Eagles

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Makai Ashton-Langford had 21 points and seven rebounds, hitting a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left in overtime to clinch a win Wednesday night for Boston College over No. 21 Virginia Tech 70-65.
Devin McGlockton added 18 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles (7-6, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won back-to-back games to snap a four-game losing streak. It was Boston College&rsquo;s first win over a ranked team since 2020, making it the first for second-year coach Earl Grant.
Sean Pedulla and Justyn Mutts had 18 points apiece for Virginia Tech (11-2, 1-1), which had won six in a row.
NO. 1 PURDUE 74, NEW ORLEANS 53
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Redshirt freshman Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a season-best 24 points to lead Purdue past New Orleans.
Kaufman-Renn hit 8 of 10 shots and 8 of 10 free throws for the Boilermakers (12-0). The only other Boilermaker in double figures was Mason Gillis with 11 points.
The Boilermakers played without 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, who was sidelined by illness.
Jordan Johnson scored 17 points to lead the Privateers (3-8), who have lost five of their last six games. Tyson Jackson had 14 for New Orleans.
NO. 3 HOUSTON 83, MCNEESE ST. 44
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Ja&rsquo;Vier Francis scored a career-high 23 points and had 13 rebounds as Houston routed McNeese State.
Emanuel Sharp added 18 points while going 6 of 9 on 3-pointers for the Cougars (12-1), and Marcus Sasser hit 5 of 10 from long range and scored 17 points. The pair combined to shoot 9 of 14 on 3s in the first half.
Roberts Berze scored 13 points and Christian Shumate added 10 for McNeese State (3-10). The Cowboys lost their fourth straight game.
NO. 7 TEXAS 100, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 72
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Freshman Arterio Morris scored a season-best 25 points in just 18 minutes in Texas&rsquo; victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.
Timmy Allen and Marcus Carr scored 17 apiece for the Longhorns (10-1), whose 100 points were a season-high and their most since a 105-59 victory against Northwestern State on Nov. 10, 2017.
Jordan Brown, a 6-foot-11 forward, led Louisiana-Lafayette (10-2) with 20 points.
NO. 8 TENNESSEE 86, AUSTIN PEAY 44
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Olivier Nkamhoua scored 20 points to lead Tennessee to a victory over Austin Peay.
Santiago Vescovi had 18 points, shooting 5 for 5 on 3-pointers, and Jonas Aidoo set a career high with 10 points and matched his career best with nine rebounds as the Volunteers (10-2) cruised in their final tune-up before the start of Southeastern Conference play next week.
The Governors (6-7) were led by Sean Durugordon and Elijah Hutchins-Everett with 11 points each.
NO. 10 ARKANSAS 85, UNC-ASHEVILLE 51
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Graham scored a season-high 16 points and Arkansas breezed past UNC-Asheville.
Graham, who hadn&rsquo;t played more than 11 minutes in a game this season, logged 19 minutes and shot 8 of 10 from the field as the Razorbacks (11-1) shot 53.3% overall.
Arkansas was missing standout freshman Nick Smith Jr.
Taijon Jones led UNC-Asheville (8-5) with 14 points and Jamon Battle scored 10.
NO. 13 UCLA 81, UC DAVIS 54
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Clark had 18 points and 11 rebounds as UCLA returned from a productive East Coast trip to earn a victory over UC Davis.
Tyger Campbell scored 17 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 14 as the Bruins (11-2) won their eighth consecutive game.
Elijah Pepper scored 16 points for the Aggies (7-5), just under his 20-point average per game. Robby Beasley added 14 points and Ty Johnson had 13 points for UC Davis.
NO. 19 KENTUCKY 88, FLORIDA A&amp;M 68
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Cason Wallace scored a career-high 27 points to help Kentucky beat Florida A&amp;M.
Wallace scored the first seven points of the second half for the Wildcats (8-3) as they took a 69-48 lead. The Rattlers (2-8) answered with a 14-0 run, cutting the deficit to seven points on Jaylen Bates&rsquo; 3-pointer. Wallace steadied Kentucky with a jumper and an assist on Antonio Reeves&rsquo; dunk.
Bates led the Rattlers with 21 points and Dimingus Stevens added 13 points.
NO. 20 TCU 75, UTAH 71
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Emanuel Miller had 21 points and seven rebounds and TCU beat Utah.
Mike Miles added 18 points for the Horned Frogs (10-1), and center Eddie Lampkin had 10 rebounds in his return from a back injury.
Gabe Madsen made seven 3-pointers and scored 26 points &mdash; both career highs &mdash; for Utah (9-4). Marco Anthony added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Branden Carlson had 14 points and eight rebounds. The Utes have lost two in a row.
NO. 23 AUBURN 84, WASHINGTON 61
SEATTLE (AP) &mdash; Jaylin Williams scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half, Johni Broome also scored 18, and Auburn ran away in the second half for a win over Washington.
Chris Moore added 12 points and Wendell Green Jr. added 11 for Auburn (10-2), which shot 21 of 29 (72.4%) in the second half and led by as many as 27.
Keion Brooks Jr. led Washington (9-4) with 15 points and Koren Johnson scored 12.
SAN FRANCISCO 97, NO. 25 ARIZONA ST. 60
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Khalil Shabazz scored 26 points and San Francisco routed Arizona State to end the Sun Devils&rsquo; nine game winning streak.
The Sun Devils had entered the AP Top 25 poll on Monday for the first time since their No. 23 ranking on Dec. 7, 2020.
The Dons opened the game on a 24-2 run, had a 27-point advantage at the break and a 47-point lead with about six minutes left.
Isaiah Hawthorne added 19 points for San Francisco (10-4). Tyrell Roberts scored 14 points.
DJ Horne and Duke Brennan scored 12 points apiece for Arizona State (11-2).

