Hawks

Two weeks after winning the women&rsquo;s NCAA national title, Paige Bueckers has taken her act to the WNBA.
The Dallas Wings picked the historic UConn guard to be their 1st overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Monday night at The Shed in New York City.
Bueckers, who led the Huskies to their 12th national title, becomes the sixth player from the school to get drafted no.1 overall. She joins Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, and Breanna Stewart in the exclusive list.
Now, Bueckers will be teaming up with WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale to form a dynamic backcourt for the Dallas Wings as they try to rebuild and get back to championship contention as soon as possible.
The draft also highlighted the league's growing international presence, with French center Dominique Malonga selected second by the Seattle Storm and Lithuanian guard Justė Jocytė picked fifth by the expansion team Golden State Valkyries.​
USC star Kiki Iriafen and Notre Dame mainstay Sonia Citron rounded up the top 5 picks of the first round after they were selected by the Washington Mystics.
Check out the complete recap of the draft below:
<h4>First Round</h4>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; Paige Bueckers (G, UConn)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Seattle Storm &ndash; Dominique Malonga (C, France)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Sonia Citron (G, Notre Dame)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Kiki Iriafen (F, USC)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Golden State Valkyries &ndash; Justė Jocytė (G, Lithuania)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Georgia Amoore (G, Virginia Tech)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Connecticut Sun &ndash; Aneesah Morrow (F, LSU)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Connecticut Sun &ndash; Saniya Rivers (G, NC State)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Los Angeles Sparks &ndash; Sarah Ashlee Barker (G, Alabama)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Sky &ndash; Aj&scaron;a Sivka (F, Slovenia)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Sky &ndash; Hailey Van Lith (G, TCU)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; Aziaha James (G, NC State)​</li>
</ol>
Note: The Las Vegas Aces forfeited their first-round pick due to a league rules violation.
<h4>Second Round</h4>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Las Vegas Aces &ndash; Aaliyah Nye (G, Alabama)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; Madison Scott (F, Ole Miss)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Minnesota Lynx &ndash; Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (F, UMMC Ekaterinburg)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Sky &ndash; Maddy Westbeld (F, Notre Dame)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Golden State Valkyries &ndash; Shyanne Sellers (G, Maryland)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Atlanta Dream &ndash; Te-Hina Paopao (G, South Carolina)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Indiana Fever &ndash; Makayla Timpson (F, Florida State)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Indiana Fever &ndash; Bree Hall (G, South Carolina)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Los Angeles Sparks &ndash; Sania Feagin (F, South Carolina)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Sky &ndash; Aicha Coulibaly (G, Texas A&amp;M)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Lucy Olsen (G, Iowa)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Minnesota Lynx &ndash; Dalayah Daniels (F, Washington)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Connecticut Sun &ndash; Rayah Marshall (F, USC)</li>
</ol>
<h4>Third Round</h4>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Los Angeles Sparks &ndash; Serena Sundell (G, Kansas State)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; JJ Quinerly (G, West Virginia)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Los Angeles Sparks &ndash; Liatu King (F, Notre Dame)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Seattle Storm &ndash; Madison Conner (G, TCU)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Golden State Valkyries &ndash; Kaitlyn Chen (G, UConn)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; Aaronette Vonleh (F, Baylor)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Zaay Green (G, Alabama)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Indiana Fever &ndash; Yvonne Ejim (F, Gonzaga)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Seattle Storm &ndash; Jordan Hobbs (G, Michigan)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Las Vegas Aces &ndash; Harmoni Turner (G, Harvard)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Atlanta Dream &ndash; Taylor Thierry (G, Ohio State)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Minnesota Lynx &ndash; Aubrey Griffin (F, UConn)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">New York Liberty &ndash; Adja Kane (F, Landerneau Bretagne Basket)​</li>
</ol>

The Dallas Wings picked Paige Bueckers to be their 1st overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Monday night at The Shed in New York City.

2025 WNBA Draft: Paige Bueckers goes no.1 to the Dallas Wings

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Draymond Green loved Golden State&rsquo;s defensive energy against LeBron James and knows the Warriors must bring that same urgency back to Los Angeles with another chance to save this topsy-turvy season and defend their title.
They need the same focus again whether or not Lakers star Anthony Davis is clogging up the middle after he suffered a head injury in the fourth quarter.
Stephen Curry had 27 points and eight assists, Andrew Wiggins added 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and the reigning champion Warriors staved off elimination by beating the Lakers 121-106 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.
The Warriors have rallied before with this core group on the big postseason stage, becoming the first defending champion to come back from 2-0 down to beat Sacramento in the first round.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re champions, so there&rsquo;s pressure every time you step on the floor,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;You go out there, you don&rsquo;t win people are ready to crush you. People forget about the things that you&rsquo;ve done in the past.&rdquo;
James had 25 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles. Davis added 23 points and nine rebounds but went to the locker room late after getting hit in the head by Kevon Looney as they fought for position in the paint on D&rsquo;Angelo Russell&rsquo;s layup with 7:43 remaining.
Davis grabbed at his head grimacing before going to the locker room. His status for Game 6 on Friday night back in Los Angeles is unclear but coach Darivn Ham was encouraged afterward without providing details on what evaluation &mdash; such as concussion testing &mdash; the big man went through once in the locker room. TNT reported Davis required a wheelchair to go to the locker room.
&ldquo;Obviously, everyone saw he took a shot to the head, but we just checked in on him, he seems to be doing really good already,&rdquo; Ham said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just where he&rsquo;s at. That&rsquo;s the status of it right now.&rdquo;
Austin Reaves made a 3-pointer with 5:25 to play that cut the Warriors&rsquo; lead to single digits at 104-95 only for Curry to answer with five straight points, then he hit another big shot after Russell connected from deep.
Green contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds as Golden State played tough defense that led to better chances on the offensive end &mdash; just as coach Steve Kerr has challenged his team to to.
&ldquo;Our defensive mindfulness was there,&rdquo; Curry said.
Now, it&rsquo;s back to LA where the Lakers 5-0 at home this postseason, having won eight consecutive games on their own floor since losing to the Bulls on March 26.
Golden State is trying rally from a 3-1 series deficit for only the second time in franchise history and will try to win one more to bring Game 7 back to Chase Center on Sunday. The Warriors rallied from 3-1 down in the 2016 Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City.
Curry beat the halftime buzzer with a 3-pointer over Lonnie Walker IV as the Warriors took a 70-59 lead. The 70 first-half points were the most Golden State in the playoffs since scoring 72 in a Game 6 first-round win over the Clippers in 2019. The last team to score 70 or more in a first half of a playoff game versus the Lakers was Phoenix with 71 in Game 4 of the 2000 second round.
Green and Wiggins took turns on James and Golden State tried to take Davis out of rhythm after he had 23 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and two assists in Game 4.
Curry shot 12 for 24 but just 3 of 11 from long range coming off his third career playoff triple-double in a 104-101 Game 4 loss.
&ldquo;I have a lot of confidence we can come back in this series,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;And until otherwise, we stay in that kind of mindset.&rdquo;
LINEUP LOOK
The Warriors, who had used five lineup combinations in their initial 11 postseason games, stuck with Gary Payton II for the second straight game &mdash; and it paid off.
He scored 13 points and converted a timely three-point play with 7:34 remaining to go with six rebounds.
Jordan Poole came off the bench and hit his first 3 since Game 1 late in the second quarter after going 0 for 8 the previous three games.
Klay Thompson struggled again. He went 3 for 11 in Monday&rsquo;s loss to mark just the eighth time in his 150 postseason games that he scored in single digits &mdash; and three of the previous seven came before Kerr became coach in 2014.
On Thursday, he missed his initial four shots and 6 of his first seven to finish with 10 &mdash; but has a history of spectacular Game 6 performances and goes back to LA with a chance to shine.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Los Angeles was outrebounded 18-17 in the first half and 48-38 overall. ... The Lakers scored 20 points off the Warriors&rsquo; 14 turnovers but committed 16 leading to 20 Warriors points. ... James has never squandered a 3-1 playoff series lead. ... The Lakers lost for only the six time since March 19 (17-6).
Warriors: Six Warriors accounted for seven first-quarter 3s after Golden State made only 12 total in Game 4 (12 of 41). ... Golden State is 16-4 in Game 5s and 8-2 when facing elimination dating to its 2015 title run, including 4-2 at home. In addition, the Warriors are 34-12 in postseason games following a loss.

