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Magic

Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards has reached an exclusive list even the greatest shooter of all time Stephen Curry was not able to do early in his career.
On Saturday night, Edwards became the youngest player in NBA history to hit 800 three-pointers in their career. At just 23-years-old, Edwards' game has evolved from the time he was drafted in 2020 with his high-flying antics and rim-soaring dunks. Now in his 5th NBA season, Edwards has become a respectable shooter, and a hotshot at that as he gains more reps into his shot.
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youngest player in <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> history to make 800 threes. that's our <a href="https://twitter.com/theantedwards_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theantedwards_</a>. 🐜🐜🐜 <a href="https://t.co/3mAzbLaGLh">pic.twitter.com/3mAzbLaGLh</a>
&mdash; Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1850634826090524699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
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Edwards has made it a point to shoot more threes this season. Over the Wolves&rsquo; first three games, Edwards has been 21-45 from three, shooting at a 39% clip.
Edwards has been making his threes in a variety of ways. There have been times he hits threes on the move, off the dribble, stepbacks and on some catch and shoot opportunities. This has highlighted his shotmaking and has been a main source of Minnesota&rsquo;s offense to start the year.
According to Wolves&rsquo; media Dane Moore, Edwards has more than 50% of his shots from three, something that he&rsquo;s increased this year. Last season, only 30% of his shots were from three, this year it&rsquo;s up to 58% to start the season.
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Through 2.5 games, Anthony Edwards has taken 60 shots, and 35 of them have been 3s. That's 58% of his shots. Last season 30% of his shots were 3s. <a href="https://t.co/FyEgJZMs8A">pic.twitter.com/FyEgJZMs8A</a>
&mdash; Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaneMooreNBA/status/1850347919251042524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
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Moreover, Edwards joined Curry and Kemba Walker as the only players in NBA history to hit 5+ 3PT in three straight games to start a season, <a href="https://x.com/StatMamba/status/1850366050308690045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1850366050308690045%7Ctwgr%5E78ba9d628247b21d3ac56c3d1dadad80a8e28fd1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fnba%2Fwarriors%2Fnews%2Fanthony-edwards-makes-nba-history-joins-steph-curry-on-exclusive-list-01jb5y1c17pc">per Stat Mamba on X</a>. The 6-foot-4 guard scored his 7,000th point in their game against the Toronto Raptors.
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7,000 career points and counting. 🐜 <a href="https://t.co/Wb8oWY23Y4">pic.twitter.com/Wb8oWY23Y4</a>
&mdash; Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1850362817079062547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a>
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Edwards has had a good start to his NBA career, and he&rsquo;s one of the young players being groomed as one of the next faces of the league.

On Saturday night, Edwards became the youngest player in NBA history to hit 800 three-pointers in their career.

Anthony Edwards makes NBA history as youngest player to hit 800 three-pointers

Sabrina Ionescu channeled her inner &lsquo;mamba mentality&rsquo; to wrestle away Game 3 of the 2024 WNBA Finals from the hands of the Minnesota Lynx, 80-77, on Wednesday night at the Target Center.&nbsp;
With just under 15 seconds left in the game, Ionescu pulled up from 30 feet to drain a tough stepback three point shot to give the New York Liberty the improbable win on the road. The Liberty went up 2-1 in their series against the Lynx, winning back-to-back games after losing Game 1 in New York.&nbsp;
Ionescu finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists with two huge threes coming in the dying minutes of the 4th quarter. The recently-minted All-WNBA second teamer scored the final 6 points for the Liberty, hitting on a separate three to put New York up by 4 before her incredible game winner.&nbsp;
Minnesota tied the ball game at 77-all after Bridget Carleton&rsquo;s tough layup and Napheesa Collier&rsquo;s two free throws and it set up Ionescu&rsquo;s game winner at the top of the key.
Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with a monster game of her own, racking up 30 points and 11 rebounds as New York moved one win away from the 2024 WNBA title.
Collier led the Lynx with 20 points and 9 rebounds as she played all 40 minutes in the game. Game 4 will still be at Minnesota on Friday night.

Sabrina Ionescu channeled her inner ‘mamba mentality’ to wrestle away Game 3 of the 2024 WNBA Finals from the Minnesota Lynx.

Sabrina Ionescu shoots down Lynx to bring Liberty to one win away from WNBA title

The 2024 NBA Free Agency underway. Here's everything you need to know about the makings and the moves around the NBA.