A recap of Wednesday night's men's college basketball slate includes the upset-minded Eagles taking down the Hokies.

Boston College beats No. 21 Virginia Tech 70-65 in overtime

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

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

Former Los Angeles Lakers player Slava Medvedenko is selling his two NBA championship rings to raise money for his native Ukraine.
Medvedenko was a power forward on the Lakers&rsquo; championship teams in 2001 and &rsquo;02, playing alongside Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal.
SCP Auctions is donating the entire final sale price of both rings to Medvedenko&rsquo;s Fly High Foundation. Its goal is to support Ukrainian children by restoring the sports infrastructure of the war-torn country&rsquo;s schools and launching a network of social sports clubs.
&ldquo;We want to restore gyms because the Russian army bombed more than a hundred schools,&rdquo; he told The Associated Press by phone on Sunday. &ldquo;Our country, they need a lot of money to fix the schools. Sports gyms are going to be last in the line to fix it. In Ukraine, we have winter and kids need to play inside.&rdquo;
The auction runs from Wednesday through Aug. 5. The Laguna Niguel, California-based company estimates both rings will raise at least $100,000.
Medvedenko said he decided to sell the rings after going to the roof of one of the tallest buildings in his Kyiv neighborhood and watching rockets launched by Russian forces streak through the night sky.
&ldquo;In this moment I just decided, &lsquo;Why do I need these rings if they&rsquo;re just sitting in my safe?&rsquo;&rdquo; Medvedenko said. &ldquo;I just recognize I can die. After that, I just say I have to sell them to show people leadership, to help my Ukrainian people to live better, to help kids.&rdquo;
Medvedenko spoke from Warsaw, Poland, where he staged a sold out charity basketball game to raise money for Ukrainian refugees who crossed the border to escape the war.
&ldquo;In Ukraine, you&rsquo;re just feeling it&rsquo;s war, rockets, air alerts. You&rsquo;re so used to that kind of pressure,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;As soon as you cross the border and see how people live normal life, it&rsquo;s a different world.&rdquo;
The 43-year-old is married with two daughters, ages 16 and 11, and a 10-year-old son. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Medvedenko sent his children to live with their grandmother in another part of the country.
&ldquo;After they stay for 1 1/2 months, they were all the time calling me and asking, &lsquo;Papa, can we come home? We want to be with you and Momma,&rsquo;&rdquo; he recalled.
Five months into the war, Medvedenko has reunited his family in Kyiv.
&ldquo;We have air alerts almost every day. Sometimes it&rsquo;s three or four times a day,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The kids are so used to it. They play in our backyard. They not even stop playing they are used to it.&rdquo;
Medvedenko has served in Ukraine&rsquo;s territorial defense forces during the war.
&ldquo;We were defending our neighborhood, doing checkpoints and duty patrol. I&rsquo;m not the best solider, I&rsquo;m not the best shooter, but I can give them support,&rdquo; he said, adding that he carried an AK-47. &ldquo;I shoot it a couple times, not at people. I&rsquo;m happy I don&rsquo;t have a chance to shoot somebody. Our army did a great job to defend Kyiv. I want to thank them.&rdquo;
Medvedenko was a candidate for Kyiv City Council in the 2020 election. He was 11th on the election list and his party only managed to win nine seats.
Beyond his humanitarian efforts during the war, Medvedenko has long-term goals to help his country.
&ldquo;After the victory, we will definitely return to that question of quality changes in sport,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Ten years in the United States, I saw how it works. I hope I have ideal model in my mind to change Ukrainian sport.&rdquo;