The reigning champion Warriors staved off elimination by beating the Lakers 121-106 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Curry, Warriors stave off elimination, beat Lakers 121-106 in Game 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash;&nbsp;Lonnie Walker scored all of his 15 points in a phenomenal fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied late to take a 3-1 series lead with a 104-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 on Monday night.
LeBron James scored 27 points and Anthony Davis had 23 points and 15 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who moved to the brink of an improbable trip to the Western Conference finals with their eighth consecutive home victory since March.
Los Angeles overcame Stephen Curry's third career postseason triple-double down the stretch largely because of Walker, who has made a seismic impact in returning to the Lakers' rotation in this series after the former starter was stuck on the bench in recent weeks.
Walker went 6 for 9 in the fourth quarter and hit the go-ahead jumper with 1:53 to play. Curry&rsquo;s layup with 1:05 left trimmed the Lakers&rsquo; lead to one point, but Curry missed a long jumper and a 3-point attempt on Golden State&rsquo;s next possession before Walker made two free throws with 15 seconds to play.
Davis then forced a jump ball in the waning seconds, and it went out of bounds off Curry with 1.3 seconds to play.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t win this game tonight without Lonnie Walker, that&rsquo;s for sure," James said. "As hard as this game was, it&rsquo;s going to be even harder. We understand that. We know that.&rdquo;
Curry had 31 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in his 13th career triple-double for the defending champion Warriors, who will have to overcome a 3-1 series deficit for only the second time in franchise history to continue their NBA title defense. Golden State also did it in the 2016 Western Conference finals.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in San Francisco.
Gary Payton II scored a season-high 15 points in his first start of the season for Golden State, but Klay Thompson had his second straight quiet game in Los Angeles, scoring nine points in 41 minutes. Andrew Wiggins added 17 points for the Warriors, who made just 25 combined 3-pointers in their two games in Los Angeles after making 21 apiece in the first two games in San Francisco.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr switched to a three-guard starting lineup to affect the Los Angeles defense that held the Warriors to 97 points in Game 3, and the changes largely worked: Davis, who blocked 11 shots in the first three games, wasn&rsquo;t able to protect the rim with the same ferocity when his defensive matchups required him to go out to the perimeter, and the Warriors capitalized with 52 points in the paint.
The Lakers compensated: They made all 20 of their free throws, and Austin Reaves added 21 points.
But they won with a gritty, timely effort by Walker, who picked up the Lakers&rsquo; slack when D&rsquo;Angelo Russell scored just four points on 1-for-10 shooting after a strong performance in Game 3.
Curry secured the 13th triple-double of his career early in the fourth quarter, adding it to his postseason triple-doubles in the 2017 NBA Finals and again in 2019. But he missed nine of 10 3-point attempts spanning three quarters, and the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history finished 3 for 14 from distance.
The rivals split the series&rsquo; first two games last week in the Bay Area, and the Lakers followed up their 27-point loss in Game 2 with a 30-point thrashing of the Warriors in Game 3. Both teams shot poorly to begin Game 4, but Curry&rsquo;s 17 points put Golden State ahead at the half.
The Warriors minimized Davis&rsquo; impact on defense after he dominated long stretches of the Lakers&rsquo; first nine playoff games this spring. After blocking 19 combined shots &mdash; 11 by Davis &mdash; in the first three games of this series, Los Angeles blocked just one shot in Game 4 &mdash; a majestic, swooping swat by James on a layup attempt by Curry in the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Payton&rsquo;s only previous NBA start this season was for Portland on Feb. 8. He started two playoff games for Golden State last year before signing a three-year deal in the summer with the Trail Blazers, who traded him back to the Warriors in February. Payton&rsquo;s return was slowed by a core muscle injury. ... Kevon Looney started Game 1 against Los Angeles, while JaMychal Green started Game 2 and Game 3. Lakers: In the first quarter, James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar &mdash; who was courtside &mdash; for the most two-point baskets in NBA playoff history. Game 4 was James&rsquo; 276th career postseason game, while Abdul-Jabbar played in 237. James passed Abdul-Jabbar to become the top scorer in NBA history in February. ... Jack Nicholson returned to his courtside seats for the second time in their last three home games. The Lakers&rsquo; 86-year-old superfan headlined another celebrity-studded crowd including Chris Pratt, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Dave Chappelle, Dustin Hoffman, Kim Kardashian, Colin Jost and Flea.

LeBron James and the Lakers rallied late to take a 3-1 series lead with a 104-101 victory over the Warriors in Game 4 on Monday night.