2024 NBA Free Agency Tracker: All the signings and deals in the offseason

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN&rsquo;s Seaport District Studios in New York. This will be the first time in NBA history that the draft will be separated into two days, with the first round being at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
Here are all the first-round selections courtesy of the NBA: (article to be updated with the second-round picks)
<ol>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zaccharie-risacher">Zaccharie Risacher</a> (JL Bourg-en-Bresse) to the Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/alexandre-sarr">Alex Sarr</a> (Perth) to the Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/reed-sheppard">Reed Sheppard</a> (Kentucky) to the Houston Rockets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/stephon-castle">Stephon Castle</a> (Connecticut) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ron-holland">Ron Holland II</a> (G League Ignite) to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tidjane-salaun">Tidjane Salaun</a> (Cholet Basket) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/donovan-clingan">Donovan Clingan</a> (Connecticut) to the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/rob-dillingham">Rob Dillingham</a> (Kentucky) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zach-edey">Zach Edey</a> (Purdue) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cody-williams">Cody Williams</a> (Colorado) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/matas-buzelis">Matas Buzelis</a> (G League Ignite) to the Chicago Bulls</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-topic">Nikola Topic</a> (KK Crvena Zvezda) to the Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/devin-carter">Devin Carter</a> (Providence) to the Sacramento Kings</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/carlton-carrington">Bub Carrington</a> (Pittsburgh) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kelel-ware">Kel&rsquo;el Ware</a> (Indiana) to the Miami Heat</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jared-mccain">Jared McCain</a> (Duke) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dalton-knecht">Dalton Knecht</a> (Tennessee) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristan-da-silva">Tristan da Silva</a> (Colorado) to the Orlando Magic</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jakobe-walter">Ja&rsquo;Kobe Walter</a> (Baylor) to the Toronto Raptors&nbsp;</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylon-tyson">Jaylon Tyson</a> (Cal) to the Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/yves-missi">Yves Missi</a> (Baylor) to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/daron-holmes-ii">DaRon Holmes II</a> (Dayton) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the Denver Nuggets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/aj-johnson">AJ Johnson</a> (Illawarra) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyshawn-george">Kyshawn George</a> (Miami) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pacome-dadiet">Pacome Dadiet</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dillon-jones">Dillon Jones</a> (Weber State) to the Washington Wizards &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/terrence-shannon-jr">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> (Illinois) to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ryan-dunn">Ryan Dunn</a> (Virginia) to the Denver Nuggets &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/isaiah-collier">Isaiah Collier</a> (USC) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/baylor-scheierman-2">Baylor Scheierman</a> (Creighton) to the Boston Celtics</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
<ol start="31">
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jonathan-mogbo">Jonathan Mogbo</a> (San Francisco) to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyle-filipowski">Kyle Filipowski</a> (Duke) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-smith">Tyler Smith</a> (G League Ignite) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-kolek">Tyler Kolek</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/johnny-furphy">Johnny Furphy</a> (Kansas) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/juan-nunez">Juan Nunez</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the Indiana Pacers &mdash; traded to San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bobi-klintman">Bobi Klintman</a> (Cairns) to the Minnesota Timberwolves &mdash; traded to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ajay-mitchell">Ajay Mitchell</a> (UC Santa Barbara) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylen-wells">Jaylen Wells</a> (Washington State) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/oso-ighodaro">Oso Ighodaro</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/adem-bona">Adem Bona</a> (UCLA) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kj-simpson">KJ Simpson</a> (Colorado) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-djurisic">Nikola Djurisic</a> (KK Mega Basket) to the Miami Heat &mdash; traded to the Atlanta Hawks (via Heat)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pelle-larsson">Pelle Larsson</a> (Arizona) to the Houston Rockets &mdash; traded to the Miami Heat (via Rockets)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jamal-shead">Jamal Shead</a> (Houston) to the Sacramento Kings &mdash; traded to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-christie">Cam Christie</a> (Minnesota) to the Los Angeles Clippers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/antonio-reeves">Antonio Reeves</a> (Kentucky) to the Orlando Magic &mdash; traded to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/harrison-ingram">Harrison Ingram</a> (North Carolina) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristen-newton">Tristen Newton</a> (Connecticut) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/enrique-freeman">Enrique Freeman</a> (Akron) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/melvin-ajinca">Melvin Ajinca</a> (Saint-Quentin Basketball) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to the Dallas Mavericks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/quinten-post">Quinten Post</a> (Boston College) to the Golden State Warriors &mdash; traded to Thunder, then to Blazers, then to Warriors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-spencer">Cam Spencer</a> (Connecticut) to the Detroit Pistons &mdash; traded to the Memphis Grizzlies (via Timberwolves)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/anton-watson">Anton Watson</a> (Gonzaga) to the Boston Celtics</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bronny-james">Bronny James</a> (USC) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kevin-mccullar-jr">Kevin McCullar Jr.</a> (Kansas) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.

2024 NBA Draft: Full results

The Philadelphia 76ers intend to sign former Charlotte Hornets lottery pick Kai Jones, <a href="https://x.com/wojespn/status/1768378927813390343?s=20">according to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski.</a>
Jones, who was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, will return to the league after being released by Charlotte in October of last year due to unprofessional behavior on social media.&nbsp;
The Sixers will reportedly sign Jones to a 10-day deal as they continue to survive the season without reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who&rsquo;s been out since January.
The 6-foot-11 Jones would provide an additional body in their frontcourt, which also features Paul Reed and Mo Bamba.
Over 67 games played in two seasons with the Hornets, Jones averaged 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds.

The Philadelphia 76ers intend to sign former Charlotte Hornets lottery pick Kai Jones.

Sixers to sign former Hornets lottery pick Kai Jones

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic just entered the NBA record book, accomplishing something that has only been done by three other players in league history.
On Friday night, on the fourth anniversary of Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s passing, Doncic channeled his inner &lsquo;Mamba Mentality&rsquo; to score 73 points, leading the Mavericks to a 148-143 road win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Doncic joins Wilt Chamberlain, Bryant and David Thompson as the only players in NBA history to score at least 73 points in a single game. Chamberlain <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39367091/who-scored-most-points-single-nba-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">owns the NBA record</a> with 100 points, and Doncic's 73-point performance was the most points scored since Bryant's 81-point outing in 2006.
&ldquo;I was just going, taking whatever the defense gave me. In the second half, they doubled me all the time, so I tried to make some plays," Doncic said postgame. "Sometimes I [attacked] and I would break the double, so just seeing the game.&rdquo;
Dallas came into the game having lost three straight, including a 23-point drubbing against rival Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We played great, we played great offense,&rdquo; Doncic said. "I just wanted to get the win, as we have been struggling lately.&rdquo;
The 2024 All-Star starter shot an absurd 75.8% from the floor (25-of-33), made 8 triples and sank 15-of-16 free throws. He becomes the first player in NBA history to score 70+ points while shooting 75% or higher from the field.
Doncic was brilliant all game long, scoring 18, 23, 16 and 16 across the four quarters. When the Hawks tried to be physical with him, he credited his teammates, Dante Exum and Josh Green, for coming up big as well.
&ldquo;It was great, just trust, I always trust my teammates. Making the right play, they&rsquo;re (Exum and Green) always big time for us. Just the next man up mentality. Both were great today,&rdquo; Doncic said.
Trae Young, who was traded for Doncic in 2018, had 30 points and 11 assists for the Hawks, while Jalen Johnson added 25 points in the losing effort.

Luka Doncic erupted for 73 points in the Dallas Mavericks' win over the Atlanta Hawks — the fourth-most points in a single NBA game.

