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Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday each scored 29 points and the Milwaukee Bucks edged the short-handed Boston Celtics 127-121 on Thursday night to take over second place in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Bucks (50-30) scored the game&rsquo;s final nine points to move a half-game ahead of the Celtics (50-31) and a full game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers (49-31), who lost 119-114 at Toronto on Thursday.
Milwaukee withstood a triple-double from Jaylen Brown, who had 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the Celtics. Brown&rsquo;s 11 assists matched his career high.
Marcus Smart shot 7 of 12 from 3-point range and was the Celtics&rsquo; leading scorer with a season-high 29 points. Daniel Theis had 22 points and Derrick White added 19 for the Celtics.
Khris Middleton had 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo had 11 rebounds and five assists. Holiday had eight rebounds and eight assists.
One night after a 117-94 victory at Chicago, the Celtics held Jayson Tatum and Al Horford out of Thursday&rsquo;s game. They also continued to play without Robert Williams III, who hasn&rsquo;t played since March 27 due to a meniscus tear in his left knee.
The Celtics still almost won on the road.
Smart put Boston ahead 119-118 on a 3-pointer with 4:25 left and added a driving layup nearly two minutes later to make it 121-118.
Milwaukee&rsquo;s Bobby Portis tied it by sinking a 3-pointer with 2:11 remaining.
The Bucks took the lead for good when Antetokounmpo made the second of two free throws with 1:31 left. After White missed a 3-pointer, Holiday converted a putback of his own miss to make it 124-121 with a minute remaining.
After Theis couldn&rsquo;t score from right under the basket, Antetokounmpo made one of two free throws to extend Milwaukee&rsquo;s lead to 125-121 with 39 seconds left.
HILL'S NECK PROBLEM
Bucks guard George Hill offered more clarity Thursday on the neck injury that caused him to miss 17 games before he returned to action March 14.
Hill said he had a partial tear between the sixth and seventh thoracic vertebra in his spine. Hill didn&rsquo;t undergo surgery and plans to revisit the issue after the season.
&ldquo;Surgery can be season-ending, so you don&rsquo;t want to do that,&rdquo; Hill said after the Bucks&rsquo; Thursday morning shootaround. &ldquo;You want to figure out how I can manage to get back out with the guys. It feels a lot better now. I&rsquo;m just trying to give it everything I have.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Celtics: Rookie Sam Hauser, a Wisconsin native who began his college career at Marquette, had a career-high 11 points and went 3 of 4 on 3-point attempts. Marquette and the Bucks both play their home games at Fiserv Forum. ... Celtics assistant coach Ben Sullivan, an assistant on Milwaukee's staff last season, received his 2020-21 championship ring in a pregame ceremony.
Bucks: The Bucks requested waivers on DeAndre&rsquo; Bembry, who played eight games for them before suffering a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-utah-jazz-nba-sports-brook-lopez-7703bb40fb72236c5e9655a26a7a6389">season-ending knee injury</a> in a loss at Golden State on March 12. &hellip; Grayson Allen didn&rsquo;t play due to left hip soreness. &ldquo;He got hit a little bit the other night in Chicago,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game, referring to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-chicago-bulls-boston-celtics-nba-sports-89c777fcb55642d97f5523ac2d5f6024"> 127-106 victory</a> over the Bulls on Tuesday. &ldquo;Hopefully it&rsquo;s short-term.&rdquo; ... The Bucks outscored the Celtics 58-34 in the paint.
UP NEXT
Celtics: At Memphis on Sunday. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-boston-celtics-brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-3d2600b0730722e97fedf317fcb1237b">The Celtics beat the Grizzlies 120-107</a> in Boston on March 3.
Bucks: At Detroit on Friday. The Bucks are 2-1 against the Pistons this season but <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-khris-middleton-jrue-holiday-milwaukee-c2a817547bf4b377674b1909beacc87a">lost the last matchup 115-106</a> at Milwaukee on Jan. 3.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday each scored 29 points and the Bucks edged the shorthanded Celtics to take second in the East.

Giannis, Holiday help Bucks rally past Celtics 127-121

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

March Madness: Conference tournament Thursday recap

Luka Doncic scored 41 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat Golden State for the second time in five days, holding off the Warriors 122-113 on Thursday night after a huge fourth-quarter rally for the victory in California.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors never led but got even for the first time since early in the first quarter during a stretch when Moses Moody scored 13 consecutive Golden State points.
Spencer Dinwiddie put the Mavericks back in front for good with a short jumper for a 106-104 lead midway through the fourth quarter, and the Mavericks held on to hand the Warriors a season-worst third consecutive loss and drop them 7 1/2 games behind NBA-leading Phoenix.
Doncic had 10 rebounds and nine assists, Dorian Finney-Smith scored 18 points and Dinwiddie added 17 as the Mavericks took the season series 3-1 with the consecutive victories. Dallas got the first win by rallying from a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit with a 26-1 run in a 107-101 win Sunday in San Francisco.
Curry was held scoreless in the fourth quarter and finished with 21 points as the Mavericks hounded him at the 3-point line, while Moody hit consecutive 3s to get Golden State even at 104. Jordan Poole scored 23 points.
Golden State's Klay Thompson finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, including quite a few shots that were way off, in his return after missing two games with an illness.
Dinwiddie scored seven crucial points in the fourth quarter of his home debut after the trade that brought him and Davis Bertans from Washington for Kristaps Porzingis.
Thompson scored eight points in a frenetic third quarter, when the Warriors cut a 14-point halftime deficit in half several times only to see Dallas get it back to double figures. Golden State ended up down eight going to the fourth after Doncic missed a step-back 3 at the buzzer. Doncic had 11 in the quarter.
A rough first half for Thompson was punctuated when he hit the side of the backboard on a corner 3 before Doncic beat him with a cross-over, step-back 3-pointer at the other end. Doncic had 24 points at the break.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Draymond Green was on the bench, missing his 26th consecutive game because of a back injury. The last time he played was the first meeting in Dallas on Jan. 5. ... Andre Iguodala, also out with a back injury, missed his 17th consecutive game. Coach Steve Kerr said it was doubtful Iguodala would play in the remaining two games on the four-game road trip, but his return is getting close.
Mavericks: F/C Maxi Kleber (right ankle), F Marquise Chriss (right knee) and G Trey Burke (left shoulder) were out. ... The Mavericks have won nine of the past 11 meetings in the series, including three in a row in Dallas.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Mavericks: Host Sacramento on Saturday.

Luka Doncic scored 41 points and the Mavericks beat Golden State for the second time in five days.

Doncic scores 41 points, Mavs beat Warriors again, 122-113

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Outside the victorious Dallas locker room, coach Jason Kidd had a little fun with Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
&ldquo;You almost had a triple-double,&rdquo; Kidd joked, referring to Donic's 34 points, 11 rebounds and nine turnovers.
The miscues didn't matter at the end, when Donic and Dallas did almost everything right.
Doncic converted two free throws with 7.9 seconds left, leading the Mavericks back from 21 down in the third quarter to stun the Golden State Warriors 107-101 on Sunday night.
New addition Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 24 points in the final period for Dallas.
&ldquo;We wanted to continue to have fight,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said.
Stephen Curry hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining and had 27 points and 10 assists in his first game at home since earning All-Star Game MVP honors, but the Warriors couldn't do enough on either end during crunch time as the Mavericks made all the big shots.
Doncic went 10 for 21 from the floor in the first of two matchups over five days between a pair of top-five NBA defenses: No. 1 Golden State and the fifth-ranked Mavericks. Dinwiddie scored five straight points midway through the fourth that got Dallas to 93-90.
Dorian Finney-Smith&rsquo;s 3 with 5:05 to go made it 94-93, then his putback at 3:21 gave Dallas the lead before Donic scored the next time down.
Andrew Wiggins added 18 points for Golden State and Kevon Looney grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points and five assists as Klay Thompson sat out with an illness after missing practice Saturday. The hope is he will be healthy to travel with the team.
"I think we let our offense dictate our energy and our spirit in the game," Looney said. "... We kind of folded when adversity hit."
Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga received a technical with 9:20 left for grabbing the rim after a goaltending call. Golden State couldn&rsquo;t deliver in what seemed set to be another commanding victory over Dallas after the Warriors snapped a four-game home losing streak to the Mavericks last month with a 130-92 rout.
Golden State has given away big leads in losing its last two home games after a 117-116 defeat to Denver on Feb. 16.
&ldquo;I think it's actually good to go through and feel it because this is what it feels like in the playoffs,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;This is what it feels like when you're playing a really good team, the game's never over.&rdquo;
Curry was presented another time with his All-Star Game MVP trophy so the home fans could celebrate the reigning scoring champion's accomplishment: 16 3-pointers and 50 points. Vince Carter, who Curry admired while growing up in Toronto, handed him the hardware during a pregame ceremony.
The teams will meet again Thursday night in Dallas.
"Energy, effort, execution under pressure, that's the name of the game," Kerr said.
BERKELEY PROUD
Kidd visited his old campus at California in Berkeley on Saturday to see the Golden Bears beat rival Stanford 53-39, then also caught some of Cal's baseball game next-door against Illinois-Chicago and caught up with coach and friend Mike Neu.
&ldquo;It was good to be back on campus,&rdquo; Kidd said, joking how he has former Stanford star Dwight Powell on his roster.
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TIP-INS
Mavericks: Also sidelined for the Mavericks were G Trey Burke (sprained left shoulder), F Marquese Chriss (sore right knee) and G Frank Ntilikina (sprained right ankle). ... Dallas is 14-9 on the road against the Western Conference. ... Powell picked up his fourth foul at the 9:02 mark of the third.
Warriors: Jordan Poole was 0 for 7 and missed all four of his 3-point tries. ... C James Wiseman is scheduled to travel with the team on its upcoming four-game road trip and continue to be integrated into practices and scrimmages as he works back from right knee surgery last year. ... Andre Iguodala missed his fifth straight game with lower back tightness.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Warriors: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Doncic converted two free throws with 7.9 seconds left, leading the Mavs back from 21 down in the 3Q to stun the Warriors 107-101.