Lakers rally past Warriors 104-101, take 3-1 series lead

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

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Luke Kennard made a franchise-record 10 3-pointers to match his career high with 30 points, Desmond Bane added 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies clinched a playoff spot after building a 31-point halftime lead and coasting to a 151-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night.
Ja Morant scored 18 points and had eight assists in his second game after serving an eight-game league-imposed suspension after he posted a video in which he is shown waving a gun at a Denver-area strip club. Morant, as he did in his first game back Wednesday also against the Rockets, again came off the bench. He entered with 5:08 left in the first quarter.
Jaren Jackson Jr. also scored 18 points and had seven rebounds and two blocks for Memphis, which made a franchise-best 25 3-pointers and had the second-most points in team history. The Grizzlies won their 11th straight at home and moved within three games of idle Denver, which holds the top spot in the Western Conference.
Tari Eason had 21 points to lead Houston, while Kevin Porter Jr. and Jabari Smith Jr. each had 20.
CELTICS 120, PACERS 95
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, setting a franchise record with his 40th 30-point game this season, and Boston rolled past Indiana.
Tatum passed Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who had 39 30-point games during the 1987-88 season.
Jaylen Brown added 27 points and seven rebounds, and Derrick White finished with 22 points and nine assists for the Celtics, who have won four of five and improved to 27-9 at home this season.
Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton had 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds in his first game back from a six-game absence with a combination of a bruised left knee and sprained right ankle. Myles Turner added 20 points and six rebounds.
LAKERS 116, THUNDER 111
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis had 37 points and 14 rebounds, Dennis Schr&ouml;der added 13 of his 21 points in the second half and the Los Angeles Lakers got a vital victory for their playoff hopes.
Lonnie Walker scored 20 points in an impressive return to the rotation for the Lakers, who have won three straight to move even with Minnesota in seventh place in the Western Conference standings. With Davis leading the way on both ends of the court, Los Angeles (37-37) also reached .500 for the first time this season after holding off the Thunder despite the injury absences of LeBron James and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey scored 27 points apiece for Oklahoma City, which lost for only the fourth time in 12 games down the stretch. The Thunder (36-38) dropped into a tie with Dallas for 10th in the West.
WARRIORS 120, 76ERS 112
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Jordan Poole scored 33 points and swished a key 3-pointer with 1:18 to play off a pretty pass by Draymond Green, Stephen Curry added 29 points and eight rebounds and Golden State rallied past Joel Embiid and Philadelphia.
Embiid checked back into the game with 8:26 left and scored 13 straight on the way to 46 points, but the Warriors came back from 11 down for their ninth straight home win &mdash; and one of the most important yet as they fight for playoff positioning.
Embiid shot 13 for 23, made 19 of 22 free throws and had nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals. He helped Philadelphia take an 88-79 lead going into the fourth. He had his streak of scoring 30 or more points in a franchise-record 10 straight games snapped in Wednesday&rsquo;s 116-91 win at Chicago but made up for it.
WIZARDS 136, SPURS 124
WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Corey Kispert scored 26 points and sank six 3-pointers, Deni Avdija added 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Washington pulled away for a win over San Antonio.
Delon Wright added 24 points and Kristaps Porzingis 23 for the Wizards, who missed three-time All-Star Bradley Beal (left knee sprain) for a second game but snapped a four-game skid.
Washington sank 15 of 30 attempts beyond the arc one game after setting season lows for number and percentage of 3s made in Wednesday&rsquo;s loss to West-leading Denver.
Keldon Johnson scored 30 points for San Antonio, which played without 2022 ninth-overall draft pick Jeremy Sochan (sore right knee) for the third time in four games.
RAPTORS 118, PISTONS 97
TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam scored 32 points, Chris Boucher had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Toronto routed Detroit for its eighth win in nine home games.
Fred VanVleet added 18 points and O.G. Anunoby 17 as Toronto completed its first four-game sweep of Detroit since the 2017-18 season. The Raptors also improved to 7-0 when holding opponents below 100 points
Jaden Ivey scored 20 points and Marvin Bagley III and James Wiseman each had 14 for Detroit, but the Pistons lost for the 16th time in 17 games.
HORNETS 117, MAVERICKS 109
DALLAS (AP) &mdash; P.J. Washington Jr. scored 28 points and Gordon Hayward added 25 as undermanned Charlotte built a 21-point lead and held on to beat Dallas.
The Hornets, who were eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race last week, earned a split of a back-to-back after losing by 19 points on Thursday night at New Orleans and finishing with only seven healthy players.
Luka Doncic had 34 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mavericks, who lost their third straight and for the sixth time in eight games. Kyrie Irving scored 18 points after missing one game with a toe injury. He and Doncic played together for the first time since March 8. The Mavericks are 3-7 with both in the lineup.
BUCKS 144, JAZZ 116
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Grayson Allen scored a season-high 25 points to lead Milwaukee past Utah.
Allen made five 3-pointers and shot 57% from the field to help the Bucks lead wire-to-wire. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 11 assists, and Pat Connaughton scored 22 points while making six 3-pointers. Jrue Holiday added 18 points and seven assists, and Brook Lopez had 17 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.
Milwaukee made 22 3-pointers and shot 56% from the field to fuel its third straight victory.
Simone Fontecchio scored a career-high 26 points in his third career start to lead the Jazz.
BULLS 124, TRAIL BLAZERS 96
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 33 points and Chicago dominated short-handed Portland.
Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls, who have won six of their last eight games and sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings with nine regular-season games remaining.
Portland, which has lost seven of its last eight games, was led by rookie Shaedon Sharpe, who matched his career high with 24 points. The Blazers&rsquo; lone win during the recent stretch came against the Utah Jazz 127-115 on Wednesday. Portland was at 13th in the Western Conference standings, well out of the playoff picture.
Regular Portland starters Damian Lillard (calf tightness), Jusuf Nurkic (sore right knee), Jerami Grant (quad contusion) and Anfernee Simons (sore right foot) did not play against the Bulls.
KINGS 135, SUNS 127
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Kevin Huerter led all scorers with 29 points and Sacramento beat Phoenix.
Huerter added nine rebounds and five assists for the Kings (44-29), who are in third place in the Western Conference behind Denver and Memphis. Domantas Sabonis finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Kings.
Sacramento&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Aaron Fox exited the game with 7:16 left in the third quarter with right hamstring soreness. Fox finished with 19 points in 21 minutes.
Devin Booker finished with 32 points for the Suns (38-36). Terrence Ross scored a season-high 30 points off the bench and hit six 3-pointers.

A recap of Friday night's slate of NBA action includes Memphis punching its ticket to the postseason.

Grizzlies earn playoff berth as Kennard makes 10 3-pointers

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.

