled, sealing it at the line.
VanVleet returned for Toronto after sitting out Wednesday&rsquo;s loss to Brooklyn because of a non-COVID illness, but Scottie Barnes missed his second straight game because of a sprained left knee.
The banged-up Raptors were also without Pascal Siakam (straight right adductor), Precious Achiuwa (left ankle), Dalano Banton (left ankle), and Otto Porter Jr. (dislocated left toe).
Dallas led by as many as 15 in the opening quarter, scoring 11 points off six Toronto turnovers to lead 29-24 after one. The Raptors led 54-52 at halftime.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Kleber returned after missing the past four games because of a sore back.
Raptors: Boucher had six rebounds in the first quarter, one more than the entire Mavericks team. &hellip; Hernangomez matched his season high with 10 points. &hellip; Outscored Dallas 25-5 in second-chance points. &hellip; Had 17 offensive rebounds to Dallas&rsquo; four.
FINDING THEIR RANGE
Dallas shot 1 for 9 from 3-point range in the second quarter and went 1 for 7 in the third. The Mavericks finished 11 for 39.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s about making 3s in today&rsquo;s game,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re able to get to the paint, we&rsquo;re able to get to the rim and finish but right now we&rsquo;re just not shooting the ball straight."
PICK ME UP
Doncic helped Anunoby to his feet with the ball in play after the two stars got tangled up during a second-half possession.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s probably one of the nicest dudes in the league,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;He never talks trash, he never does anything. I tripped him, not on purpose, so that&rsquo;s why I helped him up.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Visit Milwaukee on Sunday night.
Raptors: Host Cleveland on Monday night.

O.G. Anunoby scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and the Raptors beat the Mavs 105-100 on Saturday.

Anunoby scores 12 of his 26 in 4th, Raptors top Mavs 105-100

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Denver coach Michael Malone knew when the schedule came out that his team was going to have to be successful again on the road if it was going to be contend in the Western Conference.
So far, the Nuggets are living up to Malone's goal of being road warriors.
Behind Aaron Gordon's 29 points and an additional 19 from Jamal Murray, the Nuggets beat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 114-104 on Friday night for their league-best eighth road win.
Denver has played 13 of its first 19 on the road and gone 8-5 after having a franchise-record 25 wins away from the friendly confines of Ball Arena last season.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re winning at that level on the road, you know you&rsquo;re a good team. Our challenge now is to go home and take care of business,&rdquo; Malone said after the Nuggets won their second straight and third in their last four games.
Nikola Jokic added 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets, who led by 21 at one point during the fourth quarter with a run of 10 straight points midway through the period.
John Wall had a season-high 23 points for the Clippers, who were down to 10 players with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Luke Kennard out due to injuries. Leonard missed his second straight game after he sprained his right ankle Monday night against Utah. George (right hamstring) missed his third straight game and Kennard (right calf) has been out the last four.
Terance Mann added 16 points and Marcus Morris Sr. had 15.
The Clippers had 11 turnovers in the first half, but only three in the final 24 minutes.
&ldquo;We were being too casual with the basketball in the first half, but addressed that at halftime,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;In the second half we had our chances, and got it to seven. The margin of error is very slim so we got to take advantage of those opportunities. But I thought we did some good things and we've got some things we&rsquo;ve got to clean up.&rdquo;
Denver was down to 10 players in Wednesday&rsquo;s win over Oklahoma City but was bolstered by the returns of Murray and Ish Smith to the lineup.
&ldquo;It feels like we&rsquo;re starting to put something together. So this is something to build on,&rdquo; said Gordon, who scored 19 points in the second half.
The game was tied at 18 midway through the first quarter before the Nuggets scored nine straight points to lead the rest of the way.
Denver extended its advantage to 64-52 at halftime and led by 17 with 2 minutes remaining in the third after a pair of free throws by Vlatko Cancar made it 85-68. The Clippers made a late run to get it to 87-77
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. (heel), Jeff Green (knee), Bones Hyland (illness) and Payton Watson (illness) did not play. ... Cancar had 13 points coming off the bench. ... Murray also had nine assists. ... Denver had a 21-4 advantage in second-chance points.
Clippers: Robert Covington had 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and reached 1,200 for his career. ... Norman Powell had 11 points off the bench. ... Los Angeles was 19 of 34 on free throws, with the 55.9% rate being its second-lowest of the year.
&nbsp;

Behind Aaron Gordon's 29 points, the Nuggets beat the short-handed  Clippers 114-104 for their league-best eighth road win.