Luka Doncic scores 73 points in win over Hawks, 4th-most in NBA history

The NBA today announced Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for the month of December.&nbsp;
Antetokounmpo is being recognized for his efforts throughout Season of Giving &ndash; an annual five-week celebration beginning in mid-November that runs through December when NBA teams and players give back by supporting and uplifting youth, families, and organizations in their communities. Antetokounmpo will receive the David Robinson trophy and the NBA will donate $10,000 to the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation.&nbsp;
Throughout December, Antetokounmpo hosted special events to give back to Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. On December 14, he hosted 100 youth from the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee for a special movie night and holiday shopping experience. Antetokounmpo provided transportation, food and beverages and rented two movie theaters for a screening of the film &ldquo;Wonka." After the movie, each child received a gift card to Target to spend on gifts for themselves and family members. Antetokounmpo spent time shopping with the children and helping them pick gifts for their loved ones. He also helped to provide basic clothing, winter accessories and other household items for the youth. More than 90% of the children from the Boys &amp; Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee qualify for free or reduced lunch, furthering Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s passion to provide a special experience that many kids could not typically afford. On December 16, Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks hosted seven youth from Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, with three families coming from Greece to meet him. As part of the experience, the youth signed one-day team contracts with the team, watched practice and met Antetokounmpo prior to the game.&nbsp; He signed jerseys, shoes and basketballs for all the kids from Make-A-Wish.
Also in December, Antetokounmpo and his family hosted their third annual Christmas event, where the family hosted 300 Milwaukee foster families for a night of holiday cheer and celebrations. Children in foster care were able to enjoy an evening of balloon artists, face painting, dance parties and other games and crafts. Each child received a photo with Santa and the Milwaukee Bucks mascot, Bango.&nbsp; The foster parents were also able to visit a holiday gift shop to pick out toys and clothes for the children.&nbsp; Volunteers helped wrap presents so each family could go home with wrapped gifts to put under their Christmas tree.&nbsp;
In addition to Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s Season efforts throughout December, he tipped off Season of Giving with his family by spending Thanksgiving Day serving dinner to 86 men living in shelter at Guest House Milwaukee. The family paid for a catered meal and served dinner to the residents. Antetokounmpo also ensured each resident received new blankets and socks, which are critical necessities for individuals in shelter as they face winter in Wisconsin. In October, Antetokounmpo hosted The Big Give Back, a diaper and fundraising drive for the Milwaukee Diaper Mission. The Big Give Back raised over $180,000 and provided more than 10,000 diaper donations.
&ldquo;I am fortunate to be in a position where I can give back to the communities that have raised me,&rdquo; said Antetokounmpo. &ldquo;Building my legacy on the court has been fun these past 10 years, but being able to take the next step in my career and build a legacy of giving back with my family is what has been truly rewarding.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo will be recognized in-arena as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner during pre-game of the Jan. 27 Pelicans-Bucks game. Bucks General Manager Jon Horst and Bucks and Fiserv Forum President Peter Feigin will present him with the David Robinson trophy.
The NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award honors Bob Lanier, an NBA League Office executive and NBA Cares Ambassador for more than 30 years. He had an enormous influence on the NBA family and young people globally, traveling the world to teach the values of the game and making a positive impact through his kindness and generosity.&nbsp;
Each monthly winner receives the David Robinson trophy and the NBA makes a donation to the charity or foundation of the player&rsquo;s choice.&nbsp;

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for the month of December.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wins Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for December

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

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

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

The NBA announced that the Dallas Mavericks will play a preseason game against reigning EuroLeague champion Real Madrid at the WiZink Center in Madrid on Oct. 10, 2023, at 8:45 p.m. CET.
This will be the NBA&rsquo;s eighth game in the Spanish capital and 20th game in Spain overall, and it will mark 35 years since the NBA's first game in Spain in 1988.
The Mavericks currently feature four-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić, who joined Real Madrid at the age of 13 and became the youngest-ever EuroLeague MVP and EuroLeague Final Four MVP when he led Real Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title at age 19. The Mavericks also feature 2016 NBA champion and eight-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving.
Real Madrid features Spanish legend and former NBA draftee Sergio Llull as well as several former NBA players, including Rudy Fern&aacute;ndez, Mario Hezonja, Džanan Musa and Sergio Rodr&iacute;guez. Real Madrid has won a record 36 La Liga ACB championships and is the winningest team in EuroLeague history with 11 titles.
The matchup marks the first preseason NBA game in Madrid since 2016, when Dončić and Real Madrid hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 1988, the Boston Celtics played two games in Madrid against the then Yugoslavian Men&rsquo;s National Team and Real Madrid.
Prior to the game in Madrid, the Mavericks will play two preseason games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 5 and 7 as part of The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023.
&ldquo;Bringing the live NBA experience directly to our passionate international fans is an important part of our year-round efforts to grow basketball and the NBA around the world,&rdquo; said NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Mark Tatum. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited for the Mavericks to play Real Madrid and look forward to engaging with fans from Spain and across Europe around this historic matchup.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Following our preseason games in Abu Dhabi, we are thrilled to play the game we love for the MFFLs in Madrid,&rdquo; said Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall. &ldquo;Our team is lucky to have one of the greatest international NBA ambassadors in Luka, and we look forward to connecting with Real Madrid and their fans.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Facing an NBA team is always special, but on this occasion even more so, as it will give us the opportunity to once again enjoy a Real Madrid legend and NBA star like Luka Dončić, who proudly carries the name of our club and presumes of being a Madridista wherever he goes,&rdquo; said Real Madrid ambassador Felipe Reyes. &ldquo;It will be a great spectacle and a very exciting moment for all madridistas and basketball lovers.&rdquo;
Tickets for the game will go on general sale Aug. 31.&nbsp; Fans can check Real Madrid&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.realmadrid.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.realmadrid.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1693516418041000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1N6d_mVGbXuv9mwGvRYEfp">website</a> for more information. The game will air live in the U.S. on NBA TV and Bally Sports Southwest. Additional broadcast distribution details will be available at a later date.
There have been 16 NBA players from Spain, including 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Pau Gasol. NBA games have aired in Spain since the 1987-88 season, and the league opened its office in Madrid in 2007.&nbsp;
NBA games are currently available in Spain on NBA League Pass via the NBA App, including 39 weekend games during the 2023-24 season that will air in primetime in Europe as part of the league&rsquo;s &ldquo;NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays&rdquo; initiative.

The Dallas Mavericks will play a preseason game against reigning EuroLeague champion Real Madrid at the WiZink Center in Madrid.