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On Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. ET, former Maryland and Georgetown men&rsquo;s basketball players will look to rekindle a local rivalry when they face off in an alumni game at the Xfinity Center in College Park.
This will be the first event under the Alumni Basketball League, which was co-founded by former Missouri and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kareem Rush. In his three years at Missouri, Rush was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year, a two-time selection on the All-Big 12 First Team and even Missouri&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s basketball player of the decade for the 2000s.
I sat down with Rush to discuss how this league came about, how the Alumni Basketball League differs from other established leagues (such as The Basketball Tournament and the BIG3), their plans moving forward as far as other historic rivalry games and what fans can expect on Aug. 6 when Georgetown faces off against Maryland.
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Etan Thomas: So tell me about the Alumni Basketball League and how it all came about.
Kareem Rush: "Sure, The Alumni Basketball League is the first professional league exclusively for college alumni teams. So back in 2017, I was watching the TBT tournament and looking at the roster, I saw that 27 of these teams were alumni teams, and I was like, 'Man, why not just create a league specific for alumni teams?' Also, I was a part of the first year of the BIG3, so I understood when I went through that try-out, it was literally hundreds of guys with tons of NBA experience vying for 20 spots. So I was like, 'Man, I know guys are always looking for an opportunity to play.' The NCAA is really the only entity that's capitalizing on the collegiate marketplace, so I was like, 'Man, why not just create a league specifically for those guys?' So 2018, being a Mizzou guy, and my younger brother being a KU guy, which is a huge rivalry in Kansas City...
Etan Thomas: Right.
Kareem Rush: "So, the first game, centered around a charity, we were doing it for The Boys and Girls Club, but the response was amazing. We had over 2,500 people there. I was like, 'This could be something.' So, the following year, we wanted to expand the concept. We had Kansas State and Arkansas scheduled to come in, but ended up running into some scheduling conflicts because of the TBT and the BIG3. So we put the second year on the shelf. And then COVID hit, so it sat there for two years. Fast forward to March of this past year, I'm down in Missouri for our 20-year reunion and one of my buddies and former teammates, Jack Jackson, who's now a big DMV guy, asked me what I've been up to. I told him a little bit about the concept, he's like, 'Man, I love it.' So he decided he was going to back it, then the last three months, we've been pushing forward.
"We ended up bringing another former teammate, Jason Conley, aboard and he's based in the DMV area. We asking him like, 'What can we pull off for a couple exhibition games in this first year?' And so, he knew the guys over at Georgetown and Maryland and really led that charge to get the game going. We've been just going as we go for the last month, brought in a couple of the guys, Ricky Goings and Marc Stern, added to our organization and now, here we are a month later; we got this game scheduled for August 6. Our plan is to do another one here in Kansas City in late August or early September to get two proof-of-concept games under our belt. And then, really zero in on identifying teams for the 2023 season where we play between eight-to-16 games. Ideally, having between 16 and 32 of these teams put together."
Etan Thomas: Word traveled fast about this. People are really excited about it in the DMV.
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Kareem Rush: "I know, and that&rsquo;s mostly just from the initial marketing through social media and me reaching out to some of these GMs on some of these TBT teams who already got these teams established. The response has been great from players. Being a former player, I understand that guys just want an opportunity to stay in shape, make a little money. Our target guys are those guys either fresh out of college, guys who play overseas. You come back in town, you want to stay in shape, make a little money. This is the league for them. Then another unique aspect of what we're doing, all these leagues are built off the back of these players but very few have actual ownership. So another piece that we're doing is once we get the model established and we can really see what we're doing, we want to allow these guys to be able to buy in and own their own franchises.
"So you see these former NBA guys or current NBA guys who still have huge events for their colleges may want to come in and buy a franchise and operate and run it like the businessmen they are today. So, we believe we have a good starting point. Like I said, the response has been great. We&rsquo;re just looking forward to getting these first two exhibitions off the ground, really focusing in on that 2023 season where we launch media partners, streaming, eventually gambling. So we got a lot of things that we're working on."
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Etan Thomas: I really like the player-empowerment part. You don't see that in most of these leagues. The people who are usually benefiting the most are people outside of the player boundaries. How did you decide to add that component to everything that you're doing?
Kareem Rush: "Being a former player and really seeing that first year in the BIG3, where a lot of those guys &mdash; you got Baron Davis, the Junkyard Dog, Al Harrington, all those guys &mdash; where that little per-game check was not really moving the needle for them; they really want to own some things. And now today, as you see what LeBron and KD and all these guys are doing business-wise, I was like, 'Man, a lot of these guys are really business savvy, so why not give them an opportunity to be on the ground level of a league where they lend their celebrity and influence to the league and they grow with the league?' And so, that's where the concept came from. Like I said, as a former player, I would love to have some ownership in what I'm doing and as we see how much these franchises are worth, why not give the opportunity back to the players who build the league?"
Etan Thomas: So you're planning on taking this show on the road in 2023. Do you already have teams in mind? People are buzzing about the different possibilities or potential rivalry games that we could see. Have you keyed in on the other possible rival games?
Kareem Rush: "I&rsquo;m glad you asked that and yes, we actually have. Once the TBT started putting out their schedule, I was able to literally just reach out to some of those GMs from those teams and have initial conversations. This is a few months back before we started having some development and shape into our league. So we got a pretty good list of teams that we want to target. A lot of these teams are already established, so it's really just about getting the scheduling on our end. But I would say we probably talked to 12-or-16 teams at this point who all have shown interest. And I think for the first part of the league, our first couple of years, we really want to zero in on those historic college rivalries where we can build the concept around those fan bases and that madness and hoopla that build around those rivalries.
"Think of a Duke/North Carolina or a KU/MU or UCLA/USC. From my playing days, I still got connections to a lot of those teams and I think once the concept is out there and marketed properly, we're going to have guys reaching out to us, beating down our door to be a part of it."
Etan Thomas: And correct me if I&rsquo;m wrong, but your model differs from TBT because you offer an actual per-game salary for the players, correct?&nbsp;
Kareem Rush: "I see you did your homework, that&rsquo;s exactly correct. So, unlike TBT, where one team gets all the money and the other teams who come out and prep for months and months on end don't really see anything on the back end. So we're allowing guys to make a decent amount of money in the summertime, stay in shape, and then, once the overseas season goes, 'Go ahead and go back over there,' we want to be that league where you come home and play in front of your fans. You can really tap into that network."
Etan Thomas: Could the players also benefit from NIL deals or sponsorships as well?&nbsp;
Kareem Rush: Definitely. Now with the NIL, we can actually present some of the current players that come back [with deals] because I don't see any university that doesn't want to keep that connection with their former alumni. So bridging the gap there, allowing these guys to come back and play on campus is beneficial for everyone involved."
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Etan Thomas: So for this game in Maryland, you got the Xfinity Center. That shows right there that it&rsquo;s beneficial for the college. It's not like y&rsquo;all are playing at the YMCA or something.
Kareem Rush: "Exactly, I was actually surprised I was able to get the Xfinity Center for this first game in Maryland. We originally had Georgetown Prep scheduled. So that shows you that the schools will eventually want to jump on board and be a part of this because we have between eight-to-16 former legends coming back to be a part of the game. So we're excited about it, man. Like I said, we think we've got some legs. We're looking forward to pushing it full scope in 2023."
Etan Thomas: Sounds great. Don't forget to throw Syracuse in that mix when you&rsquo;re moving forward!
Kareem Rush: "Oh definitely, I already talked to the Boeheim Army guys so we got you! (laughing)"
Etan Thomas: Great, great. Yeah, because especially from that Big East, there are some great rivalries &mdash; I mean the original Big East. Now, of course, the conference is all messed up. Don't even get me started on that. But yeah, the original Big East rivalries, there's Syracuse/Georgetown, Syracuse/St. John's, Villanova/UConn. Those are classic Big East rivalries. But let's talk about this one that's coming up with Maryland and Georgetown and what everybody can expect. Both Maryland and Georgetown have a huge fan base here. I live here in Maryland, so I see it. Everybody was excited when you put out the roster of players, and they get more excited every time they announce another alumni who's going to be in attendance. I saw Georgetown legends like JYD, Michael Graham, Mark Tillmon, Gene Smith and Maryland legends like Joe Smith, Walt Williams, Duane Simpkins, Tony Massenburg. Every name creates more buzz, but talk about what everybody can expect for this game coming up on the 6th.
Kareem Rush: "We just want to put a good product on the court. Like I said, we have a nice mix of young and older players, because we always want to tap into those older fans who saw Juan Dixon, Steve Blake, Lonny Baxter and that group when they won the championship. So trying to get those guys to come up for those people who love the University of Maryland and Georgetown from top to the bottom. Come out, expect a good time! And as this concept grows, we plan on having a family night when we can come in and do some networking events with the guys, interacting with the former alumni and all that type of stuff. So we plan on building much more than just a game. It's going to be more of an entertainment-and-networking event component for them to do moving forward. So just come out, see some old players, have a good time, get a chance to honor and meet-and-greet some of the legends and then, just get ready for 2023!"
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Kareem Rush speaks to Etan Thomas about the Alumni Basketball League and the first matchup between Maryland and Georgetown.