Doncic leads big comeback, Mavericks stun Warriors 107-101

Through all the triple-doubles, buzzer-beaters and three All-Star Game trips in four seasons, Luka Doncic never averaged 40 points over a four-game stretch until the final quartet before the break.
Those games also happened to be the first ones since a trade ended Doncic's European pairing with Kristaps Porzingis that never developed the way the Dallas Mavericks had hoped.
Not that the focus wasn't already on the Slovenian superstar who turns 23 on Monday, but the timing of the 41.5-point-per-game outburst that included Doncic's first 50-point effort made it perfectly clear.
If the Mavericks are going to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since winning the franchise's only championship 11 years ago, their point guard will have to dominate.
Nobody knows it better than the point guard from 2011: Jason Kidd, who helped guide a club led by another European star in Dirk Nowitzki.
&ldquo;Luka&rsquo;s that type of player that can carry the load, for not just four games but for most of the season,&rdquo; said Kidd, the first-year Dallas coach. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing not just at an All-Star but at an MVP level right now, and that&rsquo;s what we need going into the second half.&rdquo;
The Mavericks return from the break Friday night at Utah, which is one spot ahead of Dallas as the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Denver is the third team in the current mix for the final spot with home-court advantage in the first round, something else the Mavericks haven't had since winning the title.
A few hours after Porzingis was dealt to Washington in a deal that brought Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, Doncic scored 28 points in the first quarter of a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. He finished with a career-high 51.
In a rematch two nights later, Doncic scored 23 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter of a 99-97 loss, the only defeat in the four-game stretch. He had 49 in a victory over New Orleans after missing two late free throws.
&ldquo;It was just games,&rdquo; said Doncic, who was busy from 3-point range during the four games, going 22 of 48. &ldquo;I know everybody talks it was after the trade, after something. It was just games. Sometimes you feel good, sometimes you don't. I just felt good.&rdquo;
The Clippers and coach Tyronn Lue prefer to focus on making Doncic a scorer because they think he's more dangerous when he's distributing as well.
Indeed, just before the scoring burst started, the franchise leader in triple-doubles had four in a six-game stretch. The 51-point night ended a career-best run of seven consecutive games with double-digit assists because the game was close and Doncic had to keep scoring.
Doncic is sixth in the NBA in scoring (27.5 points per game) and fifth in assists (9.0).
&ldquo;He showed his ability to go get a bucket when he needs to, day in and day out, while keeping everybody involved,&rdquo; said Marquese Chriss, a one-time Doncic antagonist in Golden State who became his teammate this season when the Dallas roster was decimated by a COVID-19 outbreak.
&ldquo;Some people can score but get away from the offense and get away from having their teammates be themselves as well,&rdquo; Chriss said. &ldquo;I feel like everybody was able to contribute in the games.&rdquo;
Since Doncic returned from a career-long 10-game absence because of knee and ankle injuries and a positive COVID-19 test, the Mavericks are 18-6. Defense is a big part of the surge, as is the star guard.
Before the time away, Doncic was criticized over his conditioning and weight, and acknowledged he relaxed too much after helping Slovenia qualify for its first Olympics and reach the semifinals before losing twice at the Tokyo Games last summer. While he made his third consecutive All-Star team, Doncic wasn't voted a starter for the first time.
&ldquo;I think he was humbled a little bit,&rdquo; owner Mark Cuban said in an appearance on a local radio station this week. &ldquo;I think he didn&rsquo;t like being called out for his weight and other things, and it finally clicked that there&rsquo;s a level of discipline that&rsquo;s required.&rdquo;
The latest scoring flurry from Doncic tops his run in the 2020 playoffs, when his buzzer-beater to even the series in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers was the talk of the playoff bubble. Doncic had two 40-point games and just missed a third in a six-game loss in his postseason debut.
Doncic doesn't figure to keep the 40-point pace going as the Mavericks figure out the new pecking order among scorers without Porzingis. It's worth noting that shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. should return for the playoffs after missing at least two months with a broken left foot.
&ldquo;When you&rsquo;ve got a guy that&rsquo;s able to break down the defense so efficiently, you&rsquo;ve got to be ready to knock down shots, you&rsquo;ve got to be ready to cut, you&rsquo;ve got to be ready to balance the floor in different situations offensively,&rdquo; forward-center Dwight Powell said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, we&rsquo;re trying to find ways to support each other regardless of who has it going and the find ways to contribute to win.&rdquo;
The Mavericks know who's likely to have it going on most nights.

The Mavs return from the break Friday night at Utah, which is one spot ahead of Dallas as the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

Doncic's scoring flurry sets Mavs on course toward playoffs

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns gave big men everywhere something to shoot for.
Minnesota's 7-footer became the first center to win the 3-Point Shooting Contest, defeating seven guards during the NBA's All-Star Saturday and providing a memorable moment on a night the dunk contest barely got off the ground.
Towns, who has spent his entire career proving doubters wrong about his range, posted a 29 &mdash; the highest total in the competition &mdash; during the final round to defeat Atlanta's Trae Young and Luke Kennard of the Los Angeles Clippers, who tied for second with 26 each.
New York's Obi Toppin won the four-person dunk contest, scoring a 47 out of 50 in the final round by putting the ball between his legs in the air, touching it off the backboard and re-directing it through the rim.
Golden State's Juan Toscano-Anderson was second as the dunk contest, once a marquee event that at times trumped the All-Star Game, fell flat.
A trio of Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, won the Skills Challenge.
After his surprising 3-point win, Towns accepted his trophy at mid-court and immediately turned toward Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal sitting courtside in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
&ldquo;I told you Shaq,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Vegas got the odds wrong.&rdquo;
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Towns was considered, well, a long shot among a field of shot makers that included Young, Kennard, New Orleans' CJ McCollum, Brooklyn&rsquo;s Patty Mills, Toronto&rsquo;s Fred VanVleet, Chicago&rsquo;s Zach LaVine and Memphis&rsquo; Desmond Bane.
&ldquo;I wanted to prove I was the best shooting big man in the world, and now I got the trophy to prove it,&rdquo; Towns said.
There have been other big men crowned 3-point champions, but Kevin Love (2012) and Dirk Nowitzki (2006) are considered power forwards.
&ldquo;I think this is a nice little thing to put on that r&eacute;sum&eacute;,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Big man hasn&rsquo;t won in 10 years, and, of course, 10 years ago, a decade ago, who won it? The Wolves. It&rsquo;s coming back home where it belongs.&rdquo;
The dunk contest started with some promise and fizzled fast.
Orlando's Cole Anthony caused a stir when he swapped his sneakers for a pair of Timberland boots and then dunked in them with an assist from his father, former NBA guard Greg Anthony.
Toppin said all the participants are great dunkers who wanted to put on a show, and they all were encouraging each other.
&ldquo;When Cole missed those two first ones with the Timbs on, I was like no those Timbs are heavy," Toppin said. &ldquo;I was like, we got to boost his energy up. I was trying to get everybody on their feet.&rdquo;
It worked, momentarily.
But Anthony couldn't complete his second dunk in three tries and he was eliminated along with Houston's Jalen Green, who also struggled while trying to impress a panel of Hall of Fame judges &mdash; Julius Erving, Isiah Thomas, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins.
The hometown Cavs added another moment to their impressive season by winning the re-formatted Skills Challenge, which pitted teams and not individual players.
Garland, Mobley and Allen teamed up to outperform Team Antetokounmpo &mdash; MVP Giannis and his brothers Thanasis and Alex &mdash; and a rookie trio of Detroit's Cade Cunningham, Toronto's Scottie Barnes and Oklahoma City's Josh Giddey.
Mobley, a leading candidate for rookie of the year honors, sealed the win by making a half-court shot on his first attempt, allowing the Cavs to close the segment of the contest in 5.5 seconds and defeat Team Rooks.
The Cavs started the shooting competition off target as Allen, hardly known for his outside touch, made just two shots in 30 seconds. However, Garland brought Cleveland back &mdash; and brought their crowd to life &mdash; scoring 21 points.
However, the Cavs came out of the relay portion tied with Team Antetokounmpo for second place and needed Garland to win a shoot-off with Thanasis to place Cleveland in the final.
After Cunningham drained his 47-footer in 9.9 seconds, Mobley calmly stepped into his winning shot.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of a kind,&rdquo; Allen said of his 20-year-old teammate. &ldquo;Defense, offense and now half court. The whole league knows Evan by now. If they&rsquo;ve ever driven to the paint, they definitely know him, so the NBA should know him by now.&rdquo;

Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 29 during the final round to defeat Atlanta's Trae Young and Luke Kennard of the Clippers.