Dallas Mavericks, Real Madrid to play preseason game in Madrid

Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/carmeloanthony/status/1660639136242343936" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced his retirement</a>&nbsp;on Monday.
Anthony, who was not in the NBA this season, retires as the No. 9 scorer in league history.
Only LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal scored more than Anthony &mdash; who finishes his career with 28,289 points.
&ldquo;Now the time has come for me to say good-bye ... to the game that gave me purpose and pride,&rdquo; Anthony said in a videotaped message announcing his decision &mdash; one he called &ldquo;bittersweet.&rdquo;
Anthony&rsquo;s legacy has long been secure: He ends his playing days after being selected as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, a 10-time All-Star, a past scoring champion and a six-time All-NBA selection.
And while he never got to the NBA Finals &mdash; he only played in the conference finals once, with Denver against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 &mdash; Anthony also knew what it was like to be a champion.
He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2003 Final Four when he led Syracuse to the national championship, and he helped USA Basketball win Olympic gold three times &mdash; at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012 and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Anthony has played in 31 games in four appearances at the Olympics, the most of any U.S. men&rsquo;s player ever. Anthony&rsquo;s 37 points against Nigeria in the 2012 games is a USA Basketball men&rsquo;s record at an Olympics, as are his 10 3-pointers from that game and his 13-for-13 effort from the foul line against Argentina in 2008.
&ldquo;Carmelo Anthony is one of the NBA&rsquo;s all-time great players and ambassadors,&rdquo; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. &ldquo;We congratulate him on a remarkable 19-year career and look forward to seeing him in the Hall of Fame.&rdquo;
Anthony will remain part of international basketball for at least a few more months; Anthony is one of the ambassadors to the Basketball World Cup, FIBA&rsquo;s biggest event, which will be held this summer in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
&ldquo;I remember the days when I had nothing, just a ball on the court and a dream of something more,&rdquo; Anthony said. &ldquo;But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented with pride and the fans that supported me along the way. I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony.&rdquo;
Anthony was drafted No. 3 overall by Denver in 2003, part of the star-studded class that included James at No. 1, Hall of Famer Chris Bosh at No. 4, and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade -- he gets officially enshrined this summer &mdash; at No. 5.
Anthony will join them at the Hall of Fame before long. He averaged 22.5 points in his 19 seasons, spending the bulk of those years with Denver and the New York Knicks. Anthony has long raved about his time with the Knicks, and what it was like playing at Madison Square Garden, especially as a kid who was born in Brooklyn.
&ldquo;The Garden,&rdquo; Anthony said in 2014. &ldquo;They call it The Mecca for a reason.&rdquo;
Anthony also played for Portland, Oklahoma City, Houston and ended his career with the Lakers last season. He went unsigned this year, and now his retirement is official.
He said in his retirement address that he&rsquo;s looking forward to watching the development of his son Kiyan, a highly rated high school shooting guard.
&ldquo;People ask what I believe my legacy is,&rdquo; Anthony said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not my feats on the court that come to mind, all the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball. My legacy, my son ... I will forever continue through you. The time has come for you to carry this torch.&rdquo;

After a 19-year NBA career, Carmelo Anthony officially announced his retirement on Monday.

Carmelo Anthony retires after 19-year NBA career, 3 Olympic gold medals

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray scored 37 points, Nikola Jokic added 24 points and eight assists, and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals with a 119-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half against his former team for the top-seeded Nuggets, who have never been this close to the NBA Finals in 47 years in the league.
Denver blew a big early lead in Game 3, but made a decisive 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to snap the Lakers&rsquo; nine-game home winning streak since March 26, including seven straight victories since the regular season ended.
No team has rallied from a 3-0 playoff series deficit in NBA history. Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.
Anthony Davis had 28 points and 18 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who hadn&rsquo;t lost three straight games since early February. Los Angeles&rsquo; prolonged, desperate surge ever since the trade deadline has finally run out of steam against the powerhouse Nuggets, who have won five consecutive playoff games.
LeBron James had 23 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for Los Angeles, hitting three 3-pointers after starting the series 0 for 13 from distance. Austin Reaves added 23 points and seven rebounds, but Rui Hachimura was the only other Lakers scorer to crack double figures with 13 points.
Jokic&rsquo;s streak of four consecutive triple-doubles ended in a fairly quiet game for the two-time MVP. But Murray scored 17 points in a dynamic first quarter following his 23-point fourth quarter two nights ago, and he had 30 points by halftime of Game 3.
Bruce Brown scored 15 points and hit a key 3-pointer down the stretch for the Nuggets before Jokic all but iced it on a 3-pointer with 3:17 to play.
The Lakers&rsquo; passionate fans turned out in force for the 17-time champion franchise&rsquo;s first conference finals games at home since 2010, the year of their last title. Los Angeles tried desperately to get back in the series, with James playing 43 minutes after spraining his left ankle in Game 2 on top of his already sore right foot.
But the Nuggets&rsquo; flight to the coast didn&rsquo;t cool off Murray in the slightest: After lighting up the Lakers to close Game 2, the Canadian guard made his first five shots in Game 3 and poured in 17 points in the first quarter &mdash; even while Jokic went scoreless for the second straight quarter.
Murray&rsquo;s fourth 3-pointer of the night made him 11 of 13 from the field for 26 points midway through the second quarter, scoring more than half of Denver&rsquo;s points at an unbelievable pace. Reaves and Davis kept the Lakers in it, with Reaves racking up 15 points, three assists and three rebounds in the second quarter alone.
Hachimura&rsquo;s 3-pointer early in the fourth gave the Lakers their first lead since the opening minutes, but the Nuggets took charge again in a rally highlighted by Brown&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 7:02 to play, after which he taunted the Lakers&rsquo; bench with Los Angeles&rsquo; own &ldquo;Freeze&rdquo; 3-point celebration.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had another rough game for the Lakers, scoring three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 20 minutes. Russell was the Lakers&rsquo; biggest addition in their trade deadline transformation, but the point guard has just 21 points in this three-game series.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon had seven points in 32 minutes. ... Michael Porter Jr. had 14 points and 10 rebounds, capped by a 3-pointer in the final 90 seconds.
Lakers: Backup C Mo Bamba missed his ninth consecutive game with a sore left ankle. The team is hopeful Bamba can play at some point in this series. ... Fans near courtside included Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Andy Garcia, Dyan Cannon, Ken Jeong, Joel McHale, LA Kings captain Anze Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty, and Khalil Mack, Derwin James and Sebastian Joseph-Day from the Los Angeles Chargers&rsquo; defense.

The Denver Nuggets rolled to a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals with a 119-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