Medvedenko joined the Lakers in the 2000-01 season. He had his best season in 2003-04 when he started 38 games in place of injured Hall of Famer Karl Malone, and averaged 8.3 points and 5.0 rebounds. Injuries later slowed him and Medvedenko was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 2006-07, his final season in the league.
Medvedenko said he texts with former Lakers Mark Madsen and Luke Walton. The team has sent sports equipment for use in Ukraine.
&ldquo;The Lakers family always help me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The Lakers are always in my heart.&rdquo;

Former Lakers player Slava Medvedenko is selling his two NBA championship rings to raise money for his native Ukraine.

Former Laker Slava Medvedenko auctions NBA title rings for Ukraine

Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 3,000 career 3-pointers on Tuesday night in a game where the Denver Nuggets barely held off the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors 89-86.
Denver's Nikola Jokic blocked a potential game-tying shot by Jonathan Kuminga in the final seconds to preserve the win after his team nearly blew a 24-point halftime lead. The Warriors got one more chance to tie the game, but Andre Iguodala missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t be more proud of our guys,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;I thought Will Barton, down the stretch, made a couple of big, big plays.&rdquo;
Barton had 21 points, while Jokic led Denver with 22 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and four steals.
&ldquo;Nikola having 18 rebounds, 22 points and making a key, key play down the stretch is why he&rsquo;s a great player," Malone said. "You need those types of plays to pull out wins like this.&rdquo;
Andrew Wiggins had 21 points and eight rebounds for Golden State in his first game back from the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Curry, who scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half, made a corner 3-pointer late in the third quarter to give him 157 consecutive games with a 3-point field goal. It ties his own NBA record, which he set from 2014-16.
The Warriors trailed 60-36 at the half, but kept Denver down offensively while opening the third quarter on a 17-5 run to cut Denver&rsquo;s lead to 65-53. They pulled within five on a Curry step-back 3-pointer with 7:20 remaining in the fourth quarter before he made back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Nuggets&rsquo; lead to 84-82 with 2:08 left.
Golden State tied the game at 84 on a dunk by Gary Payton II with 1:04 remaining. Barton put the Nuggets back in front 86-84 with a tip-in on the ensuing possession and Denver held on to win despite scoring just 29 points in the second half.
&ldquo;They were the aggressor from the start," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I loved the way we fought back in the second half and gave ourselves a chance. ... Really proud of the guys for the effort, but obviously we&rsquo;ve got to play better.&rdquo;
The Nuggets started the game on a 10-0 run and built a 31-16 lead after the first quarter. Curry remained scoreless deep into the first half, finally getting his first points with 2:08 remaining in the second quarter.
Golden State's 86 points were a season low, and the team made just 16 of 31 free throws.
&ldquo;We just came out flat," Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson said. &ldquo;We sucked in the first half. ... We just dug ourselves a hole too deep to get out of.&rdquo;
HONORING MADDEN
Before the game, the Chase Center held a moment of silence for John Madden. The longtime Raiders coach and NFL broadcaster died Tuesday morning at 85.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Monte Morris sat out with left knee soreness. ... Aaron Gordon missed his third straight game with left hamstring soreness.
Warriors: Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, Damion Lee and Moses Moody remained in health and safety protocols. ... Iguodala returned after missing two games with right knee soreness.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host Golden State on Thursday to complete the home-and-home.
Warriors: At Denver on Thursday to begin a brief two-game road trip.

Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 3,000 career threes, but Golden State came up just short in a loss.

Steph Curry makes 3,000th three-pointer, Nuggets edge Warriors 89-86

Hi, hello, and welcome to yet another edition of Roaming The Baseline! This will be a weekly endeavor where I point out some things that caught my eye: a hot or cold streak from a player, a developmental flash, a well-run play, a funny tweet, who knows? There will be film -- it&rsquo;s me, so of course there will be film -- but this will also be a bit looser. It&rsquo;s an extension of my Twitter feed, if you will.&nbsp;
With that said, let&rsquo;s roam the baseline.
DEMAR DEROZAN IS LEADING THE CHARGE
The Spurs kicked off April with a five-game losing streak. A post-All-Star break slide was somewhat expected due to the strength of their schedule. A 26-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, however, wasn't part of the plan.
So there they were, reeling in the middle of a tightly contested play-in battle. And here they are now, winners of seven of their last 10 games. They're closer to the sixth seed (2.5 games back) than they are to 11th (4.5 games ahead).
If you're doling out praise, it has to begin with DeMar DeRozan. He's been playing All-Star-caliber basketball all season long, providing his usual brand of mid-post purity and rim attacking. He's especially perked up during this 7-3 stretch for the Spurs, averaging an efficient 25 and 8.
He marches to the beat of his own drum, offering up-fakes and pivots whenever the song needs a little juice.
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The combination of touch and footwork are only rivaled by a handful of players in the league. He has all the tricks of the foul-drawing trade. And because he's such a threat inside the arc, defenses have to shift to cut off his space.&nbsp;
What do you do when your counters are countered? Well, you counter those countered counters.&nbsp;
For DeRozan, that means making a leap as a playmaker for the third or fourth year in a row. He may not cause perimeter jump-outs as often as the Steph Curry/Damian Lillard/Trae Young division, but he's able to leverage his driving prowess to create similar passing windows.
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The glass ceiling on a primary that doesn't threaten from deep has been talked about ad nauseam. I've been guilty of it. We get it.
Let's just get back to basics with DeRozan: this dude is really freaking good at basketball.
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DARIUS GARLAND, PULLING UP
Young man's got some sauce to him.
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This feels straight out of Madden '07 to me. Instead of putting Ryan Arcidiacono on his hip, Garland slithers under him like he flicked "up" on the Highlight Stick. <a href="https://youtu.be/JYotsNmfM3g?t=22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You know the animation</a>. With Arcidiacono's momentum carrying him forward, Garland decelerates while retreating with a behind-the-back dribble, then flows immediately into a triple.
This. Is. The. Way.
Since the All-Star break, Garland is averaging a shade under 20 points while posting a 57.8 True Shooting percentage. The aggression has been the big key for him. He's taken 126 threes in 23 games since the All-Star break; he took 125 in the first 28 games of the season. A 43% clip on 5.5 attempts is dope for a 23-game sample. The funny part is that he's still&nbsp;leaving some food on his plate.
With Garland more willing to fire, defenders are creeping up a tad bit more. That's allowing him to get into the paint more often. Those paint touches are allowing his passing chops to shine through more clearly.
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This campaign has been a bit of a mess for the Cavs because of their injuries (and the occasional <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-something-has-got-to-give-with-kevin-love-cleveland-cavaliers-koby-altman-discipline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Love lash-out</a>), but Garland figuring out that he can get to his shot just about whenever he wants may be the biggest development of their season.&nbsp;