Center of attention: Towns wins All-Star 3-Point Contest

The following is a press release from the NBA:
CLEVELAND&nbsp;&ndash; Fifteen international players from 12 countries, including six international All-Stars and a record-tying four international All-Star Game starters, will participate in NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland from Friday, Feb. 18 &ndash; Sunday, Feb. 20.&nbsp; NBA All-Star 2022 will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in a record 60 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
Below are international highlights of this year&rsquo;s global celebration of basketball:
INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
<ul>
<li>The 71st NBA All-Star Game, which tips off on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, will feature six international All-Stars and a record-tying four international starters.&nbsp; Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) will start for Team LeBron, while Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon) and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors; Canada) will start for Team Durant.&nbsp; They are joined by Team LeBron reserve Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia) and Team Durant reserve Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz; France).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Clorox Rising Stars, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT, will feature a new format of four seven-player teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament, with each game played to a Final Target Score.&nbsp; The pool of 28 players includes six international players: Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors; Nigeria), Chris Duarte (Indiana Pacers; Dominican Republic), Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder; Australia), Alperen Şeng&uuml;n (Houston Rockets; Turkey), Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic; Germany) and Dyson Daniels (NBA G League Ignite; Australia).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>With their participation in Clorox Rising Stars, Giddey and Daniels, who were teammates at NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, from 2019-2020, become the first NBA Academy alumni to participate in NBA All-Star.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Taco Bell&reg; Skills Challenge, which is part of State Farm All-Star Saturday night on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, will also feature a new format in which three teams of three players will participate in a four-round competition that tests shooting, passing and dribbling ability.&nbsp; One of the teams is composed of three Antetokounmpo brothers: Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and Alex Antetokounmpo (NBA G League&rsquo;s Raptors 905; Greece; ties to Nigeria).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Eight players competing at NBA All-Star 2022 are from or have ties to Africa: Achiuwa, the three Antetokounmpo brothers, Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies; ties to Nigeria), Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago Bulls; ties to Nigeria), Embiid and Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers; ties to Nigeria).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>New this year, the NBA G League&rsquo;s top young players, including G League Ignite&rsquo;s Daniels and Fanbo Zeng (China), will be on display in the inaugural NBA G League Next Gem Game, which will feature G League Ignite taking on the Cleveland Charge on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. ET on NBA TV, NBA TV International, and in China on Tencent and MIGU.</li>
</ul>
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
<ul>
<li>A total of 72 international broadcast partners will televise NBA All-Star 2022.&nbsp; Six international television and radio networks &ndash; from France, Greece, Latin America, Mongolia, Poland and Spain &ndash; will conduct live onsite commentary from Cleveland, and three television networks &ndash; from India, Netherlands and Norway &ndash; will broadcast NBA All-Star remotely for the first time.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fans outside North America will also be able to watch Clorox Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night and the NBA All-Star Game live and on-demand through NBA League Pass via <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=zoU9Gcb3YESIAP7onvjQYw&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch.NBA.com</a> and <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=BGLjtJbUSEKZ3TxszIgasA&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the NBA App</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fans around the world will be able to vote for the MVPs of the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Clorox Rising Stars and the NBA All-Star Game via NBA.com, the NBA App and Twitter.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Sunday, Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. &ndash; 2 p.m. ET, fans around the world can watch a livestream of All-Star Game players and coaches conducting media availabilities at <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=3HYWzdXImUWzU3gUE-9O-g&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mediaavail.nba.com</a>.</li>
</ul>
CELEBRITIES &amp; INFLUENCERS
<ul>
<li>The Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, which tips off on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, will feature Puerto Rican rapper and singer Anuel AA; Indian American singer/songwriter Anjali Ranadiv&eacute;; Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh; 2020 Olympic high jump gold medalist Gianmarco Tamberi from Italy; and Cleveland Cavaliers Legend and Brazil native Anderson Varej&atilde;o.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Singh, who in September was named the NBA Brand Ambassador for India, will be one of more than two dozen influencers attending NBA All-Star 2022, where he will post behind-the-scenes social media content and have the opportunity to meet NBA players and legends.&nbsp; Singh will also become the second Bollywood star to play in the Celebrity Game.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Singh headlines a group of international influencers from Argentina, France, India, Japan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Senegal, South Africa, Spain and the UK who will experience NBA All-Star 2022 in person, receiving exclusive access to the weekend&rsquo;s events and creating All-Star-themed content for fans in their home markets.</li>
</ul>
ALL-STAR CELEBRATIONS ABROAD
In addition to the events in Cleveland, fans around the world will be able to share in the excitement of NBA All-Star 2022 through a variety of international activations and programming:
<ul>
<li>In Canada, the &ldquo;NBA 75th Shop,&rdquo; a digital retail experience that pays tribute to the players and moments that have shaped the growth of basketball across the country, features a <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=2icFrxLx0UmWFb58V9B7Vw&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">figurine depicting eight-time All-Star and Raptors Legend Vince Carter</a> at the 2000 Slam Dunk contest and an &ldquo;<a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=Ss8TfIZrIUqK4tlSdhYWOQ&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A">ice block</a>&rdquo; commemorating the 2016 Slam Dunk contest in Toronto, the first NBA All-Star held outside the U.S.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Feb. 18, Mexican artist Alee Baes is launching exclusive All-Star-themed merchandise and giving away 16 special-edition Wilson basketballs in collaboration with the NBA at the league&rsquo;s official retail location in Mexico, NBA Tienda in Polanco.&nbsp; The collection will also be available at <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=ibGQ_qNzG0KhKkx1nZQUsA&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nbatienda.com</a>, the league&rsquo;s official online destination in the country.&nbsp; In addition, Cavaliers Legend Anderson Varej&atilde;o is filming a number of content pieces while on site in Cleveland that will be shared on the NBA&rsquo;s social media platforms in his native Brazil.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>From Feb. 7-21, Cosmote Sport, the league&rsquo;s broadcast partner in Greece, is running a 24/7 NBA pop-up channel featuring live NBA All-Star events, original programming, classic games, highlights and more.&nbsp; Eleven Sport and beIN SPORTS, the league&rsquo;s broadcast partners in Belgium and France, respectively, are hosting competitions in which winners will attend All-Star 2022.&nbsp; In addition, the NBA Fan Clubs in Greece and Spain are organizing NBA All-Star sweepstakes and quizzes featuring merchandise giveaways and special prizes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The league&rsquo;s social media platforms in Australia, Japan and the Philippines will produce All-Star-themed programming to promote the weekend&rsquo;s events.&nbsp; The Dime, a recap show on the NBA&rsquo;s Facebook page in Australia, will feature Australian Rising Stars participants Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.&nbsp; NBA Zoom-In, a show on the NBA&rsquo;s TikTok channel in Japan hosted by Japanese influencer Rikuto, will preview and recap highlights from the weekend.&nbsp; Republika Huddle, the league&rsquo;s social media talk show in the Philippines, will revisit previous editions of NBA All-Star and provide predictions for this year&rsquo;s marquee events.</li>
</ul>

Fifteen international players, including six All-Stars and a record-tying four All-Star Game starters, will represent in Cleveland.

15 international players from 12 countries will be at All-Star Weekend

As we near the end of the NCAA regular season, let's take a dive into college basketball's Power Five conference standings, remaining matchups, and teams to watch as we come down the stretch.
Earlier this week, we addressed the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/state-of-the-conference-acc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACC</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/state-of-the-conference-evaluating-the-b1g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Ten</a>. For this article, we'll dive into the Big East.
<table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><colgroup><col width="100" /><col width="243" /><col width="232" /><col width="97" /><col width="118" /><col width="178" /><col width="178" /></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Rk&quot;}">Rk</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;School&quot;}">School</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;W&quot;}">W</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;L&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">L</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;W&quot;}">W</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;L&quot;}">L</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;W-L%&quot;}">W-L%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:1}">1</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Providence&quot;}">Providence (11)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">1</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:20}">20</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:2}">2</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.909}">0.909</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:2}">2</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Villanova&quot;}">Villanova (15)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:11}">11</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;3&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:18}">18</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.75}">0.75</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:3}">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Connecticut&quot;}">UConn (24)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7}">7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;4&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">4</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.727}">0.727</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:4}">4</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Marquette&quot;}">Marquette (18)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;5&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.667}">0.667</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:5}">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Creighton&quot;}">Creighton</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;5&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:14}">14</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.636}">0.636</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Xavier&quot;}">Xavier (25)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7}">7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.696}">0.696</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Seton Hall&quot;}">Seton Hall</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:15}">15</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7}">7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.682}">0.682</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;St. John's (NY)&quot;}">St. John's (NY)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:5}">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;7&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:13}">13</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.565}">0.565</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:9}">9</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Butler&quot;}">Butler</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:4}">4</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;9&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">9</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:11}">11</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:13}">13</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.458}">0.458</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;DePaul&quot;}">DePaul</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:3}">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;9&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">9</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:12}">12</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.545}">0.545</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:11}">11</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Georgetown&quot;}">Georgetown</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0}">0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;11&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">11</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.273}">0.273</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
FRONTRUNNERS: PROVIDENCE
The No. 11 Friars have put together an incredible season, now 20-2 overall and with the only conference loss coming to Marquette on Jan. 4. They are doing it in a true team effort, as not one player averages more than 14 points per game. Nate Watson, Al Durham, Jared Bynum and Noah Horchler have set themselves up for the top seed in the Big East tournament and are currently projected a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tremendous year by Providence head coach Cooley.
Notable games remaining: Villanova (Feb. 15, March 1)
ON THE HEELS: VILLANOVA, UCONN, MARQUETTE
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17546421_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="454" />
Villanova sits only a half-game back of the Friars and is projected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Collin Gillespie leads the Wildcats in scoring at 16.5 points per game, but for this team to make a run at the title, they will need Justin Moore, Jermaine Samuels and Brandon Slater to step up as more assertive scorers down the stretch. 'Nova is disciplined, experienced and prepared to make a deep run.
Currently projected a No. 6 seed for March Madness, the UConn Huskies are third in the conference standings, but have suffered losses to both Villanova and Creighton this month. RJ Cole and Adama Sanogo have been two of the best at their positions in the nation, and will be relied upon heavily as they come down the home stretch.&nbsp;
Justin Lewis is having a strong season for the Marquette Golden Eagles, as the team makes a push towards the tournament. At one point, they had won seven Big East games in a row, but have now lost 2 of the last 3. Lewis and fellow senior Darryl Morsell have gone through the most difficult part of the schedule already, so they are in prime position to fight for a top spot in the conference.
Notable games remaining:&nbsp;
Villanova: Providence (Feb. 15, March 1), UConn (Feb. 22)
UConn: Xavier (Feb. 11, Feb. 19), Villanova (Feb. 22)
Marquette: Creighton (Feb. 20), Butler (Feb. 26)
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17607977_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="454" />
SLEEPERS: XAVIER, CREIGHTON
Also projected a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Xavier has dropped two in a row and needs to get back on track quickly. The Musketeers are a well-rounded team on offense and will be a threat to knock off anyone in the Big East Tournament. Even if they don't rise to a top-three seed in conference, Xavier cannot be taken lightly, as this squad is poised to end anyone's run and climb to the championship game in the end.
Creighton has had an up and down season, now 14-8 overall. The Jays have dropped 3 of their last 5 contests, but Ryan Hawkins, Alex O'Connell, Ryan Nembhard and Ryan Kalkbrenner can catch fire any night and pull off a win. I don't see them rising to the top three in the conference standings, but like Xavier, you do not want to see them on the schedule come quarterfinals or semifinals.
Notable games remaining:&nbsp;
Xavier: UConn (Feb. 11, Feb. 19), Providence (Feb. 23)
Creighton: Marquette (Feb. 20), Providence (Feb. 26)
THE REST:
Seton Hall, Saint John&rsquo;s, Butler, Depaul, Georgetown
2022 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS TO WATCH
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/justin-lewis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Lewis, Marquette</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/julian-champagnie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Julian Champagnie, St. John&rsquo;s</a>
Collin Gillespie, Villanova
Nate Johnson, Xavier
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Nearing the end of the NCAA regular season, Derek Murray takes a dive into the state of the Big East.