Nuggets on brink of NBA Finals with 119-108 win over Lakers in Game 3

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Brandon Miller was a little more than three weeks from being born when LeBron James made his NBA debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
Two decades later, James is still near the top of the league Miller is about to enter.
&ldquo;Twenty years is a lot of years. I&rsquo;m 20, myself. I feel old,&rdquo; Miller said in jest.
Prospects who gathered in Chicago this week for the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-combine-scoot-henderson-brandon-miller-a55811da32a6f58cafde246b0e602152">NBA draft combine</a>&nbsp;still see James as the gold standard, 20 years after he made the jump from St. Mary-St. Vincent High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
They see a player who entered the league when they were in diapers &mdash; or not even born -- still going strong at age 38. He has a chance to cap a season in which he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA&rsquo;s scoring king by being crowned champion for the fifth time, with the Lakers facing the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.
They see the results of the work he puts in to keep himself in top condition, the contributions he makes away from the court as well as on it. And they take notes.
&ldquo;I feel like as long as I&rsquo;m taking care of my body &mdash; and that&rsquo;s the biggest thing that LeBron has done,&rdquo; Scoot Henderson said. &ldquo;He made a name for himself off the court as well. ... Everybody knows LeBron because of how dominant he is as a player. But as a person, he&rsquo;s powerful. I see that a lot in myself. I think I can be on that level of greatness.&rdquo;
Widely projected along with Miller as a top-three pick behind Victor Wembanyama, Henderson is well aware of the opportunities that await him.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-curry-scoot-henderson-nba-draft-20cc165a9d8516ad940cc519a5494072">He has formed a partnership with Stephen Curry</a>&nbsp;that is helping him build his own business brand and giving him access to shooting coaches and a training team. As role models go, the Golden State Warriors star is obviously a good one.
Henderson said he has tried to cut fried foods from his diet, eat more fruit and get plenty of rest, particularly as he goes through the draft process. He&rsquo;s been active in the community, holding Thanksgiving food drives, and plans to keep that up. Though he&rsquo;s working with Curry, he&rsquo;s also following a similar example set by James.
Miller, coming off the most productive season by an Alabama freshman, envisions himself playing in 20 years. That&rsquo;s because he is dedicating himself to staying in top condition.
&ldquo;I think I will still be in the league,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;I think the biggest thing with LeBron, he takes care of his body. That&rsquo;s the biggest thing with being in the NBA &mdash; the body. It plays a big part of the career you build in the league.&rdquo;
Gonzaga star Drew Timme grew up near Dallas rooting for Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks. But in his mind, James is &ldquo;the GOAT.&rdquo;
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a testament to the amount he pours into his own body,&rdquo; said Timme, whose earliest memories of him are with Miami. &ldquo;To play for 20 years in the league is crazy. Not many people get to say they&rsquo;ve done that. I&rsquo;m sure he adds so much into himself in terms of the proper nutrition, strength and conditioning.&rdquo;
But to Timme, James&rsquo; example extends beyond that.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good family man,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He makes sure his family is good. I feel like I&rsquo;m pretty family-oriented as well. My family&rsquo;s pretty strong like his.&rdquo;
UConn star Adama Sanogo said the NBA hopefuls all can &ldquo;definitely learn from&rdquo; James when it comes to conditioning and nutrition. But they can also follow his example in the community.
Sanogo wants to open a school in his hometown of Bamako, Mali, just as James did for at-risk children in Akron. He said many of his friends growing up didn&rsquo;t have a chance to get an education.
&ldquo;To go to school in Africa, you have to pay for it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Some of my friends had to work to help their family. They were like 10, 11, 12. They had to work to help their family. They played no sports. They couldn&rsquo;t play basketball, they couldn&rsquo;t play soccer, because they had a job to do.&rdquo;

Two decades into his NBA career, LeBron James continue to set an example for the incoming class of NBA prospects.

Still the standard: LeBron sets example for 2023 NBA Draft prospects

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds, a slow-starting LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday night.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell hit five 3-pointers while scoring 21 points for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who remained unbeaten at home in the postseason with a strong defensive effort against the reigning NBA champions.
James didn&rsquo;t take a shot in the first quarter for the first time in his NBA-record 275 playoff appearances, but he warmed up in time to lead several runs in the second and third quarters while Los Angeles pulled away.
Stephen Curry scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins had 16 in a collective stinker for the Warriors, who committed 19 turnovers and never mounted a response to the Lakers on either end in the second half. Golden State went 13 for 44 on 3-pointers &mdash; making just 10 while the game was still competitive &mdash; after hitting 21 in each of the series&rsquo; first two games in San Francisco.
Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.
Davis had an impressive bounce-back game under both baskets after contributing minimally in Game 2, blocking four shots and leading the Lakers&rsquo; latest strong defensive effort. Los Angeles has built its 16-5 run since March 17 on defense, and the Warriors couldn&rsquo;t hit enough shots from the perimeter to counteract their disadvantages in size and athleticism.
Klay Thompson had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors, but the rest of the roster beyond their top three scorers struggled mightily, combining for just 18 points before coach Steve Kerr pulled his starters with 9:11 to play. Draymond Green had two points in 23 minutes while playing with foul trouble.
The Warriors were held under 100 points for only the fifth time in 92 games this season.
The rivals split two games in San Francisco to open the series, with the Warriors earning a 27-point blowout victory in Game 2 after dropping the opener.
But this much-anticipated playoff rematch between generational superstars James and Curry has featured more garbage time than memorable thrills in the past two games. After Lakers coach Darvin Ham sat down his stars before the fourth quarter of Game 2, Kerr pulled the plug while facing a 26-point deficit early in the fourth quarter of Game 3.
James began Game 3 making a clear effort to be a playmaker, but he didn&rsquo;t even take his first shot until 8:02 remained in the first half. He hit a free throw for his first point with 6:32 left, and he subsequently led a rally that pushed the Lakers in front to stay.
JaMychal Green stayed in the Warriors&rsquo; starting lineup even with Kevon Looney available to play in Game 3. Looney missed Game 2 with an illness.
FIGHT ON
James&rsquo; son, Bronny, announced his decision&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/bronny-james-lebron-usc-cad1708433f0af166e241e2001426363">to play at the University of Southern California</a>&nbsp;about two hours before tipoff. The 18-year-old was among the top uncommitted recruits in the nation, and he chose to stay close to home with a loaded Trojans team coming off its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Bronny James, USC hoops coach Andy Enfield and Trojans football coach Lincoln Riley all attended Game 3.
TIP-INS
Warriors: The Los Angeles-born Thompson grew up a Lakers fan in Orange County, and this series is his first chance to play against the 17-time NBA champion franchise in the postseason. His father, Mychal, is the Lakers&rsquo; radio color commentator, and his brother, Trayce, plays for the Dodgers. ... Andre Iguodala has increased his workload and should return to practice next week, Kerr said. The veteran has been out since March 13 after having surgery on his left wrist. He isn&rsquo;t likely to play in this series, but could return later in the postseason. ... Moses Moody got a flagrant foul in the second quarter for tripping Davis while lying on the ground after Davis blocked his shot.
Lakers: James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for fifth place on the NBA&rsquo;s career playoff rebounding list. ... Backup center Mo Bamba missed his third straight game with a left ankle injury. ... Another celebrity-laden sellout crowd gathered for the Lakers&rsquo; longest playoff run in their home arena since 2012. Fans near courtside included Michael B. Jordan, Kim Kardashian, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle, Dustin Hoffman, Nia Long, Adele, Andy Garcia, Kevin Hart and quarterback Bryce Young, the Pasadena native and No. 1 overall pick by Carolina in last month&rsquo;s NFL draft.

The Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 victory over the Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday night.