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THE OTHER SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE
Joe Ingles is not having a very fun stretch. Over his last three games, he's shooting 32.4% from the field (1-of-5 from two, 10-of-29 from three). He's taken four free throws in that stretch, making half of them.
Meh.&nbsp;
With that cold patch, Ingles now has a True Shooting percentage of... wait, hold on... am I reading this correctly?
Ingles IS STILL POSTING A 70.0 TRUE SHOOTING PERCENTAGE. That's No. 1 among all players, and there's a significant gap between Ingles and runner-up Jarrett Allen (68.4).
Jordan Clarkson has felt like the frontrunner for the Bench Scorer of the Year Sixth Man of the Year award all season. I'd simply like to pose this question to you: why?
Clarkson has been a tremendous spark off the bench, though he's started to slide a bit with his jumper. Ingles has been lighting it up from beyond the arc all season, while also adding value as a passer and multi-positional defender. He can fill gaps -- on both ends of the floor -- in a way that Clarkson flat-out can't.&nbsp;
12-4-4, a 70 TS%, and solid defense across two-and-a-half/three positions on the best team in the league. What's not to like? What is the case against Ingles aside from points?
It is 2021, man. I think we should be a little past sorting the points-per-game section for bench players and handing out the award that way.&nbsp;
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THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM"
<ul>
<li>Let's continue to keep an eye on Luka Doncic in one-on-one situations. We know he loves the stepback, and how hot-and-cold it has run throughout his career. He's leaning more into his post game, a fun counter when he's matched up against like-sized or smaller defenders. He's generating 1.13 points per possession on post-ups (passes included) this season, the seventh-best mark among 49 players with at least 75 post-up possessions.</li>
<li>Ja Morant is shooting 41.4% from three-point range on moderate volume in April. He ain't that, but as my podcast co-host <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Jones Jr.</a> pointed out on this week's episode of "<a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1386679481709080576?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a>," he does look a lot more comfortable navigating against "under" coverage. Give any player with that level of IQ the same look over and over, and he's bound to beat it.</li>
<li>Guess who leads the Raptors in fourth-quarter scoring over the past two weeks? If you guessed any of the usual suspects -- Pascal Siakam (5.4), OG Anunoby (3.6), Fred VanVleet (2.0), or Kyle Lowry (1.3) -- you'd be wrong. The rookster Malachi Flynn is not only leading them in scoring (5.8), but he's doing so efficiently (47/46/92 shooting split). Another "got some sauce to him" guy to keep an eye on moving forward.</li>
<li>Kendrick Nunn (and just about every other guard) missed Monday night's loss to the Chicago Bulls, but the Heat have been getting the goods from Nunn as of late. He's averaging 16-4-3 while shooting 42% from deep since Victor Oladipo has been out. There's a real argument to be made that he's been Miami's best guard this season; you can quibble about what that means for Miami, but it's a timely development for Nunn as he enters an offseason where he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/several-teams-tried-trading-for-kendrick-nunn-prior-to-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may be pretty coveted</a>.</li>
<li>The Warriors are 2-2 and have been outscored with Stephen Curry on the court since <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/steph-curry-on-if-hes-the-mvp-i-gotta-be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he said he should be the MVP.</a> He's still played pretty well (28.5 points with a 46/39/87 split), but the timing of the dip is pretty funny.</li>
</ul>
PLAYS I LIKED
Hit 'Em With the Flex