State of the Conference: Evaluating the Big East

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony, Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin and Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson will take flight in the 2022 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.&nbsp; A first-time champion will be crowned as Anthony, Green and Toscano-Anderson are set to make their event debuts, and Toppin returns for his second appearance after finishing as the runner-up last year.&nbsp;
AT&amp;T Slam Dunk is part of State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, which also features the Taco Bell Skills Challenge and the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest.&nbsp; All-Star Saturday Night will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States at 8 p.m. ET.&nbsp; Throughout the broadcast, TNT will feature a special AT&amp;T 5G Legends Cam, powered by AT&amp;T 5G, to spotlight some of the biggest NBA stars throughout history.&nbsp;
Additionally,&nbsp;<a href="https://pressroom.warnermedia.com/us/media-release/warnermedia-kids-family-teams-nba-and-turner-sports-cartoon-network-special-edition" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pressroom.warnermedia.com/us/media-release/warnermedia-kids-family-teams-nba-and-turner-sports-cartoon-network-special-edition&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1644457979485000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3jF1Khfb_atbhiSDPsFsRy">Cartoon Network will air</a>&nbsp;a special superpowered&nbsp;Teen Titans Go!&nbsp;edition of the AT&amp;T Slam Dunk on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. ET.&nbsp; The half-hour special will feature colorful commentary from the Teen Titans and surprise appearances by additional cartoon stars from Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.
Anthony, who was also selected to play in the Clorox Rising Stars during NBA All-Star 2022, is averaging 17.7 points, 6.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds in his second NBA season.&nbsp; The 6-3 guard leads the Magic in scoring and assists.&nbsp; Anthony, the son of former NBA player and current Turner Sports analyst Greg Anthony, was selected by Orlando with the 15th&nbsp;overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Green, a Rising Stars selection, ranks fifth among NBA rookies in scoring at 14.4 points per game.&nbsp; The 6-4 guard was selected by Houston with the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft after playing with NBA G League Ignite for the 2020-21 season.&nbsp; Ranked by ESPN as the No. 1 high school basketball recruit in the Class of 2020, Green was the first player to join Ignite.&nbsp;
Toppin, a 6-9 forward, competed in AT&amp;T Slam Dunk as a rookie last season.&nbsp; He is averaging 7.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 15.5 minutes in his second NBA season.&nbsp; After being named the 2019-20 consensus National Player of the Year at the University of Dayton in Ohio, Toppin was selected by the Knicks with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Toscano-Anderson is in his third NBA season, all with the Warriors.&nbsp; The 6-6 forward has two years of experience in the NBA G League, where he first earned a spot with the Santa Cruz Warriors as a tryout player in October 2018.&nbsp; He has also played professionally in Argentina, Mexico and Venezuela.&nbsp; Toscano-Anderson, who played four years at Marquette University from 2011-15, is set to become the fourth player not selected in the NBA Draft to compete in the AT&amp;T Slam Dunk since 2000, joining Chris Andersen, Derrick Jones Jr. and Jamario Moon.
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AT&amp;T Slam Dunk&nbsp;is a two-round competition.&nbsp; Five judges will score every dunk on a scale of 6 to 10, resulting in a high score of 50 and a low score of 30.&nbsp; The judges will be announced at a later date.&nbsp;
All four competitors will get two dunks in the first round.&nbsp; The two players with the highest combined score for their two dunks will advance to the final round.&nbsp; The two finalists will then get two dunks in the final round.&nbsp; The dunker with the highest combined score for his two dunks in the final round will be crowned the 2022 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk champion.&nbsp;&nbsp;
For each scored dunk in both rounds, each player will be limited to three attempts to complete his dunk.&nbsp; An attempt is defined as the player controlling the basketball and moving it toward the rim.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2022/02/2022-ATT-Slam-Dunk-Rules.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2022/02/2022-ATT-Slam-Dunk-Rules.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1644457979485000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3OJglG_WpuuVEfUN7q2eS5">Click here</a>&nbsp;for a complete explanation of the event rules.

Cole Anthony, Jalen Green, Obi Toppin and Juan Toscano-Anderson will compete in this year's Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend.

NBA officially announces Slam Dunk Contest participants

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After the Wizards endured a 115-95 thumping at the hands of the Grizzlies, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dinwiddie-says-his-leadership-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed-by-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Dinwiddie was pretty candid with reporters</a> about his leadership approaches not really working out in the early going of the season. That comes after a previous report from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dinwiddie-says-his-leadership-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed-by-wizards-a-john-wall-westbrook-trade-really-help-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus</a> on the imperfect chemistry between Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal.
So that, plus a five-game losing streak with some epic moments of failure, gives Washington the edge in this week's Sour Rankings.&nbsp;
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
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The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Atlanta Hawks have taken flight and won their last seven straight games to vault back into the Play-In race. The Los Angeles Clippers have not reeled off a winning streak, but continue to fight hard with an undermanned cast and have snuck up to seventh in the Western Conference standings. They're a fun team to watch and a fun team to root for with this ragtag bunch.
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10. New Orleans Pelicans (18-31)
The Pelicans are mired in a three-game skid, though all three of those losses came without Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas. They're still one of my personal favorite squads to watch in the NBA and still worth praising for how they've remained competitive. But we're hitting the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10, and that brings some anxiety for a squad that is too far outside the Play-In race as things stand but too good of a team to fold.
New Orleans could certainly make a splash to push to the postseason, but is that the right move? What happens if they don't? Every loss makes the claw toward contention more challenging.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Boston Celtics (26-25)
The Celtics do not break out of the Sour Rankings because there's too much of a roller-coaster track record. But the past week is a massive confidence-builder for fans of the current starting lineup. The Marcus Smart-Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum-Al Horford-Robert Williams III group is outscoring opponents by 23.7 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. They helped Boston eviscerate some lesser teams this past week. The real tests begin on Monday against Miami.
(Last week: 6)
8. Brooklyn Nets (29-20)
This is the first Sour Rankings appearance for Brooklyn since the early weeks of the season. The Nets have lost four games in a row to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors, all while Kevin Durant rehabs an MCL injury. James Harden also missed Sunday's defeat at Golden State with a hand sprain.
Harden <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/james-harden-interested-in-exploring-other-opportunities-in-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dominated headlines this week</a> after reports surfaced that he would consider "exploring other options" outside of the Nets this offseason with significant ties to Philly. That's simply not the news Brooklyn wants with the Big Three finally (partially) back together.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Portland Trail Blazers (24-27)
The Blazers went 1-3 this week, but maintain a comfortable hold on 10th in the West because the teams behind them fared poorly as well. Portland got beat out narrowly by Minnesota and less closely by the Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls, though it did take care of business against the lowly Houston Rockets. Sadly, much of the week gets overshadowed by the season-ending shoulder injury to Nassir Little, who was having a breakout third year with the team.
(Last week: 8)
6. Utah Jazz
Yes, the Jazz have missed Donovan Mitchell over the last six games, and also Rudy Gobert for the last four. Yes, they've played a brutal recent schedule that included the Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies. However, this current five-game losing streak has only exposed how serious the depth question is for Utah ahead of the trade deadline.
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This has pretty easily been the most difficult month for the Utah Jazz in Quin Snyder&rsquo;s tenure as head coach
&mdash; Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba/status/1487971479790796800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The team is 1-7 with bottom-10 efficiency ratings on both ends over the past two weeks. Now, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Utah fears Joe Ingles has torn his ACL. When the Jazz inevitably deal with injuries in the postseason, is there enough confidence that the next man up can help them win?
(Last week: 10)
5. New York Knicks (23-27)
It was just a two-game week for the Knicks and they got smacked in both with two double-digit losses to the Heat and Bucks. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10025155-knicks-trade-rumors-ny-open-to-dealing-kemba-walker-evan-fournier-alec-burks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst</a>, New York is open to trading Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks. "Open to" feels like some generous phrasing at this stage. It can't feel great that the two marquee offseason additions are both on the block. Oh, and <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/knicks-coach-tom-thibodeau-reveals-why-cam-reddish-isnt-in-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cam Reddish isn't in the rotation, either.</a>
(Last week: 5)
4. Indiana Pacers (18-33)
The Pacers are 4-14 dating back to Christmas. A mediocre defense has fallen apart, and that probably isn't helped by Myles Turner's extended absence due to a foot fracture. But you know what? Isaiah Jackson's been interesting. The 2021 first-round rookie most recently had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and a made three-pointer against the Mavericks.
Did the Pacers lose that game by 27 and did Jackson also foul out? Who's to say? But there's a nice little silver lining for a team that has very little going for it right now.
(Last week: 4)
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3. Los Angeles Lakers (24-27)
I'm glad Russell Westbrook had a fun second half in what ended up being a three-point Laker loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The discourse around him will never be fair, so it feels good to see him be successful through all the criticism.&nbsp;
... And that'll do it for this week's positive Lakers talk! They lost all three games this week to the Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers. Anthony Davis is shooting 18.0% from long range on the season, by the way.
(Last week: 1)
2. Sacramento Kings (18-33)
Kings-related conversations are rapidly turning from "How good is Tyrese Haliburton?" to "Free Tyrese Haliburton!" and that's not a great sign. The second-year combo guard put up 38 points on Saturday and Sacramento still lost that contest to the 76ers. He's built off a stellar December and is averaging 16.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 42.0% from beyond the arc in January. Yet, the Kings are 3-11 this month.
(Last week: 2)
1. Washington Wizards (23-26)
I listened to a couple of different social media conversations after the Wizards lost in meltdown fashion against the Clippers last Tuesday. In that game, Washington had a 30-point halftime lead before giving up 80 second-half points to the Clippers and ultimately losing on Luke Kennard heroics, 116-115. Those poor fans circled around the same phrase: "Why does this always happen?"&nbsp;
Washington had a three-day layoff and then promptly lost by 20 to the Grizzlies. The Wizards' upcoming schedule? In order: Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Miami, Brooklyn. This is going to get really ugly.&nbsp;
(Last week: 1)
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Washington blew a 30-point halftime lead to the Clippers in a spectacular collapse. Ethan Fuller updates his Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Wizards hitting new rock bottom