Gordon scores 29, Nuggets beat short-handed Clippers 114-104

Grant Williams dubbed himself &ldquo;Batman&rdquo; after he helped the Boston Celtics neutralize Nuggets star Nikola &ldquo;Joker&rdquo; Jokic during a win in Denver late last season.
The Celtics relied on their offense to keep the reigning back-to-back MVP from getting his revenge. Jayson Tatum had 34 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Boston extended its season-best win streak to five games by beating Denver 131-112 on Friday night.
It was Tatum&rsquo;s third straight game with at least 30 points and seventh time with 30-plus this season. Boston had just seven turnovers and shot 57% from the field with 16 3-pointers. Jaylen Brown had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
"It's just a lot of fun right now on the offensive end," said Al Horford, who had six 3-pointers and finished 21 points and seven rebounds. &ldquo;Guys are really conscious of understanding of what coach wants and what he expects. He wants good spacing and we're doing a good job of getting to those positions.
&ldquo;It's fun to see when it comes together like that."
Interim coach Joe Mazzulla said he likes the trust on the floor he sees between his players.
&ldquo;Our guys are bought into making each other better, whether they have the ball or not,&rdquo; Mazzulla said.
The loss snapped the Nuggets&rsquo; four-game win streak.
Jokic had 29 points and and eight rebounds but struggled with early foul trouble. Aaron Gordon added 17 points and eight rebounds.
The Nuggets stayed close despite its bench playing shorthanded after Bones Hyland was placed in the health and safety protocols prior to tipoff. Bruce Brown was the most productive, playing 37 minutes and finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists
Denver trailed 77-70 when Jokic went to the bench after his fourth foul with about seven minutes left in the third quarter.
The Nuggets kept chipping away without him, eventually cutting what had been an 18-point, first-half deficit to 87-85.
Jokic returned at the start of the fourth, but it didn&rsquo;t stop Boston from growing its lead to 111-95.
Things got a little chippy in the closing minutes.
Gordon was called for a Flagrant 1 foul after he scored on a dunk, then was deemed to have made a hostile act by running over Williams.
It did little to stifle the Celtics&rsquo; momentum.
Boston went on an 11-3 run after that, extending its lead to 127-109.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Coach Mike Malone won a challenge on what was originally called an offensive foul on Jokic with 9:37 left in the game. It was changed to a blocking foul on Boston&rsquo;s Marcus Smart. It would have been Jokic&rsquo;s fifth foul. &hellip; Ish Smith (calf) sat for the fifth straight game. &hellip; Closed the first half on a 17-6 run.
Celtics: Boston led 102-93 in the fourth when Michael Porter Jr. was called for a flagrant foul after he stepped into Tatum&rsquo;s landing area on a 3-point attempt. Tatum came down on Porter&rsquo;s foot and grabbed at his left ankle but was able to remain in the game. &hellip; Malcolm Brogdon sat out and is day to day with right hamstring tightness. ... Took a 66-57 lead into halftime. &hellip; Led 33-25 at the end of the first, shooting 61% from the field with no turnovers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I am at a loss. <a href="https://t.co/wMQbOSuQn6">pic.twitter.com/wMQbOSuQn6</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1591230202688204800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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STICK WITH IT
Boston's Payton Pritchard had the&nbsp;hustle play of the game&nbsp;in the second quarter.
The Celtics missed fight straight shots on a single possession before the ball was corralled by Denver&rsquo;s DeAndre Jordan.
But just as he turned to push the ball up the court Pritchard &mdash; who had rebounded two of Boston&rsquo;s previous misses &mdash; snuck in from behind, ripped it away and dropped in a layup to conclude the wild series. The effort sent the Celtics bench into a frenzy and prompted a Nuggets timeout.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: At Chicago on Sunday.
Celtics: At Detroit on Saturday.

Jayson Tatum had 34 points and Boston extended its season-best win streak to five games by beating Denver 131-112 on Friday night.