ABL: Maryland, Georgetown alum set to battle Aug. 6 at Xfinity Center

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

It&rsquo;s an annual occurrence in the NBA. Teams change head coaches and the roster of candidates who should get those jobs starts getting bandied about, and especially in recent years those lists almost always included Black candidates.
Case in point: Ime Udoka, who is of Nigerian descent.
For five years, he was one of those can&rsquo;t-miss candidates but never got hired. That is, until the Boston Celtics gave him the opportunity. And all Udoka did in Year 1 was reach the NBA Finals.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand what took so long, to be honest,&rdquo; Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said.
Udoka&rsquo;s hiring by the Eastern Conference champion Celtics, who open the NBA Finals on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors, was part of a transformative year for the league when it comes to diversity within the coaching ranks. In the last 12 months, eight coaching jobs have been filled by Black candidates &mdash; and for the first time, half the league&rsquo;s franchises, 15 of the 30, have Black head coaches.
&ldquo;It means a lot,&rdquo; said Golden State assistant Mike Brown, one of the eight recent Black hires; he&rsquo;s taking over the Sacramento Kings when this series ends. &ldquo;When my son, and my oldest son&rsquo;s about to have his first son, when they turn on the TV and they see people that look like them leading an NBA team on the sidelines, it can be inspiring.
&ldquo;For me, carrying the torch and then passing it to the next generation is something that I think about often &mdash; not just for my family, but for others out there.&rdquo;
Detroit&rsquo;s Dwane Casey, Phoenix&rsquo;s Monty Williams, Cleveland&rsquo;s J.B. Bickerstaff, Philadelphia&rsquo;s Doc Rivers, the Los Angeles Clippers&rsquo; Tyronn Lue, Houston&rsquo;s Stephen Silas and Atlanta&rsquo;s Nate McMillan are the seven Black coaches who had their current jobs last season. They&rsquo;ve been joined in the last year by Udoka, Brown, Portland&rsquo;s Chauncey Billups, Dallas&rsquo; Jason Kidd, Orlando&rsquo;s Jamahl Mosley, Washington&rsquo;s Wes Unseld Jr., New Orleans&rsquo; Willie Green and last week, the Los Angeles Lakers hired Darvin Ham.
Mosley interviewed for nine jobs before getting hired in Orlando. Ham, like Udoka, had been a can&rsquo;t-miss name for years, but never got a chance until now.
&ldquo;Darvin is about as good a guy as you&rsquo;re going to see, a big competitor,&rdquo; Boston&rsquo;s Al Horford said. &ldquo;Extreme competitor. The Lakers are really lucky to have a guy like him. He&rsquo;s the kind of guy that you want.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s been nearly 60 years since Bill Russell broke the NBA coaching color barrier when he became the first Black man to coach a team; he accepted the role as player-coach of the Celtics starting with the 1966-67 season and won a championship in his second season.
Al Attles and Lenny Wilkens were the next two Black coaches to get opportunities; they would eventually become champions as well. There have been roughly 260 different coaches in the NBA, excluding short-term interim fill-ins, since Russell was hired, and 1 out of 3 of those coaches have been Black. But most of those Black coaches have either lasted in their first job no more than three years or not gotten a second chance at leading a team.
Players wanted that to change. Evidently, so did other coaches.
&ldquo;For many years qualified young coaches of color like Ime Udoka, Jamahl Mosley, Willie Green, Wes Unseld Jr., Darvin Ham and Stephen Silas, to name just a few, were not getting consistent opportunities to interview for NBA head coaching positions,&rdquo; said Indiana coach Rick Carlisle, the president of the National Basketball Coaches Association. &ldquo;The last two years changed everything. The league office has tirelessly made franchises more aware of the qualifications and journeys of these talented young coaches. This increased awareness has led to qualified coaches of all backgrounds having greater opportunity to interview and the numbers speak for themselves.&rdquo;
Part of that awareness came from a meeting that three league officials &mdash; Commissioner Adam Silver, chief people and inclusion officer Oris Stuart and president of social responsibility and player programs Kathy Behrens &mdash; had with Carlisle, representing the NBCA, in February 2019.
Out of that meeting, the NBA Coaches Equality Initiative was born. The NBCA worked with the league in many ways to get it started, including the building of a database; in a couple of clicks, teams in need of coaches could get information, including qualifications, experience and even an on-camera interview in some cases, on every available candidate.
&ldquo;You have to talk about these issues all the time,&rdquo; Silver said Thursday. &ldquo;If you care about diversity and inclusion in your workplace ... it has to become a focus.&rdquo;
There are still areas where the NBA can improve in terms of diversity. Most front-office positions are not held by people of color and Michael Jordan is the lone Black principal owner of a franchise; Jordan leads the Charlotte Hornets, the only team that has a coaching vacancy right now.
It&rsquo;s an issue, and while there has been improvement in some areas, Silver wants more.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s more work to be done,&rdquo; Silver said.
That said, the numbers in the NBA wildly exceed the other major U.S. pro leagues.
There are three Black coaches in the NFL: Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Mike Tomlin, Houston&rsquo;s Lovie Smith and Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Todd Bowles. That does not include Miami&rsquo;s Mike McDaniel; his father is Black, but McDaniel identifies as biracial. The person McDaniel replaced in Miami, former coach Brian Flores, is suing the Dolphins and the NFL for what he says is racial discrimination in hiring practices.
&ldquo;Our league leads the charge,&rdquo; Mike Brown said. &ldquo;Hopefully other leagues will follow suit.&rdquo;
But he also points out that he longs for a day when 50% of the coaches in a league being Black won&rsquo;t seem like a milestone, saying that&rsquo;s &ldquo;the dream.&rdquo; And Silver echoed those sentiments.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m particularly proud of numbers and roughly 50% of our head coaches are Black now, the goal is that that&rsquo;s not newsworthy,&rdquo; Silver said. &ldquo;And when people are hired, the first reaction isn&rsquo;t the color of their skin.&rdquo;

“Our league leads the charge,” Mike Brown said. “Hopefully other leagues will follow suit.”