When&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-making-buddy-hield-richaun-holmes-harrison-barnes-available" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeing the report late last week</a>&nbsp;of the Sacramento Kings making Richaun Holmes available for trade, there should&rsquo;ve been several NBA teams channeling a 1980 Muhammad Ali saying, &ldquo;I want Holmes! I want Holmes!&rdquo;&nbsp;
(Couldn&rsquo;t find the clip, but I remember watching it long ago.)
Of course, Ali was talking about former World Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes, whom he lost to later that year &mdash; 42 years later, we&rsquo;re talking about an underrated Kings center, but the point stands. Nothing, not even 50-year-old <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFK9zh2yHO4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johnny Knoxville being in this week&rsquo;s Royal Rumble</a>, is less surprising than the Kings looking to revamp their roster in some form. That basketball team in Sacramento rebuilds more often than Griselda releases music.&nbsp;
But, again,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/sacramento-kings/richaun-holmes-17865/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less than five months after signing a four-year, $46 million extension</a>, including a $12.9 million player option for 2024-25, Holmes is possibly available. At just $10.3 million this season, he&rsquo;s very affordable by NBA standards. Having turned 28 years old in October and playing in year seven, he&rsquo;s in the prime of his career. Given where he currently is, he might indeed be better off elsewhere.&nbsp;
Holmes has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/kings/richaun-holmes-commits-goggles-recounts-scary-eye-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">battled an eye injury</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article256988807.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a> this season, but has been productive despite a drop in playing time, logging 25.8 minutes through his 32 games (all starts) compared to last year, where he was at 29.2 minutes. He&rsquo;s posting 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game this season while shooting a career-best 70% from the floor. Per 36-minutes, he&rsquo;s at 17.1 points, 1.5 blocks and a career-best 11.3 boards. Holmes is a distant first in win shares per 48 minutes at .179 (second is .111). He&rsquo;s also second in team box plus-minus (1.3) behind Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s 2.5 and ahead of Harrison Barnes&rsquo; 0.5; everyone else is in the negative. (Yes, that means De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, for whatever that&rsquo;s worth.)&nbsp;
Ideally, if you&rsquo;re the team making this move, you&rsquo;d look to solidify your center position while prepping for your playoff push. The good news is that all of the following teams are in the playoff hunt &mdash; so don't worry, my fellow rec spec-wearing friend, let's get you outta there.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are (quietly?) 27-22 as of this writing, and are seventh in the Eastern Conference. At least they're quiet for a team run by a rising star in LaMelo Ball, his underappreciated backcourt mate Terry Rozier, Most Improved Player candidate Miles Bridges and steady swingman Gordon Hayward&nbsp; That&rsquo;s four-fifths of their starting five, with the center spot being occupied by Mason Plumlee. Kelly Oubre Jr. and PJ Washington play significant minutes off the bench, meaning the Hornets &mdash; who are 21st in rebounding and allow the third-most rebounds per game &mdash; are often playing small.&nbsp;
PJ Washington, in particular, is a&nbsp;<a href="https://hoopshype.com/storyline/pj-washington-trade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade piece that&rsquo;s been rumored to be available</a> and likely has to be included in the deal, since his minutes and production have declined since last season, where he was an everyday starter. It should be added that, entering the last of his rookie-scale contract next season, it&rsquo;s likely the Hornets won&rsquo;t extend him by 2023.&nbsp;
The trade logistically couldn&rsquo;t be PJ for Holmes straight up since Washington only makes $4.2 million this season. The Kings also are rumored to be shopping others on their team, so there&rsquo;s a potential for this to extend beyond Holmes arriving from Sacramento by himself in this hypothetical &mdash; your simplest route is to pair Washington with Plumlee&rsquo;s $8.1 million, which mathematically makes this work straight up. Plumlee has a partially guaranteed $8.5 million coming to him next season, and the Kings should also receive a couple of second-rounders or a first coming back to them, both of which the Hornets <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Hornets.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have enough to entice with</a>.&nbsp;
A Ball-Rozier-Hayward-Bridges-Holmes lineup sounds fun as hell.
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Richaun Holmes is dunking all over the Lakers 😤 <a href="https://t.co/y9fO2OprSI">pic.twitter.com/y9fO2OprSI</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1465891771489996805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Dallas Mavericks
Between Dwight Powell, Moses Brown, Maxi Kleber, Willie Cauley-Stein, Marquese Chriss and Boban Marjanović, the Dallas Mavericks have had what&rsquo;s felt like a 💩 ton of bigs this season. Even so, as our Nekias Duncan wrote last week, without a true anchor, the Mavs have recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become one of the league&rsquo;s best defenses</a>.&nbsp;
Still, on the roster, there isn&rsquo;t a clear long-term answer there as you continue to build this around the already extended Luka Dončić and, for now, the seemingly bought-in Kristaps Porziņģis. Enter Holmes, who is signed through at least the 2023-24 season. Powell and Kleber, who generally eat the lion&rsquo;s share of minutes next to KP, are both signed through 2022-23 before they&rsquo;d each become unrestricted free agents. Though Kleber makes $8.9 million this season and Powell is at $11 million, both work for Holmes mathematically straight up. Obviously, Dallas would attach at least one or two second-round draft picks, if not a protected first, to either guy (Powell more likely) and make it nearly a straight-up trade.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s room to open this up further. Buddy Hield makes $22.5 million this season, and his contract descends to $20 and $18 million until it expires in the summer of 2024. Tim Hardaway Jr., who Dallas extended this past summer and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33148625/dallas-mavericks-tim-hardaway-jr-ruled-game-left-foot-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is now out with a fractured left foot</a>, makes $21 million this year but is also on a descending deal that drops to $19.6, $17.9, and $16.1 million through the 2024-25 season. Both struggling shooting guards probably aren&rsquo;t long for their organizations, even as they were both recently extended. Hardaway Jr. was also moved to the bench for Jalen Brunson, who&rsquo;s facing a contract situation of his own given his pending free agency (keep him, Dallas).&nbsp;
So there&rsquo;s a path to this becoming a Powell and Hardaway plus draft picks for Holmes and Hield exchange. Holmes is the type of hustling, dirty-work, efficient and quality center that the Mavericks could use. Unlike in 2K, you can trade injured players in real life &mdash; sorry Tim. Just imagine the push shots off Luka feeds.&nbsp;
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death, taxes, and richaun holmes hitting 62.5% of his push shots (20-of-32) <a href="https://t.co/iGH0xuA7Gn">pic.twitter.com/iGH0xuA7Gn</a>
&mdash; Dan Favale (@danfavale) <a href="https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/1465715242952900614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Toronto Raptors
I mean, could you think of a more Raptor-ass center than Holmes? Who better be run with Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr.?&nbsp;
Now, how do you make this happen? First, with that being the Raptors&rsquo; starting five, where does Holmes fit? Well, it&rsquo;s really their starting five out of necessity because Precious Achiuwa hasn&rsquo;t had the second NBA season they&rsquo;d been hoping for. Ideally, you&rsquo;d still want an actual center in that mix as one of your top six minutes getters so that you have a bit more reliable size. The Raptors don&rsquo;t currently have a true center you could trust for extended periods, and Holmes fills that void.&nbsp;
Now, regarding trade pieces, Chris Boucher is on a $7 million expiring contract, and Khem Birch is on the first of a three-year, $19 million contract, which lands him at $6.3 million this season. Combining those two does work, and it would obviously have to come with considerable draft capital, but even the Kings would probably ask wtf are they going to do with that and have a point.&nbsp;
Remove Birch and insert Achiuwa? That works &ndash; would the Raptors already want to move off the centerpiece of their Kyle Lowry trade, who is just due $2.8 million next year with a $4.3 million team option the season after? I mean, maybe? It would certainly help preserve some draft capital in a hypothetical Holmes trade and, you figure, if you&rsquo;re acquiring a center Achiuwa would have a tougher time seeing minutes anyway. But that&rsquo;s generally what you&rsquo;d be looking at moving if you&rsquo;re Toronto: Boucher and Birch, Boucher and Achuiwa; Boucher, Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn, along with some combination of picks or a first-rounder, for Holmes.&nbsp;
And if I&rsquo;m Holmes, I&rsquo;m down for whatever, as long as I could leave Sacramento.&nbsp;
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Bonus: Golden State Warriors
Okay &hellip; here we go.
There&rsquo;s really only one way to do this, and it&rsquo;s using James Wiseman&rsquo;s $9.1 million salary this season straight up. Y&rsquo;all could determine what picks may or may not go where, but these are the two names because the Golden State Warriors don&rsquo;t have much middle-class salary to use, nor do they probably want to shake up their roster a ton, including even this. But if they determine that Wiseman, who hasn&rsquo;t played since Apr. 10 of last year due to a torn meniscus that <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/warriors-james-wiseman-needed-additional-knee-surgery-in-december-sources/DyEHJgzTblrO/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">required additional arthroscopic surgery in December</a>, isn&rsquo;t worth waiting for, then there you have it.&nbsp;
Wiseman showed flashes, but struggled defensively as a rookie while only logging 39 games (though he posted 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds on 52% percent shooting in 21.4 minutes per contest). He&rsquo;ll turn 21 in March, and because of NCAA nonsense, we were only able to see him three times in college. Wiseman&rsquo;s due $9.6 million next year and will likely bank another $12.1 million, assuming his option gets accepted.
I&rsquo;m still a Wiseman stockholder, but I&rsquo;m also pro going for a championship now in this seemingly wide-open NBA season &mdash; an immediate upgrade at center might be what Golden State sees as a necessary step. It makes something like a possible Holmes deal reasonable to think twice about. Just sayin&rsquo;.
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Bryan Fonseca ponders a handful of teams who could be a good fit for Kings big man Richaun Holmes.

Examining potential trade destinations for Richaun Holmes

War Eagle is flying high over men&rsquo;s college basketball for the first time in history.
A barely ranked afterthought to begin the season, Auburn climbed past Gonzaga to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll released Monday. The Tigers beat Kentucky over the weekend for their 15th consecutive win, then scooped up 45 of 61 first-place votes to become the nation&rsquo;s top-ranked team for the first time since the poll began with the 1948-49 season.
The Bulldogs dropped to No. 2 with 15 first-place votes. Arizona remained third and earned the other No. 1 vote.
&ldquo;I think for us, it&rsquo;s the sum of our parts,&rdquo; said Bruce Pearl, who led the Tigers to the Final Four in 2019. &ldquo;If we&rsquo;re playing nine guys on a regular basis, or sometimes 10, you&rsquo;ve got to account for all of them. And I thought (against Kentucky) we got really great contributions, you know, from everybody.&rdquo;
Including the teeming crowd inside Auburn Arena, and the boisterous student section known simply as The Jungle, who are no doubt celebrating the return to prominence of a school known more for its football than its basketball.
The Tigers (18-1, 15-0 SEC) spent most of the 1999-2000 season ranked in the top 10, including one week at No. 2. They also spent a week at No. 2 late in the 1988-99 season and another week at No. 2 back in February 1959.
But being No. 1? That&rsquo;s a whole new experience. The Tigers are the fifth team to reach that spot this season, following two stints by the Bulldogs and runs by Duke, Purdue and defending national champion Baylor.
The Bears rebounded from consecutive losses while ranked No. 1 to beat West Virginia and Oklahoma, and climbed one position to fourth. Big 12 rival Kansas was right behind in fifth after a pair of heart-stopping wins.
The Boilermakers fell two spots to sixth after losing to Indiana early last week. They were followed by Houston and UCLA, deadlocked at No. 7, with Duke and Michigan State rounding out the top 10.
The Spartans, unranked to start the season, blew out then-No. 8 Wisconsin last week and have lost once since November.
&ldquo;We got after it, and that&rsquo;s the way it had to be, and a lot of it falls on me, too,&rdquo; Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. &ldquo;I think we got some things accomplished last week.&rdquo;
The Badgers fell to No. 11 and were followed by Kentucky, Texas Tech, Villanova and Southern California, which bounced back from a loss to Oregon with wins over Colorado and Utah on the road.
Ohio State climbed three spots to give the Big Ten a fourth team within the top 16. Providence, Tennessee, LSU and UConn rounded out the top 20, while Xavier, Marquette, Iowa State, Illinois and Davidson completed the poll.
Stephen Curry&rsquo;s alma mater is ranked for the first time since spending a Week at No. 24 in March 2015.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to learn lessons, and it seems every game has given us lessons to learn,&rdquo; Davidson coach Bob McKillop said, &ldquo;and one of the joys of learning those lessons is we&rsquo;re learning them with victories and not losses.&rdquo;
IN AND OUT
Marquette returned to the Top 25 for the first time under Shaka Smart, landing at No. 23 after the Golden Eagles didn&rsquo;t have a single vote last week. That&rsquo;s what happens when you beat three straight ranked teams &mdash; Seton Hall, Villanova and Xavier &mdash; to run your winning streak to six heading into another showdown with the Pirates on Tuesday night.
Dropping out were Texas, which has lost three of its last five, and Loyola, which lost to Missouri State on Saturday.
UP AND DOWN
Tennessee made the biggest leap this week, climbing six spots to No. 18 following wins over Vanderbilt and LSU. Texas Tech and UConn each jumped five spots with the Red Raiders reaching a season-best No. 13 in the poll.
Iowa State tumbled the farthest, eight spots to No. 23, after losses to Texas Tech and TCU gave the Cyclones five in their last seven games. Illinois fell seven spots to No. 24 after losing a heartbreaker to Purdue and getting drilled by Maryland.
CONFERENCE WATCH
The Big Ten and Big East have five ranked teams apiece, followed by the SEC and Big 12 with four each. The Pac-12 has three and the ACC, American Athletic, West Coast and Atlantic 10 each had one.