Tatum, Celtics beat Nuggets for season-best 5th win in row

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Jeremy Roach scored 16 first-half points to help seventh-ranked Duke open Jon Scheyer&rsquo;s coaching tenure with a 71-44 win over Jacksonville on Monday night.
Freshman Mark Mitchell had a team-high 18 points for the Blue Devils, who used a 25-4 run spanning halftime to blow the game open.
It was a quality start to a season of massive change for the Blue Devils, starting with Scheyer taking over for retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. Duke has 11 new players, including the nation&rsquo;s No. 1-ranked recruiting class and two power-conference transfers. The Blue Devils didn&rsquo;t have top freshmen Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead for this one as they recover from preseason injuries.
Mike Marsh scored 15 points to lead the Dolphins, who shot 34% and missed 18 of 19 3-pointers before making two meaningless 3s late.
NO. 1 NORTH CAROLINA 69, UNC WILMINGTON 56
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Caleb Love and RJ Davis scored 17 points apiece and North Carolina began a season of grand expectations by pulling away from UNC Wilmington.
Armando Bacot added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Tar Heels, who were perhaps most impressive at the defensive end. UNCW shot 29.8% from the field.
The Tar Heels, who were the NCAA Tournament runner-up in April, began the new season with the top ranking for the first time in seven years. It&rsquo;s a record 10th time that North Carolina has been ranked No. 1 to start a season &mdash; one more than rival Duke.
Trazarien White scored 19 points for UNCW, which faced a top-ranked team for the first time in program history.
NO. 2 GONZAGA 104, NORTH FLORIDA 63
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 22 points, Julian Strawther added 16 and No. 2 Gonzaga used a big first-half run to beat North Florida in both teams&rsquo; opener.
Anton Watson had 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals for Gonzaga, which won its 68th consecutive home game, the nation&rsquo;s longest such streak.
Carter Hendricksen scored 16 points, Jadyn Parker 13 and Jose Placer 12 for North Florida, a veteran-laden team from the Atlantic Sun Conference that returned its top four scorers from last season.
NO. 3 HOUSTON 83, NORTHERN COLORADO 36
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored 21 points, J&rsquo;Wan Roberts added 12 points and six rebounds, and Houston opened the season by beating Northern Colorado.
Sasser, a preseason All-American, scored 11 points in the first half. He finished 7 of 14 from the field and made 4 of 8 3-pointers. The senior guard missed the second half of last season and all of Houston&rsquo;s run to the Elite Eight with a toe injury.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson won his 700th career game and 200th with the Cougars.
Matt Johnson II, Riley Abercrombie and Caleb Shaw each scored eight points for the Bears.
NO. 4 KENTUCKY 95, HOWARD 63
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Antonio Reeves scored 22 points, CJ Fredrick had 20 and Kentucky beat Howard with All-American Oscar Tshiebwe and two other players sidelined.
Tshiebwe had a procedure last month on his right knee. Point guard Sahvir Wheeler (right leg) and sophomore forward Daimion Collins (personal reasons) were also out, but the Wildcats still shot 55% against the overmatched Bison.
Jacob Toppin and freshman Cason Wallace each added 15 points for Kentucky.
Kobe Dickson scored 17 points and Elijah Hawkins had 14 for Howard, which shot 34%.
NO. 5 KANSAS 89, OMAHA 64
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Wilson had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Gradey Dick added 23 points in his debut, and Kansas began defense of its national championship without suspended coach Bill Self by routing Omaha.
Bobby Pettiford Jr. added 13 points, Dajuan Harris had 11 points and eight assists, and Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar Jr. scored 10 for the Jayhawks, who broke open a close game in the second half with two big runs.
Self served the first of a four-game punishment along with assistant Kurtis Townsend as part of the fallout from a 2017 federal investigation into college basketball corruption.
Jaeden Marshall scored 13 points and Luke Jungers had 12 for the Mavericks.
NO. 5 BAYLOR 117, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 53
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Adam Flagler scored 21 points to lead six players in double figures as Baylor won the opener of its 20th season with coach Scott Drew.