It's always a good time when teams flow out of Elbow Series. Toss the rock to your high-post hub and let him play quarterback. It's a LeBron staple, a Jokic staple -- really any frontcourt player who can hit a cutter. This was a fun one from Toronto.
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Just tremendous work on the flex action from OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet. Anunoby sets up RJ Barrett with a filthy juke; VanVleet lays the lumber and&nbsp;hooooolds it,&nbsp;freeing Anunoby for the flush.&nbsp;
Going Wide in Brooklyn
An effective way for teams to get busy in (early) transition is to have a big set a high, off-ball screen around the middle of the floor. It's tough enough for defenses to match up in transition; doing so while trying to navigate a screen and a player flying downhill off the catch can be darn-near impossible at times.
I always think of the Milwaukee (Khris Middleton, specifically) when I see these early screens, but this was a good rep from the Nets.&nbsp;
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The Suns are in drop coverage due to Frank Kaminsky being their 5. They don't want to switch him, so he's hanging back while eyeing Blake Griffin. Griffin sets the screen for Kevin freakin' Durant; it's fair to say the Suns have no intention of switching Kaminsky onto him.
That leaves four eyes on Durant and a whole lot of space for Griffin to pop into. Easy money (sniper).
Early Chaos
Nothing says "we're young" like doing just about everything at 150 MPH. They turn a simple HORNS Flare look into a scramble drill.
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There is&nbsp;a lot&nbsp;going on here. Darius Bazley (#7) essentially ghosts the initial screen as Theo Maledon pivots to his right. The Celtics switch that ghost screen, but still find themselves trailing the action due to how quickly the Thunder are moving.&nbsp;
We get a quick pitch from Maledon to Aleksej Pokusevski, all while Moses Brown is "chasing" the ball to flow into a quick-hitting pick-and-roll. The Celtics can't switch&nbsp;that&nbsp;one -- Semi Ojeleye gets bumped by Brown -- and that allows Poku to waltz into a pull-up.
THE READING LIST
There is plenty of high-level basketball content out here if you know where to look. I wouldn&rsquo;t be where I am as a writer without reading a ton of Zach Lowe or Chris Herring or Caitlin Cooper or Mirin Fader or, well, you get the point.&nbsp;
Anyway, here are some -- not all, but some! -- of the stories I&rsquo;ve read this week that I think you should check out. Their Twitter handles will be linked under their names, so click and follow if you don&rsquo;t already.
<a href="https://twitter.com/AlexmRegla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Regla</a> on Talen Horton-Tucker's <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexmRegla/status/1385250226638770178" target="_blank" rel="noopener">downhill dynamism</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fred Katz</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/davidaldridgedc">David Aldridge</a> tag-teamed on a <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1386687635364753412?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robin Lopez breakdown</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/seeratsohi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seerat Sohi</a> waxes poetic on how <a href="https://twitter.com/seeratsohi/status/1385321563159810054?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steph Curry's magical run makes us feel</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/RobMahoney">Rob Mahoney</a> on why the Milwaukee Bucks <a href="https://twitter.com/RobMahoney/status/1385234420555124736?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shouldn't be slept on</a>.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MirinFader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mirin Fader</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/MirinFader/status/1385237454894952450?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a tremendous feature</a> on Rockets rookie Jae'Sean Tate.