A barely ranked afterthought to begin the season, Auburn climbed past Gonzaga to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll released Monday.

Auburn flies to No. 1 in AP Top 25 for first time in history

The Golden Eagles (14-6, 6-3 Big East) seem to be hitting their stride. They entered the game on a five-game winning streak, including three against ranked opponents. Potential 2022 NBA draft pick Justin Lewis leads the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game, followed by senior Darryl Morsell at 13.6 points.&nbsp;
Xavier (14-4, 4-3 Big East) entered the contest ranked No. 20 in the nation. The team averages 75.1 points per game behind a well-rounded offensive attack. Upperclassmen Jack Nunge, Nate Johnson and Paul Scruggs lead the way. The Musketeers defeated Marquette in their previous meeting this season, 80-71.
Lewis led all scorers in a tremendous showing, posting 20 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists. He is currently in the top-50 on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board &mdash; at 6-foot-7, he's a powerful player and solid athlete who is capable of scoring inside and out. Although still inconsistent, he is improving as a shooter and giving promise to his potential as a stretch four at the NBA level. He excels as a rebounder and defender, using his physicality and footwork to switch and defend multiple positions.&nbsp;
Both teams started well with a balanced offensive attack. At the 10-minute mark Xavier held a 14-13 lead, but then Lewis and Morsell hit some timely shots to build a nine point lead for Marquette. Xavier made a late push and was able to cut the lead by halftime, trailing only 33-29.
At the break, Lewis led all scorers with 13 points on 3 of 4 shooting from behind the arc.&nbsp;
Xavier&rsquo;s Adam Kunkel posted 10 points at the break, while leaders Scruggs, Johnson and Colby Jones had combined for only 11 points.&nbsp;
The second half started with the teams trading buckets and leads for ten minutes. Jones and Morsell led the charge. Both of the big, physical guards came out aggressive and were able to get to the free throw line. Xavier junior Zach Freemantle remained in foul trouble, which forced the Musketeers into a smaller lineup, but the experienced backcourt held tough.&nbsp;
At the end of the day, the Morsell, Lewis and Oso Ighodaro were just too much to handle on the inside. Morsell finished with 19 points, 7 assists and 2 steals. Freshman Kam Jones provided 12 points and 2 steals for Marquette. Xavier&rsquo;s leading scorers were Scruggs with 13, while Kunkel and Jones each had 12.&nbsp;
Marquette moves to the fifth spot in the conference standings. Xavier slides to sixth.
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UPCOMING
Marquette will visit Seton Hall on Wednesday.
Xavier will host No. 12 Providence on Wednesday afternoon.
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The Golden Eagles (14-6, 6-3 Big East) seem to be hitting their stride.

Marquette defeats Xavier 75-64 behind Justin Lewis’ big day

When the Phoenix Suns began the 2021-22 season with a slow 1-3 start, some national pundits were quick to question whether their miraculous NBA Finals run was a mirage. But ever since that point, you can't find a more dominant team in the Association than the one residing in the Valley.
Phoenix has won 34 of their last 40 games. That&rsquo;s absurd. And to put it in more jaw-dropping terms, the second-best record over that span belongs to Golden State, with 13 losses. So, the Suns not only have been playing outstanding basketball over the last two-plus months, but they&rsquo;re beginning to lap the competition while doing so.
Since Oct. 28, the day after the Suns lost to the Sacramento Kings on a miraculous buzzer-beater from Harrison Barnes, here&rsquo;s how they rank in advanced metrics league-wide: 112.8 Offensive Rating (4th), 103.2 Defensive Rating (2nd), +9.6 Net Rating (1st). During this span &mdash; stretching nearly the entire regular season, sans the opening week of play &mdash; Phoenix is the only team carrying a top-five offensive and defensive efficiency.
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The Suns are also historically elite in clutch situations this season. Phoenix carries a 15-3 record in the clutch, including shooting almost 60% (59.2%) overall in these crutical moments. Incredibly enough, after we last checked in on this, the Suns are still miles ahead in terms of outscoring opponents per 100 possesions in the clutch at +42.7 NetRtg.
As long as the Suns have two of the most clutch scorers in the NBA right now in Chris Paul and Devin Booker, plus a rotisserie of depth around them, it's hard to not feel confident with the game on the line.
It&rsquo;s still incredible to think about how the Suns used to be viewed in league circles only just a few short years ago. Phoenix was trotting out lineups headlined by lottery busts Josh Jackson, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss around Booker. Now, Booker is flanked by a concise unit of players that best suits his superstar abilities.
Kudos to Suns GM James Jones, because the job he has done since taking over full-time in 2018 has been nothing short of spectacular.
Phoenix not only has the star power with their dynamic backcourt duo of Booker and Paul, but their young core continues to blossom as well. Mikal Bridges is well on his way to a All-Defense nod, while also adding endless sharpshooting equity. Deandre Ayton has once again proved he&rsquo;s worthy of a rookie-scale max contract extension whenever he&rsquo;s been on the floor. Cameron Johnson is becoming a key cog in the Suns&rsquo; machine, who is likely earning his own lucrative payday.
On top of these five players, look at all of the win-now veterans littered throughout Phoenix&rsquo;s rotation: Jae Crowder, JaVale McGee, Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Bismack Biyombo. And look out for the Suns to be active leading up to February&rsquo;s trade deadline, as well as the buyout market for veterans wanting to chase a championship. There&rsquo;s not a more attractive destination right now to pursue an NBA Finals berth than Phoenix.
The Suns have built a perfectly balanced rotation that brings a multitude of strengths to the table, which is by design, from the minds of Jones and head coach Monty Williams.
As the Suns continue racking up impressive wins night after night, they are well past the laughingstock stage they experienced for almost a decade post-Seven Seconds or Less era, headlined by two-time MVP Steve Nash. Instead, these new Suns are potentially leapfrogging the most successful chapters of team history.
When surveying the landscape in the Western Conference, Phoenix has the best case of any team to make a repeat Finals trip.
Golden State is their most realistic threat, but we&rsquo;ve seen in multiple matchups between the two this season where Phoenix can attack them at will, with no issue. Memphis is an up-and-coming team who is actually right on the Warriors&rsquo; heels since Halloween for overall record, but it&rsquo;s wait-and-see mode to find out if this continues toward a deep postseason push.
Utah is another team who could throw the Suns some potential roadblocks, but they&rsquo;ve been maddeningly inconsistent as of late. Could Denver be an underrated team to monitor, especially with Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s dominance and Jamal Murray&rsquo;s looming return around postseason time?
Putting each team up against the Suns, it&rsquo;s hard to find a way an opponent can beat them in a seven-game series. They have the stars, the depth, the head coach. Everything is firing on all cylinders in Phoenix right now &mdash; which makes it even scarier if they were to find another win-now piece to add to their already strong bench in the lead-up to the postseason.
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Welcome to a new golden era of Suns basketball. It took a while to get here, and maybe the franchise had some embarrassing rock bottoms along the way, but this team may be headed to another peak for the title-starved city of Phoenix.
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After a 1-3 start this season, the Phoenix Suns have won 34 of their last 40 games. Again, Phoenix is showing they're going nowhere anytime soon.

Suns' dominance shows that a repeat Finals trip is possible

The NBA was cautiously optimistic entering the 2021-22 season. After two consecutive seasons were hindered by COVID, the league had reason to believe that this season would see a return to normalcy. More players were vaccinated, and most came back rested after a relatively normal offseason.
But COVID is sneaky and resilient. Omicron, which is the most transmissible variant to date, mutated itself into existence and made its way to the United States in Dec. 2021. Since then, we&rsquo;ve seen cases surge to new all-time highs, with the United States registering 759,218 new cases on Friday, Jan. 6, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> &ndash; the most since the pandemic began in March 2020.
And no, the NBA is certainly not immune. In total, over 300 players have entered health and safety protocols since December, and 11 games have been postponed and rescheduled.
There are positives, though &ndash; namely, the opportunities being presented to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/fringe-nba-players-have-golden-opportunity-with-30-of-the-league-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">G-Leaguers</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rotation-players-making-the-most-of-roster-incosistency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deep-rotation players</a>, plus <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-four-10day-veterans-who-can-revitalize-their-nba-careers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former NBA players</a> like Joe Johnson, Greg Monroe and Lance Stephenson. But the broader impact of COVID sidelining the league&rsquo;s preeminent stars is simple &ndash; television viewership. So, how has COVID impacted ratings?
We can break down Christmas Day, which is the NBA&rsquo;s early-season showcase and a ratings cash cow. The results are a bit of a mixed bag.
The league averaged 4.1 million viewers for the five Christmas Day games &ndash; the lowest figure since the league expanded to a five-game format. The NBA&rsquo;s primetime Christmas Day game received 5.75 million viewers (Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets), down from 7 million last season. But this game had a lot to contend with, like an NFL game and a number of missing stars -- Kevin Durant (health and safety protocols), Kyrie Irving (ineligible) and Anthony Davis (ankle).
The Milwaukee Bucks-Boston Celtics game received 4.93 million viewers, up from 4.79 in the same time slot last season. And Golden State versus Phoenix received 5.19 million, up from 4.28 million in the same time slot last year. Considering tip-off times for these games (2:30 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. ET, respectively), that should be seen positively.
The Atlanta Hawks-New York Knicks matchup received just 2.92 million viewers, but it aired at noon Eastern &ndash; meaning that it had limited opportunity for viewers from other time zones. Additionally, Trae Young was unable to play due to being in health and safety protocols. Finally, Dallas versus Utah received only 1.52 million viewers, which tipped off at 10:45 p.m. ET and was missing Luka Doncic (also due to health and safety protocols).
Comparatively, NBA ratings were higher for last year's Christmas Day. Specifically: The New Orleans Pelicans versus Miami Heat received 3.5 million viewers at noon Eastern; Milwaukee versus Golden State received 4.79 million at 2:30 p.m. ET; Brooklyn versus Boston received 4.28 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET; the Mavs versus the Lakers received 7.01 million viewers at 8 p.m. ET; and the Clippers versus the Nuggets received 2.06 million at 10:30 p.m. ET.&nbsp;
It should be noted that NBA had just one NFL game to compete with on Christmas Day in 2020, whereas two football games were on the docket in 2021.
This season's Christmas Day viewership represents a small victory considering all the missing stars and the additional competition. But on the whole, 2021-22 viewership for nationally-televised games on TNT, ESPN and ABC is up 11% compared to the same period in 2019. So, it appears as if COVID hasn&rsquo;t hurt the broader appeal of the league.
That being said, it doesn't mean it can't.
Stars make the NBA&rsquo;s world go round, and that&rsquo;s a good thing. And as much as hardship-exception players and "the other guys" have been a great feel-good story, non-diehards won&rsquo;t tune in for the NBA Playoffs without Young, Doncic, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, etc.
Hopefully, the staggering number of positive cases results in herd immunity. But there is much to learn about Omicron, like how quickly breakthrough infections can take place after a bout with COVID.
Either way, assuming the arrival of another COVID variant is a safe bet, at least from a business perspective. And if that's the case, completing the season with all the NBA's marquee stars will become significantly more challenging. Ultimately, another bubble may be the only way to get through the 2022 playoffs. If the NBA is unwilling to consider drastic measures, it fails to prepare for the worst.
And as the saying goes: "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."