Flagler, a preseason All-Big 12 pick who also was the Bears&rsquo; leading scorer last season, also had eight assists and one of his four 3-pointers started a 24-0 run midway through the first half.
LJ Cryer had 16 points and Dale Bonner, another returning guard, had 14.
Alvin Stredic scored 14 points and Terry Collins 10 for Mississippi Valley State in its first game for new coach George Ivory.
NO. 9 CREIGHTON 72, ST. THOMAS 60
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Baylor Scheierman made back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second half to give Creighton the lead for good.
Arthur Kaluma scored 17 points, Trey Alexander had 12 and Scheierman added 11 as the Bluejays won their 25th opener in 26 years.
St. Thomas, a Summit League member beginning its second season in Division I, gave the Bluejays all they could handle until the last few minutes. Andrew Rohde had 15 points to lead the Tommies.
NO. 10 ARKANSAS 76, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 58
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Trevon Brazile had 21 points and 12 rebounds in his debut as Arkansas won its season opener.
Brazile, a sophomore transfer from Missouri, scored six straight points during an 11-0 run early in the second half that gave Arkansas a 16-point lead with 15 minutes left.
Wichita State transfer Ricky Council led the Razorbacks with 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting.
Grant Nelson and Boden Skunberg had 17 points apiece to lead North Dakota State.
NO. 11 TENNESSEE 75, TENNESSEE TECH 43
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Tyreke Key came off the bench to score 17 points and Tennessee beat Tennessee Tech in both teams&rsquo; opener.
Key, an Indiana State transfer, connected on 4 of 8 3-pointers to ignite a sluggish Volunteer offense. Zakai Zeigler scored all but two of his 12 points in the second half.
Brett Thompson led the Golden Eagles with 15 points.
NO. 12 TEXAS 72, UTEP 57
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Tyrese Hunter scored 18 points to lead Texas past UTEP in the debut of its new arena.
Hunter, a transfer from Iowa State, was 6-of-8 shooting and added five rebounds. Ze&rsquo;Ri Onyema led UTEP with 10 points.
Texas this season moved to the $375 million Moody Center on the edge of campus, leaving behind the old Frank Erwin Center after 45 years.
NO. 13 INDIANA 88, MOREHEAD STATE 53
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Preseason All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and freshman Malik Reneau each scored 15 points, helping Indiana beat Morehead State in the season opener for both teams.
The Hoosiers have won all six matchups in the series and are 26-0 all-time against Ohio Valley Conference foes.
Mark Freeman led the Eagles with 14 points, and Drew Thelwell had 11 for the OVC favorites.
NO. 14 TCU 73, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 72
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Mike Miles hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to finally put TCU ahead to stay against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which built an early 20-point lead in the season opener for both teams.
Miles, the preseason Big 12 player of the year, hit from deep beyond the top of the key for a 71-68 lead.
Emanuel Miller had 15 of his 19 points in the second half, and Miles finished with 15 points for the Horned Frogs. They returned all five starters and five other scholarship players after winning their first NCAA Tournament game since 1987.
Shaun Doss had 25 points with four of Arkansas-Pine Bluff&rsquo;s 13 3-pointers.
NO. 15 AUBURN 70, GEORGE MASON 52
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Wendell Green Jr. scored 16 points while K.D. Johnson and Johni Broome each had 12 to lead Auburn to a season-opening win over George Mason.
The Tigers weren&rsquo;t really challenged much in their first game since losing NBA first-round draft picks Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler.
Ronald Polite III led George Mason with 10 points, and Victor Bailey Jr. had nine.
NO. 16 VILLANOVA 81, LA SALLE 68
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) &mdash; Caleb Daniels scored 24 points to make coach Kyle Neptune a winner in his Villanova debut.
Neptune replaced Hall of Famer Jay Wright, who retired in the offseason. The Wildcats returned three starters (a fourth, Justin Moore, was injured) from the team that lost a national semifinal game to Kansas. Eric Dixon added 20 points for Villanova.