LeBron James, Lakers rout Warriors 127-97, take 2-1 series lead

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

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; The Los Angeles Lakers signed center Tristan Thompson and guard Shaq Harrison on Sunday before their final game of the regular season.
The Lakers waived Davon Reed to make room on the roster before they faced the Utah Jazz.
Thompson played alongside LeBron James during his nine seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning an NBA title in 2016. He has yet to play in the NBA this season, which would be his 12th in the league.
Harrison&rsquo;s 10-day contract with Portland expired this weekend after he averaged 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists in five appearances for the Trail Blazers. The Lakers will be his seventh NBA team, but he spent most of this season playing for the Lakers&rsquo; G League affiliate.
The Lakers acquired Reed in a four-team trade at the deadline, but he didn&rsquo;t crack their rotation.
The Lakers went without a true backup center behind Anthony Davis during the lengthy injury absence of Mo Bamba, who returned to the court Friday for the first time since March 5.
Los Angeles has been one of the NBA&rsquo;s most successful teams down the stretch, going 17-9 since the trade deadline. Even after a 2-10 start to the season, the Lakers (42-39) clinched a winning record with a victory over Phoenix two days ago.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed center Tristan Thompson and guard Shaq Harrison on Sunday.

Lakers sign Tristan Thompson, Shaq Harrison for NBA playoffs

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Near the end of what he once referred to as the most important regular-season stretch of his career, LeBron James was able to briefly savor one thing many thought was going to be near impossible after 12 games.
The Los Angeles Lakers will have a winning record in the regular season.
The&nbsp;Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 121-107&nbsp;on Friday night for their 42nd win to guarantee a finish over .500. That was only a dream in early November when Los Angeles stumbled out of the gates with a 2-10 record.
&ldquo;I was just telling AD (Anthony Davis), &lsquo;Can you believe we&rsquo;re going to finish this season above .500 after everything that has gone on this season?&rsquo; We turned this thing around in the regular season,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s more basketball to be played, but to know that we&rsquo;re going to finish a few games above .500 is pretty cool.&rdquo;
According to Sportradar, the Lakers (42-39) are only the fourth team since 1981 to start 2-10 or worse and finish with a winning record. The New Jersey Nets did it twice (1981-82, 2004-05) while the Chicago Bulls beat the odds in 2004-05.
Los Angeles was able to accomplish its turnaround despite James and Davis being in the same lineup for only 35 games.
James missed 27 games, including a four-week stretch from late February to late March because of right foot soreness.
Davis was out for 26 games, mostly because of a right foot stress injury. He has missed only two games, though, since Feb. 1.
The Lakers have won five of their last seven since&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-lebron-james-return-injury-109c58929fb947c7ebd81540121a44f3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James returned to the lineup</a>&nbsp;on March 26. They didn&rsquo;t get over .500 until a 12-point&nbsp;win at Minnesota&nbsp;on March 31, the 77th game of the season.
&ldquo;We are playing extremely well. The guys did an unbelievable job when I was out. The games that I played (since returning), I just try to do my part,&rdquo; James said.
The biggest catalyst to the turnaround was the trade deadline, when the Lakers reset their roster. They acquired guards D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley, forward Jarred Vanderbilt and center Mo Bamba, along with trading Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers&rsquo; 17-9 record since the Feb. 9 trade deadline is the second-best mark in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a real good group. There&rsquo;s a lot at stake and on the line that we have no choice but to improve,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;Our practice has been games and we&rsquo;ve been able to figure out things on the fly.&rdquo;
Russell led the Lakers with 24 points and Beasley scored 21 in the win over the Suns. Austin Reaves also has emerged as an integral player, averaging 17.8 points since the All-Star break.
The Lakers&rsquo; main goal going into Sunday&rsquo;s regular-season finale against the Utah Jazz is trying to get into the top six and avoid the play-in tournament. They are seventh in the West and need help.
Going into the final day, the Lakers could finish as high as fifth or as low as ninth.
Coach Darvin Ham&rsquo;s main priority is trying to make sure his team gets some rest during what has been a late-season grind. Sunday&rsquo;s game will be their fourth in six days, with the possibility of a play-in game on Tuesday or Wednesday.
&ldquo;We have to do what we need to do to make sure we have the proper energy, the proper rest, care, making sure we&rsquo;re taking care of our guys and their physical issues,&rdquo; Ham said. &ldquo;I just think the stakes being what they are is really going to ramp up our guys.&rdquo;
Even with the off day, James was in Portland on Saturday watching his son, Bronny, take part in the Nike Hoops Summit. James smiled when asked about taking the trip and said something that sums up the last month:
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no rest for the weary, you know?&rdquo;

After a season with plenty of ups and downs, the Los Angeles Lakers are guaranteed to finish with a record over .500.

Late-season turnaround propels Lakers to winning record

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Norman Powell scored 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 25 and the Los Angeles Clippers improved their playoff seeding chances with a 125-118 win over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
The Clippers&rsquo; 11th straight victory over their Crypto.com Arena hallmates pulled them into a tie with idle Golden State for fifth in the West at 42-38. The Clippers and Lakers came into their final meeting of the season tied in the standings at 41-38.
The Lakers had already clinched at least a play-in spot, but are trying to finish in the top six and earn one of the guaranteed postseason spots. The Clippers own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Lakers.
James had 33 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six turnovers for the Lakers, who were closing out a back-to-back. Anthony Davis had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who had won four in a row and seven of eight.
Playing without injured Paul George, the Clippers got 17 points and 13 rebounds from Ivica Zubac. Facing the Lakers for the first time since their divorce in February, Russell Westbrook added 14 points.
Bones Hyland hit three 3-pointers and Terance Mann added another early in the fourth to extend the Clippers&rsquo; lead to 106-90. Powell sent a perfectly timed alley-oop pass over Davis and Leonard slammed it down for a 112-92 lead.
James and Davis took over in the third during the Lakers&rsquo; lone dominant stretch of the game. They combined to score 17 of their team&rsquo;s first 19 points during a run that cut the Lakers&rsquo; deficit from 21 points to eight. Davis scored over Mason Plumlee to draw the Lakers within seven.
But Powell ran off 10 in a row and Plumlee dunked to send the Clippers into the fourth leading 93-82. Leonard was limited to a 3-pointer in the third.
Coming in off three days&rsquo; rest, the Clippers opened the game with a 23-11 run in which a clearly motivated Westbrook scored eight points and assisted on their first two baskets.
The Lakers answered with a 15-2 spurt to take their lone lead of the first half, 26-25, while getting points from five different players.
The Clippers outscored the Lakers 34-21 in the second quarter to lead 71-52 at halftime. One of James&rsquo; no-look passes ended up in Mann&rsquo;s hands and he fired to Powell, who hit a 3-pointer. Another James turnover resulted in a dunk by Mann.
James and Davis combined for nine points on 4 of 12 shooting in the half.
The Clippers came in fresh, having had three days off. The Lakers, by comparison, eked out an overtime win at Utah on Tuesday night that required James and Davis to play even more minutes on the front end of a back-to-back.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Lost the season series, 4-0. They were beaten by six, 13, 18 and seven points. ... Mo Bamba (ankle sprain) has been out for a month.
Clippers: Leonard reached 4,000 career rebounds in the third. ... They outscored the Lakers 20-8 in fast-break points in the first half, the most such points since November 2021 against Minnesota. ... Marcus Morris (low back spasms) sat out.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host Phoenix on Friday. They&rsquo;re 1-2 vs. the Suns this season.
Clippers: Host Portland on Saturday. The Blazers have already been eliminated from postseason contention.