COVID's impact has been felt far and wide by NBA teams. Drew Maresca analyzes how much it's affected the league's TV ratings.

To what degree has COVID affected NBA viewership this year?

The Dallas Mavericks have signed Marquese Chriss to a hardship exception.
Source: Chris Haynes/Yahoo Sports
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;
Chriss last played in preseason for the Trail Blazers.
The 6'9" 24 year-old last played in the regular season with the Golden State Warriors in 2021, appearing in just two contests.&nbsp;
Chriss has averaged 8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .7 steals, and .8 blocks across his four-year career.

The Dallas Mavericks have signed Marquese Chriss to a hardship exception.

Mavericks sign Marquese Chriss to hardship exception

The Houston Rockets are trending upward.
We're three weeks removed from <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2950751-sources-houston-rockets-weighing-future-of-head-coach-stephen-silas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on-the-hot-seat reporting</a> from Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer concerning head coach Stephen Silas. The offense was bland and ineffective; the defense was spotty, to be kind. It wasn't all on Silas, as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/whats-wrong-with-the-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained in this space</a>, but things certainly didn't look good.
Since that report, the Rockets have won eight of their last 11 games behind an elite offense (116.4 Offensive Rating, 3rd in the NBA). The defense still ain't great &mdash; it's actually gotten worse (115.7 Defensive Rating, 26th) during this stretch &mdash; but it hasn't bitten them yet.
Despite the recent success, the Rockets are aware of where they are: Stage 1 of the rebuild. As such, the phone lines are open for some of their veterans. Chief among them is Christian Wood, an All-Star caliber frontcourt talent.
On the surface, that's a surprise. When you think of Rocket vets that could swap teams, you'd likely land on 32-year-old Eric Gordon (absolutely balling as of late) or 29-year-old Daniel Theis. Not only is Wood better than both players, he's also much younger (26 years old).&nbsp;
But over the last week, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/rockets-willing-listen-offers-christian-094911591.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim MacMahon</a> and Bleacher Report's Fischer have hinted at a willingness to at least hear offers for the big man. The price would likely be steep &mdash; Fischer ballparks it at "a first round pick plus further capital" <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2951461-latest-nba-trade-buzz-sourced-intel-on-simmons-kyrie-lakers-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in his latest report</a> &mdash; but that could be worth it for a team looking for help up front.
WHAT WOOD BRINGS&nbsp;
As our Jackson Frank wrote <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/christian-woods-offensive-versatility-will-benefit-houstons-core" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before the season</a>, there aren't many centers more gifted than Wood on the offensive end of the floor.
He's a dynamic partner in ball-screens, able to beat defenses as a roller or popper. He transitions smoothly from screener to roller or popper, allowing him to get a jump on the defense depending on what coverage they're in.
Wood has had to pop more this season due to the spacing around him, but he remains a paint threat due to his ability to pump-and-go. Leave him completely open and he'll fire above the break; close-out too hard, and he'll get downhill.
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Wood's ability to handle could be an added dimension for a team. He's not a Giannis-type threat to grab-and-go after misses, but he can push a break and allow offenses to attack earlier. His handle also allows him to initiate &mdash; or fake &mdash; handoffs against unbalanced defenses.
This is a down year for Wood as a finisher &mdash; spacing and playmaking issues have put a more difficult self-creation load on him &mdash; and he's still converting 73% of his shots inside of 3 feet, per Basketball-Reference. There's room to believe he could be even more effective with more room to operate, and/or more dynamic ball-handlers to work with.
LIMITATIONS
While Wood is able initiate some early offense in Delay sets, he doesn't have the passing chops to act as a true offensive hub. That's not inherently a bad thing; a team hoping to acquire him just has to understand he's a play-finisher that can sometimes get you into your offense, not Western Conference Domantas Sabonis.
Wood isn't the quickest processor when forced to make playmaking reads, and his actual pass accuracy leaves a bit to be desired. Combine those traits, and you get some rough turnovers when he's in creator mode.
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Defensively, Wood doesn't have the spatial feel to hold up as a primary rim-protector. His drop coverage film is littered with possessions of him conceding too much space to the ball-handler, or playing too high up (in a hunched over stance, no less) on the floor, allowing his assignment to get behind him for lobs.
Wood has shown some comfort switching out on the perimeter. He also possesses the mobility and hands necessary to play in more aggressive schemes. The swing skill for him would be his recovery; cutting off a ball-handler is one thing, but finding your assignment after the hedge is a separate task that he's had uneven results with.&nbsp;
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Even with some of his limitations, he's shown to be an active communicator. He's been a competent weak-side rim-protector. So long as you have good personnel around him, Wood can be a positive cog in a system.
LANDING SPOTS
If you're looking for a team with 1) a dynamic ball-handler, 2) plenty of spacers and 3) a strong defensive infrastructure, look no further than the Golden State Warriors.&nbsp;
Among the many weapons the Warriors have at their disposal, a vertical spacer is one they currently lack. It's safe to say Wood could slot right into that role. This may shock you, but Stephen Curry has had success with those type of partners.&nbsp;
Since the 2017-18 season, ball-screens spearheaded by Curry have generated roughly 1.08 points per possession &mdash; the best high volume mark in the NBA over that stretch, per Second Spectrum. When working with an athletic vertical threat &mdash; let's say JaVale McGee, Damian Jones, and Marquese Chriss &mdash; that number jumps to 1.12.
Last season's blockbuster trade cut the sample short, but it's worth noting just how successful the James Harden-Wood connection was last season (north of 1.13 PPP). It's fair to believe the Curry-Wood pairing would be a darn good one.
And if you need defensive covering for Wood, is there a better guy to pair him with than Draymond Green? Curry would be step up from what Wood has had to cover for at the point of attack this season; doubly so when Curry is replaced by Gary Payton II in the lineup.&nbsp;
The complicated matter would be the price. I would imagine the Rockets would want two of the Warriors' three young prospects &mdash; James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody &mdash; if possible.
The Athletic's Tim Kawakami recently laid out <a href="https://theathletic.com/3006586/2021/12/09/kawakami-why-the-warriors-absolutely-positively-are-not-trading-james-wiseman/?redirected=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a strong argument</a> regarding why the Warriors don't want to part with Wiseman right now. Beyond that, it would be shocking if the Rockets prioritized Wiseman considering they just drafted Alperen Sengun (please play him more!) and Usman Garuba over the summer.&nbsp;
Kuminga and Moody might be considered steep for the Warriors; only flipping one of those would make salary matching a bit of a chore. The Warriors do have all of their future firsts, sans a 2024 pick that will likely transfer to the Grizzlies.&nbsp;
For an off-the-radar team, how about the Minnesota Timberwolves?&nbsp;
Their defense has been surprisingly sturdy (6th in half-court defense, 12th in overall DRTG) thanks to an aggressive scheme. The offense has lagged behind (26th in half-court offense, 24th overall ORTG) behind spotty shooting and a quietly-subpar conversion rate at the rim.
The (admittedly reductive) question I have: What do the Wolves look like with Wood instead of Jarred Vanderbilt in the lineup?
Wood is not the overall defender that Vanderbilt is, but how much of the backline workload could he replicate?&nbsp;More importantly, is the gap between the two as defenders greater than the gap in scoring chops?
I would answer "maybe 75-80% of it" and "absolutely not" to those questions.
To the defense point, the Wolves often play at, or above, the level of the screen when defending pick-and-rolls. That puts strain on the backline to clean up messes behind it. Like this, basically:
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One blocked shot doesn't mean he can be peak Paul Millsap in this role, but again, Wood does possess legit weak-side rim-protection chops. If he can nail those rotations, the Wolves shouldn't see a major slide defensively. It also helps that Wood is one of the best defensive rebounders in the sport. The Wolves have, uh, struggled (30th in defensive-rebound rate) in that regard.
The offensive upgrade is an easier case to make. Wood has shot 36.9% from three dating back to his Detroit season (2019-20), and has converted 40% of his corner threes in that time frame. He's both a better shooter, and more of a threat to beat a (soft) closeout than Vanderbilt is.
With Karl-Anthony Towns often setting up shop above the break or from the mid-post, Wood seems more equipped to convert catch-and-shoot looks, or to take advantage of the space Towns provides with drives, and cuts, or to work as the screener in pick-and-rolls.
About those pick-and-rolls: I'm be interested in seeing what he could do when screening for D'Angelo Russell or Anthony Edwards.
Like the Warriors example, the price is worth the pause. The Wolves have all of their firsts moving forward. They also have Jaden McDaniels, an intriguing, rangy forward worth investing in.
The salary filler is where things could sputter. Taurean Prince probably isn't enough short-term help; Malik Beasley would further crowd the guard room, and I'm not sure how willing the Wolves would be to part with him. There's an intriguing package to be made, though.&nbsp;
I'd like to live in a world where Luka Doncic has a legitimate roll man (and thus, a complement to Kristaps Porzingis up front), but I'm not sure the Mavericks have the horses to get a deal done. What exactly is Tim Hardaway Jr. doing for this version of the Rockets?
The Hornets haven't just been linked to Wood in the past; they literally had him on their roster a few years ago, though this was obviously before he broke out. They could use some frontcourt juice, and have enough wing talent (hello, Kelly Oubre Jr.) to potentially intrigue the Rockets.
We'll keep an eye on the talented Houston big man moving forward, because there are bound to be plenty of suitors.