Daniels made his first five 3-pointers and the Wildcats used an early 10-0 run to put away their city rival and spoiled 74-year-old coach Fran Dunphy&rsquo;s return to the bench.
Josh Nickelberry scored 22 points to lead the Explorers.
NO. 17 ARIZONA 117, NICHOLLS STATE 75
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Azuolas Tubelis scored 23 points and Arizona went on a massive opening run to begin its second season under coach Tommy Lloyd with a rout.
Ballo scored 18 points, helping Arizona set a school record with 71.7% shooting from the floor against the reigning Southland Conference regular-season champions. The Wildcats opened the game with a 30-4 run.
Micah Thomas led Nicholls State with 20 points.
NO. 18 VIRGINIA 73, NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 61
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman sparked a 15-2 second-half run, and Virginia beat North Carolina Central after blowing a 16-point first-half lead.
Armaan Franklin led Virginia with 21 points in the season opener for both teams, and Francisco Caffaro had 10.
Justin Wright scored 20 and Eric Boone had 18 for the Eagles, who used a 12-0 run just after halftime to go ahead. But Clark hit a 3 and Beekman followed with a steal and a breakaway.
NO. 19 SAN DIEGO STATE 80, CAL STATE FULLERTON 57
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Darrion Trammell hit three 3-pointers during a 29-10 run to open the second half and finished with 18 points as San Diego State beat Cal State Fullerton.
Fellow newcomer Jaedon LeDee and Lamont Butler scored 11 points apiece and Nathan Mensah had 10 for the Aztecs, who won their 10th straight season opener and their 17th in 18 seasons.
Vincent Lee scored 11 and Jalen Harris 10 for the Titans, the defending Big West Conference champions.
NO. 20 ALABAMA 75, LONGWOOD 54
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Freshman Brandon Miller had 14 points and 13 rebounds in his debut as Alabama beat Longwood.
Fellow freshman Rylan Griffen also scored 14 for the Crimson Tide, and point guard Mark Sears had 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Freshman guard Jaden Bradley added 11 points and six boards.
Alabama held Longwood to 27% shooting and blocked nine shots. Michael Christmas led Longwood with 12 points.
NO. 21 OREGON 80, FLORIDA A&amp;M 45
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) &mdash; N&rsquo;Faly Dante had 16 points and 10 rebounds as Oregon opened with an easy win over Florida A&amp;M.
Keeshawn Barthelemy added 13 points for the Ducks, ranked to start the season for the ninth straight year. Will Richardson scored 11.
Jordan Tillmon and Jordan Chatman had eight points apiece for the Rattlers, who have 11 new players. Florida A&amp;M coach Robert McCullum was on Oregon coach Dana Altman&rsquo;s staff from 2014-17.
NO. 22 MICHIGAN 75, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 56
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Hunter Dickinson had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and freshman Jett Howard added 21 points in Michigan&rsquo;s season-opening win.
After Purdue Fort Wayne opened an 8-4 lead, Michigan went on a 20-0 run to take control.
Quinton Morton-Robertson scored 15 points and Bobby Planutis added 13 for the Mastodons.
NO. 23 ILLINOIS 87, EASTERN ILLINOIS 57
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 24 points and Coleman Hawkins had 23 points and 12 rebounds as Illinois cruised past Eastern Illinois.
Dain Dainja added 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Illini, who outrebounded the Panthers 53-30 in the opener for both teams.
Kinyon Hodges scored 14 points and Yaakema Rose added 10 for Eastern Illinois.
NO. 24 DAYTON 73, LINDENWOOD 46
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Mustapha Amzil scored 14 points, DaRon Holmes II and R.J. Blakney each had 13 and Dayton beat Lindenwood in a sluggish opener for both teams.
Dayton was without injured point guard Malachi Smith and didn&rsquo;t play particularly well until late, but it had a large margin for error against Lindenwood, which was playing its first game after moving up to Division I.
Chris Childs had 15 points for the Lions, who shot 33% from the field.
NO. 25 TEXAS TECH 73, NORTHWESTERN STATE 49
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) &mdash; Daniel Batcho had 12 points and 10 rebounds as Texas Tech rolled past Northwestern State in both teams&rsquo; opener.
Texas Tech broke it open late in the first half and led 42-23 at halftime.
Isaac Haney led Northwestern State with 16 points.