Transformative year: Black coaches now lead 50% of NBA teams

New Orleans first-year coach Willie Green could have been forgiven for wondering what he had gotten himself into early this season.
Star forward Zion Williamson was injured with no clear timeline for recovery, and the Pelicans started 1-12.
Rather than foreshadowing a long year at the bottom of the Western Conference, those setbacks set the stage for New Orleans to exemplify the benefits of patience and perseverance.
Williamson still hasn't played all season, yet the Pelicans have won more games than they've lost since last Thanksgiving. They finished ninth in the Western Conference and will host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night in the first postseason game played in New Orleans since 2018.
&ldquo;We definitely have resiliency," Green said. "It&rsquo;s a continuation of trying to build our program, starting with the beginning of this season and how difficult it was to be 1-12, and be at a point where we have this opportunity in front of us.&rdquo;
While Gregg Popovich is in his 26th season as Spurs coach, is the NBA's career leader in coaching victories and has five NBA championships to his name, his road to the 2022 postseason hasn't been much different from Green's.
The Spurs won just four of their first 17 games and were 16 games below .500 after a loss at Charlotte on March 5. Since then, they've gone 10-8 to sneak into the last Western Conference play-in spot as the 10th seed.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re starting to get better and better,&rdquo; said Spurs wing player Devin Vassell, now in his second NBA season. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re growing as a team. We&rsquo;ve got a lot of young players, but we&rsquo;re all developing right now.&rdquo;
Spurs guard Dejounte Murray has made major strides, becoming a first-time All-Star and averaging 21.1 points, 9.2 assists and 8.3 rebounds this season.
Brandon Ingram has been New Orleans' most productive offensive player, averaging 22.7 points, but he has gotten some help since the Pelicans acquired guard CJ McCollum in a multiplayer deal with Portland shortly before the NBA trade deadline in February.
McCollum, averaging 24 points since the trade, wasn't around for New Orleans' early season stumbles, but was well aware of them.
&ldquo;It shows you how they stuck together, how they continued to fight through adversity, how much growth the team has had,&rdquo; McCollum said. "I&rsquo;m happy I could help get us into this position where we have a chance to get some postseason experience.&rdquo;
To make it into the first round of the NBA playoffs, the winner in New Orleans must win again on Friday night, on the road, against the Los Angeles Clippers.
PRODUCTIVE LINEUP
Some recent lineup changes have yielded compelling results for New Orleans.
The 6-foot-11 Jaxson Hayes, drafted eighth overall in 2019, was inserted into the starting lineup at power forward, and McCollum took over at point guard following his trade. When those two have started alongside center Jonas Valanciunas, Ingram and defensive-minded rookie Herb Jones, the Pelicans are 7-3.
That is the likely lineup against San Antonio. Ingram, who missed the last three regular-season games with a sore hamstring, practiced Tuesday and declared himself ready.
While various injuries have limited that lineup's sample size to 10 games, Green said the way that group plays passes the &ldquo;eye test.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It looks right. It feels right,&rdquo; Green said. "The numbers kind of solidify what we&rsquo;re seeing, and we kind of go with that.&rdquo;
PERIMETER IMPROVEMENT
Spurs forward Keldon Johnson set career highs in points (17.0), rebounding (6.1), assists (2.1) and 3-point shooting (40%) in his third NBA season.
Johnson led the Spurs in 3-pointers, going 159 for 399 after making just 73 in his first two seasons.
The long-range scoring "frankly kind of surprised us all,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not what we expected him to improve on to that degree.&rdquo;
ROOKIE TRIO
During the final weeks of the regular season, the Pelicans relied on significant contributions from three rookies.
The 6-8 Jones, a second-round pick out of Alabama, has started much of the season after demonstrating he could defend many opposing teams' top scorers.
First-round pick Trey Murphy III and undrafted rookie Jose Alvarado also have emerged during the latter portion of the season.
While Murphy has only scored 10 or more points eight times &mdash; seven of those instances came in the last 16 games, including a high of 32 points.
Alvarado seldom played prior to January, but now has 16 games with two or more steals, including a high of six. He has scored more than 10 points 12 times since Jan. 20, with a high of 23, and routinely plays meaningful minutes in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;You see the strides throughout the year, especially Trey Murphy in these last few games,&rdquo; Ingram said. &ldquo;Jose is getting more confidence shooting the basketball and Herb has been playing like a professional since he&rsquo;s been here.&rdquo;
CLOSING TIME
The Spurs say they have become more poised in late-game situations. They blew numerous fourth-quarter leads early this season, but have closed out some critical wins in recent weeks, including a 107-103 victory on March 23 in New Orleans.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve really been saying since Day One: We&rsquo;re young, we&rsquo;re still growing,&rdquo; fourth-year guard Lonnie Walker said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re starting to get used to (close games) and have that type of mindset &mdash; locked in &mdash; those final moments.&rdquo;

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Officially, NBA players began participating in games that were scheduled to celebrate and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1986 when the federal holiday commemorating the civil-rights leader was observed for the first time.
Oscar Robertson knows the tradition dates long before that.
King was shot and killed while standing on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. A day later, Robertson began planning a benefit game in King&rsquo;s memory &mdash; and on Aug. 15 of that year, on an outdoor court in New York, he was among 27 NBA players who wound up taking part.
Among those on the court that night: Wilt Chamberlain, Lenny Wilkens, Dave Bing, Dave DeBusschere, Willis Reed, Walt Bellamy and many others.
&ldquo;What happened years ago with Dr. King is still part of our social fiber,&rdquo; the 83-year-old Robertson said.
The annual reminder of that comes Monday, on the annual celebration of the King holiday. The NBA has scheduled 12 games &mdash; including the traditional home games in King&rsquo;s birthplace of Atlanta and in Memphis, where he was killed at 39.
Memphis hosts Chicago in a matchup of two of the league&rsquo;s biggest surprises so far this season, while Atlanta will host reigning NBA champion Milwaukee. And Robertson believes it&rsquo;s critical players in this generation are reminded of what those who preceded them in the game had to endure as the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba-at-75">NBA celebrates its 75th anniversary</a>.
&ldquo;When I was younger there were so many things couldn&rsquo;t do,&rdquo; Robertson said. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t go here or there, had to ride in the back of the bus when I went back to see my grandparents in Tennessee, and all these types of things. But these things, you become aware of them. The players today didn&rsquo;t have to go through any of that. They&rsquo;ve only read about it.&rdquo;
NBA teams have been paying tribute to King in many ways in recent days. Teams have been warming up in shirts bearing the message &ldquo;Now is the time to make justice a reality for all," a nod to a line he used in his famous &ldquo;I Have A Dream" speech in 1963.
Some teams are also taking part in other ways; 10 clubs are planning youth events in their cities as part of the &ldquo;Team Up For Change" initiative that focuses on &ldquo;uniting, inspiring and activating around a shared commitment and call for racial equality and social justice." The Washington Wizards held a roundtable discussion late last week on how King still impacts the push for social change &mdash; and Wizards forward Daniel Gafford said it's important for even pro athletes to find time to help their communities.
&ldquo;There's 24 hours in a day," Gafford said. &ldquo;There's always time you can put in."
Robertson still has vivid memories of a college tournament he played in, the 1958 Dixie Classic in North Carolina, an event that featured his Cincinnati team and Michigan State, among others.
And he recalls how he and Michigan State&rsquo;s Johnny Green stood out in that event.
&ldquo;We might have been the only two Black guys in the arena,&rdquo; Robertson said. &ldquo;That was the way things progressed. I&rsquo;m so glad it&rsquo;s gotten better.&rdquo;
Robertson was the third president &mdash; and first Black president &mdash; of the National Basketball Players Association, and he urged players to participate in that August 1968 exhibition that doubled as a two-hour telethon. It was broadcast on television in New York and raised around $90,000, some of that going to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that King championed.
He said he&rsquo;s proud to see how players have continued using their platforms, such has speaking out against injustices and the decision by the Milwaukee Bucks to not take the floor for a playoff game at the NBA&rsquo;s restart bubble in 2020 in response to a Black man from Wisconsin being shot by police.
&ldquo;I think players today are more informed about what&rsquo;s going on, and also they have a great advantage of getting their voices out to people because of the social media and whatnot,&rdquo; Robertson said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so glad that the NBA and the players association have gotten together to try to confront all these issues.&rdquo;

“What happened years ago with Dr. King is still part of our social fiber,” the 83-year-old Robertson said.