Nekias Duncan breaks down potential trade destinations for Rockets big man Christian Wood.

Examining potential trade destinations for Christian Wood

Earlier this week, we identified roster spot battles to watch through training camp this October here. And already a portion of my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/3-roster-spot-battles-to-watch-for-in-the-eastern-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eastern Conference list</a> has been upended by transactions, as the Brooklyn Nets promptly traded away Sekou Doumbouya almost immediately after I predicted that he would make the team. Long story short: Things happen quickly in training camp.&nbsp;
But still, we forge ahead, this time refocusing our analysis on the Western Conference. So as training camp approaches its close, let&rsquo;s identify the three most interesting roster-spot battles in the Western Conference.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
Entering training camp, the Trail Blazers signed three former lottery picks to training camp deals: Dennis Smith Jr., Marquese Chriss and Patrick Patterson. Portland only has 13 players signed, meaning that they technically have two spots to fill (and one of their two-way contracts are spoken for, too), but Portland general manager Neil Olshey usually enters seasons with fewer than 15 players. So, it&rsquo;s an understandable assumption that the Trail Blazers will probably only sign one of the three guys they inked to training camp deals.
Considering who was signed and who is already in place in Portland, none of the three are likely to get major minutes. Smith is best suited as a backup point guard, while Chriss and Patterson are power forwards. In my estimation, this decision comes down to needs. Considering that Robert Covington and Larry Nance Jr. are their only true 4s, the most pressing need is probably down low. So, if Portland is hell-bent on entering the season with no more than 14 guys on its roster, the team will probably choose between Chriss and Patterson. Patterson has more experience, and he shoots it better from deep (36.9% on three-point attempts in his career compared to just 28.9% for Chriss.) Neither makes or breaks Portland&rsquo;s season; but considering the Blazers are trying to build a contender and convince Damian Lillard that Portland is the place for him, Patterson is a better addition. If the Blazers decide to fill out their entire roster by signing a 15th player, Smith should get a long look. He is too skilled and athletic to not get another shot, and backing up a star like Lillard removes a lot of the pressure he&rsquo;s had on him throughout his career.
Prediction: Patterson makes the cut (and Smith signs a two-way contract).
Golden State Warriors
Golden State entered training camp with the maximum of 20 players on its roster, one of whom is on a two-way deal (Chris Chiozza) and three of whom are on training-camp deals (Jordan Bell, Avery Bradley and Langston Galloway.) Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton Jr. are all signed to non-guaranteed deals, too. To summarize, the Warriors have lots of options &ndash; but Golden State will probably avoid making any zany moves. Instead, they will probably keep one of the three players signed to training-camp deals and cut the other two. As much as the veteran savvy of Bradley and Galloway could be alluring, Golden State doesn&rsquo;t need more veteran leadership &ndash; but they could use help backing up the power-forward position. Enter Bell, who returns to the Bay Area with a familiarity of head coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors&rsquo; systems. Bell exited Golden State after playing his first two professional seasons there, and he had some maturity issues in his first go-round with the Warriors. But Bell sounded significantly more mature in a <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/jordan-bell-warriors-contract-reunites-two-desperate-parties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area</a>. Assuming he demonstrates that growth in practices and preseason games, Bell will probably be kept.
Prediction: Jordan Bell makes the cut.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers' roster battle is particularly interesting, as it features a former top-ranked high school prospect in Harry Giles. Giles is battling with Isaiah Hartenstein and Moses Wright for the Clippers&rsquo; final roster spot; both of the team's two-way contracts are used up (Jay Scrubb and Amir Coffey.) &nbsp;Two of the spots are also occupied by players who will miss a good chunk of the 2021-22 season to injuries (Kawhi Leonard and rookie Jason Preston), making the remaining roster spots all the more valuable.&nbsp;
In the Clippers&rsquo; first preseason game, Giles produced more than Hartenstein and Wright, posting 8 points and 12 rebounds in 16 minutes. In their second preseason game, Wright played slightly better than the other two, finishing with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 12 minutes. What the Clippers ultimately choose to do is anyone&rsquo;s guess, but I think that Giles&rsquo; potential is too much to pass on. He&rsquo;s still only 23 years old; and if he finds what made him special just a few short years ago, Giles could be significantly more valuable than what the salary of a 15th man will pay him.&nbsp;
Prediction: Giles makes the cut.&nbsp;
The NBA&rsquo;s 75th regular season kicks off in less than two weeks. Decisions will be made between now and then that will greatly impact the lives of several men. Ultimately, some will impact teams' seasons too, as a chunk of these end-of-the-bench guys will probably earn bigger roles as the season goes on.&nbsp;

Drew Maresca examines the three most interesting final roster spot situations in the West.

3 roster-spot battles to watch for in the Western Conference

DAYTON, Aug. 2, 2021 &ndash; After winning five straight games over the course of two weeks, Boeheim&rsquo;s Army, the Syracuse alumni team, and Team 23, will compete in TBT&rsquo;s $1M winner-take-all championship game at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 9 pm ET live on ESPN. Both in their seventh year of competing in the event, Boeheim&rsquo;s Army will be playing in its first ever TBT championship game, while Team 23 will be returning for the first time since 2015.
Boeheim&rsquo;s Army, the third-seeded team in the Illinois Regional, features Syracuse greats and former NBA first-round picks Chris McCullough, Malachi Richardson, and Tyler Lydon, as well as Eric Devendorf. Other players on their roster include D.J. Kennedy and DeAndre Kane, former members of Overseas Elite and four-time TBT champions, as well as Boston College star and Euroleague legend Tyrese Rice. Kennedy was a member of Overseas Elite in 2015 when it defeated Team 23 to capture its first TBT championship, with the former St. John&rsquo;s standout earning MVP honors.&nbsp;
Boeheim&rsquo;s Army dominated the competition in the Illinois Regional before pulling out two gutsy victories in Dayton against the defending champion Golden Eagles (Marquette alumni) in the quarterfinals, and Florida TNT in the semifinals. Rice served as the closer in those games, hitting both Elam Ending&reg; game winners to secure Boeheim&rsquo;s Army&rsquo;s spot in Tuesday&rsquo;s championship.
Team 23, the sixth-seeded team in the West Virginia Regional, is headlined by three players with NBA experience: 2016 NCAA champion Daniel Ochefu (Villanova), Walt Lemon (Bradley), and Eric Griffin (Campbell). The highly talented team played spoiler in the opening rounds, knocking out #3 seed Herd That (Marshall alumni) and #2 seed Best Virginia (West Virginia alumni) to earn its spot in Dayton. Once in Dayton, it cruised to comfortable victories against the #1 seed Sideline Cancer in the quarterfinals, and Blue Collar U (Buffalo Alumni) in the semifinals.
Tuesday&rsquo;s winner-take-all championship will crown TBT&rsquo;s fifth different champion in the event's eight-year history.&nbsp;
For tickets to TBT&rsquo;s Championship Game at UD Arena, visit thetournament.com/tickets

Boeheim’s Army will be playing in its first ever TBT championship game, while Team 23 will be returning for the first time since 2015.

Boeheim’s Army to face Team 23 in $1M TBT 2021 Championship Game

The NBA announced in a press release today:
The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that its landmark 75th&nbsp;Anniversary Season in 2021-22 will be commemorated as &ldquo;NBA 75&rdquo; and feature the unveiling of the 75 greatest players in league history.
NBA 75 will pay tribute to generations of basketball fans around the world, as well as current and former players and coaches.&nbsp;Throughout the season, the league will also continue its decades-long legacy of supporting the communities where the NBA family lives, works and plays and by improving lives through the game of basketball.&nbsp;Additional year-long celebrations will include special events in team markets, NBA partner activities and limited-edition product offerings.&nbsp;The league&rsquo;s broadcast partners, ESPN/ABC, TNT and NBA TV, will be commemorating NBA 75 with content offerings throughout the season.
NBA 75 will also see the debut of new Nike uniform designs celebrating the 75th&nbsp;Anniversary Season, diamond on-court elements, Wilson as the new game ball partner, and integration around marquee events such as NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland and the NBA Draft presented by State Farm&reg;.&nbsp;Cleveland last hosted NBA All-Star in 1997, when the league celebrated its 50th&nbsp;Anniversary Season.
&ldquo;The 2021-22 season will be truly special as we celebrate 75 years of NBA basketball,&rdquo; said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.&nbsp;&ldquo;We look forward to honoring the players and teams &ndash; both past and present &ndash; who have inspired generations of fans around the world.&rdquo;Initial plans for NBA 75 include:
75th&nbsp;Anniversary Team A blue-ribbon panel of media, current and former players, coaches, general managers, and team executives will select a new 75th&nbsp;Anniversary Team, featuring the 75 greatest players of all time.&nbsp;The team will be announced in October. &nbsp; NBA 75 Logo A commemorative NBA 75 logo, revealed earlier, will appear throughout the season on courts and official NBA merchandise, inside arenas and in original broadcast, digital and social media content.&nbsp;The new logo is a fresh take on the league&rsquo;s iconic Logoman identity, based in the classic 75th&nbsp;Anniversary symbol &ndash; the diamond.&nbsp; &nbsp; Marketing Campaign NBA 75 will be a continuation of the &ldquo;That&rsquo;s Game&rdquo; campaign, which launched at the start of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.&nbsp;The campaign will honor the past, present and future of the NBA across the court, community and culture.&nbsp;It will be a 360-degree, fan-focused celebration delivered through linear, social, digital and physical activations as the league ramps up to season tip-off and returns to its traditional schedule.&nbsp; &nbsp; New NBA Outfitting and Game Ball for 75th&nbsp;Anniversary Season Nike will celebrate NBA 75 with diamond-embellished jersey details and new Classic Edition and City Edition uniforms across the league.&nbsp;New Era also integrates the 75th&nbsp;diamond embellishment on its 2021 NBA Draft and Tip Off Edition caps.Additionally, Wilson will officially debut as the new game ball partner in the 2021-22 season.&nbsp;Wilson was the NBA&rsquo;s initial basketball manufacturer and the official game ball for the league&rsquo;s first 37 seasons.The NBA&rsquo;s inaugural season took place in 1946-47 and featured 11 teams, including three active franchises: the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Philadelphia Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors).&nbsp;The Knicks were part of the NBA&rsquo;s first game when they played the Toronto Huskies on Nov. 1, 1946, at Maple Leaf Gardens, and the Warriors were crowned the league&rsquo;s first champion that season.&nbsp;For the latest details on NBA 75 celebrations, including opportunities for fans to participate, visit&nbsp;<a class="c-link" href="http://nba.com/75" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://NBA.com/75" data-sk="tooltip_parent">NBA.com/75</a>&nbsp;throughout the 2021-22 season.

The league will have a panel select the team, to be announced in October.