It was a quality start to a season of massive change for the Blue Devils, starting with Jon Scheyer taking over Duke's program.

Roach leads No. 7 Duke past Jacksonville in Scheyer’s debut

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Bones Hyland scored 24 points, Nikola Jokic added 21 and the Denver Nuggets shot over 60% from the field in a 126-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.
Michael Porter Jr. added 15 points and Jamal Murray chipped in 13 for the Nuggets, who shot 53 of 87 (60.9%) and remained unbeaten in four games at home this season. &ldquo;We have a very unselfish team and we did some good things tonight,&rdquo; said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, taking note of Denver's season-high 37 assists. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just so happy we&rsquo;re playing well at home. Last year, we were not a very good home team. It&rsquo;s early in the season, but we&rsquo;re 4-0.&rdquo;
Keldon Johnson scored 25 points and Devin Vassell 20 for the Spurs, who lost their third in a row, including both ends of a back-to-back set.
Ahead by 19 points at the break, the Nuggets outscored the Spurs 29-25 in the third quarter, leaning on a 12-0 burst midway through the period for a 99-76 advantage heading into the final quarter. Porter capped the flurry by hitting a 3-pointer and a layup in succession, both off feeds from Jokic, who finished with 10 assists.
The Nuggets remained hot through the fourth quarter, buoyed by Hyland, who scored 17 of his points in the second half, including five of his six 3-pointers. &ldquo;What I liked most was it wasn&rsquo;t just the Bones show,&rdquo; Malone said of Hyland, who also had seven assists, five rebounds and two steals against just one turnover. &ldquo;He got everybody else involved. I&rsquo;m just really happy for him because the last week has been tough on him, dealing with the injury (hip soreness) and being in and out of the lineup. But he went out there and hooped tonight.&rdquo;
Hyland, who was held out of Thursday&rsquo;s game at Oklahoma City, said the rest was beneficial and he was able to quickly get in a groove.
&ldquo;I just felt like the basket was opening up, like an ocean out there,&rdquo; Hyland said. &ldquo;I was just having fun. Once I get in that mode, it&rsquo;s like unstoppable.&rdquo;
Making two thirds of their shots in the first half, the Nuggets took a 70-51 lead and led by as many as 23 points. They led by as many as 31 points in the second half. The Nuggets piled up the points with their fast break, outscoring San Antonio 26-8.
TIP-INS
Spurs: G Wesley Blake, who sustained a torn left medial collateral ligament Sunday against Minnesota, is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks. &hellip; The Spurs came into the game allowing an average of 120.7 points per game, second most in the NBA.
Nuggets: F Zeke Nnaji was ruled out after suffering a right ankle sprain Thursday at Oklahoma City. &hellip; G Ish Smith remained sidelined with a right calf strain. &hellip; Denver&rsquo;s 70-point first half was a point shy of their season high achieved in Thursday&rsquo;s win at Oklahoma City. &hellip; Denver also made 15 of its 29 3-point attempts (51.7%) compared to 40% for the Spurs (12 of 30).

Bones Hyland scored 24 points, Nikola Jokic added 21 and the Denver Nuggets scored a 126-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Hyland scores 24 points, Nuggets beat the Spurs 126-101

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Here's an example of just how much Jamal Murray was missed: Introduced before a preseason home game, the Denver Nuggets all rushed over to swarm him.
That's the level of respect the team has for its point guard, who's back on the court for the first time since tearing his left ACL on April 12, 2021.
The band is back together as <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1577119935083356162">Murray rejoins back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic</a>. Along with Michael Porter Jr., who was limited to nine games last season due to his balky back, they're ready to pick up where they left off when Murray and Porter were healthy. The trio led the Nuggets <a href="https://twitter.com/BeMore27/status/1574492168567197696">to the Western Conference finals</a> inside the bubble in 2020.
It may take some time for Denver to round back into that form. The Nuggets' over-under is set at <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=regular-season-wins">51 1/2 wins, according to FanDuel Sportsbook</a>, with a plus-2000 to capture the NBA title (the Celtics are at plus-600).
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a different vibe since we got some of our guys back,&rdquo; said forward Aaron Gordon, whose team opens the season at Utah on Oct. 19. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a certain level of calmness. Just because we do have so many great guys on this team. We have such a talented roster that&rsquo;s so deep.&rdquo;
The lineup boasts Murray, Porter, Jokic and Gordon while adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the mix. He was acquired, along with <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1579684213472870400">fellow veteran Ish Smith</a>, in an offseason deal that sent Will Barton and Monte Morris to the Washington Wizards. That leaves a bench including Bones Hyland, Jeff Green, Bruce Brown, Zeke Nnaji, Davon Reed, Vlatko Cancar and big man DeAndre Jordan. In addition, the Nuggets drafted Christian Braun out of Kansas with the 21st overall pick.
This roster was assembled in large part because Denver didn&rsquo;t have Murray and Porter last season. It gave coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth a chance to evaluate the team through "a different lens,&ldquo; Booth said.
&ldquo;I think when you have guys like Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., it&rsquo;s easier to overlook some of your flaws,&rdquo; added Booth, whose team was eliminated in the first round by the NBA champion Golden State Warriors last season. &ldquo;We came to the realization we needed to get bigger and needed to get more versatile.&rdquo;
There was a little alarm in a preseason game when Murray tweaked his hamstring, only because he's a big part of the engine that drives the Nuggets. Malone plans to take it nice and steady with Murray's acclimation to the season.
&ldquo;The team we&rsquo;re going to be in October, November, is not the team that we&rsquo;re going to be come April in the playoffs," Malone said. &ldquo;We want to be smart as we build up.&rdquo;
MURRAY'S GOAL
Murray's primary goal is to work his way back into the 21.2-point-and-4.8-assist-a-night form he demonstrated before his injury.
&ldquo;At the moment, I just want to play,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care if I go 0-for-10. ... I just want to get those couple games under my belt, first, and then you can have all the talks you want about what you expect.&rdquo;
TOP DEFENSE
Malone&rsquo;s challenge to his team is to become a top-five defensive squad. The Nuggets were in the middle of the pack in defensive rating a season ago.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s no surprise that Boston and Golden State, the two best defenses, were in the finals,&rdquo; Malone said.
GOOD FRIENDS
The Nuggets had a powerful recruiting tool to lure Jordan to town: his good friend, Green.
Jordan said his role is whatever is required. He led the league in rebounding in 2014 and '15 while with the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 5.5 rebounds last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not out there to play 35, 40 minutes,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the back-to-back MVP&rsquo;s job. I&rsquo;m just there to be a part of the supporting cast.&rdquo;
SUPPORT SYSTEM
Porter leaned on Murray and friends in his inner circle while rehabilitating his back injuries.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think you really ever lose confidence,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;You're always just trying to persevere through stuff. It just takes time.&rdquo;
He said he doesn&rsquo;t have any limitations.
&ldquo;Just continuing to get stronger,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;Just getting back out there, being able to get in a rhythm again and keep working every day.&rdquo;
PAINTBALL
Gordon hosted a get-together in the offseason to play some hoops and paintball.
The best paintball player on the team?
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a beast at paintball,&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m tough when it comes to paintball.&rdquo;