The Clippers’ 11th straight victory over their Crypto.com Arena hallmates pulled them into a tie with idle Golden State for fifth place.

Powell and Leonard lead Clippers over Lakers, 125-118

They&rsquo;re refining skills of young prospects at the NBA Academy in Africa. The vocabulary, too.
&ldquo;There is a word that really we don&rsquo;t like, which is &lsquo;raw,&lsquo;&rdquo; said Franck Traore, head of basketball operations for NBA Africa. &ldquo;When you have an African player going to the U.S., they say &lsquo;raw.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Several academy prospects are playing in the new season of the Basketball Africa League, hoping to gain valuable experience in a professional setting and show that their game is more polished than many think.
Now in its third season, the league was created by the NBA in partnership with FIBA to help grow the sport in Africa. It&rsquo;s a three-month, Champions League-style competition for African club teams.
They added a twist last season with each of the 12 teams being assigned an academy prospect &mdash; called the &ldquo;BAL Elevate&rdquo; program that&rsquo;s in place this campaign, too.
The young players have to earn minutes on rosters full of veterans. It&rsquo;s another opportunity &mdash; along with various tournaments that the NBA Academy shuttles the kids to around the world &mdash; for the prospects prove themselves.
Academy alum Babacar Sane played in the BAL and other events last year and jumped to the G League Ignite, where the 6-foot-6 Senegalese player is in the first season of a two-year contract. Thierry Darlan, a 6-foot-7 point guard from the Central African Republic, is expected to do the same.
Sane and Darlan &mdash; both considered future NBA draft picks &mdash; are helping change the profile of African recruits.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a hurtful word or anything,&rdquo; Traore said of the &ldquo;raw&rdquo; tag. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;re trying to develop programs so when an African player developed here on the continent gets to the U.S. or anywhere else in the world they have the skillset &mdash; the same or even better than what we have in the U.S. We&rsquo;re getting to that point at this moment.&rdquo;
GAME CHANGE?
At 6-foot-3, Joy Ighovodja isn&rsquo;t the typical recruit out of Africa. The 18-year-old Nigerian will be playing next season at Oral Roberts, which lost to Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve not really seen point guards coming out of Nigeria,&rdquo; said Ighovodja, whose 6-foot-10 wingspan intrigued scouts last summer at the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta.
&ldquo;The normal thing people think is Nigeria, Africa as a whole, we&rsquo;re good on defense, run the floor,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The mentality is they have these big strong guys that get rebounds and play in the paint &mdash; not point guards.&rdquo;
Ighovodja, who is playing with the Abidjan team for the BAL season, is a lefty who started playing basketball four years ago, initially as a shooting guard. Coaches like him as a point guard, he said, &ldquo;to create opportunities for myself and my teammates&rdquo; with his speed, athleticism and ball-handling.
His team, the ABC Fighters, has advanced to the playoffs in May but the teenager has played in only one game so far under coach Liz Mills.
&ldquo;I just have to gain the coach&rsquo;s trust. I&rsquo;m getting there,&rdquo; Ighovodja said recently.
Other academy guards include Modou Thiam, who averaged 7.8 points per game for Nigerian team Kwara, and Aginaldo Neto. Although Neto is not playing in BAL, the Angolan is &ldquo;one of the best upcoming point guards that we have,&rdquo; Traore said.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just looking at everybody &mdash; it&rsquo;s not even size or position,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Right now, the game is going position-less. Here, we identify by potential.&rdquo;
BAL GAMES
The academy has bigs in the BAL, too.
Rueben Chinyelu (6-foot-10) is making significant contributions with Stade Malien before the 19-year-old Nigerian heads to Washington State. He is averaging 5.4 points and a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game. More than half of his rebounds have been on the offensive end.
Ulrich Chomche (6-foot-11) is averaging 1.6 blocks and 20.5 minutes per game for Rwandan team REG, along with five points and seven rebounds per game. The 17-year-old Cameroonian also played in BAL last year and does not lack confidence.
Khaman Maluach (7-foot-1) of South Sudan is only 16 and helped Senegalese team A.S. Douanes advance to the playoffs. Maluach is a strong finisher, a rim protector and has flashed 3-point range.

Several academy prospects are playing in the new season of the Basketball Africa League, hoping to gain valuable experience.