As NBA prepares to celebrate King, Robertson also remembers

The NBA uses player-tracking technology to find out interesting info like a player's total distance traveled, average speed and more.

Fred VanVleet leads NBA in miles run per game for second-straight year

The NBA released the remaining 25 players of the league's 75th anniversary team Thursday night on TNT.
Here is the official release from the NBA, which lists all 75 players that made the team and the people that voted on the NBA's top 75 players of all-time team:
"A total of 158 NBA championships and 730 NBA All-Star selections. &nbsp;A combined 110 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Awards and Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Awards. &nbsp;More than 1.5 million points scored.
Those are just some of the collective accomplishments of the players who comprise the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which was announced across TNT and ESPN from Oct. 19-21 as the league tipped off its landmark 75th Anniversary Season.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers and team and league executives, WNBA legends and sportswriters and broadcasters. &nbsp;Voters were asked to select the 75 Greatest Players in NBA History without regard to position. &nbsp;Panelists did not rank their selections. &nbsp;Current and former players were not allowed to vote for themselves.
As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th Anniversary Team features 76 players. &nbsp;Team highlights include:
&bull; Eleven active players have been named to the 75th Anniversary Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
&bull; All 50 members of the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, which was named in 1996, have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team.
&bull; The 75th Anniversary Team includes four players who played in the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951 (Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan and Dolph Schayes), the first winner of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Bob Pettit for the 1955-56 season) and the first winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award (Jerry West for the 1969 NBA Finals).
&bull; Bill Russell joins Cousy, Mikan and Pettit as the only four players who have been named to all four NBA Anniversary Teams: the 25th Anniversary Team (10 players named), 35th Anniversary Team (11 players named), 50th Anniversary Team and 75th Anniversary Team. (The 25th Anniversary Team was the only one of the four teams that did not allow for the inclusion of active players at the time.)
&bull; Six international players from six countries and territories have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Patrick Ewing (Jamaica), Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).
&bull; The five NBA legends who are serving as ambassadors for the 75th Anniversary Season are part of the 75th Anniversary Team: Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Nowitzki, Pettit and Oscar Robertson. Representing different eras of the league&rsquo;s history, the ambassadors will make appearances throughout the 2021-22 season and have a significant presence at NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team is listed below in alphabetical order, followed by the list of voters. &nbsp;The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young LLP. &nbsp;For player profiles on each member of the 75th Anniversary Team, click here and visit NBA.com/75."
<table style="width: 95.7926%; height: 464px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 27px;">
<td style="text-align: center; width: 149.879%; height: 27px;" colspan="4" width="691">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Damian Lillard</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Scottie Pippen</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Ray Allen</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Willis Reed</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Durant</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Karl Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Oscar Robertson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Carmelo Anthony</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Moses Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Archibald</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Pete Maravich</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dennis Rodman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Arizin</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob McAdoo</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Garnett</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin McHale</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dolph Schayes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Mikan</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Sharman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elgin Baylor</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hal Greer</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Reggie Miller</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Larry Bird</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Havlicek</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Thurmond</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kobe Bryant</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wes Unseld</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wilt Chamberlain</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Allen Iverson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hakeem Olajuwon</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dwyane Wade</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Cousy</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">LeBron James</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Russell Westbrook</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Gary Payton</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Anthony Davis</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jason Kidd</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dominique Wilkins</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave DeBusschere</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kawhi Leonard</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Pierce</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 97.1703%; height: 798px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 170.677%;" colspan="4" width="719">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM VOTING PANEL</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jack McCallum</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Marv Albert</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">David DuPree</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Brian McIntyre</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">David Aldridge</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Wayne Embry</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ann Meyers</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bob Ryan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sam Amick</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Yoko Miyaji</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Simmons</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sam Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Aschburner</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Stephen A. Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rachel Nichols</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Marc Spears</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Russ Granik</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Erik Spoelstra</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Howard Beck</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Becky Hammon</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Hannah Storm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sue Bird</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Ernie Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Candace Parker</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sheryl Swoopes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Carol Blazejowski</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Mike Breen</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rod Thorn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doris Burke</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Scottie Pippen</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rudy Tomjanovich</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jerry Colangelo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Steve Kerr</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Gregg Popovich</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Peter Vecsey</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doug Collins</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Bob Lanier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaun Powell</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Cynthia Cooper</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Kara Lawson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ahmad Rashad</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rick Welts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Costas</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Lisa Leslie</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Willis Reed</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Nancy Lieberman</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Tim Reynolds</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Michael Wilbon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Zach Lowe</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bill Rhoden</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Pat Riley</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jackie MacMullan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Oscar Robertson</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jeff Zillgitt</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Some notable snubs include Tracy McGrady, Bernard King, Alex English, Vince Carter, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Bob McAdoo, and Pau Gasol to just name a few. This list was part of the NBA's marketing campaign for the league's historic 75th season and will surely spark a conversation/debate amongst NBA fans all over the world.

The NBA released the final 25 players of the 75th anniversary team Thursday on TNT.

Final 25 members of NBA's 75th Anniversary Team announced

Nekias Duncan previews the Southwest Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

Nekias Duncan breaks down all five teams in the Atlantic Division for his 2021-22 NBA season preview.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