“It’s a different vibe since we got some of our guys back,” said Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.

Nuggets' Murray ready to rejoin forces with 2-time MVP Jokic

Tyrese Maxey continued his sharp preseason play scoring 19 points to lead Philadelphia to a win in Cleveland, 113-97.
Maxey, who surpassed 20 points in the Sixers first two games, was 6 of 14, including 3 of 5 from outside the arc. Tobias Harris had 12 points and seven rebounds. James Harden finished with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. Harden, like Harris and Maxey, played 24 minutes as Philadelphia remained undefeated in three preseason games.
Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Darius Garland added 17 points and seven assists in 31 minutes. Caris LeVert finished with 13 points, while Donovan Mitchell had 11 points and five rebounds in the latest look at Cleveland&rsquo;s Garland-Mitchell backcourt.
While the game featured two teams with strong hopes for a postseason run in the Eastern Conference, neither was at full strength. Center Joel Embiid sat out the game for the Sixers, as did Montrezl Harrell, suffering from an intercostal strain.
Meanwhile, Evan Mobley continued to be out of action for the Cavaliers after suffering an ankle injury, and Kevin Love didn&rsquo;t play because of a sore knee.
HEAT 118, ROCKETS 110
Max Strus scored 24 points as Miami rested a lot of its key players in a home win over Houston.
Jamal Cain, Nikola Jovic and Dru Smith all scored 15 points.
Duncan Robinson had 14 points for the Heat as Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were among those taking the night off.
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 25 points and five assists, while Kevin Porter Jr. had 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Tari Eason finished with 17 points and Kenyon Martin Jr. had 13.
NUGGETS 107, SUNS 105
Ish Smith scored 17 points, including the go-ahead 20-foot jumper with 8.9 seconds left as Denver beat visiting Phoenix.
Smith had tied the game at 105 converting an 18-footer with 39 seconds remining. Duane Washington Jr. of Phoenix had a chance for the win, but his 3-point attempt in the closing seconds was off the mark.
Bones Hyland had 16 points for Denver before leaving in the third quarter with a lower leg sprain. Bruce Brown finished with 12 points.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points, and Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, converting 9 of 12 shots.
Mikal Bridges had 14 for Phoenix.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Maxey, who surpassed 20 points in the Sixers' first two games, was 6 of 14, including 3 of 5 from outside the arc.