Prospects get chance to shine in Basketball Africa League

DENVER (AP) &mdash; There&rsquo;s some good-natured debate over which is the better Baylor &mdash; Scheierman or the Bears.
Some answers arrive on Sunday when&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/CBSSportsCBB/status/1636848750663725057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baylor Scheierman</a>&nbsp;and No. 6 seed Creighton take on third-seeded Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
One thing both schools can agree on: the importance of a transfer stepping in to fill a missing piece for an otherwise-solid program. There are schools that use the transfer portal to get good quick. Then there are schools like Baylor (23-10) and Creighton (22-12) that use the portal to stay good for a while.
The Bears brought in two players in Jalen Bridges (from West Virginia) and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/BaylorMBB/status/1636865628744339456" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Caleb Lohner (BYU) to</a>&nbsp;fill in holes and try to make a run to a second title in three seasons.
For Creighton, the big addition was Scheierman, the highly sought-after player who left South Dakota State and chose to stay close to home (he&rsquo;s from Nebraska).
He&rsquo;s definitely on the radar of Baylor coach Scott Drew.
&ldquo;Love his name,&rdquo; Drew cracked. &ldquo;Hopefully, this Baylor does better than that Baylor tomorrow.&rdquo;
Scheierman made a big impression in a first-round win over North Carolina State, sealing the game with a late basket and blowing a kiss to the crowd in celebration.
Safe to say he has settled into his new surroundings.
&ldquo;Ever since I stepped on campus, the guys have taken me in and treated like I&rsquo;ve been there all along,&rdquo; said Scheierman, who was the 2021-22 Summit League player of the year at South Dakota State. &ldquo;The process coming in has been smooth and the chemistry on the team is very good, and at a very high level right now.&rdquo;
The same can be said at Baylor (the school).
When Bridges was considering a new program for this season, he had a definitive checklist with warm weather, winning culture and family atmosphere leading the way.
Check, check and check with the Bears.
&ldquo;It was kind of easy to see myself here because they played in a way that fits my style,&rdquo; said Bridges, who is averaging 10.2 points 5.6 rebounds this season. &ldquo;I just try to do my best to make a play.&rdquo;
Same with Lohner, who appeared in 62 games with BYU before joining Baylor this season. He scored a season-high 13 points in a first-round win over Santa Barbara on Friday.
&ldquo;For me, (the transfer portal) has been awesome,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/BaylorMBB/status/1636819509612007425" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lohner said</a>. &ldquo;One of those situations that all lined up and I&rsquo;m really grateful and blessed to be in a spot like this.&rdquo;
At South Dakota State, Scheierman was counted on for his scoring (more specifically, his 3-point shooting).
At Creighton, he has plenty of company. The Bluejays have big man&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/BluejayMBB/status/1637136786748067840" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ryan Kalkbrenner</a>&nbsp;and guard Trey Alexander to help carry the scoring load.
&ldquo;Coming in, I knew my role is going to be much different than it was in South Dakota State and I was accepting of that,&rdquo; Scheierman said. &ldquo;I knew that if we put everything together and we made a deep run that it would eventually help all of our individual goals pan out.&rdquo;
Sharing the same name as the school the Bluejays are about to play has been &ldquo;a lot of fun,&rdquo; Scheierman said.
Along with it, a bit of confusion.
&ldquo;The past 24 hours the coaches have been saying Baylor a lot and it&rsquo;s kind of thrown me off a little bit,&rdquo; Scheierman cracked. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t really follow them a lot growing up and what-not. Obviously, I always knew that we had the same name, but at the end of the day, it&rsquo;s just another basketball game.&rdquo;

As No. 6 seed Creighton faces No. 3 Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament both schools have benefitted from transfers.

Transfers step up for Baylor, Creighton in March Madness

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; March Madness&nbsp;isn&rsquo;t just about filling out &mdash; and later trashing &mdash; brackets. There are more ways to bet the field in the NCAA Tournament, an event that will consume basketball fans over the next three weeks. Here&rsquo;s a look at the favorites, underdogs and long shots.
WHO&rsquo;S FAVORED TO REACH THE FINAL FOUR?
Earlier this week, top-seeded Houston was the plus-135 favorite to emerge as the Midwest Region representative and play in Houston, according to&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=march-madness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>. That means a $100 bet pays $135. The next top team in the region is No. 5 Texas at plus-350.
Alabama,&nbsp;the No. 1 overall seed, was plus-150 to come out of the South.
The most competitive region appears to be the West. Top seed Kansas opened as a slight favorite but later shared that spot with No. 7 UCLA at plus-330. No. 9 Gonzaga wasn&rsquo;t far behind at plus-400.
Top seed Purdue was at plus-300 to come out of the East, but the Boilermakers lost in the first round.
WHO&rsquo;S FAVORED TO WIN THE TITLE?
After a batch of first-round upsets, the favorites listed by&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=national-champion" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>&nbsp;got shuffled a bit heading into the second round of the tournament.
Alabama was the top favorite at plus-500, essentially swapping places with Houston (+700) whose star Marcus Sasser is nursing an injury. UCLA was next (+1000), Gonzaga and Texas were both +1200 and Kansas was +1300.
WHO IS THE BIGGEST UNDERDOG?
If you&rsquo;re looking for the next Saint Peter&rsquo;s or Loyola-Chicago, check out these options.
Nineteen teams were listed at plus-50,000: Arizona State, Charleston, Colgate, Furman, Grand Canyon, Howard, Iona, Kennesaw State, Kent State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Montana State, Nevada, Northern Kentucky, Oral Roberts, Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi, Texas Southern, UC Santa Barbara, UNC Asheville and Vermont. Furman did advance to the second round with a big win over 4th-seeded Virginia. WHAT&rsquo;S THE BIGGEST SPREAD DIFFERENCE?
Alabama was a 23 1/2-point favorite over Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi. Kansas was favored by 22 1/2-over Howard in their first-round matchup &mdash; the same spread&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/no-16-fairleigh-dickinson-stuns-no-1-seed-purdue-in-march-madness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fairleigh Dickinson faced against Purdue before its shocking 63-58 win.</a>
WHAT&rsquo;S THE BIGGEST OVER/UNDER?
The old saying is that life is too short to bet the under, but it&rsquo;s often the wise play. Some of these totals may give bettors second thoughts before taking the over, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;s the wrong move.
The highest totals heading into the tourney were Gonzaga-Grand Canyon, Missouri-Utah State and Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi-Southeast Missouri State at 155 1/2 each, Xavier-Kennesaw State at 153 1/2, Auburn-Iowa at 151 1/2 and Florida Atlantic-Memphis and Colgate-Texas at 150 1/2 each.
NOT REAL UNDERDOGS
Just because the committee seeds one team over another doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean it&rsquo;s the better team in the minds of the oddsmakers. Games where the lower seed was the favorite on the early line: Tenth-seeded Utah State by 1 1/2 points over seventh-seeded Missouri (Missouri won), ninth-seeded West Virginia by 2 1/2 over eighth-seeded Maryland (Maryland won) and ninth-seeded Auburn by 1 1/2 over eighth-seeded Iowa (Auburn won 83-75).
PROPS
Circa Sports in Las Vegas likes the chances of the 5-12 opening-round upset trend continuing, posting the odds of a No. 12 seed winning at minus-510. Odds also are in the favor of a No. 13 beating a four-seed at minus-250.
A victory by a No. 14 (plus-110), No. 15 (plus-195) and No. 16 (plus-745) aren&rsquo;t as likely but that&rsquo;s March Madness: A 15 and a 16 won in the first round, after all.
The Big 12 had the highest total for number of tournament wins by a conference at 11.
BRACKETS
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/zero-perfect-brackets-remaining-after-march-madness-upsets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The chase for the perfect bracket in office pools and everywhere else ended before the second round</a>&nbsp;this year. Wins by the likes of 15-seed Princeton, 13-seed Furman and 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson&rsquo;s near-historic win over No. 1 seed Purdue left the number of perfect brackets at 0 late Friday in the major contests run by ESPN, CBS Sports, the NCAA and others.

After several shocking upsets, NCAA Tournament odds have shifted. Here’s a look at the favorites, underdogs, long shots and more.