In Nekias Duncan's weekly notebook, he shares things that have caught his eye. He breaks down players, teams, plays, stats, etc.

Roaming the Baseline: DeMar DeRozan, Darius Garland, Joe Ingles, more

Over the last month, many people have asked me, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s it like in the NBA bubble?&rdquo; The best way to describe this experience is that it feels like I&rsquo;m on a grown-up AAU team. Our Lakers team has been really close all season, but we&rsquo;ve reached a different level of chemistry recently.&nbsp;
For the most part, we are together all day, every day. We go to practice together. Then, we all go eat lunch together as a team. After that, we hang out at the hotel. Then, we go to dinner together. We&rsquo;ve been having Madden tournaments, watching other NBA games and checking out the Verzuz battles to pass the time. Sometimes, we&rsquo;ll all just sit around and share stories. I love hearing stories from my vets. Guys don&rsquo;t usually stop to appreciate their journey and what they&rsquo;ve accomplished in this league, but we&rsquo;ve got nothing but time in here. We&rsquo;ve also been discussing how we can help our communities and doing a lot of brainstorming.
Every NBA organization talks about developing chemistry and building a strong culture, but that&rsquo;s easier said than done. But with this Lakers team, it&rsquo;s a real brotherhood. There&rsquo;s a genuine family feel. This group has been through so much throughout this season, and there&rsquo;s no question that it has brought us even closer together. Usually, a team builds chemistry through big wins, tough losses, road trips and things like that. We&rsquo;ve experienced all of those things, but we&rsquo;ve also dealt with a pandemic, the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and, now, the strangest postseason in NBA history.
Strong leadership is always important, but it&rsquo;s even more crucial during a season like this. Our leaders, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, set the tone from day one. In September, Bron and AD organized a minicamp in Las Vegas where we all got together for the first time to work out and get to know each other. Not only are Bron and AD two of the best players in the world, they are also so unselfish and they always put the team first. They want to build everyone up and help their teammates. That&rsquo;s rare.&nbsp;
When you spend time around Bron, it&rsquo;s obvious why he&rsquo;s a legend. It&rsquo;s not a coincidence! He and AD are always the first ones in the gym. Bron shows up 2.5 hours before practice to work on his body and get shots up, and he gets to the arena 3-4 hours before each game. Both guys work so hard and they&rsquo;ve completely dedicated themselves to the game. 
When I was with the Warriors, I played against Bron during the 2018 NBA Finals and he was calling out many of our sets before they even happened. He&rsquo;s able to do that because he watches a ton of film and his attention to detail is incredible.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/LeBron_Ad33_lg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="AUTO" />
When your best players are showing up early, watching film non-stop and constantly going above and beyond, everyone else is going to follow suit. Bron and AD are willing to do whatever it takes to win and that attitude is contagious.
We have other great leaders too. During every film session, I sit next to Rajon Rondo just to pick his brain. His attention to detail is incredible as well. Jared Dudley doesn&rsquo;t get enough credit for being an amazing teammate and leader. Danny Green is a great glue guy. Honestly, everyone sacrifices for the greater good of the team. It really feels like an AAU team with how close we are as a team and how together we are. It&rsquo;s a very unique group of guys.
One special thing about this team is that we have a lot of championship experience. We have six players who have won a championship (including three who have multiple rings). Four of our coaches have won a title either as a player or as a coach: Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins, Phil Handy and Mike Penberthy. Having that championship experience can only help us in the playoffs. Because we have so many past champions on the roster, everyone understands exactly what it&rsquo;s going to take to win it all this year.
We&rsquo;re banking on our pedigree and our chemistry this year. This team has a lot of guys who have done great things in this league. I think we&rsquo;re as talented as any team in the NBA, but we just have to keep building great habits and doing the little things.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s frustrating that we don&rsquo;t have home-court advantage in these playoffs. We all wish we were playing in STAPLES Center because Laker Nation gives us a huge advantage. But this is a weird year, so we&rsquo;re making the best of our situation in the bubble. I know Laker Nation will be rooting for us every step of the way from home. 
I&rsquo;ve been a Lakers fan for my entire life, so I know firsthand how passionate and supportive Laker Nation is. It&rsquo;s been a dream come true for me to play in front of these fans. They just did <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1295524878456512513">a mural of the whole team</a> in L.A. and it&rsquo;s amazing. Laker Nation is the best; there&rsquo;s nothing else to say.
We want to bring the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy back to Los Angeles for Laker Nation.&nbsp;

From the NBA bubble, Quinn Cook writes about the Los Angeles Lakers' chemistry, leadership and championship aspirations.