Tyrese Maxey continues sharp preseason as 76ers beat Cavs 113-97

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray spotted his two-time reigning MVP teammate in the open and quickly hollered out to him.
"Grab me a grape,&rdquo; the Denver Nuggets point guard said with Nikola Jokic breaking toward a fruit tray Monday at media day.
With that, Jokic dished out his first assist of the season.
Jokic will have his supporting cast back and healthy this season, with Murray feeling &ldquo;night and day&rdquo; better after missing all last year as he recovered from an ACL injury. Michael Porter Jr., too, after being limited to just nine games a year ago due to a balky back.
With the trade for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the signing of Bruce Brown, along with the growth of high-energy guard Bones Hyland, the Nuggets have high aspirations this season &mdash; even if they shy away from voicing it out loud.
&ldquo;We know what we want to do,&rdquo; said Brown, whose team begins training camp Tuesday in San Diego. &ldquo;So it doesn&rsquo;t need to be said.&rdquo;
It all starts in the middle with Jokic, who signed a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-nuggets-nba-sports-basketball-c362b97f3d8d23b2c18b869e9278f249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supermax extension in the offseason</a>. He's trying to join the company of Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain as players who won the MVP trophy three straight seasons.
One area the Nuggets want to see him raise to another level &mdash; his vocal game.
&ldquo;Everybody is waiting for him to say something,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;And when he does it has a profound impact.&rdquo;
The quiet leader wants to be the &ldquo;Tim Duncan of the Denver Nuggets,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;But I need win a couple of championships to be him.&rdquo;
He's got the crew around him to make a run.
Shortly after acquiring Aaron Gordon in March 2021, the Nuggets showed flashes of what they could do with a lineup consisting of Gordon, Murray, Porter and Jokic. They went 4-1 before Murray tore his ACL at Golden State. Last season, they lost Porter after the outside threat <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-michael-porter-jr-jamal-murray-nikola-jokic-fe7764c78e82b3ee90e360cc6b0d5dba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">underwent another procedure on his back</a>.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking to build a chemistry with that,&rdquo; said Gordon, whose team lost to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the first round last season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be nice to figure out ... the flow of the game and who gets what, where and when, the how and why &mdash; we've still got to put all those questions together. It&rsquo;s going be fun.&rdquo;
Especially with Murray looking more like his old self.
"He&rsquo;s got that confidence back. He&rsquo;s got that swagger back,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;Seeing him in our gym, playing with that confidence and chirping, has been fun to watch.&rdquo;
Murray's not putting expectations on his return. The Nuggets have missed the playoff version of Murray, who had two 50-point bursts in 2020 when the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been taking one day at a time and everybody&rsquo;s always asking me what&rsquo;s it going to look like two months from now. I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m on the right road.&rdquo;
Same with Porter.
&ldquo;Injuries, it just takes time, I would say, to have joy in the game again, no soreness or anything,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to be on the other side of it. I&rsquo;m here now and I don&rsquo;t have any limitations. I&rsquo;m excited."
In July, the Nuggets picked up Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith from Washington for Monte Morris and Will Barton. Caldwell-Pope is looking forward to working with Jokic, who is known for his no-look passes.
&ldquo;So I will keep my eyes on him at all times,&rdquo; Caldwell-Pope cracked.
TEAM CAMARADERIE
To develop team chemistry, Jeff Green hosted an offseason camp in Miami for the younger players. In addition, Gordon had teammates over to his place for hoops and then some paintball.
"Both returning and new players and veterans understand the importance and the opportunity that we have,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to waste that opportunity.&rdquo;
HONORING RUSSELL
Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan will wear No. 6 to honor the late Russell. It's a number that has been retired by the NBA, but <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-bill-russell-lebron-james-national-basketball-players-association-f4d1eda4268a874010b49311679e75c2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">players who have worn it in the past are</a> permitted to do so.
&ldquo;Bill Russell was a great pioneer for not only the game of basketball but for off-the-floor things as well,&rdquo; Jordan said.
TOP SHOOTER?
Jack White, a 6-foot-7 forward from Australia, has been winning 3-point shooting contests in practice over the summer.
The top shooter on the team?
&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t stepped into that yet,&rdquo; Caldwell-Pope said of the contests. &ldquo;For now he is.... I&rsquo;m looking forward to competing &mdash; and taking the top spots.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

With a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, Jr., two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets have high aspirations.