The biggest offseason domino yet to fall is Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons.
Coming off a forgetful playoff run where he seemed allergic to having the basketball in his hands late in games, Simmons and the Sixers are at a crossroads. Will the 25-year-old max All-Star stay in Philadelphia, or will he be shipped off elsewhere before the 2021-22 season begins?
Last season, Simmons averaged a career-low 14.3 points to go along with 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists. However, he's been a plus-defender his entire career; there&rsquo;s no denying the impact he has on that end of the floor. Coming off two consecutive seasons in which he was named to the All-Defense First Team, any organization should be able to utilize the jumbo-sized, uber-athletic point-forward on both offense and defense.
However, it&rsquo;s fair to wonder whether Simmons can reach his full potential in a Sixers uniform. With Joel Embiid, Simmons isn't utilized as a post-passing savant who can abuse mismatches against slower-footed bigs. In an offense built entirely around Simmons, he could flourish with more freedom.
Simmons is an interesting case study for star-caliber players on massive salaries. With his trade value at an all-time low, Philadelphia is still asking for an enormous return &mdash; four first-round picks and an All-Star has been reported. Nobody will give Sixers GM Daryl Morey that much value in any Simmons deal, so what makes sense in a potential package?
Let&rsquo;s go ahead and take a look, name some teams that should be calling Philadelphia and assemble some trade packages.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
SACRAMENTO KINGS
The pressure is on for Sacramento to finally field a winning team and snap their 15-year playoff drought. Whether it be Simmons or Pascal Siakam, I&rsquo;ve suggested that the Kings finally push their chips into the middle of the table for an aggressive win-now move.
Simmons would be the perfect piece to fit into their puzzle alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. The Kings&rsquo; backcourt duo had a positive net rating last season, and adding Simmons to the mix gives them a very fun playmaking trio that can play off one another.
Playing the four alongside Richaun Holmes provides little spacing, but Simmons could become the de-facto primary ball handler with Fox and Haliburton providing spacing around the perimeter. A potential starting unit featuring Fox, Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Simmons and Richaun Holmes could hold up on both ends of the court.
Philadelphia receives: Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks
Sacramento receives: Ben Simmons
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
In a similar position as Sacramento, Minnesota could rise in the Western Conference with an impact move. Karl-Anthony Towns is a bonafide superstar, while Anthony Edwards has great potential. Tossing Simmons into the Timberwolves&rsquo; lineup would be exactly how they can become a more well-rounded team.
The question is, would Minnesota pull the trigger on trading Towns&rsquo; good friend D&rsquo;Angelo Russell? If so, Minnesota&rsquo;s new Big 3 would be outstanding.
Imagine the endless possibilities with Simmons flanking Towns and Edwards. The Wolves&rsquo; primary scoring duo could still have their way offensively, but Simmons would be the glue holding everything together from a playmaking and defensive standpoint.
Philadelphia receives: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Jaden McDaniels, future first-round pick
Minnesota receives: Ben Simmons
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
What exactly are the Spurs up to right now? Signing Doug McDermott and Bryn Forbes, San Antonio might be picturing a scenario where they are good enough to push for the playoffs. The strategy for San Antonio should revolve around tanking and focusing on the internal development of their young core.
However, if the Spurs want to make one more big push before head coach Gregg Popovich&rsquo;s presumed retirement, maybe a Simmons trade could go down.
San Antonio has a strong ecosystem in which Simmons could rebuild his value. Surrounded by plus three-point shooters, Simmons can reach his ceiling in a role where everything is built around his strengths.
Philadelphia receives: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, Thaddeus Young, future first-round pick
San Antonio receives: Ben Simmons
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Would the Warriors even be interested in Simmons? It&rsquo;s a real question to ask with Draymond Green already playing a similar role. However, as Green ages, he&rsquo;s the perfect mentor for Simmons to learn from.
Golden State has one big move left up their sleeve with Andrew Wiggins' contract and a lot of young prospects &mdash; James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Jordan Poole. Surely they have their eyes on All-NBA talents such as Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, but Simmons could be the most realistic player to add with their current collection of assets.
Imagining Simmons flanked by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson is a fun exercise, too. Maybe down the line, this is the type of environment where Simmons could become a player where the offense is adequately spaced for him to feast on drives to the basket.
Philadelphia receives: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, two future first-round picks
Golden State receives: Ben Simmons
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15857110_lg.jpg" alt="" width="711" height="474" />
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
One team that has finally tried to build around their star the right way is Washington, which is set to give Bradley Beal a competent roster for the 2021-22 season. However, Beal is entering the final year of his deal.
Would Simmons work well alongside Beal? That&rsquo;s a legitimate concern, but a home run swing that could be necessary for Beal to commit long-term in the nation&rsquo;s capital.
Simmons and Beal flanked by shooters and prospects is a nice foundation for Wizards GM Tommy Shepard to build around for the next five-plus years.
Philadelphia receives: Davis Bertans, Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, two future first-round picks
Washington receives: Ben Simmons
TORONTO RAPTORS
Another team facing a fork in the road with their current roster construction, Toronto has to decide on what happens with Pascal Siakam. Will Toronto keep Siakam around with their young core, or flip him for more long-term value?
If the Raptors want to make an aggressive win-now push while also offloading Siakam, enter Simmons.
A potential lineup of Simmons with Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa sounds like something Toronto would love to try.
Is Simmons open to moving across the border? If so, this could be a win-win deal for both sides as they begin new eras for their respective organizations. Siakam and Embiid is a terrifying frontcourt for Philadelphia, and the duo would allow Tobias Harris to slide back into the small forward position. Meanwhile, Toronto brings Simmons aboard as their new face of the franchise with a solid young nucleus surrounding him.
Philadelphia receives: Pascal Siakam
Toronto receives: Ben Simmons
INDIANA PACERS
No surprise, Indiana is another team that could be staring down the barrel of important, franchise-altering decisions within a year. The Pacers have a great, well-balanced roster that&rsquo;s been plagued by injuries over the last few seasons. T.J. Warren, who broke out in a huge way during the Orlando Bubble, only played four games during the 2019-20 campaign. Caris LeVert missed time due to a cancerous tumor that was discovered after the James Harden trade. Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon continue to miss time here and there due to various injuries, not helping remove the "injury-prone" labels placed on them in the past.
Rick Carlisle is making a triumphant return to Indiana after more than a decade, and the Pacers feel a coaching switch and better health might be their best bet to jump up another rung in the Eastern Conference standings.
Indiana has sniffed around Simmons' availability already this offseason, though. Having a tough time being able to pitch top free agents on coming to Indianapolis, making an aggressive trade might be the only way for it to happen.
Although one of Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis would need to be moved to a third team in this hypothetical scenario, Indiana going star hunting could be the necessary tweak to change their long-term fortunes.
Philadelphia receives: Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, two future first-round picks
Indiana receives: Ben Simmons
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
After drafting Evan Mobley No. 3 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cleveland has a bright, young core. Darius Garland, Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro and Collin Sexton will be fun to watch, but do all of the pieces actually fit together? The Cavaliers have reportedly shopped Sexton this offseason with a big-money extension potentially waiting for him in 2022. Cleveland prefers Darius Garland, who has continued to develop in his first two seasons. Being able to play off the ball as well, Garland has already shown the ability to function alongside another primary ball handler.
Kevin Love is the odd man out of Cleveland right now, but a buyout doesn&rsquo;t seem to be on the horizon; he has two years remaining on his extension.
Could Philadelphia and Cleveland build a win-win package around Simmons for Love and Sexton? It&rsquo;s a long-shot, but one that might have already been explored. Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein mentioned earlier this offseason that Cleveland is another team who has previously expressed interest in acquiring Simmons.
A core in Cleveland consisting of Simmons, Garland, Mobley, Allen and Okoro is something that&rsquo;s at least intriguing on surface level.
Philadelphia receives: Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, two future first-round picks
Cleveland receives: Ben Simmons
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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
This is Portland&rsquo;s last chance to build a Finals contender around Damian Lillard. So far this offseason, they haven&rsquo;t come close. Re-signing Norman Powell was a necessary step, but retooling their bench with Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore won&rsquo;t get it done.
The Blazers are stuck in the middle, which is the worst place to be. With that being said, it&rsquo;s time to finally break up the Lillard, C.J. McCollum backcourt. Whether it be Simmons or Siakam, Portland needs to finally make an aggressive push to appease their disgruntled superstar.
A deal revolving around Simmons and McCollum makes sense for both parties. McCollum can function as a score-first combo guard who can play well off Embiid, while Simmons provides a beautiful blend of playmaking and defense alongside Lillard.
Philadelphia receives: C.J. McCollum, Nassir Little, two future first-round picks
Portland receives: Ben Simmons
Simmons' future is the biggest question remaining in an already eventful 2021-22 offseason. Odds are, he'll be moved to the highest bidder. Perhaps it'll end up being one of the aforementioned teams.

Ben Simmons is the last big domino left to fall this offseason. Will he stay in Philadelphia? It's time to explore potential destinations.

Lynn